The Prophecy

Chapter Twelve

Frank and Harry jumped up and grabbed the hem of Joe's jacket and pulled him back before he could slug Malfoy. Hermione and Ron were on their feet in an instant, flushing furiously. "Malfoy, you're a right foul git, you know that?" Ron huffed, fire in his eyes.

"Oh, no," Malfoy pretended to cower. "A blood traitor and a Mudblood. Whatever shall I do?"

"You little cockroach!" Hermione growled, then turned to where Harry, Frank, and Joe were still standing. "Joe, are you okay?"

"It's not me you should be worried about," Joe muttered.

"Malfoy, get out of our compartment—NOW!" Harry ordered, glowering.

The two buff guys took a few steps forward, grins on their faces. "Hardys, meet Crabbe and Goyle. They're good friends of mine."

"No, they're your bodyguards, by the looks of it," Frank shot off, coming to his brother's defense.

"Yeah, 'cuz you're to wimpy to risk anything alone," Joe cut in.

Crabbe pulled back a burly, salami sized fist, and was about to hammer it into Frank's face when a hand rested on his shoulder. He turned around to see a tall, robed man hovering over him. The man had black, flashing eyes, pale skin, and sleek ebony hair. "Excuze me," he said with an unusual accent. "I hope zat you vere not planning on 'arming zees boy. Ozzerwize, you vill be in a vorld of trouble."

"Who are you?" Malfoy spat, a twinge of uncertainty in his eyes.

"I am zee new Defenze Againzt zee Dark Artz teacher…you may call me Proffezzor Parazite. I come from Romania to teach your 'Ogvartz."

Malfoy leaned over, his eyes wide, and whispered something to his cronies, who vaulted out of the compartment. Professor Parasite walked into the compartment, followed by Neville, Seamus, and Dean.

"We figured Malfoy was here to stir up some trouble," Seamus said airily. "So we wanted to get him in trouble. You blokes okay?"

"He hit the wrong nerve," Joe growled.

"Excuze me, but I need to zpeak to zeeze five alone," Professor Parasite insisted, fixing the three newcomers with a pointed stare.

Neville, Dean, and Seamus looked to be grateful to be out of the professor's presence, and they gladly scooted out of the compartment.

"You are a vampire," Hermione stated once the three were gone.

"And you are a very zmart child," the professor went on. "Frank, Joe, are you okay?"

"How do you know our names?" Frank asked suspiciously.

Making sure he was not overheard, Professor Parasite grinned. "Boys, it's me. Fenton. Dad."

They recognized their father's voice at once, and were overjoyed. "What are you doing here?" Joe asked. "And how did you turn into Creepy Vampire Dude?"

"You'll be surprised what a good disguise and some magical makeovers will do to one's appearance and voice," Fenton grinned. "But I'm here to do some undercover work, and to watch over you boys. Like it or not."

"We can handle ourselves," Joe objected.

"Dumbledore'z orderz," Fenton put back on his vampire accent and straightened up. "No one must know zee truth, only you zree and Dumbledore. Tell no one. Now, my new pupilz, I muzt get back to my compartment, where I am 'aving a very interezting converzation vith Fred and George Veazly about Loony—erm, Luna'z gnarglez."

Hermione shook her head. "I like your dad. It's great he's here to protect you."

"But it kinda makes you uneasy, doesn't it?" Harry said, grimacing.

"What do you mean?" Ron asked.

Frank and Joe had already caught on. "It means if Dad's here, we're in more danger than we thought."

The End

~Emachinescat ^..^