Disclaimer: Much as I'd like to, I don't own Draco Malfoy, or any part of the magical world that J.K. Rowling has all the copyrights to ... please don't sue me. There are some parts of this story that are quotes from the book - it can't be helped - events are the same as in the book, but Draco's opinion of these events may vary from Harry's.

Author's Notes: I needed to do some re-writing, after reading OotP. I have made some minor changes to this chapter, mostly spelling and grammar. Apparently elves aren't allowed to pick up clothes, either ... according to OotP ... so I edited that bit out of here.

I have taken several of my ideas for this part of the series from the CoS movie - things that are seen in the movie, but neither mentioned nor denied in the real books, have found their way into this. I'd not have gotten this far without watching the CoS movie, because it gave me the will to keep writing this series, after its long break in PS.

Chapter 1 - We All Wear A Mask

I just got home for the summer holidays and Father has already found something wrong. I was the top boy in my year but I was second to Hermione Granger. "A Mudblood! You were beaten by a Mudblood! I am ashamed of you, Draco. How did you manage to come second to such an inferior being?!"

"It's not my fault, Father." I said, as quietly as I could get away with and still be heard, "I got over a hundred percent on all but my Transfiguration and McGonagall hates me."

"But still, a Mudblood gets better grades than you!" he yelled. It's just not something I'm going to be able to talk my way out of, is it? "You are a disgrace!" he snarled, "If I ever hear of anything like this again, you will be sorry! Think yourself lucky I've got better things to be doing, right now! Get out of my sight, you pathetic excuse for a Malfoy!"

I was not going to argue with that. Getting dismissed from his study without punishment, for something like THAT, was really a VERY lucky break. I ran all the way back to my room, locked the door and landed on the bed. I was thinking about how that happened - how Hermione had gotten higher grades than I had. She had an average of one hundred and ten percent, overall. I had an average of ninety-eight, after you count the terrible Transfiguration score that McGonagall gave me. I thought that was a damned good average. Of course, before he found out that Hermione had beaten me, he had asked, "What happened to the other two percent?" ... still, it was almost the highest grade in the class.

I guess I could always bribe teachers - Snape would probably be willing to help me with that. And I could also try to bribe Hermione to throw a few questions on her next set of exams, but I really don't think that she'd ever do that - she's too devoted to her education.

I did wonder why Father was in such a foul mood, though. He usually keeps his temper and punishes me emotionlessly, with the Cruciatus. He never loses it like that. And I've never gotten away without a punishment, for something like that.

I heard a noise and looked up to see the elf starting to dust the shelves in my room. Stupid creature - a good house elf is never seen, never heard and always gets its work done. This elf is incompetent.

"Hey. Elf." I snapped, sitting up.

"Oh!" the elf jumped - it obviously hadn't realised that I was in the room. "Dobby is sorry, Master Draco. Dobby did not know Master Draco was in his room, sir. Dobby thought he was downstairs."

"Yeah, yeah." I hate the way those damned creatures talk in the third person - it drives me up the wall. "How about you spill the dirt on why Father's in such a rotten mood, hmm?" I asked, grinning.

"Master Draco knows Dobby is bound not to tell Master Lucius' business, sir." Dobby squeaked.

"Aww, c'mon. You've told me the gossip of the Manor before. I wanna know." I whined, doing my best spoilt-rich-kid act.

Dobby looked around nervously, "Master Lucius will not be knowing Dobby is telling Master Draco this, yes?"

"Of course." I promised. I've never told on the elf yet. He's too useful as a source of information.

"Master Lucius is upset, very much upset, by the events at Hogwarts School last month, sir. He is wishing He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had returned, sir." Dobby said, twitching nervously, "Master Lucius blames himself, sir. A girl was sent to fetch Headmaster Dumbledore, and Master Lucius brought her to him. Had Headmaster Dumbledore been even minutes later, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named would have been victorious, sir. Master Lucius is ashamed for his mistake, sir."

I stared, "You mean he WANTS Snake-For-Brains to return?" I asked sceptically.

"Master Lucius is wanting the return of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, very much, sir." Dobby said nervously.

"The lying git!" I yelled, knowing no one would hear me outside my room if I didn't want them to. I threw the nearest object (my enchanted alarm clock) across the room, violently. It bounced but didn't break. I then lowered my voice to the dangerous tone that tells the listener I'm pissed off, "He's always told me that he only joined Them because They threatened Mother. I thought he was better than that ... I thought he had more sense than that!" Dobby backed away fearfully, probably thinking I might take my temper-tantrum out on him ... that's what Father would do if Dobby got in the way of one of his bad moods. "Elf!" I snapped, suddenly thinking of something, "He said he had 'better things to be doing' ... what's he working on at the moment?" I asked.

Dobby squeaked but still told me, "Master Lucius is writing, very much now, sir. Never leaves the book down in case it gets misplaced." Dobby said, "Master Lucius is only ever leaving it in his study, sir. The book is telling him to do things, Master Draco, bad things - terrible things."

"Like what?"

"Dobby does not know, sir. Dobby only knows that Master Lucius is almost possessed, sir." the elf replied.

"Elf, I don't care what rules you break, I will let you off from any punishments for what I am about to ask you to do. Get me that book. I want to see it. Tonight, after Father is asleep. You understand?"

Dobby nodded enthusiastically ... probably eager at being excused from punishment.

* * *

That evening I heard the familiar cracking sound of the elf appearing in my room. I still had the door locked and all the sound blocked, so no one could hear what I might be up to.

"Dobby has the book for Master Draco, sir." and he handed it to me.

"Good. Now wait here - I want you to take this back when I'm done." and with that said, I opened the book to the first page ... blank. Second page ... nothing. Third page ... nada. I flicked quickly through the whole book, finding not one trace of ink. Something in the back of my mind told me there really ought to be some ink on these pages ... how about putting some there? I knew this was a bad idea, because I shouldn't mess up my father's things ... but still. I took up a quill and wrote.

//Hello.//

It faded into the page, disappearing completely. I checked the inkbottle. It wasn't disappearing ink. I looked back to the page to find the word //Hello.// in someone else's handwriting. After a moment, it faded, too.

Now I was intrigued. I wrote again, //My name is Draco Malfoy.// I considered adding 'who the hell are you', but decided it wouldn't be polite.

Again, my writing disappeared and was replaced by someone else's, //My name is Tom Marvolo Riddle. Are you related to Lucius Malfoy?//

I growled. People always ask me that. I wrote back, //Yes. He is my father.// even though I knew I'd probably get in trouble for it - if Father ever knew that I had been writing to his evil enchanted diary, gods know what might happen.

//I assume you have his permission to write in this diary?// Tom asked. Meep. That was just what I didn't want to be asked - I froze, unsure what to do. After a few minutes Tom wrote again, //I'll take that as a 'no'.// Another few minutes later, //Draco? Are you still there?//

I finally wrote back, //You won't tell him, will you?//

//I don't see any reason to tell him. But tell me - why are you here?//

//Why don't you tell me why YOU are here, first?// I asked cautiously.

//I will be leaving shortly. Near the end of the summer, your father will be giving this diary to someone else. I am not quite sure who, yet, but I will fulfil my purpose with their help.//

//What purpose?// I asked, wondering just how much information I'd be able to get out of the diary before it realised my curiosity was malevolent.

//I will not tell my purpose to just anyone. I sincerely doubt that Lucius would give me to you ... he values you too much for that, even if you would be better equipped to fulfil my needs.//

//What do you mean?// I was getting confused, now. I definitely got a bad feeling from this book. My instincts told me to burn it now but it had some power that seemed to make me want to keep writing to it.

//I will be going to Hogwarts. I plan to finish the work I started there fifty years ago.// the writing seemed less tidy, as if the diary was getting a bit more enthusiastic about what it was writing //I will open the Chamber of Secrets and release the monster within to exterminate the Mudbloods that are unworthy to learn magic. I also plan to murder Harry Potter while I am at it. Lucius tells me that he is a threat which is best eliminated.// Harry Potter? Father wanted to kill off Harry Potter? Well, I admit I don't like the boy but killing him is a bit much ... and then there's the Muggle-borns to consider, too.

I stared at these words for a minute, before asking, //You know, if you do that, they'll close the whole school?//

//At least there will be no Mudbloods learning magic there.// it answered.

//What sort of monster is it? I go to Hogwarts and I don't want to get eaten.// I wrote, my desire to burn this specific book growing quickly.

//The very symbol of Slytherin's house, itself.// was all the answer it gave. I scowled - a snake wasn't classified as a monster, not even a boa constrictor - so that means it's something else that looks like a snake.

//Are you going to elaborate on that?// I asked.

//No. You already know too much. Trust me, I will not let my pet hurt any pureblood ... unless it's a Squib. You're not a Squib, are you?//

//I am seriously considering being offended by that remark.// I wrote, then after some consideration added, //And if you make that suggestion again, I will have to damage you ... I know a good flame-thrower hex.//

//I will take that as a 'no', as well, then.// the diary answered calmly.

I glared at the annoying book. I didn't like it. It was evil. It had some dark powers that even I was afraid of. It reminded me of stories my father had told me ... it reminded me of Voldemort. Just thinking of the connection (and the name) scared me. I dropped the quill back down and slammed the book.

"Elf - put it back. I know all I need to." I threw the book at the elf, who caught it and disappeared.

I wandered over to my bookshelf, and among all the Dark Arts manuals I found my school copy of Fantastic Beasts. I flicked through it, looking for anything that looked like the Slytherin Serpent. I stopped on the 'B's ... Basilisk ... a giant serpent that could kill you by making eye contact or by venom, and it was large enough to eat a human whole ... pretty deadly, really. I guessed this was what Tom had been talking about. And speaking of Tom ... something about his name had bothered me. I wrote the name out in full, on a random scrap of parchment, and stared at it. I knew there was something ... I started shuffling the letters - Father had taught me that anagrams are often a good way to find out about someone - it's a sort of Muggle-originated Divination technique (I still don't know why he believes in it, if it's Muggle in origin).

T O M M A R V O L O R I D D L E

I A M L O R D V O L D E M O R T

Damn. O.K. - that answers that. Either Tom Riddle was Lord Snake-Lover, or he was gonna be just as bad. Maybe both. And there's another implication - the Chamber of Secrets was left for Salazar Slytherin's heir to find (any Slytherin knows that), so that means Lord Snake-Shit was Slytherin's heir ... makes sense, actually.

And Lord Low-Life was going back to Hogwarts to wipe out Muggle-borns. That wasn't exactly what I would call a good thing ... not by a long shot. And much as I hate Potter, I don't want him getting killed by the evil diary's pet snake, either.

"Elf?" I asked, hoping Dobby was listening - he's supposed to appear as soon as he's called. Fifteen seconds later he did appear.

"Master Draco called Dobby?" he asked.

"Yes he did - I mean - yes I did. I've got a job for you. You have heard of Harry Potter, yes?" Dobby nodded very enthusiastically, "Well I want you to find where he lives and do whatever it takes to stop him from going back to Hogwarts. If he asks why, tell him terrible things will happen and it's not safe. Understood?"

"Yes, Master Draco." Dobby said, nodded even more vigorously.

"And don't tell him who sent you."

"Yes, Master Draco. Right away, Master Draco." and with that, Dobby was gone.

* * *

I managed to get my father to tell me some of the less relevant details about the kill-all-Mudbloods-and-Potter-while-we're-at-it plan. He didn't tell me that bit, though. He told me that there would be attacks on Muggle-borns and that it was the fulfilment of Salazar Slytherin's noble work. He also noted that the Chamber of Secrets had been opened before, fifty years ago. By simple logic, I assume that means Fork-Tongued-Evil-Git was the one who opened the Chamber of Secrets last time. Meep. Why did Father have to do this? I mean, it's all well and good practicing Dark Magic, and mutilating the odd cute furry animal for fun ... but a Mudblood-Massacre was a bit too much, in my opinion.

I realised something, now - I had finally seen through Father's mask. I'd always known that he'd been hiding his Dark side under a mask of publicly acceptable behaviour ... but he was darker than I'd ever thought. He's truly homicidal. He thinks Muggles and Mudbloods should all be wiped out. That is overkill ... literally.

So what if Mudbloods are inferior? It's not like They wanted to wipe out rats, or Puffskeins, but both are inferior to us, so why kill off Mudbloods? Without a lower class, who else have we to lord it over?

Stupid, really. But I can't argue, if I value life and limb ... and possibly my soul. I've heard that They used to use Dementor-Kisses as punishment on a semi-regular basis, when He was in power. That's not something I want to think about, though.

So I hid my opinions and wore my own mask. I concealed my revulsion for what Father was planning under a veil of morbid interest. I buried my morals deep down where Father couldn't find them, and hoped he'd not realise I was lying when I said I thought it was a brilliant plan. I am not exactly a nice person but I don't want to turn out the same as my father.

* * *

End of chapter 1