Chapter Three

Snape walked back down to the dungeons, he was in a half fowl mood half worried, Draco was getting ready to be bonded, the fact that he had enter Somnus this quickly meant that Harry was some how bringing out Draco's submissive side. Entering his privet chambers he walked over to the fire place and threw a pinch of floo powder in.

"Malfoy Manor" He said with strong command. He stuck his head in and felt the nauseating feeling of ones head spinning and the body staying still. He opened his eyes to see Lucius study, the man was sat at his desk going over some paper work. He looked up when his fire place flashed green.

"Severus, how can I help you?" He asked coming to sit on one of the velvet cushions in front of the fire place.

"Draco has approached Harry started the courtship and has enter Somnus in the space of the train ride to school today, Draco is with Harry in his privet chamber and I think we have more problems. That Umbridge woman is here teaching you know the one that tried to have you thrown out of the ministry for being a dragon." Lucius face dropped, and he lent forward towards the fire place.

"Does she know about Draco yet?" He asked quickly.

"Yes I'm afraid she does, there was no way that she could have not found out, It will be announced to the rest of the school soon that Draco and Harry are no longer available and that they be bonded soon." Snape face betrayed the worry that he felt.

Lucius nodded, and stood.

"I'm coming up to the school stand back."

Snape removed his head quickly and stood back away from the fire. The flames flashed green and Lucius Malfoy was standing in his living room.

"I need to see the headmaster and then my son. Harry needs to be told exactly whats going to happen next and Draco needs..." Snape held up a hand, and stopped him mid flow there was now way that he was going to be able todo all that before the start of the welcoming feast. Snape knew that the feast would be starting soon and that Potter needed to be there, Draco could be excused and he also needed to be there, Lucius could watch from the side for the room and eat at the feast. But he could not do his list of things before the feast. Luicus just stood there with a stunned look on his face mouth still open mid sentence.

"Oh..Okay yes I suppose your right." Lucius followed Snape from the room up towards the Great hall where they could hear the sound of the students milling about greeting friends, asking about the holidays. Harry was sat by his Gryffindor friends and was talking animatedly, Snape could see that his mind was on other things most likely Draco and what he had gotten himself into now that he had agreed to be Dracos' mate. Snape wandered up the middle of the tables between Gryffindor and Slytherin, stopping next to Harry, Lucius was garnering strange looks from the students. What was he doing here and where was the Malfoy heir?

"Potter after the feast I want to see you I will meet you in yours and Dracos' rooms, we need to have a chat about Mr Malfoy." Harry nodded and looked at Dracos' father, the man smiled at him and nodded. Hermione and Ron sat stock still with looks of fear on their faces. Snape left and sidled up the the teachers table and conjured another seat for Lucius.

Harry looked after them as they walked. Ron who Harry had yet to remember was completely clueless just looked at Harry.

"You vanished on the train mate, you havn' been 'ere more than ten minutes what could you have possible done to get on Snapes bad side and what is the other slimy git doing here?" He asked in his usual drawl. Hermione looked at Harry she wanted to explain but it was up to Harry, He nodded to her. She looked to Ron and began her explanation.

"That Slimy git as you put it is Dracos' father and you will address him as such. Harry is... no, I think I will start with Draco, he is a water dragon, you at least should know about them from your brother. Dragons like Draco have mates and Harry is his mate. Draco has probley enter Somnus hence he is not present in the hall, Harry could do anything or ask anything of Draco now and he couldn't say no. Snape is Dracos' Godfather and most likly wants to clear things up with Harry like the bonding arrangments and that is why Lucius is here, to make sure that Harry is not going to take advantage of his son. There is probelly another reason aswell but that I don't know." She drew breath, Ron was stunned into silence, how did she know all of this so fast. Harry didn't bother trying to work it out. The girl was genius, and you didn't argue with a Genius. Ron opened his mouth to say something when the sorting began.

After the sorting and whatching many young boys and girls with slightly green tinged face get placed into there house Dumbledor stood.

"As many of you would have seen we have a few changes in staffing this year,in the space of defence against the dark arts teacher I welcome Professor Doloras Umbridge..." She stood, there wasn't much sifferent in the hight. Harry felt his skin crawl at the sight of her, he had already recognised her as the woman at his hearing.

She walked to the front of the dias and prepared to speak.

"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the wizarding community must be passed down the generations lest we lose the forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished and polished by those who ahve been called to the noble profession of teaching..." she paused before continuing "...Ever headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts had brought something new to the weighting task of governing this historic school, and that as it should be, for without progress there will be stag-nation and decay. There again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permencance and change, between tradition and innovation..." Harry's mind floated over to the Slytherin table and focused on that which was not there. Draco, he wanted to go back to him make sure he was okay. She continued though over him. ...Because some changes will be for the better, while other will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognised as errors of judgement. Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas other, outmoded and out worn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning where ever we find practices that ought to be prohibited." She finished and sat down again.

Harry knew that this woman was going to cause problems he just did. When the feast began Hermione leaned forward.

"Do either of you think she is going to cause a lot of problems for the school, from what I have read she is a big one for hating half bloods, muggle borns yes but even worse is her dislike for magical creatures. She is the reason Lupin can't get a job came up with a nasty bit of anti-werewolf legislation a few years back, remeber Sirius mention here..." Ron inturpted her.

"She even campained to have merpeople rounded up and tagged." He looked pleased with himself for knowing this.

"She can't do anything here can she, I mean Dumbledore won't let her will he?" Harry asked quickly worried.

"If the ministry says she can he can't do anything against it. Harry she tried to have Lucius thrown out of the ministry, she didn't succeed but she came damn near close to it, dad say that there was a hearing and everything he went to speak out on Lucius behalf, I know that sounds strange but he did. She is bad news." Harry looked up to the table that she was sat as and grimmced she seemed to be attempting get at Lucius through out the feast, at one point even Dumbledore seemed to have had enough, when he stood and called the feast to a close, Harry grabbed a plate and piled fruit and sweet food, some how he knew just what Draco would like. Looking to the head table the headmaster nodded. Harry took a napkin off the table and covered the food before standing to leave with the rest of the school.

walking towards the west tower he though about all the thing Hermione and Ron had said about Umbridge, what if she tried to get Draco thrown out of the school, do the same thing she had to Lupin. Harry looked at the portrates surrounding the hallways, they all seemed to muttering and looking at him but he was used to this by now, it had always been this way but the paintings never seemed to have done it before. He continued his walk and began to clime the stairs that led to the rooms he and Draco would now share. He had had no time to explore the rooms yet. The painting that was guarding the entrance to the rooms what that of a pretty young witch that was called Leana Greye she was apparently the witch who invented the glamour spell so that she would stop bewitching every person that looked at her.

"Hello dear, there were two others that arrived, your friends father and the potions master I believe and by the looks of it your friend is still sleeping." Harry nodded.

"Fizzing Wizbee" he spoke the password, Dumbledore had come up with it. He was going to change it the first chance he got. The portrait swung towards him and he stepped inside Snape was sat with Lucius, The door that led to Draco's bedroom was set agar, he nodded towards them then raised the plate.

"I have food for Draco, May I give it to him before we talk?" He asked uncertainly.

"Certainly my boy" Lucius said smiling. Harry opened the door a fracton more and edged in Draco was curled into a small ball in the centre of the bed. Harry set the plate on the bed and gently picked up a strawberry and rubbed it against Dracos' lips, they parted and Harry slipped the strawberry in. Draco opened his eyes and sat up against Harrys chest. Looking at the plate full of food he pointed to the grapes, Being fed them he asked about the feast.

"We have a new defence against the dark arts teacher, A professor Umbridge..." Draco shuddered at the name.

"I remember her she was against my father being in the Ministry... I have never like her she looks like a toad too.." His voice still had that far off quality to it Harry continued to feed Draco the fruit until he didn't open his mouth anymore and led back down.

"Harry, will you ever leave me.." before he could answer Draco was asleep but answer he did.

"Never" He left again.

"Harry sit down, we have many things to talk about."