I know it's been ages. I've been very busy with exams. Which didn't go very well. But anyway...

Fight Prejudice - Fight the Ban!

Harry was fast asleep when Ron arrived back the day before term started again. In fact, he didn't know he was there until the red-haired boy dragged him off his bed by the ankles, yelling at the top of his voice.

"Why did you send us all that stuff? Did you hex it? My family's been sick with worry thinking you're trying to curse us all or something! And that was really low, sending us all tuff of Harry's so we'd want to use it anyway! And where the hell did you get all his stuff? I thought Dumbledore –"

"Just shut up a minute!" Harry yelled. "None of that stuff is hexed or anything. Dumbledore sent you it all. He used my phoenix because his was busy! I had nothing to do with it!"

"Like I'm going to believe that." Ron snorted.

"Fine then," Harry dismissed. "Don't. But just don't go making a big fuss about it."

"What's that?" Ron said suddenly, pointing at the band on his wrist.

"This is none of your business. I'm going now. You don't have to dog me all the way down to the dungeons you know just to yell at me for doing something I didn't do."

"You're not going anywhere!"

"Try and stop me." Harry hissed, and made to stride past Ron. The other boy grabbed him as he passed, tripping him, and they fell awkwardly to the floor, Ron straddling Harry's chest. He grabbed Harry's wrists and forced them above his head.

"Tell me what you have to do with Harry!" he snarled.

"Let me go!" Harry cried, struggling beneath the lanky boy.

"Not a chance. Me and Hermione were doing some proper research over the holidays, but every time we got close to something, we'd either forget it, or just couldn't work it out. Mione thinks that there's something about you that someone else is keeping a secret. She thinks that you have a Secret Keeper. And according to her, it doesn't go against the charm for you to tell us who it is."

"Just fuck off, Ron," Harry said weakly. He didn't want to get angry. He wouldn't get angry. Because if he did, he knew that Ron could end up dead.

"Answer me damn it!"

"Do it, Antares!"

Harry turned his head the best he could whilst in the position he was in. Dean and Seamus were standing in the doorway, looking oddly feral in the waning light of the January evening. They stepped into the room and closed the door behind themselves, locking it and adding a silencing charm. Harry's eyes grew wide as they approached Ron and him.

Harry wriggled his hands, pretending as though he was trying to get free, but only moving them closer together so that the fingers on his left hand could get to the band on his wrist. As Seamus landed a solid kick to his chest, his fingers hit the stones and he pressed two, hoping they were the right ones.

They weren't. He wasn't taken straight to Draco, wherever he was. He groaned out loud as Dean kicked his stomach.

"Tell us, Antares! We're not stupid!"

Seamus planted his boot-clad foot on Harry's bare one and slowly leaned his weight onto it. Harry cried out as he felt the sharp pain of bones breaking. Dean got a well-aimed kick into his neck and he choked on a yelp.

"Expelliarmus!"

There was a flash of bright red light and Ron was flung from him. Harry curled up on himself, vaguely aware of Draco shrieking at the three other boys then casting a few spells and leaving him all alone once more with Ron and the others.

"Do you care to explain yourselves?" Lupin said frostily.

It seemed that Draco hadn't left him at all – instead he had immobilised the other three Gryffindors and gone straight to get Lupin. The Marauder had been furious when he had got up into the sixth form dormitory and found Harry curled up, bleeding slightly in the corner. He had hauled all five boys to his office immediately.

"Apparently not," Draco observed with a raised eyebrow when none of the Gryffindors offered a response. "Let me tell you what I know happened." He leant forward and rested his arms on his knees. "I was in my room, calmly unpacking after returning this evening, when suddenly there was a hot flash on my wrist. I looked down, and two of the stones on my bracelet were flashing. All at once sound came through, the sounds of someone being kicked and punched and having their feet broken. I could also hear James's noises of pain. So I used the band to go to him, and found these three dolts beating the crap out of him. I immobilised them and came and got you." He finished, leaning back. Lupin glared around.

"Do any of the rest of you have anything to say?"

"Yes," Seamus interjected angrily. "That's complete bullshit!"

"Five points for language." Lupin said sharply. "Why, what do you think happened?"

"Me, Ron and Dean were just going up to put our trunks in the dorm when Antares jumped Ron. He started asking what we knew about Harry Potter. He said that he wanted to know everything. We refused to tell him, so he used this weird magic on us. He had gold sparks all over him, and what we did was purely in self-defence."

If Dean and Ron were confused, they hid it well. Even Ron had caught on immediately. Their faces were set and glaring at Harry.

"That's not true!" he protested. "Professor, you know that's not true! You have to believe me!"

"I do believe you, James." Lupin said calmly. "But do you agree with Mr. Malfoy's account with what happened? Do you wish to add anything?"

"Yeah, I do. When Ron got up to the dorm he started asking me about Harry Potter. He seems to think I know him. I wouldn't tell him, so he floored me. Dean and Seamus came in and they started beating me up. I managed to press two stones on my bracelet – I wasn't sure which ones though. Draco came and knocked them out."

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to believe James and Mr. Malfoy, boys,"Lupindecided with finality to his tone. "You three will all serve detention with Mr. Filch for a week, and fifty points from Gryffindor. Oh and another twenty for lying to a teacher."

"That's not fair!" Ron protested. Lupin regarded him mildly.

"I think it's perfectly fair. And I think you'll find that it's what I think that matters. Now go. And don't think I won't punish you further if you give me reason to." he warned. Draco and Harry started to stand. "You two wait. I'll be back in a minute."

Harry moved over to the sofa and Draco sat next to him, linking their hands together so that their scars touched and the magic flowed between them. It was stronger than before.

"Right, well, the first thing I want to say is well done, Harry." Lupin said as he re-entered the room. Harry blinked.

"I'm sorry?"

"You must have had to concentrate so hard not to let your magic loose on those three when they attacked you. That's some show of control, and I congratulate you for it."

"Um… thanks."

"And also, I think it prudent that you do not allow any other students to know about this. Your magic, that is. It would probably frighten them all half to death. They don't need to know. In fact, I think it would do you both well to wear gloves at all times – especially you, Harry. I shall inform the teachers, so they know why you won't take them off. Is that understood?"

Harry and Draco nodded.

"And one more thing… Harry, are you comfortable living in Gryffindor Tower?"

"As opposed to…?"

"As opposed to your own room?"

Harry's jaw dropped and Draco reached up to close it.

"You're not a codfish, Harry," he admonished. Harry blushed as Lupin smiled at them.

"I… I don't know. Won't they just get at me even more if I do?"

"I shouldn't think so. It's not unheard of, either. Many students who are having trouble fitting into their new House are assigned separate rooms. Once they feel as though the problems are smoothed out, they rejoin their House."

"Yeah, but they're first years!" Harry protested. "I'm in the sixth year!"

"Is that a no, then?"

"Yes, it's a no." Harry answered firmly. "Besides, if I'm having trouble, I can always talk straight to Draco without leaving the Tower, or go to him if necessary."

"Indeed. Though I also advise that you do not go around advertising those bracelets. Someone will try and steal them, even if they can't actually get them off your wrists. Now, off with you, unless there's anything else you wish to tell me?"

"No, nothing," Harry said, just as Draco replied: "Yes, there is."

Harry scowled at him.

"No there's not."

"Well, maybe not for you, but there is for me," he said snidely, and turned to Lupin. "I overheard my father talking about a Death Eater meeting this month. He didn't say when, but it's definitely in January, and from the sounds of it, it's not going to be a pleasant one."

Lupin frowned slightly and turned to Harry.

"Have you felt anything through your scar?"

"No, nothing,"

"No matter. I shall inform the Headmaster. You may go. Thank you, Mr. Malfoy."

"Um, Professor Lupin?" asked Draco uncertainly.

"Yes?"

"Could you not call me 'Mr. Malfoy', please? That's my father's name. I mean, you don't call Harry 'Mr. Potter' or anything, so I just thought that maybe…" he trailed off and shook his head, moving off towards the door. "Forget it. Sorry, that was rude of me," he said softly. Harry grabbed his hand as he walked out of the door and looked over his shoulder at Lupin. The werewolf had a contemplative look on his face.

"You have done well, Wormtail."

"Thank you my Lord, you are truly gracious…"

"Don't grovel, Wormtail. It annoys me."

Wormtail fell silent as Voldemort moved over to the far side of the wall. In the half-light, he could see a man chained to the wall. He looked starved. Voldemort reached out and touched the man's arm. He groaned and his eyes cracked open slowly. Voldemort turned sharply to Wormtail.

"Come."

Like an obedient dog, Wormtail scurried over. Voldemort touched his shoulder with one long, white finger, and the world dissolved in a rush of swirling colours as he Apparated them to a different place. When they landed, a forest moved into view in front of them. the Death Eaters were standing in a circle around them, masked and unmoving. Voldemort stepped up to one and circled him.

"My dear Snape. How is Draco doing? Will he be ready to join into my service this summer?" he asked in a slightly hissing voice.

"I believe that he will be more than ready, my Lord. He now has the power of a God. He can heal any wound with just a simple touch. I think that he should very useful as one of your own, my Lord."

"Excellent. I am glad that at least one of you brings god news. But while Severus brings good news, my dear Wormtail has brought… entertainment." He said slowly, and indicated towards the Muggle in the centre of the circle, who was now shaking as he glanced around the robed men. He started when Voldemort began speaking again. "Now, what should we do first of all? After all, by the end he's going to be dead anyway. Ah yes, I know. Lucius?"

Malfoy stepped forward, wand raised, and incited a curse.

"Diffendo."

As the Muggle's screams pierced through Harry's hearing, the forest whooshed out of view and he burst awake.

Sitting up in Draco's bed, he glanced down at the sleeping Slytherin momentarily before climbing out of the warm bed and shrugging some robes on, walking over the cold stones to the door and leaving the dungeons.

"He told him about Draco, sir," Harry insisted.

"And as I have said, Harry, Professor Snape has to relay any information that he feels necessary. It is not in my power to stop him, nor my interests."

"But he didn't need to! Voldemort would never have known. Snape's an Occlumens, he could have kept it a secret! Why did he feel the need to tell him?" Harry protested angrily. Dumbledore was about to speak when the Floo burst to life and Snape walked out.

"Albus, I need to –" he broke off when he saw Harry sat in an armchair. In an instant, the Gryffindor was up off his feet and pulling the glove off his right hand, advancing on the Potions Master.

"Harry!" Dumbledore said sharply. Harry stopped and exhaled impatiently, glaring at Snape.

"You didn't have to tell him about Draco," he accused vehemently. Snape raised an eyebrow.

"So he was right. He said afterwards that he could feel another presence during part of the meeting, but couldn't pinpoint it exactly. It really did irritate him, you know. That Muggle wouldn't have had such a bad time if you hadn't been there. The Dark Lord was just frustrated."

"Don't try and lay the blame on me! Don't make me feel guilty!" Harry yelled. Sparks flew off his hand.

"You ought to watch your magic, Potter. It'll be the death of you some day. Or someone else, for that matter." He said softly.

"Bastard!" Harry yelled, flinging his hand up. There was an explosion behind Snape's head and as the Potions Master ducked, Harry reached out his hand to grab the man's neck. Only it never touched.

"Harry!"

Seething, Harry listened as Dumbledore approached. He couldn't turn though, as Dumbledore had frozen him in place. And it wasn't a very comfortable position. Snape sneered at him and stepped away. The Headmaster's head floated into view.

"You must learn to control your emotions, Harry. It would do no good for your powers to be revealed before it is necessary. Now, will you refrain from attacking Professor Snape if I remove the spell?"

Harry couldn't answer obviously, but satisfied himself with rolling his eyes in a manner he hoped Dumbledore understood. Suddenly his muscles relaxed and he stumbled forwards, catching himself on the mantelpiece.

"Now Harry, I must ask you to leave. I have some very important things to discuss with Professor Snape concerning the meeting."

"Why can't you discuss them in front of me?" Harry asked impudently, folding his arms over his chest. "I was there, you know."

"Harry." Dumbledore warned. Grumbling, Harry pulled his glove back on and stalked over to the door, brushing past Snape as he did. He as pleased to see that the Potions Master shied away slightly.

Meh... I can't quite remember who it was, but somebody suggested that I have the Gryffindors charm his bed to eat him... or something like that... I took that idea and kind of changed it into them beating him up. Thanks for the idea... whoever it was...

I need reviews. PLEASE! Tell me what you think, even if you've reviewed every chapter so far coughJimcough. It helps me to know if I'm going the right way.

Regards,

smokey

BORIS JOHNSON FOR KING!

Why yes, I am Conservative...