Chapter 18
"I can't believe you just skipped Charms class, Harry! It's OWLs this year!" Draco cringed as he heard Granger's shrill voice railing at Potter from across the hall.
"You haven't spoken a word to me since the train, Hermione. Why start now?" Harry snapped, standing up. "You know what? I don't need this."
As Potter stormed out of the great hall, Draco looked at his two closest friends whom he was currently seated between. "We need to talk."
"Sounds serious." Blaise frowned.
"It is." Draco told them grimly.
"Does it have anything to do with why you and Potter missed Charms class this afternoon?" Pansy asked, fluttering her eyelashes at him. "Because I've been wondering about that all day."
"Yes." Draco could see that his terse words put them on edge. "Directly after dinner."
Through the rest of the meal, they tried to make him tell but he kept quiet. As he ate the roast turkey he wished it was the chicken marsala he hadn't finished earlier.
"Mr. Malfoy."
He looked up to see the dark eyes of his godfather watching him. "Yes, Professor?"
"Not even a week into the school year and you have a detention?" Snape shook his head.
"Yes, sir." Draco pouted. "Sorry, sir."
"I expect an explanation." Snape informed him. "My office after dinner."
Draco agreed with a nod and elbowed Blaise, who suddenly remembered a question he wanted to ask. Pansy piped up with a mention of a prefect issue and suddenly the three students were following their teacher to his office.
Draco remained silent until the older man closed the door. "I need to see my father."
"How urgent is this need?" Snape asked.
"Urgent." Draco told them. "My father gave me a task with relation to Lord Potter. I've completed it and must report."
"The others?" Snape asked.
"Need to know what I found out." Draco said calmly. "It saves me time if I don't have to repeat myself."
Snape threw floo powder into his fireplace and called for Malfoy manor.
When an elf answered, Draco took over. "Get my father, please, Gabby."
"Yes, Master Draco." She said, popping off to find the eldest family member.
"Draco?" Lucius hurried into the room tying his dressing gown. "Are you alright?"
"I need to see you before you meet with Potter." Draco quickly reported. "I told you what happened on the train but I had a meeting with him today which ran quite long."
"This would be why you missed Charms." Blaise piped up.
Draco glared at the other boy. "Yes."
"And led to your detention." His other 'best friend' added.
"Yes." Draco ground out. "When you hear the details you'll understand why I felt detention was the lesser of two evils. Father?"
"The meeting is Friday. If it really is that urgent ...Very well, I'll be there shortly." Lucius replied as an elf brought his clothes. The floo connection shut and, seven minutes later, a fully dressed Lucius Malfoy came through. "Now, what is it you've found?"
He'd discussed with Potter what he should and shouldn't tell his father and it now came to mind. "I think you'll recall that Slughorn made us partners? Well, Professor Mcgonagall has given us permission to partner for all the core subjects so Potter and I met for lunch."
"Good. What did you discuss?" Snape asked.
"He will be visiting the common rooms this week." Draco glanced at his friends. "He's asked me to meet him with two friends for this."
"He's networking." Lucius muttered, turning to confer with Severus. "Tom will need to know this."
"What about his ties with Dumbledore?" Snape asked suspiciously.
"He's not as fond of the headmaster as you think." Draco confided. "It seems he took Uncle Tom's words into consideration."
Snape stared at his godson. "You're joking."
"Would I risk Father's wrath for a joke?" Draco demanded. "He didn't spell out what happened between them, but he made it clear that he doesn't trust him."
"This is good work, Draco." Lucius patted his son's shoulder. "Did you have a chance to test his mental protections?"
"That's when things got interesting." Draco winced. "I used 'in Merlin's name' and it seemed to be working but after a moment something kicked my influence out."
"Did he notice what happened?" Lucius asked anxiously.
"Yes." Draco nodded grimly. "And he wasn't happy."
"Were you able to smooth it over?" Snape inquired urgently.
"I apologized but the damage was done." He shrugged. "He demanded to know how I'd gotten into his mind in the first place so I told him in general terms about the family secret and that you intend to tell him about it when you meet. I asked about his protections and was told that he has something in place for now but he intends to learn occlumency through a tutor because of his wizengamut seat."
"Sounds like he's got other secrets to protect." Lucius murmured to his old friend. "You could offer to teach him..."
"Potter would never trust him." Blaise scoffed.
Draco voiced his agreement and continued when Lucius pressed the issue. "We've been witness to enough of their interactions to know he'd have to give one hell of an apology just to be allowed inside Potter's apartment, to say nothing about his mind."
Snape sighed. "I'd have to agree with you."
"I'd have thought the same of you." Pansy chimed in. "How did he let you in, Draco?"
"Unlikely though it seems, we do have common ground." Draco smirked at his father during the dramatic pause. "Luna. He loves her and she loves us. I told you about her dating the youngest Weasley, and they're both related to Potter but not to each other so..."
"Yes, yes, Xeno vouches for them and I spoke to Arthur at the ministry today." Lucius hummed. "He inferred that his allegiance was faltering...I wonder if it has anything to do with Potter."
"Korlag." Draco snapped his fingers. "Did you speak to his estate manager?"
"Yes." Lucius cleared his throat. "He confirmed Potter's ancestry and posited that prophecy had touched the boy at least once already."
"He is part of the hat's prophecy." Draco confirmed. "The lost son."
"What?" Blaise asked in a whisper.
Snape was incredibly startled at first but soon began to figure things out. "But what about the puzzle pieces? Sleeping powers? Crumble or unite?"
"I get the feeling that he isn't just part of the puzzle." Draco confided. "He has theories about all of it."
"You think he's the key to it all?" Snape shook his head. "No."
"Harry Potter is in the same year as I am." Draco glared at his godfather. "I don't think I need to remind you all what began happening the same year he returned to the wizarding world and then came to Hogwarts."
Lucius sighed. "No."
"He indicated to me that he intends to clue us in at the meeting." Draco advised softly.
"Us?" Lucius frowned.
"Yes. He invited me." Draco nodded. "Come to his office for your appointment as scheduled. Be courteous. Use his title until he allows otherwise."
"Has he allowed you to relax use of it?" Pansy asked curiously because she knew everyone else was dying to know.
"I believe he was close to that step..." Draco sighed. "But I think he's hesitant now due to the incident this afternoon. I am allowed use of his last name alone, however, that is only in a private setting."
Lucius looked at his son. "You lament this?"
"I regret it, yes." Draco admitted. "He said something to me after… It confused me but it also made me think."
"What did he say?" Pansy sat up, suddenly worried.
The young blond shook his head. "It was probably nothing."
"Draco…" Blaise frowned at his friend. "Not much could affect you like this."
"Miss Parkinson, Mr. Zabini. Please allow us some privacy." Lucius spoke to them without sparing them a glance and they knew he meant business so they left quickly and silently. "Draco, this boy could possibly be part of the prophecy attached to our family."
"If he is…" Draco whispered in an almost haunted tone.
"If he is…" Lucius paused where his son had left off. "The prophecy could be about you."
"I know." Draco answered sagging in his chair. "He said he wanted more than a friendly acquaintanceship for us…"
Lucius stared at his son. "What do you think he meant?"
"I don't know!" Draco threw his arms in the air to hopefully throw attention away from his face. "I've been thinking about it since I left his suite and I don't know what to think."
"Then why are you blushing?" The three men turned toward the female voice to find Narcissa Malfoy staring affectionately at her son.
"I think a bosom friendship would be seen as attempting to usurp Ronald Weasley's place at his side..." Draco closed his eyes in surrender and sighed as he led her to a sofa. "And I think that he may have flirted with me in transfiguration class...well, after but in front of Professor Mcgonagall." He knew his mother wouldn't take no for an answer so he explained.
When he finished, Narcissa looked at her husband and their old friend. "I think he was flirting but our Draco must be careful to make certain that he is serious about a real relationship. I don't want anyone playing games with my son."
"If he can forgive me for this afternoon, I'll be on the watch for further overtures, Mother. I promise to be careful." Draco couldn't meet his mother's eyes if he wanted to maintain his composure.
"This afternoon?" She echoed.
Draco informed her of what had happened during their meeting but Narcissa only shook her head and sighed.
"It's late." She said, touching her son's cheek before turning to Lucius. "We should all be abed by now. Take the next few days to think about things and see what happens at the meeting."
"As always, if something significant happens before then, ask Severus to floo-call us." Lucius muttered as he held out his hand. She took it and stood, saying her goodbyes as she took the floo powder from the nearby canister.
The green flash of the floo made Draco sigh again. "Good night, Uncle."
Severus took a moment to look at the young man in front of him. "Draco, I know you've had to deal with many changes over the last few years…"
Draco looked up at him.
"If you need to talk...or vent…" Severus grimaced awkwardly.
Draco smiled, touched. "Thank you, Uncle."
"Off to bed, then." He replied in his gruff tone.
Draco allowed himself to be escorted to the Slytherin common room knowing his friends would still be awake and waiting for him.
Blaise said nothing as Draco walked in but Pansy couldn't help herself. "What did he say, Draco?"
"I'll tell you if it turns into something." The blonde promised without stopping. "I really am tired. Good night." He felt their stares as he hurried past them to the dormitory.
/*/*/*/*/*
Draco opened his eyes but the fog was so dense that he could barely see anything until, suddenly, Harry Potter appeared a few yards away from him. He tried to speak but no sound came.
Harry looked around but Draco couldn't see what he might be looking for. When he stepped toward whatever it was, the fog cleared a bit and the outline of a castle appeared.
It was Hogwarts! But it wasn't like he'd seen it recently.
Draco tried to walk closer to see more but suddenly Harry turned to face him. His feet didn't move but he waved. That's when he realized that he couldn't see the lake next to the castle. He knew the lake very well but he couldn't see it. He considered that maybe it was behind him and turned around. No? Hmm. Where was it? This was definitely Hogwarts and it had always overlooked the Black Lake... With new eyes he looked at the castle again and then the surrounding area.
He...Draco... was the lake.
Hogsmead should be off in the direction Harry was currently looking and Draco was quite concerned to find that he couldn't move to see what seemed to be upsetting Harry. Then the other boy looked to be examining the castle's foundations which were practically bare.
Had they been fully laid...or had they been laid to waste?
Draco watched as Harry took a closer look and noticed that the foundation, which was made of many colorful stones, was broken - worse than broken... it was crumbling.
/*/*/*/*/*
Draco awoke with a gasp looking around at his roommates, sleeping obliviously next to him. He used the meditation breathing technique his father had taught him to calm his mind and went back to sleep hoping it was just a dream.
/*/*/*/*/*
The strange dream seemed to replay before his eyes.
Harry appeared and looked around but to Draco's mind it looked like he couldn't see past the fog until he took a step forward. That's when the castle came into view and his skin crawled at the eerie sight, knowing he wouldn't be able to interact with the other boy as he got a closer look at the lake next to the castle. It was disturbing to have Harry look through him thinking he was the Black Lake and turn toward the castle.
This time, Harry went closer than he had in the previous version of the dream, and somehow Draco was right behind him. The surrounding area was ignored in favor of the disturbingly colorful rubble and he watched Harry pick up a stone fragment that was blue inside with a thin outside layer of grey. The next piece of stone he picked up was red and the next was a portion of two stones; one was yellow and the other was green. Draco could tell by the way Harry dropped the stone fragments and turned away how horrified he must be.
The silver lining was that Hogsmead, just barely visible through the fog, seemed unaffected by the damage to Hogwarts.
/*/*/*/*/*
Draco woke up again and sat wide eyed and shaken as he tried to make sense of these dreams. Why was he seeing the dreams at all? Why did they repeat?
What could be crumbling in or around Hogwarts? It couldn't be the structural foundation of the castle itself or the danger would've been felt by the headmaster through the wards.
Wait. Draco thought to himself. If Harry is the key to the prophecy, perhaps he is what seems to be crumbling. No! Not him...his family line!
"Shhh!" Blaise was staring at him, wide eyed. "What are you saying?"
"Did I say that out loud?" Draco sighed in frustration.
"Yes and it's a good thing nobody else woke up to hear you!" Blaise whisper-yelled at him. "Go to sleep and you'd better fill me in in the morning."
Draco nodded and rolled over, pulling his comforter with him.
/*/*/*/*/*
Draco couldn't seem to catch a break as the dream replayed again.
He watched as Harry appeared and looked around until the fog cleared a bit allowing him to see the castle and this time he rushed forward, looking closely at the details.
Draco breathed a sigh of relief along with Harry upon seeing that the castle wasn't completely destroyed. As the young lord took stock of the castle, Draco did as well.
A few of the outer walls had been knocked out, but what really concerned him was the one key support wall that had also been breached. It was deeply gouged but it didn't look beyond repair.
Suddenly, Draco felt as if the earth was moving. Harry slowly walked closer to him and, even though he knew Harry only saw the lake, Draco felt exposed. He stood still, somehow feeling both vulnerable and strong. He tried to push through to Harry that there was power... constancy... and support in that direction. At the same time he considered the questions that began piling up in his mind.
If his theory was correct, and Hogwarts represented Harry, what else was being said in these dreams? How had this happened to him? Why had Draco been represented as the lake? Why was he represented at all? Would Draco have any part in the coming events? Why did some of the rubble seem scorched? What did it all mean?
While he watched Harry look closely at the area surrounding the castle again, it struck him that all the elements were present...well at least they were during the day. Earth and air met between the water and the fire of the sun. When Draco saw Harry look up toward the Headmaster's tower, he was reminded of the old man's phoenix. Of course! Fawkes was here for balance when the sun was hidden.
The rubble was disturbingly colorful which drew his attention as Harry picked up a large stone fragment that was obviously from an intersection of stones. Red, green, blue and yellow came together in a strange shape and Harry almost dropped the fragment as he noticed something a few feet away.
The defaced coat of arms on the nearby wall was missing a piece...the center piece ...the piece in Harry's hand. As Draco watched, Harry walked over and traced the open space with his finger like he was drawing a sun.
When Harry carefully placed the stone puzzle piece where it belonged, it clicked into place completing the capital letter H and Draco saw knowledge in the young lord's eyes. As if he knew what needed to be done.
/*/*/*/*/*
Draco gasped as he sat straight up in his bed.
"I should get Professor Snape." Blaise was quietly watching him but didn't seem to be in a hurry to follow through on his words.
"No." Draco whispered, shaking his head. "Nobody can know just yet. I'll tell you and Pansy as soon as I know anything but I need to do some digging on my own."
"Alright." Blaise reclined to try and get some more sleep. "As long as you know I'm willing to help."
"I know." Draco sighed quietly. "But things are complicated right now. I need to take some time and look some things up and maybe talk to my father. It could be related to... well, you know..."
"I do know...and I feel privileged to be in the loop, my friend." Blaise whispered. "But I'd feel better if you weren't having nightmares."
Draco smiled sadly at him and rolled over knowing that he couldn't say what he was thinking at this moment because something deep within him was telling him these dreams weren't his own.
Thankfully, the rest of Draco's night was spent dreamlessly, but when he woke, it was with firm resolve to figure out what in the world was going on.
/*/*/*/*/*
Defense Against the Dark Arts was the first class, so after breakfast, Draco and his friends hurried to get there on time. He and Harry didn't bother with a pretense, instead, sitting together at Draco's usual table.
Snape's expression and attitude was weirdly reserved and Draco could tell that Harry had noticed but he didn't say anything. Class went smoothly and partners were assigned without any dramatic scenes, but it was made clear that most assignments would not need two people.
After class, Draco made a beeline for the library. He rushed to the shelves and grabbed a few books on each core subject so nobody would know that the book he really needed was the one about dreams.
He looked up the imagery and symbolism he'd seen in the dreams he'd experienced the night before and it all pointed to one thing. The dreams were about Harry but they also had a deeper meaning. Whatever that was, Harry knew about it and, somehow, Draco had gotten a front row seat.
The fact that there was a prophecy about an unknown member of the Malfoy family and a second unknown party had him suspecting that the family secret had something to do with it...which meant that both parties were no longer unknown. Lucius' plan to divulge the secret to Potter had Draco suspecting that his father had the same suspicions.
He still remembered the day his grandfather had passed, making Lucius the head of the family. He'd spent hours in the private library and, when he emerged, the first thing he did was tell Draco the family secret. It had made him feel all the more entitled to friendship with someone as famous as Harry Potter but it also had to remain a secret until the opportune time which meant that he couldn't tell any random person off the street. He was lucky Lucius had allowed him one friend with whom he could share the information.
Blaise was a godsend when he needed to vent; maybe he could help him now. He stood up and placed all the books on the return cart before hurrying off to find his friend.
He wasn't surprised to see the other boy in the common room with Pansy. "Blaise. A word."
"About?" The other Slytherin's eyebrows rose.
A moment of consideration gave Draco the answer he needed to elude Pansy's interest and pique Blaise's. "History of Magic."
As expected, Pansy made a face and started talking to her roommates while Blaise stood up to follow him to the dorms. "I thought you were partnering with Potter."
They got into the room and Draco locked the door after them. For good measure, he added a muffliato and turned to face his best friend. "I am. I need to tell you about the dreams. You're still taking Divination. Is it possible to see someone else's dreams without Legilimency or a pensieve?"
"You don't think they were your dreams?" Blaise frowned.
"I know they weren't." Draco sighed and sat down on his bed.
"Do I know the person who dreams the kind of dreams we're talking about?" Blaise asked innocently.
"I think you've already made an educated guess." Draco smirked sarcastically.
"Hmm." The other boy walked over to his trunk and began rummaging. "The divination textbook doesn't go that deeply into dreams until second term but I do like to read ahead in that class. It sounds like it could be one of a few possibilities." He flipped through the book when he found it. "Several types of bonds would allow for dream-sharing. Did you have an active role in the dreams?"
"No." Draco said, shaking his head. "I'm only observing."
"So it's not really sharing the dream..." Blaise commented, still scanning the pages. "I assume that ritual bonds are out, given that your friendship with Potter is relatively new and still quite unstable."
Draco only nodded until he saw Blaise stop and look up at him.
"Draco, is there a possibility of creature heritage?" His friend asked quietly.