Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Freedom Bound in Chains	By : TaintedSensibly Category: Harry Potter AU/AR > Slash - Male/Male Views: 58477 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 13
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Harry Potter characters. I did not make money from this story.

Chapter List
- 64
- 65
- 66
A/N: I just wanted to remind everyone that Pixi56 on AO3 has created amazing multi-chaptered fanart for this series.
Also, it has come to my attention there is more incredible art on Instagram if you search #sensiblytainted.
Check it out and leave comments! It’s so cool!
Getting Things Sorted
Draco and Harry treasured their time alone on the ride to Hogwarts. They knew they would get very little of it while at school between classes and sharing a dorm room with others, so they cuddled and took naps on each other’s shoulders, talked in quiet murmurs about Hogwarts, played with Hedwig, and exchanged soft kisses. All too soon, the whistle blew and, with an almost regretful sigh, Draco got them both up and made sure their clothes and robes were put to rights. Ten minutes later, the train slowed to a rocking stop as it pulled into Hogsmeade Station.
Draco popped his head out of their compartment and asked a passing kid what they should do with their trunks. He was impatiently informed to leave them, that the Hogwarts’ elves would take care of it. Harry took hold of Hedwig’s cage and Draco firmly grabbed his other hand as they followed the press of loud and rowdy kids off the train.
The sun was setting; dusk enveloped the platform. They were faced with a brick wall with a red sign with white letters that read Hogsmeade. Green trees and gas lamps stood along the way. As they were pushed along with the crowd of students, Draco caught sight of Hagrid standing over three times as tall as the kids around him at the end of the platform.
“First years! First years, follow me!”
Hagrid didn’t look any different from when they had met him on Diagon Alley. The same patchwork coat and leather pants, the same bristly beard and happy grin. Draco guided Harry that way. The older kids continued on passed Hagrid onto a street that would presumably take them to Hogwarts. Draco bumped into Ron as the redhead also pulled away from the crowd.
“Oh, hey,” Ron said once he realized it was Draco. “I looked for you on the train.”
Draco shrugged, offering no explanation, and came to a stop in front of the Ground’s Keeper.
Ron caught Harry’s eyes and stuck his tongue out at the blond’s back. Harry smiled nervously, ducking his head. A sharp tug on his hand brought Harry’s head up and his public mask of serenity in place. Pansy pushed in on Draco’s other side. She somehow managed to smile and scowl at the same time. Vince and Greg lurked behind her.
“I looked for you everywhere,” she hissed.
Draco gave her the same shrug he’d given Ron, which made the redhead smirk.
Pansy huffed, tossing her shoulder-length black hair dismissively before crossing her arms.
“Arry!” Hagrid boomed, spotting him. His grin grew impossibly wider.
“Hello, Hagrid,” Harry greeted the man politely, his head craned back to look him in the eye.
“You ready to go to school?” Hagrid asked with a playful tone. “Follow me! Yer gonna love this!”
The kids around them shuffled their feet as they realized The Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy were among them. Hagrid, oblivious to the sudden tension in the group, turned and took a side path that led behind the station. None of the kids moved, too busy staring at Draco and Harry.
Draco sighed and tugged Harry after him, following the giant man down the hill. Ron, Pansy, Greg, and Vince came quickly after. They didn’t talk. Darkness was falling quickly now and they had to step carefully if they didn’t want to fall.
The path went through a thin line of tall trees when they suddenly stepped out onto a beach with a wooden dock that stretched out onto a choppy lake. Five small wooden boats were lined on one side of the dock, six on the other. Hagrid strode out onto the wooden planks, calling, “Four to’a boat! Come on now. Time ta go.”
The dock hadn’t looked all that sturdy, but seeing Hagrid walking easily down the length reassured Draco. He took the lead and stepped onto the wooden planks. Hagrid took the sixth boat at the far end. Draco, Harry, Ron, and Pansy climbed into the one next to the large man. Greg and Vince took the boat next to that one. A black boy and a dark-haired girl got in with them.
Each boat had a glowing yellow lamp on a short pole on the front and they flickered to life as soon as someone stepped inside. Soon enough all eleven lamps had flickered to life, creating a warm glow in the night. A cool wind blew up from the lake and Harry leaned against Draco’s side. Draco put his arm around Harry’s shoulders, confident neither Ron nor Pansy would think anything of it. They were somewhat used to them, after all.
The boats launched smoothly away from the dock on their own. They rocked gently side to side as they cut across the water further out onto the lake, following after Hagrid’s boat. The trees along the lake edge grew dense and thick the further they went. Rocky cliffs suddenly rose around them. They turned a corner and Hogwarts came into view for the first time.
Harry sucked in a breath. Even Draco felt his mouth fall slightly open. The castle was huge! Tall towers and massive buildings, elegant bridges and hundreds of glowing windows; it was the most magical thing any of them had ever seen.
“Blimey,” Ron breathed.
“It’s beautiful,” Pansy agreed.
They eyed each other suspiciously.
Draco snorted, amused.
Harry’s manners kicked in and he introduced them, saying, “Pansy, this is Ron Weasley. He’s on the summer baseball team we’ve told you about. Ron, this is Pansy Parkinson. She visits us at the manor.”
“Be nice,” Draco added, smiling, but there was a subtle warning in his tone.
Pansy sniffed and turned her head away, putting her nose in the air.
Ron scowled at her before pointedly returned his attention to the castle. “Wonder which one is Gryffindor Tower,” he asked.
“I read in Hogwarts: A History that Gryffindor stands for the Fire element. That means the tower should be to the north,” Harry answered.
Draco looked up at the sky, found an orientation point and pointed. “That’s north, so it’s probably that one.”
Ron looked at the tower Draco was pointing to and grinned. “It’s so awesome!”
Pansy made a rude noise. “What’s so awesome about a windy tower? I bet it rocks when it storms. No thanks!”
Ron scowled at her. “Let me guess. You’d prefer the slimy dungeons.”
Pansy opened her mouth to give him a scathing retort, but Draco interrupted. “Quiet. We’re almost there.”
They weren’t really. They were still about five minutes out, but Ron and Pansy both thankfully shut up. Draco mentally sighed. This was going to be a long year.
The little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy, which hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, the golden lamps from their boats seeming to dim in the utter blackness. Harry whispered that they were probably under the castle. The voices of the other children bounced eerily off the walls while the sound of water lapping at stone was magnified. They emerged inside a cave-like cavern in an underground harbor. Each boat drifted one at a time to a flat shelf along the shore.
Hagrid disembarked first. He stood there grinning cheerfully. “Welcome to Hogwarts, Firsties!” he boomed. “Line up over there now. Let everyone get ashore.”
Once the last kid climbed free of the boat, Hagrid led them over to narrow stairs cut into the stone wall. By the time they reached the top, their calves were burning. The stairs led to a door that opened onto grass. They stepped out of the side of the castle and followed Hagrid like ducklings around the corner and walked up to the massive front doors. They were huge with iron bands covering its surface. Hagrid pushed them open easily and they swung inward with a creaky groan.
Draco stared into the Entrance Hall. Candles were lit along the walls next to gorgeous paintings and tapestries. Four suits of armor stood at the ready. Two massive winding staircases went up on both sides of the hall while directly in front of them were two more tall doors. An elderly witch in a pointed hat and dark green robes stood waiting for them.
“I brought the First years,” Hagrid told her jovially.
“Thank you, Mr. Hagrid,” the witch answered him, tone stiff and formal.
Hagrid gave a salute and found Harry in the crowd. “I’ll be seein’ ya later, Arry. Good luck!” And then he shut the front doors behind him with a bang.
“Welcome to Hogwarts,” the witch said, drawing their attention. “I am Deputy Headmistress McGonagall, Transfiguration Professor here at Hogwarts.” Draco’s attention sharpened at that name. “Now, in a few moments, you’ll pass through these doors and join your classmates, but before you can be seated you must be Sorted into your Houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin.” An unconscious chill touched her voice as she named the last House. Draco lifted an eyebrow at that. “Now, while you’re here, your House will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you points. Any rule breaking and you will lose points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points will be awarded the House Cup…”
Her stern lecture was interrupted as a boy in the middle of the group cried out, “Trevor!” A croaking frog hopped up to McGonagall’s feet and the boy pushed out of the group to scoop it up. As McGonagall stared with an unimpressed gaze, Draco realized the boy was Neville Longbottom, the kid he’d met during Beltane.
“Sorry,” the boy muttered weakly, face red with shame.
“The Sorting will begin momentarily,” McGonagall continued. She turned with a sweep of her robes and went inside the double doors.
“A toad,” Pansy said in disgust. “Who gets a toad familiar in this day and age?”
Draco ignored her and edged past Greg and Vince to get a better look at the boy. As he’d thought, Neville was crying silently with not a hiccup of breath, tears rolling down his flushed cheeks. The Pleasant girl fostered by Neville’s family stood at his side, saying, “I told you he’d show up.” Draco took note of the looks of disdain on the other kids’ faces. Neville hadn’t made any new friends with his lost toad.
“I got a rat. My brother got an owl this year for being a Prefect, so he passed him on to me. He knows a lot of tricks,” Ron was saying behind him.
Draco turned at Pansy’s shriek and saw Ron holding a fat, graying rat in his hands. The redhead looked delighted by her reaction and shoved it forward in her direction.
Greg’s hand grabbed Ron’s arm warningly. “Don’t,” he said simply, making Ron scowl and jerk away.
McGonagall returned before anything more could occur, and Ron hastily shoved the rat back into his robe pocket. “We’re ready for you now,” she told them.
The Great Hall was massive. Longer than it was wide, it had hundreds of floating candles under a ceiling charmed to look like the sky. Four rows of tables stretched the length of the room. Hundreds of kids sat in long rows at those tables and watched with only vague interest as the First years marched inside after McGonagall. The group walked down the hall and stopped in front of a horizontal table that sat on a raised dais. The teachers were there, looking out at the students with varying expressions.
Draco caught Snape’s eye and gave a smirk. The Potion’s Master gave him a neutral stare in return.
“Now, before we begin, Headmaster Dumbledore would like to say a few words,” McGonagall told them solemnly.
Draco blanked his expression and held tight to Harry’s hand as the old wizard in billowing dark purple robes and a pointed purple hat pressed on the table to get to his feet. His chair was especially extravagant. The sides made of gold and with points along the top, looking like a modest throne.
Dumbledore looked as old and crafty as he had the last time Draco had seen him. Just as it had been then, Dumbledore’s beard and hair were snow-white and fell well past his waist. He gave a happy smile to the assembled children, his voice husky and soft with age. A frown shaded Draco’s features; he wasn’t buying the weak, old guy act for a second.
“I have a few start of term notices I wish to announce. The First years please note that the Dark Forest is strictly forbidden to all students. Also, our Caretaker Mr. Filch has asked me to remind you that the Third Floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not want to die a most painful death. Thank you.” Dumbledore gave a vague wave of his hand and returned to his seat, smiling.
Draco flashed Harry a look. Harry blinked back at him - patient watchful. Frowning, Draco turned back to McGonagall as she began speaking.
“Now as I call your name, you shall come forth, I shall put the Sorting Hat on your head and you’ll be Sorted into your Houses.” She unrolled a parchment and called the first name. “Abbot, Hannah.”
The girl came forward timidly and was directed to the stool next to McGonagall. A ratty leather wizard’s hat was placed on her head.
“Hufflepuff!”
Draco wasn’t sure what the Third Floor corridor was about, but he was not happy that there was something so dangerous within reach of Harry. Percy had made a very detailed list about all the dangerous places in Hogwarts, including the Dark Forest and the more advanced greenhouses among other things, but none of them had actually been inside the castle walls.
Draco stared at Dumbledore and realized the old wizard was already looking at him. He wondered what the old man was up to and narrowed his eyes. Mouthing the words, ‘We need to talk’, he hoped Dumbledore got the message.
Vincent was Sorted Slytherin. A few names later Gregory followed him into the same House. Draco wondered distractedly why no one realized what that meant. Those two were not as slow as everyone assumed them to be. They had a verbal handicap, but they were cunning, observant, and had ambitions.
“Longbottom, Neville!”
McGonagall had been calling names, but Draco had been too distracted notice. He only noticed now because it was a name he recognized. They were already at the L’s; he’d be called soon.
“Gryffindor!”
Draco was pulled from his thoughts as Harry hissed next to him - confusion pain. Draco turned sharply to see Harry touching his lightning bolt scar. Draco’s razor sharp eyes shot around the room as he held tightly to Harry’s arm.
There were a few students whispering and looking Harry’s way, but none of them seemed particularly threatening. At the teacher’s table, Snape was the only one looking directly at them. The man frowned, dark eyes moving to Draco's in question as he noticed Harry’s pain. Draco moved on, looking for the threat, but no one stood out. Practically growling, Draco crowded Harry protectively, running a soothing hand down the boy’s back.
“Malfoy, Draco!”
Draco didn’t want to leave Harry’s side. He shot Pansy and Ron pointed looks, tilting his chin subtly at Harry. He wished Vince and Greg were there, but they were sitting at their new House table.
Once Pansy and Ron moved into place on either side of Harry, Draco marched up to the stool. His mind raced, his eyes never once leaving Harry. The four tables and what seemed a sea of kids were just an unimportant blur in the background. He was hyperaware of their bond, ready to spring into action should another bolt of pain come through. His knuckles went white as he sat and gripped the edge of the stool. He didn’t like this at all. First a deadly Third Floor corridor and now Harry’s scar had reacted to something for the first time.
Harry watched nervously. He hadn’t meant to be distracting. He knew Draco was unhappy and then his scar had to go and hurt… This was so important and he was messing it up!
The hat had barely touched Draco’s head before it shouted, “Slytherin!”
Harry’s eyes went wide, knowing that wasn’t Draco’s plan. His heartbeat quickened as he watched McGongall take the hat from Draco’s head.
The blond stood from the stool and boldly said, “No.”
The Great Hall fell absolutely silent.
“I beg your pardon, young man?” McGonagall asked in a very offended tone, eyebrows nearly touching her hairline.
Draco looked up and gave her a polite smile, his eyes glinting with defiant amusement. “No, thank you, Professor. I am deeply honored. Slytherin is a great House, but I choose Gryffindor.”
“That is not how these things are done, Mr. Malfoy,” she stated sternly. “Please join your House.”
Draco gave her an elegant bow, and then, ignoring the green badge on his left breast, he walked calmly to the end of the Gryffindor table and sat next to a wide-eyed Neville Longbottom.
The older Gryffindor students were on their feet asking him what he thought he was doing. A few actually booed. Competing with the noise of outrage, Draco noticed the Weasley twins were standing on the benches cheering. He slanted them a lopsided grin.
Dumbledore stood once more. This time without the help of the table, Draco noted absently. The old wizard clapped his hands once and energy brushed over everyone in the room. Silence fell. “I ask for patience,” he directed to the room before looking directly at Draco. “We will have a discussion after the Sorting, Mr. Malfoy.” Blue eyes twinkling over his half-moon glasses, he waved his hand at McGonagall, sitting again and looking completely unconcerned.
McGonagall huffed and the Gryffindors grumbled, some of the older ones glaring dangerously, but the Sorting continued without further disruption.
Draco ignored it all. * Follow the plan, * he told his boy, voice calm and confident.
Harry looked into Draco’s fearless eyes and took a deep breath. His anxiety faded as - trust - bloomed in its place. Pansy’s hand slipped into his own. Harry held it tightly as he turned and faced the Sorting.
“Warrington-Pleasant, Kevin.”
“Ravenclaw!”
“Longbottom-Pleasant, Hermione.”
The girl they’d met at Beltane pushed past him muttering encouraging words to herself. She was clearly wracked with worry, but you couldn’t tell by her body language. She moved with what seemed like confidence, her chin tilted up.
The hat sat on her head for about thirty seconds before calling, “Gryffindor!”
- Nervous worry - began to sneak into Harry’s heart. He knew Draco would get his way and be made a Gryffindor, there was no doubt of that, but what if the hat put Harry in the wrong House, too? That would be harder to fix.
“Parkinson, Pansy.”
Pansy gave Harry’s hand a last squeeze and Ron a pointed look before making her way to the stool.
Ron went red, but as Harry’s wide, green eyes turned to him, fear clear in their depths, he reached out and took Harry’s other hand. Harry’s sweet, grateful smile gave him the strength to tilt his chin defiantly. There was nothing wrong with comforting a friend, and he’d punch anyone in the nose who said otherwise!
“Slytherin!”
Harry smiled, knowing Pansy had gotten the House she had wanted, but it trembled at the edges. Would he be next? His heart knocked painfully against his ribs.
* I’ll take care of everything, * Draco’s voice whispered in his mind. * Hush. *
“Patil, Padma.”
“Ravenclaw!”
Harry took a deep breath and slowly breathed out. Expanding his throat, he felt his collar press into his skin. It calmed him. I belong to Draco, he mentally chanted. All would be well as long as that was true.
“Patil, Parvati.”
“Gryffindor!”
Harry took notice at the repeat of the Patil name. The girls were identical. Taking in Parvati’s smile as she moved toward the Gryffindor table, Harry thought she seemed okay with being separated from her twin. He couldn’t imagine that.
“Potter, Harry.”
Harry clutched at Ron’s hand as his hard won calm shattered into - fear. He stared with wide-eyed horror at the stool. What if he messed this up so badly that Draco couldn’t fix it?
Ron’s blush deepened as it seemed like the whole school turned to look at them. Harry seemed frozen. Out of the corner of his eye, Ron saw Draco tense and knew that nothing good would come from the blond interfering. He’d already acted like a crazy bastard by refusing his Sorting. Ron had to try and stop him from doing anything crazier!
He pulled his hand free, stepped behind Harry, and gripped his shoulders. “You got this, Harry. You’re on the mound. Bases are loaded. Draco’s called the pitch. You just got to get it to him, yeah?” Ron said quietly but clearly and then pushed Harry forward.
Harry stumbled a bit, his heels clicking on the floor in the silence. The image Ron had given him settled his nerves. He’d been in tight spots before. He’d pitched in games where they were losing, the whole team’s hopes riding on his throw, but Draco was always there crouched behind home plate, calling the play.
Harry turned to sit on the stool and his eyes connected with Draco’s stormy grey. The blond gave him the same cocky grin that he wore during a game, all cool confidence and amusement. Harry’s nerves disappeared completely. Draco had him.
The Sorting Hat fell over Harry’s eyes. “Interesting,” a dusty voice said into his mind.
Harry went rigid. Snape’s voice had once resonated in his mind, a place meant only for Draco, by accidentally bleeding through Draco’s mind during an Occlumency lesson. It had been just as terrible, just as invading, but he wasn’t as weak as he once was. Instead of breaking down, Harry mentally growled, instinctively trying to protect what was Draco’s by blocking the voice out.
“A nice mind, generous heart, and deeply loyal…” the leathery voice continued, this time in a careful whisper.
* Hello. I don’t believe we’ve met,* Draco’s voice cut through the darkness behind Harry’s eyes like a brilliant flash of lightning. The blond’s fierce magic rumbled through the bond like thunder.
“Dominus et delicatus…” This time the whisper was one of awe. “So many long years since your kind has graced these halls, and never so young as to sit under my brim.”
* Then you know he’s mine. * Draco’s voice was dangerous and low. * Sort him Gryffindor and get out. *
“Yes, I see… Perhaps I Sorted you too soon, although I stand by my Sorting… Slytherin through and through…”
Harry bit his lip almost hard enough to make it bleed as he felt the focus of the mental probe switch to him. Gryffindor, he thought, face scrunched up in concentration. Please say Gryffindor.
“It’s true that you possess remarkable bravery. Your ability to trust in your Dominus with no fear for how terribly he could hurt you will make you feel right at home in…. Gryffindor!”
Harry was off the stool and running to his new table. McGonagall was just barely able to snatch the hat back off his head. Draco had turned, straddling the bench. His arms were open, a pleased smirk on his face. Harry flung himself into those arms, shaking in reaction - joy relief love.
Draco smoothed a hand through Harry’s hair, gave him a squeeze, and gently pushed the boy toward the seat next to him. “I told you you’d get Gryffindor,” he said out loud while mentally prompting, * Mask. *
Harry blushed and realized the whole of Gryffindor table was cheering. Draco’s rebellion and questionable presence was forgotten completely as Gryffindor celebrated their acquiring The Harry Potter. Standing with the few remaining First years, Ron pumped his fist in the air, grinning. Harry kept his head up and gave them all a big smile, determined to win them over so that they’d let Draco stay.
A few minutes later, Ron was Sorted Gryffindor and he took the seat next to Harry. Harry gave him a hug while Draco slapped his hand in a high-five. The last few kids were Sorted and Dumbledore stood again, tapping his glass goblet with a fork, making it ring. The hall quieted.
With twinkling eyes, Dumbledore exclaimed, “Let the feast begin!”
Food instantly appeared along the previously bare center of the table. Rolls, butter dishes, corn on the cob, roast potatoes, steamed carrots, and roast chicken. Ron immediately dug in. Draco barely kept himself from rolling his eyes. The redhead’s table manners were still deplorable.
“Wanted to be in the best House, eh, Malfoy?” an older student a few places down asked Draco with mean eyes.
“Well, it certainly is now that I’m here,” Draco drawled with a smirk, amused by the pathetic attempt to bully him.
“Don’t think that you’re staying,” the boy spat angrily. “Slytherins aren’t welcome here.”
Draco arched an eyebrow and looked pointedly over at the Slytherin table. “Looks like they are since they have their own House and all,” he retorted, purposefully mistaking the ‘here’ to mean Hogwarts and not Gryffindor since that’s how everyone acted anyway. Like House Slytherin should be kicked out and destroyed. Such short-sighted ignorance.
The bully went red as the kids around him snickered.
“We come as a pair,” Harry cut in, voice as firm as his gaze. “We’re twin-bonded.”
A girl next to the angry teen got the boys attention and they held an intense whispered conversation. The First years were left alone.
Draco served himself a small portion of everything and gave Neville a charming smile. “Nice to see you again. How’s Trevor?”
Neville blushed a dark red, instinctively putting his hand in his pocket. “Fine, thank you,” he answered nervously, ducking his head.
Draco turned his smile to Hermione. “Congratulations on your Sorting. I’m sure you’re happy to be with your brother.”
Hermione’s guarded expression softened with surprise and then a real smile spread across her face. She looked at Neville and nodded her head firmly. “I am.”
“I’m Harry Potter,” Harry introduced himself to the First years around him. “I hope we can be friends.”
“I’m Seamus Finnigan!” the boy across from Harry said with a heavy Irish accent. He had short sandy-colored hair and blue eyes. “Can’t believe I’m here, really! I’m half-and-half. Me Dad’s a Muggle and me Mum’s a witch. Got a huge surprise he did when I got me letter! Mum had some explainin’ to do!” He laughed boisterously.
“Dean Thomas,” the boy next to Seamus offered. He was dark-skinned with short, dark hair. He was tall, too. Almost a head taller than Harry with them both sitting. His voice was subdued, but he seemed friendly enough.
“And I’m Lavender Brown,” a girl with long, ash-blonde pigtails pipped. She was on the other side of Neville. “I always knew I’d be coming to Hogwarts. Both my parents attended.”
“Parvati,” the Patil twin said with a sweet smile. She was Indian with large dark eyes and thick black hair that she wore in a single braid. “My family’s been magical for more than eighteen generations. Most of them were Ravenclaws.” Her sweet smile morphed into something more daring. “Guess I’m different.”
Next to Neville sat a girl with strawberry blonde hair that had been cut in a short bob. “My name’s Fay Dunbar.” She had small features and an upturned nose, which made her look a bit like a pixie. “I wanna play professional Quidditch one day. Are First years allowed to try out, do you think?”
“I’m Kellah Jordan.” Black with cornrow braids, she was very pretty with thick lips and large dark eyes. “You can call me Kell. My older brother’s in Gryffindor. His name’s Lee.” She pointed him out and an older teen sitting with Fred and George gave her an enthusiastic wave.
Ron rolled his eyes, unimpressed. His left cheek puffed out from food stored in it. “I got three older brothers here, all Gryffindor. Two more have graduated already. Don’t talk to me about older brothers. Oh, I’m Ron. Weasley if you couldn’t guess.”
“Draco Malfoy.” He gave them all the easy smile of a cat. “Nice to meet you. I’m sure we’ll get along just fine.”
They talked of simple things and ate until they felt like they were going to pop, the atmosphere friendly. Almost an hour later, the feast came to an end. Professor McGonagall stepped up to the First year section of the table and gave Draco as stern glance.
“Mr. Malfoy, the headmaster would like to speak with you.” Turning her attention to Percy, she added, “Please take the First years to the tower and explain things, Mr. Weasley. I will be there momentarily.”
Percy nodded and stood.
* Stay close to Percy until I get back, * Draco instructed through the bond. He squeezed Harry’s hand tightly before letting go.
Harry gave Draco a smile - acceptance determination.
The other First years gave Draco curious looks as they stood and swung their legs over the bench. Percy gathered them up, unashamedly taking Harry’s hand. Draco gave them an unconcerned wave. Soon the Great Hall was empty. McGonagall lifted a single eyebrow before striding from the hall.
They went up a floor and walked down a long hallway with many gargoyles staring sightlessly back at each other. They were large and ferocious looking. At the end of the hallway, they came to an eagle-headed gargoyle with massive wings and a frighteningly large, sharp beak with the body of a lion. McGongall cooly stated, “Acid pops,” and the stone statue stepped off its pedestal, the head turning with a loud grating sound to look at them as they walked past to the spiraling staircase beyond.
Dumbledore’s office was a large and beautiful circular room, full of funny little noises. A number of curious silver instruments stood on spindle-legged tables, whirring and emitting little puffs of smoke. The walls were covered with portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses, all of whom were snoozing gently in their frames. A second floor could be seen past a railing and held hundreds of books that had no titles along the spines.
There was also an enormous, claw-footed desk, and, sitting on a shelf behind it, the Sorting Hat. Dumbledore sat there. He waved them closer, indicating that McGongall should join them and sit. He offered them both a silver tin with yellow balls.
“Lemon drop?”
“No, thank you,” Draco denied. He reached up to tuck his hair back behind his ear.
McGongall said nothing, narrowing her eyes impatiently.
“Very well.” Dumbledore chose one of the candies and placed it in his mouth. It made his cheek bulge slightly. “You are unhappy with the Sorting?”
“I am unhappy with a lot of things,” Draco answered mildly.
“It’s not for you to be ‘unhappy’ with things, Mr. Malfoy, you are a student and as such…” McGonagall began.
“For example,” Draco cut her off and stared her down. “A fucking deadly corridor.” His eyes flashed to Dumbledore. “What the fuck are you thinking putting that in a school filled with kids?”
McGonagall opened her mouth to scold him for his language, but she couldn’t find the words to say because she agreed with him completely. She had been against it from the start.
“We are temporarily holding onto something that needs protection,” Dumbledore explained.
“Protect it somewhere else,” Draco demanded coldly, crossing his arms.
“Mr. Malfoy!” McGonagall exclaimed, shocked by his attitude, as if he were a king and they were his subjects to be commanded.
“Minerva, it’s alright. He is rightly concerned for his safety and the safety of the other children.” Dumbledore smiled, faded blue eyes twinkling madly above his glasses. “The item was placed in the most secure holding in the Wizarding world and I received notice that it wasn’t safe even there. This is the last place it can be kept. I assure you that every measure has been taken to keep the students safe from both the item as well as anyone after the item. The wards have been bolstered all summer. The teachers have been informed and will keep watch, and I assure you they are all highly qualified adults. I would prefer it otherwise, but this is necessary. Should the item fall into the Dark’s hands, I believe Voldemort’s return would follow directly after.”
“Albus!” This time she was shocked by the information the headmaster had revealed to an eleven-year-old. Such things were beyond the boy’s understanding, but more than that it was not for him to worry about. He was a child! He shouldn’t be burdened with such knowledge.
Draco considered that, a cold chill of fear coiling in his gut. He wasn’t ready. He hadn’t gained enough strong allies to be sure he could keep Harry safe when Voldemort returned. Not to mention they still hadn’t figured out a way to free Harry from the Black core attached to his own.
He gave a sharp nod. “I understand. We must keep that from happening at all cost,” he agreed, voice resigned.
McGonagall felt her eyebrows lift. “Why, thank you for your permission, Mr. Malfoy,” she said archly.
Draco gave her a blank look. Her lack of understanding was annoying, but he knew it was to be expected. Winning her to his side would take time.
Dumbledore rubbed his hands together. “I’m glad we are all in agreement. Now, as to your Sorting…”
“I understand you do not wish to be separated from your twin,” McGonagall interrupted, “but it is not for the child to pick the House. We are none of us truly aware of who we really are. You belong with Slytherin, even if you do not think so at the moment. You will be more understood there. As for Mr. Potter, you will be able to see him between classes and meal times, but you simply must room with your House.”
Dumbledore sat back, stroking his white beard as he watched.
“Gryffindor is my House,” Draco stated with calm certainty. “The Sorting Hat is a magnificent object of power, but it is not perfect. Nothing is perfect. The hat took very little time Sorting me. Less than any other kid. There is more to me than can be measured in that time.”
“The Sorting Hat has never been wrong!” McGonagall insisted.
“How do you know that?” Draco demanded with a bit more force. “Have you been in the head of every child to ever walk these halls? There has never been a child who was consistently unhappy throughout their seven years here? A student who didn’t reach their full potential because of their House environment? Never? You can’t possibly know that.”
McGonagall crossed her arms defensively as certain students in the past flashed through her mind. “And what makes you say you belong to Gryffindor besides being bonded to Harry Potter?”
“I won’t deny that I like to make plans. I’ve been told I’m smart in the cunning way, and I have the enormous ambition to keep Harry alive.”
She opened her mouth, clearly feeling she had won.
“But!” Draco cut her off before she could speak. He met her eyes with fierce determination, and they weren’t the eyes of a child. “I’m brave, professor. Brave and chivalrous. I was kept captive for over a year by a very sick man. I faced his punishments and torture and never gave up hope of escape. I’d walk into that man’s chamber, knowing he was going to whip me half to death or shove plastic dicks up my ass. I knew he was going to make me bleed and bleed, but I faced him head on again and again. And I protected Harry from that. I knew it would be worse for me if I did, but I did it anyway. I take care of Harry before myself. No matter the cost. Always. I have honor, Professor McGonagall, not just pride, and I do know the difference.” Taking a deep breath, softening his voice to sound more vulnerable, Draco said, “I think I deserve the right to choose Gryffindor. I’ve proven my bravery more times than I can count and I never broke during all those hours of torture. My honor is still intact. If you force me to go to Slytherin… I feel like you’re telling me it’s not.”
McGonagall couldn’t speak. She was beyond horrified by Draco’s speech. Tears burned her eyes. The child stared up at her with a vulnerable expression, but his gaze was steady and he was facing her head on, just as he did his tormentors. He was so small now. How much smaller had he been then, helpless and utterly, truly alone? His undeniable bravery was heartbreaking because it shouldn’t have been necessary.
“Draco,” she whispered, voice wobbly and thick with unshed tears. “You may be Slytherin, but you are Gryffindor, too. I welcome you to your new House.”
Draco smiled sweetly and reached out to gently touch her hand. “Thank you, professor.”
Dumbledore cleared his throat. “May I ask why you do not wish to be in Slytherin? If your goal is to help Harry, then…”
McGonagall gave Dumbledore the fierce glare of a protective mother. How dare he suggest to an eleven-year-old to serve in the war!
“Simple.” Draco shrugged. “I could try and spy on the Slytherins, it might even help one day, but Harry’s been traumatized, too. It’s going to be hard for him to live at a boarding school where people don’t understand what we’ve been through. I’m his twin. He’s going to need me. Besides, I don’t have to be in Slytherin to spy on them. I’m going to maintain my contacts there.”
McGongall smiled, amused. “How very Slytherin of you.”
Draco gave her a tilted grin. “I’m sure there have been plenty of Gryffindors in the past who wished to spy on Slytherin.”
“But they did not succeed at it,” she countered. “I have a feeling you will.”
Draco chuckled. “Here’s hoping. Plus, with me in Gryffindor bridging the gap between the two Houses, maybe we can help weaken the stigma against Slytherin and make them feel less persecuted. Then they’d feel less like they have no other choice than to follow the few who are hardcore Dark.”
McGonagall smiled proudly. Draco truly was Gryffindor if he was so set on saving so many people, people he didn’t even know.
Draco internally smirked. This was going exactly how he’d predicted. They were going to attribute his goal to infiltrate Slytherin and convert as many as he could to altruistic reasons. The truth was that every kid he pulled from the Dark Lord was another kid who wouldn’t hurt Harry. He wasn’t kidding when he’d said he would build an army to keep Harry safe. Draco was going to do whatever it took to make it happen, including “save” Slytherin House.
Deep in his mind he hid the rage and cold hatred aimed at these two people. They had left Harry at the Dursleys. McGonagall had sensed they were not good people, that Harry would not do well there. Dumbledore hadn’t listened. They had both failed epically. McGonagall for not checking up on Harry when she’d known. Dumbledore for continuing on with the arrogant confidence that he was right. There would come a time for vengeance, a time Draco would need a trump card, and he’d unleash his rage. He’d wait and watch for that moment with a Slytherin’s cold patience.
Chapter end.
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Freedom Bound in Chains