"Harry," Draco said quietly, the two of them laying on bed for the night. "You didn't believe him, right? All those things he said?"

"Which parts," Harry mumbled, eyes half shut and expression showing he was close to drifting off to sleep. "He said a lot, Draco."

"About why I came back." There was a shift beside him, Draco soon feeling Harry curled up on top of him, a quiet yawn his first answer.

"Still thinkin' about how he said you only came back because you were running?"

"Do you think he's right? Do you think I'm just...running away from it all?" Because it was a valid question. Yes he had gone back in time to change things, but... Maybe he really was just running away from it all.

"I think he was desperate enough to tell you anything to get you to doubt yourself," Harry sat up, staring down at Draco. It took a moment for him to remember that Harry was twelve, and not older. Not like the look in his eyes suggested. "Trust me, Draco, everything you've done has been for the right reasons."

"How do you know that, though? Harry, I'm losing time. I'm starting to turn back into-"

"We don't know that's because of the time twister, though. Maybe it was some last trick of the journal."

"Do you remember what exactly it was that I said? What I did?" Slumping back down, Harry gave another yawn as he laid on top of Draco. It seemed a moment where he was putting his words in order.

"Didn't I already tell you? You seemed dazed and left the tower, once you got outside you started calling me Potter, asked something like if I was 'stalking' you again. Started calling me and everyone names, going on about purebloods and blood traitors and 'a certain type of class that mutts will never have', or something." ...That last one was- He had never said things like that before, had he?

Draco frowned, giving a small shake of his head. "Mutts? I used that word specifically?"

"Yeah, you used mutt. Why?"

"I've never used that in terms of muggleborns, before. Sure, in terms of werewolves, but other than that..." Maybe he'd been making a crack about Lupin? No, his second-year-self wouldn't know about Lupin. Did all his memories blur when he slipped? It was possible... Like he had noticed earlier, he didn't remember his first year in his timeline. When he had thoughts of the boats, or buying his first wand, he only remember last year, being at Harry's side. "And you're sure I was referring to muggleborns?"

"Positive," Harry nodded, tucking his face against Draco's neck. "Only you used the word mudblood. Compared them to mutts off the streets that needed to be put down? Bit blurry."

"Mudblood is a word a lot of purebloods use. It means dirty blood. I've been doing my best to stop saying it... I've never used mutts in that context, before." Werewolves, when he was older, but not...

"Maybe not," Harry spoke quietly, understanding in his tone, "But is it something that might have been more common a long time ago? 50 years ago?"

Draco's face fell and he bolted to sit upright. "That snake!" There was a quiet yelp from Harry, who tumbled off him and clutched the covers tightly, eyes wide and startled at his sudden movement. "Riddle- The diary! He made it fifty years ago!"

"And because of everything you told him," Harry's eyes grew wide, full realization hitting. "It wasn't you who was slipping, it was him."

"He made it seem like I was just- Like I was losing it!"

"And then he tried to swoop in and help, make it seem like he was there for you. That little-"

"We don't have to worry about it, anymore. We burned the book." Draco took a breath, smiling at Harry. He fell back beside him and hugged him close. "I don't think I'll have a single nightmare, tonight."

"Good," Harry happily hugged back, settling back down. "Now stop moving. 'M tired and the professors are going crazy with how much homework they've been giving us lately."

"Alright, alright." Draco squirmed until he was curled around Harry, nose buried in the younger's hair. It smelled nice, actually. Like pine. "Good night." Things were going to be alright, now. Everything was going to be fine. No more attacks, no more losing his mind, and the students would wake up by the end of the year.

"Good night, Draco."

::

When Draco woke up, his arm was wrapped loosely around Harry, and the blanket was half off of him. Wrinkling his nose, he chalked it up to moving around in his sleep. Or Harry moving, since the child was shifting to curl up to him the second he shifted. Draco chuckled quietly, tugging Harry closer. "Morning."

"Mornin'," Harry groaned, burying his face against Draco's chest. "Any chance we can sleep in and avoid the day?"

"Afraid not. We have class to get to." Draco remained in bed a moment longer before slipping away. It was a little bit sad how tempted he was to crawl back into bed at Harry's whine. Kid didn't know how vicious he was when using crup eyes like that.

"Draaaco."

"...Just a little longer." They didn't really need to go to first hour, did they? Glancing back to the bed, Harry was looking at him with sleepy eyes, mussed hair, and had part of the blanket lifted up. He was doomed before he started.

When they made it to their second class a few hours later, Ron was snickering under his breath and Hermione was giving them rather judging looks. "Skipping classes when we're this close to exams. Are you two crazy!"

Draco rolled his eyes. "I have a feeling I won't have any trouble with the exams, Granger. No need to worry." The dirty look he was given had him preening just a bit. Harry's quiet laughter beside him didn't hurt much, either.

"Right then, Malfoy. Let's me and you make a friendly little wager. Whoever scores higher gets to have the other do one thing for them. No limits, no refusing, no questions asked."

"Now, hang on, this sounds a bit familiar." Draco beamed. "Alright, Granger. You're on."

"Delightful. I can't wait to have full access to your family library for an entire summer."

"And I can't wait to have you admit I'm better than you."

"Keep dreaming, Malfoy." Oh, how had he ever hated this girl in the past? She was utterly delightful.

"Great, now that you two and your competitive nature is settled, can we please return to the fact that people are still getting petrified and attacked?" Ron shuddered. "Everyone keeps going on about the 'Heir of Slytherin' but Flint got attacked."

Draco shook his head. "Slytherins don't attack other Slytherins. Every other house does a well enough job of it." That had the group falling silent for a moment, Ron knocking his shoulder against Draco's.

"Bit better, the last year or two, now that we've got you with us." At Ron's words, Draco paused before smirking and nudging him as well.

"Alright, what've we got here... A Slytherin," Draco said with a nod to himself. "A Ravenclaw," he said with a nod to Hermione. "Hufflepuff," a nod to Ron. "And I suppose Harry can be the Gryffindor. Inter-house unity."

"Wouldn't have happened without you," Hermione smiled, falling into step on Harry's other side as they walked towards their next class. "Harry and Ron were close enough at the beginning of first year, but you're what kept us together at the start."

Draco gave a sharp shake of his head, "You lot would have been friends without me." That much was certain - would probably always be certain. The Golden Trio... Only now it was the four of them, wasn't it?

"Maybe, but I definitely prefer it with you," Hermione gave a cheeky grin. "Who else would be able to keep up with me?"

"Thomas," he suggested without a moment's hesitation, laughing as she swatted at his arm.

"Aaand we're getting off subject again," Ron sighed, sounding as dramatic as Weasleys One and Two. Terrors had probably helped raise him. "You're telling me after last year we're not going to try and solve this year's mystery? Maybe get people to stop blaming you two for something that's not your fault." Ah. Ron's loyalty was unending, truly. Draco glanced to Harry before shrugging.

"I don't see that there's anything to solve." The book was burned and Riddle was finally gone and dealt with. All that was left was to wait for the mandrakes to mature and the potions to be made.

"Maybe how these people are getting petrified! I mean, okay, Heir of Slytherin, great. But what kind of magic is this. Dumbledore himself said that first night that this wasn't simple magic, so it can't be a student."

Draco shook his head at that. "I don't know. It doesn't make sense. I don't understand how a student can be doing any of this." Even a sixth year. Riddle had been good - the diary was proof of that - but petrification like this? Most of it could be undone with a counterspell, this was... The potion that Severus would be making was complex. The fact it needed mandrake leaves spoke volumes.

"Remember what Professor Binns said near the beginning of the year? The monster that Salazar Slytherin had? What if it's like that?" Hermione frowned, tapping her lips in thought. "A long-living creature? Or is there more than one?"

"I don't- I don't know." He should know. Riddle had been in his head more times than he could count, he should know! He should know so much more but as it was he couldn't even remember once since Riddle had taken him over.

"It's the same thing that was attacking fifty years ago, we know that much since the attacks match." Harry chewed on his lip, shaking his head after a moment. "Do you think... Do you think it had something to do with that voice I heard? At the start of the year?"

"Well, I certainly don't think you've been driven insane, yet, so that's a viable option. What are you suggesting?" Draco tugged on Harry's hand, their shoulders touching.

"I don't know," Harry sighed, walking a touch closer to Draco. " I just feel like it's connected somehow."

"I don't know how it could be," Draco said with a shake of his head. When their shoulders began to get in the way, Draco only lifted his arm and wrapped it around Harry's shoulders. It earned a raised eyebrow from Hermione, Ron only 'coughing' into his fist.

"Well, let's think about this logically." All three turned to stare at Ron, the child not even noticing. "This thing can petrify and kill, right? Let's focus on the petrification. It needs that super complex potion, the one with mandrake leaves. What kind of creature has a power like that?"

"Not many, but also not any that we've studied," Draco pointed out. He yawned, letting his head rest on Harry's shoulder. He didn't much change his position once they got to Defense and settled down into their usual seats.

"What if it's not a creature? What if it's a teacher," Ron's eyes turned shifty, the child looking around the classroom before lowering his voice. "What if Lockhart's whole thing is an act, and he's here to kill us like our last Defense teacher."

Draco rolled his eyes, doing nothing to remove his arm from Harry. "I highly doubt that." Tom wouldn't even stoop that low. Then again, he had possessed Quirrell just last year. Although that was... That was Voldemort, not really Tom Riddle. Was there a difference anymore, even?

"There's something weird about him," Ron insisted, even as Lockhart greeted them all with a beaming grin and winking eye. "You don't just do all those kinds of magic and then act like- Like him!"

Draco rose his free hand. "Let's see, shall we?" All three gave him a strange look, not able to ask what he was doing before Lockhart was nodding and calling on Draco.

"Ah, yes, Mr. Malfoy. You have a question?"

"I just wanted to know, sir - You've faced so many vicious, dangerous creatures, surely you'd know, or maybe have seen this before - What do you think the creature is, petrifying everyone?" That had everyone's attention on Lockhart, the man looking flustered at the sudden attention before beaming with a charming smile.

"Well, Mr. Malfoy, there could be countless dark creatures. As you know from reading my books, I've faced countless things such as werewolves, hags, trolls, and countless others. Dangerous creatures are nothing to an experienced wizards such as myself - why, in fact-" It was a bit impressive, Draco supposed. Lockhart smoothly deviated away from the question, avoiding answering entirely and instead focusing on his own 'adventures'. Draco rose his eyebrows over at Ron.

Huffing, Ron slumped down in his seat, Harry settling down against Draco with a quiet sigh, "There's something we're missing. The diary is gone, yeah, but what about the creature? What if it's still loose?"

"Attacks only happened when he took over. If he can't take over, attacks won't happen. Simple as that." Draco gave Harry a warm smile, tugging him ever closer. It wouldn't do to have Harry so worried and nervous when this was all over and done with. It was finished, Riddle was destroyed, and nothing like this would ever happen to a Hogwarts student again.

There was nothing to worry about.

::

"Mr. Malfoy," Madame Pomfrey frowned, pausing from where she was tidying up the infirmary. "Dear, oh dear, what is it now. Another twisted ankle? Broken arm?"

"Nothing. I'm healthy, Madame Pomfrey," he said with a half smile. His eyes trailed to the beds in the room that had the curtains all drawn, Draco resisting the urge to curl in himself. Flint, Finch-Fletchly, and in the corner Sir Nicolas...

"Oh? Why are you here, then?" The tone was suspicious, Pomfrey giving him a strange look.

"Just... to visit them. In case they really are aware." Maybe apologize to Flint- Merlin, all of these attacks had been his fault. Even if it was indirectly, Tom had found them so he could get Draco on his side through revenge.

"Oh... Oh! Well, I suppose if you wish... Don't stay too long, now, though. You need rest far more than they do at the moment." Fixing him with a look, Pomfrey nodded before bustling to her office.

Draco walked over to the first bed and winced. Nicolas... He certainly didn't deserve this. "I'm sorry. You've already died, and now you're going through this-" Cutting himself off, Draco bit his lip and... What was he doing. It wasn't like anyone could really hear what he was saying. This was just to make himself feel less guilty. More guilty? Draco took a deep breath. "It wasn't me. But we stopped the person who did it. Now, we're just waiting on the potion to be made."

The potion would be made and everyone would be back, even Sir Nicolas. That much was certain - was fact. Draco knew how this all turned out, after all, and it all was fine. The book was gone, the creature had probably gone back to being locked away, and no one else was going to get hurt... No one else was petrified, were they?

::

"Right, so Slytherin did better than I was expecting, but Ravenclaw still squeaked ahead. If Hufflepuff loses by at least seventy, though, Gryffindor will only have to worry about Ravenclaw in the final." The four were trapasing back up to the castle after the latest Quidditch match, Harry and Ron caught up in their debate. Draco was only half-listening, mostly focused on the fact Harry was wearing his nice green robes, Slytherin scarf he got for Draco wrapped around his neck. It had Draco happily wrapped around Harry's arm. Harry looked so nice, wearing his colors.

"Admit it. If it weren't for that cheap move from Chang, Slytherin would have won." Honestly, Draco remembered perfectly well how vicious Chang was. Near knocked him and Potter off their brooms.

"I'm with Draco on this one," Harry leaned back against Draco, slowing his walk a bit so they could avoid the larger parts of the crowd. "Slytherin did great today. Their Captain may not be Flint, but she's keeping them on track."

"They're... They're bloody brilliant," Draco said with a quiet sigh. He really missed being on the Slytherin team some days. At least Harry seemed to sense his thoughts, nudging him lightly and offering a smile. Draco smiled back and shrugged, leaning against him.

While Ron distracted Hermione and tried to explain the complexities of Quidditch, Harry slowed down a touch more so he and Draco were walking a bit away from everyone else, "You okay? You have that look on your face again."

"What look? I have a look?" Draco frowned and tilted his head at Harry. As far as he knew he didn't have a 'look'.

"You have a look," Harry confirmed, lips twitching into a smile. "You had it a lot last year. It's... I think it's the look you get when you're thinking about how things were different. Last time."

"I... didn't realize I had a look. It's just you know I've told you I used to be their seeker."

"It's not very obvious, you just kind of look lost in thought." Harry moved closer to Draco, nudging him down a side hall that would take them the long way to the Gryffindor tower. "You miss it? Being in Slytherin?"

"Less, nowadays, but yes. I think I'll always miss it." Draco smiled at Harry softly. By now most of the noises from the crowd had faded away, only a few conversations and pieces of laughter drifting over to where they were.

"I can understand that. I mean, it's like-" Harry suddenly stopped in his tracks, mouth snapping shut and eyes wide as he suddenly turned on his heel back towards the way they had come.

"Kill... Eat... Hunger..." Draco frowned as he was jerked along with the movement, just barely noticing Harry's sudden erratic breathing as his eyes jerked along the hallway.

"What was that?" Draco blinked as Harry's gaze shot back to him, eyes wide.

"You can hear it... Draco- Draco, what do you hear. Right now, right this second, tell me what you're hearing right now."

"Little words. Kill. Eat. Not much." Draco looked over at Harry. "What do you hear?"

"It wants to kill again, it needs to eat more, it's so hungry." Harry's eyes tracked along the ceiling, hand dropping Draco's before he was running down the halls. "It's getting louder!"

"Wha- Harry!" Draco ran after him, catching him from falling down the stairs after some sharp turns and scrambled running. "We need to figure out what this thing is!"

"But you can hear it that means it's real!" Harry struggled against Draco's hold, gaze firmly on the ceiling. "You can hear it, you can hear it. I've been hearing this thing since Halloween and now you can hear it and that means it's real."

"Harry- Harry-" Draco finally rose his voice, "Calm down!" The child went still at once, still breathing heavily as he stared at Draco with wide eyes. Wide, scared eyes. "Harry, you need to calm down, and we need to figure this out." Draco held Harry's arms tightly. "People have already been attacked, I'm not letting you be one of them!"

"But that thing has to be what's attacking everyone- Riddle somehow must be able to control it," Harry winced but didn't try to break free, only looking back up to the ceiling. "It's getting louder now."

"Kill... Kill..."

"It wants to kill. Why is it waiting?"

"I don't know," Harry finally slumped against Draco, shaking his head. "It's had plenty of chances. I've been hearing it every now and then, just quick snatches... Maybe it needs orders before it can kill?"

"Then it won't get them," he said with a nod. "We won't let it." The pipes... The words had come the same time as the hissing from the pipes, so that had to be how this creature was getting around.

"How is it moving. It's not a ghost, it can't just- Just walk through walls and ceilings!"

"The pipes. The pipes hissed, and then we heard the voice. Did you notice?"

"N- No." Harry shook his head again, eyes tracing the ceiling. It didn't seem as if he heard anything any longer. "I didn't hear the pipes, just the voice. Last time I heard it this clearly was before Christmas. On the day of the double attack."

"I don't know, but I heard hissing. It's an old castle, the pipes hiss." Draco shrugged and glanced to the ceiling as well. Even if the creature was using the pipes, Riddle was gone. "And for an attack to happen, Riddle has to control me. He can't do that if there's no diary. We're okay, Harry."

"But what if we're wrong. You said yourself you don't know how this really went last time. What if we missed something, Draco? What if we're wrong about all of this?"

"I don't see how we can be wrong, Harry. We burned the diary. It's gone." All pretenses of trying to escape Draco's hold was gone, Harry looking so... So lost. With how the boy acted, it was so easy to forget he was only twelve and was still new in this world. "It's alright, Harry. I'm right here. I'm not leaving."