Chapter One

The One He Never Expected

When Harry Potter returned to Number Four Privet Drive for the summer, he found the Dursley's house strangely empty.  The lights were off, the Dursley's car gone, and more importantly, the front door open.  Harry dropped his trunk on the cold, wet ground and opened it. He searched frantically for his wand.

"You won't need that Potter." said a dark, familiar voice.  Harry panicked, he wasn't sure he was hearing what he was hearing.  Hearing that voice didn't exactly make Harry feel at home, yet somehow it did, it reminded him of Hogwarts.  Nonetheless, Harry still pulled his wand out from his trunk before he walked into the dark doorway.

Once Harry was inside the Dursley's dark house, he longer saw the figure that he had been searching for.  He turned each corner wondering where the person had gone.  Harry saw the door to his former home, the door to the cupboard under the stairs was open.

"Nice place you've got there, Potter." said the voice again from the other side of the room.  "I always knew you were good with decorating."  Harry knew that voice now, he was surprised that he had already forgotten it.  Harry looked over into the Dursley's living room where he saw the figure standing.

Draco Malfoy stood sternly in his robes in the middle of the Dursley's house.  His signature blonde hair was slicked back as usual.  It was a surprise to Harry to see him here, but it definitely wasn't a good one.  Malfoy wasn't one of Harry's friends at Hogwarts, as a matter of fact, he was his arch rival.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" Harry said angrily. "How did you know how to find me?" Harry knew that Malfoy was here planning some sick joke, but he didn't know how he found him. There are few people that knew where Harry was living, he wondered who would tell Malfoy, especially because Malfoy's father, was a death eater.

"Relax Potter." Malfoy was clearly nervous now. Harry wondered what Malfoy might have to say that was so important. Harry wondered why Malfoy had went through all of the trouble of finding him, and why he was standing in the Dursley's living room. "I...need your help."

Harry was sure that this was a joke now, but when he saw the moon light come in through the window and shine on Malfoy's face, he was no longer sure. Malfoy had a look of despair on his face that Harry had never seen before. Harry thought about all of the things that Malfoy had done, all of the things that he had said to Hermione about mudbloods and all of the insults about Ron and quidditch last year. Why should he help him? This made Harry think all the way back to the Triwizard Tournament, and how Malfoy supported Cedric and not him. Harry quickly shook his head, he refused to have thoughts of death on his mind, he had a hard time not thinking about Sirius lately.

"Who told you where I was?" Harry said, somewhat sympathetically.

"Dumbledore." said Malfoy. Harry's anger quickly returned to him, he couldn't believe that Dumbledore would have done something so stupid. The order had been trying hard to keep Voldemort from finding Harry, and Dumbledore had told Malfoy. Harry's angry feelings for Dumbledore were worse than ever now. Dumbledore had been unforgiving when Sirius died, he said he understood, but he didnt.

"Look Harry," said Malfoy. Harry noticed that this was the first time that Malfoy had called him by his first name, he had always just called him "Potter". "I need your help. It's my father, he's gone back to Voldemort." Harry knew Lucius had gone back, he saw him return when Voldemort was revived, and again in the Department of Mysteries. "I can't stand him like this, Potter. He made a mistake last time, he didn't want to join him."

What did Malfoy take him for, a fool? Harry knew better, he didn't forget what happened when Harry freed Dobby, he knew that Lucius was evil.

"You-know who's grip on him was so strong this time that he couldn't fight it any longer." Malfoy continued. Harry was seeing a whole new side of Malfoy. Harry had never known before that even Malfoy was afraid of saying Voldemort's name. He was starting to realize that perhaps Malfoy was telling the truth.

"What do you want from me?" said Harry.

"You know 'him' better than anyone." said Malfoy. "You know how to fight him."  Draco paused.   I need you to help me get my father back."