Chapter 6: Dogs, Dragon, Danger

Draco opened his eyes and sat up. He rubbed his head thoughtfully looking around. The room was dreary and dull. It didn't look like anything he'd seen before in the quaint house. But it did look oddly familiar. Dark artifact lay across the walls, heads of house elves of the past- now wrinkled and plastic looking. The hallway was narrow and dusty and Draco dodged the cobweb that hung in front of him. This house, this hallway, looked like nearly every ancient purebloods house he'd been in. Draco wasn't sure if this was a consistent scenario for all pure blood houses, or a reflection on the fact that he had grown up with dark pure blood families. Either way, as he passed a dusty plague, some sort of light from outside a high window fell across it. It read " THE HOUSE OF BLACK."

Why was he in the Black Family's house? He had never been here before. Not when Regulus and Mrs. Black were dead and Bellatrix locked away. Draco stopped, raising his hand to dust off the plague, but paused again- hand in mid air. He could hear an eery voice singing- the voice drifting down the hall. He turned to see that far away there was a door, slightly cracked open with light dancing from its cracks. Draco could see shadows momentarily pass, leaving light once again.

Well, this was a quandary. Draco's Slytherin side could not think of what to do- stand here like a Hufflepuff but be insured life, or use his ambitions to ignorantly go into the unknown as a Gryffindor would. The singing voice drifted to his ear once again and Draco took a deep breath, moving down the hall towards the voice. As he reached the door, there was a pause in the note. Draco threw himself against the wall, hoping no one inside the room had heard or seen any sign of him. There was a pause and then an odd song began in the same haunting female voice.

"I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream.
I know you, the gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam.
Yet I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem.
But if I know you, I know what you do
You love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream"

Draco bit his lip deciding. Then carefully he leaned forward and peered through the cracked door. There were two figures in dress robes. Dancing in the familiar way they had all been taught to do during the Yuletide Ball. Draco could not help but smirk at the missed step the man made. However, the smirk faded as the pair spun once more, briefly throwing a shadow across the light that escaped the under door. Draco leaned back as the voice sang out,

"But if I know you, I know what you do
You love me at once" and then was interrupted by an equally as eerie male's voice who sang, "The way you did once upon a dream."

Draco had seen the faces as they spun, but realizing their identities, he felt sure he had been mistaken. After all, why would Potter and Ginny be dancing together in the house of the Black Family? Draco took another deep breathe and peered through the crack again as the eerie male voice continued,
"I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream
I know you, the gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam
And I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem
But if I know you, I know what you do
You love me-"

Draco leaned back again. He hadn't been mistaken. As the record began to skip, saying over and over "You love me-You love me-You love me-You love me-" he could hear the familiar tones of Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter from within.

"Harry dear it seems to have skipped. Is it scratched," Ginny's voice asked.

"I'll check, love," Potter responded. The song stopped completely. "there it is, a scratch right across the record. What a terrible muggle device. Leave it to Sirius to keep one though."

"It was a lovely dance anyway," Ginny cooed.

Against the wall Draco could take no more. It had never consciously occurred to him that Potter was actual competition. Now that he could hear the two talking though, it seemed silly not to have considered this from the very start. After all, he had saved her from the Chamber, they'd known each other for ages and ages. Hadn't Potter asked Ginny to the Yule ball? Draco wished he could hit his head against the wall without drawing attention to himself. Then there was the fact that he, Draco, had been "dead" for ages now and Potter? Well Potter was definitely still kicking- obviously. Draco felt a strange pain in his chest that he'd never felt before. It seemed to be just over his heart. He made a face at the cliché of this being heartbreak. Well, he was a Malfoy and if the two Gryffindorks wanted to play it that way then he would play it like a Slytherin. Like his old Malfoy self would.

Draco composed himself, readying a scathing remark full of verbal acid on the tip of his tongue. Then, he pushed open the door. However, the scene had changed and now the red haired girl lay far away from the raven haired boy. Both lay at different sides of the room, their bodies motionless and Draco could not help but think that they were dead. As if on que, the Dark Lord's laugh began to fill the room and Draco turned to see a giant snake before it felt as if thousands of knives were piercing his body and he fell into darkness.

The next thing Draco knew, he was being shaken awake. Draco sat up and nearly bumped his head with the figure above him. Feeling his forehead, he found it was wet with perspiration. The light on his bedside table was still on and looking around, he saw the same familiar room and out the window- the same familiar pasture. Except, Draco pressed his face against the window with so force that his head made a thunk sound against it.

"Draco, what is the matter with you?"

Draco turned to Charlie Weasley who stood with is arms still up as they had been to wake Draco. Behind him stood Lela, face white and eyes not looking at Draco.

"The grass- look at the grass," Draco snapped. Charlie Weasley moved forward.

"That's odd," he began, narrowing his eyes to get a better focus on the moving grass. "It's almost as if something is in the grass. Must be massive and it's moving like a snake would." Charlie's eyes widened as he threw open the window and sent three or four hexes at the grass. They all missed as the unseen snake moved out of range. Charlie cursed and shot something into the sky before throwing down the window and rushing from the room, only calling back to Draco "Do not leave this house!"

"It was Nagini wasn't it?" Draco asked outloud. "I had a dream about a snake and then Nagini is here. Going away from the house. This is bad, bad, bad."

When Lela made no answer, he turned to see she was still looking downward. Draco frowned and took a step forward saying, "Lela, are you listening? This is-" He trailed off as he caught sight of what Lela was looking at.

Yesterday, Sirius Black had revealed himself to Draco Malfoy in the secret room Draco had been attempting to unlock for more than a month. There they had talked and rummaged through boxes- long in need of dusting. Draco had found a number of photo albums. He had always enjoyed looking at pictures and so had brought four or five up to his room. After carefully locking the door behind him, Draco began looking at them. He must have fallen asleep while looking at the moving pictures and now Lela stared at the page Draco had opened.

This specific page was from when Sirius had been sixteen. A giant picture took up the whole left page. It was of the main hallway of the Black manor- the same hallway Draco had been walking in his dream. Draco recalled now that he had opened to the page and found a picture out of place. While all the other pictures had been neatly framed and kept in place, this picture was loose, as if thrown into the album in a rush. It was also far more recent. A picture showing a fourteen-year-old Potter, Weasely Senior, Granger, and a thirteen-year-old Ginny all smiling and laughing. Behind them- flicking in and out of frame- were two red heads on broom sticks that Draco assumed where those twin Weasleys.

"Well, this seems to explain my dream nicely," Draco thought as he watched the picture Ginny smile warmly at the picture Harry, who smiled back, his eyes dancing with delight. Draco paused. In his analysis of the loose picture he had not noticed the pictures behind it, framed purposefully in the right hand page. Now he focused in to see what Lela was starring at. In the picture, Lela sat on a cabinet that was floating up and down, conjured to do so by the beaming face of the sixteen-year-old Sirius Black. In the picture, Lela would jump down, punch Sirius lightly on the arm before Sirius kissed her, dipping her below the frame. Then the picture would replay all over again. Draco looked at Lela again.

"Where did you get this," she asked slowly.

"Well, from the locked room," Draco explained confused.

Lela gulped and seemed to mentally shake herself before she continued, "Well, it was his house. It makes sense why this would be down there."

Draco tried to smile good humoredly. "Exactly. To be honest I thought that since you knew this is his house that you were leading me to all the stuff in the secret room. You were encouraging it a bit," Draco said.

Lela looked at him strangely. "I knew it was his house and his wand that we found," Lela spoke slowly, "but I didn't know what was in the room."

"Well, not surprisingly, in the house that belongs to Sirius, there are things that also belong to Sirius," Draco said with a shrug, reaching for the album. Lela stopped Draco's hand, still giving him the odd look.

"Draco," Lela began delicately, "why do you keep talking about him in a present tense?"

Draco paused, eyes widening. Still groggy from his slumber, it hadn't occurred to him that Lela would have no idea of Sirius' being alive. Worse still it occurred to Draco that perhaps Sirius did not want Lela to know yet. But his silence had lasted too long and Lela rushed away from him just as he called "Lela!" She headed right to the basement door. Reaching out she viciously tried to turn the knob. Draco gave a sigh of relief. At least he had remembered to lock it after him. Lela stormed back to the room, fire flashing behind her eyes.

"Give me the wand Draco," she hissed. Suddenly her familial resemblance to Professor Snape was very vey strong. Draco took a step back, almost frightened by the furious tone.

"I don't have it," he lied. Lela's eyes narrowed as she raised her own wand and hissed, "Accio Sirius' wand." The drawer on the nearby night stand flew open and the scratched up old wand flew from it right into Lela's hands. She gave Draco a momentarily smug look before turning and rushing back down the hall, Draco close behind.

"Lela, I think you're over thinking this," Draco drawled hurriedly. "Don't we have bigger things to worry about? Like Nagini knowing I'm alive and where I'm hiding?"

"Don't you get it, Draco," Lela snapped as she reached the door. "If Sirius Black is alive and in this house, he may have opened up the way for Nagini and any number of dangers to enter into the protected areas. He can be tracked."

Draco fell into silence as Lela inserted the wand effortlessly and turned it. Draco followed her down the steps to find Sirius, sitting on his butt cross-legged in front of a box. In his hand was a small mirror. "Hello? Harry? Come in Harry," Sirius said. When there was no reply, Sirius shook the mirror and tried again. "Hello? Harry? Come in Harry."

As if sensing their presence, Sirius turned. He had a smile on his face but it quickly disappeared at the look of pure anger on Lela's.

"You're an idiot," Lela hissed, shaking with fury.

"Lela," Sirius said carefully, scrambling to his feet as he spoke- placing the mirror delicately on the ground. "I know you're probably very confused and angry at me for not telling you I was alive for so long but I swear I have an explanation, but let's just be happy for a moment that we can be together again and-" Sirius was cut off as Lela's hand made contact with his cheek.

Above them, Draco could hear the door opening and the voices of numerous people, all Order members, coming inside. The drawl of Professor Snape was especially evident as it hissed, "Where are they?"

Draco turned to look up the stairs calling, "We're down here!"

The sound of numerous feet crashing down the stairs was heard and suddenly the small room was full of about twenty people, only half of who Draco recognized, all pointing their wands at Sirius Black. There was a long silence.

"Who is this imposter," came the voice of Arthus Weasley from the crowd.

"It's not an imposter," Lela snarled. "It's really Sirius."

"Impossible," Called out a deep booming voice Draco did not know. "He fell behind the veil."

"I say we figure this out the old fashion way," Professor Snape's voice drawled. As if in agreement, someone cracked their knuckles.

The room filled with a buzz of suggestions as Sirius stood, staring concerned and unsure looking at Lela. Their eyes had not broken contact as if they were having a private conversation of their own. Draco was the only one in the room to look down at the mirror Sirius had left on the floor and see a flash of a sneering face- covered in sinister shadows except for yellow eyes and yellow-white teeth. Just as Draco opened his mouth to warn the rest, the mirror burst into flames and the room fell silent.

From out of the crowd stepped Professor Dumbledore, wand still pointed at the now incinerated mirror. "Sirius," Dumbledore nodded. Sirius tore his eyes from Lela's long enough to nod in recognition. Dumbeldore turned to the rest of the group, "We have bigger issues to worry about. Such as the discovery of Draco's where abouts by Nagini and" Dumbledore paused as if to make sure everyone was listening. Then he continued, "And the help Nagendra seems to have enlisted from Toffana and her siblings."

The room filled with buzzes of whisper again as Dumbledore motioned for everyone to follow him.

"Join us now and fight later, time is not what it used to be," Dumbledore said softly to Lela, lightly tugging her arm to follow. Lela gave Draco and Sirius a look before following. When she reached the bottom of the staircase she turned to them again. "Are you coming," she snapped. As if she had snapped a whip, the two men rushed up the stairs to join the group.

Draco had never thought he would see what he was seeing now- the "good" side caught in complete chaos. People were standing and pouting, yelling and talking over each other, at one point Lela threatened Sirius with a frying pan and that was nothing compared to the snippets of sharp words Draco heard Professor Snape whispering under his breathe. Dumbledore sat silently at the head of the table- now magiced to fit all of the people in the house. Even though many had left, that still meant the table stretched to fit ten people. Draco grew bored with the fighting and opened one of the photo albums he had been looking at the night before and had left on the kitchen table. He paused in flipping in the table as Dumbledore raised his hand and the room fell quiet.

"Now that we have gotten some of that tension out, lets take a seat. We have much to discuss," Dumbledore said seriously, looking at everyone over the rims of his glasses. His eyes seemed to pause for a longer time on Lela and Sirius, who sat down with a huff. Or, Lela sat down with a huff, Sirius still seemed confused.

"Now, the first thing is first," Dumbledore began, turning to Sirius. "How is it, Sirius that you have made it outside the veil?" All heads at the table snapped to look at Sirius.

"Well," Sirius said thoughtfully, "I can't say exactly. I just remember that I fell through the veil onto a rock, just floating in midair. And all around there were people walking and thestrals. I heard a lot of voices I couldn't see. I thought I was going mad." Sirius paused as the group hung on his every word, or almost the whole group. Lela looked purposefully disinterested. Sirius frowned and continued, not taking his eyes off Lela.

"Then I started hearing specific voices, like Lily and," Sirius voice broke for a second as Lela's head whipped around to face him, all indignant rage gone, "and James."

There was a pause as Tonks squeezed Remus Lupin's hand. "I felt like I was dying. It was like being in Askaban all over again but this was different. It wasn't a slow painful and frightening death, it felt like sand running through my hand," Sirius continued.

"Very poetic," smirked Remus, but he was hushed by Lela's glare.

"Next thing I knew," Sirius continued, clearly fighting a smile at Lela's reaction, "I was on a thestral and then I was on the floor of the ministry again. I hadn't realized how long I had been gone until I made it out and saw the date. Months! I thought everyone would be happy to see me alive." Sirius gave Lela a look and her frown deepened.

"Fascinating," Dumbledore said clapping his hands. "Very fascinating indeed. And we are quite glad you are alive and safe, however, you must understand our alarm at your presence after I myself put up protection around this location."

"Yes," Sirius said thoughtfully. "That confused me for a bit. I couldn't find the house for ages, I would come out into this field and sit and try to remember where it had been but it was like it had disappeared."

Draco looked at Sirius, feeling smug as he remembered the night he had sworn he could see a large black dog. Draco hadn't been insane, Sirius had just been an idiot sitting in a field staring at nothing.

"But, I found it," Sirius said slowly, looking at Dumbledore. Dumbledore nodded.

"Yes, and so did Nagini. And you only a day or so before her," Dumbledore said thoughtfully. Professor Snape whipped out his wand and pointed it at Sirius.

"Albus, it is clearly a trick, this is clearly one of the Dark Lords deatheaters," Professor Snape hissed excitedly.

"Severus, sit down," snapped Lela, snatching the wand from his hand as if she were a mother tired of telling her child they could not have any candy. "If he were a death eater you wouldn't want to hex him and we all know it."

Professor Snape sat down and gave his sister a dark look, which she ignored. She also ignored Sirius' look of gratitude.

"It doesn't mean I think you're right," she snapped to Sirius, whose smile faltered. "You practically invited the deatheaters to come."

Sirius looked as if he were about to protest but Dumbledore cut him off. "It would seem that the very fact that Sirius was able to find the house means our worst fears are nearly confirmed. Inevitably, Voldemort will know of Draco's hiding spot. There is also someone powerful enough to break through my protective charms and they have been called to Voldemort's side," Dumbledore said. The table was thrown into another minute of chaotic arguing and threats.

Draco took this time to turn the page of the photo album. He stopped dead. This page had a newspaper clipping from when Sirius was seventeen. The article read "The Threatening Three Disappear." Reading onward, Draco could see the worn out print read, "Toffana, Murphy, and their sibling Shadow have disappeared, leaving behind an avalanche of rumors as to the reason for their departure. Faithful followers of He Who Shall Not Be Named…"

Draco again looked at the picture above the print, showing a woman in the center with long hair and pasty skin, a look of smug entitlement on her face and lips as red as blood. Her arms were crossed and on her ring finger was a giant ring with a skull and bone. To her right, a man with oversized glasses smirked looking at the camera, twirling his wand. Draco supposed this is what the "mad scientists" of the muggle world looked like. However, the figure that caught his attention was the one on the other side of Toffana. It was covered nearly completely in shadow- the only thing that showed was the sneer of yellow-white teeth and yellow eyes. That was the face he had seen in the mirror before I had burst into flames!

Draco looked up as the room fell silent once again, this time all-looking at Draco, expectantly. Dumbledore nodded as if encouraging him to speak. Draco cleared his throat and said, "as we left the room, a face appeared on the mirror Sirius had been using. This face. I-" He paused, stopping himself from stuttering.

"I think Toffana, Shadow, and Murphy have all returned," Draco finished. No one moved, but a few expressions at the table paled. Sirius was nearly as white as paper. Lela stood, steam nearly escaping her ears with anger but just as she opened her mouth to yell there was the sound of a crack, as if someone were apparating onto the premises. Dumbledore waved his wand, securing the door as they all huddled in.

"This is not time for what is already done. It is time for what we will have to do. Draco has been discovered and, if I am not mistaken, deatheaters are approaching the house as we speak. Likely not the Threatening Three as the news likes to call them. However, this is not a time for arguing. Severus," Dumbledore turned to Snape who had grasped his left arm, making a face. "You will apparate away from here now into the field as you are being called to do."

Professor Snape nodded and apparated away. Dumbledore turned to Lela. "Lela, you will take Draco and Sirius to Hogwarts. It is the safest place. Sirius will stay with Hagrid- out of sight," Dumbledore added, looking at Sirius with steel blue eyes. Sirius closed his mouth, stopping his protest in his throat.

"But Albus," Arthur began thoughtfully. "Why take Draco out of hiding?"

"Hiding seems rather pointless if the other side knows he is alive, does it not," smiled Dumbledore good-naturedly. There was the sound at the door and a voice- a familiar voice- hissing, "it's locked."

Draco stood looking at the table. "It's Nagendra," he drawled. Dumbeldore looked at Lela, who glared back. Draco couldn't help but roll his eyes at how indignant Gryffindors became when not allowed to fight.

"Go," Remus commanded as the rest of the table pulled out their wands. "We'll hold them off until you've apparated as close to Hogwarts as you can."

Dumbledore grabbed Lela's arm hurriedly. "Remember the shortest border to Hogwarts is not by the train. It is in the woods."

Lela nodded as she grabbed Draco by the collar, pulling him through the house to her own room. She kicked the door open and locked it magically behind her. Sirius looked around.

"Your quilt is still here," he pointed out in forced cheer, pointing to the quilt on the foot of the bed. Lela narrowed her eyes as they all heard the front door bang open and shouts of spells being exchanged. Grabbing a hold of their hands, Lela looked very seriously at them both.

"When Dumbledore talks in direct sentences, there is no time for trying to win forgiveness," she said. With that, Draco felt the pull from behind his navel and the bedroom shrunk away just as the first sounds came at the door.