Deny Thy Father And Refuse Thy Name Chapter 15: What Would You Do If?, a harry potter fanfic

~~~~Deny Thy Father And Refuse Thy Name....~~~~

Disclaimer: Standard :sigh: JKR is a goddess and anything canon belongs to her. Anything else however heh belongs to me! :grins:

Cheers to everyone reading and reviewing! :)

For sake of time today which is short sadly I want to thank: Fanny Chan, Coriander, Prophetess, Shini, Temptress (me fluffy bunny! Yes I promise to get back to you on the past lives thing, just finally cleaning out the email box ;groan:), Toyo (grins I'll try for the bike scene! :grins:), Cosmic, Shades (heh you'll see what happens on that confrontation!), Moonfire, Katzztar, Nagani, Nagini, and Draco n Harry. Cheers mates, you guys are the best! :hugs and hugs:

Cheers for pointing out the messed up chappie, I didn't catch it on the upload. Now I'll make sure to do a preview of what I'm ULing so I catch those. Don't know why FFN doubled up the chap that way :mutter: but it's fixed now.

~~~~Chapter Fifteen: What Would You Do If...?~~~~

Harry wasn't sure what to do, say or even think at the moment. Narcissa Malfoy's dropping of the proverbial bomb on him about her love for Peter Pettigrew and his for her seemed like more fantasy than reality. All he could do was sit there and stare at her, not even aware that Draco was trying to get his attention. He felt cold and numb, wanting to hate Narcissa Malfoy for what she had done, yet knowing it would be pointless at this point to do so. All he knew right now was that he had to think, to get away from everything...to run, and that's exactly what he did.

Before anyone could stop him he dashed out of the secret passage, he wasn't even sure where he was going yet, just as long as it was away from everyone else. In those three little words, one single name, everything that had happened to him suddenly started to press in on him. Not just Narcissa's confession, but all of it, from the day he'd come across Sirius, Remus and Severus in the hidden corridor, to right this moment.

Oddly enough he found himself ending up in a certain place out of habit more than anything else, the place in the Gryffindor stands that now felt like now so long ago in which he used to find solace. Right now he wasn't sure if it would bring him any comfort, but it was something familiar, something of a reminder of a life he no longer had. A life that had once though had been cruel, painful, constricting, and hopeless, but now he had to wonder what the difference was between his 'old' life, and this 'new' one he was leading.

Pulling up his knees to his chest he wrapped his winter cloak round him tightly and sighed, letting the tears he'd been holding back for a while fall. He let them fall for his mum that he would never know, for James Potter who had sacrificed his life for a child that wasn't even his, for his godfather who had been denied freedom for so long. He let them fall for Remus, persecuted and thrown to the wayside for long because of something he couldn't help. For his father for having to endure the roles he played, and for putting himself in danger all the time.

He cried for Draco for a lot of reasons; for what Draco had also had endured in his life with Lucius, for believing in Harry even when he hadn't believed in himself, for loving him, and mainly just because he was Draco. He remembered the day, almost two months ago now, in which he had confronted Draco right here in this place, how Draco had told him things that had made him think. His mind heard the ghostly whispers of that fated phrase Draco had asked him '...Tell me something....what is it the great Harry Potter doesn't have by now that he couldn't just snap his fingers and get?...'

Harry knew that back then he really didn't have the full answers to that question, but he did now. Drying his tears he thought long on hard on that phrase whilst watching the sun slowly dip down past the horizon heralding the evening. As he watched the sun go down he realised now how foolish he had been to run, it's just that he was very good at running it seemed when the chips fell haphazardly. He was always running from something it seemed, whether it was running away from the Dursleys (though he refused to justify that running away as anything but a good idea), or from knowing the 'truth' because he simply didn't want to deal with it, or sometimes just running for the sport of 'running away'. Not having to deal with life had become almost a mantra for him and he regretted that highly now.

He knew now what it really was that the great 'Harry Potter' could never have that he as 'Harry' could...true happiness. The happiness that he had always envied with Ron and Hermione, the happiness that would make him complete, loved, needed, without the stigmas and the bowing and scraping for his attentions. That was one thing he had liked about his two best friends, they didn't do that with him, even when he had been 'Harry Potter'. They simply took him as 'Harry', just 'Harry' and nothing else, face value. They had their good days and bad days, just like all friends, but in the end they stuck together no matter what.

Harry knew that his relationship with Draco would take some doing, but he somewhat realised that his fears were probably groundless most likely. Just as long ago, there were some things you just couldn't share without ending up liking each other, and though this time it was his loving Draco Malfoy and not wrestling a twelve foot mountain troll, he had a pretty good idea it wouldn't be much different. They had seen each other through thick and thin over the past six years, and Harry doubted his friends would stand in the way of his happiness, because that's simply what true blue friends do for each other.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't even realize someone had sat down next to him on the bleacher, though he was reluctant yet to turn away from watching the last of the sun's rays climb back down the horizon. He knew who it was next to him though, and really he didn't mind. If anyone was going to come after him, Harry supposed this was probably person for the job of doing that. The person next to him now seemed to understand that, and just sat there waiting and watching as well, and Harry knew the person was waiting for him to make the first move.

'I'm sorry,' he said after a few more minutes, still not turning to face the person.

'For what, Harry?' the person asked curiously.

'For running away like I did, just like I always do. It's no wonder the hat wanted to put me into Slytherin, I make a lousy Gryffindor half the time,' Harry sighed.

The person chuckled and shook his head. 'It's not who we are that is more important in life, Harry, it's what we choose to do with that life that's important. Running away sometimes is better than staying to face the music. It gives us time to think and plan. Call it perhaps not running away even, but a strategic withdrawal, regrouping to face the next day and the next set of encounters stronger then before.'

Harry thought on that a moment. 'I suppose I never thought of it that way, I'm just so used to just running and not looking back. Funny though...I was so tired of having to make 'choices', to be what everyone wanted me to be as 'Harry Potter'...yet...as 'Harry' I have even more choices, and not a clue what to do about making them.'

'Do you remember what I told you back in your second year when we were discussing Tom Riddle?'

Harry thought a moment then nodded. 'You said something about 'It is out choices that show us what we truly are, far more than our abilities', was that it?' he asked and turned to face the person next to him questioningly.

Dumbledore looked at Harry a moment, then nodded slowly. 'Harry, life is comprised of nothing but choices, no matter who you are or what your name is. Whether it's picking out your favourite pair of trousers for the day, or in deciding what last name you want to bear, that is just a part of life's choices. Tears and running is only but a temporary solution, though needed at times I admit, but never-the-less, only temporary.'

'Why me though? Why am I the one that had to be so 'special'? Why couldn't it have been someone else so the only choices I would have in life were what type of trousers to wear or what I wanted to eat for supper?' Harry asked bitterly.

'That is a question I cannot answer, Harry. Some people are just meant to be more 'special' than others, for whatever reasons the Fates decree. Again though, it's what they choose to do with being 'special' that makes the difference. A king does not asked to be born a king, but he makes the best of what job he's been given. Just as a pauper does not asked to be born poor, but he makes the best of what he has.'

'So you're saying that's what I need to do as well then. I certainly didn't ask to do what I did all those years ago, and it's certainly made my life hell since then hasn't it,' Harry sighed. 'Why did you send me away to the Dursleys and from the wizarding world, Professor?'

Dumbledore looked at Harry sadly for a moment, then sighed. 'A lot of reasons, Harry, you can say that was part of one of my choices back then. You had done our world a great service at the time, but I didn't want you to grow up being conceited and egotistical because of something you had no memory of doing. Personally though you may not want to hear it, I think you have come away from your experiences far better off than had you stayed in this world.'

Harry wasn't sure what to think on that, and for a few minutes he reflected on his life up till this point. True the Dursleys had been horrible to him, but in the same token he wondered if had he stayed in the wizarding world...gods forbid maybe he would have ended up like Gilderoy Lockhart or something. 'When you put it that way, I guess I'm glad I didn't know who I was...or rather...what I'd done until Hagrid came and got me.'

'You are an exceptional young man, Harry, always remember that. It's not the name you have that makes you who are you, but rather who you are that makes the name. Whether you are 'Harry Potter', 'Harry Snape', or just 'Harry', it really doesn't matter. What is in your heart and soul, what you believe in makes up who you are . You are loved no matter what name you bear, by your father, your 'family', your friends...and Draco, and I guarantee you that not one of them truly cares what name you use.' Dumbledore said with a smile.

Harry smiled back and nodded. 'You're right, I'm stupid to think a name is going to really matter. Just like Draco, I mean everyone always expects a Malfoy to be the way they are, but Draco isn't that way. He can be a right pain sometimes, but I reckon so can we all at times. We hated each other for so long because he's a Slytherin and I'm a Gryffindor...names of houses dived us, made us hate each other,' Harry said quietly.

'Harry, you are an heir of Slytherin that chose to reside in the House of Gryffindor. Tell me, do you think the name really matters in the end? You have the qualities of both houses, no question there. The cunning ambitions of a Slytherin, and the courageous nobility of a Gryffindor, a rare mix, but you manage to use them all well. You made the choice to go to Gryffindor. Without even knowing why that was back then, you chose the side of light over dark, one of the hardest choices a person can make.' Dumbledore said quietly.

'Does a person always have to be judged as being 'light' or 'dark' though? Is there ever a balance inbetween? I mean, I want to do what's right, whenever I can, but sometimes...even before I knew about all of this, who I was and all...I know I have that darker side. Sometimes I have to fight it so hard not to let it get the better of me, sometimes it does, and I get so afraid,' Harry said quietly.

'We all have a dark side, some more than others. That has nothing to do with blood-lines or anything else, but just because that's human nature. Humans are a funny breed, Harry, prone to angers, jealousies, hatreds and fears, and there is nothing we can really do to stop that. Some take that to the extreme, like in Voldemort's case, where he has allowed all that was good in him to be destroyed for the evil. But not all of his servants have done so.'

'You mean like my father,' Harry said.

Dumbledore nodded. 'He had a very dark side to him long ago, and like you he also had to make his choices. He chose the side of light, redemption for his actions, even though he knew the blood of those he killed would be on his hands forever. Even though he has turned away from the dark, he still struggles with it daily, but something keeps him from giving in.'

'What?'

'Love, Harry. The love that Remus and Sirius have for him, and that he has for them, and now your love as well. Love can cause us to do strange things, Harry, in can heal or wound, start wars or end them. Love is a giddy thing, and we have no control over what it can do to us,' Dumbledore said quietly.

'You mean like make a person turn to the side of darkness,' Harry said bitterly.

'Yes indeed it can, it can make us blind, angry and want revenge without knowing even why. It can make a person easier to be seduced by the dark because all hope has been denied, because it's easier to be in pain and torment then to wish for what can never be. When one is weaker to begin with, it becomes all too easy to get submerged into bitter hatreds,' Dumbledore said.

'What was Pettigrew like as a kid, Professor?' Harry asked suddenly. He didn't know why, but somehow at the moment it seemed very relevant.

'Most unlike he is now, yet in away, very much so like he is now. He was never a popular child, too quiet and more studious than anything. When the 'Marauders' took him under their wing it helped a little, but they didn't always treat him all that good even then. Oh they were great friends don't get me wrong, but Peter was always the one who got the short end of the stick I suppose.'

'How so?' Harry asked curiously.

'Sirius has never told you about his family life, has he,' Dumbledore said thoughtfully. Not a question, more like a passing comment.

Harry shook his head. 'No, he's never told me anything. I tried to ask him once, he avoided it like the plague. The only thing he did tell me was they were ahh...well they didn't get along. Why, is it important?'

'In a way yes, it is to understand what happened back then. I suppose it isn't my place to dredge up the past, but I'm sure that in this case he would forgive me. Sirius wasn't exactly what everyone thought he was, which is where it all began,' Dumbledore said.

'Where what all began?' Harry asked puzzled.

'I believe it was sixth-year when things for Sirius started to take a downward note. James and Lily had started seeing each other, Remus was with Severus for a while as you know, and Sirius I'm afraid started to feel quite out of the loop. Peter was also seeing someone, though he didn't know at the time, and Sirius was suddenly left to his own devices, which was not a good thing. Sirius you see is descended of family of all Slytherin House members, something that bothers him greatly to this day,' Dumbledore said sadly.

'S-Slytherins? Sirius? No way...not Sirius! He's a Marauder!' Harry exclaimed in shock.

'Marauder he may have been, but he was a Slytherin by birth and nature, Harry. In fact he could have given Severus a run for his money in what dark arts Sirius Black knew when he arrived at Hogwarts. What made him different however, was that like you he chose to go to Gryffindor, and act of courage in fighting his family over the ambition of being like them. However, despite the fact he did go to Gryffindor, he still had all the traits of a Slytherin, and by sixth-year those colours showed all too well I'm afraid.'

'You mean when he tried to kill my dad right?' Harry asked.

Dumbledore nodded sadly. 'Amongst other things, yes. That was not the only sign that Sirius was allowing himself to grow darker in his outlook. The fact that he lied to me about several other things, such as his animagus abilities, showed his Slytherin traits to deceive, and his ability to pull pranks was more slyness than bravery. I suppose he thought things would be easy once he got one Slytherin out of the way of his friends grasp, but that wasn't the case. You see, just as Sirius had found out about Remus and Severus in sixth-year, in seventh-year he found out that Peter had been sneaking off for the past year to meet up with Narcissa Pembroke, a seventh-year Slytherin girl. Sirius was beyond angry for some reason, I'm not sure if anyone even know why that was.'

'Why would get so angry though if he didn't even like Pettigrew?' Harry asked puzzled.

'It wasn't Peter he was truly angry with more than it was Narcissa I think. I found out later on that Sirius confronted her one day, told her to break it off with Peter if she knew what was good for her, telling her to keep her oh what was those words...ah yes...'her slimy, Slytherin paws' off him. Also something to the effect that Slytherin's would never been good enough for the likes of a Gryffindor, and I do believe I heard wind of him saying they were nothing more than a group of 'obnoxious, evil, prats', or something to that effect,' Dumbledore said with a slight sniff.

Harry chuckled. 'Yup, sounds like Sirius all right. I guess Sirius had good reason though to hate Slytherins, seeing as how I do know how much he hated his family. Though he never said why that was, now that I know, it's no wonder. Talk 'bout being a hypocrite now though eh? He's in love with my dad, that must have really stuck him for a long time I bet,' he grinned.

'Yes, Sirius had a deep hatred for Slytherins, as well as a deep protectiveness for his friends and those he thought needed looking after, which is why he took Peter under is wing. Peter was always the odd boy out so to speak, always desperately wanting to belong somewhere, and I'm sorry to say because of that it make him very 'usable' by people like Sirius and James. Peter back then was a very good natured soul, and very eager to please his new friends,' Dumbledore said.

'Isn't that what friends do though?' Harry asked.

'Yes, but Sirius abused that to an extent. Whilst he and James would go off to Quidditch practice or wherever they wanted to go, Peter was the one whom they got to do their homework, to stand guard for them during their 'escapades', and unfortunately to take the blame for them quite a bit I'm afraid. Because of that we were all rather sharp with Peter back then, we hoped it would help him to stand up for himself, but sadly it drew him into needing 'acceptance' from his friends more and more. Or from anyone that was, and he found true acceptance in Narcissa.'

'Wow, I guess...well...I mean I didn't think they would do something like that. Hate to say it but...in way it reminds me of Ron and me, we were always running off on Hermione and letting her pick up our homework slack. Remind me not to do that again,' he said with a weak smile.

Dumbledore chuckled and shook his head. 'On the topic of Ms. Granger falling into the same traps young Peter did, I dare say that will never happen. She's far too headstrong and clever to allow it to happen.'

Harry did laugh then and nodded. 'That she is. I don't get it though, why was Sirius so angry with Pettigrew for liking Mrs. Malfoy? If he was happy, why did Sirius want to stop it, even if she was a Slytherin?'

'Part of it was pure selfishness amongst the other things, because when Peter became truly enamoured of Narcissa by seventh-year, he was no longer there as much for the others. They were forced to start doing their own work, and Sirius resented that quite a bit. Unfortunately the little chat Sirius had with Narcissa that day only made things worse,' Dumbledore said.

'How?'

'She told Peter what his 'friend' had said, and Peter confronted Sirius about it. For once he did stand up for himself, and tore into Sirius with a vengeance. Oh not with fists or wands, Peter was never a very good dueller, but with words and intent. Peter was a very clever himself, not quite a match for Ms. Granger, but he could certainly hold his own against her. He may have been a Marauder and mischief maker at times, but he preferred to read and play chess more than not, a very well read young man. I think he could probably tie with Hermione for who has read Hogwarts: A History the most if you want the truth,' Dumbledore chuckled.

'Egads, and here I thought Hermione was a lone breed in that,' Harry grinned. 'I just don't see how a person like that though could end up on the wrong side. It makes no sense, even if he was rejected by Mrs. Malfoy.'

'That was only the final straw in the mixture, Harry. The constant teasing and torments from Sirius and James at school, the way Sirius treated him after their confrontation about the fact Peter would not give up seeing Narcissa, the teases he had to endure as well by being a pure-blood with little money, all added up. Peter's parents also were not easy on him, they were disappointed in him for becoming a Gryffindor, and not a Ravenclaw as they, as well as most of the Pettigrews, had been. He was constantly hounded on all ends, and when Narcissa had no choice but to reject him, he finally broke, and turned to the one person who he thought would not reject or torment him,' Dumbledore said sadly.

'Voldemort,' Harry said quietly.

Dumbledore nodded. 'Yes, sadly that was indeed what happened. Up until then he managed to deal with the rest in fashion, ignoring what he could, or just accepting the ribbing and moving on. The loss of his love though, his hopes and dreams shattered at his feet, can make any man do things they don't even realize they are doing.'

Harry started at that and gave it a few moments thought. 'You think he really went over to Voldemort's side unawares?' he asked skeptically.

'Not exactly, he was completely aware of who Voldemort was, I'm not saying that he didn't know. What I am saying however, is that he didn't go over perhaps quite as knowing as you think he did. When a person loses all their hope in themselves, there is a deep void left, one that is easier to be filled by corruption more than anything else. Voldemort is very good at making promises, Harry, of making people think things they normally wouldn't. Even you have been the victim of his empty promises if I remember correctly,' Dumbledore said giving Harry a knowing look.

Harry sighed and nodded his head, knowing what Dumbledore was saying was true. There had been times that he himself had almost been taken in by Voldemort's promises, like the time back in his first-year. Though it was only a brief moment, he had wondered what it would it would have been like to have just given in and let the dark win, after all he was only eleven and facing the most feared man in the entire world. Though of course he didn't know that he would keep having to face Voldemort year in and year out since then nearly, but the fact was he knew his own dark side had more than a few times slipped through the cracks when face to face with his archenemy. He had survived against Voldemort but he also knew he could just as easily have been manipulated. He knew then that if he himself with all that he had faced could still be corruptible like that, then what chance did a person like Peter Pettigrew ever have against him? Harry didn't have to think of the answer to that, it was plain as day - none.

'Do...do you think that if Pettigrew were to find out that Mrs. Malfoy still loved him that...that he would turn back from the dark?' Harry asked hesitantly.

Dumbledore turned and looked at Harry intently, a deep blue eyed gaze that Harry felt swept up in. 'At Gorchefygu Anhoffter Ond Yr Cyfoeth Cariad Brydiau Bod Chwithau Achubiaeth,' Do you remember?' he asked softly.

Harry nodded, remembering that phrase all too well. To Overcome Hatred Only The Power Of Love Will Be Your Salvation, which meant that if his father and Sirius could overcome their hatreds, fears and angers, then perhaps love could also still save Peter Pettigrew. 'He killed mum though, he betrayed them...can I really forgive him?' he said thinking out loud.

'Why didn't you let Remus and Sirius kill him that day in the Shack, Harry?' Dumbledore queried.

'I don't really know honestly, I guess...I didn't want anyone else to die anymore. It wasn't going to bring her back, it wasn't going to solve anything by killing him, just pointless revenge. I didn't want Sirius and Remus to go to Azkaban for something so stupid as that,' Harry sighed.

'Which again makes you very different than Voldemort, he would have shown no mercy, neither to friend nor enemy. You share a bond with Peter Pettigrew for saving his life that way, Harry, perhaps you can use that to your advantage in more ways than one now.'

'How? He, like everyone else, thinks I'm dead. I don't see how that would be of much use now,' Harry said.

'If you had the chance to save someone's soul, even an enemy's soul...would you take it?' Dumbledore asked curiously.

Harry snorted. 'Not Voldemort.'

'Ah, but Tom Riddle was once a person too, Harry. You only got to see one small part of his past, but there was much more to young Tom Riddle than you know.'

'Whatever it was, I'm sure I could care less,' Harry said bitterly.

'If you had the chance to save him though, would you take it?' Dumbledore asked.

Harry thought on that a moment, not sure how to respond since the biting words he was going to say suddenly weren't there. 'I don't know, Professor, I really don't. I do know I'm tired of the bloodshed, of the death and the fear that's going on round me. Tired of losing people I care about like Cedric, Dean, Seamus, and my mum. I think I know what you're saying though, Professor. If I had the chance to save Pettigrew...would I do it, right?' he asked.

'If he were here before you now, Harry, would you still wish for his death...or would you want to restore the hope he once had for life, restore the belief that love could very well be his salvation yet. Which would you choose to offer him?' Dumbledore said.

Harry looked back over at where they sun had now finally set, thinking on that for a few minutes. This really just wasn't about Peter Pettigrew, he knew that, though it wasn't being said exactly. This was about making choices in general, decisions that would affect everything he knew, believed in, new territory that had never been crossed before. He knew that this decision would not rest on him as 'Harry Potter the Boy Who Lived or rather Had Died', but as just simply 'Harry'. A 'Harry' that was free to make a decision without the whole world knowing it, without being judged by anyone except himself.

Turning back to Dumbledore he looked him in the eyes and said, 'I would choose...love...Professor, because without love, there is no hope. My father found love after years of hatred and torment, and for everything he had done as a Death Eater, Sirius and Remus still offered him their love as well. They saved him and gave him back his hopes and dreams. I don't want anymore suffering, Professor Dumbledore, it's not worth it now, there's enough to worry about with Voldemort still out there yet.'

'Then you would save him,' Dumbledore said softly.

Harry nodded. 'I would..though I don't know how I can possible do it. You know dad, Remus and Sirius aren't going be happy about this, Professor. And I don't even know what Draco's going to think about it all, I mean, this is his mum, not mine. I really shouldn't be the one to make this decision, at least not without asking Draco,' Harry said with a sigh.

'Well it's about time you decided to ask what I would think, Harry. Honestly, you really do take forever to make up your mind on things, don't you!' a voice said from behind Harry causing him to nearly jump out of the bleachers.

Turning round quickly he didn't see anything for a moment, then he heard the rustle of cloth and he knew what was going on. Shaking his head he muttered, 'Aren't you supposed to be resting or something instead of scaring me half to death?'

'What, and be deprived of seeing you die a second time? Nope, sorry, but the next time you do die, Harry, I intend to be there. Just try and get rid of me,' Draco said now coming out from underneath the cloak with a grin.

'You're impossible you know that?' he said rolling his eyes, though they clearly showed just how much he loved the silver haired boy before him.

'Nope, I'm in love, there's a huge difference, Harry,' Draco laughed and slid down next to Harry on the lower bleacher, putting his arm round Harry's waist. 'Nice cloak by the by, so this how you only had half a body back in third-year eh?'

Harry laughed and nodded, scooting over so he was as close to Draco as he could get and wrapped his own arm round Draco's shoulders. 'Yeah, it was James's cloak,' Harry said, then thought of something and turned to Dumbledore. 'Why did you give it to me though if it was his?'

'Because James wanted you to have it, Harry. Though you were not his son he did care for you very much. I suppose in a way he was hoping you would 'put it to good use', just as he had done in his day,' Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eyes.

Harry grinned. 'So I have, haven't I. I did...do...still care about him, I mean he was pretty accepting of the whole thing with what happened between mum and dad. I think that explains though why my Patronus is a stag because I respect him so much, even if I did end up turning into a - ' Harry began to say but cut himself off quickly.

Dumbledore chuckled and nodded at Harry. 'I've been aware of your ahh, extracurricular activities, for a while now, Harry. Don't worry though, that aspect of yourself will not get recorded, at least not by me,' he said with a twinkle.

'Harry? What does he mean by that?' Draco asked now curious.

'You knew?' Harry asked in shock, ignoring Draco for the moment. 'You didn't know about them...but you knew about us? How?'

Dumbledore shrugged. 'I suppose you can say once bitten, twice shy, Harry. I may have missed it then when they became what they did, but then they were a bit more...oh...discreet about it lets just say. I was expecting the three of you to try such a thing anyway once you met Remus and Sirius, and of course, you did,' he said simply.

'Haaarry! What is he talking about?' Draco cut in again, a bit miffed that he was being ignored.

'Err...sorry, Draco, just that...I guess I can tell you since, well in view of things. Ron, Hermione and I...err...well...that is...we've been working on something since fourth year, and finally managed to do it at the end of last term,' Harry said hesitantly.

'Do what?' Draco asked confused.

Harry looked over at Dumbledore who nodded slightly to him, then he stood up and walked down a few planks in the bleachers, so he was looking up at them both. 'Do...this...' he said, then moments later Harry was gone, and something else took his place.

What was facing Draco now made him cringe, even though he knew it was Harry he was really looking at. 'H-Harry?' he said hesitantly, keeping his distance for the meantime. What he was seeing now was a snake, but nothing like he'd ever seen, and no matter which way he looked at it, the snake looked pretty mean.

The snake heard Draco speak and it came up to him, and Draco saw just how big the thing really was. At least fifteen feet in length, and at least a foot in width as well. At first glance he had thought the snake was black, but as the dying rays of light hit the scales Draco could see many colours swirling round. There were blues, reds, purples, even some gold and silver mixed in. As the snake came up and extended itself before Draco he could see the snakes eyes were as black as night, so unlike the emerald green and Draco thought that surprising actually. He thought when people became an animagus certain traits found their way into the animals, but in Harry's case, neither his eyes, nor even his scar were visible.

The snake just sat there looking into Draco's eyes, and suddenly Draco began to feel calm, relaxed, content even, as if he hadn't a care in the world. His defenses were dropping, and he became almost lackadaisical, even a bit warm and sleepy. The next thing he knew Harry was back to his normal self, and he was grinning at Draco though Draco didn't understand why. 'What...what happened?' he said rubbing his eyes and feeling like he'd been under some sort of sleeping spell again.

Harry turned to Dumbledore then, the same silly grin still on his face. 'Draco's the first person I tested that on, wasn't sure it would work. Hermione wouldn't let me test it on her or Ron for some reason, she was pretty adamant on that,' he said chuckling.

'Test what? Harry, what'd you do?' Draco demanded, and turned to Dumbledore who was smiling himself for some reason and nodding at Harry.

Before Harry could respond however someone flew up to them at breakneck speed on a broom, stopping right in front of them with, a very agitated rider on the handle. 'Albus, thank Merlin I've found you!

'Dad? Dad what's wrong?' Harry said worriedly at seeing how upset his father was, not to mention the fact he looked like death had just warmed over.

'The school's under attack, that's what's wrong! Somehow they found a weak spot and dug below the wards, dammit I never thought they'd go underneath them!' Severus said bitterly.

'Severus calm down, you couldn't have known that this was going to happen. It's not your fault,' Albus said.

'I knew something was up though, I could feel it, but I've been so distracted by everything lately that I - ' he began but Dumbledore cut him off.

'Enough, Severus. I will not say it again, this is not your fault. Now, are the students and Narcissa safe?' Albus said in a firm voice.

'The students are fine, they haven't hurt them...yet anyway. Narcy is still in the hidden ward, along with Granger and Weasley. They managed to get away from the Death Eaters that have taken Gryffindor Tower hostage and alert us of what was happening. The things is Remus and Sirius had just returned as well, and Granger and Weasley said they saw him being manhandled into the Gryffindor Tower. As for Sirius...'

'What about Sirius?' Harry asked sharply.

Severus's lips closed into a thin line, pain clearly on his face. 'Sirius is...is...look, you just have to come back now Albus, we've got do something anyway. I can't stay though, I can't let them find out - damn too late!' he said as a hex flew over his head and shouts from below were heard. Severus muttered a few words and the broom took off at a dizzying speed, sailing over the Forbidden Forest faster than Harry had ever seen a broom fly.

'Draco, Harry, under the cloak, now!' Dumbledore said sharply as he watched Severus leave, and Harry and Draco didn't need to be told twice. Moments later they watched as a group of Death Eaters swarmed onto the pitch, their voices raised in confusion.

'I know I just saw them, where'd they go?' someone said angrily.

'That was Snape on that broom, that double-crossing, two timing traitor! Our Master will hear of this!' someone else spat out. For a few more minutes the four people canvassed out the area, thankfully not bothering to check the stands and Harry and Draco from under the cloak watched them becoming frustrated. Harry assumed Dumbledore had his own way of going invisible, and was really sure of that after he remembered something from back in his first year Dumbledore had told him.

'Hey, what do you think you're doing out here you lot?' a new voice said coming onto the pitch, one that was easily recognisable. It was getting darker now but Harry had no problem seeing who it was that was attached to that voice, he'd know him anywhere.

'Got a problem with us being out here, munchkin?' one of the men sneered and looked down nastily at the newcomer.

The man just looked at his opponent and shook his head, a small smirk on his face. 'You wouldn't want His Lordship to know you've been threatening me, now would you, Crabbe? Perhaps I should tell him how you left your post in the Great Hall to go on wild goose chases, instead of doing as ordered,' the man said in a steeled voice.

Crabbe didn't say anything but he did back down, and with a glare at the newcomer he turned on his heel and headed back towards the school in a huff. 'We saw Snape if you must know, and he wasn't on our side...if you know what I mean,' Crabbe then called back over his shoulder.

'Crabbe's right, it was Snape all right, we saw those black robes of his clear as day flying in the wind. We also thought we saw Dumbledore and two kids out here, one of 'em looked like Lucius's son,' another man said now.

The newcomer looked round a moment with a scowl on his face, then oddly enough his gaze stopped for a moment on the spot where Harry, Draco and Dumbledore were sitting, though he gave no indication of it. Turning back to the man he said with a sneer, 'Well maybe you were all seeing things, Nott, 'cause I don't see anyone round here. As for Snape, you just leave that to me, I'll take care of him...myself. Meanwhile, you lot get back up to the Great Hall, and don't let me catch you moving again. You will wait for further orders from me, understood?'

'Fine, but it was Snape and Lucius's kid, I'm sure of it,' Nott said shaking his head, and then he and the two other men who'd been with him headed back up the castle, not even bothering to look back.

The man who had stayed behind just watched until he was sure the people he'd sent back to the school were long gone, and no one else was coming back. With a visible sigh he shook his head, then turned back towards the bleachers, a determined look on his face. Walking towards where Harry, Draco and Dumbledore were sitting silently he stopped roughly ten feet away, sniffing the air a moment. Crossing one of his arms across his chest as if he was hugging himself he then looked directly at where everyone was sitting. In a quiet voice laced with surprising sadness the man said, 'I think it's time we had a little talk...Harry...'

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