A Twisted Web We Weave

CHAPTER 11

“You’re spending an awful lot of time with Malfoy at the moment Harry.” Harry glanced nonchalantly across at his best friend who was just pulling on his lead lined gloves so that they could begin feeding their care of magical creatures project.

“You spend an awful lot of time in the bathroom after watching Ravenclaw Quidditch games but I don’t pester you about it.” Harry muttered back as he grabbed one of the live static eels from the bucket beside him and handed it to Ron, who cautiously fed it to the deceptively cuddly looking ‘Sneezle’ in its pen.

“How can you even compare wanking to Malfoy?...” Ron paused briefly before continuing. “No wait, that analogy is perfect.” Harry glared at Ron but said nothing. All week he’d heard nothing but Ron complaining about how Harry was spending all his free time with Draco. Harry had make excuses of them working on their pairs potion work, but that excuse had worn thin very quickly. Harry didn’t know why he had to defend himself in spending time with Draco and he was slowly beginning to loose patients with Ron who just wouldn’t back off.

“I wish you’d stop giving him shit Ron, he hasn’t once this year had a go at you without you having provoked him first. Why can’t you just accept that he and I are friends?” Harry couldn’t believe that he’d said just what he had and sat stunned for a moment, an eel slithering about in his grip.

“Friends!” Ron snatched the eel out of Harry’s grip and threw it into the pen at the Sneezle. “Either this is a really stupid plan to get yourself killed quicker or you’ve got a really short memory Harry. Draco is a Malfoy! A member of a family who’s last name might as well be Dark Lord for what it’s worth. The same family that is working with you-know-who to get you killed! His fathers is a death eater and he might as well be one too!” Ron stood up throwing his gloves to the ground in a huff. Harry knew he’d over stepped the line when he’d mentioned ‘friend’ and ‘Malfoy’ in the same sentence but in truth that was what they were. Harry remained silent as he watched his friend storm away obviously letting out his anger, which had been slowly bubbling below the surface all week. Harry knew he’d neglected his other friends but it was important he find out what ‘Julius’ was up to and only Draco could help him with that.

“Weasel got a pole up his arse or something?” Harry couldn’t help but chuckle as he heard a familiar voice from behind him. Draco smiled down at Harry as Harry threw what remained of the eels into the pen with the Sneezle before standing up and wiping his hands down the front of his trousers. “Come on or we’ll be late to potions.” Harry put the gloves and the empty bucket back into the cage beside Hagrid’s hut before following Draco back up the gravel path to the castle.

Snape was his usual nasty self when the pair finally settled in class. For the past few weeks Harry and Draco had been making sure to check, check and double check their potions and their ingredients before starting anything. Although not directly, Harry noticed that Snape too was keeping an abnormally close watch on the front bench, hovering purposefully at crucial moments in a potions stage. It seemed the near fatal accident in his potions classroom last time had made him far more cautious. Harry’s diary had become like his third hand, with everything he did in potions written into it in detail. Harry had never been one for homework, and although he did still slack off his diary was one thing he never neglected. If someone or something had changed the potions ingredients that day, then at least if the worst happened again he’d have written proof it wasn’t his fault.

Today it seemed was no different Harry went about his intensive detailing of the potion while Draco continued to stir. Snape was sitting stiffly at his desk, carding through what looked to be last week’s revision test.

“Do you think you passed?” Draco whispered as Snape got up and began handing out the tests. Harry rolled his eyes and shrugged. Knowing Snape he’d probably have failed miserably. This would be the first set of results he’d be getting this year in potions, apart from the weekly potion brewing reviews they got. Snape came to a stop in front of Harry and Draco’s bench, arching his eyebrow a little as he glanced at their cauldron before nodding in silence.

“Congratulations Mr. Potter, I do believe even I was impressed with this mark. It gives me hope that perhaps not everything I taught you in the past six years has gone to waste.” Harry was stunned as Snape dropped the test in front of him. In Snape’s meticulous scrawl a large red inked B+ shone out and Harry smiled widely. Never, had Harry ever received anything better than a C+ from Snape on any of his tests or exams, and he and Ron had joked that the professor was incapable of writing any of the letters before a C. Yet here in front of him was the proof that Snape was quite capable of writing B, and A.

“Draco, outstanding as usual but be careful when distinguishing between the two ‘nightshade’ families when outlining ingredients.” Snape handed Draco his paper, the blonde’s A, overshadowing Harry’s B+ but was certainly not as unexpected. “I believe I should have put the two of you together as lab partners before now if this is the result.” With another cursory glance at the bubbling cauldron Snape retreated to his desk to continue marking other papers, leaving Harry and Draco smiling at one another in amusement.

As class finished Draco and Harry stepped out into the busy halls heading towards the great hall for dinner.

“So you’re really telling me that that’s the first ‘B’ he’s ever given you?” Draco asked incredulously completely shocked by Harry’s admission about his mark. Draco had always known Harry wasn’t Snape’s best student but to the extent to which his friend had never received better than a C+ was ridiculous. “God, you must had been incompetent, or Snape’s going soft in his old age.” Draco laughed cheekily as Harry punched him on the arm.

“Shut up ‘A’ boy, I don’t dare think of what I’d have to do to get an ‘A’, probably chop off my cock and offer myself as a virgin sacrifice.” Harry laughed out loud with Draco who mimicked him amused by Harry’s opinion of their potions master. Admittedly that opinion had changed quite considerably over the years, especially in the last month but it still wasn’t the best opinion.

“Nah, Snivelrus doesn’t like his sacrifices innocent…” Draco must have realized what he was saying and instantly shut his mouth before finishing his sentence. Harry stared at Draco in confusion before following the boy’s gaze across the filled dining hall to where the Slytherin table was. At first Harry didn’t think anything was wrong but as his gaze swept the table it came to Harry’s attention that there was conveniently no space for Draco to sit down. “And so the tide turns again.” Draco muttered with a sigh. It had happened so slowly over the past month, Harry had hardly noticed but now it seemed the tension between Draco and his housemates had finally come to a head the message very clear. Draco went to approach his table but the glares he received made even Harry shiver. Draco rounded the table twice, unsuccessful in finding a seat, before coming back over to where Harry was still standing at the entrance into the hall. Most of the students and teachers were now sat down ready for dinner to begin, while Harry and Draco remained standing. “Look I think I’ll just skip dinner.” Draco sighed and turned around to leave, the whispering and the glances already having begun. Harry was having none of it though and grabbed Draco’s arm pulling the blonde towards the Gryfindor table. “Potter, No.” Draco tried to struggle but Harry ignored it and with a forceful hand pushed Draco down into his seat beside Hermione, before pushing Ron along so he had a seat as well. Draco looked petrified suddenly surrounded by glaring Gryfindor’s, and the blonde hung his head against his chest so that the blonde bangs covered his face like a curtain.

“Harry what…” Ron went to make his protests known but almost immediately Harry cut him off.

“Say one word Ronald Weasley and I’ll shut your mouth permanently and that goes for anyone else who can’t hold their tongues.” Harry made his statement loud enough for everyone to hear and was spared further conversation as the headmaster stood up to begin the meal.

Through the entire meal Draco was silent merely nodding quietly when Harry asked him something. For the most part the Gryfindor’s ignored him even Ron managing to hold a conversation with Harry and Seamus about Quidditch without insulting or referring to Draco. Hermione tried to draw Draco into conversation about classes but the blonde merely smiled weakly at her and turned back to his meal, which he’d hardly touched. Harry was just draining what remained of his pumpkin juice at the end of the meal when he felt a presence behind him and glanced up. Snape towered above him and the boy smiled sympathetically across at Draco as the potions professor placed a firm hand on his shoulder, drawing him up from his seat.

“I wish to speak with you Mr. Malfoy, come along.” Obediently Draco did as he was told and Harry watched as the professor guided the blonde from the hall, leaving more whispering in their wake. With a sigh Harry turned back to his own table and smiled at Hermione in thanks.

“I’m going to go upstairs.” Grabbing two cheese scones in a napkin for a snack later on Harry grabbed his bag and headed back towards the Gryfindor tower, deciding to take the west staircase. With most of the students still downstairs in the great hall the halls were relatively quiet and Harry took some time to himself.

It was as he was passing through a corridor on the fourth floor of the west wing that he heard a very familiar voice, and one not so familiar one. Almost instantly Harry stopped and pressed himself flat against the wall as he listened intently to the conversation filtering down the hall to him. To busy with Draco, Harry hadn’t even noticed Professor Julius Snape’s absence from the head table at dinner but now as he thought about it Snape’s brother had been curiously absent. Normally the professor would be irritatingly present at every meal, Harry often having felt the emerald gaze staring at him and making him uncomfortable, yet tonight it had been strangely absent.

“…these things take time sir as I’m sure you are aware.” Julius sounded different, hoarser than usual and Harry was sure he could smell cigarette smoke.

“You said a month.” The voice that replied was punctuated by a sickly coughing fit, and was deeper, like a growl. Harry edged cautiously forward towards the open doorway on the right, really wanting to know whom Julius was talking to. Surely Albus didn’t know about a visitor in the school.

“I’ve had to rearrange my schedule things are proving more difficult than I imagined.” Harry paused and frowned just a step back from the doorway. There was a dim light pouring out through the partially open door and Harry swallowed nervously as he dared glance through the crack. Harry hardly ever used the west wing staircase, as it was a longer route to the Gryfindor tower and if he hadn’t happened across this room he’d have never known where the professors private rooms were. The professor was practically unrecognizable beneath the large hooded black cloak, and if it hadn’t been for the gold buckled boots Harry might have mistaken the figure inside the room as a death eater. Julius was talking to a glowing orb that hovered in front of him, an inch or two above his outstretched palm. Harry was sure there was a face in the orb, but the light was too strong and he couldn’t make out anything but a shimmer of movement. “As a result my fee has doubled.” There was a coughing explosion followed by a growl of anger from the glowing ball at Julius comment.

“Doubled, that was not the agreement!”

“No, but then you neglected to tell me he was so well protected either, the fee is double or this agreement is over.” Julius snapped irritably at the glowing ball and Harry watched as the fist by the man’s side tightened slightly.

“Very well but do not fail me, his death is the cornerstone of a far larger castle.” Just at that moment an alarm sounded throughout the entire castle, a large wailing so piercing that Harry had to clamp his hands over his ears. Harry continued to watch through the crack in the doorway as Julius snapped his head up, a smile so wicked it practically made Harry’s skin crawl just visible from beneath the hood of the cloak pulled low over Julius head.

“Ah, I believe my package has arrived, I will contact you again when the deed is done and I have the captive.” Harry watched as the professor closed his hand, the glowing orb spinning in his hand-closed hand until it was gone. Harry was stunned as he watched the professor fling off his cloak revealing instantly a recognizable but faded mark on the inside of the professor arm. The professor was just wearing a white singlet and his black dress trousers and the mark, which was usually hidden by the rolled sleeves of his shirt, was now clearly visible. Harry watched as Julius grabbed for his shirt and his wand resting on a table in the center of the room and the boy new he was in trouble. The corridor was deserted but there seemed to be no doors to duck through to hide in. Looking left, and looking right Harry quickly followed his instincts and chose left, running at full speed all the while looking for a door. The first door Harry came across appeared to be locked shut but with a hastily whispered unlocking charm Harry ducked inside just as he saw the professor exiting his room. With a sigh Harry continued to listen to the wailing siren from the darkness of what Harry assumed was a supply cupboard. The cupboard appeared not to have been used in years and was full of dust and cobwebs. Harry waiting a further five minutes to make sure the professor had left but as the boy reached for the door handle to let himself out of the cupboard he felt the floor beneath his feet give way and he was falling endlessly down a dark, dusty tube.

If he could have, he would have screamed especially when he landed with a yelp on his wrist, the sickening snap a sure indicator even in the dark of what he’d just done. The pain was instant and Harry rolled over onto his side clutching his hand, happy his slide into terror had ended but wishing it hadn’t ended so hard.

“Mr. Potter Sir!” Harry knew that voice and in an instant he rolled over again, to stare into the doe eyes of Dobby the house elf. Dobby’s eyes were brimming with disbelief and Harry sighed in relief that the tube hadn’t appeared to take him anywhere sinister. “What is master Potter doing in the old laundry chute sir?” Harry glanced back over his shoulder and up into the black abyss of the laundry chute he’d just dropped out of, before turning back to look at Dobby.

“I was hiding Dobby.” Dobby nodded his floppy ears flapping about his head as he reached to help Harry sit up. Harry glanced around and smiled as he saw several large laundry tubs, along with hundreds of bags of unwashed laundry sitting around the room. There really was no guessing where he’d landed.

“Dobby is hiding too sir, alarm is a bad sign sir, you is best to be staying down here till it stops.” Harry winced as he tucked his wrist against his chest, not really willing to look at it, knowing that he’d probably broken it straight through. Slowly Harry stood up uncaring of the cobwebs, dust and general grime now smeared all over him after the fall.

“No Dobby I have to go find the headmaster, I think Professor Snape is up to something.” Harry pleaded with Dobby as he went towards a door he assumed led back into the main castle. Dobby held him back though shaking his oversized head to the point at which Harry thought it might fall off.

“No, sirs. Snape is not doing bad things, he is spy for headmaster sir.” Harry rolled his eyes and pulled his hand free from Dobby’s grasp.

“Not that Snape, Dobby. Julius Snape…” Harry didn’t finish as Dobby’s eyes practically widened further in understanding.

“Oh the Bounty Hunter sir, Dobby is staying away from him sirs, dobby is not wanting to loose his head sir.” Harry spun around like lightening and stared at his house elf friend.

“What did you just say?” Harry inquired sharply stunned and hardly believing what he’d heard.

“Bounty Hunter sir. Julius Snape is hunter sir.” Harry didn’t have time to question Dobby further as large, alarming bang shook the castle. Dobby had jumped unceremoniously into the nearest pile of dirty laundry, only the tips of his floppy ears visible beneath the shaking pile of clothes. With a sigh Harry turned and ran out of the doorway heading towards what he hoped was the source of the disturbing sound. What ever was happening in the castle at that very moment was obviously more important that talking about Julius Snape.

TBC>>>>>>>>>>>>>>