Goddess

The Boggart

Draco didn't reappear in classes until late on Thursday morning, when the Slytherins and Gryffindors were halfway through double Potions. 

He swaggered into the dungeon, his right arm covered in bandages and bound up in a sling, acting, in Harry's opinion, as though he were the heroic survivor of some dreadful battle. 

"How is it, Draco?" simpered Pansy Parkinson. "Does it hurt much?" 

"Yeah," said Malfoy, putting on a brave sort of grimace. But Harry saw him wink at Crabbe and Goyle when Pansy had looked away.  Rosella rolled her eyes in amusement.

"Settle down, settle down," said Professor Snape idly. Harry, Aries and Ron scowled at each other; Snape wouldn't have said "settle down" if they'd walked in late, he'd have given them detention. 

They were making a new potion today, a Shrinking Solution. Draco set up his cauldron right next to Harry and Ron, so that they were preparing their ingredients on the same table. 

"Sir," Malfoy called, "sir, I'll need help cutting up these daisy roots, because of my arm —"

"Weasley, cut up Malfoy's roots for him," said Snape without looking up. Ron went brick red. "There's nothing wrong with your arm," he hissed at Draco. Draco smirked across the table. "Weasley, you heard Professor Snape; cut up these roots." 

Ron seized his knife, pulled Draco's roots toward him, and began to chop them roughly, so that they were all different sizes. "Professor," drawled Malfoy, "Weasley's mutilating my roots, sir. "Snape approached their table, stared down his hooked nose at the roots, then gave Ron an unpleasant smile from beneath his long, greasy black hair. 

"Change roots with Malfoy, Weasley." 

"But, sir — !" 

"Now," said Snape in his most dangerous voice. 

Ron shoved his own beautifully cut roots across the table at Draco, then took up the knife again. 

"And, sir, I'll need this shrivelfig skinned," said Draco, his voice full of malicious laughter. Perse rolled her eyes once more, "Why do you even bother? " she said softly. 

"Potter, you can skin Malfoy's shrivelfig," said Snape, giving Harry a look of loathing. 

Jack Chase scowled angrily at the Slytherin Head of House. 

Harry took Draco's shrivelfig. Harry skinned the shrivelfig as fast as he could and flung it back across the table at Draco without speaking. Draco was smirking more broadly than ever.

"Seen your pal Hagrid lately?" he asked them quietly. 

"None of your business," said Ron jerkily, without looking up.

 "I'm afraid he won't be a teacher much longer," said Draco in a tone of mock sorrow. "Father's not very happy about my injury —" 

"Keep talking, Malfoy, and I'll give you a real injury," snarled Aries and Daniel hid a grin. 

"— he's complained to the school governors. And to the Ministry of Magic. Father's got a lot of influence, you know. And a lasting injury like this" — he gave a huge, fake sigh — "who knows if my arm'll ever be the same again?" 

"So that's why you're putting it on," said Harry. "To try to get Hagrid fired."

"Well," said Draco, lowering his voice to a whisper, "partly, Potter. But there are other benefits too. Black, slice my caterpillars for me." 

"Oh, I'll do it." Perse said, doing her best friend's work.

"Thanks." Aries smiled.

Perse nodded.