I can never thank you guys enough! Every review that I get makes me smile like crazy all day! I'm an absolute feind now. I'm addicted. I'll probably have to write other stories here because this one is probably almost over, I intended to have it completed by Monday so I wouldn't have to worry about not having time around school, so we'll see what happens there.

The moment they appeared Draco turned fully to face them, a look of mingled fury and pride gracing his handsome features.

"What seems to be the…" Dumbledore began diplomatically, but was interrupted by a shrill shriek from Hermione, who threw herself forward at Draco.

"Harry!" she gasped, and in an instant each of the Order members were swarming the cave, eager for a glimpse at the man cradled protectively in Draco's arms.

Harry's eyes flickered open to stare blankly at the Order, but in moments he lost consciousness once again.

"We have to get him some help," Raiden burst out, eyes frantic. "He… the hagani spell… please, help him!" he begged.

A few of the Order members broke away from ogling Harry to investigate the cave, and one, a particularly shabby looking fellow, strode over to tug Raiden away. "Come, come, son, we've got some of the most powerful wizards in the world right here in this cave, don't worry a bit about Harry, he'll be fine. Draco certainly won't let anything untoward happen to him."

"But…"

"I do hope that you don't think Draco did whatever Harry claims he did, do you? No, of course you don't, Draco's your father, you know him better than that. Harry simply vanished from our world before he was able to find out the truth. That rather striking brunette, there, you see her?" Raiden nodded numbly. "That's Hermione Granger, now Hermione Weasly. She and Ron, the tall redhead…" the man waited until Raiden nodded his recognition. "Are married and have a young daughter together. That old guy with the beard, see him?" Again, Raiden nodded, watching anxiously as they performed a series of spells on Harry's limp form, which Draco had reverently set upon the cavern floor. "That's Albus Dumbledore, who Draco was also supposed to have killed. Not to mention me, Remus Lupin, who…"

"You're Lupin?" Raiden interrupted quickly, and the man smiled, nodding.

"Harry… I heard your name before."

"I'll bet Harry had quite a hard time of it, here," he murmured, and Raiden was too overwhelmed to respond.

Lupin fell silent for a long moment before draping an arm around Raiden's shoulder and tugging him closer to the bustling witches and wizards. "You're going to come out of your skin before long if you can't be sure he's safe," Lupin observed genially, and allowed Raiden to kneel beside Harry to watch the specific spells.

"Father," Raiden murmured, and Draco's head came up abruptly. "Is it true? What… what they're saying?"

Another Order member came up to him with a smile. "Certainly, young one. We are the Lost Order, as those who know the story like to call us. We're the ones who Draco Malfoy saved by pretending to murder. If he hadn't done what he did, each and every one of us would be dead, not to mention the rest of the wizarding world being in absolute chaos. Your father is a hero, Raiden Malfoy."

"None of that matters if Harry dies," Draco growled, and the others turned secretive glances on each other. The likelihood of Harry dying at this point was slim, and they all knew it. Draco simply didn't like to be called a hero for what happened.

"Draco, I think your work here is done. Perhaps you would like to have a word alone with your son?" Dumbledore's voice was gentle, but Draco could hear the command in it. His eyes darted to his son's to seek permission, but Raiden turned to stare at Harry.

"I don't want to leave him," Raiden protested, and Lupin squeezed his shoulder, motioning Raiden to follow him. Docilely Raiden complied.

"There is very little that can be done for Harry except to make him comfortable. He will have to regain his strength on his own. At the moment he is not wounded, merely exhausted." Lupin tossed a glance at Draco, who was pretending to listen to what Dumbledore was telling him. "But I think that your father is wounded." Raiden's eyes flew to examine for any wounds on his person. "No, no," Lupin corrected, drawing Raiden's gaze away. "I mean that he desperately wants for you to listen to him at the moment. Your father loves you very much, Raiden, and that is why he did what he did. I will leave it up for him to explain, for that is not my place, but I think, for now, you should give your father an audience."

Raiden's eyes darted from Lupin's to gaze at Harry, then at his father. He nodded slightly, and Lupin clapped him on the shoulder again. "Good man."

Raiden made his way back to his father's side, eyes on Harry. "Father?" he questioned softly, and instantly Draco's eyes met his. "I would like to have a word," Raiden murmured, and Draco's entire face lit with relief.

"Of course," he breathed, and slid gracefully to his feet. Raiden led the way out of the cave, slithering down the cliff a few yards before turning to face the elder Malfoy.

And suddenly the words which Draco had been rehearsing for nine years fled his memory. He opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again, to no avail.

"Tell me about that day," Raiden demanded, and Draco seemed relieved to have a specific topic to begin with. He shifted his feet before plopping himself down upon a rock.

"To tell you about that day," he explained as Raiden followed suit. "I have to tell you about a day several years before that. When you were seven years old."

Raiden turned away, willing his eyes not to betray his pain.

"Raiden, please, look at me," Draco supplicated softly, and waited until his son's eyes were on him before he continued. "My father was a very cruel man. He…"

"From what I hear of it," Raiden began scathingly. "You…"

"Please!" the elder gasped, and only then did Raiden notice that his father's hands were clutching each other so tightly his fingers were starting to turn purple. "Please, just… just listen to me, Raiden. I know that after all I've done to you I certainly don't deserve it but you deserve to hear an explanation."

"An excuse," Raiden corrected coldly.

Draco's chest seemed to cave in on itself as he choked on air. "Please, Raiden, please hear me out."

Never before had Raiden seen his father beg for anything, until that day. He had begged for Harry's audience just as he now begged for Raiden's. And he had turned out to be right about the matter Harry had accused him of.

Did that mean, Raiden wondered, that he was also innocent of the crimes Raiden himself leveled against him?

"Fine," Raiden gritted, and was rewarded with a look of such gratitude that he could hardly breathe for a long moment.

"Thank you," Draco sighed, and then shook himself. "A… as for my father. He was…very cruel, he…" Draco wanted to scream in frustration when his words refused to come out correctly. He took a long breath, closed his eyes, and began again. "He was an evil man, bent on taking over the wizarding world, but he was no Voldemort. He was not nearly so strong. He was a fool to believe he could do anything lasting." Draco's eyes popped open. "But he was determined to try. He started gathering an army soon after the fall of Voldemort, and by the time you were seven, was eager to involve his only son in the plan. He…"

Raiden opened his mouth to interject but the look of fear on his father's face shut him up. He nodded and snapped his mouth closed.

"He came to me one night after you had fallen asleep. You were sleeping in my arms while I worked in the study. He first saw it necessary to point out that you were far too old to be coddled so gently. He insisted that I send you away, and when I refused, he got angry. He told me of his plans, of the army he was gathering, and insisted I take part in the plans. When I refused him again, he got even more furious."

Draco paused for a long moment, seeming to be lost in the memory. Raiden made no move to hurry him.

"He threatened to kill you," Draco admitted softly, and Raiden's wide eyes suddenly looked deep into his father's silver orbs. The pain that he saw reflected there took his breath away.

I'm sorry about the cliffies, I had a weird affliction where I could not figure out ANY OTHER WAY to end the chapters, and these three just KEPT getting into trouble! I'm sorry if the 'oh now I'm going to try to kill YOU, then you'll try to kill ME' and so on and so forth thing got old, I couldn't keep them from attacking each other, everyone thought that they were the only one who was right:-P Stubborn men! But we're not through with the evilness yet, I'll ask you guys a favor, on a scale of one to ten, ten being VERY evil,how evil do you want me to be to Raiden? I shall say no more on the matter, but please give me a number in your next review.

Also, Dead-Luthien: Sorry that I forgot to mention this before, but the reason Draco has no reason to fear the Death Eaters' revenge is that a)Dumbledore didn't tell that Draco was one of his (everyone who knew was imprisoned, or Dumbledore kept them quiet), and b) Nott and the other of Draco's 'associates'like him aren't Death Eaters. I'm sorry that this is a little confusing I know the logic is a little lacking, but hopefully this helps clear up the basics. Feel free to mentionif you find any more holes!

Thank you all again!