Third Place - Angst

It was odd to see such a large room so devoid of human presence. There were only a handful of people occupying the Great Hall and half of them were standing in the main center aisle. Professor Dumbledore and two other teachers, Sinistra and Flitwick, were standing with their wands out but in an obvious stand-down position. On the other side of the table next to them, the Slytherin table, stood Lucius and Draco Malfoy and Professor Snape. McGonagall escorted the three friends to the other side of the Gryffindor table, effectively putting two table widths and the main aisle between Harry and Draco. Harry refused to look over to the three Slytherins and instead turned his gaze to Professor Dumbledore. The headmaster was observing Harry with kind eyes. Clearing his throat, the old man spoke.

"First, Harry, I want to say that if I had any inkling of the situation or if I could change it in any way, I would have never allowed this to happen," he shook his head. "But, one can not change the past and must deal in the present and always think of the future. So, we will begin. How much do you know about what is going on, Harry?"

Harry twisted his lips and looked at Hermione. His friend took hold of his hand and nodded encouragement. Harry turned back to Dumbledore and took a deep breath before answering.

"I only know, or think I know, that Malfoy is something called an Indago. Some sort of hybrid of another creature from a long time ago. That Hermione thinks that he's a Supero kind of Indago and she also thinks that I am..." Harry closed his eyes and felt the hand gripping his tighten in support. He set his teeth and opened his eyes. "That I am also one of these things but instead called a Sub... a Subicio." He finished the last word in a rush, hating to say aloud the word that Draco had called him and had started this whole mess. He would be much happier if he didn't know all of these things, if none of this was happening. "She says that Draco and I can smell each other, our pheromones, and that that is why I was so... so... well why I didn't punch Draco in the mouth for hitting Ron and calling Hermione a slag."

"Well, I am quite impressed," came a smooth drawl from the opposite side of the room. Harry finally looked over and saw that Lucius had his signature smirk on his face. "I can well understand now, Draco, why you have such trouble keeping up with the young lady. Quite impressive in light of the fact that Severus and I have made sure to remove all information on this subject. Tell me, young lady, Ms. Granger, is it? Tell me, how did you come by so much knowledge."

Hermione looked to Dumbledore who gave her a nod of consent. "Draco had called Harry a Subicio. Harry found a reference to that word while looking up information on the Natro Lizard which had the word Dagodine. I researched that word in the Restricted Section-"

"Ms. Granger! I certainly would not have provided a pass if I had known the true nature of your research."

"Let it be, Professor McGonagall," Dumbledore said calmly. "In hind sight it was for the best. Please continue, Ms. Granger." Hermione gave an apologetic look to Professor McGonagall and began to speak again.

"Once I found the Dagodine, it led to information about Indago. But not enough. Therefore I wrote to a bookseller who referred me to another who said that he had a few books on the subject. We just got the books today." Harry noticed that she left out the fact that they had illicitly bought the books and had protected Fred and George.

"Yes, quite impressive," Lucius drawled. Harry returned his gaze to the man but was instead caught by a younger pair of gray eyes. Draco had his eyes trained on Harry as he paced back and forth. He would take six steps, walking behind his father and Snape, turn and go back six steps. Never once did he take his sight off of Harry. The image of a caged wolf came to Harry's mind and did not settle his uneasy thoughts at all. Dumbledore broke the spell and brought Harry's attention back to himself.

"You do seem to have a fairly good grasp of the basics, Harry. Yes, you are indeed an Indago. Which was quite surprising to all of us, I assure you. The Indago has been contained in only a few families, one of which we thought had died out. But we were remiss. Once Draco discovered the truth I did a bit of my own research. Roughly six generations ago, a witch who was the last living member of a prominent family that carried the Indago blood married a muggle and produced three children, all squibs. Those children also married muggles and produced more squibs and so on and so on. Many assumed the line had died and did not trace it further. A pity, because the line had merely become dormant." Dumbledore gave Harry a gentle smile. "That is until your mother was born, Harry. She was not truly muggleborn so much as she was a magical descendant of a long line of squibs." Harry's eyes showed shock as he thought of his Aunt Petunia and his Cousin Dudley. To think that they had been just a genetic dice throw from being a thing that they hated.

"I apologize, Harry," Dumbledore continued. "If I or your parents had known... well, this would not now be such a shock and you would have been prepared much better for it."

"As wonderful as this climb through Potter's family tree has been, we do have some pressing issues." Lucius's voice was full of contempt. Dumbledore briefly looked to the other man and seemed to straighten up as one does when about to take on a burden.

"Harry, Lucius Malfoy has brought a Ministry Order stating that any interference of Draco's pursuit of you by us, the school and its faculty, will be in direct violation of the Rare Magical Beings Protection Act."

"What does that mean, Professor Dumbledore?" Hermione asked.

"It means," Lucius answered. "That locking my son away from members of his own race was highly illegal and unethical." Sending a withering gaze at the headmaster, he shook his head in disapproval. "Now, really, is that any way for such a liberal thinking school to behave? Incarcerating a young man for nothing more than being who he is?"

"Mr. Malfoy was not incarcerated," McGonagall said heatedly. "He was given a private room with a private garden. He was tutored by myself and the other teachers in this room. If anything, he was given more than the other students."

"Yes, everything but his freedom. He was hidden away because of his 'otherness'."

"Oh, honestly!" McGonagall placed her hand on Harry's shoulder. "Mr. Potter has a right, a human right which directly contradicts your order, that allows him to attend school without being accosted!"

"Draco has the same right to attend school and be with his fellows. He also has the right to not be separated from members of his race and a potential breeding partner." Harry winced at that term.

"Well, he can not have his cake and eat it too!" McGonagall stated.

"I assure you, madam, that he can." Lucius's voice had dropped into sheer malice but McGonagall was not even close to being intimidated.

"Albus, you can not allow this to occur. It would be condoning the rape of a student!"

"Oh, it won't be rape," Draco said silkily. Harry heard Ron mutter, "Bloody Hell" and Harry couldn't help agreeing with the sentiment.

Dumbledore looked to his potions master. Snape had remained quiet and still through the entire ordeal. If one had not known he was there they would think he was but a shadow. His face was completely blank, his eyes looking at nothing and no one, his arms were crossed over his chest.

"Severus, what do you suggest?"

Snape stayed unmoving for a moment more as all heads and eyes, except for the pacing Draco, turned to him. Suddenly his eyes snapped to Dumbledore's and he took a slow deep breath before speaking.

"I suggest that Lucius take his son home and that I go and pack."

"You're a fool," Lucius announced. "You have the most exceptional prize before you and you will not grasp it." He cast a superior look at Snape. "If you will not, my son most definitely will. He will stay."

"Then I shall need you here, Severus," Dumbledore said. Snape nodded.

"Then we are at an impasse, unless Potter is removed from the premises."

"That is completely unjust," McGonagall argued giving a nasty look at her colleague.

"And illegal," Lucius added. "You can not willfully remove Potter from the school in order to separate him from his fellow Indago."

"It is clearly Mr. Potter's right, as a human, to school where he deems fit. He is of legal age to make such a decision for himself." McGonagall was bristling with indignation.

"Harry," Dumbledore called gently. Harry turned his attention back to the headmaster. "Harry, what would you like to do? Would you like to attend another school, or perhaps hire a private tutor in another location?"

Harry considered. He still had the odd disconnected feeling as if he were merely a bit player in a melodramatic play. But having the kindly blue eyes concentrate on him gave him something to hold onto. He thought a moment and then looked directly at Draco. Draco stopped pacing and held the gaze. When Harry spoke he spoke directly to the other young man.

"If I decide to go, to leave school, my friends, quidditch, and everything else, will you leave me alone and not try to follow me?" Draco didn't hesitate to answer.

"No," the blonde smiled and leaned forward, his hands resting on the table. "For once, Potter, I am actually quite happy that you are so special and one-of-a-kind. Believe this," Draco's voice became more intent. "I'd hunt you down wherever you went for as long as it took."

Hermione's hand tightened again around Harry's and he could feel Ron move a step closer to him as if protecting him from Malfoy's words. Harry held Draco's stare, even when out of the corner of his eye he could see Lucius gloating over his son's actions. In that moment Harry knew what he would do.

"Then I stay."

"Harry, he can't possibly follow you everywhere," Hermione said. "All he has to do is get within ten feet of you and you'll do whatever he says. You have to leave."

"Don't presume to know the resources of a determined Malfoy, Ms. Granger," Lucius said. Harry turned to his friends.

"I can't just run away," he explained. "I'm not going to let him run me out of my school. This has been my home for six years. I'm not going to let him take that away from me. You guys and this place are all I have left."

"You have your dignity as well, but not if you stay here." Hermione grabbed his arm and glared into his eyes. "Malfoy will make your life hell, Harry. He will enjoy having you in his power and control. It's what he has always wanted and if you stay here you will be giving it to him on a silver platter!"

"Hermione's right, mate," Ron said quietly. "If it's true that he could make you do whatever he wanted, then you should go. No matter what he says, "Ron threw a nasty glance at Lucius, "he won't be able to follow you forever. You could come to my house. My family would protect you, or you could go under the Fidelus and neither me or Hermione would ever tell where you are."

"Wonderful suggestions, Weasley. But both are also highly illegal." All three friends turned towards Lucius. "Anyone who interferes in the natural habits and pairings of a rare magical being would be fined and held in Azkaban for a minimum of twenty years."

"Why now?" Hermione challenged in exasperation. "Why now, all of a sudden, did Draco start showing signs of being a rare magical being?" She said the last in a sarcastic tone.

"Because of a tiny insect that hadn't the decency to favor carrots."

All eyes turned towards the potions master. The black eyes moved to Hermione and pierced her where she stood.

"Draco has been given a potion of my making that inhibits his instincts since he was a small child. But, due to a hoard of insects that destroyed the vital ingredient, I am unable to make it. I will be unable to do so for another thirteen weeks when the next crop is expected."

"So then Harry only has to go away for three or so months and then Draco will be back on his potion?" Hermione asked with hope.

"I'm not going back on the potion," Draco stated. "I've never felt more alive."

"If that is your wish, my son," Lucius said fondly. Hermione growled in frustration.

"Fine, then there must be something else that can be used. Something that will maybe cover up Harry's pheromones or his sense of smell."

"Of course, a seventeen year old student has thought of something I have not," Snape replied nastily. "I have been experimenting and working on this for over twenty years. There is nothing that will inhibit the sense of smell because there are glands in Potter's mouth that will also register the scent. Mother Nature would not be so remiss as to allow a loophole that a common head cold could exploit." Snape placed his hands on his hips in a gesture that all four of the students recognized from the classroom. "There is nothing that will cover up the scent that is produced because there is no such thing as deodorant for pheromones. The sole items that are capable of being controlled are the instincts. The Caratare Root is the only plant, animal, or mineral in both the muggle and wizarding pharmacopoeia that has the ability of controlling an Indago dominant's instincts."

"But why is it that Harry has never experienced this compulsion before?" Hermione doggedly pursued. "Why now, even when he has lived in close proximity to Draco for years, does he now have this... this affliction?"

"Because Draco has never needed the cooperation of a Subicio before now. Without the instincts, his body has stayed as a child's. Just as a grown Subicio would not be afflicted by a child Supero, so did Potter not react to Draco. Without the instincts directing Draco's body to produce the pheromones, they remained dormant and he did not release them. The Caratare Root reduces the Indago's body to that of an infant's. It is the only thing that will work for Draco."

"And yourself," Hermione stated. "But you haven't lost it and started coming after Harry. You have controlled yourself."

"What do you mean, Hermione?" Ron asked, looking bewildered. "Snape hasn't changed or anything."

"Yes, that is my point. Do keep up, Ron." She turned to Harry. "Professor Snape is an Indago too. If he can control himself, then Draco has to be able to as well." She turned back to Snape. "You must also be a Supero?"

Snape grimaced. "Yes, Ms. Granger. I am. And the reason that I am able to... control myself as you put it, is because I am quite a bit older than Draco and have had a lot more practice. Draco has never been without the potion. He has also just entered his sexual and physical prime and it is only a week away from Lustrum. He is literally a hostage of his own hormones." Hermione frowned in confusion.

"What is Lustrum?"

"Ah, something the lady does not know," Lucius drawled. "I was beginning to wonder if there was such a thing."

"I did say I only got the books today," Hermione defended. "So then, what is Lustrum?"

"Mating season," Draco said slowly and with great relish. He grinned at Harry and licked his lips.

Indago - Chapter 10

Back to Chapter 8

Back to Results