#(e┊seize of st. mungo's.)

[dramioneasks]

HP FESTS: Tales as Old as Time Fest

Tales as Old as Time Fest 2023:

Kyrie Eleison by Halliwell19 - E, WIP - A Dramione Hunchback AUWritten for the Tale As Old As Time Fest.

Queen of Mean by greyditto - E, WIP - When feelings and betrayal turn Draco Malfoy and his campaign manager in the Minister for Magic election into adversaries, Hermione Granger lashes out and cuts all ties. She decides revenge is a dish best served cold—and tastes sweetest served on the lips of the forbidden.

Something Crazy by LadyMorphia - M, one-shot - Draco Malfoy stood there staring in her direction across the expanse of the ballroom. His eyes reminded her of ice crystals; they were at once reflective and cold with contrasting prisms of dark and light. They were infuriatingly harsh and beautiful. She hadn’t ever noticed before.Her heart leaped when she realised he was approaching her.“Malfoy,” she began, unable to control the question from escaping her lips. “Can I just, say something crazy?”Hermione cursed herself internally. Her cheeks flushed red; she hadn’t expected the words to come tumbling out of her mouth, but then again, she hadn’t expected to feel the little bubbles rising up in her chest like this either.“I love crazy,” he said, giving her a casual smirk.A Dramione one-shot about a spontaneous proposal based on the lyrics to "Love Is an Open Door" from Frozen. Written for the Tales as Old as Time Fest.

when she loved me by riddikulus_puff - M, one-shot - Hermione Granger-Malfoy tragically passed away on the 2nd May 2013 at the hands of the copycat Death Eaters, when they performed a heightened terrorist attack on the 15th-anniversary celebration being held at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to mourn the losses that occurred throughout and during the Second Wizarding War which ended on the 2nd May 1998 and also celebrate how much had changed since then, but seemingly some people didn't appreciate the changes that had been happening since the end of the War. She was one of the few confirmed deaths but it had been reported that many had left the celebration injured and carried straight away to St Mungo's Hospital. The loss of the Golden Girl wrecked its way through the Wizarding World. Left behind was Hermione's grieving husband, Draco Granger-Malfoy, who had been working as the Potions Professor at Hogwarts until the death and their two twin children, Scorpius and Lyra Granger-Malfoy, who were six years old at the time of their mother's death. A one-shot for the 2023 HP Tales as Old as Time Fic Fest Inspired by the song 'When She Loved Me' from the 1999 film, Toy Story 2

Out of All Control by SyrenGrey - E, WIP - “A hundred thousand Galleons,” Draco declared, cutting off every other auction bidder foolish enough to think they’d get in his way.As the words left his mouth, a sudden sense of regret seized him. Centuries of Pureblood wisdom felt forgotten, like a forsaken grave he’d stomped on in his pursuit for hedonistic depravity. The rapid flutter of his heart, the need that pumped in his veins, the sheer starvation lurching in his stomach–all this, for a mudblood.Whatever that feeling was, whatever guilt festered inside him, it was miniscule compared to the all-encompassing resoluteness that filled him when he was announced the winner. Of course he was. In no world was he going to risk losing her to the feculent hands of his fellow Death Eaters.If he let himself ignore the shame, he could come to terms with the truth that slowly settled in his bones: Draco Malfoy was destined to have her.She was his.Hermione Granger was his.

Things My Heart Used to Know by iftreescouldspeak - M, one-shot - War does not determine who is right–only who is left.During the cold, hopeless nights of the war, Hermione liked to imagine what her life would be like after their side came out victorious. History is written by the victors, after all. She spun a happy tale for herself with a boy she loved.Though now that she’s here, her story would read more like a tragedy.The celebrations were grand, the parties and ceremonies dotted with tired smiles and laughter from her friends turned comrades turned acquaintances. Happiness took place all around her, all the while the spirit she once held so steadfastly melted, slowly dripping into the ground beneath her feet until she was hollow. Hermione tried to be polite in her grief, she didn’t want to ruin it for everyone.

Beautiful Night by EvergreenTuesdays - E, WIP - Hermione’s jaw dropped at the sight of the creature standing before her eyes. He was magnificent, all corded muscle and masculine beauty, even with his signature shock of white-blond hair plastered to his head in the downpour. His enormous wings were unfurled, the beautiful black, iridescent plumage signifying that this was no ordinary Veela. His chest heaved, eyes darting around, taking in the Aurors and calculating his next move. She gasped when his predatorial silver eyes landed on her.

Don't Say It Out Loud by Astrangefan - G, one-shot - Prompt: "I Won't Say I'm In Love" from Disney's Hercules For the Tale as Old as Time FestHermione and Draco are Head Boy and Girl. Sparks fly. Friends intervene. Noses get episkey'd. Friends intervene again. Sugar quills. Hermione is in denial. House elves seal the deal.

Journey To The Past by Halliwell19, heyvirgo4 - E, WIP - For as long as Draco could remember, he was an orphan with no knowledge of who he was and where he came from. Never mind the fact that he had dreams of painted ceilings, crystal chandeliers, and of a voice that would sing to him, Once Upon a December.In an attempt to get out of military service to his country upon his 18th birthday, Draco takes up with notorious British con artist, Hermione Granger and her companion/brother Harry Potter. Together, they have hatched a scheme to go to Paris and trick the Grand Duchess Narcissa Black Malfoy into turning over the reward for her long lost son, Prince Draconian Lucius Malfoy. Their journey is fraught with all sorts of challenges, the biggest being that Draco may or may not be falling in love with Hermione.

Do You Want to Build a Snowman by princessmalfoy - not rated, one-shot - She meets her best friend in the snowy meadow. They grow up together, they fall in love, they share many a sweet moment under the tree in the field. All too soon, their paths are yanked apart by an unforgiving war.

This fest is ongoing.

[mxrcies]

                   mercy hated getting her hands dirty. there was a reason, after all, that she so desperately wanted to get control over the shop back under her thumb. when she’d had her father’s backing and a future set in stone there had been no need to take matters into her own hands to curry favor from the world around her; everyone assumed what side she was on. she was the person worth allying with. in a better world, mercy would have been the one keeping up the supply of masks and tools from her spot of quiet power in knockturn alley. instead, she’d had to put up a fight just to stay out of one for the time being --- claiming a recent job done for a hospital official meant she’d be better suited keeping an eye on the crowd. “ oh, lord, “ she intoned, mock shock coloring her features so seamlessly. “ but, who would think of attacking a hospital? all those people ... “ she trailed off, allowing herself to wonder who indeed. 

[wipbigbang]

This is Round Two of the Artist Claims for the 2023 round of WIPBB. You may claim up to three fics this round. If you want only one fic, please fill out the form once with your top choices. If you want two fics, fill out the form twice with your first choice in the first form submission with one unique ID and the second choice in another submission with a different unique ID.

The synopses are located at https://wipbigbang.dreamwidth.org/172201.html

The form is located at https://forms.gle/ES2D3d2mTG1nU4Pk6.

Round two of the art claims will go on until July 1st.

Harry Potter

#047

Title: Black House Will Rock

Pairing/Characters: Bellatrix Lestrange/Hermione Granger

Rating Explicit | E

Warnings/Tags: Non-con/Rape

Age Gap, Past Rape, Some Violence, Suicide, Self Harm

Summary:

Bellatrix has always been the pinnacle of pureblood society, a quintessential example of everything the Black family stands for and against. Hermione attempts to help her leave and recover from being part of a hate group.

#048

Title: Harry Potter and the Casual Dark Lord Vacancy

Pairing/Characters: Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, Narcissa Malfoy/Alastor Moody

Rating Teen | T

Warnings/Tags: Chooses not to use Warnings, Side Character Death (Lucius Malfoy), Canon-Typical Violence, Canon-Typical Torture, Implied/Referenced Rape by Deception

Slytherin Harry AU, Barty Crouch Jr. survives, childbirth, betrayal, stalking, revenge, found family, conflicted feelings over using dark magic for The Greater Good

Summary: When Harry meets the Malfoys at King's Cross, Narcissa seizes the opportunity to ingratiate her family with the new Dark Lord. Although Harry recognizes her manipulation, he's also starved for friendship and parental love. And Narcissa knows exactly which buttons to push: letters, care packages, stories about Lily, even adoption paperwork. Harry isn't sure he agrees that all Muggles are awful, nor that dark magic might sometimes be necessary for The Greater Good, but he grows fond of Narcissa nonetheless. By Harry's fourteenth birthday, everything seems to finally be working out for once for him.

But then, everything changes. Harry's nightmares return. Death Eaters invade the Quidditch World Cup. Narcissa has daily clandestine meetings and panic attacks. Lucius, paler than ever, forces Harry and Draco to learn the Unforgivable Curses "just in case."

When Narcissa's desperate efforts to protect her family finally blow up in her face, Harry is forced to choose between losing her or becoming the thing he most reviles: the Dark Lord.

#049

Title: Repertum

Pairing/Characters: Harry Potter / Severus Snape, Harry Potter & OFC

Rating Mature | M

Warnings/Tags: Graphic Violence

References to mental illness, hospital setting with medical details

Summary: repertum, i, n

noun 1. discovery 2. finding again 3. invention

For Healer Harry Potter, the war is not over even years after Voldemort's defeat. As he finds himself recovering from an attack at his workplace, St Mungo's, familiar comfort flies in in the form of a kingfisher.

Harry Potter/CSI: LV/Hocus Pocus

#050

Title: …And Now You’re Mine

Pairing/Characters: Harry Potter/Greg Sanders

Rating Explicit | E

Warnings/Tags: No Warnings apply

Character bashing (Ginny, Dumbledore, Binx)

Summary: After the war with Voldemort, Harry leaves magical Britain in order to avoid the machinations of the Order. He joins the police force in Las Vegas as an Auror/SWAT crossover and meets Greg Sanders, wizard, DNA tech in the CSI lab, and the descendent of Winnifred Sanderson of Salem. When the events of Hocus Pocus happen, Harry and Greg are called out to put things right.

[wizardingworldlibrary]

Drarry Mpreg Masterlist

Links Last Checked: March 6th, 2025

Advantages of Foresight (ao3) - Zakaira E, 44k

Summary: AU from 6th year. Gifted with psychic abilities, Draco sees that the path he is on, isn’t the one he wants to be on. He takes his future into his own hands, determined to change things. If he can’t beat Harry at their usual game, he’ll change the game to one Harry can’t help but fall for.

All Harry knows is that Draco has suddenly become ill and is suffering from some medical issues. He feels bad and just wants to help.

Anything But Ordinary (ao3) - 0idontknow0 E, 37k

Summary: “I got someone pregnant,” he said. “Draco Malfoy to be specific.”

A Star Danced (ao3) - babooshk_art, Ladderofyears, Pauleonotis E, 65k

Summary: Draco Malfoy has the world as his feet. He's twenty-three, first pick Seeker for Puddlemere United, has brilliant friends and a life he adores.

The very last thing Draco wants is an unplanned pregnancy, especially one where the other father just so happens to be Harry Potter.

Life, however, has other plans for him.

Beggars Would Ride (ao3) - eidheann E, 37k

Summary: Harry finds his comfortable life taking a turn he never expected when he becomes the father of Draco Malfoy’s child.

Chained to You (ao3) - fojee E, 34k

Summary: After the war, Draco Malfoy lost everything. He’s just trying to get it back.

Expectant (ao3) - loveglowsinthedark E, 62k

Summary: After he accidentally gets Malfoy pregnant on a drunken fuck at a club, Harry doesn’t anticipate that it’d be just as easy to fall in love with him.

Expecting (ao3) - bixgirl1 E, 9k

Summary: Running into Malfoy wasn't a rare thing. But running into him coming out of the male pregnancy offices at St. Mungo's was downright shocking.

If Wishes Were Children (ao3) - oldenuf2nb E, 14k

Summary: Harry Potter has tried to move on with his life after Draco Malfoy walked away from him months before with little or no explanation, but it’s been hard. Then, on a joyous day at the Burrow, Narcissa Malfoy makes an unexpected appearance…

Just Give Me a Reason (ao3) - sassy_cissa E, 24k

Summary: It's easy to misunderstand a situation when you're in the same country – when your new boyfriend is thousands of miles away, it's nearly impossible. Toss in an unexpected pregnancy, an ex-boyfriend and The Prophet with its exaggerations and it's no wonder Draco is confused.

Labour of Love (ao3) - coffeejunkii T, 8k

Summary: When unexpected events throw Draco and Harry’s routine off its established track, they have to work hard to find a new way of fitting their lives together.

Mine To Own, Ours To Keep (ao3) - bumble_Bree E, 69k

Summary: When Draco is bought at a slave market, he fully expects a difficult road ahead of him.

What he does NOT expect is to find himself in a world unlike any he could have expected - a world where the feared and respected Harry Potter is his Alpha, his one true soulmate.

Nothing, Everything (ao3) - SasuNarufan13 M, 76k

Summary: Draco didn’t sign up for this. Except, well, he did. He just can’t remember it.

Now My Neck Is Open Wide (begging for a fist around it) (ao3) - LadySlytherin E, 75k

Summary: Six months post-war, Harry meets Grayson Wenke, a famous Quidditch player. Harry believes he’s found the love of his life, and a Happily Ever After ending suitable for the storybooks. When Grayson slowly goes from Prince Charming to a monster behind closed doors, Harry finds himself trapped, and alone, and fearing for his life. When Harry realizes he’s pregnant, the opportunity for escape - and a real Happily Ever After - presents itself as none other than Draco Malfoy. The only question is if Harry is brave enough to take a chance, and strong enough to heal.

Seizing Second Chances (ao3) - momatu E, 28k

Summary: Five years after Draco lost his infant son to complications following his premature birth, he sees a happy, healthy dark-haired child the same age his own little boy would have been playing on the swings in a Muggle play park. One year after the sudden loss of his wife, Harry sees Draco quietly watching children play in a Muggle play park. If they can put the past behind them, can they be each other’s second chance at happiness?

Shake it, Bake it, Brew it (ao3) - Blackkitten23 E, 140k

Summary: Between trauma after being attacked by Quirrell, harsh comments from Snape and being told he has to go back to the Durselys, Harry has had enough. This summer he starts kicking back and watches as Dumbledore’s carefully laid plans for him crumble

Survival of the Species (ao3) - Romaine E, 46k

Summary: Draco approaches Harry on the 9 ¾ platform, after their sons have boarded the Hogwarts Express, and invites him over for tea. The discussion they have leads them on an adventure that neither could have expected. There be dragons! HPDH compliant but before any other canon info had been released.

The Silent World Within You (ao3) - Femme (femmequixotic), noeon (noe) E, 95k

Summary: Harry only wanted Malfoy for one night, one birthday. It wasn’t meant to be anything more.

Your Daddy Knows (You're A Flame) (ao3) - Ladderofyears E, 27k

Summary: It's just over a week until Draco's twenty-fifth birthday party and Harry Potter is a busy wizard. Amongst all the excitement of fatherhood, work and friends, Harry realises something special about his husband Draco. He is pregnant with their second, much wanted baby.

There's only one problem: Draco is entirely oblivious to the fact and seems determined to remain so.

[beiasluv]

‘See you again’ / Newt  Scamander x (fem!)Reader / pt.2

Hey guys i’m back! this following imagines is the sequence to the first part, check it out HERE.

words count: 1,161 words

warning(s): mentioned of pain

soulmate AUs: name appear on wirst when 17.

 (y/n) = your name / (y/bf/n) your best-friend name

*english is not my mother-language please forgive any mistake i might have made*

ENJOY!

---

‘happy birthday dear (y/n) happy birthday to you,’ with that (y/n) closed her eyes, her eyebrows twitched by making a wish. the fire was extinguished; vanished left a burning smoke behind. the room erupted with cheers and congratulations from your family and friends.

it is 7:36 the exact time you were born at st. mungo’s; what a time to be alive, you are finally 17 years old. which means your soulmate's name would appear at midnight soon tonight. you wouldn’t say you are not excited but you just can’t imagine who is going to be your soulmate, for the sake that you don’t even have a boyfriend/girlfriend. it could be anyone now, a friend at school, some stranger, or maybe a muggle. otherwise, you are rather excited for who it is.

‘honey? would you mind feeding the hippogriffs for today? i’m sorry it was supposed to be a special day for you but my boss is calling me an-,’ your mum was cut off and words stop falling from her mouth. 

‘it’s okay mum i can do it,’ you smiled lovingly to your mother. ‘thank you dear, i would grab sweets on the way back, i have to go now stay safe honey!’ mother grabbed her coat and ran through the door. 

‘Oh! (y/n) dear! make sure to watch for your wrist!’ she apparated away.

‘hey guys,’ you entered the shed of the hippogriffs. (y/n) maneuvered around the shed and grabbed five buckets of fresh fish. ‘ugh! i don’t know how you guys eat this,’ (y/n) gave a disgusted look to the fishes. ‘i can do it, there’s no need to fear anything, just be calm with them,’ you took a deep breath and a long one out.

each step you walk to the gate your heart beats faster and faster, and you feel like it was about to explode itself. the memory of the day your brother fall off the hippogriff, played back each step. it happened right here at this place. but (sadly for dad) luckily that hippogriff was brought by your very own school, hogwarts, so you were learning with that very hippogriff that dropped your brother in the care for magical creatures. with your little strength, you have arrived at the gate of the famous hippogriff bredder farm.

one final push the gate is opened, several hippogriffs head snatched to your way. you gasped for breath like your life is going to end. step by step your legs brought you to the middle of the farm you dumped the five buckets in. luckily your dad taught the hippogriffs to have manners, they’ll always wait until the buckets are fully empty. then they’ll dig in. 

‘oh! merlin’s beard!’ the hippogriffs came right into your face. (y/n) dashed away a few of them and ran to the gate. her legs don’t seem to be scared anymore, she felt like she is running very fast that she can do the olympics. a second later she had arrived, outside the gate. ‘phew, that was a close call,’ she walked back to the house and decided to call it a day.

---

‘night orion,’ (y/n) strolled past her brother’s bedroom. ‘night (y/n)! oh! be careful about your wrist my friends said it hurts like hell,’ orion poked his head out of the door his eyes were full of worry. ‘thanks ori, i’ll see you tomorrow then,’ you gave a weary smile and he was gone. 

speaking of care for magical, you are assigned to write an essay about one creature that inspired you, and describe everything about it. wheater is about caring, habitats, behaviors, appearance, you named it. 

‘i’ll guess i’ll just write the essay until my soulmate's name comes up then,’ that you grab your hogwarts trunk, unlock the password. for the first time, you opened your trunk this summer, you were in awe when she saw a gift from her friends with a note attached. 

(y/n) put the stuff on the side, and she seized the ink bottle and some parchments, but she can’t start your work without the Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them book. ‘accio Fantastic Beast!’ for sure (y/n) would take the chance to use magic since she is finally not underaged. you scribbled your thought down the first sketch. each sketch you connected the paragraphs, making sure about your words and cut un-necessary pieces of information out. 

after several hours (y/n) looked up at the clock to read the time, and the clock's little finger was pointing between number 11 and the number 12. same with the long finger. ‘it could be any minute soon,’ (y/n) let out a long sighed. many minutes had passed (y/n) is now sleeping on her table waiting for her soulmate’s name.

not long after her wrist felt like being dipped into a fire. her wrist is burning as the letter formed, (y/n) didn’t notice the name since her eyes were filled with tears. the pain was eating her bit by bit. (y/n) decided to run to her brother. ‘orion!’ she called out as she was crying in the hallway. ‘(y/n)!’ orion ran and hugged you, he was worried for this day the most the day his sister knows her soulmate.

---

(y/n) never failed to do the big sister job in his eyes, and he realized he was gifted with the best sister in the whole world. he would do anything to protect his big sister, when he saw her tears it hurts him so bad.

‘(y/n) please show me your wrist,’ orion slowly reached for your hand and examined the burn. ‘N E W T O N, hm newton doesn’t sound so bad isn’t it?’ orion tried to cheer you up. ‘huh? did you say newton?-,’ (y/n) tried to open her dried up eyes. ‘tell me the last name,’ (y/n) requested her brother for assistance in seeing. ‘it’s S C A M A N D E R, salamander? scamander?’

‘Newton- newton scamader?’

‘BLOODY HELL, you won’t believe it orion-’ (y/n) sprung herself up and ran to her room. ‘wha- what?’ leaving her confused brother behind. he saw (y/n) holding a piece of paper, looking as new as it was manufactured yesterday, and a thick book. ‘what’s that (y/n)?’ orion squinted his eyes to see the text. ‘i’ve met him at hogsmeade when i was getting the Fantastic Beast book, and guess what- he wrote the bloody book himself!’ (y/n) rant about her stupidity forced the book into her brother's face. ‘i should’ve known it was him!’ (y/n) sighed and collapsed on the floor.

‘ms. (l/n) did you forget something?’ orion scoffed at you. ‘what’s funny? i didn’t forget anything? oH! the laundry?’ you rushed to answer yourself. ‘no you idiot don’t you see his address? on the bloody paper?’ orion shoved the paper right in front of your eyes. 

‘go find him.’

part three? :)

[luciuslocks]

continued for @hadncchoice

             the words follow a moment of silence ; a moment where seconds prior, draco’s eyes landed on his father in something that looked like disgust.  inside the walls of this prison remind the boy who had no choice of a time where he was a prisoner in his own home.  subjected to the dark lord for a cause he no longer believes in ;  and when lucius seems shocked by the sudden impulse, it only irritates draco more.  

             even here, under high protection and security, his father lives the best of lives for a convict.  that malfoy money, no matter how dirty, has it’s perks.  a thought that makes him sick, has kept him awake fighting demons he’s tried to hide. but lucius wouldn’t know that, would he?  he’d been too busy living in the grander scheme.  

           eight months.  that’s how long it took after the trails for draco to even step foot in that place.  every letter sent home tossed to the side, unopened ; and it makes his mother cry, because she tries … narcissa tries so hard.  

  ‘’ ——————       oh.   now you want to      talk       about    it ?            ‘’

            it’s venom soaked turpentine, nice and slow, nothing like the fire threatening to seize the breathe from his lungs.  no amount of time spent at st. mungos can cure the loss of innocence and the replace of something far darker.  every mirror shattered in the wake of bruised and bloodied fists.  

                            you always were just like your father, draco.  

      ‘’           don’t you think,       F A T H E R   ….   it’s a little too late ?   i’m FAR TOO GONE  from the pawn you wanted me to be.         ‘’

          Eight months. Eight months that his son, his only son had chosen to ignore every attempt of contact with him, that the boy who he knew had once looked up to him so had decided that he no longer did.  ------  Not that Lucius blamed him, even if such words would never be admitted, because still, as he sits behind bars in Azkaban, that ridiculous sense of pride still remains. The Dark Lord no longer around to make him feel small. And now here his son sat in front of him, and he could see it. See the damage done.

          All he’d done was inquire as to why Draco had not spoken to him about this state he seemed to be in...  Such a sharp tongue he received. 

          Though as always,   (  apart from that dark time when they were in fact prisoners in their own home  ),   features remained practically blank. Trained to be neutral. 

          “ I tried countless times, Draco, to be in contact with you, did you even read my letters? ”  He questioned. Though he was maintaining his cool exterior, and though affection wasn’t his strong suit, Lucius did care about his son’s well-being. 

          Lucius had made mistakes, he knew that. He was here in Azkaban was he not?  “ Perhaps it is late, but we are family, Draco. ”

[sleeplesspensieve]

Remedy For Guilt - II

Summary: The daughter of Bellatrix and Rodopholus Lestrange is offered the opportunity to teach at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry after training as a Healer since her graduation. Her past haunts her and she relies on her old Potions teacher for help but what will happen when they get too close for comfort?

Rated: E for graphic sex scenes in later chapters. Over 18′s only please.

Word Count: 2185

Multichapter Fic (Expected to be around 30-35 chapters with a planned sequel which will take place during the Harry Potter Books)

The Malfoy Manor

Lyra Lestrange was not one to impulsively make decisions. Although her mind was made up the day she spoke to Albus she did spend several days deliberating before finally putting quill to parchment and writing the Headmaster a letter of acceptance. He was delighted to hear from his old student and was keen to know what she had planned for her students.

Her aunt and uncle on the other hand weren’t as pleased.

Now, they weren’t outraged enough to kick her out of the mansion but it was a persistent topic of conversation over dinner for the weeks interim. They avoided addressing it directly; instead Narcissa would go on about finding a husband whilst Lucius would offer her holidays and internships abroad. Lyra found herself picking up extra shifts and staying late, trying to avoid interacting with Aunt Cissy and Uncle Lucy. She was grateful the mansion was large so she could easily avoid crossing paths with them but lately she had found solace in the library.

Lyra spent her hours at the place she resided mulling over books that she thought would best suit her curriculum. She was still deciding on a book suitable for those in years 6 and 7, knowing that she would actually have to perform the Dark Arts in front of her students. She knew there was no use in hiding from it and only learning the theory. How could one be best equipped if you had to face it in real life if all they had done was read it from a book?

It was lucky that her Aunt and Uncle had kept their library fully stocked. There were hundreds, if not thousands of books lined on the walls stacked on top of one another. It wouldn’t surprise her if half of the books were unread or untouched, bought purely to promote the image of wealth. In the centre of the room was a large desk which Lyra was well acquainted with as she had spent her summers as a teenager attempting to read all that she could as well as spending her time studying there whilst in Healing School. It was probably her favourite room within the entire house as it was peaceful and she was usually not disturbed.

The collection of books within the library included old text books of hers as well as her Aunt and Uncle’s which she was considering as part of her subject. She waved her wand and a few books were pulled from the shelf and floated to the desk. She was flicking through a book when she was interrupted by a child crashing through the door. The blond boy had his broomstick in tow and looked hopefully towards Lyra.

“Lyra,” he drawled, “Can you come and play with me?”

She smiled sweetly at her cousin and caressed his head. “Sorry Draco, I’ve got to find a book.”

“Well, what book do you need?”  He asked as propped his broomstick against the desk. “I could help you find it?”

She smiled and laughed lightly to herself knowing full well that her 9 year old cousin wouldn’t have the faintest idea where to look, “I’m not sure yet, I’m trying to find something good but I need to read through them all.”

Draco looked deflated. “Well, I’ll be outside then. Please come and join me when you can. It’s not as fun playing alone.” He grabbed his broomstick and walked towards the door, his head hung with sadness.

“Why don’t you invite the boys over to play?” Lyra suggested as she flicked through a book and put it aside.

“They’re not as good as you,” he frowned.

A woman approached the door to the library which young Draco had left ajar. She had hair as blonde as the child who entered. She beckoned for her son.

“Draco, dear,” she said. “Haven’t we told you before not to disturb Lyra whilst she’s in the library. She’s got important things to do.”

“What’s so important?” he questioned.

“I’ve got a new job,” she said, “Just doing a bit of reading up.”

“But, I thought you had a job?” he questioned. “Aren’t you working at that hospital as a healer?”

“I’m taking a break for a while, I’m going to go work at Hogwarts to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts,” Lyra said.

“Can I go to Hogwarts with you?” the boy asked.

Lyra smiled, “No sweetie. You’re too young. You’ll probably go next year.”

“I hope so,” his mother said. “Your father wants you to go to Durmstrang but Hogwarts is much closer.”

“Will you still be there next year?” Draco asked, looking up at his cousin.

“Possibly,” she said. “But don’t worry yourself too much. I’ll make time to see you, can’t leave my darling cousin alone for too long.” She pinched his cheek.

“Go along, dear,” Draco’s mother dismissed him and he went outside reluctantly. She turned her attention to Lyra. “Are you sure this is wise?”

“Working at Hogwarts?” she asked. “I think so. I mean, it’ll probably only be a year and I can go back to St. Mungo’s after and resume my training as a healer.”

“But all those mudbloods,” her Aunt shuddered at the thought.

“Yet you want Draco to go there?” Lyra raised her eyebrows.

“Scandinavia is much too far away -”

“Is it, dear?” A man with long blonde hair entered the room, joining the conversation. “I think it’s important that Draco gets an education where he will not be corrupt by filthy mudbloods and be taught how to use the Dark Arts.”

“What if he needs something and we’re too far away, Lucius?” his wife questioned.

“Well, we sent Lyra there and she was fine,” Lucius shrugged.

Lyra laughed as Narcissa objected, “Lyra was expelled.”

“With good reason,” she interjected. “You can’t expect me to go to school with that man in charge. He betrayed us.”

“Better to have Karkaroff than Dumbledore,” Lucius said. “Draco needs to learn how to use the Dark Arts.”

“Then teach him yourself,” Narcissa said before storming out of the room. The door slammed shut behind her.

“You honestly can’t blame her,” Lyra said. “She loves Draco more than anything and you never know Karkaroff might want revenge for what I did to him.”

“But Hogwarts? The place has gone to the dogs. Mudbloods roaming about learning how to use magic.”

Lyra’s ideals no longer aligned with her family’s but she wasn’t about to let that slip out. She’d much rather pretend to be a purist than come out as a blood traitor. “Honestly, Uncle,” she said. “I’m not sure of anything right not and I feel like it’d be nice to just get away from work for a while.”

“Why not go on a holiday?” he asked. “I’ll cover your expenses.”

“Thanks for the offer but I think I need this,” Lyra said as she opened up a book that was sitting on the desk.

“Very well,” Lucius said as he walked off.

~

The Malfoy Manor had been Lyra’s home for the past ten years, though she had probably spent more time at school or work than actually at her home. After the fall of the Dark Lord and then the imprisonment of her parents her Aunt Narcissa and Uncle Lucius had taken her in. Once she turned 17 she thought that she may have been able to move to her parents’ house but found that the Ministry of Magic had seized most of their assets and sold it on to new owners.

Lyra did not wish to impose on her Aunt and Uncle’s generosity for too long but it’s not like they even saw her much due to the vast size of their home. Her Aunt and Uncle insisted that she stay with them until she got married. Lyra had little to no interest in marriage but it seemed to be all that her Aunt seemed to talk about.

“So, Lyra, when will you find a nice man to marry?” she asked as they sat at the dinner table. Lyra knew by the tone of her voice that nice really meant pure-blood.

“There’s not many left that we’re not related to,” she said as she dug into her steak. “Plus I am much more focused on my career.”

“Not much of a career if you insist on changing to teaching,” Lucius said.

Lyra exhaled.

“Honestly, Lyra,” Narcissa said, “You’d be a wonderful mother. I don’t know why you insist on working so much. Just find yourself a man and get married, that’s what I did.” She smiled and held Lucius’ free hand for a brief moment.

“You never know, I might find myself a nice man whilst I’m at Hogwarts,” she jested.

“Where? In a pub at Hogsmeade?” Narcissa scoffed. “Don’t be stupid.”

“The only decent man there is Severus and he’s a half blood,” Lucius said.

Lyra recoiled at the thought of seeing her old Professor in that manner. Severus Snape was a man whose name and face passed through Lyra’s head often. She knew that Severus was close to her family and he strongly featured in the memories of the days from when her family followed the Dark Lord. Despite the fact that those days were over she knew that her Uncle Lucius kept in close contact with him. Though that was not the reason the Potions Master was a thought that frequented in her head.

“Miss Lestrange,” Severus sneered, “I have half a mind to place you in my first year class. How could you make a mistake on such a simple potion?” He waved his wand and the contents disappeared.

She froze in shock and confusion. She swore she put all the ingredients correctly as she had time and time again. She glanced up at the girl she knew would sabotage her potion but instead of laughter her face was pure white, as if she had seen a ghost. She didn’t understand why until her ears tuned back into what her classmates were whispering. “Lestrange?” “Did he say Lestrange?” “As in those Death Eaters?”

She glared at him and he could see by his face that he knew he had made a terrible mistake. Lyra got up from her desk and with a flick of her wand her books slammed shut and packed themselves away into her bag. She stormed off, slamming the door with her wand as hard as she could behind her.

She walked off, straight past the Slytherin common room and made her way upstairs to the Headmaster’s office. This was it, her reputation ruined. She had tried so hard to keep her real name a secret. She knew that she’d have to leave the school before word got around.

“What about the Carrow’s?” Narcissa asked, bringing Lyra’s attention back to the present day. “Weren’t they on our side?”

Lyra screwed up her face in disgust, “Isn’t Amycus like 30? I’m only 20.”

“Can’t be too picky now,” Narcissa shrugged. “Ten years isn’t that big of an age gap.”

“I did suggest you could go overseas,” Lucius offered, “You could find yourself a foreign pure-blood husband.”

“I’m ok,” Lyra said, shoving some food in her mouth in an attempt to excuse herself from talking much more.

“How about one of your old school friends from Durmstrang?” he continued, “Don’t you keep in contact with any of them?” Lyra shook her head in response.

“You don’t have forever, you know?” her Aunt said, “You’re in your prime and those years are just ticking away. Your mother married and had you when she was only 19.”

“My mother also joined the Dark Lord when she was 17 and there was probably a lot more pure-blood wizards around back then,” Lyra said, “But you guys all went and killed each other, I’ll probably have to settle for a half-blood.”

“You will not tarnish the Black family name like my blood-traitor sister,” Narcissa screeched, bringing the whole table to a halt.

“Now, dear,” Lucius said, reaching over and stroking his wife’s hand, “We’ll find her someone, don’t you worry. If not she can marry young Draco here once he’s of age.”

Lyra shook her head at Draco who was much too young to be listening to this conversation. “Don’t worry, I won’t let that happen,” she said to the young boy seated next to her.

“Well, I do love you,” Draco said, smiling at his cousin.

She smiled sweetly back at him, “I love you too Draco.”

Lucius and Narcissa continued to discuss Lyra’s potential suitors over dinner. She excused herself once she was done and found her way back to the Malfoy Library. She started pouring over different books. It took a few more hours before she had the right one and as soon as she found it she added it to her list and sent it off to Professor Dumbledore. She had chosen a different book for 1st, 2nd and 3rd years, 4th and 5th, and 6th and 7th. She felt accomplished and confident in her choices, with that she headed to bed.

[hadncchoice]

when were you going to tell me? -- luciuslocks

angst angst angst.  || @luciuslocks

              the words follow a moment of silence ; a moment where seconds prior, draco’s eyes landed on his father in something that looked like disgust.  inside the walls of this prison remind the boy who had no choice of a time where he was a prisoner in his own home.  subjected to the dark lord for a cause he no longer believes in ;  and when lucius seems shocked by the sudden impulse, it only irritates draco more.  

              even here, under high protection and security, his father lives the best of lives for a convict.  that malfoy money, no matter how dirty, has it’s perks.  a thought that makes him sick, has kept him awake fighting demons he’s tried to hide. but lucius wouldn’t know that, would he?  he’d been too busy living in the grander scheme.  

            eight months.  that’s how long it took after the trails for draco to even step foot in that place.  every letter sent home tossed to the side, unopened ; and it makes his mother cry, because she tries … narcissa tries so hard.  

   ‘’            ——————       oh.   now you want to      talk       about    it ?            ‘’ 

             it’s venom soaked turpentine, nice and slow, nothing like the fire threatening to seize the breathe from his lungs.  no amount of time spent at st. mungos can cure the loss of innocence and the replace of something far darker.  every mirror shattered in the wake of bruised and bloodied fists.  

                              you always were just like your father, draco.  

       ‘’           don’t you think,       F A T H E R   ….   it’s a little too late ?   i’m FAR TOO GONE  from the pawn you wanted me to be.          ‘’

[readbookywooks]

Careers Advice

'But why haven't you got Occlumency lessons any more?' said Hermione, frowning. 'I've told you,' Harry muttered. 'Snape reckons I can carry on by myself now I've got the basics.' 'So you've stopped having funny dreams?' said Hermione sceptically. 'Pretty much,' said Harry, not looking at her. 'Well, I don't think Snape should stop until you're absolutely sure you can control them!' said Hermione indignantly. 'Harry, I think you should go back to him and ask-- ' 'No,' said Harry forcefully. 'Just drop it, Hermione, OK?' It was the first day of the Easter holidays and Hermione, as was her custom, had spent a large part of the day drawing up revision timetables for the three of them. Harry and Ron had let her do it; it was easier than arguing with her and, in any case, they might come in useful. Ron had been startled to discover there were only six weeks left until their exams. 'How can that come as a shock?' Hermione demanded, as she tapped each little square on Ron's timetable with her wand so that it flashed a different colour according to its subject. 'I dunno,' said Ron, 'there's been a lot going on.' 'Well, there you are,' she said, handing him his timetable, 'if you follow that you should do fine.' Ron looked down it gloomily, but then brightened. 'You've given me an evening off every week!' 'That's for Quidditch practice,' said Hermione. The smile faded from Ron's face. 'What's the point?' he said dully. 'We've got about as much chance of winning the Quidditch Cup this year as Dad's got of becoming Minister for Magic.' Hermione said nothing; she was looking at Harry, who was staring blankly at the opposite wall of the common room while Crookshanks pawed at his hand, trying to get his ears scratched. 'What's wrong, Harry?' 'What?' he said quickly. 'Nothing.' He seized his copy of Defensive Magical Theory and pretended to be looking something up in the index. Crookshanks gave him up as a bad job and slunk away under Hermione's chair. 'I saw Cho earlier,' said Hermione tentatively. 'She looked really miserable, too ... have you two had a row again?' 'Wha--oh, yeah, we have,' said Harry, seizing gratefully on the excuse. 'What about?' 'That sneak friend of hers, Marietta,' said Harry. 'Yeah, well, I don't blame you!' said Ron angrily, setting down his revision timetable. 'If it hadn't been for her ...' Ron went into a rant about Marietta Edgecombe, which Harry found helpful; all he had to do was look angry, nod and say 'Yeah' and That's right' whenever Ron drew breath, leaving his mind free to dwell, ever more miserably, on what he had seen in the Pensieve. He felt as though the memory of it was eating him from inside. He had been so sure his parents were wonderful people that he had never had the slightest difficulty in disbelieving the aspersions Snape cast on his father's character. Hadn't people like Hagrid and Sirius told Harry how wonderful his father had been? (Yeah, well, look what Sirius was like himself, said a nagging voice inside Harry's head ... he was as bad, wasn't he?) Yes, he had once overheard Professor McGonagall saying that his father and Sirius had been troublemakers at school, but she had described them as forerunners of the Weasley twins, and Harry could not imagine Fred and George dangling someone upside-down for the fun of it ... not unless they really loathed them ... perhaps Malfoy or somebody who really deserved it . Harry tried to make a case for Snape having deserved what he had suffered at James's hands: but hadn't Lily asked, 'What's he done to you?' And hadn't James replied, 'It's more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean.' Hadn't James started it all simply because Sirius had said he was bored? Harry remembered Lupin saying back in Grimmauld Place that Dumbledore had made him prefect in the hope that he would be able to exercise some control over James and Sirius ... but in the Pensieve, he had sat there and let it all happen ... Harry kept reminding himself that Lily had intervened; his mother had been decent. Yet, the memory of the look on her face as she had shouted at James disturbed him quite as much as anything else; she had clearly loathed James, and Harry simply could not understand how they could have ended up married. Once or twice he even wondered whether James had forced her into it ... For nearly five years the thought of his father had been a source of comfort, of inspiration. Whenever someone had told him he was like James, he had glowed with pride inside. And now ... now he felt cold and miserable at the thought of him. The weather grew breezier, brighter and warmer as the Easter holidays passed, but Harry, along with the rest of the fifth- and seventh-years, was trapped inside, revising, traipsing back and forth to the library. Harry pretended his bad mood had no other cause but the approaching exams, and as his fellow Gryffindors were sick of studying themselves, his excuse went unchallenged. 'Harry, I'm talking to you, can you hear me?' 'Huh?' He looked round. Ginny Weasley, looking very windswept, had joined him at the library table where he had been sitting alone. It was late on Sunday evening: Hermione had gone back to Gryffindor Tower to revise Ancient Runes, and Ron had Quidditch practice. 'Oh, hi,' said Harry, pulling his books towards him. 'How come you're not at practice?' 'It's over,' said Ginny. 'Ron had to take Jack Sloper up to the hospital wing.' 'Why?' 'Well, we're not sure, but we think he knocked himself out with his own bat.' She sighed heavily. 'Anyway ... a package just arrived, it's only just got through Umbridge's new screening process.' She hoisted a box wrapped in brown paper on to the table; it had clearly been unwrapped and carelessly re-wrapped. There was a scribbled note across it in red ink, reading: Inspected and Passed by the Hogwarts High Inquisitor. 'It's Easter eggs from Mum,' said Ginny. 'There's one for you ... there you go.' She handed him a handsome chocolate egg decorated with small, iced Snitches and, according to the packaging, containing a bag of Fizzing Whizzbees. Harry looked at it for a moment, then, to his horror, felt a lump rise in his throat. 'Are you OK, Harry?' Ginny asked quietly. 'Yeah, I'm fine,' said Harry gruffly. The lump in his throat was painful. He did not understand why an Easter egg should have made him feel like this. 'You seem really down lately,' Ginny persisted. 'You know, I'm sure if you just talked to Cho ...' 'It's not Cho I want to talk to,' said Harry brusquely. 'Who is it, then?' asked Ginny, watching him closely. 'I ...' He glanced around to make quite sure nobody was listening. Madam Pince was several shelves away, stamping out a pile cf books for a frantic-looking Hannah Abbott. 'I wish I could talk to Sirius,' he muttered. 'But I know I can't.' Ginny continued to watch him thoughtfully. More to give himself something to do than because he really wanted any, Harry unwrapped his Easter egg, broke off a large bit and put it into his mouth. 'Well,' said Ginny slowly, helping herself to a bit of egg, too, 'if you really want to talk to Sirius, I expect we could think of a way to do it.' 'Come on,' said Harry dully. 'With Umbridge policing the fires and reading all our mail?' 'The thing about growing up with Fred and George,' said Ginny thoughtfully, 'is that you sort of start thinking anything's possible if you've got enough nerve.' Harry looked at her. Perhaps it was the effect of the chocolate--Lupin had always advised eating some after encounters with dementors--or simply because he had finally spoken aloud the wish that had been burning inside him for a week, but he felt a bit more hopeful. 'WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?' 'Oh damn,' whispered Ginny, jumping to her feet. 'I forgot--' Madam Pince was swooping down on them, her shrivelled face contorted with rage. 'Chocolate in the library!' she screamed. 'Out--out--OUT!' And whipping out her wand, she caused Harry's books, bag and ink bottle to chase him and Ginny from the library, whacking them repeatedly over the head as they ran. As though to underline the importance of their upcoming examinations, a batch of pamphlets, leaflets and notices concerning various wizarding careers appeared on the tables in Gryffindor Tower shortly before the end of the holidays, along with yet another notice on the board, which read: CAREERS ADVICE All fifth-years are required to attend a short meeting with their Head of House during the first week of the summer term to discuss their future careers. Times of individual appointments are listed below. Harry looked down the list and found that he was expected in Professor McGonagall's office at half past two on Monday, which would mean missing most of Divination. He and the other fifth-years spent a considerable part of the final weekend of the Easter break reading all the careers information that had been left there for their perusal. 'Well, I don't fancy Healing,' said Ron on the last evening of the holidays. He was immersed in a leaflet that carried the crossed bone-and-wand emblem of St. Mungo's on its front. 'It says here you need at least "E" at NEWT level in Potions, Herbology, Transfiguration, Charms and Defence Against the Dark Arts. I mean ... blimey ... don't want much, do they?' 'Well, it's a very responsible job, isn't it?' said Hermione absently. She was poring over a bright pink and orange leaflet, that was headed, 'SO YOU THINK YOU'D LIKE TO WORK IN MUGGLE RELATIONS?' 'You don't seem to need many qualifications to liaise with Muggles; all they want is an OWL in Muggle Studies: Much more important is your enthusiasm, patience and a good sense of fun!' 'You'd need more than a good sense of fun to liaise with my uncle,' said Harry darkly. 'Good sense of when to duck, more like.' He was halfway through a pamphlet on wizard banking. 'Listen to this: Are you seeking a challenging career involving travel, adventure and substantial, danger-related treasure bonuses? Then consider a position with Gringotts Wizarding Bank, who are currently recruiting Curse-Breakers for thrilling opportunities abroad ...They want Arithmancy, though; you could do it, Hermione!' 'I don't much fancy banking,' said Hermione vaguely, now immersed in: 'HAVE YOU GOT WHAT IT TAKES TO TRAIN SECURITY TROLLS?' 'Hey,' said a voice in Harry's ear. He looked round; Fred and George had come to join them. 'Ginny's had a word with us about you,' said Fred, stretching out his legs on the table in front of them and causing several booklets on careers with the Ministry of Magic to slide off on to the floor. 'She says you need to talk to Sirius?' 'What?' said Hermione sharply, freezing with her hand halfway towards picking up 'MAKE A BANG AT THE DEPARTMENT OF MAGICAL ACCIDENTS AND CATASTROPHES'. 'Yeah ...' said Harry, trying to sound casual, 'yeah, I thought I'd like--' 'Don't be so ridiculous,' said Hermione, straightening up and looking at him as though she could not believe her eyes. 'With Umbridge groping around in the fires and frisking all the owls?' 'Well, we think we can find a way around that,' said George, stretching and smiling. 'It's a simple matter of causing a diversion. Now, you might have noticed that we have been rather quiet on the mayhem front during the Easter holidays?' 'What was the point, we asked ourselves, of disrupting leisure time?' continued Fred. 'No point at all, we answered ourselves. And of course, we'd have messed up people's revision, too, which would be the very last thing we'd want to do.' He gave Hermione a sanctimonious little nod. She looked rather taken aback by this thoughtfulness. 'But it's business as usual from tomorrow,' Fred continued briskly. 'And if we're going to be causing a bit of uproar, why not do it so that Harry can have his chat with Sirius?' 'Yes, but still,' said Hermione, with an air of explaining something very simple to somebody very obtuse, 'even if you do cause a diversion, how is Harry supposed to talk to him?' 'Umbridge's office,' said Harry quietly. He had been thinking about it for a fortnight and could come up with no alternative. Umbridge herself had told him that the only fire that was not being watched was her own. 'Are--you-- insane?' said Hermione in a hushed voice. Ron had lowered his leaflet on jobs in the Cultivated Fungus Trade and was watching the conversation warily. 'I don't think so,' said Harry, shrugging. 'And how are you going to get in there in the first place?' Harry was ready for this question. 'Sirius's knife,' he said. 'Excuse me?' 'Christmas before last Sirius gave me a knife that'll open any lock,' said Harry. 'So even if she's bewitched the door so Alahomora won't work, which I bet she has-- ' 'What do you think about this?' Hermione demanded of Ron, and Harry was reminded irresistibly of Mrs. Weasley appealing to her husband during Harry's first dinner in Grimmauld Place. 'I dunno,' said Ron, looking alarmed at being asked to give an opinion. 'If Harry wants to do it, it's up to him, isn't it?' 'Spoken like a true friend and Weasley,' said Fred, clapping Ron hard on the back. 'Right, then. We're thinking of doing it tomorrow, just after lessons, because it should cause maximum impact in everybody's in the corridors--Harry, we'll set it off in the east wing somewhere, draw her right away from her own office--I reckon we should be able to guarantee you, what, twenty minutes?' he said, looking at George. 'Easy,' said George. 'What sort of diversion is it?' asked Ron. 'You'll see, little bro', said Fred, as he and George got up again. 'At least, you will if you trot along to Gregory the Smarmy's corridor round about five o'clock tomorrow.' Harry awoke very early the next day, feeling almost as anxious as he had done on the morning of his disciplinary hearing at the Ministry of Magic. It was not only the prospect of breaking into Umbridge's office and using her fire to speak to Sirius that was making him feel nervous, though that was certainly bad enough; today also happened to be the first time Harry would be in close proximity to Snape since Snape had thrown him out of his office. After lying in bed for a while thinking about the day ahead, Harry got up very quietly and moved across to the window beside Neville's bed, and stared out on a truly glorious morning. The sky was a clear, misty, opalescent blue. Directly ahead of him, Harry could see the towering beech tree below which his father had once tormented Snape. He was not sure what Sirius could possibly say to him that would make up for what he had seen in the Pensieve, but he was desperate to hear Sirius's own account of what had happened, to know of any mitigating factors there might have been, any excuse at all for his father's behaviour ... Something caught Harry's attention: movement on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Harry squinted into the sun and saw Hagrid emerging from between the trees. He seemed to be limping. As Harry watched, Hagrid staggered to the door of his cabin and disappeared inside it. Harry watched the cabin for several minutes. Hagrid did not emerge again, but smoke furled from the chimney, so Hagrid could not be so badly injured that he was unequal to stoking the fire. Harry turned away from the window, headed back to his trunk and started to dress. With the prospect of forcing entry into Umbridge's office ahead. Harry had never expected the day to be a restful one, but he had not reckoned on Hermione's almost continual attempts to dissuade him from what he was planning to do at five o'clock. For the first time ever, she was at least as inattentive to Professor Binns in History of Magic as Harry and Ron were, keeping up a stream of whispered admonitions that Harry tried very hard to ignore. '... and if she does catch you there, apart from being expelled, she'll be able to guess you've been talking to Snuffles and this time I expect she'll force you to drink Veritaserum and answer her questions ...' 'Hermione,' said Ron in a low and indignant voice, 'are you going to stop telling Harry off and listen to Binns, or am I going to have to take my own notes?' 'You take notes for a change, it won't kill you!' By the time they reached the dungeons, neither Harry nor Ron was speaking to Hermione. Undeterred, she took advantage of their silence to maintain an uninterrupted flow of dire warnings, all uttered under her breath in a vehement hiss that caused Seamus to waste five whole minutes checking his cauldron for leaks. Snape, meanwhile, seemed to have decided to act as though Harry were invisible. Harry was, of course, well-used to this tactic, as it was one of Uncle Vernon's favourites, and on the whole was grateful he had to suffer nothing worse. In fact, compared to what he usually had to endure from Snape in the way of taunts and snide remarks, he found the new approach something of an improvement, and was pleased to find that when left well alone, he was able to concoct an Invigoration Draught quite easily. At the end of the lesson he scooped some of the potion into a flask, corked it and took it up to Snape's desk for marking, feeling that he might at last have scraped an 'E'. He had just turned away when he heard a smashing noise. Malfoy gave a gleeful yell of laughter. Harry whipped around. His potion sample lay in pieces on the floor and Snape was surveying him with a look of gloating pleasure. 'Whoops,' he said softly. 'Another zero, then, Potter.' Harry was too incensed to speak. He strode back to his cauldron, intending to fill another flask and force Snape to mark it, but saw to his horror that the rest of the contents had vanished. 'I'm sorry!' said Hermione, with her hands over her mouth. 'I'm really sorry, Harry. I thought you'd finished, so I cleared up!' Harry could not bring himself to answer. When the bell rang, he hurried out of the dungeon without a backwards glance, and made sure that he found himself a seat between Neville and Seamus for lunch so that Hermione could not start nagging him again about using Umbridge's office. He was in such a bad mood by the time he got to Divination that he had quite forgotten his careers appointment with Professor McGonagall, remembering it only when Ron asked him why he wasn't in her office. He hurtled back upstairs and arrived out of breath, only a few minutes late. 'Sorry, Professor,' he panted, as he closed the door. 'I forgot.' 'No matter, Potter,' she said briskly, but as she spoke, somebody else sniffed from the corner. Harry looked round. Professor Umbridge was sitting there, a clipboard on her knee, a fussy little pie-frill around her neck and a small, horribly smug smile on her face. 'Sit down, Potter,' said Professor McGonagall tersely. Her hands shook slightly as she shuffled the many pamphlets littering her desk. Harry sat down with his back to Umbridge and did his best to pretend he could not hear the scratching of her quill on her clipboard. 'Well, Potter, this meeting is to talk over any career ideas you might have, and to help you decide which subjects you should continue into the sixth and seventh years,' said Professor McGonagall. 'Have you had any thoughts about what you would like to do after you leave Hogwarts?' 'Er--' said Harry. He was finding the scratching noise from behind him very distracting. 'Yes?' Professor McGonagall prompted Harry. 'Well, I thought of, maybe, being an Auror,' Harry mumbled. 'You'd need top grades for that,' said Professor McGonagall, extracting a small, dark leaflet from under the mass on her desk and opening it. 'They ask for a minimum of five NEWTs, and nothing under "Exceeds Expectations" grade, I see. Then you would be required to undergo a stringent series of character and aptitude tests at the Auror office. It's a difficult career path, Potter, they only take the best. In fact, I don't think anybody has been taken on in the last three years.' At this moment, Professor Umbridge gave a very tiny cough, as though she was trying to see how quietly she could do it. Professor McGonagall ignored her. 'You'll want to know which subjects you ought to take, I suppose?' she went on, talking a little louder than before. 'Yes,' said Harry. 'Defence Against the Dark Arts, I suppose?' 'Naturally,' said Professor McGonagall crisply. 'I would also advise--' Professor Umbridge gave another cough, a little more audible this time. Professor McGonagall closed her eyes for a moment, opened them again, and continued as though nothing had happened. 'I would also advise Transfiguration, because Aurors frequently need to Transfigure or Untransfigure in their work. And I ought to tell you now, Potter, that I do not accept students into my NEWT classes unless they have achieved "Exceeds Expectations" or higher at Ordinary Wizarding Level. I'd say you're averaging "Acceptable" at the moment, so you'll need to put in some good hard work before the exams to stand a chance of continuing. Then you ought to do Charms, always useful, and Potions. Yes, Potter, Potions,' she added, with the merest flicker of a smile. 'Poisons and antidotes are essential study for Aurors. And I must tell you that Professor Snape absolutely refuses to take students who get anything other than "Outstanding" in their OWLs, so --' Professor Umbridge gave her most pronounced cough yet. 'May I offer you a cough drop, Dolores?' Professor McGonagall asked curtly, without looking at Professor Umbridge. 'Oh, no, thank you very much,' said Umbridge, with that simpering laugh Harry hated so much. 'I just wondered whether I could make the teensiest interruption, Minerva?' 'I daresay you'll find you can,' said Professor McGonagall through tightly gritted teeth. 'I was just wondering whether Mr. Potter has quite the temperament for an Auror?' said Professor Umbridge sweetly. 'Were you?' said Professor McGonagall haughtily. 'Well, Potter,' she continued, as though there had been no interruption, 'if you are serious in this ambition, I would advise you to concentrate hard on bringing your Transfiguration and Potions up to scratch. I see Professor Flitwick has graded you between "Acceptable" and "Exceeds Expectations" for the last two years, so your Charmwork seems satisfactory. As for Defence Against the Dark Arts, your marks have been generally high, Professor Lupin in particular thought you--are you quite sure you wouldn't like a cough drop, Dolores?' 'Oh, no need, thank you, Minerva,' simpered Professor Umbridge, who had just coughed her loudest yet. 'I was just concerned that you might not have Harry's most recent Defence Against the Dark Arts marks in front of you. I'm quite sure I slipped in a note.' 'What, this thing?' said Professor McGonagall in a tone of revulsion, as she pulled a sheet of pink parchment from between the leaves of Harry's folder. She glanced down it, her eyebrows slightly raised, then placed it back into the folder without comment. 'Yes, as I was saying, Potter, Professor Lupin thought you showed a pronounced aptitude for the subject, and obviously for an Auror--' 'Did you not understand my note, Minerva?' asked Professor Umbndge in honeyed tones, quite forgetting to cough. 'Of course I understood it,' said Professor McGonagall, her teeth clenched so tightly the words came out a little muffled. 'Well, then, I am confused ... I'm afraid I don't quite understand how you can give Mr. Potter false hope that--' 'False hope?' repeated Professor McGonagall, still refusing to look round at Professor Umbridge. 'He has achieved high marks in all his Defence Against the Dark Arts tests--' 'I'm terribly sorry to have to contradict you, Minerva, but as you will see from my note, Harry has been achieving very poor results in his classes with me--' 'I should have made my meaning plainer,' said Professor McGonagall, turning at last to look Umbridge directly in the eyes. 'He has achieved high marks in all Defence Against the Dark Arts tests set by a competent teacher.' Professor Umbridge's smile vanished as suddenly as a light bulb blowing. She sat back in her chair, turned a sheet on her clipboard and began scribbling very fast indeed, her bulging eyes rolling from side to side. Professor McGonagall turned back to Harry, her thin nostrils flared, her eyes burning. 'Any questions, Potter?' 'Yes,' said Harry. 'What sort of character and aptitude tests do the Ministry do on you, if you get enough NEWTs?' 'Well, you'll need to demonstrate the ability to react well to pressure and so forth,' said Professor McGonagall, 'perseverance and dedication, because Auror training takes a further three years, not to mention very high skills in practical Defence. It will mean a lot more study even after you've left school, so unless you're prepared to--' 'I think you'll also find,' said Umbridge, her voice very cold now, 'that the Ministry looks into the records of those applying to be Aurors. Their criminal records.' '--unless you're prepared to take even more exams after Hogwarts, you should really look at another--' 'Which means that this boy has as much chance of becoming an Auror as Dumbledore has of ever returning to this school.' 'A very good chance, then,' said Professor McGonagall. 'Potter has a criminal record,' said Umbridge loudly. 'Potter has been cleared of all charges,' said McGonagall, even more loudly. Professor Umbridge stood up. She was so short that this did not make a great deal of difference, but her fussy, simpering demeanour had given place to a hard fury that made her broad, flabby face look oddly sinister. 'Potter has no chance whatsoever of becoming an Auror!' Professor McGonagall got to her feet, too, and in her case this was a much more impressive move: she towered over Professor Umbridge. 'Potter,' she said in ringing tones, 'I will assist you to become an Auror if it is the last thing I do! If I have to coach you nightly, I will make sure you achieve the required results!' 'The Minister for Magic will never employ Harry Potter!' said Umbridge, her voice rising furiously. 'There may well be a new Minister for Magic by the time Potter is ready to join!' shouted Professor McGonagall. 'Aha! shrieked Professor Umbridge, pointing a stubby linger at McGonagall. 'Yes! Yes, yes, yes! Of course! That's what you want, isn't it, Minerva McGonagall? You want Cornelius Fudge replaced by Albus Dumbledore! You think you'll be where I am, don't you: Senior Undersecretary to the Minister and Headmistress to boot!' 'You are raving,' said Professor McGonagall, superbly disdainful. 'Potter, that concludes our careers consultation.' Harry swung his bag over his shoulder and hurried out of the room, not daring to look at Professor Umbridge. He could hear her and Professor McGonagall continuing to shout at each other all the way back along the corridor. Professor Umbridge was still breathing as though she had just run a race when she strode into their Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson that afternoon. 'I hope you've thought better of what you were planning to do, Harry,' Hermione whispered, the moment they had opened their books to 'Chapter Thirty-four, Non-Retaliation and Negotiation'. 'Umbridge looks like she's in a really bad mood already ...' Every now and then Umbridge shot glowering looks at Harry, who kept his head down, staring at Defensive Magical Theory, his eyes unfocused, thinking ... He could just imagine Professor McGonagall's reaction if he was caught trespassing in Professor Umbridge's office mere hours after she had vouched for him ... there was nothing to stop him simply going back to Gryffindor Tower and hoping that some time during the next summer holidays he would have a chance to ask Sirius about the scene he had witnessed in the Pensieve ... nothing, except that the thought of taking this sensible course of action made him feel as though a lead weight had dropped into his stomach ... and then there was the matter of Fred and George, whose diversion was already planned, not to mention the knife Sirius had given him, which was currently residing in his schoolbag along with his father's old Invisibility Cloak. But the fact remained that if he was caught ... 'Dumbledore sacrificed himself to keep you in school, Harry!' whispered Hermione, raising her book to hide her face from Umbridge. 'And if you get thrown out today it will all have been for nothing!' He could abandon the plan and simply learn to live with the memory of what his father had done on a summer's day more than twenty years ago ... And then he remembered Sirius in the fire upstairs in the Gryffindor common room ... You're less like your father than I thought ... the risk would've been what made it fun for James ... But did he want to be like his father any more? 'Harry, don't do it, please don't do it!' Hermione said in anguished tones as the bell rang at the end of the class. He did not answer; he did not know what to do. Ron seemed determined to give neither his opinion nor his advice; he would not look at Harry, though when Hermione opened her mouth to try dissuading Harry some more, he said in a low voice, 'Give it a rest, OK? He can make up his own mind.' Harry's heart beat very fast as he left the classroom. He was halfway along the corridor outside when he heard the unmistakeable sounds of a diversion going off in the distance. There were screams and yells reverberating from somewhere above them; people exiting the classrooms all around Harry were stopping in their tracks and looking up at the ceiling fearfully-- Umbridge came pelting out of her classroom as fast as her short legs would carry her. Pulling out her wand, she hurried off in the opposite direction: it was now or never. 'Harry--please!' Hermione pleaded weakly. But he had made up his mind; hitching his bag more securely on to his shoulder, he set off at a run, weaving in and out of students now hurrying in the opposite direction to see what all the fuss was about in the east wing. Harry reached the corridor to Umbridge's office and found it deserted. Dashing behind a large suit of armour whose helmet creaked around to watch him, he pulled open his bag, seized Sirius's knife and donned the Invisibility Cloak. He then crept slowly and carefully back out from behind the suit of armour and along the corridor until he reached Umbridge's door. He inserted the blade of the magical knife into the crack around it and moved it gently up and down, then withdrew it. There was a tiny click, and the door swung open. He ducked inside the office, closed the door quickly behind him and looked around. Nothing was moving except the horrible kittens that were still frolicking on the wall plates above the confiscated broomsticks. Harry pulled off his Cloak and, striding over to the fireplace, found what he was looking for within seconds: a small box containing glittering Floo powder. He crouched down in front of the empty grate, his hands shaking. He had never done this before, though he thought he knew how it must work. Sticking his head into the fireplace, he took a large pinch of powder and dropped it on to the logs stacked neatly beneath him. They exploded at once into emerald green flames. 'Number twelve, Grimmauld Place!' Harry said loudly and clearly. It was one of the most curious sensations he had ever experienced. He had travelled by Floo powder before, of course, but then it had been his entire body that had spun around and around in the flames through the network of wizarding fireplaces that stretched over the country. This time, his knees remained firm upon the cold floor of Umbridge's office, and only his head hurtled through the emerald fire ... And then, as abruptly as it had begun, the spinning stopped. Feeling rather sick and as though he were wearing an exceptionally hot muffler around his head, Harry opened his eyes to find that he was looking up out of the kitchen fireplace at the long, wooden table, where a man sat poring over a piece of parchment. 'Sirius?' The man jumped and looked around. It was not Sirius, but Lupin. 'Harry!' he said, looking thoroughly shocked. 'What are you--what's happened, is everything all right?' 'Yeah,' said Harry. 'I just wondered--I mean, I just fancied a--a chat with Sirius.' 'I'll call him,' said Lupin, getting to his feet, still looking perplexed, 'he went upstairs to look for Kreacher, he seems to be hiding in the attic again ...' And Harry saw Lupin hurry out of the kitchen. Now he was left with nothing to look at but the chair and table legs. He wondered why Sirius had never mentioned how very uncomfortable it was to speak out of the fire; his knees were already objecting painfully to their prolonged contact with Umbridge's hard stone floor. Lupin returned with Sirius at his heels moments later. 'What is it?' said Sirius urgently, sweeping his long dark hair out of his eyes and dropping to the ground in front of the fire, so that he and Harry were on a level. Lupin knelt down too, looking very concerned. 'Are you all right? Do you need help?' 'No,' said Harry, 'it's nothing like that ... I just wanted to talk ... about my dad.' They exchanged a look of great surprise, but Harry did not have time to feel awkward or embarrassed; his knees were becoming sorer by the second and he guessed five minutes had already passed from the start of the diversion; George had only guaranteed him twenty. He therefore plunged immediately into the story of what he had seen in the Pensieve. When he had finished, neither Sirius nor Lupin spoke for a moment. Then Lupin said quietly, 'I wouldn't like you to judge your father on what you saw there, Harry. He was only fifteen--' 'I'm fifteen,' said Harry heatedly. 'Look, Harry' said Sirius placatingly, 'James and Snape hated each other from the moment they set eyes on each other, it was just one of those things, you can understand that, can't you? I think James was everything Snape wanted to be--he was popular, he was good at Quidditch--good at pretty much everything. And Snape was just this little oddball who was up to his eyes in the Dark Arts, and James--whatever else he may have appeared to you, Harry--always hated the Dark Arts.' 'Yeah,' said Harry, 'but he just attacked Snape for no good reason, just because--well, just because you said you were bored,' he finished, with a slightly apologetic note in his voice. 'I 'm not proud of it,' said Sirius quickly. Lupin looked sideways at Sirius, then said, 'Look, Harry, what you've got to understand is that your father and Sirius were the best in the school at whatever they did-- everyone thought they were the height of cool--if they sometimes got a bit carried away--' 'If we were sometimes arrogant little berks, you mean,' said Sirius. Lupin smiled. 'He kept messing up his hair,' said Harry in a pained voice. Sirius and Lupin laughed. 'I'd forgotten he used to do that,' said Sirius affectionately. 'Was he playing with the Snitch?' said Lupin eagerly. 'Yeah,' said Harry, watching uncomprehendingly as Sirius and Lupin beamed reminiscently. 'Well ... I thought he was a bit of an idiot.' 'Of course he was a bit of an idiot!' said Sirius bracingly, 'we were all idiots! Well-- not Moony so much,' he said fairly, looking at Lupin. But Lupin shook his head. 'Did I ever tell you to lay off Snape?' he said. 'Did I ever have the guts to tell you I thought you were out of order?' 'Yeah, well,' said Sirius, 'you made us feel ashamed of ourselves sometimes ... that was something ...' 'And,' said Harry doggedly, determined to say everything that was on his mind now he was here, 'he kept looking over at the girls by the lake, hoping they were watching him!' 'Oh, well, he always made a fool of himself whenever Lily was around,' said Sirius, shrugging, 'he couldn't stop himself showing off whenever he got near her.' 'How come she married him?' Harry asked miserably. 'She hated him!' 'Nah, she didn't,' said Sirius. 'She started going out with him in seventh year,' said Lupin. 'Once James had deflated his head a bit,' said Sirius. 'And stopped hexing people just for the fun of it,' said Lupin. 'Even Snape?' said Harry. 'Well,' said Lupin slowly, 'Snape was a special case. I mean, he never lost an opportunity to curse James so you couldn't really expect James to take that lying down, could you?' 'And my mum was OK with that?' 'She didn't know too much about it, to tell you the truth,' said Sirius. 'I mean, James didn't take Snape on dates with her and jinx him in front of her, did he?' Sirius frowned at Harry, who was still looking unconvinced. 'Look,' he said, 'your father was the best friend I ever had and he was a good person. A lot of people are idiots at the age of fifteen. He grew out of it.' 'Yeah, OK,' said Harry heavily. 'I just never thought I'd feel sorry for Snape.' 'Now you mention it,' said Lupin, a faint crease between his eyebrows, 'how did Snape react when he found you'd seen all this?' 'He told me he'd never teach me Occlumency again,' said Harry indifferently, 'like that's a big disappoint--' 'He WHAT?' shouted Sirius, causing Harry to jump and inhale a mouthful of ashes. 'Are you serious, Harry?' said Lupin quickly. 'He's stopped giving you lessons?' 'Yeah,' said Harry, surprised at what he considered a great over-reaction. 'But it's OK, I don't care, it's a bit of a relief to tell you the--' 'I'm coming up there to have a word with Snape!' said Sirius forcefully, and he actually made to stand up, but Lupin wrenched him back down again. 'If anyone's going to tell Snape it will be me!' he said firmly. 'But Harry, first of all, you're to go back to Snape and tell him that on no account is he to stop giving you lessons--when Dumbledore hears--' 'I can't tell him that, he'd kill me!' said Harry, outraged. 'You didn't see him when we got out of the Pensieve.' 'Harry there is nothing so important as you learning Occlumency!' said Lupin sternly. 'Do you understand me? Nothing!' 'OK, OK,' said Harry, thoroughly discomposed, not to mention annoyed. 'I'll ... I'll try and say something to him ... but it won't be--' He fell silent. He could hear distant footsteps. 'Is that Kreacher coming downstairs?' 'No,' said Sirius, glancing behind him. 'It must be somebody your end.' Harry's heart skipped several beats. 'I'd better go!' he said hastily and pulled his head backwards out of the Grimmauld Place fire. For a moment his head seemed to be revolving on his shoulders, then he found himself kneeling in front of Umbridge's fire with it firmly back on and watching the emerald flames flicker and die. 'Quickly, quickly!' he heard a wheezy voice mutter right outside the office door. 'Ah, she's left it open--' Harry dived for the Invisibility Cloak and had just managed to pull it back over himself when Filch burst into the office. He looked absolutely delighted about something and was talking to himself feverishly as he crossed the room, pulled open a drawer in Umbridge's desk and began rifling through the papers inside it. 'Approval for Whipping ... Approval for Whipping ... I can do it at last ... they've had it coming to them for years ...' He pulled out a piece of parchment, kissed it, then shuffled rapidly back out of the door, clutching it to his chest. Harry leapt to his feet and, making sure he had his bag and that the Invisibility Cloak was completely covering him, he wrenched open the door and hurried out of the office after Filch, who was hobbling along faster than Harry had ever seen him go. One landing down from Umbridge's office, Harry thought it was safe to become visible again. He pulled off the Cloak, shoved it in his bag and hurried onwards. There was a great deal of shouting and movement coming from the Entrance Hall. He ran down the marble staircase and found what looked like most of the school assembled there. It was just like the night when Trelawney had been sacked. Students were standing all around the walls in a great ring (some of them, Harry noticed, covered in a substance that looked very like Stinksap); teachers and ghosts were also in the crowd. Prominent among the onlookers were members of the Inquisitorial Squad, who were all looking exceptionally pleased with themselves, and Peeves, who was bobbing overhead, gazed down at Fred and George who stood in the middle of the floor with the unmistakeable look of two people who had just been cornered. 'So!' said Umbridge triumphantly. Harry realised she was standing just a few stairs in front of him, once more looking down upon her prey. 'So--you think it amusing to turn a school corridor into a swamp, do you?' 'Pretty amusing, yeah,' said Fred, looking up at her without the slightest sign of fear. Filch elbowed his way closer to Umbridge, almost crying with happiness. 'I've got the form, Headmistress,' he said hoarsely, waving the piece of parchment Harry had just seen him take from her desk. 'I've got the form and I've got the whips waiting ... oh, let me do it now ...' 'Very good, Argus,' she said. 'You two,' she went on, gazing down at Fred and George, 'are about to learn what happens to wrongdoers in my school.' 'You know what?' said Fred. 'I don't think we are.' He turned to his twin. 'George,' said Fred, 'I think we've outgrown full-time education.' 'Yeah, I've been feeling that way myself,' said George lightly. 'Time to test our talents in the real world, d'you reckon?' asked Fred. 'Definitely,' said George. And before Umbridge could say a word, they raised their wands and said together: 'Accio brooms!' Harry heard a loud crash somewhere in the distance. Looking to his left, he ducked just in time. Fred and George's broomsticks, one still trailing the heavy chain and iron peg with which Umbridge had fastened them to the wall, were hurtling along the corridor towards their owners; they turned left, streaked down the stairs and stopped sharply in front of the twins, the chain clattering loudly on the flagged stone floor. 'We won't be seeing you,' Fred told Professor Umbridge, swinging his leg over his broomstick. 'Yeah, don't bother to keep in touch,' said George, mounting his own. Fred looked around at the assembled students, at the silent, watchful crowd. 'It anyone fancies buying a Portable Swamp, as demonstrated upstairs, come to number ninety-three, Diagon Alley--Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes,' he said in a loud voice. 'Our new premises!' 'Special discounts to Hogwart's students who swear they're going to use our products to get rid of this old bat,' added George, pointing at Professor Umbridge. 'STOP THEM!' shrieked Umbridge, but it was too late. As the Inquisitorial Squad closed in, Fred and George kicked off from the floor, shooting fifteen feet into the air, the iron peg swinging dangerously below. Fred looked across the hall at the poltergeist bobbing on his level above the crowd. 'Give her hell from us, Peeves.' And Peeves, who Harry had never seen take an order from a student before, swept his belled hat from his head and sprang to a salute as Fred and George wheeled about to tumultuous applause from the students below and sped out of the open front doors into the glorious sunset.