𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍

Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

The next morning began with Herbology. Harry and Ron both spent the class almost asleep, while Hermione took notes and had her hand up at almost every question – as usual. Care of Magical Creatures followed. This was normally one of Harry's better subjects, since his long-time friend, Rubeus Hagrid, held the classes. Hagrid's love for odd creatures – or monsters, as most students would name them – made the classes—interesting.

However, today Hermione had to poke him in the side when she noted he was not paying attention.

"Harry," she whispered.

"Huh? What?"

“Are you okay? Perhaps you need to go to Madam Pomfrey – perhaps you’re not okay after—”

“I’m fine,” Harry said. “Just a bit tired.”

“But Harry, that Bludger—”

“I’m fine,” he assured her. "But I do need to talk to you and Ron later. Can we go to the common room after lunch?"

Hermione, sensing that what Harry was going to tell them was important, said, "We'll go to my room instead. There's more privacy there."

Harry nodded, and Ron shot them a curious look. Hermione leaned over to him to whisper what she and Harry had just agreed on. He looked surprised, then shrugged and went back to listening to Hagrid talk about the Shaebey he held in his hand. It was, for once, a fairly cute little bugger, with big eyes watching the class questioningly. It had small arms with hands that didn't look proportional; the eight fingers looked all too many. The same went for the feet, which had eight toes and looked too big. Its body looked like that of a small baby; pinkish in colour, soft and round. The creature seemed content in Hagrid's hand, for it closed its eyes and seemed to go off to sleep.

“The Shaebeys are useful too,” Hagrid said. “They have some protective magic, but most of all, it’s their hair the Potions masters are after. It has some great healing qualities to it.”

Harry took notes for a moment, but then drifted off into daydreams again, until Hermione poked him once more.

The lunch passed blessedly uneventfully. Draco noted that Harry no longer glared at the Slytherin table, instead having found a curious new target for his attention – Severus. Did Potter worry about him the same way Draco did? It should not be so – Severus had always been horrid to the other houses, Gryffindor in particular, and Potter most of all, and even though it might have lessened since the fall of the Dark Lord – Severus had even given Granger points on her perfect potion once – it would not erase six years of verbal lashings and hatred. But something troubled Potter about the professor, because he kept stealing glances at Severus.

Severus looked pale. Of course, the man had always been averse to sun – but his colour had turned almost ashen now. Dark circles fell as shadows beneath his eyes.

He looks like he may fall down dead any second, Draco thought.

Draco noted how the man only pushed his food around on the plate, never taking a bite. He also saw Professor McGonagall shooting concerned glances at her co-worker. Severus either did not notice or ignored them. Knowing how attentive Severus usually was, Draco assumed the latter.

Something was off, wrong, and considering the timing, Draco would bet that his father had something to do with it. What? And did it really matter? Draco knew his father had been the reason for Harry’s—Potter’s—accident too, but he had no proof and thus, he could do nothing.

Draco sighed to himself, and realised absentmindedly that he too only pushed his food around on the plate. Suddenly he did not feel hungry anymore, and so he stood and walked out of the hall. Crabbe and Goyle looked dumbly after him.