My Dear Volaticus
by kittenvks
Disclaimer: I own nothing
warnings: HPDM, slash, yaoi, homosexuality. Don't like it? Don't read it. Flamers to the left.
Chapter Two: The Wrath of Lucius Malfoy
"Well, Lucius, let us go check the Infirmary one more time," Dumbledore said, sighing. The normally composed elder Malfoy was fuming, and beginning to panic at the loss of his son, "if he's not there, we will assume he is okay until we know otherwise. It is wise to remain calm in these situations."
"Calm? I am the picture of calm," Lucius snapped, his eyes scanning the Great Hall for the tell tale shock of blonde hair, "I am merely concerned for my son's well being. Draco is my only son you know." he added, raising gracefully from where he sat at the Head Table with Dumbledore. All of the students were doing their best not to get caugh staring at such an imposing man. Dumbledore rose with him, Snape following close behind. Neither of the Slytherin Alumni had eaten that morning. As they crossed the hall, Dumbledore seemed to think of something, remembering what Lucius had just said.
"It's not that it would matter, Lucius, if he were your only child or one of twenty. I think that you would still exhibit the same emotion." Lucius merely cast a glare at him, choosing not to say anything.
"As if Lucius *would* breed. Like those... where *is* Potter?" Snape said, glancing around as they opened the Great Hall doors.
As if answering his question, the young Gryffindor was running past them, yelling. He didn't even bother to look at who he was yelling at, a dark bundle draped in his arms,
"Get Dumbledore! And Lucius Malfoy! HURRY!" he yelled, racing down the hall out of sight. The three adults stood there, shocked, watching him. As Harry rounded the corner for the Hospital Wing, Draco's head fell back, showing the white blonde trademark of the Malfoys.
"Draco!" Lucius hissed, rushing after them, Dumbledore and Snape close behind.
Having spent a lot of time outrunning Death Eaters, Voldemort, and even his cousin Dudley and his friends, Harry was blatantly the faster of the lot. He rushed into the infirmary, Madame Pomphrey rushing up to him.
"What's happened?!" she asked, levitating Draco from his arms, onto a hospital bed.
"I- I don't know," Harry panted, leaned over and gasping for breath, "he was on the Quidditch Pitch, with Hermione. She said he'd been poisoned!" Harry fell to the floor, trying to regain his breath as Madame Pomphrey curtly nodded, rushing around to help him and Lucius Malfoy burst through the doors,
"Draco!" he rushed to his sons side, tilting the boys head to look at him, Draco did not move, "Draco?" Lucius asked, his calm mask breaking for only a moment before glancing up at Harry, "what happened?"
"I-I don't know Mr. Malfoy," Harry said, pulling himself up to stand and face Lucius.
"Potter! What did you do?" Lucius asked again, leaning his cane out away from him.
"I'm sure there's a reasonable explination for all of this," Dumbledore said, surveying the situation as Snape rushed forward to assist Madame Pomphrey.
"I'm afraid there isn't, Sirs. We were on the Pitch, getting ready to practice. Hermione went to sit on the stands, and the Slytherins showed up looking for him. They said Lucius was here, and that it was important. I honestly didn't know he was there," Harry said as Hermione and Ron burst through the doors.
"I did." Hermione said, "I lied and told them I didn't know where he was, he didn't want to be found and it wasn't my business. He looked a lot worse before I helped him. He was terribly dirty. He let me scan him over and I realized he'd been poisoned and I had Harry bring him. Harry's the fastest."
"He passed out, on the broom. He.. he did say his back hurt," Harry said, scowling at Hermione who looked terribly frightened.
"If- If I had *known*," she said, getting teary, "I'd have made him come much faster... he seemed okay. Maybe a little hung over or something, but okay... I didn't know." she glanced woefully up at the elder Malfoy who was watching them all carefully under a very intense gaze.
Upon hearing their story, Snape grabbed Draco's limp body, turning him over. The backs of his robes were shredded, two large scrapes running down the pale skin. Hagrid came through then, Blaise Zabini at his heels and Madame Pomphrey looked very irritated at how her Infirmary was filling up, and only having one patient.
"Dumbledore," Hagrid began, glancing at Draco, "oh, you've found him, thank goodness. There's a Wyrm trying to get onto the school grounds. Two technically, though one is dead."
"They must be a mated pair then," Dumbledore said, "I imagine he'll grab the wounded one and go back into the forrest Hagrid."
"No, sir, it's too wounded. It's gonna die. I've got all the students off the grounds."
"That's what's gotten Draco, Lucius." Snape said, coming forward, "he must have been attacked." Lucius allowed a snarl to escape his lips,
"They'll only continue to attack, now that one is wounded," Hagrid added, "we have to push them back into the forrest."
"Patrem," Blaise said, stepping forward, "will- will Dray be okay?"
"He will be fine," Lucius said, nodding, "Draco is a fighter. Now, little fillius, I am going to take care of these Wyrms."
"Hagrid and I will be joining you," Dumbledore said, nodding and following the other two Slytherin's out.
"I suppose we're going too?" Ron said, sighing and looking at Harry. Harry nodded, grabbing his wand. Snape scowled,
"there will be no need for that, Lucius Malfoy is a highly accomplished wizard. Go back to your dormitories."
"I inted to see this thing through," Harry snapped, glancing at the shaking Hermione. She nodded in understanding. The three turned and rushed from the infirmary to join the adults and Zabini just outside the doors.
"Hey, Hermione, what was that? That they were calling each other?" Ron whispered, watching the group ahead of them.
"Patrem- meaning father. Fillius- meaning son. You've never noticed how close Zabini is to Malfoy?"
"No, we don't really pay that much attention to them." Harry bit out, drawing his wand as they neared the Forbidden Forrest and caught up to the rest of the group. Lucius was holding a wand now, his cane mysteriously gone. Dumbledore was glancing around, his own wand drawn.
"This is where they were, Patrem," Blaise said, searching the forrest carefully.
"Stay behind me," Lucius said, glancing down at the younger Slytherin.
The hair stood up on the backs of their arms and necks, causing Ron to shiver, remembering the giant spiders.
"You students really should go back to the castle. Wyrms are dangerous things, yeh know." Hagrid said, scanning the area. Ron snorted,
"I'd love to Hagrid, really. Unfortunately," Ron said, pointing his wand at a nearby bush as a rabbit rushed off,
"Where Harry goes, we go," Hermione said, looking up into a nearby tree.
"I'm not going to be in the dark on this one," Harry said, peering behind a large rock.
"Potter!" Lucius snapped, "if you're going to insist on being here, do stay where I can see you. I'll not have a student-"
"There'sssss anothhher one." Harry heard something, in Parseltongue, say. It drowned out whatever Lucius was saying.
"Hagrid... do... do Wyrm's speak Parseltongue?" Harry asked, spinning around to see where the voice had coming.
"No, Harry, why?"
"Something here, does." Harry said shivering.
"You idiots," Lucius hissed, suddenly backing away from the edge of the forrest,
are you sure they were Wyrms?"
"Quite sure, Malfoy." Hagrid snapped, glancing around. Nothing had made itself seen to be frightened of, yet the elder Malfoy appeared ready for battle.
"Are there Kobaloi in these woods, Headmaster?" Lucius asked, brandishing his wand at a shadow. Dumbledore nodded, eyes widening.
"Children! Run! Get back to the castle, Blaise, get Severus and Hermione, Harry, Ron you get Minerva- GO!" He ordered. Ron, Blaise, and Hermione turned and took off, racing up the hill.
"I'm not leaving you and Hagrid out here!" Harry yelled, "Do they speak Parseletongue?"
"They do! Boy, where are they?" Lucius said, turning slowly. The things spoke again,
"He'sss a bit bigger thhhan thhe othhher one," it said.
"Ohhh but hhhe'll be rathhhher tasssty," another one announced.
"Harry, be wary. Kobaloi are shapeshifters, tricksters, and *will* harm you. Keep your wits about you." Dumbledore said, glancing around.
"Malfoy! They're talking about you I think, that you're bigger than the other one... if they're what poisoned your son that is," Harry said, coming to stand next to the blonde wizard.
"They'll burn the flesh from my skin, Potter, where are they?" Lucius hissed, his eyes never leaving the shadows. Harry listened to them, tuning in to their whispers. He realized all to late that they were directly in front of them. A flash of white rushed forward and Harry cast a shield, using the wandless magic he'd just learned. Lucius gave him a startled glance before casting a curse, throwing the thing backwards.
"Get hhhim!" a voice yelled, only Harry could hear it.
"He'll kill you!" Harry yelled back in their language. Startled the thing changed shape, this time into a giant snake and it rushed at Harry's shield. Dumbledore and Hagrid rushed forward, casting their own spells and sending it flying back. The group turned, the four of them back to back, wands drawn. Watching and waiting. They had grown silent now and Harry feared it was because they realized he could hear them.
Draco Malfoy walked from the woods, looking fine and smirking.
"Father," he said, "what's going on?"
"Draco?" Lucius was confused a moment, stepping back.
"Lucius, it may not be your son," Dumbledore said, wand pointed at the creature.
"What are you talking about?" Draco drawled, "of course it's me, I came out to the woods last night and those things-" he pointed into the shadows, "they bit me. Attacked me, for no reason might I add. You really should work on the protection around the forrest you know... I think they're gone now though, they went rushing past me."
"Do not lower your shield, Harry," Dumbledore said, still eyeing the thing suspiciously.
"Harry, I'd just like to see my Father, it's been a long time," Draco said, holding his hands up in a sign of peace. Harry began to laugh.
"You just fucked up," he said, "Malfoy *never* calls me Harry- *ever*." Lucius pointed his wand at the image of his son, debating.
"Well, excuse me *Potter*- desperate times you know, lower the shield. I can tell you anything you want to know about Hogwarts, to prove it's me."
"Where did we meet then?" Harry said, "the first time. Where did you meet me?" he thought for a moment that that was very clever. Hermione would be proud.
"Here at Hogwarts, I saw you first outside here," he said easily.
"Hmmm, from the woods, you saw me meet Malfoy huh?" Harry asked, strengthening his shield, "how long have you been watching him? Me?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, Potter."
"Funny, because Blaise can testify that that's where we met." Draco replied, Blaise emerging from the woods, looking flushed from running. He was holding his side, looking as though he had a stitch.
"It's Draco, it really is," he said, breathing heavily.
"Funny how you healed so quickly," Dumbledore said, his hand resting on Harry's shoulder, "what's wrong Blaise, are you hurt?"
"I fell," the image of Blaise retorted, "why are you all acting like this?"
Harry shivered, it was starting to take real effort to hold up the shield and he could tell Dumbledore and Hagrid were also getting tired of it.
"Malfoy, think, think hard. Where did you *first* meet me?" he asked again.
"Out on the grounds, in front of the entrance," the mock Draco snapped. Harry grinned, dropping the shield and backing toward Lucius without realizing it. The elder Malfoy seemed to know what he was doing afterall.
"Funny, because we first met in Madame Malkim's robe shop." he snapped, brandishing his wand, "stupefy!"
Lucius, upon hearing this, stepped forward quickly, flicking his wand violently. No words left his mouth and both boys screamed in pain, raising into the air.
"No one attacks *my* son," Lucius snapped, slinging both around to slam into a nearby tree.
"Lucius!" It was Snape, and McGonagall, running toward them. Lucius faltered, glancing at the body still in the shape of his son. The figure of Blaise seemed to shrink and melt into the ground, but the figure of Draco lept forward, teeth now fangs, bared and glistening with poison.
"Confringo!" Harry cried, setting the forrest floor ablaze. Lucius curtly nodded at him before brandishing his own wand forward while Dumbledore and Hagrid went back to shielding. Minerva McGonagall rushed forward, raising the things body high above the flames, it lashed out, reaching for Harry.
"Sectumsempra!" Lucius said, slashing at it with bits of magic. Harry stared at him. Lucius' eyes seemed to glow with a silver fury that was frightening. Briefly he wondered if his own father had looked like that when he'd died protecting him. When he snapped from his thoughts, it was over. McGonagall was putting out the blaze and Snape and Lucius were standing near Dumbledore.
"Well," the Headmaster said, looking around, "I think they're gone. Thank you for your help Harry, you may return to your dorms or accompany us- either way, Severus," he said, cutting off an objection from the Potions Master, "he's earned his right to know what's going on." They all began walking back toward the castle. McGonagall and Hagrid had stayed behind, cleaning up the mess. Harry was confused. He didn't know what posessed him to help the elder Malfoy. He was a Death Eater, afterall. Harry wasn't even sure how the man had been cleared, and why had he helped him? The thing could have killed him, and Harry could have let it but he hadn't. He knew he was going to go with them too, instead of retreating to the normal-ness of Hermione and Ron. He just felt compelled to do so, though he didn't know why. Maybe he was tired of being left in the dark of all the going ons of Hogwarts. That was the only logical explanation he could come up with. He didn't understand why those things had come so close to the school, Dumbledore obviously never thought they would have. He wondered if it had something to do with the attack on Draco. They had seemed very focused on Lucius, only wanting him and even mentioning Draco, but never the rest of their group. Registering that the adults were now talking, Harry snapped out of his reverie to watch and listen. He had followed them into the castle and were now nearing the Hospital Wing.
"...see if young Draco is doing any better," Dumbledore said, swinging the doors open to allow the others to enter first. He stopped Harry on his way in, "Harry, my boy, some things... even the things we hear about those we do not trust, should never be repeated. Out of respect, you understand?" his eyes were twinkling again, meaning he knew something Harry didn't. He nodded in response though he inwardly groaned. Things were about to get nuts.
"When my father," Draco was saying to Madame Pomphrey, obviously angry, when he saw them walk in, "Father! I insist that I be released, I feel fine and no one will let me out. of. here..." he trailed off at the look on Lucius' face. One Harry couldn't see, so he moved around the room to sit in a nearby chair, exhausted. Draco glared at him, seething, "what are *you* doing here, Potter?"
"Draco," Lucius said cooly, drawing his sons attention, "leave him be. He helped fend off the Kobaloi that attacked you."
"Kobaloi don't attack wizards unless provoked," Draco said, thinking carefully. Harry snorted, glaring,
"well, then did you provoke one?! You're good at provoking people!"
"I don't actually remember," Draco snapped, falling back against the pillow.
"What is the last thing you remember, Draco?" Lucius asked, remaining standing while everyone else (except for Snape) took a seat.
"Well, I was headed up from the dungeons for dinner, last night... I remember their being a lot of pain then. So... I went outside, to try to breathe. I remember feeling like i couldn't breathe. Then, the next thing I remember is falling out of the Forbidden Forrest and I was in a lot of pain. Something tried to grab me. Then... nothing. I woke up in the Gryffindor stands and then Granger showed up with Potter and Weasel. That's it. You know the rest," Draco replied, deep in thought. Lucius sighed, passing a very meaningful glance at Snape, before beginning to pace. Harry didn't miss the glance or the wince Draco did, watching his father pace. Harry looked between the two,
"It's remarkable you know, like looking into the future," he said, not realizing he'd spoke out loud. Everyone turned to stare at him.
"What is?" Lucius asked, obviously irritated. Harry flushed a bit, realizing he'd said what he was thinking,
"The resemblance between you and your son, sorry. I'm just a bit confused with all this and why I'm even here," Harry said, running his hands through his black hair. Lucius looked down at Draco who merely looked annoyed. Snape and Lucius traded another significant look. Draco didn't miss that one, nor did Harry. Dumbeldore sat idly by, looking very interested and sucking on a lemon drop he'd gotten from Merlin-knows-where.
"Is the boy an empath?" Lucius asked, turning to Dumbledore and gesturing at Harry.
"A what?" Harry asked, but was ignored. Dumbledore shook his head,
"No, while Harry is very compassionate to others, he is not an empath, Lucius. In any case-"
"A what? What is that?" Harry asked, only to be ignored again as Dumbledore went on.
"-he and your son have never been on the best of terms. You know this." he finished, gazing up at Lucius, not the least bit intimidated.
"Then why does he seemingly feel the need to be here?" Snape asked, gesturing back at Harry. Realizing that they were going to ignore him anyway, Harry slumped back, growling.
' "An empath is someone who feels and projects other people's emotions. They're wondering if you're feeding off of me," Draco snapped, obviously just as annoyed.
"Well- I don't know why I'm here. I just am. It doesn't make sense." Harry snapped back, sitting up.
"Then go," Draco bit off, gesturing to the doors, "I know that *I* certainly don't want you here." Harry stared at him a bit, confused. He could go, but his gut told him to stay.
"I can't." Harry growled, only then realizing he'd been slowly moving his chair closer to Draco's bed. He stopped, shocked and sat back with a huff, "something just tells me to stay. Besides, I want to know just what the hell is going on."
"It's none of your business Potter!" Draco cried out, flopping back again, exasperated. Harry scowled, it was none of his business. The two of them glared at each other, both just as frustrated and angry.
"Well then you shouldn't have gotten yourself nearly killed!" Harry hissed, leaning back in even though he didn't realize he was doing it. Draco sat up swiftly, leaning in as well,
"I. Don't. Remember. It." he snarled, his gray eyes alive with fury, "it's. not. my. fault."
"Probably is." Harry said, whispering. He didn't know why he was whispering but inside his head, alarms were going off. He was too close to Malfoy, way too close. The silence around them seemed to break as they both realized that they were only inches apart. Both boys turned to look at the adults who were all now standing, staring at them quietly. Lucius and Snape shared another significant glance, but allowed Dumbledore to share the glance as well, nodding.
"Stop that!" Draco snapped, crossing his arms over his chest.
"It *is* annoying." Harry agreed, nodding. Then standing, he went to leave, "I am going to go get something to eat, since no one is coming off anything useful." Something stopped him though, a slight pull in his gut and he turned to look back at Draco. "Hey, Malfoy." Draco sighed, looking up at him and looking very irritated,
"what is it Potter?"
"Where did we first meet?"
"What?" Draco asked, eyes widening. It was an unsual question.
"In the forrest, that thing, it took your shape. I asked it where we met. To determine if it was... you or not... do you even remember? Or would I have attacked you, if it had been *you*. I'd like to know," Harry replied, crossing his arms over his own chest defensively. Draco scowled back at him suspiciously for a moment before replying,
"The first time? Madame Malkin's robe shop."
"Okay. Thanks... I guess." Harry said and he left. Snape and Lucius and Dumbledore all shared the same meaningful looks. Again. Draco snarled,
"Just *stop* that!"