Ch:2
Diagon Alley was bustling with students, their parents, and other witches and wizards as Draco looked around. He had strict orders from his father to stay close to Ravena while they were there. Lucius Malfoy being in charge of not one, but two is enough of a task in itself. Especially when one is just as much of a reflection of her mother as she is her aunt in a way. Ravena had been the one to watch over Draco while she was in school, but outside it was Lucius's task to keep them both on the rails while outside the walls of the manor.
He scanned the floods of people, looking for the specific curly hair he always knew. After a few moments, he found it. Two top knots carefully parted and pinned at the top of either side of her head with the white, while the bottom flowed down her back over her long floor-length coat in tight curls. She had begun to grow into herself, into the young woman she was, as well as the young woman the public began to raise concerns about.
She had her back to him, talking to Crabbe and Goyle after finding them in the apothecary shop getting supplies for their next year. Crabbe nudged her and motioned toward Draco, making her turn around. Ravena smiled at him as he walked towards them, her shoulder bag full of ingredients and parchment. The hawk on her shoulder chittered at Draco before nudging him a bit and returning to the cage again.
"Does father know you've already gone off to Gringotts?"
"Relax, he went with me to make sure they didn't give me any trouble."
"Where is he?"
Ravena shrugged as she leaned on the wall of the shop. "Said something about going to get a few things and then he would be back to see us off. We got everything you needed as well, just have to get our books."
Draco nodded as he followed her towards the bookstore, rolling his eyes as they saw it filled with people. He looked over at a display for Gilderoy Lockheart and motioned towards it. Ravena gave a soft chuckle and looked at him, holding up her hand mockingly moving it as if a mouth was talking. He laughed as they headed up the stairs to look around for anything of interest. After finding and pushing towards the front to pay for their school books, Draco stayed towards the side with her on the stairs looking through a few as they waited for Lucius.
Ravena looked through one of the books about dragons before she glanced over the railing, seeing the Weasleys walk in, and shortly followed by Harry. She shut the book quickly before shoving her bag at Draco and pulling her hood up.
"Stay quiet, and don't move. I'll be right back." She whispered and snuck out of the entrance and down the street to find her uncle.
Draco watched her leave, confused but did as he was told. Glancing through the book he had and rolling his eyes as the crowd inside cheered, he leaned over the railing above as Gilderoy talked about Harry, taking pictures with him and giving him his useless array of books for free. He smiled to himself before making his way down the stairs and pretended to look through a book. He took a moment, looking around before ripping the page out of the book and tucking it in his pocket. He looked over right as Harry was coming through the crowd and he stormed down the stairs towards him.
"Bet you loved that, didn't you Potter?" He moved to block him from the entrance. "Famous Harry Potter, can't even go to a bookshop without making the front page."
At that moment, Ron's little sister, Ginny, stepped between them.
"Leave him alone."
"Oh, look, Potter. Got yourself a girlfriend." Draco sneers before a silver snake head is placed on his shoulder, pushing him out of the way. He looks up, seeing Lucius directly behind him with Ravena on the other side of his father. Draco stepped aside quickly, glancing at her as she pulled her hood down and smirked at him before looking at the lot of them. The hairs on the back of Harry's neck stood up as she looked at him, brown eyes as if they were about to bore holes through his own and into the back of his skull. He swallowed sharply before looking back up at Lucius.
"Now now Draco, play nicely," He said smoothly, standing between the two of them as he looked down now at Harry. Introducing himself before tugging him in and examining the scar on his forehead, telling him it's as much of a legend as the wizard who gave it to him.
"Voldemort killed my parents," Harry looked up at him with a firm gaze, causing Lucius to release him.
"He's nothing but a murderer."
Lucius watched him carefully before speaking. "You must be very brave to mention his name. Or very foolish."
"Fear of a name only increases the fear itself." Hermione chimed in as she appeared by Draco.
Lucius took his focus off of Harry for the moment, looking at her and then his son for confirmation, "And you must be, Miss Granger. Yes, Draco told me all about you and your parents."
Hermione looked back at her parents, talking with Arthur happily. She looked back at Lucius frowning deeper. Ravena looked over at Draco, a smile creeping across her lips before looking back at them as well for a moment.
"Muggles, aren't they?" Lucius looked down at her with a slight sneer across his face. He exchanges a gaze with Hermione before then turning to Ron. "Let me see, red hair, vacant expressions…" He looks into Ginny's cauldron, reaching for a book and pulling it out. "Tattered, second-hand book. You must be the Weasleys."
"Children, it's mad in here. Let's go outside." Arthur had appeared behind Ginny, attempting to entice his troop to head out and away. As Lucius spoke his name, he frowned and stood straight, facing him directly.
"Busy time at the Ministry, Arthur? All those extra rates, I do hope they're paying you overtime."
Lucius looks down at the book again as Arthur keeps his eyes on him. "But judging by the state of this, I'd say not." He scoffs as Arthur continues to tell him how distinguishing as a wizard has nothing to do with status.
He plops the book back down into Ginny's Cauldron, slipping an additional behind it.
"I'll see you at work." He turns, looking around at the children in front of him before the two that came with him, turning and leaving the shop.
Draco slips over to Harry, leaning in as Ravena goes closer to his side. "See you at school." He spat out, making her grin and turn her back to them as they followed. Lucius looked over his shoulder at them both, looking at Ravena before smiling.
"Good girl, making it easy for me."
Ravena looked up at him and smiled back, taking her bag from Draco as he held it out.
"Easy for what?" Draco raised an eyebrow at them both.
"Easy to terrorize that lot, Draco. I can get away with words a lot easier than you two can. Then again, all your dear cousin has to do is look at them. Maybe you should teach him too, Little Bird." Lucius drawled out as they made their way through the alley. "Mother would be proud." He added before they disappeared around a dark corner in a cloud of smoke.
Harry sat at the Gryffindor table with the other students and his friends, eating and talking as Ron attempted to tape his wand back together.
"You're doomed," Harry responded, before hearing his name be called. He looked up to see a flash from a camera and a young blond boy standing in front of him. He blinked to focus his eyes before settling his gaze on him.
"I'm Collin Creevy, I'm in Gryffindor too."
"Hi, Collin, nice to meet you."
Collin's gaze was caught by movement at the doors, he looked up as Ravena walked in and took a seat across from Draco and beside Marcus Flint. His mouth dropped and he slowly raised his camera again.
"Bloody hell…that's Ravena Les-"
"Ron, isn't that your bird?"
The attention was diverted as Ron's owl came barreling through the doors, crashing into a bowl and onto the table.
"Look, Weasley's got himself a Howler." Seamus laughed, creating a chorus with him in the room.
Ron opened the seal and the Howler began screaming in his mother's voice. Chastising him about stealing the car, and now his father is having backlash at the Ministry for it. After warning him to behave, and congratulating Ginny on getting into Gryffindor's house, it ripped itself up and fluttered onto the table. Ron looked around the room before hiding his face.
After his first Quidditch practice, Draco followed Crabbe and Goyle into the great hall for dinner. Ravena was already there and had saved them seats. He sat across from her grinning.
"Looks like you had a good time."
"Potter had to stay after class with Lockheart. And Weasley tried to stick up for Granger before we left for practice."
"What did the little snot do this time?"
"He didn't, Draco did. He called Granger a Mudblood." Goyle said as he pulled various food onto his plate.
Ravena jammed her heel into Draco's shin, causing him to jump. "Are you insane? Just because Uncle can smooth talk his way around buildings doesn't mean you can throw things like that around."
"Well, she is! You heard him in the bookshop, muggle parents." He hissed and rubbed his shin. "No one's going to do bollocks about it either, calm down."
Draco rolled his eyes at her as he took a drink. He could feel her staring at him over the rim of the goblet before deciding to give up for the moment. Choosing to talk more about Quidditch with Crabbe and Goyle the rest of the time, even as they all left the great hall to return to the common room for the night. Rounding the corner, they see the trio in the middle of the corridor, water on the floor, and blood written on the walls. Ravena swallowed hard, seeing Filch's cat strung up like a light on the hook, petrified.
"Enemies of the heir, beware." Draco sneered and then looked at Hermione. "You're next, Mudbloods."
Ravena snapped out of it hearing him, pinching his arm hard as Filch began to yell at Harry, accusing him of harming the dear cat. She was unsure if Draco even knew about what was going on, but at that point, it didn't matter. Those who had heard about the chamber were already becoming more alarmed as the professors and Dumbledore parted through the students to come across the scene. Tugging at his robes, she retreated with the rest of their house to the common room, throwing her bag down on the chair as he followed.
"The hell was that for?" He growled as she rounded on him, staring him deep in the eyes.
"Keep your damn mouth shut if you know what's good for you, Draco." she hissed, teeth gritting as Crabbe and Goyle watched intently. Draco may have had a puffed chest at times, but even he knew not to cross her. He stepped back, a sign of him dropping the subject yet not total submission. Ravena backed off, grabbing her bag once again before turning to the girls' dormitory staircase.
"Best you keep out of it, and if you keep talking like that you're likely a suspect next. You're lucky they have eyes on Potter this time." She frowned over her shoulder at him as he scaled the stairs across from her. She watched them go before returning to her own dorm for the night.
Harry frowned at his plate at breakfast, thinking about everything that's already happened while here and it's only been a month or two. Hermione asking about the Chamber during class only raised more questions than many answers. She had an idea as to how to gain a little more information, but it involved a potion, limited time, and a lot of risks. The trio already suspected Malfoy as the heir after his display in the corridor the first time, now they just had to trick his two friends for just an hour. His cousin was the other problem, Collin almost spoke her name in the great hall before, which raised suspicion upon her as well as to what all she knew.
She went to find Lucius that day in Diagon Alley, hovering over Draco and his actions as much as Snape and Dumbledore do to her. Harry looked down at the food on his plate before finally deciding to eat something. Quidditch against Slytherin was going to pose even more of a challenge than it did before, and he needed to focus. Ron and Hermione looked at each other as they headed towards the pitch, breaking off from Harry as he went to get prepared. Looking around, Hermione frowned as she saw Lucius making his way towards the pitch as well, Ravena attached to his side as they spoke quietly to each other.
"The hell is he doing here?" Ron whispered to her over her shoulder.
"Malfoy's first quidditch match, why wouldn't he be here." Hermione looked over at him as they watched the two. Lucius leaned down to whisper to Ravena, handing her a wrapped gift before placing a hand on her back, motioning her off towards the stands before going up into one of the towers to sit beside Snape with the professors. Hermione frowned deeply and looked at Ron before they scaled the stairs to find seats. Between keeping attention on the match and the rogue bludger after Harry, Hermione kept Lucius and Ravena just within the side of her view. Draco being knocked off his broom to the ground didn't gain more than a grimace from his father, but his cousin got up and at least went to ensure his safety.
Hermione kept an eye on the bludger as she left, still darting around after Harry before smashing into his wrist as he reached for the snitch. Glancing up at the tower, neither Snape nor Lucius reacted either. Confusion set in as she ran down with Ron to Harry on the field, none of them was in control of the bludger.
Ravena leaned on the stonework arch to the hospital wing as Draco's friends sat around him in the bed, one moment he was fine and then would start to groan in pain at the sound of footsteps.
"You're fine, Draco. Stop playing into it just because uncle's around." She mumbled and rolled her eyes as Madame Pomphrey walked through the door by her.
"Oh Mr. Malfoy, stop making such a fuss, you can go." She said as she rushed towards Harry's bed with a skeleton bottle.
Frowning, Draco stood from the bed, still holding his ribs. Looking over at the crowd around Harry's bed before heading towards the doors with his friends. Ravena pushed away from the wall and walked with them back toward the common room.
"I'll let uncle know you're fine, go on and get some rest. You two keep an eye on him in case it does get any worse." She nodded towards Crabbe and Goyle before running into a few other students and heading off with them.
Once Harry was able to leave the hospital wing, he met back up with Ron and Hermione in the great hall. It was almost Christmas and another student had been claimed to the hospital wing. Collin had taken one too many pictures and now they had to prepare to take the polyjuice potion. They had exactly an hour before they changed back, and within that time they had to gain as much information about Malfoy and possibly his cousin before getting caught.
Getting the hair they needed was simple enough thanks to Hermione and the cakes, now it was to just act like Crabbe and Goyle as much as possible. After getting stopped by Percy in the corridor, Draco found them and tugged them back into the common room before they could get into any more trouble. They looked around before sitting down on the couch, Draco across from them by the fire as Ravena came down the stairs with the usual cluster of presents in her arm. She set them down on the table and sat on the arm of the couch as Draco proceeded to talk. Rolling her eyes at him as she went through the gifts like normal, leaving the silver-wrapped one last. Harry and Ron kept watching out of the corner of their eye as Malfoy spoke about how Dumbledore was the worst thing to happen to Hogwarts, causing Harry to pipe up.
"You're wrong!"
Ravena stopped tugging on the ribbon of the silver box and turned her head to look at him, eyebrow raising slightly. Draco rose off the couch and stood in front of them.
"You think there's someone worse than Dumbledore? Well, do you?" He snapped, watching the two on the couch. It took them a moment, between the two staring them down and pure curiosity to see what exactly the reactions would be, as well as the purpose of the box.
"Harry Potter?" Harry said, hoping to cover his mistake. When Draco relaxed and continued to speak, Harry asked if he knew anything about who the heir was. He looked at the box as Ravena opened it, pulling out what looked to be a picture frame with the letter L on the back corner of it. She looked at it for a moment before putting it face down on the couch as Draco explained the chamber opening again after fifty years and a Mudblood died.
"You want me to be honest, I hope it's Granger."
Ron jumped up off the couch, Harry stopping him from doing anything to Malfoy.
"What's the matter with you two? You're acting, odd…" Draco frowned watching them and looked over at his cousin, who watched them intently.
"It's his stomach ache," Harry replied, turning to Ron as his scar began to appear again.
Distracted, Draco began opening the gift that was left on the other table, shaking the watch to see if it worked. Ron and Harry ran off and out of the common room before either of them could catch them changing back. Draco looked over at his cousin, who raised an eyebrow and kept looking toward the door to the common room as they left. She turned to look at him before gathering her things, taking the framed picture from the couch, and cradling it close to her chest.
"What did mum send this time?" Draco asked quietly as he went over to her, grabbing his own presents off the table. Ravena hesitated a moment, looking over her shoulder at the other students at the table studying before handing it to him, looming over his shoulder so they couldn't see. Draco took the frame carefully in his hands, looking at it as a soft expression crept over his face.
"No matter how long, she can't forget. You know that right?"
"Now you're beginning to sound like Uncle and Cissy." She looked over at him and smiled softly. "I know that, Draco. I'm just hoping it hasn't altered her too much to the point where she's drifted away." She took the frame back, tucking it back where she had it.
Draco frowned as he watched her, looking over at the table of students quickly as they looked back down at their books. He scowled and followed her to the bottom of the stairs to the dorms.
"That won't happen, Rave. Mum does this every year so you don't give up, just like she hasn't."
Ravena smiled sadly and looked over her shoulder at him. "I know, and she knows I haven't." Nudging his shoulder off towards the other stairs." Get to bed, We can talk about it when we get home."
Draco watched her leave before going to his dorm and changing for bed. He looked out the window as snow fell. He knew he couldn't do anything to change how she was or felt, at least he could be there to reassure her, but now it was just a waiting game of ifs. He settled into bed and closed his eyes before falling to sleep.
Time goes on through the year, the snow melts, and the ground thaws. The Quidditch Pitch prepares for more matches as the students go about their regular classes. More and more worry grows in them as suddenly the match between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor is canceled. The news spreads through the school as Draco goes to find Ravena. He finds her in the common room alone as Crabbe and Goyle close the door behind them tightly. Everyone had already gone to the pitch and she had stayed behind for a few moments of silence and peace being alone. She looked up as she heard them come through the door, her eyes falling on Draco as he sat beside her on the couch.
"They canceled the Quidditch match." Draco huffed looking at her. She pulled her feet off the table and sat up. "Said everyone needed to report back to the common rooms immediately and for no one to go off on their own by themselves."
"Something happened, they never cancel Quidditch, and to send us all back and not split off means someone else got attacked." She mumbled and popped a candy in her mouth before sprawling back out on the couch. "Better not try and be slick and accuse me, been here the whole damn time."
"I don't think they really accuse anyone at this point. It's more scrambling about than anything."
She quirked an eyebrow at him as the students started funneling in from the door. She stayed seated where she was on the couch with him as they made their way into the common room, most going to their rooms for the evening. Some clustered near the table or on the other side of the couches as Snape made his way in, making sure the door was closed before walking to the middle of the room with a rolled parchment in his hand. His gaze met hers for a moment, smirking at him as he unrolled the parchment and began to read from it the new requirements for all students to be in their house common rooms by 6, and all students to be escorted by a teacher to classes.
Draco looked over at her and wondered if she was right, what if another student did get attacked and now it was worse than what anyone thought? If this proceeded to get worse over time as before, the students and the school were in serious danger. He sat up from the couch and leaned over to her as Snape left.
"If the school shuts down, where the bloody hell are we all going to go?"
Ravena shrugged at him as she sat up herself. "Not sure. Most likely you'd go to Durmstrag and I'd go to that fruity Beauxbatons if Cissy and Uncle wanted me to keep even going to school. Whatever is happening is just going to keep happening until they find out who is doing it or close it down. Either way, this doesn't look good on any of the professors here." She frowned deeply as she watched the other students talk quietly to each other and she looked over at Draco. Frowning, she sank back into the couch beside him.
Harry and Ron had to continue on their own, discovering more and more about the chamber, finding a diary of Tom Riddle, and now attempting to clear Hagrid's name on top of the adding list. Then Dumbledore was removed as Headmaster due to everything occurring, it was all just building and building. They had to work quickly, or everything they have done would be for nothing. After listening to Aragog, the spider hidden in the Forbidden Forest, Harry and Ron found themselves in the girls' bathroom again. Gilderoy taken as their captive, they descended into the chamber under the sinks.
Ravena sat in her bed, running her fingers over the necklace in her hand as she thought quietly. If they were sent home, the other schools wouldn't want her. Durmstrag was an all-boys school, and Beauxbatons wouldn't take a girl who had such a tainted name attached. It was bad enough that the other girls in her dorm wanted to switch before the ones she had roomed with now. Looking out the window, she let go of a deep breath before frowning as the necklace flashed a bright green. She looked down at it as it caught her attention, watching it flash again. Her eyes caught the light as she quickly went down to the common room. Looking around to make sure no one was with her, she dropped the necklace into the embers of the fire, watching it burst into a green flame. Shaping into a mist before darting out the open window, she watched it leave before a look of slight anger washed over her face.
Her uncle gave her the necklace the day of the Quidditch match Draco was in, explaining that if the creature in the chamber was destroyed it would give her a sign indicating so. If it did, he instructed her to do exactly as she had just done. Clasping the lock on the window before checking over her shoulder again, Ravena quietly went back up to her room and crawled into bed to try and settle to sleep.
Harry had escaped the basilisk in the chamber, the book destroyed with its fang and he returned by the hair on his head. Ravena waited at the end of the corridor towards Dumbledore's office, hood to her coat up as her eyes darted around looking. Lucius had gotten the sign in the night, waiting to hear the news of Dumbledore's release before having an excuse to appear on the school grounds. She leaned on the wall as she waited for him to emerge from the office, Dobby in tow and Harry not too far behind him. She frowned deeply and pushed herself off of the wall with her foot before meeting them halfway down the corridor.
"I have something of yours," Harry said shoving the diary at Lucius, who grabbed it and scowled.
"Mine? I don't know what you're talking about." He drawled, Ravena staying a few paces behind him as she watched Harry.
"I think you do, sire. I think you slipped the diary into Ginny Weasley's cauldron, that day in Diagon Alley." Harry looked up at Lucius as he spoke, looking into his eyes.
"You do, do you?" Lucius shoved the book at Dobby, letting the elf take it before leaning in towards Harry, gritting his teeth. "Why don't you prove it." Smirking after her didn't get a response. He stood straight and looked at Dobby, telling him to follow as they headed back down towards the corridor again.
Ravena followed behind Lucius, Dobbylooked back at Harry. Confused, Dobby opened the book as Harry gestured and stopped in his tracks.
"Master has given Dobby a sock." Dobby looked at Lucius wide-eyed as they both stopped after noticing he wasn't following.
"I didn't gi-" Lucius stopped as he saw the elf pull the sock out of the book, stunned for a moment before glaring at Harry as he pulled his pants leg up to show he took it off.
"Master has presented Doby with clothes. Dobby is free." Dobby smiled and held onto the sock watching him. Ravena's eyes grew wide and looked between the two and then at her uncle as the realization hit them both as to what was just done.
"" You lost me my servant!" Lucius yelled, drawing his wand from his cane and aiming it at Harry.
"Uncle don't, not here," Ravena whispered, trying to reason with him as he moved towards Harry.
"You shall not harm Harry Potter!" Dobby held his hand up as Lucius was about to cast the death curse on Harry, shooting a blue spark out of his hand and sending him flying back onto the ground at the end of the corridor.
Ravena jumped and turned her back to shield herself before looking up to see Lucius on the ground. He stood up sharply, brushing himself off before addressing Harry again. She turned to look at Harry before darting down the corridor towards the archway.
"Your parents were meddling fools. Mark my words, Potter, one day soon, you are going to meet the same, sticky end." Lucius hissed at him before turning his back and moving towards the archway. He grabbed her arm and rounding the corner with her, disappeared with a flash of light.