Resistance is Futile
Chapter 6: Resistance is Futile
Harry stared blankly at his cauldron as the lesson continued. He knew he was in trouble, but honestly, he was too tired to care.
His arms rested on the table, his head on them, and for a moment, he wondered if it was worth the risk to just fall asleep again.
Snape would kill him.
But what was new about that?
Next to him, Malfoy snorted quietly. “Honestly, Potter. Detention? You really managed to land at the top of Snape’s hit list in record time.”
Harry turned his head slightly to the side, looking at him with exhausted eyes. “As if I wasn’t already there.”
Malfoy pressed his lips together, as if he wanted to argue, but then decided against it.
“What’s so important that you can’t serve detention after dinner?” Zabini asked quietly while stirring his potion.
Harry stiffened slightly.
Damn.
He hadn’t thought about how suspicious his question might have sounded.
“Nothing,” he said quickly. “I just hoped to get it over with.”
“Sure.” Nott gave him a knowing look.
Harry remained silent.
He had no interest in being interrogated.
Instead, he straightened up and focused on at least pretending to work on his potion.
Snape left him alone for the rest of the lesson, but Harry could feel the man’s gaze on him.
He knew Snape didn’t believe him.
And that meant he had to be even more careful in the future.
The day dragged on painfully slowly.
Harry tried to stick to his routine—eating early, disappearing before the others arrived, keeping a low profile in class.
But something had changed.
The Slytherins were… more observant.
They watched him.
Not openly, not intrusively—but he could feel it.
His behavior had piqued their interest.
And that was the last thing he wanted.
As evening approached, his nerves tightened.
He had to go to detention.
That meant he couldn’t go to the forest.
No running.
No feeling of freedom.
No release of his instincts.
His wolf was starting to push against him, restless, demanding.
It felt like being trapped in a room too small, with too little air to breathe.
But there was no way out.
Snape wouldn’t budge.
He had no choice.
When dinner came, Harry reluctantly sat in the Great Hall, ate quickly, and got up before anyone could stop him.
He knew what awaited him.
And he didn’t like it at all.
Sighing, he made his way to Snape’s office.
It was going to be a long night.
________________________________________
Draco Malfoy sat at the Slytherin table, arms crossed, staring in the direction Potter had just disappeared.
He had been watching him all week.
The strange behavior.
The sudden appearances and disappearances.
Sleeping in class.
The thing with his hair.
And now, his odd insistence on avoiding detention in the evening.
Something was wrong with Potter.
And Draco hated not knowing what it was.
“I’m telling you, he’s lying,” he finally said, turning to Zabini and Nott.
Zabini raised an eyebrow. “Of course he’s lying. He’s Potter.”
“Yeah, but this is different.”
Pansy, who was leaning on the table, scoffed. “Maybe he just wants to sleep because he’s always so tired?”
“No.” Draco shook his head. “That doesn’t make sense. If he were really just exhausted, he’d go to bed—not try to change his detention time.”
Zabini nodded slowly. “True. He was very insistent about it.”
“So, what do you think?” Pansy asked.
Draco leaned back, thinking.
“I think he sneaks out at night,” he finally said.
“Where to?” Nott asked.
“No idea. But we’re going to find out.”
Zabini looked intrigued. “You want to follow him?”
Draco smirked. “Why not? Snape will keep him busy tonight, and then we’ll know exactly when he leaves his office. We just have to wait for him to sneak out again.”
Pansy looked uncertain. “And what if he just goes to bed?”
“Then he’s just Potter acting weird,” Draco shrugged. “But I bet he won’t.”
Zabini grinned. “I love a good hunt.”
Draco glanced back in the direction Potter had gone.
Something told him tonight was going to be very interesting.
_______________________________________
Harry marched toward Snape’s office with heavy steps.
His wolf growled restlessly inside him, unhappy with the situation.
Every night, he had needed to escape to the forest, to shift, to let go of the instincts that would otherwise drive him insane.
But not tonight.
His whole body felt tense, like he was being shackled.
He had to get through it.
It was just one night.
He would survive.
With a quiet sigh, he reached Snape’s office and knocked on the door.
A sharp “Enter” came from inside, and Harry stepped in.
Snape sat behind his desk, briefly looking up from his parchments, his gaze cool and unreadable.
“Punctual. A miracle.”
Harry said nothing.
“Sit, Potter.”
Reluctantly, Harry dropped into a chair, eyes fixed on the floor.
Snape observed him for a moment before placing a stack of books on the table.
“You will sort ingredients tonight,” he said curtly. “No magic. No discussion.”
Harry sighed internally.
It could have been worse.
“Fine.”
He stood and started working.
Snape occasionally glanced at him, as if waiting for a complaint.
But Harry said nothing.
He just wanted this night to be over.
______________________________________--
Meanwhile, Draco, Zabini, Pansy, and Nott waited in the Slytherin common room.
“Snape will keep him busy for a while,” Zabini said, lounging on the couch.
“Doesn’t matter,” Draco said. “We have time.”
Pansy looked skeptical. “And what if he really just goes to bed?”
Draco smirked. “Then this was a waste of time.”
“And if he doesn’t?” Nott asked.
“Then things get interesting.”
They waited.
And as the night wore on, their curiosity only grew stronger.
What was Potter hiding?
And how long would it take to find out?
Chapter 16: The Hunter Becomes the Hunted
The air in the Hogwarts corridors was cool as Draco and his friends waited outside Snape’s office.
They had positioned themselves strategically, blending into the shadows, but the minutes dragged on endlessly.
“Snape is keeping him forever,” Zabini muttered.
“He deserves it,” Pansy said, playing with a strand of hair. “Sleeping in class… even for Potter, that’s bold.”
Draco said nothing.
He knew Potter wasn’t just lazy.
Something was going on.
And they would find out what.
__________________________________________
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the door opened.
Potter stepped out.
His posture was tired, his gaze heavy.
Even under the hood, Draco could see that he was exhausted.
But instead of heading toward the dormitories…
…Potter turned in the opposite direction.
Exactly as Draco had suspected.
He signaled the others to follow.
They stayed in the shadows, creeping through the corridors as Potter moved with deliberate purpose.
Every step he took seemed practiced—like he had done this many times before.
“He knows exactly where he’s going,” Nott whispered.
“The question is why,” Zabini added.
They followed him down several floors.
The corridors grew darker, emptier.
Then he left the castle.
Pansy hesitated. “He’s going outside? At this hour?”
Draco only nodded.
They followed, keeping to the walls, watching as Potter moved toward the edge of the forest.
The Forbidden Forest.
Draco frowned.
“What the hell…?”
Potter kept going—until he suddenly stopped.
Draco and the others quickly ducked behind a wall, trying to stay hidden.
But it was too late.
“Come out,” Potter’s calm voice cut through the night.
Draco’s heart sped up.
Damn.
Slowly, he stepped out from behind the wall, the others following.
Potter stood there, arms crossed, gaze half-tired, half-challenging.
“Why are you following me?” he asked directly.
Draco hesitated for only a second.
Then he smirked.
“Because you’re suspicious.”
________________________________
Potter blinked slowly once.
"Suspicious."
"Yes," Zabini chimed in. "You don't sleep in the common room. You hide all day. And now you're sneaking out of the castle at night? Forgive us, Potter, but that’s not exactly normal behavior."
Potter looked at the group.
Then he let out a heavy sigh.
"And what do you think I'm doing out here?" he asked, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
Draco crossed his arms. "That's exactly what we want to find out."
Potter shook his head, his expression unreadable.
"You should go back. If Snape finds out you're sneaking around outside in the middle of the night, he'll skin you alive."
"The same goes for you," Nott replied dryly.
Potter studied him for a moment, then shrugged.
"I know how not to get caught."
Draco scoffed. "And we don’t?"
Potter held his gaze for a moment, then smirked.
"I'm better than you."
Zabini let out a quiet laugh.
"Big words, Potter."
Potter didn’t respond.
Instead, he turned around.
"You found me. Good for you. Now go back."
Draco narrowed his eyes.
"Or?"
Potter stopped, glancing over his shoulder.
"Or you find out something you won’t like."
Silence hung in the air for a moment.
Then Draco stepped forward.
"Then let's find out."
Potter hesitated.
Then—without another word—he turned and ran into the forest.
Draco and the others exchanged a glance.
Then they ran after him.