Harry Potter and the New Marauders (A Harry Potter Fanfiction)

Up to No Good

"Speaking of, I think it's time you had a chat with your mother," Harry then told Malfoy. "See if she has some tips?"

Malfoy looked very uncomfortable with that suggestion, but he nodded. Slightly. "I'll contact Narcissa when it's convenient," he said.

Teddy gasped, and several of the teachers looked around.

"Gas," Harry covered for him, patting his chest. "I think it must have been the meat pies? Too much pepper?"

The ladies glared at him.

Under the cloak, Teddy couldn't believe what he was hearing. Narcissa? He thought, AUNT Narcissa?Then that makes HIM my COUSIN? EWWWWW!

"Other topics?" McGonagall asked.

"The wolfsbane is doing well, blooming nicely," Neville put in. "I've secured the greenhouse, and I'll make sure Teddy and Jack don't get in there."

"You needn't worry about little Lupin, he won't go near it." Malfoy added, as he and Harry exchanged a look. "Well, actually, you do. He can't take the wolfsbane potion."

"WHAT?!" Everyone gasped.

"What are you saying, Mr. Malfoy?" McGonagall breathed in surprise.

"He's deathly allergic to it," Malfoy explained.

Hermione looked stricken.

"With your permission, Potter?" Malfoy then asked Harry, and it sounded like asking for that permission hurt. Harry nodded.

"Must be a doozey?" Dean wondered.

"Oh it is," Malfoy went on. "You see, when Lupin reported getting sick off of Granger...sorry...Mrs. Weasley's brew," he shook his head, "Not Ron's mum...Hermione's potion, there," he clarified, and Hermione nodded her assent.

"I thought to do some tests. As it turns out, Lupin is not only allergic to it, as in vomiting, sneezing, itching; the potion actually attacks and destroys his tissues and fluids. Those I've been able to test so far. I could use some more samples?" He asked Madame Pomfrey. Teddy cringed.

Everyone just stared at Malfoy, Teddy included. While he was glad he wouldn't have to take the nasty stuff anymore, he was also worried about what might happen if he didn't. So far, he'd never had a mean change, like Jack called it. And he didn't want to take that chance.

Looks like the Shack for me, too, he groaned inwardly.

"So, what do we do with him?" Neville asked, "A heavier, common sedative?"

"I still say turn him loose with Fang and Fluffy, and Jack fer tha' matter, and let ‘em run the forest. Send Argos with ‘em. He's smart enough to track ‘em when the sun comes up, that, or lead ‘em back before? You can't just box ‘em up and wait! It's cruel!" Hagrid declared.

"What's cruel is the curse that they spread when they bite someone else," Malfoy disagreed. "We're lucky that Lupin made it past early childhood," he deferred to Hagrid and Harry, "Let's not endanger him further by exposing an amateur werewolf to what's really out there - to say nothing of the hunters?"

"Hunters?!" Teddy gasped again. Everyone looked around.

"Hunters?" Dean asked at the same time, inadvertently covering him.

"What with the steady rise in werewolf attacks, the Ministry has dispatched roving patrols of hunters at each full moon to, errr, shall we say, ‘take care of' any loose werewolves not in proper care?" Harry offered.

"You mean ‘kill them'?" Hermione snapped.

"Any of them not smart enough to ‘sit' or ‘heel' when told to, that is," Malfoy joked, but no one laughed.