Chapter - 45 : Twist Part - 2

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Dear Mum (and Dad),

I don't like that Harry has been getting awfully familiar with Jeremiah LeStrange. I don't even understand why Harry is bothering with LeStrange. LeStrange doesn't seem to have anything that Harry wants. He just wants Harry to help him study for his O.W.L.s!

Nott and Greengrass are hanging all over Harry. They're even inviting themselves (and Crabbe and Goyle) to our Defense and Charms study sessions. Of course Harry took that as a sign to start inviting all the first year Gryffindors and a bunch of the first year Hufflepuffs (including the mudbloods). It's not like any of them are any use to him!

I think there's some sort of pranking war going on in Gryffindor House. Instead of keeping it properly within their own house, they keep pranking the entire school! So far everyone has been inkstained, turned into canaries, forced to walk backwards for an entire day, and had their wands turned into rubber chickens. Harry is on one side and the Weasley twins (third years) are on the other. Neither side has been caught by the teachers or prefects yet. (Most of the prefects seem to think it's funny! They aren't trying very hard to catch the Gryffindors. LeStrange isn't even trying at all! He just keeps laughing and egging Harry on!)

I did fine in classes and earned Slytherin seven points this week.

Love,

Draco.

Lucius Malfoy smiled as he refolded his son's letter. He tilted his head down to peer at the court room below him. From the gallery, he could see Mrs. Bones glancing through a sheaf of papers. On her left sat a very young man with sandy hair and wide, frightened eyes. On her right sat Potter's solicitor, a whip thin man with iron gray hair and a ferocious scowl. At the table across the aisle from Mrs. Bones sat Albus Dumbledore. He was watching the people around him with a small smile quirking at the corners of his mouth. His eyes, however, lacked their usual twinkle.

Lucius smirked, viciously pleased.

Narcissa slid into the seat next to him. As she fussed with the way her robes were settled, Narcissa cast a highly complex privacy charm.

"I love that boy" Lucius said as soon as the charm settled over them. "I haven't seen Dumbledore so worked up in years."

"Did I miss anything?"

"No. Ms. Bones is preparing herself. Dumbledore is sulking. And your little charity project is turning out to be quite interesting."

Narcissa sniffed as she gently tucked Draco's letter away in her handbag.

"I've always had exquisite taste."

Lucius smiled at his wife. "And it was absolutely foolish of me to doubt that even for a moment."

Narcissa tilted her chin with mock arrogance. "And you would do well to remember that, husband."

Lucius smiled. "Do you by any chance remember any interesting gossip from the ladies' room?"

Naricssa flashed him an amused smirk. "We do more than gossip in there."

"I'm sure."

"But I heard from one of the other ladies that her son was recently offered an apprenticeship at Ms. Bones' firm. She took him on sortly after I introduced Harry to Ms. Bones, in fact. The proud mothe will soon be joining us in the gallery to watch her son's first court appearance."

Well. With that sort of time and effort going into his litigation, Potter's legal bills must be quite high.

'He can afford it' Lucius thought as he eyed Dumbledore's stern expression with a better understanding. 'It must chaff at the old man to see the Potter fortune slipping out of his grasp.'

Lucius smirked. "That explains how she's doing it then. Ms. Bones has buried Dumbledore in motions and cross motions. I heard from Fredrickson that Dumbledore's only been at Hogwarts two days a week since she petitioned for Potter's O.W.L. exams to be administered."

"I'd think he'd use one of those two days to try to influence Harry."

Lucuis laughed. "I thought so too! Fredrickson said that she won a motion for some sort of legal binding. He literally can't talk to Potter about anything related to the current and pending litigation until the matters are permanently settled."

Narcissa made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a choked giggle.

"She's vicious!" His wife's tone turned wistful. "I almost regret steering Harry toward her rather than retaining her services for ourselves."

"We have perfectly superior representation" Lucius consoled her. "Gutman and Crook can be delightfully vicious too."

Narcissa arched one perfectly shaped eyebrow at him.

"But no one is as perfectly, delightfully, exquisitely vicious as you."

Narcissa looked at him archly. "Flattery will get you everywhere."

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(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)

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