Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I do own a new outfit though (don't you just love it when sisters get rid of clothing, and you actually find stuff that fits and looks nice on you?).
BlondeSurferBabe:
Hey, thanks for reviewing, and yes, there will be more Claire, just
not for a while yet
Lisa:
We will find out more about Draco's childhood in a few chapters
time. Thanks for reviewing!
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Mask:
As a pyro, you would know, right? And how do you know that lizard
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Anonymous:
Well, no ships in this story, but keep a look out for the next
chapter (wink-wink)
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Thanks for the review, and Bill will find out about Draco, but not
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As always, thanks to my amazing beta!
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Chapter 23
Rule number twenty: People's own minds are their greatest deceivers. Use that against them.
Draco was released from the infirmary in time for Ancient Runes on Thursday, but he really didn't feel like going to the class, so instead he wandered the halls until it was time for his after-class session. He didn't really have anyplace in particular to go, but as usual he found himself meandering down in the lower level halls.
There was something about the underground of Hogwarts that Draco liked. The stone paths and ceiling were lit only by flickering torches hammered into stone walls and most of the classrooms were locked. When he was younger and couldn't fall asleep, he would often come down to break into the rooms and go exploring, though he was careful to pick the rooms he entered carefully.
The book, Hogwarts, A History, did not explain why some of the lower classrooms were better left undisturbed, but Hogwarts, A Dark History did. It was banned literature in the wizarding world so naturally Draco had a copy. Most of the stories in the book were false, based on rumors and lies, but there were some that spoke the truth. After all, Hogwarts was an old school, and most old things have secrets.
Draco ignored the pounding as he passed one of the locked doors. That would be a ghoul, a particularly nasty ghoul at that. A Dark History said that the ghoul was once a wood sprite that had turned bad due to some rather tragic incidences. Draco confirmed that story in fourth year during one of the Tri-Wizard Tournament challenges when he opened the door and nearly set it loose accidentally. There was no way he was going near that thing again. Although he figured that if it ever was set free, Dumbledore could merely banish it back again. He figured that because the door had only been locked with a simple chain. It was the doors that were warded that you needed to worry about because they were shut like that for a reason.
He heard muttered cursing around a corner and snuck quietly to the edge of the wall to see what was going on. Stevick was there, his wand pointed at a door that glowed blue. He was trying to open a warded door.
Draco stepped out into the hall, drawing the teacher's attention.
"Oh!" jumped Stevick, starting at the noise and turning to him. He seemed to relax when he saw it was a student. "Oh, it's just you, Mr. Malfoy," he said, his hand at his heart. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."
"What are you doing?" asked Draco bluntly.
"What am I doing?" reiterated Stevick.
Draco resisted the urge to roll his eyes. There was no doubt that the man was desperately thinking of an excuse.
"Well, you see, I am-, I am trying to open this door," announced Stevick triumphantly.
"It's locked," said Draco.
"Which is why it isn't opened yet," said Stevick, flashing him a smile.
"Maybe it's locked for a reason," said Draco, settling his stormy eyes on the teacher.
"Ah, perhaps," said Stevick. "Yes, you are right." He pocketed his wand and looked about nervously.
"Why were you trying to open the door?" asked Draco, figuring that since the blunt approach was working so far he might as well use it.
"That's none of your business!" snapped Stevick. He suddenly seemed to remember that he was the teacher and Draco was a student because he drew himself up. "It is no business of yours," he said. "And you should be in class. Move along then."
Draco gave him one last leveling look. That was it; he was going to write Lucius about the DADA professor.
Since he still had a few minutes left he went to his dormitory and quickly wrote out a letter, making sure not to sound too prying. He looked over his results once he was done.
Father,
As
you no doubt heard, I have been ill for a while, but now I find
myself fully recovered. I blame the filth in the school for such
rampant diseases and am looking forward to a change in regime that
might better the conditions here.
It was true, he did blame the filth in the school; however he was talking literal filth, like bacteria and such, while Lucius would read into the letter what he wanted to hear.
Rule number twenty: People's own minds are their greatest deceivers. Use that against them.
I have another reason for writing to you. I recently discovered a Mr. Bryant Stevick acting rather peculiarly and am unsure how I should react to this, as the action I caught him in was one not entirely legal and rather dangerous. I am not familiar with his family or his acquaintances and so I do not know how to respond to the situation. I believe some additional information is necessary for a correct rejoinder and so await your letter.
Your
son,
Draco
Malfoy
He smirked at the careful wording and then folded the letter, slipping it into a special pouch that would only open to his father. He made a quick stop to the owlery and sent it off, already impatient for the reply.
He made excellent timing on the way to Ancient Runes, coming in just as the students were let out.
"Playing hooky, Draco?" asked Bill, once the other students were gone. "I happen to know for a fact that you were to be let out early this afternoon."
Draco shrugged. "I was bored. Didn't feel like coming in to re-learn anything, no offence."
"None taken," said Bill easily.
Draco glanced up at the board, decoding the instructions in his head, raising an eyebrow at the message.
"Sounds like a fun night," he said.
Bill looked at him, impressed that he had translated the hidden words already. The board read 'Plan to take horcrux - no info yet'.
"It's actually getting a little boring," said Bill. "The same old speech every night about power and glory can get really tiresome."
Draco's lips quirked up at that and he began looking over the Ancient Runes as Bill erased the board.
"You may want to keep an eye on Stevick," said Draco once Bill took the seat across from him.
"I thought you didn't trust Claire," said Bill.
"I don't," said Draco. "But I don't trust Stevick either."
"May I ask why?"
"I saw him messing around with one of the doors on the dungeon level about half an hour ago," said Draco.
"What's so wrong with that?" asked Bill.
"The door was warded," said Draco.
"Why would the doors be warded?" asked Bill. Draco looked at him in disbelief.
"You don't know?" he asked.
"Apparently not," said Bill.
"Unbelievable," said Draco. "Most of Slytherin knows, but then again, I doubt that Gryffindors would really care about such things."
"What things?" asked Bill.
Draco set the scroll he was looking at down on the table.
"The Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets isn't the only monster hidden in this school."
"What do you mean?" asked Bill, his eyebrows furrowing.
"Hogwarts is old," said Draco, "and it has a lot of secrets. There are thirteen locked rooms in the dungeon and six of those doors have wards on them."
"What's in them?" asked Bill.
"The unlocked ones hold ghouls or poltergeists. I haven't been able to unlock the other ones, but then again, I haven't tried. I haven't even wanted to try it to be honest."
"Why not?" asked Bill.
"The Chamber was warded," said Draco. "It needed a password to get in, but it was still warded."
"So, there are more basilisks," said Bill.
"More dark creatures, like ghouls and what not," said Draco. "So you may want to watch out for Stevick."
"You think he was trying to open the door on purpose?" asked Bill.
"He wasn't trying to open the door," said Draco.
"But you jus-,"
"He was trying to figure out how it opened," said Draco.
"How can you tell the difference?" asked Bill.
"He told me he was trying to open the door," said Draco, "but he was lying. Hence, he must have been trying to figure out how to break the wards."
"You think he might be working for Voldemort," said Bill.
"Maybe," said Draco. "Why don't you just destroy the Horcrux since you have it?"
"The Horcrux is still linked to Voldemort," said Bill. "He would know if it is destroyed and we want to catch the spy."
"Makes sense," said Draco, frowning slightly. "Though, I think it would be safest if you just destroyed the thing. Maybe then the spy would leave."
"We still need to know who the spy is," said Bill.
"In hopes to clear Snape?" asked Draco.
"And to make sure there's nothing else they have planned for the school. Information is what will win this war, and right now, Voldemort knows more about us than we do about him."
"It's because the Dark Lord doesn't share information with the members of his Death Eaters," said Draco.
"Why do you call him the 'Dark Lord'?" asked Bill.
Draco blinked and looked up. "What?"
"Well, you don't flinch when I say Voldemort like so many people do, but you always refer to him as the Dark Lord."
"Habit, I guess," said Draco. "I've never really heard him called anything else. It's not like I'm afraid to say his name or anything, it just never occurred to me."
"Say it," said Bill.
"What?"
"Say Voldemort," said Bill, pressing on.
"Voldemort," said Draco shrugging. "What was that for?"
Bill smiled. "I just wanted to see if you could say it without stuttering."
"And the verdict is?" asked Draco.
"You're the only person I know who can just say Voldemort for the first time and say it completely casually."
"It's just a name," said Draco. "Then again, maybe it's easier for me because I've grown up with Death Eaters."
"That's another thing I've been meaning to ask," said Bill. "If you don't agree with Voldemort, then why are you dressed like a miniature Death Eater?" Bill gestured to his all black clothes.
Draco shrugged. "So people think I am," he said. "Plus, it annoys Lucius."
Bill laughed and then they got to work.
Draco received the reply from Lucius two days later during the morning mail delivery. He took the letter from the owl and then left the table, going down a hall a little ways for privacy and breaking the seal, which was an exact replica of the signum on Draco's back. It was the Malfoy seal and would only open for a Malfoy.
Draco,
Mr.
Stevick is indeed a new acquaintance. It would be best if you did not
involve yourself in anything that is not your business. That is a
warning.
Your
father,
Lucius
S. Malfoy
Draco rolled his eyes at his father's letter. How was it that Lucius managed to make his written words sound as curt and disinterested as his actual voice? He read the line underneath his father's signature, though there was no post script marked.
I am glad that you are no longer ill. Take care of yourself.
Draco raised an eyebrow at that. For his father to mention that he was glad Draco wasn't ill anymore meant that he actually must have worried about him. For Lucius to order him to take care of himself meant that he cared about his son. His father never ceased to amaze him; just when he had figured that his father really was a bastard, and then he went and did something like this, reminding Draco that there was always that little bit of Lucius that genuinely felt some sort of fatherly affection for him.
He re-read the last line, feeling a warmth in his chest, the warmth he got whenever Lucius nodded in approval or clasped his shoulder in pride.
"Good news, I take it?" asked Bill, who had obviously followed him, and strangely enough, Draco didn't mind so much.
Draco shrugged. "I wrote Father about Stevick. He's useful for that sort of information."
"What does he say?" asked Bill.
Draco handed the letter over. Bill looked a little surprised but took it, skimming the few sentences quickly, his eyes pausing slightly on the last two lines.
"So, what do you think?" asked Bill, handing the letter.
Draco refolded the letter, covering the seal and then pressing down on the wax. The letter burst into flame and he tossed it aside. It was ash before it hit the ground, just another saftey precaution.
"Seems rather self-explanatory," he said curtly. "Keep your eyes open Bill. It is your life on the line, not mine."
He nodded and turned around, heading down to the Slytherin Common Room to think.
Stevick was obviously the Death Eater spy, and he had been so sure that it was Claire. He was hardly ever wrong, and that disturbed him. What was even more disturbing was the fact that he felt…concern for Bill, which was something that was foreign to him and caught him off balance. That was why he was a little brisk with Bill, but his concern wasn't unjustified. Stevick had been an Auror, which meant that he obviously knew how to handle himself, and while Draco figured Bill would be decent in a fight, he didn't know if Bill would win. That thought scared him.
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Bill watched as Draco folded up the letter then dropped it as it caught fire and simply flamed into ash.
"Seems rather self-explanatory," said Draco, a terse tone in his cold voice. "Keep your eyes open Bill. It is your life on the line, not mine."
Bill stared at Draco as he gave a brief nod, turned on his heel and left. He was pretty sure that there had been a little bit of trepidation in his voice, and he had a feeling that Draco wasn't uneasy out of fear for himself. He smiled slightly, wondering if the kid was actually worried about him.
He thought back to the beginning of the encounter. He had seen Draco receive a letter and then leave, so Bill had followed, finding the kid standing a little ways down the hall, a strange expression on his face. The pale lips weren't smiling, but they were relaxed and the eyes weren't clouded over but they were the bright liquid mercury that Bill caught glimpses of when Draco was unguarded, the usual cloud and ice cover gone.
He had wondered what it was that had affected him so; he had assumed it was some sort of good news. Draco had handed him the letter, an act of trust that left Bill surprised. He had read the letter, wondering what sort of father talked to their son like that, but then he had read the last two lines.
I am glad that you are no longer ill. Take care of yourself.
Really, he had thought in outrage, the kid had collapsed from delirium for Merlin's sake! That at least warranted a visit from a parent, or at the very least a care package, not some after thought on a letter. And it wasn't even as if Lucius had written first; Draco had been the one to start the correspondence.
And yet Draco had looked happy. No, that was too strong of a word. He looked content, satisfied, maybe even slightly pleased at the attention from the two sentences, if they even deserved that name. They were more like snippets.
Not for the first time, Bill wished that Draco had better parents. Just think of what he could have done if he had been brought up properly; no doubt he could create a cure for lycanthropy or something equally amazing. But it wasn't just the academic achievements that Bill considered. The kid honestly deserved a real family. Bill almost felt guilty that his own parents were so wonderful and silently vowed to be as nice and as encouraging to the kid as possible.
He shook himself from his musings about Draco and thought about what the letter had said. If Stevick really was a Death Eater, as the letter implied, then Dumbledore needed to know. Well, he couldn't exactly tell the Headmaster how he knew, but he could at least fill him in on a little bit.
He headed to the Headmaster's office, telling the stone gargoyle 'Licorice Wands' before being ushered up and called into the Headmaster's office.
"Hello, William," said Dumbledore. "Would you like a lemon drop?"
"Actually, yes," said Bill. His mouth still held the after taste of coffee and the lemon sweet was welcome. He popped the candy into his mouth as Dumbledore finished up his paper work, amusing himself by trying to identify all of the little trinkets in the room. No doubt Draco could in an instant flat.
"Sorry for the wait," said Dumbledore, moving the papers to the side.
"No problem," said Bill, his mouth now free of the sweet but retaining the lemon flavor.
"What was it you wished to discuss?" asked Dumbledore.
"Stevick tried to break the wards down in one of the dungeon classrooms," said Bill.
"Ahh," said Dumbledore, sitting back in his chair and getting a thoughtful expression on his face.
"So, their really are ghouls and what not locked away down there," said Bill, knowing that he shouldn't be surprised that Draco was right, but still, ghouls in Hogwarts?
"Where did you learn that?" asked Dumbledore.
Bill hesitated, before deciding he may as well tell the Headmaster.
"Draco Malfoy, believe it or not," he said.
"You have contact with him?" asked Dumbledore, looking curious.
"You did tell me to keep an eye on him after the bat attack," said Bill.
"Yes, I did, didn't I?" mused Dumbledore.
"Well, I have to tutor him as well. His summer class didn't really cover all the Ancient Runes I'm teaching so we meet after class on Thursdays. He was late to class this week, told me that he had just gotten released from the infirmary and was taking a shortcut to the Slytherin rooms for his books when he ran into Stevick who could verify his story."
Bill honestly had no clue where this twisted version of the tale was coming from, but there was enough truth in it to make his lie not completely obvious.
"When I asked him what Stevick was doing down there, he told me that the teacher was trying to open a warded door. I was confused and that's when he told me about the ghouls."
"I see," said Dumbledore, slowly. "This could be signaling an attempt for the Horcrux."
"How so?" asked Bill.
"The wards outside and inside of Hogwarts are very similar," said Dumbledore. "If he really was the one to bring in the bat, then he knows that there are loopholes in the wards and maybe trying to figure out how to break through them completely. By practicing on the doors, he could be practicing to bring the entire system down, which would leave Hogwarts open to an attack."
Bill marveled at the fact that a sixteen year old boy had practically told him the same thing two days ago.
"I suppose this means we should all keep an eye on Stevick then," said Bill.
"Yes, it does," said Dumbledore. "I'll alert the Order."
Bill nodded. "Thank you for your time Headmaster," he said, getting up but Dumbledore stopped him with a question.
"Do you believe Draco Malfoy is a Death Eater?" he asked.
Bill tried to keep his face clear of emotion, and managed rather successfully. "As of now, he isn't," he said slowly. "When we do…converse, he always avoids that subject, but I know that he doesn't have the Mark."
Dumbledore sat back. "So, either Mr. Malfoy is a Death Eater-to-be and is alerting us to Stevick's actions purposefully, or he is merely unaware of what is going on."
"I have a feeling it's neither of those two," said Bill. "He's a surprising young man. Have a good day, Headmaster."
"Good day, William," said Dumbledore.
Bill let himself out of the office and back down the stairs. Draco was leaning against the wall across the hall, obviously waiting for him.
"Draco," said Bill startled. "What are you doing?"
"Staking out the target," said Draco, shrugging. "This is where the Horcrux is." He stood and jerked his head to the left, wanting Bill to walk with him. Bill followed, rather confused but looking about to make sure no one saw them conversing, that could be detrimental to both of their positions.
"So, I've revised my original thoughts on the whole door-opening incident," said Draco, once they were down a rather deserted corridor.
"Which were?" asked Bill.
"I thought that Stevick was going to figure out how the wards work to bring them down across the entire school," said Draco. "But I forgot one thing."
"That was?" prodded Bill.
"It's impossible," said Draco, raising his arms slightly in one of the most openly expressive moves Bill had ever seen him make. "There is no way one person could bring down the outside protective barrier of Hogwarts; it's that powerful. The odds of that happening are so astronomical it's easier to say that you are more likely to be struck by lightning, attacked by a great white shark, and get mauled by an animal escaped from a zoo all on the same day."
Bill blinked. Draco released a breath and Bill realized that the statistical tangent Draco had just gone off on could be his equivalent of an emotional outburst. He wondered what had set him off.
"The point is," said Draco, adapting his usualy drawl, "that he can't bring down the outside barriers. He can however bring down the inside ones, which means that not only would the doors in the dungeon open, but the Headmaster's office would as well, leaving the Horcrux unprotected."
"But how would Stevick know that the Horcrux is in Dumbledore's office?" asked Bill.
"You said someone made an attempt at the fake. The person obviously realized that it was a replacement and figured that Dumbledore knew what it was. The safest place in Hogwarts is Dumbledore's office."
"So you're saying that we're going to be attacked by dark ghouls," said Bill.
"And various other creatures, depending on what else is in those rooms," said Draco. He pulled a book out of his bag and tossed it to Bill. "Happy reading."
Bill looked at the cover, Dark Curses for Dark Creatures. "Grand," he said.
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Next chapter things get exciting. Be aware of dark ghouls, dark marks, and dark magic. Leave a review!
