REVIEW REPLIES:
DaughterofHecate: Don't worry about it! I totally get what you mean about being busy, school's a menace. I love Nico and Hades bonding too, they deserve so much more than what they got. Oddly enough, I was actually planning a Mythomagic tournament for later in the book! Yeah, Hazel CAN shadow travel, something which a lot of people seem to forget. I'm not sure if she could do it without Nico's help though. The whole 'Nico as a legionnaire' thing was a spur of the moment decision tbh, so I'm glad that you liked it! Yeah, Artemis and his obsession with Greeek mythology can be really…. Ironic at times. Lockhart will get his time to shine eventually….. Anyway, thanks for reviewing and I hope you like this chapter!
Summer: Thanks! I'm a lot better now. Anyway, yeah, I totally agree that whoever designed the interior of the cabin was crazy, I mean I get that they're children of the Underworld and all that, but seriously, COFFINS? I doubt that it was Annabeth, seeing as she specializes in architecture, not interior designing(as far as I know). The 'one time' was when Nico was trying to creep up on Percy when he was asleep in Hades' dungeons, but instead Percy surprised him, and choked him, even though he had just woken up. He doesn't like talking about because he found it humiliating that Percy held him at sword point in his sleep. And probably also because he'd still a bit guilty about landing him in prison. I agree, an actual apology without the awkwardness would be nicer, but unfortunately for them, Nico and Hades' relationship is still rocky and unstable. It'll take a while for them to feel comfortable enough to have a conversation like that. Don't worry, Nico and Hades' relationship will improve eventually. The 'managing himself' thing was a reference to this meme I saw once, where Percy was telling Chiron about how the responsibility of being a cabin counsellor was good for him, and Chiron reminded him that he was the only kid in the cabin. And then Percy started talking about how managing himself was a difficult task. I don't know, Percy just seems like the sort of guy who'd see something like that and go "ArE yOu LArPinG?" I'm glad that you liked that touch! I wasn't sure how well the whole 'Nico as a legionnaire' would work, since it was a pretty spur of the moment decision, but I'm glad that you liked it! It'll be explained a bit more in future chapters. That being said, thank you for commenting and I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Takes place 1 month before the last chapter (Sorry if it's confusing!)
Draco Malfoy knew exactly what other people thought of him.
He knew that most people saw him as a pompous, privileged brat, someone who would strut around a huge manor like he owned the place(which he did).
They weren't entirely wrong.
He was a bit of a brat at times, he wouldn't deny that, and he did strut around mansions every now and then. So the rumors weren't completely wrong, and they didn't bother him much, as long as there were still a few people who didn't despise him.
Those 'others' could go and die in a hole for all he cared.
He never thought that Artemis Fowl and Nico di Angelo would fall under that category.
Draco was no expert when it came to friendship, but he was fairly sure that friends don't ignore each other's letters for 3 whole months!
Ever since the end of May, Draco had stopped receiving letters from his friends. All of a sudden, the letters just... stopped. No warning, or explanation, just... one week, he got letters, the next week... nothing. Artemis's bi-weekly letters stopped arriving, and even Nico's occasional notes and postcards stopped. Draco had tried everything to get an explanation. He had sent dozens of letters to both Artemis and Nico, asking what on earth was going on. He had even tried(and failed) to obtain a telly-phone, which he knew was some sort of muggle communication device. His father had put a stop to that plan soon enough.
Draco hated to admit it, but the silence was starting to get to him. Why were his friends ignoring him? Was it something he said? Or was something actually wrong? Were they okay?
"Your father requests your presence at dinner, sir." Draco was pulled out of his musings by Dobby, one of their family's house elves.
"Sure Dobby." Draco said, giving the elf a slight smile, before turning to stare at his bedroom wall again.
Dobby wrung his hands nervously, "Is Master Malfoy still worried about his letter problem?" the elf stuttered.
Draco nodded with a sigh, "I just... I don't know why they're ignoring me. If they'd just explain- ugh, never mind." he mumbled, talking more to himself than to Dobby.
Most people would assume that Dobby was nothing more than a dispensable house elf to the Malfoys. And while the two older Malfoys couldn't care less about the elf's wellbeing, Draco Malfoy was a different story entirely.
For the first 10 years of his life, Dobby was the closest thing Draco had to a friend. Sure, their friendship wasn't a perfect one, with the two of them constantly trying to hide their 'dynamic' from Draco's parents, but Dobby was usually there for Draco when he needed it, and in return, Dobby would get to eat Draco's vegetables instead of the really weird leftovers he usually got.. In Draco's opinion, he had definitely got the better end of the deal, but hey, he wasn't going to complain.
"So, sir, why do you still want to talk to them?" Dobby asked, "If Master Malfoy's friends don't want to talk to Master Malfoy, why does Master Malfoy still want to talk to them?"
"I- I don't know." Draco admitted, "It just doesn't make sense."
Dobby nodded vigorously, "Yes sir, no sense at all." he hesitated, " Perhaps sir should stop trying to contact his friends? And maybe stay safe at home so that sir will never have to see his friends again?" he said quickly.
Draco gave Dobby a suspicious look, "Why would I do that? I need to go to Hogwarts, I can't just drop out because my friends won't talk to me. Mother and Father would kill me!"
"Perhaps not kill," Dobby mumbled, so quietly that Draco had to strain to hear it, "but maybe permanently injuring would work."
"Thanks for the encouragement." Draco snorted, standing up and making his way towards the door, "Come on, we'd better hurry. Father will have a fit if I'm late for dinner again."
"Master Malfoy! Something is flying towards the manor!" Dobby cried out, pointing towards the window.
Draco spun around with a grin, "Really?" he asked, rushing to the window and throwing it open, "Where? Dobby, I don't see- wah!" Draco shrieked as he felt someone lift his legs.
Draco wiggled desperately as Dobby lifted his legs(how, he had no idea. Dobby was skinnier than a twig), almost pushing him over the edge of the windowsill, "Dobby! Dobby, what are you doing? I'm going to fall!" he whisper-yelled, panting heavily.
Dobby's expression turned apologetic, "Dobby is sorry, Master Malfoy, but Dobby only wants to keep Master Malfoy safe."
"Then put me down, you idiot!"
"What is going on here?" a cold voice interrupted, making Dobby let go of him in shock.
Draco would recognize that voice anywhere.
"Father!" Draco shouted, grunting as his knees hit the ground, "What are you doing here?"
"You are five minutes late for dinner." his father replied, as cool and calm as ever, "Now, would you care to explain why you were being dangled out of a window by a house elf?"
Draco glanced at Dobby's pleading face cowering behind his father, "I- I fell out. Dobby caught me." he said with as much confidence as he could muster.
Lucius raised an eyebrow, "You... fell?"
Draco nodded, making eye contact with him.
His father scrutinized him for a moment before breaking eye contact and heading out of the room, "Come along Draco, dinner is getting cold."
As Draco followed his father out of the room, he shot Dobby one last look.
A look that said, "We will talk about this later."
*Line break*
"What was that all about?" Draco yelled at the house elf cowering in the corner of his room.
"Dobby just wanted to protect Master Malfoy!" Dobby protested weakly.
"How?" Draco scoffed, "By getting me killed?"
Dobby shook his head vigorously, "Of course not! Dobby would never kill Master Malfoy! Just severely injure!"
"What? Why?" Draco asked, taken aback.
"Dobby only wanted to stop Master Malfoy from going back to Hogwarts!" Dobby explained, as though tossing someone out of a window was a perfectly reasonable way to convince someone to drop out of school.
"What, did you really miss me that much?" Draco asked in disbelief.
Dobby shook his head again, "No sir! Dobby was protecting Master Malfoy!" he insisted, "Terrible things are about to happen at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and Master Malfoy must not put his life in danger! Master Malfoy must not return to Hogwarts!"
"Dobby," Draco groaned, "Would it kill you to be direct for once? What 'terrible things'?"
"There is a plot, Master Malfoy. A plot to make most terrible things happen at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year," whispered Dobby, suddenly trembling all over (and refusing to elaborate on the whole 'terrible things' issue) . "Dobby has known it for months, sir. Master Malfoy must not put himself in peril. He is the only one who is ever kind to poor Dobby, and Dobby would not be able to bear the guilt of knowing that Master Malfoy got hurt because of Dobby's actions, sir!"
"So you decided to fix that... by hurting me?"
Dobby ignored him, "Master Malfoy must promise not to return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"
Draco rolled his eyes, "I can't do that Dobby. I have a life back there. Friends, enemies, the whole deal! I can't just giving it up for these so called 'terrible things'."
Dobby gave something similar to an exasperated sigh, "Master Malfoy's friends don't even write to him! Master Malfoy hasn't received any letters for months! Why can't Master Malfoy just stay home?" Dobby pleaded.
As Draco took in Dobby's guilty expression and wide, desperate eyes, it was as though someone had turned a light on in his head.
"Oh Dobby," Draco said softly, "Please tell me that you didn't do what I think you did."
Dobby shifted his gaze, pulling out a huge sheaf of letters from his pillow sack and handing them to Draco, staring at his shoes like a kid who had been caught stealing cookies.
Draco took one look at the bundle of letters and dropped it, "These aren't for me!" he complained, "These are for Potter! Please don't tell me that you've been blocking Potter's letters too."
Dobby nodded slowly.
Draco groaned, "Why, Dobby? Why Potter, of all people?"
"Harry Potter is valiant and bold! He is too important to lose!"
"Really?" Draco asked drily, "You know what, I don't care. Do whatever you want with Potter's stuff, but if you just give me my letters, I'll be on my way, and you can keep messing with Potter's life."
Dobby pulled out another bundle, but hesitated before handing them to Draco, "If Master Malfoy won't listen to Dobby and stay home, can he at least promise to be careful?" he asked, staring at Draco with wide, baleful eyes.
Draco sighed, "Dobby, it'd be easier to be careful if you could tell me what this 'plot' is."
Dobby shook his head, backing away, "Dobby cannot, sir. He mustn't. Dobby shouldn't have told Master Malfoy in the first place, but Dobby must try to warn him, even if he does have to shut his ears in the oven door later."
Draco was used to Dobby's punishments by now. He would feel an inexplicable need to punish himself if he went against Lucius' orders, no matter how many times Draco had asked him to stop.
Draco had an epiphany, "Dobby, why would you punish yourself? You wouldn't need to punish yourself unless... unless..." he inhaled sharply, "Father has something to do with this plot, doesn't he?"
"Dobby has said too much!" Dobby squeaked, rushing out of the room, which was a good enough answer for Draco.
As Draco got ready for bed that night, he couldn't get rid of the storm of thoughts rushing through his head. But one question kept repeating itself, demanding an answer.
'What are you hiding, father? '
No super long Author's Note today.
So as usual, please Vote and Comment!