Harry Potter: Harry Slytherin 3

Chapter Three: Mission

Everyone sits down in the great hall for the sorting of the year and the great feast to follow. Surprisingly the sorting goes by rather quickly Harry and Draco don't really pay much attention to it and spend most of the sorting just waiting for it to be over. Once it's over the real fun begins. Some students stand up to switch places to locate seats closer to friends. Harry and Draco were already sitting by Jade so they were waiting for Crabbe and Goyal to move over next to them.

Draco smirks and leans across the table so that he can speak to Harry in a low tone. "so Potter... got a girl you fancy this year?"

Harry nods and turns to look over his shoulder towards the Ravenclaw table. "I have to admit the infatuation with Sed is becoming... less."

"less?" Draco questions. "why?"

"well I suppose at first it kind of felt forbidden." Harry muses. "but I think I would still like to be her friend even if we can't be together."

Draco sits back in his sit and shrugs. "I guess... maybe we're too complicated for girls."

Harry shrugs. "I imagine if we wait we'll know. I don't think I want to go for something if it isn't meant to be you know?"

Draco nods. "well I plan to wait." He glances at Jade and finds her not listening to them. He smirks a bit. "I have my reasons of course."

Harry chuckles a bit to himself and then focuses on eating. He wasn't exactly sure why but Draco had developed quite the attachment to Jade. While he did understand that it was mostly her attitude and personality that Draco had first been drawn to he still had to wonder if there was something more.

To Draco it was the thrill of solving a great mystery. This girl who seemingly had no past or future was practically begging to be read. Something of a book with blank pages and he wanted to figure out all the hidden details. Yes, he realized he'd have a long road ahead of him but if it meant finding her true identity he was willing to try anything.

-later-

After eating the group head towards the dungeons where the common room and dorms for Slytherin house are located. However, Draco had just been waiting for this chance to slip away and confront Snape about the potion that would tell a wizard's blood line. He taps Harry's shoulder. "I have business with Snape right now... I'll meet up with you later in the dorms unless your asleep in that case I will see you on the marrow."

"alright?" Harry questions and watches as Draco slips away down a joining hall.

Draco makes his way to the potions classroom and finds Snape working on some last minute paperwork. "excuse me sir..."

"Malfoy." Snape raises an eyebrow. "to what do I owe this... intrusion."

"the family tree potion." Draco says putting his hands on the professor's desk. "can you brew it?"

"certainly." Snape questions. "but why?"

"I have reason to suspect that my friend Jade might be the last remaining Gaunt... I wish to know if that is possible." Draco replies.

Snape nods. "well there is one way to find out... but I warn you Draco some stones are not meant to be over turned. Should you find something about her you don't like you can't change it or take it back."

"her past doesn't matter to me nor does her family history." Draco replies. "how do I find out if she is pure-blood or not?"

"that would be the family tree." Snape replies. "I happen to have in my possession a scroll which has the names of every wizard known to have ever existed. If one were to drink the potion you mentioned and then drip their blood onto the scroll it would then read the names back up their ancestral branch by up to four generations." He pauses and then looks back at Draco. "if your hunch is correct she is the remaining Gaunt then you realize what this means?"

Draco nods and looks at the floor. "yes I know... she's related to Voldemort..." he sighs. "but I have to know."

"very well." Snape nods. "get her to come in willingly or gather any amount of her blood into a vile. It must be her blood or it won't have any effect."

"what about getting her to drink the potion?" Draco questions.

"dropping to potion directly into the blood should have the same effect as drinking it." Snape replies. "without the added side effects of having drank it."

"side effects?" Draco questions.

"yes." Snape nods. "the potion is complicated and contains a lot of ingredients that might make one very ill. especially if not brewed properly. It may be safer just to drop the potion into the blood sample the way she does not get sick."

Draco nods. "alright then... you brew it and I'll find a way to get her blood." He starts to leave.

"wait." Snape blocks his path. "why is this so important to you Malfoy?"

Draco frowns. "promise you won't tell?"

"I swear it." Snape raises one hand.

"I sort of fancy her." Draco replies. "not a lot just enough to care about her background." He puzzles for a moment. "it isn't so much that I care if her family has a history so long as she isn't muggle born."

"your father would never approve if she was." Snape nods. "is that what this is about?"

Draco nods. "I can't tell him I like a girl who doesn't even know where she comes from. At least if I knew he would make telling him easier."

"you fear he'd do something potentially harmful to the girl if he knew?" Snape questions.

Draco nods. "I wouldn't put it past him... he's got strict rules."

Snape nods understanding. "very well. I shall take your secret to the grave if necessary. I will begin the potion immediately. Do try your best not to act a fool this year."

Draco nods. "of course."