Again, Draco Malfoy fled through the halls of Hogwarts, darting from hallway to hallway. It was just half a dozen Hufflepuffs on his heels - they weren't even his own age. But it was difficult to block six spells. And punches landed just as hard no matter who was throwing them.

As Draco had known he would, he wound up cornered, darting into a classroom that wasn't the one he'd wanted - some of them had two doors, but this one didn't.

The first punch always hurt the worst, because it was the unexpected one. Generally, they'd stopped bothering to surround him, even. He'd get hit from the back, in the head or the kidney. His only saving grace was that they didn't know how much they hurt him. They didn't care to be effective.

Stupid of them really - any Slytherin...

Through the coppery taste of blood in his mouth, and the ringing of his boxed ears, Draco heard a Hufflepuff say, "This is such good fun when I've had such a shite day."

Draco Malfoy felt his blood run cold.

He'd been okay with them beating him, leaving him bruised and peeing red. Their friends were dead (theoretically). They were upset. His punishment was deserved, in a sense.

And it wasn't like they could just give him a trial.

But... but...but...

Draco's head slammed into the stone again, his vision faded for a moment, only to feel someone's bootheel grinding his ear into his head. Another one drove an iron-shod toebox into his belly.

He hadn't meant to poison these kids. They were just Hufflepuffs, right? Better than bullies?

Rage flowed through every nerve ending, flooding out any pain, and Draco Malfoy finally opened his mouth:

"Help" he whispered.

Around the Hufflepuffs, the air started to swirl, Draco could only barely see with his belly flat on the ground. Mist began to resolve into visible... people? Ghosts? Something?

Draco swore he saw Colin Creevey - and then his even chippier brother Dennis. Justin was there, too. Draco winced, seeing the accuracy and knowing that if anyone looked it would prove deadly.

While the hufflepuffs were staring in awe and fear at the wind, Draco whispered, "younger..."

He was beyond relieved to see the ghost children transform into their first year selves. They screamed, and howled for "Justice! Murderer! A Pox Upon Your Soul!" and other bland curses.

"Leave him," the lead Hufflepuff said, before they made tracks... away. Draco didn't care where they were going.

Draco Malfoy knew no more, because darkness consumed his mind.

[a/n: he just went unconscious. Can you guess who's helping him? Leave a review!]