Chapter 6:
Louis accepted the applause and the back patting. Soon, the entire group marched off from the depressing environment of the Dungeons. They had a free period until Charms.
'Where did you learn Potions like that' asked an incredibly curious Hermione.
'It was my favorite subject' he replied 'I excelled at it'
'Wow!' said Ron 'You really beat Snape and Malfoy in! That was fantastic'
'Did you know about the Malfoys?' asked Harry.
'The Malfoy clan is old. Their roots stretch back quite far. What Draco Malfoy doesn't know, is that the Malfoys always were with the honorable side. It was only Vincent Malfoy, Draco's grandfather who turned evil with the arrival of Voldemort' he told them.
'Malfoy better read up on his family History' said Ron
'Why was he so mean to us?' asked Hermione
'He has to keep up the pretence of following the dark lord, especially in front of the Slytherins'. Suddenly, Harry realized he had said too much, he had forgotten that Louis was present.
'The impression on your faces tells me, I was not supposed to hear that' said Louis. The three looked at him nervously.
'Don't worry, your secrets safe with me. I give you my word' he said.
The trio eyed him suspiciously. After all they reasoned, a new sixth year was quite unusual. Especially one exhibiting the behavior of Louis. He could be the 'Ally' Voldemort was taking about. The sorting hat had taken too much time; maybe he was trying to convince it to put him in Gryffindor. He also could say Voldemort's name aloud.
'I assure you I am not Voldemort's ally' he said.
The trio's jaws dropped. How did Louis know what they were thinking?
'What?' said Hermione finally
'I need to do some explaining' Louis sighed 'Lets find a more convenient and comfortable location, shall we?'
They nodded and the three went into the library.
'I have Mentac powers' he said simply. "It runs in my family'
'Oh! My God' said Hermione understanding what the term meant. Harry and Ron just looked questioningly and Hermione.
"Mentac powers are the ability to capture stray thoughts from the minds of others' she said gulping.
'That means you can read minds?' exclaimed Ron with a horrified expression on his face.
'No' assured Louis 'Don't worry, I cannot read minds. But if you concentrate on a thought I can usually pick it up. But I cannot see beyond one or two thoughts, and only if you are concentrating on them'
'How do we know you are telling the truth?' asked Harry
'Ask the Headmaster, he will vouch for me' he replied. This assuaged the fears of the trio. If Dumbledore knew then it was probably okay, they would ask him later to confirm of course 'Meanwhile, I would ask you to keep my secret, not everyone is so understanding' he smiled.
The trio made a mental note to be careful about what they concentrate on when Louis was around. If four people share such secrets you can help getting close. Thus Louis was soon accepted into the trio.
The bell rang and they headed for charms and Flitwick.
In a location somewhere in Britain
Voldemort was seated on a throne the room was cold and dark. A single torch provided the little light the room had. A snake lay beside him, gently hissing at the new arrival.
'Master, he has arrived at Hogwarts' said a man wearing a death eater's mask.
'Excellent. Include him in the plan, he will prove quite useful' hissed Voldemort.
'Yes, My Lord' said the death eater.
'Leave' said Voldemort. The death eater bowed himself out.
'Dumbledore you fool! You should have never allowed him entrance into Hogwarts' he said aloud his face turned and twisted into something vaguely resembling a smile.
The rest of the day was quite normal. Louis was fantastic in almost every subject, not as good as Hermione though. But he was awful at transfiguration.
Ginny joined the four and they filled her in, after Harry told Louis that she had to know everything.
In the evening Hermione wanted to go to the library, she left alone. Harry and Ginny went off to the lake.
Ron opened the board and laid it on the table in the Gryffindor common room.
'Wizards chess' he said simply.
'Do I take that as a challenge?' replied Louis.
'Yes' said Ron.
And the game began.
Lake:
The lake was beautiful, shimmering with the evening sun set. A cool breeze ran though its shores.
Ginny sat cuddled in Harry's arms.
'Harry, do you thing about the future?' she asked looking at the sky which was beginning to fill with stars.
'Yes, Ginny I do' he said in a gentle voice.
'What will become of us Harry, so many people are dying, one of these days our turn will come!' she said.
'Don't think like that Ginny!' replied Harry turning her face to his 'Its okay we are safe at Hogwarts, Dumbledore will never let Voldemort get to us again. Any of us…' said Harry.
'What about after school Harry?' she asked in a small voice
'Then we'll see Ginny, we each have our destiny to fulfill, Que Sera Sera' he said.
'What will be will be'
Ginny sighed and cuddled closer.
Library:
Hermione sat in remote corner of the library, looking down at a book on Advanced Arithimacy, but not really reading it. She sighed as she twirled the thoughts that played in her mind.
I'm falling in love with Louis, she thought. Don't be silly, another part of her mind scolded her. You have always loved Ron; throughout the fifth year you tried to say it, but like a coward did not. That's because Ron thinks of me like a sister, she replied bitterly. Louis on the other hand, handsome, romantic, loves books, honorable and mature. What's not to like about him? she said to herself. The same voice asked mischievously, ah but do you love him?
Just then someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned in surprise to see a familiar figure.
'You!' she said astonished.
Gryffindor Common Room:
The fire flicked with its magic fuel. Radiating heat and light, casting dubious shadows of the two chess players across the room.
'Knight to E-5, Why don't you just tell her?' said Louis.
'Tell who? What?' said a startled Ron.
'Hermione, That you desire her' she said with a smile.
'Reading my thoughts' Ron frowned at him.
'Firstly, quite. If a person thinks of the same thing again and again all day long, thoughts are bound to stray' he said amused. Ron blushed at this. 'Secondly you didn't deny it'
'Alright, alright' said Ron 'I'm just waiting for the right time or some kind of signal'
'She feels the same way about you' Louis said gently.
'What!' Ron shouted earning them quite some stares. The chess board fell to the ground; the grumbling pieces marched back towards it, setting it up again. 'But Ron had forgotten about the game. 'Really?'
'Really, though she expressed a rather keen interest in me' he said grinning, but one look at Ron's face and he hastily added 'but, that was a passing fancy, she is truly in love with you'
'Okay, Mister relationship advisor, romantic king and all that rot' said Ron 'Advice me on this issue'
'Well first…
Library Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
'Sh!' said the mysterious figure.
'Malfoy, what are you doing here' Hermione demanded.
'Would you believe to apologize' he said.
'For what?' said a startled and shocked Hermione.
'Um, the entire muggle-born insult and all…' he said sitting down opposite to her.
'Why?' she said eyeing him suspiciously.
'Granger, currently I am very confused. Every thing I grew up to believe and trust has been turned on its head. First, it was the myth about the dark lord. Then, the family history and honor. Once, my father passed away, I did an extensive search of the Malfoy libraries and Histories. The originals' he paused for breathe.
Hermione encouraged him to go on.
'I discovered, that the Malfoy tradition demands of oneself to fight for honor and good. It was my grandfather who disgraced the family name my converting to evil, and my father followed in his foot steps' he said.
'Malfoy, why are you telling me this' Hermione asked.
'Because you deserve to know' he replied simply.
'Go, on' Hermione sighed.
'The biggest shock that I received was that my mother was under the imperious amulet, a necklace designed to put the wearer under a permanent imperious curse. When she broke free, she told me the entire truth. All than my father had done…' he put his face in his hands 'I am so ashamed, so shamed'. Tears trickled down his eyes.
At that moment Hermione's heart went out to Draco. Here was the most hateful person in the entire school, who had just been shocked out of his wits and reduced to a pathetic state. She held his hand and patted it.
'Its okay Draco, its okay' she said.
She said my name; the thought went through Draco's mind.
Author: I wrap here! Thank you for all those who reviewed. It filled me up with energy and inspiration and thus this chapter. Clue, Mentac is NOT Louis is secret.