Beginning of the End
Authors: Starchild and Saavik
Chapter Twenty-Five: And in it Harm None
***Disclaimer*** See Chapter Seven.
When you see // ..// it means the person is thinking and not talking.
********************
Draco breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped onto platform 9 ¾. His mother had come out of her normal state of hibernation to take him to the train. She had wanted to apparate but Draco had insisted on flowing. He was in no mood to be splinched. Lucius was frantic about his new 'task' and could not be bothered to see his son off. Draco smirked. //The old bastard's worried I might take his place. I will of course, just not at the feet of that overgrown excuse for a taxidermist's nightmare.//
Draco placed his bags in an unoccupied car and sat down. He was just about to spell the door shut when Crabbe and Goyle stuck their over sized heads in. Draco cursed the gods for his luck as the two imbeciles spotted him. "Hey, Draco, there you are! We couldn't find you." Goyle collapsed onto the seat opposite Draco. Crabbe, with slightly more dignity, only slightly, managed to lower himself down next to the blond.
"Ah, my friends. What plans do you have for this year's new crop of Gryffindorks?" Draco silently prayed they were stupid enough to fall for this. He needed them gone to think. He had to formulate what he was going to say to that old foul Dumbledore to gain his protection. These two idiots would want to play some damn foolish child's game for the whole ride. He would never get any work done.
"Uhm, well." The blank expression on Goyle's face relayed the fact that neither boy had really even understood the question.
"Okay. You two are going to have to listen very carefully. This is important. My father asked me to take care of this early. I want you to go out and spend the train ride getting to know the first years. I want accurate reports on each one. I want to know what we will be up against this year in terms of new blood." Twin looks of surprise, then happiness at being chosen by a real Deatheater for a mission, and then confusion crossed the boys' faces.
"You mean the mudbloods?"
"No, Crabbe. It is an expression. It means new students."
"How do we know who will be in Gryffindor?"
"If you can't tell by now Goyle I can't teach you. If you mistake a few it will not matter. I want a report on EVERYONE anyway. I'll sort through what you find out after the sorting ceremony. The ones that will end up in Slytherin will see right through what you are doing anyway. The Hufflepuffs will only blather on about their families and their favorite foods. The Ravenclaws will simply humor you till you leave. The Gryffindors will most likely try to pick a fight. Now, I don't want to see either of you till we get to the school. Mingle. Be my eyes and ears. No one will suspect you of actually being able to gather anything useful."
The two huge monstrosities smiled. They didn't realize what Draco meant. They thought they were good spies, not that everyone considered them too stupid to remember what they were told or to make any observations. "Hey that is a great plan Draco. This way we can start in on the new kids right away and don't have to wait till we get the goods on them from the others." With that Crabbe and Goyle left Draco in peace.
It wasn't long before that peace was shattered by the sound of three large trunks being drug down the hallway. "Can you believe Goyle and Crabbe? Do they honestly think they are fooling anybody?" Ronald Weasley's voice floated to Draco's ears. Suddenly the cabin door flew open and in stepped the golden trio (minus Harry but plus Ginny) themselves. Immediately Ron drew his wand and ordered Draco out of the cabin.
"Really, Weasley. I seem to be here first. Now please lets not start this right now. I'm not in the mood." This only increased Ron's desire for a fight.
"Malfoy what do you think your doing?"
"Sitting and staring. You?"
"Come on Ron. He hasn't done anything. Let's just go." Hermione tried to pull Ron out of the cabin. Draco's confident smirk seemed to hold the red head in place however.
"I am not leaving. He is."
"Ronald Weasley. This is ridiculous. Malfoy was just sitting there. I am starting to think perhaps you do cause most of the fights." Ginny had her hands on her hips and was staring Ron right in the face. He cringed at the resemblance she was displaying towards their mother.
"Go on Weasley. Obey your LITTLE sister like a good weasel."
Ron leapt at Draco but was pulled sharply back by his sister's hand on his shirt collar. "That is it. Out. Now. And I WILL be telling mother." With that Ginny, with Hermione's help, shoved Ron out into the hall. Turning towards Draco, Ginny put on her most displeased face. "Not that I care, but are you alright?"
"Fine Virginia. Thank you." Draco's mind was elsewhere as he slipped into his thoughts. He gave Ginny a slight bow and then realized what he had done. //I just treated a Weasley like an equal. I must be loosing my mind.//
Ginny cringed. "Don't call me Virginia. It's Ginny." Her eyes then got huge. //Draco Malfoy just thanked me, called me by name, and BOWED! Okay, a slight head incline, more of a nod really, but it was there. This is weird.// Ginny turned and fled the compartment for the relative sanity of her brothers company.
Draco watched her leave. He berated himself for being so off guard he had actually slipped into 'court mode', the way he had been taught to behave with others of Voldermort's circle. In theory they were all to show respect for one another. In public at least. He had been ingrained with etiquette and protocol since birth. Draco shrugged it off. //Nothing wrong with being polite to her. She did stop that rampaging git from actually physically attacking me. She was rather, intriguing. Back to work however. I have got to figure out how to approach Dumbledore.//
The train slowly pulled out of Kings Cross and made its way to Hogwarts. One very angry redhead, one confused redhead, one bored brown haired bookworm, and one exceedingly preoccupied blond hardly noticed. And two large very stupid excuses for sentient lifeforms were being hexed into a corner by a bunch of irate first years.
A/N: Finally School is about to start. Things should speed up from here. R&R please. With mayonnaise. Hold the pickle.
Oh, and the whole bowing Draco thing is based on Japanese bowing customs. The deeper the bow the more respect. To expose the back of your neck is a REALLY big deal. (Which is why Draco keeps mentioning his fathers prostrations to Voldie.) Or at least that's how I understand it.
And a second thing: I wrote this a long time ago. Months. I've been trying to get to this point for ages. Told you I write chapters out of order. Since this was written when I was FIRST starting in on fanfiction, forgive any misspelling of names or places. I tried to catch everything...but you know. And I've sent my beta a really long chapter from my other work and I don't want to bother her. So you get this. Please don't hit me. I need to be able to see to write this and tears will fog up my glasses.
LL&P
Saavik
***Disclaimer*** See Chapter Seven.
When you see // ..// it means the person is thinking and not talking.
********************
Draco breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped onto platform 9 ¾. His mother had come out of her normal state of hibernation to take him to the train. She had wanted to apparate but Draco had insisted on flowing. He was in no mood to be splinched. Lucius was frantic about his new 'task' and could not be bothered to see his son off. Draco smirked. //The old bastard's worried I might take his place. I will of course, just not at the feet of that overgrown excuse for a taxidermist's nightmare.//
Draco placed his bags in an unoccupied car and sat down. He was just about to spell the door shut when Crabbe and Goyle stuck their over sized heads in. Draco cursed the gods for his luck as the two imbeciles spotted him. "Hey, Draco, there you are! We couldn't find you." Goyle collapsed onto the seat opposite Draco. Crabbe, with slightly more dignity, only slightly, managed to lower himself down next to the blond.
"Ah, my friends. What plans do you have for this year's new crop of Gryffindorks?" Draco silently prayed they were stupid enough to fall for this. He needed them gone to think. He had to formulate what he was going to say to that old foul Dumbledore to gain his protection. These two idiots would want to play some damn foolish child's game for the whole ride. He would never get any work done.
"Uhm, well." The blank expression on Goyle's face relayed the fact that neither boy had really even understood the question.
"Okay. You two are going to have to listen very carefully. This is important. My father asked me to take care of this early. I want you to go out and spend the train ride getting to know the first years. I want accurate reports on each one. I want to know what we will be up against this year in terms of new blood." Twin looks of surprise, then happiness at being chosen by a real Deatheater for a mission, and then confusion crossed the boys' faces.
"You mean the mudbloods?"
"No, Crabbe. It is an expression. It means new students."
"How do we know who will be in Gryffindor?"
"If you can't tell by now Goyle I can't teach you. If you mistake a few it will not matter. I want a report on EVERYONE anyway. I'll sort through what you find out after the sorting ceremony. The ones that will end up in Slytherin will see right through what you are doing anyway. The Hufflepuffs will only blather on about their families and their favorite foods. The Ravenclaws will simply humor you till you leave. The Gryffindors will most likely try to pick a fight. Now, I don't want to see either of you till we get to the school. Mingle. Be my eyes and ears. No one will suspect you of actually being able to gather anything useful."
The two huge monstrosities smiled. They didn't realize what Draco meant. They thought they were good spies, not that everyone considered them too stupid to remember what they were told or to make any observations. "Hey that is a great plan Draco. This way we can start in on the new kids right away and don't have to wait till we get the goods on them from the others." With that Crabbe and Goyle left Draco in peace.
It wasn't long before that peace was shattered by the sound of three large trunks being drug down the hallway. "Can you believe Goyle and Crabbe? Do they honestly think they are fooling anybody?" Ronald Weasley's voice floated to Draco's ears. Suddenly the cabin door flew open and in stepped the golden trio (minus Harry but plus Ginny) themselves. Immediately Ron drew his wand and ordered Draco out of the cabin.
"Really, Weasley. I seem to be here first. Now please lets not start this right now. I'm not in the mood." This only increased Ron's desire for a fight.
"Malfoy what do you think your doing?"
"Sitting and staring. You?"
"Come on Ron. He hasn't done anything. Let's just go." Hermione tried to pull Ron out of the cabin. Draco's confident smirk seemed to hold the red head in place however.
"I am not leaving. He is."
"Ronald Weasley. This is ridiculous. Malfoy was just sitting there. I am starting to think perhaps you do cause most of the fights." Ginny had her hands on her hips and was staring Ron right in the face. He cringed at the resemblance she was displaying towards their mother.
"Go on Weasley. Obey your LITTLE sister like a good weasel."
Ron leapt at Draco but was pulled sharply back by his sister's hand on his shirt collar. "That is it. Out. Now. And I WILL be telling mother." With that Ginny, with Hermione's help, shoved Ron out into the hall. Turning towards Draco, Ginny put on her most displeased face. "Not that I care, but are you alright?"
"Fine Virginia. Thank you." Draco's mind was elsewhere as he slipped into his thoughts. He gave Ginny a slight bow and then realized what he had done. //I just treated a Weasley like an equal. I must be loosing my mind.//
Ginny cringed. "Don't call me Virginia. It's Ginny." Her eyes then got huge. //Draco Malfoy just thanked me, called me by name, and BOWED! Okay, a slight head incline, more of a nod really, but it was there. This is weird.// Ginny turned and fled the compartment for the relative sanity of her brothers company.
Draco watched her leave. He berated himself for being so off guard he had actually slipped into 'court mode', the way he had been taught to behave with others of Voldermort's circle. In theory they were all to show respect for one another. In public at least. He had been ingrained with etiquette and protocol since birth. Draco shrugged it off. //Nothing wrong with being polite to her. She did stop that rampaging git from actually physically attacking me. She was rather, intriguing. Back to work however. I have got to figure out how to approach Dumbledore.//
The train slowly pulled out of Kings Cross and made its way to Hogwarts. One very angry redhead, one confused redhead, one bored brown haired bookworm, and one exceedingly preoccupied blond hardly noticed. And two large very stupid excuses for sentient lifeforms were being hexed into a corner by a bunch of irate first years.
A/N: Finally School is about to start. Things should speed up from here. R&R please. With mayonnaise. Hold the pickle.
Oh, and the whole bowing Draco thing is based on Japanese bowing customs. The deeper the bow the more respect. To expose the back of your neck is a REALLY big deal. (Which is why Draco keeps mentioning his fathers prostrations to Voldie.) Or at least that's how I understand it.
And a second thing: I wrote this a long time ago. Months. I've been trying to get to this point for ages. Told you I write chapters out of order. Since this was written when I was FIRST starting in on fanfiction, forgive any misspelling of names or places. I tried to catch everything...but you know. And I've sent my beta a really long chapter from my other work and I don't want to bother her. So you get this. Please don't hit me. I need to be able to see to write this and tears will fog up my glasses.
LL&P
Saavik