Disclaimer: Everyone is JK Rowling's, I'm just borrowing them. I promise I'll not hurt them. And I have no money, I'm a poor University student.

Warnings: a little bit of slash like Harry kissing Draco and Snape kissing… I won't tell… ;)

This is the betaed version…, so big thanks for my wonderful beta, Pottergirl!

Midnight Meetings

Chapter One

Harry looked up at the dark sky reflected by the ceiling of the Great Hall. It was raining cats and dogs for the third day in a row. It was depressing. He hated it, really. He was tired of the gloomy weather, tired of the huge amount of rain pouring down from the skies, and most of all, tired of the darkness.

He poked at the half-eaten potatoes in front of him and sighed. He had another headache today. It was his fifth year at Hogwarts, and now they were frequent additions to his everyday life. But he never got used to it. Never got used to the pain, the feeling of such hatred and such *darkness* in his dreams, and now frequently in every hour of his days. Dumbledore and the others tried to help, they really tried, all summer they searched for a spell, a potion, something which would dim his pain, but they never succeeded. But he never would have asked to remove the connection. He felt… he felt that he needed to feel, needed to know what that monster was doing. He felt responsible for every poor witch, wizard or muggle who was killed or tortured by Voldemort. He was still haunted by the death of Cedric, and he promised himself that he would kill Voldemort as soon as he was able.

He was jolted out of his thoughts as Ron poked him in the ribs.

"Hey, mate, why are you so angry with those potatoes?" The redhead smirked at him playfully and looked at the Slytherin table. "Can't be Malfoy, he's not here. Makes me wonder where he disappeared to. I didn't even see him in the Hogwarts express."

Harry blinked, and thought about it. He was so preoccupied with the pains and warnings he received from the link with the Dark Lord, that he didn't realize that Draco Malfoy was missing. Come to think of it, he should have seen it; Malfoy always paid them a visit no matter what. This time he didn't, but they all were too preoccupied to notice it…And Crabbe and Goyle were missing too. He did a double-take.

"I think…" He broke off the sentence and shot a look at Hermione.

The girl nodded.

"Yeah, Harry, I think so. Malfoy and his bodyguards have joined You-Know-Who. Why else would they be missing? I don't think that they missed the train. If they did, Lucius Malfoy would be here by now bothering the Headmaster with his oh so great problems."

"Yeah…" Ron nodded slowly. "So the ferret showed us his real face, after all." His eyes hardened. "I'll sure go out of my way to uncover him."

"Oh, Ron." Hermione sighed. "You know this is childish. Malfoy is a dangerous little git, and you better not anger him if he really has the Mark. I don't know what they can do with it."

"Yeah, I'm sure if there was a book about it somewhere, you would know everything already…" Ron muttered.

"And it would be a very good advantage if you ask me. Knowing a lot about the enemy…"

A huge *BANG* rocked the whole castle. All eyes turned to the door which stood ajar, wind howling and rain pouring in with it. It was dark, but everybody could see a strange figure standing there as if waiting for something, maybe to be invited in.

In the door stood the strange figure, its silhouette showing a human figure with very weird and thick arm-like things.

The next flash of lightning solved that mystery. In the door stood a weak, long-limbed, tired-looking figure that on second glimpse resembled Gilderoy Lockhart. He stood with his arms full; he held the small and too slender body in his arms like china. A body of a light skinned, light-haired boy.

Harry would have found it kind of hilarious, but the scene looked not a little bit scary. Lockhart seemed to be too pale and too worn out, and the body in his arms, no mistake, Draco Malfoy's body was in his arms, looked as weak as the ex-teacher holding him. Not to mention that the boy was unconscious.

Harry looked at the teacher's table. McGonagall stood with her hand on her mouth, plain terror written on her face, chair thrown back. Snape stared hard at the duo at the door, eyebrows furrowed and frozen in place. Only Hagrid and Dumbledore were moving with hurried steps to the intruders. Hagrid toke the small body in his arm and closed the door with his other hand. With the wind shut out it became too silent in the Great Hall. Lockart sagged a little and fell forward, till Hagrid caught him too in his arms. Dumbledore cleared his throat and looked at the students.

"It seems we have some …guests. I realize it is the Starting Feast, but I'll have to ask you all to eat quickly and please retire for the rest of the evening while we take care of… the problem. Professor Snape, Professor McGonagall, will you please come with me?"

Harry watched in utter silence as the five teachers left the Great Hall.

Harry looked at his friends. They looked back at him. He cleared his throat.

"Any ideas?"

TBC

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