PART SIX

"Are you insane?" Draco calmly asked. "Even that is something I would be highly uncomfortable with in doing to an enemy. You're talking about someone who will, in all intents and purposes, be standing on our side of the field when shit hits the fan."

"She knew the risks she ran in spying on us," Harry was totally adamant. "It solves other things to. We don't have to involve anyone else; our secrets will stay our secrets."

"He does have a point," Severus was thoughtful.

"Not you too?" Draco shook his head in disbelief.

"Elves have a few spells to do such things," Avendar offered his services to the group.

Draco could hardly believe what he was hearing. He would never have thought Harry capable of such things, obviously he was wrong. But then he took the time to consider what other options they had available to them and none of those looked nearly as promising.

"I'm in," Draco said decisively.

There was no going back.

Harry and Severus broke into Hermione's quarters and stole her pensieve. They altered her most recent memories from her spying and then the group set off back to the twins shop. The two redheads were not very surprised to see the group coming up and out of the tunnel.

"What's going on now?" George asked.

"We need to borrow Hermione," Harry said with a charming smile. "Why don't you and Fred wait out front in the shop for a bit."

Fred and George could tell the group was in a serious mood, they chose not to argue or ask questions. Draco watched as Avendar and Severus knelt down by Hermione, each working to slowly erase her most recent memories while Avendar replaced them with subtle suggestions that Hermione had walked from Hogwarts to visit the twins and complain about Harry. Harry called the twins back in and told them they had altered Hermione's memories a bit and gave them the alterations so they could play along. Draco was surprised to note that the twins were not overly disturbed with Harry's solution to the problem.

"Well that went over well," Draco muttered when they were coming back out of the secret tunnel again.

"Yes it did, didn't it?" Harry agreed but he was not happy or upset, merely stating a fact in that cold analytical tone he sometimes used.

"Where are we going to put Avendar?" Draco asked as they snuck back into the castle for a second time that evening.

"Would you mind bunking on a spare bed in my room?" Harry asked. "Then he can just have that room."

"That's fine," Draco stifled a yawn.

"I'll retire for the evening I think," Severus said breaking off to the dungeons.

Draco was sorry to see him go but he turned his attention back to the enigma that was Harry Potter. He would probably never understand the man and he had never really planned to. But none of that really mattered, it did not affect them.

"Hey Harry," Draco said after they had shown Avendar where he would be sleeping and retired into their own room. "What makes you any different from Voldemort if you're willing to do anything to destroy him?"

Harry sighed as though he had been expecting the question and Draco probably reasoned that he had been after tonight's events.

"I'm not willing to do just anything," Harry quietly replied. "What I did to Hermione was not all that uncommon. She'll remember part of this night Draco, all Severus and Avendar did was put stronger suggestions into her head to override what really happened. We did the same thing to her pensieve. But I'm not willing to destroy someone's mind or torture a confession out of someone. I'm not willing to do a lot of things."

Draco nodded. "Sorry I even asked, I just had to make sure that you really were the same person."

"I can understand that Draco," Harry said with a tiny smile, his sense of humor showing through. "Now go to sleep."

Draco grinned in the dark. Harry was always trying to tell him what to do. Not in a bossy way or anything but almost like a brother, perhaps a twin.

"You know, I was thinking," Draco said conversationally.

"What now?" Harry groaned.

"That we'd make one screwed up set of twins or brothers," Draco imparted his bit of wisdom.

"You're probably right about that," Harry agreed tiredly. "But just so we're clear I'm the smart one."

"That's debatable under the best of circumstances," Draco came back.

"Well then I can be the dark mysterious one and you can be the blond charmer," Harry made another suggestion.

"That's much more plausible," Draco yawned.

"Now go to sleep," Harry said again.

Draco complied. Several hours later he woke to a low whimper. At first he thought it was an animal but then a thrash from Harry's bed accompanied it. The whimper then turned into a low cry of pain. A nightmare, Draco's mind was able to supply for him. Silently he climbed out of his bed and walked over to Harry's. He reached out a hand and before he could even touch the former Gryffindor Seeker there was a wand pointed at him.

"Draco?" Harry squinted in the dark. "What are you doing?"

"You were having a nightmare Potter," Draco turned around. "I was just going to wake you up, no point now though."

There was silence for a few moments. Draco moved back towards his bed on the other side of the room.

"Thanks," Harry said softly.

"You're welcome," Draco climbed back into bed.

The next morning Draco and Harry were more suitably attired in black robes and seated on either side of Severus they drew attention. Hermione came in with McGonagall; the older witch had an unpleasant frown on her face. She narrowed her eyes when she saw the three men seated in a row at the Head Table. Harry gave her a direct stare, Severus glared while Draco had his familiar smirk in place. The older witch frowned all the more and finally took her seat at the Head Table. Hermione sat beside her like always.

Nothing seemed any different and for that Draco was glad. He would have hated for Hermione to be all screwed up because of their actions, but Harry had a point. She knew that spying on them had its risks.

Avendar came into the hall through the teacher's entrance as planned. He was wide awake and moved into the chair next to Draco.

"Good morning," Avendar said helping himself to a bowl of porridge. "Thank you for allowing me to stay with you Harry Potter."

"It's not a problem," Harry said breaking his lengthy silence.

"Harry," Draco said as he saw one of the students who reminded him of the Weasely's. "What ever happened to Ron?"

"After the last battles he went to Germany," Harry said munching on some toast. "He went to study some more at some school over there. He used to write occasionally but this past year I haven't heard anything from him. I still go to the Burrow over part of Summer Hols and also during Yule. They didn't hear from him either and all our mail gets returned to us."

"The Dark Lord was reported being in Germany," Avendar spoke quietly. "He killed Ely'ed's friend last year."

"You don't think Ron might have joined with him do you Harry?" Draco asked, hating that he even had to since he knew how close Harry had once been to the redhead.

"I don't think so," Harry finally said. "But I don't know."

"We need to speak with Dumbledore," Severus said. "Before it gets much later and we should probably introduce him to our guest."

"Yes, I was just going to request a meeting Severus," Albus Dumbledore spoke up from behind them. "Perhaps Draco would be willing to come with your guest and explain a few things to me."

"Of course Headmaster," Draco said.

"Good," The Headmaster smiled. "The password is Sugar Plums. I'll see you after you've finished with your meal."

Draco watched the Headmaster exit through the teacher's entrance. He suddenly felt very stupid for agreeing to bring Avendar out into the open.

"Good luck," Severus said as he stood and left in a swirl of robes.

"I hate you both," Draco moaned. "You know that right Harry? Both of you gits."

"I know Draco," Harry placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze as he stood. "But we'll make it up to you later on. I promise."

Draco nodded and continued picking at his breakfast, delaying the meeting for as long as he could. Finally he knew that he would have to go and just get the blasted meeting over with. He stood and motioned for Avendar to follow after him. The woods Elf rose gracefully to his feet and went after the blond wizard.

"Whatever you do Avendar," Draco said. "Tell Albus nothing of our training or plans. Nothing."

The Elf nodded, "You have no worries. Ely'ed trained me well."

Draco was satisfied with the answer. He knew that Ely'ed would have done a good job on the Elf. He turned and swept down the corridors in a most Snape-like fashion, something he had perfected simply for the effect and he was pleased with it. He reached the Gargoyle and spoke the password and led Avendar up the flight of stairs and into Dumbledore's office.

The Headmaster was seated behind his desk which was cluttered with papers of all sorts. Books lined the lower parts of the walls and were stacked around the back of the desk. Portraits of past Hogwarts Headmasters and Headmistresses lined most of the free space on the walls. The paintings watched the ensuing meeting with interest. The Headmaster gestured for them to sit so they sat in the too plush chairs that had been drawn up near the desk.

"Now just who is your friend Draco?" The Headmaster asked with a smile.

"This is Avendar," Draco said. "He's a wood Elf. I don't know him personally. He was sent to me by Ely'ed, one of the leaders of the wood Elves in America where I've been living for the past three years. He said to tell me that when we battle against Voldemort that they will come and help us."

"Really?" Albus asked looking to Avendar for confirmation.

"Ely'ed and the others will come," Avendar confirmed. "We have our own Prophecy to fulfill. We are in the Time of Dreams and the Shadow of Lies."

"What precisely does that mean?" The Headmaster asked.

Avendar stayed silent and that was when Draco knew that he had the answer.

"I'm not quite certain," Avendar said. "The prophecy is not known to all, only the leaders and those who are the strongest in Elven magic know."

"Ely'ed told me," Draco looked at Avendar. "Is that ok?"

Avendar nodded.

"Headmaster you wanted to know of the Time of Dreams and the Shadow of Lies," Draco took a breath. "It's a bit complicated but I'll try to explain it as best I can. The Time of Dreams means that there are many things in Elvish Prophecy that will take place in a short amount of time. It also means that much of the future will change based on certain outcomes for certain events, rather like what you can do in a Dream. Only certain people have the ability to make these changes happen though. The Elves know that I am one of those people as are Harry and Severus. There are others as well but I wasn't given their identities or descriptions.

"The Shadow of Lies means that Dark times are on us. This will be looked back upon as a period of Dark Times. Voldemort is apparently not the only evil that we will face in our lives. There will be others but not necessarily in Europe, however these evils will affect us in negative ways if we do nothing against them. It also means that trust will not come easily from outsiders or people we don't know well. And above all else these evil one's will be able to sway great numbers of followers to them."

"I see," Dumbledore frowned thoughtfully. "You may go now Draco. I'm sorry I did not offer you any tea but perhaps you'd like a lemon drop?"

"No thank you," Draco stood and Avendar followed him out.

"I thought that would never be over," Draco muttered as he led Avendar through the corridors. "We're going to spend the morning in Harry's classes."

Avendar nodded.