Potter's Shadow (Draco Malfoy)

Chapter 12

"Does it hurt terribly Draco?" Pansy Parkinson asked further down the hall. 

 "It comes and it goes. Still I consider myself lucky. According to Madam Pomfrey, another minute or two and I could've lost my arm. " Draco answered. "I can't do homework for weeks."

Apparently Malfoy hadn't listened to Hagrid's warning and got trampled by a proud Hippogriff. Served him right. Maybe Hagrid will let me meet the Hippogriff so I can shake it's hoof. Somebody needed to put him in his place. 

I'd sat myself between Fred and George under their request. 

"Oi, Little Potter." Fred nudged me. 

"What?" I asked putting my quill down as I finished my Herbology essay on Mandrakes. Wonderful things when they weren't screaming.

"What's the last ingredient for the draught of peace? I have powdered unicorn hair, powdered porcupine quills and powdered moonstone." Fred asked. 

"Syrup of Hellebore. Also it's powdered unicorn horn not hair." I answered. 

"Oh. " Fred said crossing out part of his work. "How do you know all this?" 

"You were trying to speed read all the potions before term started. Not my fault you left it open on this page as you went to find snacks. " I answered.

"What are the characteristics of the draught of peace?" George asked as he put the end of his quill to his lips. 

"It's a light silver vapour." I responded.

"You really do know everything. Better keep this one around Freddie." George said as he quickly jotted the information down. 

"Good luck with that. I'm not going to be in the OWL exam with you." I answered.

"He's been sighted. He's been sighted!" Seamus called as he ran down and slammed the Daily Prophet on the table. 

"Who?" Ron asked. 

"Sirius Black." Seamus answered. 

I felt George and Fred pushing to see causing me to lean over to see. 

"Dufftown? That's not far from here." Hermione spoke.

"You don't think he'd come to Hogwarts, do you?" Neville asked. 

"With dementors at every entrance." Someone spoke from the other side of Fred.

"Dementors? He's already slipped past the once hasn't he?  Who's to say he won't do it again?" Seamus answered. 

"That's right. Black could be anywhere. It's like trying to catch smoke. Like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands. " Bem ,a Gryffindor 3rd year, spoke.

-=-

The next morning I was sat on a desk by the window in the Defence Against the Dark Arts room as 3rd years stood in a cluster in front of the cupboard. Harry and Ron were stood near the front. 

The cupboard started to shake. "Intriguing, isn't it? Would anyone like to venture a guess as to what's inside?" Uncle Remus spoke as he walked round the cluster. 

"That's a Boggart." Dean spoke.

"Very good, Mr Thomas." Uncle Remus spoke as the cabinet jumped again.

"Now, can anybody tell me what a boggart looks like?" Uncle Remus asked the class. 

"No one knows." Hermione spoke from beside Ron. I did a double take. I'm sure she wasn't there a minute ago. Hermione continued. "Boggarts are shape-shifters. They take the shape of whatever a particular person fears the most. That's what makes them so..."