Chapter 29
As soon as the curfew was lifted, I headed out to the library, my bag on hand. I worked on my essays carefully, not wanting a single error to slip past me just because I had been distracted last night.
The day, beyond that, had been completely normal until time for my detention rolled around.
I arrived at Snape's office on time and knocked on the door politely.
"Enter," Snape said in a drawl.
I did so, and I glanced toward where the leeches had been the previous day. My brow furrowed a bit upon not seeing them, but I didn't say anything as I closed the door behind me. I instead approached the Potions Master's desk and stood before it.
Snape was brewing a potion, one that had many ingredients and was clearly complicated to make.
"What shall I be doing today, sir?" I asked.
"For starters, you can tell me why you've been lying to everyone," Snape said as he looked at me with harsh black eyes.
"Lying is an easy way to keep myself free from suspicion," I said honestly, "Though, I must know which lie you've managed to catch me in for a more specific reason."
"You didn't just see Black recently and miss the chance to get answers. You've talked with him at least twice," Snape accused as he glanced down at his potion to add something.
"Where's your evidence?" I questioned, causing the man to glare at me with clear hostility.
"Beyond Lupin's suspicions, I have none," Snape admitted.
I hummed softly. "Would you truly trust the words of a man who you hate?"
"I would when he speaks the truth," Snape replied.
I remained silent, merely staring my opponent down.
"Potter, why put your life in danger to go talk to that man?" Snape inquired.
"Why not?" I replied, only to receive another sharp glare. I bit back a sigh as I said, "If you insist on knowing, I've met with Black three times to get answers out of him."
"What answers could be so important that you'd risk your own safety for them?" Snape asked as if he thought I was a daft child.
"Any knowledge I can take from him is worth the risk," I stated, "Of course, with him so willing to give answers, it's only natural that I'd continue to go back and press him for more."
"What things has he told you?" The man pressed.
"I don't know if I should tell you, in all honesty," I mused, ignoring the way he gave me a look of sheer disgust. "You're a graduated Slytherin first and foremost. People like you will surely use that knowledge for your own benefit."
"Like how you intend to use the knowledge you've gained from Black to manipulate Lupin into doing as you wish?" Snape accused, clearly not pulling any more punches.
I chuckled as I stared him dead in the eyes. "Is that what you believe?"
"That's what I know," Snape said, "You're a Slytherin, too, Potter."
"I can't help but feel that you have another reason for saying so, Snivellus," I mused aloud.
Rage flickered across his face upon hearing that name that he likely hadn't heard in years. "How dare you-"
"How dare I?" I cut off before scoffing loudly. "My patience has a limit, you know. I'm still a child, after all."
Snape's hands trembled as the man fought to hold back his wrath.
If looks could kill, I'd be just as dead as the Dark Lord's younger self. I chuckled at the thought as I stared at the man, unrepentant to be causing such a lack of control in a grown man.
"Twenty points from Slytherin," Snape spat out, "Leave, now."
"Very well," I said, turning heel. I eagerly left his office behind, though I didn't head straight back to the Slytherin common room. I meandered to the room that held the dueling stage, and I sat on the corner for a moment.
§Was it a truly wise move to make him so upset?§
I felt my lips tug into a smirk. §Perhaps not, but I didn't want him knowing more than he had to.§
§He was reading your thoughts.§
§Is that so?§ I thought, §I suppose I should learn how to block that.§
§I could help you. I'm quite the master of Occlumency and Legilimency.§
§What will it cost me?§ I asked.
§I want a message relayed to Severus.§
§Very well. What shall I tell him?§ I questioned.
§That message will be clear once you've managed to block him from your mind.§
§In that case, when may I start learning?§ I asked as I straightened up.
§Return to your dorm room, and we shall start there.§
I wordlessly stood up and headed back to the Slytherin common room. I walked past everyone there, ignoring anyone who may or may not have been interested in striking up a conversation. I sat down on my bed, drawing the curtains closed around me. I then moved into a lotus position and shut my eyes, eager to focus on the lesson that I desperately needed.
§Open your eyes.§
I did so, only to find myself in that room in my mind that housed the Dark Lord.
He was sitting in the chair across from me as composed as ever. §I'll first need to teach you a few exercises to clear your mind before I can move onto guarding it.§
§Of course, sir,§ I replied right away.
His lips curled up into a smirk before he began to instruct me on how to properly clear my mind, a task that was easier said than done.
Nevertheless, I worked diligently on being able to clear my mind on demand. I was eventually dismissed from the room upon being able to do so.
It was late in the night, and the other boys had clearly fallen asleep.
I took that time to do my homework by wand-light. I eventually stopped as five in the morning rolled around. I got up from my bed and took a shower, washing away the previous day's problems, if only for a brief moment in time. I then got myself dry and got dressed in my uniform before packing my bag for the day. With that done, I headed out to the library just as curfew lifted.
The day seemed to fly by, and it was soon the time to be at Snape's office.
I felt particularly annoyed as I knocked on the door after dinner.
"Enter," Snape said.
I did so, avoiding his gaze as I entered his office. I wouldn't allow him to read my mind so easily any more.
Snape wordlessly motioned to a jar of leeches.
I went over, rolling up my sleeves as I did so.
Time seemed to move slowly, neither of us speaking to the other all throughout the detention.
Eventually, Snape approached and looked down at my hands. He nodded his head toward the stone basin, a silent demand that I wash my hands off.
I did as ordered, washing my hands free of blood and whatever leech essence still remained. I then dried my hands off carefully before looking toward the man for my next orders.
"Dismissed," the man said as he sneered back at me.
I nodded once before taking my leave. I returned to the Slytherin common room and headed to the dormitory. I bandaged my hands up before working on my homework for a while. Once it was time for lights out, I laid down in bed and began to meditate to the best of my ability.
The Dark Lord was waiting there in that room, and he smirked when I opened my eyes and sat up from the couch. He decided to continue with the Occlumency lessons, and he taught efficiently. He probably could have been a professor at Hogwarts if his fate was different, but that was neither here nor there.
I awoke the next morning, my body feeling rested despite the fact I had spent the night sorting through various memories while simultaneously attempting to build up walls to surround the more important memories.
The next three weeks were spent like that.
I would perform like normal during the daytime, and I would learn how to better defend my mind at nighttime. I went through my detentions, and I wasn't questioned again until the last night of said detentions.
There were no leeches to squeeze, no cauldrons to scrub clean, no ingredients to alphabetize…
I stood before the desk that Snape was sitting at, looking just below his eyes so that he couldn't easily get past my mental defenses.
His face may have been stoic, but his eyes displayed a range of emotions as he stared at me. "Mr. Potter, I'd like to ask you a few questions."
"Very well," I replied.
"You never explained to me why you're using Lupin like a pawn," Snape stated.
"I didn't, did I?" I mused aloud.
His brow twitched in annoyance. "You can start off by explaining that to me."
I hummed softly before asking, "How much do you trust me?"
His eyebrows furrowed. "Pardon?"
"Do you trust me more than you trust Dumbledore?" I reiterated.
"No," he said right away, causing me to nod.
"I expected as such," I said honestly. "Because that is the case, I'm afraid we're at an impasse."
His brow furrowed deeply as he tried to invade my mind.
I remained steadfast in my defense of my mind, and I watched as his face paled.
"Who taught you that?" Snape asked worriedly.
I gave a dark chuckle as I stared down at him. "That's not something I feel the need to tell you, not when you're so untrustworthy."
"Is Black manipulating you?" Snape questioned.
"No," I denied, "That man isn't the type to manipulate children, quite unlike you."
"He's dangerous-"
"No more dangerous than Dumbledore," I waved off dismissively, "Now, do you have an actual detention to give me, or are you just wasting both of our time?"
"Mr. Potter, I cannot stress just how much trouble you would be in if someone found out that you're conspiring with Black to kill your brother-"
I couldn't contain the laugh that came from my throat. "Conspiring to kill my brother? That's hilarious!"
Snape looked at me, dumbfounded with my sudden outburst.
"You're quite mistaken," I said as I gave the man a sharp smile. "I'm not conspiring to kill my brother. I just want a meddlesome pest gone from our lives."
He stared at me silently for a few moments before saying aloud, "Dumbledore…"
I chuckled as I stared down at the man sitting behind his desk. "What better way to get rid of that old man than to move others against him? A king with no loyal pawns is going to crumble sooner or later, and his legacy will be looked down upon for ages to come."
"Why do you believe that Dumbledore is so worthy of your hatred?" Snape pressed as he once again tried to invade my mind.
"Stop that," I hissed in annoyance, "It's tiresome to defend my mind and answer your pathetic questions at the same time."
"If you cannot manage that much, you'll never be able to go against Dumbledore," the man informed me, causing me to sneer at him.
"It takes a pawn time before they can become something more, you realize," I pointed out.
"And yet, you're moving now as if you're already more than a mere pawn," Snape retorted.
I chuckled as I said, "Who else but a mere pawn will begin to move against a king?"
Snape pondered my words for only a second before he refocused himself. "That doesn't explain why you're so hellbent on taking Dumbledore out of power."
"I wouldn't say I'm hellbent," I waved off immediately, "I'm interested, sure, but I'm not disregarding my studies for something like plotting against that old crone."
The man narrowed his eyes, and something in my mind seared with pain.
I hissed as I winced away from the man, bringing my left hand up to my eye. "Was that truly necessary?"
Snape didn't reply to my question. He was staring at me, wide-eyed, a look of unadulterated horror in his eyes.
"You're a troublesome pest yourself, aren't you?" I asked as I began to reach for my wand.
Snape dropped his own wand down his sleeve and brandished it at me before I could pull my wand all the way out of my pocket. "You've been talking with the Dark Lord."
My eyes narrowed sharply at the man. "Put your wand down, you insolent man."
"You're possessed by him, aren't you?" Snape questioned as he kept his wand pointed at my face.
"I will not tell you a second time," I said sternly, "You will follow my orders or get punished accordingly."
Still, Snape kept his wand pointed at my face. He was obviously daft and/or a masochist.
§Tell him that he owes me after I tried to spare that filthy mudblood mother of yours.§
I pursed my lips for a moment before following the orders given to me. "The Dark Lord said that you owed him for trying to spare my mudblood mother."
"He killed her even though he gave me his word that she wouldn't be harmed," Snape spat at me venomously.
The Dark Lord made the noise of an irritated adult looking down on an unruly child.
Then, without my consent, my lips began to move, and my voice was used to say, "Severus, whether you accept it or not, you made an unbreakable vow of loyalty to me when you asked me to spare your precious Lily. Had it not been for Lily sacrificing her own life using that archaic ritual, she would still be alive. Had she not attacked me and had that spell rebound toward her, she would be raising her dear children. Had that idiot girl that you loved so much not been so reckless on that Samhain, you may just have been able to win her heart over."
Snape made a small noise before saying softly, "You're lying, just as you always did. You never would have spared that muggleborn who stood against you. It wasn't in your nature."
"Oh, Severus," I cooed as I extended my left hand out, causing the man to tense up. I placed it on his cheek as I said, "You're as foolish as you were years ago. Do you remember the first time we met at Abraxas Malfoy's manor?"
The man shuddered, clearly remembering something that he'd rather not think about at all.
"Do you remember how you asked me so casually if I was sane to go against Dumbledore?" The Dark Lord asked, using my body to get his message along to the man before my eyes. "Do you remember how Thaddeus Nott tried to curse you, but I allowed you mercy? I could have easily scorned you for your mistake, and yet I didn't. I've done that time and time again, haven't I? I allowed you to get away with fighting amongst my other followers whenever someone mentioned your little Lily in a negative manner. I allowed you to get away with running to Dumbledore and spying on me. I even allowed you to get away with threatening Quirrell when you obviously knew that his loyalty lied with me. I've allowed you so much forgiveness, but it seems that you're ungrateful for what I've done for you."
Snape grit his teeth as he shoved my hand away from his face. He instead placed the tip of his wand at my forehead and spat out, "I refuse to allow you to harm Lily's children."
My lips curled into a smirk as I said, "Prove to me your disloyalty, Half-Blood Prince."
His black eyes narrowed sharply before he said, "Confundo."
A shudder ran down my spine as my mind seemed to screech to a halt. Before I could compute what happened, my hand was raised, and my wand was pointed at my neck. "One more move like that, Severus, and I'll have no choice but to slit the neck of Colton here."
"You wouldn't dare," Snape said in a fairly threatening manner. Even though he said that, it was fairly clear by the look in his eyes that he was extremely worried.
"Don't test me more than you already have," the Dark Lord snapped.
The two were at a stand-off, and I was caught in the middle.
"As the seventh month dies, twins will be born. One is destined to die, and the other to surpass the Dark Lord," the Dark Lord recited, and Snape flinched as if he had been backhanded. "What's wrong, Severus? Were you not the one to tell me that prophecy in the first place?"
"That's something I never should have done," Snape said in a low voice, "I regret that every day, and I'll continue to regret it until the day I die."
"And yet here you stand, keeping the Potter twins in the dark about their fate. You must truly despise them," the Dark Lord mused.
"I don't-"
"No need to lie to me," the Dark Lord said with a smirk, "I've been watching this entire time. I happen to vividly recall the punishment you gave Colton in his first year for protecting his image. You know that most seventh-years can't make it through a week without crying, and yet you didn't bat an eyelash before making Colton go through with it. When he didn't give in to tears, you would take away House points. Then, once he fell ill, you blamed him for not going to get himself healed earlier. Of course, you've let Harry off significantly easier, simply giving him scathing looks and spitting words of poison. I do wonder why you hate Colton here so much over Harry. Is it because he resembles your dear Lily?"
"Silence," Snape demanded, "You don't know what I'm feeling."
"That's fair," the Dark Lord said, "You were always quite good when using Occlumency, and as Colton is now, I can't quite tell what you're thinking."
"Why are your plans with him?" Snape questioned.
The Dark Lord chuckled. "You can't honestly expect me to tell you that when you're so disloyal."
"Then I'll go straight to Dumbledore," Snape threatened.
"Go ahead," the Dark Lord said in a laissez-faire manner, "When he condemns Colton to death, you will know who is to truly blame."
"As if you aren't going to kill him later on to get to the Boy-Who-Lived," Snape hissed venomously.
The Dark Lord gave another laugh, this one significantly crueler than any previous laugh I'd heard from him. "You misunderstand me, Severus, though I suppose you always have. What could a pestilent child like yourself know about the world of adults?"
"I'm a grown man-"
"And yet you constantly run away from your past like the troubled child you truly are," the Dark Lord interrupted callously.
Snape grit his teeth in frustration before spitting out, "What do you want?"
"I want you to leave Colton alone for the time being," the Dark Lord said as if it should have been obvious, "And I want you to keep this little conversation between the three of us."
"What will I get in return?" Snape demanded to know.
"I won't kill you for your insubordination when I am revived," the Dark Lord replied with a chilling smile.
"I must refuse that tempting offer," Snape said dryly.
I shrugged as if it couldn't be helped. I then pressed my wand further into my throat and opened my mouth to say something. I never got a word out, however, because Snape once again shot out a spell from the end of his wand. My body seized up, and I fell backwards from the force on the spell.
Snape loomed over me, looking down at me with worry evident on his features. He brandished his wand at me as he said, "I can't allow you to harm the rest of the world."
The Dark Lord was furious, and the scar on my collarbone ached fiercely. In my mind, he hissed venomously, §One more spell like that, and you'll have much more to worry about.§
Snape wasn't reading my mind, as was evident when he muttered, "Stupify." A light came from the end of his wand and hit me, only to suddenly rebound toward Snape. The man was hit by his own spell, and he collapsed upon being knocked unconscious with the Stunning Jinx.
The magic binding my body released, and I sat up abruptly. I quickly scrambled over to Snape and grabbed his wand, pocketing it so that he could not use it again as soon as he woke up.
§Obliviate him,§ the Dark Lord directed.
§How can I do so without it becoming suspicious?§ I thought anxiously.
§I don't suppose you can, now that I think about it,§ the Dark Lord mused before saying, §Allow me control over your body once more.§
§Very well. It is yours for the time being,§ I thought.
The Dark Lord moved my hand and pointed it at Snape's head. He wordlessly cast a spell, and a white glow came from the end of my wand. He seemed to root around Snape's memories for a long moment before doing what he originally intended on doing. He then levitated the Potions Master and put him into the chair behind his desk. He then put Snape's wand on the desk before stepping back. He pocketed my wand before straightening my back. §You will act as if you just found him sleeping, and that you were late for your detention.§
§Of course, sir.§ I cleared my throat loudly, and Snape seemed to jolt awake. "Sir, I'm sorry for being late to my detention. Should we, perhaps, do this tomorrow, seeing as how you're so tired?"
The man cast a quick spell to check the time and scowled at the time. "Why are you so late?"
I forced myself to look sheepish as I said, "I ended up getting distracted at dinner."
He stared at me suspiciously before nodding once. "Very well. You will come back here tomorrow. Go."
I nodded once before turning heel.
"Mr. Potter," the man called out hesitantly, causing me to pause. He hesitated for a long moment before saying, "No, nevermind…"
"If you want to ask me more questions, I'd recommend doing so tomorrow," I advised, "You're clearly tired tonight, and I don't want my words taken the wrong way."
He made a single grunting noise, a clear sign of dismissal to me.
I left his office behind, all while fretting about how I'd keep it a secret that I was communicating with the Dark Lord a second time.
§I would have suggested using the basilisk to petrify him, but you already killed her,§ the Dark Lord said dryly.
§I can't run away from my problems all the time. I need to face them head-on like a man,§ I thought irritably.
The Dark Lord chuckled darkly. §You're not quite a man yet, but I understand the desire to face your problems yourself. How about you allow me control tomorrow for your little detention, and I'll make sure your mind will stay fortified?§
§I don't have a choice, really. I'm not getting thrown in Azkaban because you're residing in my head,§ I replied, §I have plans to make and an old crone to ruin.§
The Dark Lord remained silent.
I returned to the Slytherin common room shortly after, and I immediately went to my dorm room. I got changed and went to bed, drawing the curtains around me. I then laid down and got comfortable, hoping to see the Dark Lord again and practice more.
Instead of allowing that to happen, the Dark Lord simply said, §Sleep. You're going to need it.§
Begrudgingly, I listened to the order given to me. I waited for my usual nightmare, but I encountered no such thing that night. I, instead, had a peaceful sleep and woke up feeling rested the next morning. I was quick to do my morning routine, and I went through the day as if nothing abnormal happened the previous night.
Of course, dinner came far too soon, meaning my detention was closing in on me.
With the utmost reluctance, I went down to Snape's office and knocked on the door.
"Enter," Snape drawled out.
I did so, closing the door behind me afterward. I then relinquished control of my body over to the Dark Lord, who easily walked forward toward the desk.
"Mr. Potter, I have-"
"You used Legilimency on me," the Dark Lord interrupted right away, causing Snape to frown deeply.
Snape looked up at me for a long moment in silence before saying, "And you attempted to obliviate my memories last night."
I was shocked at the development, and I knew the Dark Lord was, too.
"You look surprised," Snape drawled out, "Did you honestly think that I would trust you to keep my memories intact after you revealed yourself?" Before the Dark Lord could reply, Snape said, "I anchored my memories deep within my mind, making sure that, even if you tried to obliviate them, the important information would remain. I've taken the liberty to copy those memories during the day, and I have them set aside someplace safe in case you should try to obliviate me again."
"You're a clever man," I complimented, and the Potions Master sneered at me.
"That's what happens when you're forced to grow up during times of war," the man stated.
"What I don't understand, Severus, is why you didn't go to Dumbledore right away," the Dark Lord mused aloud. "It would have been all too easy to get Colton here in trouble."
"That is quite true, but I don't fancy myself to be a killer of children," Snape said, causing the Dark Lord to sneer. "Why would Colton work with you when you're going to kill him in the end."
The Dark Lord gave a laugh. "You still don't understand, Severus, do you? I'm not going to kill the one destined to surpass me. I'm going to kill the one who is insolent enough to refuse my helping hand."
Snape paled rapidly before mumbling, "You're going to kill Harry?"
"Only if he refuses to stand where he belongs," the Dark Lord said dismissively.
Snape remained silent for a long moment before asking, "Why would you help this one surpass you? You wanted to control the Wizarding World, didn't you?"
"My plans were initially to become Minister of Magic, yes, but I have realized that such a place isn't where I truly belong," the Dark Lord revealed with a smirk.
"Where is it that you truly belong?" Snape pressed.
The Dark Lord chuckled softly. "That's something no one but me is privy to."
Snape narrowed his eyes before asking, "Why did my spell rebound yesterday?"
"I told you that you made an unbreakable vow of loyalty, did I not?" The Dark Lord drawled out, and Snape looked genuinely fearful. "You will be loyal to me whether you like it or not. I wasn't the one who killed Lily, after all."
"There's no way that Lily would have killed herself," Snape argued right away.
"She would if Dumbledore told her such was the only way to protect her dear children," the Dark Lord debated.
Snape frowned deeply, and he remained silent as he stared into the eyes of the Dark Lord. Finally, a look of defeat crossed his features. "You're not lying…"
"I am many things, Severus," the Dark Lord stated, "A pathological liar is not one of them."
The man looked devastated by the realization that he was a mere pawn in Dumbledore's scheme and that the love of his life was no better than him.
"Will you tell Dumbledore about my presence?" The Dark Lord inquired.
"No, so just - just leave," the man requested.
"Severus, the time will come when I am revived," the Dark Lord said, "You better know where your true loyalties lie when that time arrives."
Snape was silent, just staring down at his desk with the utmost regret.
The Dark Lord turned me around before relinquishing control over my body.
I walked to the door, only to pause after opening it. I looked back at the defeated man and said, "You'll live, whether you want to or not. If you do die, then no one will be able to keep Harry safe but me."
Snape still didn't answer, but he definitely heard me if the way his body tensed was anything to go by.
"Have a good evening, sir," I said before finally stepping from the office, closing the door behind me. I returned to the common room, and I began to work on my homework.
"That was a fast detention," Malfoy noted aloud as he sat down at the seat across from me.
"There wasn't anything for me to do after a month," I said calmly, "Besides, I don't think he wanted me there any more than I wanted to be there. He was just proving a point to me."
"What point was that?" Malfoy inquired.
"Not to go running head-first into danger unless I wanted to face severe consequences," I answered lazily.
"That's a fair enough point," Malfoy said with a nod of approval.
I barely held in a snort at how easily he bought my lie.
"Are you going to ask about that Patronus Charm again?" Malfoy asked.
"Yes, I will," I said, having no intention of wasting more time on that matter.
He nodded in approval.
The next morning was the Quidditch match between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor.
Harry walked in with a Firebolt of all things, along with the other boys of Slytherin who appeared as though they were guarding the broom with their lives.
Everyone turned to look at the broom of international standard, and the Slytherin Quidditch Team all looked horrified.
"He's got a bloody Firebolt?" Malfoy hissed angrily.
"Who could afford that?" I asked as I looked at the broom in exasperation. "I swear to Merlin that Harry better not have bought it."
Several Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs wandered over to the Gryffindor table to look at the Firebolt.
Malfoy got up and stalked toward the Gryffindor table with Crabbe and Goyle in tow.
I rolled my eyes before getting up and following after Malfoy. Malfoy was just about to open his mouth when I cleared my throat. "Harry, did you buy that broom?"
"No, it was a Christmas present," Harry waved off dismissively.
"From…?" I asked as I motioned for him to elaborate.
"Dunno," he said as he once again looked down at the broom in reverence.
"You don't know?" I repeated, "What if it's cursed?"
"It's not," Harry said, "Professor Flitwick and Madam Hooch already checked for curses and stuff."
I hesitated before realizing who, exactly, would spend that kind of money on Harry without giving a name and making sure it was free of any manner of Dark spells. With narrowed eyes, I nodded once before heading off. I fully intended to transfigure myself a broom and use it to smack Black's head a few times. I returned to the Slytherin common room and found a spare quill, which I immediately pocketed. I then threw on my cloak and gloves before heading up to the entrance hall. While everyone was distracted with aweing at Harry's broom, I headed down to the Whomping Willow before navigating to the shack that Black often hid in.
Sure enough, Black was there, lounging around on the bed like the lazy bastard he was. The man, once I threw the door open, yelped loudly. He registered it was me in the doorway and tried to throw himself off the bed, but he wasn't fast enough. The man cursed loudly as he was hit by a Stinging Jinx, causing him to collapse to his hands and knees.
I pulled out the quill and transfigured it into a broomstick. I wielded the broomstick like a sword and slammed it down on Black's back. "Are you out of your bloody mind?! You sent Harry a Firebolt?!" I brought the broom down on his back again, earning a loud yelp. "You better not have used the funds from our bank account, or I swear to Lady Magic that I'll cut your balls off, you mangy mutt!" I attempted to hit him again, but Black grabbed the broom before he could be hit again. "I'm not done, you insolent brat!"
"Yes, you are!" Black snapped as he managed to pull the broom free from my grasp. He then broke it over his knee and threw the two pieces aside. "You're the one always acting like a brat! Calm down for once in your life!"
"I would be perfectly calm if you hadn't caused me so much trouble over the past two months!" I snapped irritably.
"What trouble did I possibly cause you?" Black challenged.
"Beyond beating the shit out of my godfather?" I asked, causing Black to shrink back. "Well, Lupin just so happened to go to Snape, who went routing around my mind."
"Why would he go to Snivellus?!" Black exclaimed, looking thoroughly disgusted.
"Because Snape hates Lupin and will give him a straight answer," I answered, "After Lupin told Snape what happened, Snape decided to use Legilimency on me."
"That's fucking ridiculous!" Black yelled, "You're a minor, and he hasn't been given permission to train you in Legilimency or Occlumency!"
I made a mental note to use that against the Potions Master in the future before saying, "Look, Snape knows that I've been meeting with you."
"Oh, great," Black said sarcastically. "Now, Dumbledore will be up my ass."
"If he is, I'm sure Snape will be in trouble," I said, "After all, Snape has been sitting on this information for just over a month now."
"He must be planning something, the greasy bastard," Black grumbled with the utmost annoyance.
"He may be," I agreed. "But for now, I believe that he's trying to sort through his thoughts and emotions."
Black scoffed loudly. "What feelings?"
"The feelings of betrayal, hurt, and regret," I admitted, "He's wondering if Dumbledore is the one he should have trusted, especially now that he knows that the old man is a manipulative bastard."
"Manipulative bastard, indeed," Black agreed while nodding.
"Do you think you would be able to put aside your differences if it meant keeping Harry and I out of the Dursley residence?" I asked.
Black sneered as if disgusted by the idea of working with Snape. Nevertheless, he gave in and said, "If he behaves, so will I."
"Excellent," I approved, "If either of you steps out of line, it'll be a Stinging Jinx for both of you."
The face Black pulled made it evident that he was regretting giving in so easily. He clearly hated the jinx I often used on him, but he never opened his mouth to say anything that would indicate his displeasure.
"Now, go watch the Quidditch match," I demanded as I waved Black off, "Harry is using that Firebolt against the Ravenclaws today."
Black immediately perked up. "I can't wait to see him in action!" He quickly turned into a dog and rushed to the door that was still ajar.
I rolled my eyes as I followed after the dog. I made it from the Whomping Willow, where I decided to split off from the dog. I headed to the castle once more, and, with students still in the Great Hall distracted by Harry's new broomstick, headed down to the Slytherin common room. I took off my cloak and gloves, putting them in my wardrobe once again before moving to my bag. I grabbed my homework for Arithmancy and went back to the common room, where I worked on my essay for a long while.
Eventually, the Slytherins came back, all looking disappointed, which meant Gryffindor had won the match.
I tried to ignore it for the time being, but I couldn't when some older Slytherin named Cassius Warrington slammed his hands down on the table. I forced myself not to groan as I looked up at him. "May I help you?"
"Your brother nearly blasted us out of the sky," Warrington accused with narrowed eyes.
"Us?" I repeated with a raised brow.
"Montague, Crabbe, Goyle, and I," the boy said.
"What were the four of you doing in the air?" I inquired.
"Being a disgrace to Slytherin," Flint commented with a sharp glare. "They tried scaring Potter off his broom and lost us fifty points."
"Fifty?!" I exclaimed in horror, "Now, we'll have to win the Quidditch Cup in order to beat Gryffindor for the House Cup!"
"Oh, sod off, Potter," Warrington snapped, "It's not like you didn't lose twenty house points to Snape a month ago."
"And I gained those points back within three days," I retorted right away. "You probably couldn't do that within a month."
Warrington's eyes flashed with anger, and he pulled his wand from his robe and pointed it at me. "Don't you dare look down on me, Potter."
"Then why not prove to me that you're more than a mere ant to crush underneath my heel," I replied with a cocky smirk.
"That's enough, you two!" Farley barked, "I'm not listening to you two bitch when I have N.E.W.T.'s to study for!"
"Sorry," I apologized right away.
Farley huffed loudly before burying her face in the Ancient Runes textbook before her.
I pushed Warrington's wand from my face and quickly focused myself on my Arithmancy homework.
Warrington scowled deeply before skulking off, probably to go harass some other poor bastard.
The next morning came early, and the castle seemed to be in disarray.
Sirius Black had not only broken into Hogwarts once again, he also managed to get into the Gryffindor tower and was spotted looming menacingly over the bed of Ronald Weasley while holding a silver dagger.
I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the thought of Black doing something so foolish.
Of course, I had priorities that I needed to see to, and hitting Black with yet another Stinging Jinx was not one of them.
After a particularly long essay on vampires, I once again stayed behind after the D.A.D.A. class was dismissed. I approached Lupin's desk, but didn't feel the need wth a Privacy Charm that time. "Sir, could you teach me the spell to ward away Dementors?"
Lupin looked surprised at my request. "You want to learn how to ward away Dementors?"
"I may not faint like Harry does, but I still get badly affected by those creatures whenever they draw near," I admitted, "I was hoping that you could teach me how to ward them off, or at least point me in the right direction…"
Lupin contemplated my request for a mere moment before straightening up. "I suppose that I could continue using the History of Magic class at eight on Thursdays, so long as you are free, of course."
"I am," I assured him quickly.
"Very well. Meet me then," he directed.
Eagerly, I turned heel and headed toward the door.
"And Colton," he called, causing me to pause, "I'm - I'm still very sorry-"
I sighed heavily before turning my head to look at him. "I'm not interested in words, as I said before. Show me you want to make amends, and I'll forgive you."
The man nodded once, though he still looked quite apprehensive.
I turned and left his classroom behind. I could only hope that my pawns would fall into line on their own. I had done all I could at that point in time, after all…