TSS: Chapter 13: The Dead of Night

> *“Miss Parkinson, you will cease the telling of this unbefitting sob story at once.” Immediately, Pansy sobered, realizing that her Head of House would not be deceived so easily. “Make your point promptly, Miss Parkinson. I do not have the time for misplayed mind games or poorly perpetuated attempts at ascertaining my favour through some tasteless sob story.”*
>
>

— Severus Snape being a never-ending bundle of patience when faced with Pansy Parkinson's plans to join Harry's group.

## Summary:

Charlus has a talk with Dumbledore. Harry has another dueling practice with his friends. Rita meets with Daniel Shafiq at the Summer Isles in Diagon Alley. Pansy seeks to join Harry's circle. The reporter John Doe is murdered.

## Plot:

**September 25th, 1992:** Charlus Potter visits Albus Dumbledore in his office, where the latter is busy with paperwork. Dumbledore asks Charlus about the Weasleys behaviour in light of Ginerva's sorting into Slytherin with Charlus confiding about Ron's antagonistic attitude towards his little sister. The Headmaster then proceeds to tell Charlus about the near-fatal prank that was pulled on the Slytherin Quidditch team some two night ago. When asked if Charlus suspects any possible culprits, the boy remains silent about his vague suspicions — the Weasley Twins — as he considers that it would be unfair for one to be expelled for a prank gone wrong — as that is what he imagines that the punishment would be.

**September 26th, 1992:** Pansy meets up with her Head of House, Severus Snape, and talks to him about her Transfiguration assignment and asks for a study partner or a tutor. Snape bluntly affirms that he understands that this is an attempt to further her personal schemes, but acquiesced to her request nonetheless, stating that her Transfiguration grades were indeed low, and that it would be best if she were guided in the right direction.

Harry duels Hestia in their usual abandoned classroom, this duel marking the first in which he manages to wound her. He eventually loses, with Hestia remarking upon his staggering improvement rate. Soon, they are discussing the prank played on them with Harry stating his desire for revenge — on the perceived perpetrators, the Weasley Twins. Eventually he is dissuaded from doing so by Calypso and Cassius, with the latter stating that they would pay them back on the Quidditch pitch.

**September 27th, 1992:** In the evening Rita Skeeter meets with Daniel Shafiq over dinner at Summer Isles. They end up agreeing on an arrangement in the form of Rita providing Shafiq with an overview of the political landscape in Magical Britain, and Shafiq offering an interview on the condition that the resulting article would be published when he permits it. During their conversation he reveals that he has been in Eastern Europe since losing the ministerial race some ten years ago and that at the moment he serves as the international ambassador for the Resurgent Republic of Hansa —among his other undisclosed positions in the same country. At the end of their meeting, Shafiq steadies himself when he stands up by placing a hand on Rita's shoulder. In the process he tugs at her hair, most likely removing some strands of her hair.

**September 29th, 1992:** Harry, as instructed by Snape during his previous Potions class, is present in the evening, outside Snape's classroom. Upon entering he stumbles upon Pansy who was waiting for him. He quickly realizes that she is trying to cash in her favour from last year and join his group. A conversation ensures in which Harry tries to gauge her intentions. Eventually, Harry lets her join, on the condition that she would try to treat everyone fairly regardless of blood status.

In the Slytherin dorms Benedict Cuffe and his year mates are working on their homework. At some point a faint glow emanates from his school bag that catches the attention of Derrick Mulciber. When question about the source of the glow, Benedict claims that it was nothing and pushes his bag under the desk.

**October 2nd, 1992:** John Doe returns to his apartment after a long day of work. There he is greeted by someone who looks like Rita Skeeter who murders him with the Killing Curse. Mundungus Fletcher, acts as a witness, under the anonymity of the invisibility cloak that his employer — most likely Lucius Malfoy — had supplied him with.