Chapter XIV: Secret Meetings I

There were now only about two and half weeks of winter vacation left and Harry didn't like the idea of going back to Hogwarts for the rest of the term nor for the whole rest of their last year, but he also now saw it as a necessity as well despite the horrible and deep-seated feelings going on inside of him about it.

The raven haired lord had many enemies; many more than he once did before he became a lord at all, and he was well aware of it after a few skirmishes last summer after he had escaped his summer prison in his aunt's home. The fact that Draco would be targeted just because he was who he was made him infuriated though he knew there was nothing he could do to stop it. Harry also knew that his blonde-haired mate was also targeted now for defying his father's former lord and master, which made it worse on him too and Harry had double trouble trying to keep them both safe from harm on all sides.

Harry sighed as he sat in the villa's study area and rifled through the many papers before him. Harry and Draco had completed the emotional bond the week before and it was for the best, however, the next phase had to be done during the full moon and that meant whilst they were back at school too. The new lord to a dying House internally was aware that pulling this off would be difficult, stressful and dangerous for the both of them; but he wouldn't have changed anything in this for the world except perhaps if they might have reached Narcissa sooner and so she was still here with them.

Harry had his share of secrets too that he had yet to tell his mate of, and some of these secrets his mate may already be suspicious about. Like the fact he had mentioned being contacted by the high council and doing what they wanted during his initial discussion with Severus after being attack by Natalia Eruiyna. It was true that he had been, but that suggested that Harry was also a part of the council to some degree if Draco had listened and took the clues given then.

Harry knew that his blonde mate was quite intelligent and if he was given enough evidence that the Slytherin side of him would play detective and figure it out eventually. Harry was a part of the high council and an elite part of it due to his lineage, but he had not said anything to Draco about this yet as he had enough to worry about as it was.

By worries he meant about today more than anything. Harry had written his friends as Draco had about their impromptu decision to return and the plans involved in this by coded letter form, but today they were actually venturing to Hogwarts under invisibility to speak with Minerva about her allegiance to the war-front. Both mates were hoping to garner her support for their side if possible since Severus had mentioned it might be.

They knew their professor would at least be willing to hear them out and so this was a positive sign, but whether or not she agreed to side with them…this would decide if their escape from the castle would be easy or hard today.

Draco entered the study with a soft knock and appeared ready to leave. Harry's mouth internally watered at sight. Draco's hair was gelled, but not flat to his skull. Instead it had more of spiked look. But his clothes were what made Harry want him more.

Of all the things Draco could have worn today…

There in all his ethereal glory stood Draco in a pair of jeans that hugged his waist just right. He wore no belt to hold them up, which indicated the jeans had been tailored to fit him this way on purpose, but that still didn't take away from the image. His torso was the accentuating the jeans by being covered in pearl grey silk long-sleeved and button-down shirt that was left un-tucked while the top two buttons were undone.

Harry's mouth watered and then went dry as he tried to regain focus so they could leave. His lower regions had a different idea as it came to life immediately and wanted relief now. Harry inwardly cursed teenage hormones as he stood to leave with Draco.

Harry smirked as he played with an idea in his head. If he had to be this uncomfortable during this meeting, then why shouldn't his mate suffer the same way he was going to have to?

Harry walked over to Draco and appeared calm. He didn't want Draco to suspect his idea and be able to counter it so easily.

"So, we will leave for Hogwarts shortly. I will cast a temporary invisibility charm on both of us and we will apparate to Hogsmeade before proceeding to walk to the castle's gate." Harry told Draco

Draco nodded in understanding and sighed as he prepared himself mentally for this.

"As you know, Severus's recent bad news has had an impact on how we will get through the gate due to Albus's new level of paranoia. Luckily, I know for certain that a friend of our esteemed headmaster is supposed to be visiting around the same time, so when the new Auror gate guards allow him through; we will cease the opportunity to go through as well but be undetected as we do so." Harry said

"Harry, who exactly is it that is visiting and that we are supposed to be following inside?" Draco asked

"Kingsley Shacklebolt. He's a highly valued member of the Order due to his high Auror rank in the Ministry of late and I know he also might perhaps side with me too. However, right now we have enough to worry about as it is, and so we'll discuss this later when more appropriate. I don't doubt Severus will have news for us after this meeting, and that could be good or bad."

Draco nodded as he was seemingly lost to thoughts.

Harry wrapped his arms around Draco, "Don't worry too much about it. At least we won't have to try and follow Alastor Moody inside the castle today. That would have been a touch more difficult due to his damnable eye that sees all things invisible to everyone else."

Draco smiled, "I suppose that's true."

"By the way Draco," Harry smirked as his arms tighten around his waist, "I want you to know that you look absolutely eatable in those clothes and I am hard-pressed not to purposely make us late just so I can ravish you out of those clothes."

This was all stated as Harry licked the shell of Draco's ear and his hips bucked into his mate to let him know exactly how turned on he was by those clothes. Draco's breath had hitched as he tried to not moan.

Draco had accidently pushed back into the buck of his mate's hips before he smirked and turned around before Harry could progress further on him.

"Well, it seems someone wants to play. Unfortunately, as much as I'd love to…we have somewhere to be and the person waiting is the one who has the shortest fuse for tardiness in the castle besides perhaps one other being there. I don't think we should keep her waiting too long." Draco breathed in husky whisper

Harry's expression changed instantly and Draco knew tonight was going to be long for him and this stunt.

"Then shall we?" Harry purred at Draco as he held out his hand to him

Draco smirked, "Of course."

They apparated out of the villa and landed directly onto the grounds of Hogsmeade village where their mission was just beginning to unfold for the new war-front efforts being made by both of them together. The benefit of power in transportation for the two mates; they could apparate longer distances without needing to make several stops during travel times to regain some magical energy before apparating again if necessary.

Once they arrived in the village, the people there had stared immediately at the two as they sensed their powers and knew they were not your average powerful wizards automatically even if they did not recognize them. They, however, were not threatened by the feel of their powers so they watched them as the two headed towards Hogwarts. They assumed Albus had summoned them for the war and his plight for aid and let them be.

Harry ignored it for the most part as he was used to it by now and Draco followed the example even though he was slightly unnerved since he was not so used to this kind of attention even if the Malfoy name did go far and wide among the masses. At least they were in their true appearances, meaning Harry looked more like a dark elf than human and Draco seemed more veela than human to them, so they were not as easily recognized.

Their clothes alone stated they were rather wealthy and could afford anything they desired, so the village folk either were wary of approaching them or they just kept their distance to make sure they remained safe if the two had proved to be a threat. Their clothes may not have been traditional wizard robes, but even muggle clothing had standards and you could tell when it is better made than others.

Harry cast several charms over them. One charm cast was done so that it kept their clothes dry despite the snow on the ground. A warming charm so they didn't freeze to death from the colder weather than where they were before and since they both had left their cloaks behind.

Finally, when they had reached the entrance of the village amid the stares and the whispers of whom people thought they might be; Harry cast a nonverbal and wandless invisibility charm over them and they disappeared from sight as well as their snow tracks. Harry snorted in laughter under his breath though and Draco just shook his head at the villagers' displacement. Oh how an inheritance can change a person? Harry was barely recognizable in his elven look unless you knew what to look for on him and most yet did not.

"I can hardly wait till everyone realizes they saw the new Harry Potter look and didn't even realize it was me?" Harry said half amused and half sarcastic through the link they shared mentally now since they were supposed to be un-seeable to everyone else

Draco smiled at this, "At least none of them were brave enough to approach us and interrogate us on the spot." He laughed softly and quietly in response

Harry shrugged, "Wouldn't have made too much of difference if they did because you and I know we could easily best anyone there in a duel and or avoid them with more spell-casting."

Draco rolled his eyes now, "Of course, the answer to everything. Just cast more magic to avoid trouble or carefully beat down your interrogator without killing him in anger first."

Harry smirked at this as Draco shuddered pleasurably to that response while Harry pretended he hadn't noticed it in the link between them and filed it away for later re-evaluation, "Well not always the answer. Had this person been a reporter and annoyed me too much…as a statement to his or her business of collecting gossip and of me wanting my privacy for us both; I might have just landed the poor soul in the hospital for a few days to teach them a lesson about no is no in my book."

Draco stared at his mate now.

Harry shrugged again, "You honestly can't blame me since I have been dealing with our media since I first arrived here to our community again after spending the first eleven years away from it believing I was worthless only to be turned into a boy hero for a world I barely remembered yet. Our media system needs revised badly on numerous accounts and one of the first things I plan to cover after the war and all of the major security issues are done and out of the way."

Draco nodded wisely, "I see your point though your treatment by your relatives still angers me at times when mentioned, but you did the right thing for Petunia and Dudley. They need you now more than ever and to hold a grudge would be stupid even if most would."

"However, you never really did ask for our newspaper and magazine companies to attack you the way they did over the years, but still yet they hounded you until you had given in and this was to try and appease their ferocious appetites for gossip about you and whatever else they wanted. In turn, when you had given them what they wanted; it had only made it much worse afterwards." Draco said sagely

Harry nodded, "Exactly, and now that I'll need my high titles more often; the media will be practically stalking me if something isn't done after the war and quickly. Once the war is over, and if we ever have children when we feel timing is more correct…I don't want them to have to deal with the stress our media system causes us now. It is not fair to them as much as it is to us right now either."

Draco stayed quiet to this as he pondered the realities and revelations made by this statement.

"On top of the fact that I will be likely heralded as a war hero after it is over. You will likely be seen several ways during and after the war. I imagine people will assume you will side as your father did when you did not."

"Then they will ultimately see you with me a lot more and possibly my friends too. This will cause a questioning among them about what happened and then it may lead to an ugly reveal of our relationship as soul-mates in time."

"This to Tom's faction for the current war makes you equally as targeted as me now, so we will have to step up our training regimen together as mates and knowing our abilities. Knowing how they effectively work together in a lethal combat scenario so we're not disadvantaged by this and how is the best way to use them given a random situation at any given amount of time."

"This is on top of the public criticism from our esteemed local community, of course. They will know me as the innocent seemingly boy hero they adore and you as the son of a former death eater as much as I am sorry this hurts you to hear me say." Harry scowled darkly while still invisible as they walked on toward the gate slowly.

"They will likely think you coerced me to think that I was your mate unwillingly when we know that isn't true at all. The Ministry may get in our way, but if that should occur; I'll fight fire with equally burning fire since the public has no evidence of coercion."

"In time though, after all this, they will recognize me as Lord Peverell and you as my chosen soul-mate. The one that…despite all odds against us now; I have come to love more than anything else in this world. Draco, please know that you are all I have left to keep me grounded here in this world. I hope you realize that for me there is no one else and there never will be." Harry said softly

Draco was shocked beyond words to this. Harry had more control over his emotions than he used to, but his inheritance shined through in this moment as the maturity in his words hit Draco like a smack to his face. The veela in Draco honestly had not thought of the repercussion of a relationship between them once they had graduated and left the safety of Hogwarts and so the blonde had not worried about that at all.

Even if the seemingly more logical side of Draco as a person had pondered over it once in a while. To know Harry cared so deeply for him so early in their bond cemented the fact more now than ever before that he had made the right choice in following him when he had been graced with the opportunity to do it nearly four months ago in September when school resumed again for their sixth year.

Draco smiled brightly though it went unseen as they were invisible but Harry felt it nonetheless through the link as the continued their mental heartfelt conversation, "Harry…I am lost for words right now to be honest. I never had really thought of our relationship and what it would look like to those outside the school once we left." He stated in a whisper mentally

"I know there will be criticism towards us, but the gravity of how heavy it might be has just hit me even if I had anticipated some backlash from it and wondered about our relationship like this occasionally from time to time. However, I don't doubt you will protect me if need be because I cannot do it for myself, especially if the Ministry involves itself. I-I have come to love you as well even if the timing has been short so far."

"Perhaps this is a little of the bond pushing us closer to strengthen it more rapidly than it should, I am unsure, but know that I am honored that you chose to give me a chance to be here beside you. Not only for the war, but also as your mate and bonded when many would have turned away from the idea even if it killed them to do it."

Harry smiled, "Time was not on our side for this as it was. My inheritance was early and forced as you know, which then catapulted your own by a year ahead of schedule because of my own beginning too early. This was so that we could relate on the same levels to the other after they had occurred. We've had to grow in magical knowledge, wisdom, and power to help the war end despite our young age. However, wisdom couldn't have been obtained by either of us without our inheritance forcing us to grow up mentally a whole lot, realize the reality of our world's state of affairs, and become mature enough to handle them as they come."

"I do not regret any of the changes I had to endure at this point, and I certainly do not regret saving you from yourself. If I had not, not only would you have been lost to me forever due to rage and bad decisions in a now rare moment of true grief due to lies told to you, but I would become a power more terrible to this community than Riddle is currently."

"You are my soul-mate. You are my words of comfort when my spirit is down and I see nothing but darkness, Draco. My light that leads me back to clarity when all seems lost forever behind me. You are the one who my mind thinks of when we are apart and the one I mentally know is waiting for me to come back while not considering if I will be able to come home at times, but just hoping and believing I will do so." Harry said honestly

Draco had never heard words directed at him that had moved him quite like this. He smiled and felt the spark of happy tears gather in his eyes. His life while it had had its share of hard times recently; it was more than he had hoped for if he lived to the end of the war because he knew he would be loved and not forced to marry out of convenience as his parents had at first before their bond was discovered.

"Harry, I think we should do the final part of the bond at school when it resumes. The power of the castle will protect us as she did before because she likes you Harry and knows you are one of her founder's children. This adds a level of strength to the final bond that nowhere else would have beside the Potter Estate, I believe." Draco said finally

"I agree." Harry said, "But Draco, after the third part is done we will be permanently tied for life. You know this and we both agree to it willingly. I am happy about this as I'm sure you are, but after this part is done will you also agree to formally marry me and make it legal to our world for everyone else to see?" Harry asked him with an invisible smile that Draco felt through the telepathic link

Draco's breath hitched as his body shuddered with excitement and a feeling of happiness that made him want to float away as he tried not to burst into a loud round of yeses to the scenery around them.

"I'd be honored to Harry." Draco said momentarily after he managed to somewhat calm him his mental state of emotions from overdoing it.

"Good. Then we will do this, but do you want a secret private wedding with just us and an officiator and have the advantage of it to surprise our friends with later on? Or would you rather wait till after graduation and have a big wedding with all our friends, considered family, and allies there to celebrate it with?" The raven lord asked diplomatically

"Keep in mind that a secret wedding for now is advantageous not just for surprises. The war is still looming and I hope to end it this year, but who knows what will occur in that time. Not only this, but it also allows the third part of our bond more time to seal together and time for us to learn our new abilities given to us by my clan after it before we ultimately are forced onto the battlefield." Harry said

"But I also know that this is a big event that friends, family, and others would want to see even if it would be semi-dangerous to hold such an event at this time. The news would be chaotic and definitely stir some good fun if we did this too. The choice is yours to make Draco, however, we will need to wait as Kingsley approaches now and we need to focus on what we came to do here."

Draco looked up and saw Harry was right and that Kingsley had arrived right on time to the castle as Severus mentioned. The Auror wore a grim expression on his visage and Harry momentarily wondered if something bad had occurred prior to his arrival. he hoped not...

The auror guards were thorough and scanned Kingsley through very effectively. Harry and Draco had to stand a good distance back to keep from being caught into his scans due to their power auras.

At last the scanning was over and Kingsley was given pass by the guard. Harry and Draco waited till he was a short distance from the gate and crossed the barrier line. They did not move further yet until the gate was shut and Kingsley was a short distance from them.

Harry knew they could apparate out once they had gotten inside, so escape was no worries. Just breaking and entering this time…

Draco had been observant of his mate's careful movements and followed them exactly so that he had a good chance of keeping this mission as safe for them as possible. Draco honestly believed Harry could easily pass for a Slytherin now as he could sneak around much better than before, which was saying something considering all of his little side adventures.

While Harry and Draco waited for Kingsley to pass to the second floor corridor towards the headmaster's office, the blonde whispered something to Harry and he nodded that this was probably a good idea.

Harry then raised a hand to McGonagall's office door and whispered the words, 'Confuto declamatio lacuna' as a very powerful silencing ward was placed on the door from the outside as they knocked on it softly to keep from alerting attention to themselves.

McGonagall let them in though she showed no surprise that there was outwardly no sign of anyone there at all. As the door shut and she turned around, what she saw took her breath away and she tried to remain calm.

Harry's elven appearance made him more like James than she had expected it to, and yet she saw the signs of Lily and of himself in it too. His dress jeans were perfectly fit to him as Draco's were and the black cashmere sweater he wore accentuated his new frame more than she had been allowed to notice while the term was on-going.

His eyes were no longer clouded by glasses and held knowledge, power, and a sense of wisdom to them she knew came from James's lineage after inheritance came for them. His top layer of raven black hair was pulled into a high pony-tail which gave you a clear view of his now long, thin, and pointed ears of his heritage. Ears she knew that in time would be able to hear all the voice in the castle and of the elemental spirits of the area. He was going to be a force to be reckoned with if anything and just by seeing him now showed her it had already started.

She then turned to Draco who was with him for some reasoning or another. He had changed a lot too from what she saw and could read without words. There was a sense of complacence between them and Draco seemed as though he could sense Harry's emotions as she stared them down.

"I see you both have changed in more ways than one this previous term. You both have changed more so than the staff here truly realized and honestly I am glad since this community needs as much hope as it can get. Seeing the full effect of these changes has given me this sense of hope I cannot deny or explain." Minerva smiled to them, "I am pleased to see you are safe and healthy despite the holidays and hard times with the war looming over all our heads."

"Minerva." Harry said in acknowledgement but did not lower his head to her as Draco nodded his head to her in respect

Minerva raised an eyebrow and lowered her head in respect with a smile, "Lord Peverell." She said gently and easily

Harry's lips turned into an upturned smile at this to her.

"You know why I have come then?" He asked her

McGonagall sat in her den and gestured for them to do the same and so they did as she pursed her lips together in irritation.

"To some extent yes, but Severus was not very good at describing all of why either?" She said, "I had assumed you came to retrieve the key Lily entrusted to me years ago and the few documents and files from the vault." She asked them curiously

Harry smiled hesitantly, "Yes that is partially why, but Severus did not describe all of why we are here because I did not feel it was safe to entrust it to him at that time due to the number of new ears here."

Minerva nodded, "Wise decision on your part, Harry. The castle is not the same as it once was anymore. The war has taken a toll on everyone here and the castle's aura seems to dim each day it continues on and new people who do not treasure the castle and it's sentience as a magical entity as it should are being allowed to pass through here for what seems as safety precautions."

Harry nodded in silence as he thought about this heavily.

"Minerva, I know you have served under Albus for a very long time and you consider him a good friend at the very least. He has shown our world what they wish to see while his true agenda is hidden by a thick black fog." Harry said to her seriously

Minerva nodded gravely, "I have suspected as such for many years, and especially after your mother and father were practically sacrificed to Riddle during the first war. It hurts to know a man I trusted once with my very life has betrayed me in such a way, but I wish to hear your side and of Albus's intentions before I choose either to side with you or from now on to remain neutral." She said

"I am old now, and my body while it can fight, does not have the stamina it used to for longer sustained combat if it needed it. Neutrality is an option I will endure if I feel I must and if I need to survive for some cause other than to fight to the bitter end of this damnable war my fellow classmate Riddle began years ago." She sighed heavily

Harry nodded in respect to this as Draco seemed surprised vaguely that Minerva had gone to school with Riddle like his grandfather had done.

She smiled, "Before we move onto such serious matters though, would you both like to join me for lunch?" She asked

Harry looked at Draco in question and he approved so Harry agreed to eat with her before moving onto more serious matters.

Minerva decided to be a sneak now as she snapped here fingers and called for a house-elf who had an exuberant way of greeting Harry each time he saw him.

"Dobby." She called

Harry and Draco smirked behind her. This would be interesting.

Dobby appeared in the room and looked to Minerva before he noticed Harry and Draco behind her and the ones he now called Masters when they were graduated and moved to the renovated Peverell estate.

"Masters Harry and Draco, Dobby is glad to see you both so well. Professor, is masters in trouble?" Dobby asked worriedly

Professor McGonagall was rather floored now. This was not the reaction she expected at all, but she went with the flow.

"No Dobby, they are not in trouble. We are just discussing some things that revolve the war and the dark master. But could you please bring us lunch since we need to eat?" She said kindly

Dobby nodded enthusiastically now, "Of course. Dobby will be bringing three lunch trays here momentarily. Are there any requests for the trays?"

Harry shook his head, "Not this time Dobby, however, after you do this for us I need you to go to check on Winky and her recovery progress at our estate in Bristol." Harry asked him

"Of course, Master Harry." Dobby said as he clapped, "I will be happy to as Winky fared much better last time I had saw her."

Harry smiled, "That's good."

Dobby disappeared as Minerva reseated herself in confusion.

"I think I am confused. Usually he bounces off the wall when he sees you and tries to tackle you with hugs to the floor?" Minerva said

Draco scowled at that as Harry smirked slightly.

"Yes, well Dobby now belongs to the Peverell family as a paid working elf there. He asked me to take him and Winky on because the other kitchen elves were starting to become annoyed with Winky's continual depression." Harry said

"I see." Minerva said, "So Harry, why exactly is Draco here with you? Not that I'm complaining, but I just find it odd is all."

Harry sighed, "Minerva, there is a lot of things that went on last term that most of the staff missed. Mostly due to me being in the hospital wing the first two weeks of the term and not knowing if Riddle would torture me into insanity through my mind link to him or death through those dreams or not."

Draco stiffened as he heard that pronouncement. He had not been aware that the strength of the dark lord's curses would still be full effect for his mate through his scar and those dreams.

Minerva nodded, "Go on then."

"After I woke up from two weeks of searing paining due to Cruciatus and other various curses, I kept to myself for a few days to catch up on what I missed while I was indisposed and recuperating. However, I particularly watched Draco during this time even if he had not been aware I had done this." Harry said

"We all remember last term when the newspapers were practically gloating over Lucius's death and the discovery that he had been a death eater in truth. It was hard for Draco to take the pressure of the media since he was used to being exposed to it in this way."

"However, when I read what the prophet had said caused Lucius's death, my blood boiled with anger and it broke one of the last straws in me. The papers lied but only because they didn't know any better." Harry told her seriously

Minerva gestured for him to continue as Dobby quietly brought the lunch trays and the disappeared with a pop out of the room. The quickly prepared their plates as Harry resumed the story.

"The reason I was in such pain for two weeks is because Tom had needed to know the contents of the prophecy we shattered in the department of mysteries last year along with at least half a dozen time turners." Harry said

"Riddle is getting desperate now, but then he was angry. Now, he is infuriated, desperate and he is currently resorting to any means to win this war by killing me and proving it by showing the community my dead corpse. For two weeks straight, all of the elites who confronted us at the Ministry were held captive in their own homes under guard of other elites."

"They were tortured by their own comrades in effort to loosen their tongues further to reveal anything any other one may not have said. The pain intensified the last week more than it should have though." Harry sighed

Minerva seemed concerned by this as Draco waited to see what he would say next.

"The second week and the last night of the pain I endured was when Lucius was called forth to Tom's interrogation room for the events of the happenings in the department of mysteries as all the others had been before him."

"Lucius was like Tom's right hand after Severus, but our professor was not on the mission so he was never interrogated. Lucius had been by far tortured the worst by his colleagues due to his position in the ranks next to their lord. Narcissa had bandaged and re-bandaged some of the wounds on him and I could tell Lucius was fading slightly despite her aid. He told her when he was summoned that if he didn't return that she was to tell Draco that he was proud of him and from now on to make the right choices in his life that he was not allowed to make because of Abraxas being a close confident to Riddle in school before his early death." Harry said

"What came of Lucius's summoning for interrogation turned into his cold blood murder of his right hand man out of petty anger for his seeming uselessness and non-importance." Harry said darkly

Minerva gasped in shock.

"The treason is not over yet though. Riddle had enough loyalty to a family who had served him for so long to be buried properly. So, he polyjuiced a person caught in his ranks for giving information to our side in exchange for safe harbor and an escape in to Lucius. The pseudo-body double was sent to the Ministry after being found dead by an auror who was tolling casualties after their last successful mission." Harry told them

"So, Lucius's name was slandered and his reputation at the Ministry ruined by this discovery. All this occurred as the real body of Lucius was banished to the foyer of Malfoy Manor where Narcissa found it two hours later after being cold." Harry said sadly

Minerva nodded, "I see. So Lucius wasn't truly killed by the aurors then? But what has this to do with Draco being here now?" She asked

Harry smiled slightly, "Everything I am afraid."

"Draco has never dealt with the media in such a way before nor did he know of the true way his father had died. Only I did and only I had the power to save him from despair and choice laced with regret if I wanted to."

"I told myself that even though Lucius was pretty much my enemy even at the time of his death that he obviously cared for Draco and Narcissa very much. Draco didn't deserve to walk the path his father had especially since it was based off of a lie."

For the first time in the room Draco spoke, "Then one evening, Pansy had been mothering me ever since that event and it had started to seemingly annoy me more than I could handle so at dinner I left the table and fled to the owlry for solace."

"I made an excuse to Hermione and left as well, knowing now might be my only chance to seek Draco out alone and to try and speak with him." Harry said

"When Harry reached the owlry, I remember thinking he was there to gloat more at me and this was the price I was paying now for all the taunts I made at him, so before he even said anything I told him if came to do just that then leave because I didn't care."

"Harry then told me he had not come to gloat or even make fun of me, but that he had some things I needed to know about my father's death that I should know of." Draco said sadly, "I scoffed at him and was thinking he seemed insane, but at the same time my gut told me to go see what Harry had to say even if it turned out to be nothing at all."

"I lead Draco to the room of requirement for our discussion." Harry said

Draco nodded in response, "Yeah, and that's really where this begins. Harry placed a kind of trust in me that I'd never experienced before; not even from Pansy or Blaise and they were who I considered my closest friends. Harry told me of the story of his parent murder from the betrayal of one friend and the imprisonment of another all orchestrated by an elderly headmaster in his chess game with this war."

"He told me of the significance of his scar Tom left on him and he showed me the event of his night of witnessing Tom's rebirth in the end of our Triwizard tournament. He then told me of what he had seen in his dreams during the extreme pain, which was in truth why he had been in the hospital wing rather than whatever the headmaster had told us all. Then he showed me the same events he had seen inside of his pensieve." Draco said

"It was in this moment I knew that my anger had been misplaced and I realized that I was about to join a cause I didn't want because of misleading information due to grief, anger and rage over everything around me." Draco said slowly as he felt McGonagall stare at him and Harry with wide eyes

"I told Draco he had options available to him." Harry said, "Draco decided in that moment he was not a pawn of the dark lord and decided to follow me. Ron and Hermione were not agreeable at first, but they have since come around and accepted Draco as one of us in a way."

Minerva chuckled, "I'm sure Ronald wasn't too thrilled about this to begin with at first?"

Harry laughed, "You're right he was not. However, surprisingly, it was Hermione who caused more headaches this time."

"How so?" Minerva queried curiously

"The usual things for her to say to me anyway in this situation I was involved into. It's not safe or do you have any idea that this could be a trap." Harry told them sarcastically

"Eventually they came around after questioning Draco's intentions. Draco willing had safeguarded all the secrets I told him initially to prove he wanted this friendship to work and yet my friends had been stubborn little wildcats and too blind to the big picture."

"Finally, I snapped at them and yelled on about how the sorting hat wished the houses would drop its prejudices to others and unite to survive the war and how their arguing against it was not showing progress of this and if they were so concerned for me even though no leaks of any of the things I told Draco had been spilled that perhaps they should just meet him when I went to talk to him later."

Draco smiled, "Keeping in mind that Harry and I had been continually meeting all last term during our shared lunch hour to plan a way to gain my houses's aid for Harry as Lord Peverell in the war and sharing stories of our childhoods and adventures here to the other."

"We figured that if the other Slytherin students saw Harry and I as friends first that their willingness to help him may come easier and it had in the end. My whole house, including myself, have sworn an old and traditional vow to stand beside Harry as Lord Peverell in the war and help him or to die trying."

Minerva was floored by this pronouncement as she had no idea and Severus had not even mentioned it to her or to the Order as far that went.

"However, Draco and my bond goes far beyond most of the rest of school." Harry said

"During Halloween last semester, Draco had wanted to hear of my childhood before I came here and back to our community. I told him, but at the cost of what I had believed to be our fragile friendship disintegrating."

"Instead he comforted me because I broke down. Halloween is typically trying for me due to it being the day my parents died for me. Draco and I discovered something though that day. Something neither of us ever would have expected from the other if we already had not amended our rivalry for the most part."

Draco smiled, "Harry and I discovered that we were soul-mates that day too."

Minerva's eyes widened as she lost the power speech.

"Minerva, we can continue our story another time but for now we have other thing that need addressed." Harry said as another elf came to take their plates away.

"Minerva, the prophecy foretells me being the only one being able to kill Riddle. You know this, but If I had not been given my inheritance early as I have been; I would have died a martyr to the madman." Harry said, "Albus knows that I will win now and he will allow me to kill Riddle. But for a man who sacrificed most of my clan to this war, what do think he intends to let me do after my job is done?" Harry asked her gravely

Minerva's brow quivered in thought rapidly to this as her brain now searched for an answer.

"Well, I can't imagine he'd try to outright kill you because the public would be in outrage and his reputation in shambles. I also don't think he would try to coerce you into vowing to leave and not come back because you are too aware of him now to notice this." She said

Harry nodded as Draco remained calm on the outside.

"I suppose he could try and convince the Ministry that although you killed Riddle; it was merely a grab of exchanged power for you from the former lord and that you aspire to be the next dark lord. Or perhaps…" She said with wide eyes and turned to Harry

Harry eyed her cautiously.

"Or perhaps he intends to lock and seal you away as a danger to our community." She whispered in a sad and fearful tone

Harry nodded, "Yes, that is what he intends to do if he manages to live long enough now to do it. His hand that has blackened is from one of Tom's seven horcruxes that maintains his soul's permanency here. It is fatal and he will die soon from it, but how soon I am uncertain."

"The high council cannot eliminate Albus or me because Tom fears us both for two different reasons. But the high lord and high councilor both want answers from the headmaster for his treasonous ways he has used my family's sacred knowledge for his own gain and his use of my family as sacrifices for his war let alone his own agenda."

"He wishes to seal me away because the headmaster is very aware I have much influence now within the Ministry and I can stop his agenda from coming to fruition. He knows I can stop him from corrupting our society beyond repair after the balance is semi-restored by Tom's defeat." Harry said, "However, Albus does not intend to use Azkaban or even Nurmengard as my holding place because he knows I am much too powerful now to be contained there. He intends to seal me in a place that has no chance of escape. He intends to use the forbidden magic of my family and to seal me in the Void." Harry said as his eyes hardened to ice at hers

Minerva was deathly pale now and oddly quiet as Draco was much the same. She had never known Albus was so dark inside like this. She had suspected he had dark secrets, whom he didn't want anyone to know of nowadays, but to have things like this was beyond her imagining.

Minerva gave a hard glance to Harry, "Lily's trust in me will not be in vain Lord Peverell, this I promise you. I will fight by you even if I don't survive this time. At least my help will aid towards a better future for our new generations ahead." She said sternly as she went to her desk and opened the top drawer of her desk. The drawer had a hidden compartment in it that only opened to her animagus tabby cat form scratching a particular indent in the inside with one claw. Once done, Minerva took the items inside and closed her desk up again briskly.

Harry and Draco walked over to her and she turned them with seriousness written about her features.

"Lord Peverell, as the last of your clan I am entrusting this to you and praying you will keep it safe as much as you keep Draco safe now. This key is the key to the ancestral Peverell vault and the key Albus has looked long and hard for even though I never knew why truly. I just felt it was not safe to give it to him and so I did not over these years."

"If either he or Tom manage to get this from you; we are doomed. The magical knowledge in that vault is forbidden for good reason and only you should be able to truly master it as you are the only true Peverell descendant left, Harry." Minerva told them, "That includes the knowledge of the Void and how it is done. I may have read it, but I never desired using it. I made my blood cold to even think about."

They nodded as they smiled for her support to them in this dire time of need.

"Minerva, I have a request of you?" Harry asked

She nodded.

"Please set up a time where I can meet Filius to discuss matters concerning the Potter Estate and my mother's laboratory there for next week. We need to arrive the same way we did this time, so perhaps you could invite a friend for tea and lunch?" Harry asked of her

Minerva nodded, "I can do that, but how do I reply to you the date?"

Harry handed her a slip of paper as he made Draco and himself disappear in the wave of his hand and leaving a stunned but very happy professor behind them.

"My, my how you have grown Harry. Your parents are smiling on you for sure and I know Lily is still protecting you in any way she can because her kindness and honesty to others still shines in you." Minerva whispered to herself as she retreated to do some planning.