Disclaimer: I'm in a good mood today, so I won't put up a fight when saying I don't own Draco or Harry or any of them, or Hogwarts…

Sniff
It's just, so sad!

Okay, I'll be on with it.

Enjoy, and please R&R!

Aranel

(Draco's POV) Draco woke with a start, then smiled and stretched his arms behind his head. Being the Defence against the Dark Arts teacher

sure was tiring, though it had its rewards.

He ran his hand through his hair, and breathed in slowly. Three weeks have passed. He thought. I wonder what father is doing, now that I'm

safely back at Hogwarts, where he can't get at me. He probably knows by now that I am the new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher.

Won't that be a shock! His thoughts turned to his students, his first years especially. Priscilla Longbottom seems to be picking things up

very quickly. A pretty one she is, too. He grinned at the thought.

"Draco!" He heard a familiar voice call. "Draco, are you lazing around in bed dreaming of your students again?" he looked up, and saw

Hermione in the doorway, mock scowling, eyes twinkling.

"Please don't hurt me," he said playing along, and burrowed under his blankets.

"Get out of bed ferret! It's the first Hogsmeade visit today, and if you don't hurry we won't be allowed to go!"

At this point Draco popped his head out from under his blankets, and grinned. "Don't try and put that trick on me, Missy, I know you have to
go, since you're head girl!"

She sighed, and yanked his covers off his bed. "You lazy ferret! Get up!" she yelled, and a sleepy Harry entered the room.

"Wha's all the fuss about, 'Mione?" He asked, yawning.

She turned on him. "I told you to get up half an hour ago, you brat! We're supposed to be down in the front entrance hall in exactly 10

minutes!" she yelled at him, then seized Draco's broomstick, and whacked him over the head.

Draco was out of bed in an instant. "Hey! That's expensive, you know that?"

Hermione smirked, and patted a dizzy Harry on the back. "Better get out of bed then, or I'll have to find a better place for it," She grinned

wickedly. "Like Moaning Myrtles U bend!"

"I am out of bed, okay?" He grinned, a small thought brewing in his head. I can play her game.

He walked over to his wardrobe, and pulled out his clothes. He then stripped down to his boxers, aware that Hermione was watching his every
move, and walked into the bathroom to change.

When he returned a few minutes later, Hermione was sitting on his bed, waiting for him, though her back was turned.

"Tada!" he said, and waited for the shock.

Hermione turned, and her expression didn't disappoint him. "Wha? Draco… you're…you're a Flamingo!"

He burst out laughing, and, knowing the sight of a flamingo laughing might be too much for the ever-logical Hermione (A/N: smirk), he

transformed himself, and stood before her as himself, wearing complete black (A/N: Sorry for the interruptions, but… YUMMY! drool Okay,

heh. I'll get on with it.).

(Hermione's POV) After getting over the shock of the Draco the ferret being a flamingo, Hermione checked him out, and was pleased with

what she saw.

Not many wizards looked like he did. (A/N: cough That's an understatement!)

He offered his arm to her, and she took it. He guided her out of the room, and Harry met them in the library, looking a little more respectable.

(Draco's POV) Draco and Ginny walked up the hill to the Shrieking shack, wanting some peace and quiet. The place wasn't as much of an

attraction now, as the secret of the Shrieking had been uncovered. Harry and Hermione had some business to attend to with Dumbledore, and
had left early, so the two decided to catch up, as they hadn't had much of a chance since school started.

"How are your classes going, Draco?" Ginny asked, as they reached the Shack.

Draco grinned. "Oh, you know, no one has tried to kill me ye-" he slumped to the ground, and was vaguely aware of Ginny dropping beside him.

(Ginny's POV) Ginny woke up to find her head throbbing- she must have hit it when she was…stunned? Hold on, where am I?

She looked around. It seemed she was in a dungeon of sorts. She felt for her wand, but it seemed it had been taken. She then noticed Draco

beside her, a clump of blood matting down his hair.

"Draco?" she whispered. "Draco, are you okay?"

He groaned, and rolled over onto his back. She could tell he had been battered around far worse than she; he was a bloodied mess. She took

off her overshirt, and dabbed carefully at his face. It seemed they had both been surprised, for his wand had been taken, too. Draco, where

are we? She thought in despair. And who did this to you?

She started as Draco's eyes flew open. "Ginny," he croaked, and coughed. She could see blood caking his lips, and he was struggling to keep
his eyes open. "Shhh, Draco. It's okay. We'll be fine."

He looked around in fright. "No," he coughed again, and struggled to regain composure. "No. You must.. You must get away from here. My

father…"

Her eyes widened in fear. Lucius.

She heard laughter, and spun around to see Lucius and… Her heart almost stopped as she clamped a hand over her mouth to keep from

screaming. Voldemort.

Voldemort raised his wand, and laughed again.

"Ah, Draco my boy. How nice to see you again."

"Voldemort," Draco spat out, along with blood. "What do you want with us?"

"Well, first, I have something I'd like to show you."

He beckoned with one bony finger, and she jerked up. She bent to help Draco up, and, supporting him, followed Voldemort.

(Draco's POV) I recognize this place, he thought. This is… then what could he have to show me then? Unless…

"Mother!" he yelled, as they entered Narcissa's bedchambers. She lay on the bed, breathing laboriously. He half walked- was half carried by

Ginny to his mother, and fell to his knees at her side.

"Mother…" he whispered, feeling tears mingle with blood. "What have they done to you?"

"Because you left," Voldemort started, "Somebody had to pay for your insolence." He raised his wand. "Avada Kedavra!" he said, and

Narcissa breathed out slowly, then breathed no more. Blood was trickling into his eyes now, and he could feel nothing, but the desire to get

revenge.

"Now that that little detail is taken care of, Lucius, you may take the girl and do with her whatever you please," Voldemort said, smirking.

"Thank you, my lord," Lucius said, feasting his eyes on Ginny.

Draco's head snapped up. No, he wouldn't! He thought, reviled at what he knew Voldemort was giving his father permission to do. He stood

up unsteadily in front of Ginny, blocking her from his father's view. "To get to her, you have to get through me first," he said, glaring at the

two.

"Oh yeah," Lucius sneered, and took another step towards them, and pushed him aside. He reached down to touch Ginny, who shrank back.

Draco felt his blood boil as Lucius ripped her shirt off, revealing her bra and creamy ivory skin beneath. He stood up and tackled his father,

before placing himself in front of her again.

"It seems Draco thinks himself strong enough to stop me without a wand, and with wounds covering his entire body," Lucius now raised his

wand. "Avada Kedavra!" he yelled in rage.

"Divinia Vitalis!" Draco yelled, his hands spread out in front of him. A white light streamed out of him, and forced the killing spell to dissipate.
He fell to his knees.

"Better get us out of here, Gin," he mumbled. "You have… two minutes…" he added before losing consciousness.

(Ginny's POV) Ginny woke with a start, and shaded her eyes against the light streaming in from the window. She looked towards Draco's bed,
hoping to see some change. Nothing. She thought, and felt a tear slide down her cheek as she looked at him. The blood had been cleaned up,

but now you could see the full extent of his injuries. He had cuts everywhere; his arms were almost shredded.

"Ginny," a gentle voice said from the door. A nurse walked in, followed by Professor Dumbledore.

"What is the extent of his injuries, Flora?" Dumbledore asked the nurse kindly.

"As you can see, he has cuts and bruises all over his body. He had two broken ribs, and a dislocated shoulder which have already been

repaired. What worries us the most are not the injuries, but how much strain was put on him. He's lost a lot of blood, and he seems to have

used all of his energy, he has none left. That's the real danger. He may not be able to produce enough energy quickly enough to sustain his

life."

"Thank you Flora," Dumbledore said, and she left the room after checking Draco's pulse.

"Dumbledore," Ginny whispered. "Will he be alright?"

He smiled gently. "I believe he will, Ginny. Draco is strong. What I need you to tell me about, is what happened."

So Ginny told him.

"He used a spell to counter Avada Kedavra?" Dumbledore asked, frowning in concentration.

"Yes. I think it was…" she thought for a moment. "Divinia Vitalis."

Dumbledore's expression cleared slightly, though he still looked puzzled. "Divine Life. I wonder where he learnt that spell?" he asked, more to

himself than Ginny. "I have never heard of it before." Dumbledore shook his head. "Ginny, you should get some rest. Did you retrieve your

wands as you left the Manor?"

Ginny nodded, and held out Draco's.

"Look after it," Dumbledore said, and she put it back in her pocket.

"Sir, I want to stay with Draco. He saved my life after all," Ginny said.

Dumbledore nodded and waved his wand. A sleeping bag appeared, rolled up neatly on the floor.

"You may stay then, but I insist you get some rest. I will stay with Draco while you sleep."

She nodded, and unrolled the sleeping bag. Crawling into it, she fell asleep immediately.

Well, I hope that chapter was a little more exciting than the others.

Please R&R!

Aranel