Drarry : A Snake Life

Chapter 13 - Coldness seizes me

I scowl.

"He's not dangerous!" I protest. (I turn to McGonagall.) "Lately, when Malfoy is into a snake, he sometimes has some absence... It's happening more and more often, it made me slightly worried, but I thought it wasn't worth mentioning."

She pinches her lips, I realise I said 'when Malfoy is into a snake'... which implies that he's not a reptile all the time. I glimpse towards my friends, Hermione turned pale, Ron is staring at me and Neville keeps frowning.

I bite my tongue. I talked too much...

"Mr Potter, what do you mean by 'absence'?" the headmistress goes on, unfathomable.

"He... it always happens when we stop talking for a while... in class for example, when I have to focus on an exercise and leave him to his own. After a few minutes he leaves and when I call him, he's not really himself... He whispers nonsense, he tries to flee... It awkwardly reminds me of when I was hearing the Basilik, back in our second year..."

Hermione steps towards us, worried.

"What are you trying to say, Harry?"

"I'm not sure myself, but I think... it's as if he was turning into a real snake" I conclude.

Resounding silence.

"Oh, Merlin..." Neville mutters. "This is... this is really bad, isn't it?"

His face is horror-stricken. Oddly, I suddenly regret I talked about this in front of him. I trust Neville, he's one of my best friends, but... the person who attacked Malfoy and I was probably a Gryffindor and there is a high chance that he is a seventh year or older. If he starts to tell about Malfoy's new problem, the aggressor might hear about it...

A sudden coldness seizes me. Neville is an eighth year. He was a member of Dumbledore's Army... but can he perform non-verbal magic...?

I shake myself. I'm becoming paranoiac, this poor old Neville couldn't smash a wasp, even if it was about to sting him!

(But he is the one who beheaded Nagini, whispers a nasty voice into my head. I shake myself.)

"Yes, this is bad" I say sternly. "Neville, please do not repeat this to anyone else..."

He blinks.

"I- I won't, of course!" he exclaims.

"Thank you... Pr McGonagall? Can we go to your office to talk this through?" I repeat.

"Yes. Mrs Granger, could you...?"

Hermione nods. She kisses Ron on his forehead and smiles to him.

"I'll come back later. Idiot."

McGonagall, Mione and I leave the place. We ascend the stairs and straight to the headmistress office. Malfoy remains silent, he doesn't move, still laying in my hands. Usually he settles on my arms or slides on me freely. His head lays sadly on the back of my hand... I hesitate to say something to him, but I don't know what could cheer him up in such circumstances...

"The spell that turned Mr Malfoy into a reptile is really... evolutive" McGonagall says. "New elements about it seem to fall from the sky every two other weeks. But instead of making things clearer, it brings more confusion!" (She looks through the window thoughtfully.) "What can we do if this spell is transforming him totally into a viper? I have the awful impression to evolve in the fog..."

Hermione sighs.

"If only we knew what kind of spell was casted on him... we could relieve some of his symptoms."