Magic? || Years 1-5

Slytherin Traits: Year 4

"Are you stupid?" Blaise demanded as he stormed into the boys' dormitory, robes flaring out by his feet.

Draco looked up from the Potions book he was reading, pale brow raised imperiously, "I think not. Top of the class, remember?"

"Your actions," Blaise continued, stomping toward him and shoving the book out of the way, "prove otherwise."

Realization dawned.

"I told you to leave her alone!" He snapped, stalking toward Blaise angrily. "What have you done?!"

"What have I done?" Blaise's head cocked to the side. "You gave Pansy her ring!"

Draco stared at him blankly, but Blaise knew the difference between his mask and the truth, "What are you talking about?"

"In what world was that okay, Draco?" Blaise hissed.

"She gave it back to me, I have every right to do what I want with it!" Draco countered.

"You're a Slytherin, Draco Malfoy. Remind yourself what our qualities are!"

The blond lifted a hand, lifting a finger for each word, "Cunning, ambition, cleverness, resourcefulness, determination... " He broke off, looking away from his friend. "Self-preservation."

"So get your head out of your arse and think about what you would've done in her situation," Blaise ordered.

Draco didn't reply.

"Oh, really? Going to make me spell it out for you?" Blaise groaned in a mixture of frustration and anger. "She thought you spilled the biggest secret of her life and didn't give a damn because instead of immediately going over to her and explaining everything you wasted your time hiding in your room trying to get the article taken down when she'd already read it.

"And sure, you tried talking to her and ended up getting the ring back and a few insults, but you know better than anyone that Gryffindors are the stubbornest people of all time.

"You're smart, Draco, but not smart enough. Giving Pansy her ring was possibly the stupidest thing you've done so far, and you tried to prank Potter by dressing up as a dementor."

"Note taken," Draco muttered bitterly, sitting down on his bed again.

"She doesn't want to give you a second chance," Blaise's arms were still crossed, eyes still narrowed.

"I know."

"But..."

Draco smirked, the classic Draco Malfoy smirk that was a mixture of mischief and self defense, "A Slytherin is always determined."

-=+=-

Amisty choked on her pumpkin juice as Hermione's doused the newspaper in orange.

Harry Potter

"Disturbed and Dangerous"

The boy who defeated He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is unstable and possibly dangerous, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. Alarming evidence has recently come to light about Harry Potter's strange behavior, which casts doubts upon his suitability to compete in a demanding competition like the Triwizard Tournament, or even to attend Hogwarts School.

Potter, the Daily Prophet can exclusively reveal, regularly collapses at school, and is often heard to complain of pain in the scar on his forehead (relic of the curse with which You-Know-Who attempted to kill him). On Monday last, midway through a Divination lesson, your Daily Prophet reporter witnessed Potter storming from the class, claiming that his scar was hurting too badly to continue studying.