Pride and Prejudice

Mail in the Morning, Lunch With a Lawyer, and a Dinner Without Daughter Doubts

Lily recognized his cold gray eyes as they followed the Snitch. To her astonishment, he froze when their eyes locked for a split second, as if she was a Dementor. Lily took his actions for granted and darted after the Snitch.

"Come on, " she urged her Firebolt 13. "You can make it!"

Lily's delicate fingers snatched the Snitch, and the Gryffindors exploded.

"Gryffindor wins! Gryffindor starts the season with a spectacular win versus Slytherin!" Lee Ann Jordan cried. "The final score, 230 Gryffindor, 80 Slytherin! Slytherin Seeker and captain, Gregory Malfoy, still hanging in midair, shocked, as Gryffindor Seeker, Lily Potter waves the Snitch after her amazing, fantastic ca-"

"Jordan! What did I say about favoritism?!?"

"Sorry, Professor McGonagall."

Lily was being encircled by Gryffindors as she landed on the soft ground. She looked up to see a motionless airborne Gregory Malfoy. As she shook the Snitch (which was furiously trying to escape), Lily flashed Gregory a victorious smile, and almost immediately vanished into the crowd of her fellow Gryffindors.

It took both of the Slytherin Beaters to whack their short clubs together, inches from Gregory's face to wipe away the stunned expression he wore.

"Malfoy, you OK? You missed the Snitch," said the Keeper Evan Bulstrode. "You were inches away then, sort of...fell back."

"I'm OK," Gregory hesitantly tried to reassure them. "Just, first game nervousness. I'll do better next time. You all did very well."

He glided back down to the ground, and headed for the showers. Gregory dressed quickly and then went to his dormitory. It's her, he thought, that girl from King's Cross Station. Bloody hell! She's a damn good Seeker. No, no, I can't compliment her, she's a Gryffindor. He sat down on his bed and began to write a letter.

Dear Father,

School is good. I have quite a lot of homework, but I'm managing. No news, really, but I just thought you would like to know how the Quidditch game went. Well, we lost, 80 to 230. The Gryffindor Seeker, a girl named Lily Potter, caught the Snitch, only because I got a little nervous! I'll do better next time, I mean it. I promise. I wont let you down.

Your son,

Gregory

He folded the letter into an envelope and started to walk up to the Owlery.

Dear Daddy,

We won!!! 230 to 80!!! The score was tied, but I made it! (Hey, I learned from the best, didn't I?) Slytherin has a new captain and Seeker, Gregory Malfoy, or something. He must come from a really wealthy family, because he had a Nimbus 4000! But don't you worry; I'll use my faithful Firebolt until it's old and wrinkled! (I only hope Malfoy's has the same fate your Nimbus had. To smash into the Whomping Willow!) I knew you would want to know! Things are OK in classes, not much going on there.

Send my love to Mum, Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione!

Your little flower,

Lily

Lily put her letter in an envelope, grabbed an Owl Treat, and went up to the Owlery.

"Come on, Amber. I've got a letter for you to deliver to Dad." Gregory heard an unfamiliar female voice and the hoot of an owl as he climbed the circular steps leading to the Owlery.

"You!"

He felt as if someone electrified him when he saw those memorable emerald eyes.

"Nice game today, Captain Malfoy," Lily taunted.

"You too, that was a great catch" Gregory replied.

"Malfoy, what are you playing at?" Lily snapped.

Gregory gave a huge fake gasp of astonishment. "Nothing. Really, you did play a good game!"

Lily obviously wasn't satisfied as she crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows.

"What's wrong, Malfoy? Too proud to admit that I'm truly a good Seeker? Or just to prejudiced against someone you don't even know?!?" Lily began to go red in the face as Gregory stared at her. "And why did you freeze like that in midair? Did you see your defeat coming? Professor Trelawney would be happy. She'd say you have the meanings of a 'True Seer'. You know what?!? Don't even answer! I don't want to know!"

Fuming, Lily turned in her heel and stormed out of the Owlery.

"Harry! You have a letter!" Ginny Potter called to her husband. "It's from Lily!"

Harry sat down to breakfast and opened the letter from his daughter excitedly.

"Do you think they won?" he asked with the air of his 14-year-old self again.

Ginny smiled. "Why don't you read the letter, darling, and find out?"

Harry read the letter, a grin growing on his face.

"I'm guessing they did!" Ginny chuckled. "What was the score?"

"230 Gryffindor, 80 Slytherin."

However, Harry's happiness didn't last long as his brilliant bottle green eyes read the next sentence of his daughter's letter. His smile faded, and almost instantly turned into a frown. Even though it was unnaturally warm for late October, Harry began to shiver as if he turned to ice. Luckily for him, Ginny had her back to Harry, cooking breakfast. Harry swiftly folded up the letter and put it in his pocket.

As he searched all around the library, Draco Malfoy continuously hit himself lightly on the head, as if it were going to refresh his memory. It was nearly twenty tears ago, he thought. Don't be thrown out, please! After frantically searching all the safes and important spots, he walked over to the bookcase. Among all of the Potion books and histories of Dark Arts, he found it lying among his old school things. The metallic silver cover reflected light all over the black-leathered room. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry gleamed on the front of the yearbook Draco received on the last day of school about twenty years beforehand. He still remembered getting it back after it circled the entire seventh year. He frantically turned the pages

"Potter," he mumbled. "P, P, where are you?!?"

Draco nearly ripped the pages as he flipped past Pansy Parkinson, the Patil twins, and his current (third) wife, Sally-Anne Perks (now Malfoy), and finally, Harry Potter. The face in the bewitched picture gave Draco a malicious smirk, as if Harry Potter had something up his sleeve.
Knowing Potter, thought the confused blond, he, Weasley and Granger usually did have something up their goody-goody Gryffindor sleeves.

Draco scanned the page, where at the bottom, a small note was written.

Malfoy-

Don't forget. Ron, Hermione and I will always remember. Even though you'll do all you can to ignore it, we were once bonded. The bond will never break.

-Harry

Draco never noticed that Harry Potter had signed the yearbook.

Was this some sort of threat?!? Draco thought. What has Potter taught his daughter? Is my son involved in any of this?

Draco then headed back into the dining room for breakfast, his thoughts still troubled.

"Bloody hell!"

Ron Weasley couldn't help himself. He had just finished reading the letter his brother-in-law, best friend (or Harry, you choose) had given to him to read.

"You mean that slimy git's son is on the Slytherin team?!? Well, at least Lily showed Git Jr. some 'Potter Power', huh?"

Both of the young men burst out laughing in Ron's large, circular office in the Ministry of Magic. Together, he and Harry worked in the highest office in the Games and Sports Department.

"Did you tell Ginny?" Ron asked.

Harry heaved a sigh. "There is no need to worry her. At least not yet. I plan to. However, I do expect you to tell Hermione. If anyone, she can get us some good information on what Draco Malfoy has been up to since..."

Harry broke off and stared out the window. Ron noticed the look on Harry's face.

"Don't go back to that, Harry," he said sternly. "That was almost 20 years ago! And it isn't your fault! Just because Malfoy was a bloody idiot doesn't mean you go sulking about it two decades later! Come on, let's go meet up with Hermione and Ginny for lunch at The Leaky Cauldron. We can tell them what is going on over lunch. I'll buy you a drink."

Harry nodded, and the two grabbed their cloaks and walked out the door preparing to Apparate.

"It'll be a good one," muttered Ron.

Once inside Diagon Alley, Ron spoke up.

"You go get Ginny, I'll get Hermione. We'll meet up in The Leaky Cauldron in 5 minutes, OK?"

"See you in 5," Harry said as he set off to Flourish and Blott's to find his wife.

"Gin? Ginny?" Harry called softly once inside the bookshop.

"Harry? What are you doing here?"

"You're on break now, right?"

Ginny nodded, utterly confused.

"Come on, let's go to The Leaky Cauldron for lunch. We're gonna meet Ron and Hermione there."

Without asking any questions, Ginny closed the book she was reading (Witch Wonders by Melinda Whittaker) and followed her husband out the door.

"Harry, Ginny!"

The couple turned their heads to see Ron and Hermione exiting Hermione's private law firm, Magical Mysteries Inc. As the four walked out of Diagon Alley and into The Leaky Cauldron, Hermione's curiosity got the better of her.

"So, what did you two want to talk about?" she asked Ron and Harry.

The two men exchanged looks, before Ginny broke in.

"Hermione, let's sit down to lunch first, then Harry and Ron will tell us what's going on."

Hermione raised her eyebrows, but agreed to do so.

After sitting down with their food, Harry began.

"This morning, I got a letter from Lily. Se told me how Gryffindor won the first game of the season against Slytherin." Harry smiled, recalling his daughter's skill with Quidditch. "Anyway, she told me how Slytherin got a new captain and Seeker, a boy named Gregory Malfoy."

Silence.

"Is that who I think it is?" Hermione whispered.

Ron nodded.

"Oh my," Ginny clutched Harry's hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Just what I thought," he continued. "Don't worry, though, Lil is a responsible girl. Even though she doesn't know about... Anyway, I thought if this kid's father is who we think he is, what's this Gregory like? That's where you come in, Herm."

"Me?!?" she asked in shock. "Why me?"

Ron heaved an exasperated sigh. "'Cuz you're the best damn lawyer in the wizarding world! Don't be modest!"

Hermione blushed.

"So," Harry said, "are you ready for some sleuthing? We're curious about Malfoy, you know, what he's been up to. Interested?"

Hermione grinned a malevolent smile.

"Definitely!"

Following lunch, Harry went back to his office.

She really is a smart girl, and she deserves to know the truth, he thought.

Pulling out his quill and a fresh piece of parchment, he began to write a letter.

Dearest Lily,

Congratulations on your Quidditch victory! I'll bet you showed that Gregory Malfoy some real 'Potter Power' as your Uncle Ron puts it. Speaking of this Malfoy kid, I knew a Malfoy when I was in Hogwarts. In fact, we were enemies. Absolutely despised each other. Draco Malfoy was his name. He was a little rich boy, but one hell of a jerk! (Don't let your mother know I'm talking like this!) His father, Lucius Malfoy, was a very wealthy man, and school governor. So Malfoy always strutted around school like he was a king, that little slime. Actually, it was Malfoy who did something so incredible, that I could never forget it, not in a thousand years! You know how Aunt Hermione, Uncle Ron and I defeated the Dark Lord, Voldemort. Well there was one person we forgot to mention. Draco Malfoy. Draco's father was a very large supporter of Voldemort, and was under his direct orders. Lucius Malfoy trusted hid 17-year old son, and believed that Draco would follow in his footsteps. It sure did seem like he would. So Mr. Malfoy told Draco about Voldemort's evil plans, hoping that Draco would help. Now, Draco had this soft side that nobody knew of. He had two choices; to help his father and bring Voldemort back to power, or help the three most unlikely people he would ever help. Those three were Ron, Hermione and I. He actually did the smart thing and joined us the night we were going to go and try to overcome Voldemort, even if the consequences involved the death of his father. With his information, the four of us successfully defeated Voldemort, once and for all. But his father's death changed Draco forever. He knew that we knew of his good side, but instead of showing the rest of the wizarding world, the blithering idiot let his pride overcome him. He said that this was only for him, that the vanquishing of Voldemort helped him. Malfoy basically threatened us not to tell. He then left. Ron, Hermione and I still don't know what he ever did with his life, but apparently he got married and had this Gregory boy. I know that you are a brilliant girl, but I still want you to be careful. We don't know what Draco taught his son about any Potters. So please, just be careful. I love you, and I would hate to see you get involved with the everlasting rivalry between Draco and me. Promise me you'll be cautious.

Watch out for James and Sirius! (You know that they are too much like your Uncles Fred and George!)

Love,

Dad.

Harry folded up the letter, put it in an envelope and addressed it to his daughter. He then walked over to the cage that held his faithful snowy owl, Hedwig. As he stroked her soft feathers, he whispered pleadingly "Hedwig, please just get this letter to Lily as soon as possible." With an encouraging nip on Harry's ear, Hedwig soared off into the night.

***Fourth Year Girls' Dormitory***

Lily opened the letter as soon as she carefully removed it from Hedwig's foot and giving her an Owl Treat. As she read eagerly, an expression grew on her face, an expression of horror and disgust.