Chapter Four: The fog might be lifting

"…But then right as I was about to get to the punch line- Harry, you know, the 'that's not the potion!' one- Snape walks in like he's on some important mission and cuts me off." Ron took a small pause to breathe, letting the past few minutes' worth of information sink in. Ron and Harry had different class schedules now, and the only classes they would have together were Divination and Care of Magical Creatures. "Are you doing the color-changing potion, Harry?"

"No, we're learning the…what's it called? Oh, Draught of Death, I think. It's supposed to be a really strong sleeping potion, or something. I sort of remember him mentioning it before. Hermione said Snape had mentioned it before, in our first year."

Ron shook his head. "I bet she has his lectures memorized."

"You bet who has whose lectures memorized," Hermione asked, approaching the table.

Harry smiled. "Why, hello Hermione. We were just talking about"- Ron elbowed Harry in the ribs. "…classes."

"Oh. It's too bad we only have one class together every other day. Well, you and Ron have Divination, too, I suppose. Why do you still take that class?"

"Because there's hardly any work," Ron replied with his mouth stuffed with food.

Two classes later, Ron and Harry found themselves in the aforementioned class almost falling asleep, dizzy with incense and warm from the ever-lit fire.

"Alright, if everybody would prepare to open their inner eye, I will set out our divining tools." Harry jerked awake at the sound of Professor Trelawney's voice. Harry wasn't that sure why he was still in this class, as he wasn't particularly fond of it, but he had to admit he was glad Trelawney had her job back.

The woman paused at Harry's table, setting down a crystal ball. "Hello, Mr. Potter- I'm glad you had a good summer. You too, Mr. Weasley." She started walking to set a crystal ball down on Parvati and Lavender's table when she stopped abruptly. Draco was sure she was staring at him. "I sense a presence in this room," she said in a dramatic whisper, her eyes searching for the source of her heebie-jeebies.

Harry was also looking around, although by this time he knew it would be a fruitless search. However, if Trelawney really did sense Draco in the room, maybe it wasn't all in Harry's head. The professor's search only lasted a minute or so before she shrugged and went back to passing out crystal balls.

"Now I want you all to close your eyes and breathe deeply; do not be afraid of letting out sound as you breath. Good job, Mr. Weasley, just try to stay a little quieter," Professor Trelawney whispered. Ron was giving a drawn-out grunt with each breath, and Harry was trying desperately not to laugh. "Now, as you breathe, take turns looking into the crystal balls…"

Harry and Ron both glanced into the ball. "You see anything," Ron whispered out of his closed mouth, still earning a glare from Lavender. Harry shook his head. "I guess that means we take a nap, then." Ron gave a decisive nod and settled in to his pile of hoarded cushions with his eyes closed.

Harry gave a quiet snort, glanced at the crystal ball once more, and rested his head inconspicuously on the table, deciding a nap sounded spectacular. As he lightly dozed, Harry saw what seemed to be an elusive shape in the corner of his eye. Every time he tried to focus on it though, the shape seemed to be once again in the corner of his eye. This constant moving was annoying Draco, who had no control over it.

"Don't try, Potter."

"Malfoy," the boy exclaimed. "Why didn't you answer when I asked if you were there earlier?" Harry was relieved it hadn't all been in his head, but didn't understand why he'd been ignored in the morning.

"Well, how exactly did you expect me to speak with you when you were awake? And why would I?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe for my sake? So I would know I wasn't imagining you in my dreams?"

"And when have I ever done anything for your sake, Potter?"

Harry scowled, or thought he might have. "Hey, I'm the one in a body, trying to help you figure out what's going on."

Draco paused. "I know. I'm just twisting you arm. You should probably wake up, though- that woman is coming your way."

Harry opened his eyes in time to see Professor Trelawney walking towards him and Ron to hear what they'd Seen. Harry elbowed Ron in the ribs, maybe a little harder than he'd meant, and Ron woke up with a grunt of pain. "Teacups," the boy blurted out loud, saying the first thing that came to mind. "I saw a teacup."

Professor Trelawney looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, that must mean you should keep honing in on your Seeing ability. And you, Mr. Potter? What did you see?"

Harry pondered for a moment. "I think I saw a boy," he said.

Trelawney cocked her head to the side, her big eyes blinking twice. "Interesting," she said before moving on.

By dinner Harry felt drained. He sat listening to Hermione and Ron gently bicker, not really listening to their words as much as he was listening to the sound of their voices. Draco was feeling slightly agitated, although his brief talk with Harry had momentarily calmed his nerves.

Now Draco realized how different he was from his ex-fellow students. It was like he couldn't really touch them- any time he got close enough to one his hand just…wouldn't touch them. It was as if he were trying to completely join oil and water. And each time he saw two students touch, whether it was in a pat on the shoulder or a discreet kiss snuck in when no professor was looking, Draco felt a bit angry and scared. He couldn't remember what it felt like to touch someone.

Draco wanted to be alone, but also wanted to stay close to people. Still torn over his indecisiveness, he found himself in the Slytherin common room. The room chilled the blonde, and he looked around, his eyes staying on the armchair from yesterday. Could he go to his mother, he wondered? That is, if she was still alive- The idea of his mother dead struck Draco as impossible, but…

He started thinking of the Malfoy manor before he could let fear overtake him, and like before, when Draco opened his eyes he found himself in his own room. However, everything was strewn around, as if someone had been looking for something in a rush. Draco scowled angrily at this for a moment before he went on looking through the house, seeing if his mother was here, or maybe his body- The latter possibility left Draco filled with dread.

He walked through the manor cautiously, as if it were possible to hear his steps, not even sure why he felt he should be cautious. He knew it had something to do with the last few moments- those moments he couldn't remember without the brain fog descending on him. Draco thought he heard whispering coming from one of the rooms, but as he approached the door, that infernal (or maybe heavenly?) jangling started again, making Draco's head spin.

His only thought was to get away, and the next second Draco found himself in a dark room, maybe a cellar, close to a heavily breathing form. Looking closer, Draco noted the dark eyes and skin of none other than Blaise Zabini. "Zabini," he whispered, surprised he found the boy here, wherever here was. Blaise couldn't sense Draco like Harry could, and therefore didn't move. He was sitting in the corner of the cellar-like room, trying to control his breaths.

Those dark eyes kept roving around the room, and Draco noticed that they weren't alone. Standing not too far away were two hulking forms snickering, and Draco recognized them to be Crabbe and Goyle. Draco was confused; what was going on? Could the other missing students be in here? Draco looked closer, and realized Zabini was watching Crabbe and Goyle with alert, scared eyes. He was being held captive. They were the only four in the room.

If Zabini, along with these two who seemed to be his captors were alive, then…might Draco be alive somewhere? He closed his eyes, expecting to get back to Harry, and the last thing he heard from the dark room was the sound of Crabbe's deep voice muttering "Crucio," and the sharp intake of breath that comes before a scream.

When Draco opened his eyes, he felt wobbly all over, and looked for Harry. They were in the common room, and thankfully Harry was leaving for bed. Draco waited impatiently for Harry to fall asleep, angry that this was the only time he could communicate with the boy.

Finally after what seemed like hours but was most likely mere minutes, Harry was asleep. Draco caught his attention, or however their meetings commenced, and got straight to the point. "I might not be dead. Zabini and Crabbe and Goyle are alive."

"You saw them?"

"Yes, and it seems that either Crabbe and Goyle have taken after their fathers in becoming Death Eaters, or they have found sheer amusement in torturing Zabini."

"What? They were"-

"Yes, and that might be happening with the other two students, maybe three if you…include myself."

"Somebody should be told of this," Harry thought, feeling agitated but not to the point of waking.

"And how exactly do you expect to do that, Potter? Contact with disembodied spirits doesn't tend to be the norm, even in the wizarding world."

"What else am I supposed to do then, Malfoy?" Harry demanded of the boy.

Draco paused. "I don't know. I suppose…I suppose you have to tell someone."

"Did you know Zabini wasn't going to be a Death Eater? Because apparently he's not."

"No, he put on the perfect front. But then again, I guess I did, too."

"You didn't want"-

Draco kept talking, though. "But I don't understand- why did they already recruit sixth-year students? Father said they waited until your seventh year, at least."

"Malfoy, you didn't want to be a Death Eater?" Harry repeated loudly, although it wasn't really louder in volume, seeing as they weren't really talking.

"No, Potter, I didn't. I kept an appearance of following in my father's footsteps, but I've known that's the losing side since- well, since I met you, I suppose."

Harry ignored what might have been taken as a compliment, and pondered this information. "Lisa Turpin, she was the other missing one, right? And Millicent Bulstrode…Lisa's a Ravenclaw… Malfoy, I think I might have found out what's happening, but I'm not too sure. I need to speak with Hermione, and tell a professor about the missing students…and I need to sleep. Sorry."

Malfoy sighed, knowing Potter did need his rest, for while they were speaking Potter wasn't really sleeping. "Alright, Potter. I'll be there when you figure everything out, I suppose." And with that Draco left Harry to sleep.

A few steps away from the bed, Draco paused. He should see where Millicent Bulstrode and Lisa Turpin were, no matter how strong his sense of foreboding. But how? He wasn't sure if he could find them without knowing their surroundings. How'd he get to Zabini? Deciding it was worth a try, Draco thought of anything that could get him to Bulstrode and the Ravenclaw.

He was slightly more filled with dread than relief when he saw that he had indeed gotten somewhere. Why the hell was he trying to act so heroic? This was Potter's job. He was about to go back when he realized that, instead of two girls his age, a frail-looking woman was near.

He was in a small room, and the woman- wait- "Mother," he cried out, forgetting once again that not many people could here him. His mother was standing over a table, and on that table was the body of a thin, pale blonde boy. Draco stared down at the boy and had a horrible start when he realized whose body it was.

As he was looking down at himself, Draco had a disconcerting feeling, thinking he was looking into a mirror when obviously he was not. The eyes weren't completely closed, and seemed to be staring blankly at the feet. Draco took all this in numbly before realizing once again who he was looking at; that numbness gave way to utter fear, and Draco instinctively flew back to Potter, only to mentally kick himself the moment he was found himself in the Gryffindor common room.

"Stupid, Draco! You should have tried to- to get back in…" Draco's mind was reeling and he felt frantic. Luckily for him dawn was fast approaching, which left him little time to think upon his seemingly dead body lying on the table before Harry woke up.

A/N: Once again, thank you for the reviews! It makes me happy to see them in my inbox...wonderful wonderful wonderful.

And, like always, reviews of all kinds are welcome, unless they're merely put out there to kill. ;D