Summary: We all know what happened in the 5th book: Sirius is related to Narcissa Malfoy. So what happens to Draco when his parents are murdered? And why is Dumbledore telling lies? Slight HP/DM.
Disclaimer: Not owned by me, I have manipulated the characters to suit my own means, no money, please don't sue.
Reviewers, and there have been many of you-
K. Ra, thank you very much…I'm thrilled you think so much of my writing! Enjoy.
Caz Malfoy, glad that was not an official flame. You didn't hurt my feelings at all, but may I direct your attention to my notes to reviewers in the third chapter? I clearly explain what I did, and I know it's confusing, sorry. That might clear some things up. So might this chapter.
Alex Destine, thanks for reviewing! This chapter will explain more about Dumbly-dore's lies. I hope you figured it out…
Hyperbole! Ah, my favorite reviewer. How are you? And I just love the way you can totally read my mind, yes, in the past, Sirius was very discreet about who he was related to. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I was actually hoping you could help me with something. Let me know if you're interested.
Aiko, thank you. Hope you like this next installment.
Guardian of Dreams, I'm glad you like my story, hopefully you'll like the next part as well.
And now, chapter 4!
Chapter 4: Prophecies and Rantings
Dumbledore sat in the Malfoy study, hands clasped calmly in front of him as he listened to his favorite ex-convict rave and fume. "He needs a family, Albus! Tonks and I, we can take care of him! Harry will just make him feel threatened, they hate each other. Do you really want to put this kind of pressure on them?! They'll never trust you again, that's for sure. Why are you lying to them, to the Order, to the Ministry-"
Remus interrupted his long-time friend, trying to bring calm and reason into the conversation that had consisted of, thus far, Sirius shouting at his old headmaster. "Albus, what Sirius is trying to say is that hiding the truth is madness. It will come out sooner or later. It very well could do more damage than good, and then where will the boys be? Sirius is ready to face his family ties… and Trix will be coming for Draco, you know she will."
"Yeah," Sirius added sarcastically, "it is, after all, a matter of family honor."
Dumbledore held up a hand, stopping all protests and exclamations. "I understand that it is infuriating for you to sit on the sidelines, Sirius, but this is not your game. I know you have always been ready to take action and leave the worrying to others but I assure you I thought this through thoroughly. Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy must cease their personal war if we are to win the ultimate war."
"What about them?!" Sirius yelled, infuriated. "They both need a family, and I think I can give that to them. At least I can try. You're going to sacrifice two boys for a stupid war?"
"Just as your best friends were sacrificed for this war!" Dumbledore reminded, emotion making his eyes burn. "Were their deaths for naught?"
"How dare you!" Remus was on his feet, wand brandishing in the air. Next to him, Sirius stood frozen solid, pale as death. "Lily and James were not sacrifices! Sirius never surrendered them to the war!"
"Oh really?" Dumbledore's eyes had lost their twinkle. "Maybe he didn't mean to, but they were sacrifices, all the same. Tom made sure of that. Did Sirius ever tell you why he couldn't trust you all those years ago? Do you know, Remus?"
Remus' voice quivered, strained with emotion and uncertainty. "I wouldn't let him. And besides, it's all in the past. I was a werewolf, those were dark times…no one could be trusted."
"But Peter Pettigrew could be trusted?" Dumbledore countered.
"He made a choice!" Remus wailed, waving his wand wildly. "Everyone made a choice. I made the choice to distance myself from the Potters to protect them, and he made the choice he made! Life is made up of choices!"
"Sirius Black was in contact with Bellatrix Lestrange. Maybe she was helping him make those choices?"
"It was an undercover assignment," the other man hissed, tears trailing down his cheeks. "I was trying to get information by pretending to be trite, seeing the error of my muggle-loving ways. It was my final test, Trixie and I were to go hunt down the prophecy, but I didn't know we had to memorize it and then destroy it!"
"What mission? What prophecy? What does any of this matter?" Remus was shaking with buried anguish from long ago and betrayals both old and new.
"When the moon has come to whole
Shining down at the midnight toll
Stars above the forest shone
As a secluded wolf prowls alone."
Dumbledore spoke from memory, his eyes unfocused and distant. Sirius took up the eerie riddle, also from memory.
"Three betrayals set in marble
One's emotions were all a garble
Two remained treacherous to the fold
And Three trusted none with hair of gold.
"Three loved Four as a brother
Vowing to protect child and mother
A connection so pure with love and affection
Three conceived a plan of deadly perfection."
"The last night of October's reign
Shall be a night of spooks and pain
For Three shall betray Four by Two
And bid all his friends a cheerless adieu.
"Ending this, *Riddle will
Two is the key to an easy kill
Four and mother are no more
*But child lives on at Privet 4."
"Three will never be the same
He lives only to even up the game
Two destroys himself with maim
As One becomes once more tame.
"Four is dead, Three is caged
Two is cloaked, One feels aged.
So ends the legendary fold of four
But this is only an opened door."
Sirius stopped, voice broken. "I couldn't hear anymore…it was terrible, and I thought you were Two, Rem, I thought it was you who would betray them. I didn't want it to be you, but I couldn't let that happen."
"Sirius," Dumbledore said, his anger gone, sorrow replacing his earlier temper. "There is more to this rhyme that you didn't hear. You need to hear it to understand why I am doing this, why I am lying to everyone. They need to overcome their hostility."
"Tell me."
"In the past, two years before
The anniversary with a painful core
Born is a boy with silver eyes
Whose life is built with hate and lies.
"Four's child banished to the muggle-world
A part of the prophecy unfurled
Emerald eyes and ebon hair
His life is not made with glam or flair.
"Ten years later, letters sent
From a school with magic intent
Their first encounter, out buying supplies
Their relationship starts with despise.
"Despise blooms quickly into scorn
And scorn grows to an old hate reborn
*Another generation though it may be
History repeats itself with startling clarity.
"Years pass by in a mere blur
The Slytherin Ice Prince, a manly cur
Struggles to one up and destroy
The Little Gryffindor Golden Boy.
"The future's black as black can be
Black sheep in the black clan soon is three
Lion and Snake encountering untold woes
Both nevertheless determined foes.
"Reconcile these two boys,
Scorpio with his everlasting poise
Leo with his lonesome fame
Their friendship will end Riddle's wicked game."
Silence ensued as the prophecy came to an end. Sirius didn't even glance at Remus, who had gone mute during the entire telling. He didn't want to see the hurt and the blame on that familiar, beloved face.
Dumbledore heaved a sigh. "Don't you see? Separated they are no match for Tom, but together, they could stop him."
"At what price?" Sirius demanded hoarsely. "How long will they live a charade, a life of lies? I think they should know about the prophecy."
"They must come about it on their own. All I am doing is trying to speed the process along. There are now four who know of the prophecy, three whom know it by heart."
"You, me, Remus, and…and Trix."
"Very good. Remus is right, Sirius, Bellatrix will come for Draco, and if we don't have him by then, we may lose him forever."
"But-" Sirius still couldn't agree with Albus' method, but the older wizard did have a point. "Fine. The sooner I get to Surrey, the sooner the boys can start getting along. They'll need all the time they can get." Sirius turned to leave, not even able to look at Remus. With a nod in his werewolf friend's general direction, Sirius transformed yet again, dashing off on his mission.
*~*
By the end of the first day, Draco was sick and tired of being kept abed. He was listless and downright bored without anyone to talk with or provide entertainment. Madam Pomfrey was thoroughly aggravated with him and dreaded going to check up on him, which Dumbledore insisted she do hourly. Pepper provided a little relief from his torpor but not enough. He even wrote to Crabbe and Goyle, an all time low. He usually lost contact with his 'friends', as he considered them, over the summer, but this only made them more willing to put up with his sarcasm and his commands in the fall. Besides, he usually needed a break from them, as they were extremely dull and without much personality. Hell, he mused, they've barely made it this far and I'm second highest in our class. No wonder I tried to kill myself. It was definitely due to lack of intelligent conversation.
He'd learned to laugh about his attempt, and even didn't feel as miserable as the days went by free of temper and anger and torture. Days without Voldemort, days without hurting others for no other reason than the 'thrill' he was supposed to feel when he did so. Three days after his 'temporary insanity' (as he preferred to refer to it as), Draco was allowed out of bed. After showering and changing into real clothes, he went down to the library in order to do homework as he couldn't do much else. He wasn't allowed outside yet, and his Hogsmeade trip had been canceled. He was only 2 inches short of finishing his transfiguration homework when Dumbledore found him.
"Draco," he smiled, finding a chair. "I've been looking for you. It's time we talked about a few things, as much as they may pain or infuriate you. Do you wish to have Professor Snape join us? Or anyone else, for that matter?"
Draco wasn't feeling very comfortable around his Potions Master as of late, and didn't really want him to attend the meeting. He didn't need anyone, and he was insulted that the Headmaster thought him so weak. Straightening his shoulders in a defiant gesture, he replied, "No, Professor, go ahead."
"If you're sure. Firstly, your parents' funeral is set for next Saturday, that's five days from now. All the arrangements are being taken care of according to the instructions left in the will. Do you have anything you want to contribute or oversee?" Draco mutely shook his head. "All right. Also, there is the debate of guardianship. Your parents didn't specify a guardian in their will, and after much deliberation one has been selected for you. Miss Arabella Figg will be remaining with you in Malfoy Manor until you return to Hogwarts. If things do not work out with Miss Figg, other arrangements will be made for the future, is that clear?" Draco nodded, turning back to his homework. "There is one other detail we need to discuss."
"Yes?" Draco asked, raising his eyebrows.
"There will be one other person coming to live with you…" What is he hinting at? Draco wondered as his Headmaster searched for the right words. "What I am about to tell you may anger you, but it is out of your control and there is nothing else for it. Your cousin is coming to live here." The 'with you' was implied.
"My cousin? But I don't have any cousins. No aunts, no uncles, therefore no cousins," he drawled with superiority, displaying the air of one who thought he greatly surpassed his companion's intelligence.
"But you do have a cousin, Mr. Malfoy."
"Who then, if you know so much?" Draco was losing his temper with Dumbledore's games.
"Your cousin is someone you know very well, in fact. Harry Potter will be coming to live with you until school begins." Draco hadn't expected this. He stared blankly at Dumbledore, mouth wide open in shock and dismay.
"WHAT?" he roared, feeling as though he'd been hit by a ton of bricks.
"I sent Sirius to inform Harry of his new living arrangements. You can live on opposite sides of the manor, avoid each other at all costs, but you must eat at least two meals together a day, and you have to spend at least one hour together each day."
"You must be confused, sir," he said coldly, sneering with contempt. "There is no way I'm related to Harry Potter!"
"Why do you say that?" Dumbledore asked calmly, amused instead of annoyed with his haughtiness.
"Be-because, my parents had no siblings. Both were only children," he said, sure this would prove his point.
"No Draco, both of your parents were not only children. Your mom had a half-brother, who just happens to be James Potter. They both infuriated each other frequently, I dare say, much like you and Mr. Potter. Their, err, acquaintance ended the day your mom decided to marry."
"Potter? Coming to live with me? In my house?" He seemed stricken.
"I'm afraid so, Mr. Malfoy."
"I refuse!" He jumped lithely from his chair, a passionate rage swamping his features. Usually so composed, the pure hatred flashed on Draco's face like a neon sign. "I won't allow it! No way in hell is that boy coming to live with me! Never. Just because I do not follow Voldemort, it doesn't mean I'm his follower instead. I'll-" Draco swallowed his next words: I'll tell my father, he'll fix this. The words were automatic in every confrontation he couldn't handle. His father couldn't do anything about this, though. His father was dead. Old habits died hard, that was for sure.
"Draco, I've already told you, this is out of your hands." They sat in silence for a while, Draco coming to terms with this new screwed up twist to his insufferable life.
"Sirius knew he was coming. Maybe he hates Potter as much as I do," he mused to himself, wishing the man was there for comic relief.
"Ah, so you did invite Sirius to stay," Dumbledore observed, somewhat delighted. "And being the righteous person he is, he wouldn't accept until he knew that you knew the whole setup."
"I didn't invite him, just said he could stay if he wanted. I don't understand, however, how this is relevant in any way to Potter -"
"Sirius is Harry's godfather, Draco. He's talked to me since our little meeting, and he fears you'll, err, dislike him as you dislike Harry. His mind is a strange one, but very brilliant. He does what he thinks is best and I can't argue. Ah, look at the time! I must be going, I have too many things to attend to as it is. Harry will be arriving two days from now- Wednesday. Be sure to meet him, fireplace in the library, ten o'clock sharp."
Just great, Draco thought after Dumbledore departed. My nemesis, coming to live in my home. And Sirius is his godfather…he involuntarily felt jealous of Harry, like so many times before. He wished he had someone like Sirius to be his guardian, his godfather, and his protector. His thoughts were exhausting, however, and Draco soon dropped off to sleep right there in the library.
*~*
ALRIGHTY, some notas! The stars next to the two lines in the prophecy, and next to the name Riddle, are credit to my sister, who was sitting next to me while I was writing it. She is very proud of her two lines, and helping me to decide to use Riddle, so here's her due!
Also, hopefully y'all understood what I was trying to say in the prophecy…it confused my sister, so I thought I'd explain it here. Remus was referred to as "One," Peter was "Two," Sirius was "Three," and James was "Four." So, i.e.,
"Three betrayals set in marble
One's emotions were all a garble
Two remained treacherous to the fold
And Three trusted none with hair of gold."
Would translate to…
"Three betrayals set in marble
Remus's emotions were all a garble
Peter remained treacherous to the fold
And Sirius trusted none with hair of gold."
Lily was the mother, obviously, and Harry was the child…etc etc.
And, also, I've always imagined Remus with like a tawny gold hair color, and Peter a flat blonde, so 'hair of gold' could be either of them. The fold is code for the Marauders… etc. If anyone would like a full translation, I would be happy to send them one, so let me know.
Anyways, thanks for reading! Reviews are as yummy as peanut butter ice cream.
Crys