Draco's Companion

A/N-For this chapter we are going to see a nice side of Rita.We are going to need to..errr.pretend? That she had other sources for some of her information. We will only see one of her news articles in this chapter. She will have three and they will be in three different chapters I think. This is a massive chapter, and I think I am going to be starting to make my chapters much longer. This was a VERY hard chapter to write, so I hope you are all going to really appreicate/enjoy it.

Thrnbrooke--Good questions, most of them will be answered in this chapter. I hope you enjoy it!

WeasleyWench-- Yeah, shes horrible, except in this chapter we will see her nice side:) Thanks for all of your great help:D, lol and thanks for the title.. haha.

GrimWriter--What is that supposed to mean??

Rumor--I wrote as fast as I could, this is a pretty long chapter. I hope you get over your writing problems soon:D and write write write:P

zuko11y12--Wow. since you've already seen this chapter I don't really expect you to read it on here, but who knows:P That was a massive reveiw and I wanna say thanks lol, I'm taking your suggestions to heart. Enjoy!

If anyone else has any suggestions for me, just leave them in a reveiw and I will look at them.

 
Chapter Thirty-Five: New Recruits


Harry was sitting on his bed in their dormitory, waiting for Draco to emerge from the bathroom, so they could go to breakfast. Harry's stomach gave an audible grumble, and he patted it, wishing for Draco to hurry up.
 
He finally came out, fully dressed and looking handsome as ever.
 
"Good, can we go? I'm starving!"
 
"Yeah, yeah. Come on." Draco said, flashing Harry a brilliant smile.
 
Harry shook his head and wandered down the stairs.
 
***
 
Harry was spreading marmalade on a piece of toast when an owl dropped down right in front of him. It startled him so badly that he dropped his knife onto the plate in front of him with a loud clatter. Harry looked beside him at Draco, who had his eyebrows raised. They didn't receive mail...
 
The bird was totally unrecognizable, so Harry took the mail, which was a rolled up newspaper. Once the paper was removed, the owl took off with an indignant screech. Harry unrolled the parchment, and there was a little piece of parchment on top of the headlines. He gave it a confused look and picked it up slowly.
 
**
 
Harry Potter.
 
I don't know if you have a subscription to this magazine or not, so I sent you this copy. You deserve my deepest sympathies. I was a witch who never agreed with your choices and decisions in your life. I now feel very upset about that indeed. Let me tell you that I will make it my personal mission to harm those muggle relatives of yours.
 
Yours,
Crystal Ehmann
 
**
"What?" Harry asked himself, handing the note to Draco to read. He waited for him to finish and then held up the Prophet so they could read it together.
 
**
 
Harry Potter’s Unfortunate Childhood
 
Presently a boy with a great life, but has it always been this way? No. Writes Rita Skeeter. Before former Death Eater, Lucius Malfoy, took in Harry he was subjected to abuse and neglect.
 
It's been reported that after He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named attacked the Potter house fourteen years ago, Professor Albus Dumbledore took Harry to live with his muggle relatives. These relatives (the Dursley’s) treated Harry in a disgusting manner. Harry was struck on many occasions, usually for something as trivial as burning a piece of toast.
 
Our Boy-Who-Lived had also been treated as a slave. He was forced to make meals, do the laundry, mow the lawn and many other muggle chores. If he didn't complete the chores in a specified time, he would be abused. His 'family' would refer to him as 'Freak' or 'Boy', never using his real name, because it supposedly made his Aunt think about her dead sister, Lily Evans, who she harbors a great dislike for.
 
It has been said that the muggle relatives, or Dursley’s, had been forced to take Harry to the beach when he was seven years old. It was here that Harry stumbled across the young Draco Malfoy, and instantly became close to him. Giving in to his son’s desires, Lucius Malfoy then took both boys back to Malfoy Manor, where Harry Potter is currently living.
 
Harry Potter hasn't seen his muggle relatives since.
**
 
Harry dropped the newspaper onto his plate. How had she found this out? There was a reason nobody knew about his past! He glanced up into Draco’s eyes.
 
Harry felt sick.
 
Draco was worried.
 
Harry looked around the Great Hall. He could see many people with the newspaper in their hands, and some people were glancing around the paper at him. Other people were discussing the recent developments behind their hands. Harry looked at the Gryffindor table and saw Hermione looking over at him with a frown, and sad eyes.
 
Harry felt his stomach drop, and he then felt a sickening rise within. His toast and Pumpkin Juice were threatening to come back up. His eyes started swimming and he looked at Draco once more before quickly getting up and hurrying out of the hall.
 
Draco followed him quickly, knowing that this was going to tear Harry apart. His feet were pounding on the stone steps as he made his way to the dungeons, presumably where Harry had gone. Draco registered the other feet slamming into the ground behind him, but paid it no mind.
 
He sprinted down the dungeon corridor, and came to an abrupt halt at the empty stretch of wall. He practically screamed the password, unlocking his entrance. The wall quickly slid open, revealing a space to walk through. He was just heading through when-
 
"Draco! Wait!"
 
Draco turned and saw Granger and Weasley running towards him quickly.
 
"Is he okay? I saw the look on his face." Granger asked, with worry tinting her voice.
 
Draco shrugged, and then shook his head. "Probably not. I'm going to go and talk to him though... alone. No offense but I don't think he'd be terribly comfortable with anyone else around at the moment."
 
"But we already know..." Weasley said. Hermione glanced at him.
 
"Yes, but you found out directly from him. He didn't need everyone in the school to know. He is just going to be hurt, he'll need some time."
 
Hermione looked sad for a moment, and then her look switched to understanding. "Well, we'll go to class. Any classes that you guys miss, and I'm in, I'll get your homework for you."
 
"Okay." Draco said. He wasn't really thinking about homework. "Well I doubt that we will be at any. I'll meet you outside the Great Hall at around dinner; I'm going to have to come back down to get some food anyway."
 
"Okay..."
 
Draco was about to go through the wall again, when he heard Hermione’s voice.
 
"Draco?"
 
"Yeah?"
 
"Take care of him."
 
"I will."
 
Granger and Weasley turned away and headed back up the corridor.
 
Draco stood there in shock for a moment. He didn't expect Granger to be so nice... so easily. She was genuinely worried for Harry.
 
"At least I'll be able to finish breakfast now." Weasley said, shaking Draco out of his thoughts and reminding him to get a move on. Despite his sad feelings, he still snickered. His love *is* food. He watched Granger reach out and smack Weasley smartly on the back of the head before he went through the wall.
 
****
 
Draco quickly looked around the common, fully aware that Harry would not be there. Draco walked up the steps to the fifth year dormitories. As he was nearing the door, he noticed how silent it was. What if Harry wasn't in there? He opened the door quickly and saw Harry lying on his bed, his head on his arms, face buried deep into them. He was lying on his stomach and breathing quick shallow breaths.
 
"Harry?" Draco asked timidly. "Are you alright?"
 
Harry didn't answer him so Draco walked to Harry's bed and lay down beside him. He pulled Harry towards him, and held the dark-haired boy tightly to his chest. Harry turned his face away.
 
They laid there for a few minutes in complete silence, Draco holding Harry lovingly.

 
"They're going to laugh at me." Harry whispered insecurely.

 
"No, Harry. They won't. It is in no way funny."

 
"Yes they will. Now everyone will think I'm weak."

 
"You aren't weak." Draco said softly, pulling Harry yet tighter to him.

 
"I won't be able to look at anybody. They will all laugh."

 
Draco sighed. "No one will laugh Harry. Everyone is really worried about you. I saw all of their faces as they were reading. I think everyone feels guilty in a way - Even Granger and Weasley. They followed me to the common room, they wanted to come up and comfort you too."

 
Harry finally looked at Draco. His eyes were tinted red and the look on his face made Draco’s heartstrings twinge.

 
There was a soft knock on the door behind them and Harry quickly turned his face away.

 
"Come in." Draco said angrily. Don't people believe in privacy? He looked back to see Dumbledore enter the room.

 
"Harry," The old man said. He sounded out of breath, "I'm so sorry. I didn't know what was going on." Draco was still in shock by the fact that Dumbledore was in their dorm room. It was unheard of. Harry turned then sat up, Draco mimicked his movements.

 
"You didn't?"

 
"Of course I didn't. If I did I would have removed you from their care immediately."

 
Harry’s eyes went down to his hands that were twisting in his lap. Draco grabbed a hold of one quickly.

 
"Is everyone laughing?" He asked Dumbledore quietly.

 
"Merlin no, Harry. This is not a laughing matter."

 
Harry nodded, remembering that Draco had said the same thing.

 
"I just didn't want everyone to think that I am weak."

 
"Harry, you were a child. You were defenseless. I'm excusing both of you from classes today, I expect to see you at dinner, and then in my office right after to go to the meeting."

 
"Thank you, Sir." Draco said. "Granger said the she would get our homework for us."

 
Dumbledore nodded. "Feel better Harry. See you boys tonight." He said with a twinkle in his eye.

 
"Yes Sir."

 
****

 
The remainder of the day was spent with Draco holding Harry comfortably on the bed. He was comforting Harry in the best way, reassuring him about everything.

 
After Harry was completely calmed down they began speculating on the meeting that night.

 
After a while, Draco cast a 'Tempus' and realized that dinner was about to begin. Harry was trying to refuse to go, but Draco reminded him that Dumbledore expected to see them there, which finally convinced Harry to go.

 
****

 
As they entered, the Great Hall Dumbledore was giving a small speech before the meal began. He was asking all of the students to please leave Harry alone, and not ask him any questions about the last article, as the subject was a very sensitive thing for him to discuss. Everyone glanced up as Harry and Draco entered, but quickly looked away guiltily.


Harry ignored the looks he was receiving from those with no decency to look away, as best as he could. He took his seat at the Slytherin table and started putting a sparse amount of food on his plate. Pansy and Blaise looked over at him with small smiles, trying to show their support. Harry gave them a small smile and started eating his food.


He ate quickly, giving Draco appraising looks, every time he would catch the blonde watching him. Draco caught Harry give a few people glares, and then looked down at Harry's plate, realizing that the raven-haired boy was almost finished his food. Draco inhaled a few bites and the two boys stood up and left together.


Granger and the three Weasley boys met them at the double doors. Granger smiled and gave Draco an armload of books.


"Thanks." Draco said uncommitted.


"You guys missed Umbridge today. Her class is a joke." Hermione said.


"Yeah, and she totally-"


"-Lost it on"


"Us." The twins said, simultaneously.


"Why?" Harry asked.


"Because we were-"


"-Sticking up for-"


"You." Once again, the twins said in unison.


"What?" Harry asked, confused. Why would they need to stick up for him?


"I think she's mental." Ron said.


The twins nodded. "We have detention-"


"-On Monday."


They had just approached the gargoyle outside of Dumbledore’s office.


"Bertie Botts' Every Flavoured Beans." Fred... or George said. The gargoyle jumped out of the way and they all piled onto the moving staircase.


Once they entered the office, they all sat in silence, waiting for Dumbledore to arrive.


He entered the room and looked directly to Harry and Draco. "I'm going to side apparate you two first, because you don't know the location. I have let the wards out of this room for a few minutes." He then turned to the other four. "Wait until we have left, and you can all floo. I opened the floo network too."


Everyone nodded and Dumbledore grabbed each of Harry and Draco’s arms. The boys felt a tug behind their navels and it felt as though they were being squeezed through a very small space.


They arrived in a room with a long wooden table at which many adults were already sitting. Harry's eyes were drawn to a man who looked as though he was brooding. He had dark hair and dark eyes. Harry’s eyebrows knitted together as confusion filled his eyes. Draco glanced at Harry and then continued looking around. There were a lot of redheads sitting around the table, who were obviously part of the Weasley clan. He then noticed the wizard who came to Draco's house with Sandor. He had much greyer hair then before, his robes were tattered and his face was scarred. Draco then looked over to the fireplace and Granger came through.


"Sirius?" Harry asked.


Draco glanced back at Harry and then followed his gaze. Sirius was indeed seated at the table, although he looked much cleaner, and much healthier than Draco could remember.


"Hello Harry." He said calmly.


"What are you doing here?"


"This is my house."


"Your what?"


"Did you really think I lived in a cave all these years?"


"Well... yeah!"


Sirius almost laughed.


"No, Harry."


"Why didn't you tell me?"


"I couldn't Harry. We all thought you were on the Dark side, I couldn't give myself away like that."


"I guess not..."


While they were conversing, Draco took the time to look around at the people in the room. He couldn't help but notice the glares he was receiving from almost everybody. He quickly looked at his feet and then Granger approached him.


"You could probably just put your books over there." She said, while pointing to shelf on the wall.


Draco looked down at his arms and realized that he was still holding his homework. He completely forgot about it. He nodded and walked to the shelf, laying his books neatly on top of it.


"Hey?" Granger asked him, reaching out and touching his arm. "Are you alright?"


Draco looked down at her hand and cleared his throat. "Yeah...I...I just wanted to thank you for worrying about Harry today. When I told him, you and Weasley--Ron...Were there and wanted to see him...well...I think it just helped him. That's all…"


Granger looked into his face and gave him a small, knowing smile. “You really care for him." She stated, ignoring the praise that she had just received. She realized that it was probably very difficult for him to say, and didn't want to embarrass him. Draco nodded.


Could this be any more awkward?


Dumbledore cleared his throat and everyone sat down, Harry and Draco followed suit.

"Now as you all know, last week we were discussing Horcruxes." Dumbledore started.

Harry looked at Draco incredulously. What the hell is a Horcrux?

"A Horcrux is a piece of a soul. It has been ripped from the body and placed into an object, holding the soul and keeping the user alive." Dumbledore explained for Harry and Draco’s benefit.

What?

"Voldemort made six Horcruxes, seven including himself."

One of the older Weasley boys made an angry voice low in his throat, catching Dumbledore’s attention.

"Is there something wrong, Bill?" He asked politely.

"Well... I don't think this is a good conversation to be having... right now." He said eyeing Harry and Draco distrustfully.

Draco rolled his eyes.

"I trust them Bill." Dumbledore stated matter-of-factly.

Hermione nodded.

"Why?" A different Weasley man asked.

"That's-" Dumbledore started, but was cut off by Harry. "Do you really think I want to support the man who killed my family?" He asked in a disbelieving tone.

"Well you have been." The red-headed man shot back.

"Because I didn't know that he killed them!" Harry said exasperatedly.

Now he was getting odd looks from all around the table.

The other Weasley--Bill?-- snorted.

"How could you not know?" He asked.

Harry was getting angry.

"Because I was lied to!" He said rudely.

"Okay." The other man said, as if he didn't believe him.

"Charlie." Dumbledore said curtly, "This is a matter that's been between Harry, Draco and I."

"That's why you asked me. Isn't it Harry?" Sirius asked.

Harry nodded.

"And what about Draco." Arthur Weasley asked in contempt.

"What about me?" Draco asked.

"How do we really know where your loyalties lie?" The father Weasley asked darkly.

"Well, possibly because I have great reasons to believe that Voldemort killed my family, I know he killed Harry's family, and I love Harry, so I am supporting him in every way I can."

The men in the room seemed to be uncomfortable with the last part of the statement, hearing Draco pledge his love so easily. The only people it didn't seem to bother was Lupin, Sirius, the witch with bubble-gum pink hair, a tall dark skinned man and of course Dumbledore.

"Anyway," Dumbledore continued, "We know that there are six Horcruxes, and they have to be destroyed before Voldemort can be killed." The entire Weasley clan winced violently at the name. "We have already destroyed Tom Riddle's diary, thanks to Tonks, and we have a good reason to believe that there is a ring as well. I will be leaving to find the ring within the week, and in the meantime I need everyone to think very hard about anything else."

Everyone was nodding and thinking. "How is the cleaning coming along Molly?" Dumbledore asked suddenly.

"Slowly. It's hard to do it all on my own." she answered.

"Cleaning? For what?" Harry asked.

"She’s trying to make the house fit for living. Everyone will be spending a lot of time here in the future."

"I'll help." Harry said immediately. "On weekends or something."

Draco looked at him with a cocked eyebrow. Harry seemed determined. Draco noticed everyone else was giving him crazy looks too.

"Thank you Harry." Mrs. Weasley beamed, and then glared at her own children for their lack of help.

"We'll help too!" Ron said, gesturing to him and Hermione.

Draco sighed. "Fine. I'll help also."

Mrs. Weasley looked very happy indeed, and stopped glaring at Draco.

"So Harry," Dumbledore asked, "Do you know what a prophecy is?"

"Erm...no."

"Well I'm going to explain one to you okay, and I need you to listen very carefully because it's very important."

Harry sat up straighter in his chair, and Draco’s ears perked up.

"Before you were born a prophecy was made. It stated that a boy was to be born to parents who defied Voldemort three times. The boy was said to be born at the end of July, and it also said that the Dark Lord would mark that boy as his equal," Harry gasped and touched his scar. "Yes Harry. But that's not all, let me finish. Either must die and the hands of the other, neither can live while the other survives." Harry took that information in.

"So you mean that I must kill him? Or he must kill me?"

"Correct." Dumbledore said gravely.

"You are a very important factor. We need to find the Horcruxes and destroy them before Voldemort can be killed... by you."

Harry took a deep breath and nodded. He was taking the fact that he was either going to be murdered or be a murderer quite well. Draco wanted to scream at them all, but he contained it.

"Are you serious?" Draco said, instead of screaming at them all.

"Very serious, Mr. Malfoy."

Harry was thinking about Horcruxes… seeing as how they were his lifeline at the moment. He needed to destroy them, and quickly. How could this have been kept a great secret from them for so long? Was Lucius really going to hand Harry over? He had to of known what was happening...

"Sir?" Harry asked suddenly.

"Yes Harry?"

"What would a Horcrux look like?" He had everyones attention now.

"Well they could be anything. Four of them are most likely something from each of the Houses at the school."

"Well, when me and Draco were doing detention the other night I found this feather, or quill. It had a silver tip on it that I couldn't get off, but there was two really small R's on it, one was blue and one was silver."

Draco looked up. "That feather?" He asked. As if that would be a horcrux.

Harry nodded.

Dumbeldore's eyes were twinkling. "That could definately be one. Where did you find it?"

"It was just thrown behind some jars in Snapes classroom."

Ron snorted. Draco looked at him curiously.

"I'll check into that when we return. Thank you Harry."

"Your welcome sir."

Harry was now thinking that it definately would have been one. But if it was, why was it just thrown haphazardly onto a dusty old shelf, where anyone could get it?

Harry was snapped out of his thoughts because everyone around him were standing up, getting prepared to leave.

"What? It's over?" He asked stupidly.

"Yes. We will be having another meeting next weekend. If you students who volunteered your time tomorrow are serious then I expect you at my office by 9:30 tomorrow morning to floo out. Molly they won't be able to help you next weekend, they have a school function."

Harry looked taken aback. A school function?

"Okay Albus. Will they be staying for dinner tomorrow night?"

"If they would like. They just need to floo back when they're ready. Not too late though."

Harry was getting shoved towards the fireplace. He looked curiously at Dumbledore.

"Just say, Dumbledore’s Office, Hogwarts, Harry." He nodded and snatched his handful of floo powder.

Draco ran back to the shelf and grabbed a hold of his homework.

***

Once they returned to Dumbledore’s office they gave each other odd glances.

"Why do you want to help so bad Harry? It's going to be right boring" Ron whined.

"Because I want to spend time with Sirius" He said happily and then his face darkened as he remembered what he had been informed.

Draco sighed. "Let’s go Harry."

Harry nodded, "See you all in the morning." He said to Granger and the Weasleys.

"Harry, could you stay a moment please?" Dumbledore, who had just emerged from the fire, requested

"Erm.. Sure." He looked at Draco.

"Draco can stay also." Dumbledore said.

The boys sat in some chairs and waited for everyone else to trudge out of the room.

"I know that seemed sudden," Dumbledore said, "But I needed to get the fact out as quick as possible. Now I'm not trying to put pressure on you, but you are either going to save the Wizarding World, or you will die, along with the rest of us."

Draco shook his head. No pressure indeed.

"I will be leaving tomorrow after I send you all to the house, please be very careful. I'm sure that Voldemort has some plans out there for your demise, along with you Mr. Malfoy. Be careful about everything you do."

Harry nodded.

"You may go." He said politely.

Both boys stood to leave, and before they were out of the door, Harry turned. "Thank you, sir." He said.

"Yes. Thank you, sir." Draco mimicked.

And they left the room.

**

I hope you liked this chapter, and I have a feeling there are going to be a few questions. I am prepared for them lol. I will answer them in the next chapter!!
Shannon xoxox!!!