The Fox In A Snake Pit! Story 3

Dark Horse

"Send word to one of the ghosts." Professor Dumbledore instructed, halting momentarily as he prepared to exit the hall. He added, "Ah, yes, you'll need..." With a flick of his wand, the long tables gracefully glided to the sides of the hall, aligning themselves against the walls as if obeying a silent command. Another wave of his wand transformed the floor into a sea of plush, purple sleeping bags, inviting and cozy. "Sleep well," he murmured, gently shutting the door as he left. 

The Great Hall quickly filled with the lively chatter of Gryffindors, who appeared to understand the situation clearly. They eagerly shared the news that the portrait of the Fat Lady had been torn to shreds. 

"Get into your sleeping bags, everyone!" Percy called out, urgency in his voice. "We need to quiet down—ten minutes until lights out!" 

But Jade had no intention of listening to a Weasley and whispered her plan to Daphne and Draco. "I refuse to sit around while they search for whoever—or whatever—did that to the portrait. We need to draw whatever it is out into the open!" She glanced at Draco, a glint of mischief in her eyes. 

Draco raised an eyebrow. "And what exactly do you have in mind, Jade?" 

"Honestly, Draco, it's quite clear that music is universally loved. Even your dad puts on a tough act, acting like he's above it," Jade remarked cheerfully while she magically transformed her sleeping bag into a plush, inviting chair. "but I've seen how his eyes light up when I'm singing, and he thinks no one's watching." Her eyes darted around the room, searching for another object she could cleverly convert into a piano. 

Blaise Zabini stood near Draco and handed Jade a wooden object, leaving her puzzled about its purpose. Noticing the confused look on her face, he said, "Whatever you've got in mind, count me in. I figured someone like you might be searching for something to transform into a piano." His voice was low, accompanied by a smirk that told her he was more curious than concerned about her intentions. 

Jade considered this a hidden blessing, since the song she planned to perform required a rapper. Although Draco had skills in rapping, he certainly didn't measure up to Zabini's talent. "Well, if you must know, I'm hoping to sing a song to help Vix feel better." She said, only partially truthfully. While her intention was indeed to comfort Vix, she also had a hidden agenda: to draw out the elusive 'beast' that everyone was searching for. 

Zabini looked skeptical and questioned, "Aren't you worried about drawing the wrong kind of attention?" 

"What do you mean by the wrong kind of attention?" Jade replied, a playful smile on her face. She knew that her plan was risky, but the thrill was too tempting to resist. 

"You know, the kind that destroyed the Gryffindor portrait." he said, a chuckle escaping his lips. 

Jade chuckled a little as she began to transform the cube into a piano, her eyes glinting with mischief. "Not at all. In fact, I'm counting on it." Her voice was sweet and light, but there was a look of determination in her eyes that suggested she had something more than just comfort in mind if something unexpected decided to show up. 

Zabini remained silent, but his smile grew broader as he helped Jade with the setup. Eventually, though, he couldn't help but wonder what she had planned, and just as she was about to clarify parts of her plans to everyone else, he leaned in and whispered, "What will you do if Weasley sends a ghost to fetch Dumbledore?" he was referring to Percy. 

Jade responded with a calculated look in her eyes and a smirk on her lips. "Oh, I'm counting on that happening." She whispered back to Blaise, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial tone. "If he thinks he can interrupt my performance, I'll make sure he's part of the show."