Fire and Ice

The Fifth Death Eater

Draco fell to his knees, shaking over his father's motionless body.

"Malfoy!" Potter cried, placing his hand on Draco's vibrating shoulder.

"Get off me!" Draco gasped, staring at Lucius. His own father... unconcious at the wand of his own son. "What have I done..."

"Malfoy," Potter started quietly, "you saved Ginny, again. If you didn't do that, he'd have captured her."

Nodding slowly, Draco stood, avoiding looking at his father's splayed body. Ginny. Ginny is why he did it. Ginny.

"Wait," Draco said suddenly. "You said there were five Death Eaters! So-"

"Indeed, he did." A cold voice replied, walking through the door. Sweeping his black robe off the dirty ground, Severus Snape delicately stepped over the three fallen Death Eaters. Pausing at Draco's father, Snape exhaled.

"Nicely done, Malfoy." he said. Draco didn't know whether Snape was talking to him, or Lucius.

"Snape!" Draco burst. "you're one of them!"

"Mmm...not quite," Potter muttured sheepishly.

Staring at his messy black hair, Draco stuttered, "What do you mean?"

"Potter- take Miss Valence to the castle." Snape ordered. Potter hurried away. Snape turned to Draco and sighed.

"I have been working under cover for Albus Dumbledore, Draco. Under the Headmaster's wishes, I have pretended to aid the Dark Lord in his bid to capture Ginny Weasley and impersonate her Healing Powers for his own, killing her in the act.

"Once every six generations, a child in each of the two most powerful, pure and prestigious families inherit either Salazar Slytherin's dueling powers, or Godric Gryffindor's healing powers himself.

"One family is the Weasleys. The other family is the Malfoys." Glancing at Draco's shocked expression under his curtain of greasy hair, Snape continued.

"The Dark Lord had heard of the rumours regarding Gryffindor and Slytherin's powers and the connection to your families. You are the two purest blood families in the world, after all. Your blood, alone, Draco, is priceless, with unbelievable potential.

"With your parents on the Dark Lord's side and your father being such a... useful Death Eater, the Dark Lord informed me thusly: he will be taking Ginny Weasley out of Hogwarts and stealing Gryffindor's powers.

"After telling the Headmaster, we agreed to tell Potter, Mr Weasley and Miss Granger. With their help, we narrowed the suspects to two people."

"Me, and Valence." Draco interrupted, his brain whirring.

"Yes. I, and the Headmaster, assumed you were aware of your inherited powers, seeing as you are the greatest dueler in Hogwarts, yet it seems that your parents had kept you in the dark.

"But we were wrong. Miss Valence was the culprit who was trying to take and kill Miss Weasley, and store her healing powers to give to the Dark Lord.

"Thankfully, Miss Valence in on,her way to Hogwarts now, and will be safe."

"But what about Ginny?!"

"She, too, will be safe."

"But..." Draco ran his fingers through his hair agitatedly. "So Potter and the other two know all about this?"

"No. They were only told that Ginny Weasley was being targeted."

"I see," Draco murmured. "Will Ginny be told this?"

"No. And you don't know this either."

Frowning, Draco opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by his Potions Master.

"I am telling you this because I need you to understand the severity of this situation. After observing you today, it appears that you have gained a habit of wanting to save this girl, reasons unknown to me. Stay away from her," he suddenly hissed, bringing his face close to Draco's. "You are putting yourself, her, and your families in danger."

"Wait-!" Draco shouted. Snape suddenly turned, a terrifying expression on his face.

"Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindoor were immortal enemies, Malfoy. When one ancestor lives, the other must suffer. It is in your blood to thrive, only when the other is failing. You aren't made to be together, you are made to be seperate, even segregated. It is in your blood."

With that note, Snape jumped through the trap door.

Gripping his pounding head, Draco waited five minutes before following.