And now an intro: Well, here's the 6th part of this story. Sigh, I'm blowing a deadline by even formatting this story and posting it, but I have to post it. I've had parts of this written for 5 months now but I've been so busy. I'm sorry of anyone has actually been waiting for this part. Anyway it's Harry's turn to think about things and ponder what the heck is wrong with Malfoy and other such stuff. Some foul language is in this part... wow.
The Sun Spots Unsettling Light.
Harry tossed the dried slugs into the cauldron and recited the required incantation under his breath as Hermione argued her point.
"Ron, look if you read this passage here it clearly states that the next step on the potion is to add the wigam."
"I don't see how you're getting THAT from the passage when this one over here says almost the same thing. You don't want to blow up Harry, do you?"
"Ron!"
Harry smiled as his two friends struggled to decipher the bizarre instructions.
The tonal metamorphosis potion was a volatile and dangerous potion but Harry had decided to add and mix ingredeints rather then struggle with the 18 page puzzle that told you how to make it. He could now truly appreciate the simplicity of a real potion maker.
This potion had been designed by a music teacher.
Harry's eyes wandered over to the other side of the room where a frustrated Malfoy was ordering Crabbe and Goyle around. Malfoy had a short fuse today. He'd already snapped at his henchlings several times.
//I wonder if Malfoy even slept last night? What was he doing out so late?//
It didn't make any sense. Why would you wander around outside when there's a war going on? Especially when you didn't seem to be doing anything. It bothered Harry; not that Malfoy was walking around after lock down, but that Malfoy didn't seem to be up to anything. Not last night at least.
//He seemed to be stargazing, completely unaware of anything. Until he caught me following him.//
Malfoy leaned over with a sneer to inspect the potion that Goyle was stirring. He barked at Crabbe for something and Goyle stirred the potion a little faster.
//He doesn't seem any different. But he was acting pretty weird last night, almost contemplative. Not like his usual abrasive ball of hate.//
Harry turned back to the potion just in time to see it change colors again. Interrupting his friends' playful argument he asked what the next step was. They both stopped for a moment to inspect the color of the potion and then together they pointed to the powdered wigam. Harry pinched the amount requested and added it to the potion.
//Why didn't Malfoy curse me or something when he found out I was following him? I've never seen him pass up the chance to curse someone. And I bet I made an inviting target.//
//Maybe he knew it was me.//
//Humph, wouldn't that make it more likely that he'd have cursed me? And so far no one else has been able to see through the invisibility cloak.//
//Well then, I don't know...//
Harry tried to make Malfoy's recent strange behavior mesh with what he knew about the haughty Slytherin. He shook himself, hoping to force the contradicting thoughts into a pattern.
//Last night Malfoy looked depressed or maybe defeated, and hadn't even bothered to figure out who was watching him. It's like he wanted to be caught.//
//Either Malfoy isn't actually up to anything or he doesn't feel like he has to hide or...//
//Or what?//
//Maybe he doesn't have anything to fear. Or he doesn't care about his own safety.//
Considering he probably works for Voldemort and with the current sentiment at Hogwarts he really should be worried about getting caught alone outside.
There had been a couple of incidents with Slytherins getting attacked. Harry suspected that they were students from other houses taking revenge on Voldemort's old house for the current war.
But Malfoy hadn't been very concerned last night even after finding someone spying on him.
//It's very strange. It's like he doesn't care.//
A loud explosion jarred Harry out of his wandering thoughts and he looked up surprised to find Malfoy's potion smoking. The class was dead silent; Malfoy never botched a potion.
Goyle was sitting on the ground completely blackened and holding his hand in pain. Professor Talium, the new potion teacher, ran over and with a frantic spell extinguished the potion that was still pumping out black smoke. Then she tended to Goyle's hand, which had taken the brunt of the explosion.
"I told you to be careful when you add the ingredients and to double check to make sure that you know which one to add," Talium said to everyone as she wrapped Goyle's hand in white bandages. Harry looked over to find that Ron was struggling not to laugh at the situation. Hermione also noticed Ron's ill-timed humor and shot him a look that clearly said the situation was not funny. Looking around Harry noticed that Ron wasn't the only Gryffindor who found the recent events amusing.
"There, that will hold until you get to Madam Pomfrey. Quickly now, I'm sure you know the way." And with that she shooed Goyle out of the room. She then turned to Malfoy and Crabbe and fixed them with a glare. Both of them managed to be far enough away to avoid the blast but their clothing was still a little charred. A step closer and they too would have needed to vist Madam Pomfrey.
"Do NOT think this will get you out of learning how to make this potion. You three will be making this potion again in detention once your partner has recovered. 20 points from Slytherin." Talium said and turned quickly to focus on the other students. "Back to work children, tend to your potions or you'll face the same fate."
"I'll get the two of you a bucket to clean this mess up." Malfoy scowled at the professor's back as she left the room. Keeping his comments to himself.
The class exploded as soon as Talium walked out. Harry looked around, not shocked to find the Gryffindors trying to hold in their laughter or the Slytherins whispering, ready to kill the first person that said anything.
Harry turned his attention back to Malfoy. It was strange. Malfoy once joked that he could mix any potion with his eyes closed. He didn't make this kind of mistake.
//Perhaps he's losing his touch.//
Malfoy turned and talked to Crabbe in a voice so low it didn't carry above the noise of the students. Crabbe nodding to what Malfoy was saying and seemed to be agreeing with him.
"Harry!"
Hermione nudged Harry and it was only then that Harry noticed that Ron was not at their table. He was heading toward Malfoy and Crabbe. Hermione cursed under her breath, frustrated that she was unable to leave the table. Both of them had to keep mixing the potion or it would turn dangerous.
The room got very quiet as Ron advanced on the two Slytherins. Malfoy noticed the change and turned to meet Ron with a sneer on his face. The rest of the Slytherins moved as close as they could. They couldn't abandon their potions either for fear of having them ruined.
//Ron, what are you doing?//
"You have something you'd like to say, Weasley?" Malfoy was in his element unconcerned with his recent blunder.
"Better hope you don't blow up your other friend Malfoy..."
"Or I might not have any? Honestly Weasley, you'd think you read your insults out of Teen Witch Weekly." Malfoy cut Ron off neatly continuing and twisting the insult around.
The Slytherins chuckled a bit at that and Harry could feel the Gryffindors getting mad.
//Oh, this is NOT a good situation. One wrong word and this could easy escalate into an actual fight. With the nature of this potion we're mixing, it's not going to be pretty. Damn it! Where's the teacher?//
"Ron!" Hermione hissed, but Ron just ignored her. "You should be careful Malfoy, if you slip up too much, you might have to buy your grade."
"What are you jealous, Weasley?" A tall black haired Slytherin cut into the conversation and in front of Malfoy.
The Slytherins now easy outnumbered Ron. But instead of taking advantage of the situation, Harry was surprised when Malfoy just shoved the new guy out of the way.
"No one's talking to you, Sean. I don't need YOUR help dealing with simpletons."
"Yeah, I've seen how well you deal with things." Sean said leaning back against Malfoy's blackened potion table.
Malfoy turned a cold eye on Sean.
Suddenly, it was like everyone else in the room disappeared to the two Slytherins.
//What's going on?// Harry was surprised he'd never actually seen another Slytherin verbally assault Malfoy before, not even in jest. Harry wanted to see what would happen between the two Slytherins but Ron didn't like being ignored.
"Trouble in the ranks." Ron said breaking them out of their contest of wills. Sean looked away first returning his attention to Ron.
"Get lost Weasley, go back to licking Potter's boots." Sean snapped.
Harry winced at the remark and was sure Ron was turning a bright shade of red but before Ron could react, Malfoy cut back into the conversation.
"You both can eat a dick, I don't have time for this childish taunting." Ron gapped and Sean seemed taken back as Malfoy turned his back on both of them and headed for the door just as the Professor returned with the bucket.
"Well, here you go..."
"I'm sorry but I'm afraid I don't feel so good... " Malfoy interrupted her holding his side and wincing in pain.
Talium looked less then convinced but let it slide. "Fine, Mr. Malfoy, hurry along to Madam Pomfrey. Don't think I'm going to hold up the class for you. You'll have to catch up on whatever you miss. Come back before dinner so I can assign you detention."
Malfoy left and by the time the professor turned back to the class everyone had dashed to their tables. Harry was relieved when Ron returned, shooting the Slytherins a few dirty looks before quickly busying himself with their potion. Hermione flung a beetle into the potion and Harry knew she was just waiting for the teacher to leave so she could to give Ron a piece of her mind.
"Please continue to mind your potions. As you can see I wasn't joking about the difficulty and dangers of this assignment." Talium said handing the bucket to Crabbe whom quickly went to work cleaning the table.
As soon as Talium wasn't looking Hermione started in on Ron.
"Ron! What did you think you were you doing?" She hissed trying to keep her voice down.
"I have a good reason..." Ron stared but Hermione cut him off.
"You better! You nearly gave me a heart attack."
"We knew the Slytherins were disorganized but they're not even working together, either."
"We already knew that, Ron! You didn't have to scare Harry and me."
"That wasn't why I did it. I was trying to make Malfoy trip up and show me what he grabbed."
"What do you mean?" Harry asked.
"I was watching him before his potion exploded. He grabbed something off the table and then purposely walked out of the way as fast as he could.
"He knew the potion was going to explode?" Hermione look appalled at the thought of Malfoy ruining his potion on purpose.
"That's what it looked liked. Him and Crabbe both moved out of the way like they knew it was going to go off like a bomb."
"Did Goyle know?" Hermione asked and Harry could see that she was actually concerned.
"I was watching Malfoy. I don't know." Ron admitted.
"What would he use one of these for?" Harry asked gesturing to the components spread out on their table in neat piles.
"Did you see what he took?" Hermione said pulling out the ingredient list for the potion and pouring over it.
"No, that's why I went up to him. I was hoping he'd accidentally show me. I wasn't expecting to be treated to the grand show of Slytherin comradely."
"Who was that other guy?" Asked Hermione.
"I don't know. His name was 'Stink' or 'Stump' or something foul sounding..."
"Malfoy called him Sean." Harry corrected Ron.
"What's the difference? He's just as rotten as the rest of them."
"I've never seen anyone mouth off to Malfoy before or Malfoy resort to cursing. He always seems to be more refined then that. I wonder if maybe Malfoy's losing control of the Slytherins?" Harry pondered.
"That'd sure be a shame." Ron said with a smile.
"Don't sound so pleased Ron, at least we know what Malfoy's like. If someone new took over we wouldn't have any insight on their motives." Hermione pointed out. Ron shot her a dirty look, which she didn't see and he went back to looking over the long-winded instructions. Harry didn't like the way Ron eyes flashed with joy but he had to admit a certain satisfaction at the thought of Malfoy losing his position.
Hermione finally looked up from her inspection of the list. The worry on her face gave Harry pause.
"That aside I think we can all agree that the Slytherins are up to something." She pointed to the list of components she was holding. Harry could see that she had a mark next to most of the ingredients. "From just a quick once over about half of these components could easily be used for a variety of Dark Arts, some of them quite deadly. And I'm no expert on that sort of thing."
"So, you can't tell which one Malfoy wanted?" Ron said worried.
"No, not without some description of what he grabbed. If you had gotten a better look I could've made a guess. As it is all we know is that he's planning something and is willing to sacrifice his perfect potion record for it."
Harry nodded looking over at the Slytherins who were pretending nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
Ron looked at the list and didn't like what Hermione was suggesting. "Whatever Malfoy's planning, it can't be good. Can it?"
Hermione shook her head. "No."
Harry continued to stir the potion as Hermione added a white powder to it. Harry didn't like it either. Malfoy was too smart and dangerous.
//Somehow I've got to figure out what he's up to.//
//I need to do a little bit more spying tonight.//
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Thanks to all of the following for reviewing my story and telling me to keep working or that I should work harder. =)
Jive, M.C. Griffin, they said, Lee Nekkyo, Sorceress Jade, Black Goddess, Draco's Twin Sister99, SakuraBlossom86, necroracle, Alynnia*McKinnon, Lin-z, PepperjackCandy, lex.
Wow, thanks so much.
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. (it's true)