Draco was running, half indignant and half adrenalized, toward the tower. The dragon was already waiting for him when Draco burst in. He tried to speak but suddenly his lungs felt like they were on fire and he ended up gasping and stuttering instead.

"Ah, young warlock," the dragon smiled down at Draco wickedly. "I knew you would break soon enough."

"Something's going on," Draco offered by way of greeting, trying to take long breaths through his nose.

"Isn't it always."

Draco glared at the dragon. This was exactly why Draco had avoided the dragon for the past three weeks. In fact, Draco had pretty much ignored everything the dragon had ever said and tried to do the exact opposite whenever he could. In a fit of rage, Draco had consulted a page his father wrote in the "Dealing With Gryffindors" chapter of Draco's journal and used the Leg-Lock jinx on Harry Potter. He'd used it on a few of the other Gryffindors before, like Neville Longbottom, when he'd needed a laugh, but told himself he wouldn't start pulling Potter's pigtails out of . . . anger or any other emotion. However, there was that stupid brain-to-mouth filter malfunction that Draco was constantly battling against.

Draco had been curious when he'd left the tower last time, and spent a lot of his time since then considering what the dragon said. His steady daydreaming instituted him as The Worst Listener and Pansy hadn't talked to him in two days, but Draco couldn't be bothered with her enough to say sorry.

He'd quickly come to a few realizations. There was something going on that he didn't know about. His parents and Dumbledore both seemed to be keeping a secret, but Draco couldn't be sure it was the same one. Although, something in his gut was telling him that it had to be. Next, he realized that this power Draco was learning from Dumbledore would mean very little if he, for some reason, could only do advanced magic at Hogwarts and, surely, the old wizard had to see this.

Dumbledore had called Draco to his office only one more time, and Draco went, but he told himself he would never trust the older wizard, even if he couldn't quite bring himself to turn down learning all that new magic. Though the dragon's parting words were making more and more sense to Draco as the days passed. This still didn't mean he should trust the dragon, Draco told himself, however, he'd realized the dragon hadn't ever asked him to really.

Instead of befriending Harry Potter like the dragon had wanted, Draco did what he did best and spied. Draco decided that getting the inside scope of the Boy Who Lived's life wouldn't be so bad, and it wasn't like spying on the three blindingly naive and golden Gryffindors was very hard work.

"With Potter," Draco spat finally at the dragon, starting on a rant about how he'd gotten the worse grass stains on his robes while spying on Potter in the giant oaf's hut. Of course, Draco may have gotten himself a bit caught by gasping at the wrong moment. He couldn't have helped it, he'd seen Potter with an illegal dragon and only had one sudden thought: I called it out!

"So being friends would be easier is what you're saying?" the dragon cut in and Draco ignored him and plowed on.

Draco explained all that he'd overheard, and tried not to show how worried he was that Potter thought his godfather was after the Sorcerer's Stone. The Boy Who Lived suspecting an Ex-Death Eater didn't bode well, Draco figured, even if he was sure Potter didn't know Snape had the Dark Mark. Draco was much smarter than Potter and he hadn't even known about the mark for years, only that his father and godfather had matching tattoos.

"There is something else . . . the giant is harboring an illegal dragon egg. I suppose that's a problem."

"And what do you plan to do about it?" the dragon asked.

"Why should I do anything!?" Draco thought of something and grinned. "Besides go straight to the Prophet?"

The dragon eyed him for a long moment. "I know what can stop anyone from using the stone, but, as it is, I am trapped here for the rest of eternity. Since you refuse to step up and accept your destiny I suppose I will have to present you with an offer which you cannot refuse."

Draco's eyes grew wide.

"I do not care how it is done," the dragon continued, "but once you accept my gift, you will be bound to help until the evil at play here has been stopped."

Draco gulped. "What would I have to do?"

"First I will tell you a story, young warlock . . ."

Draco listened intently as the dragon told a story about a boy who was quite like Draco himself, only he lived many, many years ago. The boy had a purpose much the same as Draco's own. He told Draco how this boy came to accept his destiny, and later became one of the most powerful and important wizards of all time. The wizard was so powerful, the dragon explained, that he was still walking amongst the world today.

Finally, Draco thought, they were getting to the good part. The dragon said there were many prized treasures hidden within Hogwarts that would satisfy Draco, but none like this particular wizard's first pair of boots. The wizard had given the boots to the dragon to look after, but the dragon was confident they wouldn't be missed for another thousand years or so. As long as Draco promised to take good care of them, he could borrow the boots for his lifetime. The dragon also heavily suggested accepting his destiny, something about two sides of the same coin and history repeating itself.

The dragon explained how the boots worked, and suddenly the thought of saving Potter didn't seem so terrible. If Draco was ever in trouble all he would have to do was think about another place to be and step, then he would be where he wanted to be. Long distances were shaky even for a master, the dragon warned, but Draco had already made up his mind.

Draco snuck about the castle even though he didn't have to because it was the middle of the day on a Saturday, and he located the stone which the dragon said the boots were hidden behind. It was just some random stone block on the wall in the dungeons, ten stones left of a portrait of Slytherin's oldest daughter and five up from the ground. Draco whispered the spell and the stone dissolved to reveal a pair of worn brown boots within. He did what the dragon said and put them on. They quickly morphed to fit his feet like his ballet slippers always had, only they seemed to magically repair themselves as well. He next tried out the crazy part, thought of the dragon's lair and stepped. The boots worked, and Draco found himself under the dragon, blinking up at the smug creature.

The dragon reminded Draco that he must uphold his end of the bargain, and told Draco how to find a staff in which would aid him in his task. It was rather short and entwined by two silver serpents. A friend of the dragon's hid the staff, just as the boots had been, though the staff would be considerably harder for Draco to obtain, he explained. However, he also said that Draco was happy to use it afterward for his own personal gain so it might just be worth it. All he had to do was go into the Forbidden Forest and "step" his way toward the item. However, Draco was not liking the idea of entering the forest alone.

When Draco finally returned to his tiny chambers after a long day of popping out of nowhere and scaring first year Hufflepuffs, he paused in front of the mirror and eyed his new boots. When he looked up, he was startled to find his mirror-image staring at him in pure adoration, its eyes were twinkling with happiness.

"Oh, bravo," it sing-songed. "Bravo!"

Draco decided he'd made the right decision and began to plan.