After this entire fiasco, the flying class finally ended. The Slytherins are sniggering while the Gryffindors are gnashing their teeth in anger. Their wonder boy not only have a draw with a snake but they also lose their house points. Hermione is glaring daggers at both the trouble makers especially Ron. She can't believe they had wasted her hard earned house points so easily. She firmly believes that this is all along a trap set up by her cunning Slytherin rival. She is too embarrassed to admit that she consider him as a dear friend.
While they are going for another class, they are stopped by a senior student. Professor Snape has called Draco so he has go for a small talk with his godfather. Soon they arrived at Snape's office. Draco knocked on the door and politely ask," Can I come in, Sir?"
"Get in." Snape's voice came in from inside.
Snape's office was a gloomy and dimly-lit room inside the school dungeons. The shadowy walls were lined with shelves of large glass jars filled with slimy, revolting things, such as bits of animals and plants, floating in potions of varying colors.
Snape looked at Draco, "Care to explain your little stunt".
"Potter wanted to show his flying talent in front of everyone," Draco said shrugging his shoulders.
Listening to what Draco said, Snape face turned sour, 'Hmph! Just like his idiotic father.' He thought.
"I won't give you any punishment for now, so leave." Snape said. Draco decided to test his luck.
"Uncle Sev if you don't mind, I want to ask you something, something about Potter" He said softly while purposely using his Godfather's nickname to get on his light side, typical of a Slytherin.
"Ask", Severus said slowly preparing the ingredients for his next potion. If he has noticed his change of tone he did not express it.
"I am somewhat confused about your hostility towards Potter. I mean I understand the typical Gryffindor- Slytherin rivalry but your targeting Potter only. There are worse students then him like Weasley or Longbottom in Gryffindor. This is not like you Uncle Sev", Draco said subtly to avoid a direct confrontation. At the end of his speech his voice is barely a whisper.
Severus hands stilled. His grip on the flask in his hands tightened just like his closed eyes which seems to be in a whirlwind of the most cherished and hated memories of his life. After a moment, his eyes opened and the perfect mask of indifference fell on to his face. Draco realized he is Occulding. He turned around to face him and said in his usual monotonous tone.
"I know Draco that you are more intellectual and mature then your peers and easily notice insusceptible situations but there are some things in life which come with experience and believe me when I say you will understand with time. The waters of Hogwarts are too deep for your young mind to comprehend".
"But Uncle Sev I--" He is cut off by Snape before he can complete his sentence.
"I have very high expectations from you Draco. I hope that you become a wonderful wizard in the future that can make your parents and me proud. That's why you should not waste your time in meaningless thoughts" Severus said in a concerned tone which contains a bit of fatherly touch.
"Now go attend your next class" He said gently. Draco compiled and leave. He know it will not be easy to make Severus break out of his shell. It is be a long process and will take time but he also knows that he has to do it. Severus cannot always remain a disposable pawn between Dumbeldore and Voldemort. He have to get out of the shadows of his past and stop dwelling in the memories of a dead woman, a woman who had never loved him.
Seeing the retreating form of Draco, Severus muttered to himself, "Seems like I get a bit overboard with Potter. I don't know how long I will remain steady. I hope I can soon reunite with her". ___________________________________________________
At dinner time, Blaise can't help but provoke Potter, he already has a belly full of fire. Firstly he get tied by a rookie and was stop at lashing by Theo. The heated argument with Theo afterwards only leave him feel more frustrated.
"Look here the champion of Gryffindor and the savior of crybabies. Not so confidentnow Potter, huh?", he said cackling to Crabbe and Goyle.
"Shove off Zabini. Today is the first time Harry ride a broom and already made a draw with you. If not for Nott then you will be left in the mud like you should be", Ron spat.
Blaise narrowed his eyes and said in a mocking tone," Weasely, hand-me-down robes and belongings with no manners, always poking your noses into others business. You are a disgrace to not only Sacred 28 but to your identity as a wizard".
"There are different definitions of disgrace in your family and mine. Forget it you will not understand. As for my honor as a wizard how about a Wizard's duel. Wands only -- no contact. How about it?" Ron said.
Pansy and Theo are already standing behind Blaise while Crabbe and Goyle are cracking their knuckles and look like their fist will do the job of talking. Draco is silently watching this scene unfolding. He decided to told Blaise to ditch the duel so as the timeline remains unchanged while making a fool of Weasel.
Meanwhile the timing of the duel is set up at midnight and Harry is chosen as Ron's second. While they are deciding for Blaise's second, Ron observes Draco's retreating form.
He can't help but say," Not so tough are we now Malfoy".
"Your opponent is me Weasely", Blaise said.
"Yeah yeah because your so call friend has no backbone", Ron ridiculed. Harry frowned but said nothing.
Draco's face twisted into a sneer. It seems he has to demonstrate a bit of his ability or Weasely won't stop barking. He looked at Blaise and he nodded back.
"Since you want to fight, don't wait until midnight". After saying this Draco take out his wand and tapped it lightly on the cup on the long table. The cup turned into a murderous gray wolf in an instant, with sharp fangs open and a terrifying howl!
There is a scream on the long Gryffindor table, Harry's face suddenly became pale and bloodless while Ron is so scared that he fell back from the chair and fell to the ground. When Professor McGonagall on the professor seat hurriedly approached, Draco lightly waved his wand and the gray wolf instantly changed back to the cup and said in an unsentimental voice: "Now you still want to duel with me, Weasel?"
Professor McGonagall arrived with a stern look, and said sharply,"Mr. Malfoy! Can you please explain, what is going on? Hogwarts strictly forbids using magic to hurt classmates!"
Draco turned to look at Professor McGonagall. He knew that this professor has always been impartial and would not favor Gryffindor so he had nothing to fear. He replied in a calm tone, "Professor McGonagall, classmate Weasley has never liked my Malfoy family. I don't care about it, but just now I don't want to intervene in the duel between him and my friend but was instead insulted by classmate Weasley—he said I am a coward. So I just used Transfiguration to scare him. I don't think it hurts any of my classmates".
Professor McGonagall cross-examined several classmates who are dining at the table, and determined that Draco is really telling the truth. She pressed her lips tightly. Ron's childish behavior costed 20 points from Gryffindor. Gryffindor who was deducted a lot of points in the past two weeks is directly at the bottom of the academy rankings. Many of the little wizards of Gryffindor gave Ron and Harry an unfriendly look.
Professor McGonagall turned her head and said to Draco, "Even if there is a reason, Mr. Malfoy, what you have done is improper. You are only a freshman in the first year. What if magic goes out of control and hurts your classmates by mistake?"
Draco spoke lightly but his tone was full of unquestionable self-confidence, "Professor, it is impossible to accidentally hurt any of the classmates." After he said that, with a light wave of his wand, the four cups on the table turned into snakes, spiders, chickens, red foxes and then with a light wave, the four small animals entangled together and turned into a snake-shaped monster with a fox tail, cockscomb, and eight spider feet. The forked snake tongue hissed. Draco gave a light wave again, and the snake-shaped monster instantly decomposed into the previous four small animals, and then changed back to four cups.
Professor McGonagall get stunned and shocked by Draco's performance. She calmed down and said slowly, "Mr. Malfoy, it's incredible transfiguration. Can you tell me, how far have you learned Transfiguration?"
"To what extent?" Draco reached out and touched his chin, "I think… Except for the Vanishing spell in the OWL level, I should have mastered all the spells till fifth year". He said modestly and thought, 'What a Joke, I have spent all my sixth year mastering this spell but others don't have to know it'. He glanced at Ron and said,"To be honest just now, if I wanted I can completely turn him into a ferret."
( Ironic isn't it?😏)
These words irritated Ron with anger and hatred, but the presence of Professor McGonagall and the capability of Draco made him unable to say anything rude.
Professor McGonagall's expression is still stern, but Draco can detect the inadvertent faint joy between her eyebrows, "You come to my office with me now, and I have something to say to you."
Draco followed Professor McGonagall out of the auditorium. Ron's cursing can be heard in a low voice before leaving but he couldn't take care of that much, so he can only follow Professor McGonagall to her office. Professor McGonagall's office is a small study on the side of the corridor on the second floor. There is a burning fireplace. You can see the Quidditch stadium outside the window. Behind Professor McGonagall's desk is densely packed. The metamorphology books and the students' metamorphology papers are all turned over, not on the bookshelf. It seems that Professor McGonagall's title of 'Hat Stall' is not groundless, and Ravenclaw is also suitable for her, Draco pondered.
After Professor McGonagall sat down at the desk and stared at him for a few seconds, she organized her words and said, "Mr. Malfoy, you are the most gifted student in transfiguration I have ever seen. There are too many students in the same grade and I will not be able to give the attentionyou deserve. In order not to waste your potential, I want to invite you to join my Transfiguration Club."
(A/N: Sorry guys exams, projects and a lot of stuff came up so a bit late for this chapter. Btw check out the comment box for some photos).