A/N: Apologies for the wait, things are gonna start getting weird after this chapter I think (just a friendly warning). Anyway, I know you want to read what happens next so...

Disclaimer: World and characters belong to the awesome JKR, I'm not making any money out of this, or I'd be freaking rich and updating much more regularly.

~Parseltongue~

'Thoughts'

13. Plots

Professor Umbridge was a pudgy woman, Harry decided as he watched her waddle through the neat lines of desks in the defence classroom. She was also very fond of the colour pink.

Her speech at the welcome feast would have disturbed him greatly if he wasn't confident in the knowledge that he could, and would, pass his OWLs at the end of the year with near flawless scores regardless of her teaching. He made a small show of sympathising with the other Ravenclaws, gaining a few raised eyebrows at his ability to understand what Umbridge was really saying. His plan to ease himself back into the role of an outstanding and gifted Ravenclaw student was in its first phase. Rasp was happily asleep in his inner robe pocket, enjoying Harry's warmth and oblivious to Harry's train of thought.

It was the last period and very nearly the end of the lesson, Harry's hand ached uncomfortably after writing out the preface to the sufficiently mundane textbook in front of him.

"Yes, Miss …"

The whole class looked up from their parchment, each filled to various degrees depending upon the student's ability to maintain focus and fend off boredom.

"Granger, Professor."

"Yes, Miss Granger, how can I help you?" Umbridge seemed to be enjoying the spectacle that Hermione was creating for her.

"Well," started Hermione with a determined glint in her eye, "I've had a look through this – textbook – that you've given us," her face scrunched up in disgust at having to assign the book that particular term, "and there is no mention whatsoever of actually practicing magic. I was hoping that you could enlighten us on why the ministry deems it too dangerous for a class of students, mature enough to sit OWLs, to be using low level defensive magic."

Umbridge's smile faltered for a moment, then came back with an edge. Harry could barely hold in the amused snort that threatened the silence that followed. It seemed as if Umbridge had finally realised that she was no longer dealing with the usual meek, brainwashed ministry staff.

"I would hardly call what you are doing 'low level', the risk posed by practising such magic has simply been deemed unnecessarily high compared to the benefits. Besides, with the right amount of study from that particular textbook, you shouldn't need to practise."

Harry had to give her credit, Hermione looked as if she was seriously considering Umbridge's answer.

"And in a years' time?" she asked with an innocent expression, "When the ministry decides that it's too dangerous for Hogwarts students to use magic even in exams. Will wands be banned until a student has passed their OWLs or their NEWTs - or just until the ministry can guarantee their loyalty?"

There were a few whispers of shock, some whispering in agreement, others in discontent and one or two scoffs, these died down quickly however, as Hermione and Umbridge exchanged barely concealed glares. Harry leaned back ever so slightly in his chair, he had to admit that he was quite enjoying this debacle, unexpected as it was; he had been beginning to think that Hermione simply held to much respect for authority to ever challenge it.

"I don't know how you got such a ridiculous notion into your head girl. The ministry is only looking out for your best interest. There is no point in taking great risk for no gain, any tactician would be able to tell you that."

Harry allowed himself a small smile, Hermione had Umbridge firmly on the defensive. The situation was almost completely irretrievable for the Lady in Pink now.

"And what cause do you have to smirk, Mr Potter? Care to share with the class?" Umbridge turned on him, voice forcibly lowered and face turning slightly red from the effort.

It was expected of Harry to be cowed at that moment, but he saw no reason not to answer as himself, in fact, he saw a great reason to, "I find it amusing that you would talk of tacticians, as if you were one yourself, when you are so obviously outmatched by a fifteen year old girl."

There were a few shocked snorts as people's brains processed the implications of such a sentence, whilst there were, no doubt, disbelieving faces spread around the room. Even Hermione looked a bit shocked.

"Detention! For a week!"

Harry widened his eyes in a mock innocent look and added a slight lilt to his voice, "For what, Professor? Answering a question?"

Harry nearly winced at Umbridge's heavy and plodding ignorance of the dance as she gritted her teeth and spoke without moving her jaw, "For answering in such a disrespectful way."

"Truthfully?" he said with a furrow in his brow, "for answering truthfully, you mean. But professor, I thought you promoted the idea – 'I must not tell lies'."

The last was said with a hint of venom, Luna had already suffered through one of the witch's detentions, she had hid it well during a duelling session, but not well enough for Harry not to have noticed the slight flinch whenever she used her hand.

"8pm sharp, Mr Potter! Otherwise I'll double it!"

"I have no doubt that sharp objects will be involved, I know of the medieval techniques that you've decided to employ on the student population at Hogwarts."

"We are done here! Get out, all of you!"

The class scrambled out of their seats, hastily shoving books and parchment into their bags as they went, instinct driving them out of the vicinity as the tension between Harry and Umbridge reached breaking point.

Harry was swept away with them, although the others did give him a wider berth than they would have done any other time, everyone except Hermione, that is.

"Why did you do that?"

"Do –"

"No, let me rephrase that. What was that?"

"Hermione –"

"I mean, you were completely –"

"Hermione!" Harry said a bit more forcibly, giving her a look, "If you want to hear my answers, you're going to have to pause long enough for me to speak words."

The click was audible as the ravenclaw closed her mouth, cheeks reddening sheepishly. Harry had stopped walking, the hem of the next slowest student's robes had disappeared around the corner by the time he set off again, pace slow and deliberate, "I wasn't joking," he said softly, "when I described her methods as 'medieval'."

Hermione looked confused, "You can't possibly mean-"

"I can, and I do," Harry forced her to meet his gaze, "the ministry does not hold as tight a grip on its employees as it would have us think."

"You're serious," If Harry were a lesser person, he would have winced at the incredulity in her voice, "You think you saved me."

Harry felt a flash of irritation before a wave of amusement swept through him, "You don't have to believe me now, but it will happen soon enough. I'll let you live in your make believe world where the ministry is a shining example of fairness, justice and goodness for just a little while longer."

Hermione narrowed her eyes, they held a hint of fire in them, Harry was glad to see, "Why me?"

Harry raised an eyebrow.

"I have somewhere to be, I'll see you around, Hermione."

x ~ x ~ x

"Harry, Harry!"

Harry's eyes flickered up to meet Draco's, "What?" he muttered darkly.

"You're ruining your parchment."

Harry looked down to find that he had, indeed, left several large blotches on his Herbology essay, "It probably improved it," he said with distaste.

Draco cast him a worried glance. Harry ignored it.

Time alone with Professor Umbridge always left Harry in a sour mood, though it was never mentioned around him, he could feel the other student's gazes upon him, or rather, the large handprint on one cheek that refused to fade. The thing that irritated him the most though, that was hidden under a subtle notice-me-not charm, anything more powerful would alert Umbridge to his meddling, were the words "I must respect my seniors," that would surely scar the back of his right hand for life.

'Then write a better one.'

'You haunt my waking hours now?' Harry shot back, 'The life of a Dark Lord not living up to your expectations?'

'Did you like my book?'

'Unless your initials are SPS, of which I am highly doubtful, then you can hardly say that the book belongs to you.'

'I may not have written it, but it belongs to me.'

'Let me fini- rewrite my essay,' Harry thought back flatly.

"What?" Harry snapped, putting a fair amount of malice into his eyes.

Draco's mouth pinched into a flat line, "Duel me."

'Yes, please do. It is interesting, that you have chosen little Malfoy as a playmate.'

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Duel me."

"Draco, can't you s-"

"Incendio!"

Harry didn't even bother getting up, creating a small vacuum shell around Draco's spell and holding it in mid-air, "-see that I'm not in the mood?" He flung the spell back at Draco's head.

"Incarcerous!"

"Draco!" shouted Harry as he dodged out of the way, casting a full body bind as he said it.

Draco had seen it coming, of course he had - Harry had chosen well, he cast a mirror charm in front of him, reflecting Harry's spell back at him and casting another in its shadow.

Harry cast a mirror of his own, deflecting the spells away onto some practice dummy. He was glad that he had done when the dummy proceeded to shatter like glass. Whilst Draco was busy casting his next spell, Harry transfigured each piece into slightly enlarged grasshoppers. Draco hated bugs.

Draco abandoned the spell he was chanting under breath in favour of creating a whirlwind, effectively gathering up all of the insects and set it on fire.

Harry nodded to himself in grim satisfaction, whilst Draco was preoccupied with keeping the horde of flaming bugs away from him and towards Harry, Harry cast a silent 'expelliarmus'.

The whirlwind took a little while to settle after Draco's wand landed neatly in Harry's hand. Longer still for the pitter patter of small charred bodies hitting the ground to cease.

"She worries about you."

"What in the seven hells are you talking about?" Harry replied sharply.

"I never took you as a religious sort."

"I never took you for a fool."

Draco pinched his lips together, "Luna," he relented.

"Luna," Harry repeated, as if tasting the name for the first time.

"Truthfully, we are both worried about you," he said, eyes not quite able to meet Harry's own.

Harry snorted, "What right do you have to worry?"

Draco ground his teeth at this, "We are your friends, you can –"

"What, Draco?" Harry quickly interrupted, cursing the sign of their familiarity by use of Draco's given name, "Trust you?"

There was a tired silence between them, Harry could feel Draco's exasperation. Eventually, the tense lines of the Malfoy's body relaxed and he stood normally, straightening his robes and attending to himself like every Malfoy does.

"There are no such things as friends," Harry said softly, sort of by way of apology, "people treat you as it suits them. As soon as you serve their purpose, they will cast you aside."

"And you truly believe that I am like that?" Draco asked, this time looking at Harry directly in the eye.

"Do you?"

A short pause, "No," he said with certainty, "not with my true friends."

"Then you are a fool," Umbridge really did bring about Harry's fouler side, "but a useful one."

"I consider you a true friend."

Harry ignored it, "but for how long I wonder? I bested you just then, Malfoy."

"And what?" there was a hint of danger in Draco's voice that made Harry pause, "you'll throw me out into the dirt? You'd do well to remember my name. You'd make friends based on importance and usefulness, then I wonder why you befriended Lovegood, or Granger? You didn't mean what you just said, something's been eating away at that knowledgeable mind of yours, eaten away the patience and the reason. You are the fool, Harry James Potter, for thinking yourself above everybody else. You were bought into this world bawling and covered in blood just like the rest of us."

He walked towards Harry and took back his wand in measured silence, eyes unreadable. He quietly left the room amidst a whir of activity as his wordlessly summoned books, ink and quills frantically organised themselves in his shoulder bag around him.

The door closed with a quiet click and Harry released the breath he hadn't realised he had been holding.

'Well, that was interesting.'

'Not now, snake man,' Harry would have growled that out had the Dark Lord actually been in the room.

'Snake man?' the Dark Lord said in a mock serious voice, 'I suppose so, but I always thought the title more aptly suited my uncle.'

'Uncle?' Harry asked, interest piqued.

Voldemort was amused, Harry could feel it through the link, and he wanted nothing more at that moment than the ability to stifle it.

'Even the most terrible monsters have families.'

'Monsters aren't born,' Harry replied, "but maybe your family just knew, just knew what you were going to become. That's why they left you to live out a miserable little life in a miserable little orphanage, why you never knew a mother's love. Because they knew you weren't worthy of it."

The amusement was gone, Harry felt the thrill of success there, but he also shivered at the cold nothingness that had replaced it.

'Or, maybe I was just a damned ugly baby.'

Then, all of a sudden, Voldemort was gone, and more importantly, so was the coldness. Harry let a ghost of a smile reach his face at Voldemort's parting joke.

"All babies are ugly," he said to the empty space around him. He turned back to his essay and thought that he would probably take the dark lord's advice and write a new one, one he might get over half marks for.

x ~ x ~ x

"I –" Hermione stuttered and then fell silent with a helpless look.

"This must be one of the few times I've seen you without a sharp remark ready on your tongue," Harry said jokingly. Getting the girl to notice, and somewhat like, him had been one challenge, gaining her friendship was proving to be another.

That got him a sharp look rather than the playful slap he had been expecting.

"I was wrong," she started, the reproach sliding off her face in an instant to be replaced again by the same look of helplessness as before, "to disbelieve you."

Harry raised an eyebrow in answer, "Perfectly reasonable of you; before this year I was practically a half-wit."

They had reached the doors to transfiguration, "But now you're on track to becoming the smartest in our year."

Harry coughed into his hand to cover up a laugh, "I very much doubt that, I'm not sure you'd let me surpass you."

"Curious, that," she said, prompting.

Harry smiled, Hermione would be formidable against an amateur, unfortunately for her, he had been playing this game far longer than she had been, "You will be told countless times, by countless people, that you are far too clever for your own good."

"I saw what she did to the Weasley twins. Thank you, for taking that upon yourself, but in future don't. Let me learn from my mistakes; it wasn't your punishment to take."

This was all said in a hushed whisper as Professor McGonagall entered the room, so Harry pretended not to have heard her and continued to prepare for the class. Hermione didn't repeat herself and the both of them spent the double period in comfortable silence.

Draco wasn't in the room of requirement with Luna, as he had been expecting him to be.

"Why would I know where he is? I don't particularly want to keep tags on a little Slytherin pest." The insult held no sting, but that didn't help Harry find Draco.

Maybe he had gone a little too far the day before, he would apologise as sincerely as he could to placate the blonde, as soon as he found him, that is.

"Helpful," he said blandly.

Luna gave him a blinding smile in return.

"And annoying," he continued, watching Luna watch him, "I wanted to discuss Dumbledore with him tonight."

"You're still plotting?" Luna asked, as if she didn't know.

Harry glared at her, which caused her to smile innocently back, which made Harry glare harder until his eyes started to hurt with the effort, "still," he admitted.

"It's been nearly a year."

"He's possibly the most powerful wizard alive."

"He spared Grindelwald and declined the post of Minister."

Harry smiled, all teeth, "death and position do not make a powerful wizard."

"Depends whose death and what position," Luna said quietly, gazing again into the fire she sat before.

"So he gave the man a fate worse than death and rejected a limited and comparatively small amount of power in favour for less time spent on paperwork and the chance to shape the influential minds of the future. Sounds like a cruel and very shrewd man to me."

"I – You always manage to shine a new light on such topics."

Harry tilted his head to one side and smiled slightly.

"So what are you planning to do with Dumbledore?" Luna asked, her need to know barely contained within her serene position.

"Exactly what he did to Grindelwald: destroy him."

Luna looked less than impressed, "How?"

Harry tapped the side of his head, "Turns out that my injuries weren't the cause of my - how should I put this? – sudden magical difficulties."

Luna's eyes lit up, "And what could an eleven year old child, muggle-raised too, possibly know about magical bindings and mind-magics?"

"What indeed," Harry replied, "enough about me and our dear headmaster. Now, any other year I don't think I would have minded, but we have to do something about this Dolores Umbridge, before she shuts down the school and burns all the books."

"She's quick to accumulate enemies," Luna observed. Harry nodded along, the school year had barely started and already Harry could see open hostility towards her from many of the students and most of the staff, "and the enemy of an enemy…"

Harry's eyes flickered over to the fire, "We'd have to act in the open to take her down."

"It was always your plan to step out of obscurity this year anyway."

Luna was correct, almost, "By the end of this year. The change has to be gradual to be believable, and so that the important players overlook it."

"You think Dumbledore will miss the fact that the dumb ravenclaw is slowly becoming a star pupil?"

"The important players, Luna. Dumbledore may think he's the white king, but he's not, he's not even a knight, more like a castle."

"You are a fool to think Dumbledore anything less than a bishop, you said it yourself; he's a cruel and shrewd man."

"He's a castle, symbolic and arrogant, and forever restricted to moving in straight lines," Harry couldn't really say why he thought of Dumbledore in this way, other than it just seemed to make sense.

There was a break in the conversation, as if Luna was judging the importance of it, "Do you often place names on a chessboard to see which piece suits them best?"

Harry left the room at a brisk pace, finding the topic not to his taste. People weren't just bits of wood on a checkered board, bits of wood didn't whine, scream or die.

He made his way back to his dorm without many people giving him a second glance, he passed the Weasley twins, who stared at him with an unusual amount of intensity for a few short seconds before turning to each other to whisper in that hushed way of theirs. Harry found he didn't care enough to wonder why.

"I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

The map revealed itself and Harry to a small moment to appreciate the beauty with which it did so, like watching a masterpiece painted in front of you. He quickly scanned the areas which Draco frequented, and didn't find him in any of them. He wished the Marauders had put in a spell to locate a name on the map, he thought, perhaps, that he would have a go at it himself, if the idea took his fancy.

Habitually, Harry checked the headmaster's office, he would like to know if Dumbledore was up to something. The logical side of him berated him for his stupidity, he couldn't watch the map all day everyday, so doing so little and often was a futile endeavour. The belligerent side of him drowned out the belittling as he saw Draco's footprints in front of the headmaster's desk. Dumbledore himself stood right beside them, the thought of the old man standing so close to someone Harry cared for – Harry found he did care – did make him feel rather uncomfortable.

At least he knew where Draco was now.

Harry raised his eyebrows when he saw Draco's footprints dive quickly away, followed a split second later by Dumbledore's. By the looks of it, Draco was pinned against the wall. Harry heard a soft growl escape him. He was about to leave for the Dumbledore's tower when the man backed away from Draco, and the blonde hurriedly left the room.

Harry sat back on his bed. Not quite sure of the best course of action. Had Draco been called up to the headmaster before this incident? If so, how many times? What did Dumbledore want from him? Harry doubted that the staff would even have heard about it, the professors of Hogwarts were more likely to spread rumours than stifle them. Watching the map for anymore interactions would be as futile as watching Dumbledore's office door itself. Maybe –

"Dobby!"

"Master Potter?" the elf stood at the foot of his bed, eyes alert and hands steady.

"Do you know anything of the meetings between Dumbledore and Draco?" Direct worked best with Dobby.

The elf blinked once, but otherwise remained silent. Harry frowned.

'I think he's trying to tell you something.'

Harry gave Voldemort a huge mental shove, unwilling to play his games for the moment.

'Must we go through this again? You cannot make me go.'

Dobby was staring intently at him, and that's when Harry understood the game.

"Once for yes and twice for no?" he asked, a small grin on his face. Dobby returned it with interest.

"You're sworn to secrecy?"

One blink.

"To everything about the headmaster?"

Two blinks.

"To everything that happens in his office?"

Two blinks.

Harry's face hardened, "To everything to do with myself."

One blink.

"So his conversations with Draco are about me."

One blink.

"Are all the house elves of the castle under the same spell?"

One blink.

Harry did growl his time. He didn't think Draco would talk to him about it, even if he hadn't had said those things the day before.

"Can you speak to someone other than me about it?"

Three blinks.

Harry raised an eyebrow, "Sometimes?"

"Master Potter, this line of questioning is futile. And that snake you keep as," a small shiver, "a pet roams closer and closer to the headmaster's office each day. Soon enough, it will be caught."

x ~ x ~ x

"What the-"

"Blazes!"

Harry winced and was grateful to have cast a silencing charm around the Gryffindor boys' dorm.

"I hear you make interesting inventions."

The twins exchanged a quick glance, "We do-"

"But not-"

"For you."

"I like the two of you," Harry said just before the silence became uncomfortable. The both of them smiled nervously at that.

Harry took out a key from his robe and held it up in front of him. Goblin made, a pleasing weight and pretty to the eye.

Fred's eyes narrowed whilst George's widened, Harry wondered if either of them had even seen a Gigot's key before.

"I demand nothing in return, though I do ask for you to stop your attempts at spying and plotting something for me. I hope, with funds as sufficient as these, that you will find better things to occupy your time with."

Harry had been finding various little gadgets and spells about his person for a short while now. He was confident that it wasn't Dumbledore, the man had far more effective ways of spying on him, the twins were the only other plausible option.

Quick as lightning, George had the key in one hand and his free arm around his brother's shoulder. Both were grinning.

"We like you too Harry, despite our first meeting."

"We will consider your request,"

"And squander this fortune," said George, waving the key about.

"Now, if you'd kindly just leave."

Harry couldn't help the small laugh that escaped him, his suspicions had been right, "I want to know who won."

The twin's joviality slipped just a little and they looked at him carefully.

"You played me, and congratulations, you had me doubting your true intentions right until the very end," Harry smiled without malice, "I want to know who won the bet. You did bet, right? On how much I would give you?"

The twins looked uncertain now.

"500," said George.

"1000," said Fred.

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose and laughed softly, "I should have given you less." He looked up again sharply, "Though there is one particular gadget that I have an interest in."

"We're listening," said Fred.

"Extendable ears," said Harry, putting his hand up before either of them could say anything, "Can they be made to span the entire castle, without a cord?"

George eyed the key in his hand, "Give us a week."

x ~ x ~ x

~Rasp,~ Harry called out. Sirius shifted uncomfortably beside him, though it was hard to tell whether that was because of Harry's use of parseltongue or the eerie stillness of the forbidden forest.

"Why am I here for this?" the man asked.

"Am I not allowed to want to meet with my favourite adult?"

~I am here, hatchling.~

Harry turned to face the little snake, hanging about a foot above him from a small branch. Sirius gave Harry's response a small snort.

Harry offered up his arm to Rasp, who proceeded to coil himself around it, "I want you to see what Dumbledore is capable of, first hand."

Sirius waited, trying to make Harry fill the silence.

Harry transfigured two large stumps into armchairs, "You might want to sit down for this," he said, indicating one of the chairs.

Sirius narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but took the offered chair. Harry sat down in the other.

~Are you ready?~ Rasp whispered.

~Almost, I'll tell you,~ Harry replied, he had discussed his plans about Sirius with his familiar beforehand. Rasp still turned to spare Sirius a rather hostile glare.

~I trust him, that should be enough for you.~

"You've got a wand?" Harry asked. Sirius tapped his sleeve in answer, "Rasp, my familiar, has been trusted with some pretty valuable information. He'll be sharing his memory with me, and you. I trust you realise the significance of this." Rasp had, after all, taken quite a bit of convincing.

Sirius blinked at Harry, very slowly, "He's a snake."

"Obviously, you won't be able to see it directly – I will act as a medium for the two of you."

"A medium?" Sirius looked decidedly uncomfortable now, "How?"

Harry looked at Sirius directly in the eye, "I'm letting you into a very limited part of my mind, just enough for you to understand what's going on. I advise against trying to dig deeper, unless you want to end up a big drooling baby."

Sirius's eyes widened, "You're not joking."

"I didn't pick up that trait from my father. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

Harry took a steadying breath, "Cast the spell."

"Legilimens."

Harry gave Sirius a few seconds to orientate himself, he had given him his sight and the ability to understand parseltongue and nothing else.

'Are you ready?' Harry asked silently.

'Yes,' replied Sirius after a few short seconds.

~Rasp,~ Harry felt Sirius' shock, ~we are ready.~

Rasp initiated a mental connection similar to the one Harry had shared with Chiana. Suddenly both Harry and Sirius were deposited in the little snake's memory of his meeting with Dobby.

'That's a house elf,' said Sirius, sounding a little shocked.

'Smartest one I've ever come across,' Harry glanced sideways at Sirius, almost laughing at the disbelief on the elder's face, 'What? Did you really think that all house elves were brainless house servants? They were once a proud race. His name is Dobby, he used to belong to the Malfoys, now he's under Dumbledore's employ.'

"Snakey, snakey? Where be you Harry Potter's little snakey?" Dobby cooed. Harry didn't have to imagine the irritation that Rasp had felt at the tone.

The little brown snake made its presence known amongst a mature aconite plant, two had met in one of the Hogwarts greenhouses.

Dobby froze at the sight of Rasp, "Septura? Dobby has never seen you up close, apologies for my rudeness."

Rasp seemed more content now, ~Carry on.~

'Can the house elf understand it?' Sirius asked.

'The house elf has a name, and no, Dobby cannot understand him,' Harry replied.

"Dobby will speak of important matters now," the elf declared, looked directly at Rasp, "Headmaster Dumbledore requested a meeting with young Master Malfoy last Tuesday. Dobby knows of Master Potter's relationship with Master Malfoy, so Dobby dropped a few eaves."

'Relationship?' Sirius repeated, a hint of laughter in his voice.

Harry glared at him, 'You think now is the time to be making jokes? Be quiet, I want to know what happened between them.' Sirius had the grace to look sheepish, but did not apologise.

"Dobby cannot speak directly to Master Potter on this matter as Headmaster Dumbledore has forbidden us house elves to speak to anybody about his meetings with Master Malfoy.

'Do animals not count? And does Dumbledore not know of your... familiar?' Sirius said softly.

'Not under the strictest definition, and I sincerely hope not.'

"Dumbledore has noticed Harry Potter's friendship with Master Malfoy and Mistress Lovegood. He is curious as to the nature of it, and asks Master Malfoy most intrusive questions.

Dobby does not know everything, as one can only listen at the door. Dumbledore begins by asking Master Malfoy to take refreshment, which is refused. Dumbledore then asks about Master Malfoy's schoolwork, which is exemplary. Master Malfoy answers very curtly, but is never rude. After a while Dumbledore questions Master Malfoy about his personal life, both at home and at Hogwarts – Dobby thinks this is very rude of headmaster Dumbledore – the young master avoids the question and the many others that follow.

Before long, Dumbledore is angry and raises his voice, demanding that Master Malfoy gives him answers. He asks about his friendship with Master Potter, and Mistress Lovegood – he thinks you are plotting something, he wants to know what you do you with your spare time. He also wants to know how you are masking your magical signature, how you grew up, why you are doing the things you are doing. He also asks about the time Crabbe and Goyle were found on the edge of the forbidden forest.

If I may, Master Potter, I think headmaster Dumbledore is very much afraid of you.

Anyhow, next Dobby hears a loud crash – something must have fallen over – and then the room goes quiet. Dobby cannot hear what is said next, but has to hide as Master Malfoy storms out of the door looking very irritated and agitated.

Dobby hears the headmaster talking to Fawkes, wondering 'where did it all go wrong?' Then there is silence, Dobby thinks the headmaster is thinking, but then Dumbledore says one last thing – 'Harry must have come across somebody magical before he came to Hogwarts, if only I could have gotten him to his Aunt and Uncle. Damn that Sirius! Fawkes, my dear friend, we must win him back. We cannot allow Tom to continue.'

Dobby stays for a long while afterwards, but the headmaster seemed to have put the whole incident from his mind. That is all Dobby knows, Master Potter. Oh – one last thing, Master Potter, Dobby thinks that Master Potter probably wants to know that this is not the first such encounter. The headmaster calls Master Malfoy to his office more than he does yous now, sir. At least once a month since last March… during school time at least."

Dobby then turned around and walked off.

Harry was suddenly back in his own body, he immediately cut off the connection he shared with Sirius, giving himself some space to think.

"Dumbledore suspects you?" Sirius asked, obviously confused, there was also another emotion in his eyes that Harry couldn't decipher.

Harry flicked his eyes over to him, "He has always suspected, but by the sound of it, he doesn't know anything, at least," Harry frowned, "though I am worried that he has noticed how close I have become with Draco. And I didn't think it was possible to link the incident between Crabbe and Goyle with me."

Sirius raised an eyebrow, "You call that an 'incident'?"

"No matter, if Dumbledore knows I'm at least friendly with Malfoy, then he will suspect that I am planning something against him too, which means we will have lost the element of surprise."

"But you've already started with your plan, haven't you? Surely he's still too late?"

Harry reclined back into his chair with Rasp curled around his upper wand arm and steepled his hands, "Dumbledore is very clever, don't forget that, he will be able to figure out where I am headed with my plan just from my actions thus far."

"Such as?"

"My plan was for me to 'regain' the magical ability I had when I first entered the school and implement Dumbledore in my 'loss' of them in the first place. This would then discredit him, make the people who believed in him lose faith and render him next to powerless. Just another wizard."

Sirius still looked confused, "But he'll still be alive?"

Harry grinned at that, "Yes, but do you know how many 'fans' I have? The magical world adores me, and there are more than a few Harry Potter fanatics out there, trust me – I know, I receive fan mail quite regularly. I don't doubt there are some out there who would kill Dumbledore for what he 'did' to me," here Harry's expression turned dark, "You see, killing Dumbledore as he is would create a martyr out of him. That must not happen. But when he's a disgraced wizard? The general population will be glad to be rid of him. We will be rid of him; I'm not letting some random witch or wizard take the pleasure of killing the bastard from me."

"And it will be easy to pin the murder as a hate attack committed by one of your," Sirius hesitated with the word, "fans."

Harry nodded nonchalantly to this, thinking instead of the impact these meetings must be having on Draco. He knew the blonde could look after himself, he was bought up a pureblood after all, but Harry still wondered after him. Pureblooded or no, Draco still felt the same as every other witch or wizard. The fact that he hadn't told Harry about these meetings he had with Dumbledore, since March, sat uncomfortably in Harry's head. As did the knowledge that Harry hadn't picked up on any of this sooner.

"Do you think I should tell Draco about this?" Harry asked worriedly.

"Pah," Sirius snorted, "He doesn't know already?"

Harry glared at Sirius, "I've told you already, whatever history there is between the two of you, lay it to rest. Bloody set it on fire, you are family, remember?"

There was that strange look again in Sirius' eyes, "If he's anything like my sister or his father then he will not even want you to know about it, much less discuss it with you."

"But should I?"

"If it were me, I'd like you less for it." Harry blinked at that, surprised, "Draco takes pride in his independence with personal matters. A dark pureblood household isn't the most familial; his parents may love him, but he's had to grow up mostly by himself, since he's an only child."

"So I have to help him without him knowing about it?" Harry confirmed.

Sirius let out a small discontented noise, "You don't have to help him at all. Let him do this on his own. If he finds out, he will not be happy."

Harry closed his eyes, people were far too complicated.

~You are troubled,~ Rasp whispered, slithering up to encircle Harry's neck.

~Draco,~ Harry said simply.

~You always seem to be troubled, this is why I told you not to have friends.~

Harry sighed, Sirius gave him a funny look, saw Rasp and shook his head slightly, ~Rasp, please. Humans aren't as solitary as serpents, and even you grew attached to Chiana. There was no stopping it. Besides, life is more interesting with Draco, Luna and even Sirius here.~

~Hatchling,~ Rasp thought better of carrying on, thoughts of Chiana still smarted for the both of them. Harry was glad of that, it meant that Rasp cared for her at least as much as Harry.

"I don't like it, Sirius."

"You're starting to sound like Dumbledore, talking of going behind your friend's back," Sirius said.

Harry bristled, "I am nothing like that sorry excuse for a man."

Sirius gave him a look.

"I'm not," Harry insisted, "I will talk to Draco."

"Harry-"

"No!" Harry felt anger flare, "I am not Dumbledore, but I'm not you either. I feel it is the right thing to do to talk to Draco. So I will talk to Draco."

A cloud obscured the moon overhead, a half one, Harry looked up to consider it.

"That Dumbledore," Sirius said, also with a hint of anger, "When he dies, I want to be there."

A/N: Been a while, right? Sorry about that. Honestly, I think updates will continue like this for a while now. It might be worth just waiting until I've completed the story before reading anymore (if you think my story is worth waiting for.) Thank you for your continued support. This chapter is a bit longer to (try) and compensate for the wait. As always - reviews are appreciated, if there's anything you really really really want to see happen in this story,just say so... I'll consider any ideas that will fit with my plotline and characters. Thanks again for your support!

apisci