Disclamer:

We do not own Harry Potter, or any of the characters. They are the property of J. K. Rowling.

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Prologue

The day was bright and cheerful out, and there were very few clouds in the sky. You could hear the birds singing, and see the butterflies fluttering lazily from flower, to flower. In the distance you could see the Malfoy mansion. The Mansion looked oddly out of place within the surrounding atmosphere. It may have been the sun, but it was more then you could say about the house. The day was too bright and cheerful, the tree's to lush, and the flowers too colorful. The mansion looked dark, and gloomy, for it looked like it belonged in the 1medieval time period. The Mansion was made from what looked to be marble, the color of darkened ash. The front gate was made out of black marble with iron spikes on top; it also had two gargoyles with snakes slithering around them that looked very evil. They gave the impression that they would strike at any moment. The path leading up to the house was made of white and black cracked marble, which gave it a sinister look. The front doors were made of oak which had been stained black, or perhaps charred that way. The doors held large brass knockers that held the shape of a snakes head. It had eyes made from rubies that seemed to shimmer as if they were alive. The brass snake had a greenish yellow tint, and an even lighter color of what looked like a painted diamond pattern. A black knocking ring blended in with the oak door hung from the snake's mouth. The house dripped with an air of danger and a feel of death. On the third floor in what looked to be a study, you could hear a man muttering. "Where is that good for nothing son of mine... and that pitiful excuse for a house elf! Tilly, go get that ungrateful son of mine... Now!"

Tilly replied while cowering in fear, "Y...yy...y...yes Mm...aster!" She knew she would be punished for not appearing before Lucius sooner. "I will go... g...get young master... Draco, Sir." She replied hastily, while bowing herself out of the room as quickly as possible. Once out of the room, Tilly sped down the hallway, turned left and started down the hall towards Draco's room hoping to find him in a better mood then his father. As she got to the door she could hear nothing going on in the room, and thought perhaps he was still sleeping.

Draco hated his life, and that was nothing new. But this particular day seemed to be a vivid reminder. Draco was contemplating what this next year at Hogwarts would be like, when he was interrupted by a knock at the door. He got up from his bed and headed towards the door, as it opened Draco spat out. "Mother, I Said... that I would be down in a Minute!" Tilly took a step back in fear as she spoke to Draco. "Mm…master Draco, Sir… Your father wishes to s…ss...see you sir."

Draco glared at the Tilly filled with furry. The house elf had to be pulling some kind of joke on him, to get him to come down to breakfast sooner. "Tilly, that isn't funny, you know my father is in Azkaban… because of that St. Potter!" Draco said, his voice dripping with pure loathing, which was also written all over his face. Tilly looked back at Draco before bowing deeply and replying, "Oh no, Master Draco… your father has most definitely returned sir, and he wishes to see you right now, sir." She lifted her head slightly, to peer up at him and see if he was about to strike her, in retribution for the words she had uttered. Draco stood there disbelieving the words Tilly had uttered. After a few minutes of dead silence he replied, "Are you sure it was him you saw and not mother…?" He held his breath hoping and praying that Tilly was merely confused, but deep down inside he knew this day would come. The idea seemed even more devastating now that he heard it, because judging by Tilly's response, his father wasn't too happy. Tilly looked horror struck, and couldn't believe that Draco didn't know that his father was home. Tilly's high pitch voice squawked out, "I'm so sorry sir, I thought you already knew sir…"

"Next time… don't assume that I knew any thing Tilly. Is my Father in his study or in the library?" Draco said dripping with anger for the assumption that he knew of course he didn't know. "Master is in his study sir." She said as she watch him head towards the door to leave to go to his father's study. All the while she was bowing fearfully. As Draco was heading towards his father's study, he began wondering what kind of beating he would be getting for keeping his father waiting.

With every step, memories came rushing back; of beating after beating that his father used to give him almost daily. He remembered the beatings he received every other day last summer, the crucios he got when his father was in a particular bad mood after coming back from Death Eater meetings: when the Dark Lord wasn't pleased with him. He also learned a long time ago that he could never please his father at all. As for his mother she could care less what happened to him, she was more concerned with how she looked and whether or not she had more money then all the well known pureblooded families in the entire wizarding world.

As he got closer to his father's study you could hear muttering and he knew his father was in a right mood, he knew for sure that he would be in for it big time if he didn't get there soon. When he reached the door he noticed that the muttering had stop and knew that his father realized that some one was there. "Well I better get this over with" Draco said while he was reaching for the door to knock on, under his breath so his father couldn't hear him. "Took you long enough to get your ass down here... Boy, get your butt in here and sit down…Now!" Said Lucius, hearing the knocking at the door. He was furious thinking to him self "How dare he keep me waiting, I have better things to do than sit and wait for his sorry ass to get here all day!"

Draco opens the door 1immediately after hearing what hid father said. "Good morning father Tilly said you wished to see me?" Draco said with no emotions written on his face. "Yes… I did." Said Lucius. "As you know Draco, I was sent to Azkaban. You are probably wondering why I am here. I escaped last night. You will more then likely here about it today in the Daily Prophet. Now when the Minister's Officials come here, as they most likely will, I can be sure that you know what to do with certain things we don't want them to know about. Now do we?" Lucius said, matter of factly; wanting to get down to business and not waste time with formal greetings.

"No father, we don't want them to find that stuff. I know where to hide the stuff… in the hidden vault sir." Said Draco. "He sure looks good for having just gotten out of Azkaban. Maybe I should let them find the stuff, than I will never have to see him again. It's not like I see him at all anyways."

"Good… finally something I told you stuck…Now, when they get here… they will more then likely ask your mother if she has seen me. You mustn't tell here that you did, 1alright boy? As for where I will be, I won't let you know… but give any messages to professor Snape, alright? Now get out of my face, I have better things to do then talk to you."

Draco got up to leave as his father had instructed. He looked back one last time hoping it could be the last, but he knew better then to expect that much. When he had left the study, instead of heading back to his room, he headed for the landing to the stairs that would bring him to the dinning hall where his mother would be waiting for him.

Later that night, he finished packing his trunk for school. It was something he wanted to do, to keep his mind off of what had transpired earlier that day. So he dismissed the house elf his mother had told to do it. It worked, but not as he had hoped. He couldn't get his mind off of the fact that, come tomorrow, he could pay back Potter for what he had said that put Lucius in Azkaban. After he got done with packing, he got ready for bed and grabbed a book of the bookshelf in his room, and soon fell asleep reading it.