PLEASE TAKE NOTE THAT THIS WAS NOT WRITTEN BY STELLAR RHAYNE*although she did a wonderful job at co-authoring it* BUT WAS WRITTEN BY GEORGIAPEACHES!!! Read the Authors note so you will understand the circumstances. Thanks – Stellar Rhayne

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.  I collect poems, nifty quotes and other such things. I don't always know where they come from. I try my best to put the quote with an author, if you find one of your quotes please tell me and I will delete, or credit you with it. Again I do not mean to copyright.

Author's Note: I really need a beta reader if any of you would be able to do this for me I would be happy. My parents do not allow me to have any of the Harry Potter books in the house or to even write this story, or read hp. fan fiction, so I really need someone with access to the books. My co- author, Stellar Rhayne is the one posting this seeing as I can't.*My parents have blocked FF.net but they haven't blocked all the fanfiction websites, thank god* Please review. I intend to continue this story, I already have several other chapters written I just have to type and check them. I am not going to stop writing any time soon. Thanks again and please review – Georgia Peaches



The Sword of Slytherin

Chapter 1: Skipping the Express



Draco stalked silently down the halls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Today was the last day the school year, and while other students were happy to be going home Draco was furious. He was supposed to have done to his mother's aunt's house this summer, but after Harry Potter had beaten him at Quidditch his father had decided he need more motivation and training. Draco would be going back to the Malfoy Mansion this summer and he was pissed, very pissed.

A he was heading back to the Slytherin common room Draco spotted Neville Longbottom. Neville was a Gryffindor who had little real magical power, and was, besides, a friend of Harry Potter. Draco sauntered up to Longbottom airily.

"Hello Longbottom," Draco drawled with an evil glint in his gray-blue eyes. He was angry and very much in the mood to do some serious damage.

"H-hello Dr-Draco" Neville stuttered surprised and anxious. Draco was reminded somewhat of a mouse startled by a pouncing cat. "What's the matter Longbottom?" Draco inquired as Neville cast anxious glances around him. Neville was, no doubt, hoping Harry Potter would show up, but with a glance around, Draco was assure that the were indeed alone in the hallway. Draco leaned in toward Neville with evil smirk on his handsome face. Just then professor McGonagall walked up. Draco stepped back quickly and replaced his smirk with a friendly grin. McGonagall was an ass of a teacher, as she was strict and rather unlikable. "What's going on here?" she asked in clipped, suspicious tones. She did not like Draco, and never had. Draco suspected it had something to do with his father. It wouldn't have mattered much if she had not liked him because he was proud, or even because he was a Slytherin, but that he was disliked simply because of his family line made him angry. "Nothing" Draco replied nonchalantly. "Right Longbottom?" Draco inquired with a threatening glance in Neville's direction. "R-Right." Neville replied, his voice still shaky. "Good then" McGonagall tersely replied, casting Draco one more suspicious glance before Draco sauntered off down the hall on his way to the Slytherin common room. Draco passed George, Fred, Percy, and Ron Weasley in the hall. Ginny, he had heard, had been sent to Beaubaxtons for the year to improve her manners. Because she had grown up with only brothers she had turned out somewhat as a tom boy. They all seemed rather cheery. Draco, for once, did not stop to make some comment on them, but hurried on toward the common room, wanting to get this over with as soon as he possibly could.

He soon entered the dungeon section of the castle, and made his way quickly to the common room entrance, where he paused before clearly pronouncing the password "Finise". A hidden doorway swung open without a sound admitting Draco into a surprisingly comfortable room.

The Slytherin common room was decorated much better than the other common rooms owing to the fact that the Slytherin simply had more money to improve their room. There were few children among the Slytherin whose parents were not rich, for that was the nature of Slytherin, to win at all cost, and, naturally, to win meant to gain money.

The Slytherin common room was decorated in silver and green, the house colors. There were comfortable looking couches scattered everywhere, some by themselves for privacy,

and some set off in groups. A large group of students now occupied a group of couches near the fireplace. The fireplace was huge and imposing, made of the same bare stone that made up the entire room it seemed to have been there forever. Inside the fireplace enchanted green and silver flames leapt about, only admitting heat when it got too cold, so that the room would never be too hot or cold.

       Over the mantel of the fireplace was a huge snake, the symbol of the Slytherin house. It look rather eerie in the flickering light from the fireplace, as if at any moment it might start to slither off the mantle.

      

Seated in a chair not far from the fireplace was a girl, silver and green light reflecting off her gleaming black hair. She was a third yea, one year younger than him. She looked quite mysterious and beautiful sitting in the green and silver firelight. Her large blue eyes were intently reading a book entitled Life as a Muggle a humorous tale by Kate Darkwind which she held in slender hands. Every now and then she would giggle a bit at whatever she was reading, loosing a bit her mysterious air. After pausing a moment to study her Draco walked swiftly over to her, his blond hair was slicked back and glistening in the firelight. Shadows played across his face making him look somehow older, angrier. Draco took a seat next to the girl and impatiently waited for her to look up. She glanced up, an amused expression still lingering on her delicate features. "Did you want something Draco?" she inquired lightly. "Serena, I think we should break it off. At least over the summer, give ourselves some room. We haven't been getting along very well and I think maybe this would be a good opportunity to sit back and think for a bit." he rushed out, not wanting to hurt her too badly. Serena looked stunned for a moment, then her features settled back into studied calmness. "All right, if that's how you want it." she replied in icy tones. "Good then" Draco replied decisively. "Good" she replied back. Draco sat for a moment in tense silence before rising quickly and making his way to the boys' dormitories.

     

  The boys' rooms were down the stairs on the right, the girls on the left. The boys' rooms were large, with a fireplace in each room. The normal rooms contained room for six boy and their pets. They had three bunk beds and were comfortably large. Draco, however, had gotten a single room; paid for by his father, which cost more, but you had the room to yourself. His room was smaller than the others, but still comfortable. The walls were made of rough stone, with a fireplace in the center of the wall. The fireplace was not now lit, but if it had been it would have issued blue and silver flames. His bed, all dark wood and imposing, sat opposite the fireplace. Wall lights lit the room with an eerie blue glow, the changed depending on his mood. Right now he was ice, as he must be, preparing to meet his father. Hanging above the mantle of the fire in a heavily gilded frame was an enormous picture of the family crest and motto, "At all cost" emblazoned in fiery red letters. This had been a gift from his father, to remind him of home. Apart from a huge dresser these were the only possessions left in the room. He did not need to take them back as this would be his room next year also. All of his other possessions had been owled back already. He took one last glance before steeling himself and exiting the room. The heavy door swung shut with a bang, leaving an empty room.

Draco quickly made his way down the corridor and back up the stairway into the common room. Serena was no longer there and Draco could only assume she had gone to her room. Draco scanned the room with his quick gaze, letting this eyes rest on Crabbe and Goyle. He had met them both at Knokturn alley a few years before entering Hogwarts. He had been made to go along with his father to meet some old school mates, which had turned out to be their fathers. Draco, of course, seeing the advantage of such a friendship had proceeded to make them his loyal bodyguard.  Much too stupid to be termed anything but bodyguards, they were not really friends, only companions of sorts, no they were not very bright, but they were big and their presence was all that was needed to insure Draco's safety, yes they were much to stupid to be useful as anything else.

     

  "Bye then fellows." He said in a offhand manner as he walked by the table they were seated at. "Bye," they replied cheerfully. They had probably not yet realized that they would not see Draco again until next school year and were wondering why he was saying good-bye. Making his way over to the door Draco waved good-bye to a few others he had spoken with this year. Draco paused before the door, thinking. None of these people are real friends, he thought. None would put themselves in danger to help me, except maybe Crabbe and Goyle, but that was only because they were too stupid to realize that they, just like their fathers, were being used. And I would not do put myself in danger for any of them. No, he had no need for friends, or so he thought, but this was the way he had been raised. People were for using, and, when they were no longer useful, they were to be discarded. He had grown up on this philosophy and had very rarely rebelled against it. Draco wondered ideally what it must be like to have friends like that, but dismissed the idea immediately. His father's philosophy had condemned Draco to live in solitude, a solitude only recently somewhat broken by his relationship with Serena. But he had called it off. He really did like her, but they had been fighting recently. She was the jealous type, always suspecting that he was just using her. That he was using all the girls in Slytherin, which, to his great regret on some parts, was entirely not true. And then there was his father. Draco knew that as soon as his father would hear of their relationship he would insist on meeting her, corrupting her, the dirty bastard. His father was sometimes driven mad by jealousy, anything he could not have he wanted and, usually got.

This was the reason Narcissa had married Lucius Malfoy. Draco didn't know much about it but he did know that his father had somehow tricked his mother into marrying him. He had old he they would get divorced afterward, but she had become pregnant with Draco and could not leave after that. His mother had readily admitted she did not want him and never had.

So in a way Draco was protecting her. Their recent fights and the knowledge of what his father would do if he ever found out was too much for Draco he had to break it off. It was better this way, he reasoned, much better.

Draco waked down the crowded halls of Hogwarts, passing students who had already changed to normal clothes. Some of them, to Draco's disgust, were even wearing muggle clothes. Reaching the entrance to the castle he paused for a moment before entering into the bright summer sunlight. A trained wizard, dressed in all black and silver, hired by Lucius awaited Draco on the steps of Hogwarts. His father employed around thirty trained deatheaters at the castle for various jobs including transporting people to and from the Mansion. This was necessary at times for Malfoy Mansions location was known to only a select few, insuring the safety of the place.

Draco walked up to the deatheater. "I'm ready" he said casually to the man, as if nothing about going back to the castle perturbed him in the least. "Right," he replied, "then we're off." he said, pulling out a gold wrist watch. "it should be ready in about five seconds, please take hold of it" Draco grasped the watch tightly in his hand. It was cold, but then everything that came from Malfoy Mansion seemed to be cold. Draco suddenly felt as if he were being pulled upward, everything around him became a blur. He suddenly felt his feet touch down to the ground. They had arrived at the gazebo, the only place at Malfoy Mansion that allowed a person to apparate to or port key at. Try anywhere else and the unfortunate wizard would find themselves trapped underneath the mansion in the dungeon, which Draco could stand for, was a horrid place to be. When he was younger his father had cured him of his fear of the dark by locking him in the dungeon for two days. At the time he had not known his father had put some protecting charms on him to keep the more frightening of dungeon creatures away. It was well known that a stay in the dungeons at Malfoy Mansion could and probably would result in death.

Dismissing the servant that had brought him there he quickly made his way back to the house. The grounds were beautiful but deadly. They seemed to reflect the people that had planted them. At first glance the plants seemed to be beautiful but upon closer inspection one could find thorns and even teeth.

Draco arrived at the foot of the steps that lead to the mansion. He briskly ascended the stairs. The doors then opened silently enabling Draco to enter the house. The house was coldly beautiful, it had the appearance of never being lived in. It was so clean, it was almost sterile the type of clean usually reserved for hospitals. It did not 'feel' as some homes did. It was not an old feeling house, though it was old nor did it feel new. It did not feel lived in or abandoned certainly not poor or humble. The closest one could come to describing the house was cold, impartial, uncaring. It was decorated sparingly and only in black and silver. Though there were a few decorations they obviously expensive. The house did not shout wealth but one could tell instantly upon entering the house the richness of it. It was a feeling carried throughout the house once again reflecting on the Malfoy family line.

Draco ignored all of this, having grown up with it; he was used to all of it. A small, poorly dressed house elf hurried up to the door and gave a high pitched squeak when he saw Draco. "Master you is home!" he exclaimed happily. "I is happy to see you

Master." He said, his high pitched voice rising even higher in his excitement. "Yes, yes Marty, but where is my mother?" Draco inquired rather impatiently. Marty's face fell. "She is gone to the summer house in Wales. She is very upset; she is leaving in a big rush." His big eyes stayed down up a bit longer, then rose back and got their spark back. "Your father is gone, but he will be back by supper, he says you must eat with him tonight." Draco, naturally, had been hoping his father would be gone on an extended business trip, he had no such luck. Oh well, he thought. I had to meat him some time or another, might as well be tonight.

Draco made his way up a staircase and down the hall, heading toward the back of the house. His room was the last in the hall He entered quickly, letting the door slam shut behind him. The room was dark and sparsely furnished. His father only believed in spending money on him where other people could see it. He walked to a large dresser and took out a white fencing suite. His father had started teaching him fencing when he was very young. At first he had hated it, but he had grown to like it. Each year his father challenged him and each year he lost, next year he intended to win. If he had t spend the rest of the year in the fencing hall he would. He changed quickly into his suite and stepped out the door.

"Marty" he called. The house elf appeared in a few seconds. "Go get Michael, tell him I want to practice." Marty disappeared down the hall without a word. Draco walked down the hall to the fencing hall. The entire room was black, making the two fencers look rather dramatic in their white suits. Draco took a slim sword off the wall. It was not beaded as most fencing swords were, so they would not cut. Draco's father believed that if you made a mistake you should pay for it.

Michael entered the room wordlessly. He took a sword off the wall and stood across the room from Draco. "Ready" he asked grimly, knowing he was about to get the shit beat out of him. Draco was focused intently on the match, and after the initial thrust and parry he lost himself in the rhythm of the fight, responding automatically to block thrust in his direction and then countering quickly. Draco caught his hit time and time again, but never actually cutting into Michael, for this was only a practice. Eventually Draco pinned him, and they both stepped back. Draco had not a single tear in the white suit. "Later" he said casually before walking out the door and into his bathroom to take a shower.

Draco swiftly walked into the dining hall for dinner. At one end of the table sat his father. He was reading a book and seemed very interested in the book. He looked angry but then again he always looked angry. Draco took a seat to the left of his father in a gray chair. They sat silently for a few moments. Then his father lifted his head from the book he was reading he had the trademark Malfoy smirk on his face. "Potter beat you again I see." Lucius inquired. "Yes." Replied Draco, his face somewhat downcast. "Perhaps you need some motivation? His father inquired icily. "No, I want to best Potter I do, its just that's he is better than me, he always seems to see the snitch first." Draco said, his voice wavering in humiliation. "No Potter is better than a Malfoy!" he yelled, furious at Draco for even suggesting such a thing. "Yes, you need some motivation

Draco, and I am sure I know just how to give it to you." He said with a malicious smile on his face.