*** I don't own anything relating to Harry Potter. All recognizable characters belong to the original author, JK Rowling.***

Conversation 4 part B: Meeting Malfoy

...continued...

"Never the easy way with you Potter huh?" Draco managed after a silent pause. There was much new information to process.

Harry on the other seated across from him was also busy with his own thoughts. "Seems that way."

"Was it true about all the stories of your exploits" Draco wondered out loud looking for a change of topic.

"There's been a lot said."

"Well some of them sound mad but then again, as I recall it, you three certainly had a knack for trouble." This was something that had always genuinely interested Draco, he wondered how much of the school gossip was accurate. It was strange to think that somebody in the same year could be out doing some of the things they were rumored to have been involved in.

"Umm… What parts are you specifically referring to? There were a lot of rumors going on then and now about what we did," Harry replied hesitantly having often been asked this question. It's not like he didn't want people to know but for a long time he held onto those memories like secrets. He treasured them, not wanting them to be contaminated by the ruthlessness of having them spread from mouth to mouth. He still had trouble with this, like Dumbledore, he had a knack of wanting to keep things close to his chest. It was something that frustrated him about his once headmaster but with age he attained a new respect and attraction to do the same.

Draco not seeming to notice his hesitation continued, "Was it true that your first meeting with the Dark Lord was during our first year?"

"Well in a way, yes. It was more like Quirrel infested with part of Voldemort." Harry tried to answer always finding difficult to explain in simple words what exactly it was he faced on that fateful day.

Draco carried on with his question wanting more details, finally being able to feed his long held curiosity about certain events.

"The rest was more widely spread, tell me if I get anything wrong. In second year it was the younger Weasley, your wife as I understand it, the one responsible for opening the Chamber of Secrets, you found the entrance to the chamber of secrets and killed the basilisk. In third year, well nothing really happened except for the Dementors haunting the school looking for Sirius Black. In fourth year you won the Tri-Wizard Tournament and at the end saw the Dark Lord rise again and managed to escape with your life. In fifth year you battled him along with Death Eaters which included my father in the ministry," Draco ticked off these events seemingly having no issue discussing the downfall brought to his father because of him. "Then during sixth year, you insufferably kept following me. And we all know what happened afterwards although if sources are to be believed, and I doubt them, you also broke out of Gringotts in a dragon after that quick visit to the Manor," Draco finished off leaving the majority of events purposely out since they were both there for the final moments.

Harry looked on wondering if this was an accurate reflection of what the public knew. This was surprising since he realized there were many gaps of his exploits and Draco had once been a Death Eather. This was much missing from the story Malfoy retold and he was in a position to have heard more. He must have guarded his secrets more closely than he thought. Or maybe everyone wanted to move on after it was all over and looking back never helped with that cause. In any regards, he decided to treat Malfoy with the truth.

"Most is true but there's way more to it than that. I promised the truth and I'm going to stick to that but realize this entails my whole Hogwarts history. I'm going to start at with the earliest and move from there. During our first year it was Voldemort working through Professor Quirrell who I met. He needed a position in Hogwarts because he knew inside the castle walls Dumbledore had hidden he Philosopher's Stone. During those times he was weak and had no body, he'd turned to drinking Unicorn's blood to sustain a form. The stone he sought would provide him a better option.

"Was it him that we came across that night in detention, in the Forbidden Forest?" When Harry heard about the Unicorn blood it triggered a memory. He didn't realize that it'd been him who he ran from in fright that night.

"Yes, it was. So he set after the stone and after a series of foolish decisions on my part I found myself alone against him. Even if I hadn't been there, it'd be hard to imagine he'd gotten to it. Dumbledore was very clever in its protection."

"Just exactly how did he hide it for curiousity's sake. Did he stick it under a dragon?"

"Ha ha, close, it was actually a large three-headed dog."

"You're kidding, is that what was in that forbidden corridor?"

"Yes but it wasn't only protected by that. There were other obstacles set up by other professors. We had a hard time getting through them and I wouldn't have succeeded without Ron and Hermione. It's underrated how much that statement is true. They were a bigger help than most ever give credit to.

"So that was it then, just an obstacle course?"

"Well yes and no. The final obstacle is where Dumbledore was sure he'd meet his match. Have you ever heard of the Mirror of Erised?" This was essential to explaining Dumbledore's brilliant plan in protecting the stone.

"I haven't," Malfoy replied simply. "What is it?"

"Simply put, its a curious magical object. It is a mirror but it doesn't show a mere reflection. What it shows the person who stands before it is what they most desire in the world. As Dumbledore once explained it to me he said that a truly happy man could stand before it and witness only his reflection for he is perfectly happy."

"So how did the mirror hide the stone?"

"That was the brilliant part. Quirrell stood before it and saw what he desired most, himself holding the stone. However, the stone would only present itself to he who wanted the stone but not to use on himself. It appeared in my pocket. Quirrell tried to get it but some of the magic that protected me that fateful Halloween night so many years ago prohibited him from placing his hands on me. That night I won."

Draco listened to this and precessed it in silence. There was always so much more to the enigma that was Harry Potter. He'd endured many things, but what him admirable was he did so in silence, a true martyr the scar-head. Unsure what else to say about those events he wondered something else. "What did you see when you stood before the mirror?"

Harry smiled quietly to himself. Thinking back to what had been to reveled and became an obsession of sorts. His hearts desire as he recounted it to Dumbledore. With more perspective and time he again wondered what perhaps would have been revealed to Dumbledore as his heart's desire. "Back then, when I stood before the mirror what I saw was myself surrounded by my parents and other older faces, familiar in features. A family I guess was my heart's desire at the age of 11."

Draco had no comeback for that. It was maddening because at heart what had been revealed to Harry I the mirror was deeply noble. He himself at that age probably would have seen a new broom, or some new trinket. It was maddening because it was something he'd knew he took for granted, family. Most of the time he found them irritating and found that the less time he spent with them the best at least for the older generations. As for his children, he did enjoying spending time with them.

"So what else did I get wrong?" Draco finally spoke up breaking from his short reverie into his family dynamic.

"Well in second year it was Voldemort through Ginny who initially opened the Chamber of Secrets. Also it was the year others discovered I was a Parseltongue. I kept hearing voices in the corridors and it wasn't until later that I realized it was the Basilisk I was hearing. And it was also the first and only time I saw the Slytherin common rooms. I don't know how you guys coped with the darkness and no windows.

"How and why the hell did you find that out?" Draco asked surprised by the turn of events. This was completely new to him and the sheepish look on Potters face made him believe it was about him.

"Well back when I was young and my hero complex was on high alert, we kind of made it our mission to try and figure out who was opening the chamber and we had our suspects," Harry said embarrassed thinking back to his evidence for suspecting the Slytherin.

Draco took notice, "You actually thought it was me?" he asked not half believing they actually did.

"Well there were good arguments to support our suspicions. Like I said we were young and impatient and back then I'll admit I had a tendency of meddling and impatience so we just had to figure it out. So during second year we came up with a plan, well Hermione did and we carried it out. She brewed the Polyjuice Potion-"

"A second-year Granger brewed the Polyjuice Potion? That's really advance, it's Newt level!" Draco was just now realizing how much he had underestimated the bumbling Gryffindors. He didn't give them nearly enough credit, no one did and that, perhaps was the key to the Dark Lords eventual downfall.

"Well you know Hermione, always the academic. It was tough getting the ingredients, Snape almost caught us going through his stash. Once brewed we got the hair from our intended victims and set out plan in motion."

"Who was your intended victims?" Draco asked still trying to put the pieces together.

"Crabbe and Goyle."

"What? When, How?" Draco ran through all the interrogatives. Not needing to ask but running thought the indignation.

"I told you, we had to make sure it wasn't you that was opening the chamber. We didn't obviously but it was that night after dinner during the Christmas Holidays. We got kind of lost getting to your common rooms. I don't know if you saw something was off."

"I remember, you two ran off. I asked Goyle and Crabbe about it but didn't know what I was talking about. I didn't give it a second thought since they weren't the sharpest." Draco thought back, relishing in what true friendship was. Here he was talking about Crabbe and Goyle but he never had the type of friendships Potter had. None of his friends would have ever gone to those lengths for him. It was something to be truly envious of. The loyalty they showed to risk so much for a friend. It wasn't something he could relate to at that age.

"Well yeah it was a gross experience but we got our answer. It wasn't you. Through a lot of noising around we found the entrance and I headed down with only Lockhart and Ron. Dumbledore had been out that night as I recall. Oh and by the way, if you ever wondered, he was a complete fake. His only proficiency was memory charms, needed them to take credit for other's deeds."

Draco scoffed. It had long been evident that the DADA professor didn't have any of the skills he wrote about.

"Once there after some manouvering a tunnel collapsed, Lockhard lost his memory and I again was left alone to fave Voldemort. Well a version of him brought to life by a diary Ginny had gotten her hands on. Also there was the huge snake. With a lot of help and the Gryffindor sword I made it with my life and rest was soon resolved. People were unpetrified and I guessed the source of the diary," he finished looking to see if Draco reacted. It had been his father after all who placed it in Ginny's hands.

Draco, however chose not to reply anything. He didn't need to say anything since his father's sins weren't his own. It wasn't as if his father and he spent the summer months planning elaborate schemes against Gryffindors.

Realizing Malfoy wasn't going to respond he moved on.

"There was also so much more to third year as well. It was the year I met Sirius, my godfather, the year he escaped from Azkaban. Everyone though he betrayed my parents when in fact it was Pettigrew. In fact from what you hinted at me that year, you thought so too. That year the Marauders reunited, my dad's old friends from school, Lupin, Sirius, and Pettigrew. It was the year I learned to cast a Patronus charm. Hermione and I were actually responsible for setting Buckbeak loose and also Sirius Black who had briefly been captured at Hogwarts by the Ministry. He was minutes away from getting a Dementor's kiss. Not to mention an insufferable git got deservedly slapped in the face by someone very dear to me,"ending his explanation with a laugh.

"I thought as much, and yes it was definitely deserved" Draco replied, revealing along with it his involvement in the dark side. It was how he knew where Sirius true loyalties had always belonged and the betrayal of Peter Pettigrew. Although at the time he approached Potter back then, he thought the general story was true. It was what he'd heard at home, before he'd ever been introduced into Death Eater information.

"Did you ever find out why it was the Dementors affected you so much. I know I gave you a hard time about it then but it was part of the act. There went Potter again, not even being able to react normally to a Dementor. It's like you always had to be the special case for everything. Quite annoying actually," Draco did wonder what could have prompted that reaction. It wasn't a picnic but he'd learn enough about them to have a theory as to why they affected him so. He wanted the truth.

"Yeah I did find out," Harry started running a hand from his neck into his hair, a sign of reluctance. "The way Lupin explained it he told me that the Dementors make us relive our darkest memories and that since I true terrors in my past experiences, every time they got near, it was like being there all over."

"What specifically did you relive, if you don't mind my asking," showing the first signs of empathy realizing this might be an extremely personal question. He figured since he was already meddling he might as well.

"Uh- sure, I don't mind, it's just no one's ever asked. But the first time I saw a Dementor I relived the day my parents died. Their final moments in Godric's Hollow. I heard my mom begging for my life, then her screams and I fainted after that." Harry still felt a chill run though his back remembering that sick feeling.

"I guess it's never been a picnic being Harry Potter,"Draco said hoping this conveyed that could sympathize with him.

"No, it hasn't." Harry didn't want the conversation to get stuck at that and moved it along to other topics. "Also Remus, or Professor Lupin was a werewolf and we almost got Snape along with ourselves attacked by him that night," Harry added.

"Yeah, I found that out later about him being a werewolf," Draco replied "bloody stupid having him teach students. How any of us made it out alive from that school will always be a mystery. I have a question. How exactly did you manage to help a wanted convict escape from the ministries grasp. It's something I heard discussed later on amongst Death Eaters but no one was ever sure. Pettigrew retold the events but from where he left off, Sirius was all placed to get the Dementor's Kiss."

"You won't believe me when I tell you," Harry warned but only as a precaution for he had every intention of telling him.

"I'll be the judge of that," Draco challenged back.

"During third year, Hermione took on more classes than the rest of us," Harry began.

"That's not necessarily earth shattering Potter, that's the definition of Granger."

"Well let me finish. She was taking so many classes, Professor McGonagall had to request a Time Turner from the ministry so Hermione could attend all her classes." Harry stopped there noticing the expression on Draco's face. He had just taken a sip of his tea and seemed that it was going right back out. After a few spurts and coughs and finally clearing his throat Malfoy spoke up.

"You're kidding! Granger had something like that in her hands and she used it to take more classes?! She really wouldn't have known fun if it hit her on the face," he finished secretly admiring the witch's intellect.

"Well not just for class. That's how we were able to save two innocent lives that night. And don't give me that look, Buckbeak was innocent," Harry added jokingly seeing the mock indignation on Malfoy's face.

"I'll concede that my younger self would have done well by listening to instructions that day. So that's how you guys did it then, a Time-Turner. I never would have guessed. Just like that, you went back and everything was fixed?"

"Well it was more difficult than that. Time traveling is a tricky thing and we had to avoid beeing seen. It was a headache and miracle that we succeed that night. Mostly we made it out because of Hermione's quick thinking. Ron sat that one out, he got injured." Now reliving that story it was Harry's turn for a question about something that always baffled him.

"So what was your problem with Hermione, or was she just a victim by proximity?"

"It was partly that she was part of the Golden Trio but it wasn't the whole reason. I never actually knew what it meant to call somebody a "mudblood", it was something I heard. I didn't understand the ramifications at that age. But most of the cause of lies with a small crush I was harboring for the insufferable know-it-all bushy-haired bookworm that she was," Draco willingly confessed for an unknown reason.

"No way!" exclaimed Harry. He couldn't believe it but it made sense to finally see the reasons behind the actions. "Hermione will never believe that, damn and I didn't get that in writing, she'll think I've gone mad," Harry continued his ramblings.

Draco laughed, it was getting easier to do so but the absurdity of it all struck him. Imagining what would be of Granger once she heard, he kind of wanted to be there when she found out. A resolve was forming in his mind.

"I might be able to validate your statement," Draco began.

"What do you mean," questioned Harry, not knowing where Malfoy's thoughts were headed.

"Well this conversation has brought up a lot of things from my past and I'm becoming aware that there might be my own conversations that need to be held. I might look up Granger, mostly to apologize for some of my past deeds. They've weighed heavily for all these years. You may be onto something with all this Potter."

"I won't discourage or encourage you, all I can say is make sure you're ready. I've seen several people with this and found that I've not always been ready to let some things go. If anything just make sure you're honest, if not with anybody else at least be honest with yourself," he finished sounding more Dumbledore-like than he wanted to.

After a small silence then Harry decided to moved on.

"Fourth year was where the real changes began. That year I really didn't enter my name in the Goblet of Fire. Moody wasn't actually Moody during the whole year, he was a Death Eater long believed to be dead, Barty Crouch (son of Mr. Crouch) under the Polyjuice potion. He had been placed there to make sure I made it to that final and that I placed my hand on the trophy first. He didn't count on my noble side and the price for that was Cedric's life. I did see Voldemort rise with help of my own blood and still have the scar," Harry stated lifting his left arm sleeve to reveal the scar that he'd carried all this time. "I guess that marked the official end of my childhood, it changed everything. Everything moved up a level, I knew I'd stepped into a world that would no longer consider me being underage as a reason to back down. Those were dangerous times unlike I'd faced before."

"Things changed for all of us Potter. My father told me of the events that night. You left off some details. Like the fact you went wand to wand up against the Dark Lord. You actually dueled him and got away with you life. I remember how panicked many were, you weren't suppose to have made it out alive that night. I hadn't been brought into the fold completely by that year but things were moving toward that way quickly. I heard the plan to shun you out, make you seem unstable, discredit you and I felt fear. I feared your resolve would fall, that it'd be too much." Draco admitted not feeling an ounce or remorse or embarrassment for revealing that.

"Some days I really wanted to, things didn't get easier from then on, they just got harder and harder. I didn't know you cared Malfoy," Harry finished hoping he would take the bait and hit him with a comeback.

"Believe it or not, there were many on the Dark side who were secretly championing for you to succeed. Once they saw what the Dark Lord's wrath could entail many wanted out but knew this wasn't a subscription you could simply cancel. Our lives as much as your were always in danger." Draco answered again with the truth knowing Harry wanted to lighten the mood but wanting him to understand that things were never black and white.

… to be continued...

-(There's still a lot of material. This is a short section but I'm trying to find the best places to cut them off.)