I Am Draco Malfoy-Potter
Chapter Nine: Follow My Lead
"You can't do this Albus! First the Dark Mark, and now this? You heard him, his scar has hurt, his dreams have been plugged by him. You must be aware of what this means!"
"What do you suggest we do then Minerva?"
"Bring this whole thing to an end. Don't let Potter compete."
"You heard Barty. The rules are clear, Harry is in a binding contract to participate if he is not injured."
"Then let us take out liberties and injure him so he may not compete."
"Severus that is hardly the answer."
"No, remove him from this tournament, nothing good could come of this! The devil with Barty and his rules. We are not here to accommodate them!"
"Minerva, I find it difficult to believe this is mere coincidence. If we put an end to this now we will never truly discover the meaning of these events. Perhaps we should for the time being let them unfold."
"And do nothing Severus! Offer him up as bait? Potter is a boy not a piece of meat!"
"I agree with Severus. Alastor, keep an eye on Harry will you?"
"I can do that."
"Albus, I must ask you to allow me to watch over Potter. It has come to my attention that one of my house has been taken into the Golden Trio's wings. I must request you put him in my care."
"Severus, this is quite unusual for you. I was under the impression that you and Harry were not on even footing."
"He is Lily's son."
"Ah yes. Well you shall watch over him then. Don't let him know though, he must be anxious enough as it is...knowing what lies ahead. Then again, we all are."
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"So it's true you really are from the future?"
Ron's question took the group by surprise. Since Harry was released from the Champion's room, he had taken Draco, Hermione, and Ron to the Room of Requirements, needing to feel like he had a hold on the situation, he had asked Draco to teach him some spells that would be useful for each trial. So far, Draco was coming up empty. Future Harry had won it on skill, hardy using complicated spells.
Draco looked at Ron oddly and nodded. "Yes, I thought we went over this."
Ron blushed. "Well yes, but it's one thing to predict events and another entirely to have pictures that could have been magically altered."
"Ron, the book didn't have a trace of magical presence, I checked for it. If anything, Harry's signature was the only one used to create the book and only one spell of preservation and one of expansion in the case of the addition of more photos." Hermione explained from the seat in the corner.
Draco started. "You examined my album?"
She frowned at him. "My children are in that book too Blondie, I'm going to want to make sure those pictures are real,"
"Don't call me-"
"Draco, can we continue please?" Harry's voice was impatient and annoyed, but Draco knew why. He was nervous. The Slytherin swallowed thickly.
"The first trial is dragons."
Ron bolted up in shocked awe as he did a double take on the blond. "Bloody dragons!"
Harry didn't move, didn't even have emotion in his eyes. Draco sighed.
"You get the worst dragon of the bunch the Hungarian Horntail and your goal is to grab the golden egg that the dragon protects." Draco comes closer to Harry and touches his shoulder. "You will summon your broom and take that dragon to the sky. You are faster in the sky and you will fly towards the castle and get the dragon to run into the Astronomy tower, it will knock the beast out. You will then return to the field and grab the egg before the dragon comes back."
Harry's shoulder seemed to relax under his hand and Draco breathed a little easier.
"After the egg, I'll tell you what to do, what to expect and how to finish it, so don't stress so much."
Harry sighed himself and stepped closer to Draco, wrapping arms around his waist. "Thank you Draco."
The Mercury eyes of the Slytherin turned so soft that Hermione had to gasp. "I'll always be here to protect you." Draco answered.
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"What a charismatic quartet. Hello!"
Draco was right, her voice made you want to chew on aluminum.
"I'm Rita Skeeter, I write for the daily prophet. But of course you know that don't you. It's you we don't know, you're the news. What quirks lurk beneath those rosy cheeks?" She went to Cedric and brushed a hand over his cheek, the boy blushed. "What mysteries do the muscles mask?" She went to Viktor and ran her hand down his arm, the Seeker didn't move. "Does courage lie beneath those curls?" She brushed Harry's hair back to look at his scar and he wanted to scowl.
She smiled and continued. "In short, what makes a champion tick. Me, myself and I want to know. Not to mention my rabid readers. So, who's feeling up to sharing? Mmm? Shall we start with the youngest. Lovely."
She reached for Harry's hand but he saw it coming evading her hold.
"I'd rather do this here." He said smiling thinly. "A few question and I could go, that's what you said, so ask your questions here and let me leave."
Rita faltered and frowned deeply. Draco told Harry if she got him alone she would write anything she wanted and if he denied there would be no evidence that he hadn't said the words she wrote. So talk to her only in public.
"Well Harry, it would really be more comfortable in-"
"The broom cupboard?" he asked dully. She seemed to disinflation and sat back down on the chair behind her.
"Very well." She breathed knowing the young boy was onto her.
"You are a young boy of twel-"
"I'm fourteen." Already Harry was two steps ahead of her and she was being knocked off her rocker. He thanked Draco under his breath before becoming serious. "I would also appreciate it if you wouldn't mention my parents or my past. I did not enter this contest out of my own free will, I would also like you to specify that particular part as it is important."
Her face was almost murderous. He had said all this in front of the other champions and their supervises, there was no way she would get anything good out of him.
"You may go now Mr Potter."
Harry smiled as he left. I love you, Draco he thought to himself.
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The letter from Sirius got Harry into a better mood, but the conversation had not gone too well. From the tournament to Harry's dream, to information Harry hadn't heard before and then to the ones he had.
Before the end of it, he knew that Igor was a Death Eater, Barty Crouch had a Death Eater son and Sirius got an invitation from Narcissa Malfoy to join them at the Manor for the summer to spend time with his godson. He hadn't actually believed that Narcissa would invite Sirius, but he was glad he was wrong. It showed that Draco's family actually did want him, and Harry wondered if part of that was because of their future kids.
Even the fact that Hagrid had taken his time to warn Harry about the first trial being Dragons, had gotten Harry in a better mood, despite him already knowing, at least Hagrid cared.
The one thing that made him want to chew on his own tongue, were the badges. The Hogwarts students had taken to waring badges that stated "Potter Stinks" On them and parading around like a band of idiots, yelling out insults anytime they saw him.
Draco was livid with the amount of people who'd taken to doing this, but the first time he'd tried to curse a kid that passed by Harry had scolded him harshly. Draco didn't even try anymore but he glared as if it would kill each and every one of them.
He had also warned Cedric about the first trial, making sure that it got passed on to Viktor and Fleur too. Harry didn't want anyone dying.
The same day he'd told Cedric about the dragon though, he got a visit from someone he wasn't expecting.
"Potter may I have a word?"
Snape stood behind Draco looking at Harry with a blank face. Draco spoke up when Harry refused to more.
"I'll be there too. Snape just wants to ask you something."
When Harry finally nodded and moved to follow the two Slytherins, they ended up in Snape's private chambers. Sitting on a plush green couch in front of a blazing fire with pumpkin juice. Harry was more than a little confused, but he waited patiently for Snape to begin whatever conversation he had wanted to have with Harry.
"Do you know what you are going to do about your dragon Potter?"
That surprised Harry into swallowing his juice wrong. He was left coughing violently as Draco rubbed his back. Snape seemed to be waiting for him to calm down. "Well Potter?"
Harry shrugged his shoulders. He knew what Draco had told him to do. Broom, he was to summon his broom and out fly the dragon. He wasn't sure if he trusted Snape with that information though. So he looked to Draco. The blond was Snape's godson, he knew the greasy haired man much better than Harry ever could, and he knew he could trust anything Draco said.
When Draco nodded, Harry gave his answer.
"Fly. I plan to out fly it."
"But you are not allowed a broom." Snape frowned. Harry shook his head.
"No I am not. But I am allowed a wand."
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The day of the first challenge had come quickly for everyone, but not as much as it had the Champions who wait anxiously for the choosing of the dragons.
"Harry.." The whispered call of his name makes the brunet look up sharply to see Draco's head poking in from the tent's opening, beside him was Hermione and behind her was Ron.
"We wanted to wish you good luck. If you need us to stop the match, just say so, I'll find a way to stop it. Also, don't be afraid of the horntail. You can win this and if you can't I'm right up in the stands."
Harry barely heard what Draco had to say as he rushed to the blond and hugged him.
"I know I defeated this thing once and I can do it again, but I'm still nervous." He whispered back. Draco smiled.
"You will be up against a dragon, it would be weird if you weren't nervous." Harry shook his hand and then went to hug Hermione and earned a pat on the back from Ron.
"We'll all be there mate, we got your back if you really need it...just don't need it please. Dragons scare me as much as spiders."
Hermione stepped on Ron's foot and was satisfied when he yelled out an angry "Bloody hell"
"He didn't mean that. Call anytime you feel overwhelmed. We'll be there." She smiled at him and touching his cheek. "You'll be fine."
"Thank you guys." Harry breathed, calming down a little. But just a little.
When Dumbledore stepped in followed by Barty the group of three left with a last hug and Harry went back to stand with the champions.
"Barty. The bag." Dumbledore asked as the man pulled out a velvet bag and held it up.
"Champions, in a circle around me." He waited till the four champions followed direction before continuing, holding up the back to Fleur. She reached inside and was startled by the snorts of fire. She pulled out a little green dragon. "The welsh green" Barty named.
"Mr Krum?" he went on, holding out the bag as Viktor reached in. Another dragon comes out. "The chinese fireball, very good. Mr Diggory?" It was Cedrics turn and as he takes out one of the last two Harry realizes which dragon is his. Draco wasn't wrong. "And the swedish short-snout. Which leaves-"
"The horntail." Harry sighed and Barty looked at him.
"What's that boy?" Barty asked sceptically. Harry shakes his head.
"Nothing."
As he goes into the bag to pull out the last dragon, it's spitting cold fire at him and swishing it's powerful deadly tail. It fit in the palm of Harry's hand and for a moment the dragon even looked cute. For a very brief moment though.
"The hungarian horntail. These represent very real dragons, each of which have been given a golden egg to-" And Harry toned him out.
Cedric went first, followed by Viktor, and then Fleur, leaving poor fidgeting Harry last.
He sat there hearing all of the gasps and roars that the other champions were able to produce from both the crowd and the dragon but he could not hear anything from the champions themselves, so he still didn't know how the three of them fared. He knew he'd win though, in less than ten minutes. He had to otherwise the dragon would get him.
Dumbledore voice suddenly boomed from the field, making nervous Harry jump. "Three of our champions have now faced their dragons and so each one of them will proceed to the nest task. And now our fourth and final contestant."
Harry walked into the field surprised at the amount of people who were there to watch. When he looked around the rocky field though, he saw an egg sitting by itself not very far from him, but he knew better. He may not see the dragon but it was there. The first thing Harry remembered was his wand as it weighed heavy in his hand. His broom, he had to get a broom.
As he summoned it, the dragon showed itself, coming out of a cave Harry hadn't seen. It strolled it's way over to the egg, standing between Harry and his prize. It wasn't attacking yet, that was good.
Cautiously he walked closer, keeping his arms down and his head held. Behind Hermione's back Draco had given Harry books on Horntails and how to approach them. Keeping your head held high shows honor and your arms low shows acceptance, a lack of hostility. It seemed to be working as Harry got closer and closer to the dragon. If the beast allowed him to touch it, he would have gained the beast's acceptance too.
The crowd had been silent for the first few minutes, witnessing with amazement as Harry approached the dragon almost fearlessly. Turns out it wasn't what the audience wanted to see.
"Tare that little cheater apart! You stupid dragon!"
The second a student had screamed that in the piercing silence, the dragon's eyes turned fire red and it roared, Harry was too close to scramble away.
"Harry!" He heard Hermione, Ron, and Draco's voices yell his name but he paid no attention as he duck and rolled out of the way of the dragon's wing. The dragon had turned to the crowd and was roaring at the direction where the shout had come from. Everyone was screaming now so it didn't much matter who made the comment, but Harry knew he couldn't let the dragon hurt anyone.
Just as he was desperately searching for a way to get the dragon's attention, his broom came whizing towards him. With one hand he grabbed it and mounted it while he ran towards the angry beast.
"Over here! Don't pay attention to them I'm the one in front of you!" He was yelling out franticly to get the big head to turn in his direction but it was no use, the dragon was furious.
There was only one way to get his attention and Harry didn't really want to do it but-
He put his fingers in his mouth right under his tongue and whistled low and high. The tone made even the audience wince, but the dragon shrieked it's pain and turned burning eyes on Harry.
"Oh shit." Harry breathed as he flew higher. The dragon took off after him, not even being slowed by the chain around his neck.
He took off into the air flying as fast as he could, it was fast enough to keep the dragon behind him as he made it towards Hogwarts. The dragon makes it's own burst of speed and gets in front of Harry, cutting him off. It takes a swing at his with its wings and manages contact, sending Harry flying off his broom and onto the Hogwarts roof. He slides down quickly until going over the edge grabbing onto a ledge before he falls to his death.
The broom as stuck on a statue at his side, and before Harry went for it, he took a look at where the dragon was. It had landed on Hogwarts, ruining tiles as it made it's way towards him. He shakes the broom like a mad man trying to get it loose, and he get it out just as the dragon's tail crash into the spot he had been in.
Mounting the broom as he falls, he makes quick work of getting away, but the beast follows almost faithfully.
Harry sees the bridge leading to Hogwarts and his mind races. This wasn't what Draco had told him would happen, but this was the best chance he had.
As fast as his seeker speed would take him, he made his way to the bridge and slips through a small gap. The dragon wasn't quite as lucky, he ran straight in into the bridge and collapsed into the water, the parts of the bridge that it'd shaken loose falling on it as the bridge also went down.
Harry could breath again when the dragon stopped move, but something in his stomach rolled. The dragon would have let him touch him had that stupid kid not riled it up with noise. He could have won this without sacrificing the dragon.
The crowd was silent, Harry could hear it, but as he got closer and people began to spot him, cheers ran through the arena so fast he was sure he went deaf for a few seconds.
He didn't even bother to land as he went for the golden egg. Lifting it into the air when he was safely on the ground.
He looked for Draco in the crowd but he couldn't see him. Soon he was escorted off the field and met with the grinning faces of the twins as the picked him up and rose him high on their sholder!
"Harry! We knew you wouldn't die!" George yelled in excitement.
"Lose a leg." Fred joined in.
"Or an arm." George.
"Pack it in altogether." Fred
"NEVER!" They screamed together.
Seamus who was close by yelled out his own congratulations before asking what everyone was wondering. "Go on Harry, what's the clue?"
"Yeah open the egg!" Everyone was screaming at him to do it but he suddenly remembered Draco's words. "Don't open the egg in open air when you get it. Trust me, you'll lose your hearing for a few weeks." The crowds cheering was getting to his head though, so he let it slide a bit.
"Who wants me to open it?" Harry yelled with a wide smile. The cheering was louder and Harry couldn't stop grinning, feeling so proud of himself.
As the twisted the top of the egg open a horrifying screech erupted from it and Harry scrambled to close it back up.
"You should have listened to me Harry." Draco's voice yelled from the side lines.
Harry froze as he figured Draco was mad a him, but when he turned to the blond, he was smirking.
The twins let him down and he ran over to Draco, feeling more relaxed as he ended up in his Slytherin's arms. "Thank you." He whispered into the blond's ear.
Draco laughed as he tightened his hold. It was a fake laugh, but at least it was filled with relief. He had been so scared as he watched Harry out there in the arena and he was just sitting as a spectator unable to help if his love was in danger. Just like when he'd watched Harry die the first time. He had frozen in place and almost stopped breathing with the Griffindor had flown off with the dragon on his heels. Hugging Harry like this, it felt so good after such a heavy scare.
"You're welcome love." He whispered back.
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"I found it!"
Scorpius looked up at his younger sister as she came barging into the library holding a book in the air like a trophy. "I found it!"
Jamie followed timidly behind her and Scorp gave him a smile. He loved Jamie a lot, they shared the same affinity for potions that their Daddy had, while Leonis was a master of Transfiguration and Lilian took after Papa's DADA skills. They were all geniuses when it came to Charms though.
"Found what Lily." Leonis asked from Scorpius' side. They had been working on the perfect potion to make their bodies strong enough to survive parallel travel. They were almost through with the theory, but brewing their potion would take more than the six months it had taken their Dad.
"Found a way to locate Daddy!" She cheered. "Actually Jamie found it, but at least we have a way!"
"And would would that be?" Scorpius asked curiously, pausing on his work with Leonis to go over and hug his younger siblings.
"The albums!" Lilian grinned look proud. "Uncle Sev game Daddy one of the four albums Papa made for us. Using it as a focal point we can land wherever that album exists, and while the albums were created in the same parallel world, they will attract each other on their own and we'll be dragged to their parallel world."
Scorpius thought about it and the theory made more than enough sense. He smiled at his siblings and looked back at Leonis. "They have a good idea. We have to finish the potion and go over the spell dad used to leave. Changing a few properties should be enough."
"That's it then." Leonis smirked. "By the beginning of the summer, we should be ready to leave."
Scorpius mirrored the smirk. "And Daddy thought he could get rid of us." He said in a sing song voice.
"Not on his life!" Lilian joined in.
"Family sticks together." Jamie's small voice followed and all three siblings looked at him in surprise. Jamie's face twisted into a pained smile. "We're Malfoy-Potters."
The other three smiled at Jamie's efforts to open up a bit more. He's always been shy, but he hardly talked after Papa's death. At least he was a little more cheerful now.
"You bet we are Jamie." Scorpius put a hand on the now 10 year old boy's head. Jamie stood up to Scorpius' shoulder and his mismatched eyes were so breathtaking that Scorpius sometimes gets jealous. Jamie carried multiple traits of bother their Papa and their Dad. While he only carried one trait of Papa's. "No one's going to stop us."
Severus's worn eyes watched the children from the door. He'd been watching for months now as they worked one a way to follow their Daddy to their Papa's side. He knew he wouldn't be able to stop them if they tried, but maybe it was for the best that they were leaving.
Severus was reaching the end of his usefulness to Voldemort, and once he did, he knew the man wouldn't hesitate to kill him. Granger-Weasley had already offered to take the kids with her into hiding if he needed it, but neither Harry nor Draco had wanted their kids living underground because of a mad-man striving to destroy everything. Even if it was under the man's nose, they were going to raise their child as normally as possible. Now that idea was a long shot.
The children seemed to huddle together in a comforting hug, and something inside him wished that these kids had grown up with more normalcy. They didn't deserve this, to have their Papa die and to lose their Dad to the depression of the loss.
He was somewhat glad that they were trying so hard to get back to their family, because he wasn't going to be around to protect them for long.
With a deep and shaky sigh, he left them a clue to the potion they wanted at the door. They would find it when they got back to work.
A/N: Hello all my readers! I want to give a heads up, this story is gonna take a M Rated turn next chapter! Harry and Draco in a bathroom! Enough said! So if you're looking forward to it, comment and I'll put it up sooner! :) Since it's already written out. But if you want this story it stay Rated T, let me know and I'll try to write something else for Chapter 10!
Anything you do! Remember to Review! I love Reviews and they make me write better!
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