Harry Potter and the Rise of Hope

Chapter Nine

Doubt

Blaise Zabini sank into one of the chairs in front of the Slytherin fire. The fact that Hagrid thought he could deal with an acromantula was quite a compliment, but then the man thought forth years could deal with a dragon. Blaise narrowed his eyebrows. Some of them probably could if they could all pull off a performance similar to Potter's, during the first task of the Triwizard tournament.

He was jerked back into reality by a voice floating across the common room. "Blaishael my friend."

"Yes Draco?"

"Father's asked me to return home for the weekend. He's invited you as well." Blaise took the offered note read it, then cast it into the fire.

"I'm not sure I'll make it." Draco was paying no attention.

"The letter!"

"You shouldn't leave information lying around! If it fell into the wrong hands . . . " Blaise turned and made his way to the swinging wall.

"Wait are you suggesting . . . Where do your loyalties lie Blaishael? With us, or with them?"

~*~*~*~*~*~

Blase stormed out of the dungeons. His day had been going so well and Draco had had to ask that question! Storming out onto the grounds he considered briefly going to Hagrid's just to prepare himself for the next lesson with the eggs, who knew when they might hatch, but the thought was chased out of his head by the sight before him.

Not five feet away two fifth years had thrown them selves at each other and a ring of students was slowly closing in on them.

"Great," he muttered under his breath, "this is just what I need. Like my day wasn't bad enough already." out of the corner of his eye he saw another figure sprinting towards the mob, the black hair and red trimming giving away exactly who he was. Silently Blaise began to curse. He was quite sure Potter had never dealt with a fight, they usually stopped the moment he walked into the room. Potter was the one prefect who could walk strait into the headmaster's office without so much as a scolding. Well maybe a scolding but he was too well liked for anything else.

"The perfect prefect," Blaise muttered as he began pushing towards the center.

He reached it in time to see Potter intervene just as the Slytherin threw a vicious uppercut at his Ravenclaw opponent. Potter staggered back muttering a string of curses as blood flowed from between his clinched hands, two black eyes blooming nicely.

Despite his broken nose Potter managed to get his wand out almost as quickly as Blaise.

"Lokamortis morter!" both fifth years fell. With their legs locked they couldn't stand to fight. Looking at Potter, Blaise had to admit he was slightly impressed. Taking a clean handkerchief from his pocket he handed it to the other boy then shouted to the crowd

"Okay show's over. Get back to class!"

"Thanks," Potter muttered, "what do you reckon, headmasters office?"

"Nope hospital wing. These guys are pretty beaten up, not to mention your nose." The Slytherin fifth year paled. Breaking a prefect's nose was enough to get him a month detention, if Snape intervened, three if not. Performing the counter curse Blaise hauled the two offenders to their feet marched them in front of him.

"Never get involved in a Slytherin vs. Ravenclaw fight."

"What?" Blaise looked at him out of the corner of his eye.

" Every one knows that we Slytherins do any thing to win; Hufflepuff uses words, you Gryffindor throw every hex you've got, and the Ravenclaw, well they use their fists." Blaise could see Potter smile under the bloody rag.

"Hasn't it stopped bleeding by now?"

"Yeah, I just don't want to move my hand."

By this time they had reached the Hospital Wing door. Madam Pomfrey hurried over and Blaise sat on a spare bed to watch. Thinking he suddenly realized that he and Potter had stopped a fight and made it up here without being nasty to each other once. Maybe the Gryffindors weren't really that bad?

Unbidden he heard Draco's voice in his mind. He tried to push the thought away, but tauntingly the thought wouldn't pass.

"So where do your loyalties lie? With us, or with them?" Blaise shuddered. Right now it was an answer he didn't know.

~*~*~*~*~*~

It was a rainy weekend and while most of the other students were in their common rooms Blaise and Draco were in the foyer of the Malfoy mansion. After several minutes of waiting and studying the paintings on the walls, several Families arrived including his own.

"Oh Narssisa," his mother cried upon entering the room, "what a simply marvelous idea, throwing a dinner party. It's been ages since we last spoke."

It was a long and tedious afternoon and Blaise was beginning to wonder why he was even there, when he was summoned along with his father to the library. Neither of them noticed when a small girl slipped in behind them and hide behind one of the bookcases. There weren't many present, not even Draco was in the room, but the Dark Lord was!

Tall and menacing he stood before them. Black robes billowing around his legs. He strolled forward and all present bowed. "So you come as you are called? Good. As you know each of you have a different level of value to me. Some of you are even . . . expendable." The Death Eaters stirred and looked at one another. Blaise pulled his hood and cloak closer around himself as a chill ran up his spine.

"But you have not yet run out your worth. I have many uses for you still . . ." Blaise never heard more. His father chose that moment to step forward and possibly cost the lives of them all.

"My lord."

"You dare interrupt?"

"My Lord I . . ."

"Crucio!"

"No, Daddy!" The child ran forward from behind the shelf and Volimort's wand rose. Before anyone knew what had happened Blaise had thrown himself forward on his knees, arms shielding his little sister. In that one moment Blaise made his decision, no longer would he doubt which side he should be on. Out of the man who would kill a child and a man who wanted only to teach them Blaise chose the teacher, hoping that he was doing the right thing, and hoping it wasn't to late.

"My Lord wait! You are merciful, your decisions are always right, but she is a child. She can still learn! Take my life instead." The Dark lord laughed.

"Very well take her. I will spare you both." He seemed to consider, "hold out your arm young one!" Blaise rolled up his sleeve and held out his left forearm. Biting his lip he fought not to cry out as the mark was burned into his flesh.

"You accept this willingly?"

"Yes my Lord."

"Take the child to Hogwarts. Everything will be arranged. Teach her some . . .simple spells."

"Yes my Lord." Blaise stood. Pausing only long enough to remove his mask he stepped into the fire disappearing with a roar on his way to Hogsmead.