A/N: As always, thanks for the reads/reviews/etc! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: Harry Potter = The wonderful J.K. Rowling

Chapter 11

Harry knew from personal experience how fast gossip traveled around Hogwarts and therefore he knew that once news of his foray into the Slytherin girl's dormitory was made public it would not be long before everyone in the school knew. However, when he walked into the Great Hall there was no explosion of whispered conversations or turned heads. Confused, he glanced over at the Slytherin table looking for Alex and was even more confused when he saw her chatting amicably with Daphne. He didn't get a chance to talk to Alex alone until much later that day when he held her after Potions.

"I assumed that Daphne would have told the whole school about last night by now," he said bluntly, looking at Alex with a questioning gaze as she packed up the rest of her potions kit.

"For now, its our little secret" she sneered at the phrase. "Daphne's a true Slytherin, she'll use that information however she can to get what she wants. Right now, that's popularity and acceptance, which she thinks she can get by pretending to be friends with Pansy and me."

"Huh…" Harry said, thoroughly confused.

"You sound a little disappointed," Alex said teasingly, looking up at Harry as she started to make her way out of the classroom.

"Well, out of all the rumors that have circulated around the school about me, a story about being caught in a beautiful girl's bed would definitely be one of the best," Harry said, smiling roguishly.

"You just want the reputation boost!" Alex joked as they walked out of the classroom, her voice thick with false scandal.

"Oh, trust me, I don't need a reputation boost," Harry replied as he tried to make a suave expression.

Alex brought a hand up to her mouth in an attempt to stop the laughter that was threatening to explode but failed miserably and started to laugh uncontrollably, the sound reverberating down the empty hallway. Harry maintained his serious expression for about a beat longer before joining her in laughter.

Despite Alex's assurances, Harry still expected the story to be around the school within the next few days. It wasn't until the following Monday morning that he finally started to relax, entering the Great Hall without his ears strained, listening for his name on the tongues of his classmates. He grabbed a quick piece of toast before joining Hermione and Ron on the way to class.

When the seventh year class arrived to Transfiguration a tawny cat with spectacle markings around its eyes greeted them. Familiar now with Professor McGonagall's animagus form they all acknowledged the feline as they filed into their respective seats. Professor McGonagall remained perched on the desk in cat form until everyone had arrived, at that point leaping off of her desk and returning to human form.

"Today we will begin learning about the theory and process of animagus transformation. Although you will not be required to complete the process it is expected that NEWT transfiguration students understand the theory and magic behind the transformation." She paused, and surveyed the classroom. "However, if you so choose, and if you possess the ability, I will assist you in becoming an animagus."

Harry felt a small thrill of excitement and he could practically hear Hermione buzzing next to him. He'd considered the possibility of becoming an animagus before, but it had always been more along the lines of how his father and godfather had done it. The rest of the class seemed to be similarly excited. Chatter broke out among the students but McGonagall quieted them with a stare.

"The first and most essential part of becoming an animagus is discovering what form you will take. There are several methods, all of which are outlined on page 273 in your textbook, but given your class's particular proficiency with the Patronus charm, that is the method we will use." At this she smiled at Harry, and the rest of the class, excluding the Slytherins, snickered, recalling their times with the DA.

"Although many of you already know what form your patronus takes I would like you to practice casting and familiarizing yourselves with the form your Patronus takes – pay attention to the details. You must completely understand your animagus form before you make any attempts to actually transform."

Soon the classroom was filled silvery figures, but the most magnificent by far was Harry's stag, standing majestic and nearly opaque beside him. Draco groaned in frustration as she tried once more to cast the Patronus charm, achieving nothing more than a small cloud silver fog that was gone nearly as soon as it appeared.

"Expecto PATRONUM!" She nearly yelled, jabbing her wand into the air. It emitted a few angry red sparks but nothing resembling a patronus.

"Did you learn the Patronus charm at Beauxbatons?" Draco jumped as Harry came up behind her. She turned around, finding herself face to face with his stag patronus, which was standing calmly behind him. It was absolutely beautiful and she was tempted for a moment to reach out but restrained herself, instead clenching her hands into fists at her sides.

"Um, no. Well, only in theory." She fibbed. She had learned the Patronus charm, though perhaps not as thoroughly as the rest of her classmates.

"You're lucky you've never had to use it before now," Harry said quietly, looking up at his own patrons. Draco shivered – she knew, perhaps as well as Harry, the chilling effect dementors had. Voldemort had kept several with him at all times and had used them as guards around Malfoy Manor when it was his base of operations. It was nearly impossible to sleep knowing that there was very little keeping those creatures from coming in and kissing you in the middle of the night.

"Well, if you want, I could help you – I did sort of teach most of this class how to do them anyways," Harry said modestly. Draco was about to respond when Professor McGonagall began to address the class and they both turned to listen.

"I would like you all to continue to familiarize yourselves with your respective patronuses as well as to write a short essay on the advantages and disadvantages of becoming an animagus. Also, Mr. Potter, if you would come see me." Harry nodded at Professor McGonagall before turning back to Draco.

"So, do you want to see if I can teach you anything?" Harry said with a smile.

"Yes, I'd appreciate that, thanks," Draco said with a small laugh.

"Great," Harry said, smiling widely, "Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow." Draco replied, smiling right back.

Harry said goodbye to Alex and walked over to the front of the classroom where McGonagall was waiting. She looked extremely amused, her eyes twinkling in a manner very reminiscent of Dumbledore. Harry approached cautiously.

"It seems like you and Ms. Dubois have become friendly,"

"Um, yeah, I guess," Harry responded, blushing slightly. Had McGonagall heard something?

"That's good, the, transition, has been difficult for her." Harry nodded, still slightly suspicious.

"Is that what you wanted to talk about, Professor?"

"No, no, I talked with Kingsley recently – he would like you to resume your council position, to some extent,"

"Oh, yeah…" Harry had nearly forgotten. One of the many honors and offers he had received in the months after the war ended was a position on the minister's advisory council. He had attended the meetings regularly during the summer but had stopped as soon as school had started.

"He understands that to attend the meetings regularly would be an interruption of your schooling," Harry could tell this was more McGonagall's opinion than Kingsley's "However, he would still like to meet with you on a regular basis. Would you be willing to meet with him later this week?"

"Yeah, of course,"

"I will let him know," McGonagall said with a smile, "Thank you, Harry."

The next day Draco walked quickly back to the dorm to drop off her things before turning around and nearly ran bodily into Pansy on her way out of the dorm room.

"Woah, Alex, where are you running off to?" Pansy inquired, blocking the doorway.

"Studying, excuse me," she said as she tried to squeeze past Pansy. Her path was blocked as Pansy extended an arm, barring the doorway.

"And would this studying in any way involve a certain boy?" She asked, eyebrows raised.

"He's just helping me with my patronus," Draco mumbled. "Now can I please go? I'm going to be late,"

Pansy raised her arms in defeat letting Draco pass.

Blaise watched from the common room as Alex rushed out. He'd been trying desperately to act normally around her but it was difficult not to analyze everything she did and compare it to Draco. It was even more difficult because everything she did was so much like Draco he didn't know how he didn't notice it before.

He made his move several minutes later when Pansy left the dorm toting a large bag of textbooks. Making his way down the hall he slipped into the girl's dorm room, closing the door behind him before going over to Alex's bed. While all the other girls had pictures, books, magazine and any other number of things piled on their night stands or pinned around their bed Alex's area was completely clear. She had a small clock on her nightstand but otherwise every surface and every wall was bare. A small wave of guilt hit him as he saw the ruffled sheets where the house elves hadn't remade her bed yet but continued to search – he had to know the truth. Blaise started with the nightstand and the wardrobe but both were clear.

He made his way around the foot of the bed where her trunk was and popped it open. It was completely empty. He felt a small surge of relief laced with disappointment. Maybe he had misheard Pansy, maybe Alex was exactly who she claimed to be. But if that was the case then Draco was really dead. He reached down into the bottom of the trunk just to check the corners when his fingers brushed something that was definitely not the bottom of the trunk. Pulling his hand out he surveyed the the trunk again seeing nothing amiss. However, when he reached down again his hand encountered the same object, his fingers stopping a couple of inches above the bottom of the trunk. He ran his fingers around the edge and found the bottom of the hidden object, lifting it out of the trunk. A thick, leather bound book seemed to materialize in his hand. The embossed title read The History and Lineage of the House of Malfoy.

"Bloody hell," Blaise muttered. He sat down, leaning against the bed and opened the book in his lap. He noticed the corner of something else sticking up out of the book and flipped it open to that page. The name Demetrius Malfoy was emblazoned at the top of the page but what interested Blaise far more was the picture that slid into his lap. It was a picture of Draco and his parents – he looked about fourteen and was wearing his characteristic smirk. Narcissa was leaning down towards Draco in the picture; it looked like she was trying to convince him to smile while Lucius stared coldly into the camera.

Blaise stared at the photo for several minutes before picking up the folded magazine page that had also fallen into his lap. Unfolding it he stared blankly at the vapid headline before his eyes caught a small blip of a story in the corner.

Malfoy heir alive?

Harry pushed open the door of the abandoned classroom to find Alex sitting in the window frame on the far side of the room. Her face was completely relaxed and open but her grey eyes were sad as she stared out onto the grounds. In the rosy light from the setting sun she looked so fragile and vulnerable that Harry's first instinct was to protect her; to banish whatever was causing her pain.

"You're staring, Potter." She said, turning towards him, the sorrow vanishing from her eyes and a small smile playing on her lips. "And you're late."

"Uh, um, yeah, quidditch practice ran late…" he mumbled.

"So, how are we going to do this?" she jumped off the window ledge and crossed the room, coming to a stop in front of where Harry stood, still frozen in the doorway.

"Well, I was thinking we could go back to the basics…. You know the incantation, right?" She nodded.

"And you know that the power for a Patronus comes from a happy memory? The happier the better." At this Alex scoffed. He raised an eyebrow, but continued.

"So why don't you just try a couple times, see how far you can get?"

"I've done this before, why the bloody hell can't I do it now?" Draco groaned, several failed attempts later.

"I thought you said you'd only ever studied the theory?" Harry asked.

"Of course I cast it as well, it just wasn't required of us to be able to cast it," Draco said hastily.

"What form did it take?"

"A dragon," she gasped and looked at Harry, fearing that she had given too much away. To her relief, rather than looking suspicious Harry looked thoroughly amused. "What, not what you expected?"

"No, but it kind of fits." He said laughingly, "You've definitely got the temper of a dragon."

Draco sneered but once again tried to cast the spell, this time picturing firmly in her mind the silvery form of her Patronus.

"Expecto Patronum!" This time she at least got a slight silver fog but even that dissipated quickly. As she groaned in frustration again, Harry was desperately trying not to laugh.

"Maybe it's your memories that are the problem, are you sure they're happy enough? Why don't you try something from your childhood," To tell the truth Draco hadn't really been thinking of any memories in particular, but she took Harry's advice and tried to pick a happy memory from her childhood. The first time my father told me he was proud of me…

She had been about six or seven at the time and despite the constant love and attention she received from her mother all she had really wanted, even then, was her father's approval. Her father had returned home one day with a present for her – a child's broom. She had gleefully run outside, broom in hand, and leapt up into the air. She soared around as fast and as high as the little broom would take her before landing gracefully in front of her father. He leaned down and said That was wonderful, I'm proud of you, Draco.

Holding the image of her father's face as he said those words firmly in her mind she cast the spell again. A large silver dragon began to emerge from the tip of her wand, wings extending nearly the width of the classroom and she looked gleefully at Harry who was smiling widely. But then the image of her father morphed from the Lucius of her childhood to Lucius the last time she had seen him, drunk and haggard, unable to even look her in the eyes. She faltered, her wand hand dropping and the dragon patronus disappeared.

"Alex, are you okay? What happened?" Harry said, walking over to her and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Nothing, it just wasn't a good enough memory." She said, brushing him off and fighting the angry tears that were threatening to fall. If she couldn't use any happy memories from her past, she was going to have to try a more recent happy memory. My happiest memory since this summer… she flushed as she realized what it was. She pulled up the night with Harry on the quidditch pitch and once again cast the charm.

A silvery figure quickly flew out of her wand but this one was much smaller than the dragon that had briefly emerged before. It flew in several graceful circles around the classroom before landing on a desk near the two awestruck figures.

"A phoenix," Harry said reverently. All Draco could do was stare in disbelief at the silver bird in front of her.

"But…no, it can't be, it was just a dragon, my patronus has always been a dragon, it can't be anything else…" she sat down heavily in the nearest desk, a stunned look still on her face. The phoenix gave her one last serene look before flying away out the window, slowly fading as it moved away.

"Sometimes," Harry said softly, "your patronus can change, when you've faced some sort of change..."

"A change…" Draco said to herself. She looked up at Harry and the concern in his eyes pushed her over the edge. Its not just a change, its too many changes. Harry placed a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her but she stood up abruptly.

"I can't – I'm sorry… I have to go," she gave him one last pained look before rushing out of the classroom.