Bad News

Hi everyone! Sorry it took so long to update. You know how busy school can be, plus I got really, really, REALLY sick.

Special thanks to my mom, my sister (even after that nasty review she left), Lord_and_Lady_Peeves, and my beta yutamiyu for everything you lovely ladies (and gentleman) do to encourage me.

Disclaimer: I have never owned any of these characters from the Harry Potter series and I never will. They all belong to the brilliant mind of J.K. Rowling. However this story belongs to me, spewing forth from my very own sick and demented mind. I don't plan on receiving any sort of profit for these stories. I just love the characters so much that I HAVE to write about them.

Please, no lawsuits.

Also, this is my FIRST story, so please, be nice and helpful. Enjoy! :)

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Chapter 15: Bad News

Hermione stepped out of he fireplace first with Snape not far behind. Dumbledore was sitting at his desk with a pained look on his face, which made both student and teacher uneasy. Had the headmaster seen them about to kiss? Was he calling them over for their immediate expulsion? Snape made no indication of his worry as he stepped out of the fireplace and stood beside Hermione with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Please, have a seat," Dumbledore told them as he waved a hand towards the two chairs in front of his desk.

Hermione took the chair closest to the fireplace, while Snape took the opposite chair. The three of them sat in silence for a few moments, as Dumbledore took off his spectacles and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger, obviously upset. He finally sighed and put on his moon-crescent glasses again before turning his attention to Hermione.

"Miss Granger... Hermione," Dumbledore began, "there really is no easy way of saying this, so I'll get to the reason I called you here right away."

'Oh God, he's going to expel me for almost kissing a professor!' Hermione thought in her head, as panic swept over her. 'Well, I'll take all the blame as long as Severus gets to keep his job. I'll just tell him...'

"Hermione, your parents have been attacked by Death Eaters."

Hermione gasped in surprise. In a way she was relieved that Dumbledore obviously didn't see anything between Snape and her, yet horrified by the news of her parents assault. The relief was short lived, as it soon turned into grief and dread. She blanched and her eyes grew wide with horror. As her stomach began to turn, her arms slowly encompassed her body on their own accord and, she huddled in her chair, as if she was a scared child.

For a moment, Snape thought Hermione had completely withdrawn from the world, and it terrified him. He wished he could take her in his arms and comfort her, but that wasn't going to happen as long as the headmaster was sitting in front of them. However, he saw her lips begin to move, but no words were coming out of her mouth. Seeing how Hermione responded to the news, Snape decided to step in and ask the questions she obviously wanted answered, but was unable to articulate.

"When did this happen?" Snape asked the headmaster with a furrowed brow.

"About three hours ago," Dumbledore answered gravely. "The Grangers were closing for the day when it happened. At first, no one seemed to think anything was unusual, until around seven o'clock. The shopkeeper from across the street found it odd that their automobile was still in front of the clinic, since they usually left by six. After he closed, he went to see if the Grangers were all right, when he suddenly witnessed three men (or what he assumed to be men) in long black robes run out the back door and literally disappeared in the alley." Dumbledore turned his attention back to Hermione before he continued. "My dear girl, I'm so sorry, but your parents were badly injured. They..."

"They were tortured, weren't they?" Hermione asked softly, while she looked down. "They were subjected to the Cruciatus Curse, weren't they?"

Dumbledore closed his eyes and sighed, "I'm afraid so, my dear."

Hermione was immobile and silent, not looking up at anyone. Her heart was aching and her mind was a blur. It was only yesterday that she received a letter from her parents telling her how much they loved her and missed her and couldn't wait for her to come home for Christmas. Suddenly, all of that changed in a moment. How could it be?

"What has happened to them?" Snape asked for Hermione again.

"The shopkeeper ran inside and saw the Grangers badly injured on the floor and called for help."

"Oh, don't tell me the Muggle police are involved."

"Actually, the shopkeeper is a wizard named Tobias Peregrine. He recognized the three men as Death Eaters and sent for Aurors, and Tonks was among the ones who responded."

"Where are the Grangers now?"

"St. Mungo's, where they are in critical condition."

"When will they know when they're out of danger?"

"It's hard to say, Severus, but they seem to be fighting..."

"Will it... drive them mad?" Hermione asked tremulously, still not meeting anyone's eyes, while her thoughts dwelled on the images of the Longbottoms at St. Mungo's.

Dumbledore swallowed hard, before he said sadly, "I don't know, Hermione. As I told Professor Snape, it's hard to say at this moment."

Hermione continued to look down, as she wrapped her arms around herself tighter. Snape had to look away, not being able to bear seeing her like that and not being able to do anything about it. Instead, he turned to Dumbledore again and said seriously, "It seems very odd that they knew exactly when the Grangers closed their clinic, and where to escape when someone arrived. This wasn't a random incident. This was a planned attack."

"Do you think this was something Tom ordered?" Dumbledore asked.

"No, it doesn't sound like something he would do. It was sophisticated, but not as precise or diabolical. He wouldn't have allowed the Grangers to live. No, someone else planned this, someone trying to send a message to Potter and the rest of us. This was plotted by another Death Eater, and I have a feeling I know exactly who would target the Grangers."

Dumbledore nodded as he thought of the same person Snape was thinking: Lucius Malfoy.

"I want to see them," Hermione suddenly said. Both Dumbledore and Snape looked at her, as she lifted her head for the first time since she received the news. She looked Dumbledore straight in the eye and repeated her statement: "I want to see them... tonight."

"I'm afraid that's impossible, my dear," the old wizard frowned. "You see, you're at a great risk now. Whoever planned this knows that would be the first thing you'd do, and then he or she would have the opportunity to attack you. Of course, those responsible for harming your parents will not have the opportunity to do it again, for we have our people protecting them at all times in St. Mungo's, but we don't want the same tragedy to happen to you. Unfortunately, this also means you cannot leave Hogwarts, even for Hogsmeade or Christmas. We need to be very cautious. Do you understand?"

"But my parents need me," she protested in a much stronger voice.

"What they need is rest."

"But professor..."

"Hermione, I know this is hard to accept, but please, trust me when I say that we are doing everything in our power to ensure the safety of your parents and you as well. The best thing for them right now is rest and secrecy. I promise I will allow you to see them as soon as possible. All right?"

"Yes," Hermione whispered, before she cast her gaze back down at her feet.

"For now, just try to get some rest. Again, I promise you that as soon as I hear any change in their status, I'll let you be the first to know."

"Thank you, sir."

"Severus, would you please be so kind as to escort Miss Granger back to her rooms?"

"Of course, Headmaster," Snape said with a nod. As the three of them rose, Dumbledore reached over and put a hand on Hermione's shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

"I'm so sorry, my dear," Dumbledore said with tears threatening to leak out of his eyes. "If you need anything..."

"Thank you, sir," is all Hermione said, as she patted his hand, but still did not meet his eyes. She turned towards Snape and said softly, "Professor Snape, I left my notes in the lab. Can we stop there to get my things before we go to my rooms?"

"Yes," Snape said in a detached voice. He turned to the fireplace and cast the Floo powder and said, "Potions Laboratory" before stepping into the green fire.

Snape was the first to step out of the flames and into the lab. Hermione trailed slowly behind him, still in obvious shock. In light of the recent events, Snape decided to end the night's experiments and save them for the next day. He briefly left Hermione standing in the middle of the lab to stop the current experiments and make sure nothing that was left out could spoil. Upon his return, he was shocked to see Hermione no longer standing, but crumpled on the floor and on her knees while weeping into her hands. Snape was flabbergasted. He didn't know what to do. After all, he had little experience with women, especially when they wept. However, he felt his heart ache, as he watched her weep and heard her sobs of despair. Mustering up all his strength, Snape slowly walked over to Hermione and knelt down beside her on the floor.

"Hermione," he whispered. "Hermione."

The poor girl tired to control herself, so she could answer, but found it difficult to do so. Hesitantly, Snape put a slightly shaky hand on Hermione's back in an attempt to comfort her. Although she calmed down slightly at his touch, she still in no way had controlled herself from the sobbing. Snape felt as if his heart was being torn in two. He felt helpless seeing his little lioness in so much pain, and not being able to do a damn thing about it.

Not knowing what else to do, Snape began to slowly rub Hermione's back and asked in a gentle voice, "Is there anything I can do?"

To his surprise, Hermione said through her sobs. "Severus, please... just... just hold me."

Before Snape could respond, Hermione threw herself into his lap and wrapped her arms around his waist. She buried her head into his chest, as she cried, her tears soaking into his frock coat. Snape was motionless and speechless for several moments, surprised she had been bold enough to not only latch onto him, but seek comfort from him also. Well, he supposed it wasn't all too shocking. After all, if that meddling old goat hadn't interrupted them when he did, they'd probably still be lip-locked and... goodness knows what else.

Finally, after feeling her body shudder with every sob that escaped her lips, Snape slowly encompassed his arms around Hermione and held her close. He turned his head to let his cheek rest on top of her and allowed a hand run down the soft curls of her hair. She held onto him tighter, feeling warm and safe within his arms. While his hand stroked her hair, she felt the muscles of his chest tighten, as he brought her closer to his body. As he continued caressing her hair, he tried to remember comforting words his mother used to say to calm him after his father had finished beating the both of them.

"Hush now," he said as gently as he could. "It will be all right. Your tears are unnecessary. I will not lie to you. Your parents will be in a great deal of pain, but I can assure you they will not die."

"How can you know that?" Hermione's voice cracked. She looked up at him with tears streaming down her amber eyes, causing Snape's heart to break even further.

"Call it Death Eater's intuition," he smirked.

"But you're not a Death Eater."

"I was at one time, and I know that if they had meant to kill your parents, they would have done so before they left, even if they were hastened to escape. It takes only seconds to cast a Killing Curse."

Hermione looked down and put her head on Snape's chest again, inadvertently listening to his heart beat. She thought it would be calm and steady, but she was quite wrong. To her surprise it was beating rather quickly. Was he worried about her parents, too? Or... perhaps he was worried about her...

"Hermione," Snape said quietly, delicately putting a hand under her chin and tilting her head up until she met his eyes. "You mustn't let the sorrow get to you. Be strong, for your parents' sakes."

"I want to see them," Hermione whimpered. "They need me by their side."

"You will see them in due time, but for now they need to heal. In the mean time, what you can do to help them is to be strong and courageous. Do not let those who harmed your parents win by showing your sorrow, letting them think you're broken. It will only fuel their fire. Show them you are not ashamed of who you are or where you are from, and no matter what they do, you will not lose hope. When people lose hope, that is when they become weak, and you will never let them see that. Show them you are Hermione Granger, proud Gryffindor witch and resident know-it-all."

Hermione chuckled at his remark and even Snape gave a very small smile. He took Hermione's hands into his own and helped her to her feet. However, when they were both standing, neither of them let go of each other. They stood facing each other hand in hand saying nothing. Snape looked longingly into her soft brown eyes that were red from crying, and he vowed to make Lucius pay for causing his lioness so much pain. Hermione could read the underlying animosity in Snape's dark eyes that flashed with anger. She knew that he also felt upset about that situation, helpless to do anything about the injustice done to her parents. She felt comforted knowing Snape was on her side.

Hermione gave Snape's hands a gentle squeeze and, as much as she hated to do it, released his hands from her grasp. Wiping away the last of her tears, Hermione said softly, "Thank you, Severus. I'm... I'm feeling much better now... I'm glad you are my friend."

"As am I," Snape said with a nod. "Shall I escort you to your room?"

"Actually, I'd like to be alone with my thoughts for now."

"Are you sure that's wise?"

"I'll be fine, but thank you all the same."

"As you wish."

"Good night, Severus."

"Good night, Hermione."

She turned and slowly walked to the door, while he merely stood there and watched her with his arms folded across his chest. As she reached for the door handle, Hermione stopped. She turned back to Snape and said in a small voice, "I wish now more than ever that the potion we're working on was complete. Maybe it would help them heal faster. Either way... I wish it were done."

"So do I," Snape whispered.

Hermione nodded and gave him a very small smile. Finally she opened the door and left Snape alone in his lab, just as she had several weeks earlier, only this time he did not feel alone as he had that night. She was back in his life, a precious commodity he had craved since the day she had left him. Snape continued to stand in the place where Hermione and he had held each other, wondering if someday, maybe after the war was over, they could be together without fear of anyone harming her or her family every again.

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Hermione wasn't sure how long she had been wandering the halls of Hogwarts, but she knew it had been a while. She intended to go straight to her room, but then she remembered the picture she had of her parents on her nightstand, and she just couldn't face it yet. Besides, there was a possibility that Harry, Ron, and Ginny were still in the Common Room, and she didn't want to talk about it. She just wanted to be alone for the time being. She tried to distract herself by thinking about Snape's riddle. It took her a while to decipher that the answer was fate, only because she was so distracted by the attack on her parents. However, even after figuring out the riddle, she continued to walk the halls, collecting her thoughts. Was her fate to constantly be disrespected for her Muggle blood? Was her fate to watch her family and friends suffer because of their association with her? These thoughts swirled through her mind, causing her heart to fill with even more sadness. She was trying to be strong, but it was so difficult.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" a cold voice said behind her.

Hermione jumped at the unexpected voice and whipped around to see Draco Malfoy and his goons emerging from the stairway leading down to the kitchens. Apparently, Crabbe and Goyle's stomachs couldn't wait until morning for breakfast. Hermione glared as Draco approached her with Crabbe and Goyle behind him. He had a horrible grin on his face, the same wolfish grin his father wore the night he had Dumbledore suspended and Hagrid thrown into Azkaban. Despite Hermione's unease, she stood her ground and looked Malfoy straight in his cold blue eyes.

"What are you doing wondering the halls at such a late hour, Mudblood?" Draco asked snidely.

Hermione scowl deepened as Crabbe and Goyle chuckled. Before she could respond, Draco suddenly put his hand over his chest and gasped over dramatically, "Merlin's beard, what's this?" He ran a finger over a trail that a tear had left on Hermione's face.

"Get away from me!" Hermione spat, as she slapped Draco's hand away.

"Looks like you've been crying. Oh, this wouldn't be about your mummy and daddy, would it?"

Hermione's eyes grew wide with shock and horror. He knew. The little bastard knew, which meant... Oh God, Lucius! It was him who tortured her parents! Of course, who else would have targeted them? The other two with him must have been none other Crabbe and Goyle. They were all in it!

Draco reveled in Hermione's reaction to his remark and decided to push her even further.

"Wasn't good news, hmm?" he taunted. "Looks like you wouldn't be going home for Christmas. Too bad. You'll have to say here, while I get to go home to my own family. Maybe my father will be kind enough to retell us how your father screamed like a little girl and your mother wouldn't stop crying."

Hermione fought back the tears as well as the rage that threatened to burst out of her in front of Malfoy. However, she wasn't going to let him win. She continued to look the flaxen haired boy in the eye and glare, not daring to reveal any hint that he was getting to her. She was going to be strong, not just for her parents' sakes, but for her and Severus as well.

Malfoy saw the inward battle Hermione was fighting with herself. Oh, he could tell she was near the breaking point, and she was struggling to keep her emotions in check. He decided to abrade her will even further, just to see how far he could get until she broke down in front a him, a sight he'd love to see. With a sly smile, Draco took a step closer to Hermione, until they were practically nose-to-nose.

"Aw, don't worry, Mudblood," Draco cooed. "I'm sure they won't be as brainless as Longbottom's parents, but they'll be loony. Oh, they may not recognize you. What a pity that would be, parents that can't even recognize their one and only daughter. Tsk, tsk, tsk."

Hermione felt her insides tighten and twist into knots, while she fought the urge to tear Malfoy limb from limb. She was not going to lose control in front of him. She was going to continue to be strong. She was going to show him who she was, and she was not going to be intimidated by the likes of him!

Looking straight into his heartless eyes, Hermione said coolly, "Draco Malfoy, you are even more pathetic than I thought if you think that would get to me. Ha! You are an idiot. You forget that I am Hermione Granger, proud Muggle-born Gryffindor witch and resident know-it-all, and your empty words have no effect on me."

Draco's smile immediately faded and was replaced with shock. Self-satisfied about taking the wind out of his sails, Hermione gave that same smirk she had seen Snape give on so many occasions to different students. She really was spending too much time with him. Fueled by his reaction and Snape's words to her earlier, Hermione showed off her new gusto by probing Draco even further, just as he had done to her.

"Tell me, Draco, how does it feel to be second best to Harry on the Quidditch field and to me in the classroom? It must be maddening for you and your father that you're inferior to Gryffindors with Muggle blood coursing through their veins."

Hermione took cheer in the fact that Draco's smile faded within seconds. However, she was uneasy about the anger that was setting in his eyes when she spoke. In fact, she was rather worried by the time she finished...though she didn't show it...because at that moment he looked down right infuriated. Maybe she went too far. Of course, that was the typical Gryffindor: act before you think.

As they stared each other down, Draco quickly whipped out his wand and pointed it at Hermione's neck. However, she didn't even flinch. She just kept staring right back at him with her wand pointed at a valued place on Draco's body he was rather fond of. He wouldn't try anything in that position. With fury written on his face, Draco spat, "Filthy little Mudblood! You'll see who's best when the Dark Lord comes into power! Then you'll be begging for mercy, just like your parents were!"

"I doubt my parents were begging and neither will I, because you are delusional, Draco Malfoy," Hermione said calmly.

Before Draco could respond, a voice shouted, "Expelliarmus!". The spell hit Draco's side and he immediately went flying into the wall while his wand flew into the air and was caught by a person in the shadows. Crabbe and Goyle were to flabbergasted to pull out their own wands, and instead opted to stare at their fallen leader in disbelief, as Draco scrambled to his feet after lying on the floor in a daze for several seconds.

"Who's there?" Draco demanded with a sneer. "Show yourself, you coward!"

"The only coward here is one who would raise a wand to a woman," the voice said, as a person stepped out of the shadows. Hermione couldn't be more delighted or relieved to see the culprit to Draco's undoing was none other than her good friend and pupil David Heart.

Malfoy's eyes narrowed until they were small slits, as David strode to Hermione's side and asked, "Are you all right?"

"Just fine, David," Hermione smiled.

"Fine? It didn't look fine, especially by the way he held his wand at your neck."

"Really, it's all right. Malfoy and I were having a little Head Boy and Girl meeting."

"In the middle of the hall?"

"Yes, and we were just going back to our rooms for the night, weren't we, Draco?"

At first, Draco said nothing. He just glared at the two friends as they stood their ground. Finally, Draco nodded and said darkly, "Yes, we were." He looked over at Crabbe and Goyle and jerked his head towards the dungeons. The three of them gave one final poisonous look and Hermione and David before they turned and disappeared into the shadows towards their rooms. Hermione continued to stare after them even after they left, as if she were in a trance. She felt good; she felt strong. She hoped that if Snape would be proud of her, if he'd had seen what had happened just now.

"Hermione," she heard David say to her as he touched her arm. "Come on. Let me take you back to Gryffindor Tower."

Hermione nodded before David led her out of the hall. Neither one of them said anything for a long time. It wasn't until they were near the Common Room before David finally spoke.

"I know you weren't having a 'meeting,' Hermione. I'm not stupid."

"You aren't stupid, David," Hermione smiled. "I figured you knew we weren't 'talking' either."

"I know you can take care of yourself, but you really need to be more careful. The Malfoys are bad news. I don't know what either of you said to each other, and I know it's none of my business, but I even know you don't mess with Malfoy."

"David, I understand you're concerned, and I appreciate it, I do, but you needn't worry."

"If you say so," David sighed as the finally came to the portrait of the Fat Lady. "Well, here we are. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call. It's the least I can do after all the help you've given me."

"Thanks, David," Hermione smiled. "You're a true friend."

David flashed her his winning grin before giving her a quick hug. Just as he turned to take his leave, Hermione suddenly asked, "Oh wait. There was one thing I was wondering: what were you doing out in the dungeons so late?"

David's face flushed a little, but he didn't turn away from Hermione. Instead he asked rather gravely, "Is this Hermione the Head Girl asking?"

"No, this is Hermione your friend asking. You weren't returning from Hog's Head, were you?"

"You see," David began to explain, "I was spending time with Daniela, and... I lost track of time."

"And what hidden section in the dungeons were you stealing these moments with her?"

"Now that's for me to know and you to find out. After all, I can't reveal all of my secrets."

He gave her a wink and smile, causing her to giggle. "Oh, all right," she finally conceded. "But again, thank you, David. You really helped me out tonight."

"Anytime, Hermione."

As she turned to the Fat Lady, the portrait suddenly swung open. Hermione jumped back in surprise. She even more surprised to see Neville Longbottom standing there with Trevor in hand.

"I thought I heard voices out here," Neville said looking from Hermione to David. Upon seeing the "Hufflepuff Hustler," Neville's brow furrowed and he turned to Hermione and asked, "Is everything all right?" It was apparent that he'd been waiting for her to return.

"Yes, Neville," Hermione smiled before she waved good-bye to David, who disappeared down the stairs.

"What was that all about?" Neville asked quizzically as Hermione stepped over the threshold.

"I'll tell you about it inside," she told him. She peered into the Common Room and gave a small sigh of relief when she saw Harry, Ron, and Ginny waiting for her on the couch. Taking a deep breath, she followed her friend and his toad into the Common Room to face her friends. She sat down in a plush chair by the fire, finally prepared to tell the tale of the night's events to everyone, starting from the urgent message from Dumbledore to the rescue from David Heart. She had already planned to leave out the scene that took place in the lab between Professor Snape and herself. After all, he'd never forgive her if she compromised his image. She also kept David's reason for his late-night excursion to herself. It wasn't anyone's business anyway.

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The Great Hall was buzzing with excitement on the last day of classes before Christmas Break. Students were telling each other how they were planning on spending the holiday as well as making a list of exactly what they hoped to receive as gifts. Only one person was not discussing anything about Christmas.

Ron Weasley.

He was convinced more than ever that his sweet innocent and naive Hermione had a secret relationship with the dirty rotten libertine David Heart. "Why else would they be out late at night together?" Ron asked sourly. "I'll tell you why. It was because they're an item. He's a bad influence on her!"

"I think you're a bad influence on me," Harry teased before biting into his toast.

"Me? A bad influence?"

"Yes. Whatever relationship Hermione and Heart have, it is obviously platonic."

"Oh, that's laughable."

"What's laughable is you constantly thinking Hermione is fannying about at night with the likes of David," Ginny said, who sat across from her brother and love interest.

"She is, and I don't know why you can't see that. Don't worry though. After the New Year, you won't have a shadow of a doubt. Since there are less students and no classes during Christmas, I'm having Operation Fancy Pants agents on high alert. We're going to be out there spying more than ever. We've got plans, Harry, lots of plans."

"What plans?" Hermione asked, suddenly appearing behind the boys.

"Ahh!" Ron replied with a jump.

"Good morning to you, too," she said rolling her eyes while taking a seat in between him and Harry.

"Don't mind him," Ginny said, rather embarrassed by her brother's reaction. "He only woke up with half his brain today."

"Hi, Hermione," Harry smiled, hoping to prevent a Weasley brawl. "How are you feeling?"

"Better, thanks. I finally slept the whole night."

"Is there any word about your parents yet?"

"Professor Dumbledore said last night that they were out of danger, but they hadn't awakened yet."

"Don't worry, Hermione," Ginny said, reassuringly patting her friend's hand. "They'll be all right."

"Yeah, maybe they'll wake up before the New Year," Ron added. "And since they're out of danger now, you can probably see them, right?"

"Well... no," Hermione said sheepishly looking down at her hands. "I still can't see them yet because..." Her voice trailed off for a moment, so she could regain her composure before speaking again. Finally, she said no louder than a whisper, "Because the healers still don't know about their sanity."

The group suddenly fell into a very uncomfortable silence, which seemed to slice even through the murmuring of the Great Hall. Hermione bit her lip, trying to get a handle on her emotions, while the other three looked at each other nervously. They looked so worried that even Snape noticed the friends concern for his little lioness from the High Table. What have those idiots done to upset his Hermione? If he could find a way to give them all detention, he would. In the meantime, he shot a dirty look at the group, accidentally making eye contact with Ginny, who quickly turned away.

In an act of desperation to lighten the mood, Ginny asked, "So, are you guys ready for the Charms exam today?"

"Oh yeah," Harry agreed, happy to change the somber subject. "I was practicing all day yesterday and I think I've got it."

"Me too," Ron nodded. "The only problem is..."

Suddenly, the whole Great Hall fell silent as four large eagle owls flew in carrying a long box wrapped in silver paper and decorated with a green velvet bow. The owls swooped down low over the Slytherin table and dropped the package in Draco's lap. Once again, all the students in the Great Hall were craning their necks to get a glimpse at what new and interesting parcel the flaxen-haired boy received. Of course, Draco loved the attention and made sure to play it up for the crowd and over-dramatize his reactions. A note attached to the bow caught his eye and he snatched it into his hand.

"Quick, ask me what it says," Draco muttered under his breath to Goyle.

Goyle leaned over and whispered "What does it say, Draco?"

"Ask it out loud, you oaf!" Draco whispered back harshly.

"What does it say, Draco?" Goyle shouted without moving away from Draco's ear.

Draco shoved his idiotic friend and rubbed his ear. Stupid dolt! Honestly, at times that simpleton Hargrid had more brains. He had better ask Crabbe the next time something important like this happened again.

After recovering from his temporary deafness, Draco said while projecting his voice, "I don't know, Goyle. I'll read it and find out." He cleared his throat before he began reading aloud.

Draco -

Your mother and I thought it best if we sent you one of your Christmas presents early. We know you have been waiting for this one quite a while, and decided you can have it now. I think it will help you fine-tune your already impressive Quidditch skills. We look forward to seeing you later tonight after your classes are over.

Warmest Regards,

Father

After stuffing the note in his pocket, Draco immediately tore at the paper and ripped off the lid to the long box. The Slytherins crowded around the table to get a glimpse at the new item, and gasped in absolute shock and surprise. Even Draco Malfoy was speechless as he stared down at the brand new Carrington Broom in the box with the legendary and trademark silver tag tied to the handle of the broom that had Carrington Broom written on it.

"What is it?" a curious Ravenclaw asked.

"It's a Carrington Broom!" Pansy exclaimed. "Draco got a Carrington Broom for Christmas!"

The entire hall soon broke into gasps and chatter, even at the High Table. Every witch and wizard knew that a Carrington Broom was top of the line. They were specially designed to the person's agility, body build, eye-hand coordination, and speed. Like Ollivander and his wand shop, Carrington didn't hand out his brooms to just anyone. They had to be very special and gifted in order to handle such a delicate item that he himself would carve and build with his own two hands. Even Viktor Krum had to wait for nearly three years before could get his hands on one of those beauties. Since Carrington had so many requests for his brooms that could take years in the making, they were very expensive. Even Lucius Malfoy with all his money and fame probably had to save his Galleons for decades before he could purchase one.

The fact that Draco got one of the elusive brooms came as a great shock, even to him. The corners of his lips pulled up into a sly smile and he gingerly placed a hand on the handle of the broom. It was so perfect! The dark wood smelled of rich mahogany and there wasn't a bristle out of place. If it wasn't for the fact he was going to ride it, Draco was certain that it could be hung over the mantle and be considered a work of art.

"Don't touch it!" Draco hissed, slapping Crabbe's hand away from his broom. "This is mine."

"Oh, Draco, please let me watch you ride it!" Pansy begged pathetically, causing Draco to smirk in satisfaction. "I promise I won't get too close. I just want to see Hogwarts's best Seeker on such a magnificent broom."

"Then Draco should be giving the broom to Harry," Ginny said rather loudly, causing the Gryffindors to laugh.

Pansy shot Ginny a look, who just smiled in response.

"Don't worry, Pansy," Draco said smoothly after the laughter died down. "You can see me fly it after lunch, when I take it out for my first ride. In the mean time, I'll just carry it with me until then. After all, I wouldn't want any obviously jealous and poor people to steal my broom."

He shot a cold hard glare over towards Harry and Ron before dabbing his mouth with his napkin and standing from his seat. Draco clutched the broom close to his side and waltzed out of the hall with his head held high, Pansy and his goons not far behind him. He suddenly couldn't wait for the Gryffindor verses Slytherin Quidditch game after the New Year.

"Lousy good-for-nothing brute," Ginny grumbled after Draco left the Great Hall.

"Out of all the wizards in the world, he had to be lucky and rich enough to get a Carrington Broom!" Ron said indignantly, pounding his fist on the table. "Sometimes life isn't fair."

"Tell me about it," Harry mumbled pushing his plate away from him. "I think I lost my appetite."

"Don't let it get to you," Hermione said, crossing her arms over her chest just like Snape. "He wants to feel upset. Just beat him on the Quidditch field and show him it's the person, not the broom, that makes a player. Besides, he'll probably break it anyway after..."

Suddenly, Neville Longbottom shot of out his seat like a bat out of hell and ran towards the big double doors of the Great Hall.

"Oy, Neville!" Ron called out to him. "Where's the fire?"

Neville didn't answer. He just continued running all the way out of the Great Hall, out of the castle, and towards the greenhouses. He had a plan for revenge, and if it was anything like the flower he sent the first time, this time it would be even sweeter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Draco was true to his word and carried his broom with him the entire day. He wouldn't allow it to leave his sight, and even earned a detention from Professor McGonagall when he refused to place it in his rooms instead of across his lap during Transfiguration. He didn't care. It'd all be worth it once he took to the sky and his one-of-a-kind broomstick suddenly became the envy of all of Hogwarts, especially Potty Potter!

Lunch couldn't come soon enough for the sneaky blond Slytherin. He took his time eating, enjoying the quick glances from some of the student body as well as a few of the teachers, making sure he hadn't left for his afternoon ride. Draco also was pleased to hear the low whispers from some of the Slytherin girls that were commenting on how handsome he looked carrying his broom, and how they hoped he would take them for a spin. He smirked as he thought of how he wouldn't mind fulfilling their fantasies... in more ways than one.

Finally, Draco stretched in his seat before he stood up with his broom and walked towards the door. Immediately, over three-quarters of the student body –and even some teachers –were on their feet and following him outside. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny made no attempt to trail the egotistical Slytherin outside. However, they were shocked to see Neville Longbottom practically running after Draco with a box of Bernie Bott's Every Flavor Beans in his hands.

Noticing his friends' strange looks, Neville smiled and whispered, "You guys better come if you don't want to miss all the fun."

"What?" they asked in confusion.

Neville merely winked before rushing out of the Great Hall.

"Fun?" Ron asked quizzically. "What could possibly be fun about watching Malfoy fly around on his stupid broom?"

"Well, if I know Neville, he wouldn't have said that unless he had a good reason," Harry said seriously. "I think... I think we should go."

Before anyone else could respond, Harry stood and made his way to the doors. Ron looked at Hermione and Ginny who shrugged before they too got up and went after Harry and the others. Finally, the redhead sighed and shook his head as he also stood from his seat and reluctantly followed the crowd. "This better be worth it," he grumbled.

As Ron made his way to the door, Snape rolled his eyes and stood to bring up the rear of the group of onlookers. He really had no desire to see the spoiled brat flaunt his new broom, but he still had to keep up appearances with the Death Eaters. He knew Lucius would ask him about Draco's "exhibition," and it would look quite suspicious if Snape hadn't attended. Giving a sigh of reluctance, the Potions master left through the rear entrance of the Great Hall and went to meet the rest of the crowd that was anticipating the display of Malfoy's new toy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Draco smiled proudly at the crowd that gathered around him, as he stood by the lake with his broom. He saw the excitement dancing in the students' eyes, watching him in anticipation. Pansy was standing rather close and grinning flirtatiously, as were a few other Slytherin girls, not to mention a few Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff girls. Hmm, no Gryffindors. Really, he wasn't surprised. However, he was surprised to see Potter and his gaggle of geeks with him. Draco smirked, rather pleased to see them. He was going to love the look on their faces when he took off into the sky, making death-defying maneuvers with the greatest of ease.

Suddenly, there was a strange noise to his left and Draco turned in time to see Neville standing rather close to his broom. He noticed the Gryffindor was looking down at his feet and Draco followed his gaze. He sneered as he witnessed the pile box of Bernie Bott's Every Flavor Beans on the ground right next to the bristles of his Carrington Broom.

"Oops!" Neville gasped.

"Watch what you're doing, Longbottom!" Draco snapped. "Go be clumsy somewhere else, somewhere far away from my broom!"

Neville gave a sheepish look and shrank back into the crowd among the snickers.

"Poor Neville," Hermione sighed to her friends. "Malfoy shouldn't have..."

"Hey, did that bean just move?" Ron asked in shock.

"What bean?" Ginny asked with a furrowed brow.

"I swore I saw a brown bean move."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"Oy, there just went another brown one, right into Malfoy's broom. Did you see it?"

"Ron, I can't..."

"And another, just now. Did you see it this time?"

Before Harry could respond, Draco raised his free hand in the air and said in a loud and confident voice, "I'd like to thank you all for coming out here on what promises to be a most historic moment in not only Malfoy history, but Hogwarts history as well."

"Oh, he can't be serious," Harry scoffed to his friends.

"What an egotistical wanker," Ginny huffed. "Can you believe this guy?"

"I know for many of you, this will be the first time you see someone actually ride a Carrington broom," Draco continued in his cocky manner. "I hope –actually, I know –I shall make this a memorable experience you will not forget."

"But we'll wish we could," Ron grumbled, losing interest in the mysterious moving beans.

"Before I take flight," Draco continued, "I'd first like to warn you all that what you are about to see will be breathtaking and those of you with cameras may want to start taking pictures soon. You, Creevey."

"Me?" Dennis asked pointing to himself.

"No!" Draco spat. "The one with the camera. Yes, you. Make sure you get some good pictures of me. They'll make very nice Christmas presents to all my friends."

"Oh good Lord," Hermione said rolling her eyes, as some Slytherin girls swooned. "That would definitely be a gift that I'd want to return."

"All right, ladies and gentlemen," Draco smiled, "without further delay, I shall make my ascent to heaven."

He threw a leg over his broom and with a sly smile on his face, he kicked off the ground and slowly began to rise into the air. Draco was impressed by how well the broom was handling. Usually one was a bit wobbly when trying out a new broom no matter how accomplished they were. However, he did not experience that. In fact, all he was experiencing was pure rhapsody. He closed his eyes in ecstasy, reveling in the feel of the wind whipping through his hair and caressing his face. Draco heard the crowd "Ooo" and "Ahh" as he climbed higher and higher above the lake.

'All right,' Draco thought to himself, 'First thing I'll do is go right into a nose dive towards the water and then make a sharp turn spiraling up before going straight into a loop-de-loop. That'll get the crowd...'

Suddenly, there was a poof and Draco suddenly felt quite vulnerable. He looked down in time to see two things were very wrong:

One, his broom was suddenly sawdust in his hands.

Two, the water was suddenly getting much closer rather quickly.

"Ayeeeeeeeee!" Draco screamed as he fell out of the sky and went headfirst into the ice-cold lake, which wasn't the nosedive he had planned on doing.

SPLOSH!

Draco surfaced moments later gasping for breath. He heard the roar of laughter from the crowd before he got hit in the face by a rather ornery and annoyed fish, causing them to laugh even harder. He supposed he was lucky the lake wasn't frozen over; however, death might have been slightly better than the humiliation he was feeling at that moment. Draco began to splash and thrash about in the cold water, yelling in frustration, "Someone get me out of here this instant!"

Unfortunately, Draco saw no one make any attempt to pull him out of surprisingly slimy and rather dirty lake. Instead, the crowd continued to howl with laughter. Right away, he spotted Pansy and her friends trying hard not to laugh, but failing miserably. He also spotted Harry and Ginny hanging onto each other so they wouldn't crumple to the ground in a heap of laughter like Ron, who was rolling on the ground with tears streaming from his face. Hermione was holding her sides and laughing so hard that she was snorting in a not so lady like fashion. The only one who wasn't laughing was Snape, who was having a very hard time trying not to, as he fought the corners of his mouth from turning upwards into a smile.

Draco was about to throw another hissy-fit when he suddenly felt himself being lifted from the water and plopped onto the shore. He turned his head just in time to see a massive tentacle from the giant squid gracefully slip back into the water. Draco looked down at his hands that were covered in some sort of slimy substance. What the devil could that be? He always thought the lake had water in it.

"My goodness!" said an urgent voice from the castle. "What in Merlin's name is going on?"

The laughter died down as Draco and the rest of the crowd turned toward the sound of the voice and saw Dumbledore, McGonagall, and the rest of the staff and student body that had remain in the castle running towards them in obvious concern.

"We heard a girl screaming outside and ran to see what had happened," Dumbledore went on to explain as he stopped in front of the group. "It sounded like a first year. Where is she and what happened to her?"

The crowd responded by bursting into laughter once again. The color began to rise in Draco's cheeks, while he shivered.

"I'm afraid you're mistaken, Headmaster," Snape said, stepping towards the old wizard. He shot a glare towards the crowd, which caused them to fall silent almost immediately. "You see, Mr. Malfoy was making his grand entrance into the sky," Snape continued, "when his broom suddenly dissolved in his hands, and he screamed..."

"Wait, it was Mr. Malfoy who screamed?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well, that is interesting, but please, do continue, Professor Snape."

"As I was saying, Mr. Malfoy screamed as he fell into the lake where he was then cornobbled."

"Cornobbled? Oh my, what a pity!"

"A great pity indeed."

"Did our trusty lifeguard 'fish' him out of the water?" Dumbledore said chuckling at his own pun he found quite clever.

"Yes, the giant squid managed to pull him out of the water and set him ashore."

"Oh, splendid! I imagine you're not hurt then, Mr. Malfoy?"

"It's l-l-lucky I'm not!" Draco said through his chattering teeth with a scowl on his face. "I w-w-want to know why my b-b-broom suddenly turned into saw d-d-dust and why is the lake f-f-filled with slime instead of w-w-water?"

"Aww, 'tis a shame yeh fell in ter the lake during giant squid mating season," Hagrid said in the straightest face he could, though his smile was visible even under all those layers of hair.

Most of the students gave looks of disgust while the few that were somewhat near Draco took a few generous steps away from him. Draco looked down at himself in horror, knowing the slime wasn't really slime.

"Well, that answers your question about the lake, Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore said, "but I really have no idea what could have possibly caused your broom to suddenly dissolve into sawdust."

"I think I do," Professor Sprout said stepping forward. She bravely stepped up to Draco and peered at something in his hair. She pulled a bobby pin from her hair and extracted the "slime" covered thing from the boy's golden hair. It looked like a brown bean, but upon closer inspection, Professor Sprout saw it was not that at all.

"Ah ha!" she said triumphantly. "Mr. Malfoy, it seems you had the misfortune of having some Cellulomites make a meal out of your broom."

"What?" Draco asked in shock.

"Cellulomites. They are like termites, except they eat the cellulose in wood, especially dark rich woods like mahogany. Cellulose is a major component for plant structure and rigidity. Cellulomites tend to eat incredible amounts of cellulose in a short matter of time. Once all the cellulose is gone, the wood collapses, and, as you experienced, turns into sawdust. I'm sure your broom was only a mere appetizer to them compared to the amount they usually eat."

"A b-b-bloody bug did all that?" Draco asked in disbelief. "Well w-w-what am I going to..."

Suddenly, Draco stopped as he began to notice large red swollen splotches forming on his hands and arms. Soon, his skin was becoming red and itchy and he felt his eyes becoming irritated and puffy as well.

'Wh-what's happening to me?" Draco asked in a panicked voice.

"Ah, squid allergies," Hermione said. "It's common among pureblood families, especially those who have –ahem –a 'homogeneous family tree.' "

Giggling erupted from the students. Draco only glared in response. Actually, it was all he could do since his eyes were swelling shut.

"Madam Pomfrey, could you please take Mr. Malfoy to the hospital wing and inform his family of what happened?" Dumbledore asked politely.

"Of course, Headmaster," she smiled as she put an arm around Draco's shoulders, leading him away from the crowd. "Let's go get you warmed up, Mr. Malfoy, and we better get you an antihistamine right away."

"My goodness!" Professor Sprout said exasperatedly. "I can't believe it. This is the fifth time this week I've encountered Cellulomites. Mr. Longbottom and I had to throw out all of our beetlebark the other day because it was infested with the little buggers. It almost ruined out research."

"LONGBOTTOM?" Draco suddenly boomed, causing many students to jump. He sneered at Neville and pointed a fat swollen finger at him before snarling, "It was you, wasn't it? You somehow put those things on my broom!"

"Me?" Neville asked innocently. "Oh don't be daft, Malfoy."

"I'll g-g-get you for this, L-L-Longbottom! Mark m-m-my words!"

"That is quite enough, Mr. Malfoy!" Madam Pomfrey scolded. "Now come along before you go into anaphylactic shock."

Draco gave one last acrimonious look at Neville before turning away and waddling towards the castle. Just when his mind was about to plan for his revenge, he heard Neville call out, "By the way, Malfoy, you're right. I don't think I'm ever going to forget this moment. Thanks for the memories!"

The crowd burst into laughter again, and Draco gritted his teeth. Oh, Longbottom was going to be sorry he crossed paths with him. No one got away with humiliating a Malfoy.

"Well, now that's settled, I think it's be best if we all went back inside and relaxed before we begin the last half of classes before Christmas break," Dumbledore suggested. "Besides, I wasn't even finished with my lemon tart. It's quite delectable!"

The students laughed and followed their headmaster's order. As they began to file back into the castle, Hermione, Ginny, Harry, and Ron walked directly up to Neville, who had a very satisfied smug on his face.

"Neville that was bloody fantastic!" Ron said as he and Harry patted him on the back.

"Smashing idea, Neville!" Harry smiled.

"I thought I saw some of those beans move!"

"I had to mix the Cellulomites with the beans to they wouldn't eat through the cardboard," Neville grinned. "I'm just glad they took to the broom so quickly."

"The prat deserved it!" Ginny said indignantly. "Honestly, he was asking for it; strutting around with his broom like it was his girlfriend."

"Well I don't think Draco is going to be strutting for quite some time," Neville smiled. "But if he does, I know exactly what's coming to him."

"What precisely is coming to him, Mr. Longbottom?" a foreboding voice asked from behind.

The Gryffindors spun around to see Snape with his arms folded over his chest, wearing a dark look on his face. Of course, the boys hesitated and looked at each other nervously. Luckily, Hermione's quick thinking saved them the trouble of stammer and stuttering poor sorry excuses.

"We were just discussing what Draco Malfoy was going to get for Christmas."

"And what would that be, Miss Granger?"

"Well, sir, let me put it this way: it is something that you can catch, but not throw."

The group of Gryffindors were expecting Snape to roll his eyes and deduct points for being so vague. However, he shocked them all when he instead snorted and smirked. Cheeky little chit, but a clever on at that.

"Move it along inside," he said while jerking his head towards the entrance. "And don't dawdle."

"Yes, sir," Hermione nodded while Snape turned on his heel and stalked off towards the castle with his robes billowing behind him.

"So what's the answer?" Ron asked stunned as the Gryffindor group made their way to the entrance.

"To what?" Hermione asked quizzically.

"What's the answer to the riddle you just told Snape, which, by the way, was brilliant thinking on your part."

"Oh, it's not too difficult, Ron. Just think about it a bit and it'll come to you."

"I can't think of anything. What is it?"

"You didn't even try."

"Aww, come on, 'Mione. Just tell me."

Hermione sighed and shook her head. This was going to be a long Christmas Break if he was going to act like that the entire time. However, as long as her Potions master was safe and sound with her at Hogwarts, she was determined to make this a happy Christmas, even if the circumstances were less than ideal .

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Yea, there's chapter 15! I hope you all liked it!

5 points to your house if you knew the answer to the previous riddle, which was "fate." You can get 5 more if you figure out the latest riddle!

The Alan Rickman quote in chapter 14 was "Our aim is to rid society of negative influences. This end justifies certain unorthodox means," said by The Interrogator in Closet Land. Dude, that is the creepiest movie! He's so good in it, too! It's one of his finest roles. There's another quote in this chapter. Happy hunting!

You get 5 extra points if you can tell me what "cornobbled" means. Yes, it is a real word. Archaic yes, but real none the less.

Thanks for all the support! You all are the best! You rock my socks!

"We fight against those who control the darkness."

- DADA Mistress