A/N: Co-writers: Tyler Nator, kuqiphobia (Helena)
Beta reader:Luke Knight, LadyLucius, grimmypigeon, Calten
Chapter - 13
Before Harry knew it, October had come, with coldness in the air promising an early winter. The zephyr breeze blew over the trees, causing them to sway lethargically, only adding to the atmosphere. After a few days, everyone had become aware that Teddy was Professor Lupin's son and not Harry's. They liked Teddy, and wanted to play with him, but Harry only allowed others except for Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna and Neville to go near Teddy in his presence. Even some younger Slytherin students come to him with the request to play with Teddy. Harry liked this change and hoped someday there would be no difference between the Houses of Hogwarts. He was pleased to see the Hogwarts community had grown and divisions between Houses had lessened since his time at Hogwarts.
He even arranged a classroom after consulting McGonagall, where everyone could gather, irrespective of their house, to study or spend a few hours. Harry would always take Teddy to that classroom in the evening so that others could play with him, on the condition that no one would take Teddy out of the classroom without Harry's permission.
Professor Zen had incorporated more physical training, like basic cardio and weight-lifting, into his lessons with Harry and Ron. The two boys had also become skilled enough to use Legilimency by themselves on each other and had started to learn about Defensive Wards.
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On the day of the first Quidditch match of the season, Harry woke up early, with Gryffindor versus Slytherin a few hours away. He took a long, relaxing shower and went down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Draco Malfoy was sitting at the Slytherin table, adorned in his Quidditch team robes. He subtly waved to Harry as he entered, flashing a piece of parchment above his head. Harry's eyes widened for a moment in surprise, and he sighed quietly as he walked over to him.
"What is it, Malfoy?" Harry asked in an irritated voice.
Malfoy ignored his tone, passing him the parchment. Harry could almost hear his eyes rolling inside his head. "This came for me last night. They want me to join them again," he said to Harry, his voice curt.
Harry's eyes met the blond's, and he waited for him to say more. Draco was silent for a long time, and Harry furrowed his brows, trying to get a read on him. But Draco Malfoy was so hard to read at times, and he was at a loss of words.
Draco's eyes darted from place to place on the table, exhaling quietly and pursing his lips as he spoke again, finally returning his gaze to Harry. Clearly, he was anxious, and he wrung his hands under the table. "But, I... I don't want to join them..." he said.
"I…" Harry trailed off, looking into Draco's eyes. "I don't believe you, Malfoy," he said at last.
Draco sighed, pushing air out of his nose as the smallest of smiles crept onto his face. His eyes flashed something Harry couldn't read. He was silent for a long time.
"Of course not. Why would you? After everything I've done…" he whispered. Draco shook his head. "I wouldn't expect you to." The blond sighed once more, removing himself from his seat. "Good day, Potter. And thanks… thanks for saving my family," he said simply, quietly leaving the Great Hall.
Harry moved back to the Gryffindor Table for breakfast, lost in his thoughts. Before he'd even realised it, the whole Gryffindor Quidditch team had joined him.
"Harry?" Ginny's voice, soft and attentive, pulled Harry from his thoughts. "Is everything okay?" she asked, sitting down next to him. Harry marvelled at how she could always tell when something was amiss.
"I'll tell you later…" Harry frowned.
"Alright, guys! Let's move," Ritchie announced at the very moment.
In the locker room, Hermione kissed Ron and Harry kissed Ginny before walking out to sit in the stands, taking Teddy with them. Gryffindor Quidditch Captain Ritchie went out, his team following after some pep talk. Madam Hooch gave them pre-game instructions, released Bludgers and the Snitch, and threw the Quaffle into the air. Both teams' Chasers raced towards the Quaffle, but Ginny won the race, catching the Quaffle and narrowly avoiding the opposing chasers before passing it to Demelza Robins. The audience roared joyfully. Demelza flew straight for the goal, faking to the left as she threw the quaffle to the right goal post. The crowd erupted in cheers as it passed the ring, waving their supporting flags in the air and jumping in their seats.
"And Gryffindor scored," a commentator announced. "What a move from Demelza Robins, chaser of Gryffindor scored in the first minute of the game. Gryffindor leads Slytherin by ten to nought."
Ginny and Demelza each danced through the Slytherin defences, both scoring at will with Dean's assist. Ron was blocking every shot that was thrown at him, with only one escaping him. By the end of the first hour, Gryffindor was leading Slytherin by eighty to ten. The Gryffindor team did not relent, increasing the score to one hundred and seventy to forty by the end of the second hour.
At the two and a half-hour mark, when the score was two hundred to sixty, both Malfoy and Michael David saw the Snitch near the Ravenclaw stand, and both Seekers dived towards it. Everyone stopped to watch them. Malfoy was nearer to the Snitch. Everyone was focused on David and Malfoy. Ginny saw this as an opportunity to score more and scored twice, giving Gryffindor a clear victory even if Malfoy caught the Snitch. Draco reached the snitch first, his smug smile dropping when he saw his points were for naught. The final score was two-hundred and twenty to two-hundred and ten, giving victory to Gryffindor by ten points.
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"Ok so today we are going to practise how to duel in a team, and thank you for bringing Miss Granger and Miss Weasley," Zen began in their routine morning training session.
After one short duel in which Harry and Ron were partners against Hermione and Ginny, the professor began.
"Ron, your reflexes are fast and your accuracy has improved. While Harry, your spells are more powerful than others and I believe you are aware of that as well. So this is what we are going to do. Ron will focus on attacking while Harry, you will focus on defending yourself and Ron."
With the new strategy, they began a second duel. Ron's spells were getting blocked by Harry's shield.
"This is going to take some time to get into coordination," the professor said before Ron could vent his frustration.
"Yeah some help would be appreciated," Harry grumbled.
"Practice is the only thing that can help you, Harry. The trick is timing between the two of you, and the more you practise together, the better you will get with it," Zen said with a smile on his face.
"But for the start, use verbal spells," Zen added hastily as he saw Harry open his mouth to retort.
"Protego," Harry shouted as Hermione sent a non-verbal stunner at them, blocking it effectively.
"Stupefy," Harry heard Ron say from behind, and he immediately removed his shield, allowing Ron's spell to pass through.
This time, they were better coordinated. After a few more spells were exchanged between both groups, the Professor called off their duel as well as their day's training. They were all tired, and Harry's bones ached from dodging Ron's spells and defending himself against Hermione's hexes. In all, he was exhausted, and the thought of his bed back in the dormitory seemed very appealing to him.
"Good, your coordination is getting better. Try to say the spell as lightly as possible. Your ultimate aim should be that you can coordinate without uttering a word. Keep practising daily and you will manage, and for that, I have no doubt."
"When are you going to teach us the magic trace thing?" Ron asked before the professor could leave.
"Patience, Mr. Weasley. If you eat too much and too quickly at once, you won't be able to enjoy the taste of your food. In due course, I will teach you about tracing as well. Read those books I recommended you, tracing magic is a very advanced category of charms,"
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Harry remembered that on the day of Halloween, his parents had died too. So on the thirty-first of October, he got up early in the morning, and after giving instructions to Nickey for Teddy, he got dressed and walked out of the main gate of Hogwarts and apparated to Godric Hollow. The morning breeze was cold, and there were puddles of water here and there from the previous day's rain. Harry carefully avoided them, his sullen gaze fixed on the ground and refusing to look up at his gloomy surroundings. He walked to his parents' grave, navigating through the graveyard, trying to avoid those puddles and muddy ground. He sat on the damp ground cross-legged next to the graves, tears falling from his eyes.
"Hello, Mum, Dad," He mustered the strength to finally utter the words, his voice quivering with a mix of anguish and relief, before the cascading tears overtook him once more. In the midst of his inconsolable grief, he found solace in laying prostrate on the hallowed ground that held the remains of his beloved parents. His tear-streaked face and heaving sobs endured, as though they were an outpouring of the profound anguish that had consumed him. Only when his sorrow had reached its utmost depths did exhaustion prevail, lulling him into a fitful slumber amidst the sombre stillness of the cemetery.
"Wake up, Harry," a voice called to him.
"Oh, Mum please let me sleep some more, it is so peaceful here," Harry muttered. He subconsciously wiped at the dried tear tracks running down his cheeks.
"Harry, wake up, we have to go back to Hogwarts!"
The voice spoke with increased urgency. A small hand was shaking him. When consciousness came to him, he realised that the voice belonged to Ginny and that he was at Godric's Hollow. It was already dark, indicating he had slept the whole day on the graves of his parents. The thought itself caused his heart to seize, and he clenched his fists, avoiding Ginny's sympathetic gaze.
"Ginny, how did you know I was here?" Harry asked.
"You were not at Hogwarts for the whole day, so I started to get worried. I went to McGonagall to ask about you. When she reminded me of today's date Hermione figured out you must be here, so I came looking for you." Ginny told him. She gave him a hand to help him stand. Her fingers threaded through his, a silent word of support. "Come on, let's go. It's very late. We were all worried about you. Say goodnight to them."
Harry got up and put his hand on Ginny's waist.
"Goodnight Mum, Dad. I miss you." Harry said. The words were bittersweet, and he felt the tears well up again, yet he held them back, not wanting to cry in front of Ginny.
"Goodnight, Mum, Dad," Ginny said, emphasising the last two words.
Harry looked down at her and smiled warmly.
"It sounds nice," Harry told her.
He conjured a bouquet and laid it on his parents' graves.
"People care about you, you know," Ginny said. She laid her head on Harry's shoulder, before whispering to him, "We all care so much. Please don't think you ever have to go through anything alone. I'll always be there for you. I love you. So, so much."
A few minutes later, both Harry and Ginny apparated at Hogwarts. Though Harry was not mourning, he still wasn't cheerful. Yet Ginny's kind words rang in his ears, and despite everything, he found it in himself to smile.
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Harry was sitting in the common room of his quarter playing chess with Ron, while Ginny was curled up on a sofa nearby reading from one of Harry's books. Teddy slept peacefully next to her, his mouth slightly drooping open as drool trickled down his chin.
"What have you thought for Trecy? Christmas is almost one and a half months away," Ron asked.
"She will go with us," Ginny said.
"What do you mean by going, aren't you coming with me to Burrow," Ron asked.
"No, we are going to Potter-villa. But we will be there on Christmas Day." Harry added quickly, seeing the sad look on Ron's face.
"It's not that you won't be there, it is that Hermione won't be there too. She'll be with her parents." Ron said lamentably.
"Why do you not go with her for a few days? I am sure she must have invited you." Ginny asked him.
"Yes she has, but I've declined her invitation," Ron told them.
Ginny took it as a cue for her to leave to allow two friends to have some alone time. She took Teddy in her arms, taking care not to wake him, and quickly slipped out of the room. She knew that Harry would tell her later.
"Why did you decline her invitation?" Harry asked curiously.
"Well err... you see... I... um… I don't want to barge into their life. I will be odd there; you see, I don't know how muggles work without magic and all that. I will look stupid there," Ron said.
"No, you are not barging into their life, Ron! She loves you. If you have any doubt about working with anything that you are not sure how to do, ask Hermione! She understands that you don't know about Muggle ways and just remember not to use magic on anything, even a simple levitating charm," Harry advised him. "She loves you. She'll understand. If she knew you were feeling this way and didn't tell her, she wouldn't be happy. You're always welcome, Ron. Her parents would love to meet you too."
Ron didn't respond to him but sat there, thinking.
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Few days later, after charms class, Harry was on the way to the Great Hall for lunch with Ron, Hermione, and Ginny when Malfoy called him from behind.
"Potter, wait, " Malfoy said in a low voice. Ron and Hermione looked at him curiously. Ginny scowled at him.
"What is it, Malfoy?" Harry asked, annoyed. After his last encounter with Malfoy, he didn't feel in the mood to speak to the blond.
"You know why I called you," Malfoy said curtly, a frown on his pale face.
"No, I don't." Harry flatly replied.
"You haven't read today's prophet?" Malfoy asked, surprised.
"No. It always publishes rubbish."
Draco motioned to an empty classroom. Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione followed him cautiously. Draco took out the daily prophet from his bag and passed it to Harry, then turned towards the door and sealed it.
Harry opened the newspaper.
'BREAKOUTS AT AZKABAN.' Yesterday night, there was a mass breakout at Azkaban. Several criminals, along with death eaters, were rescued by a group of unknown attackers. Major death eaters who broke free were identified as Macnair, Lucius Malfoy, Augustus Rookwood, Rabastan Lestrange, Amycus and Alecto Carrow, Averys, and Notts.
"They didn't break my father out. They kidnapped him. I'm sure of it," Draco Malfoy said bitterly.
"How can we know that he was kidnapped and not broke free?" Ginny asked impatiently.
"Why would he break out when he was only imprisoned for one year and he had already spent five months of imprisonment." Malfoy retorted.
"What do you want from us?" Ron asked angrily.
"I want your help Potter," Malfoy said desperately.
"We won't help you, Malfoy," Ginny injected before Draco could open his mouth.
"What help do you want, Malfoy?" Harry asked calmly, ignoring Ginny's comment.
"But-"
"What help do you want Malfoy? Speak up, we are getting late," Harry said again.
"A duel," Malfoy murmured. Harry almost didn't hear him.
"What?!" Hermione shouted as she took out her wand.
"I want you to help me to practise in a duel," Malfoy said hurriedly after seeing Ron, Hermione, and Ginny holding their wands pointing towards him.
"You want to practise a duel that means you are preparing yourself for a fight and it means only one thing. You know something that we don't know. Care to share it with us?" Harry asked.
Malfoy sighed and said, "I know you will figure it out. Yes Rowel and Torian Lestrange are their leaders now. Well, Torian is the leader and Rowel is sort of second in command."
"Why do you not go to the Ministry if you have their information?" Hermione asked, lowering her wand slightly.
"Because there are still some people who support Death Eaters in the Ministry," Harry said. He turned to Malfoy and asked, "Who is Torian Lestrange, Malfoy?"
"I'm not sure, there are rumours about him. One is that he is Bellatrix Lestrange's stepson. It's said that Rodolphus had a forced relationship with a witch who gave birth to his child to preserve the family name. Another rumour is that Torian Lestrange is the son of Bellatrix and the Dark Lord. Torian was his secret."
"How can I trust you Malfoy that you will be fighting against them and not us?" Harry inquired.
"I don't have anything that can prove me Potter, but as I have said to you earlier I am not going to join them neither as a double agent nor as loyal to them. I even showed you the letter sent to me that a plan may be afoot." Malfoy said with a sigh. "Look, I know I did terrible things during the war, but it was never my choice. I never wanted to be… evil. I wish I could change it but-" He trailed off and was about to leave when Harry stopped him.
"Alright. Meet me in the room of requirement, after classes. But remember, Malfoy if you betray me, I will make sure you regret it for your whole life," Harry warned.
Malfoy nodded gratefully and left the room.
"I cannot believe it, Harry. You trust that git?" Ginny asked as soon as he was out of hearing range.
"I am not trusting him, Ginny," Harry replied coolly.
"Then why do you agree with him for duel practice?" Ron asked.
"Take it this way, by helping him in defending himself we can stop him from joining or turning to the dark side. Besides, Professor Dumbledore also believed in a second chance. It is the right thing to do."
"You know what Harry, you really are turning into Dumbledore." Hermione smiled.
"I'm not."
"Yes, you are." Ron and Ginny chorused.
After classes, Malfoy met Harry and his friends in rooms of requirements to practise duelling.
"Malfoy and Ginny, you will duel with each other," Harry instructed them without wasting any time. "No curses or anything potentially harmful. You may either disarm each other or fire harmless hexes or jinxes."
Malfoy and Ginny bowed to each other and then took a position ten feet from each other. "Begin," Harry declared.
Malfoy started firing hexes and jinxes at Ginny almost immediately, but he could not penetrate her shield. Ginny cast a single spell at Malfoy to disarm him and win her duel. Draco Malfoy was dumbstruck and heavily breathing. He was trying to figure out what hit him as he looked to where his wand lay several feet away. Ginny smirked, tilting her chin and proudly sneering at him.
"Take this," Harry said, handing him a butterbeer. "You will feel better. Now Ron, Hermione, and Ginny it's your turn to duel with each other."
"Start," Harry declared, and he sat next to Malfoy, sipping his butterbeer. Malfoy was watching as each one fought against the other two. He was surprised to see Ron block a hex fired towards Ginny by Hermione, and after a few minutes, he fired his jinx towards her. Harry noticed the look on Malfoy's face but didn't say anything. After twenty minutes of intense battling, Ron was successful in hitting Hermione with his stunning spell.
"What was that? I have never seen this before," Malfoy asked in a surprised tone.
"It was a triple-threat duel. I got that idea from muggle wrestling," Harry told him. After one more short duel between Malfoy and Hermione, they finished their practice.
"Alright Malfoy, meet us here next week, same time," Harry said.
Harry had deliberately avoided his and Ron's duel against Malfoy, but he did show him the power of Ron. He knew that, despite having no words exchanged, Malfoy knew the threat that was facing him in case he ever tried to betray them.