A Son of Slytherin

A Son of Slytherin

Chapter 6

The Leave-taking

Blaise had looked everywhere for Theo and as unlikely as it seemed, the library was the only place left. He opened the doors and walked in quietly, smiling at Madam Pince. She peered at him over her glasses, but didn't speak or encourage him to enter. He would have been tempted to turn around and leave, except he could see Theo across the room. Blaise walked over and dropped into a chair beside him.

His friend was reading a thick book and writing copious notes onto a scroll of parchment. From where Blaise was sitting, it looked like a book of potions. The margins of the pages were illustrated with images of horribly diseased individuals, all of whom were holding vials of disgusting looking concoctions. Blaise could have done without the colorful detail. It was several moments before Theo looked up.

"It's the last day of school. What are you doing here?" Blaise asked.

"I want to learn about medicinal potions."

"That's what NEWT classes are for. What's the hurry?"

Theo looked around, as if checking for eavesdroppers and leaned closer. "I'm not going to an orphanage. I'm not supposed to tell anyone, but I'm going to work for an apothecary over the summer."

Blaise blinked. "That's good news, I guess. Anything is better than an orphanage. Did Professor make you come here?"

"No, it's my idea. I wanted to start out on the right foot with the apothecary. I want to make sure I'm not just sweeping the floor and waiting on customers. I want to make the potions and the herbal remedies. You know, Blaise, this is a real opportunity for me. It'll help me be accepted into Healer Training."

Blaise rolled his eyes. "You're a good little hardworking Hufflepuff, aren't you? And all this time I thought you belonged in Ravenclaw."

"I am a Slytherin because I have ambition. I'm going to be a Healer and it isn't going to be easy with a father in Azkaban. Any means to an end-- even work. How did you get into Slytherin, anyway?" Theo snarled defensively.

Blaise met Theo eye to eye and said with a matching snarl: "I'm not courageous, clever, hardworking or cunning - but I am Pureblood," he paused and then added more cheerfully, "if you don't go back too far. Will you be at Diagon Alley? Maybe I can come and see you?"

Theo hesitated. "I'm not supposed to tell you until after I get settled. McGonagall doesn't want anyone knowing about it. So keep quiet. I'm going to the Hogsmeade Apothecary for the summer. I'll be living with Madam Wood."

Blaise stared. "You'd better go outside and have some fun while you can. You'll be the only student counting the days 'til the summer is over."

Theo snorted and grinned. "I know, but I think it'll be better than staying with Muggles."

Blaise pulled out his wand, and began waving it. Before Theo could complain, the book had closed itself, danced across the table and hopped to its spot on the shelves. The parchment rolled up, tied itself with a bow and jumped into Theo's book bag followed by the inkwell and quill. Blaise looked triumphant at his successful spellwork. "I think I took an O in Charms. My ambition is to be the most charming student ever to come out of Slytherin House. Now, you need fresh air. Do you want to go swimming or play Quidditch?"

"Quidditch," Theo answered quickly. He wanted something that would keep him from thinking about his father. That was part of the reason he had taken refuge in the library in the first place.

They made a quick trip back to the dormitory to swap books for brooms and hurried back to the Slytherin corridor. The Quidditch team, returning from a practice session, poured through the stairway door. Several of the players managed to bump into Theo as they passed. Draco flashed a sneer in Theo's direction, but kept his distance.

"Malfoy! Nott!" Blaise said, slapping himself theatrically on his forehead. "I almost forgot to tell you! The Mayor of Hogsmeade has been looking for you. The village clock is broken and he wants to know if he can bang your heads together on the hour. He heard the clanging all the way over there!" Theo grinned, embarrassed, but Draco scowled along with the rest of the team.

Once out of hearing Theo shook his head. "Between my big mouth and yours, I don't have any chance of getting on the team."

"Don't be stupid. That won't matter at all. You never had a chance." Blaise realized at once that it was the wrong thing to say and he quickly added, "Now, if you could join another team, all right. But why would you would want to be a part of the Flying Trolls?"

Theo and Blaise joined a group of students who had gathered at one end of the Quidditch Pitch to form teams. By tradition a game was made up whenever enough people gathered, sometimes making the teams larger or smaller than normal, just to get games going. The two most senior students were automatically team captains, and took turns choosing players.

Theo saw some of the students darting unfriendly glances at him and he heard mutterings: "Nott...in Azkaban..." He took a deep breath determined to stick it out, but he didn't really know what to do. Neither, it appeared, did the captains, a Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. They stared at Theo and Blaise, obviously uncomfortable.

"Do 'cauldron, broom, wand'," Blaise suggested to the captains. "Loser gets naught, I mean Nott." Theo grinned in spite of himself and the ice was broken. With a quick count of three and a display of hands, the flat hand "broom" of the Ravenclaw beat out the soft fist "cauldron" of the Hufflepuff.

As the team captains chose the rest of the players, Theo glanced at the scattered audience. He saw with a start that the next year's Slytherin team captain was watching them from the stands. Theo wondered how Draco would get along with him. Draco had bragged that he was a definite for captain, but once the rising seventh year had been named, Draco had explained that his Prefect duties prevented him from accepting the added responsibility. Theo grinned again at the thought of Draco being passed over.

The teams were finally agreed upon, and a few moments later Theo, wearing blue, circled with his bat as Blaise, in yellow, caught the Quaffle and sped toward a goal. Theo would rather not have been a Beater, but he didn't argue. He concentrated on protecting his Chasers, hitting Bludgers with such force that they sailed far out of play before turning back and speeding toward the game. He limited any offensive plays; the last thing he wanted to do today was knock anyone off his broom.

The game was still going strong when the captains called for an end, warning the players it was late. Theo and Blaise rushed inside the castle, and pelted down the Slytherin corridor to the common room. Blaise tapped the wall and pronounced the password. They dashed in before they saw Pansy and Millicent, and ran straight into both girls. Millicent was larger than the slender boys and barely moved, but Pansy almost fell, only keeping her footing with the help of Blaise's grasp. Both girls wrinkled their noses at the sweaty boys.

"Oh! Get off me you oaf!" Pansy gasped.

"Sorry," the boys muttered in unison, but couldn't hide grins as they hurried on to the dormitory.

They slipped into the Great Hall moments after the feast started and waited at the entrance for Professor to see them. He had been known to refuse latecomers admission to the Great Hall, and Theo desperately hoped he wouldn't do so now. After the Quidditch game he was starved and it was the end-of-term feast. At last Professor looked at them, and after inflicting a moment of suspense, nodded to signal his permission.

Theo and Blaise found seats with Tracy and Daphne who were sitting apart from the other fifth years. Daphne had been ill-at-ease the past few days- uncertain, it seemed, whether she wanted to be with Tracy or with Pansy, and she appeared no more decided now.

The House Cup was announced, almost perfunctorily, and the response was polite. Even Hufflepuff's pride at winning appeared dampened by the circumstances around it. Theo looked to the Head table to see Professor Sprout with a sad looking smile and Professor Snape scowling in Draco's direction.

Afterwards, tired and full, the boys went straight to their dormitory. They had just changed into nightshirts when Draco walked in and sneered at Theo, "Ready for the orphanage? Will you be taking the Express or are they spiriting you off from Hogwarts?"

"I'll be on the train," Theo answered.

"All right, Nott. You have a chance to redeem yourself. I'm getting even with Potter tomorrow. Stick with me and after things settle down on the train, we're going to hit him with hexes he's never heard of! You can help too, Zabini."

"I'd like to, Malfoy, but I don't think I know any hexes Potter hasn't heard of," Blaise replied with exaggerated innocence.

"I'm not interested," Theo said simply.

"All right, then. Just stay out of our way!"

The boys went to bed without further words. To Theo's surprise, the first thing he knew, he was waking up. Breakfast, the trip to Hogsmeade Station, boarding the train: all were managed in a rush. He had hoped to speak to McGonagall and Professor again, but the morning had passed too quickly.

The trip to King's Cross Station seemed to be over sooner than usual too: suddenly the train was slowing down and everyone was saying their good-byes. "I'll send you an owl," Blaise whispered, and Theo nodded. He was in no hurry to leave this year. Instead he watched from the window as students gathered their things and hurried out of Platform 9 ¾. He had just hefted his trunk from its rack and started through the car when he met three students coming from the other direction. He was face to face with Harry Potter.

There was an awkward pause. Theo swallowed and croaked, "Have a good holiday, Potter."

Harry stared as if he didn't recognize him. Hermione Granger's face was pale, and she seemed frozen in place as she stared at Theo. It was Weasley who spoke, "Come on. Let's go!"

Theo watched as they pulled their belongings through the exit. Then he tossed his trunk out. A noise caught his attention and he followed the sound to a closed luggage compartment. Opening it, he saw three slugs wearing Slytherin robes.

He reached into his robes and pulled out a small flask. "I hope there's enough." They seemed to understand because the squirming became frantic. He sprinkled the potion on each of them and watched as they fell to the floor. Their slug bodies began to change back to human as the smell of sulfur filled the air. "I'm glad I was able to help. Too bad about the side effect. I think the smell will wear off in a week or two. Enjoy your holiday."

He stepped off the train as the conductor approached. "You're the one the Headmaster spoke to me about?"

"Yes, sir. I have the Floo powder in my pocket. There are three students still on the train. I think they're sick."

The jerked his head toward a door off to the side of the platform. "Go on then. Be quick, best not to be seen."

Theo dragged his trunk to the office. For one moment he looked back toward the usual exit from Platform 9 ¾ and wished he could go home. It isn't home anymore. This summer is a means to an end, he reminded himself. He swallowed hard, straightened his shoulders and stepped into the fireplace.