Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and settings belong to J.K. Rowling.

"Mr. Potter! I've been looking forward to having you in my class," Lockhart beamed as Harry entered his classroom with Draco, Hermione, and Ron.

"I'm not Mr. Potter," Harry said through clenched teeth. Seriously, what was this guy's problem?

"Yes, yes," Lockhart said dismissively. "You're a Malfoy. I still think keeping the other name is better but it is your decision. And when I heard of what happened, well. I realized it was all my fault." He shook his head sorrowfully.

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked.

"Why, what happened with you three of course." Lockhart gestured at Harry, Draco, and Ron. "Not arriving on the train! Making up some story about the barrier being closed," he chuckled. "Meeting me in Diagon Alley gave you a taste for publicity, didn't it? You and me, Harry, on the front page, gave you the bug, eh?" he chuckled again.

"No -"

"I know you want to get noticed but you need to calm down. Be patient. Oh, I know what you are thinking. It's easy for me to say as I am already an internationally famous wizard! But when I was your age, I was just as much of a nothing as you are now. At least you are somewhat known with all that business with he-who-shall-not-be-named. Now, finding out you're a Malfoy hurts you a bit I must confess. But at least you've had a start." He gave a grin.

Harry, Draco, and Ron just stared at him in disbelief.

"Take your seats, everyone, class is about to begin!" Lockhart went to the front of the classroom.

"Merlin, he is insufferable," Draco breathed as he sat in his seat.

"He thinks we lied about the barrier?" Ron sounded insulted. "For attention?"

"And he thinks being a Malfoy hurts my chances at cashing in on my fame," Harry said sarcastically.

Hermione bit her lip. "Perhaps he is just trying to help, in his own way." She suggested as she got out her notebook.

"You just fancy him," Ron said with an eye roll.

"I do not!" Hermione gasped.

"I see you all have my books. Wonderful! Let's start our class with a small quiz, shall we?" Lockhart smiled, his super white teeth sparkling as he handed out the quizzes.

Harry glanced through the questions and his mouth dropped open. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color? When is his birthday? What is his greatest achievement?

"This has got to be a joke," Draco said in a low voice.

"This is rubbish," Ron agreed.

"Shh!" Hermione hissed, scribbling frantically on her quiz.

Once he collected the quizzes, Lockhart read them over and tsked. "Some of you need to read through my books more carefully. My favorite color is lilac, not neon yellow." He frowned at Harry.

Harry stifled a snicker.

"And I clearly stated in Wanderings with Werewolves that my ideal birthday gift would be for all magic and non-magic people to get along. Not to have my teeth replaced with solid gold so I can blind everyone with my smile." He scowled at Draco.

Several students began chuckling and Draco grinned.

Lockhart looked disgruntled as he read through more of the quizzes but then smiled. "Finally! A student who got all the answers right! Where is Miss Hermione Granger?"

Hermione raised her hand, flushing.

"Ten points to Gryffindor!" Lockhart beamed. He rubbed his hands together. "Now," he said with his voice low. "I have some fierce creatures to show you. Do not scream, it will only upset them."

Everyone leaned forward eagerly.

"Now this is more like it," Ron said excitedly.

Lockhart pulled the cover off the cage. "Cornish Pixies!" He announced.

Draco snorted with laughter.

"Yes?" Lockhart's gaze settled on the blonde.

"They're not exactly dangerous or fearsome," Draco said bluntly.

"I wouldn't sound so sure if I were you," Lockhart countered. "They can be very tricky!" He smirked. "Let's see what you make of them!" He opened the cage and the pixies shot out.

It was pure chaos. The pixies shot in every direction, even seizing some of the students, like Neville, and lifting them by their ears.

"Someone help!" Seamus yelled as he was also raised.

Neville whimpered as he tried to break free. Other pixies shot through the windows, shattering the glass. And some stayed and knocked things over and tore apart books. One picked up the wastebasket and dumped it over Ron.

"Hey!" Ron protested, brushing trash off.

"Round them up!" Lockhart said, looking around a little warily. He gasped when a pixie took his wand and threw it out the window.

"Professor Lockhart, do something!" Harry said as he tried to avoid being dragged away by the pixies.

"Uh, this is a good lesson for all of you. You take care of it!" Lockhart escaped into his office, slamming the door shot.

"What a git!" Draco exclaimed.

"He just wants us to give us some hands-on experience," Hermione said, getting out her wand. The rest of the students, except the ones being held by pixies, quickly ran out of the classroom.

"What? Hermione, he didn't know what to do that's why he left," Harry shook his head, batting at a pixie.

"What about his books then? He's done all these amazing things – "

"Says he's done," Ron muttered. "How do we stop these things?"

"Immobulus!" Hermione shouted; her wand pointed at the pixies. They all froze. The pre-teens quickly put them back in their cage before the spell wore off. Seamus, Neville fell to the ground.

"Ouch!" Seamus yelped. He got up, glared at the pixies, and then stomped out of the classroom.

Neville sighed. "Why do things like that always happen to me?"

"You okay?" Hermine asked sympathetically.

"Yeah. Thanks." Neville said, grabbing his bookbag and leaving.

"I can't believe how incompetent Lockhart is," Draco said in disgust.

"Maybe he was just nervous because it's his first-day teaching," Hermione said hopefully.

"Like I said earlier," Ron smirked. "You fancy him."

"Ronald!"

/

It was the evening when Lucius and Narcissa decided to make a trip to the Dursleys. They had unfinished business with the muggles and wanted to be able to put it behind them now that the boys had started school.

Pop!

Petunia glanced up from the magazine she was reading and gasped. "You two!"

"Get out of our home!" Vernon shouted, standing up from his recliner.

Narcissa glanced around the room distastefully. "Trust us, we don't want to be in this...home longer than we must. It is quite horrid. The decor is very repulsive."

Petunia bristled. "I decorated this room myself." She snapped.

Narcissa gave her a very cool smile. "I'm not at all surprised."

"What are you freaks doing here?" Vernon demanded.

"Freaks. You sure do like that word," Lucius said, casually twirling his wand. His silver-grey eyes flashed towards him. "Perhaps you should learn a new word." He quietly said a spell.

Vernon's eyes widened. "What did you do, you freak? Ahh!" Vernon doubled over. It felt like he had been kicked in the gut.

"Any time either of you say that word, you will feel pain," Lucius smirked. His smile widened when Dudley walked in. "Ahh, here is your son."

"Shouldn't he be at his school?" Narcissa asked with a raised eyebrow.

"He starts tomorrow," Petunia said with a huff.

"Good. It works in our favor that he is here." Lucius said.

"Leave him alone! He's just a little boy!" Vernon said in alarm.

"So is Harry and yet, you abused him." Lucius countered.

"We never wanted him," Petunia said nastily. "And if you're here to bring the little freak - ahh!" She yelped as she too, felt like she had been kicked in the stomach.

Lucius whispered a spell at Dudley.

"Is the freak coming back? Oh, yuck!" Dudley's eyes widened as it tasted like his mouth was full of soap.

"You'll learn not to use that word," Lucius said mildly. He frowned. "You are also abusing this child."

"We would never hurt our Dudley!" Vernon protested.

"Look how big he is. He is just a child yet holds so much weight. It's not good for him." Lucius said bluntly.

"He's just big-boned!" Petunia said bristly.

"A lie you tell yourself," Narcissa shook her head. "And Harry was so skinny because you never fed him."

"Why would we waste perfectly good food on a waste of space?" Vernon snorted.

Lucius pointed his wand at him. "Dolorem Aculeatum!"

Vernon screamed in pain as the strong stinging hex scorched his arms.

"Leave him alone!" Petunia gasped.

Dudley's eyes widened in fear, and he ran out of the room and up the stairs as fast as his legs would let him.

"Why do you care so much for that fre- er, boy? What is he to you?" Vernon asked shakily.

Narcissa twirled her wand. "Did you know he wasn't your sister's biological child?" She asked casually.

"Yes, Lily found the brat on her porch," Petunia said. She took a step back when Narcissa glared at her.

"What they didn't know was his true identity. He had been kidnapped and glamoured to look like them." Narcissa said. "His real name is Hadrian Malfoy. Our son."

Petunia paled. "The boy is yours?"

"Yes, we found out the truth after we rescued him from your abuse," Lucius spoke up. "From when you struck him at the train station. And it was not the first time, was it? You hit him, starved him, and locked him in a cupboard. What kind of people are you to do that to a child?"

"We didn't want him," Petunia said quietly. "He isn't normal. You are not normal. You have your son, now leave us be!"

"There are laws regarding the abuse of children," Narcissa said. "In your world and the magical world. You two belong in Azkaban."

Petunia's eyes widened in fear.

Narcissa smiled meanly. "Your sister mentioned it, did she? The guards there drain you of every bit of happiness, of hope. No joy. Just despair."

"You can't!" Vernon blustered. "We – we did nothing wrong with the boy!"

Narcissa gripped her wand and glanced at Lucius's furious face. "They show no remorse. I doubt they ever will."

"They better hope they do because the spell I am about to cast won't end until they do," Lucius smirked, waving his wand in a complicated wave. "Tristis Somnia."

"What did you just do?!" Petunia screeched.

"Every time you sleep, you will dream of a boy being starved, hit, and locked away in the dark. Only in your dreams, it will be your son you see. You will feel his pain and fear as if it were really happening."

"How dare – " Vernon started to say.

"Your fortune will take a turn for the worse," Narcissa interrupted him as she also murmured a spell. "You will find yourself demoted at work." She told Vernon. "And you will find that no one wants to be your friend," she added to Petunia as she waved her wand over her. "As for your son – "

"Don't hurt my Dudley!" Petunia screeched.

"We don't hurt children," Lucius growled. "We are not child abusers like you. However, he will also have dreams where he is neglected like our son was, although not to the degree that you will suffer. Perhaps he will learn compassion."

Narcissa flicked her wand and the house was suddenly filthy. Dirt and layers of dust covered the floors, walls, and tables. Cobwebs hung in the corners and items were strewn all over the floor.

Petunia gasped. "My house!"

Narcissa smirked. "Looks like you'll have to do the cleaning all by yourself." She knew Harry had been the one to do the cleaning from the time he was a small child. She looked at Lucius. "Shall we go?"

Lucius took her hand. "Yes."

/

After dinner, Snape let himself into his quarters and then stared at the two people standing in his sitting room. "You made it one night before you came to see your sons?" He shook his head, a smirk on his face. Narcissa and Lucius looked at him sheepishly.

"Can you summon them, Severus? Just for a few minutes?" Narcissa asked pleadingly.

Snape frowned. "What is wrong?"

Lucius rubbed his hand over his face. "We visited the Dursleys this evening."

"Did you need help burying them?" Snape asked seriously.

Narcissa laughed. "No, we didn't kill them. We did leave a lasting impression, though."

"Good," Snape said. "I'll go get them from their dorms."

He retrieved Harry from the Tower first and then stopped and got Draco on the way back to his quarters.

"What's going on?" Draco asked. "Harry? Did something happen?" he asked his brother anxiously.

"No," Harry looked at Snape curiously as he let them into his quarters. "Why are – "

"Mother! Father! What are you doing here?" Draco asked, his eyes lighting up at seeing his parents. He rushed to hug them.

"We wanted to see you boys," Narcissa said, hugging Draco and then reaching for Harry. She hugged him tight, cherishing the feel of him in her arms. He had grown up with those horrible muggles and she wished she could erase their abuse from his mind.

"You missed us already?" Harry asked with delight.

"Yes," After hugging Draco, Lucius took his turn to hug Harry.

"Wow," Harry said in wonder as he relished being hugged by his father. Parents who missed him so much they came after just a day!

"How have your classes been so far?" Narcissa asked.

Harry's face lit up. "I got points in Potions!" he beamed.

Lucius smiled softly. "That's wonderful." He gave Snape a grateful smile.

"I did too," Draco spoke up.

"We're proud of you both," Narcissa said fondly.

"They earned them," Snape said proudly. He suddenly frowned. "Although, I did have to stop Draco when he pulled a wand out on a student."

Draco scowled at him. "Tattletale." He muttered.

"Excuse me? And why did you do that, young man?" Lucius asked Draco with a stern look.

"A stupid Gryffindor was being mean to Harry! Telling him that Uncle Severus doesn't care about him." Draco defended himself.

Lucius's eyes shot to Harry with concern. "Hadrian?"

"It's fine, I can handle it," Harry said with a shrug.

"What exactly did this boy say?" Narcissa asked.

Harry sighed. "He said that Uncle Severus didn't care about me, he's only pretending to because I'm a Malfoy."

"It's not true," Snape said quietly.

Harry nodded. "I know." He gave Snape a small smile. "I can handle the things they say."

"What else are they saying?"

Harry shrugged. "Just, stuff about you guys not caring about me. Or that you're evil. Or that I wasn't kidnapped, you just didn't want me."

"What?" Narcissa gasped.

"That's it. I want names!" Lucius said furiously.

Draco narrowed his eyes at Harry. "You didn't tell me that. Who said that?"

Harry looked at his family warily. "No way. I'm not telling you their names. You'll get them expelled or something."

"Dean Thomas is the one who said Uncle Severus couldn't care about you," Draco said. "But who said that about you not being kidnapped?"

Harry shook his head. "It's not a big deal. I expected to hear stuff."

"Harry, we can't help if we don't know," Narcissa said, sadness in her eyes. She wanted to make things all right, for both her sons.

Harry hated seeing his mom look so sad. "Cormac Mclaggen." He said finally. He saw the adults exchange looks. "You can't do anything. I don't want people to think I'm a snitch or something." He said quickly.

"Don't worry, Hadrian. No one will know you said anything." Lucius assured him.

"What about the rest of your classes?"

"Defense is a joke," Draco made a face.

"Is Lockhart bothering you?" Lucius asked suspiciously.

"Yeah. He thinks we lied about the barrier for attention!" Harry said. "And he called me Mr. Potter," he said in irritation.

"Is that so?" Lucius said, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"And he gave us a quiz. The questions had nothing to do with Defense. It was all about him." Draco rolled his eyes. "Like his favorite color and shampoo brand."

Snape frowned. "I'll let Albus know. He can't just use the classes to talk about himself."

"In other news, Quidditch try-outs are coming up," Draco rubbed his hands together gleefully. "There's a spot for Seeker and Chaser. I'm trying for both."

"You'll get one of them for sure. You fly really well." Harry grinned at his brother.

"Remember if you play against each other – " Narcissa began to say.

"It's just a game and not to let it become a fight." Both Harry and Draco said.

"Cheeky," Lucius murmured with amusement. He cast a Tempus and sighed. "You boys should go back to your dorms. It's getting late." He said reluctantly. He hated being separated from them. It was bad enough last year, missing Draco but now with Hadrian back, it was even harder. He smiled as the boys' faces fell. "We'll visit again soon." He hugged his boys, kissing the top of their heads. Narcissa then hugged them, kissing their cheeks and telling them to have sweet dreams.

"I'll escort them back to their dorms," Snape said.

"Thanks, Severus. Sorry to pop in on you like we did," Narcissa said.

"You're always welcome. Besides, I doubt it will be the only time this year," Snape chuckled before leaving with the boys.

TBC: