Friend

"Hiding a dagger in a book? Original, but no way to treat a special gift from the Death Eaters. No matter, it will soon be returning to its intended purpose, Professor Snape."

***

Snape swept over to the scene as confused students scattered around the hall. He immediately recognised the dagger and picked it up. "It can't be..." he said quietly. The dagger was always stored safely in his classroom, hidden where no student would dare to venture-a book. Nobody ever went into his classroom alone. No one except Parkinson, he thought suddenly, she was looking for a book. Obviously she found it.

"It wasn't my fault," squeaked a terrified Draco.

Snape looked at him. Stupid boy, he thought to himself. "Some idiot must have confused the dagger for a prop and put it in the box. All trees go to your lesson. Founders stay."

This was met with a mixture of cheers and groans.

"Try to keep your weapon under control, Malfoy," sniggered Ron on his way out of the hall.

"Are you all right, Harry?" asked Hermione, with a great look of concern.

"I'm fine," replied Harry, still a bit bewildered.

"Of course I knew it was a real dagger all along," a highly embarrassed Draco whispered to Crabbe and Goyle as they left. "Next time, I won't miss!"

Pansy started to walk back over to the prop box.

"I'm afraid, Miss Parkinson, that you will have to manage without the aid of a prop. They are, as of now, off limits."

Moodily, she walked over to Harry and Hermione. "I'm going to be Rowena. No way am I playing the person that is responsible for Hufflepuff."

Harry turned to Hermione. "Is that OK with you?"

Hermione nodded.

"Well I'm going to be Salazor," announced Draco.

"Salazar," Hermione corrected under her breath.

"Yeah, him too."

Hermione looked in her bag and pulled out four pieces of parchment. "We can write what we're going to say on here, then take them away to learn." She handed the parchments out.

Snape watched as the four argued over who was going to say what and wondered if he should have sent Parkinson away. No, it is better to keep enemies close, he thought. He continued to mark papers for the next hour, and then he approached the students. "All right, show me what you have come up with so far." He took a deep breath, filled with anticipated dread.

Harry stepped nervously forward. "I am Godric Gryffindor. I think we should start a school. Do you agree, Rowena Ravenclaw?"

"Yes, I agree, Godric Gryffindor."

"Do you agree, Helga Hufflepuff?"

"Yes, I agree, Godric Gryffindor."

"Do you agree, Salazar Slytherin?"

"Suppose so."

Snape stared at them. Words failed him. The silence was interrupted by Pansy screaming and throwing her piece of parchment on the floor.

"Save your dramatics for the stage, Miss Parkinson."

"My hand," she yelled, "it's..."

Snape looked at her hand, which was turning a dangerous shade of purple. He knew what was happening, but remained calm.

"Parkinson, what have you done?"

"Nothing, it just started hurting and now it's ow..."

"Stop fussing, I'll take you to Madam Pomfrey," he said as he escorted her towards the door. "You three get to your next lesson." He didn't want to leave them on their own, but if he didn't get Pansy help immediately, he knew she wouldn't be alive on opening night.

***

Harry, Hermione and Draco stood still for a moment, taking everything in.

"Remind me never to consider a career in acting," said Harry quietly. "It's far too dangerous."

"Don't worry Potter; you're too ugly anyway, with your green eyes and glasses. If you were to ever act in Muggle movies, they'd have to make your eyes blue!"

"Grow up," said Hermione. "Come on," she said turning to Harry. "Let's get out of here."

They headed towards the door and left Draco standing alone. When he was certain they had left he strolled over to the prop box, reclaimed the plastic sword and took out a glittering blue cloak.

"I am Rowena Ravenclaw; I'm going to save the wor..."

"Draco Malfoy?" came a cool voice from behind him.

Mortified he turned to see an unfamiliar girl standing in the doorway.

"I'm playing Salazar Slytherin in a play," he said quickly. "I was just er, practicing..."

"Quite. I'm Solitaire Powys. I believe there is a vacancy within the lead roles. I want to play Rowena."

"Are you new here?" asked Draco confused.

"Yes, I'm in Ravenclaw."

"Where are you from?"

"France, originally."

"Well the writers of this play have insisted that the cast are strictly British so..."

"Who are the writers?" she asked crisply.

"You're looking at one of them now," he said smugly.

"I understand. You'd much rather play Rowena yourself. OK, I'll just leave you to it." She turned to leave.

"No, wait;" called out Draco. "This writer had just changed the rules."

"Excellent," she smiled. "I look forward to working with you...Salazar. And if it's any consolation, you can be my understudy."

Draco watched as Solitaire left. She would be next.

***

Snape waited impatiently in the Great Hall for the second rehearsal. It was 4.50 am and a few House Elves were scattered around the hall cleaning various objects. Snape hoped that they would hurry up and leave. He really did not want anyone to witness the excruciating situation he found himself in. Pansy had had a powerful hex put on her, and would not be well enough to play Rowena. Snape told her she could be a tree instead and was surprised when this didn't cheer her up. He suspected that if the mole hadn't got to her first, Rowena Ravenclaw would have hexed Pansy from beyond the grave for not doing justice to her in the play. It was only a matter of time.

Hermione and Harry were first to arrive, followed by a tired looking Draco. Snape was just about to talk when Solitaire walked into the room.

"Yes?" he snapped.

"I'm the new Rowena," she said, playing with her hair which was tied up in a huge red bow.

Snape was about to tell her where to go when he realised this would be a perfect opportunity to keep an eye on the mysterious new girl. "Very well," he said. "Join the others." Solitaire went and stood next to Hermione, who didn't look very pleased.

"I would like to get through this rehearsal without any incident," said Snape, dryly. He looked at Harry when he said this. "I have arranged with the Headmaster for..."

"Excuse me," interrupted Solitaire. "I've been taking acting lessons since I was three and I..."

"Then kindly, Miss Powys, act like I am the professor and you are the student."

Hermione smiled. Solitaire didn't.

"As I was saying, I have arranged with the Headmaster for you to miss certain lessons in order for you to rehearse for the play."

"Potions?" asked Harry, hopefully.

Snape smirked. "No, Mr Potter. Potions is far too important for you to miss."

"Transfiguration?" Harry tried again, clutching at straws.

Again Snape smirked. "I have," he said dramatically, "arranged for you to miss...Quidditch practice."

Hermione sighed with relief. Snape had guessed she would only suffer some sort of trauma if she had to miss an actual lesson. Harry, on the other hand, was too upset to speak. Although Snape took some pleasure in seeing Harry's dismay, his real reason for stopping Harry from going to Quidditch practice was because he knew it would a perfect place for the mole to strike. And, frankly, he did not care to see any mid air showdowns.

"Where are the trees?" asked Snape suddenly. "I asked all trees to be here at 5am."

"Maybe they're asleep since it's the middle of the night?" replied Harry quietly.

'And I am trying to save him again?' Snape thought to himself. A few miserable looking students entered the Great Hall before Snape had the chance to respond.

"Hurry up," he said. "Granger, you stand next to Malfoy. Powys, next to Potter. Trees, I want you to form a circle around them." Everyone reluctantly moved into place.

"Sir," said Pansy Parkinson, raising the hand that escaped the hex, "is it true that the Oak Tree has already been cast? Because there is a girl from Hufflepuff saying that she is the Oak Tree and that she's dating Malfoy. Her name is on the cast list and everything, but we never actually saw her at the original casting."

"I am not dating a Hufflepuff," Draco practically yelled.

"Yeah, because you're too busy going fishing with your father," laughed Ron, who was hating being a tree.

"The part of the Oak Tree has not been cast," said Snape. "When it is, I'm sure it will go to someone from a more distinguished house than Hufflepuff."

"I think Rita Skeeter started that story," whispered Hermione to Harry. "Then she put it on the internet and had everyone fooled."

"You should have kept her as a bug," replied Harry.

"So sorry to break up your conversation, Miss Granger, but if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to get on with the rehearsal." Embarrassed, Hermione looked at the ground.

"Trees, I want you to walk around the four founders whilst they are talking."

Harry began, "I am Godric Gryffindor, and I think we should build a school. Do you agree, Rowena Ravenarrrghh!" Harry jumped back, practically falling over Hermione and some unenthusiastic trees as a small pig, complete with a red bow, trotted out of the circle.

Snape brought his hand to his forehead.

"I didn't know there were any animals in this play," laughed Draco.

"Well, we've already got you," replied Hermione.

Snape picked Solitaire up, and swept out of the Great Hall. The spell's result seemed almost laughable. What scared him the most was the fact that the spell was a complex one and that one of his students had actually been studying. It also scared him that the mole wasn't either of the new girls. It was someone known to everyone. Known to Harry.