Chapter Six: Defy The Order In The End

"Mad Hatter: "Why is a raven like a writing-desk?"
"Have you guessed the riddle yet?" the Hatter said, turning to Alice again.
"No, I give it up," Alice replied: "What's the answer?"
"I haven't the slightest idea," said the Hatter"
― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

His nightmares were getting worse. Harry still had the same, repetitive one about the graveyard. It always happened in slow motion, Cedric dying and the Death Eaters all trying to kill him for their leader. Harry was wishing it was the dreams about Godric Gryffindor instead of this because at least that would get him some sleep and not relive the most horrifying day of his life.

He would see Cedric being killed by Wormtail, the flash of the Avada Kedavra spell, laying there on the cold Earth, never to wake up again. The Death Eaters surrounding him, Barty Crouch Jr.'s voice echoing telling him, "You will pay for what you have done to my master. You will die just like your mudblood mother Potter." Before waking up, covered in sweat and breathing heavily. Today, it got worse, making him run to the bathroom to puke.

Everyone else was asleep, granted he had the door closed so no one can hear him. He was shaking on the floor, his shirt clinging to his body from the sweat.

Voldemort's followers were after him, that was why the Order of The Phoenix was after him, that was why the

"Any students found to have formed, or to belong to, an Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club that has not been approved by the High Inquisitor will be expelled. The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four, Signed: Dolores Jane Umbridge," He finished muttering out loud as some of the students that were up at him, looked at the notice board. Umbridge struck and she was doing this hard at them, at Harry and Hogwarts especially.

Umbridge had already done multiple decrees but this one would hit all, if not most of the student body. This would mean that Quidditch would be stopped before it even started if Umbridge was trying to alienate herself from the students, job well done!

It was Tuesday, a week after their second secret class and now they would have a panicked secret club. Not only that but they still haven't gotten a full proof plan to kick Umbridge out. Having to help these students of Hogwarts prepare, defend and unify. Along with the fact that the four of them somehow needed to keep Hogwarts intact, unlike their past lives who failed and inexplicably cause years worth of turmoil that lasted long after they were gone. Now, it seemed the future, his present had to right the wrongs.

Harry walked out of the common room and headed to the Great Hall, to see if Malfoy was ready to go. The four made a plan to skip classes and head to Shrieking Shack where Sirius would be waiting for them. He had contacted Harry quickly using a different owl early yesterday morning.

Dangerous to use Hedwig. Mail being watched, see you tomorrow at the place you confronted me at in your third year. -Snuffles

Harry, on his part after receiving the letter the day before, had a small meeting telling the group. Hatching a plan for the next day, they would have to quickly get to the Whomping Willow. He planned to meet up with Padma as Draco and Susan would be waiting for them there, just to be seen before they seemingly disappear. It was a plan, after all.

"Hey," Padma greeted him, holding a piece of toast she swiped from her table, downing half a glass of juice before leaving. Harry thanked her, taking a bite. They walked to the tree, making sure no one spotted them, Malfoy and Susan were there. They had their bags, Susan had two explaining that they had to eat something while talking to an escaped convict.

"Plus, maybe he's hungry. Couldn't hurt to offer him something to eat, right?" She said.

They quickly made sure the coast was clear, not angering the Whomping Willow before carefully walking down the steps. Following the path, the group made it to the shack, their wands glowing from the light emitting from it. Opening the door, Harry climbed up, along with Draco. They helped Padma and Susan up, closing the door.

The shack looked just like Harry remembered from Third year.

"You made it." A voice spoke. That made all four teens jump, instantly turning their wands on Sirius Black.

He looked the same as Harry saw him before the start of the term. Long hair, tied back, his clothes, red robes with jeans and a t-shirt. His face was still clean shaven but the haunting look that he had acquired from years in Azkaban never left him. He did, however, look curious at the teens that were with Harry. Sirius only knew Ron, and Hermione as his closest friends, so Padma, Susan, and Draco were entirely new to him.

Sirius looked between Harry and Draco, his eyes going back and forth like a tennis match.

Finally, he spoke. "So, this is the infamous Draco Malfoy?" He had a glint in his eyes as if this was a joke waiting to be ripped.

Harry nodded, introducing both Padma and Susan. The Hufflepuff offered him some of the food she had, setting it down on a blanket, a decent size meal for the five people. They sat down on the dusty floor, cross-legged as Sirius helped himself to some toast and sausages. As everyone got some food, Harry nudged the blonde Slytherin with his elbow, signaling Draco to start speaking about his situation. Sirius was quiet throughout the whole time the Malfoy heir spoke, Harry could see that it rattled him. He looked at Draco, humor wiped away from his eyes, giving the blonde a no-nonsense look.

"What do you want to do for yourself? Do you want to leave your family, everything you have ever known your entire life? Be seen as a literal Black Sheep?" He asked. Draco seemed hesitant in his response, "I want to but it's hard distancing yourself from family, from my mom. As you said, it's all I have ever known, I don't know what I'll be doing next, once they find out, I'm done for."

Sirius nodded, "I've been where you have been Draco. Minus the Slytherin house, me being in Gryffindor. I know what it's like to be scared and loyal to family, what to do in a situation where it will either cost you the way you have lived or your literal life. I know, that Andromeda would take you in a heartbeat. What says you?"

Probably for the first time since Harry has met Draco, he looked like he couldn't talk his way out of this situation. If he was in his situation, Harry probably couldn't do that either.

"Defy them? I'm not you, I'm not some Gryffindor." Draco said, his voice slightly losing the composure that was trying to hold onto. Ever since they found out they were the founder's reincarnation of each of their houses, Harry had seen Draco Malfoy change. He wondered what he was finding out about his reincarnation with the memories that came to the blonde.

"You don't have to be a Gryffindor to know that family even the best ones damage you in so many ways Draco," Sirius said softly. Harry knew that well enough, having spent his years with the Dursley's. "It just takes courage, and I believe that you have taken those steps to do so."

Draco mulled Sirius words over, frowning slightly in concentration. When he looked at Sirius, Harry saw fear in his grey eyes, that if he defied his father's words it would likely be the figuratively, end of Draco Malfoy. No longer be associated in high regard, most likely looked on as a traitor.

"So, besides helping Draco out." Sirius scratched his head. "How did you lot become friends? Seems out of the blue, suddenly a student from each house finding some common ground. Especially you two?" Pointing at Draco and Harry, giving them a questioning look.

"Yeah," Harry said. "I guess it was time to start anew for us, not be dealing with some petty feud."

It was far from the actual truth, but it was a simple version that he could give to his loved ones that the moment.

"I want to see the Chamber of Secrets." That was not something Harry thought Draco would ask, at all today. But then again, neither was helping him get into contact with his criminal godfather, so it was an odd year let alone an odd week for Harry so far.

It was around twelve in the afternoon, they snuck back into the castle, deciding that going back to class was utterly pointless at this point in the day. They would have to face consequences but where's the fun in that. So they decided to head to the kitchen to get some lunch, or at least that was the idea until Draco asked the question regarding the Chamber.

"Are you sure?" Harry asked. He wasn't going to outright deny him that considering he was Slytherin's reincarnation. "I am. I want to see it."

So Harry led them to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, where after having an uncomfortable chat with the ghost, opened the entrance to the Chamber. They carefully climbed down, walking to where Harry defeated the Basalik back in his second year.

Harry wondered if Draco could understand Parseltongue, considering he is Salazar Slytherin's reincarnation, that must mean he knew the language or understood it. The entrance to the chamber was still wide opened, with the carcass of the Basalik in full view for them to see. Susan and Padma covered their noses with their hands, Susan almost gagging at the smell.

Draco seemed hypnotized, walking and looking around the chamber in a dream-like state. "This was why they fought." He said. Harry looked at him confused at what he was saying.

"The chamber," Draco explained. "It was to defend Hogwarts from muggles and wizards who would want to harm Hogwarts, the monster was the failsafe, to protect the castle. But all it did was cause some riff to form between the founders."

"Draco, what are you saying?" Padma asked.

"This was why they fought, Salazar thought that by constructing the chamber with that monster inside, it would help in a fight to protect Hogwarts and students. Gryffindor, he felt like Slytherin was insulting him, that he couldn't be able to defend the castle, which Slytherin wasn't. It turned into a big fight, with that stand along with the fact that Morgana Le Fay ultimately betrayed them, it just dug the knife deeper into the wound. She betrayed them, almost destroyed the castle because of the infighting, bringing in waves of Muggles and wizards who wanted to see the end of Hogwarts. They defeated them, obviously but in Slytherin's mind, he couldn't trust Muggle-borns again, because Morgan Le Fay was a Muggle-born who betrayed them. In his mind, it seemed logical to not want to have any spies or Muggle-born children wanting to harm Hogwarts of the students that lived there. That's why he did what he did, that's why it all came falling apart for them. That's why he, ultimately left." Draco exhaled, his shoulders now relaxing after his small speech. It seemed that he must have been piecing this together when those dreams came to him, showing glimpses of the past life. This just gave them a berth of information.

"That's a lot of information," Susan said.

Draco chuckled. "Yeah, try seeing it unfold in your dreams. It makes sense though, Merlin was a Slytherin who helped defend the school while Morgan Le Fay was a Ravenclaw determined to destroy it."

"Holy-" Harry started before Padma cutting him off.

"But if this is how they ended, then we just try to not repeat their mistakes. We try to do what is right this time. " Susan stated to the rest of the founders, looking at them.

"Together," Draco said. "We'll do this together."

When Harry stepped into the common room he was met by Ron and Hermione, equally looking concerned. But Hermione also looked pissed as she yanked him to a corner in the common room to talk with him, Ron following behind.

"Harry!" Hermione hissed at him, getting his attention. Her face was stern and frustrated. "Where have you been all day?! Everyone was concerned for you, Umbridge is calling for you to be expelled and McGonagall is rightfully furious with you! You shouldn't be skipping classes! OWL's are this year! Oh, what were you thinking?!"

He looked at his friends and instantly he wanted to tell them the whole truth about what has been going on. But he knew he couldn't, probably never. He knew that if he told them the outcomes would probably lie in two categories: The-We-Need-Factual-Evidence or We-Believe-You-But-You-Are-Starting-To-Sound-Crazy. Neither one of those sounded good for Harry.

So, what could he do except lie but apparently not this time.

"We've been noticing that you've been acting differently. Always talking with Malfoy, Padma, and Susan." Ron commented. Hermione nodded rapidly.

"Ron also told me that you've been having nightmares, leaving your bed at night. Do you need to go to the Hospital wing? Maybe talk to Professor McGonagall about it or Snuffles?" She whispered the last part. Harry's heart was beating way too fast, trying to keep a poker face at the fact that his friends were slowly catching up with him.

"Harry, what's going on? We just want to know if you are okay?" Hermione pleaded for him to come clean about why he has been acting weird in their eyes.

Was it true? Did he look like a walking daytime zombie? Probably, considering the fact that he hasn't been sleeping well, it was full evidence smacked on his face for everyone to see at the moment.

They were waiting for an answer, Harry swallowed nervously.

"I," Harry curled his fingers into a fist. "I can't tell you."

Instantly, Hermione and Ron frowned at what Harry just said, as if he was speaking in Parseltongue. "What do you mean that you can't tell us? Why not?" Ron said a bit angrily and offended that Harry did not trust them.

"It's not that I don't trust you guys," He quickly explained. "But, the fact is that you guys may think that I've lost my mind if I try to explain it to you."

"Explain what exactly?! What wouldn't we believe Harry?" Hermione sighed exasperatedly.

But Harry didn't answer. He couldn't answer as another dream swept into his mind.

"He's leaving!"

"NO! Salazar, don't leave. Just wait. We can fix this, please Godric!"

"We can't give him that chance Helga. Not anymore. He made up his mind, let him leave. We don't need him! He's a traitor to this school!"

A woman with honey blonde curls ran past him calling out, "Salazar! SALAZAR!"

"Harry!" He was on the floor, everyone surrounding him, as Ron yelled for them to give him a bit of space. "Mate, are you alright?" Fred asked.

Ron helped him up and instantly it felt like the world was tipping from one said to the other. He wondered if this was how Padma felt that day at Hogsmeade?

Hermione and Ron helped him sit down on one of the couches, after telling them that he'll be alright and no, he did not need to see Madame Pomfrey, they backed off. The rest of the common room slowly went back to its usual noisy self.

"Why can't you tell us, Harry? Is it dangerous, is that why you skipped class?" Hermione attempted to broach the subject once more. Harry wanted to roll his eyes but restrained himself from doing so. He shook his head. "Well then, give us a reason as to why you can't tell us? We're your friends."

Harry put his head in his hands. "It's just crazy to explain guys. I don't think you'll believe me if I do tell you."

Hermione raised her eyebrow at him, not believing him at all.

"I'm sorry. But please just drop it, I'm fine. Honest."

"If you don't want to tell us, we'll just find out ourselves, isn't that right Ron?" The redhead followed her lead, nodding in agreement with Hermione. He gave them a rather sardonic looking smile, his friends wanted to know just why he was doing what he was doing. To figure out the actions that have been going on since he stepped foot back into school.

"Well, if you won't say something to me, you better think of something to say to McGonagall, Harry. Because she wants to know," Hermione told him.

Harry did not know that and wouldn't be surprised if the teachers all wanted to have a chat with the four missing pupils that weren't seen all day. Harry just hoped that it would just be him and McGonagall, that maybe, he would be able to somehow reason with her but his luck was never good when it came to that. He would just have to wait and see.

NOTES: More chapters! Yay! Hope you guys like it and I do not own the quotes.

Enjoy the chapter folks! :3