DISCLAIMER: THE BOOK BELONGS TO J. I HAVE ONLY BORROWED BOTH CHARACTERS AND PLOTLINE.

CHAPTER 32

That evening Harry had been waiting in the classroom alone for Draco for nearly twenty minutes, but he hadn't shown up. Just about to give up and leave he heard the door click open and in walked his friend.

Draco headed straight for a chair not looking at Harry and sat down on it heavily. Sighing, Harry went to sit in the chair beside him thinking at least he had come. "What's wrong Dray? Why won't you even look at me?"

Draco turned and looked defiantly into those green eyes that could see right into his soul and said "I don't want to, maybe you should find Weasley, he'd love to be friends with a hero."

Harry smiled to himself and said "Dray, I did what anyone would have done. I saved my brother, my twin. Why is that bugging you so much?"

Draco clenched his fists on his lap and said angrily "Not everyone would have thrown themselves at a speeding bludger Harry, trust me. Brother or not."

"You want to know what's the worst part about all of this, Harry? The worst part is that even if Darren's broom had been hit he would have had a few minor scratches since he had been close to the ground and the bludger had been aiming for his broom, you on the other hand were already so high up, it's like you lost your sense of judgment. The fall had been real bad it happened so fast, everyone was too shocked to do anything about it even Dumbledore.

Harry had absently started to rub the surface of the table he was sitting at, "I didn't want to take a chance Dray and I, if I had to, I would do it all over again."

Draco jumped up from his seat looking agitated "That is your problem" he said "you care too little for your own life, so ready to throw it away for your brother. Do you think your brother would appreciate your help if you died? I don't think so Harry, when it comes to your brother you become blind to everything else."

Looking down Draco covered his eyes and said "When you fell Darren looked like death warmed over. He didn't move from the pitch for nearly ten minutes, just staring at you lost. It was a piteous state to find him in, and what about your parents, friends and me, Harry? Yeah we can call you a hero, but I don't feel like it. I'd rather you be a big ninny and stay alive."

Harry looked at him and realized that Draco finally had a small smile on his face "Really all that talk about Ravenclaws being logical and you try your best to prove them wrong."

Harry stood up walked over to Draco to stand beside him and asked "Is that why you didn't come to the hospital? I missed your nagging" he teased.

"I came" he said looking away "I came when you were sleeping."

Harry laughed and wacked him on the shoulder "So are we okay now?" he asked.

Draco shook his head no and looked back into Harry's face, Harry saw his grey eyes gleam "Remember we had planned to stop using the pensives for Occlumency and to try to block each other without it instead? I want to try it now" Draco said "if you're up to it."

Harry thought for a minute, letting Draco do this would mean that he Harry might have given Draco the chance to scan his memories; he knew Draco would be merciless today and was only doing this because he wanted to truly understand Harry. Knowing that Harry agreed, maybe this is what would finally get him to calm down, so he nodded in acquiescence.

Standing a little ways from him, Harry calmed himself and stood waiting. 'Legilimens' cried Draco and invaded his mind. Harry immediately tried to push him out instinctively in the beginning, then he stopped fighting and let his guard down lowering his defenses and letting Draco see his thoughts.

Draco saw a child Harry about eight or nine years walking with Darren and his friends on their way home from school, when he noticed Harry repeatedly turning his head over his shoulder looking almost suspiciously behind him. Draco tried to see what was behind him but saw nothing. What on earth was Harry searching for? Why was he looking down so deep in thought? They had almost reached their house when, Harry laid a hand on Darren's shoulder and pulled him back "Did you feel someone following us?" he asked Darren, who shook his head no and the scene disappeared.

The scene had changed and it was a new day, Draco saw Harry hiding behind a pillar staring at something ahead of them, following Harry's eyes he saw Darren and his group of friends walking by. He heard Weasley asking "Where's Harry?" while looking around. "He forgot to bring his assignments and has gone to get them. He'll catch up with us soon" Darren replied.

Suddenly Draco felt Harry stiffen and following his gaze saw a cloaked, hunched figure of a person stealthily follow Darren and the others. Harry beside him had clenched his tiny fists and pushed himself away from the wall, breathing deeply he charged at the stalker while Draco had almost automatically tried to hold back this memory Harry. Trust him to be so stupid even then, Draco thought following him.

The boy had run blindly and angrily towards the cagey person and flung himself on top of figure. The person caught unawares, struggled for a bit and then roughly caught Harry by the scruff of his collar almost lifting him of the ground, and shook him hard.

The hood of the cloak fell back and Draco and Harry both gasped. It had revealed a hideous woman with murky brown eyes, reddened from alcohol and a distorted face with ugly stained teeth and whispy slightly greying hair.

Looking down at Harry she grinned scarily at him showcasing her rotten teeth and said in a raspy voice "My, my, aren't you are Harry, the brother of Darren Potter" she said spitting on Darren's name. "What a brilliant catch!" she exclaimed cackling gleefully. "Now this makes matter's so much simpler, if I were to use you as bait then he, Darren would definitely come to rescue his little brother" she said slowly stroking Harry's face almost menacingly "and then I'll catch him and kill him at last!"

Harry fought valiantly to free himself from the crazy lady's grasp, when she pulled out a curved, evil looking dagger and placed it at the base of his throat effectively stopping his thrashing "Oh yes" she said "he will definitely come, the little hero."

Draco looked angrily at the woman want to tear her eyes out at threatening such a tiny boy. He struggled to remember that there was nothing he could actually do, feeling helpless he realized that this was what Harry had wanted to show him, and so he'd try to be patient and wait and watch.

Harry had started to beg the lady to let him go while crying, but she tightened her hold on him and the dagger moved cutting in to the soft skin of his neck, few drops of blood fell on to his robes and Harry cried out loudly, suddenly the woman was blown back nearly fifty feet into the air away from him and fell to the ground with a terrible crunch unconscious. Draco saw Harry gasping for breath falling to the ground on his knees while crying.

Draco withdrew from Harry's mind and looked at the present Harry with a mixture of pride and sorrow, "I'm so sorry" he whispered "You must have been terrified."

Harry nodded and smiled "That is not what I'm trying to say to you Dray; I'm showing you the life that my brother has always had to lead. Sure fame is a coveted thing, but it is double edged sword Dray. Darren will always have to face both kinds of people in his life, people that love him people who would see him dead."

"One day, mum had been detained at work, so Darren and I were being taken care of by our nanny, when the evening post came in. One of the letters bore Darren's name on it, so he became really excited and he begged our nanny to open it and when she finally did, a copious amount of bubotuber's puss came pouring out burning her hands. I've never forgotten her cries of pain to this day."

"Is that why you're so averse to fame" Draco asked finally seeing a little more of Harry's soul.

"Yes," he said nodding "it is part of why I am so reluctant to become famous, but it is also true that I genuinely shun fame simply because I don't feel comfortable about it. You see Dray, that was the first time I realized that Darren didn't have it easy" he said staring unseeingly at a cracked blackboard.

"I decided to protect him from then on; he needs close friends and a family that will be there for him unyieldingly. He has a huge destiny to fulfill Dray, and he's going to need every single one of us to help him. I knew from then on I would help him no matter what, so that is why I do it. I love my family Dray, as much as you do yours and I want to see them safe and happy, can you understand that?" Draco nodded of course he understood. He walked up to Harry and hugged him close "I do" he said "just don't die trying Harry."

Pulling away from him gently after sometime, Harry and Draco left the room while talking and discussing Harry's Christmas gift for his family when they heard the magically enhanced voice of Professor McGonagall, "Everyone is to quietly and quickly go back to their respective common rooms this instant. Those who do not heed my words will be facing a months' detention."

Looking at each other in surprise Draco gasped "there must have been another attack!"

Harry felt fear grip him as he bid Draco goodnight and ran up to his room. Pulling out the mirror his parents had given him, he called out Darren's name, waiting breathlessly. The image on the mirror changed shape and took on Darren's face. Sighing in relief Harry asked Darren if he and the others were safe, Darren nodded but looked very pale "It was Colin" he whispered "Colin Creevey and Sir nearly headless Nick."