Draco was tearing through his room, throwing belongings pell-mell into his trunk as terror coursed through him. Father had failed the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord wanted to give him, Draco, a mission he'd fail so there would be an excuse to kill him, or a way for him to die in pursuit of the mission and make it look like some sort of accident. Mother was sending him to Dumbledore, who had already agreed to take the boy in so long as he took an oath, and Uncle Severus.
He'd been told to pack quickly- there was no telling how long it would take for someone to get wind of the plan and come for him. Mother was not home; Draco wasn't sure where she'd gone. Only that he was to get packed and go to Hogwarts as soon as possible.
Suddenly, there was a noise from downstairs. Pulling out his wand, Draco closed his trunk. Whatever was in there now would have to do; it seemed he was out of time.
"Dobby," he said. The house elf appeared. "Please take this to Hogwarts." He gestured to the trunk. "Do not come back until I call for you again. We might have to leave quickly. Are we clear?"
Dobby looked worried, but did not comment on it. "Yes Young Master Draco," he said, quickly taking the trunk and disappearing. He had only a moment before someone appeared in his doorway. A mad cackle sounded through the room. It was a woman, her dark curly hair in disarray. Her wand was held casually in her hand, as though she had forgotten it was there. She strode through his doorway, not even bothering to knock.
"Draco," she crooned. Draco shivered despite himself.
"Aunt Bella," he replied coldly. "To what do I owe the honor?" Bellatrix sneered.
"You sound just like your dear father, Draco," she said, coming slowly closer. Draco fingered his wand, though he did not move to use it. He knew there was no chance of him out-dueling Bellatrix. She was skilled, not to mention crazy, which, alone, made her several times more dangerous than anyone else he'd ever fought before. "He was such a failure. Imagine his shock when he learns his son and his wife died for betrayal of the Dark Lord." Draco's eyes widened.
"You…you're lying," he protested weakly. No one was supposed to know! How did- Bella's sneering smile told him everything he needed to know. His mother was dead. "No…"
"Your mother was a traitor, Draco. Just like you. It's a shame your mother's sacrifice was in vain," she taunted, pointing her wand at his head. His eyes widened. She was going to kill him. His own aunt was going to kill him! He had to get out!
"Dobby," he muttered. The house elf suddenly appeared, popping him quickly back to Hogwarts where the poor boy collapsed to the floor in Dumbledore's office, his face completely blank as he struggled to keep his emotions in.
"Draco." Severus was there, too. "Come," his godfather commanded. Draco followed the older man without question, happy to get away.
Hermione studied the blond boy, who had just finished reliving his most terrible memory again, thanks to the dementors. He'd been ambushed in his own home; he'd been given the news that his mother was dead in the most horrid way possible; and then he'd had to flee for his life and then spend half the summer mostly alone.
Upon finishing his narrative, Draco retreated into himself, curling into a ball to hide his face. She remembered Harry once describing how he'd officially met Draco…perhaps this incident was why he was so jumpy when he'd run into Harry that day. She wouldn't be surprised if that were the case. Nearly being killed by your deranged aunt in your own home would probably scar you for life. Now that she thought on it, he was often the one to react the strongest to a dangerous situation, next to Harry. She wondered offhandedly what had happened with Harry to cause his reactions to be so strong…
Pulling herself back to the matter at hand, she gently set a hand on the blond's shoulder. He twitched a little at her touch, probably due to the things he'd just experienced, but did not move away from her.
"You're safe now, Dray," she said softly. "And no matter what, all of us have your back."
Draco did not respond to her, but was undeniably grateful she'd stayed and listened. He leaned toward her. He felt vulnerable; vulnerability was quite unpleasant, he decided. The only upside was the girl sitting next to him. She was a steady comfort in his chaos. All at once, a jeer sounded over the lawn.
"Hey Malfoy." Draco looked up, as did Hermione. Thomas was striding toward them, Weasley in tow. Dray saw the bushy-haired witch narrow her eyes at the pair. "Not so high and mighty now, are you? The Death Eaters didn't even want you, did they?"
Draco took a breath. Keep calm. Be civil, he thought. "No," he replied shortly. "The Death Eaters didn't want me, thank goodness."
Thomas and Weasley looked startled at his calm demeanor, but evidently they were not finished. "What's wrong, Malfoy?" Weasley taunted. "The dementors scare you?"
"Not as much as you," he retorted calmly. "You went running back to your mum like a scared little kid. Nearly wet yourself, didn't you?" Ronald's face turned scarlet when Hermione gave a strangled-sounding laugh. Thomas cut off whatever reply he was going to make though.
"What did you see, Malfoy? You looked terrified yourself. Was it the world being taken over by muggleborns?" He made mock-scary noises. Draco said nothing, but Hermione spoke up, looking livid.
"Shut up, you two! You have no right-"
"Oh, yeah? What are you going to do?" Weasley snarked. "Lecture us to death? I'm so afraid." The redhead rolled his eyes. "I never could figure out why Ginny's friends with you. You're such a nightmare! A bossy know-it-all who can't even-"
"Weasley, I'm warning you," Draco growled, jumping to his feet, hands balled into fists. He'd done a good job up to this point of keeping his temper, but he would not allow that…that weasel to insult Hermione.
"Ron, maybe you should lay off," Thomas said. Draco noticed the dark-skinned boy was not looking at him, but back toward the house. Following his gaze, he saw Harry, magic radiating and face blank; Ginny, who looked thunderous; and Neville, whose expression was stony. But the stupid red-head wasn't finished yet, seeming to not notice he had an audience.
"You have no social skills, your only true friends are in stories, you're ugly, and you always think you know best! 'Oh, Professor! I have to be perfect so everyone will worship me! Give me extra homework, just so I can prove to everyone that I'm the best!' Well guess what?! I hate you, Hermione Granger! I hate your perfect marks! I hate your know-it-all attitude! And now you're friends with that…that Death Eater spawn, and-"
"That's enough, Weasley," Harry said dangerously, startling the redhead, who whipped around to face the newcomers. His magic was nearly slapping the lot of them in the face, and even his expression now looked angry, meaning that Weasley had really crossed a line. He couldn't ever remember seeing Harry angry enough to show it on his face.
Dray could see Hermione was drooping, her eyes full of tears. Draco remembered saying every single one of those things to this girl who just so kindly offered to take care of him. His face hardened; he'd learned his lesson. She didn't deserve to be told any of those things about herself. And she'd just become a target for the other wizard's diatribe to protect him. He opened his mouth to tell the idiot off, but Ginny beat him to it.
"You…stupid…idiotic…prat!" She hissed, striding toward her brother and getting right up in his face. Ronald backed away, his eyes flashing with fear. Thomas was looking at Ginny as though he'd never seen her properly before. "How. DARE. You?! You'd best get out of here before I Bat-Bogey you into next week!" She drew her wand, poking her brother in the nose, whose eyes widened. "Both of you! NOW!"
Ronald and Thomas scattered, quickly returning to the house. Draco hoped Thomas had the sense to leave now. It was then he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Sorry Dray, Hermione. I think that was mostly my fault," Harry said, his tone gloomy. "Ronald must have told Thomas about me, and he decided that since he couldn't hope to take me on, he'd go after you instead, Dray. And then…" His eyes flicked to the brunette witch, but Hermione waved him off, wiping her eyes impatiently.
"Don't worry about it, Harry. He's being saying crap like that since first year. I'll get over it."
"You shouldn't have to, 'Mione!" Draco blurted, looking incensed. "That poor excuse for a wizard has it all wrong. I…I know I said all those things to you at one time or another, but I was completely wrong, too! You are brilliant, and kind, and selfless! You gave up the chance to keep your family in order to help fight for the Wizarding World, which has only treated you with contempt since you arrived- and yet, you stayed anyway, hoping to make a difference! If I…if I could be even half the person you are when I grow up, I will count myself very fortunate."
"Careful, Dray, your Gryffindor is showing," Ginny quipped from next to his elbow. Draco shook his head, but did not remove his gaze from Hermione's face.
Hermione's eyes were filled with tears again, but she was smiling at the blond. Suddenly, she tackled him in a hug. After a moment, he hugged her back, holding her close.
"It's alright, Hermione. You are everything I said and more. Don't listen to that idiot," he murmured into her hair, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. He could feel her tears soaking his shirt, but he didn't let go. Over Hermione's head, he caught sight of Harry's smirking face. He rolled his eyes.
"Looks like I may not be the only one with loud thoughts around here, eh, Potter?" Harry put on an innocent expression.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he said airily. The five of them laughed, sitting down on the edge of the pond. Ginny started trying to show the others how to skip rocks, and soon the atmosphere was similar to their common room at the castle. Draco slowly relaxed, smiling to himself. They had his back, and he was able to step up for Hermione. He relished the feeling of having a real family. It was truly an amazing feeling.
The next evening found the five teens in the Weasley's back yard, lying on their backs in a circle staring up at the night sky and the blinking fireflies. Harry had noted his friends still seemed on edge; Draco and Hermione could be found searching through any book they could get their hands on, hiding them or ending conversations abruptly when he would enter the room. It also seemed to Harry that Neville and Ginny were attempting to run interference for the two secretive students by keeping him busy elsewhere.
The part of him that was a little miffed that they were excluding him considered keeping the prophecy from his friends. However, he knew Draco had been right- they'd all be safer knowing all the information.
He sighed heavily. He really didn't want to ruin the mood- everything was so quiet and peaceful. He didn't want to introduce worry and stress back to the mix right now. Unluckily for him, Ginny picked up on his dower mood.
"Harry? What is it?" she asked, reaching for his hand. He grasped it tightly, sitting up to look at his friends. They all copied him, apparently noticing his serious demeanor.
"I…I have something to tell you," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. Hermione, Ginny, and Neville waited patiently for him to speak, though Dray looked resigned. "I…I ultimately have to face You-Know-Who. There's this prophecy, and…" he trailed off when none of his friends looked surprised, staring at them in confusion. "Don't tell me you already knew?"
Ginny, Hermione, and Neville looked down, abashed.
"Dumbledore told us right before we left the other day," Hermione admitted. Harry raised an eyebrow.
"This wouldn't have anything to do with how weird you've all been acting for the last couple days, would it?" he asked. Now all of them, including Draco looked a little uncomfortable.
"We're…trying to find ways for you to beat the Dark Lord," Draco said quickly. The others nodded, latching on to his explanation. Harry frowned.
"But…I should be able to help with that," he said. "I'm good at researching. Besides, I'm the one who needs to beat the guy anyway."
"We…wanted to let you have a break," Hermione added. "You've been working so hard on your dueling that we didn't want to bother you with it." Harry still thought they were acting suspicious, but decided to let it go.
"Well, thanks anyway, you guys," he said, squeezing Ginny's hand as he looked around at the other three. "I appreciate it. You'll have to show me what you've found tomorrow."
He noticed Hermione and Dray exchange an uneasy glance, confirming his suspicions that something else was going on here, although they quickly agreed.
"Harry, come for a walk with me?" Ginny said suddenly, leaping to her feet. He raised an eyebrow, but got up to follow as she strolled away toward the orchard. He quickly caught up with her, his legs being longer than hers, taking her hand again as she led him here and there, finally stopping under a big old tree. She let go of his hand to stoop down, picking up a rectangular box and handing it to him.
"What's this, Gin?" he asked, examining it closely. He gave a small smile when he realized she was bouncing on the balls of her feet nervously.
"Open it," she commanded. He did as told, finding inside the box a handsome leather-bound book. The cover gave no clue as to the contents, so Harry opened it carefully and gasped as his eyes met the sight of a photo of a man with glasses and a woman wearing a wedding dress.
Conjuring a hand-held light with a wave of his hand, he studied the faces of his parents, noting that the photo, like the other wizarding photos he'd seen, was moving. His parents were dancing together, looking into each other's eyes as though they were the only two people on earth. He flipped through a few more photos, seeing a few of Lily with Severus as teenagers, or some of James with Sirius and Remus, along with a chubby boy that could only be Peter Pettigrew in their school uniforms. There were also a few of Lily and James with a tiny, green-eyed baby who sported a tuft of jet-black hair, as well as his family along with another couple holding a baby. The other woman reminded Harry of Neville- this must be Neville and his parents, he assumed.
Finally, there were a few photos of Harry with Dray, Ginny, Hermione, and Neville, as well as Severus in a few of them. They were flying, or practicing spells, or studying in the common room, or lazing about on the grounds. Oddly, Harry couldn't remember most of these last photos being taken. Perhaps one of the professors took them while he was distracted, he supposed.
Harry couldn't quite stop the tears that filled his eyes as he looked through the photos. He could only imagine that Ginny had asked his parents' friends for photos for him.
"Do you…do you like it?" Ginny asked softly, searching his expression for approval or rejection. He suddenly surged forward, gathering the petite redhead in a huge hug.
"I love it, Firebug," he said, his voice coming out sounding a little choked. "Thank…thank you." He leaned down and kissed her softly.
"I figured you needed some pictures of your real family," she smiled. "To remind you that you're not alone anymore, and that all the people in these photos care about you."
"It's perfect," Harry assured her, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her again.
The remainder of the week passed quickly. There were no more run-in's with Ronald, and their transition over to the Longbottom estate went smoothly. Madam Longbottom, while she greeted the teens in a dignified manner, largely left the children to their own devices. They dutifully practiced their dueling, put Harry through his drills every day, and went running in the mornings.
Draco noted it seemed that Madam Longbottom was mildly surprised in the changes in her grandson, but seemed to also be waiting for Neville's improvement to vanish. Draco kept his thoughts to himself, but personally, he thought Neville deserved a little more credit. The Hufflepuff was doing much better with his spells than he had been previously and was working tirelessly to keep improving.
Draco could admit to himself that his relationship to the other boy was much less strong than with the others. Neville liked plants and digging in the earth, while Draco did not love getting his hands dirty. Dray was academically gifted, while Neville was not so much. He was athletic, while Neville also was not. There was not much common ground between them, aside from their status as heirs of noble houses.
However, in that arena, Draco could admit he could understand Neville's relationship to his grandmother. It was easy to see that Neville didn't feel that he measured up to the old woman's expectations. He could get that. He often felt that from his own father.
It was as Draco wandered the estate ruminating on these thoughts that he heard music coming from one of the rooms. Following the sound, he found himself in a large, well-lit room. There was a large grand piano in the center, a cello and a violin against a wall, and along another wall were several shelves full of what looked like sheet music.
Neville himself sat at the piano, playing a complicated baroque piece. His eyes were shut, and it was obvious from the expression in the music that he'd played this piece many times. Draco watched the Hufflepuff for a few moments, feeling surprised.
"I didn't know you played," he said once Neville had finished, startling the other boy, who was flushing in embarrassment.
"I didn't know you were there," Neville explained. The boys stood in awkward silence for a moment.
"That was quite good, Nev," Draco commented. The Longbottom heir gave a small smile.
"It was my mother's favorite song," he said wistfully. "Gran told me, and I practiced for ages until I got it right." Draco sighed, understanding where the other boy was coming from. His own mother had always loved to hear him play. He could remember many times where all she wanted for Christmas from him was for him to give her a private concert. He gave a sad smile at the memory.
"It's too bad she never got a chance to hear you play," he said bracingly, quietly making his way over to the shelves of music and finally finding what he was looking for. "How about a duet, Nev?" He asked, holding up a few pieces of sheet music. Neville looked startled.
"You play, too, Draco?" The blond smirked.
"Of course. Mother had me in lessons since I was old enough to read. Said it was a mark of a noble family to have such skills." Neville looked at the music doubtfully.
"I've never played these before," he warned. "I probably won't be very good." Draco rolled his eyes.
"Well, I'll be sight-reading, too, so if we screw up, don't worry about it too much. Besides, that piece you just played was likely around the same difficulty level as these ones, so you'll probably be fine. Now, do you want the high part, or low?"
The night before September first, Harry and his friends were back at Hogwarts. Severus had discussed with Dumbledore, and together they decided it would be best to sort Harry before the other students arrived. Harry, who was sure he mostly had Severus to thank for this, was grateful. He would rather not be the center of attention for longer than necessary. His friends insisted they be there for him, so that night, they all gathered around in the Headmaster's office. Dumbledore took the Sorting Hat down from the shelf.
"Severus will put the hat on your head. It will look inside your mind to determine your house. As a reminder, the houses are Gryffindor for bravery, Ravenclaw for wit, Hufflepuff for loyalty and fairness, and Slytherin for ambition and cunning." Harry nodded, already knowing this. He took a seat in the chair placed in the center of the room, and Severus came forward, dropping the old wizard's hat onto his head with a thump!
Ah, Harry Potter. You've come at last, the hat said in his head. Harry sat composedly, waiting. I see bravery, definitely. A keen mind, yes. Loyalty a-plenty, and also a good amount of cunning…difficult, very difficult…
Harry raised an eyebrow. So? Where will you put me?
I'm not quite sure, the hat said, sounding perplexed. You seem to have all four house's qualities in equal measure. Therefore…
"Headmaster, I cannot sort him," the Sorting hat said. Ginny, Hermione, Dray, and Neville looked shocked. Severus' brow furrowed. Only Dumbledore surveyed Harry with a twinkle in his eye. "He does not belong to any one house, but all four simultaniously."
"Has this ever happened before?" Harry asked. The hat nodded, or at least, Harry assumed that it did from the movement. It was a hat, after all.
"Only once, long ago."
"What did you, or rather, the Headmaster at the time do with that student? Surely they didn't send a magical child back to their family and refuse to teach them!" Harry said, greatly hoping that was not the case.
"Of course not," the hat replied, sounding offended. "The Headmaster allowed the student to choose a house instead of being assigned. So, Young Potter, what will it be? Gryffindor like your love and your parents?" Harry's brow furrowed. He loved the idea of having a connection to his parents through their house, and he'd love to be with Ginny all the time, but…
"You all won't be offended if I don't choose your house, right?" he asked his friends. They all shook their heads in unison.
"Of course not, Harry," Hermione said.
"We want you to choose what you want," Neville added.
"We have your back, no matter what house you choose," Ginny reassured him, squeezing his hand.
Dray said nothing. Harry could tell his best friend was trying to be supportive, but he knew Dray was nervous about being back in Slytherin, without his new friends to help him with the Junior Death Eaters. He gave Draco a small smile.
"I love all your houses, and I'd love to be with all of you everyday like we were this summer," he began. "But, I'm going to choose…Slytherin. I hope you all understand."
Draco sagged in relief. Hermione patted the blond's arm, knowing he would feel much better with his best friend by his side. Neville and Ginny looked unsurprised; Harry would never leave Dray to go it alone.
"I see how it is, Potter," Ginny teased, pretending to be hurt. Draco childishly stuck out his tongue at the redhead.
"You're just jealous because he likes me best," Dray quipped back. Hermione and Neville rolled their eyes.
"All right children, settle down," Harry said with a straight face. "No need for quarreling now."
"Yes, Dad," Ginny and Dray chimed together, earning a chuckle. Harry looked to Severus, whose smirk was positively gleeful.
"Your father would be astonished to find you were a Slytherin…not to mention that you'd chosen it of your own accord," he said happily. Harry smirked back at his mentor.
"Uncle Severus, it's almost indecent for you to be that excited," he deadpanned. The professor quickly schooled his expression.
"I am not excited, Potter. I was merely observing the obvious," he said calmly.
Harry rolled his eyes, as did Draco. "Yeah, right, Uncle Sev," the blond said sarcastically. "And I'm a hippogriff."
"Before we turn in for the night, Harry, can I have a word?" Dumbledore asked. Harry looked askance at the Headmaster.
"You can say it in front of everyone, sir," he asserted. "I don't have any secrets from my family, after all." Dumbledore smiled, summoning the Penseive to the desk in front of him and extracting a memory.
"Very well, Harry. Severus told me that you are aware of the prophecy. I would like you to gather around. It will be important for you to know the prophecy in its entirety." The old man prodded the surface of the memory with his wand and a woman with hugely magnified eyes behind her spectacles swirled swirled to the forefront.
"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…Born to those who have thrice defied him…Born as the seventh month dies. And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal…but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not…The lion shall ally with the serpent…and the badger and the eagle will aid them…And the Chosen One will unify them to save the Wizarding World. The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies…"
Harry and the others exchanged glances. "Headmaster, sir," Neville spoke up, looking terrified, "I was also born at the end of the seventh month, sir. July 31st." Harry looked at him questioningly, not having known this.
"Why didn't you say anything at the party, Neville? We could have had a double birthday." The Hufflepuff just shrugged. Dumbledore nodded, answering Neville's question.
"It was unclear for a number of months after your births as to which of you was the child of the prophecy. However, when Voldemort attacked Harry's family and marked him with that scar," he pointed to Harry's forehead, "it became obvious which of you it was to be. Harry was marked, literally, by Voldemort. Also, if you think about the rest of the prophecy, you'll find that Harry was the unifier between the four of you. Add in the unbreakable wards, and there can be no doubt that Harry is the Chosen One of prophecy."
Neville looked relieved. Harry could not blame him. If he had a choice, he would rather not be the prophesied Chosen One either.
"And on that note," the Headmaster cut through his thoughts, "if there are no questions, you should all be getting to bed. You'll have a busy day tomorrow. Harry, are you still alright with helping guard the train?" Harry nodded.
"Yes, sir. We'll go straight to the platform and get aboard. Then, once the train is ready, my wards should be able to encase the entirety of the train. We should be able to handle any trouble from the Juniors. It'll be a cake walk."
The others, aside from Hermione, looked confused at the reference, but had learned by now not to ask. They got the gist of it, anyway.
"Good. Now, off to bed! Chop, chop!"