When Worlds Collide

Chapter 17 - Face Down

Harry hadn't been overjoyed to see Professor Snape emerge from the Weasley's fireplace, and the man's current demeanour was doing nothing to change that. Snape's dislike for Harry obviously hadn't appeased since his absence, as it was apparent that he saw his task of escorting the students back to school as nothing short of a babysitting job.

"Potter, do stop fidgeting in that tent you call a shirt," he said tartly over his shoulder as he walked ahead of them down a house-lined street. "It's irritating in the extreme."

Molly Weasley had lent some of Ron's clothes to Harry, as the clothes that he had been wearing since being in New Zealand (a status only several hours behind them, Harry realised with surprise) were well overdue for a wash, according to her. Ron's clothes weren't as uncomfortable as the clothes of Harry's cousin Dudley, and they were certainly not as big, but the foreign feeling still caused him to uncomfortably finger the cuffs of the sleeves as they walked along. Ron's height meant that the ends of his shirtsleeves reached to Harry's knuckles. Hermione wouldn't have been the right size to borrow any of Ginny's clothes, Molly had realised, so had only been able to offer her another biscuit, in apology. Hermione had assured her that it was alright, and along with the four youngest Weasley children, Harry, and Draco, she was ushered out the door with Professor Snape.

Draco had been unusually silent during their walk with the Professor, Harry noted. He wished the boy would say something - ever since the event of having Harry's wand returned to him, there had been an urgent need in Harry's mind to correctly conclude the whereabouts of Draco's loyalties. Despite past nastiness, Harry didn't want to put him down as 'evil' if it was now no longer justified.

"We're not walking to Hogwarts, surely," Ron said. "I mean, even on the train it takes a while. And this isn't the way to the station anyway. So where are we going?"

"Such an astute deduction Weasley," started Snape, "hardly offers your intellect credit. As to where we are headed, it is merely a place where you may sort yourselves out before we enter the school."

Ron obviously didn't find this answer satisfactory, as his face furrowed in confusion, but he didn't think it was worth it to ask for clarification.

Harry's musings almost resulted in him walking straight into the Professor, who had stopped suddenly in front of a dull-green dusty door that had its paint flaking off at the edges. Snape rapped sharply on the door and waited in tight-lipped silence for a response.

Within a few seconds, Harry could hear footsteps approaching from inside, and the door quickly opened, following a disturbed-dust arc on the floor inside. Harry supposed that if Mrs Weasley saw it, she'd take only seconds to reach for a broom whilst commenting loudly on the lack of effort taken to keep the house at a respectable living standard.

The face of none other than Mr Weasley showed itself on the other side of the door, and he quickly stepped aside and motioned for Professor Snape to follow before retreating back from Harry's sight. Harry's mind spun with questions as he wordlessly followed Snape inside, the rest of the group coming in behind him.

Harry found he had walked into a fairly large room that had a long wooden unpolished table standing in the centre. Eight pale green wooden chairs squatted around it, each with a paint job similar to the door they'd just come through. It appeared to Harry that the room wasn't often used, as upkeep seemed mediocre, at best. This idea was further prompted as he noted that there were no items in the cupboards - at least, not that he could see. Some of the cupboards - which lined the top of one wall near the ceiling - had their front hanging idly away from the latch, displaying their yawning emptiness. The bare counters along two walls joined in the deserted scene's silence.

"Sorry about the state of things here," Mr Weasley said as he came in from an adjoining room, holding a tall stool that he put at one corner of the table next to another chair, and sat on it in a silent invitation for the others to sit also. "It's a home that's been vacated a while now and won't sell - the Ministry has plans to make it into an off-site meeting place."

Harry took a seat between Hermione and one of the twins, and looked around expectantly for an explanation as to why they were here. His quizzical expression was mirrored in all faces around him but for Snape's and Mr Weasley's.

"Now, you three," Mr Weasley started, indicating Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "Your clothes and belongings have been removed from Hogwarts and are in a room down the hall. I can take you there later."

Harry's eyebrows shot into his hairline as he speculated the implication of this. Was he no longer a student of Hogwarts?

"I would assume it was believed that you were unlikely to return," Mr Weasley said.

"What about Malfoy?" Ron piped up. "Why wasn't he assumed dead? He was taken too!"

"Yes, well, his safety was not so much in question. Now, as you'll remember-" Arthur Weasley cut off suddenly, and looked at Professor Snape. "If I may, Professor Snape...?"

The professor seemed to not mind Mr Weasley dominating the conversation at this point, and he said as much in a consenting nod, so Ron's father continued, "As you'll remember, Dumbledore has been removed from his post, the school is officially run by the Ministry of Magic, and someone had been posted in his stead, to represent the Ministry and its decisions. The representative is Lucius Malfoy."

Harry just about choked on his breath. Hogwarts, under Lucius Malfoy? Even if Draco wasn't an arch antagonist after all, his father certainly was. Draco didn't seemed to be too perturbed by the news - even though a light frown furrowed his brow - so Harry presumed he would have found this out while he was talking with Dumbledore back at The Burrow.

"What?!" Ron reacted disbelievingly. "Lucius Malfoy! How could the Ministry let him do it?"

"Of course, it was not a unanimous decision," Mr Weasley continued, addressing them all. "I, for one, was opposed. But it was the general consensus that Mr Malfoy possessed the qualities of a man meant for a high post, and that his connections with the Ministry were sufficient to allow him the position - he is one of the 12 governors, after all."

"Why did someone not protest it? What's happened to Hogwarts because of it?" Hermione asked, a note of panic in her voice.

"I haven't made a complaint again the decision," Mr Weasley said, "because it was apparent that it was a final call, and protest would be futile, and may have even resulted in my dismissal. I have remained on a relatively neutral ground for the purposes of receiving information about the school and its management, in order for me to report information to Dumbledore, as it seems necessary. Unfortunately of course, he is not in a position to do anything about what is done by Lucius, but some of us feel it is to our great advantage if he remains informed, since surely it is only a matter of time before he regains the post as headmaster. So we hope."

"Well, what's happened?" Harry pushed.

"Besides Slytherin winning every Quidditch game with a variety of cheats," Fred interjected.

"And getting loads of undeserved house points," added George, and Snape scowled at him but said nothing.

"Well, actually," Mr Weasley said, looking a little confused himself, "we haven't received complaints for anything."

"But..." Harry said. "Surely..."

"Regardless," Mr Weasley began again, "it has been decided amongst the minority at the Ministry - the ones that didn't vote for Lucius Malfoy to be representative Headmaster - that it wasn't Dumbledore's fault that you four were taken by You-Know-Who. Some of us are certain that Lucius even helped orchestrate it, although we have no proof to present to the Minister yet."

"I wouldn't be surprised if he did," Harry said, but he had the decency to look a little ashamed at his voicing the accusation so assuredly in front of Draco, considering recent developments.

Draco looked a little surprised to see this display of conscience for his benefit, but didn't voice a reaction. He still remained quiet, just listening to the conversation around him. Harry thought this was unusual for him - even if he had renounced his former loyalties. Surely he'd be putting in his opinion, especially as they were discussing his father. Unless this had all already been covered in his discussion with Dumbledore. Harry again wondered how that conversation had ended.

"So what were you talking about with Dumbledore before we came down into your dining room again?" Harry asked Mr Weasley. "Have you figured out what to do about it? Dumbledore said something like that, and that the plan will need our help."

"Ah, yes, well, about that..." Mr Weasley contemplated how to phrase his answer. "We did discuss that, and Snape here said he had already begun preparation to overthrow Lucius, and that he could aid an infiltration into Hogwarts, avoiding a trap of some sort Lucius may have utilised. Some of us though, doubt the subtlety of such a plan." Mr Weasley looked rather embarrassed as he said this, as he'd effectively implied that they would most likely draw unwanted attention to themselves and destroy hope of erecting the former state of things.

"Well, George!" Fred said indignantly to his brother. "What shall we make of that? Our own father, convinced we'll wreck everything!"

"Yes, well," Mr Weasley said quickly, in an effort to defend himself. "It was just a thought..."

"You two aren't known for being inconspicuous and discreet anyway," Hermione pointed out, with a patronising frown.

"That's only because we make a conscious point of being loud and disruptive!" George defended himself. "We're not rampaging hippogriffs!"

"Some people would beg to differ," Snape's ominous voice cut through the heated debate, and Draco smirked at the comment. Harry probably would have seen this as a negative thing if he hadn't smiled at it too.

"Brian Zabini has been made the practising Potions Professor," Snape continued in his casual drone. "I have reason to believe he has used this as a factor in ensuring student cooperation within the school."

Puzzled looks met him.

"That said, I believe it will be foolish for all seven of you to accompany me into the school while Lucius Malfoy is in the position of Headmaster. I would sooner take in a Dementor."

"What?" Harry said. "Well, who then? Why did we all come here if we can't go into the school? Who's going to help get Lucius out?"

"If you would calm yourself for a moment, Potter," Snape replied, sneering, "you may see some progress." He surveyed the rest of them before continuing. "The ones that don't come with me initially will remain here with Arthur Weasley to aid him, before joining us at the school."

"So we're all going in eventually, then," Ginny surmised.

"As such," the professor continued as if she hadn't spoken, "you will all need to take these." He reaching into an inside pocket of his outer robe and withdrew a small black cloth bundle that had been rolled up. Placing it on the table, he slowly began to unroll it, and at each turn a small vial of light-blue liquid was shown. He soon had a number of the vials standing before him on the table.

"One each will be sufficient to last," he said. "The remaining vials are not intended for you."

"What is it?" Ron said, looking at it uncertainly.

"What it is, is by no means as important as what it will do, Weasley," Snape responded impatiently. "I will require you to all take a vial now so as to give it time to come to effect thoroughly, before entering Hogwarts."

Like those around him, Harry reached forward to grasp one of the tiny vials in his hand and pull it to him. The glass was cool against his palm, and the blue potion inside had faint white cloudy tendrils drifting within it. The prospect of having an unidentified potion 'come to effect thoroughly' inside him wasn't very reassuring.

He popped the stopper from the neck of the vial and hesitantly let the first drops of the potion fall onto his tongue. It didn't have any particular taste that Harry could identify to anything; only an initial heat that cooled quickly. Harry swallowed the rest of it, and laid his empty vial in front of him, hoping that the professor hadn't poisoned him out of pure spite and dislike.

Seeing Harry take the potion, the students surrounding him followed suit, and soon Snape was collecting the empty vials from around the table.

"What exactly are we going to be doing?" Harry asked. "You can't keep that information from us - we'll have to know that."

Snape smiled derisively. "In this instance, you, Potter, will have a relatively small role. It is a relief that the hero of a crisis around here isn't you, for a change."

To Harry's relief, Snape made no mention of Cedric Diggory. Harry couldn't have been held responsible for his actions, had that card been played. It was rather a sore point with him, as he still received accusations of trying to steal glory from the Hufflepuff, even after Cedric was killed at Voldemort's hand, which Harry masochistically saw as his own fault.

"So who's saving the world, then?" Harry said, bitterly.

"You'll forgive me when I say I find ample satisfaction in announcing that not only will you stand down as hero in this instance, but that it will be taken up by a Slytherin." Snape smirked snidely at him, looking rather self-satisfied.

His opening words made Harry bristle more than the ending. Harry could give the man credit for wishful thinking, if anything.

"Now, uh, Professor Snape," Mr Weasley finally brought himself to bring a stop to the dialogue, "surely that is over what is necessary."

The professor obviously was not partial to being censured. "That would depend on perspective, now, wouldn't it, Mr Weasley?"

So Draco Malfoy was going to do something big? Harry mused. That would account for his uncharacteristic silence. They must have discussed the plan thoroughly with Dumbledore for Draco to be this anxiously preoccupied. It still frustrated him that he didn't know what it was. He was sure Snape was thoroughly enjoying being able to lord this impending victory over Harry's head as a Slytherin-win. Rather childish, really. Especially for a professor.

"I see no reason for further delay," Snape said, as if it was the students' fault that things had taken as long as they had. "Go to your things - change out of those ridiculous clothes that obviously don't fit you, Potter - and be ready to come with me. Draco, we leave now."

~<>~

Neville Longbottom took a seat in that morning's Potions Class, with the same contented apathy that they all did, now. If he had much inclination to reflect on recent happenings, he would have noticed that conflicts within the student body had drastically decreased since the new management, and that despite Slytherin's coincidental recent spiel of victories, inter-house relations had reached a relatively peaceful level of cooperation.

But as things were, the only thing he noticed was that Brian Zabini was late today.

Even as this thought passed through his mind, Brian Zabini strode into the dungeon, his elegant dark attire of his first day still making the girls look at him in appreciation.

"Good morning, class," Zabini said. "I have decided to have us make a potion different from what I told you yesterday. So for those that looked up the properties of the potion I had mentioned, to put themselves at a prudent advantage, I will now see how your skills display themselves when they are not given the benefit of foreknowledge. Despite having lunchtime fast approaching, I expect you to give me your full attention."

It had not occurred to Neville to give anything less, as he and all the students around him were obediently picking up their quills to write down the instructions that Zabini put on the board.

~<>~

Lucius Malfoy was quite content, truth be told. His responsibilities had been considerably lighter than he had anticipated, so after a fulfilling lunch in the Great Hall, he had been in relatively good spirits when he agreed to meet Brian Zabini.

As he waited, he sat back in what had been Dumbledore's chair, as he surveyed the office yet again, still priding himself on his new position. Three years ago he had been sufficiently pleased when he had had Dumbledore renounced - albeit for a short time - but to be given the position in his stead gave Lucius a sadistic pleasure second only to that indulged in by the Dark Lord whom he served.

As a self-satisfied smile pulled at the corner of his lips, a knock was heard at the door, and Brian Zabini ventured inside at Lucius' invitation.

"Good afternoon, Professor Zabini," he started. "Settled in your new position? I trust the students are cooperative."

"Oh, certainly," Brian Zabini replied, as he stood in front of Lucius' desk. "But of course...we both knew that could be relied upon."

"Well, sit down," Lucius said, "there's no reason for you to stand."

Zabini took a seat, glancing back at the door that was left slightly ajar.

"Yes, I'm very pleased with the student co-operation," Lucius continued. "If that old fool Dumbledore and the bumbling Ministry weren't so puffed up on legalities, they could have utilised the means long ago. That certainly would have eliminated a lot of complications."

"I marvel, though, at your confidence that your...means, won't eventually be discovered and penalised."

Lucius gave a short indignant laugh. "There is no cause for that - who would report it? The regularly dispensed Modica Sedo Potion, naturally, is an Imperius of such a mild form that it is not witnessed by outsiders as a breach of regular etiquette, but effective enough to sedate the students into a state of acceptance of our terms."

Zabini shifted in his chair. "You see this as an indefinite practice then?"

"Well, as long as it works..." Lucius let his reply trail off through a smirk, in answer to what he obviously saw as a rhetorical question. "The students certainly have no aversion to having it served as a beverage each dinnertime, instead of pumpkin juice. I always did think that old stuff was rather nasty, myself."

"The potion does provide a variety," Zabini agreed.

"And your role in creating it is of great service to the school," Lucius said, still leading the conversation. "The Dark Lord will no doubt see you are given a justified reward."

Zabini seemed to fidget at this thought, and he took a step into directing the conversation elsewhere. "You do not anticipate Dumbledore finding a way to return?"

"There is no way he would be accepted here as headmaster anymore," Lucius said, pleased. "As far as the Ministry and the general public is concerned, his defences are slack, and leave all the students open to be the Dark Lord's pickings. It is only our Lord's inner circle that know of our influence in bringing about the rather artistic capture."

"And what of the Potter boy, and the others taken? Do you see their return interfering with your plan?"

"I would be very surprised if they return at all," Lucius admitted with a smile. "Naturally, I would expect the arrival of my son, once he has aided the Dark Lord as he can, but the Gryffindors would not stand long under the Dark Lord's eye."

Zabini looked pensive. "You are certain your son will live up to this?"

For the first time that day, Lucius' mood darkened and he ominously leaned forward. "Are you suggesting he would fall short of what is obviously his path? Of course he will work for our Lord! I have brought him up with the priorities of one of us, and I'm proud of how it has worked."

"I'm sorry, Headmaster," Zabini said, guiltily dipping his eyes to the floor. "I didn't mean to imply...that he wasn't." He nervously started picking at the end of his sleeve.

"Hmm," Lucius grunted, semi-satisfied with the response, though still incredulous at the suggestion. He leaned back against his chair, and the room was settled in silence following the exchange.

Sound of student activity in the lunch hour filtered quietly from the grounds through the chink in the door, and the two men listened involuntarily to the sounds wafting up to them. The quiet buzz of chatter and occasional bout of casual laughter permeated the air, before they were overridden with the unusual sound of argument. As moments passed, more voices joined in the student sparring, until the definite sounds of fierce and independent rebuttal were heard.

Lucius' brow furrowed as he contemplated what this meant. "What-?" He stood.

"That brings me to my purpose in coming to see you," Brian Zabini quickly said, also standing, still nervously picking at the end of his sleeve.

"What's going on?" Lucius demanded. "They're supposed to be docile! Did you not make the potion strong enough last time? That could be disastrous!"

"You have remade the curriculum-"

"We, Zabini," Lucius corrected.

"Yes, certainly, we re-made the curriculum to ensure the students receive minimal arms with which they can use against us - hence the decision to use the Modica Sedo Potion."

"What of it?"

"Today I deterred."

"What!" Lucius' voice darkened again, and Zabini's hands started to shake with nervousness.

"I abandoned the curriculum in favour of teaching and administering th-...the Contego Potion..."

Lucius was momentarily speechless. "How dare...why you would do...!" Speechless anger prevented him from being able to move or even articulate a sentence.

Zabini glanced desperately at the door. "I saw to it that it was also distributed with the students' lunch just recently - although those not in my class may not yet be displaying its effects."

"...deliberately undo the effects put in place..." Lucius was still spitting his rage. As if finally realising he would be unable to sufficiently put together a sentence, he resorted to fitfully pulling his wand from its sheath in his serpent-headed cane, and pointing it at Zabini's chest.

Brian Zabini looked desperate now, gripped with panicked fear, but although he stood his ground he turned his face away to the floor and squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the punishing strike. Where were they?

Suddenly he heard a shuffling, and he opened his eyes to see a number of finely-clad feet rush past him to apprehend Lucius. He looked up to see members of the Ministry surrounding them, one having called a charm to disarm the new headmaster of his wand. There they are, and almost too late.

Lucius recognised his captors followed by Hermione and a small gathering of Weasleys, and looked incredulously at the new Potions master as Ministry members fired routine comments toward him. "I never would have thought that you, Brian Zabini, didn't have the heart that has been noble in your family for generations!"

"He does," Zabini replied, still fearful, but a little less shaky since the arrival of the Ministry. "He performed your evil services, after all."

Lucius narrowed his eyes at Zabini quizzically, in an effort to understand.

As he watched, the traitorous professor began to shrink, as if melting into the floor, and the sharp contours of his face smoothed out. The robes were now hanging off him rather hugely, and Lucius continued to see the final transformations of someone leaving the effects of the Polyjuice Potion - 'Zabini' stood mute as his dark hair settled limply around his face and paled, his eyes lightened a little, and his skin grew fairer, before finally Draco Malfoy was standing in front of the convicted headmaster, and Lucius realised he had been betrayed by his son.

"They have Zabini already," Draco said, inclining his head toward the Ministry members, and his voice was back to his own now that he'd resigned Zabini's face. "Minus a bit of hair. I borrowed that, of course."

If Lucius had been speechless before, it was nothing to what he was now. Somehow, beyond his confusion, he managed to utter, "Draco...?" before he was roughly herded out the door by his captors.

Even after Lucius had left, Draco remained standing in front of the large desk, looking rather pitiful in Zabini's oversized robes that puddled around his feet.

"Mr Draco Malfoy?" a voice came from the door as a Ministry member addressed him. Draco did not turn around, but just slowly sat back down in disbelieving shock, still blindly staring at the vacated desk. "You'll not be charged, you know. We now have witnesses who can affirm you are not working in association with Lucius."

Upon seeing he wasn't going to receive a response, the Ministry worker left, leaving Draco alone in his silence.

Even when a shimmering in the corner of the room revealed a dumbfounded Harry Potter from under his Invisibility Cloak, Draco did not say a word.

He only wept.