𝘍𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘪𝘹𝘵𝘩 𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘳

3. Following Malfoy

"Stop sulking and come and join us, Severus!" hiccupped Slughorn happily. "I was just talking about Harry's exceptional potion-making! Some credit must go to you, of course, you taught him for five years!" 

Trapped, with Slughorn's arm around his shoulders, Snape looked down his hooked nose at Harry, his black eyes narrowed.

"Funny, I never had the impression that I managed to teach Potter anything at all." 

"Well, then, it's natural ability!" shouted Slughorn. "You should have seen what he gave me, first lesson, Draught of Living Death —never had a student produce finer on a first attempt, I don't think even you, Severus —" 

"Really?" said Snape quietly, his eyes still boring into Harry, who felt a certain disquiet. The last thing he wanted was for Snape to start investigating the source of his newfound brilliance at Potions. 

"Remind me what other subjects you're taking, Harry?" asked Slughorn.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology . . ." 

"All the subjects required, in short, for an Auror," said Snape, with the faintest sneer. 

"Yeah, well, that's what I'd like to do," said Harry defiantly.

"And a great one you'll make too!" boomed Slughorn.

The conversation was interrupted with Draco Malfoy being dragged by the ear toward them by Argus Filch. 

"Professor Slughorn," wheezed Filch, his jowls aquiver and the maniacal light of mischief-detection in his bulging eyes, "I discovered this boy lurking in an upstairs corridor. He claims to have been invited to your party and to have been delayed in setting out. Did you issue him with an invitation?"

Malfoy pulled himself free of Filch's grip, looking furious. 

"All right, I wasn't invited!" he said angrily. "I was trying to gatecrash, happy?" 

"No, I'm not!" said Filch, a statement at complete odds with the glee on his face. "You're in trouble, you are! Didn't the headmaster say that nighttime prowling's out, unless you've got permission, didn't he, eh?" 

"That's all right, Argus, that's all right," said Slughorn, waving a hand. "It's Christmas, and it's not a crime to want to come to a party. Just this once, we'll forget any punishment; you may stay, Draco."  

Filch's expression of outraged disappointment was perfectly predictable; but why, Harry wondered, watching him, did Malfoy look almost equally unhappy? And why was Snape looking at Malfoy as though both angry and . . . was it possible? . . . a little afraid?

But almost before Harry had registered what he had seen, Filch had turned and shuffled away, muttering under his breath; Malfoy had composed his face into a smile and was thanking Slughorn for his generosity, and Snape's face was smoothly inscrutable again. 

"It's nothing, nothing," said Slughorn, waving away Malfoy's thanks. "I did know your grandfather, after all. . . ." 

"He always spoke very highly of you, sir," said Malfoy quickly. "Said you were the best potion-maker he'd ever known. . . ." 

Harry stared at Malfoy. It was not the sucking-up that intrigued him; he had watched Malfoy do that to Snape for a long time. It was the fact that Malfoy did, after all, look a little ill. This was the first time he had seen Malfoy close up for ages; he now saw that Malfoy had dark shadows under his eyes and a distinctly grayish tinge to his skin. 

"I'd like a word with you, Draco," said Snape suddenly.

"Oh, now, Severus," said Slughorn, hiccupping again, "it's Christmas, don't be too hard—" 

"I'm his Head of House, and I shall decide how hard, or otherwise, to be," said Snape curtly. "Follow me, Draco." 

They left, Snape leading the way, Malfoy looking resentful. Harry stood there for a moment, irresolute, then said, "I'll be back in a bit, Tonks— er — bathroom."

"No Harry," she spoke quietly" I am an Auror. I know what you are trying to do—spy on Malfoy. Please, don't do it alone, let me go with you."

It was a matter of trust.

"Alright then." He finally said.

Once out of the party, to pull his Invisibility cloak out of his pocket and throw it over them, luckily the cloak in big enough to cover both Harry and Tonks. In Harry's opinion, it was slightly awkward to be that close with a women. 

For the corridor was quite deserted. What was difficult was finding Snape and Malfoy. Harry and Tonks ran down the corridor, the noise of his feet masked by the music and loud talk still issuing from Slughorn's office behind him. Perhaps Snape had taken Malfoy to his office in the dungeons . . . or perhaps he was escorting him back to the Slytherin common room. . . . Harry pressed his ear against door after door as he dashed down the corridor until, with a great jolt of excitement, he crouched down to the keyhole of the last classroom in the corridor and heard voices. of the last classroom in the corridor and heard voices. 

"Found them. You are his cousin. You should listen." whispered Harry while standing back.

She moved forward and crouched down to the keyhole. 

She listened for a long time, her expression changing.

After Snape and Malfoy left, Harry asked" What did they say?"

" Snape thinks that Malfoy is doing something and wants to assist him but Malfoy refused by saying he already got all the assistance he needs. Snape then told him he made an Unbreakable Vow with his mother to protect him."

"What's an Unbreakable Vow?"

"The Unbreakable Vow is a spell where a witch or wizard makes an oath to another. If the terms of the oath are broken, the person who breaks it will die."

"Wow! You sounds like Hermione!"

Tonks laughed gently.

"Is there anything you can do about it?"

"Not much, we have no evidence. If you caught him doing something wrong, send me a Patronus."

"Got it."

They stood there in silence before Tonks said "It's getting late, see you at Christmas." she hugged him, and left.

The hug left Harry open mouthed.

Back in the common room, he told Ron and Hermione everything, they looked sort of convinced.

"We believe you." they finally said.

Ginny passed by, she had heard the last part." So you took Tonks to the party? You are trusting her more than you should. That—"

"YOU SHUT UP THIS INSTANCE! WHAT DID I SAY THIS MORNING? DON'T TALK TO HARRY OR TONKS LIKE THAT!" Ron bellowed.

"LIKE YOU KNOW ANYTHING! WHO KNOWS WHAT SHE'S HIDING BEHIND HER PRETTY FACE! AND—"

" Enough." Harry snapped, "Time for bed."

He and Ron went to the boy's dormitory while Hermione and Ginny went to the girl's.

"Why couldn't Ginny just stop?" Ron complained.

Harry laid awake in his bed. What if Ginny was right? What if he did put his trust in the wrong person?

A/N: Recommendation of the day: Narcissa Tonks: Hufflepuff fanfic written by BiancaEvans2  .