PART THREE
The two young men entered the castle. Draco looked around; studying the hallway they were standing in. Nothing seemed to have changed, much.
"Come with me," Harry looked over his shoulder at the blond. "Dumbledore can wait for a while. You and I will talk first."
"I thought that the Headmaster always was number one in your book Potter," Draco drawled in bored aristocratic tones that he had mastered years ago.
"Only when necessary," Harry shot back in good humor with a wry grin. "Besides, I have a feeling that what I need to tell you is more important and Dumbledore hasn't been number one in my book ever. Just trust me."
"Don't I always?" Draco muttered as he followed the Dark Arts Professor.
As he followed after Harry he took the opportunity to study the young man in front of him. Harry Potter had definitely changed. He was no longer the trusting youth that Draco had left behind, although Harry had lost that trusting nature many years ago he still had looked as though he trusted others. Now he gave off the impression of being cautious and on edge as though expecting danger to jump out from every corner. Not paranoid but definitely on edge. Draco wondered what had caused Harry to change so drastically.
He watched impassively as Harry ushered him into his private quarters. He had been expecting bright and cheery rooms with lots of memorabilia to celebrate him as the Boy Who Lived and Quidditch Cup Winner from 2002. Instead he found rooms that were designed to be functional even if they were spacious and tastefully decorated. The rooms had some of Harry's personal touch to them and a few gifts from friends and co-workers but there was nothing else to really bring them to life. It was strange to see those rooms as they were, stranger still to see that Harry relaxed almost completely once the door was shut behind him as though some great weight had lifted from his shoulders.
"What's wrong with you Harry?" Draco asked taking a seat by the fire. "It's like you're expecting Filch to catch you out of bed past curfew as though you were still a student."
"Hogwarts has been compromised," Harry leaned back in his own chair across from Draco. "The only real safe places to talk are outside, Snape's quarters, my quarter's and a few other places."
"Compromised?" Draco frowned at the wording Harry used, wording he had not heard since the war three and a half years ago. "How?"
"A plant," Harry looked up at him from his study of the fire. "We don't know if it's a staff member or even a student. Voldemort's not dead."
"You killed him three years ago," Draco glared into the flames wishing he had something strong to drink if they were going to bring up memories from just before he had left. "Don't say that. The bastard's dead, you used the Killing Curse on him, I saw it."
"We didn't know what we know now," Harry insisted with a glare at the blond. "Severus and I did some digging around. The Dark Mark appeared about five months ago on the Continent in France when an official from the British Ministry of Magic was murdered. I found out about a month ago that Voldemort isn't as dead as we'd like. He did something when he was in his early twenties, some sort of experiment that combines Muggle techniques and Magical ones."
Draco paled briefly. He clenched his hands together as he tried to contain his disbelief and anger but he too knew that something had returned from the Dark. He had known that it would only be a matter of time when he had first fled Europe. He had run because he didn't want to admit that to anyone, didn't want to admit it to himself. He had learned a few things while living abroad and he was back to deal with the new threat. The thought that the new threat was once again Voldemort was merely an unexpected piece of news.
"Can I have a drink?" Draco asked clearing his throat slightly. "I think we'll both need one."
Harry nodded and stood. He returned momentarily with two very full glasses of brandy. Draco took an experimental sip and found it to be smooth and of good flavor.
"Draco," Harry sighed heavily raking a hand through his still messy-styled hair. "Voldemort managed to clone himself with all his memory intact, and most of his powers too. He's gaining strength."
Draco nearly spat out his brandy but managed to swallow it down. A larger sip accompanied it rather quickly. That was certainly news to him. Apparently it was definitely time to stop running now, time to come back home. He waited until Harry had taken a sip of his own drink before speaking.
"There's another problem," Draco managed to speak after a few minutes. "There's a new force coming in. It's started in America. Do you remember the legends about Elves from the Old Ages?"
Harry merely nodded. He didn't want to interrupt and Draco was grateful for that. His story was somewhat bizarre, even though it was utterly true.
"There are a few now in the deep woods in America," Draco looked into the flames again. "I didn't believe it, there were only a few sightings. So I went to check things out for myself. I actually spoke to one Harry, and I lived among them. His name is Ely'ed. He knows about me, you and a few other people here."
"Elves?" Harry nearly laughed. "I believe you but it still sounds so strange. What do they want?"
"To help," Draco looked Harry in the eyes now. "They say that a great darkness is coming to spread over the world. They said something about the Time of Dreams and the Shadow of Lies. Apparently the Elves have their own prophecy. That's why I came back, I came before they could but I expect that the Elves will come soon enough."
"To Hogwarts?" Harry quickly downed several large sips of his brandy. "They'll come here? Do you know when we can expect them?"
Draco shook his head. He didn't know much of anything anymore.
"And Harry," Draco's gray eyes were intense as they stared straight into the emerald eyes across from him. "Remember, when prophecy comes from Elves it's never wrong."
"I know," Harry's voice cracked.
Draco sat back and killed the rest of his drink.
"We should head up to Dumbledore's office now," Harry finally said, putting his empty glass on a nearby table. "We should get up there before Hermione gets back. I have enough problems to deal with without her temper."
"I thought you two were still chummy," Draco stood and walked over to the door.
"We're not as close as we were in school," Harry opened the door and ushered Draco out. "She can't get over the fact that I trust two Slytherins. Fred and George understand as does Hagrid and the Headmaster. But quite a few of the staff here think I'm nuts."
Draco merely snorted. Things really had changed if the staff were not fawning all over Harry Potter.
The two walked briskly through the halls and up staircases until they came to the statue leading to the staircase up to the Headmaster's office.
"Twizlers," Harry said.
The statue moved aside and the stair case began winding its way up. The two stepped onto it and out into the Headmasters office. Fawkes flew off his perch and landed on Harry's shoulder. He chirped a welcome to Draco and settled down on his second favorite person.
"So good of you to come," Dumbledore smiled at the two.
"Headmaster I demand something be done about Mr. Malfoy's inability to follow his escort up to the castle," McGonagall said in a disapproving huff.
"Draco is here of his own free will," Harry cut in quickly. "And I would have taken him off of Hermione's hands before he was even able to come up here. It's my fault he's late getting here Albus. I kept him so that I could speak to him and welcome him back."
McGonagall glared in Draco's direction and met Harry's icy gaze instead. She quickly looked away.
"Let's begin, shall we?" Dumbledore smiled at no one in particular. "We all know that we're facing Voldemort once again. Will you aid us Draco?"
"I need some time to think," Draco said after a moment's hesitation.
McGonagall frowned at his words but wisely kept her mouth shut.
"I'll take him to my quarters," Harry offered, standing. "He can stay with me."
"Wait a moment Harry," Dumbledore said causing Harry to stop and turn around. "There is one other matter you need to be aware of. Bill Weasley's team in Egypt was attacked and the Dark Mark was seen in the sky. Bill is fine, he's on his way back to England as we speak but several members of his team were killed."
"When will Bill be back?" Harry asked.
"In a few more days," Dumbledore answered. "He's stopping by Gringotts in Paris before coming across the Channel."
Harry nodded and almost dragged Draco from the Headmaster's office. The two men walked through the empty halls of the castle. The students were all in classes.
"Why aren't you teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts Harry?" Draco asked, stopping in the hallway.
"I'm taking the next few months off," Harry shrugged, coming to a stop as well. "I'm working on a book for the Six and Seventh Years and once I found out that Voldemort wasn't dead I thought it might be a good idea to focus some extra attention on that too. Professor Lupin is covering for me."
"I didn't know they'd let him back," Draco commented.
"Nobody really made a big fuss," Harry replied. "They weren't given much of a choice though. After all, most of the public still adores me and with the things I know about the Minister there wasn't much else they could do but cede to my demands."
Draco knew Harry was telling him the truth. He knew that Harry had a dark side just like everyone else but he had actually blackmailed the Minister. Even that was something that Draco would never have done. Harry must have been pissed to do something so foolish.
"Are you a fool?" Draco asked. "You blackmailed the Minister of Magic?"
"Something like that," Harry nodded. "He deserved it. He threatened to do an inquiry on Severus because he was a former Death Eater. So I blackmailed him with terms of my own to ensure that that wouldn't happen."
Draco could see Harry doing that to protect a friend. He would probably have done what Harry had. But still, blackmail was a risky enterprise to enter into.
"So long as you know what you're doing," Draco tailed off as they continued walking.
They went back to Harry's rooms. Harry showed Draco the extra bedroom he could use for however long he would be staying at Hogwarts. Draco felt more comfortable in Harry's rooms then he had in the Headmaster's office, a place that he had once felt totally secure in.
An insistent knock came at Harry's door. He frowned and opened it with a flick of his hand. Hermione stood in the doorway, her robes slightly askew with a bit of dust still clinging to the hems. She did not look happy.
"Draco Malfoy!" She stepped into the room. "I thought I'd find you here."
"Back off Hermione," Harry calmly folded his arms across his chest. "He didn't do anything wrong. McGonagall was way out of line having you drag him from the Continent back to Hogwarts."
"It was my job," Hermione retorted defensively.
"Well he's here now," Harry said.
"Draco you and I are going to have a talk about this," Hermione threatened.
"What could you possibly say Granger?" Draco drawled. "You already helped to take away everything I ever cared the slightest bit about. I don't think a few petty insults will really make much difference. But if it'll make you feel better go right ahead."
Hermione had the grace to flinch.
"Just go Hermione," Harry held the door open for her. "Things are fine."
Hermione backed out of the room and quickly turned on her heel and disappeared down the hallway. Harry shut the door behind her with a tired little sigh. Draco could tell that he was troubled about the little altercation but Hermione had started it. Still Draco wished that Harry would tell him exactly what was going on, he knew that the Gryffindor was keeping a few things from him. Perhaps they would get around to them in the morning.
"Let's get some sleep," Harry suggested. "I assume you're tired and I was up late writing another chapter for my book."
Draco nodded and headed off for his bed with a brief goodnight.