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"Harry," Draco said quietly, "Fred, George, there's something you should see." He looked worried. The twins exchanged wary glances.
Harry raised an eyebrow and stood up. "What?"
"It's in the Daily Prophet," Draco said. "I left it in the common room."
"Let's go, then," Harry said as Fred and George got up. "Neville, are you coming?"
"I have to finish this essay for Professor Snape," Neville said regretfully.
"We'll tell you later," said George.
The four of them left the library and walked down to the dungeons. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, they found Percy Weasley talking to Vincent Crabbe, who looked stupider than usual.
"Vincent," Harry called. When Vincent didn't respond, he rolled his eyes and said, "Crabbe."
Weasley and Vincent both turned to him, frowning. "Potter," Weasley said stiffly.
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Odd to see you down here, Weasley. What are you doing ⎯ hoping to catch Slytherin's Heir single-handedly?" Draco and the twins sniggered, and Vincent coughed quickly.
The prefect's face turned red with anger. "You ought to show a bit more respect to a school prefect!" Weasley snarled. "I don't like your attitude!"
"Because I'm going to show respect to a person who has always been kind to me," Harry drawled sarcastically. "Oh wait ⎯ you haven't ever been kind to me. Let's go, Vincent, Draco, my demons." He marched past Weasley, leading the four Slytherins to the common room entrance.
"Pureblood," Draco stated, and the concealed stone door opened. Harry stepped inside.
The common room was mostly empty, given the fact that most Slytherins had gone home for Christmas, and they barely glanced up when Harry entered; though the ones that did looked incredibly respectful. Harry noticed that Vincent was looking around as if he'd never seen the common room before, an expression of deep concentration on his face.
Well that was odd.
"What did you want to show us, Draco?" Harry asked, taking a seat in his armchair. The twins collapsed on either side of him, and Vincent sat down on Fred's left.
"I'll go get it, Father just sent it to me," he said, rushing up the stairs to the boys' dormitories.
"What do you think happened?" Fred asked curiously.
"Nothing good," George frowned. "Did you notice that he wanted to show me and you?"
"That means it's got something to do with one of the family members who actually like us," Fred growled. A flicker of a sneer appeared on Vincent's face.
Harry frowned slightly. That sneer could be interpreted as disgust for the Weasleys that didn't like the twins, but Vincent had never shown any expression but boredom and confusion.
Draco appeared at that moment and handed the newspaper to Harry. "It's about Mr. Weasley," he said worriedly.
The twins leaned over to read over Harry's shoulder.
Inquiry at the Ministry of Magic
Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, was today fined fifty Galleons for bewitching a Muggle Car.
Mr. Lucius Malfoy, a governor of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where the enchanted car crashed earlier this year, called today for Mr. Weasley's resignation.
"Weasley has brought the Ministry into disrepute," Mr. Malfoy told our reporter. "He is clearly unfit to draw up our laws and his ridiculous Muggle Protection Act should be scrapped immediately."
Mr. Weasley was unavailable for comment, although his wife told reporters to clear off or she'd set the family ghoul on them.
"Draco, tell your father to redact his statement," Harry said sharply, tossing the newspaper aside with disgust.
Draco instantly leaped to his feet and dashed up the stairs. Vincent, looking startled and curious, picked up the Daily Prophet. His face screwed up in anger.
"You alright, Vincent?" Harry asked curiously. Vincent blinked once before grunting, "Stomachache."
Most people don't look angry when the have a stomachache, at least not Vincent.
"Potter," Marcus said in irritation as he collapsed beside George.
"What's wrong, Marcus?" Harry asked dryly.
"The idiot Gryffindors ⎯ not Finnigan and Thomas," Marcus added. "They keep spreading the rumor that you've been attacking the Muggleborns."
Vincent's eyes widened slightly.
Harry snorted. "Ignore them, Marcus. It'll soon be obvious that I've been doing nothing."
"Is your boyfriend still-" Fred began.
"-telling you not-" said George.
"-to look for the Chamber-"
"-and stop the attacks?"
Harry turned pink and glared at them, almost missing the surprise and disgust on Vincent's face. "Yes, and I told you not to spread that around."
Marcus rolled his eyes. "Potter, it's obvious you're gay. At least, to all the intelligent ones," he sneered. "What are we going to do about the rumors?"
"Wait," Harry shrugged. "I tried to tell the Hufflepuffs that I haven't been setting the creature in the Chamber on the Muggleborns, but they won't listen. Macmillan still thinks I tried to set Obsidian on Finch-Fletchley."
"Have you figured out who's-" began George.
"-actually controlling Slytherin's pet?" finished Fred.
"Do you have to talk like that?" Marcus demanded. The twins smirked in answer.
"No, I haven't," Harry said frustratedly. "He won't tell me where the entrance is, so I can't scope it out and wait for whoever's been controlling the creature to show up."
"You must have some idea who's behind it all," Vincent said cautiously.
That is an intelligent comment and Vincent usually doesn't talk this much, Harry thought warily, keeping his expression unreadable. He caught the twins exchanging curious glances, but Marcus just looked bored.
"You know I haven't," Harry said coolly. "How many times do I have to tell you?" If he reacts as if I've said the truth, then he's not Vincent. If he points out that I've lied....
"D'you know if the person who opened the Chamber last time was caught?" Vincent asked.
Aaaand we have an imposter. Harry ignored the twins' wide-eyed look and said, "I have no idea. Marcus?"
"Whoever it was was expelled," said Marcus. "Not entirely sure if he's still in Azkaban or not."
"Azkaban?" Harry frowned.
"Wizard prison," the twins chorused, still staring at Vincent.
Vincent blinked, then began to run his fingers through his hair... which was slowly turning a familiar red color.
"Oh dear," Harry said in a deadly, sweet tone, and instantly, the entire common room was on alert. "We appear to have a secret lion in our common room. My demons-" Fred and George straightened up "-will you show your brother what happens when a lion sneaks into the snake's den?"
The remaining Slytherins stood up, looking angry. Marcus smirked.
The twins smiled maliciously. "Yes, Harry," they said eagerly, latching onto Ronald Weasley.
"Oy!" Weasley barked, his voice a mixture between the red-head's loud, irritating tone and Vincent's deep one. "Let me go! I'm your brother!"
"Not-" said Fred.
"-anymore," George sneered. Together, they tossed Weasley out of the common room and slammed the door.
"As Heir of Hogwarts, I change the password of Slytherin's common room to Toujours Pur," Harry said calmly. The castle rumbled slightly, telling him that the password had changed. "Inform the change of password to the other prefects when they return," Harry told the two prefects who had remained behind. They nodded and sat back down, followed by the rest of the Slytherins.
Draco came rushing back down with a letter in his hands. He frowned, pausing at the bottom of the stairs. "Where's Vincent?"