Author's Notes: I'm back! I'm really trying to get off my lazy bum and offer quicker updates. Do you see how quickly I updated this time? (Shanni waits for cookie to be given to her.) Last time, Harri and Draco returned to the present, Lily confessed, and Severus discovered. Thanks to all who reviewed, I appreciate it. I had no idea so many people had me on author alert for this story. My thanks go out to the following for reviewing: Saimhe – I appreciate that. I'll keep the advice in mind, Anarane Amwamane, xMEx, mOnsTer1, FireTiger-ki – The weird thing is, I have yet to find a female Harry Potter story that I like (which is why I wrote one myself), and Artemis Moonclaw. Those that are reading this story could you please review… Otherwise how will I know what you think and if you're there.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. This little statement is just a necessary tool to avoid litigation. ^_^;
More Than You Think You Are
Chapter Fourteen: Say my friend, it seems you are eyes are troubled, care to share your time with me?
Draco felt as if someone had taken tiny needles and decided to use his brain as a pincushion. So here had found himself, lying on the floor in a cold dark room, downstairs in the dungeons of what he hoped was his school. His body ached with pain, and he could feel the burning sensation that traveled from his head to his spine. Forcing himself to sit up, Draco surveyed his surroundings. Lying next to him in a bloody heap on the floor, he saw the mess that was Harriet Potter. Her arm was bleeding, and he grimaced as he saw the crimson blood flow. Reaching out to her, he stopped suddenly, unable to fight against the pain that throbbed inside his head. Instead, he leaned back against the cool walls, allowing the cold stone to comfort his body. Biting his lip, he tapped her arm gently, fearing that she might have sustained internal injuries. He sighed with relief as her heard Harri moan in pain. He watched as she slowly opened eyes. Her eyes appeared cloudy, but suddenly her eyes cut to him, watching dawning realization. Harri gripped his hand, allowing him to pull her into a sitting position. The two sat slumped against one another, as their breathing came out in shallow breaths. Harri trailed her hands down his bloodied face, frowning as he winced in pain. There was a large unsightly gash on his face. She pulled hand away from him, looking at her own bloodied hands. She had cuts and bruises all over her. Her lips were dry, and her throat was parched. Turning to Draco they both knew they had the same questions running through their minds.
Taking out her wand, she conjured a two glasses of water, handing Draco a glass. They said nothing, simply drinking like thirsty dogs. When they finished drinking they set their drinks aside. Draco, seeing Harri could barely sit up, let alone conjure anything else, made use of his own wand. Within seconds they were eating a hearty meal of various sandwiches, and cold cuts. He smiled apologetically, as if to excuse his inability to create anything more advanced. As they were eating Harri was becoming more and more restless, sitting in the dark quiet. Draco smirked at her obvious anxiousness, quirking an eyebrow in anticipation of what she would say.
"Oh bludger it, Potter. Just go on and say it."
He said with a rare grin. Harri exhaled the deep breath she hadn't known she'd been holding in.
"Why are we so beat up? What in the hell happened? Furthermore, where are we? I'm pretty sure we're back at Hogwarts, but in what time? What if Dumbledore somehow messed up, and we have no way of getting back home? What if there was some mistake and we got sent straight to Vol-"
She had been unable to finish her statement however, because Draco silenced her with a kiss. He pulled away, with his usual pompous smirk aimed at her. Now that she had become used to Draco's kisses, she realized that the unexpected pecks were used as a ploy to distract her. Instead of continuing her diatribe, she leaned in closer to him. Their lips were only a hair's breadth apart when she suddenly kissed his forehead. Smirking at his apparent disappointment, she wagged a slender finger in his face, laughing happily.
"Now, now Draco that serves you right for thinking you could silence me with a kiss. Besides, you should be just as concerned as I am. We might be inside Hogwarts (which by the way is highly improbable) but we have no idea what year it is. I'll have to thank Hermione for insisting that I read Hogwarts': a History."
Draco sneered at the mention of Hermione, but wisely made no comment.
"Why would you have a reason to thank that know-it-all Granger?"
"That's easy, stupid. You can't apparate or disapparate unto the grounds! Don't you get what that means? We're not on the campus grounds!"
"That's where you're wrong Potter. We didn't disapparate to Hogwarts, we don't even know how yet. We time traveled here. Besides, I'm pretty sure this is an unused classroom in the dungeons. Believe me, I'd know. No, something foul is afoot."
Now that Draco mentioned it, something was off around here. Aside from them being bloodied and bruised, she still knew that things weren't completely kosher. They hadn't disapparated, but that didn't necessarily mean that they weren't on the school grounds. Their situation strangely resembled the work of Dumbledore's blasted bird. What other kinds of abnormal tests were they going to have to suffer through? Hadn't he had enough fun forcing them to the past, and making them learn to work to together? Now that she thought about it, there were still problems with their ability to trust one another. Between the two of them they had many obstacles to overcome. They were a bit better than enemies now. Deep down, she knew that Draco and she wouldn't last. They had changed one another for what she hoped what was for the better, but she still felt as if they were being tested. Of course, they were testing each other, silently discerning if in the end, they could trust each other.
Over the years, when they had crossed paths before, Harri had let him know exactly why she hadn't shaken his hand, and cemented a friendship that could have been. She didn't like the look of him, or his superiority complex, and his cold silver eyes that seemed closed off to the world. He acted as if he knew a secret that only the best of in the world were privy to. Had she found solace in his arrogance? Sometimes, she felt as if they were always on the verge of discovering what lay deep within them both. However, they would never know because there was always a blockade, some sort of barrier that prevented them both from breaking the invisible barricade that kept them from seeing into each other's hearts. She closed her eyes thinking back to the night when he had asked her if things were different between them. Now she could not help but regret her words. Why couldn't they regress back to the way things once were? She wanted to look back to when their cold animosity was something that they had both been sire of.
"It's all that fucking bird's fault."
She whispered silently. Oh how she couldn't wait to get her hands on Fawkes. Now that they had their soul animals, she hoped that the animagi prophecy was all that they had to fulfill. Draco stared at her quietly, wondering what Harri was thinking. Did the great Potter doubt herself as well? Draco forced himself to stand, holding his hand out to Harri. She bit her lip with uncertainty, averting her eyes. She took his hand, but didn't pull away as they walked to the door.
"It's time to face the music. I don't know how we got down here or where here is, but at least we came back... alive."
Harri smiled at his sincerity. She squeezed his hand gently, very pleased with the confidence in which he spoke. Releasing his hand, she missed the frown that blemished his features. They drew their wands, walking with silent footfalls through the darkened hallway. The hallway looked vaguely familiar, but Harri was positive that she had never traversed these halls. The stairwell was stone, but it looked moldy. Draco and she exchanged a knowing look. Digging into his pockets he found a knut, swiftly enlarging the coin. Throwing the coin as hard as he could against the stairwell, they watched with fear as the flight of steps began to collapse, caving in rather quickly. They backed away, listening for the sound of the knut hitting the ground. It never came. Giving one another stunned looks, they shouted the levitation spell.
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
They said in unison, floating each other up the long dark stairwell. They kept their wands trained on one another, and soon they were up the steps, grateful they had both made it unscathed. Draco steadied his wand, focusing his energy on maintaining the charm. Ending the charm, they were pleased to find that they were on a more familiar floor of the castle.
"We did it!"
Harri exclaimed, high-fiving Draco. He couldn't help but be overcome by her enthusiasm. They walked quickly through the hallways, disturbed by the fact that they had yet to run into anyone. The hallways were deserted. Suddenly Draco felt a foreboding sense of danger, and before he realized what he had done, he pushed himself unto Harri knocking them to the ground, just before a giant ax swept through the length of the corridor. He landed atop her, hearing her hiss of pain loudly in his ear. He rolled off of her, as Harri struggled to breathe. She took his proffered hand, wincing as she felt the pain slowly ebb away.
"What in hell was that? Now we have giant axes are attacking us in our own school now?! You can't possibly think we're still in Hogwarts now can you?"
Harri said with barely controlled fury. She looked as if steam would come out of her ears at any moment. What in the Merlin's name was going on here? Grabbing Harri's hand, Draco dragged her through the passageways, trying his best to find the shortest way out of the school. They raced through the hallway, wands raised; looking for anything else that might come out of the woodworks. Somehow they knew that this was not Hogwarts. Sure, the castle had a strange resemblance to her beloved school, but Harri knew that this was definitely not Hogwarts. All of a sudden, she recalled a muggle book she had read about a group of people waking up in a giant maze of death. The poor souls were forced to rely only on one another—one by one the group perished until there was only one lone survivor. Could Dumbledore be on another one of his survivalist tricks again?
"This had better not be the work of that bloody phoenix. I don't care if he's immortal or not… There are other ways to torture mystical birds that don't know when to leave us the bloody hell alone!"
He spat angrily, kicking at the various knights and armor that they passed. Harri frowned at his behavior, but it was warranted. After all the hell they endured training night and day in the past, the least Fawkes could have done was give them a break upon their subsequent return. She was getting tired of all these secrets, manipulations, and questions that had yet to be answered. She released her hand from Draco's grip, running faster down a different hallway not caring who she alerted of her presence. Although she didn't have the map, she almost positive that the direction she was going in would lead her out of the building. Of course, this travesty of the genuine Hogwarts might not be equipped with all the secret passageways she was familiar with. However, they were taking a chance in whatever direction that they ran in. Before she could take a step further in the direction of what in the bizarre castle—should be the Great Hall, Draco slammed her against the wall. He gripped her robes pulling her close – so that they were eye to eye.
"Are you insane girl? You're going in the wrong direction! Stop making so much noise. We don't know who or what is in this building but you seem to be trying your best on getting us caught!"
Harri pushed him away from her forcefully. She walked right up to him, barely raising her head (for she couldn't be less than 3 inches shorter than him now) scowling at him heatedly. Who did he think he was talking to? What gave him the right to dictate her every move? Harri had received enough at that treatment with Sirius, Remus, and Dumbledore. She sure as hell didn't need it from him as well.
"Now you listen to me Draco Malfoy. I don't give a damn about what is in this bloody castle. I'm tired, I've got a headache and I have cramps. I want to go home. I'm not about to be stopped by some fake Hogwarts castle either. You can call it recklessness all you want, but I'm getting the hell out of here—with or without you."
Harri said as poked his chest with her index finger as if to articulate every word she spoke. Draco stepped back crossing his arms, sneering at her with an air of defiance. He leaned against a picture frame nonchalantly, as if what had just passed between them meant nothing at all to him. She crossed her arms under her breasts, staring irritably at her boots. If Draco thought that he was the only that could act blasé he was wrong. Finally, Draco broke their silent reverie.
"Tell me Potter, has it ever occurred to you that perhaps I want you to be careful because your -recklessness- as you so aptly said could get you killed. You Gryffindors may be brave, but at what cost—your lives?! Now is not the time for crazed heroics."
"Perhaps you Slytherins are simply afraid of taking charge of a situation. Instead of sitting in the shadows waiting for a fight to end, how about joining instead? No, no let me guess. All that cowardice and lethargy really is just cunning and ambition in disguise."
Harri retorted bitterly, walking towards what she hoped what was the exit of this Hogwarts from hell. Draco followed her silently. They weren't going to get anywhere chatting. Perhaps it would be best if they kept their thoughts to themselves. Obviously, old prejudices died hard. Stepping in stride with her, they headed towards the exit. Draco immediately stopped. Something in the air, felt dead. He sniffed the air, scowling when a foul stench filled his nostrils. Harri looked at Draco, her emerald eyes wide with fear. His silver eyes began to darken, to an onyx hue. She backed away, from him slowly. He brought his hands to his throat, clutching it tightly as if he couldn't breathe.
"Shit! Potter, there's something inside this castle. It knows we're here, and it's coming for us."
Harri continued to walk, not bothering to look at him.
"What are you talking about Draco? I don't hear anything!"
Draco turned her around to face him. His grip on her tightened as he smelled what was coming. His eyes held a hungry, crazed look.
"Are you alright, Draco? What's wrong with your eyes?"
Before he could answer, they heard a loud roar bellow through the castle. The castle began to shake, knocking them to the ground. They stood shakily to their feet, looking in the direction of where the sounds were coming from. Draco turned to look into her fearful eyes.
"Run. Run, Potter and don't look back There's not time to explain. You've got about maybe three minutes to get outside this castle."
Harri stood rooted to still. Draco turned away and pushed her as hard as he could.
"Run you stupid girl! Hurry up before I transform!"
Draco spat as harshly as he could.
"No! I'm not leaving you!"
"If you don't leave I'll kill you. Go now, before the bloodlust gets me!"
What was he on about? What blood lust? Harri didn't know what in the hell was going on, but she knew Draco was a very dangerous person right now. He couldn't possibly be a werewolf could he? She had heard Remus' howls before and she knew for a fact that whatever beast was roaring, it wasn't a werewolf. Harri threw her arms around Draco, kissing him passionately.
"You know what they say… a kiss for luck!"
She than ran towards the exit, and out the door, trying her best not to look back. As soon as she stepped out the door, her suspicions were confirmed. A few feet ahead of her, she could see the dismal countryside. Everything was grey and dreary. Harri turned to face the castle, which resembled what Hogwarts probably looked like to muggles. This couldn't possibly be the future could it? Harri pulled her cloak tighter around her, waiting patiently for Draco to exit. Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore. She thought sardonically to herself. She wanted to know what was going inside the castle. Why had he locked her out? Did he think she would be safer out here in a strange land, with nothing but her wand for protection?
I am a Gryffindor damnit! She thought, silently chastising herself. There was nothing wrong with fear, but when forced in such a situation, her bravery would always overcome. She wanted to see what was happening. Was he still near the exit? Harri wanted to see what he had seen through his own eyes. Closing her eyes, she focused her attention on Draco's mind.
"Adfectus acies!"*
Harri recited the incantation she had learned in fourth year charms. She aimed it towards the general direction of the castle. The charm would find its mark, and she would be able to see what he saw. The spell could be considered dark arts, but her intent was neither malicious nor insincere. While she could only see through his eyes for a short time, she would be able to tell if he was alright or not. The spell was taking forever to react. Her vision was now blurry, and slightly red. Harri could barely see, but she had a foreboding sense of fear well in the pit of her stomach. Whatever creature was inside he was hurting him, very badly.
There appeared to be wings flying to and fro, and Harri was sure she could make out a long tail. She didn't care what Draco told her, he was in peril, and he needed her help badly. Harri blasted the doors open, commanding her wand to point her to his direction. What she saw as the haze of billowing smoke cleared, what she saw somehow both shocked and disgusted her simultaneously. Ignoring the smoke that filled her lungs, she raced inside the Great Hall, towards Draco.
***********
Ron yawned, climbing out of his bed as quietly as possible. He missed his best mate, but as her best friend, he had to put a brave face for the rest of the house. Harri and Malfoy's absence had not only affected their respective houses, it also had a huge impact on the entire school. Classes had been somber, to put it lightly. Parents had begun to owl the headmaster, with worries about the safety of their children. Now that the hope of wizarding world was gone, the question of security had become a hot potato issue at the school. Ron felt no less safe than he would have with Harri being in the present. He was getting sick and tired of everyone – even Hermione, treating him as if he were made of glass. He was getting upset with bushy haired after hearing from her own lips of her telling everyone that he was falling apart.
Even in her absence he was still nothing but the red haired sidekick of the girl who lived. He was getting tired of hearing the sniggers of his peers and even those of his housemates. They were laughing at him because he didn't have Precious Potter with him. Never let it be said that having a best friend of the opposite sex wasn't difficult. He, Hermione, and Harri had been subjected to rumors about the three of them since third year. Ranging from threesomes, to sex orgies; the whispering never stopped. Everyone close to the three of them knew that he didn't feel anything but brotherly towards Harri. She was like a second sister to him, except he could talk to her differently than he could with Ginny. Granted, he loved Ginny, but she was younger than him, and it was his responsibility to protect her. Harri was someone he could relate with easier. Unlike Hermione, whom he was attracted to; Harri offered a divergent view into the mind of females.
His days hadn't gotten any better either. The Slytherins continued to annoy him, although they were in the same boat. He didn't know if Draco had any friends in Slytherin, or if it were even possible for Slytherins to have friends. Now that their 'leader' was gone, he had been sure to point it out every time he saw one of them. Ron went downstairs, ready to greet the masses. Not surprisingly, he was the first one downstairs in the common room. Deciding not to wait for the rest, he headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast. There were a few others in from his house that had beaten him to the breakfast table. To his surprise, he saw Hagrid was the first staff members at the high table. He waved to his CoM teacher, before sitting down to eat his meal.
"Oi! Morning, Ron."
"Morning, Hagrid."
Hagrid looked about the room conspiratorially, before motioning for Ron to come over to him. Hagrid bent down so that he was at level with his ear.
"What 'ave the students been saying 'bout our 'Arri?"
"Oh you know the usual… Harri's the next dark lord, and that she meant to back in time. Some of the Ravenclaws have been saying that she wants to get rid of You-Know-Who's font of power."
Hagrid leaned back into his large high backed chair, drinking a large draught of beer. From afar, passersby would mistake their conversation to be about something as trivial as the weather, or the leading Quidditch team in Europe. Upon closer inspection, one would learn the true nature of their discussion. Ron excused himself, after chatting amicably with his half-giant professor/friend. Hagrid seemed a bit too interested in what the students were saying about Harri. He was also further surprised by the fact that Hagrid failed too mention anything about Draco. Anytime that annoying prat wasn't mentioned was a welcome feeling… but he wanted to know what Hagrid was keeping from him. He'd have to resort to sneaking about to learn the truth.
"Harri you had better get your arse back here soon. I'm getting bloody tired of being treated like glass by the entire ruddy school!"
He hissed aloud to himself, swallowing ice cold orange juice. Just when he about to enter his 'I'm-eating-too-busy-to-talk-phase', he was interrupted yet again by another well meaning housemate. Swallowing his bacon, he turned to address the annoying prat. The prat—girl rather, was none other than Luna 'Loony' Lovegood, a fourth year Ravenclaw that his sister was friends with. He said nothing but merely stared into her large protruding eyes. She certainly did fit her moniker. With her straggly blond hair held up using her mahogany wand, she looked every bit a nut as everyone said.
"Talking to oneself is the first sign of insanity to Ronald."
"I suppose you think yourself to be the property judge of someone's sanity?"
She cocked her head to one side, bringing her hand to her mouth suppressing a giggle. Ron rolled his eyes at her behavior. The Great Hall was slowly beginning to fill with students, and Ron was getting uncomfortable being in her presence. He said nothing as she sat down next to him uninvited in Harri's seat. She began to grab sporadically for dishes of food, not really looking at what she picked up. He frowned at her audaciousness, but having been raised a gentleman, Ron remained silent.
"Loo—er Luna, you are aware that this is the Gryffindor table right?"
She nodded, taking a bit of bacon off his plate. Her scraggly blond hair covered her eyes for a moment. She might have been pretty if she didn't have such a loony look about her. She could be quite pretty if she were a tad more thoughtful about her appearance.
"Is this going to be a problem, Ronald?"
"Well usually, Ravenclaws sit with their fellow Ravenclaws. While Gryffindor sits with other Gryffindors-"
"Yes and Hufflepuffs sit with Slytherins!"
She said, before she bit down on a mango. Luna was definitely too close to him, and her foolish babble wasn't growing on him either. Ron raised a red eyebrow, turning to meet the gaze of a few Ravenclaw students that had just arrived. Apparently they had been all too glad to get rid of her, even just for a moment.
"Right… It's just that, I don't think Hermione will be too pleased to find sitting in her seat."
"I don't mind Ron. I'll sit next to Ginny this morning."
Hermione said in what had to be a syrupy sweet fake voice. Ron frowned at Luna angrily, but she didn't seem to notice or care. Soon he couldn't even be heard muttering about 'annoying, crazed blonds' because of the loud din of the room. He silently chewed his food, hoping Hermione hadn't taken their conversation out of context. He closed his eyes, already wishing the day would end.
*************
Narcissa Malfoy was normally a quiet, complacent woman that was willing to stand by her husband in all things. She was willing to allow him certain freedoms, because it was what was expected of her. Theirs was a marriage of convenience, which had provided the basic necessities with the added bonus of luxury. Since their union began she had been supportive of him, even when Lucius had been promoted through the Dark Lord's ranks, she never once questioned him. Yet now, when Lucius had asked for assistance in stealing one of the rarest books in the world which he planned to use to manipulate time, she had been reluctant to give him any information. Though few knew it, Narcissa was very well learned in the history of magic, all over the world. She hadn't ceased studying after she left Hogwarts—instead she opted to attend University.
Now, when she sat alone in the Malfoy's ancestral home, her mind wandered to how her son was faring. Lucius seemed so colder now, as if he didn't even miss his own son. She knew that if he were to get his hands on that book, then she may never see her son again. He could keep his animosity for the girl, but her son wasn't going to get caught in the crossfire. She went upstairs to their attic, ignoring the house elves that passed by. She walked into their attic silently, reminding herself to have the elves clean rooms better than before. Her blue eyes surveyed the room, grimacing as she saw the dust fly to and fro as she moved. She turned to see the giant Malfoy family crest that was nailed to the wall. She could see thousands of years of the family name, looking at the legacy of purebloods. Of course, no family was so pure that there had never been a muggle, or muggle-born marry into the family.
Her eyes traveled to the last few names added, she her own name, Lucius' and Draco's. His name, which was written in golden script, had been dimmed, almost completely fading to black. He was alive of course, but because his name had lost its shine, she feared the worst. Now however, it began to glow again. Narcissa felt a surge of hope swell in her chest. Could this mean that her son had finally returned from the past? Narcissa brought her fingers to the text, tracing the lines gently. The words made her hands tingle, and it warmed her. She looked at the names, numerous thoughts racing through her head. Rushing downstairs she past numerous paintings, not bothering to stop until she finally came to her bedroom. She searched wildly for the bauble she needed.
Of all the characteristics Jacobsen women possessed, sentimentality was definitely a trait. For generations the women had given on another a charmed pendant, which held inside a compass. The compass revealed the image of whomever, or whatever the bearer held the dearest. Inside her locket was the picture of her son, and like the text on the Malfoy family tree it glowed. Inside the compass, there was a tiny inscription which changed as it was passed through the family. When she had inherited the pendant, a picture of her family was shown. After the birth of Draco, the writing had changed again. She smiled, because she knew then that her son was back. It pointed in the direction of north by northwest, leading her to him. Narcissa was reminded of the words her mother had spoken to her at her wedding. It's a compass dear, so that you may never lose your way, and so that you can always be able to find the most special things in your heart.
"I have to speak with Dumbledore."
Narcissa said aloud putting on her pendant, taking her wand and cloak with her. She apparated a few yards away from Hogwarts. Her face was recognizable everywhere, due to the numerous parties she hosted and attended. She disregarded the callous stares, heading straight for her former professor's office. She hadn't been a student for almost twenty years, and was getting annoyed with the blasted gargoyle which prevented her from entering.
"You open this door, right now! I must speak with the Headmaster this instant!"
She cried out indignantly.
"You don't know the password, so you can't get in."
"Now see here—"
The gargoyle began, but was unable to reply, because the beast had finally opened. Narcissa stepped inside, but not before casting a haughty glare at the annoying stone creature. She smiled politely at Dumbledore, sitting down primly. She declined the proffered lemon candy that he asked of his usual guests, instead choosing to get right down to business.
"To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit, Mrs. Malfoy?"
He asked with that all too familiar twinkle present in his eyes. Narcissa sighed, her bravado had nearly vanished. Twisting the lace of her sleeves, she avoided looking completely in the eyes. The old man had a way of making people feel uncomfortable if he wanted to, and Narcissa Malfoy was definitely uncomfortable. She had already started the first steps towards betrayal by even coming to the school, but she simply had to let him know. There was no one else more qualified to handle the situation she had found herself in, despite what Lucius may have thought. If there was one thing being married to Lucius had taught her, it was that blood mattered. Family came first before all else. Though he had always been cold towards her son, she knew it was because Lucius was molding him into a man. Narcissa just wasn't sure if she liked the man that her son was becoming.
"I have come with information."
She stated simply. Dumbledore raised his white as if he were about to hear a damning secret about the lives of the Malfoys. She frowned slightly. The old man really was crazed. Did he honestly believe that she would give him damning evidence that would ruin her family's name?
"I'm listening, you can speak freely here."
Narcissa rolled her eyes.
"I married into a family of Slytherins, Dumbledore. If you think I'm going to give you anything that implicates my family in negatively any way in than you are sorely mistaken. I have come with news."
"Oh yes, of course. What news do you bring with you?"
"My son has returned, alive.
Narcissa watched with mild amusement as his eyes bulged slightly. Obviously they had no idea. She made a mental note of his reaction. Did this mean that their Golden Girl hadn't returned, or did they just not know? She'd talk with Lucius about that little tidbit later. He would question how she found out such information however…
"Don't ask me how I know, because I won't tell you. I suppose you are wondering why I came to you?"
"Yes, the thought has crossed my mind."
"It's really quite simple. You have resources at this school which would help in located my son. I have a general idea of where he is on the planet, but I need stronger magic to pin point exactly where he is. Need I remind you that my son was lost in your school, and whether it was through his fault or someone else's, you are responsible for all the students."
Dumbledore gave her a slight smile. Popping a lemon candy in his mouth, he held a new respect for the young woman.
"Perhaps you should have been a Ravenclaw."
"Do keep in mind Headmaster that Ms. Potter disappeared with my son, and there is a large chance that they are together right now. I also know that neither you nor the Ministry are aware of her possible return, despite all the tracking spells she has placed on her. Now will you help me or not?"
He frowned, thinking the situation over. He had watched her grow up from a shy young Hufflepuff, to the elegant woman that sat before him. Albus Dumbledore had always been a good judge of character, and Narcissa was definitely sincere in her plea.
"How do I know I can trust you, or your source of information?"
"You don't know, but this is your chance to find Ms. Potter, before the any insurgents do."
"What of Mr. Malfoy?"
Narcissa sighed, looking down at the buttons on her robes. She had taken into account how Lucius might react—but this was her son. He could be in all sorts of danger, and she refused to sit by and do nothing. She looked determinedly into his bright blue eyes.
"Some things are worth the risk, Headmaster."
Footnotes: Thanks for reading this chapter everyone. Luna got introduced into the story! Can anyone guess what's happening to Draco? (No he is not a werewolf) What are their soul animals? What is it that Hagrid is not telling Ron? What's up with Hermione? Is Narcissa a turncoat? I know there was no Severus, Remus, or Sirius, but in the next chapter they'll be back. I thought about adding them now, but then the chapter would end up being about 10,000 words long, and I think that might be a bit too much for one chapter. So what did you all think of the chapter? I hope I didn't do too badly of a job. I have been surfing the site looking for good Harry-as-a-girl fics and I have come up empty handed. Too many are either too Mary-Sues, badly written or just copies of the book. (I swear I've seen some written in verbatim, with Harry being "Harriet.") I promise to try and update more often. That having been said, could you all review? It lets me know you're there. In case I forget, Happy Super Tuesday!
Translation: *Of the mind's eye.