Tainted Information

A ferocious growl sounded in the thick dark of the alley. A large figure could be seen outlined in light, features hidden by darkness. The growl sounded again, before the creature retreated into the blackness.

This had been the fourth such sighting this week, of a creature in the dark. Donald McKinnon pulled a chair up to the front window, and tried to brush off the feeling of foreboding that rippled through his body. He was determined to keep an eye on the block tonight, to try to see what was causing the strange events that had taken place in the last month or so.

A tall man emerged from the shadowy alley, a malicious smile on his otherwise handsome face. He was wearing clothing of an odd nature. A long black cloak covered a suit that closely resembled the ones worn by low ranking officers in the First World War; only real difference was that this suit was made of a fine black and green silk.

The man strode confidently down the nearly deserted streets. His blonde hair was illuminated by the glowing streetlamps. At the corner, Hastings and Priestly, he met up with another man, a slightly taller, much younger version of himself. The two stood engaged in a deep discussion for sometime before parting ways. The older of the two men wandered aimlessly up and down the city block until precisely six o'clock, when he entered one of the darkened shops.

Don shook his head slightly; these men certainly weren't from any part of Britain he'd ever seen. What was going on in this town? Whatever it was, he was too tired at that moment to care. He walked over to the couch, lay down; his head pillowed on his arm, and fell into a deep sleep.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

The sun rose warm and rosy that morning, its brilliant light seemed to bring the entire town to life. The shops along Priestly Street opened their doors to let customers in. Don slept on through the early morning and into the mid afternoon.

Don was an ordinary sort of Muggle, he worked hard at his job as assistant to the Prime minister, and brought home a fairly substantial pay-check. He was not the curious sort and had no knowledge of the existence of wizards.

The ringing of a pager startled him into a sitting position. He grabbed the silver devise and looked at the number, it was the Prime minister. He shook his head trying to wake himself as he walked towards the door. He was going in to work on a Sunday, this had better be good.

Driving to the air pad where a helicopter would pick him up at exactly 3:15, Don tried to puzzle out what he had seen last night. The large black shape had to have been a dog, for that was the only large beast that lived in the city, but what of the man that had emerged from that same alley, completely unscathed. Surely the dog would have attacked, and why had he waited until exactly two hours before opening time to enter that store. It was all very strange and confusing.

At the helicopter pad he could see a person with long blonde hair standing just behind his personal assistant, John. In this business assistant was just a fancy name for being a body guard. Ron tried to get a better look at the blonde man, for indeed it was a man, he could tell that now, when he saw the man's face he gasped and made a quick decision.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

At Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the first classes were drawing to a close. Draco Malfoy sighed impatiently, waiting for Professor Flitwick to finish up a lecture. Charms was one class he had no interest in. Now if he could have Defense Against the Dark Arts and Potions all day he would be thrilled. He didn't think it very fair that the sixth years had required courses, but that didn't change the fact that they did. He swept his eyes around the room, his glance flitting over all the faces until they came to rest on one.

Harry Potter. Draco's silver eyes narrowed into slits as he stared at his nemesis. Stupid Potter, with his mud-blood girlfriend and his Weasley sidekick, he couldn't understand what everyone saw in him. So what if the prat had defeated Voldemort, twice, people made far too big of a fuss. At the front of the class Professor Flitwick finished up his lecture by assigning a 1000 word paper, Draco joined in with the rest of the class in grumbling under his breath about what a waste of time that was. Still he figured, grumbling wasn't going to set the due date back any farther, he pulled out a piece of parchment and got to work.

Only half done his paper when he class was dismissed he walked directly to the common room, he wanted to finish it so that he could have a full hour for Quidditch practice today. He hadn't enjoyed the game when he started in his second year at Hogwarts; he had only played to please his arrogant father. Part-way through 3^rd year Draco stopped worrying about what Father wanted and really began to enjoy the game.

This year, with Marcus Flint finally graduated; he was captain for the Slytherin team. Unfortunately he was not the only sixth year captain, The-Boy-Who-Lived, also had received the honor. Draco stared moodily into the fire, how he hated Potter, the bastard always got what he wanted, and looked like a saint doing it. He rose angrily and walked down to the Quidditch pitch.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

In the Gryffindor common room Harry Potter sat on a large red chair staring pensively into the fireplace. In his hands he held a rather strange note from his godfather Sirius Black. The letter read:

Harry,

I can't explain at this time what it is I'm about to ask you to do for me. I promise I will try to answer any questions you have next time I write. What I need you to do is promise me you won't go anywhere alone. Other than that I want you to keep me posted on everything that happens at school, and I mean every single thing. I will try to explain more about this in my next letter. Send your reply with Tessa, she'll know where to find me.

- Snuffles

Harry was deep in thought, why would Sirius need to go back into hiding? He had been officially cleared of his crimes earlier that year when Peter Pettigrew was seen by several Ministry officials. Something must be terribly wrong. Harry's thoughts were interrupted by Ron and Hermione entering. They were arguing loudly about some spell that they had discussed in Charms that day.

"It's not used like that!" Hermione said, exasperated. "You can't make an entire room go dark; it simply cancels out lumus. Even if there was a spell that put out all lights in a room do you really think they would teach us? kid's would be putting out the lights in every class at least once."

Ron laughed. "Aw man Hermione, you guessed my plan." He dodged to the side before she could slap him.

Harry watched the exchange and smiled. "Is Ron still on about that charm we talked in Class this morning is he? Honestly, he's nearly as bad as Fred and George were."

Hermione perched primly on the chair across from Harry's and Ron sprawled on the couch, his lanky frame took up the whole thing, he was still growing almost as fast as he had in his third year. Both Ron and Hermione noticed the letter still clutched in Harry's hands at the same time.

"What's that?" Ron asked. "Is it a letter from Sirius?"

Harry looked down at the letter and then back up at his two best friends, "Yeah, it is from Sirius, he's back in hiding, I think something is seriously wrong." He passed the paper to Hermione to read.

"Wow!" Hermione exclaimed softly, "he even signed it Snuffles. Have you written him yet? What can we do?" She put a hand up to her mouth, "Sorry, I'm just worried, what if You-Know-Who is Back?"

"Voldemort?" Harry asked his face serious. "If he's back then I'll just have to stay at school. He won't come near Dumbledore. I mean he tried that, it didn't work too well." Harry tried to smile. The last time he had seen Voldemort was in Hogwart's grand hall. Where Harry had saved the life of Professor Snape as well as finally getting the vengeance he had desired since first year.

The three of them continued to discuss the note and its possible meanings through the rest of the morning and into Lunch. They finally decided that nothing could be done until they heard more from Sirius, except that Harry was not to leave the school, or be by himself until they knew more. Hermione ignored the protests of the boy's that Voldemort couldn't come back this time, saying that's what everyone had thought the first time.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Lucious glared menacingly at the large man in front of him. "Where is he?" he growled.

"Um . . . I'm not sure . . . he should be here. He's never late . . . something must of come up." The man glanced around nervously, there was no one insight.

"Well when he DOES finally come, call me." Lucious turned on his heel and stormed off across the tarmac. He took about ten steps before pulling out his wand and turning quickly he pointed it at the tall man beside the Helicopter. "Avada Kedavra!" A ray of green light shot from the end of his wand and the tall man crumpled to the pavement.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Sirius Black sat silently in the dim Ally-way. People walked past, but no one he recognized. He had been in this ally for days and until today not a day had gone by without him seeing either Lucious Malfoy or his son Draco. The Ministry had given Draco an apparition license in his 5^th year at Hogwarts when Lucius had been ill, so that he could go home for visits whenever he wanted. "Biggest mistake they ever made" Sirius murmured under his breath. Now he had two Malfoys to deal with. But it was night and he hadn't seen any sign of either.

Movement at the store beside the ally caught his attention. It was Draco. Sirius watched the young man glance around quickly before stepping out into the street. To Sirius's great surprise Draco walked right by him and whispered "Sirius, meet me at the far end of this ally in fifteen minutes, I'll be alone."

Sirius felt his hackles rise, what could Malfoy want? He knew that he would meet the boy. He was too curious to stay away. He moved into the shadows of the ally and waited, this had to be a trick, but he couldn't keep himself away. Ten minutes passed and Sirius's nervousness increased. Where was Malfoy?

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Draco looked up and down the street, no one in sight, "good" he muttered as he crossed the street and walked down the darkened ally. He pulled out his wand, "Lumus". The ally around him lit up and he looked about for Sirius, he was nowhere in sight.

"Nox" he heard the whisper from behind him as the ally-way once again plunged into darkness. "What do you want Malfoy?" Sirius's voice was suspicious, but he stepped away form the wall and Draco could see his silhouette etched dark and black against the bright of the street behind him.

"I want to talk," Draco said vaguely, "abut my father, and his ridiculous plans. Can we have some light?" he reached for his wand.

"Only if you pass me your wand," Sirius said, "I have no reason to trust you." He reached out for the wand and Draco passed it to him. "Lumus" Sirius whispered and the ally was lit again.

Draco looked at the man in front of him, he had never seen him before, had only heard about him from Wormtail, and seen the wanted posters. "I don't want to be my father." He began, his voice was thick with emotion and he scolded himself for being so out of control. "I don't want to help him and Voldemort any longer. It's just not right, what they're planning now. I want to help you. I can tell you what my dad and Voldemort are up to and then you will be able to stop them more easily." Draco looked uncertain. "I know it's not much, but . . ."

"It's enough." Sirius said, "But how will I know if I can trust you?" Sirius surveyed the young man's pale face, "never mind, you wouldn't have risked being seen talking to me without your wand if you weren't sincere." He smiled slightly, "but just in case," Sirius pointed his wand at Draco's chest "come with me" he shifted his head towards a door Draco had not noticed before. "Through here."

The room they entered was lit with candles and Draco could see that it was huge. Sirius must have altered it magically. Lucious motioned for Draco to sit at the well worn table in the center of the room. "Wait here." With a swish of cloaks Lucious disappeared from the room.

Draco sat at the table looking around the room, there was hardly anything in it. He wanted to get up and explore, but knew that he had to wait for Sirius to return. He didn't have to wait long, Sirius returned quickly carrying a mug of pumpkin juice. He set the mug down on the table in front of Draco. "Drink this," he commanded taking out his wand and summoning a second chair.

Draco eyed the mug suspiciously but did as he was told. The drink tasted unusually bitter. He was certain it was a truth potion, so he was not worried. "Alright Sirius, what is it you want me to tell you again?" he asked leaning back in the chair. "Oh yes, you are waiting for me to confess to you that my father is setting you up right? Well he's not. I HATE my father," Draco's tone was emphatic and he would have continued his ramble, but Sirius cut him off.

"Why did you seek me out tonight Draco?" Sirius asked, his face was kind but his wand was pointed at Draco's chest again.

"I want to help you fight my father." Draco said, "He's gone too far this time, he . . ." Draco trailed off and put his head down in his arms.

"Alright," Sirius sighed. "I believe you, now you need to go back to the school and stay there unless you father sends for you. I will send you an owl in a few days."

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Ron looked over at Harry's sleeping form and decided to leave him there, after all it was Sunday, there were no classes, so why shouldn't Harry sleep in. He dressed quickly and wandered into the Gryffindor common room.

Hermione sat alone in the common room, "Good morning, where's Harry?" she greeted him with a smile.

"We didn't get much sleep last night, he's still asleep, I thought I'd leave him like that." Ron took a seat beside his friend. "He's pretty worked up about that note that Sirius sent him." Ron shrugged helplessly. "Want to go get breakfast?"

Hermione laughed, "Sure, but it think we should wake Harry first, he'll be upset if we don't." She got up as if she was planning on waking him herself.

"Um... Hermione?" Ron said rising beside her, "you wait here, I'll be back in a second." He wandered back up the stairs to the boy's dorms. Picking up his pillow he chucked it at Harry's head, "Hey sleepy head, you coming?"

Harry groaned "ugh ... what time is it? I feel like I just fell asleep." He rolled over to face Ron. His eyes squinted in the early morning sunlight, "Just give me two minutes, I'll get up, I promise. Just two more minutes that's all I need." He rolled over again, and mumbled into his pillow. "I'll meet you downstairs."

"Alright, see you downstairs lazy ass!" Ron called.

Harry never did make it down to breakfast, or lunch, he finally woke feeling like himself again, at 3 in the afternoon. He rolled out of bed, only to come face-to-face with Ron and Hermione who were sitting on Ron's bed playing Wizard's Chess.

"Good afternoon, or I guess, it's nearly good evening" Hermione said with a teasing grin. "Ron never told me you talked in your sleep." She winked, letting him know that she was kidding.

He sighed in relief, he had talked in his sleep before, but those weren't things that he wanted people hearing. "Can you meet us downstairs in like 5 minutes Hermione?" he asked.

Ron rose to leave also but Harry put a hand on his friends sweater, "You and I need to have a talk Ron," Harry said, getting up and pulling on some clothes. "You broke dorm rules, not like that is a new thing for us. But you let HERMIONE into our room, while I was sleeping." Harry's voice was angry.

"Sorry," Ron said meekly. "I didn't know it would upset you so much." Ron turned to leave.

"I'm sorry too," Harry said to Ron's back. He never had been able to stand fighting with his best friend. "I kind of freaked when she said I talked in my sleep, you know why right?"

Ron sat down on the edge of Neville's bed laughing. "Yes I do!" He said "definitely wouldn't want Hermione knowing you plot her stupid cat's death every second night." He laughed again.

Harry smiled, those were definitely not the dreams he was talking about, but he was glad that Ron apparently knew nothing of his usual dreams.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Don drove through the crowded streets of London, he didn't know why he had chosen to drive past the helicopter pad, but he had, and now he was going to be very late for work. He fumbled with his cell phone, his hands were shaking. HE dialed the prime minister's private line. "Yeah, Emily? This is Don. I'm driving to the office today." He paused, "Yes Jim was going to fly me in, there was a strange character there, I've seen him hanging around my neighborhood lately, and I panicked." He paused to listen again, "Yes, I know Emily, but with those threats? Just tell The P.M that I'll be a little late. What do you mean it's Sunday? Of COURSE it's Sunday, just tell Jake I'll be there soon."

He hung up the phone, after assuring Emily that he hadn't completely lost his marbles. Traffic thinned in front of him as he drove further into the countryside towards Jacob Hinson's private estate. It was the Prime minister's wife he had been talking to on the phone, she acted as a sort of secretary to her husband when they were in the country.

The four-story mansion loomed into view on the edge of Berkley Forest. Don could feel the tension leaving his shoulders simply from the sight of it. He loved this house, having lived there for several months recently when death threats had been made against the P.M and all who served him. Those threats had not come for a few weeks now, but all the staff had been told to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. This warning was the reason he had been keeping such a close eye on the events in his neighborhood. Recently there had been a lot of folk in strange clothing wandering at all hours of the day and night, and many of the stores had stopped opening in the mornings. This was all very strange because in the fifteen years Don had lived in that house he had never seen one shop go out of business, let alone close for no particular reason whatsoever.

He flashed a security pass to Charlie, the heavily armored guard at the gate, and drove through. He parked his car in front of the spectacular building, jogged up the marble steps, and flung open the ornate oak door. "Sorry I'm so late, where's Jake?" his voice was slightly breathless as he slowed to a walk.

"Hello Donald." A deep cultured voice spoke from the corner. "What on earth is the rush about? It's Sunday, you never work today. I'm not even sure why you bothered to come in." The Prime minister beckoned for don to follow him, "but since you did, sit while I get you a brandy. We'll have a little chat."

Don entered the room and sat, completely puzzled, "I'm sorry to contradict sir but," Don paused, "didn't you page me?"

"What? Page you on a Sunday? Come on, honestly Don I am many things but a slave driver is not one of them." He smiled good naturedly and handed Don his drink.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Draco sat silently in the empty common room. The clock on the wall chimed 1 am he shifted so he could see the fireplace and waited. It hadn't been long when he heard a slight popping noise from the fireplace and Sirius's head appeared in the flames.

"You're alone?" Sirius asked his deep voice resonated in the empty room.

Draco moved so that he was sitting on the hearth. "Yes I'm alone. What do you need to know?" His voice was calm and a little cold.

"What can you tell me about your father's latest scheme?" his voice was intense and Draco leaned in close to the fire. "We know he's not interested in Harry this time. But there's something at Hogwarts he's after isn't there?"

"I don't know what they're after here, except that my dad is threatening me by claiming he can and will kill all the students and teachers in one fell swoop." Sirius's eyes widened in shock and Draco hurried on his explanation "I don't think he can, he just needs me to cooperate, he's planning to get the muggles in an upheaval, but he won't tell me why." He let out a frustrated sigh. "but I have a meeting with him tomorrow after sun down. He's going to introduce me to the overseas contact or something like that, apparently Voldemort had a connection or two in the American wizarding community, and they aren't too happy that their master died at the hands of a Hogwarts student."

Sirius was shocked. "So this plot is going to involve the world then?" the head in the fire shook in amazement. "This is insane. We need to meet, and I need you to talk to Harry for me, I'll owl him tonight to tell him to listen to you, but I want to meet with the two of you. I'll set it up with Dumbledore, I'll see you soon. Owl me if anything changes."

With another pop Sirius's head disappeared from view Draco rose gracefully from the floor and walked to his room. His mind raced over the conversation he had just had. He didn't know what he had thought Sirius would be able to do, but he had to admit that he was severely disappointed.