15

15. Christmas holiday

A week later, we were walking across the entrance hall when we saw some people gathered in front of the noticeboard. We approached and Seamus told us that there would be a Duelling Club. We were all for going so later in the evening we returned to the great hall. The four tables had vanished, there was only one large stage lit by candles. We made our way right in front.

"I wonder who is going to be our teacher." Hermione said as the chattering ended suddenly.

"I'm fine with everyone except- ", I stopped groaning when I saw Lockhart walking up the stage, a huge smile on his face. Harry next to me was as happy as I was. I couldn't suppress a gleeful grin as I saw Severus walking up on the other side of the stage. The Slytherin's were cheering as they saw their house teacher. On the other side of the stage I could see Draco talking with Blaze. They were laughing and pointing at Lockhart. Lockhart started talking now so I turned my attention back to him.

"Dumbledore granted me the permission to start a duelling club in case you need to defend yourself." I could see every girl hanging on his words and couldn't stop myself from turning my eyes. "Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape. He has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration. Now, there's no need to worry youngsters, you'll still have your potions master when I'm through with it." I snickered earning a dark look from Hermione who was definitely admiring Lockhart.

"What?!" I exclaimed. "Come on, Snape is going to finish him off!" Now, I got more dark looks from the girls who had heard me from the other side of the stage. Ignoring them I looked up at the teacher again. They had started their demonstration now and when Severus fired a spell against Lockhart, he was blown backwards and landed on his back.

"Do you think he's all right?" Hermione worried. "Who cares?" Ron said amused and Harry and I couldn't suppress a laugher.

"Excellent Professor Snape, you see if I had wanted to defend myself it would have been easy." Lockhart beamed but I could only laugh.

"Perhaps it would be prudent to first teach your students how to block a spell." Severus suggested with clenched teeth. He was definitely annoyed by Lockhart and I couldn't blame him at all.

"An excellent suggestion Professor Snape. How about two students coming up…" He called for Harry and Ron but Severus interfered. He made Draco come up the stage. When his gaze met mine for a second I returned it darkly but he only raised one eyebrow.

"Don't you dare hurting him" I whispered for myself and didn't even know who I was talking to. They started and as expected it didn't go well. Draco, completely playing the git Draco Malfoy, attacked Harry who let his hate get the better of him. Suddenly, Draco made appear a snake on the stage which was gliding towards Harry. I was feeling the same horror I saw in everyone's face. Shocked, I looked up at Draco who was only staring at the snake. Some people were screaming. Harry was staring at it too. I made attempts to climb up the stage but before I did Severus spotted me and stepped forwards.

"Allow me, Professor Snape." Lockhart said and made the snake fly into the air and fall back down. That was only making it angrier… It raised its head and hissed louder than before. Harry stepped forward all the sudden and stared at it. Then I could hear him. He hissed something and I realized it was Parselmouth. Horror flooded my mind. Harry spoke the same language as my father. He could talk to snakes. I stood still, not able to move one finger. The snake moved towards Justin Fletcher but I think Harry made it leave him alone. Then the snake vanished and everybody was ripped out of his trance. When I looked up I saw Severus watching Harry with a shrewd and calculating look. Poor Harry stood there and everybody was watching him strangely. Fletcher screamed at him and run out the hall. To help Harry I tugged his robe and made him sign to come down of the stage. By his arm I dragged him out of the great hall, followed by Hermione and Ron. We hurried up to Gryffindor tower and luckily no one else was there.

"You're a Parselmouth, Harry. Why didn't you tell us?" I asked him by pushing him into an armchair. Harry looked surprised. "I'm a what?"

"A Parselmouth." Said Ron. "You can talk to snakes."

"Yeah so? I bet a lot of people can do so." Harry tried to explain.

"Harry," I said quietly. "This is not a common gift. It's Salazar Slytherin's tongue." Harry looked at me quizzical. "Salazar Slytherin was famous for being able to talk to snakes. That's why the symbol of Slytherin house is a snake." I explained him. Harry's mouth fell open.

"And now the whole school thinks you're his great-great-great-great-grandson or something…" Ron stated. Harry seemed overstrained with this information.

The next morning, snow had covered every tiniest spot. Harry was very unhappy about everything he found out yesterday. Because Herbology was cancelled he wanted to talk to Fletcher to explain him what happened yesterday. I decided to go and talk to Severus.

"Ms. Jackson." I heard the voice of Professor McGonagall as I had just passed the great hall. I turned around. "Professor?"

"Where is your friend, Potter?" She seemed worried.

"Oh I don't know. He wanted to talk to someone." I told her.

"Fine. Tell him please that he can come in my office if he feels the need to talk. And you Ms. Jackson, are you alright?" I furrowed my eyebrows in surprise then I looked around the corridor. Luckily, there were not many students passing so no one would hear us. "I'm completely fine, Professor! And… I don't want to sound rude but… If you want to talk to me again I would prefer if it was in your office." I said quietly and she nodded. Before I left I noticed that she watched me closely as if she was searching something. On my way through the dungeons I quivered and folded my arms to warm myself a little. Then I reached his office.

"Hey there." I said smiling slightly. He was correcting papers again but looked up when I entered.

"Everything alright?" He asked watching me closely. Exhaling loudly, I let myself fall down in a chair.

"Have you noticed that Professor McGonagall is acting strange?" I furrowed my eyebrows absentminded. "I mean, I think she might have seen us exchanging looks now and then."

"You really worry about that now? I've other things in my mind right now." Severus took out his wand and with a swipe the parchments vanished. "Your friend Potter for example. I have hoped until yesterday that I wouldn't have to hear this… language again." He sounded disgusted and crossed his arms.

"Guess what, it wasn't nice for me either. I still remember his voice and I was only a baby but because I'm a fairy I remember more than any human in this age." Anger had raised in me. I had been able to forget my father but since yesterday he was in my mind all the time.

"Tell me about Professor McGonagall, maybe that'll distract you a little." Severus said sitting on his desk in front of me. I exhaled again, shook my head to free me from my thoughts.

"Well, she noticed you protecting Draco by stepping between us when we found Mrs. Norris. Then when Ron made the comment and we both laughed. And then afterwards we were in Lockhart's office: you reminded him that you were the Potion's master of this school and I grinned. I mean she's not stupid. Five minutes ago she stopped me in the corridor to ask me if everything was alright."

Severus was thinking now. "We need to be careful, Arya. I mean I trust Minerva, she wouldn't tell anyone if she knew. But we should keep it secret as long as we can." I nodded.

"I know, I trust her too. I just mean that she isn't stupid. If we don't tell her she will find out one day."

"Yes and that would be fine. But for now we try to be more careful." With that he smiled and stood up. "Well, I'm really sorry Aryanna but I think we need to go to class now. A potion interested class is waiting for me." He said laughing and I stood up as well. "I have Transfigurations, talking of Professor McGonagall." Now it was my turn to laugh and he pulled me in a hug.

"See you then I guess." He said looking me deeply in the eyes. I smiled brightly. "Yep." With that I turned around and left, suddenly feeling all good and happy. Back in the dungeons my good feeling vanished somehow. Instead there was a bad feeling that told me that something bad was going on. I tried to ignore it.

Later in Transfigurations, Harry wasn't there. The lesson was disturbed by a screaming Peeves so McGonagall left to see what was going on. When she came back she told us that class was over. I had the bad feeling that it had to do with Harry. And I was right. Justin Fletcher and Nearly Headless Nick had been petrified. Now every student wanted to leave over Christmas, everyone except the four of us, Draco, Blaze, his two morons and some others.

The evening before Christmas I walked down to the black lake, enjoying the peace in Hogwarts. I went to my special spot where nobody would find me. Sadly, there was already someone. That someone was sitting with his back to me but I recognized him anyway. I thought about whether leaving or not but it was already too late.

"I know you're there, Arya." The quiet voice of Draco came to my ear. Sighting I stepped forwards against my sanity which told me to keep away from him. Sitting down next to him I looked at the lake. We didn't say a word for a while. "It reminds me of former times. At Malfoy manor we spent hours sitting and talking hiding from my parents." I could see that he smiled still watching the lake. I was torn inwardly. Part of me wanted to leave because I needed to stay away from him but another part wished to get him back as brother. "I came here to think about things that happened and not to talk about what has been." I told him.

"Oh yeah I forgot, you don't want to deal with me, the evil Draco Malfoy." Anger had raised in his voice. "You know that's selfish right? You told me that you only want to protect me but I'm willing to take the risk. I think it's my decision Arya!" He was looking at me now. "You have no idea how it is to be in my place…" His cold voice shocked me.

"Oh don't you dare playing that card, Draco Malfoy. Don't try to make me pity you." I couldn't hold back my anger.

"Why not? Afraid that you give in?" Provocative he grinned gloomy now. Then it vanished suddenly and he stood up. In a scary cold voice, he spat: "And I don't want your pity. I want to tell you how it feels to be in my place so that you know what you're doing to me in your egoism!" Now I couldn't stay sitting on the ground anymore. In a split second I stood up and faced him.

"Oh yeah, I'm keeping you away from me out of egoism. Because it's so fun! Don't think it's easy, I'm just trying to protect you!" My voice had raised as well.

"But I don't want to be protected, Aryanna!" He was screaming now his face distorted with rage. "You DON'T KNOW how this feels! You have plenty of friends to distract you but I've got only Blaze who was your best friend too if I may remind you! WE'RE ALONE ALL THE TIME BECAUSE NO SLYTHERIN IS TRUSTWORTHY. DO YOU HAVE TO DO AS IF YOU WERE SOMEONE ELSE? I DON'T THINK SO! So DON'T YOU DARE telling me that it's difficult for you!"

I hadn't expected such an outburst but before I could retort something he turned around and left shaking. I felt as if I was in trance, I couldn't think. Then suddenly, I was overwhelmed by my emotions and broke down sobbing uncontrollably. I hate this so much! I loved Draco but I needed to protect him. Nonetheless, I kept running into him which made me only more depressed. I really needed to sort things out somehow. I couldn't let every encounter with him make me break down.

Christmas morning, Hermione woke us up announcing that the Polyjuice Potion was finished. They could go on our mission. Locked-in Moarning Myrtle's bathroom they drank the Potion and Ron and Harry transformed into Crabbe and Goyle. It really was scary to see them like this when they were still talking like Harry and Ron. Hermione however had locked herself inside a cabin, refusing to come out. So Harry and Ron left alone.

"Hermione, come on what's wrong?" I asked impatiently. "Come out now or I'll open that door with magic!" I heard the lock slide back and Hermione emerged, sobbing, her robes pulled up over her head. I could feel that something was more than wrong. Gently, I pulled off the robes and I backed in shock. Her face was covered in black fur and her eyes had gone yellow.

"It was a cat hair!" She howled. It took me some time to persuade her to go see Madame Pomfrey. But when Harry and Ron came back after one hour - not satisfied at all – they helped me so we could finally accompany her there.