Ch. 4

Harry could feel the displeasure in the Weasley family as they realized that Lucius Malfoy would be sitting behind them. Sloane took the seat right behind Harry, while Draco's mother took the seat farthest from Sloane. This put Draco close to Harry, and Lucius close to Mr. Weasley.

"Fudge, how are you?" Lucius said, shaking Fudge's hand. "I don't believe you've ever met my wife, Narcissa? Or my son, Draco? And this boy is Draco's friend, Sloane Mars."

Fudge smiled graciously at Mrs. Malfoy, but Narcissa continued to have a sour look on her face. It seemed to Harry that she had looked like that the last time he had the displeasure of seeing Draco's mom. It was last year when both Sloane and Draco had been attacked by a hippogriff, though it was Draco's fault that that had happened. Narcissa Malfoy had made it obvious that she didn't like Tori Mars, and it seemed as if that hate stretched to Tori's son as well.

"Allow me to introduce the Bulgarian Minister of Magic, Mr. Oblansk - Obalonsk - well, he can't understand English anyway so never mind. And I believe you already know Arthur Weasley."

The air thickened as Mr. Weasley and Lucius stared at each other. The last time they had met in Harry's presence had been in his second year in Diagon Alley. It had only been because of his mother that Mr. Weasley hadn't lost his temper and attacked the snide aristocrat.

Lucius' cold gray eyes slowly swept through the line of Mr. Weasely's guests. His lips curled in a sneer as he said, softly, "Good Lord Arthur, what did you have to sell to get seats in the Top Box? Surely your house didn't fetch such a price?"

Mr. Weasley growled and turned away from Lucius. Only Harry saw the triumphant smirk on the blond man's face. Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the display, but was distracted by Sloane.

"Hey, Harry, guess who I ran into?" Sloane said, pulling slightly on Harry's sweater. He, too, had seen the exchange between Lucius and Mr. Weasley, and had hoped that it ended without one of the men trying to push the other out of the Top Box.

Harry turned even more in his chair until he could easily rest look at his brother. "Uh, Uncle Clive?"

"Darn, you guessed!" Sloane grinned. He was aware that several people in the Top Box had noticed the tension between the two parties and were now watching him and Harry.

Harry held up his omnioculars. "I also heard that you wanted to talk to me."

Sloane nodded. "Not here, though. Later."

Harry nodded and turned back to the field. A few seconds later, Ludo Bagman came running up to start his commentary of the game. First would be a display from the mascots, something that sounded really interesting. Harry wondered what kind of mascots each team would bring.

"Ah, veela!" Mr. Weasley muttered, quickly wiping his glasses and straightening his robes.

Harry wanted to ask what veela were, but his question was quickly answered. Veela were woman - the most beautiful women he had ever seen. Their skin glowed like moonlight and their white-gold hair was long and silky. He wanted to do something impressive to get their attention as he watched them dance. Half-formed ideas were the best he could manage because his mind had been reduced to mush.

The music stopped and Harry slowly blinked. He realized then that there was something pulling on his sweater. He turned and saw that Sloane had a death grip on him and Draco.

"Wha-" Harry muttered, his voice slurred slightly. It sounded as if he had just woken up from a deep sleep.

"Had to keep you from doing a swan dive off the Top Box. Think of the mess you would have made." Sloane said, giving him a wink as he released Harry's sweater.

Next to Harry, Ron was ripping the shamrock on his hat to tiny shreds. Mr. Weasley leaned over and gently pulled the hat from Ron's grip, telling him that he'd want that after Ireland had its say.

Ron didn't answer. Instead, his gaze was fixed on the veela. Hermione huffed, crossing her arms and giving Ron a look that would have spelled his doom if they had been dating.

The Irish mascots turned out to be leprechauns, and they effectively pushed the haze out of Harry's mind. Ron gleefully caught the money that the leprechauns threw out in the audience. Harry smiled at how happy his friend was and sat back, ready to enjoy the game.

Bagman then announced the teams, calling each player out on the field. The excitement built as the World Cup was underway. Harry found himself more interested in the formations and different game plays then he was in watching the game for the enjoyment of it. As the Gryffindor Seeker, he understood parts of the game that some others might not. He appreciated how superb the Irish Chasers were, but Bulgaria had one excellent Seeker.

The game ended when Krum caught the Snitch, but Ireland was too far ahead in points. Ireland won the World Cup. Harry was impressed. Krum, knowing that Bulgaria would never catch up to Ireland in points, had decided to end the game on his terms. Next to Harry, Ron seemed to have missed that point, angry that Krum would catch the snitch with no hope of winning.

"Vell, ve fought bravely," said a gloomy voice behind Harry. He turned to see the Bulgarian Minister of Magic.

"You can speak English!" Fudge said, sounding outraged. "You let me pantomime everything all day!"

"It vos funny," said the Bulgarian Minister. He then turned to Harry and Sloane, who were watching him.

"It vos also an honor to share the box wit you, Mr. Potter." He held out his hand to Harry, who shook it.

"It was a good game, Mr. Minister." Harry said. "Bulgaria played well, and Krum is an excellent Seeker."

"Thank you." He then turned to Sloane. "Did I hear right, that you ver of the Mars Family?"

"Yes sir."

"Any relation to the Guerra Family of Italy? I had heard a rumor about that once."

Sloane nodded. "Yes, sir. Don Santo Guerra is my great-grandfather."

The Bulgarian Minister smiled. "It vos an honor to meet you as well. Your great-grandfather is a good friend of mine."

They were distracted by the victory laps of the winning team, and a lap of praise by the loosing team. When both boys turned again, the Bulgarian Minister of Magic had already slipped out of the Top Box.

Sloane waved good-bye to Harry and turned to follow Lucius out of the Top Box. Lucius put on hand on Draco's shoulder, and one on Sloane's as he led them back to their tent. It was one of the nicer ones, large and looking like a mansion with a real garden.

"It is not so late that you boys need to go to bed just yet," Lucius said, gently steering the boys in the direction of the stairs. "Just don't make too much noise."

Sloane and Draco nodded and started to head towards Draco's room when Lucius stopped them.

"Sloane, are you really related to the Guerra family?"

He turned and smiled. "Yes sir. When I was nine, Harry and I spent a summer with Bisnonno Guerra. Mom was pleased that we spoke Italian well enough to keep up with the conversation."

Lucius nodded, eyeing the dark-haired boy. Sloane turned to follow Draco, but then looked back at Lucius. He knew that the Malfoys weren't going to ally themselves at anytime with Harry and might one day try to harm him. Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer was a rule of survival.

"Bisnonno Guerra has also proclaimed that Harry is his great-grandson by adoption. As far as the Mars and Guerra families are concerned, Harry is one of us." Sloane said and left.

Draco gave Sloane a strange look as they entered his room. "Why did you say that?"

"Hmm? Say what?" Sloane asked, opening his trunk to get out his medicine.

"About Potter belonging to the Guerra family."

Sloane grinned. "Because it's true."

Draco frowned. "I have a feeling you never just let anything slip without a reason. You're way too Slytherian for that."

Sloane took his potion and grimaced at the taste. "Ick! Well, as for being too Slytherian, I blame my father. I must get it from him."

Draco smiled. He walked over to Sloane. "Are you enjoying your stay?"

"Yea. Your father has really made me feel welcomed." Sloane said. He looked over at Draco's hopeful face.

"Draco, what if you were right all along? What if your father isn't my father?" Sloane asked.

"Impossible. You saw those letters." Draco said. Last year, Draco's mother had thrust a pile of letters into Draco's hands over Christmas holiday. They were from Tori Mars to Sloane's father, and Draco believed that those letters were the final piece of evidence that made Lucius Malfoy the absent father of Sloane Mars.

"Are you sure you want me as a half-brother, Draco? You will be related to Harry Potter." Sloane said. "That means holiday dinners together, and no fighting."

Draco laughed. "Every family has to have one black sheep. I can ignore him easily."

Sloane smiled. There were times when he could see the light in Draco Malfoy, and not the Dark Wizard that he would surely become if someone didn't intervene. He could see the future now, if Lucius Malfoy continued down the path he was walking. Draco would grow up, prejudice against Muggles and those who were not pureblood wizards. He would have a narrow view of the world, and pass that view on to his own children. But Sloane knew that Draco had a bright future if he just learned how wrong his prejudices were.

Down the stairs of the magical tent, Sloane could hear Lucius and Narcissa getting drunk and celebrating the World Cup. For a bit, they sounded like a happy married couple, but nothing ever lasts. Their conversation slowly turned from happy to an argument. Sloane and Draco both looked at each other as Sloane and Tori were brought into the fight.

"Things would be so much better if you didn't have to drag her son with us!" Narcissa shouted.

"Don't drag Tori into this. She has nothing to do with your delusions!" Lucius yelled.

Narcissa laughed. "Nothing to do with my delusions! Don't you think I don't know what you've done! He looks like you! Your eyes! How could you!"

Sloane was aware that Draco was watching him closely now. He wondered how often Lucius and Narcissa had fought like this in Draco's youth. Had they always used names, or was it just veiled references?

"I don't know what you're talking about, Narcissa!" Lucius cried. "You never make any sense when you're drunk! Which is often these days!"

"You never loved me! You only married me because she wouldn't have you!" Narcissa shouted. There was the sound of ice clinking in a glass, and Sloane figured that Narcissa was refilling her drink. "Must have hurt, didn't it, Lucius. She only wanted your body and not your name. You were probably nothing more then a bit of fun."

"You only wanted me for my money and position in society. Don't think that I never knew of your dalliances. Really, Narcissa, you have sunk low." Lucius' voice was cold. "I can't believe I ever loved you in the first place."

Narcissa slammed her glass down on the table. "You never loved me! If you ever loved me, prove it!"

"How! I gave you a son!"

"I wish they wouldn't drag us into this," Sloane whispered to Draco. He noticed that his friend was starting to shake, emotions boiling in him. Poor Draco had to live with the fact that his parents had fallen out of love all his life. Sloane wondered if they had ever really loved each other.

Suddenly, Lucius' voice interrupted Sloane's thoughts. "The Ministry is about in full force, Narcissa. It's too dangerous."

"Lucius, if you loved me, then you'd do it. We've got enough friends here who will join us. It'll be like old times." Narcissa purred. "Do it for me, Lucius."

There was a pause and then Lucius' voice drifted up the stairs. "Boys! Narcissa and I are going out. Stay here!"

Sloane and Draco stared at each other. They heard Lucius and Narcissa leave and could see them through the window heading over to the next tent. They entered and were inside for only a few minutes. Then they, and the people from that tent, exited and quickly moved through their section of tents.

"What is going on?" Sloane asked.

"I don't know." Draco admitted.

Then the group of adults met not far from where Sloane could see them from the window. They all put on dark robes with hoods and masks. Next to Sloane, Draco took in a sharp breath. No doubt, he recognized what was going on.

"We'll give them a few minutes, and then we follow them." Sloane said. "I'll take responsibility if we're discovered."

Draco gave him a look of disbelief, but followed when the time was right. Sloane had never been so disgusted in all his life. The Malfoys and their friends were using the masks to hide themselves as they levitated and humiliated the Muggles. Mr. Roberts and his family never knew what hit them as they were suddenly living balloons for the enjoyment of the Dark Wizards.

"Why are they doing that?" Sloane asked, pulling Draco farther into the woods so that they could watch and not be discovered. He didn't want to be on the receiving end of such torture.

"Because they're Muggles," Draco scoffed. "Isn't it obvious."

"Draco, this is wrong. You shouldn't hurt people because they don't have magical ability. It's like, being hunted down because of your skin color or religion. It's wrong."

"What do you mean, Sloane. We're wizards. We're far above Muggles. They should worship us." Draco said, but Sloane could tell that he was quoting something he had heard.

Sloane turned to Draco. "Tell me, how would the world be without Muggles? If it were just wizards, and pureblooded ones at that since there are no Muggles to make half-bloods or Mudbloods?"

"The world would be perfect."

Sloane shook his head. "No, it would spiral out of control. You'll always have those who believe that they are better then others and they would imprison other wizards. There will never be equality, and the wizards would die out. Magic can leave a wizarding family, and then what happens to them? The wizards would become extinct. We need Muggles to continue our lines."

"That's stupid." Draco said.

"No, it's genetics. Ironically, the Muggles found this out a long time ago. You can't keep bloodlines in such a short pool. It's too dangerous."

Draco chewed on his lip as he thought over what Sloane had said. Could the wizarding race die out if Muggles no longer existed? Almost every pureblooded family in England was connected to each other in some way, and he knew that a few of the oldest families were producing less and less wizards. His own mother had tried for years to have a child, each one dying in the womb. After Draco, Narcissa had stopped trying, content with one child. Was it because of a thinning of the lines that caused this much trouble?

Draco was brought out of his musing by the sounds of a group running in the woods near them. There was a yell and a thud. Draco recognized Ron Weasley's voice as he hit the ground.

"Lumos!" Hermione's voice called out and her wand dispelled the darkness. Now Draco could see who had come charging in his direction - Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter.

"I tripped over a tree root," Ron moaned, getting to his feet.

"Well, with feet that size, hard not to," Draco drawled.

Draco leaned casually against a tree as he watched the trio before him. He could feel Sloane tense slightly next to him when Ron told Draco to do something that all of them knew that he'd never dare to say in front of Mrs. Weasley.

"Language, Weasley," Draco said, his pale eyes glittering in the wand light.

Sloane grinned, standing next to Draco. "Now, I don't think that that's physically possible, Ron. Creative, though."

Harry caught his brother's eye, biting back his own grin. "Well, not physically possible unless Draco's a secret contortionist."

"A what?" Draco asked, turning his gaze to Harry. It was slightly unnerving that Sloane didn't seem to be wholly on his side, but then again, if Harry's comment was anything to go by, he wasn't on Ron's side either.

"I'll explain later, Draco," Sloane promised.

Draco crossed his arms, trying to look aloof. "Hadn't you three better be hurrying on now? You wouldn't want her to be spotted, would you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione asked, glaring at Draco defiantly.

"They're after Muggles, Granger. Now, unless you want to be hanging upside down in the air, your knickers exposed to everyone, be sure to stick around. They're heading this way, you know. We can all use a laugh."

"Hermione's a witch!" Ron snarled as Harry took a step to protect Hermione.

Draco shrugged. "If you don't think they can't spot a Mudblood, then stay where you are."

Sloane sighed. "Draco, please." Draco tilted his head back slightly to see Sloane's small frown. Draco knew that Sloane gave his loyalty to Hermione and Harry, the only Gryffindors who hadn't turned on him when Ron's loose lips had revealed Tori's past in their second year. Draco could make fun of almost anyone, but Sloane was very protective of those two. Sometimes, Draco hated that and wished that Sloane would give his loyalty only to those who deserved it and left the Gryffindors to their fate.

There was a bang from the other side of the trees, causing several people near by to scream. Hermione and Ron jumped, but Harry only tensed, his eyes going right to the noise. He could hear Draco chuckling softly.

"Scare easily, don't they?" he said lazily. "I bet your daddy told you to hide, Weasley. What's he doing, trying to save the Muggles?"

Ron snarled. "Where's your daddy? Out there wearing masks?"

Draco turned to look at the trio, smiling. "Well, if they were, I wouldn't tell you."

Harry's eyes narrowed. "A denial of answer is just as good as saying yes."

"Come on, let's get out of here!" Hermione said, throwing a disgusted look at Draco and Sloane. It was dark enough that none of them saw the hurt in Sloane's eyes at Hermione's look.

"Wait, Hermione, I'm coming too." Sloane called out.

Draco looked at Sloane. Sloane leaned over and whispered, "If they are caught, then it'll be two competent wands to twenty. I'll just even the odds and then I'm heading back to your tent. You'd better head back before anyone knows we were out."

Draco nodded and watched as Sloane left with Harry. It was a reasonable excuse. If the celebrating Death Eaters (for that was what they were) had caught up with Harry's group, there would be a fight. Even with Sloane, there was no chance for them to win and keep Hermione safe, but they might last longer then a few minutes with an extra wand.

Sloane led them far away from the noise. He nearly turned around when Harry realized that his wand was missing. However, they could hear the sounds of the Dark Wizards in the woods and had no choice but to run. Sloane vowed to keep his eye out for Harry's wand on his way back to the tent.

"I think we'll be safe here," Sloane said as they made it to the heart of the woods. "Harry, we should go back for your wand. It's dangerous to just leave it laying around."

"I didn't leave it. I had it in my back pocket when we were in the Top Box, and I haven't checked for it since." Harry said.

Sloane looked at him. "Why your back pocket? Why not your holster?"

Harry looked embarrassed. "I forgot to pack it. Mom will have to send it to me, either at the Burrow or at Hogwarts."

Sloane sighed. "Fine, but don't use your back pocket next time. You can blow off your behind."

Harry grinned and started to get up when they heard the sound of uneven footsteps in the woods. Both Harry and Sloane paused, their eyes straining to see into the darkness. They could sense someone, just beyond their sight.

The person gave a yell, calling a spell, and a flash of green light filled the air.

"MORDSMORDRE!"

Two chapters! Again, sorry for not updating sooner.