Unmitigated - HP Fanfiction

Chapter Twenty-Nine - Exhortation

  "Muggle magic tricks?" I ask the twins.

"It's not real." Says George.

"Yeah, it's an illusion." Fred informs.

"Then what's the point?" Ron asks.

"There isn't one." George laughs

"For freaks like Dad." Fred finishes.

I look at them with a scolding look, and they look at each other shrugging. Then they look back at us. "Seven gallons."

"Yeah right!" I tell them. Putting back the box of "Magic" tricks.

I looked around Fred and George's joke shop and smiled and all the excited kids and teenagers. We need this kind of happiness after everything. I saw Hermione and Ginny across the shop, so I left Ron and walked up to them. "What's all this?" Looking down at the pink potions they were looking at.

Ginny shrugs. So Hermione answers. "Love potions."

I smile looking at Ron. "And uh, who do you plan on using it on?" I give her a look to tell her I know about her dirty little secret.

"No one." She puts down the potion she was holding and awkwardly walks away. Ginny and I look at each other and giggle.

I walked around the shop until I was tapped on the shoulder from behind. I turn around and see Lavender Brown with a smile on her face. "Hello." She says perkily.

"Hi?" Unsure of why she is talking to me all of the sudden.

"You know your brother Ron?" She asks.

I raise my eyebrows. "No, who?" I say sarcastically. She doesn't look amused so I continue. "Yeah, did he do something?"

She laughs loudly. "Ha! Why no. I just wanted to know if he had a girlfriend."

This time it was my turn to laugh. "Ron? Have a girlfriend?" I continue laughing and walk off. Wiping tears from my eyes.

My laughter dies down as I walk back over to Ron while he argues with the twins... For the third time today. "How much for this?"

"Five gallons."

"How much for me?"

"Five gallons."

"But I'm your brother."

"Ten gallons."

I shake my head and roll my eyes. "Let's just go." I tell him.

When we walk out, we talk about how Fred and George have been so successful considering half the alley closed down. "Oh no." Hermione stopped us. "Everyone got their wand from Ollivanders."

I looked up at the old destroyed building. We all walked in and looked around the shop. I picked up a wand box and opened it, finding a broken wand inside. "That's so depressing." I say to myself.

"Ella." I hear Ron call. When reach him he points out the window. "Is it me? Or do Draco and mummy look like two people who don' want to be followed." I look through the window and see Draco and Narcissa Malfoy. Draco had grown more. He was taller and his hair was back to being tame, as it was back in first and second year. Except this time, it made him look really attractive. Damn it. I really gotta stop doing that. They looked around suspiciously before disappearing through the alleyway.

I grabbed Ron's arm. "Come on." And pulled him out of the shop. Harry and Hermione on our heels.

We followed them quietly keeping our distance until they stopped out the front of Borgin and Burke's. When Narcissa walked in, we stayed hidden around the corner with our head peaking out. Draco stopped and looked around to check if anyone was following. When he faced our direction, we pulled our heads back and kept quiet.
We waited to see if he saw us, when he hadn't showed up around the corner I peaked my head back around the corner. I saw Draco back to facing the shop and walk in.

"It's clear." I told the others.

We ended up on the roof next to the second story of Borgin and Burke's window watching many death eaters and ex Slytherins make walk into the shop. I watched through the window as Draco strolled around the shop. Is he just.... Browsing? Are we following him for no reason?
Then he stopped infront of a cabinet. He look interested in the cabinet and placed his hand on it. Curious, I tried to move closer. But I was stopped shot when Harry pulled back because Fenrir goddamn Greyback showed up right next to the window. Will someone PLEASE tell me why his hairy ass isn't sitting in Azkaban? We all ducked and kept hidden. When we decided it was safe we looked up again, to find that the shutter had been closed.

"Well that was pointless." I sighed and jumped down off the roof. The rest of the group following.

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On the train I sat with the trio in a small compartment heading to Hogwarts. While Harry annoyingly kept talking about how suspicious Draco was being.

"What was Draco doing with that weird looking cabinet?" I rolled my eyes. "And who were all those people?"

"Harry stop." I warned. But he ignored me.

"Don't you see? It was a ceremony. An initiation." I gave him a look. You know, one that sort of gave the 'Are you mentally ill?' message.

"Stop it Harry." Thank you Hermione. "I know where you're going with this."

"It's happened. He's one of them." Harry argued.

"One of what?" Ron asked, clueless.

"Harry is under the impression Draco Malfoy is now a death eater." I told him.

Ron raised his eyebrows. "You're barking. What would 'You-know-who' want with a sod like Malfoy?"

"Watch it." I warned.

"Well what was he doing in Borgin and Burke's? Browsing for furniture?"

"He could have." I defended.

"Ella, his father is a death eater. It only makes sense."

"You're mad! Why would he risk something so insane when his father was just put into Azkaban?"

"Evil is in his blood-" I cut him off.

"Enough! Will you just quit? He isn't one of them Harry! Why are you so caught up with finding out if a teenager is a death eater when your godfather is missing because a real Death eater kidnapped him?"

I stood up and Ron immediately grabbed my hand. "El-"

"I'm going to find Daphne." And I walked out of the compartment.

I walked toward the big Slytherin compartment and flung open the door in anger. Daphne noticed this straight away and ran toward.

"Okay first off, Hello sunshine!" She hugged me. "And second, what is up your butt?"

"Nothing it's not important." I reassure her. Calming down a little.

"Alright well changing the subject. Draco's acting weird and it's bugging me. Can you check what's wrong?" She asked.

Just the mention of Draco makes angry. What is wrong with Harry? I nod. "Sure."

I spot a head of white hair and walk towards his table and sit down next to Pansy and across from Blaise. By the way, I don't know what's up with our friendship, but at the moment it's like a high school muggle relationship. On and off. At the moment, I think it's on.

As soon as I sit down, they all look up. Not one of them looks happy. "Whelp, I'm starting to reconsider sitting down right now." I notify.

Blaise laughs and Pansy rolls her eyes and smiles. So I relax a little. I look up at Draco and see he's still looking down and frowning.

"Hey." He looks up at me. "Are you okay?" I ask.

"Fine, just not feeling Hogwarts this year."

"You don't feel like Hogwarts any year. Besides, it can't be that bad." I reassure.

"Oh yeah?" He challenges. "How?"

"Well.... I'm here for one." I knock his elbow with mine and wiggle my eyebrows. "That's a pretty good benefit." He doesn't laugh or smile, but he smirks.

Process.

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By the time the train stops, I'm proud to say I at least got a small chuckle out of him. Blaise, Pansy and I stand up and are about to walk out when we realise Draco isn't following. We turn around and spot him still sitting where we left him.

He looks up at us. "You guys go ahead. I'll catch up." Pansy and Blaise turn around and continue walking but I stay, still looking at Draco.

He nods and motions for me to move forward. "I'm fine. Just go. I'll catch up, promise." He smiles in reassurance. I slowly turn around and walked off of the train.

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I sat down in the great hall next to Blaise with my on. We patiently waited for Dumbledore to begin his yearly start of year speech. Draco walked in. Sitting down next to me, his scent of Fabric softener, expensive cologne and green apple filling my nose. I couldn't help but notice he was a little late, and I couldn't work out why. Until Harry walked in the great hall even later holding a tissue to his bleeding nose.

I nudged Draco and nodded my head towards Harry. "Did you do that?" I asked him.

But he didn't answer. He just went straight back to looking down at the table, sulking. "Alright." I turned my whole body to face him. "What's wrong?"

He looked up confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean I've barely been able to get a smile out of you since we got back. What's.Wrong." I demanded.

He shrugged. And when he went to look down again, I pushed even further. "Draco." I grabbed his arm. "Please tell me."

He closed his eyes and faced me. Then reopened his eyes. "My dad is in Azkaban. There, you have your answer. Let go of my arm." He snapped and glared at me.

I furrowed my eyebrows and slowly let go. When I did, he stopped glaring. I looked up towards Harry's way and noticed he was looking at Draco, confirming my suspicion. Draco was the one to make Harry's nose bleed.

Dumbledore walked up to the podium, making everyone look towards the front of the great hall. "The very best of evenings to you! First off, please join me in welcoming the newest member of our staff, Horace Slughorn." A short old man sitting beside Snape, smiled and waved. He looked normal.

"Professor Slughorn, I'm happy to say, has agreed to resume his old post of Potions master. Meanwhile the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts will be assumed by Professor Snape." Dumbledore continued.

Everyone looked around slowly questioning why Snape had taken over DADA, while Slytherin cheered. All except Draco, whom continued to lean his head on his hand. I sighed and turned away.

"Now, as you know, each and every one of you was searched upon your arrival tonight. You have a right to know why. Once there was a young man who, like you, sat in this very Hall. Walked this castle's corridors. Slept beneath its roof. He seemed, to all the world, a student like any other. His name? Tom Riddle." The air in the great hall goes tense as everyone is room sits still.

I look around the room at everyone's frozen faces, until I feel a hand grab mine under the table. I look down and see Draco's hand, but when I look at his face, it's still blank but I can see the smallest bit of fear behind his eyes. But I don't think it was because of what Dumbledore said. In fact, I don't think he was listening to Dumbledore at all. I give his hand a squeeze in to make him listen.

"Today, of course, the world knows him by another name. Which is why, as I stand looking out upon you all tonight, I am reminded of a sobering fact. Each day, every hour, this very minute perhaps, dark forces attempt to penetrate this castle. But in the end, their greatest weapon remains... you." I took that last sentence to heart. I don't know why, but it was like a warning to me. Draco and I let go of each others hands.

"Just something to keep in mind. Now, off to bed. Pip pip!" I stood up and noticed Draco was still sitting. Did he really just ignore every single thing Dumbledore just said?

"Draco. Come on you need rest, it's been a long day." I told him. Grabbing his shoulder. He looked up and realised everyone was leaving, so he stood up and walked out. I looked at Crabbe and Goyle, hoping they would shed some light on Draco's mood. But they both just shrugged their shoulders.

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The next day I walk towards Potions class with Goyle, Pansy and Millecent. It's the lesson we have with Gryffindor. So I was expecting to see Hermione today. When we walk in, I spot Draco already in the classroom reading the potions handbook.

Goyle walks over to Draco. "Why you here so early mate?"

Draco doesn't look up from his book and shrugs. Great, he's still in this mood. One by one more students make their way into the classroom. Professor Slughorn walks in and makes his way to the middle of the classroom.

"Welcome pupils to Potions! I have a good feeling about this year. Many bright faces around the room I see." He puts a small amount of various potions on the table in front. "Let's get started shall we?"

As Slughorn begins to open his mouth again, Harry and Ron walk into the room. I frown. Well there goes any chance at receiving a decent mark for potions. Slughorn however, beams.

"Harry m'boy!" I roll my eyes "I was beginning to worry! And I see we've brought someone with us..."

Ronald speaks up. "Ron Weasley sir. But I'm dead awful at potions a menace actually, So I probably should just be going-" Slughorn cuts him off.

"Nonsense, we'll sort you out. Any friend of Harry's is a friend of mine." Slughorn faces the class. "Right then, books out—" Harry cuts him off.

"I'm sorry sir, I haven't got my book yet. Nor's Ron."

"Not to worry. You can get what you need from the cupboard." Slughorn faces us again.

"Now as I was saying, I have prepared a few concoctions this morning. Any ideas what these might be?" Unsurprisingly, Hermione puts her hand up. "Yes miss.....?"

"Granger, sir. That one there is Veritaserum. And that would be Polyjuice Potion. And that... is Amortentia! The most powerful love potion in the world." I look at what she was motioning at. Thanks to my super senses I could smell it from where I was standing. And it's scent filled my nose with the most amazing smell. Fabric softener.... Expensive cologne... gre— I block my nose completely, not letting it get to me anymore.

"It's rumoured to smell differently to each person, according to what attracts them. For example, I smell freshly mown grass and new parchment and spearmint... toothpaste." Uh, was she just about to say spearmint shampoo? Isn't that my brothers? I smile deviously. Hermione turns around and walks back to where she was previously standing. She looked at me and my smile sat still on my face. A blush crept onto hers.


Slughorn moved back to the middle of the classroom covering the love potion with a lid. I started to breath through my nose again. "Now Amortentia doesn't create actual love, of course. That's impossible. But it does cause a powerful infatuation or obsession. For that reason, it is probably the most dangerous potion in this room."

Katie Bell speaks up. "Sir, you haven't told us what's in that one." Katie motions for the very small vial filled with clear potion.

"Ah yes. What you see before you, ladies and gentlemen, is a curious little potion known as Felix Felicis. But it is more commonly referred to as –"

"Liquid luck." Hermione interrupts.

Draco looks up, an intrigued look on his face. Yes, Miss Granger. Liquid luck. Desperately tricky to make. Disastrous should you get it wrong. But brewed correctly, as this has been, it has remarkable powers. One sip and you will find that all your endeavors succeed... at least until the effects wear off."

I look at the vial in interest aswell. "So. This is what I offer each of you today. One tiny vial of liquid luck... to the student who, in the hour that remains, manages to brew an acceptable Draught of Living Death, the recipe for which can be found on page ten of your textbook." I suddenly get determined. "You should know that in all the years of my previous tenure at Hogwarts, not once did a student brew a potion of sufficient quality to claim this prize. In any event -- good luck." I face falls but I move toward one side the room with the rest of the Slytherins, while the Gryffindors move to the other.

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Two minutes later and the classroom was chaos... and I loved it. I watched as everyone struggled to cut the sopophorous bean. Ron put his blade on top of the bean and it was if it flew away. I laughed at him. He looked up at me and stuck his tongue out. I smiled in response.

"Ow!" I heard next to me. I look over and see Draco had cut himself.

"Are you okay?" I asked in concern.

He went back to trying to brew the potion. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure—"

"I'm fine, Ella." He says firmly.

I nod. "Okay then."

When I'm close to finishing my potion, which is going terribly to tell the truth, it turns into a weird purple colour and starts to rise out of the cauldron in froth. When it starts bubbling, it starts over flowing.

"Damn it." I chuck the thermometer onto the desk and quit.

Goyle laughs at me. I look at his, which is coming out in a full white liquid and starts rising over his head. "I wouldn't be laughing. Cause it looks like yours is about to eat you." I smirk.

Goyle looks at his and screams. It splashes over him and the result is hilarious. I burst into a fit of laughter and I notice Draco laughing under his breath.

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When we all finish Slughorn looks at all of us in sympathy. Until he notices Harry's, which is perfect.


"Merlin's Beard! But it's perfect. So perfect I daresay one sip would kill us all!" I roll my eyes then smile. Slughorn grabs the vile of Felix Felices and walks over to Harry. "Here you are then, as promised. One bottle of Felix Felicis. Use it well."

Gryffindor starts clapping and so do I, making me the only Slytherin congratulating Harry. Harry stands there awkwardly holding the vile, making me giggle. What a dork.