Disclaimer: I bow to the greatness that is JK Rowling and in no way claim any of her characters or ideas.

Authorette Notes: Please Review. This is my first fanfic, and I'd really like the feedback. Special thanks to my creative assistant Bridget!

Early Arrival

"Severus. Thank you for coming so quickly. You must bring him here at once. I do not want him in that house for very much longer. I fear he may be in danger." Dumbledore spoke with such concern, that Snape was alarmed. Snape nodded soberly, turned on his heel, and left.

Draco Malfoy walked into the Great Hall, his footsteps echoing across the large, empty room. Draco was an early riser during the school year, and was used to seeing the Great Hall mostly empty in the mornings, but this was a bit eerie. No one was at school yet.

Draco expected to see professors, school ghosts or at least some other students, but since his arrival at Hogwarts, he had not seen anyone.

Draco sat at one of the tables set up for the Welcome Feast that was to come in a fortnight. He was so lost in thought; he didn't realize that he was sitting at the Gryffindor table.

He put his head in his hands, thoughts swirling in his mind. His head seemed very heavy. He had been trying to slowly extricate himself from his father's grasp over the last year. Lucius had always controlled his life, and Draco was tired of it. Just to please his father, he was doing things he did not want to do, like attend those awful Death Eater gatherings.

Each gathering started with stories of torture, pain, and death; something that now made Draco shudder with disgust. He had been interested at one point, but when he realized the brutality of the situation at the end of his fifth year, he started thinking on his own. He came to the conclusion that all of it was wrong. It was wrong to hurt people, just because they were different. He did not want to turn into his father, who was proud and hateful.

Since then, Draco had been going through the motions in front of his father, saying what Lucius wanted him to say, acting how Lucius wanted him to act, all the while slowly pulling himself away from Lucius' activities with lame excuses. In the last few weeks, Draco knew his father had caught on. Lucius had been asking painful questions, and Draco was worried. The last thing he wanted was to be interrogated by the Dark Lord; Lucius was bad enough. That's when Professor Snape arrived with the most wonderful plan. A plan that gave Draco a reason to escape his father, and a way to divert the unwanted attention he had drawn to himself.

Dumbledore looked at Draco, sitting rigidly in the chair opposite the elaborate, cherry-wood desk in the Headmaster's office. Draco looked nervously around, as if waiting for an ambush. All the portraits stared down at Draco, and whispered amongst themselves.

I hope to Merlin that Sybil Trelawney was right. Or this will be all for naught, thought Dumbledore. And it is possible that we all could be dead by the end of the week, said a nagging voice. Dumbledore sighed, straightened himself up to his full height, and stepped out of the shadows.

Draco's face quickly formed into a mask of cool composure when he saw Dumbledore approach.

"Mr. Malfoy." Dumbledore started. "Do you wish to question me as to why you are here two weeks early?" He sat gracefully in his armchair behind his desk.

"No" replied Draco. "I know why I'm here. My father has a lot of business to take care of now that he's been released from Azkaban. He and Professor Snape arranged to have me live here until term started." Draco tried to hold the look of self-possession on his face, but a slow realization crept over him. He knows. Oh, Merlin, he knows.

Dumbledore laced his fingers together and smiled pleasantly at Draco. He waited. He knew that Draco would eventually tell him what he already knew. But until then… "How was your summer holiday, Draco? Been busy?"

"Yes, Professor." Draco was anxious. He did not want anyone to know he had spent most of the summer attending Death Eater meetings, and learning the Unforgivable Curses from his father. But, then, Dumbledore already knew this. Dumbledore also knew that Draco did not want to follow in his father's footsteps; that Draco wanted to be his own man; that Draco did not want to become a Death Eater.

Draco had to admit, he had never been scared of Dumbledore the way his father had. Draco was more afraid of disappointing Dumbledore. But he would never admit to that. That was something that Potter would do.

Dumbledore started again, "Yes, I too had a busy summer. I had meetings to attend as well" with this he looked pointedly at Draco, "and many of them were to keep up wizarding relations with the other schools. We're having a bit of trouble at the moment. It seems the Death Eater recruitment is gaining strength everywhere."

Draco stared at the floor and shifted uncomfortably in his chair. I should tell him. I wouldn't be betraying my father if Dumbledore already knows. It's not betrayal if it's the right thing to do. "Professor?" Draco said hesitantly, raising his eyes to the Headmaster's face. Dumbledore nodded, "It's okay, Draco."

"Sir, the real reason I'm here early is to spy on you. I'm very sorry. I don't really want to, but Professor Snape and my father want to know what you and your lot are up to. They don't know much of anything as far as I can tell." Draco said this all in one breath, hurrying and hoping that the Headmaster would not be mad.

"I already know, Draco. I already know." Dumbledore replied. "That is actually my plan, not Professor Snape's, or your father's." Draco stood up in surprise. "Sir? Your plan? But how…?"

"Draco, please sit. It's okay. I'll explain, but it will take some time."

"No doubt Lucius told you about the prophecy concerning Harry Potter? Did he ever tell you who made that prophecy?" Draco shook his head. "Sybil Trelawney made that prophecy, and it came true. Earlier this summer she made another prophecy."

"What, did she see the grim in someone's tea leaves?" Draco said sarcastically.

Dumbledore chuckled quietly, and Draco relaxed a bit. "Not quite, Draco" replied the Headmaster. Dumbledore rose silently, and made his way to the ornate cherry wardrobe decorated in gold, which was in the corner of the room. The doors squeaked harmoniously when he opened them, and Dumbledore removed a stone chalice full of what looked like silver water. Draco recognized it as a pensive.

"I want you to know something," explained Dumbledore as he sat down at the desk. He touched the tip of his wand to the top of the silver water and it started to move. The liquid rose from the cup in a strand, and then started to spin, forming a sphere, swirling around and around. The sphere became larger and larger until it enveloped everything in the room, including Draco. I'm in Professor Dumbledore's memory!