The Christmas Ball

She had been waiting for an opportunity for two years now. She was nine when her father died; she hadn't really understood the significance. She was ten when her heart turned to stone; family friends turned coat, her mother broken, sister sheltered and she, an outlet for her mother's anger. And by the time she was eleven, she desired payback for all she wished she never had to endure. Now she was running towards twelve and the chance of a lifetime was right before her; all thanks to a boy she had met in a bookstore.

The mirror reflected a pretty picture. A young golden hair girl with dark blue eyes wearing a light blue robe which her mother had bought her for her eleventh birthday. They were not grand like the robes she used to be gifted regularly when her father was alive. They were from Madam Malkin's, from their cheapest and prettiest collection.

She nervously smoothened the kinks around her waist and prayed everything would go as she planned.

"Watch over me dad," she whispered.

A moment later, her sad eyes hardened and she picked up the purse she had taken from her mother's cupboard without her permission. It was green with a silver strap. She slung in around her neck and patted the bag carefully. Inside it was her gift for the Malfoy's.

A gift that she had made herself; after three months of studying and practising with Harry Potter as her motivation and inspiration. If it weren't for him, she doubted she'd ever have the focused drive to do what she planned to do and succeed.

Daphne took a deep breath, straightened her back and walked out of her dorm, towards Professor Snape's office.

When she reached, Harry was already there, wearing his school robes and watching a portrait of a sea of serpents under a stormy sky with his mouth half open and eyes wide open.

"Harry," she said brightly with a tone of relief. She had been afraid he wouldn't turn up.

Harry turned to look at Daphne, acknowledged her presence and turned back to look at the hissing portrait.

Daphne frowned. Professor Snape had put that portrait next to his personal chambers with the purpose of reminding those who came to disturb him that he was liable to strike and his temper was always foul.

"Are you ready to go?" she asked carefully. She knew he didn't like being disturbed when he was absorbed in something.

"Yes," he said.

Daphne knocked on the door. It was ten minutes to eight after noon.

The door opened with a creak and Professor Snape glared down at the intruder.

"Professor," Daphne squeaked.

"Right on time Ms Greengrass," he said silkily. His expression turned dark however, when he noticed Harry beside her.

"May I ask what is Mr Potter doing with you?"

"He's coming with me Sir. We were both invited."

Snape frowned. "And with whose permission is he allowed to leave?"

Daphne was floored. Harry needed permission? Whose? His head of house?

"Err," she said eloquently. "I was unaware he needed permission Sir."

"This is a boarding school and Mr Potter's guardian is the headmaster. I'm afraid I cannot let him go with you."

Harry's eyes snapped towards Snape. "I want to see the library," he said with a frown. Why was this man standing in his way? He wondered.

"The library is not here Mr Potter," Snape said with a sneer. "Has your sense of direction been addled Mr Potter?"

"Please sir," Daphne interrupted hurriedly. "I'm sure Professor Dumbledore wouldn't mind. If you could be so kind as to floo and ask him, I'd be really grateful Professor."

Snape narrowed his eyes. "Wait here," he growled and slammed the door shut.

"Harry!" Daphne hissed. "Why didn't you tell me you needed Dumbledore's permission!? Now everything could be ruined!"

Daphne's heart was racing. This was not happening. Her plan was not being shattered. Could she do it without Harry?! She was afraid of what she was about to do and her strength came from the boy beside her. Without him she couldn't do it! She needed him by her side!

The door opened and Daphne's felt her stomach drop when she saw it was Dumbledore himself.

His curious eyes and polite smile was enough to force Daphne's resolve to harden.

I won't let him screw this up! I'm late as it is!

"Headmaster," she greeted. "I'm afraid I was not aware Harry needed your permission to leave the castle. I know the hour is late but I would deeply appreciate your acceptance of Harry and I going for Mr Malfoy's Christmas Party. It would look terrible if Harry and I didn't turn up after all our efforts to merit an invitation. I can imagine the gossip. Boy who Lived denied going for Christmas Party by Hogwarts headmaster!"

Daphne laughed humourlessly and was unconsciously rocking on the balls of her feet. Inside her head, she was panicking. She had no idea what compelled to say all that. Was she threatening the most powerful man in the World?!

Dumbledore blinked. Daphne had spoken fast enough for words to fly past his ear however he had understood what she was saying. Though he didn't understand why she was saying it. Was she attached to Harry so much that she didn't want to go without him? Or was there another reason?

Allowing Harry to go for this party was dangerous. The Men and Women there had unfavourable ideas about magic. On the other hand preventing Harry from going would make Harry dislike and distrust him when Albus wanted the opposite. If Harry had to go then he most definitely needed someone to keep an eye on him. Perhaps allowing him this would assist in getting the boy to open up to him. It was a gamble as he was running out of ideas.

"Of course Mr Potter can come along Ms Greengrass," Dumbledore said with a smile. "Although as Mr Potter's guardian and your headmaster I do insist on adult supervision and I'm sure Professor Snape would be happy to escort you both."

"What!?" hissed Snape in outrage.

"What!?" gasped Daphne.

"I most certainly will not Albus!"

Harry tuned out the bickering adults and looked at the portrait again. The snakes were absolutely fascinating. He had no idea they could talk.

"Look at these humansss," they hissed in tandem. "Loud, arrogant. Big, stupid. Noisy, smelly."

Harry was about to ask them how a portrait could smell when his name was called.

"Are you coming along or not Mr Potter!" It was Snape and he was apoplectic with rage.

Harry shrugged and followed. The snakes were right. Humans talked too much and did little. Did that make him less human or more alien? He giggled at the thought and three sets of eyes looked at him strangely. They found nothing humorous about their situations.

"Have you ever used the floo Potter?"

Harry shook his head.

"Take this powder and toss it in the fire. Step inside and enunciate Malfoy Manor. Does your thick head comprehend that?"

Harry scowled. This man had a habit of talking nonsense. He hated nonsensical talks. It got in the way of productivity. He used the void to strike the man's hand and summon the bag of floo powder to him.

Snape gasped in pain and his eyes widened comically at the casual use of wandless magic. Magic, by all rights, that only the old and powerful were capable of!

Before Dumbledore could react, Harry looked at Dumbledore and said, "He's an adult." Which also meant he could do worse if provoked. That said he tossed a bit of powder in the fireplace, chucked the bag back at Snape and stepped into the fire that had flared green.

"Malfoy Manor," he enunciated in a clear and soft voice and disappeared with a whoosh leaving three dumbstruck people in Snape's personal chambers.

"Well," Dumbledore sighed. "I suppose we'll leave the detentions for later."

"Albus," Snape said, his voice still in shock.

Daphne was suppressing laughter. She knew Harry was capable of that when she met him at the bookstore in Diagon Alley. "Shall we go Professor?" she giggled. "We're already late."

Snape turned to Dumbledore with a thunderous expression.

Dumbledore looked at him pointedly. "Don't let him wander and keep him away from him."

"Fine," he snapped. "Fine! Get moving Grassgreen!"

"It's Greengrass."

"Whatever."

Severus could be such a child when he didn't want to do something he didn't like to do, Dumbledore mused as the pair disappeared into the floo network.

"This is either going to be a disaster or a grand success," he muttered worriedly. He was running out of ideas when it came to controlling and directing Harry Potter. For him to take make such a wager and allow Harry to enter the home of Lucius Malfoy spoke volumes of how worried he actually was.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Malfoy Manor

They were all dressed in expensive robes, from the finest weavers in the magical world. Many custom made, few bought off the shelf. Cold unfriendly eyes swept through the exquisitely enchanted Manor, judging and sneering at those they deemed below them.

All eyes lingered on one boy in particular. He was small in stature; shortest and thinnest of all the eleven year olds in the room. To them, as deemed by society, he fitted the role of a nine year old. His hair was neatly folded to one side and his skin was of a pale disposition. Green eyes stood out and the faded scar on his forehead the focus of many.

They openly laughed and sneered at him, unable to believe the great Boy Who Lived had come for the party of the year dressed in his school uniform.

"Harry Potter!" gasped one of the few men who didn't look at Harry Potter with condescension but rather with shock and awe.

Harry was feeling queasy after that unholy trip through the floo network and now his blood was beginning to simmer. He had been besieged by men and women, dismissed as a child and directed to the kid's area where most of the Hogwarts children were playing a game of Quidditch, he was laughed at, insulted and Harry just didn't understand the purpose of it all.

He could see the nimbus of power inside them. A faint glow of gold that radiated from the base of their spines. Some were dim and some were bright. It was something he had begun to see not too long ago.

"Such an honour… such an honour!"

He was shaking Harry's hand vigorously. Harry would have slapped him aside with the Void if he wasn't so shocked by the action and had his brain rattled with the force with which his hands were being shook.

"You'll rip them out of his shoulders if you keeping doing that Bagman."

"Right of course of course. Where are my manners! I'm Ludo Bagman, Harry; once star beater of the Wasps and England; now commentator and legend! This here is our amazing host, Mr Lucius Malfoy."

Harry looked at the burly man who looked like his face had been bashed in one too many times and then at the tall man with long bleached blonde hair who was looking down at him with disdain. He wearing shimmering silver robes and holding a gold cane. Harry personally thought he looked ridiculous and kept the thoughts to himself.

"Welcome to my home Mr Potter. I must say I am surprised you chose to be here." He glanced to a corner of the room where a sallow man with greasy hair and dark robes was skulking and smirked, "Even if you have a minder with you who is clearly not very good at his job."

Another man joined them. He had lines of age around his cold blue eyes that were so light, they looked like they would shatter at the slightest touch. He was tall and had receding yellow hair that was classily combed backward. His skin was tanned and he was wearing a robe that looked suspiciously close to what you otherwise might call a tuxedo.

"Well… well… well…." He drawled much like Lucius Malfoy. "The Boy who Lived. Saviour to half of our world and pariah to the other. I'm surprised to see you off Dumbledore's leash little boy."

So much noise. So much chatter. Why are they wasting their potential? Harry didn't understand what the man was saying. His words sounded like the sounds of a mechanised grater. Harry turned to Lucius, his eyes narrowed.

"Where is the library?" he demanded.

As a child Harry's voice was not as high pitched as one would expect. It was almost grown up but not. It didn't quite have a lazy inflection but was leaning more towards that of a predator that was not hungry at the moment.

This was the first time the men around Harry had heard it and they wouldn't stop the shudder that raced down their spines. It was urging them to flee and not antagonize the boy before them.

Lucius was reminded of the first time he heard the Dark Lord speak.

"The library?!" Bagman laughed. "This is party kid! Get outside, play a couple of games of Quidditch! There's gobstones and," Bagman leaned down and whispered conspiratorially, "Butterbeer in the Peacock garden I hear."

Bagman laughed uproariously.

"What are you laughing about now Ludo," a feminine voice tittered. "Are you regaling us with your changing room stories?" she laughed.

"Ah, lovely Bianca. Not at all. I was just having a chat with Harry Potter is all."

"Oh my," she gasped. She was a blonde with a thin face with skin that looked like it had been stretched beyond its capability wearing golden frilly robes and white gloves complimented with diamond studded silver heels. "You know, I heard a rumour you were raised by Muggles!"

"Who are you talking with Bianca?"

Another woman turned up. This one dressed in green robes and was dark in complexion. Her black hair was neatly twirled above her head and her eyes were as dark as her hair.

"Harry Potter is here Tricia."

Tricia raised an elegantly manicured eyebrow.

"Did you know he was raised by muggles?"

"Really? That must have been awful. Living with those weak creatures." She laughed cruelly. "Muggles should be wiped out of existence don't you think so Mr Potter? It's a shame we are forced to hide." Her eyes glittered maliciously and Harry found himself agreeing with the lady.

He believed in survival of the fittest. He believed and wholeheartedly agreed with Darwin's theory of evolution; the concept of food chain and that only the strongest survive. It was why looking at all the weak witches and wizards blabber incoherently while being stuck in bubbles of grandiose delusions made him angry. Why didn't they appreciate magic instead of just talking about it and using it for pedestrian things like lighting candles, making brooms float; they used magic to make life easy instead of truly understanding the potential of having the power to do anything! It was pathetic!

"Ladies. Gentlemen." Lucius suddenly interrupted smoothly. "I believe this kind of talk is best left for after hours and not to be debated with eleven year old boys. Now let us retreat to the bar. I believe Minister Fudge doing his favourite enchantment."

"Oh wonderful."

"Let's get going then."

"See you around young Harry!"

Once the crowd that was formed around the boy left, Lucius breathed a sigh of relief.

There was a dangerous look in Harry's eye. He had been around one dark lord long enough to recognize the desire to slaughter those that were irritating him. He had been alarmed when he found himself recognizing that look in Harry Potter. The boy was dangerous. What had Draco been thinking when he challenged the boy for a duel?!

"Severus!" Lucius called.

The potions professor glared and then glided over. "What?"

"Do you mind escorting Harry Potter to our library? I believe that is the sole reason he is here." If the boy found his abstract library interesting then it would prove Dumbledore's golden boy was not so golden after all.

Snape wanted to say something.

Lucius gave him a pointed look.

"Fine!" he snapped. "Come on Potter!"

Lucius smirked. Snape was always very good at being a pawn. If you tore away the scary professor routine all that remained was a nerd who lacked purpose. Anyone who could give him a direction would own the man. Sadly, it was Dumbledore who held the strings now. It was a shame. Lucius always thought Snape had a great potential of being an enforcer in a squad of the Knights of Walpurgis.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Daphne spent the first 20 minutes after her arrival meeting and greeting her classmates. After the pleasantries were done with she headed towards the beautifully decorated Christmas tree and carefully opened her bag to place her gifts for the Malfoy's under the already overflowing with gifts Christmas tree. One had her name on it and was a book on household charms and the other was a small thing, a cylindrical shaped gift without any name on it. It was nothing the extensive wards around the Manor would detect as dangerous. Only Daphne knew its true nature and prayed it lived up to the expectations.

It had taken her exactly 52 days to get it done correctly. She had had Owls deliver muggle magazines, she had studying far more than she thought herself capable of with Harry. She had experimented with painstaking caution and patience until she made her tool of revenge. She really had to thank Tracey for introducing her to all those strange comics she obsessed over. Unknowingly, they had given her a solution and Harry had given her the path.

Daphne took a deep breath, closed her eyes and stood up. Her heart had not stopped beating at twice its speed ever since she had entered the Manor.

Now, it was all up to fate.

"Do you want to dance?"

Daphne almost jumped out of her skin. It was one of the boys from France. Some distant relative of the Maloy's.

"I'm sorry, who are you?"

"Max," he said.

"Well forgive me Max. I don't want to dance," she said and literally ran away. She didn't know what to do now. Did she stay for a while so that suspicion would not come on her or did she take Harry and leave?

Speaking of which. Where was he? She wanted to get out of this hell as soon as she could. Each time she saw those purebloods, terrible memories assaulted her like they had just happened yesterday.

When she met the eyes of Avery, she remembered him laughing in the courtroom as her mother lost their ancestral home.

Nott Senior, Theodore's grandfather, had brought more traumatic memories. She could almost feel his hands crawling up her legs, attempting to slide between them while in front of her, her mother begged the goblins grant her a loan. She supressed a sob and blinked back the tears. That man was truly horrible. She had been only ten! The bastard! She wanted to kill them all! She'd make them pay. She'd make them remember the name Greengrass!

She looked around, desperately looking for Harry and noticed him being led into the house by Snape. "Har-" she started in relief but was interrupted by Draco.

"Liking the Ball?" he asked lazily; he was wearing expensive silver robes like his father.

"Oh yes. It's lovely," Daphne said gesturing at the hall, supressing her gag reflex and ruthlessly killing her trip down the road to hell. The Hall was tackily done. There was lots of gold goblets, silver plates, red carpets, brightly enchanted chandeliers, and a band playing mournful music. It was all so ridiculous that she wanted to gouge her eyes out. All the thieving purebloods were wearing expensive shit that was vomited from the empty pool of imagination of high society tailors. "I especially loved the snow from the ceiling. It's marvellous how they disappear before touching anything six feet off the floor. Was it your mothers work?"

"Yes," he said proudly. "She won an award last year. Say, do you know where Potter is? Neville wanted to meet him."

"I saw him going to the Garden," she lied.

"Well come on. Let's go find him."

"I'll join you in sometime. I need to use the restroom."

Draco nodded and quickly left. He found an unusual friend in Neville even though the boy was in Gryffindor. And being around Draco had given Neville something he had never thought he possessed. Confidence.

Daphne turned heel and hurried after Snape. She followed the sounds of footsteps once she had left the hall and gone up the impressive staircase and saw a blur move into one of the rooms to the left. She hurried and walked into a cosy room with an unlit fire place that was lit with candles. there were four comfortable lounge chairs and a book shelf against the wall where Harry's eyes were glued.

"Hey Harry," she said with false cheer.

Harry ignored her.

"Have you finished browsing? Is it time for us to leave?"

"Half an hour Ms Greengrass," Snape said darkly. "Then we leave whether you like it or not."

"Yes Professor," she said automatically.

Snape glided, his robes flaring behind him like a bats wings.

"Well," Daphne said smiling brightly. "Did you find anything interesting?"

Harry didn't answer. He was enamoured by the titles. Magik – A history in its evolution. Moste Potente Potions. Divinity and Runes – Harnessing Magic. Goblin Wars. Wizengamot Laws.

The list went on and Harry finally zeroed on Divinity and Runes. Harnessing magic certainly fit with his views on Magic. He was beginning to like Lucius Malfoy.

He removed the book and put it on the table. Next he went for Manipulating Nature with Magic. After that he greedily added Beasts Unnatural.

They were all heavy leather bound books whose pages were yellowed and ancient.

"Do you plan on reading those now?" Daphne asked incredulously. "We have to leave in half an hour!"

Harry settled down in one of the chairs, carefully placed Divinity and Runes on the table and opened the book like it were a treasure beyond imagination.

Daphne huffed. She was filled with anxiety and here Harry was acting so relaxed! She really wanted to strangle him and wished he understood her unease. Unfortunately the boy was as thick as Crabbe and Goyle when it came to reading other people's emotions. He was a little crazy after all. Daphne wondered what could happened to make him this way. Was it because of his scar? Was his incredible talent for wandless magic a result of that too? Her thoughts wandered thanks to her frayed nerves.

Five minutes later Harry closed the book with a scowl.

"What happened?" she asked.

"I can't understand it."

Daphne went next to him and leaned forward to open the book. It was about complex runes and their networking to create physical constructs. The images and words flew over her head too.

"This is highly complex!" she said. "You need to study the basics of runes first. Then move on to the theory of linking runes to understand how to make a runic structure. Then you need to study the combinations of circles, pentagons, hexagons and more before you can hope to understand this!"

Harry's scowl deepened. That sounded like a lot of work.

"Ms Greengrass is correct."

Daphne's head snapped up and she felt her neck crack. Her head buzzed with the shock of it and she saw Lucius bloody Malfoy standing at the door.

"I must say Mr Potter. You are nothing like what I imagined you to be." His voice was silky and strong. There was power and status in it.

"Aren't you missing the party Mr Malfoy?" Daphne said politely. Out of all the purebloods, Lucius was the one she hated the most. He had led the charge against her father. He was the prime suspect in his suspicious death. He had carved out the largest piece of their estates and gold. He had orchestrated their family name's demise and no one could prove he did it on purpose.

To the world it only seemed fair that Lucius got the properties as he was entitled to it.

Daphne couldn't wait for him to open her gift.

Harry stared at Lucius. He had power. It was a ball of yellow light bigger than those in the hall below. He spoke with an air of being all knowing and his eyes bore into his as if they were reading his thoughts.

"I like your books," Harry said finally.

"I'm glad," said Lucius. "I don't allow even Draco to touch them however he made a bet on the pride of our name." Here he glanced at Daphne and smirked.

Daphne's neck turned red with rage. How dare he!

"Do you understand them?"

"I will," Harry said and that was the end of it. He had made up his mind to understand them and he would. "May I take them?" he asked.

Lucius laughed. "These are priceless books Mr Potter. I have spent years acquiring them. Why should I give them to you?"

"Knowledge is power," Harry replied simply.

"Indeed it is," Lucius said thoughtfully. "I'll tell you what Mr Potter. I will let you have a copy of one book if you promise to visit us this summer vacation."

Harry frowned. "Stay here?" What about Janus? Did the headmaster expect him to go there?

"And I assure you, you won't have to go back to your Juvenile prison. All you have to do is accept."

It didn't bother Harry that Lucius Malfoy somehow knew of his past. He was rather proud of killing his Aunt and Uncle after all.

Daphne, on the other hand, felt her eyes go wide. Prison? Harry was in a juvenile prison?! Merlin's hairy balls!

"Well?" Lucius prompted.

"Ok," Harry replied with a shrug.

Now Daphne's jaws dropped. Had Harry just accepted an invitation for Lucius bloody Malfoy of all people?! Did he even know who this man was? It doesn't matter, she told herself, mentally urging herself to calm down. In a few hours nothing that Malfoy said would matter.

Half an hour had passed and Professor Snape promptly returned. "It's time to leave," he said dourly.

"Very well," Lucius said with a smile. He looked very pleased. "It was a pleasure to meet your acquaintance Mr Potter." He stuck out his hand expecting Harry to shake it.

Harry just looked at the hand strangely and instead held up the book he wanted. "I want a copy of this one," he said.

Lucius slowly lowered his arm and felt a tiny bit angry at the snub. "Of course." He drew his wand, cleverly concealed in his cane and lazily swished at the book.

Harry observed the magic cohesing around the book and taking shape on the table to form an exact copy. He memorised the movement of the magic to practise later.

Snape curiously glanced at the book and then sneered. "Divinity and Runes? Is your thick head capable of understanding such complexity Potter?"

"Yes," Harry said throwing Snape off balance.

"I hope to be seeing you soon Mr Potter," Lucius said softly as Snape impatiently beckoned Harry and Daphne to follow him. "Real soon," he whispered.

No you won't, thought Daphne darkly. She tried not to think of the collateral of her plan. It wouldn't do good to start getting cold feet now. Not when all the pieces were in place.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Slytherin Common Room

Daphne couldn't sleep. Her mind was in turmoil. Has she down the right thing? How many were going to die? Where they all going to be there? Was she going to murder her schoolmates as well? If all went well, she was going to be a murderer. Did they deserve to die?

They deserve it!

She yelled in her mind and stared at the fireplace with anguish. She was alone in the common room. All the Slytherins were home and half of them were at the party.

How many were going to die? Were they all deserving of death?

Tears bloated in Daphne's eyes as she remembered all the horrible things that had happened to her when her father died.

They all deserve it!

Did they? What if those who deserve it escape?

I'll find a way to kill them too!

Her subconscious laughed cruelly. You're going to be a murderer, it hissed at her.

Daphne sobbed.

Miles away Narcissa Malfoy picked up a cylindrical gift with no name.

"Daphne's gift was so lame!" scoffed Draco while he examined the training snitch Uncle Samuel had gifted him.

"It was sweet of her to get one," Narcissa said demurely.

Family and friends were gathered in what was now the living room. The Elves had cleared up and transformed the Hall back to its usual appearance.

The fireplace crackled merrily and an atmosphere of warmth and happiness laid over them all like a soft blanket.

Lucius was seated on the couch with both the Nott's and Parkinson deep in discussions about rejecting the latest Muggle Born rights law and scheming to make their lives harder.

Marcus Flint was in deep discussion with Montage and Pucey about the lastest state of Quidditch affairs.

The wives were seated at the dining table, giggling and gossiping about the Party.

There were children laughing and running around the Christmas tree, imitating the Hogwarts train.

"I propose we bring back the celebration of Walpurgis Night," said Nott Senior. He was the oldest of the lot and his long and thin white hair that was almost gone clung to his neck.

"The festival has been long forgotten," Parkinson; a tall fair man with dark curly hair and dark eyes said bitterly. "I remember a time when Christmas wasn't the most widely celebrated festival of our world!"

"Indeed," Lucius said dryly. "We are but a minority in our world now. Protecting our values and customs hold lesser importance over the rights of mudbloods and traitors." Lucius coughed. The cold had made his throat sore.

"Get some water for your father will you Draco?" Nott junior; Theodore's father said with a smile.

"But that's what the house elves are for!" Draco protested.

"I'm sure your father would appreciate it more if his darling son did this most difficult task for him," Narcissa said with a smile as she opened the unnamed gift carefully. She loved collecting the wrapping paper. She had devoted an entire room to decorating the walls with enchanted papers.

Many laughed and Draco scowled, feeling put out. "Fine," he snapped and went running to the kitchen.

The last thing he heard was a sizzling sound come from the living room and then a loud pop before his world turned dark.

A rumbling sound woke him up sometime later and he groaned when he felt pain blossom all over his body. "Wha happn'd," he moaned and tried to move. Rocks rolled off his back and he realised he was face down in one of the bushes.

The rumbling sound got louder.

"Dad?" he mumbled and blinked rapidly as he shakily stood up. His vision was blurred and his leg hurt.

Slowly his vision cleared and he saw the nightmare that had descended without warning. He was outside the manor and fire was rolling out of the bottom of the Manor like black towers of hell. Stones were laying all around him, bushes burning and there was a hole where there should have been a wall.

Terror caught his heart and he forgot how to breathe. "Mum? Dad?" he whispered in horror.

"Mum! DAD!"

Strength returned to his legs and he tried to run into the house but the heat of the fire and the roar of its fury dissuaded him.

Dark smoke blotted out the moon and hope along with it.

MUM! DAD!"

Draco was screaming hysterically when the full force of reality dosed him with fire.