With A Dragon's Heart

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR: The Confrontation

(now Beta’d)

Harry sat nervously on the bed, shifting his body to get more comfortable. He stared at his hands in his lap before taking a deep breath.

“You wanted to speak with me, Professor?”

The older wizard smiled warmly at him. “Yes, Harry. I do indeed.” He paused for a moment to watch the boy’s troubled expression, before sitting down next to him. “Don’t worry, Harry my boy. Neither you or Mr. Malfoy are in any kind of trouble.”

Harry sighed with relief then nodded once at his Headmaster for him to continue.

“Harry, on the way down here, I ran into Mr. Weasley. Literally,” he softly laughed, remembering.

The young wizard gasped and his eyes opened wide.

“Relax, Harry. Even though your friend was most agitated, he did express his concern for you.”

“I’ll bet,” Harry said bitterly.

Professor Dumbledore furrowed his brows. “I don’t believe you quite understand, Harry.”

“Oh but I do, Professor.”

“Harry. Allow me to finish,” he said firmly.

Harry suddenly realised who he was talking to. “Sorry, sir.”

Albus put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “It’s all right. But please wait until I finish before making any more such comments.”

“Yes, sir,” he said sheepishly.

The Professor barely nodded and smiled again. “As I was saying, Mr. Weasley is very concerned. He knows Mr. Malfoy has helped you a great deal and regrets his rash behaviour towards him and yourself.”

Harry’s eyes flickered and his mouth parted in shock.

“Yes, Harry. He was most aggrieved. He knows he cannot take back what he had said, but he does wish that he could.”

The young wizard’s face was still frozen and he remained silent as the Headmaster continued.

“I must confess that I too am troubled.”

Harry was about to comment, but Albus silenced him with a wave of his hand.

“I was very reluctant at first for this type of ‘counseling’. It took a lot of convincing from Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger and Professor Snape. He, of course, was a little... how should I say…unconvinced. But, as it was very clear that you were having a hard time dealing with this on your own, coupled with the fact they did not want to see you expelled, I agreed on the condition that Professor Snape used a calming potion.”

“Hermione?” Harry choked.

“Yes, Harry. Hermione.”

“She…? She…?” Harry couldn’t finish.

“Does that bother you that she was involved?”

“N-no,” he stuttered. “It’s just a … well, a surprise, that’s all.”

The older wizard nodded. “I’m sure it is. But as you are full aware, Miss Granger has an uncanny sense for such things.”

Harry smiled and softly chuckled. “Yes she does,” he mused.

Albus returned the smile but it faded quickly as he peered over his moon shaped glasses.

“Harry,” he paused briefly. “I do feel that things need to be advanced now.”

The raven-hair boy lifted both brows. “Sir?”

The Headmaster sighed deeply. “I want you to seek help outside of Hogwarts.”

Harry opened and closed his mouth several times before stopping long enough to nod.

“Good boy. You will not leave for a while however. It will be done in utmost secrecy and it must be planned accordingly.”

“All right, sir.”

Albus patted Harry’s leg then stood up. “Stay here for awhile then go get some rest,” he said benignly.

“Thank you, Professor.”

The Headmaster nodded slowly as he smiled then in an instant, he was out the door.

“Sir?” Harry cried out loudly, hoping Dumbledore would hear him.

The grey-haired man peeked around the door frame.

“Did you know about the side effects from the calming potion, sir?”

Albus gave him a half-smile. “Yes, Harry. I did.” His smile turned into a full grin. “It worked did it not?” he winked.

The young man could only gawk at him.

“You were in no immediate danger, Harry. It only felt like it.”

And with that he was gone, leaving behind a very stunned student.


~*~*~*~*~


“What you doing here, Malfoy?” Ron hissed. “I came out here to be alone.”

Draco narrowed his eyes. “Like I planned this, Weasley,” the blond spat. “I’d rather be alone with a troll then be within 100 yards of you.”

“Then leave,” the redhead barked.

Draco snorted and turned to leave, but not before smirking.

He stormed away from Ron until the Gryffindor yelled out after him.

“Malfoy! Wait!”

Draco stopped in his tracks and slowly looked over his shoulder. “What is it now, Weasel?”

Ron sprinted over to the blond and halted a few feet in front of the other boy. He looked down for a second and then took a deep breath.

“I didn’t mean to yell at Harry,” he whispered, still not able to meet the steel eyes that were boring into him.

Draco crossed his arms over his chest. “You should be telling him that, not me,” he said bitterly.

Ron glanced up at him then back down. “I wanted to say that I shouldn’t have… you know.”

The blond arched his brow. “Are you apologising to me, Weasley? Hmm. Will wonders never cease.”

“I’m not apologising!” Ron snapped, glaring at him.

Draco sighed tiredly. “Then what do you want?”

“Just to say…” he said angrily. “To say…”

“Well come on then. Out with it. It isn’t as if I want to be near you any longer than need be,” he smirked.

“Fine! You’re not worth it anyway!”

“You know, Weasley, one of these days someone is going to put you in your place,” Malfoy sneered.

Ron clenched his fists at his side. “And I suppose that someone will be you?” he snarled.

“Maybe. You never know.”

The Gryffindors face matched the colour of his hair. He narrowed his eyes and tried desperately not to punch the snotty boy on the nose. He glanced over Draco\'s shoulder then scoffed.

“Figures you’d have someone come and save your arse.”

The young wizard clenched his jaw and his nostrils flared. “What are you talking about, Weas--?”

“Draco.” A low voice interrupted him.

The blond’s body tensed and his terrified look pierced right through Ron, before regaining his composure.

“Yes father,” he answered, in the same way he had said for years.


~*~*~*~*~


Harry had just walked out of the bathroom when he heard a familiar voice yelling in the distance. He crossed the room and entered the hall, following the sound of the tirade.

“NO! I forbid it! How could you do this to him? He’s safe here! You know that!”

“Safe? Safe from what, Severus? If you know something I do not, now is the time to tell me,” Albus said calmly.

“You know what and you know who!”

“Severus, calm down.”

“I will not calm down! I refuse to believe that he agreed to this!”

The Headmaster sighed. “It isn’t as if he has a choice in the matter.”

Harry gasped softly. “Why isn’t it safe for me to leave Hogwarts? Who’s out there and why does Professor Snape even care?” he wondered.

“Then I will make it for him!”

“Severus,” Albus said softly. “You know you have no rights.”

“But he’s in danger!”

“Tell me what it is and I’ll reconsider.”

The Potions Master began to pace back and forth, clutching the sides of his robes.

“Severus?”

Professor Snape stopped abruptly, facing away from Dumbledore. “You know I can’t, Albus,” he whispered. “Only he can.”

The older wizard took in a deep breath. “Then there’s nothing I can do.”

Harry suddenly realised it wasn’t him they were referring to. It was Draco. “No!” he screamed in his head.

“I’m sorry, Severus.”

Snape spun around. “Tell that to him,” he hissed.

Albus left quietly and the dark-haired man began to pace again, mumbling under his breath. Severus didn’t know someone was listening. In fact, he didn’t know that two people were listening.


~*~*~*~*~


“You will go to Headmaster\'s office in ten minutes, understand?”

“Yes father.”

“That will leave you enough time to finish up with this… boy.”

“Yes father.”

Ron’s eyes widened then glared at the older Malfoy who in return gave him the Malfoy’s famous smirk. Ron watched him stride away and then turned his attention back to Draco. He eyed him carefully and then crossed his arms.

“What’s the matter, Malfoy? Mad because daddy rescued you?”

Draco pursed his lips tightly and glared hatefully at the smug redhead.

“Shut up! You know nothing!” he spat before spinning around in the opposite direction of his father.

Ron stood there silently; unaware of what just took place.


~*~*~*~*~*~


“Professor, no! You can’t let him leave!” Harry screamed as he burst in the classroom.

“And what do you suggest, Potter?” Severus spat, surprised by his intrusion.

“I don’t know, but we just can’t let him leave with him!”

“I’m sure you heard through your inappropriate eavesdropping, that we have no choice,” he replied coldly.

Harry began shaking from rage. “So you will just sit back and do nothing?” he accused. “Well, I wont!”

“Potter!” Severus called out to the furious boy marching off, but Harry wouldn’t stop. “Don’t be a fool!”

The angry boy spun around in the doorway. “Better a fool than a coward,” he spat back.

The Potion Master gritted his teeth and started cursing to no one. He stormed over to his cabinet full of his precious potions and hurled them against anything and everything, screaming the whole time. After the last phial was thrown, he braced himself on the edge of his desk and panted hard as sweat dripped onto the parchments that lay there silently.

“Damn that boy.”

Severus didn’t hear the soft sound of the gentle footsteps, but he flinched violently when a kind hand touched his arm. Hermione gasped and took a few steps back.

“Miss Granger,” he acknowledged. “That was not wise.”

“I’m sorry Professor,” she said quietly.

Severus quickly stood upright to straighten his clothes and acted as though nothing unusual had happened.

He arched an eyebrow at her then said sharply, “Is it customary for Gryffindors to stick their nose into other people’s business?”

Severus pulled out his wand instantly and waved it around to clear the shattered glass from the room.

“Professor?” Hermione asked timidly.

“What is it, Miss Granger?” he said not looking at her.

“If you wont help him, who will?”

The Potion Master froze in mid-motion then lowered his arm and hung his head.

“Damn you, girl.”


~*~*~*~*~*~

TBC