Hush

There has been a bizarre increase of power throughout the school. It seems to travel, so I assume it must be that of a student. The only student I could possibly think who would have gained such power would be Harry Potter, but this does not seem right. I have discussed the issue with Mr. Potter. When he informed the staff (and I thoroughly tested) that he was not the source. I questioned Harry on whom he was suspicious of. Unfortunately, no names came to mind. There was (of course) the usual suspects such as the Slytherins, in particular young Master Malfoy, and the usual suspicion of Severus Snape, which I immediately dismissed because of the concerns that they might cause. Despite what I said to young Potter, I do realise that the Slytherins are the only students at Hogwarts who could have access to such power. I will request Severus to keep a close eye on them.

~

Draco took another deep breath and focused his energy on the large, intricately carved porcelain vase in front of him. The wards he had set up around the Room of Requirement crackled with the energy he was expelling. The air was thick with tension and power.

It was getting worse.

It was an uncontrollable power that was bubbling higher and higher within the young Malfoy. Every day it was threatened to break free.

Anyone else would have gone to a teacher and alerted them of the problem.

A Gryffindor would make a fuss about it.

A Ravenclaw would research it for extra credit.

A Hufflepuff would tell their friends, treating it like gossip.

All would eventually tell a teacher, but Draco, being a Slytherin, would harness it.

Draco had decided he would tame it.

Control it.

Control was something that Draco always maintained. A lesson passed from father to son over centuries' worth of generations of Malfoys.

Draco rose from his position on the cold, stone floor. He swayed slightly, and his head pounded a terrible tattoo. Despite the effects that this Dark power was having on the young man, Draco rose to his feet, confident that he could leave the well-warded room without being a peril to the outside world.

Well, more of a peril than he usually was.

~

Draco headed down to the Slytherin Common Room. He glanced at his silver wristwatch. Curfew ended in a few minutes, and he still had an extensive Transfiguration assignment to deal with as punishment for not completing his previous assignment about Animagi. Who needed Transfiguration anyway? It was only useful to wizards who were poor and needed more furniture.

"Gloria Draconis," drawled Draco as he reached the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room. Footsteps behind him echoed loudly, and Draco turned to see if it were was someone worth his time.

Pansy Parkinson trotted towards him, a smirk planted firmly on her pink lipstick smeared lips.

"I just heard the funniest thing about - Draco your eyes!" gasped Pansy, grabbing onto his arm, incidentally pulling him closer towards her.

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Hm?" asked the tall blond sharply. His headache was already getting the better of him, and now he had Pansy Parkinson thinking his eyes looked funny.

"They're shining...they're silver!" squeaked Pansy. "Was it a spell or a potion? Oh please tell me! They're just beautiful! All shiny and glowing! I tried this Cinderella - "

Draco froze and instinctively clapped his hands over his eyes.

" - They're...silver?" interrupted Draco, slowly lowering his hands.

Pansy nodded enthusiastically. "Much better than they're their usual grey. They're so pale and bland, like a rainy day." She sighed for effect. "Can you change it to blue? I'd so wish to have blue eyes...they'd look nice on you as well..."

"Uh...it's a potion...but I'm just testing it...they weren't meant to glow," said Draco quickly, looking at the damp stone floor.

Pansy blinked. "So, it went wrong?" she asked slowly, pulling at a lock of her straight brown hair.

Draco nodded quickly, his eyes still focused on the floor. "Yes, I was just trying out a glamour charm if ever I was going to...sneak around...or do something to...the Gryffindors."

"Oh that's so clever Draco!" she cried, her eyes not showing any of the enthusiasm her voice was. She was like a muggle robot...whatever that was.

Voices started echoing from the end of the corridor. Blaise Zabini and Malcolm Baddock were heading toward the Common Room.

Without another word, Draco raced into the Common Room and up the stairs towards his Dormitory. He silently cast several locking spells on the doors and ran to the closest mirror. His eyes glowed steadily silver in the dim light of the room.

"What happened to you, love?" asked the mirror soothingly. "You're all hot and sweaty...your father would never have been seen in this state when he was here. Abraxs wouldn't approve either. And what's happened to your eyes?"

Draco glared at the mirror. "How, in the name of Merlin, am I going to explain this to mother?" asked Draco softly. "How am going to explain it to anyone?"

"Oh, darling!" sighed the mirror. "Don't fret! You just need a simple concealing potion! Just go to Professor Snape. I do feel sorry for his mirror... the poor thing. I think she said he's in his chambers."

Draco nodded and set off towards the door. [He paused. "Why would Snape's mirror be a 'poor thing'?" he asked curiously.

"You would be to if you had to look at hair like that all the time," replied the mirror sadly. "Poor Dorris."

Draco raced down the stairs before the mirror could get another word in, briefly wondering if Granger was thinking of starting MUTE: Mirrors United from Treatment of Evil, such as bad hair.

~

Draco raised a hand to knock on the entrance to Snape's study and paused. What would he tell the professor? Well sir, for the past month I think I'm, a, either being possessed by an unknown dark force, or b, currently becoming a brilliantly powerful dark wizard. Oh, and by the way, there's a whole lot of objects in the Room of Requirement that are dangerously unstable because I transferred a whole lot of dark power into them. Do be careful with them; they could blow up at any moment. Meanwhile, I am going to go have tea and crumpets!

Draco was shaken from his dramatic reverie by Snape's door bursting and somebody running out. The look on [their the person's] face clearly stated that [they he] never wanted to go back.

"Watch it!" shot Draco instantly.

Draco looked up to see Harry Potter staring him in the eye.

"Watch it yourself, Malfoy," replied Harry, looking startled. "What's wrong with your eyes?"

Draco sneered, "None of your business, Potter," he drawled coldly.

"Mr. Potter," said a sneering voice from behind Harry. "That will be five points from Gryffindor for carelessly opening a door in such a manner. I do believe that Muggles have doors, am I correct in this presumption, Mr Potter?"

"Yes, sir," ground out Harry.

"Then I see no reason for you not to understand how to use them," sneered Snape, his cold eyes glittering darkly. "Now be gone Potter. I will not make excuses for you if Mr Filch catches you out of your Common Room after curfew."

Harry walked quickly toward the Great Hall, looking back once to glare at Draco.

"Now, Mr Malfoy, what is it that you wish to talk to me about?" sneered Snape.

Draco shuffled restless, focusing on the well polished leather of his shoes, his fair hair blocking his eyes from view. "I need a concealing potion, sir."

"Mr Malfoy, is there a particular reason for us to be conversing in a [draughty drafty] passage, or shall we head into my office? I shall collect one for you there. Then, we might have a talk."

Draco nodded slightly. "Yes, sir," he murmured, following Snape into his dimly lit office. He could vaguely see the professor sit down and did the same.

"What is the problem, Mr Malfoy? I've never seen you behaving like this before," said Snape softly as he moved along the various shelves, searching for the correct potion.

"I - " began Draco.

" - when we are having a conversation, Mr Malfoy, we tend to make eye contact with whom we are speaking to," interrupted Snape. "I know for a fact, your father spent a small fortune on etiquette lessons for you."

Draco gathered his courage and faced the Professor, pulling his hair of his face as he did so.

Snape's pallid face was a mixture of emotions as he looked into Draco's glowing eyes.

"So, it's you, Mr Malfoy."