Draco woke up for the first time at Hogwarts not surrounded by Slytherin green but Gryffindor red. He could not believe how things had gone last night at the sorting. All of their carefully laid plans had been blown to smithereens.
They were supposed to create friendships with all the houses but how were they supposed to do that when the houses had been turned upside down. Granted only Draco and Harry knew how different things were but still.
All his Slytherin friends were no longer in Slytherin. He was not sure how they were going to appeal to the Slytherins without having any ties. Draco figured they would have to go through Weasel. That was probably the biggest shock for Draco. He had always known Pansy was smart so her going to Ravenclaw was not a surprise. Draco knew Greg and Vince were not smart enough for Ravenclaw nor brave enough for Gryffindor. The looks of relief on both of their faces said they had asked to be in Hufflepuff. Draco felt that meant he might still have a shot with them. Blaise was standing by Draco's side firmly against the Dark Lord and given his family's neutrality that took some guts so Gryffindor made sense. Smith was a sneaky git last time around. Draco had always felt that Smith would have done well in Slytherin. The only one he did not get was Weasel. Why on earth was he in Slytherin?
Granted he was not smart enough to be a Ravenclaw and the way he treated Harry especially during the Triwizard tournament meant he was not loyal enough to be a Hufflepuff. He supposed that the hat's only choices were Slytherin or Gryffindor. The only thing that had gone different this time for Weasel as far as he knew was the train ride.
That is when it hit him, the train ride. Everything about that train ride had been different. He had gotten on board after it left. He sat with Harry, Hermione and Dudley instead of Greg, Vince, Blaise and Pansy. By sitting with Draco, Harry had not sat with Ron. Of course, all their old friends had found them eventually. While Greg, Vince and Pansy had left to think about what he had said, Blaise stayed. Longbottom had stayed after they had spoken with him about Trevor and when Ron came in, he did not stay long. He only stayed long enough to find out if the rumors were true.
Draco shook his head. He had not meant to change that much. This was definitely going to be interesting but with all these switches Draco felt it was going to be a lot harder to follow through with their plans.
He knew one the first things he and Harry had planned on doing was asking one of the older Gryffindors to show them to class. Both he and Harry felt that it would be easier than trying to act as if they did not know where they were going.
Draco was the first one up and dressed out of the first years. He woke up Neville, Blaise and Harry on his way down to the common room. He noticed that the twins were already awake and appeared to be plotting something. Draco hoped that whatever it was had nothing to do with the Gryffindor first years.
Draco went to breakfast with Harry, Blaise, Neville and Hermione. When the mail arrived, Draco had received several letters. He was not surprised. Harry and Dudley had also received multiple letters. Draco read them while he ate his breakfast.
Draco,
Congratulations on getting into Gryffindor! I know you had your heart set on it. I was surprised to hear that your friends were in Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. I know you thought they were Slytherins for sure. Stay positive. I know you were worried that if you got into Gryffindor you might not be able to continue your friendships. Now though it looks like you will not have to worry about that.
Your mother is fine though she misses you terrible. We are gearing up for Sirius' trial tomorrow. I will be sure to let you and Harry know how things turn out. Do not worry too much about your mum. She is strong Draco. Moreover, she has me, your Aunt Andromeda, Petunia and soon she will have Sirius too.
Have a good first week and let me know if you need anything,
Remus
Draco was grateful for Remus' letter. He knew that his mum would be okay but it did not hurt to hear it from someone else. He knew the first part of Remus' letter was a way to cheer him up. Remus knew of their plans and knew their plans had included his friends being Slytherins. He had managed to find a way to make Draco feel better about the situation without mentioning the situation.
Draco had a short letter of congratulations from his Aunt Andromeda, Tonks, Petunia and James and Lily. Draco decided then and there that he could get used to this. Last time all he really had was a bunch of friends that were only his friends because they felt they had to be and his father. This time he had friends who liked him for him and an extended family. Draco felt that regardless of the changes that had happened last night that this year would be better than it had the first time around.
Draco decided he would open the letter from his mum later when he was around fewer people. Harry had received similar letters. The one from his parents was much longer than the one Draco had received from them though the one from his mum appeared to be just as long as his.
Draco could not say he was surprised. His mum had treated Harry like he was her own ever since she found out about their past. Harry seemed to feel the same way about her.
Draco spent the rest of breakfast chatting with his other first years. He did not really know all that much about Seamus, Dean, Parvati and Lavender. The biggest thing he knew was that Lavender had dated Ron during sixth year and given what he had been up to sixth year he was lucky to have known that.
When their schedules were passed out, he saw that the first class of the day was Charms with the Hufflepuffs. Draco immediately got up and approached Oliver Wood.
"Excuse me; I was wondering if you would be willing to show me and the rest of the first years how to get to the Charms classroom?" Draco asked politely.
"Sure thing. Are you all ready to go?" Oliver replied.
"Yep just let me go let them know." Draco made his way back over to where the first years were sitting. "Hey guys I got one of the upper years to show us where the Charms classroom is."
Oliver then led all of them on the short walk to the Charms classroom. They were there way before the Hufflepuffs. Draco was a little nervous. He and Harry had not been able to determine just how strong their magic was. He hoped that they would be able to act just like the other first years.
The rest of the day seemed to fly by. Dudley had come over and sat with them at lunch. He too had gotten similar letters. The twins were sitting nearby so they made sure to work Moony, Padfoot and Prongs into their conversation as much as possible. Harry and Draco really wanted that map back so they could keep an eye out for Quirrell.
Oliver once again escorted them to class after lunch. This time it was History of Magic with the Ravenclaws. Draco took a nap in this class. He had never been able to stay awake and hoped that since he had already taken the class it would come back to him easily enough.
It was at dinner that things got rough. They had barely started eating when his father strode in looking up and down the Slytherin table. Draco figured he was looking for him and knew this was not going to be good.
"Dumbledore where is my son? I have been assured he is in the castle. He is coming with me."
"He is sitting with his year mates enjoying his dinner Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore replied calmly.
His father once again looked up and down the Slytherin table. "No he is not. I have looked for him twice and he is not there. What have you done with him?" Lucius asked as he pointed at the Slytherin table.
"Mr. Malfoy you are looking at the wrong table. Young Draco was not sorted into Slytherin." Dumbledore looked like he was trying to hide a grin.
Draco watched as his father checked the Ravenclaw table and then the Hufflepuff table twice before looking at the Gryffindor table. When his father set eyes on him Draco for the first time felt nervous. His father looked pissed. He hoped that the plan they had in place would work, as there was no way he was going with his father.
"Draco come over here now. We are leaving," Lucius said his voice as cold as ice.
"No I will not go with you. I do not want to go with you. I am going to stay here at Hogwarts and with Mother."
Lucius' eyes flashed with anger. "Stop this nonsense. You are coming with me now." Lucius started to make his way over to Draco.
Draco stood up and started to back away from Lucius. He was not alone though. Blaise, Harry, Hermione, Neville and the twins were going with him standing in front of him protectively.
Draco stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around. There were Pansy, Greg, Vince and Dudley. His friends had his back. They had chosen him. He knew this would not be good for them though. Their fathers were not going to be happy that they were helping Draco stay away from his father.
"Mr. Malfoy if I may? Mr. Black has made it quite clear that he does not wish to go with you. In addition his mother has spoken with me and made it quite clear that you are not allowed to remove young Draco from Hogwarts and under no circumstances are you to be alone with him." The tone of Dumbledore's voice suggested there was no room for discussion.
Lucius stopped. "Very well then I would like to speak with my son and Professor Snape in private."
Draco knew this was not good. If he were alone with Severus and Lucius, his father would try to take him or severely punish him. Sev would not be able to do anything without risking Riddle finding out he was not on his side. Before he could speak up and object, Professor McGonagall interrupted.
"Why would you meet with Professor Snape? He has nothing to do with the boy. You may meet with Draco and me in Professor Dumbledore's office after dinner. When we are finished I will escort him up there."
Lucius did not say a word he just strode out of the Great Hall. Dumbledore followed close behind him. Draco went back to his table relieved. He would have to make time to talk to Pansy, Greg and Vince tomorrow. Right now, he had to figure out what he was going to do about Lucius and how he would protect his friends from their father's wrath.
Draco spent the rest of dinner worrying about what to do about Lucius. He really wanted to talk to Harry about it but they could not have an open conversation during dinner and Draco could not leave.
As he got up to leave with Professor McGonagall Harry gave his shoulder a squeeze and told him everything would be fine. Draco wished he could believe Harry.
He and Professor McGonagall walked in silence to Dumbledore's office. She gave the gargoyle the password and up they went. He could hear his father before they even opened the door.
"What's with all this Mr. Black nonsense? Why do you keep calling my son that?"
"It is how he wishes to be addressed. When Professor McGonagall read the names off for her list of first years it registered him as Draco Black."
Professor McGonagall knocked once and then entered the office. Draco made sure to keep the professor between him and Lucius. As Dumbledore rose to leave Draco stopped him.
"Professor Dumbledore I would appreciate it if you would stay. I do not trust my father. It is not that I don't think Professor McGonagall is capable I would just feel better if you were both present."
"As you wish, Mr. Black."
Again, Draco felt like Dumbledore was trying not to smile. He could tell Lucius did not like this Mr. Black business and Draco felt Dumbledore kept referring to him as such just to annoy Lucius.
"Stop calling him that. I do not care what the list said. Legally he is a Malfoy and you all will refer to him as such."
"Alas Mr. Malfoy you are wrong. I received an owl just before dinner stating that Draco and Narcissa have been reinstated to the Black family. Legally he can be referred to as Mr. Malfoy or Mr. Black. So Draco which would you prefer?"
"Black sir. I do not want to be associated with the Malfoy name. May I ask you a question?" When Dumbledore nodded, Draco continued. "How is it that my mother and I have been reinstated? I thought only the head of the Black family could do that and last I checked Sirius was the head of the family."
"You are correct Mr. Black. However, Sirius has just been released from Azkaban. There was proof he was innocent of the crimes he was incarcerated for. Once the Wizengamot saw the evidence they deemed him innocent and released him."
Draco's jaw dropped. It worked. They actually freed Sirius. He had to go find Harry.
"Professor Dumbledore that is wonderful news! To be honest I want nothing to do with Lucius. As far as I am concerned, he is no father of mine. I know that as soon as my mother is able she will be legally leaving him. I do not wish to speak with him so I was wondering if I could be excused. I have absolutely nothing to say to him."
"Of course Mr. Black. I will not force you to speak to your fath…excuse me, Mr. Malfoy."
Draco left without looking back. He would let Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall deal with Lucius, right now he need to find Harry. He checked the common room and the dorms and when he could not find Harry there checked the library. He did not find Harry in the library but did find Hermione and Blaise.
Hermione was immediately out of her seat and threw her arms around Draco's neck. "You're okay. I was so worried. Blaise was telling me what a horrid person your father is."
"I'm fine Hermione. I was with Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall what was he going to do? Now I need to speak with Harry have either of you seen him?"
"We all split up so then when you left your father you'd be bound to run into one of us. The twins are in the common room, Pansy, Greg, Vince and Dudley are still in the Great Hall and Neville and Harry went outside."
"Thanks."
Draco took off at a run. He passed Vince, Greg, Pansy and Dudley on his way outside. He went straight to the quidditch field.
"Harry!" Draco called.
"What is it Dray?" Harry asked nervously, rushing over to him. "Did he hurt you? Did he find a way to make you leave?"
"No I'm fine. I got some amazing news."
"How does being with Lucius lead to amazing news?" Harry asked sounding doubtful.
"I'm officially a Black as is my mum."
"But that's not possible," Harry stated.
"You weren't officially a Black?" Neville asked.
"He can't be because the head of the Black house is in prison."
"Not anymore he's not. Dumbledore told me that I was reinstated, as Sirius was free Harry. It worked. He is out of there. No more Azkaban. No more dementors. Harry, Sirius is likely with Moony, your aunt, my mum and your parents right now."
"It worked?" Harry asked quietly.
Draco just nodded his head.
Harry started back up to the school at a quick pace. Neville and Draco exchanged confused looks before chasing after him.
"Slow down Harry," Neville said.
"Where are you going?" Draco asked.
"To see Sirius," Harry responded.
They had just gotten back up to the school when the doors opened and they saw Lucius being escorted from the property by several of the professors.
They did not say a word to him just watched him go.
"Ah Mr. Black, Mr. Longbottom, it is time for you two to return to your dorms. Mr. Potter if you would come with me there is some here to see you," Professor McGonagall said.
Draco made his way slowly back up to the dorms while he filled in Neville. He had to go through it all again once he got to the common room for Blaise, Hermione and the twins were waiting for him. By the time they all went to bed, Harry still had not returned.
When Draco woke the next morning, it was obvious Harry had been there as his school things were gone and his bed looked slept in. Draco got ready as quick as he could and made his way down to the Great Hall.
An obviously tired Harry was sitting alone at the Gryffindor table. Draco hurried over to sit with him.
"Morning Harry. What happened last night? Did you get to see Siri?"
"No Dray. Remus came to see me to let me know what happened. I tried to go see him but Remus refused. He said Sirius needs some time before I can come see him." Harry dropped his voice to a whisper, "He knows. Remus, my mum and dad told him. He needs a few days to wrap his head around it."
"Well can you blame him?" Draco asked. "It is a lot to take in. Not to mention he just got out of Azkaban. I know how badly you want to see him Harry but right now he is safe and away from the dementors and you will see him soon."
"I know Dray. It is just hard. I miss him so very much." Harry sighed and rested his head on the table. "Let me know when it's time to leave for class."
The rest of the week went by quickly. No matter how hard he tried, Draco could not find time to meet up with Vince, Greg and Pansy. At breakfast on Friday, Harry got a letter from Hagrid inviting him for tea. Harry sent Hedwig back and said he would be there and he was going to bring some friends. He told Hagrid to let him know if that was not okay if it was he would see him for tea at three.
They were almost done with their breakfast when Dumbledore came over. "Mr. Potter, your godfather has written me and asked for permission to bring you home for the weekend so he can get to know you. Is that something you would like?"
Harry seemed to think for a moment though Draco knew that he was trying to compose himself. "That would be nice Professor Dumbledore. I would like a chance to meet Sirius. I was expecting to have to wait until Christmas break to meet him."
"Then I will let him know to meet us tonight. I will bring you down to the gates after dinner. Have a good day Mr. Potter, Mr. Black."
Draco was surprised Dumbledore addressed him. He was doing his best to pretend as if he was not listening to everything being said. Obviously, he did not fool Dumbledore.
Today was their dreaded potions lesson. Draco was not sure what to expect. Everything had changed. None of his friends were in Slytherin and Sev knew about everything. He wondered how different this class would be to last time.
Draco had been surprised. Sev had kept his and Harry's first meeting very similar. The only difference being that Harry knew the answers this time. Draco had sat with Blaise; Harry had sat with Hermione and Neville. The Slytherins had sat together, boys at one table girls at another. Draco knew if he had any hope of reaching them they would have to break up those groups.
The class had gone smoothly. Without him, Greg, Vince and Pansy to stir things up the Slytherins were well behaved. Draco felt that he might have a chance to make friends with the Slytherins after all. None of them were being nasty to the Gryffindors.
As they were packing up Severus asked Draco to stay after class. Harry and Blaise managed to get Hermione and Neville to leave without a fuss. As soon as they were alone and the door was shut, Sev erected some privacy spells.
"How are you doing Draco?" Severus asked quietly.
"I'm doing as well as can be expected. The sorting did not turn out quite like I thought it would. I have not even had a chance to talk to Pansy, Greg and Vince since the train. I do not know exactly where their heads are at. I just know that their fathers are not going to be happy that they helped me stand up to Lucius."
"You are right about that Draco. Lucius is livid. He feels you made a fool of him. I would be cautious if I were you. You are also correct about your friends' fathers. We will have to think up a plan to keep them safe. I will talk to your mother, the wolf and the mutt about it."
Draco laughed. He could not help it. Severus just stood looking at him warily. It took him several minutes to stop laughing. "I'm sorry Sev it's just you calling Remus and Sirius that…" Draco broke off into another fit of laughter.
"Why is that funny Draco?" Severus asked sounding confused.
"Because you said it nicely. There was no malice or disgust in your voice. Harry probably would have fainted. He really won't believe it when I tell him."
"Right last time we did not get along. Both Sirius and I kept up our old grudge."
Draco's jaw dropped. Hearing Sev refer to Siri as the mutt was one thing but hearing him actually call Sirius by his name was another.
"Don't look so shocked. Your story along with my relationship with Lily was bound to have a change on me. I have spent time with both Sirius and Remus since Sirius was released. There have been apologies on both sides. Lily made us realize we were behaving childishly. She told us that to keep the ones we love safe we would have to work together."
Draco watched as Severus sat down. He saw that Sev looked tired.
"If getting along with the two of them makes Lily happy, and keeps you and your mother safe then that is what I must do. I will not lose anyone else I love nor will I cause Lily anymore pain." Severus added looking up at him with fire in his eyes.
"I understand Sev. I love you too." Draco replied. He walked around Severus' desk and gave him a hug. Severus stiffened at first but then relaxed and returned the hug.
"You have no idea how hard it was to lose you so shortly after mother. For most of my life you have been more of a father to me than Lucius ever was and it just about killed me to lose you too." At that, Draco broke down. Severus just held him until he was all cried out.
"Go and find your friends Draco." Severus said after Draco had pulled away. "I am sure Granger and Longbottom are worried about you and Potter might even be worried at this point."
"I'm surprised Harry hasn't managed to barge in here asking what is taking us so long. See you this weekend Sev?" Draco asked.
"If you wish. I will likely be brewing this weekend so you know where to find me."
Draco nodded. As he was leaving he heard Severus softly say, "I love you Draco. Stay safe."
Draco looked back at Sev and flashed a smile. "Love you too Sev." Draco left to meet up with his friends feeling much better than he had this morning.
Draco did not hear from Harry all weekend. Harry had brought him, Hermione, Nev and Dud to tea at Hagrid's. Draco had not found time to get Harry alone before he was whisked off to go home.
Despite his best efforts, he did not manage to talk to Greg, Vince or Pansy at all that weekend. According to Dudley, Vince and Greg were worried. They had not left their dorms except to go to class and eat since they had stood behind Draco. They had gotten howlers from their fathers. Dudley figured that they were worried if they were seen with him their fathers might come and get them. Draco had seen Pansy and tried to talk to her but every time he approached her, she turned and practically ran in the other direction.
Draco did however get to spend some time with Sev. Draco spent a few hours on Saturday and a few hours on Sunday helping him brew potions. It was while he was with Sev on Sunday that he finally heard from Harry.
Dray,
Meet me in the RoR.
He immediately rushed off only saying Harry was back and he had to go. He knew that Harry meant the Room of Requirements. He must have some news to tell Draco that could not wait and could not be overheard. He made it there in record time. Harry was waiting outside and passed by the wall three times and they both entered the room. All it had in it were two cozy chairs and a fireplace. Draco and Harry settled in.
"So how was your weekend? How is Sirius? How's my mum?"
Harry chuckled. "Slow down Dray. One question at a time."
"How's my mum?"
"Your mum is fine. Much better now that she has seen me. She heard from Remus and Severus about the showdown with Lucius. I filled her in on what they did not know. She told me to tell you she loves you and not to worry about her. Plus Sirius is going to take care of you two so no worries there."
Draco was relieved. He had been so terribly worried about his mother. It was nice to know she was being taken care of. "How is Sirius?"
Harry's face lit up. "Sirius is doing great. He looks a lot worse than when I met him last time but there is a happiness that is there that also was not present last time. Even though my parents cannot be there with him, the portrait has helped. It took him a few days to digest our story but he never once questioned that it was true."
Draco was slightly surprised. He knew that it probably helped that he was hearing it from Moony, Prongs and Lily but he still thought it would take some convincing. "That's great Harry. The more people we have on our side who believe us the better."
"Sirius is going to make sure that Lucius will have no claim to you and Narcissa. He is also going to back Aunt Petunia. There will be no way Dumbledore can do anything to me with those two working together. Sirius is my legal guardian and Aunt Petunia has as much a claim as he does by being my last living blood relative. I'm free."
"Well that's a relief. I'm glad things are working out so well."
"There was one more thing that happened this weekend."
"Yeah and what was that?"
"I met Luna."
Draco was stunned. He had not expected that to happen. Hell, he was not even sure how that could happen. "How in the world did you meet Luna?"
"Sirius gave an interview to her father. He knows that Mr. Lovegood was important last time around and that he helped us as best he could. Mr. Lovegood brought her with him. The best part though Draco was she knows."
Draco was confused. "She knows what Harry?"
"She knows who we are, who we really are. She insisted her dad bring her because she just could not wait until next year to meet us. I always had a feeling Luna knew more than she let on."
"I'm happy for you Harry. I know how much you cared about her."
"She is excited to see you too Draco. I promised her we would write and that we would see her at Christmas time."
Draco was taken aback. He had not expected to have Luna as a friend. At least not this early. This could be good for them. If Luna knew what was going on, they would have someone their age to talk to about it. It was nice having Sev, his mum, Remus and now Sirius but it would be nice to have his friend's perspective.
"That's great Harry. I will make sure I write her tonight."
"So how was your weekend Dray?"
"It was alright. I spent some time with Sev and we brewed potions. It was just like old times. Well almost. He is different this time around. He actually referred to Sirius and Remus using their given names and there was no malice. I think they have buried the hatchet. He also told me he loves me."
"Well of course he does Dray. What's not to love? Seriously though, I think he feels as though you are the son he never had or at least that is what your mum said this weekend. I too noticed a difference. Of course, the difference I noticed was the way Moony, Padfoot and Prongs were referring to him as Severus. They too said it without malice and trust me last time Sirius hated Severus until his dying breathe. I asked your mum about it because I was confused and she explained the change she has seen in him since you told him the truth. My mum's forgiveness probably helped too."
"It did. He said he wasn't going to lose anyone else he loved nor was he going to be the reason your mum suffered any more pain."
Harry smiled. "That's a good thing Dray. We are going to win this time, I can feel it. We have so many people supporting us this time. We are not alone. Even people who do not know the truth like Madam Bones, Dumbledore, and Professor McGonagall. It's going to work out okay."
"I agree Harry. The only snag being Slytherin and my friends. I think we may be able to sway the Slytherins. They aren't as hostile probably because I'm not there riling them up."
"You always seemed to be the instigator. Moreover, in Slytherin or not I know Ron is still the same person. Now what happened with your friends?"
"Dud told me that Greg and Vince are scared of their dads and will likely avoid me. He said he would work on them and let me know how it went. Pansy practically runs in the other direction when I try to speak with her. I do not know what I am going to do Harry. I need my friends. I need to at least know they will be okay when they go home and I am not sure they will be because they supported me."
"It's going to be fine. Let Dud work on Vince and Greg. Do not worry about Pansy. I will speak with her and if she will not listen to me, we will get Hermione, Neville or Blaise to try. As for protecting them, I have plenty of rooms Dray. With Dumbledore off my back, I have access to Crimson Hall. Sirius and Remus say it is huge. They can stay there. Do you know where their mum's stand?"
"Not really. I never heard anything about them being Death Eaters but that doesn't mean they aren't supportive of Tom's ideals."
"Well we will figure it out. We can write to your mum tonight and ask her if she knows anything. She can then discuss things with Remus and Siri and maybe they can come up with a plan. You do not have to do this alone Dray. We have family to watch our backs."
Draco stared at Harry. "I missed you this weekend Harry. You always know just the right thing to say."
"I missed you too Dray. It will be okay. We will get through this together."
They left the Room of Requirement a short time later. Harry caught up with his friends while Draco wrote to his mum and Luna. By the time Draco was done writing, it was time for bed. He would mail their letters in the morning.
The next few weeks went by quickly. Most of the classes were boring seeing as Draco had already taken them once. He and Harry did not even have quidditch to keep them occupied. There were no problems in their flying lessons, as Draco was not an ass. Since he did not steal Neville's rememberall Harry did not make the dive that got him on the team. Draco figured that it was just as well. They didn't need to stand out any more than they did and there was no way Harry would be able to hide just how good he was at quidditch.
Draco spent most of his time with his friends. He and Harry had become quite close with Neville, Blaise, Hermione and the twins. They planned on branching out soon and making friends in the other houses.
On the 19th, Harry and Draco threw a surprise party for Hermione. It turned out quite nicely. From what Draco knew of Hermione's time at Hogwarts last time she did not even have any friends on her birthday. This time in addition to him and Harry she had Blaise, Dudley, Neville, Fred, George, and Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott from Hufflepuff. Nobody got her anything spectacular but the party was more than enough. Draco was just glad to put a smile on his friend's face.
The time that he did not spend with friends was spent either writing to his mum, Remus, Sirius, Luna and his aunt or brewing with Sev. He once again brewed wolfsbane for Remus. Sev helped him this time.
He and Harry had kept referring to Remus, Sirius and James as Moony, Padfoot and Prongs but so far had no luck getting the map from the twins. He knew Harry was itching to get his hands on it.
Draco continued to let Dudley and Harry work on his old friends. Neither of them seemed to be having much luck. He had mentioned this to his mum and Sev but nothing had seemed to come of it yet. He guessed that the adults were trying to come up with a solid plan before saying anything to him.
It was at the end of September that he finally got to speak with Pansy. He was walking to lunch one day when Pansy had pulled him into an unused classroom. Since his friends had gone on without him, he figured they knew about it.
"Can I help you with something Pansy?" Draco asked carefully.
"Oh Draco I've missed you," Pansy exclaimed before throwing herself into Draco.
Draco awkwardly tried to calm her down while she cried. He was not quite sure what was going on. It took a few minutes before she calmed down enough to explain.
"I'm sorry for avoiding you Draco it's just my father was not happy that I stood with you against your father. He told me that if word got back to him that I was seen with you he would remove me from Hogwarts. Greg and Vince got similar letters from their fathers."
"If it is so risky then why are we talking right now?" Draco asked. He was worried for his friend's safety.
"Potter set it up. He told me to be in this classroom today and to grab you as they walked by. None of them are going to lunch either so it won't seem suspicious that you and I aren't there."
Draco had not even known Harry had spoken to Pansy. Anytime he brought it up to Harry had just told Draco he was working on it.
"So why did you stand up with me then Pansy? After your behavior on the train I wasn't sure you'd still want to be my friend."
"At first I couldn't believe you were serious but after seeing you sorted I knew you were. I made up my mind right then and there that if you could escape your father and not follow in his footsteps than I did not have to either. Greg and Vince feel the same way. We all felt that if we were in Slytherin that people would see us as evil. That we were Death Eaters in training and we didn't want that."
Draco was relieved. They were with him. Even if he could not see them or speak with them, they were still his friends.
"I'm glad to hear that Pansy. I would have missed you three but there is no way I could be friends with you if you supported Tom."
"Who is Tom?" Pansy asked sounding confused.
"Tom is Tom Riddle. You would know him as the Dark Lord. Tom is the name he was born with."
"But Tom is dead."
"Lucius certainty didn't feel as if he was dead and neither does Dumbledore."
Pansy seemed to take a moment to digest what Draco had just told her. "Well if he isn't dead then he will not find a supporter in me or Greg or Vince."
"Once again that is good to hear. Now I just need to figure out how to keep you three safe from your idiotic fathers."
"You don't have to worry about that Draco. Potter said that he was working on that. He told me that by Christmas break we would be safe. It was why I spoke with him in the first place."
While Draco was happy to hear that, he knew he needed to have a long conversation with Harry. He did not like the idea that Harry had been keeping things from him.
Draco heard a knock on the door and knew his time was up. "Well I had better get going. I hope to see you soon Pansy."
Draco left without a backward glance. He knew if he looked back, he would not be able to leave.
That night he had a long chat with Harry after everyone else went to bed. He found out that Harry had spoken with Pansy several times and that Dudley too had a good idea what was going on. Harry did not know everything though. It seemed that Sirius and his mum were taking care of things.
He and Harry had also decided that it was time to put some wheels into motion. They decided that tomorrow they would approach some of the upper years from all 4 houses and see if they couldn't get a few of them to agree to oversee a study group for the first years. Draco figured this way they could get to know the people in other houses a little better. In addition, it would help bring his year mates up to speed. If Tom did manage to come back then Draco wanted people as prepared as they could be.
The next day Harry and Draco decided that Harry would take Gryffindor and Hufflepuff and he would take Slytherin and Ravenclaw. Harry ended up having better luck than Draco. Harry had gotten Oliver Wood, Percy Weasley and Cedric Diggory to agree to help.
Draco knew that Harry had personal reasons for approaching these three. He figured Harry asked Oliver because he had leadership skills as quidditch captain, Percy because he was a Weasley and Cedric to help prepare him. He knew that Harry felt guilt to this day over Cedric's death and would do everything he could to make sure that it did not happen again.
Draco had gotten nowhere with the Slytherins. He had not figured he would but tried just in case. He had gotten one Ravenclaw to agree, Penelope Clearwater. When he told Harry that Harry had laughed himself silly. Apparently, Penelope would date Percy next year.
By securing four people to supervise their group, they decided to get permission from Professor McGonagall. They did not want their group shut down. They made their way to her office a short time after dinner.
"Mr. Potter, Mr. Black what can I do for you?"
"Draco and I came up with an idea to form a study group for the first years. We have noticed that some subjects can be hard for some of us first years to grasp."
"For instance Harry and Neville are abysmal at potions," Draco said ignoring the dirty look Harry gave him. "However, Harry is great at defense and Neville has a real knack for Herbology. We figured that there were probably kids in the other houses with the same issues. By starting a study group we can offer a place to work on the subjects we have a hard time with while helping those who are having a hard time with subjects we are not."
"We also figured that it would promote interhouse unity. I for one have noticed how people seem to stick to their housemates. They always give me funny looks when I go to talk to my cousin, Dudley. I got Percy Weasley, Oliver Wood, and Cedric Diggory to agree to oversee our group while Draco got Penelope Clearwater to agree. That way if we needed to see something demonstrated or wanted to practice we would be supervised."
Draco and Harry sat quietly while Professor McGonagall thought about what they had to say.
"That seems like it was well thought through. I am alright with this group as long as you are supervised and Mr. Weasley, Mr. Wood, Mr. Diggory and Ms. Clearwater keep me informed of how things are going."
Draco shot Harry a smile. Harry felt that Professor McGonagall would not go for the idea. That she would be too worried that someone would get hurt. Draco was sure if they presented their case calmly, she would agree.
"Now before you go I would like to talk to you two about something."
Draco and Harry both gave her their attention.
"I have to say I was surprised by how your sorting went Mr. Black. I thought for sure you would be in Slytherin. I have been keeping an eye on you since term started and I was surprised by what I saw."
Draco felt his stomach drop. He did not like the sound of this conversation. He did not want people to keep an eye on him.
"Professor McGonagall," Harry interjected, "Could we please have this conversation elsewhere?"
Upon seeing her confused face, Draco added in a whisper, "The walls have ears."
Her expression immediately cleared. "As you wish. Do you have a spot in mind?"
Harry nodded and led them out of the room. Draco knew they were going to the Room of Requirement. When they went into the room, it was an exact replica of Professor McGonagall's office except there were no portraits.
Draco and Harry went back to the seats they had. Draco wondered if Professor McGonagall had noticed the shift in their personalities. Draco knew he was no longer acting the part of an innocent 11 year old and neither was Harry.
"What do you know about occlumency Professor McGonagall?" Harry asked as soon as she was seated.
"I know that is a mind magic that protects your thoughts. I am rather adept at it. How did you know about it Mr. Potter?"
"Dumbledore told me about it and Severus taught me it," Harry stated.
Draco jumped in before Professor McGonagall could respond, "I'm going to guess that what you noticed while watching me was that I do not always act my age. Am I close?"
"Yes Mr. Black. Neither of you do."
"Yet you said nothing to Dumbledore?" Harry questioned.
"I didn't feel it was a huge issue. I was planning on speaking to him about it after I talked to the two of you."
"Would you mind if we brought in a friend?" Draco asked.
"No go ahead Mr. Black."
Draco figured that she was only going along with this, as she was curious as to what was going on. "Dobby!" Draco called.
With a loud pop came, "Yes Master Draco?"
"Can you bring Sev here without him having to walk here?"
"Yes Master Draco, Dobby will get him right away."
"Who was that Mr. Black?"
"My house elf, Dobby."
Dobby was back less than a minute later but not with Sev.
"Sirius!" Harry exclaimed happily before rushing over to hug his godfather.
While Draco had never met Sirius last time around, he felt like he knew him from listening to Harry's stories. As soon as Harry let go he gave the man a hug too.
"It is good to see you Sirius."
"Nice to see you too, kid." Sirius turned his attention to Professor McGonagall. "Minnie! How nice to see you. Do you have a hug for your favorite former student?"
"Sit down Sirius. How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?"
"So Harry to what do I owe this pleasure?"
"We wanted some help explaining to her some of what is going on. We asked for Severus but…" Harry trailed off.
"Severus was a little busy." Sirius said trying not laugh. "So I came instead."
"Busy doing what?" Draco asked.
At that, Sirius burst out laughing. It took several minutes to calm him down. "Let's just say that I don't expect your mum to be a Black long if Sev has anything to say about it."
Draco was shocked. Sev and his mum? He just could not picture them together.
"That's good to hear. I'm glad Cissy is happy," Harry responded.
"Yes yes we are all happy for my mother but on to more important things. Professor McGonagall has noticed we don't always act our age."
"What kid acts their age all the time?"
"This is serious!" Draco responded.
"No I am Sirius," Sirius said with a smile.
Draco rolled his eyes. "Can you be a grown up for just one minute please?"
"Sure thing. Listen Minnie, it is a very long story and until I know where you stand not one I am sure I want to share with you."
"Where I stand?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"Yes like do you want to see Voldie defeated for good this time?"
"Mr. Potter has already seen to that."
"Now you and I both know that Dumbledore doesn't believe he is truly gone."
"Well should he not be gone then of course I stand against You-Know-Who."
"Please if you can't refer to him by his ridiculous made up name then at least call him by the name he was born with, Tom," Harry interrupted.
"As you wish Mr. Potter. I would never side with Tom."
"If it meant keeping things from Dumbledore could you do it?" Sirius asked seriously.
"Why would I need to keep things from Albus?"
"Because he doesn't always have everyone's best interests at heart," Harry replied calmly.
"If keeping things from Dumbledore could save thousands of lives could you do it?" Sirius asked again.
"Yes." Professor McGonagall responded after a moment.
"Okay then. Saturday I need you to be in Severus' classroom by four at the latest. He will bring you to my house and we will fill you in. Trust me when I say that Draco and Harry pose no threat. You are on the same side."
Professor McGonagall nodded. It seemed she was satisfied for now. After a quick hug from Sirius, he left with Dobby.
Professor McGonagall told them that she would meet with Cedric, Percy, Oliver and Penelope and work out the details of this study group and sent them back to their dorms. Draco was in a good mood as he walked to the Gryffindor common room. They may have just acquired a useful and powerful ally.
The day after Professor McGonagall met with Sirius, Harry and Draco received a letter from him.
Dear Harry and Draco,
I thought you might like to know how my meeting with Minnie went. She went to Sev's room right on time. He brought her to Starlight Den where Remus, your parents' portrait and I were waiting for her. After some time to catch up with your parents, we got down to business. We told her the truth.
Draco exchanged a worried glance with Harry. He was happy to have Professor McGonagall on their side but was not sure if she could be completely trusted.
I know that must sound scary but believe me it went well. As I said, we were completely honest with her. We told her all about how Harry had grown up at the Dursley's. We mentioned the beatings, all the times he went to bed without food, the nights spent alone in the cupboard under the stairs and the lack of love he received in that house.
We also mentioned that you knew everything we did about Voldie and the war. She was not happy that we told you about it. As we explained to her after your childhood we wanted to make sure you understood just why you ended up at the Dursley's and we were not going to sugarcoat it.
As for Draco, we just explained what a bastard Lucius is. She believes that you act older than your years sometimes because of the pressures of having to take care of your mum. Thanks to Cissy, we knew some of the things that had gone on in your house while you were a child.
Just so you know Draco, you are never going back there! That man is a menace. I cannot believe the way he treated you and your mum. However, that is all in the past. You are both safe now.
When Minnie left here, she seemed satisfied with our answers. I do not think she will bother you but should she ask I wanted you to know what was said. We will have to wait and see if any of this makes its way back to Dumbledore. If not then maybe down the line, we can be more open with her.
I do not feel like we should tell too many other people the truth. It is too dangerous. The more people that know the more likely it is to get back to people we do not want to know.
Moving on to a different topic, I thought I would give you an update to what is being done about your friends, Pansy, Greg and Vince. Cissy has been in contact with their mothers. Unfortunately, she has not gotten anywhere with them as of yet. We do not know for sure whether they are not saying anything because they are scared of their husbands or if it is because they really do not want to leave.
I am hoping we can figure out a way to get to the bottom of that. If you have any ideas please let us know. I know how worried you are Draco and trust me when I say that we will figure something out. I have no intention of letting your friends get hurt.
Harry your parents send their love. As does your mum Draco. Be good and stay safe. I will see you at Christmas break.
Sirius
"What do you think Harry?" Draco asked once they were done reading the letter.
"I think that Sirius is trying to take care of us. I do not know how honest he is being. I am sure he was honest about Professor McGonagall. However, I think he only told us part of what he knows about your friends. He is trying to protect us. Knowing how old we are won't change that."
"He still loves us and will do his best to protect us no matter what our ages." Draco sighed.
"Exactly Dray. I am sure it will work out. We didn't come back to fail."
"I know Harry. I just wish there was more I could do for my friends."
"We are doing everything we can."
Draco was not sure if the letter made him feel better or worse. It was nice knowing that Professor McGonagall's curiosity was satiated at least for now. However, knowing that things were not going smoothly with his friends made Draco worried. He had already lost them once. He was not sure he could do it again.
A few days after their letter from Sirius, Dumbledore announced that there would be a study group held for the first years three times a week. He of course mentioned that it was Harry and Draco's idea.
Draco wished he had not. He knew that Greg, Vince and Pansy would not be able to attend now that his name was associated with it. He also knew it might make the Slytherins less likely to attend since it was an idea two Gryffindors came up with.
The first week of the group had not gotten off to the best of starts. None of the Slytherins attended, only Dudley, Susan and Hannah came from Hufflepuff, the only Ravenclaw that came was Padma Patil and Draco was pretty sure she was only there because her sister came. All the Gryffindors had come. Draco figured it was because of Harry but he would take what he could get.
By the end of the first week, Padma, Parvati, Seamus, Dean and Lavender had stopped coming. It was essentially just a group of Draco's friends.
As the weeks wore on, the ones still attending the group did see an improvement. Draco felt that eventually other houses would notice and more people would start coming.
As Halloween approached, Draco was nervous. He wondered if Quirrell would still let the troll in. He figured it did not matter. Sev knew everything they knew about that night and would be very watchful of Quirrell. In addition, he knew that Hermione would be nowhere near the troll as she had friends this time around.
The night of the feast Draco and Harry could barely relax. They could not help but be on edge knowing that a troll would soon be loose in the castle.
Right on time, Quirrell burst through the doors of the Great Hall. Just like last time, there was pandemonium. Once order was slightly restored, they went to their common rooms. Draco did not relax until Professor McGonagall showed up to let them know that the troll had been dealt with and everyone was to go to bed.
Draco and Harry waited until everyone was asleep before going back down to the common room to talk.
"That was nerve racking Harry. I was so worried that something would be different. That maybe Quirrell wouldn't let the troll into the castle."
"I was more worried that someone would get hurt since it was no longer Ron and I taking care of the troll. I am still worried. I will feel better after we see everyone tomorrow."
"Tonight would have been so much easier if we had the map. Then we could have kept an eye on things."
"Well we will just have to try harder Dray. If Fred and George do not give it back soon I am going to mention the map to them. I'll tell them that Padfoot told me all about it and I'll ask them to keep an eye out for it."
"That may work but last time they didn't give it to you until third year."
"And that was only so I could sneak out of Hogwarts to go to Hogsmeade. They should not have given it to me then either. If Siri had been after me, it could have gotten me killed. Not to mention it help Crouch bring back Tom."
"It will be of no use to him this time. We are not going to let it out of our sight. Moreover, we will have taken care of Tom long before Crouch will be able to help him. We have already taken out Wormtail and he was an important part of that plan."
"Right. There is no way that any of that is going to happen this time. We are going to defeat him. My scar has not hurt so it is safe to say I am no longer one. It is going to be alright."
"That's right Harry. We only have three more left. We can't worry about them right now with Tom so close but as soon as he is gone we will take care of them and then we will be free to live our lives."
"I am not sure how to live without the threat of Tom hanging over my head but I sure would like a chance to figure it out. I want to spend time with Sirius and Remus. I want to get to know my parents even if it is only through a portrait of them."
"You will Harry. You will have all that and more. We will get to watch our friends grow up, fall in love, and live. We will graduate Hogwarts and have careers and families. We will spend time with our loved ones. We will not have to watch our loved ones die this time. I promise no losing Sirius and Remus, no wondering what happened to Ron and Neville, no watching George walking around looking lost because Fred is not going to die and no wishing for death."
"I die?" a voice asked from behind them.
Draco and Harry whipped around and saw a very pale looking Fred and George standing there. This was not good. Draco had no idea how long they had been standing there but he could tell by the look on their faces that they had heard too much. More than Draco would ever tell any of his friends. They had never planned to tell any of their friends what happened to them last time. That was a secret they were planning to take to their graves but now Draco did not think that would be possible.
"What do you mean I die?" Fred asked once again.
Draco and Harry just sat there not saying a word. Neither of them was sure what to say. Draco had a feeling it was going to be a long night.
A/N- Just out of curiosity what are your thoughts on pairings?