I got the idea for the start of this one from a dream of all things.
Chapter 1
Harry had to laugh at himself. Here he was almost 2 decades out of school and still nervous about a meeting with his old headmaster. He shook his head in self deprecation. Voldemort was long dead and the deatheaters ranks were scattered to the four winds. There wasn't anything for him to worry about, was there?
His thoughts were interrupted by the older wizards return.
"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting Harry, but the Weasley brothers are living up to their uncle's reputations again."
Harry didn't find that hard to believe at all. Ron and Hermione's two boys were so much like their two uncles Fred and George that it was almost uncanny. How his two friends kept the two in check when they were at home he had no clue. "It's quite alright headmaster. What was it you needed to talk to me about?"
"Well Harry I'm sure you're aware that Lucious Malfoy, his wife, and the parents of young Draco's wife all. died in the war against Voldemort. Harry nodded, of course he knew. Harry had been there when Lucious and Narcissa died and Draco had blamed him for the elder Malfoy's death ever since.
"The thing is Harry that young Mr. Malfoy took a neutral position during the war. That is he didn't side with Voldemort, but neither did he stand with the light. As a result he was shunned by most of wizarding society and hated by the rest."
"Was?"
"Last night some of Lucious's old deatheater friends paid Malfoy manor a visit." As head of the Order of the Phoenix during the war Dumbledore had apperated to the manor as soon as he'd heard of the attack. What he'd seen the moment he walked through the door was something he'd hoped never to see again. The deatheaters had used the killing curse on both Draco and Pansy, but not until they'd had their sport. He shivered at the memory.
"Headmaster?"
"Hmmm. Oh, sorry Harry. As I was saying the deatheaters paid a visit to Malfoy manor. Draco and his wife are dead. By good fortune their son is attending school here at Hogwarts."
"I see. Has he been told?"
"Yes. Therein lies the problem. He knows that his parents are gone, but, well come with me."
It took them several minutes of walking to reach the dungeons. "Draco's son must have been sorted into Slytherin," Harry thought to himself, "but that didn't surprise him. Nor did the scowl on professor Snape's face when they entered the potion master's office.
"Albus."
"Severus please save your tirade for another day. We've already had this discussion. Where is the boy?" Harry found himself wondering what the old headmaster was talking about.
"In his dormatory where else."
"Fine. Will you lead us there please."
"Very well. Though I don't know what good it will do."
Snape led them from his office and into the Slytherin dorms. Harry couldn't believe his eyes. Sitting all alone in a chair near the fire was a young boy of about 11 years of age who looked so much like Draco that Harry wondered for a minute of someone had used a time turner without his knowledge. As he got closer Harry realized that there was one difference between this boy and the Malfoy he'd known at school. The eyes. They were the same color as Draco's but they were almost blank as if they were shop windows and the owner had decided to close up shop early.
Dumbledore motioned for him to follow and they stepped outside the dormatory. "Well Harry now you see what I was refering to. The healers at St. Mungo's think it's shock, but I think it goes much deeper than that. Christopher Malfoy's life has been torn to pieces and he's going to need help to put it back together again."
"Excuse me headmaster, but what does that have to do with me?"
"Well Harry it's quite simple. I'm sure that sending him to St. Mungo's isn't the solution, and Poppy isn't up to treating this sort of problem so I was wondering if you might be able to take the boy in for a while."
"But why me? I don't know anything about....."
"Harry you are an orphan, and now so is he. You've been where he has yet to go. Who better to give him the help he needs."
Harry sighed. He just knew he'd live to regret it but.."Fine professor I'll do it."
Chapter 1
Harry had to laugh at himself. Here he was almost 2 decades out of school and still nervous about a meeting with his old headmaster. He shook his head in self deprecation. Voldemort was long dead and the deatheaters ranks were scattered to the four winds. There wasn't anything for him to worry about, was there?
His thoughts were interrupted by the older wizards return.
"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting Harry, but the Weasley brothers are living up to their uncle's reputations again."
Harry didn't find that hard to believe at all. Ron and Hermione's two boys were so much like their two uncles Fred and George that it was almost uncanny. How his two friends kept the two in check when they were at home he had no clue. "It's quite alright headmaster. What was it you needed to talk to me about?"
"Well Harry I'm sure you're aware that Lucious Malfoy, his wife, and the parents of young Draco's wife all. died in the war against Voldemort. Harry nodded, of course he knew. Harry had been there when Lucious and Narcissa died and Draco had blamed him for the elder Malfoy's death ever since.
"The thing is Harry that young Mr. Malfoy took a neutral position during the war. That is he didn't side with Voldemort, but neither did he stand with the light. As a result he was shunned by most of wizarding society and hated by the rest."
"Was?"
"Last night some of Lucious's old deatheater friends paid Malfoy manor a visit." As head of the Order of the Phoenix during the war Dumbledore had apperated to the manor as soon as he'd heard of the attack. What he'd seen the moment he walked through the door was something he'd hoped never to see again. The deatheaters had used the killing curse on both Draco and Pansy, but not until they'd had their sport. He shivered at the memory.
"Headmaster?"
"Hmmm. Oh, sorry Harry. As I was saying the deatheaters paid a visit to Malfoy manor. Draco and his wife are dead. By good fortune their son is attending school here at Hogwarts."
"I see. Has he been told?"
"Yes. Therein lies the problem. He knows that his parents are gone, but, well come with me."
It took them several minutes of walking to reach the dungeons. "Draco's son must have been sorted into Slytherin," Harry thought to himself, "but that didn't surprise him. Nor did the scowl on professor Snape's face when they entered the potion master's office.
"Albus."
"Severus please save your tirade for another day. We've already had this discussion. Where is the boy?" Harry found himself wondering what the old headmaster was talking about.
"In his dormatory where else."
"Fine. Will you lead us there please."
"Very well. Though I don't know what good it will do."
Snape led them from his office and into the Slytherin dorms. Harry couldn't believe his eyes. Sitting all alone in a chair near the fire was a young boy of about 11 years of age who looked so much like Draco that Harry wondered for a minute of someone had used a time turner without his knowledge. As he got closer Harry realized that there was one difference between this boy and the Malfoy he'd known at school. The eyes. They were the same color as Draco's but they were almost blank as if they were shop windows and the owner had decided to close up shop early.
Dumbledore motioned for him to follow and they stepped outside the dormatory. "Well Harry now you see what I was refering to. The healers at St. Mungo's think it's shock, but I think it goes much deeper than that. Christopher Malfoy's life has been torn to pieces and he's going to need help to put it back together again."
"Excuse me headmaster, but what does that have to do with me?"
"Well Harry it's quite simple. I'm sure that sending him to St. Mungo's isn't the solution, and Poppy isn't up to treating this sort of problem so I was wondering if you might be able to take the boy in for a while."
"But why me? I don't know anything about....."
"Harry you are an orphan, and now so is he. You've been where he has yet to go. Who better to give him the help he needs."
Harry sighed. He just knew he'd live to regret it but.."Fine professor I'll do it."