The Yule Ball was going better than Harry hoped. He hadn't stumbled over his feet yet or made an embarrassment of himself in front of the whole school. Ron had gotten into a fight with Hermione over something about Victor Krum and the only reasons Harry knew was they had a shouting match about it just outside the great hall, and Daphnie told him about it in detail a few minutes later.

Harry was surprised to realize that he didn't care what they were arguing about other than the fact it was a small bit of school gossip. He felt like an everyday student when he was sitting and laughing with Draco and his friends. They laughed, joked, danced, and sang along to the songs when they felt like it. If Harry had been friends with Ron still, he would have sat bored and in silence with him for most of the dance and then left early so Ron could go sulk in the Gryffindor tower. Instead he is having the time of his life.

Harry eventually left to go get drinks for him and his companions. He was sure that Draco was trying to spike all of his drinks the whole evening, so he wasn't letting him touch any of the drinks. Professor Moody pulled him aside while he was just about to start pouring when Professor Moody caught him.

"Having fun Potter?" He questioned one hand on his cane and the other in his pocket.

"Yeah, actually. Not as bad as I thought I was going to be." Harry answered with a smile.

"What were you expecting?" Moody eyed him.

"I was expecting to have a million reasons to be miserable but…" Harry trailed off.

"Finding better friendship with the Slytherins?" Moody's Magical eye twirled around the room but his attention was completely focused on Harry.

"Yeah," He found himself agreeing. "Yeah, I think I am." Suddenly Harry noticed a strange magic wash over him. It was completely foreign and to Harry it seemed to be searching for something.

"What the hell-"

"Nice socks, Potter." Moody smiled like nothing strange just happened.

"Uhh... thanks. A house elf gave them to me." Harry responded confused.

"Isn't the gift of clothes for house elves supposed to go the other way around?" Moody chuckled.

"Normally, yes. However, this one in particular saved my life even while he was under a man who would rather have me dead. It was a thank you present."

Moody looked at him oddly before shaking his head. "You are definitely and odd wizard Potter, and that is saying something coming from me." He threw his head back and laughed making the people around him stare.

Not soon enough, Harry made his way back to his friends who were eagerly waiting for him. Draco was leaning on the table while Pansy was deep into gossiping about some boy whose pants did not match his dress robes.

"Took you long enough," Pansy complained. "What did the Professor want?"

"I don't really know, he asked me how I thought the Ball was going." Harry sat the drinks in front of them and took his own in his hands before Draco could get ahold of it.

"That doesn't sound like him at all. Someone should check to see if he is an imposter. Moody

They stayed at the ball until early in the morning when they all had to go back to their dorms. "You should have been in Slytherin," Draco pounted. "You could come back to the dorm with us and you won't be all…" Draco waved his hand in the air "lonely."

"What did you put in your drink?" Harry laughed as Draco fell against him trying to keep his balance.

"Shhh… it's a secret," Draco whispered loudly.

"Come on, let's get you back before you get caught acting the fool," Pansy sighed.

"You're a tool," Draco retorted.

Harry waved them off and made his own way to the Tower. Everyone else was asleep except for Neville who seemed to be dancing with an imaginary girl.

"Um… Good dance right Harry?" Neville said embarrassed.

"Yeah," Harry chuckled. "Good dance. Have fun with Ginny?"

Neville beamed. "Yeah I mean after Ron stopped griping about it. My own sister, Nev. How could you?" he mocked. "I mean it would seem noble if he wasn't being a complete jerk about it."

"Yeah I know what you mean. He can be a real jerk sometimes." Harry agreed.

Neville ashamed for a moment. "Oh Harry I'm so sorry I didn't even think about…"

"Its fine," Harry reassured. "I have better friends now anyway."

"Really?" Neville looked almost surprised.

"Really." Harry smiled. "Truly, Neville. I think I should have been in Slytherin from the start. My life might have been…."

Neville smiled. "I understand, you look more comfortable with Draco and the other Slytherins than you ever did with Ron and Hermione."

"What do you mean?" Harry sat on the edge of Neville's bed.

"I mean you look happier than before, and you smile more often." Neville explained. "Maybe you should have been in Slytherin."

"Thanks I guess. I am a little surprised that you are not the only one who thinks that. I mean Moody of all people told me almost the same thing." Harry smiled.

The boys became silent while they changed into their pajamas. Loud snores, and soft breathing was heard coming from their other dorm mates' bed. Both fell easily asleep, exhausted from the fun they had that night.

In another part of the castle a man who looked like Alastor Moody, was in his office with as many wards around him to alert him to intruders as he knew.

His form was hunched over a single piece of paper that had many indents in it as if it had been written on many times and erased. His quill was moving furiously across the paper trying to finish his letter before anyone could see it.

Potter seems to be completely different from what we expected. He has made friends with the Malfoy boy after his name came out of the goblet, and I have even overheard them discussing dark magic several times. I don't think he is as light as Dumbledore believes him to be.

He also seems to be hiding something from the other professors. At the beginning of the semester, Flitwick swore that his arms looked like a hippogriff tried to claw the skin off of him. I overheard Severus talking about how his teeth grew back after they got knocked out of his head, and the boy never went to Madam Pomfrey about it. If he is not in his top form he might not make it through the tournament.

I performed a diagnostic spell on him to see how he was healing or if he had any more injuries and absolutely nothing came up. There is a powerful glamor on him covering up whatever happened to him that not even Moody's eye can see through.

I do not know when he could have learned such a thing or if anyone has been teaching him but his secrets are making it hard for me to get close to him and gain his trust.

The words on the paper disappeared as soon as he was finished writing them. Alastor waited a moment and then ever so slowly, a different message appeared.

Separate him from his friends, question him as much and as painlessly as possible, and then make him forget.

The message disappeared as well, then Moody got up and threw it in the fire destroying any chance of evidence of his short conversation remaining. He then got up and started gathering materials from his cabinets. This was going to be no easy task. He had work to do, and he needed to do it fast.

In the morning, Harry made his way down to the dungeons to meet his friends for breakfast. They usually beat him there but he woke up early and did not want to stay in the tower for longer than he had to. He also wanted to see how bad Draco was after last night. It was not strange to see Harry hanging around the dungeons anymore. The other Slytherins stopped staring at him like he was insane and left him be.

However, the head of Slytherin thought different today. "Potter, what are you doing down here?" He growled.

"Waiting for Draco, sir." He was trying to be as respectful as possible. He didn't want him to have an excuse to give him a detention.

"Draco has already started making his way to the Great Hall." He sneered. "So, just why are you in the Dungeons Potter?"

"Sir, I didn't know. I'll just go to the Great hall and meet him there." Harry tried to turn around and leave but Snape's sudden grip on his arm stopped him.

"I don't think so," He sneered and started dragging him towards his office. "You and I are going to have a little chat."

He slammed the door behind him and left Harry standing next to his desk. Snape then walked back into a door behind his office and pulled out a small bottle from one of the shelves.

"Know what this is?" He asked flatly.

"No Sir," Harry tried not to be sarcastic.

"Don't lie to me." At Harry's confused look, he continued. "Veritaserum." Snape told him. "One drop of this in your morning pumpkin juice and you will be spilling all of your secrets."

"Sir?" Harry asked feeling threatened.

"Boomslang skin, lacewing flies, a bottle of Veritaserum." Snape held it up closer to Harry's face. "You are up to something and you are not going to get away with it. You may have corrupted Weasley, and Granger with your little adventures throughout the year but you will not, corrupt Draco. He doesn't need to be running to his death chasing after you."

"Sir, I have no idea what you are talking about-"

"Do. Not. Lie. To. Me." Snape bit at him, while getting more and more in his face.

A knock sounded at the door. "Hello?" Pansy thankfully walked in and Snape retreated away from him. "Sorry if I interrupted something. Blane told me that Harry was in here and we wanted to meet him for breakfast."

Snape glared at her like she just ruined his dessert, then walked off deeper in his cupboard ending their conversation.

Harry quickly ushered Pansy out of his office and refused to answer any of her questions until they were in the safety of the Great Hall.

"But why would someone steal those things? What would they make?" Daphnie whispered loudly making Draco groan.

"They are key ingredient in the polyjuice potion." Harry remebered.

"But why wouldn't they just grab more ingredients to make the truth serum too? Wouldn't that throw them off of what they were making?" Pansy wondered.

"Maybe whatever they need to do they need to do quickly," Draco groaned with his arm over his head to try and block out the sound and smells of the Great Hall.

"That doesn't make any sense, it takes a month to brew the polyjuice potion." Harry dismissed and took a bite of his breakfast.

"Who knows, but now Professor Snape is going to find a way to blame you for it." Daphnie worried for him. "I mean he really hates you this year. I bet he will actually try something to get you expelled."

"He said that I was going to corrupt Draco or something," Harry grinned while patting Draco on the head."

"Stop it," Draco moaned turning green.

"Serves you right," Pansy laughed and pulled a plate of runny eggs, and bacon in front of him. The group of friends laughed as they watch Draco try, and fail to make it to the toiled in time to throw up.

"I think we took it too far," Harry got up to help him and tried not to laugh.

"What friends are for," Pansy giggled and followed him.

#imstillnotabandoning