Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I know, it may be obvious, but for some reason I still have to state that repeatedly.
A/N: This is a sequel to Draco Malfoy and the Irritating Turban. I highly recommend reading that first. Also, Eobard Thawne is not the Reverse Flash. This is not a Flash crossover. I just happened to like the name. I steal a lot of names from various sources, when allowed to. Also, Nico di Angelo is in fact the character you all know in Percy Jackson, not that he appears in this chapter, which is why he does not appear in the disclaimer. This is also more political than the first one in the series. If politics, finances, and manipulation are not your cup of tea there are millions of fanfictions out there. You don't have to read this one. Finally, Draco isn't dark, he's very Gray though. Also, review! There is no other way for me to know what's working and what's not. Also, let me point out that Bashing Dumbledore has become cliché. Therefore, I will not do it in this series. So without further ado:
Chapter 1: The Preparations For Second Year
Draco Malfoy was not a typical Malfoy, even by his family's standards. For, Draco was from the future. Draco died in the first time line during the Battle of Hogwarts. He had been allowed to return because of loopholes and because Nico, his case manager at the Ministry of Death, declared that he had completely and utterly failed in his destiny. Draco was supposed to befriend Harry Potter, end up with Hermione, and keep Harry alive, at least until Harry killed the Dark Wanker. There was also something about bringing equality to the Wizarding world, but Draco wasn't sure how the hell he was supposed to accomplish that one. Just a few months ago, Draco and Harry faced the Dark Wanker in the third floor corridor, and they stopped him from returning. Draco also killed a guy, but that guy chose his side, so Draco didn't feel guilty about it. After that, and stopping an injustice from occurring, Draco was forced to go home for the summer.
Draco Malfoy could define said summer in three phases. Phase 1: Excruciating torture with a bigoted fool who bows at the cloak of another. Phase 2: Frustration and nearly pulling hair out when Draco fails to find the Diary. Phase 3: Anger when he discovered that Dobby was stealing Harry's letters.
Before Draco could do anything about the Diary as he'd given up hope finding it by usual methods, Draco wanted to ensure that he had some items in his possession. It would give Draco the best chance of success.
"Father, can we go to Borgin and Burkes? I have business there."
"Very well, we shall go tomorrow."
Draco knew that his father would say that, but that was okay, for Theodore Nott would be going in a couple weeks, so going as soon as possible would be necessary, so Theodore Nott would not be able to buy the Hand of Glory. He got enough Galleons from his vault, so he'd be able to buy it instead, as it was a remarkably useful tool, after all, the Hand of Glory gave light only to it's wielder. As a Time Traveler with a mission, it would be most useful, especially when paired with Harry's invisibility cloak.
Unfortunately, it would be tomorrow, as today, Draco had to dress up and have dinner with the Parkinsons. Draco was relieved that the betrothal contract between himself and Pansy was broken, because he needed to be unattached when he started to notice girls again, so he could date Hermione at said time.
However, seeing as tonight was dinner with the Parkinsons, Draco had to be on his best behavior, as Edmond Parkinson was an influential member of the Wizarding World, and one of the few people Draco's father associated with that did not bear the Dark Mark on his arm. Draco didn't know if Edmond did it because he disagreed with the Dark Wanker's methods, or if he thought that publicly siding with the Dark Wanker would be less than beneficial to his house. Draco suspected that the latter was the case, as the betrothal contract was broken the second Draco was sorted into Gryffindor. The unpleasant bit was Pansy Parkinson, who's loyalties were crystal clear to Draco, as she was an outspoken, and public, supporter of the Dark Wanker. If memory served right, she was the reason Slytherin was in the dungeons in the previous time line.
Slytherin always had to be a unified front. You hurt one, you hurt them all. Draco admired that, and with Daphne as king, Slytherin might even be a useful tool against the Dark Wanker. However, he suspected that Pansy would never change her views, and would always support the Dark Wanker, and the Dark Lord after that. Draco would have to ensure that she could not cause trouble, without killing her. He'd have to think on that one.
Lucius, Draco had recently realized, not only would never change, but he would funnel the entire Malfoy fortune to the Dark Wanker's war. Draco could not allow this. He'd have to take care of this eventually, but without revealing that he was way more skilled than he should be.
Dinner at the Parkinson's basically went like this.
"Edmond, I need your help to ensure that Arthur Weasley's little Muggle Protection Act is not passed," Lucius said.
"Really father? Don't you have a Slytherin bone in your body?" Draco asked.
"Do you have a problem with this Draco?"
"Yes I do. It will be harder to convince Harry that I am on his side if my own father is publicly fighting things like the Muggle Protection Act. Harry is central to my plans, as he controls the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter, and if my theory is right, then he is the scion of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black. If I am right, and I'll soon find out if I am, then keeping him happy is essential to ensuring that you remain married to mother, and don't have to pay Harry back her very attractive dowry."
"Ridiculous. First of all, you are the scion of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, seeing as you are the oldest male descended from the House of Black by blood, after Regulus died."
"Except, Regulus was never the Lord of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, as Sirius Black was never legally disowned."
"Excuse me?" asked Narcissa.
"That's right. I've checked. The Lord of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, Sirius Black, went to Azkaban without a trial. So, what's to say it won't happen to you father, or to Mr. Parkinson here? After all, Mr. Parkinson is only the Head of the Most Noble House of Parkinson. He's not Ancient and Most Noble, thus below Sirius Black in terms of rank. Second, Sirius would never appoint a Malfoy the Scion of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black. He'd therefore, find a new heir. If I'm right, and I always am, then Harry Potter is the Scion of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black. So, upsetting him is definitely not very Slytherin, as doing so would be angering the most Politically Powerful person in Magical London. Oh, do keep Sirius' wrongful imprisonment to yourself. I have a plan to deal with it, and the last thing I need is you lot bursting in there like a bunch of true Gryffindors."
"Said the Gryffindor." taunted Pansy. Draco was starting to wonder what he'd seen in Pansy Parkinson in the previous timeline.
"I might have been sorted in Gryffindor, but name one time when I did something out of Gryffindor courage without a plan."
"When you went to the third floor corridor!"
"I had a plan. I just miscalculated how much power the runes needed, but I had a simple plan and it worked perfectly."
"When you refused fifty house points."
"That was necessary, after all, Slytherin won the House cup because of that small, insignificant sacrifice, which means that the King of Slytherin owes me a favor, and I get to pick the favor she owes me. It was purely selfish. You were sorted into the house of the cunning. If you can't see the why in what I do, you obviously don't belong in your house."
That ended the dinner with silence, while Draco celebrated his victory, for he knew that Lucius, though he'd be furious, and he'd punish Draco quite profusely for humiliating him in front of the Parkinsons, Draco knew that Lucius would double check Draco's assessment of the situation, and then, after realizing that Draco cannot be disproved, Lucius would immediately stop fighting the Muggle Protection Act. Without Lucius to fight it, the Muggle Protection Act would pass quickly, as nobody wants to be publicly seen fighting a bill that would mean being seen as a former Death Eater sympathizer. Then, you have to realize who was on the Wizengambot, fighting for the bill in the first place. Augusta Longbottom, Amelia Bones, Eobard Thawne, and Charles Greengrass. It would pass, and for three years, it would be followed very carefully. Muggles would have three years where they could sleep without care, not that they knew that they had been targets before. Not that Draco really cared about Muggles. He really didn't. The people he cared about were the Muggleborns.
In addition to that victory, people would eventually see that he was a snake in lion's clothing, or a lion in snake's clothing. Draco was having a difficult time figuring out whether the things he did were out of Slytherin cunning or Gryffindor courage. Maybe a little bit of both, or maybe neither. It was getting a little alarming come to think about it.
The next day, Draco got up early, and got changed into clothing he wouldn't mind being seen in public in, should he be seen, which he didn't anticipate happening. He pulled out of a trunk, a small sack of Galleons, and walked to the fireplace. He wrote a little note, and walked into the fireplace. He pulled out floo powder, threw it down as he said, "Borgin and Burkes."
The next thing he knew, he was in the Borgin and Burkes, otherwise known as the shopping center for the time traveler with a mission. Everything in this store could be useful for his mission of make sure Harry kills Voldemort. Thankfully, though most of this stuff was certainly more dark than light, all this stuff was technically legal.
"I'd like to buy everything in this store!" Draco said.
"Everything?" asked Mr. Borgin. Draco didn't like Mr. Borgin. He was certainly more fond of dark magic than light magic, but he was a businessman. Business men are predictable. They live for the money. Mr. Borgin was also guilty of embezzlement and fraud, but the world didn't need to know about that for now.
"Well, everything legal to own."
"That is quite a bit of merchandise."
"I've brought enough Galleons for all of them."
"Let me see."
Draco pulled out his large satchel of Galleons. Draco made sure before hand that it contained exactly enough to buy everything he wanted. After an hour of tough negotiation, Draco walked away without any galleons in his bag, and a chest full of everything from Borgin and Burkes. He went back to his house, and placed the things he bought where he wanted them to be until it was time for them to be used. One of them was a chest that ate whoever tried to open it without a key and a specific phrase. He set the phrase to Voldemort, as nobody could even bring themselves to say that name, and duplicated the key. Thus he could give one to Harry, that way, nobody could steal Harry's invisibility cloak. Another was a goblet that removed potions from it's contents. Another was a cursed necklace. Draco knew all about that one's power. The only thing he couldn't buy was the Vanishing Cabinet. Draco didn't mind, as he had a plan about that one.
Then, one day, Draco went to Dobby's cove in order to feed the slave. Draco was absolutely furious when he saw that Dobby had all of Harry's letters. Letters from Hermione. Letters from Hagrid. Letters from himself. All of them. And what's more, he had all the letters that Harry sent. Draco was livid.
"DOBBY!"
"Yes, master?"
"Explain this. I order you to explain yourself."
"Dobby is protecting Harry Potter. Dobby heard Master Lucius' plan to bring danger to Hogwarts."
"I am working on that. If all goes according to plan, I will have the Diary at the end of summer."
"Dobby understand."
"Now I order you to leave Harry alone. I order you not to try to stop him from going to Hogwarts. If my plan fails, I will need his help to end the threat, otherwise it will continue for years. Do you understand?"
"Dobby understands young master."
"Now return those letters to their proper owners, and give an apology to them."
"Yes, Dobby will obey young master."
"Oh, and don't punish yourself too badly."
Then, Dobby handed Draco the letters Harry had written to him. Then, Dobby disapparated. Then, Draco went to his room, and started to read the letters Harry wrote him. Then, Dobby appeared apparated into the room.
"Master Draco."
"Is there a reason you apparated directly into my room?"
"Dobby thought you should know that those nasty muggles put bars on Harry Potter's door."
"What? Give me a moment."
Then, Draco walked into his living room. He knew that two things that could be counted on. First, Lucius hated the idea of muggles living above wizards. Second, Lucius never turned down the chance to scare, and/or torture muggles. Thus, Lucius would be the optimal tool to save Harry Potter from those muggles.
"Father, I have recently received word that Harry Potter is being abused by his muggle relatives. I insist that you scare those muggles a bit."
"It would be my honor."
"Oh, and I don't care what you do to his cousin, but his aunt must survive. I can't tell you why, as the fewer people in the know, the better chances of my plan actually succeeding. but it is essential that his aunt remain alive."
"You do not get to order me around," said Lucius.
"I'm just reminding you, because around muggles, you tend to lose your cunning."
With that, Lucius disapparated out of there. Draco calculated that Lucius would be back by around three, which would give him three hours to get back. There was something that Draco needed to do. Draco sent Hermione a letter telling her to meet him at the Muggle Library in thirty minutes. Then, Draco dressed in muggle clothing, and walked out the door.
It takes thirty minutes to walk to the library, but Draco didn't mind. When Draco got there it would be twelve-thirty. He'd meet with Hermione, he'd tell her what she needed to know, and then, it would be a lot of reading for him. Last time around, Draco often found himself limited by how little he actually knew. Draco would be spending his time learning everything that Muggles knew about everything. Right now, he'd focus on history, science, mathematics, and war. If there was one thing that even Lucius admired about the muggles, it was their passion for warfare. Thus, Draco figured they'd have books on war in those walls. He'd eventually focus on diplomacy and politics. He wanted to know if the Muggles had any ideas on diplomacy. Then, he'd learn economics. Again, Draco needed to know this stuff, as it could be useful in the war against the Dark Wanker.
Thirty minutes later, Draco met with Hermione and her parents, Robert and Elena Granger. Robert was a strict looking fellow, with a pair of cross eye-brows. Those eyebrows were independently cross. They'd probably secede from the rest of his face if they could. And that chin. God, it could probably poke somebody's eye out. It looked as if it longed to go jousting. His hair was so bushy, that Draco could see where Hermione got it from.
Elena was no angel either. She was completely ordinary, in every way. Her hair was sandy-colored, but not memorably. Her face was too symmetrical to be ugly, but not symmetrical enough to be beautiful. She was plain. She had an average amount of freckles on her skin. Every part of her body was in such a location as to not be ugly or beautiful. Draco was starting to wonder how Hermione was so beautiful when her parents were so plain. Draco wasn't a fool. He knew that she was hot, he'd known since the Yule Ball.
"Hello, ma'am, sir. Do you mind if I spoke to your daughter for a moment? It's quite urgent."
"Who do you think you are, asking to speak to my daughter without so much as introducing yourself?"
"Oh, sorry. Forgot to introduce myself. Quite rude actually. The name's Malfoy. Draco Malfoy."
With that, Draco extended his hand.
"That's an odd name."
"It's a family name on my mother's side. I attend Hogwarts with your daughter. I need her help rather desperately."
"Draco did you say?" asked Elena.
"That's my name."
"Hermione spoke about a Draco. Said he was the only one who has never made fun of her, or mocked her. Said you often scolded your best friend for mocking her."
"To Harry's defense, he at least apologized to her when he found out about her background."
"She also said you saved her life from a troll."
"Harry and I saved her from that troll. I just made sure that troll wouldn't be hurting anyone again. So can I speak to Hermione? It is very urgent."
"Go ahead." Elena said.
Draco pulled Hermione to the side.
"What's this about?"
"Several things. First, my father has a Diary that will open the Chamber of Secrets. It is currently magically protected. Not even I could find it."
"So what?"
"So, my father plans to plant it onto a Weasley. It will be out in the open for a whole thirty seconds. During those thirty seconds, we need to steal it, otherwise people will die."
"What makes you say that?"
"Last time the Chamber of Secrets opened, someone died. I'm quite surprised that it wasn't more."
"So we make sure this Diary is in our possession."
"Exactly. If we steal it, then, in theory, nobody dies."
"Nobody dies, unless it gets stolen from us, which I'll make sure it doesn't."
"Why did you choose here to meet up?"
"Because we know that Voldemort will one day return. When he does, he will target Harry. He will quite possibly target me. I intend to be ready for him. We are here to learn about History, Science, Mathematics, and Warfare. I figure everything the Muggles know about, well, everything lies inside these walls."
"You intend to apply Muggle theory to Wizarding war?"
"Why not? It can't possibly fail more than our previous methods of dealing with Death Eaters. Also, I want to view this Magna Carta. I have a funny feeling it holds some clever secrets."
"The document that takes power away from the royal family?"
"Exactly."
"What are you hoping you'll find?"
"I don't know. That's why I want a look."
Then, Draco and Hermione went into the library, and they started to read about History, Science, Mathematics, and Warfare. Draco found himself learning a lot. Then, he read Ender's Game. It was a piece of fiction, but it told him a lot about War and Politics. It taught him how to train soldiers. It taught him how to properly use soldiers riding on broomsticks. It taught him so much, in fact, that he decided to magically duplicate the book, and teleport the book to his house.
Death Eaters, during the last war, were fond of Guerilla Warfare, and formations when they had large numbers. Guerilla Warfare would be difficult to stop, but formations, if the ideas in Ender's Game could be proven accurate, would be instrumental in stopping those. Unfortunately, the Death Eater's didn't have a gate to pass through.
Draco also started reading a book called A Brief History of Time. Draco, reading it, found it to be a most remarkable book. It made sense of things that made even the most intelligent and gifted wizards scratch their heads. He copied it and sent it home. He found a star chart, and copied it, sent it home. It would be useful, as this predicted the star's locations fifty years in advance, hundreds of years in advance. This star chart would prove useful in finishing Astronomy homework weeks in advance, freeing up some time to try to brew that mandrake potion should Operation Diary fail.
He started studying anatomy, and DNA. He found the study of DNA absolutely thrilling, as it could potentially disprove the theory of blood purity. Most people would accept the disproof of blood purity when given the DNA proof. However, some would declare DNA to be rubbish and false. He learned about the dangers of inbreeding, which is what his family had been doing for centuries. He learned that it was a miracle that his own mind was untouched by mental illness and such after so much inbreeding had occurred in his family tree. His family tree was damaged and there was nothing he could do about it yet.
Then he found the war section. He learned the thoughts of Machiavelli and Han Tzu. He learned the techniques of Alexander and Caesar. He learned how to wage war properly. Every time he learned something useful, he'd copy the book and send it home so he'd be able to read it later. Then, it was time to go home. Draco walked to Hermione.
"That was most productive. Now, I have to go home and make sure my dad doesn't kill Harry."
"That was a joke wasn't it?"
"No witnesses, no problem. That's Lucius' motto. He will certainly try to kill Harry."
"Then why is Harry at your house?"
"Because his muggle relatives put bars on his window and were starving him. If I didn't get him out, we might never see Harry again."
"It was kind of rude of him not to answer our letters."
"I know exactly what happened, and I've taken measures to make sure it would never happen again."
"What happened?"
"Harry never received our letters."
"Why not?"
"Because a troublesome House Elf has been stopping his mail. I've taken measures to make sure that Dobby never nicks Harry's mail again."
"How do you know the House Elf's name?"
"Because he belongs to my family. It was good to see you. You know what to do."
"Yes. I'll see you then."
Then, Draco did something quite impulsive. He kissed her on the cheek. He was thoroughly amused to see that pink light up her face.
"Take care of yourself."
Then, Draco turned to walk away.
