The Snake| Draco Malfoy

~Year 4~ Ends and Beginnings

The next few days were the hardest. I had told Dumbledore what had happened when I entered the graveyard countless times but he always seemed to come up with a new question to ask every time I saw him. I had also been visited many times by Astoria, Harper and Lucille. I had also told them what had happened. Thought they didn't ask much about it. Whenever we talked or they came and visited me in the hospital wing it was more of a taboo then a topic. Draco had come by a few times while I was still in the hospital wing. But we didn't talk much, mostly just sat there in silence taking in each other's presence. Narcissa had left almost immediately after the task. Harry's declaration about Voldemort being back and Lucius in the graveyard had her gone in seconds.

I had eventually been allowed to return to my dormitory and free of the hospital wing. Thought I still had a few cuts and bandages around my arms and on my forehead, I was still happy to leave. Madam Pomfrey was still making take the dreamless sleep potion. Which tasted horrible. I had a few times forgotten to take it or fell asleep before I could. Which always led to dreams about the graveyard and waking up to see Cedric's cold gray eyes. The recollections of that day were very painful. I even had to go through the hard task of facing the Diggorys. I had tried to give them the prize money as I had more than enough galleons already and didn't need more. But of course they refused, saying I earned it.

Lucille and Astoria had informed me that Dumbledore had spoken to the school that morning at breakfast. He had merely requested that they leave me and Harry alone, that nobody ask us questions or badger us to tell the story of what had happened in the maze. Most people, I noticed, were skirting around me in the corridors, avoiding my eyes. Some whispered behind their hands as I passed.

It was with a heavy heart that I packed my trunk up in the dormitory on the night before my return to Malfoy Manor. I truly didn't want to go back especially after seeing Lucius in the graveyard with Voldemort. I was dreading the Leaving Feast, which was usually a cause for celebration, when the winner of the Inter-House Championship would be announced. I headed down to the Feast with Lucille and Astoria taking a seat next to Harper, they saw at once that the usual decorations were missing. The Great Hall was normally decorated with the winning House's colors for the Leaving Feast. Tonight, however, there were black drapes on the wall behind the teachers' table. I knew instantly that they were there as a mark of respect to Cedric.

The real Mad-Eye Moody was at the staff table now, his wooden leg and his magical eye back in place. He was extremely twitchy, jumping every time someone spoke to him. I couldn't blame him; Moody's fear of attack was bound to have been increased by his ten-month imprisonment in his own trunk. I had also recently learned about ex-death eater. Barry Crouch killing his father and posing as Moody to enter me and Harry in the tournament. Which came as a real shock. Professor Karkaroff's chair was empty. I knew he used to be a death eater and was most likely on the run from Voldemort. Or worse- dead.

Madame Maxime was still there. She was sitting next to Hagrid. They were talking quietly together. Further along the table, sitting next to Professor McGonagall, was Snape. His expression was difficult to read. He looked as sour and unpleasant as ever. What was it that Snape had done on Dumbledores orders, the night that Voldemort had returned? And why...why...was Dumbledore so convinced that Snape was truly on their side? He had been a spy, I knew this full well.

Snape had turned spy against Voldemort, "at great personal risk." Was that the job he had taken up again? Had he made contact with the Death Eaters, perhaps? Pretended that he had never really gone over to Dumbledore, that he had been, like Voldemort himself, biding his time? My thoughts were ended by Professor Dumbledore, who stood up at the staff table. The Great Hall, which in any case had been less noisy than it usually was at the Leaving Feast, became very quiet.