Chapter one
It seemed this year would consist entirely of reminders that Cedric was dead.
Harry knew it was his fault and there was nothing he could do about it, Cedric was gone.
These were the only thoughts that filled Harry's head anymore.
He kept training himself but Harry didn't understand why anyone would follow him and he could hardly bring himself to care at the moment. Words were leaving the damaged boy's mouth as he, with the help of his best friends, tried to convince and recruit the students who gathered in front of him but he could barely feel himself speaking.
His depression rejuvenated and guilt refueled with every article and accusation involving Voldemort, Cedric, Dumbledor and his own "craziness" he now knew what it meant to "just go through the motions" and it was like nothing he had ever felt before, generally just an empty feeling nothing ever seemed to capture him, or bring him back to reality.
Pale gray eyes glinted in the crowd capturing Harry's heart in a deadly vice. The words stopped and adrenaline threatened to rise.
"Draco." All at once every skeptic or believer of Harry turned venomously on the Death Eater kin, the spy, no doubt, in the ranks.
Malfoy stood tall and arrogant but Harry could see the tremor of fear surge through the pale boy.
"I'm here to join." he said obnoxiously as if he were winning some kind of game of wits with this move. Gray eyes scanned his surroundings waiting for the first challenger that he knew would rise.
Not surprisingly Ron Weasley's voice rang up, "Bollix! You're a little spy for Umbridge and Luscious!" Suddenly Hermione's broke the still air sending Malfoy tumbling to the ground in invisible bonds.
Draco grunted and hit the ground squirming, his eyes looked more deadly than any killing curse when they found Hermione's but he bit his tongue (literally) trying to stay on Potter's good side. And so slowly as he worked himself onto his knees violently he shifted his gaze to Harry's green eyes focussing on finally breaking away from the Dark Lords grip and for once slipping the darkness in his blood.
Harry hadn't noticed all eyes being on him as the air grew thick seeing as he was already pre-occupied with the powerful hold of Draco Malfoy's.
"Why should we trust you, Malfoy?" Harry got out warily. He could hear the scoffs from the crowd and his own friends as well and now began to feel the daggers boring in, but Harry still waited for either an objection or for Malfoy's reason, if he had one.
"I know things, Umbridge and Filch trust me. What do you lot have?" Draco's pompous attitude may have left his eyes but it stained his tone deeply, meriting muttered insults, complaints, and curses.
"Why would we ever believe YOU'd help us?" came Hermione's voice louder than anyone expected and harsher than most had ever heard from her. Malfoy was all too familiar with the wrath of this particular witch and held a deep respect he would never admit to.
This respect allowed Malfoy to look her in the eyes and honestly reply: "I hate my father."
Draco said no more on the matter for fear of revealing any subtle (or not so subtle) emotions that he kept safely repressed inside.
Draco felt that spark of envy and jealousy as he saw his statement send a wave of understanding through the infamous trio as they shared with each other a deciding look.
Everyone in the room could see the look and while even the skeptics hated to argue with it, everyone could still feel the cold shift as the wave hit them. They could all see it in Harry since Cedric died, those who ever mentioned the tragedy always regretted it, and so no one even now spoke against Draco or against Harry or even Draco's family. The many who did disagree shared their own glances and those who believed, or at least wanted to believe, in the bully of bullies let their eyes fall on the still prideful young man collapsed and bound on his knees.