Shadow Phoenix

@ Dark Dragen, ladyedgecombe & mjd: Thanks for your Reviews!

@ Dark Dragen: I don't care, whether you're logged in or not, as long as you write an review. (evil grin)
Oh, and please tell me, when you've added a chapter to one of your fanfics.

@ ladyedgecombe & mjd: Draco was busy reserching if Harry told him the truth about the slavebrands. If you hate Draco, you'll hate this chapter as well, because Draco prefers to ally to a fellow pureblood Lord instead of becomming a slave. He's still a git though... (that doesn't change either. He'll of cause try to befriend Harry's pureblooded friends. (Neville, the Weaslys...))


Raina, did you abandon me? Q.Q
Come on, please beta the chapters!
I need you!

(This Chapter has yet to be betaed.)


C12: The Dragon rises

The week was filled with a lot of homework, difficult classes, Blood Quill writing at detention and further but controlled 'spreading a memory' each evening.

Harry's friends were outraged when they found out about the Blood Quill, but Harry managed to calm them down by telling them what he did.

Also Neville and Dean were now part of their 'training for animagus' Group.

They had to catch up rather fast, but managed.

Ron had made keeper in the team during the tryout that was unfortunately during Harry's detention.

During Quidditch practise Harry had to hold back a little to not show them to obvious just how fast and controlled he really was.

He didn't really want anyone except his best friends to know.

And the Slitherins where watching their practise.

Ron on the other hand seemed to have some problems.

Harry knew from his time at the Burrow Ron could do better.

But he didn't.

At Saturday a owl of Percy arrived Ron.

The Weasly which worked as Fudge's junior assistant tried to convince his brother to sever his ties to Harry and ally himself with the ministry and Umbridge.

Also advising him to read the Daily Prophet the next day.

Ron ripped the parchment to pieces and threw it into the fireplace.

When on Sunday they read the Prophet in the great Hall over their breakfast, they found out, that the ministry had passed new laws, granting Umbridge more power at Hogwarts as 'High Inquisitor'.

“Now they've done it...”, Harry said dangerous softly.

“What do you mean?”, Ron asked nervous.

Neither he nor Hermione had ever heard Harry talking like this.

“They started trying to size control of Hogwarts, efficiently declaring war on our side.”, he explained his friends. “We'll have to resort to new measures if we don't want them to win?”

“Harry! I don't think there is much we can do.”, Hermione tried to convince him.

“There is. I'll just have to remember the manager of the Daily Prophet that the Potter and Black families together hold sixty percent of their shares and you, Hermione will have to call our dear friend Rita back to her work. Let her have a go on the ministry. Just offer her she could put her beloved Quill back to work.”, Harry disagreed.

“Sounds like a very Slitherin plan...”, Malfoy suddenly said from behind their backs.

Hermione and Ron flinched.

“I know.”, Harry replied. “Do you have come to a decision, Draco, heir of Lord of Malfoy?”

“I have.”, the Slitherin answered. “I do have pureblood pride after all, so there was only one possibility. I wont make friends with mudbloods though.”, he said with a disgusted look at Hermione.

“You won't have to.”, Harry said, before anyone could snap at Malfoy, gripping Ron's shoulder to hold him back.

They stared at Harry in shock.

“I will as promised support you and if you want help you become an animagus.”, Harry stated. “Just tell me what you need.”

Malfoy hesitated a moment, before he said: “I want, if the potion was tested by the lot of you before I take it. I'll need money to keep control over my house and I want access to the Weasly's joke products – there are some members of my house who wanted them enough to risk anger me.”

“How much money?”, Harry asked business.

“Approximately 100Galleons each quarter year.”, Malfoy answered. “I also want a go at that memory.”

“I'll send Neville to you with the money and some of Fred and Georges products.”, Harry promised. “He'll also give you an appointment for viewing the memory. We shouldn't yet meet openly like this, so he'll be our contact man.”

“Well thought. I'll be at the library the next hours.”, Draco said and went away.

“Could you let go of my shoulder? That grip hurts!”, Ron hissed in pain.

Harry let go immediately. “Sorry I didn't realise I was holding that tight.”

“That nearly crushed my bones! How could you not have noticed?”, Ron asked angrily.

Harry just took a iron spoon and deformed into a clump with only the strength of his left hand and no visible signs of effort.

Ron's mount was still wide open, when Harry dropped the clunky iron ball into his hands.

He groped it for a moment, finding it literally hard as iron, before he looked up to Hermione.

“Remind me that I don't want to pick a fight with that one ever again.”

“Don't worry, Ron. I'll remember you. I don't want you being sent to the infirmary with broken bones either.”, she ensured him.

Neville didn't like the prospect of having to deal with Malfoy regularly, but accepted Harry's request anyway.

“Just try to stay polite and businesslike with him.”, Harry advised him. “If he asks something of you, you don't know how to answer just tell him, you'd have to ask me first.”

Then he sent him with 400Galleons, a big packet of the Weasly twin's joke products, a list which stated the necessary training units before the first animagus transformation with the potion and the order to arrange a appointment to show Draco the memory.

Neville brought Draco into Harry's extended trunk that night, - he had refused to take anyone with him.

If he was startled because he found Harry to sit on a throne or impressed by the magic used to create the room, he didn't show.

He even just froze for a mere moment, when Harry took of his glasses and he could see the slit pupils.

"Welcome, Draco.", Harry greeted him, as Neville exited the room, closing the door behind him. “I hope you had a good day.”

“Can't complain about it.”, Draco replied.

“Good to hear. But you've not been coming here for conversation, did you?”

Harry opened the showcase beside him.

“These pensives contain copies of the memory you want to view.”, Harry explained, taking one of them out and putting it onto the small table beside him.

“Just touch the surface with your skin and the pensive will draw you into the memory.”

Draco did and Harry watched him observing his memory.

The Slitherin didn't show any emotion at all, during the whole experience.

After he was pushed out of the pensive, Harry could barely see any sign at all, of him being influenced by what he saw.

Harry was glad he didn't overestimate his new ally.

“Did you like what you saw?”, Harry asked.

“Given my new situation, yes I did.”, Malfoy answered.

“I'm not as weak as I was back then any more...”, Harry mentioned, emitting waves after waves of power.

He saw his former enemy swallow once before answering: “I'm glad you got stronger. I accept your offer of friendship.”

“I'm glad you do.”, Harry said, stood up and held out his hand.

Draco accepted and they sealed their decision with a firm handshake.

“Now, if you've got the time, why don't I show you around my place?”, Harry asked.

“I'd be glad if you would.”, Draco answered.

Harry showed him his Potion Lab first.

“Well... that explains, why you've suddenly got that good at potions...”, Draco mentioned, causing Harry to show him the Room, were he stored his successfully brewed potions.

The clear potions at one of the selves seem to immediately capture the attention of the Slitherin.

“Is that, what I think it is?”, he asked, pointing at it.

“Veritaserum... the truth potion.”, Harry confirmed.

Then he took one of the small bottles and handed it to him.

“Don't forget, never use more than two drops of it. It's not diluted yet.”

“Did you test it?”, Draco asked.

“Yes, I did. I took some myself after giving some diluted to a mice to ascertain it's not poisonous.”, Harry explained. “I immediately rid of potions which don't suit the descriptions how they should be during the brewing. I tried and failed the serum four times the first week, till I got it right. Thankfully, the potion is rather easy to brew after the first two hours. That two are everything but.”

Then Harry took another potion and handed it to Malfoy as well.

“A strong sleeping potion. Dreamless sleep. Three drops of this will knock you out for at least eight hours. It might be useful... some of the other Slitherins might still get nightmares from viewing the memory. I advise taking no more than two drops... you don't wake up immediately after the potion has worn of, except someone pours cold water on you. Which wont wake you until the potion wore of. You're gone a mere second after taking it, by the way. Up to a minute if the potion is diluted 1/100, depending on the magical resistance of whoever is taking it, which would reduce its effect to forcing you into natural sleep. And make sure it's not taken by someone who drank any liquor that day, or that one will sleep up to a month.”

“Some of our girls have indeed sleeping problems lately.”, Malfoy mentioned. “This potion might just save me a lot of trouble and money.”

Harry showed him the other rooms, before Draco went back to the Slitherin's dorm.

“I don't think trusting him that far is a good idea...”, Neville mentioned, after Malfoy was gone.

“It's a risk...”, Harry agreed. “But I think the benefit of him on our side is worth risking it. Well, you should go, get some sleep. Tomorrow is Monday again... the worst day of the week, if you ask me.”