"Oh, hello, welcome back," George said in his full narration state.

"Yum! Want some, Charlie?" Fred asked while he munched on some jellybeans.

"Not while I'm working, Fred."

"Oh, sorry."

"Now before we can go any further, I must remind you that Zabini has been dead and decaying in his grave for two years already."

"Ew, bro, not while I'm eating!"

George ignored Fred. "That one thing you must remember or nothing that follows will be wondrous," he whispered.

"Why are you whispering, Charlie?"

George sighed and said, "It's for dramatic emphasis." Fred looked at him strangely. "It makes what I say more eerie."

"Ohhh."

The two turned and watched Malfoy enter his house.

"Is this guy not fazed about seeing his old, dead partner in his door knocker?" asked Fred. "I mean if I saw someone in there, I'd still be freaking out."

"To say that Malfoy was not startled would be a lie."

"Wow," Fred said, looking around, "everything's back to normal. It's like nothing happened."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," George said under his breath. "Come on, let's follow him!"

Fred caught him by the collar and pulled him back. "Are you crazy?"

"Where's your sense of adventure?"

Fred sighed and said, "Fine."

The two dashed to the door, but it slammed in their faces. Fred tried to open the door, but it was locked. The two backed away and George asked, "Now how are we supposed to get in there?"

Fred pulled out his lock pick kit and smiled evilly. "I'll work on this and you continue with your story."

George turned back to his audience and continued his story. "Malfoy lit just a single candle as he ascended his stairs. He was not afraid of the dark; dark was cheap, and so he liked it."

Inside Draco walked up his stairs, alert and frightened at the same time. As he moved around his house, the audience could still hear George's voice.

"But the incident at the door made him wary, and he decided to check out his other rooms before retiring to his own."

Back outside...

Fred stood up, turned to his brother, and said, "Okay, that does it! How do you know what is going inside there, when we're out here?"

"I keep telling you, I know everything," George continued. "In order to do a proper search of his rooms, Draco was forced to light the lamps."

Suddenly, the light in the upstairs window turned on.

"How does he do that?" Fred asked and went back to his job of picking the lock.

Back inside...

Draco walked through all his rooms with his cane out, ready to attack anyone in his sight.

He let out a sigh of relief as he finished searching all the rooms and found no one. He hurried to his own room, bolted himself in, lit a fire in the fireplace, and changed into his nightclothes.

When he sat down in his chair, he contemplated on what he saw in his doorknocker and wondered if it was his mind playing tricks on him, or if it really was Blaise Zabini haunting him.

"But why would Zabini haunt me?" He laughed at his own thought, but then felt an eerie feeling like someone was watching him. He looked around his brightly lit room and could swear he heard something strange. When it stopped, he laughed and said, "Just the wind."

As soon as he said that he heard it again, but louder. It sounded oddly like... chains? Draco was beside himself; why on earth would he be hearing chains? He decided to ignore it when he heard it getting louder and closer to his door.

"Go away!" he yelled at whatever was making the noise. But the sound did not go away. The fire in his fireplace went out. The room was now dark, only lit by the moonlight. "I said, go away!" He decided that there was nothing to be afraid of; his door was bolted shut. "You can't get in, whoever you are!"

Then he heard a very familiar voice. "Want to bet, Malfoy?"

Draco gasped, "Zabini!"

As he turned his head to the door, he saw a ghostly figure, much of what looked like his partner, Blaise Zabini, walk through the bolted door.

"So, Malfoy, you do recognize me."

"Recognize, yes, but believe that you are here, no." He paused for just a second and then said, "What do you want with me?"

"Much."

"Can you sit down?" Draco asked the ghost.

"I can."

"Then do it, man!"

Blaise walked over to the other chair and, lifting his chains so that he did not sit on them, sat on the chair.

"You don't believe in me?" Zabini stated as he saw the look in Malfoy's eyes.

"Why should I? You could be the result of some moldy cheese, or a crust of bread, any kind of food that didn't settle well in my stomach."

Blaise Zabini laughed. He snapped his fingers and conjured up a cigarette.

"Still smoking, I see. You don't quit even after it killed you."

"Draco, I'm dead, and stuck in some sort of hell; what more can happen to me?"

Draco only shrugged and said, "Why are you here? What do you want with me?"

"Relax, man. I'm here to help you. Not to hurt you."

"Help me? Help me do what?" Forgetting about his own questions, he asked, "What's with the chains?"

"These chains are the links that I forged in life. For every wrongdoing, for all the evil and wicked things that I did, I made them longer. Foot by foot, yard by yard." Draco didn't know what to say. He didn't really need to say anything, for Blaise continued, "Yours were as long as mine two Christmas Eves ago, and they grow steadily every day."

Draco looked about him, expecting to see these chains, but he didn't. He turned back to his partner and said, "Blaise, Blaise Zabini, speak comfort to me."

"I have none to give," he replied. "How can I comfort you when I live in misery for eternity? I cannot do anything, I cannot make amends to the evil deeds that I have done."

"I do not understand, why are you suffering? You were a good businessman."

"That is why I am suffering! I cared for no one and nothing but myself and my money. I am suffering for all the people that have suffered because of my evil ways."

"But why come to me tonight, Blaise?" Draco asked.

"I do not know myself. I have stood beside you many days, invisible, trying to reach you. I do not know why I have appeared to you in a shape that you can see." Blaise stood up and threw his cigarette into the empty fireplace. "My time grows short, Draco. I am here to warn you that you have a chance to escape my terrible fate. A chance that I have gotten for you."

"You were always a good friend."

"You will be haunted by three more spirits."

"Is this the chance you spoke of?" Draco asked, not liking the idea of it.

"It is."

"Then I would rather not take it!"

"Without these visits, you have no chance in escaping your horrible fate. Expect the first as the bell tolls one."

"Couldn't I take them all at once and get it over with?"

"No!" Blaise screamed. "The second will appear to you the following night at two, and the third the day after that at three. Listen to them, do what they say, for if you don't then your fate will be worse then mine." Blaise walked to the window and opened it. "Look for me no more, Draco. For your sake and for what's left of mine, remember what has passed between us."

Draco got up and followed him to the window. As he peered out, he saw the rest of the wandering, suffering spirits.

"Remember, Draco. Remember."

There was a bright flash, and when Draco opened his eyes again, everything was as it should have been. The window was closed, there was no wandering spirits, and he once again had a roaring fire in his fireplace. "Bah humbug!" he said and went to his bed, lay down, and pulled the curtains down.

Outside...

"Got it!" Fred announced.

"Good job, Fred, let's go!" George exclaimed and rushed up the stairs.

To Be Continued...

Sorry guys for the delay on this chapter, but ever since the holidays came I've been very busy with real life and work, but have simmered down, so hopefully I'll get more chapters out.

I would just like to thank everyone for their reviews and a big thank you to Becky, my beta! You are awesome girl!! :o)

1/14/04