Harry threw himself on his bunk in Gryffindor tower, thinking about the conversation he had just had. He had had a few jolts today. Dumbledore didn't care about the abuse he suffered at the Dursleys, and talking to snakes was not common among wizards. He needed to find out more about this magical world, instead of just being happy to be somewhere with a bed and lots of food.
When he was young, and he needed something badly enough, it would happen. Like the time when he hadn't been fed for days, the hunger pains had actually disappeared and he thought he was going to die, when a sandwich or a bowl of soup would appear. It was always just enough to keep him going, but he thought maybe someone was looking out for him. It was obvious to Harry that whoever it was, it wasn't Dumbledore. So who was it? Was it just magic? Or was someone watching out for him without Dumbledore knowing?
Harry needed more knowledge. Time to disappoint Ron and join Hermione in her library attacks.
After classes the next afternoon, Harry and Hermione could be found in the library by themselves, abandoned by Ron who stayed in the common room to play exploding snap and wait for dinner.
"Hermione, what did that book on genealogy say about heirs?" Harry asked absent-mindedly while rifling a book on pureblood politics.
"Well," Hermione said, "A lot of stuff about family magic. It seems to be the most important, like how some magic is particular to that family. If a pureblood family wanted to try ad add a talent to their line, they married a daughter into it. Then they would marry the daughter's children back into their line. Downright barbaric! Magic seems to stop the genetic side-effects of inbreeding, though. Too bad. And the information is incomplete! There is nothing here on what the magical talent actually is!" Her nose was wrinkled in her displeasure. She slammed the book shut she was reading, and shoved it over to Harry. "I have a feeling that most of what purebloods know is not in this book." Harry reached a hand out and grabbed the book while sliding the one he had over to her.
"I have a feeling, Mione, what I need to know can only be found in a pureblood mind." Harry looked over at her, gauging her reaction. "I may need to actually talk to a pureblood that knows all this stuff 'from his Momma's knee'."
They both looked toward the doors of the library when they heard a commotion to see Malfoy and his two cronies arguing. Harry turned to Hermione and smiled real slow. "Maybe I should have said 'Daddy's knee' instead."
Hermione's mouth fell open in her shock. "Harry, not him! He is so horrible, 'just wait 'till I tell my Father'! I bet he would lie to you just to make you look foolish!" She pursed her lips in concentration, and spoke reluctantly. "I bet he does know what you need to know. Are you sure getting away from the Dursleys is so important? What if he turns out to be your nearest relative?"
Harry responded to Hermione in frustration, "Better a Malfoy than a slave." He looked back to the doors, but his eyes were stopped right by their study table as the subject of their conversation was standing close enough to touch.
"Malfoys are always better. Care explain what you were talking about?" Malfoy's lip curled up as he looked at Hermione. "I just can't understand the company you keep, scarhead. Even a halfblood should have more pride."
Harry gave an apologetic look to Hermione, with his puppy-dog look she seemed to like so much. With that off-hand nasty Malfoy comment his point was proved, and if he could learn from even the insults thrown his way it would be worth it. Maybe Malfoy was a good solution to his problem, vileness and all. "Oh all right, but I want details later." She then stuffed her books in her book bag and stomped away, muttering under her breath. She missed the look of confusion that crossed Mafoy's face at her comment.
Harry knew he needed to pull this off right, so he cleared his throat and stood up. "Hello, Malfoy! Fancy meeting you here! Have a seat, let's chat, yeah?"
Malfoy may have been a prat, but he was a smart one. "What do you want, and what's in it for me? After all, you made if perfectly clear on the train that you think you are my better."
Harry was confused. "All I did was say I can pick my own friends. How did that insult you?"
Malfoy could tell Potter was being sincere. It shocked him. "What were you, raised by Muggles?" It was meant as a sort of joke, everyone knew Dumbledore would never let his Golden Boy be raised by savages. This was the chance his Father was talking about before boarding the train. How could Potter possibly not know about the insult he gave him?
"Seriously, Potter, how stupid do you think I am? Everyone knows about handshakes among wizards. Are really going to try and tell me you don't know?"
Harry, who should have been in Slytherin, saw his opportunity and took it. "I was raised by Muggles." He relished the shock on Malfoy's face. "Magic hating muggles, who blamed me for natural disasters across the globe all the way to runny noses. Then they took great pleasure in punishing me for it." Malfoy looked a bit indignant now. "They don't want me to come back this summer, and I don't want to go, but Dumbledore insists that I return." Malfoy looked horrified at this. "I don't know what I did to insult you, because I would like to be your friend, but I know nothing!" By this time his voice had raised and he took a breath to try and calm down. "Nothing. I have no clue about how things are in the wizarding world. I don't know about money, or classes, or old magic, or new magic, how anything works, or even how to learn about all this! So, whatever I did to you on the train, I am sorry. Would you please explain it to me, so I won't offend someone else on accident?"
Draco Malfoy was stunned, but he was also sure that this was his opportunity to make things go his way. He slowly sat down in Hermione's abandoned chair, thinking all the way. What would it hurt to see how this went? He could always go back to attacking Potter if this was a ruse. There was a lot at stake here, so he had better make sure.
"Potter, there is a vow you can make to prove you are telling me the truth, but if you are lying then you will lose your magic." Whether he was lying or not, he would still come out ahead with this one. Potter would wind up a squib, or his Father would have what he needs to take Dumbledore down. "Just raise your wand and swear on your magic what you just told me was the truth." He smirked, fully convinced Potter wouldn't do it.
He was shocked when Harry raised his wand and began to speak. "I, Harry Potter, swear on my magic that what I have told Draco Malfoy is the truth." There was a flash of light that quickly disappeared. "Now what?"
Draco closed his mouth from where it had fallen open, cleared his throat, then said, "cast a spell, something simple. If it works, you were telling the truth. If it doesn't, your glory days are over."
Harry grinned as he pointed his wand up and firmly said, "Lumos." The light was stunning, but not as much as the look that came over the Malfoy heir's face. "Oh, are we going to have some fun. Here's what we'll do…" They scooted their chairs towards one another and bent their heads together, all rivalries forgotten in their common goal. Worked as well as the troll incident had for the Golden Trio.
Neither one noticed the small portrait above the doors to the library and against the ceiling, no one ever did, after all.
His first mission a success, Salazar Slytherin turned to his next idea. It was going to take more time to set up.