The Mark of Death

Harry found that his morning classes were much easier to tolerate than usual; Professor Malfoy had given them all an unexpected quiz on the Silent Curses, which Harry had aced; beating out even Hermione by more than ten percent. In Potions they had begun working on their Hallucinogenic Potions - with Snape completely ignoring Harry - likely still angry with the incident in the stairwell; which ironically Harry didn't do, but there would be no point explaining it. Besides, he was enjoying the silence, finding that he was almost enjoying making this potion; the blue-capped mushrooms seemed to swim around insanely and moshing into each other when they were added to the shimmering cauldron, amusing Harry. They seemed to have a personality.

"Careful not to breathe in the fumes as you add the mushrooms," Snape said quietly, glancing up from his desk where he was scrawling another letter and looking over towards Zacharias Smith, who was pointing at the wall saying that it had moved. "These potions are very potent, and you may suffer slight affects just from inhaling it alone."

After lunch they made their way outside for Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid; who was waiting for them near the castle's doors.

"Come on! We're goin' teh take this class inside today," Hagrid beamed proudly, shuffling ahead of them all as Harry cast Hermione and Ron a doubtful look.

"Great, unleashing one of your disgusting beasts where we sleep now, that's comforting." Mafloy drawled, making the other Slytherins all laugh.

"No Malfoy, it's nothin' in 'ere you don' know abou' already" Hagrid replied, still smiling away but Harry could see he was getting angry; his face was reddening behind his bushy black beard and his black eyes that were usually full of warmth were narrowing angrily at Draco.

"I'm sorry, WHAT did you say?" Malfoy looked disgusted, his face twisting into a cruel grimace as Pansy burst into the giggles. "I don't understand Troll."

Hagrid continued on talking as though he hadn't heard him, which Harry had to give him a lot of credit for - most of the Gryffindors were glaring murderously at Draco.

"McGonnagal gave me permission to use the Owlry," Hagrid started as the walked towards the tower where all the owls were kept. "Yeh may as well learn to take care of 'em properly - 'specially you, Malfoy - I see yer owl flyin' in an' out of here all the time an' by the way he looks, the Ministry's Animal Rights department should be chargin' yeh with abuse - yeh have teh feed em yeh know!"

Draco's eyes narrowed and he muttered something quietly to Nott; who laughed cruelly as Hagrid reached up and coached a large Great Horned Owl to perch on his arm. On anyone else's arm that owl would be far too big but on Hagrid he looked tiny and cute, focusing his large golden eyes on Hagrid.

"Differen' Owls have differen' uses," Hagrid started, pointing up at a row of Barn Owls. "Some wizards'll use any ole' bird, but owl are most efficient 'cause of their stealth, they're big yet so light to ensure silent flight."

Hagrid gestured towards a medium sized owl who was watching them all with distaste; "The Short Ear' Owls hunt by day, they're often used fer quick nearby mail - yeh see a lot of 'em in an' ou of Hogsmead..." Hagrid then gestured at an Eagle Owl similar to Malfoy's, "The Eagle Owls are strong an' fierce when they wan' to be - a lot of wizards use those ones if they're worried abou' their mail gettin' read."

Hagrid shuffled his arm a little to make the giant owl on his arm ruffle his feathers and dig his feet strongly into Hagrid's thick coat.

"See there?" Hagrid grinned excitedly, pointing at the large bird's cruel looking, sharp claws that were glinting dangerously from the sunlight that was pouring in through a high window. "Every couple o' years yeh need to get their Dulling Charms refreshed or yeh'll be shredded teh bits..."

"Yeah, you may end up looking as though a Hippogriff attacked you," Malfoy interrupted again, making the rest of the Slytherins nod in agreement.

"If it happens Malfoy, it's yer own fault! Again it would be from not payin' attention. Now as I was sayin'... Muggle bullets from farmer's guns are simple enough to treat..."

"Seeing as the animal was ordered to be destroyed I hardly see how it would be Draco's fault." Nott interrupted loudly, challenging the Gryffindors with a very defiant look and tossing his black hair back behind his shoulders. All the Slytherin boys seemed to be trying to grow their hair out like Draco was now, and Harry was wondering if they would soon follow his lead and get the Dark Mark etched on their arms, too.

"Seeing how the Ministry were in the Malfoy's pockets, you mean," Ron snapped, walking over to stand in front of Nott, egging him on.

"Hey! No fightin' in 'ere!" Hagrid said nervously, glancing up at the owls as though he expected them to all jump in and attack everyone.

"No, Weasley wouldn't do anything like that, would he?" Draco said quietly in a very Snape-like manner, watching Ron and Theodore squaring off looking satisfied. "No, Weasley would be afraid that his mother would find out and come sit on him."

Ron turned to glare at Draco, yanking his wand out and pointing it at him - Hagrid looked ready to jump in and stop it but the Owl suddenly began to flap its large, powerful bronze wings frantically; his talons were snared in Hagrid's coat.

"Why don't we talk about your mother, Malfoy?" Ron snapped, barely aware of the Owlery door swinging open.

"RON! Stop it!" Hermione yelled, grabbing his arm to pull him back but Ron shook her off, facing Draco fearlessly... hatefully.

"Go ahead Weasel, insult my mother, I couldn't care less, she's dead to me."

Everyone went very silent; the only thing to be heard was the squawks and squeals of the owl struggling to get away from Hagrid. Professor Malfoy had just walked through the doors behind Draco as the words left his mouth, a scroll of parchment in her hand that she was likely going to send off with an owl. Draco turned to see what everyone was staring at behind him, pulled a face, and then looked around.

"I'm out of here. The only class more useless than this is Muggle Studies." Draco literally pushed past his startled mother and walked out, leaving everyone there to stand in stunned silence.

"Sorry Hagrid," Professor Malfoy muttered as she tied the parchment to a Barn Owl's leg shakily, "didn't realize you had a class in here." She let the owl fly off and quickly slid out of the room as the Slytherins glared furiously at her.

"Er..." Hagrid wiped away some sweat from his forehead with the back of his massive hand, looking desperate to get the classes attention again. "Righ'! Buggle Mullets, I mean, Muggle Bullets..."

*

"Even I almost felt sorry for her," Ron muttered quietly as they left the Owlery and headed towards Classroom eleven for Divination.

"Did you?" Harry said, shrugging. "I didn't. What's this?"

On the door to the classroom that Firenze and Trelawney shared was a note, "Divination to resume in the Divination Tower".

Harry and Ron exchanged confused glances as Lavender Brown exclaimed loudly what was on both their minds; "How would Professor Firenze get up that ladder?"

They all slowly made their way to the Divination Tower, each climbing the golden rope ladder to the stuffy, over perfumed room where Professor Trelawney sat wide-eyed at the window, a sharp feeling of gloom surrounded the room, and Harry could see she was unhappy about something.

"I knew you would all be late," she said quietly in her weepy, feathery voice before turning away from the window to stare misty-eyed at them. "Professor Firenze has gone back to his herd, I knew it would eventually happen though I didn't think it would be so soon."

Trelawney's voice had it's usual airy, annoying tone to it, but Harry could also detect a slight hint of heartache in there as well, and found himself wondering if Trelawney hadn't developed a small crush on the Centaur? It would explain a lot, she had been so quiet during their joint classes; letting him teach and her hanging on his every word like Hermione would in any other class. Now she seemed to be wanting to make up for lost time as her gaze fell over to Harry with her shiny bug-eyes misting over with tears.

"You had a death omen this year, although the Mark is lost; the foretelling of it isn't," she whimpered, referring to the Dark Mark which had been on Harry's arm. Harry looked over at Ron, puzzled as to how Trelawney knew about it, but Ron just shrugged and yawned deliberately.

Trelawney suddenly spun on him, looking intensely at Ron, "And you, young man, shouldn't be so casual... there has been a death in your family, has there not?"

"My Aunt Maggie died when I was three, does that count?" Ron winked over at Neville, who was trying desperately to contain his laughter.

"No, much more recent than that," Trelawney quizzed urgently.

"No offense Ma'am, but I think I'd know, wouldn't I?"

Harry sniggered quietly, getting several glares from Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil; but it was ridiculous! He sat there silently pondering why exactly Dumbledore kept her on, knowing what a fraud she was.

"Oh, but is she?" A voice that sounded mysteriously like the Sorting Hat's rang in his head. "After all, she predicted the Dark Lord's rise, the Dark Lord's fall, and foretold of your eventual triumph or demise, did she not?"

Trelawney began to sweep through the class glittering with her sequined robes, passing around very small; iridescent crystal balls that were roughly about the same size as a large marble, telling them that they would be borrowing these for the rest of the year, gazing into them nightly before sleeping and writing down what they see.

"Oh, and Neville, when you lose this one I will have to make you reimburse me for it, they are very dear." Trelawney breezed as Neville looked unsure at his ball.

"Oh, bloody hell!" Ron gasped, exasperated and picking his up to look at it. "Each night before we sleep? She's mental!"

Harry nodded in agreement, but the voice taunted him again; "Ah, and how did she know about your Mark, then?"

*

After dinner Harry and Ron crept into their dormitory to get under the cloak to visit Hagrid; knowing he couldn't be taking it well that anyone had dropped his class... even if it had been Malfoy. They had to be careful, as there were now very strict and severely enforced rules about being on the grounds at night without a teacher; seeing as there were Hit Wizards and Aurors scattered hidden throughout the grounds, but they knew Hagrid wouldn't be taking things well, and Harry felt also guilty that he had not visited him at all so far.

"Where the hell is Hermione?" Ron mumbled as they slowly made their way through the fog. "I suppose it's all good that she isn't here though, I mean, the three of us wearing this cloak together would be like fitting your cousin in a wetsuit."

Harry suppressed a laugh as he scanned the area with his eyes. The Hit Wizards and Aurors that were scattered hidden throughout the grounds were nowhere to be seen, but Harry could feel them there, watching for danger. He didn't want to think about what could happen if his or Ron's feet suddenly popped from under the cloak as they knocked discreetly on Hagrid's door.

The giant man was in a very bad state; he must have been at one of the pubs in Hogsmead again. His face was red and his voice was slurred - and he looked angry that Harry and Ron were there after they had walked in and removed the cloak.

"Yeh two should know better!" Hagrid grumbled, pouring them tea and ushering Fang off his couch to let them have a seat. "If either of yeh were seen there could've been a lot of trouble for yeh, an' fer me, an' I'm in enough of it already!"

"You mean because that stupid git dropped your class? Hagrid! It's a blessing! He was always making things hard..."

"No Ron, yeh don' understand. Malfoy can bugger off to hell with 'is dad fer all I care, it's Snape that's giving me grief. Apparently showin' yeh all the Ashwinders was somethin' I wasn't supposed to do, even though anyone could get their hands on 'em, just by leavin' a fire goin' too long... anyways, Snape's been on my case about it."

Harry and Ron exchanged knowing looks. Hagrid had always defended Snape to them, regardless of how horrible he was in return. Hagrid slurped down some hot tea and went on, offering them a slab of bread, which they each politely took, having to practically saw through it with a knife.

"Seems the eggs're used fer love potions or summat, I wouldn't know - Potions were ne'er my best subject anyways, an' I was expelled an' all in my secon' year! I feel so bad, I suppose a few people were ill..."

"Yeah, including Snape!" Ron said. "Hagrid, don't take it personally, Snape is just a nasty old git!"

"Don' be speakin' of yer Professors tha' way, Ron," Hagrid said, sniffling. "It's disrespectful. Snape's under a lot of pressure I think, with everythin' he's doin' fer the Order an' all, I suppose he needed to take it out on me."

"Snape's not my Professor anymore though," Ron said happily, dropping a piece of the bread on the floor for Fang; who turned his head away from it in disgust.

"Still though..." Hagrid warned, but he was smiling at Ron. "I appreciate yeh boys comin', even though yer not supposed to. It's mighty lonely since Grawp's gone."

Harry felt a pang of guilt... he hadn't known Grawp wasn't there, he hadn't even thought to ask Hagrid about him before.

"Don' look that way, Harry!" Hagrid beamed, petting Fang firmly on the ribs. "Olympe took 'im off to France fer me 'fore term started, she's hidin' him in Beaubaxtons, all these Hit Wizards around it's not a safe place fer him."

Hagrid got up to look out the window and didn't hear Ron mutter quietly, "Or for them."

"Yeh two had better be goin' though, if anyone realizes yer missin', McGonnagal will be havin; a fit, poor thing's got more on her plate than she can handle."

Harry and Ron nodded and patted Hagrid on the back before slipping under the cloak again. It had gotten dark; the castle seemed to have an ominous appearance with the eerie lights glowing through the windows as they slowly made their way back towards it.

"Look!" Ron suddenly grabbed Harry's arm to stop him, turning him slowly to see Professor Malfoy walking quickly across the grounds towards the Main Entrance, but she wasn't alone, she was with Hermione!

"What the hell?"

"Let's listen, come on."

Harry and Ron headed them off just as they had gotten halfway across the snowy grounds, Professor Malfoy said something quietly and they turned to look back behind them. Harry could see a figure striding across the grounds after them, Harry could tell by the way he walked that it was Snape.

"Go on in, Hermione. I'll deal with it," Malfoy muttered, allowing Hermione to dash off into the castle as Snape approached, glaring angrily at the blonde woman.

"Where the hell did you and Granger go?" Snape seethed. "Students are not to leave the grounds unless it's during a Hogsmeade visit."

"I was giving her an extra credit lesson!" Malfoy smiled widely. "That is allowed, is it not?"

"You seem to be giving a lot of extra lessons, don't you?" Snape whispered, glowering down at her murderously. "Potter... Granger... quite the sudden Samaritan, giving so much of your free time..."

"Perhaps I wouldn't have so much free time, if some arrogant bastard hadn't taken guardianship of my son."

"Don't you ever call me that again!" Snape hissed angrily, reaching his hand into his pocket, giving Harry the impression that he was wrapping his fingers around his wand. "Besides, I didn't have a choice, had I not done it another would have. Consider yourself lucky, he might have been moved to Durmstrang and you wouldn't see him at all if MacNair had done it."

"Ah, I see," she said in a quiet, sarcastic tone. "You did this out of the goodness of your heart."

"I did it for Draco's safety!" Snape hissed angrily. "Are you even remotely aware that you are now a target? I'd hate for something to happen to him because his mother is an incompetent..."

"Thwack!"

The next few seconds were almost a blur to Harry and Ron, everything happened so quickly. Professor Malfoy had slapped Snape straight across the face leaving an angry red mark that stood out instantly against his pale complexion, and Snape had his wand pointed directly between her eyes suddenly, his other hand gripping her arm as he stepped closer to her, his face hovering mere inches over hers.

"Don't you ever hit me again!" Snape hissed.

Harry felt Ron's hand grip his arm tightly and pull him sideways. He stopped himself from yelling out as ten very large men in black cloaks came shooting out of every direction on brooms, each one pointing their wands at Snape.

"Let go of the woman!" One of the men yelled, jumping off his broom and striding towards Snape threateningly. Harry had heard that voice before, the man pulled down his hood and Harry could see it was Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"Is everything alright, ma'am?" He asked Malfoy politely, but looking at Snape the whole time as he lowered his wand and let go of Malfoy's arm.

"No, it's fine, we were just talking," Malfoy said, looking at Kingsley with both surprise and amusement. "I suppose you're one of the men watching the grounds?"

"That's right," Kingsley nodded courteously, glancing at Snape. "You're the Potions master, right? You should know better than to threaten anyone on the grounds here sir. Consider this a verbal warning, the next will be written."

"No, it's alright!" Malfoy said, smiling at Kingsley. "I'm sure he meant no harm, did you Severus?"

"None at all," Snape hissed, the vein in his temple throbbing madly; Harry couldn't help but smile knowing there actually was someone Snape hated more than him. "We were just walking."

"Walk along then," Kingsley said as he measured Snape up. Both men were tall, but Kingsley had a stockier build, he almost looked like a body builder - and Snape was so thin compared to him that Harry wondered what would happen if they were to fight without their wands. Snape seemed completely oblivious to the fact that Kingsley was much larger than he - and was staring him down threateningly.

"Don't let me see your wand out again Professor, you should never threaten an unarmed lady." Kingsley mounted his broom and swept up into the air; Professor Malfoy watching him and the others fly off to their positions with an intrigued look on her face.

"You play the grieving widow so well," Snape hissed sarcastically at her, "Unarmed lady indeed!"

"Why would I pretend to mourn Lucius?" Professor Malfoy said angrily. "You're doing a fine enough job of it, in fact, I don't know how you fit that nose of yours so far up his..."

Both professors turned to look in Harry and Ron's direction when Ron tried to suppress a laugh and snorted in the process.

"Just the wind, Severus," Malfoy murmured impatiently. "I understand why you would be so paranoid though."

"Are we through here, then?"

"No, there's still the little matter about what I learned about you the other night, we really haven't had a moment to discuss how important my silence is to you."

Harry and Ron stood stone-still barely daring to breathe, wondering what Malfoy knew about Snape. Did she know he had been spying on Voldemort? Was she threatening to tell them?

"How dare you," he hissed angrily, "You had no right interrogating me while I was weakened that way."

"Believe me, it was no joy for me." Malfoy snapped, looking at him with pure disgust. "I just realized I could turn a very... very bad experience to my benefit."

"I am not giving in to blackmail Narcissa, he's almost of age to be on his own. Count your losses, you really do not want to mess with me."

"You have until Thursday morning," she said quietly, ignoring his threats and keeping her voice steady and even, despite Snape's murderous look. "If you haven't agreed to my terms by then I will show you how far I will take things."

Malfoy spun around and stormed quickly towards the huge double doors that Hermione had run through, Snape following angrily behind. Harry and Ron waited until the doors were closed before they dared to move, not wanting Snape to find them out of bounds when he was clearly in one of the worst moods either of them had seen him in that actually wasn't caused by Harry.

"I wonder if she's planning on telling Voldemort that Snape's been spying?" Harry muttered to Ron once they felt safe that they were out of earshot from anyone, heading up the stairs to go to their dorms.

"I wonder what she was doing with Hermione," Ron fumed, pulling off his damp socks and dropping them carelessly on the floor. "Hermione should know better! She's a Death Eater! Wait..."

Ron looked at Harry with confusion as Harry was buttoning up the front of his pajamas. "What?"

"Well... Snape said that she was giving a lot of extra credit work, Hermione... and you."

Harry looked down at the pair of socks on the floor. He didn't want to lie to Ron, but he knew he wasn't supposed to tell a soul. To hell with that, Dumbledore wasn't going to be here and he needed to talk to someone about it. He trusted Ron, he knew Ron wouldn't breathe a word to anyone; surely it wouldn't hurt to tell him?

"You have to swear this stays between us Ron," Harry walked around to check that Dean, Seamus, and Neville weren't at their beds and the room was empty.

Ron nodded; his eyes went so big he looked almost comical. "You know I wouldn't tell a soul! What is it?"

"Professor Malfoy is teaching me to use the Unforgivables, every Thursday. That's why I didn't make the practice last week; I was learning to use the Imperious on a rat, she came and pulled me out of that detention with Snape. Dumbledore feels I should know how to, it's only a matter of time before Vold- ..."

"Wait..." Ron interrupted, confused. "Why her? I mean, surely if Dumbledore isn't here to it there must be other teachers that could?"

"How many of the staff do you really think would be able to do an Unforgivable? It's not something regularly learned, is it? He didn't want to put me with Snape because of the Occlumency, and..." Harry dropped his voice even lower, looking at Ron gravely. The only noise to be heard was the sound of freezing rain that was now pelting against the windows like a tin drum. "He didn't seem to want Snape to know I was learning it."

"You'd better learn to master that Occlumency thing quickly, mate! You have a session tomorrow! He might learn what you are up to that way." Ron shook his head disgusted, then his eyes widened with horror, "You don't suppose Malfoy's teaching Hermione the same thing, do you?"

*

He and Ron had both decided not to ask Hermione yet, to wait until they knew a little bit more about what was going on. They had discussed it deep into the night and decided that they would slip under the Invisibility Cloak and follow her themselves.

Harry deliberately took his time making his way to Snape's office Wednesday evening, stopping to talk to Nearly Headless Nick, looking at every portrait he passed, and watching with amusement as Peeves kept pulling rugs out from under unsuspecting Slytherin first year's feet. He was very frightened, as Ron had pointed out - he needed to be able to block Snape from seeing what Professor Malfoy was teaching him... and he didn't want Snape to realize that he and Ron had been watching him the other night. That would be catastrophic. Snape was already angry enough with Harry, the last thing he needed was for Snape to think Harry had been spying on him.

"You're late, Potter."

Snape was sitting behind his large mahogany desk pulling strands of his thoughts out of his temple with his wand and placing them into Dumbledore's Pensieve; as he usually did right before these sessions. Harry found it highly unfair that Snape was permitted to hide his humiliating experiences from him while Snape was seeing every painful detail of Harry's life.

"I know."

Snape stopped what he was doing midway through one of the strands and put his wand down on his desk to glower angrily at Harry.

"Excuse me?"

"I mean, I know Sir, I'm sorry." Harry muttered. He hated him, and the feelings had always been clearly mutual. Snape stood up and placed the Pensieve high up on a shelf beside some horribly disfigured toads that were suspended in liquid in large jars before picking up his wand.

"I don't see what the point is in continuing these sessions Potter, you seem either unwilling to try or incapable of succeeding."

Harry had gotten so used to Snape's insults by now that they were just rolling off his back. He was trying as hard as he could to concentrate; he wanted to learn this now, he didn't want Snape entering his mind, seeing things. Snape stood up and stood in front of him with such a hateful expression that Harry almost felt scared as Snape pointed his wand at him.

"Legilmens!"

Harry was suddenly reliving things in his mind again. He was about six, he had found a puppy on the road and was petting it before Dudley came over and kicked it into oncoming traffic... Harry watching Vernon hammering all of the doors and windows shut... then Harry realised he was in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom with Professor Malfoy, attempting to get the rat to roll...

"Stop!"

Snape was hovering over him angrily, his nostrils were flaring and his wand was still pointing at Harry's head.

"Exactly what were you doing to that Rat, Potter?" He whispered dangerously.

"Er," Harry thought desperately for a lie and remembered that Snape would know he was lying and lowered his eyes so that Snape couldn't see them. "We were um, practicing a few simple charms..."

"Don't lie to me Potter!" Snape said quietly, Harry could almost detect joy in his voice. "Malfoy wasn't teaching you anything illegal by chance, was she?"

"No sir," Harry muttered, staring at the floor intently, knowing that Snape would likely try and have him expelled for it.

"Have it your way then, Potter," Snape said, "I will just have to drag it out of you myself... Legilmens!"

Harry was completely unprepared for this attack, and he realized with horror that Snape's intrusion of his mind seemed directed, like he was deliberately going after the things Harry wanted kept private the most... Harry was outside; out of bounds kissing Luna by the hedge... he was at Grimmauld Place speaking with Dumbledore in the basement kitchen... he was under the cloak outside with Ron trying to catch up to listen in on Professor Malfoy and Hermione as Snape was approaching...

"PROTEGO!"

And suddenly Harry was seeing unfamiliar memories again... A black haired boy of about seven was cowering from a man with a hooked nose that Harry had seen in Snape's memories before; this time the boy was holding his own nose as blood was slowly trickling between his fingers, looking up at the man who was pointing his wand down at him... the boy was now about fourteen and talking to an older blonde boy wearing Slytherin robes and a Head Boy's badge - Harry realized it had to be Lucius Malfoy when he was a student... Now he was a man in a large room with dark wooden furniture reading the Daily Prophet as a soot-covered Draco came through the fire, looking terrified... the room suddenly came into focus again, and Snape was looking very angry.

"You aren't going to be able to master Occlumency if you keep using your wand like a coward Potter," Snape hissed, obviously furious with Harry for blocking him out from something he had wanted to see. "Next time will be the last time you have it during these sessions, you need to repel me with your mind."

Harry nodded, feeling sick and stepping towards the door to leave. He knew that Snape was angry at what he had seen, and likely what Harry had seen in turn.

"Be warned, Potter..." Snape said from behind his desk, where he was now reaching up to take the Pensieve down. "If I ever find you watching me in that cloak of yours, you will never get it back."

*

Thursday made for a much more interesting session.

Harry had been dreading this day, yet he was also intrigued. Using the Imperious Curse on an animal had been difficult on both his mind and his conscience - would he be able to use it on a human? He kept reminding himself all day how much he hated her, and that she had assisted in luring him to the Ministry of Magic; which led to Sirius's death... and what was she doing with Hermione?

As he stepped into the classroom he could see that all of the windows had been heavily draped with thick, black curtains, and the room was illuminated from a few hundred candles that hovered overhead to make up for the loss of light from the windows. It gave the room the appearance of a dungeon; more so when Malfoy sealed the door shut with an incantation that sounded suspiciously like a hex.

"How are you feeling today, Harry?"

"Fine."

She looked very uncomfortable, nervous even. Her plain black robes gave her a pale appearance, she looked almost as though she hadn't been getting enough sleep - dark circles had formed under her eyes.

"Alright." She took a seat in her desk looking at Harry carefully. "We will start off small, I should be able to hear your voice in my head, telling me to stand up. Do not try and have me do anything more difficult than that, though I would be able to fight it off easily, I should feel it getting more and more powerful."

Harry was fidgeting with his wand nervously as she spoke, and then pointed it at her awkwardly.

"Imperio."

She remained seated, looking completely unfazed by the Unforgivable curse thrown at her, a soft smirk on her face telling Harry she was amused.

"That was pathetic Potter, are you afraid?"

"Well, it is illegal and all!" Harry snapped defensively. "Not that it matters to you, I guess!"

Professor Malfoy's head snapped as f cold water had been thrown in her face.

"What are you insinuating, Potter?" She was watching him very closely, her expression angry.

"Nothing, it sort of slipped."

"I see. My cousin, Sirius, right?" She looked almost sympathetic, but her voice was bitter and cold. "I won't waste my breath explaining to you that I had very little to do with it, we don't have enough time... I've explained it all to Dumbledore already... and you won't believe a word I'll tell you anyways." She suddenly smiled, making Harry want to slap her. "Besides, it's better that you are angry with me, you'll have less of a conscience towards me and might master the first two curses quicker."

Harry opened his mouth to tell her off, to tell her that Kreacher had told Dumbledore when something that she had said didn't make sense to him.

"The first two curses?"

"That's right," she said softly, her eyes glinting at him dangerously. "You are to learn the Unforgivables, Harry. That's plural, it means more than one..."

"I KNOW WHAT IT MEANS!" Harry stood quickly, glaring at her. "Why would me being angry with you help me master the Cruciatus?"

"Well, you're practicing the Imperious on me, so that I know you're doing it right. The same will need to be done with the Cruciatus curse. You can throw the curse at a rat and make it squeal without actually performing the curse correctly, it doesn't take that much to hurt a rodent. I've felt the Cruciatus before, I'll know if you're doing it or just some weaker branch of it."

Harry felt his stomach lurch dangerously; he didn't feel well.

"And the third curse?"

"Oh, right." Malfoy said sarcastically. "If the rat dies I think we can pretty much assume it wasn't from sudden natural causes. No, you won't be trying that on me, sorry to sink your hope."

Harry spent the next two hours working on getting Professor Malfoy to get up from her desk before she finally said he was certainly doing it well. He had actually managed to get her out of her chair, but she had fallen and kicked it out as she had tried to fight him off, bumping her knee on the floor. Harry had a strong suspicion that she had really had to fight it off that time, and although he felt very sick once again, he felt strangely satisfied.

"Good work Potter," she pushed a small vial towards him. "You will definitely need this if you want to get any sleep tonight. I think next week we can move straight to the next curse."

Harry nodded and reached for the vial, not trusting her, but wanting anything to relieve the feeling he was getting. It was that same sick feeling he got when he had done something wrong, only worse. He almost felt like vomiting.

"Here, I think you should also take this for a little um, light reading."

She reached into her desk and pulled out a tattered old book with a dark green leather casing; inscribed in silvery letters were the words - "Withstanding Legilimency via Legilimency". He gave her a look of astonishment.

"What does this have to do with anything?"

"Nothing, it's just something I thought you might consider looking through, it's from the Restricted Section in the library, you have my permission to read it if you wish. You know, to keep your mind open."

Harry wasn't sure why, but he tucked the book into his bag and left to go to his dorm, his knees feeling as though they were about to give out as he climbed the stairs to his dorm, sinking into his bed fully dressed and falling into an instant, restless sleep after throwing the unused vial in the bin.