Warnings: Adult Language, Suggestive Dialogue, Minor Violence

Author's Notes: This chapter is where the story starts to lend itself toward a more mature audience than "Heir to the Serpent." There is still nothing explicitly violent or sexual, so the rating will for now stay at T, but there will be from here on out more suggestive dialogue, harsher language, and some situations in which hormonal teenagers act like hormonal teenagers. This chapter was written as part of the original manuscript, back when I was fifteen, but I am twenty years old now and have matured as a writer and gained the immature brain of a university student. As such, this story has been written over that whole period of time and is not finished yet. The reason I am posting this is so that I will get off my arse and finish the thing. I'll let you know once I get to the part that was not part of the original manuscript, as well as when I get to the part that is completely new. So, enough commentary for now, enjoy and review…

Chapter 3: Commotion and Promotion

"A…and Malfoy catches the snitch." Hermione's voice cut through the silence. The whole stadium erupted with noise and Draco hopped back onto his broom to take a victory lap just as the rest of the players touched down. When he reached the announcer box he reached out and swung a protesting Hermione onto his broom. He flew back down to the field. As soon as they reached the ground Hermione jumped back away from the broom and Draco.

"What the hell are you doing?" she shouted.

"Celebrating my victory." He said smoothly, "Party in the Slytherin Common Room!" he added to the crowd at large.

"Oh, no you don't," Hermione warned Draco.

"What? Are you saying that they won?" Draco asked gesturing to the Gryffindor team behind him.

"Of course we won!" The speaker sounded shocked that anyone could think otherwise. Draco turned to the source of the voice. It was Ginny. Behind her stood both teams, along with a crowd that had come down from the stands to join the players. It seemed that the professors were too busy trying to keep more students from flooding the pitch that they weren't bothering with those who had already managed to get through. The crowd consisted of Blaise, Luna, Neville, Pansy Parkinson, Zacharias Smith, Michael Corner, Seamus Finnegan, two other Gryffindors whom Draco didn't recognize, and the real Vincent Crabbe, who had failed to rejoin the Slytherin team as a Beater. A short ways off, Madam Hooch was discussing which team to declare the winner with Professors McGonagall, Vector, and Slughorn.

"I caught the snitch dear." Draco feigned sweetness and held out his hand showing Ginny the golden ball.

"We scored more goals." Dean stated, "And with a substitute keeper too."

"Looked more like a substitute seeker" sneered Pansy.

"What's that supposed to mean?" shot Harry.

"You practically let him catch the snitch." It surprised Draco to hear this coming from a boy in red. "Shove it Peakes or I'll replace you," Harry snapped at the Beater.

"As long as it's not with another first year," said Draco.

"What's wrong with first years?" Thomas protested.

"Nothing," stated Demelza.

"You okayed the first year." Michael reasoned.

"My name is Thomas," the substitute keeper interjected.

"I'd say that you're scared another firstie is gonna be as good as this kid." Zacharias challenged.

"So the kid had a good day, unlike their seeker. He seems to be losing his touch." Draco smirked.

"So I had an off day, get over yourself, Malfoy." Harry snarled, resorting to last names.

"I wasn't aware that the great Harry Potter had off days" said Theodore Nott, Slytherin chaser. "Are you sure you didn't just miss Weasley? Or were you too busy staring at his sister's ass?"

Ginny slapped Nott and her teammates held both her and Harry back to prevent further blows. Crabbe and Goyle moved in front of Draco and the blond boy suspected that it was on instinct more than actual concern for his wellbeing. Just as the teachers had turned to approach and break up the fight, Draco heard a booming voice from behind him.

"Desist this instant!" Draco turned, half expecting to see Dumbledore, but the speaker was much younger, a dignified looking, bespectacled redhead. "Potter, Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Granger, Peakes, Weasley, front and center." Percy Weasley shouted. The students wasted no time in lining up side by side before the man. Percy went down the line, scowling. He came first to the Gryffindor beater.

"You should be honored to be on your House Quidditch team." Percy told the boy named Peakes. "You will show your captain respect and your house honor. Do I make myself clear?" Peakes nodded and Percy moved to Crabbe and Goyle. "You two, I've got my eye on you. We've already caught your fathers and it's just a matter of time before we get you too." Crabbe and Goyle stared stupidly at Percy as he moved on to his sister.

"Why are you here anyway Percy?" Ginny asked before her brother could say anything.

"I've been promoted. I am now Assistant Minister of Education. I'm the Head of three departments at the Ministry." He responded.

"I didn't know you were interested." Ginny replied rebelliously.

"Well I had to make sure you and Ron stayed in school. The twins told me our dear brother was planning on following their bad example and we couldn't have him dropping out now could we? Although I'd hoped the two of you would pick a better crop of friends," said Percy.

"What's that supposed to mean?' Ginny retorted, but Percy just shook his head and moved along.

"Hermione" Percy said simply, "You're smart. We all know that. So why do you make these stupid decisions? I mean, come on, Malfoy? Sodding Draco Malfoy?" Hermione looked shocked and Percy moved to Draco.

"Speaking of whom, well, you're just lucky to be here, aren't you? If I had my way, you'd be rotting in a cell in Azkaban right now," the redhead said and moved on to Harry.

"Harry Potter," Percy practically spat, "I always knew that you were a bad influence on my family."

"A bad influence!" Harry repeated, outraged. "You stupid git Percy, I saved Ginny's life a little over four years ago. Two years ago I saved your dad. In the past year I've saved Ron and Bill. Oh yeah, and I'm the one who's got to save the bloody world! You turned your back on your family when they needed you most. You're a bad influence on your family Percy, not me!"

"Watch your mouth Potter. How dare you call me a bad influence on my family! You think you can get away with anything because you're famous. I mean, do you really think that Ginny would give you a second look if you weren't?"

Harry's hand flew up and hit Percy square in the nose. Percy staggered backward. When he looked up, his glasses were askew and his nose was bloody. The redhead swung back at Harry, his fist making contact with Harry's left eye. The skin around his eye was already darkening and the lens from his glasses had made cuts across his nose and above his eye. Draco drew his wand on Percy, pointing it straight at the redhead's presumably broken nose.

"Wrong move Weasley" Draco snarled. Everyone stared at the blond with his wand drawn on the Ministry official. Draco looked at Harry. "You okay mate?" Draco asked. Harry nodded and Draco turned his attention back to Percy.

"What the hell do you think you're doing Malfoy?" Percy sneered.

"You hit Harry Potter. Do you know what the Ministry has authorized me to do to anyone who causes bodily harm to the Boy Wonder?"

"You little bastard! I'll have you thrown in Azkaban for this! Both of you!"

"Go ahead" Harry shot "Arrest me. Throw me in Azkaban. There'll be killings in the streets. Wizards and Muggles alike will perish. By the thousands. By the minute. And it'll be all your fault." Harry turned on his heels and walked off. Percy stood there shocked, watching Harry's retreating back. A drop of blood from his nose fell into his mouth, which was hanging open like a fish, but Percy seemed not to notice. Draco lowered his wand, turned, and strode off after Harry.

Draco followed Harry as he burst through the door to the hospital wing. Ron sat up in bed as much as he could. Seeing Harry's black eye and bad mood, as well as the two pieces of glass protruding from Harry's face, Ron's immediate reaction was to ask, "What the bloody hell happened to you?"

"Your brother." Spat Harry angrily.

"Punching telescope?" Ron asked.

"Not the twins, Percy." Harry responded, then asked "Where's Madam Pomfrey?"

"Percy?" Ron asked in disbelief, ignoring his friend's question, He didn't have to answer though because the next moment the medi-witch strode out of her office. At the same time, Hermione and Ginny flew into the room and past Draco to Harry.

"What happened here?" Madam Pomfrey asked.

"He and Percy Weasley got in a fist fight." Draco answered.

"And then you had to go and play body guard" Hermione added

Madam Pomfrey's expression turned from caring to angry. "Well then" she said "If you choose to fight like Muggles, you choose to heal like Muggles. I will not treat this injury magically." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"With all due respect Madam Pomfrey," Hermione said, "When Muggles get glass stuck in their faces they go to the emergency room. Are you suggesting he be sent to St. Mungos over this?"

"Of course not," the medi-witch responded annoyed. "He will stay here, but he will be treated the Muggle way."

"Are you going to sew him up?" Ron asked, remembering his father's treatment after a snake bite two years before.

"Yes, he'll probably need stitches." Madam Pomfrey confirmed and she rushed back into her office. Draco let out a small chuckle. The others stared at him. "Potter's going to have more scars on his face." Draco said, though he stopped laughing.

"Of six brothers, Percy is the one I'd least expect to kill you." Ginny told her boyfriend.

"Yeah, what with Ron and his Triple-H policy," Harry muttered.

"What's Ron's Triple-H policy?" Draco asked smirking.

"Uh…um…" Harry hesitated "It has to do with Ginny"

"Explain: Ginny demanded.

"Uh…broken heart, broken Harry," Harry said

"That's only two H's" Hermione pointed out.

"Yeah, what's the third Harry?" Ginny feigned sweetness. Harry muttered something under his breath.

"What was that?" Draco asked.

"Broken hymen" Harry said nervously, "broken heart, broken hymen, broken Harry."

"What?" Ginny yelled at her brother, "It's none of your business who I sleep with Ron!"

Ron shot up into a sitting position, wincing for a second, and screamed back "You're having sex?" Harry started shaking his head furiously and waving his hands back and forth. Draco guessed he was trying to signal 'I didn't touch her mate.'

"No" Ginny screamed "But maybe now I will." Harry's eyes widened, though Draco couldn't tell whether it was from shock or fear. "You're such a hypocrite anyway Ron" Ginny went on, "I suppose you're free to start having sex with Luna anytime you want."

"We're not having sex, if you must know" Ron retorted, "But even if we were that would be completely different."

"No it wouldn't!" Ginny screamed "Luna's one of my best friends Ron!"

"Yeah, but Luna doesn't have six older brothers ready and willing to murder any guy who so much as touches her." Harry explained for Ron.

"Exactly," Ron said, staring angrily from Ginny to Harry.

Madam Pomfrey reentered the room, her arms laden with medical supplies, looking shocked and annoyed from obviously hearing the shouted conversation about her students having or not having sex, and shooed Draco, Ginny and Hermione out of the infirmary.

Draco was quite comfortable on his favorite green couch with Hermione on his lap, reading Shakespeare's Macbeth. She was spouting off similarities between the story and the real magical world. For example, Banquo's ghost sounded like Nearly-Headless Nisck and the witches in the story called themselves 'the weird sisters' and were obviously the inspiration to the popular band of witches. Ginny and Blaise were playing wizard's chess in front of the fireplace. Draco couldn't tell who was winning. Luna was reading the latest issue of her father's magazine. Neville had chosen to spend his time in the Gryffindor common room today. There was a knock coming from the other side of the painting.

"Go open the painting Ginny, it's your brother and your boyfriend." Draco instructed. Ginny gave him a look and got up to answer the knocking. She hugged Ron and Harry as the boys came inside. Luna got up to give Ron a kiss.

"Why don't you guys just give us the password?" Ron asked, sitting down.

"Same reason you're not getting a key to our house when we get one" Draco said "So that you don't walk in on anything." He finished with a smirk.

"Oh Draco, stop it" Hermione scolded, though she was smiling. "You know that if we did anything it'd be upstairs." Draco laughed but stopped when he saw the look's that Harry and Ron were giving him. "Don't worry guys" Draco said "Hermione won't let me anywhere near the goods yet." Hermione gave him a look. "It's true!" he defended.

"Wait a minute" Blaise said, "Are you implying that you won't be staying at the manor?"

"You really think Lucius is going to let Hermione in the manor?" Draco asked Blaise.

"I thought Lucius was on the run." Hermione said "You said that you didn't know where he was." Draco didn't respond. Hermione stood up and turned to face him, asking angrily, "Draco Malfoy, do you know where Lucius is?"

"I might" Draco said quietly.

"Where is he?" Hermione looked furious.

"He's at the manor." Draco answered "Hermione, the man raised me as his own son. Hell, he still thinks I actually am his son."

"He's evil" Harry put in.

"You think I don't know that Potter? You think I don't bloody well know that? Go on, what are you waiting for, turn him in." He looked down. "I can't do it myself."

"I'll tell Kingsley" Harry said, and he left the room again.

"I'm sorry Draco" Hermione said, "But we have to turn him in"

"I know," Draco said, not looking up, "I know."