CHAPTER VII

The last thing Draco remembered before darkness overtook him was a male voice shouting 'Stupefy!', after which he felt a shock of air attacked his back and then he collapsed.

When he opened his eyes again, they met white everywhere.

He tried to sit up from the bed he was apparently tucked in, but soon fell on the pillow again, moaning, as he felt an overwhelming light-headedness.

Hustle and bustle were soon heard, followed by a high-pitched voice of an elderly woman.

"Oh, you're awake! Hear, drink this, my boy. You have a minor concussion, but nothing that magic can't heal."

Draco re-opened his eyes, and this time met the sight of Hogwarts' matron, Madam Pomfrey. He obeyed her instruction, and gulped down the content of the vial she had stretched out toward his lips.

"Good. You'll feel better any seconds, but I suggest that you continue your rest until dinner time. You seem pretty worn out."

"What happened?"

He saw her countenance change rapidly from a look of concern to that of an annoyance. But, she was interrupted before she managed to spurt a single word.

"I'm taking over from here, Poppy," Albus Dumbledore came out of nowhere.

The matron grumbled but took off nevertheless, leaving the headmaster chuckling to himself before he fully faced Draco and smiled at him.

"Mr. Rothmund…" But he stopped upon seeing the questioning look on Draco's eyes.

"I trust it is better that we keep referring to you with the name … to prevent confusion."

Now Draco stared at the old wizard blankly, which made the latter sigh before conjuring a chair to the bedside and seating himself there.

The headmaster then muttered Muffliato, preventing anyone from hearing their conversation, and then continued his speech.

"I've checked your Time Turner, Draco. You're right. It's badly damaged. I think you'll have to stay here for I don't know how long."

The headmaster looked at him, waiting for any response. But Draco kept silent, so he continued again,

"I'll see what I can do to repair it. In the mean time, I reckon it is best for you to stay in Hogwarts."

He saw the drastic change on the young man's face, which immediately looked rather relieved, thus quickly added, "I still think it is best, though, that you avoid any measures that could interfere with the timeline."

His tone, and his gaze, were full of warning, but Draco was undeterred as he stared back at the elder wizard challengingly. Draco also didn't plan to inform him of Igor Petrov's existence and how the Russian wizard that was now still stuck in Siberia might be the only one who could do something with the Time Turner.

Dumbledore finally ended their staring contest and shrugged, albeit rather defeatedly, "Well, I have warned you."

He then only stared at the young man's face for some time, before adding, "I'll present you as a new student during dinner, which will be an hour from now, and you'll be sorted by the Sorting Hat to put you in the house that will host you during your stay here. I know, it'll most likely put you in Slytherin again, but we'll need the sorting session to prevent anyone from questioning why you're immediately put in Slytherin, if that's what I would do. You can keep your cover story; I think it's good enough and it's for the best. Now, do you have any questions regarding this arrangement, Mr. Malfoy?"

"Can I please do the sixth year?"

Dumbledore looked at him sharply, but Draco's face betrayed no emotion.

The elder wizard let out another sigh, before replying, "Your outer appearance strikes me more as a seventh-year. But, you could still past me for a sixth-year. Well, if that's what you want … I don't see why I should forbid you from entering one class or the other."

Draco nodded.

"Any other questions?"

Draco thought for a second, then decided to give it another try. He sat up, this time felt no lightheadedness whatsoever, and leaned toward the headmaster and spoke in a low tone, although he knew no one could hear them.

"I know about the Horcruxes, Headmaster. Are you sure you don't need any help?"

Dumbledore stared impassively at him, as his hand began casually stroking his grey-white beard.

"Let's pretend that you've never mentioned the word to me, and let's not speak of it again. Ever," he finally replied, still impassively, but with finality in his tone.

Draco sighed, and slumped on his pillow again, purposefully turning his head right, away from the headmaster's gaze.

"Do you need anything for your school supply? Do you need … some financial assistance perhaps, or anything else for that matter?"

"I don't need anything, Headmaster," he replied without looking back.

"Well, if you do, you can ask for Hagrid's favor. He'll be very happy to help you."

"Yes, Headmaster."

"Well, if that's all, I'll be waiting for you in the Great Hall, in an hour."

Draco did not reply this one, but turned his head nevertheless when he heard Dumbledore rise up from his chair.

"Wait, Headmaster. My previous question hasn't been answered."

Dumbledore turned around, one of his eyebrows raised.

"Why am I here? In the infirmary, I mean."

He unexpectedly chuckled, but answered Draco nevertheless.

"Apparently a Mr. Weasley thought you were having an inappropriate intention toward his friend, a Ms. Granger. He stupefied you, and unfortunately your head hit a rock as you fell down, thus your concussion and being taken here. And I reckon Poppy must think ill of you, too, after what you did to Ms. Granger. After all she's one of her favorite pupils. I advise that next time you be more careful with your actions, Draco, especially when they concern Ms. Granger and her friends."

Dumbledore then turned around again, continuing his interrupted trip as Draco gazed at his retreating back until it disappeared from his sight.


The noises and sounds of clattering utensils and chattering students reached his ears before his feet reached the landing of the last staircase that would bring him to the Great Hall.

He stopped, and saw a few girls walk toward the same big pair of doors he was heading to. They were chatting and laughing, but stopped and looked at him as he finally descended the last stair.

Now their laughs turned into whispers and giggles, and they threw him shy and curious glances as they opened the doors that led to the Great Hall.

He only stared at the now half-opened doors for some time, before determinedly walking toward them and pushing them, opening them wider.

The nearest noises soon died down as the occupants of the nearest tables stared at him, followed by their counterparts seated farther from the entrance and, soon, the rest of the Great Hall.

Most of the students stared at him curiously, some of the girls also admiringly, but he paid none of them any heed, as he looked straight at the staff table, where the headmaster was seated in the middle, immediately facing him.

Whispers and giggles resumed, but Dumbledore soon brought silence back into the hall as he stood up and magnified his voice.

"Before you continue your dinner, I would like to make an announcement."

The students' attentions were now divided between watching the headmaster at the staff table and the tall, dark-haired stranger boy standing across the hall, just before the entrance.

"I would like to introduce to you a new student, who, due to an unexpected circumstance, has decided to continue his education at Hogwarts. He will be doing his sixth year here, and I hope you will make good friends of him and make him feel like home. As for the House he will be in, the Sorting Hat will decide for him. Mr. Dmitry Rothmund, if you please come here."

Draco felt all eyes on him as he walked down the aisle leading to the staff table, before which Dumbledore was conjuring a stool and the Sorting Hat.

He halted before the stool, staring straight into the headmaster's eyes and ignoring the questioning looks of other teachers, although from the corner of his eyes he could catch a glimpse of Hagrid beaming at him and whispering to another teacher at his side.

Dumbledore nodded, signaling him to put the Sorting Hat on.

Draco did as being told. He took the tattered hat and turned around, facing the student body, before sitting down on the stool and put the hat on his head.

"Ah, Mr. Malfoy…" the hat soon greeted him, luckily only for him to hear, before adding,

"Hmm… I've sorted you before, haven't I? Wonder why I must sort you again now? Ah, on a mission I see. Well, but my job is only to sort, isn't it? I have no say on any other matters, have I? Nevertheless, I sorted you in Slytherin when you were younger, but I see now you've changed quite much. Not as ambitious, nor as cunning as you were, I see; but remain as intelligent and noticeably more composed, and more mature of course. I think Ravenclaw would suit you better. What, no? Slytherin again? Are you sure? Well, then … if you insist…."

"SLYTHERIN!" This time the hat shouted loudly, soon followed by formerly reluctant, but then slowly but surely overwhelming applauses from the Slytherin table.

Draco stood up and put the Sorting Hat back on the stool, glancing at the headmaster, who nodded to him, before turning around and heading straight toward the table of his old House, where many familiar faces, including those who have long dead in the future, welcomed him unsuspectingly.

As he sat down between two male students offering a vacant seat between them, he glanced up at the table across, which happened to be the Gryffindor table, and found a pair of beautiful hazel eyes belonging to the girl that had been haunting his dreams for years staring at him probingly. Their eyes were locked for some time, her cheeks growing heated under his intense stare, until her red-head friend threw him a murderous glare and started bickering with her. She didn't look at him again afterward.

So Draco returned his attention to his table mates, impassively answering their questions.

As he started to eat, he realized he was very hungry, so he ate as much as he could, ignoring the continued questions and discouraging his table mates from inquiring him further as he refused to answer with full mouth and his coldness seemed enough to frighten many.

They didn't seem to mind the lack of response, although some looked at him suspiciously. Nothing extraordinary, though, as Slytherins were suspecting by nature.

It was amid this he heard a glass broken and shattered on the floor. He looked up to his left, and found two girls bickering with each other several students away. They soon faltered, stopped fighting and grew shy as they found him staring at them unabashedly. But, Draco did not stop staring as they returned to their meals, and continued to glance at him expectantly. He looked past them. He stared at someone sitting alone in the corner, playing the food with his fork, seeming to have no care with whatever happening around him as the boy seemed to be lost in his own world.

Finally feeling his stare, the person slowly lifted his platinum blond head up and turned it toward Draco's direction; a pair of grey eyes now stared back at him.

Draco was looking at his younger self.


Author's Note:

Hello, everybody! Geez, sorry for the almost two-month stall. I had had so many stuff on my plate it was maddening (!) and had been quite uninspired with Harry Potter-related stories until I finally watched the 8th movie last week. Yeah, could only watch it last week because the movie importers in Indonesia (where I live) had a dispute with the tax office and so on, resulting in delayed release of the movie here.

Anyway, thanks a BUNCH for all of you who kindly spared your times to review the last chapter.

To my darling heartcorejasmin: thx again for the long review (still love it!) and the criticism regarding Draco's name. Well, to be honest I do feel a little uncomfortable with the name Dmitry, and have actually mulled about naming him Matthew instead. But, then I thought Matthew sounded too plain, and as I finally already published the story using Dmitry anyway, I don't think it's wise to change it, don't you think so? I did correct his background, tho; I realized I made a mistake there. If Rothmund was his surname, it should be his father, not mother, who was a German. I know it perhaps sounds too much to combine the Russian first name and German surname, but isn't there a possibility of mixed marriage between a Russian and a German? And, well, either Dmitry's German father or English mother could perhaps have a little Russian root in their family's history :D. Btw in which German city do you live? I spent a month in Hamburg and Berlin last year.

jera: and the feeling I got when I was notified of your review... you'll be killing me as well, if you stop reviewing :P

The-tall-girl-in-green : she sure did! a freak, weirdo. Lol...

4SnowWolf: Ah ya, those will be parts of the dilemma, which I must say are quite tricky to write. Quoting Draco, I only have a larger picture of how the story will go, but not the detail. I'll try my best though. Care to provide any inputs? :D

Gabrielle Dashwood : thanks, dear! You ROCK, too!

To everyone who read, and especially those who have put this story in your favorite and or alert lists, I hope you'll be more vocal about your views of the story. To be honest I've never completed a novel-length story, so I would really appreciate your supports especially in form of REVIEWS as they're really the best fuel -given the timeliness- to continue updating the chapters.

Sorry for the short 'filler' chapter, but I deem it necessary as a bridge to the next, more important parts of the story; which I will soon update IF I receive acceptable number of reviews.

Have a good day! Or good evening!