Hallowe’en
Chapter 6: Hallowe’en
Draco was rather put off the next morning when he arrived at the Slytherin table, only to see the ever-infuriating Potter and Weasel sitting across the Hall at the Gryffindor table looking quite smug.
Blaise was the first to notice the anger rolling off of him in waves. Steering Theo clear (who was almost always oblivious) of the inevitable tantrum, they sat near the other end of the table with Daphne, Pansy, and Tracey Davis. Meanwhile, Crabbe and Goyle stayed next to Draco as they only had eyes for the full English breakfasts before them.
The singular consolation Draco found that week was that she seemed to not be speaking to the Wonder Twins as Theo so eloquently dubbed them. Draco then took to spending more time in the library as that’s where Granger tended to spend most of hers.
It wasn’t so much that he was watching her study, he got his own work done as well, but she was fascinating to watch. She would pour over books for hours on end, ink dotting her hands and even occasionally her face. She nibbled on the ends of her quills and would scrunch up her nose when she was deep in thought.
He was rarely there before she was, but if he did make it to his own spot before she found hers, he would leave her an apple. He may not be allowed to be friends with her, but he didn’t want her to starve either. The girl rarely ate more than a few bites in the Great Hall. He knew because she was always there, sitting across from him—taunting him. She was the only person in this forsaken school that seemed to have the same thirst for knowledge he had, and yet they had to be enemies. She had thrown her lot in with the other lions and he had been promised to the snakes…
…
The following week, Draco was in better spirits. He had truly found some decent friends. The evening after the Great Hall incident, Blaise had unleashed Theo’s humor on their little group, and the tall, brunette boy had them all roaring with laughter the rest of the evening.
The next morning, Draco was walking into the Entrance Hall when he spotted Potter and his sidekick leaving the Great Hall headed toward them with a large, elongated package. Feeling agitated at Potter’s glee-filled face, Draco snatched the parcel out of his hands immediately recognizing the shape as a broomstick.
Oh this is too good. Potter will get busted this time for sure!
“That’s a broomstick,” he said, throwing it back to Potter with a mixture of jealousy and hatred. “You’ll be in for it this time, Potter, first-years aren’t allowed them.”
The ginger looked like he was about to explode.
“It’s not any old broomstick,” he said, “it’s a Nimbus Two Thousand. What did you say you’ve got at home, Malfoy, a Comet Two Sixty?” The Weasel grinned at Potter, clearly mocking Draco. “Comets look flashy, but they’re not in the same league as the Nimbus.”
This red-haired git needs to have his arse handed to him.
“What would you know about it, Weasley, you couldn’t afford half the handle,” Draco snapped back. “ I suppose you and your brothers have to save up, twig by twig.”
A smug smile rippled over Draco’s face. He knew exactly which buttons to push on that moron. Potter was still a bit more of an enigma besides insulting his friends.
Before Weasley had a chance to reply with some nonsense, Professor Flitwick snuck up behind Draco.
“Not arguing, I hope, boys?” he squeaked.
Just as I had hoped. Get ready to kiss that broom goodbye, Potter!
“Potter’s been sent a broomstick, Professor,” Draco blurted out.
“Yes, yes, that’s right,” said Professor Flitwick, beaming at Potter. “Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances, Potter. And what model is it?”
WHAT?!?! No no no no no no…this can’t honestly be happening AGAIN!
“A Nimbus Two Thousand, sir,” Potter smirked at Draco’s horrified face. “And it’s really thanks to Malfoy here that I’ve got it,” he added.
Draco simply stood in the Entrance Hall frozen. He never thought he could hate someone so incredibly much, but here he was. How in Merlin’s name did an eleven year-old boy continuously break rule after rule and receive no punishment whatsoever—rewarded even! His father would most definitely hear about this.
A head of bushy brown hair stormed past him with a huff, and Draco turned just in time to see her reach the top of the staircase and yell at Tweedle-dumb and Tweedle-dee.
“So I suppose you think that’s a reward for breaking rules?”
Draco couldn’t help but smile inwardly. At least one she gets it. No. Granger doesn’t matter. She’s just as bad as they are—she’s one of them after all.
Returning to his surroundings, Draco stormed off to the dungeons and back to the dormitories. He whipped open his trunk and pulled out a neatly folded piece of parchment and a self-inking quill.
Father,
The mission you sent me here for is quite futile. I’ve attempted on multiple occasions to make acquaintances with Harry Potter and he has made it rather difficult. He is a true Gryffindor and seems to break every school rule and is then rewarded for it. I believe he is the Headmaster’s favorite student and has been treated as such. Professor Snape is the only Professor who has not made special exceptions for him. He was even gifted a broom and placed on the Quidditch team.
I apologize for failing you, father. I believe Potter and I have become natural rivals in everything, and it hasn’t helped that he has befriended the whole Weasley clan.
Sanctimonia Vincet Semper,
Draco L. Malfoy
Draco sealed off the letter with the sigil carved into his silver ring he wore on his right hand. Once the wax had hardened, he took out another piece of parchment and began writing again.
Mother,
This past month has been quite difficult. It appears that a Slytherin’s only ally in this school is Severus Snape. He is the only Professor who takes any more of our triumphs or any failures of the other Houses. Oh, and everyone of course is obsessed with Harry Potter. He gets away with everything!
On top of it all it appears I have fallen into second place in each of my classes, aside from Potions of course. This infuriating Muggle-born girl is a complete know-it-all! She’s top of our class in every subject. She’s even memorized all of the texts for the entire year before term had even started! The only consolation so far is that she’s afraid of flying and seems to be equally annoyed by Potter’s antics.
I’ve gotten rather close with Theo again, as well as Blaise Zabini. They at least have some brains and can hold a conversation—much more pleasant than Crabbe and Goyle and there’s less squealing than with Pansy and her new friends.
I am looking forward to being back home and seeing you at Christmastime.
Love,
Draco L. Malfoy
Draco sealed the second envelope then headed out to the owlery to send them.
…
The young blonde wizard awoke the following morning to Theo jumping on his bed shouting about it being Hallowe’en. As annoying as he should have found it, Draco was rather excited himself. He’d always loved the holiday and it would be their first Hallowe’en feast at Hogwarts which were the stuff of legend.
After his first class of the day, Draco overheard from a couple of Gryffindor gossips that the Weasel and Potter had insulted her again, this time in front of the girl. Supposedly she was holed up in one of the bathrooms crying all day.
Honestly, what idiots. If you’re going to talk about someone, make sure they’re not around. Draco rolled his eyes. Gryffindors.
That evening, he made his way to the Great Hall flanked by Pansy and Theo. As the door to Hall opened, they stood in awe for a moment. Thousands of bats flew around them and up into the rafters, while large jack-o-lanterns floated and flickered above them.
Just as it had when the start-of-term banquet began, food appeared before them on large golden plates. Draco scooped a large helping of meat and potatoes onto his plate and hungrily stuffed his mouth full. It all tasted so good, he almost missed Professor Quirrell running into the Hall with his turban falling to the side. He approached Professor Dumbledore’s place at the Head Table gasping, “Troll—in the dungeons—just thought you ought to know,” and he collapsed into a heap on the floor.
Panic surrounded him. The Slytherins clearly more so than the other Houses due to the threat’s proximity to their dorms.. Dumbledore gained some semblance of control after a few purple firecrackers shot out of the end of his wand.
“Prefects,” he rumbled, “lead your houses back to the dormitories immediately!”
Gemma Farley stood, clearly shaken but needing to take charge. She snapped her fingers and the First Year snakes lined up behind her. She looked to Professor Snape for confirmation on where to take them, but he had disappeared in the commotion. Begrudgingly, she turned to look at Professor McGonagall with a quizzical brow.
“The library for now,” she responded in her thick Scottish accent.
Nodding Gemma led the Slytherins out of the Hall and up the staircase to the library. Draco, Theo, and Blaise turned to follow the Prefect when Draco spotted a greasy black head of hair turning a corner. He motioned for the other two boys to follow, they each shrugged to each other and followed suit.
Amidst the chaos, Draco spotted both Potter and Weasel doing nearly the same thing, slipping in with some Hufflepuffs. The Slytherins jumped in with a group of lagging Ravenclaws and eyed Snape as he headed for the third floor.
The Dynamic Duo appeared to move in the opposite direction, so the Slytherins switched staircases and hurried down the first empty corridor they came to until the rest of the students passed.
Theo motioned that the coast was clear and the three snakes crept around the corner.
“There!” Blaise whispered and pointed at a retreating figure with a black billowing cloak floating behind it. The other two boys nodded and they all silently slipped down the hall to follow.
They followed him through a maze of twists and turns. A door creaked open and clicked shut, and there was a snap followed by low growls.
“Argh!”
The three boys leaned up against the door, eyes wide in fear, until they heard footsteps coming from behind them.
Theo grabbed Blaise’s and Draco’s elbows and tugged them behind an adjacent door.
Alohomora
They heard the same door creak open again and heard a shuffling enter the hall as the door firmly closed behind Snape. They could just barely see the scene unfold through the cracked door they hid behind.
“S-S-Snape! W-w-what are y-y-you d-doing up here?”
Quirrell? He was passed out in the Great Hall … wasn’t he?
Draco glanced at the other boys who shared his look of confusion.
“Ah, Professor, I hoped I would find you here. And what exactly are you doing? Shouldn’t you be assisting the other professors down in the dungeons?” Snape slithered toward Professor Quirrell like a viper ready to strike.
“D-d-dungeons? Ah, y-yes, of course. W-w-well, must b-be off then,” the turban-wearing man tried to slip past Professor Snape, but he was too slow.
Grabbing Quirrell’s robes at his shoulder, Snape whispered into his ear, a threat they assumed by the fear materializing on the other man’s face. Snape let go with a shove and Quirrell scurried down the corridor.
The Slytherins slunk back into the shadows of the room, waiting for the two professors to pass.
After a few moments, they moved from their hiding spot to rejoin the rest of Slytherin house in the library. Blaise and Theo rounded the corner first and hurried on. Draco, slinking behind them, was stopped by a heavy hand on his shoulder.
A silver serpent biting into the back of his hand…
Draco flinched at the memory, and turned slowly—knowing he had been caught yet again listening in on private conversations.
Professor Snape towered over Draco’s child-sized frame, and the boy shrunk back even further. His favorite professor’s stare was intimidating to say the least, when trained on you.
“Mister Malfoy, I do hope you have a good reason for being where you don’t belong,” Snape sneered at his student.
“Uh…yes, Professor…actually I was wondering what you were doing,” Draco stumbled, trying to find the best way to stay out of trouble with the man.
“I will not tolerate this kind of cheek from my own House. My whereabouts are none of your concern. As it is, I have a task for you. None of the other Professors share my level of concern, otherwise I would not confide in a student in such a way, especially such a young one.” Snape cocked an imperious eyebrow at Draco, but continued on. “I want you to keep an eye on Professor Quirrell. He is rather jumpy and clearly up to something. I think I know what, but I’m not sure as to the ‘how’. There are a lot of moving pieces.”
Draco simply nodded, still very unsure of exactly what Snape wanted from him. Seeing the oblivious look on his student’s face, Severus Snape did something he had never done—took pity.
“Your father asked you to perform a task this year, Mister Malfoy—yes I know he told you to stay close to Harry Potter.”
Draco was dumbfounded. So Snape and his father were still doing business then. He nodded for the Professor to continue, and Snape’s gaze wandered, keeping constant watch.
“Obviously, you did not succeed, but I suppose keeping your enemies closer and all that…” Snape's stare snapped back to Draco. “You are to report any unusual behavior from both Potter and Professor Quirrell directly to me, is that understood?”
“Yes, Professor.” Draco smirked as Snape turned on his heel with a slight limp and disappeared down the nearest staircase, disappearing behind his flowing black cloak.
Draco practically sprinted to the library, nearly tripping over his own feet.