𝐉𝐈𝐆𝐒𝐀𝐖

Chapter 10

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Chapter Ten:

The Trouble with Draco

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Harry woke up the next morning to Godric nuzzling his ear. The snake had apparently returned. Harry told him all about what had happened. Godric was completely unsympathetic and only seemed disappointed Lupin hadn't eaten Draco.

Harry shook his head and listened to the delightful sounds of Hermione and Ron bickering as they came up the stairs. Now, that was more like it.

There was a knock on his door. "Harry! Harry, wake up! Breakfast is almost ready!" Hermione called loudly.

Harry let her knock and call him again before opening the door. He was frowning. "What?" he asked shortly.

"Breakfast, Harry. Aren't you hungry?" Hermione asked.

Harry shrugged. "I'll be down in a few," he said, shutting the door on her.

He managed to calm himself down when he put his hands on the book that had the Clone Concoction in it. He walked downstairs and into the basement kitchen. Snape was sitting there to Harry's surprise, looking as sour as ever. He didn't look up when Harry entered the room. Contessa was standing over the stove, finishing up a pile of French toast. She also had made fat sausages and coffee, which was very jarring to Harry. He wasn't used to people making coffee instead of tea. Lupin was sitting at the opposite end of the table from Snape, looking a little unhappy.

Draco sat by Snape, drawing something on a piece of parchment, snickering. Snape's mouth twitched a bit in cruel amusement. Harry had a feeling it had something to do with him and his face burned. Hermione and Ron sat together near Lupin, bickering about something. As usual, Hermione was winning.

"Why are you here again?" Harry found himself asking Snape. His tone was not friendly.

Snape looked up, his eyebrow twitching up. "I can come and go as I please, Potter," he said dangerously.

"Professor Snape is here because Dumbledore asked him, Harry," Lupin said neutrally. "He's here to help you with some sort of potion."

Harry froze. Snape? Help him bring back Sirius? "No thanks," he said, "Ron and Hermione will do just fine."

"Well, Harry, we'll be happy to help you out until late afternoon," Hermione said, sounding like she was carefully choosing her words. "But then we have to get ready to go somewhere. If this is the potion I think it is, then Professor Snape should be able to help you out a lot. And Draco and Contessa, of course."

"Where are you going?" Harry asked, already having a sinking feeling that he would not be wanted on their outing.

"Er, well, we're going out," Hermione said. Ron was blushing. Draco looked disgusted.

"Out? As in a date?" Harry asked coolly.

Hermione nodded, looking almost apologetic. Ron was fidgeting with his plate.

"I see," Harry said stiffly, sitting down beside Lupin.

"Well, breakfast is done," Contessa said, piling everyone's plates full of food. "What is this potion that's so important?"

Harry sighed and put the book on the table, opening it to the page that had the Clone Concoction. "It's for Sirius. It's for making him a body, to help bring him back," he explained.

Snape snatched the book up, scanning the page with a look of disgust. "Dumbledore wants me to help bring back Black?" he asked, apparently as astounded by this as Harry.