Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Draco Malfoy & the House of Seraphim	By : KaliDiah Category: Harry Potter Crossovers > General - Misc Views: 20461 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy, Angel, or Harry Potter or their associated characters, settings, or concepts. They belong to their various creators & distributing agencies, and have only been borrowed for entertainment purposes with no intent to profit.

Chapter List
- 22
- 23
- 24
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Again, sorry for the lack of update, guys. It seems that one of my Patrons has decided that I've become too comfortable in my life, so has gone about shaking it up a bit. For reasons still unknown to me, my landlord has decided to not renew my month-to-month lease, so I've been busy home-hunting. I do have a (very, VERY nice) place secured, and will begin packing and moving this weekend. I should be fully settled in by around April 9th (which also happens to be my 29th birthday). So, there won't be any updates till then, at least. Hopefully this will tie you over till then (I made it extra long, with some Harry-ness, JUST FOR YOU GUYS). :)

*********************************************************************************************

*********************************************************************************************

Spike was rather surprised to see Severus Snape hunched over a dark corner table in the Leaky Cauldron upon the group's return to the inn. He didn't surmise the Potions Master was the social type. That was confirmed as he passed the man; Snape was sitting stock-still, back to the wall and eyes darting from side to side, seemingly watching everything at once.

Spike turned toward the stairs that would take him to his room with Angel, pausing only to cough. Once he knew he had Snape's attention, he continued on, aware that the professor was now following them.

After searching the hallway their room was in thoroughly, he gestured to Snape. Once he, Snape, and Angel were in the room, he closed the door and said, "If you're here, that can only mean something bad's happening."

Snape sat himself in a rickety chair and sighed wearily. He looked as if he hadn't gotten a wink of sleep in the past couple days. When he spoke, his voice was strained. "Had a meeting late last night." He rubbed his left forearm out of what seemed, to those who didn't know the man, to be habit. Spike knew it was just his subtle way of telling them who he had the meeting with, without coming out and saying it.

As Spike had suspected he would, Angel immediately went into business-slash-protective-mode, leaning forward as he sat on the bed. "Are you alright? Were you hurt?"

Snape chuckled bitterly. "While your concern warms the little cockles of my heart, it's unwarranted. Contrary to popular belief, the Dark Lord is not wont to torture people wantonly, with no reason."

"In other words," Spike said, seating himself next to his Mate, "you talked your way out of it."

Snape allowed a smug smirk. "Of course."

"Does he have any idea about Draco?" Angel asked urgently.

"No. They're all convinced Dumbledore had moved him into hiding out of some sense of duty to protect his students." Snape snorted, then continued. "I did tell them that the boy is back at Hogwarts, that I am not on the 'need-to-know' list, and that Draco himself may be under magickal obligation not to tell anyone about his summer."

Draco, Spike called, get in here.

Yes, Sire.

"I just called Draco. He should be here to hear all this."

Snape nodded, but paused in thought. "Do you know how unnerving that is?"

"What is?" Angel asked.

"You being able to communicate with each other mentally. Even those who are masters of Legilimency are unable to do that."

Angel smiled. "It has more to do with our strong bonds than it does anything mental."

Snape nodded again, and remained silent until Draco entered.

"What's going on?" the young Slytherin asked with worry as soon as he saw his godfather.

"I had a meeting last night. And before you go all mother hen on me, I'm fine."

Draco snorted. "You must be. So, what happened?"

Snape repeated what he had told the older vampires, and Draco thought about it for a moment. "Might be hard, but I can pretend I'm under obligation. I'll just have to remember to lose my voice or start talking gibberish whenever it's brought up. And I can insinuate dire consequences if I do tell."

"Well, we could actually make up a contract, if that will be easier," Snape offered. "We could configure it the same way as you're planning on the Supplemental Studies contracts; he can only tell those who already know the whole situation, and those within the program. We'll just neglect to add the dire consequences."

"Draco?" Spike asked.

Draco nodded. "Sounds good."

"I'll talk to Andrew about it tomorrow morning," Angel said. "He's the one in charge of the contracts."

"Good," Snape said. "Now, to continue ..." He warned them that the Death Eaters' children were now a danger, so Draco would really have to be careful. Draco still had no idea how he was going to handle the upcoming year, but he promised to have a solid plan in mind before going back to school. Spike and Angel were a little put out that they only had two years to really help Harry and his cohorts become battle-ready, but they would do everything they could.

Snape then finally told them of Voldemort's "plans" for Draco, which made both Angel and Spike promptly grab the boy and pull him down between them, each encircling him with protective arms. Many declarations of "he'll have to go through us first!" and "over my pile of dust!" were made, as well as some rather elaborate threats. Draco, for the most part, tried to laugh it off and quell their worry. However, it was clear that Draco was sick of having his existence threatened.

But, what unnerved the young blonde even more was Snape's report regarding his mother. "Are you sure it was her?"

"I have no reason to doubt it. Of course, we weren't there long enough to see if it was Polyjuice. But, it made me think some things over."

"Like what?" Draco asked, somewhat suspiciously.

"Well, before your mother fell in with Lucius, she was very kind and compassionate ... well, for a Black and a Slytherin in any case. The fact that she was friends with Lily and Alice says a lot. But, then she got involved with Malfoy, and she changed. I don't mean gradually. Within the course of a month, perhaps a bit less, she was a completely different person. She snubbed Lily and Alice totally. I believe the only reason she continued to tolerate me was because I, too, was joining the Dark Lord.

"I have often wondered what could have caused such a radical realignment. I don't believe it was the Imperius, at least not alone."

Draco nodded, picking up on the line of thought. "There are a couple potions that can be used to control someone. Each and every one of them are considered Dark Arts, and therefore illegal. Never stopped Fa- ... I mean Lucius before."

"Yes, and when used in conjunction with Imperius, there's really no fighting it."

"The Imperius alone is fightable?" Spike asked.

"It can be. You see, the Imperius only affects your immediate consciousness. It does nothing to your subconscious mind, which will naturally try to fight against the spell. Some people with strong wills, such as Potter, are able to throw it off. However, potions work differently. They circumvent the conscious mind and go straight to your subconscious."

"Eliminating the ability to deny it," Angel surmised.

"Yes. Now, layer the Imperius on top of that ..."

"And you have yourself a happy little slave," Spike finished.

"Pretty much, yes."

"What are the potions that would do that?" Spike asked.

It was Draco who answered. "Well, perhaps the most innocuous of them is Mindshadow. It causes disorientation and hallucinations for about twenty minutes, however, the person becomes very susceptible to suggestion."

"Wouldn't something like that be noticeable, though?" Angel asked. "I mean, it would be obvious something was going on if she suffered from Mindshadow's hallucinations constantly."

"There are others, with no side effects, no taste," Snape countered. "There are many that the Ministry is completely unaware of."

"Did you ... did you make any for him?" Draco asked uncertainly.

Snape shook his head. "No. Nothing that could be used in that respect. But, Lucius is more than competent enough to brew such potions on his own."

Draco sighed with relief. Spike was quite sure the boy would not have been able to handle it if his own godfather had had a hand in controlling his mother. As it was, Draco sagged into Spike's embrace, dropping his head onto the older vampire's shoulder.

"Whichever concoction it was, Lucius must have forgotten to give her the potion recently," Snape continued. "That's why she was able to open up to me like that." He paused in thought for a moment, then shook his head. "No, it's more than that. I think she somehow knows what is happening to her, because as soon as Lucius approached, she assumed her ... normal demeanor. She was closed off, cold, distant."

"Perhaps he has given her the potions, but she's stopped taking them for whatever reason, and is just playing along," Angel suggested.

"That could very well be, but I I'm not entirely sure. It truly seemed that she was two different people."

"Could she be fighting the potion itself?" Spike asked. "I mean, if she had gone without it long enough to remember who she used to be, she might have realized that something was going on. It wouldn't be too hard to put two and two together, would it?"

Snape nodded again. "Lucius was locked up for a while. And as far as I know, he would have been the only one to give her the potion. It might have been just enough time to realize something was amiss."

"So, what are we going to do?" Draco asked eagerly.

Snape shook his head. "There's nothing we can do right now."

"But, if we could just get her away from Lucius ..." Draco began in protest.

"Severus is right, pet," Spike said. "We can't really do anything until we find out exactly what the situation is. And I don't think I need to tell you that this must be handled very delicately."

Draco cast his eyes down, and seemed as if he were about to cry.

"I know, Draco. I know," Angel soothed, rubbing the younger man's back. "This is a huge opportunity to have something you never did. You just need some patience, okay?"

Though Draco nodded silently, he didn't seem convinced. Spike couldn't blame him for being impatient.

"I assure you," Snape offered, "I will do everything I can to find out the details, then we'll go from there, alright?"

Draco didn't look up for a few moments, but when he did, it was with calm resolve. "Okay. I'd like to start researching the potions though, just to see what we're up against."

"That would be very helpful, thank you. Now, with that, I must take my leave. No doubt Dumbledore will want to know about the meeting."

"Unfortunately," Angel said, rolling his eyes. "Hopefully, by the next meeting, you'll be Bound. That will give you more protection."

"I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I'm looking forward to that ritual. Even if I must drink blood." Snape visibly shuddered and made his way to the door. "Oh, Draco, I thought you should know that I saw Mr. Zabini downstairs earlier. I'm not sure if he's back yet or not, but you might want to look for him. I know he is one of your staunchest supporters." He smirked before adding, "And be ready to go into Diagon Alley by nine tomorrow morning. That means clean, dressed, fed, and by the entrance. Don't be late."

"Yes, sir. Thank you."

After Snape left, Draco whirled and threw himself at Spike. "He's here!" he crowed happily. "This is my chance!" In an instant he zoomed out the door in search of his ex-boyfriend.

"Things just get more and more complicated, don't they?" Angel asked rhetorically.

"I just hope that we're not getting our hopes up about Narcissa. The last thing Draco needs right now is a huge disappointment like that."

"I know. I want to make it a priority, but ... there are a dozen other things we need to do. I don't want him to think that it's not important, or that we don't care but ..."

"I think he'll understand the sitch, love. He knows how important it is to train those kids to fight against Voldemort."

"I hope so. And I hope we can rescue Narcissa, if it's rescuing she needs."

"We will, Peaches. We will. And do you know how I know?"

"Do tell."

"It's 'cause we're Champions, and that's what we do. We help the helpless."

"Look at you, being all noble and stuff." Angel chuckled as he gave Spike a light kiss.

"Yes, well, you have always been a horrid influence on me."

"Perish the thought!" Angel said with mock offense.

"No, really, you are. I mean, really, really bad influence. I was such a good li'l boy 'fore I met you."

"Is that so?"

"I was a right li'l angel, I was. Then you came along and corrupted me."

"Oh, I don't know. I don't think you're corrupted enough."

"Really?" he asked. With Angel's nod, he said, "Well, then, I suppose you should push up your efforts."

Angel snickered as he gathered his Mate into his arms. "Oh, I'll push something up, alright, but it won't be my efforts."

Neither were seen for the rest of the day.

***********************************************************************************************************

Blaise Zabini trudged through Diagon Alley on his way back to the Leaky Cauldron after a less-than-successful attempt at school shopping. He had gone in all the right stores, true, but he never got beyond staring blankly at the merchandise. His thoughts were somewhere else, though he wasn't sure where. Wherever Draco is, he thought sadly.

He was terribly worried about the blonde Slytherin, and had been ever since Millicent Bulstrode had owled him with news that Draco had been removed from Hogwarts. It was supposedly for his own protection, but Blaise couldn't help but be concerned. Not knowing where he was ... it was driving Blaise mad.

There was no doubt in his mind that he was in love with Draco, and he was pretty sure that Draco loved him, too. He understood perfectly well why they had had to call things off. He knew the power Lucius Malfoy wielded, both magickally and socially, and the last thing he wanted to do was put his family at risk. But that didn't mean his feelings had faded. If anything, they had only intensified, especially after he had received Millicent's owl.

He sighed as he placed his hand on the latch to the Leaky Cauldron's back door. "Draco, Draco, wherefore art thou, Draco?" he whispered. "Deny thy father, and refuse thy name ... or at least let me know that you're okay." He walked into the inn, and immediately made his way upstairs to his room.

Had he been paying attention, he would have realized that someone was behind him as he reached the landing of his floor. As it was, he yelped and spun around so quickly that he nearly knocked the person down the stairs when they tapped him on the shoulder. Once he realized who it was, he sighed and grinned. "Mother."

She chuckled. "Jumpy, dear?"

"Sorry, my mind was ..."

"Miles away, as it has been all summer, I know." She smiled warmly at him and cupped his cheek. "He's fine. He's a Malfoy. They're nothing if not survivors."

"You're right. It's just ... I'm worried."

She gathered her son into a tight hug and patted his back. "I know. But he's fine."

"How do you know, though?"

As she pulled away, she grinned slyly. "I am a mother. I know these things. Now, you go relax and get some rest. Tomorrow is your real shopping day. Today was only a test run. Now go." She shooed him away and turned back down the stairs.

He chuckled as he continued on to his room at the end of the hall, though he was still lost in thought. So, again, he didn't hear anyone behind him. Not until he was tackled around the waist and dragged to the floor with an "oof!" He struggled in his attacker's grip and managed to turn around. He found himself gazing into painfully familiar grey eyes, though they were lit with a fire and a mirth he had never seen there before.

"Draco?!"

"Tag, you're it!" the other Slytherin crowed.

"It really is you!" Blaise cried as he wrapped his arms around Draco.

"In the flesh," Draco crooned, his voice taking on a seductive tone. He clambered to his feet, and lent a hand to Blaise. "And I really need to talk to you."

Blaise nodded as he rose. "My room's down there. Or ... or if you'd prefer someplace ... public ..."

Draco grinned as he grabbed Blaise's hand and led him down the hall toward Blaise's room. "Oh, no. I much prefer private. Well, at the moment, anyway," he added with a wink.

Blaise was helpless as Draco dragged him down the hall. Once they were in his room and a silencing spell was cast, Draco pushed him against the closed door and pinned him with a crushing kiss. As it always did whenever Draco kissed him, his head swam. It felt as if the entire world was falling away, leaving only the two of them.

Finally, Draco pulled away and sighed. "Good gods, I've missed you," he murmured.

Blaise was quite confused. "I missed you, too. But last I checked, we had ... b-broken up." The last words were whispered. Even though his mind understood the reasoning, the situation still hurt his heart.

"I know," Draco said, again in that soft tone. He stroked Blaise's raven hair as his eyes flitted over Blaise's face, as if trying to memorize every last curve. "But that doesn't mean I ever stopped loving you."

Blaise's heart leapt. He had been right; Draco did love him. "I love you too, you know."

Draco smirked. "Of course I know." He stepped away and looked at the floor. "Although, I have some things to tell you that might change that."

Blaise wanted to protest, but he knew that Draco could very well be right. There was no telling what the blonde had done over his summer, and there were a great number of things he could have done that would have repelled Blaise, all of them Voldemort-related. He gasped as Draco began to roll up his left sleeve, and he fought back tears of disappointment and regret.

However, he didn't see the telltale skull-and-snake Voldemort made his followers wear. Instead there was an ankh with wings, and what looked like an infinity symbol. "D-Draco? What's that?"

"Sit down," Draco said softly, unable to look Blaise in the eye.

Blaise did as he was told. He had to remind himself to continue breathing. Draco joined him on the edge of the small bed, and began his tale. Blaise wasn't quite expecting what he heard. He was expecting a confession of some heinous crime, perhaps several. He didn't dream he would hear about how the Headmaster had manipulated Harry Potter, or about a secret program to help train a select few students to fight against Voldemort. He couldn't understand why Draco had thought any of this would make Blaise stop caring for him, and he said so.

There was a silence, followed by Draco's bitter chuckle. "I find it ironic, and wholly amusing, that on July 31st, Harry Potter's sixteenth birthday, I died."

More silence followed as Blaise tried to wrap his mind around that statement. How could Draco be dead? He was sitting right there. And if the kiss they had shared earlier was any indication, he was quite solid and therefore not a ghost. "I ... how can you be ... you're not dead, Draco."

Draco finally looked him in the eye, though just barely. With a sigh, he whispered something too softly for Blaise to hear, and there was a shiver in the air. Blaise recognized the uncasting of a glamour when he felt it. Draco then gently took Blaise's hand and placed it over his heart. Blaise was about to ask what Draco was getting at when it hit him ... he couldn't feel a heartbeat. He shifted closer, but still no heartbeat came. Casting all precaution aside, he bent down and put his ear to his once-lover's chest ... and heard nothing.

"No," he breathed.

"My heart doesn't beat anymore," Draco whispered. "And my blood ... it's no longer human."

"Oh, please. Please, no," Blaise whimpered as the implications fully took hold. His Draco was a vampire, a creature of the Dark. And Blaise would most likely not live to see the next day.

Even so, he was not afraid. He was saddened, and as each minute passed, he grew more so. He began crying in earnest, still leaning against Draco's quiet chest. He couldn't bring himself to even flinch in fear when Draco wrapped one arm around him, and stroked his hair with his other hand.

"Don't be sad, love," Draco whispered. "I'm still the same Draco. Just with a few ... improvements."

Blaise knew that couldn't be. He knew that this ... thing was only saying that to lure him into a false sense of security. He jerked away from the familiar embrace and glared. "If you're going to kill me, just do it. You don't need to play stupid head games."

Blaise had to admit, the look of confusion that swept across the vampire's face was very convincing. "What?! I don't want to ... Oh, for ... Blaise, I don't want to kill you, you dolt!"

"Well, then, you should know I'm not interested in becoming an evil ... thing like you!"

Draco rolled his eyes. Then with a speed that should be outlawed, he gently thwapped Blaise upside his head. "That would involve killing you, dumbass."

Blaise blinked a couple times. He then grabbed Draco's chin and held him still. Blaise searched the other's eyes for any sign of the boy he had loved. He was shocked beyond belief to see that Draco had not lied; everything Draco had been was still there, and burning brighter than ever before. "Draco?"

"Yes, dear," Draco said, a bit bitterly. "I told you, I'm still the same."

"But ... how?" Blaise knew about vampires, having paid attention in Defense Against the Dark Arts. He knew that when the human died, the demon would take control of the body. The only thing left of the person's prior being would be memories and a mockery of their personality.

"I still have my soul."

Of course! Draco must have spent his summer with those vampires that had appeared at Hogwarts! Blaise was completely embarrassed by his faux pas, but couldn't bring himself to apologize. Instead, he tackled Draco with the biggest hug he could muster.

"So, you don't hate me?" Draco asked uncertainly.

"Never."

"Thank you." Draco's relief was almost palpable as he once again embraced Blaise. "Does ... does this mean we can ..."

"Yes, please!" Blaise answered, knowing perfectly well what Draco was asking.

"Thank the gods!" Draco cried has he took Blaise's face in his hands and kissed him. "I was so afraid ..."

"So long as you don't turn evil on me, we'll be just fine."

"Not a chance, love. Not a chance in Hades."

"Good." Blaise pushed him backwards and covered his body with his own. "Now, we have a lot of time to make up for ..."

"Blaise, there are other things, about my relationship with my Sires. You need to understand ..."

Blaise smiled. "So long as you don't neglect me, I don't mind. In fact, if I remember them correctly, thinking about it is kind of hot."

Draco laughed. It was something Blaise rarely heard, but loved. "You wouldn't be the first, nor the last, to think that."

Blaise grinned. "So, do we have a deal?"

"Absolutely. However," he said as he rolled them both over, "get used to me being the dominant one."

Blaise smirked and bucked his hips upward. "Does that mean I get to be tied up more often?"

Draco groaned as he kissed the raven-haired Slytherin. "You just say the word and I'll have you trussed up in a second."

"We should get rid of these clothes first."

"Brilliant."

Blaise had never seen anyone get undressed so fast.

***********************************************************************************************************

It was early the next morning when Harry Potter arrived at the Leaky Cauldron, right behind Remus Lupin. He was glad the werewolf had been asked to escort him. Lupin's quiet and steadfast assurance was just what he needed at the moment. While his summer had been a quiet one, it had still been emotionally trying.

Harry was more bitter than he was sad at Sirius' death. His last chance to have a happy home had been ripped away from him. And in Harry's mind, it was all Dumbledore's fault. If the Headmaster had told him earlier that his life revolved around a prophecy, and where that prophecy was kept, he would have known what Voldemort was looking for; his own curiosity would have never been a factor. And the more he thought about the last conversation he'd had with Dumbledore, the more Harry was convinced that all of the bad things that had happened to him had somehow centered around Dumbledore's constant meddling. The old wizard knew far more than he was letting on, and he seemed perfectly content on keeping Harry in the dark.

Well, fine, Harry thought as he wandered through the growing morning crowd of Diagon Alley. If that's the way he wants it, fine. I'll just figure it all out on my own, just as I have every other damn year.

However, his ability to do so had seemed to have increased in difficulty. Namely because his two best friends-slash-sidekicks had decided that he wasn't worth their time. He received one letter from each Ron and Hermione, and they were as empty as all of the letters they had sent him the summer prior. No information, no encouragement, no comfort. He had lost his godfather, for Merlin's sake! And they couldn't even bother to placate him with meaningless platitudes? They didn't even respond to his better-than-he-had-expected O.W.L. scores, nor had they sent him any birthday gifts.

That hurt Harry more than words could say. Every year he had looked forward to the inevitable book from Hermione and the Quidditch paraphernalia from Ron. Sure, he still got sweets from Molly Weasley, some gags from Fred and George, a couple books on the Auror profession from Arthur (including the popular Everything an Auror Needs to Know by A.M.), and letters from Ginny, Neville, and Luna, all saying they wanted to give him their presents in person. But nothing from his two best friends.

He wondered if it was once again due to Dumbledore meddling in things. He wouldn't have been surprised. But even when he had ordered Ron and Hermione to keep mum on the happenings of the Order the previous summer, they at the very least wrote to him, and sent him gifts. But this year ... he hadn't even gotten an invitation to either the Burrow or Grimmauld Place. It was as if they had completely forgotten he even existed.

Screw them, then, he thought. At least he still had Neville.

His correspondence with Neville Longbottom had been rather unexpected. The owl arrived about a week after Harry had gotten back to Privet Drive, and the letter was full of concern. Neville had been there when Sirius died. If anyone could understand what Harry was going through, it was Neville. Over the summer, they had exchanged letters at a rate of two or three every week, and Harry found himself learning things about the quiet Gryffindor he would have never known otherwise.

Neville had actually passed his Potions O.W.L. with an "O". Without Snape hovering around him, he was far less nervous, and was quite adept at the subject, which was good, because he wanted to become a Healer. He had already secured a pseudo-apprenticeship with Madame Pomfrey, as well as extra classes with Professors Sprout, Flitwick, and McGonagall -- he figured he would ask Snape once he actually got back to school and in his class. Harry thought he would make an excellent Healer, as he had a very kind disposition, so he offered as much encouragement as he could.

Aside from all that, this summer had been unlike any other he had endured since starting at Hogwarts, for the simple fact that his relatives not only pretty much let him be, but his Aunt Petunia seemed to have had a change of heart. It happened quite suddenly and out of the blue (at least it seemed that way to Harry), and left him reeling with confusion. Apparently, what his "guard" had said to them at King's Cross had really hit Petunia Dursley, and for the first time ever, she realized how horribly she had been treating her sister's only son.

She had broken down one afternoon, crying on the kitchen floor. She had told him how she had envied her sister for her power and popularity, for her beauty and adventurousness. Petunia had been insanely jealous when Lily's Hogwarts letter had arrived, knowing that her younger sister was destined for greatness while she had to settle for normality.

But, above all, she loved Lily, and even through her envy, Petunia doted on her. She knew that she would lose her little sister. She was angry at the Wizarding world for separating them. Lily's death only made it worse. What stunned Harry the most was, after all of this explanation, Petunia told him that she didn't deserve his forgiveness.

"Everyone deserve forgiveness, at least once," he had told her. And he forgave her. He joined her on the kitchen floor, held her, and cried with her. He had lost his godfather, but he had found his aunt. That was the only thing that had kept him from going over the edge of insanity that summer.

From that point on, when Vernon and Dudley had left the house, the two would work around the house together (Petunia would now ask kindly for Harry to do things, instead of barking orders) and talk. Petunia became more and more enraged the more she heard of Harry's adventures at school. She was livid when she caught sight of the light scars on the back of his right hand, spelling out "I must not tell lies". She seemed of half a mind to go to Hogwarts herself and have a chat with the Headmaster.

Though he still missed Sirius something terrible, he had to admit he was happy. All he had ever wanted was a family who loved him. While it was only one family member who loved him at the moment, it was more than enough. He didn't have to forgive Petunia. But he knew that refusing to would only leave him more bitter and upset than he had already been. And who knows what that would have led to.

One afternoon, when he had told her about Draco Malfoy, she became very thoughtful. "Harry, you said to me that everyone deserves forgiveness, at least once. Yet, you won't give that to this boy. Why not?"

Harry was about to rant about how evil Malfoy was, but realized he couldn't. Yes, Malfoy was a right prat and a general annoyance. But was he truly evil, like his father? As far as Harry could tell, he wasn't. And what was worse, it was because of Harry that Draco treated him the way he did. Harry hadn't even given him a chance. They had both been so young and stupid.

When Harry had revealed that to his aunt, she suggested that he try to bury the hatchet. He had to admit, it would make life easier. After all, he was destined to fight one of the most powerful wizards to have ever existed. The last thing he needed was to be distracted by the likes of Malfoy. So, he decided that he would make the attempt. After all, it was pretty much his fault.

So, it was with these thoughts swirling around his head that he followed Lupin through the Alley to purchase his school supplies. He had decided to go ahead with his Auror idea, even though he was pretty sure it wasn't going to happen. At least he would have something to work toward. Shortly after receiving his O.W.L.s (how on earth he had managed an "O" in Potions was still beyond his reckoning), he had sent Hedwig off with the list of classes he wished to take. He of course chose Defense Against the Dark Arts (and was beyond thrilled to find out that Lupin would be teaching it again), Transfiguration, Charms, and Potions. He also decided to keep Care of Magical Creatures, Herbology, and of all things, Divination. After all, he was the center of a prophecy.

In Flourish & Blott's, he picked out the books he would need for the coming year. These included The Magical Properties of Herbs & Flowers by Alan Tenser (for Herbology), Encyclopaedia Naturalica by Ellen Golden (Care of Magical Creatures), The Standard Book of Spells: Grade 6 (for Charms, of course), Reliable Transfiguration by Tina Hupplewait, History of the Wizard's Duel by Oliver Ponant and Ready, Aim, Cast! A Guide to Surviving a Wizard's Duel by Amy Dodge for Defense Against the Dark Arts (as they were going to be focusing on actual confrontation), and Divination for the Soul by Lillian Morrow. The books he was to pick up for Potions were unlike the tomes he had been required to get in previous years. It seemed that Professor Snape had decided to do an overhaul of his curriculum, so Harry picked out Alchemy Basics and Intermediate Alchemy, both by William Short.

Once he had all the books he would officially need, he began looking at other books. He had every intention of doing some serious research this year. He was quite sure that he would not be able to defeat Voldemort using only what he learned in school. It was time for him to start thinking outside the box.

He picked up both A Beginner's Guide to Organizing Your Mind and Advanced Theories of Occlumency. True, he had failed miserably with Snape the previous year, but he was just as much to blame as the Professor was. Perhaps, if he groveled enough, Snape would take up training him again. It was not something he really looked forward to doing, but he knew it was necessary. Hell, if he was going to bury the hatchet with Malfoy, he may as well go ahead and bury every hatchet he had.

As he was also signed up for Apparating classes, he also pulled down Apparating Made Easy by Samuel Denney. Though he wouldn't be able to apply for his license until the summer, he was going to be prepared for it. Browsing the shelves, he spied a couple more books he thought would prove useful: Human Transfiguration by Violet Connor and Becoming an Animagus by Laura Harpp. He figured if his father could do it, so could he. And maybe, once the war was over, he'd actually register.

He browsed the shelves, knowing he should probably pick up some extra books, but he had no clue as to which ones. His Aunt had brought up a valid point one afternoon: it seemed that the education at Hogwarts was rather ... lacking. "What in bloody hell will you ever need to turn a hedgehog into a pincushion for?!" This had started Harry thinking, and he had to agree. Yes, some of the spells they learned were useful, such as Wingardium Leviosa and Lumos. But many were just ... ridiculous. So, he began looking for more advanced books, but still wasn't sure what he was looking for.

Finally, he decided to track down Lupin for help. He found the werewolf on the upper floor of the shop, looking at various defense books. "Um, Professor?"

Lupin turned to him and grinned. "Harry, we are not in school. When we are in private, you are more than welcome to call me Remus, or even Moony if you particularly care to."

Harry couldn't help but beam. "Okay, Moony. I need some advice."

Lupin put the book that he had been glancing over down and directed Harry to a couple of rickety chairs in the corner. "About what?"

"Well, I've been doing a lot of thinking. I don't think I'm learning what I need to know to defeat Voldemort at Hogwarts."

Lupin sighed, but nodded. "You're quite correct, Harry. You're not. And I doubt you ever will from the staff."

Harry blinked. He had to admit, that upset him. Why wouldn't they teach him these things? Don't they want him to win? "Why not?" he asked.

Lupin took a few moments, obviously organizing his thoughts. "It's like this: the Ministry and Board of Governors have a ... list, if you will, of things that are and are not acceptable subjects of study."

"So, it's the Ministry's fault?" He wouldn't be surprised. Not one bit.

However, the look Lupin gave him confused him. It was clear the older man was fighting an internal battle. Harry knew that look. Lupin was debating on telling him either something that he shouldn't know, or something that could possibly hurt him. He took a deep breath, sat a bit straighter, and gave Lupin a look that he hoped conveyed that he was ready for whatever it was.

Lupin smiled sadly and nodded. "It's time, Harry, for you to know some things. It's not the Ministry's fault. In fact, their list of acceptable spells and subjects is quite extensive. It's Dumbledore, Harry."

Harry gasped. True, he was turning farther and farther away from the Headmaster, but even so. He wasn't expecting something like this. He motioned for Lupin to continue.

"He ... well, there's no other way of saying it. He commands the professors to teach only certain things. If they refuse, they would not only lose their jobs, but he would ruin them."

"What?!" Harry cried, leaping from his seat. He couldn't conceive why the Headmaster would purposely want to withhold a proper magickal education, especially when there was a war brewing. That alone enraged Harry. Lupin tried in vain to settle the boy, but it was futile. "He can't do that, can he?!" Harry demanded.

Lupin nodded sadly. "I'm afraid so."

"But what about Crouch?! He used Unforgivables on us! I'm pretty sure those aren't on the Ministry's stupid list!"

"I know. And so did Dumbledore. He knew everything, Harry."

This stunned Harry to silence. He sat back down and stared at Lupin dumbly. "He ... he knew that Crouch was ... the whole time?" His voice began to waver. Inside him, rebellion was fighting for dominance, but his disbelief was still too strong. "Please, please, please tell me you're not saying what I think you are."

Lupin placed a hand on Harry's shoulder and squeezed gently. That was all the answer Harry needed. Dumbledore had gone from a manipulative meddler to downright ... evil. Worse than Lucius Malfoy. Worse than Voldemort himself. At least they let people know they were evil. Dumbledore ... no one saw it coming. Suddenly, Harry couldn't breathe.

He began gasping for air in short, raspy breaths and shaking violently. He felt strong arms wrap around him and Lupin's soothing voice. "Harry, you need to calm down. You're having a panic attack. Concentrate on your breath. Come on, reign it in. That's it. Deeper breaths. Good, good." Lupin moved his chair closer to Harry in order to hold him tighter, and began rocking him. "It's okay," he murmured. "I know that this must devastate you, and I promise you you're not the only one. But I can also promise you you'll have all the support you need. There are many things you need to know. Horrible things. This year just may be your hardest yet. But I'll be there, right beside you. So will Professor McGonagall. Harry ... Harry, look at me."

Harry turned wide-eyed to Lupin. "I'm ... I'll be okay. I had suspected ... but never like this. I just ... I trusted him."

"We all did, Harry. We all did. And he betrayed us all. But he doesn't know that we know. And therein lies our strength. So long as he thinks he has complete control, we can do what must be done."

"I ... don't want to have to fight against him, too. It's just too much."

"I know, and if I could make it all go away, I would. But you don't have to fight against him. You just have to ... work around his manipulations. And we must be careful. Many things have happened, and will happen soon, that he must never find out about."

"Are they good things?" He felt like such a child asking such a question, but he didn't think he could take any more bad news. At this point he almost half expected Lupin to tell him Ron Weasley had become a Death Eater.

"For the most part, yes. Many changes are taking place. Changes that will help you and the other students survive this war."

For some reason, that really caught Harry's attention. The other students ... would they help him? Would they stand beside him when the time came? Or was he truly alone in this? His worry must have been evident, and Lupin was ever the one to read his emotions clearly.

"This is your war, Harry. Not Dumbledore's. He may think it is, but it's your life, and those of your schoolmates, that will be affected the most. You have the most to lose. Not just your lives, but your futures."

And again, another click went off in his mind as another puzzle piece shifted into place. "All this time, I've been fighting for him," he said. "To ... please him. To make him proud. But none of that matters, does it? I should be fighting for myself, and Ron and Hermione and Neville and Luna and Ginny and the twins and ..." His voice trailed off. He had been such an idiot. A self-serving idiot, at that.

Ultimately, he did what he had done to gain Dumbledore's praise and recognition. And though he always denied it when people called him something akin to an attention whore, he now had to admit it was true. But it was only from Dumbledore that he wanted the attention. After all, he was powerful and well-liked and respected. If someone like him praised Harry, then that had to mean he was worth something, right? Harry closed his eyes and groaned. Then, in a quavering voice, he said, "I am such a moron."

Lupin shook his head. "You most definitely are not. You are a young man who was abused and attention-starved all your life. Then, suddenly, there's Dumbledore, a powerful man, and he notices you. He praises you. He makes you feel that you are worth something." Harry looked at him wide-eyed. "Yes, I know how you feel, but only because I went through it myself. He was my validation. True, your parents and Sirius, and even Peter, helped. But it was Dumbledore's confidence in me that convinced me that I deserved to continue living. It continued that way until a few months ago. When I learned to control my shifting ... I now have control of my life and the darkness inside me. I realized that I deserved to live because of that alone. And it was something that Dumbledore could never had done for me. I did it by myself, for myself. From that epiphany on, I no longer needed his validation. Or anyone else's for that matter.

"But, you, Harry. You now have a choice. An important choice that will change the course of this war, and it won't be easy. You can either continue to depend on Dumbledore's praise to validate your existence and remain his weapon to control, possibly to be tossed aside once you've succeeded ... or you can find validation in yourself, become the leader you were meant to be and help our youth secure a peaceful future."

"I'm not a leader."

"Oh, of course not," Lupin said, voice laced with sarcasm. "That's why Hermione never runs off to the library to do research to make sure you're properly prepared for whatever you have to face. That's why Ron never goes with you on whatever mission you put yourself on, to make sure you have backup. That's why over a dozen students from three different Houses didn't meet regularly in the Room of Requirement so that you could teach them defensive magick they would have never had learned otherwise." Lupin smiled at him. "You are a leader, Harry. It may have been accidental in the past, but it's the truth."

"Riddle's a leader ..." Harry began, once again drawing a correlation between himself and his enemy.

Luckily, Lupin realized this. "That may be so, but he leads by fear. True, he may be charismatic -- or at least was at one point -- but the only true reason they follow him is because they are afraid of what would happen if they refused. You, on the other hand, make people want to follow you, of their own free will."

"Yes, well, I am the Boy Who Lived," Harry retorted bitterly.

Lupin glared at him. Apparently he wasn't gong to let Harry get away with his little bout of self-loathing. "Do you honestly think that was why Luna, Neville, and Ginny went to the Ministry with you? Because of your fame? Do you think that's why Neville stuck with you, even after you told him to run?"

Harry shook his head. He had asked in a letter to Neville why he had stayed. Neville's response nearly made him cry. "I don't care what anyone else says or thinks about you, Harry. I will always be proud to stand beside you and fight. Even if I die, I will die doing what's right, and I know you won't let me be forgotten." Those words rang through his head now, and again he felt the sting of tears in his eyes.

"Just ... just because people follow me, it doesn't mean I'm a leader," he whispered. He got up to leave, but was stayed by Lupin's strong grip on his arm.

"Then perhaps it's time you became one."

"How?"

Lupin smiled, and Harry swore he saw mischief dancing in his eyes. "You'll see, Harry. Once you get back to school, you'll see."

*********************************************************************************************

*********************************************************************************************

TO MY REVIEWERS

Dassani: We're all a li'l busy it seems, so it's all good.

TP: Yes, Narcissa is going to be an interesting situation. I was quite pleased with how Snape came out in that part. He's hard to write if you're not naturally snarky yourself. And, he DOES have a sense of humor, just a very twisted one. You don't have to worry about Harry being too goody-goody. Hurricane Potter is coming, best get outta his way. As for the sex bracelets ... oh my. You'll have to be patient and wait till the next couple chapters to see where this leads ... And yes, Linkin Park DOES fit Draco perfectly. It's kinda ... scary. And the Twins are coming soon, I promise.

Vigilante: When it comes to Draco Malfoy, there is absolutely NOTHING WRONG with an obsession. It's NATURAL. As for Draco's sexual preferences, he goes both ways. For him, it's an emotional thing more than a physical one. Yeah, I know, unusual.

ValkyrieNiennaHelyanwe: Hopefully, this Harry-ness was enough to tie you over for a bit. The Twins should be coming up in the next update. And more Harry. And Draco snarking at Ron. Fun times ahead.

EscagirlUK: Yes, we ARE weird. But dammit, we're fun to play with!!

LissaRiddle: :::sticks out tongue:::

Loki: Draco + sex bracelets = much potential. But that's not all he's going to be involved in. There will be much more. MUCH more.

kazhdu: There are actually quite a few Evil!Dumbledore stories ... but few are as twisted as mine. This guy is just ... yeah. And each time I talk to Aimee, he gets worse. As for the ladies getting some action ... I don't think there will be any, at least not in the current plans. But my plans change on a day-to-day basis. And even if it doesn't happen in this arc, I know it will in the next one ... although it'll be M/M/F/M/M/F/M/M. It'll get even MORE involved by the last arc. eep And your grammar and vocabulary are excellent. Don't sell yourself short.

Sailor Black 666: Are you actually suggesting I kill one of my Lovelies?! Just so you can see how to keep them dead?! Not a chance, sister!! :::protectively cuddles Vampies::: MINE! And you're on my list (the good, updatey kind. not the bad, targeted kind). :)

Tinkerhell: Let me just start by saying I love your name. Heh. I love being able to tie seemingly random things from completely different series together. You should see what I do with the Buffyverse and Sailor Moon! The interaction that will occur between Harry and Draco is somewhat difficult to explain, and really needs to be "experienced" to understand. There are going to be so many layers and levels to their relationship (as well as Blaise's, both to Draco and Harry) that it just can't be answered simply. It's funny, I never really LIKED Spike and Angel together till I started writing it. Go figure. And it's not just you. ;) Draco will run into Hermione, but in Diagon Alley. And it shall be amusing.
- 22
- 23
- 24
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Draco Malfoy & the House of Seraphim