FHB: Chapter 29

Lucius did not expect it to be so soon. Barely a week after his little meet up with the Dark Lord, he was called to Professor Dumbledore’s office. Lucius never liked Professor Dumbledore and was rather glad Professor Slughorn was also present when he entered the circular room.

“Professor, you have requested for me?” Lucius asked.

“Yes, I’m afraid something has happened,” Professor Dumbledore said as he handed Lucius a letter.

Without hesitation, Lucius tore the letter open and gazed at the words on the brown parchment.

“Your mother. She wrote us a letter too, explaining-”

“Professor, this is…” Lucius interrupted Professor Slughorn, but immediately stopped himself from continuing. What he intended to say would have ruined the Dark Lord’s plan of getting him out of school, and it was a good thing he caught on fast.

“Don’t worry, Lucius. You will board the train right away,” Professor Slughorn said as he placed a comforting hand on Lucius’ shoulder.

“Thank you, sir,” Lucius replied, keeping his gaze on the handwriting that was clearly not his mother’s. He was afraid that if he looked up, he would not be able to hide the truth from Professor Dumbledore.

“Pack what you need and I’ll send someone to escort you to the station,” Professor Dumbledore said.

“Thank you, professor,” Lucius said, quickly turning on his heels.

“And Lucius,” Professor Dumbledore called out. When Lucius turned but did not look him in the eye, there was a short awkward moment of silence. Professor Dumbledore did not speak until Lucius forced his gaze upon him. “Your father will be fine.”

Lucius gave him a firm nod before he hurried off. Letter still clutched in his hand, Lucius headed to the empty dungeons and went straight to his room. Once alone, he heaved a sigh of relief; relief that no one called the letter a bluff. What would happen if Professor Dumbledore knew he was working for the Dark Lord? Lucius can only imagine the horror his family would have to go through.

After a few minutes of complete silence, Lucius changed into something more muggle-like and began packing. The letter said he would be away for one week, so he decided to pack light. One suitcase should suffice, so Lucius swiftly grabbed what he needed before running into Professor Slughorn outside the common room.

“I told Dumbledore I’d escort you. Better if no one else knows what is going on,” Professor Slughorn said.

“Thank you, sir,” Lucius replied.

“So much gossiping among the students these days, this is the least I can do for you.”

Lucius gave a nod and followed after Professor Slughorn. As the two made their way to the train station in Hogsmead, an unwanted conversation took place.

“Ms Lovegood has been writing to me, you know,” Professor Slughorn said. “She’s doing very well in her training. They even sent her on field!”

“That’s good to hear,” Lucius responded shortly.

“Don’t you two write to one another? I thought you were friends.”

“Well, sometimes. She’s been busy,” Lucius lied, not knowing why he did.

“Yes, yes. A clever girl she is.”

Lucius merely nodded.

“I wish she could have finished her studies here. But I guess it is better for her to start her training now.”

“It is.” Two words that were the opposite of what Lucius was thinking.

“Can you believe it? I do not even have a picture of her!” Professor Slughorn exclaimed.

Thankfully, the conversation could not continue on the Hogwarts Express, as Lucius thanked Professor Slughorn again and boarded the train. When the train started to move, he heaved another sigh. This time, it was not a sigh of relief but a sigh of uncertainty.

As the train chugged into the night, Lucius found himself slowly drifting off into dream world. The scenery could not keep him awake and the thoughts he had became tiring. When he finally realized he had dozed off, the Hogwarts Express hissed and screeched as it came to a stop. Pulling himself up, Lucius wasted no time and hopped off the train.

Platform 9 ¾ was awfully quiet that night. The last time he stood on the platform, it was full of noisy students. Now, it was dead with not a single soul lurking about. Lucius did not like how the atmosphere felt and headed straight for the pillar. Once through, the stillness was ripped from him.

King’s Cross Station was busy, with muggles transiting home after a long day. Lucius blended in with the crowd and casually strolled to the exit. The moment he stepped outside, he felt lost. He always had an escort, but that night was different. Even though the letter said he would have a pick-up, he did not see anyone waiting for him. Lucius looked up and down the sidewalk he was on, hoping to see a chauffeur and a car, but when no one fit his mental description he gave up.

Lucius decided that since waiting did him no good, he should start walking. As he headed down his right, slipping past strangers, he kept his eye out for someone who might be waiting for him. When he saw someone leaning against a car, he decided to try his luck. But just before he could approach that man, a stranger brushed past him and whispered in his ear.

Not catching the whispered words, Lucius spun around to see who it was, but it was impossible to play the guessing game in such a crowd. A few seconds later, the same stranger bump into his shoulder and whispered again. This time, Lucius heard him.

“Follow me,” he said, as he continued walking ahead rather slowly.

Lucius was not sure if he could trust that man. He had never seen him before, and he couldn’t help but doubt. Things could go wrong very quickly if he made the wrong decision. Was following the stranger the wrong decision?

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment below or vote on whether Lucius should follow the stranger or keep on looking!)

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FHB: Chapter 26

“Father!” Lucius called.

Abraxas Malfoy stopped in his tracks, almost unwillingly. He rested his hand on the doorknob before turning to Lucius.

“Is something wrong?” Lucius asked uncertainly.

His father shook his head and was ready to leave.

“I know something is,” Lucius quickly said.

His father let go of the knob, and said, “No, you don’t.” Before Lucius could prove his point, his father apparated without another word.

Knowing there was nothing he could do to find the answers he wanted, he sighed and exited the basement. He was so sure of leaving the dingy shop empty handed when he saw a familiar face at the counter.

The boy rang the rusted bell on the wooden surface, but no one came out to greet him. Disappointed, the boy turned towards the door and caught the reflection of Lucius in an old copper cauldron. Immediately, he stopped in his tracks.

Lucius caught the boy’s surprised expression and walked up to him.

“What are you doing here, Severus?” Lucius asked. “Who gave you permission to visit Hogsmead?

“Professor Slughorn. I was looking to buy a new cauldron, but…” Severus trailed off.

“What happened to your old one?”

“It…”

A boy with talent in potions could not have blown up his own cauldron.

“It?” Lucius asked.

Severus shrugged. Lucius knew he was too embarrassed to admit he was still being bullied. Maybe if Severus joined the Dark Lord, he would find a reason to stand up for himself.

Walking up to the counter, Lucius gave the bell three rings. When not a soul showed interest in selling a cauldron, Lucius took out a few galleons from his cloak and placed it on the counter.

“Take that one,” Lucius said and pointed at a new silver cauldron seated by the window.

“But…” Severus only managed a word.

“Thank you would suffice,” Lucius simply replied.

Severus nodded his head and muttered the softest ‘thank you’ Lucius had ever heard. He then hurried towards the cauldron, but before he could reach for it he stopped and picked up something from the floor.

“What is it?” Lucius asked.

“I don’t know,” Severus answered, as he handed the piece of paper to Lucius.

While Severus struggled to find the right position to carry the cauldron, Lucius examined the piece of paper. The only thing written was, “Dr. Maddock. Highly recommended” and it was signed off with D.B.

Something about it felt familiar and when he thought it through, he recalled the last time he fell ill. His mother called the family doctor who signed off a few exotic herbs with ‘D.B’. At the memory of it, Lucius wondered if the piece of paper belonged to his father. Something was definitely wrong and Lucius was beginning to worry. Yet at that very moment, he kept his cool and headed back to Hogwarts with Severus stumbling beside him.

That night, Lucius could not fall asleep. He wrote a brief letter to his mother asking if everything was fine back home before he rested his head, but that only made things worse. His worry would not die down and when the sun came up the next day he decided to act on his own. He did not have a plan but he hoped the day would work to his favour.

When afternoon came, day was on his side as Lucius stumbled upon a prefect reprimanding a group of students. It was not hard to guess what had happened as the students were split into a group of three boys against one. Picking up speed, Lucius closed in on the debate on ‘who started it’ before saying, “I know who the bullies are.”

Little did he know, he was wrong with his assessment. The three boys were Avery, Mulciber and Severus, and the one they were against was a Gryffindor boy; a boy he had not seen before. He was probably someone no one noticed, making him an easy target.

“You do?” The Hufflepuff prefect asked.

Lucius was not sure if he should sell out his own to save this new face, so he played it safe and said, “Better they confess to lighten the sentence.”

“He did it!” the Gryffindor boy said, and pointed at Severus.

It was unbelievable as Severus was commonly the target of bullies, not the other way around.

“He jinxed Severus’ cauldron!” Avery responded in accusation.

“We just wanted justice,” Mulciber added, in the most threatening tone.

 When the Gryffindor boy hesitated to defend himself, Lucius knew it was true.

“What’s your name?” Lucius asked him.

“Peter.”

“Peter what?”

“Peter Pettigrew.”

“Detention Mr Pettigrew. And if you jinx another cauldron, you’re paying for it,” Lucius said.

The Hufflepuff prefect looked at Lucius uncertainly and Lucius doused his suspicion of biasness with, “Ask Professor Slughorn about the cauldron. As for the fight, we can just let it go.”

Reluctantly, the Hufflepuff prefect nodded his head and took Pettigrew with him. When the two were out of earshot, Avery and Mulciber began high fiving and praising Lucius. Severus on the other hand, thanked Lucius and turned on his heels.

“You owe me, Severus,” Lucius simply said.

It was then that Lucius had an idea. Maybe he could use Severus once more, and do the Dark Lord’s bidding at the same time. After all, Severus was indebted to him, and Tanya was no longer around to question his motives.

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment below or vote on whether Lucius should use Severus again or let him go!)

FHB: Chapter 16

“I think it’s a great opportunity, boy,” Professor Slughorn said.

Lucius acknowledged Professor Slughorn with a nod before turning to the official. “That’s one offer I cannot turn down, sir,” Lucius said.

That night, Lucius wrote a letter to his mother to tell her about the internship. He would have addressed the letter to both his parents, but he feared his father would send him a howler in return. When his letter took flight the following morning, he pushed the internship out of his head and shifted his focus to the upcoming exam.

Now that Lucius’ plan to ace all his subjects failed, he was forced to study. He spent whatever time he had left poring over his Divination textbook and drinking in the horrible taste of Herbology. When the exam weeks finally arrived, Lucius chucked his books aside and hoped none of the information he stored in his brain would leak out unexpectedly.

Strangely, Lucius got through the two weeks pretty well. He knew he would score ‘O’s’ for most of his subjects, and a few ‘A’s’ for those he made mental gagging reflexes at the sound of their names. As long as he passed with more ‘O’s’ than ‘A’s’, he shouldn’t have a problem with his parents.

Shortly after the exams, the school year was wrapped up. That year flew by so quickly, Lucius could not even remember Christmas. His memory of the year was like a misty morning with only a few patches of incidences he could recall. Typically, Lucius blamed the exam for robbing what could have been a great year.

As Lucius boarded the train that late sunny afternoon, his fellow prefects gave him the same train hospitality. It was just like the last time he boarded, except that Tanya helped herself to the seat beside him without question.

“So, are you ready to go home?” Tanya asked.

The Slytherin prefects seated across them ignored her and pretended to look busy. It became a habit as they did it every time Tanya came to speak to Lucius. Lucius wouldn’t mind them leaving as he did not have to watch what he said if they weren’t around, but he assumed they were either afraid or too prideful to let go of their cushioned seats.

“That depends on the welcome party,” Lucius replied.

“Why? Do all the house elves come to greet you?” Tanya asked cheekily.

A question as such would have gotten a student a curse in the stomach, but Lucius was now immune to Tanya’s choice of words.

“No. The family does,” Lucius answered.

“Oh, what if the family doesn’t?”

“Then we have a guest,” Lucius simply said. His answer raised a head across him, but Lucius paid no attention to the subtle yet obvious response.

“Do you like this guest?”

“He’s one of a kind. How about you?”

“I can’t wait to go home! We’re having a picnic once I get home,” Tanya said.

“Won’t it be dark then?”

“Can’t you have a dinner picnic? We do it all the time.”

“Right, I forgot.”

“You should come visit me one day. That’s what friends do.”

Lucius shrugged with a chuckle. He would rather live with his weird grandaunt than visit a mixed blood family. Not forgetting how his father would ignore him for the rest of his life if he did.

By the time the train stopped, Lucius allowed his little helpers to drag his bag out to the walkway before taking over himself. He preferred to look independent when he got off the train, after all, his mother did not enjoy giving the other mothers a thin smile for their children’s submissive behaviour.

As he headed to the exit and alighted from the Hogwarts Express, he searched the crowd for his parents. There were so many people calling out names that Lucius strained his ears to hear his. When he did, a mixed emotion swept over him.

“Mr Malfoy!” a deep voice called out.

Lucius was hoping for ‘Lucius dear’ or Lucius, my boy’ but that evening he responded to the formality and handed his belongings to the chauffeur.

“Your parents-”

“I know, let’s go,” Lucius interrupted.

He gave one last wave to Tanya, who was seen with her strange cousin, before striding toward the big black car outside the station. It was going to be another long journey, and by the time he reached home he would be crashing into bed.

True enough, Lucius had his dinner in the car and caught up with the family business from a report book his father left in the backseat for him. Even though many people knew who the Malfoys were, they did not gain their fame from working in the ministry. They owned a wine and an antique business, with branches all over the world. They were also shareholders for larger companies and had investments in different stocks, all in wizard currency of course. That was why Lucius did not need an internship.

By the time Lucius had finished updating himself with the family business, the car rolled in front of the white porch with the full moon buried beneath the clouds overhead.

Lucius did not wait to have his door opened as he exited the car and walked right into his home. He took quick peeks into the different rooms on the ground floor in search for his parents, but when he found neither of them he headed straight to his bedroom. Lucius was exhausted, not because he did anything but because his day was so uneventful. By the time he hit his large, soft bed he drifted off to sleep almost instantly.

Unlike its predecessors, that night was rather still. Lucius would have slept through it if not for the floorboard the house elves had not fixed. When it made a loud creak, Lucius barely opened his eyes and winced at his surroundings. The moment he spotted something at the end of his bed, Lucius stared long and hard.

The fireplace was dead, the curtains were drawn shut, and the darkness made it impossible for Lucius’ foggy brain to make out what it was. He contemplated calling out but sleep was beckoning him. It was a petty decision, but Lucius did not know what to do.

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment below or vote on whether Lucius should call out or go back to sleep!)

FHB: Chapter 15

Lucius thought over what Tanya had said and though he disagreed with the way she looked at things, he decided to make it up for his failed attempts at cheating. In all honestly, Lucius would have dusted his palms and pretended nothing happened if not for the sudden arrival of a clever idea. He had a special gift of turning things around for himself, and his gift was about to make his situation a win-win.

Walking past the perfect’s lounge, Lucius headed straight for Professor Slughorn’s office. With each step came a string of words he could use to buy favour, words his father failed to teach him while the Dark Lord did.

No, Lucius never had a real conversation with the Dark Lord before. Lucius had only seen him a few times when he came to stay in Malfoy Manor. But every time he came over, Lucius would stand outside the hidden room door and listen to the discussion he had with his followers. Everything he said was full of confidence and conviction, and Lucius wanted to emulate him.

Even though Lucius was not sure if he really wanted to join the Death Eaters, he knew he wanted to be as great as the Dark Lord. If it meant making a name for himself and bringing pride to his family, then he wouldn’t mind being under a ludic lover of power. How bad can things go, right?

By the time Lucius was outside Professor Slughorn’s office, the door opened and the two found themselves face to face.

“My dear boy, what are you doing here?” Professor Slughorn asked.

“I need your help, Professor. I think I made a mistake,” Lucius replied.

“Come on in. Would you like a drink?” Professor Slughorn said, as he ushered Lucius to the armchair near the fireplace.

“No, thank you.”

“Very well. Tell me what happened.”

“As you know, students have been buying O.W.L and N.E.W.T papers for the upcoming examinations. I happen to be one of them.”

“My God!”

“Sir, you know I’m not a cheater,” Lucius quickly continued, “I only bought the papers to find out who was distributing them. I know it was foolish of me to take things into my own hands, but I knew the culprit had to be caught.”

“I see,” Professor Slughorn replied. He showed no expression of belief or disbelief, which made Lucius a little worried.

“This man does dealings in The Three Broomsticks. I don’t know his name, but I remember his face. I was planning on telling Professor Dumbledore tomorrow, but the spot check this morning made me look guilty.”

“Who found the papers you bought?”

“Tanya Lovegood. She did not report me, but she told me to admit to my actions. If I told her I am innocent, she would not believe me. That is why I came to you, Professor. If you tell them you told me to find out who the culprit is, we could both get a good rapport with the ministry,” Lucius said. His words were a mess and they came out all wrong, but it seemed to be working.

“Well, honestly boy, you shouldn’t have gone snooping around. You will make your parents very disappointed with you! But I won’t let a good student ruin himself over the urge to be a hero. Tell me who this man is and we will see Dumbledore together.”

Lucius nodded and described the man to the best his memory could recall. When Professor Slughorn bewitched a quill to draw according to Lucius’ words, the result was surprisingly identical. After Lucius confidently said the drawing was spot on, the two of them went to see Professor Dumbledore.

That night, Professor Dumbledore’s office was graced with stacks of illegal exam papers and the company of a few Ministry of Magic officials. Lucius had seen them in newspapers before, and by the way they tilted their heads upwards he knew they held quite a status.

When Professor Slughorn handed them the drawing of the man, they were rather shock. They questioned how certain he was and Professor Slughorn gave Lucius the chance to explain what had happened. Though Lucius knew Professor Dumbledore was sceptical, the officials looked pretty convinced.

“This is shocking, Albus. He is one of our trusted advisors in our education department,” one official said.

“Are you very sure this was the man that sold the papers to you?” Professor Dumbledore asked, still unsure on what to believe.

“Yes, Professor. I have never seen the man prior to purchasing the papers.”

“Trust me, the boy has a good memory,” Professor Slughorn said.

“We believe you, young man. What is your name?” another official asked.

“Lucius Malfoy, sir.”

“Ah, Abraxas’ boy. Your father would be proud.”

Lucius replied with a smile and a nod.

“Well, then. We better get this issue sorted out. Thank you for your effort, Horace. We could use people like you in the education department.”

Professor Slughorn chuckled before saying, “My heart is with my students.”

“You taught a fine one,” the official pointed out.

“Why, thank you.”

“You know, the ministry is looking for fresh faces,” the official said as he turned to Lucius, “would you be interested in an internship? It would do you good if you ever want to work with us in the future.”

Lucius could not believe what he was being offered, but at the same time he was unsure if he should take up the offer. His father wanted him to be a Death Eater, and there was really no need to get a job after graduation. If only Lucius could ask his mother what she thought… she always had the best answers.

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment below or vote on whether Lucius should accept or decline the internship!)

FHB: Chapter 10

“Can I speak with you?” Ms Evans asked.

“Regarding?” Lucius replied, as he watched Tanya say her goodbyes and leave.

“I want you to leave Severus alone,” she said.

“Who?” Lucius responded. His honest question for being temporarily distracted came off sarcastically.

“Severus, my friend?”

Lucius gave her a long look before asking, “Why?”

“You’re bad for him,” Ms Evans answered boldly.

Lucius gave a false chuckle. “I think you are mistaken. The poor boy has no other friend but you, and one day you’ll leave him too. When that happens, I’ll be the only one he has left.”

“I won’t leave him.”

Lucius smirked. “We’ll see.”

He didn’t bother to stick around and argue with the girl any longer, as he walked off and politely excused himself from Professor Slughorn’s dinner party.

Lucius thought he had managed to leave Ms Evans behind, but when she left the office after him, he knew she was not done.

“Malfoy!”

Did she just call me by my family name? Lucius asked himself silently. She was not going to get away with it.

“I’ll have points deducted from your house for your lack of manners,” Lucius immediately replied.

“I don’t care. I don’t know who you are or why you act like you own this school, but I’m not letting you bully me,” Ms Evans shot back.

“You don’t know who I am?” Lucius asked, curious as to why.

“Why should I?”

“Don’t your parents teach you?”

“They taught me well enough,” Ms Evans paused before she continued, “just not about this world.”

“Oh, so you’re a mudblood too.”

What’s wrong with Dumbledore? All these mudbloods are ruining our prestigious institute. Father must hear about this, Lucius told himself.

“What’s a-”

“Dirty blood. You don’t belong here. You’re not a real witch, you’re filth to our society,” Lucius answered her unfinished question.

“That’s discrimination! I’m just like you, I-”

“Don’t ever compare yourself to me, Ms. Evans. You are nothing like me. I’m of noble birth and my bloodline is pure. Yours however, won’t account for anything if it’s spilled,” Lucius spat.

Ms Evans innocent looking face flared up. She looked like she was about to throw a punch.

“Touch me, Ms Evans, and you will be expelled,” Lucius warned.

“How low can you go to threaten a child?” a familiar voice asked from behind him.

When Lucius turned his head to look, he saw Tanya standing a few feet away. Almost instantly, his anger turned towards her.

“You lied to me! You almost made me a fool!”

“You are, for thinking yourself better than everyone else,” Tanya replied.

Lucius shook his head to calm himself down. After weighing out the different replies he had in his head, Lucius said, “You see, that’s the problem with you mudbloods. You are all ignorant fools, thinking you are special being here. Go on and live in your fantasy world, but be careful, you don’t want death bursting your little bubble.”

Lucius did not stick around to explain further and he stormed off. When he finally returned to the common room, he swung his hand at a lamp on the nearby table and with a crash the room fell silent.

“What, what happened?” one of his so-called friends asked.

“Severus!” Lucius called out instead. When nobody responded, Lucius demanded, “Where’s that boy?”

“He’s not back yet, I think,” another so-called friend replied.

Just then, the common room door swung open and Severus entered. His eyes were locked on the ground and he only looked up when Lucius blocked his way.

“What’s with you?” Lucius asked.

Severus looked as though someone had called him a mudblood. It was the kind of reaction Lucius was hoping from the little brat just now.

Severus gave no reply as he looked at everyone in the room. All eyes were on him, and his mind was visibly blank.

Noticing the problem, Lucius turned and asked, “What are you guys doing standing around? Shouldn’t you all be in bed?”

An older prefect immediately started ordering the crowd to their warm beds, and soon Lucius and Severus were the only ones left.

“So, what’s with you?” Lucius asked again.

“Nothing,” Severus replied softly.

“What do you mean nothing?” Lucius gave Severus’ shoulder a squeeze in hopes to lead him to the sofa by the fireplace, but as he did Severus quickly pulled away and yelped in pain.

“What happened? Did you forget to jump on the enchanted stairs?”

Severus shook his head, but his lips were still sealed.

“Stop being a coward and tell me what happened,” Lucius demanded.

“I- I- the other boys were rough,” Severus managed a reply.

“What other boys? Boys from our house?”

“Gryffindor,” Severus said softly, as though saying the house name might do more damage.

“Name,” Lucius merely said. It sounded like a statement more than a question and Severus took a while to get it. When he finally did, he muttered, “Potter.”

So the rough little boy went by the name of Potter, eh? Lucius thought as Severus stood awkwardly with a hand rubbing his shoulder.

“I’ll handle this, Severus. But tomorrow, tomorrow you’ll be hanging out with Avery and Mulciber. They are very funny boys,” Lucius simply said.

Severus nodded and headed straight to bed. Lucius however, stayed a while longer. What should he do? Should he leave it to the professors or should he handle it himself?

“You see Ms Evans, Severus needs me,” Lucius whispered just as the flames in the fireplace puffed out.

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment below or vote on whether Lucius should leave it to the professors or handle it himself!)

FHB: Chapter 9

“Well, how about you join me for dinner this Friday, at Professor Slughorn’s office?” Lucius casually asked.

“Why does Pro-”

“Oh, he likes bonding with his students,” Lucius interrupted.

“Can anyone join?”

“Anyone I invite can join.”

Tanya’s eyes dropped to the floor as she thought silently.

“Stop thinking so much, I’ll see you on Friday,” Lucius said, and hurried off before Tanya could say anything else.

That Friday’s dinner was a special one, as Professor Slughorn had previously informed Lucius that he would be introducing new members to the Slug Club. Did Lucius forget? Of course not.

So, when the day finally arrived and the anticipated hour chimed down the hallways, Lucius met Tanya outside the great hall and walked with her to Professor Slughorn’s office.

“Are you sure about this?” Tanya asked, as they neared the office door.

“Of course,” Lucius said with a grin. “But just to play it safe, I’ll go in first and you’ll come in later.”

“Why? I’m your guest, shouldn’t I-”

“It’s best I inform Professor Slughorn first,” Lucius quickly said.

Tanya did not have much of a choice, so she nodded her head in reply.

As Lucius entered Professor Slughorn’s office, he realized the rest had already arrived. Some of them he did not bother to learn their names, while others he gave a thin smile. Lucius also spotted two new students sitting awkwardly near the fireplace.

He could not see their faces from where he was standing, but when he tried to take a look, Professor Slughorn placed his hand heavily on his shoulder.

“I thought you weren’t going to make it!” Professor Slughorn said.

“I’m really sorry for being late, sir. I was being followed,” Lucius replied.

“Followed?”

“Yes, sir,” Lucius said with a sigh.

“Who is it that followed you?”

“Tanya Lovegood, sir. She wants you to like her,” Lucius answered in a sympathetic tone.

Professor Slughorn gave a chuckle, and just then Tanya walked through the door.

“Sorry I’m late,” Tanya said cheerfully.

Before Professor Slughorn could address her, Lucius quickly whispered to him, “Professor, she doesn’t know what she’s doing. Let’s just carry on to spare her the embarrassment. After all, she’s still new.”

Professor Slughorn thought for a moment before he gave Lucius’ shoulder a squeeze and announced, “Take your seats everyone!”

Everyone quickly sat themselves at a brown oval table that was filled with all sorts of dishes. A tall pudding sat in the middle, two roasted turkeys at both sides, a beef casserole not too far away, sausages and bacon stacked up high at a corner, a large bowl of magically bubbling beef stew that was a little out of reach, a small custard tart by each plate, and a shepherd’s pie right in front of Lucius. The steam was rising from its golden crust and it made his mouth water immediately.

Lucius would have been easily distracted by the food that evening, but when he saw a familiar looking girl staring at him from across the table, Lucius was completely oblivious to the fact that Tanya had seated herself next to him.

“Wow, look at the food!” Tanya whispered.

Yes, the food was good but he was so close to figuring out who the new girl was that he ignored their calls to be eaten.

Finally, when his stomach gave his brain a wake up call, the memory that was trying so hard to stay hidden popped right in front of him.

That first year Gryffindor girl with green eyes, was none other than Severus’ little friend; the one that tried to protect him from Lucius. Ah, that brat! Lucius thought.

As Lucius continued watching her, Professor Slughorn decided to be a little more observant that night and asked, “Aren’t you hungry, boy?”

Just like that, everyone stopped eating and looked at him. Oh, how Lucius hated it when everyone was trying to be the teacher’s pet at the same time.

“I was just wondering, sir, who are the new students that are joining us tonight?”

“Ah, I almost forgot! Thank you for reminding me,” Professor Slughorn said with a smile, before getting up from his seat.

As he stood at the front of the table, he cleared his throat and said, “Today, I’ve invited a few special guests to join us. Most of you don’t know them because they just enrolled, but my eye for spotting talent has not rusted!”

There was a short pause; enough time for everyone in the room to mumble praises, before Professor Slughorn continued, “So let me introduce Ms. Lily Evans, Mr. Dirk Cresswell, and Ms. Tanya Lovegood. Three extraordinary students!”

It was a big mistake to be taking a gulp of sweet sparkling juice at that moment, as Lucius almost spat his drink out. Did he hear him right?

When Lucius turned to Tanya, she gave him a smile and almost immediately he felt betrayed. She played him, and he fell for it thinking he was the game master!

What a fool! Lucius silently scolded himself.

The night went on ignoring Lucius’ raging emotions, but when it was over, Lucius was so tempted to confront her. Except that before he could, sweet little Ms. Evans requested to talk to him.

Now, he had to choose between the bold little Gryffindor and the not so innocent Ravenclaw. Who should it be?

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment below or vote on who Lucius should pick!)

FHB: Chapter 8

As quickly as her words left her lips, as quickly Lucius made up his mind. No, he was not going to fail his potion’s test. Especially when a goody-two-shoes was involved. Did Tanya really think a Malfoy would give in? Lucius could not blame her ignorance. Her morality, however, was starting to bother him.

When Professor Slughorn shook his little golden bell to start the test, Lucius turned to Tanya and smiled. He nodded his head gently and Tanya misunderstood immediately, just as how he wanted her to.

Lucius had to admit that it was rather fun playing her. He also did not feel a single pinch of guilt and wondered if he ever would. He had feelings after all, just not enough to move him.

As the test carried on, Lucius did everything he memorized from Professor Slughorn’s special instructions. He did not miss a single ingredient, and his steps were almost flawless. That would have been a dead giveaway that he cheated, but Professor Slughorn never saw past Lucius’ false gratitude.

You see, he had a habit of thanking Professor Slughorn whenever he did well. Those praises not only made Professor Slughorn blush but extremely proud. And Lucius knew his weakness all too well to use it to his advantage.

When the bell on the table rang for the second time, everyone pulled their hands away from the cauldron and waited. There was a strange smell in the air as the different coloured brews evaporated above their heads. Professor Slughorn scrunched his nose as he went from one cauldron to another. His words were simple, and those who have had him before would know exactly how he judged random tests as such.

“Fail. Fail. Not bad, ten points for Slytherin. Fail. Fail. What is this? Ah, good job, ten points for Slytherin. Terrible. Could have been better, 5 points for Slytherin. Fail,” Professor Slughorn went on.

No one found it suspicious that the only students scoring points were the Slytherins, as the common misconception that Slytherins are naturally good at potions have been around for ages. Tanya however, thought it strange and decided to bring it up.

“Professor, can I say something?” Tanya asked.

“Sure. Your potion is not too bad, but I’m afraid it’s not worthy of points,” Professor Slughorn replied.

“No, that was not what I wanted to say. I’m just wondering, why are all the Slytherins doing so well?”

Immediately, the Slytherins in the classroom turned to her and demanded an explanation for her statement. Professor Slughorn had to quiet them down by saying, “Ms. Lovegood, that is a very rude thing to say. My students always do well.”

“But-“

“It is not their fault that you are not prepared,” Professor Slughorn cut her off. “Ten points from Ravenclaw. You may be clever, but that attitude of yours is unacceptable.”

Tanya was dumbstruck and Professor Slughorn left her as she was. He then headed up to Lucius and his frown immediately turned into a wide smile.

“My boy! You did it!”

“I did?” Lucius tried to sound clueless.

“Yes, you did! Twenty-five points for Slytherin!”

“Thank you, sir. You’re a good teacher,” Lucius said.

Professor Slughorn blushed as he gave Lucius a squeeze on the shoulder. Just then, Lucius caught Tanya looking at him in a look he had not expected. She didn’t look angry or shock, she looked worried. The strangeness of her reaction made Lucius rather curious, so he decided to find out after class.

It was not easy though, as Tanya left the class the quickest. Lucius had to gently excuse himself from Professor Slughorn, and when he finally managed to leave, he saw Tanya turning a corner.

“Tanya, wait up!” Lucius shouted.

Tanya did not respond, so he chased after her. When Lucius finally caught her, he asked, “Didn’t you hear me?”

“Yes, I did,” Tanya replied.

“Why didn’t you stop?”

“Is something wrong with Professor Slughorn?” Tanya asked worriedly, ignoring his question.

“What?” Lucius was honestly confused.

“He doesn’t seem right,” Tanya said thoughtfully.

Was she for real? Lucius was starting to wonder if there was something wrong with Tanya instead. Can someone be that straightforward?

“He’s alright. Don’t worry,” Lucius responded after a few minutes of hesitation.

Tanya was not convinced but she nodded her head anyways.

“Professor Slughorn is a special kind of teacher. If he likes you, he’ll help you,” Lucius added.

If Tanya could not catch what Lucius was saying, he knew she was definitely one of a kind. True enough, she was.

“I don’t… understand.”

“Do you want him to help you? Well, obviously, you need his help. O.W.Ls won’t be easy. I can help you make it right with Professor Slughorn if you like?”

No, he was not genuinely helping her. To Lucius, Tanya was a toy that just upgraded with her innocence.

“I don’t trust you, Lucius. You lied to me, you used me, and you cheated,” Tanya said.

“Hey, nobody’s perfect. I just want to make it up to you,” Lucius simply replied.

Tanya thought for a while before she asked, “What do you have in mind?”

The thought that had been lingering at the back of his head shot forward immediately. But even so, he wondered. Should he invite Tanya to Professor Slughorn’s Slug Club dinner? This was not an easy decision.

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment below or vote on whether Lucius should invite Tanya to the dinner or not!)

FHB: Chapter 7

“Hey boy, what did I say about lurking around the Gryffindor table?” Lucius called out to Severus.

Tanya narrowed her eyes at Lucius before taking a quick glimpse behind her.

Severus, who had no idea what was going on, nervously walked up to the two of them.

“I didn’t ask you to come here. Get back to your seat,” Lucius shot.

The look on Severus’ face was rather pitiful, and as expected, Tanya stood up for him.

“You shouldn’t treat first years like that,” Tanya said.

“I’m only following the rules,” Lucius replied with a shrug.

“There is no such rule.”

“You have to read the rule book again, Tanya,” Lucius casually said as he reached for Severus and pulled him towards him.

Before Tanya could defend Severus once more, Lucius quickly whispered in his ear, “Get the parchment and run.”

“Let go of him!” Tanya demanded as she gently pulled Severus away from him.

Then turning to Severus she said in a gentle voice, “Go back to your seat. You’ll be safe there.”

Lucius wanted to laugh. He could not take her seriously, and her mother duck gesture tickled his funny bone.

“Tanya, please. I was not going to hurt him,” Lucius said with a chuckle.

“You don’t need to pretend anymore, Lucius. I know what kind of a person you are. My friends told me about you.”

“Your friends? I was your only friend when you arrived. Is this how you treat friends?”

Lucius had a guilty pleasure of making people feel bad about themselves.

“I thought so too, until I realized you were just using me,” Tanya pointed out.

Enough talk. Get a move on it boy, Lucius thought as he made eye contact with Severus.

“Friends help each other. If you don’t want to help me, you can just say so,” Lucius replied, hoping to buy more time for Severus to act.

Unfortunately, Severus was going back and forth with his decision. It was agonizing to watch this first year struggle with such a simple instruction.

Unable to take anymore of Severus’ hesitation, Lucius turned to him and asked, “Didn’t we tell you to get a move on it?”

That question must have set off the ‘go’ switch in his brain and immediately, Severus snatched the parchment from Tanya’s hand and ran out of the great hall.

Tanya watched in shock as Lucius shrugged and said, “See, I told you he was trouble.”

Lucius did not wait for her reply as he walked back to his seat. He noticed Tanya contemplating on going after Severus, but she soon made up her mind to return to her newfound friends.

The bunch of giggling girls stopped when they saw her and quickly got the juicy story out of her. Lucius noticed that after Tanya was done, three of them turned to his direction and gave him a glare.

Ignoring their obvious finger pointing and dissatisfied expressions, Lucius went back to his meal. He knew they could not do anything about it, but he also knew Tanya was no longer useable. Well, at least there was still that first year, right?

After dinner, Lucius decided to head back to the common room. He had rounds to make, but the parchment was much more important. Upon arrival, he asked the head boy for the room list before asking if he could do his rounds for him. Of course, the head boy had no objections to either request.

Once he had learned of Severus’ room, Lucius got his hands on the parchment almost immediately. Thankfully, Severus had safely returned to their common room, and when he handed the parchment to Lucius he did not ask what it was but pulled his blanket over his head.

From the look on his face, Lucius know he was still hungry. Strangely, he felt sorry for the boy. So he pulled out a chocolate bar and placed it on the side table.

“Eat this,” Lucius merely said before he left.

That night, Lucius spent a few hours memorizing Professor Slughorn’s instructions. By the time the clock stroke 12, Lucius went to bed.

The following days went rather well, and Lucius did short revisions on the potion before bed every night. It was until the night before his next potion class that he gathered his classmates.

About thirty-five of them stayed up in the common room after everyone else had gone to bed. Lucius was sitting near the fireplace when he told them that the potion’s test would be a Polyjuice Potion. No one bothered asking where he had gotten the information from, but they thanked him instead.

It was a common practice for Lucius to share last minute tips with his classmates. He knew none of them could outdo him and most of them would barely pass. But even so, that would mean more house points.

When Potions Class was in session the next day, Lucius was confident in acing the test. That was until Tanya came up to him.

“I’ll give you the chance to do it right, Lucius,” Tanya whispered.

“Do what right?”

“You cannot cheat,” Tanya replied.

“I’m not. In fact, you’re cheating. You stole the parchment after all.”

“I know you have the parchment. I’m not stupid.”

“So, what are you saying? You want me to fail?”

“Yes. You’re not supposed to know about the potion before the test. It’s not fair.”

“I’m not going to fail. Instead, I’ll do so well that Slytherin will take the lead in house points again,” Lucius replied with a smile.

“Then I’ll have to tell Professor Slughorn,” Tanya said.

Was that a threat? It sure sounded like one. Lucius thought about it and it became a little worrying. If Tanya told Professor Slughorn, it could go two ways.

One, he would brush it off because he did tell Lucius about it to begin with. But, he might no longer give Lucius hints. Two, he would ask Lucius about the missing parchment and stop trusting Lucius all together.

Lucius wondered if he should actually fail this time, or just wiggle his way out of Tanya’s blabbering words later.

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment below or vote on whether Lucius should ace the test or fail it!)