Year 1 – The Philosopher's Stone
Chapter 5 – A Wizarding Christmas
Chapter Summary: Christmas is fast approaching, and Harry has some definite surprises and new mysteries in store.
Author: Khodexus
Rated T: For occasional graphic concepts and atmosphere and mild violence. No cussing, no adult situations.
Disclaimer: I do not own any rights for the worlds or characters in Harry Potter. Those rights are owned by Scholastic Publishing Inc and J.K. Rowling. I do own the rights to my original characters depicted here, in as far as they differ from the worlds created by J.K. Rowling.
By the next day Harry and Draco had discussed what Harry had learned regarding the three headed beast. They spent part of the morning going over their homework, to make sure they hadn't made any mistakes or fallen behind during the hectic week leading up to the previous day's quidditch game.
At breakfast, Harry had a bit of a surprise, when three of the girls from the Gryffindor quidditch team approached the Slytherin table where he sat with Draco.
"What do you want?" Draco asked accusingly, earning hard looks from two of the girls.
Katie Bell, however, ignored Draco, and was focused on Harry, but before she could say whatever she'd come to say, Harry blurted, "I'm sorry for almost hitting you." Harry winced; That was lame, he thought the moment he said it.
"Oh no." She colored a pretty shade of rose, "I came here to thank you. You didn't have to catch me, you could easily have fallen too just trying. I'm afraid I'm not a very good seeker."
"I thought you did fine." Harry replied. "You almost caught the snitch; my broom was just a little faster that's all."
"I was supposed to be a chaser." She muttered, still blushing as she started to babble. "But no one else in Gryffindor was up to playing seeker, so they switched me, and let Emily Taylor on the team as a chaser, and she didn't do much during the game…"
"I'm sorry." Harry winced again. "I'm sure you'll both do better in your next game."
"You're a lot nicer than I expected." She added, and it was Harry's turn to blush. "Anyways, congratulations on your win. I'll see you later."
Harry didn't know what else to say, and after a moment he lost his chance, as the girls turned and headed back to the Gryffindor table. He turned to find Draco watching him with a bemused expression. "I think she likes you, Harry." He teased.
"Oh shove off!" Harry's face burned as he focused on his food and resumed eating. He really didn't know what he thought of the idea of a Gryffindor liking him, especially when she was basically his quidditch rival. Draco didn't leave it alone though, at least not until something else came along to distract him in the form of Ron Weasley.
"Bet you think you're really special, don't you? I think you're just lucky." Ron taunted them as they walked toward the staircase after breakfast. It was the first time they'd run into him in the halls without Finnigan nearby.
"You'd be even luckier if you made it onto your house's team." Draco snapped right back. "You'd have to win a raffle, just to afford another broom. Bet your brothers had to save up twig by twig to get theirs, or maybe they just stole them?!"
"I'm tired of your lip, Malfoy!" Ron growled, his hands balling into fists.
"Knock it off." Harry urged his friend, but Ron wasn't finished yet.
"I heard your da' was a death eater, but was too much of a coward to even own up to it when You-Know-Who disappeared!"
"Father is not a coward! He's a better man than your blood traitor father will ever be!"
It was Ron who threw the first punch. He and Draco went down in a heap, and Harry rushed to grab them, and pull them apart. Draco tried to draw his wand, but there wasn't time, or room. Harry got ahold of a sleeve – he wasn't sure who's – and shoved at Ron with his foot while his friend smacked an elbow into the red head's face, and Ron grabbed at Draco's hair.
They weren't the only ones in the halls. Students were stopping to gape at the three of them as Harry stumbled back, losing his balance when Ron yanked his sleeve from Harry's grasp. Ron then tried to sock Draco only to smash his fist into the stone tiles. A voice pierced their melee and sent chills down Harry's spine. Somehow, Snape managed to make himself heard over their ruckus without even speaking loudly, "What, pray tell, is going on here?" The three of them froze, not even wanting to look up. "Explain yourself, Potter, you should know there's no fighting at Hogwarts."
"I didn't…" Harry had been trying to stop the fight, so why did it have to be Snape who caught them, of all people?
"It was me, professor…" Draco offered in an uncharacteristically meek tone. His hair was for once completely disheveled, and Ron looked as if he was going to have a black eye.
Harry was floored. Draco had never stuck up for anyone else before, and certainly had never gone out of his way to get himself in trouble when he could blame it on someone else. Snape looked startled too.
"Harry wasn't fighting; Weasley started it, and Harry was just trying to stop us…" He was red-faced, bruised, and scraped, and his hair was in disarray, but Harry thought it was just about the best thing Draco had ever done. He smiled despite himself, careful to try and hide it from Snape so as not to draw any further attention.
"He called Draco's dad a dead eater, and a coward…" Harry explained, though he had no idea what a dead eater was. Snape raised an eyebrow, looking at Ron, who hastily got to his feet under the Potion Master's scrutiny.
"Draco started it." He protested, "He called me…!"
"I might have known." The Professor interrupted him, "You Weasleys are always getting into mischief. Ten points from Gryffindor."
"But that's not fair, I wasn't…!" Ron cried, his face coloring crimson beneath his freckles.
"And another two points for your cheek." He added. Harry noticed Draco was grinning as he stood and brushed off his robes as well as he could.
"Draco, I suggest you visit the hospital wing, and get yourself looked at. You as well, Weasley, before Filch finds you bleeding on his floor." Snape finished, before sweeping past the three of them. Nearby Slytherins were snickering and Ron ran off looking even more angry and ashamed than Draco had just a moment before.
"I can't believe you took the blame for me." Harry said, though the whole encounter had left him with a bad taste in his mouth.
Draco looked a little taken aback, "It was only the truth, besides I didn't get a single point taken away."
"Of course, that was pretty rotten what you said to Ron." Harry muttered as they descended the staircase to go back to their rooms.
"I thought it was brilliant." Draco chuckled. "If anyone else but Snape had…"
"Why are you so nasty to the Weasley's?" Harry ground his teeth. He felt a frustrated fury for no particular reason he could put his finger on. He was uncertain where his own vehemence was coming from. "You know Fred and George are my friends, and they're helping us find out about what Fluffy is guarding."
"I don't… wait, Fluffy?!" Draco just stared at him confused.
"Fluffy. It's… the three-headed dog's name." Harry realized he had neglected a few details of his conversation with Hagrid.
"Fluffy?! Seriously? Who calls a monster like that, Fluffy?" By this point they were just outside the entrance to the Slytherin wing, and Harry stopped short so they wouldn't be rushing through the common room while having this conversation.
"Hagrid, apparently." Harry sighed, "But that's beside the point. What's wrong with you and the Weasleys?"
"Father doesn't…"
"I didn't ask about your father. Why do you hate them?"
Draco was at a loss for words, and after a moment, Harry turned and stormed inside. He doubted he'd get an answer to that one, anyway. He grabbed his broom, and walked back out. Draco was still standing where Harry had left him. Still offering no answer as Harry walked past.
Some time practicing alone out on the quidditch pitch cleared Harry's head a bit. He and Draco weren't getting any more studying done this morning, that was certain. When he returned to the castle, he had to go looking for Draco; he wasn't in the Slytherin wing. He found him wandering an upstairs corridor.
"I'm sorry." He began, as Draco looked up at the sound of his approach.
"For what?" Draco looked wary, and still a little confused.
"For snapping at you. Ron does come looking for trouble, and he's been a jerk to the both of us. So… I'm sorry! I don't know why I was so mad at you."
"No, you were right. I don't know why I hate all the Weasleys. I'll try to give Fred and George a chance, since they're friends of yours, but…"
He paused and Harry almost laughed at the expression of distaste on Draco's face, it wasn't really funny though, so he held his tongue, "You don't have to make friends with Ron." Harry assured him, before Draco had even voiced the thought. "And… I have to ask. What do blood traitor and dead eater mean, anyways?"
"Merlin's beard!" Draco exclaimed, "I keep forgetting how much you don't know. He took a moment to sort out his thoughts, and made sure no one else was about. "Come on, we need to go over our herbology notes. I'll tell you on the way back to our room."
The weather was quickly turning cold. It was only a few days later that Draco had a chance to make good on his promise to try and befriend the Weasley twins. Harry had put on his robe, only to find that something scratchy had attached itself inside the collar. Frustrated by his attempts to remove it, he finally took off his robe completely during break in his room, and found a note written on pale yellow paper.
We found out some things we thought you'd like to know. Meet us just after lunch at the second floor bathroom, the one with the broken toilet, and we'll explain our findings.
F&GW
P.S. This note won't come off until you say the word, "Marauder".
Sure enough as he read the last word aloud the note detached from the neck of his robe and fluttered to the floor. Harry sighed. It seemed just like them to send him a pranked note about a serious subject. He waited until Draco returned to their room as well, and told him about the note, insisting he come along with him this time.
Draco reluctantly agreed, and so after lunch, they walked together up the stairs to the second floor corridor. Draco hung back just a little as Harry went inside and looked around to find his friends, half expecting them to jump out and scare him just for kicks. He just hoped Draco would be nice, and the twins wouldn't antagonize him.
"You're early." The twins came in right behind Draco, and both he and Harry spun around to confront them.
"You didn't give us an exact time." Harry said, noting how the two Weasley's and Draco were all regarding each other a bit warily. No doubt they'd already heard about their fight with Ron earlier.
"So what did you find out?" Harry added, when no one responded right away.
Fred and George looked at each other, and shrugged simultaneously before one of them began, "Well, our younger brother was out of the tower at least briefly, so we talked to him first. Snape's pretty rotten to him," "Mostly on account of us," The other twin supplied mid sentence, "and he saw Snape acting kinda suspicious. Ron saw him heading up the stairs, instead of down towards the dungeon where the Troll was supposed to be."
"But it turns out the troll was actually upstairs somewhere too." The first twin picked up the narrative again. "And Ron ran from it and didn't follow Snape any further."
Harry gave Draco a meaningful look, certain this proved his theory that Snape was up to no good.
"Tell them what you found out, George." Fred said, after a brief pause.
"This is where it gets interesting. Did you know that Quirrel is an old hand dealing with trolls?"
"Yes actually." Harry said in the same moment Draco said, "Of course we do."
"Well, Quirrel was somewhere upstairs too. Penelope Clearwater saw him, and it wasn't very near where Ron saw the troll; they were on the third floor, near the forbidden corridor."
"Quirrel was?" Draco seemed to latch onto that, even though Harry thought the idea of Quirrel deliberately going near Fluffy was pretty impossible to imagine. "Maybe he's the one Snape saved?!"
"Say what?" Both twins said at once, then Fred continued, "Snape saved someone?"
"That's just Draco's theory. We still don't know much of anything." Harry was glad things had gone smoothly so far, but wasn't sure he wanted to linger and push his luck.
"There's more." George assured them, and Harry and Draco waited expectantly looking back and forth for one or both of them to continue.
"McGonagall was seen by Andrew Stebbins,"
"He's a Hufflepuff," George supplied.
"Also going upstairs rather urgently. It seems they may have all run into each other near the third floor corridor on the right hand side.
"So, in conclusion…?"
Here George finished for him again, "There were several students out of the dorms on Halloween, most of which were caught and docked points, but at least three of the teachers thought there was something more interesting above ground than in the dungeons."
"Wow. Thanks a lot." Harry said, his mind buzzing with possibilities.
"Glad we could help." They said as one, "Gave us plenty to think about too."
Then George added, "We'll keep our eyes open for anything else suspicious. Should we be looking more at the teachers, or the students, do you think? And what do you suppose is so interesting on the third floor corridor?"
"Both, I think." Draco replied, evidently not wanting to rule out the possibility of Snape rescuing a student.
"Well, your turn!" Fred told them, "What do you know that we don't?"
"We could tell you." Harry said, but quickly added, "Promise to keep it a secret?"
"What do you take us for?" "We're not about to go blabbing to anyone."
"There's a giant three-headed dog in a locked room on the third floor, and it's guarding something. It may have bitten Snape on Halloween. We're trying to figure out what it's guarding, and why Snape was there." Harry explained, "Also, there was a break in at Gringotts on my birthday,"
"Yeah, we heard about that in the Prophet. Can't imagine who'd have dared something like that, we know better than to cross goblins."
Harry nodded, but continued, "Well what you probably didn't hear was that it was Hagrid who emptied the vault. I was with him when he did it. There wasn't much in there, just a tiny package, and I don't know what was in it, but we suspect it might be what Fluffy is guarding."
"Fluffy is what Hagrid named the three-headed dog." Draco explained, before the twins could ask.
"Fluffy? Really?! Figures." The twins said together.
"Well, if it involves getting Snape in trouble, you can definitely count us in." Fred assured them, and George agreed emphatically. Soon Harry and Draco made their excuses. It was getting close to time for class, and they all hurried back to their dorms to gather their things.
He and Draco discussed theories in low tones the whole way back. They'd seen the three teachers described coming down the stairs together, and hadn't really thought about why that might have been. Even if the troll had wandered upstairs before it was subdued, at least Snape had been seen going up ahead of it. One or more of them could have been heading off the other, and even Draco agreed that the likelihood of the timid stuttering Quirrel trying to get past the three-headed dog was pretty slim.
By the time they got back to their rooms, they were running a little late for their next class, but they'd also determined that either Snape really was after the treasure Fluffy was guarding, or else McGonagall was. And while they'd never pegged McGonagall as the sinister type, she was intimidating enough that they couldn't rule her out either.
Another possibility that Draco brought up – no doubt with the intent of preserving Snape's integrity – was that the three teachers had individually been heading off some fourth party, such as a student or another teacher, at the third floor corridor, but had come back down the stairs together.
Time seemed to flow rather oddly as winter fast approached. There were times when Harry felt every agonizing moment as they studied their school work, or theorized on the puzzles they'd unearthed. Then there were times that seemed to just pass without Harry's notice. Draco said he had a plan to get some more information on their mystery, but he needed time to fine-tune the idea, and maddeningly, wouldn't tell Harry the specifics.
Two weeks before the winter break, Professor Snape had come around the Slytherin house with a sheet for students to sign if they were staying for the holidays. Harry had been about to put his name down, thinking he'd rather stay at Hogwarts than go home to Privet Drive, but Draco stopped him.
"I already asked Father. We're inviting you to spend Christmas with us at Malfoy Manor." He said. "Severus is coming too. Right?" He added, looking up at Snape.
Snape looked irritated, but didn't seem to be directing it at Draco. "I'm afraid I have other business to attend to this year." He said slowly, and Draco looked rather disappointed. "You will give my regards to your mother and father though, and convey my regrets that I could not accept their invitation."
Secretly, Harry wondered if Snape didn't want to be around him, and that was the real reason why he wasn't coming. But Harry thought the idea of spending Christmas with Draco and his family was fabulous, and agreed immediately that he would, of course, come.
There were preparations to be made, in the last week before the holiday break, and Harry was nervous for several reasons. First, he knew the Malfoy's could be very particular and prideful, and he wanted to make a good impression on them as a house guest. He worried about the state of his clothes and other belongings he'd be bringing, but also wondered if he ought to brush up on his manners. His aunt had tried to instill something akin to manners into him, but Harry hadn't learned much, and wasn't sure any of the Dursley's ideas of manners – mostly involving keeping to himself, and trying not to be noticed by guests – would be much help with the Malfoy's.
When he mentioned his concerns to Draco, they determined that Harry would get a few impromptu etiquette lessons. Draco first asked what Harry already knew then promptly told him to forget it all. Harry took notes, as Draco explained various things, from dining room manners, to the proper titles to use for different guests at a social event.
That part was a little tricky, but it was about what Harry had expected. What he didn't expect was for Draco to throw him a surprise dinner party in the Slytherin common room the last Friday before break to test how much he'd learned. He'd invited several of his 'important friends', mostly other Slytherins whose family's were friends with the Malfoys. Harry was nervous and a bit uncertain, at first, but managed to get through the evening without embarrassing himself. Draco's guests were surprisingly friendly and helpful, offering etiquette suggestions and gradually setting Harry at ease.
With that behind him, he felt much less anxious about spending time with Draco and his family.
As the break was almost upon them, Harry found another concern. He worried that something important would happen regarding the three-headed dog, and the mystery of whatever it was guarding while they were gone. But so far, they'd had no new leads, and there didn't seem to be much they could do until they found out more, so he couldn't think of a compelling reason to change their plans.
The train back to London was far less eventful than Harry's first trip on the Hogwart's Express, and this time he and Draco actually finished their game of wizard's chess. Harry lost, of course, but still enjoyed playing, and felt he was starting to improve. Then came platform nine and three quarters, and like before, Harry was a bundle of nerves, this time for entirely different reasons.
"It's very good to see you again, Mr. Potter." Lucius Malfoy greeted him somewhat stiffly when they found him on the platform next to his gracefully smiling wife.
"Thank you for inviting me." Harry replied, grateful that his voice didn't betray his unease.
Draco could hardly wait to start telling his parents about all they'd been up to at Hogwarts, though he didn't talk about the mystery surrounding Fluffy, the elusive package, or the people or persons who might be trying to get past the dog and steal whatever it was guarding.
Harry left his things on the train along with Draco's, assured that it would be brought to the manor ahead of them. They moved through King's Cross station leisurely while Draco talked, and both his parents regarded Harry from time to time. Harry wasn't pressured to join in the conversation just yet, and he welcomed the chance to relax and listen to them. He was surprised, however, when they didn't leave the station itself, but instead walked through a door labeled 'staff only' and into a small set of secluded rooms.
He suppressed the momentary instinct to ask what they were doing in here, when he saw another Hogwarts student ahead of them – standing with an obvious relative – rather suddenly disappear, their forms twisting and shrinking in the blink of an eye. "What was that?" he couldn't help asking.
"They apparated." Mrs. Malfoy explained. "But we've arranged for a more comfortable transport." She added when Draco looked mildly alarmed.
They moved into the adjoining room, where a man looked up at them from behind his desk, then got to his feet. "Ah, Lord Malfoy, I was told to expect you. The portkey is ready." He added while opening a filing cabinet and lifting out a small object on a stand covered with a velvet cloth.
Harry found himself curiously fascinated as the object was set on the desk and the cloth whisked off of it. The object turned out to be a little statuette of a coiled silver snake with emerald eyes. "All at once now." The man added.
"Just put a hand firmly on the statue." Narcissa told Harry softly. He did as he was asked, and placed his hand with theirs on the statuette. He felt a little chill raise the hair on the back of his neck when his fingers brushed the cool metal.
At first, nothing happened. The man behind the desk checked his watch and opened his mouth to say something, but in that very instant, Harry felt a very peculiar sensation, as if something was latching onto his spine just behind his belly, and tugging him forward rather forcefully. It wasn't painful, but it was more than a little disorienting. Everything blurred around him, and he thought he saw colors racing past at high speed.
As suddenly as it had begun, the sensation stopped, and he was standing in a dimly lit spacious room. The only light came from the tall windows, which framed a cloudy grey sky, in stark contrast to the sunny sky at the station.
"That was…" Harry swayed, and Narcissa put a hand on his shoulder to steady him.
"I much prefer portkeys to apparation." Draco said, "It just takes a little getting used to is all."
"I think… I prefer my broom." Harry muttered to himself.
Lucius chuckled and Harry blushed; he hadn't meant that to be overheard. Then Lucius waved his cane, and a gleaming silver chandelier above them lit up all at once. Harry saw they were in a library. "Master." Came a high pitched voice from the doorway. "Master Draco's and Master Harry's things are in their rooms."
Harry saw a small creature with long pointed ears, a bulbous nose and wide luminous eyes staring straight at Harry. It wore a sack draped over its skinny frame, its large hands held in front of it, worrying its own fingers nervously. "Very well, Dobby, now go attend to your chores." Lucius dismissed the thing, but it kept glancing back at Harry. He got the distinct impression it would have liked to stay and watch him longer.
"That was your… house elf?" Harry asked Draco. His friend had told him a little about house elves, and having seen this one, Harry was less certain about the idea that Dobby actually enjoyed serving. It had looked timid and more than a little pitiful to Harry's mind.
"Yeah, that's Dobby." Draco agreed dismissively, as he led Harry through the entry hall. Though certainly not as large as the entrance at Hogwarts, the Malfoy's entry was far more ornate with gilt handrails on the staircase, and a shining chandelier even more elaborate than the one in the library. Even the furniture was fancy. The cloak stand took their coats with only a mild creaking of its wooden arms before they ascended the stairs so Draco could show him his room.
Draco opened the door and with an exaggerated bow gesturing through the doorway as he intoned in as deep a voice as he could muster, "Your room, sir!" Harry giggled, and just like that, all his unease disappeared, and they both started laughing like the girls in their year at school. "My room's just down the hall here." Draco finally managed to say, wiping away a few stray tears.
Harry gasped when he finally made it through the door of his room. It was bigger than Dudley's two rooms combined, and had a huge four poster bed. All of Harry's things were there, and some of it was even unpacked and in the wardrobe. He looked around for a bit, with Draco grinning as he observed Harry's reaction.
"This is amazing!" Harry thanked his friend, and then ran back down the stairs two at a time to thank Lucius and Narcissa as well.
"Thank you very much for the room, and for inviting me, again." He told them in a rush.
"Aren't you just the most polite little thing?" Narcissa smiled at him, and even Lucius looked more pleasant. "You're very welcome, now go enjoy yourself, there are no lessons or chores here, so you can do whatever you like with Draco. He tells us you're quite handy on a broom, so why don't the two of you fly together around the grounds? Just stay clear of the woods, we think there's a boggart that has taken up residence at the old cabin out there, and you wouldn't want to run into one of those."
"We'll keep that in mind. Thank you Mrs. Malfoy." She smiled as he went back up the stairs, to share Narcissa's suggestion with Draco. "Where's my broom?" Harry wondered aloud as Draco led him back down the stairs.
"In the broom closet, of course." Draco led Harry to a door set to one side of the main entry hall.
"Oh, right." Harry felt sheepish, at least until Draco opened the small door. Then Harry's eyes widened at the sight in front of him. When Draco had mentioned a 'broom closet' Harry had envisioned anything but this. There was room for them to walk into the closet, and there were brooms of every description along all three walls. Harry's Wind Chaser was there, next to Draco's Nimbus Seventeen Forty-Seven. There were old brooms in glass cases, and newer brooms along racks. There were modern brooms like he'd see in his aunt's kitchen, as well as rugged twisted brooms with worn wood handles and real straw tails.
Soon, the two of them were outside racing and practicing quidditch maneuvers around the frigid countryside, and finally daring one another to skirt the edge of the woods and fly back toward the house.
"I'm going to ask my father for a better broom." Draco told Harry, once they got back inside. "Your Wind Chaser has much better turning, and is faster to boot." They were heading upstairs after putting their booms away when Harry spotted a pair of large round eyes staring at him through a gap in the doorway they were passing. He turned to wave at Dobby, but the house elf disappeared the moment he realized Harry was looking. How curious.
"You don't really need an expensive broom though." Harry argued. "And you can use mine whenever you like. I only got it because I made the team, you know."
Draco did not look mollified in the least. "I'll need to practice so I can get on the team next year. And for that I'll need a decent broom."
"That Nimbus is a decent broom. From what I've seen it's better than the brooms most the quidditch players use, certainly better than the Clean Sweep Katie Bell uses." He remembered how his broom had outperformed his rival's during their first quidditch match.
"I'll ask Father what he thinks," Draco countered, "If he thinks I should get a new broom, then that'll be that." Harry sighed, and decided to just let the matter drop, but he thought Draco was only doing it because he was jealous of Harry's broom, and he didn't find it very becoming.
The next day was Christmas Eve, and Harry spent much of it exploring. The manor seemed to have many secrets, and the land around the manor went on for miles. It was a little lonely, but Harry was still very glad to be there, and despite everything it was still far better than any Christmas Harry had shared with the Dursleys growing up.
Dinner that evening was impressive – even when compared with the banquets served at Hogwarts. The food was artfully arranged on each plate. The portions were small, aromatic, and delicious. Everyone ate slowly, savoring every bite, and Harry managed to remember each of his etiquette lessons. Even the usually voracious Draco was in no hurry here. As each serving was finished, the plate disappeared and a small goblet of some fruit nectar or cream beverage appeared next to his water glass, which never emptied no matter how much he drank from it. Harry suspected Narcissa and Lucius' drinks were fine wines, rather than juice. Once he'd had a chance to sample his drink, another small indescribably tasty dish would appear. And the food kept coming.
Harry was discovering that Narcissa was stern, but had a kind streak her husband lacked. Lucius, on the other hand, although very intelligent, came across as haughty, yet still treated Harry as an equal and engaged in conversation with him as an adult, the same as he tended to do with his own son. Harry found himself growing fond of them as he never had with the Dursleys.
"So, Draco tells me that you do not get along well with Professor Snape, but that you're doing well in his Potions class despite this." Lucius said to Harry about half way through their meal. "Severus is a good friend of the family, so I could speak with him on your behalf if you would like me to."
"I don't know." Harry was uncertain how much to tell Draco's father about their suspicions concerning Snape. Draco still didn't believe Snape might be behind the troll incident, but Harry thought it was a strong possibility. "Maybe he just needs to get to know me better. I wouldn't want him to think I was going over his head or anything. You are one of the Hogwarts Governors after all."
"A valid point. I was going to send him a letter anyways since he won't be joining us for Christmas this year. Perhaps I will simply mention you favorably." Harry would have preferred to just leave the matter alone, but couldn't bring himself to disagree with Lucius' idea, whereupon the conversation turned to quidditch.
"It's really quite impressive." Narcissa praised Harry, "To be allowed to not only try out, but that they made you a first string seeker, is an accomplishment no other boy alive can boast of. Do you recollect anything quite like Harry?" She turned towards her husband as she finished.
"No. He is quite unique." Lucius replied. "In many ways."
"I'm the only seeker." Harry informed them, "There was a girl who tried out for Seeker, and she should have at least made reserve, but Flint wouldn't let her on the team. I don't know why, but they seemed to not like each other much."
"Sounds like a prior history. Maybe they used to date." Narcissa mused, smiling. "But in many ways that's good for you, Harry. That means you don't have to share the spotlight. Seekers are already accredited with many wins in quidditch – since the snitch is so challenging to catch, and worth so many points – so that means you're going to often be the hero, Harry."
"Hadn't thought of it like that." Harry agreed, "Still, I think it would have been fairer to let her on the team. She was pretty good, and quite a bit more experienced than I am." Harry shrugged, "And what if I'm injured, or the game is long and I need a breather?"
"I'm sure there's a reason." Narcissa told him. "Try not to worry too much, Quidditch at Hogwarts is not nearly as competitive as professional sports, otherwise they'd require the teams to have a full compliment of reserve players."
No one said anything for a few minutes after that, so Harry decided to change the subject. "You should see the decorations they were putting up for Christmas at Hogwarts. Hagrid brought in a bunch of trees, and there were enchanted candles, and little stars floating in the air."
"It sounds quite spectacular." Lucius intoned, sipping at his drink.
"Oh it was, Father. Hey, did I tell you that Hagrid is really rather nice? He's not nearly as dangerous as you thought he might be." Draco added.
"Not nearly as dangerous?" Lucius raised one thin eyebrow, but Draco was not to be deterred.
"He's our friend, and he's a little odd, but, he's probably the most gentle person I've ever met. I was a little surprised, but Harry said I should get to know him for myself. I bet if you got to know him better, you'd agree."
"I've known him for some time, Draco." The tall man responded, "And though I haven't spent a great deal of time in his company, I believe I understand his character well enough. Giants are notorious for their violent and unpredictable nature, and that game keeper obviously has some giant blood. I'm not sure I like the idea of you associating with him, even at Harry's behest."
"Now Lucius." Narcissa interjected, "Harry has a valid point. In urging Draco to spend some time with Hagrid, he's given our son the opportunity to judge people on his own. I think it's important for him to gain experience in this, even if some of the people he might associate with are not the most influential or prominent. We must have allies among all sorts, after all."
"You are correct, as always, my love." Lucius smiled at his wife, and the conversation turned to other things for a time. Soon after that, dinner was over and Draco was heading up the stairs with Harry.
Once more, Harry caught sight of a pair of eyes watching him through the crack of a door, and this time he excused himself from Draco and went to investigate. He wanted to learn more about Dobby the house elf.
"Hello?" he called into the dim room, looking around. It wasn't hard to spot the light reflecting from Dobby's large eyes. "How come you always hide when I see you?" Harry added after a moment, moving closer.
"Master commands that Dobby is to stay out of Master Harry's way while he is here. Dobby is to leave Master Harry alone." Came the soft reply. "Master Malfoy can be very cross, and Dobby does not wish to displease him."
"It's fine. I actually want to say hello." Harry said, sitting down a little ways away, on the floor, and hoping he wouldn't frighten the nervous creature back into hiding. "Draco tells me you really enjoy working for the Malfoys. Is that true?"
The answer was a little while in coming, with Dobby fidgeting nervously for a moment before replying, "Dobby enjoys the work, but sometimes Dobby is bad, and Dobby doesn't enjoy the punishments. Dobby cannot always help himself. He doesn't mean to disobey, or make mistakes."
"Everyone makes mistakes. I guess the punishments are so you learn from them." Dobby nodded emphatically. "So what sorts of things do you do for the Malfoys?"
"All sorts of things." Dobby seemed to be warming up to Harry quickly, "Dobby transports the luggage, and cleans parts of the house. Dobby is in charge of transferring the plates during meals, and looking after Master Draco when he travels on his own. Dobby is kept very busy, and rarely has time to fret or waste."
"And you enjoy all this? They really make you carry things all the time?"
"Not carry. Dobby moves things with elf magic." He demonstrated by pointing a finger, and causing several chairs to rise up in the air, and move around the room before settling back down. "The work is not taxing, but Dobby is glad to stay busy." Suddenly the house elf's ears twitched and he cocked his head to one side.
"Dobby is sorry, Dobby does not want to be seen bothering Master Potter." But before Harry could assure him he wasn't bothering him in the least, the elf winked out of sight with a pop, and just a moment before the door was opened further and Lucius looked inside.
Harry quickly got up off the floor and dusted his pants. "What are you doing here in my study?" Lucius asked, not sounding exceptionally pleased.
"I was…" Harry didn't want to get Dobby in trouble, and he saw a number of books and other things set about on tables and on a small bookshelf, so made up a quick lie. "Just looking at your books." He said, picking one up at random from the nearby desk.
"There are plenty in the library." Lucius told him, "Please do not come poking around in my study without asking me first." He'd moved across the room and snatched the book from Harry before he could read any of it, though he wasn't liable to do much of that, seeing as the pages he'd thumbed through were all blank, as far as he could tell.
Lucius proceeded to place the book into the top most desk drawer, along with a ring and two more books which had been on the desk, and locked it with a resounding click of a small black key.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry." Harry ducked his head, flushing heatedly. He wondered what was so interesting about a blank book.
"It is understandable. I know how curious young boys can be. Next time, ask Draco, he's quite familiar with what is disallowed and inadvisable at Malfoy Manor."
"I'll do that, sir." Harry nodded without meeting Lucius' gaze, and hurried toward the door. Draco's father caught up to him in the hall.
"I'm not angry at you, Mr. Potter. Simply concerned, there are some things here which could prove hazardous if you do not know how to handle them properly. I am sure you can understand. Please keep that in mind."
"I'll do that, sir. I promise." Harry replied, feeling a little better.
"And there's no need to stand on formality with me, Harry. You're Draco's friend; you can call me Lucius, or Mr. Malfoy, if you must."
"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy." Harry gave him a smile, thinking it would sound a little odd to call this man by his first name, when he really didn't know him all that well yet.
"Now run along, you'll no doubt want to get to sleep early; there will be presents in the morning when you wake up. Sleep well."
Harry did just that, chatting briefly with Draco before heading off to his room to make ready to sleep. He thought about Dobby as he was drifting off, and about the mysterious blank book he'd picked up, but when he woke, neither was on his mind as he rushed to Draco's room, and almost ran into his friend when he emerged into the hall.
"Happy Christmas, Draco!" Harry shouted.
"Happy Christmas, Harry." Draco replied, then the two of them ran down the stairs, both still in their morning robes. Harry gasped as they came into the parlor, where a large tree had been set up and decorated, and was overflowing with presents underneath and around, and even among its branches.
"Merry Christmas." Narcissa greeted them, already dressed and sitting in a comfortably soft chair close to the little blaze in the fireplace.
Lucius joined them a few minutes later, and they were finally allowed to start opening presents. Draco had quite a bit more than Harry, but Harry's pile was much larger than he would ever have expected. Harry's first present turned out to be a homemade wooden flute from Hagrid. When he tried blowing into it the sound was a bit like an owl hooting.
He also opened a small package with a fifty-pence piece, and a terse note from his aunt and uncle. He wasn't terribly surprised at the small offering, but pocketed it anyways.
Meanwhile Draco had opened a package with a brand new broomstick from his father. "A Nimbus Two-Thousand One?!" Draco gasped, "I thought these were only available for pre-order?"
"I managed to acquire an advance model." Lucius explained, "I realized you'd be chaffing at not being able to own your own broom at school this year, and I figured the wait would be easier if you knew you'd be able to bring this to school next year."
"What do you say, Draco?" Narcissa interjected.
"Thank you Father. I wanted to ask if I could get a new broom, but I hadn't gotten around to it yet. Thank you very much!"
"You're welcome, Draco." Lucius smiled indulgently at his son, while he and his wife opened cards from some of their many acquaintances.
Narcissa got a lovely pearl necklace from Draco, the pearls a pale white color which almost matched the color of his and Lucius' hair. "Oh, I'm sorry!" Harry blurted, realizing his terribly rude mistake, "I didn't get anything for the two of you. I… I…"
"That's quite alright." Mrs. Malfoy assured him, "Tomorrow we are all going to Diagon Alley and you can pick out some things for us, if you like."
"I'd like that, very much." Harry agreed, and was soon distracted by more of his presents being handed to him. He received a small box of chocolate frogs from Katie Bell, and Narcissa laughed when Draco teased him yet again about the girl 'liking' him. He also opened a card from Harriet McClaren, and was grateful to learn she didn't seem mad at him for making the quidditch team when she hadn't.
"What's this?" He asked when he opened Lucius' present to him. As far as he could tell it was just a smooth grey stone with what appeared to be little flecks of reddish metal imbedded in its surface.
"It's a soothstone." Lucius explained, "You can hide it in your hand, and it will grow warm if someone is telling a direct lie to you. It's not infallible, and can be fooled by magic, particularly occlumency. And it only works with direct lies. With half-truths, misconceptions, and those harmless little white lies some people feel compelled to tell… well, the stone will often fail you there. But it can be a useful tool, nonetheless."
"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy." Harry smiled, and put the stone in his pocket alongside the fifty-pence piece.
Draco had opened several boxes of candy, a book – "Quidditch Through the Ages" – and a little pewter dragon about three inches tall painted silver and green, which Harry had ordered for him with a little help from one of the older Slytherin students. Once Draco opened it, the tiny dragon flew around the room breathing illusory fire at random flammable objects. Undeterred by being unable to actually burn anything, the dragon continued looking for more targets to unleash its fury upon.
Harry then opened his gift from Narcissa, a sleek black silk robe and matching pointed hat which were far warmer than they looked. He then noticed a present from the 'Weasley Family' though he guessed it was mostly from the twins. Lucius sneered when he saw who it was from, showing obvious distaste, but didn't actually say anything as Harry opened it to find a hand knitted sweater in green and silver, a package of homemade fudge which he found quite delicious, and a pair of hand-carved trick wands which seemed to turn to limp rubber the moment Harry tried casting a spell with them.
"It's nice of them to think of me. I made friends with the twins, Fred and George, on my first day at school. They've been nice and helpful, though they like to play pranks." Harry explained, wanting Lucius to know what he thought of the Weasleys. "They're sort of friends with Draco as well." He added.
"Is that true, Draco?" Lucius asked his son.
"Yeah sort of, the younger Weasley – Ronald – is a bit of a prat, but the twins are nice enough even when they're playing jokes on us. They're also Harry's quidditch rivals; they play beaters for Gryffindor, but still seem to get along well with Harry, just like their seeker, Katie Bell."
"An interesting 'match' then." Narcissa replied, "Just remember, even if you associate with them, the Weasleys don't share many of our views, and their father and yours, have fought over Ministry policy on many occasions."
"I know. Maybe they'll be nicer though, if we make friends with their kids, right?" Draco asked, looking to his father, who nodded after a moment of consideration.
"Yes, that's a possibility, so long as you keep that goal in mind."
Harry ate another bite of his fudge then started to open yet another package. This one had no tag, and no card or note, so Harry was quite curious. He tore the paper off, and found himself looking at a book. Lucius made a sound of approval as Harry read the title aloud, "Secrets of Potion Masters and Alchemists. Someone must want to help me in Snape's class, I guess. It's no secret he hates me, but I wonder who would have sent it."
"I couldn't say." Narcissa took the book and examined, it, and Lucius leaned over to whisper something in her ear. She smiled and handed the book back to Harry. "I think you'll find this very useful, make certain you study it only in your rooms, however. Not everything in there is part of the approved curriculum at Hogwarts."
"It's not dangerous is it?" Harry looked at the book again.
"Not at all, so long as you use your head. There are things in there which can turn nasty if you don't brew them correctly, and there's also information on some magic Hogwarts students generally never learn, but if you're careful about it, you should be perfectly fine. There's nothing about the book itself that is dangerous in any way, so as long as you don't abuse the knowledge it contains, you and those around you will be perfectly safe."
"Then why isn't it approved at Hogwarts?" Harry wondered aloud.
"It was once." Lucius assured him, "But the book wasn't to Dumbledore's liking, so he had it moved to the restricted section of the library, and it's no longer part of the curriculum, nor on any recommended reading lists. This all happened before even my time at the school, but I came across it once with some of my friends in Slytherin when I was still a student myself."
"Alright, sounds good." Harry set it on his growing pile of gifts – as it was too large to pocket – and continued opening his other presents. Draco had gotten him his own wizard chess set, and there were a few other things from 'the Malfoys' such as a grooming kit with several files and trimmers for Hedwig's beak and talons, some oils and powders, as well as some soft fine bristled brushes for her feathers. Harry also got some extra socks in silver and black, and a picture frame with a photograph of him and Draco in front of the Hogwarts express. Neither of them had realized they'd been photographed, and in the photo they were chatting, though no sound came from the picture, and ribbing each other a bit as they looked for Draco's parents.
Finally, there was one more present for Harry to open. He wondered why he hadn't spotted it earlier, and picked it up to find it was surprisingly light, and soft. When he opened it something silky and slippery which shone sort of silvery slid through his fingers with a whisper to the floor.
"What does the card say?" Narcissa asked, and Harry saw the corner of a card peeking out from under the pile of cloth, which seemed less silver now, and closer to the white shade of the carpet beneath.
"Your father left this in my possession before he died." Harry began aloud then swallowed a lump in his throat, "It is time it was returned to you. Use it well." There was no signature, only "A Very Merry Christmas to you."
"I think you should try it on." Lucius suggested.
Harry stood up, and pulled the cloak up and around his shoulders. Draco gasped, Narcissa smiled, looking pleased and impressed, and Lucius just looked smug. "That's… an invisibility cloak!" Draco's voice was filled with awe and wonder. Sure enough Harry looked down and couldn't see his feet, or his shadow.
"Those are quite rare," Lucius explained, "and can be hard to come by, even if you can afford one. And, if it really did belong to your father, this must be a quality cloak, as they often lose their magic after a few years."
"I wish I knew who sent it. They must have known my dad." Harry looked at the card again, appearing to float in midair as his arm was still mostly under the cloak.
"Mysteries like these do have a way of revealing themselves in time." Lucius told him, smiling lightly.
Harry and Draco took their things to their rooms, and then broke in Harry's new chess set. Harry lost, yet again, but thoroughly enjoyed getting to know his pieces, which were much newer and less experienced than Draco's set.
In the morning, they all set out for Diagon Alley. Lucius apparated with Draco, and Narcissa took Harry the same way. He immediately understood Draco's dislike of this mode of travel, as he felt trapped, compressed, and twisted in all directions as images of the countryside flashed past him at high speed. It took him several minutes to calm his racing heart and roiling stomach before they could set off into Diagon Alley proper from their arrival point near Gringotts bank. Dobby accompanied them, but he was under strict orders from Lucius not to speak, only to help them with their things.
The place was even more crowded than it had been on Harry's birthday, and it took some time to navigate the streets, as they visited stores – where things were being bought or returned – and looked over all sorts of things Harry found exciting, and interesting. He wanted to find something special to gift his best friend's parents. The Malfoys picked up a few items on the way for themselves and for each other. Narcissa even bought Harry a miniature toy firebolt which could fly around his dorm room at Hogwarts with Draco's dragon.
Narcissa led them to a shop which sold clothing and accessories for wizards, and Harry noticed her eyeing a brooch and matching earrings set, which he found were not too expensive, so he picked them up when she'd moved on. He also found a black cloak with a silver clasp he thought Lucius would like, and got the shopkeeper to sell all of it to him discreetly, and wrap them in brown paper. He didn't have to worry about carrying his purchases either, since Dobby quite eagerly took all they'd bought back to the manor for them before they had even left the store.
They continued browsing the shops and eventually settled to eat at a fancy restaurant where Lucius spent some of the time talking with a few friends before they were shown to their table. Harry enjoyed the meal, though the portions were rather small, and it was served with a shade less flair than he was used at Hogwarts or Malfoy Manor.
And when they arrived back at the estate both Lucius and Narcissa exclaimed over their presents, and thanked Harry so emphatically that he no longer felt guilty for forgetting them initially.
It was a few more days before Harry decided that, whatever their faults, he very much liked Draco's parents. They were very nice to him, and while they'd come across as a bit arrogant at first, Harry soon realized that they had many reasons to be proud of their accomplishments and heritage. There were a few things he was less certain of, but he had a feeling he could sort those out and come to accept them in time.
Harry found himself eating another dinner, though not quite as fine as those they'd shared on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, when Draco began recounting the story of his recent fight with Ron Weasley. "…then he called you a death eater, and took a swing at me. Harry immediately tried to pull us apart, but Snape was right there, and he…"
"That's quite an accusation," Lucius interrupted Draco briefly, "Though I'm used to that sort of thing by now. There are many who do not wish to believe I was just as much a victim of the Dark Lord's reign of terror as anyone." Harry got the idea he was explaining this for his benefit, primarily.
"What was it like?" Harry asked, and Draco looked momentarily put out by the interruption, but quickly turned to hear Lucius' response. "I've only heard stories," Harry continued, "About how terrible it was when He was around. I've also heard that he's not dead, and probably will return someday."
Lucius was thoughtful for a moment, then said, "The Dark Lord was, and is, terrifying. I would tell you to pray you never meet him, but I believe that it is inevitable that you and He will confront each other. Those were dark times. The Dark Lord did many wondrous, terrible, and glorious things, but he was ultimately defeated, by you Harry. No one knows exactly how – or why he failed to kill you – but I think we can all agree that the world rests a little easier now that he is gone, even if he is not gone for good."
Harry sat, and thought about that, but Draco quickly resumed telling his story. Harry didn't really hear, as he thought about Voldemort and everything Lucius had said. After dinner, perhaps sensing that Harry was still brooding about it, Lucius took Harry aside and sat him down in the library, after ascertaining they were alone and would be undisturbed.
"I can tell something weighs heavily on your mind." Lucius began, and Harry only nodded. "It's Him isn't it? He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named? You're wise to be concerned, but it does you no benefit to dwell on such things." He drew up a chair to face Harry's, and sat with a grave and concerned expression.
"You said you feel certain we'll meet face-to-face someday. How can you know that?" Harry fidgeted in his seat.
Lucius didn't answer right away, regarding him for a long quiet moment, "I don't know how much you understand about prophecy," He began, a little hesitant, "But it was a foretelling which led the Dark Lord to you when you were so young."
"A prophecy?" Harry blinked. He could guess the general idea of how that sort of thing worked, but it was true he didn't have much experience or knowledge on the subject.
"Yes. A prophecy concerning the threat you might someday pose to the dark lord, I believe."
"You mean… my parents are dead because of… of something I haven't even done yet?!" Harry's voice choked a bit and tears stung his eyes.
Lucius nodded, "I was not privy to the details of the prophecy. I do not know what it contained, or why it led to your parents' deaths. I do not know if there's anything I could have done to change the outcome, but I do know this: Your destinies have been intertwined ever since that day. Someday you will face him again, and when you do, there are some things you must remember."
Lucius leaned forward and regarded Harry very seriously and Harry did his best to compose himself. "First, whatever your feelings may be concerning the Dark Lord and his plans, you must be very cautious in your dealings with him. You cannot rely on luck, or even on prophecy. No one knows how you survived before, and you must plan for the likelihood that whatever it was, will not be repeated. If the Dark Lord has any reason to suspect your intentions do not align with his, he will destroy you. And he can sense insincerity. There are none who can stand against him openly, except perhaps Dumbledore. The rest of us must use our wits if we are to survive him."
"I'm not sure I understand." Harry admitted, looking down at his lap, "You want me to pretend he didn't kill my parents?"
Lucius sighed, but offered a rare, kind smile, "He has taken much from you, but he does not understand the pain he inflicts on people, except as a tool to control them. Always remember this. The Dark Lord is destined for greatness, but he is not perfect. There are things you and I understand fully that he is incapable of empathizing with. It is perhaps his one true flaw, his one true weakness, though he would never consider it as such."
Harry couldn't speak for a long moment, but finally managed to get out, "He sounds awful." He was glad that he was able to hold back his tears, even if his voice wasn't entirely steady. He did not want to cry in front of Lucius. "Is that why you didn't stand against him?" He asked after another long silence. "Draco told me you were under the Imperius Curse. He said it made it so you couldn't control your actions."
"That is near enough to the truth." Lucius leaned back in his chair, looking older and more tired than he had ever before. "What do you know about unforgivable curses?" He asked, taking Harry a little by surprise.
"I don't know anything about them. I don't even know what they are."
"There are three curses, so terrible, that to use them is considered unforgivable. Three curses with no reliable defense. Perhaps the least feared – and in many ways the most powerful – is the Imperius Curse. It takes away your free will, turns you into an obedient slave, unable to resist the commands of your master. Your thoughts are still your own, you can see and feel and hear. You know the consequences of your actions, even if you cannot act against your master's will."
"Is there no way to resist it?" Harry asked.
"It takes an exceptionally strong mind, and even if you can break free, the curse still leaves you shaken, and weakened. I will be honest with you, Harry, and I will trust that you will not speak of this to any outside this house…" He waited for Harry's nod before continuing. "I served the Dark Lord willingly, at least at first." At Harry's shocked expression he held up a hand to forestall any interruption. "I admired his goals, and even some of his methods. But, I came to realize that the world he would create is not the one I would wish to live in. He controlled me; not through magic, but through fear, and perhaps a little hope. I served him faithfully, so that I could live to find an opportunity to escape him someday. An opportunity you granted."
Harry remained quiet, a little awed and disturbed by these revelations. He didn't know what to think. How was he to say if Lucius had done the right thing? He didn't know what he would do when he met Voldemort in person.
"Forgive me, if I have become a touch melancholy. These are heavy burdens, I'm sure you don't need me adding to those you already bear." Lucius' expression was grave.
"No, I'm fine." Harry tried to reassure his best friend's father, who seemed much different than the proud sometimes snide man he'd come to know over the last few days. "I'm glad you told me. Most people won't tell me anything about… about him. Or what it was like."
Lucius smiled warmly, "You are truly remarkable. You give hope to so many; remember that. And hold on to some of that hope for yourself. And do not forget my words. I hope they will be of use to you when you finally meet the Dark Lord." He'd given Harry a lot to think about.
"I'm sure there are many who would have kept such things from you." Lucius continued after a quiet moment. "I feel that not only do you deserve to know the truth, but I think you need to know it. Who can say when you will face your destiny, it could be tomorrow, or ten years from now, and if you are not prepared, if you do not know what you must do, it will go badly for you, I am certain."
Harry nodded again, "I'll remember."
"Go on to bed then, and put this from your mind, at least for now. It is important for you to know, you need to be thinking about it, but…" Lucius took a moment to continue, "To let it consume your thoughts may well do you even more harm than not knowing."
Harry thanked him again, and left the library. He tried to do as Mr. Malfoy had suggested, but it still took him a long time to fall asleep. Though the next night was easier, and gradually over the next few days it no longer occupied his thoughts during the day. He still thought about everything they'd discussed when he was alone in his room each night.
"I'll be ready." He told himself. "I'll be ready!"
Author's Comments: I've been working on this one for quite some time, and think things are starting to come into place now. In particular, Seru Crescent and Illusor Maeneld have encouraged me to work on this when I wasn't sure if it was worth the effort. This chapter was quite interesting, fun, and frustrating to write, as it's mostly "off the map" as it were. It's the first time I literally had no reference from the original books in order to build my scenes. I just hope it turned out well.
So please, let me know what you think.
EDIT: Another chapter reviewed and revised, particularly with some of Lucius' dialogue. I felt perhaps he was saying a bit too much, and I wanted to change the tone of the conversations just a little, and perhaps build an even better foundation for the relationship he has with Harry. Anyways, once again, enjoy!
Once again the copyrights for the Harry Potter worlds belong to J.K. Rowling. All original characters depicted here and this story are copyrighted to me.