A/N:

Hello, humans.

Unlike last chapter, this is a long one, but, since we have so much to say, it will be a two parter, similar to the Aftermath. However, this chapter is just a bit of fluff and filler; nothing too important. We mostly wanted to establish the close friendship between Harry and Draco here.

We haven't had much time to write between school and spending time with family but with the holidays just around the corner, we will be updating more often.

Additionally, EbonyWonder has set up a writing course type thing as a forum on her account. If you would like to start writing fanfiction but don't know where to start, we would love to help you over there. The forum name is 'Harry Potter fanfics'.

Additionally additionally, DavidoDaVinci has set up 'the DDV gang' forum, so everyone can chat about Doctor Who in peace, as well as his new chapter of 'And You're Dead'.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read and review lately.

jklooooo- Your comment had us rolling on the floor, laughing. Thanks.

3/12/2023

xXxDoubleKxXx

DavidoDaVinci

Chapter 14: The Secret Room

As Halloweeen approached, Harry's mood turned sour. Draco noticed this and managed to slip him a note in the library asking what was up. Harry sent his note back by hiding it in Draco's pillow later that day.

'What do you want?'

When the reply came to Harry, he was not altogether surprised.

'To talk to you in the Library, 7pm.'

Well, there were two classic 'Draco Malfoy' tropes. As always, he wanted to speak to Harry. And, as always, he wanted to do it somewhere that they should not be. The library closes at Five. Which meant he and Draco needed to do some sneaking around.

…

"Right. What do you want?"

Draco had a nervous look left and right. "And, you're… sure then, that she's not still here?"

The person to whom he was referring was Madam Pince, who was always stalking around the library, searching for students.

"Definitely. Didn't you hear? Dumbledore called all the staff to a meeting."

He blinked. "No! No one should know that, and I certainly didn't! What the hell do you know that for?" he asked, completely forgetting that he was meant to be whispering.

"Of course I know! What good is having a loyal follower at a school for magic, if they're not going to tell your son what's going to happen?"

"Oh," sighed Draco, looking foolish. "Snape."

Harry stopped walking abruptly. "Well?"

"I… well, what?" Draco asked, digesting an uncomfortable image of Voldemort staring at him that had found its way to the forefront of his mind. "Well, I… found something… in the restricted section…" Harry noticed that Draco's words were spilling out in waves. His words would all come out at once, then pause, before another short burst.

Harry rolled his eyes. "And what was the son of a death-eater doing in the library?"

Draco blushed. "That… is… personal information…"

"Got a crush?" Harry grinned.

"Look, the point is, I found something, and you're gonna like this,"

Harry raised his eyebrows at him. "Well, you'd better lead the way, sheriff."

…

"Minister… is it really necessary to have this meeting… now?" asked a dishevelled Kingsley Shacklebolt, who was not at all pleased with the situation.

"Of course it is." explained Cornelius Fudge, who, likewise, was rather unhappy.

As McGonagall opened the door, the Minister for Magic walked in, and nodded at the figure behind the desk.

"Dumbledore," said Fudge.

"Fudge," said Dumbledore, clapping his hands together, "Shall we begin?

…

Draco walked on for a while, Harry made multiple mental notes of how far they had gone.

One aisle, two aisle, three aisle, left turn, one aisle, right turn, five more aisles… until…

"Well, Harry, we're here."

Harry looked around. "What am I meant to be looking at?" He looked closer. "Ah. I see. You've got a crush on Harriet Burns.

"Well, I- what."

Draco shoved Harry, and saw that that was the author of 'A hundred ways to poison a wizard'

"Right. I'm going if you don't apologise right now!"

Harry stood there. Harry stood there some more. "You're not going, are you?"

"No."

There was an awkward silence.

"I could, though."

Harry nodded. "But…"

"I won't, yeah."

Another awkward silence.

"Contemplating the point of life, are we?"

"Right, enough teasing!"

"Right, show me what you called me here for."

…

"Right, show me what you called me here for."

"Minister, for the last time, I called you here to discuss Harry Potter," Dumbledore sighed.

"And-"

"And, he doesn't have anything to show you, minister," Snape cut across him. "So, to quote many of my students, I suggest you shut. Up."

Fudge blinked. "I will not be spoken to like this, particularly from an ex-"

"I think we all jolly well know, minister, the position of Professor Snape," McGonagall snapped.

"Enough!" Everyone turned to look at Dumbledore, but, noticing he was looking somewhere else, they turned to look at Lily Potter. "Are we here to argue or do something productive?"

"Oh… I… yes… indeed," said Fudge, looking flustered.

"Good. Thank you, Lily," Dumbledore said. Lily nodded. "Now, we are here to discuss one of the first-years. Now, a bit of background information is in order, am I to understand?"

Everyone nodded.

…

Draco looked closely at all of the books, seemingly trying to find one that didn't match. Eventually, he found a big, green book, which had no writing on the spine.

"Now… look at that…"

Harry acted impressed. "Is that a real book?"

The blond boy rolled his eyes at his friend's antics before a curious look dawned on his face. "Well…" Draco considered the question. "I suppose…" He pulled it off the shelf. "It is a book… as in… it's a bunch of paper… but there's no writing. It was never published. It's just empty. Almost like-"

"A prop," Harry finished.

Draco nodded. "Now… if I put it back," he slid it in slowly, "It goes in really easy, until you get this far, and it stops… but… if you push it in further…" he resumed pushing. "Then eventually, it makes a noise."

It made a squeak. Harry kept his expression firm. Draco waited a moment, eyes tight shut.

"Well, wha-" Harry was cut off by Draco.

"Shhh! Listen…"

Harry rolled his eyes, but did as he said.

"Do you hear that?" The Malfoy heir muttered.

Harry nodded, eyes closed firmly. It sounded almost like clockwork. Draco moved his finger around for a while, until the sound seemed to peak.

Harry slowly opened his eyes.

"Right, here comes the tricky bit," the blond boy explained, starting to walk. "See, every time it appears, it pops up in a different place. Now it knows we've found the trigger, it will give us about three minutes to get inside before it hides itself away."

"Get inside what?"

Draco smiled. "You'll see."

Harry nodded. So it was a machine, a heavily enchanted one, but it worked by clockwork. They were running now. Left… right… straight… another left… until…

"Ha! Hahahahaha! Isn't that great!" shouted Draco, triumphant.

"I thought you said to keep the noise down," Harry mumbled to himself. Draco apparently heard anyway.

"Well, it is good, isn't it?"

Harry grinned.

…

"So… Dumbledore… You have gathered two representatives of the Ministry and the entirety of the staff of Hogwarts here, to discuss a first year student?" Fudge asked incredulously.

Around the room, people nodded. Fudge sighed heavily.

"That was my understanding, Minister," answered Hagrid, oblivious to the annoyance in Fudge's voice.

"I believe," Dumbledore began, correctly reading Fudge's expression at Hagrid, "That we shall begin with a summary of the events that took place, leading up to this meeting. "Ten years ago, Lord Voldemort," Everyone flinched. "Attacked the residence of James and Lily Potter,"

"And!" Fudge answered, determined to be as argumentative as possible, "Why exactly would He Who Must Not Be Named have attacked their house at all?"

"I wish I knew, minister," he said, keeping his eyes on the divination teacher.

There was a sad silence, during which Professor Trelawney sneezed, unhelpfully.

"Now, once in the building, Voldemort proceeded to stun both James and Lily."

Unbeknownst to everyone else, Lily gulped. That was the version she'd gone with.

"When they woke up, their son had disappeared."

Fudge seized the moment to cause more trouble. "Well then, we know what You Know Who was after! Their son!"

Dumbledore nodded. "Indeed, Cornelius. We know exactly what Voldemort was after, but we did not know what he had done to him or what he wanted Harry for."

…

It was an entrance. On the floor by one of the bookshelves, there was a staircase. As Harry walked down the stairs, he heard a crunching sound.

"Just to clarify, Draco… it's great and all that we're in here… but I would have liked a way out."

Draco, this time, was the one to roll his eyes. "Yeah, we'll get there when we get there, now follow me, please."

About halfway down, Harry noticed a light. "Right, gonna actually explain what's down here?"

"You'll see!" Draco gleefully shouted.

When they got down to the bottom, Harry saw a wooden door.

"Oo… goodie… didn't I ever tell you? I really love a good door." Harry said, sarcastically. "All those years we were raised together have finally paid off!"

"Shut it." Draco snarled. "Now, there are three doors here. One will ask you a question, you know, general knowledge, one will ask you a riddle, and one will ask you a question about yourself, but you have to be really honest, otherwise you won't be let in."

Harry nodded. A brain teaser. This was gonna be fun.

"Right." he said, and, as if on cue, the first door asked them its question.

"Who discovered the ten uses of dragon's blood?"

Draco blinked. Harry waited.

"You need my help, don't you?"

Draco nodded.

Harry stood to face the door, which had a handle the shape of a lion's head, and said, simply and clearly,

"Professor Albus Dumbledore."

The door waited a moment, before swinging open.

"It's always something to do with the Order," muttered Draco.

Harry snorted in a very undignified way. "I know, right?"

As they walked through the door, there was a long, candlelit corridor that was lined with a strange symbol that looked like a rake.

As Harry, now leading the way, walked on, he noticed the second door.

"Right. Here we have the riddle."

The doorknob was a raven head.

Draco nodded, "Let's check it out."

"I'm the first in Earth, the second in Heaven, I appear two times in a week.

I only turn up once in a year, and yet, I am the middle of the sea. What am I?"

"Pretty full of yourself," muttered Draco, mostly to himself. "What do you think?"

"The letter E," Harry answered simply. "Didn't you realise, the symbols on the wall, they were a rotated letter E?"

Draco looked at him in shock and Harry shook his head.

"Come on, you didn't think I was that stupid, did you?"

The blonde boy muttered something indecipherable as the second door opened.