The Three Keys

A/N: I do not own any Harry Potter Characters, just my Laurel and her family.

OK Kids, Get strapped in, and (in old official Disneyland sounding voice…you know the one, from the Mattahorn Ride) Please keep your hands and arms inside the vehicle at all times…termine ser sentamos por favor…

Hang on, cuz the ride starts now.

In the spirit of what BloodRust mentioned to me in her last review, (that the last two chapters worked best posted together) I think these upcoming THREE chapters work well in tandem of each other, so I will post them together.

OK, so with that in mind…and since I am giving you a 3-fur…I’d HOPE you’d be nice enough to, oh, I dunno, say review each chapter and help me out with some lovely reviews for me to read….That’d be SWELL! – (batting eyelashes prettily at you)

Thanks,

Lorett


CH 16 - HARRY’S SECRET WEAPON

Draco didn’t care how his informant found out where Potter was going to be tonight, he just knew he would be here at this muggle club called ‘SPELLS’, in the posh neighborhood of London’s night life district. He also knew that he was staying at the Weasel’s place, so if Draco could warn him before he went back there tonight Potter may just have a fighting chance of making it through this night alive…

Draco got to the club early. Why Potter would be coming to a place like this was beyond him. It was completely unlike Potter….cool, trendy, fashionable, filled with beautiful people – all well dressed…’Yes,’ Draco thought shaking his head – ‘completely unlike Potter.’

He entered the club wordlessly, not even slowing his pace to the door as the red velvet rope opened for him immediately. Keepers of the velvet ropes in places like this could spot money a mile away, and, if the money had the obligatory haughty, holier-than-thou attitude, expensive clothes like only the uber-wealthy could afford, let alone a face and a body like Draco’s – they would practically drag someone like him inside.

Draco slowed only momentarily as he cast a quick, dangerous glance at the huge bouncer who’d let him in. Said, bouncer had purposely rubbed his big palm hungrily across Draco’s behind as he walked passed, giving him a lusty glance. Draco rolled his eyes; he had more important issues at hand than to deal with some brute muggle poof. Normally he would have cast some dark hex on him for pawing Draco, (the hired help never touches a Malfoy – come on guys, some habits die hard!) but he couldn’t be bothered tonight. ‘Lucky git.’ he thought.

Draco entered, it was early still and the club was quite empty. He went to the bar, ordered a drink and staked out a place where he could see and not be seen. He chose a quiet booth along the wall next to the bar, climbed in, ordered some food and waited…

Draco was on edge, every person who entered he sized and calculated who they could be. He still couldn’t believe Voldemort was actually going to advance his plans tonight…’Why now?’ Draco needed more time, he had already been planning (long before his mother’s little stunt), that after graduation from Hogwarts he would vanish, start a new life somewhere far from England. He had money, both muggle and wizard, set aside in several places, in fact he had enough amassed fortune to live comfortably for the rest of his life…he sighed wistfully…

But, fate had dealt him an unexpected hand these past few days and Draco realized he would just have to put his plans on hold and try his damnedest to save the one person’s life he had not cared one fig for until just a few short years ago.

Reluctantly, Draco realized over the past couple of years, that Harry was the only one who could defeat Voldemort...

So, Harry got a new best friend, unbeknownst to him…Draco Malfoy.

Draco had been quietly watching his back for about 3 years.

Subtlety was a Draco trademark, cleverness came naturally and cunning was second nature. Draco smirked now, he couldn’t forget about sneakiness, so many times Harry avoided disaster – with a little help…

But truthfully the ‘golden trio’ had acquired their silent, guardian angel, the night of the Quidditch World Cup, when they were 14. Draco was looking around the campground after the tournament nervously and more than a little frightened, watching his father and the other Death Eaters as they jeered and tortured a helpless muggle family. Draco remembered feeling….uncomfortable…guilty even.

It was the first time he began to question the actions of his father in earnest.

He watched Potter, Granger and Weasel run into the woods at the appearance of the Dark Mark in the sky…they’d been so scared, they ran right past him. He was sure they hadn’t seen him…Which actually wasn’t surprising as hundreds of witches and wizards of all age and rank took to their feet, grabbing up small children and holding their women close as they scrambled in a terrified frenzy to get as far away from the Dark Mark and the looming Death Eaters as they could.

But Draco’s eyes were focused on Potter. He followed them secretly, from a safe distance, making sure no Death Eaters came upon them, as there was no telling what would happen if one actually caught Potter, not to mention Granger.

Draco had had a devil of a time keeping them safe, he remembered it so well…They made so much damn noise, calling out for each other in the dark, bumbling through tree roots and falling all over the place…’Didn’t these idiots know how serious the situation was???’ he’d thought panicked.

And, when they spotted him, he dropped into ‘Charming Draco’ mode, lounging against a tree, trying desperately to act cool and composed (while his heart was hammering in his chest). Nonetheless, he’d still tried to warn them, willing Potter to understand that he had to get Granger out of there, get himself out of there, but then again Potter was so DAMN thick headed. He shook his head remembering…* ”Hadn’t you better be hurrying along now? You wouldn’t want her spotted, would you?” he’d told Potter…

He had managed to get rid of them after some more useless banter just as three Death Eaters came around the bend, heading in the direction of Potter and company. Draco had to do some fancy talking to get them going in another direction, especially when the three FOOLS were traipsing around like they were playing hide and seek!

Draco had been so scared that night and so utterly surprised and relieved? - that they had actually managed NOT to get themselves caught, that when he saw Potter at the train station, leaving for school, he actually thought about throttling him for being such a complete moron in the woods! ‘Honestly, what an idiot!’ he’d thought then...and still though so now…

Draco had had to lay low though, the rest of that year as Lucius came down on him pretty hard, questioning him about running into the Death Eaters in the woods, (three particularly nasty bastards). It had scared him thoroughly. Draco still feared his father completely back then.

But, Draco was older now, a man, and he knew what he had to do…and that was save the life of a boy…a man…he didn’t like at all, but, though he would never admit, respected completely.

Draco was never sure if Potter was just plain old damn lucky or absolutely fearless…He suspected a healthy mix of both. And, as he liked good odds, he was betting on Potter.

Besides…Potter had a secret weapon, one he didn’t even know about…

Someone on the inside, someone so deep inside he was intimate with the very people who stood shoulder to shoulder with the Dark Lord…Someone just in the background enough to keep informed and still be unseen…someone - Draco smirked in self- satisfaction - just like HIM.

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A/N - OK, so you got a glimpse into some of the background reasons for Draco’s decisions. Sigh, I just love contemplative Draco.

Well, hurry along to Ch 17 now…Off you go and I’ll see you there.

* ”Hadn’t you better be hurrying along now? You wouldn’t want her spotted, would you?” Direct quote from “Goblet of Fire/Ch 9/The Dark Mark