AN/ Here you are, a longer chapter than last time and hopefully, it clears a few things up. I hope everyone knew who the two boys were from Harry's dream last chapter. I'm sure you astute readers can easily figure it out. Thank you all for the comments on my job situation, I'm much happier now.

Secrets

XCIX

Professor Snape was moving in the Slytherin dungeons at an astounding clip. However, he was not alone, and the companion that he was desperately trying to shed, was irritatingly insistent.

“Draco Malfoy and Theodore Nott, get into an argument not ten minutes from when Harry went into hospital,” James Potter stated briskly, “And practically blow each other to bits. Why was that, Snape?”

“You’ll have to ask them yourself, Auror Potter,” Professor Snape snarled with disdain, “Mr. Malfoy was not exactly forthcoming concerning his reasons, nor Mr. Nott.”

“It sounds like to me, that they’re keeping a secret,” James said tetchily, “I want to know what it is!”

Professor Snape rounded a corner sharply, nearly causing James to crash into a wall. The Professor tore open the door to his quarters, and when James wedged the toe of his shoe directly in the doorway, Snape glared at him poisonously. Snape just barely resisted the temptation to use a severing charm on the errant foot.

“Listen to me, Auror Potter,” Snape bit out, “Until you have a warrant or a writ from the bloody ministry itself, you cannot harass my students, or enter my classroom. And most importantly of all, you will not enter my quarters. Get out!”

They stared at one another for a few moments, glaring.

James spoke first, “I wouldn’t persecute you, or charge you for having the load of dark arts shite I know you’ve got in that room. I just want to know who’s responsible for attacking and injuring my son, and killing his best friend. That’s all!”

“And that is the only thing we have in common, Auror Potter,” Snape said derisively, “No matter that the spawn from your loins is as insipidly stupid as his father, running off to save his friends, he is one of my students and I take great care that their persons are safe at all times! Good day!”

The door was unceremoniously slammed in James’ face.

“Bloody bastard!” James spat, giving the door a fierce kick for good measure.

“Auror Potter,” a young man’s voice said.

James turned around, to see a bedraggled looking Theodore Nott standing in the middle of the dungeon hall.

“There’s something I can do for Harry,” he said cautiously, “But it’s private. Is there somewhere we can talk?”

“Yes,” James said, intrigued, “Yes, there is. The aurors have a temporary office upstairs.”

“Then I suggest you ward it,” Theodore uttered flatly, “And we have our conversation there.”

Professor Snape didn’t hear Theodore’s request from inside his rooms, instead he extracted from his robes a book he had slipped from Theodore’s book pile, moments before he had been accosted by James. His shaky hands clutched at the small tome, the memory still fresh in his head of Harry’s eyes looking up at him from the dirty ground under the wooden seats.

Another serpent…

The eyes that looked like Lily’s, and kept Snape’s disdain of the Potter heir from blooming into something foul, had been white as bone. They’d had white irises, white pupils; the likes of which Snape had never seen on anything alive before. The book in his hands, he had seen many times being exchanged under the table in potions between Nott and Malfoy. Sometimes in Bulstrode’s sack peaking out, because out of the three, she was the most unscrupulous.

Secrets In The Attic, Madness and Screams

By Lyra Potter

The professor had known to look for it, because he had seen the title glinting in gold, but he had not known about the contents. And now that he did, many things fell into place that had been dangling hesitantly before. If they were true…if they were true then that meant…

“No one can know,” Snape hissed to himself, “If they were to find out...if the Dark Lord discovers…”

He couldn’t finish the thought, because even for a man who had willingly kissed the hem of Voldemort’s robe so long ago, the outcome was too terrible to give voice.

“I don’t know what they were arguing about,” Millicent said angrily, “But I’m ready to throttle the both of them!”

Harry’s head was propped up on several pillows. He wasn’t feeling better exactly, but the pain had stopped, and in its place, he was left with a chronic, lingering exhaustion. He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to be discharged in four days, when even getting up to go to the ‘loo seemed like a monumental effort.

“Madame Pompfrey really tossed them out?” Harry said, “What the bloody hell did they do?”

“Destroyed half the hall outside the infirmary, that’s what,” Millicent said bitingly, “Theodore cast some sort of nasty hex and Malfoy blew it up. Half the bloody stones came down. They’re banned for the rest of their Hogwarts careers, unless they’re practically dying of something!”

“Bloody hell,” Harry cursed.

“Bloody stupid, you mean,” she groused, “Idiots! They should be here, you nearly got killed!”

Millicent’s eyes were slightly wet and shiny. Harry desperately hoped she wasn’t going to cry, he’d really not been able to handle more tears after his poor Mum had been sobbing over him half the day yesterday. He much preferred Sirius’ ravings and angry epitaphs, swearing revenge against the Black family legacy.

“But I’m all right now,” Harry offered, “And Remus brought me a bunch of books and things. It’s not so boring. Theodore would be proud; I’m keeping a log of my dreams.”

Harry handed Millicent the lime green notebook in hopes of distracting her.

“Have any pleasant ones?” Millicent asked, flipping through it.

“No,” Harry said quietly, “But that’s all right. I don’t want to forget.”

“Forget what?” Millicent said, turning a page in the book, and freezing when she landed on a picture.

“Cedric,” Harry said quietly.

Millicent stared wide eyed at the drawing, in all it’s gruesome detail. The ribs bent and broken covered in blood, and the shocked look on Cedric’s face. Millicent wasn’t sure what was more horrible; the fact that Harry had taken so much pain to remember Cedric’s death in such specifics, or that it was the best drawn, compared to all the other pictures.

“His family came by,” Harry said, “They…offered me the eulogy.”

“Oh Harry,” Millicent said, closing the book and setting it on the little table by his bed, “That’s the highest honour in a Wizarding funeral.”

“I know,” Harry said somberly, “I can’t be there in person, won’t be well enough. So I decided I’m going to write the eulogy and give it to Cho to read. She was his friend too, even if we didn’t get along so well.”

“That’s,” Millicent said, swallowing a little to keep herself from bursting into tears, “very sweet of you.”

“It’s what Cedric would have done for me, so…,” Harry trailed off.

Millicent nearly squashed him in a bear hug, sniffling.

“S’alright Milli,” Harry offered awkwardly, “It’s going to be fine. I’m okay, really.”

“I know!” she sobbed, “You’re all right now, I was so scared when they found you! Draco was nearly in hysterics, I thought you’d died! Theodore was terrified! No one knew what had happened!”

Harry hugged her back, until she let him go and receded back into her chair, wiping her eyes.

“The Auror’s will find Cedric’s killer,” Harry said, “He won’t die needlessly.”

“I’m not worried about him,” Millicent shot back, “I’m worried about you!”

Harry let it slide, besides, he wasn’t about to tell her about the detailed dark arts diagrams he’d made in notebooks hiding under his pillows, or his plan to break into the cemetery Cedric was interred in, after he was well again. There were some things Harry was quite determined, to keep from his friends.

In the library that evening, the group had convened somberly at their table. Even Draco had shown up, although he didn’t talk much and instead spent his time sulkily drawing spirals on his parchment, in lieu of even pretending to do homework.

“I think he’s cracking,” Millicent said firmly.

Hermione scoffed, “Oh Millicent, be reasonable. I think he’s taking it rather well, considering.”

“He’s drawing Cedric’s picture over and over,” she continued.

“They were best friends!” Hermione countered.

“Not living Cedric you bint, the dead version!” Millicent snarled.

Theodore slammed a stack of books on the table, causing both Hermione and Millicent to jump. Draco’s jaw tightened but he didn’t acknowledge Theodore’s curt arrival.

“I made a deal with the aurors,” Theodore said, “I’m going under veritaserum.”

“What?” Millicent said, “Aren’t you allergic?”

“Oh, Theodore,” Hermione said, gasping.

“Not that allergic Milli,” Theodore said, “They’re diluting it. The statements can still count in a court of law.”

“I don’t like any of this,” Millicent said darkly, “First the false Moody, then that woman Harry insists he saw, and now veritaserum interrogations…”

“I’m not being boody interrogated by Grindelwald,” Theodore said irritably, “Two aurors, supervision by Madame Pompfrey, they find out what they need to know and…”

“And then your father disembowels you in your sleep during the summer, how charming,” Draco said, slashing a dark line across his page, “If it makes you feel any more secure, I’ll at least be around to pick up the pieces after Harry has a complete breakdown because of your stupidity.”

“Shut up, Malfoy!” Theodore snarled, “The concept of doing something for a friend may be completely foreign to you, but it’s not your decision and you can keep your flouncing poofter opinions to yourself!”

“What did you just call me?” Draco said low, his grey eyes turning cold.

Millicent and Hermione gave each other a look, and quietly tightened their grips on their respective wands.

“Quit it, both of you,” Millicent ground out, “Or I’ll clobber both of you so hard, you’ll still be in the hospital wing when Harry gets out!”

“We have bigger things to worry about,” Hermione cut in, “Neville told me all about the ritual, what he saw. I can’t find any allusions to it anywhere, Theodore, Draco, I think you can help me.”

“Why should I help you?” Draco snapped.

“Because,” Hermione reasoned, “The sooner we find out how Cedric died, and why, the sooner Harry can put it behind him, and the sooner the two people responsible for Harry’s condition can be thrown in jail.”

Theodore’s lingering stare in Draco’s direction, didn’t go unnoticed. Draco sniffed annoyed, flipped over a fresh page in his parchment and held his quill poised.

“Well?” he said, “Get on with it.”