Shadow of a Dream

Added note/disclaimer: I also use quotes from other places. If you find a quote that wasn't cited, please notify me.

A/N: This is really long ... Don't kill me. I warned you before that the chapters were going to be insanely long. Also, I'll be coming back to this eventually to edit it again, so if you find errors, let me know. Also, I'm going to add a citations page at the very end, so please, please let me know if you see any quotes I didn't cite.

"Take a chance! All life is a chance. The man who goes the furthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare."

Year One: Part One

Establishing Friendships

- 1 -

Wake Up

"Draco?" the voice was soft, quiet, almost. Draco stirred, coming awake to find himself in a bed. He recognized the room as his own room in Malfoy Manor

For a moment, he was confused. Which life ... had he lived, had he died? What had happened?

A flood of memories came back to him. Some were of a different life ... and yet there was another set of memories that came from this life ...

And for eleven-year-old Draco Malfoy, life was hard. Each day was a struggle for him because Draco Malfoy had been born with a serious illness. He was born with an autoimmune disease that was rare.

In the Muggle world, he wouldn't have survived as long as he had. In the Wizarding world, it was much easier, but whenever he fell ill, there was a high risk that he would die simply because his immune system didn't work very well. It had the tendency of attacking itself.

He opened his eyes and his eyes fell on his brother.

Oh, a part of Draco thought, I didn't have a brother before.

Yet, the part of Draco that had always lived this life knew that his brother's name was Aran and that he was healthy just like his twin sister, Layla was.

Layla and Aran were both a year younger than Draco in this life. Not only that, but all three of them knew that their parents had been spies for the Light Side in the war with Voldemort.

"Hey, Aran," Draco murmured, knowing that he was sick. He was always sick.

"You're going off to school," said Aran finally, "Mother got the owl."

"Yes, and Father's still at work," said Layla from the other side of his bed. Draco looked at his siblings, before he said, "Well, I guess I'll be going then. You'll be going to school with me too. Next year."

"Yeah," said Layla just as Aran said, "Do you think you'll be in Slytherin?"

"Nah," said Draco, "I'm sure I'll be in some other House. Hopefully not Hufflepuff, though."

Draco's mind flashed to a time where he had been determined to get into Slytherin, but that life seemed so distant and far away, it might've been a dream for all it concerned him.

Draco got up, getting dressed and ready to face the day. He remembered to take his medications - all eight potions before he headed down the stairs.

- 2 -

Diagon Alley

Draco was alone in Madam Malkin's robe shop when a young boy walked into the room. Draco idly wondered what to do.

Don't mess this up, a small voice whispered inside his head, sounding oddly like his own, if he were much older than he was now, that's Harry Potter.

Draco straightened up a little. Normally that little voice in his head was right. In fact, Draco didn't know if it had ever been wrong. A part of him wished that he had had all these powers back in his former life. On the heels of that thought, was the thought, but it was only a dream.

The two boys stood there in an uncomfortable silence until finally Draco blurted out, "Hello. Hogwarts, too?"

"Yes," said the boy who, Draco knew now, was Harry Potter.

Draco fell silent, not knowing what to say. He wanted desperately to say something, but a vague memory-vision came into his mind and he knew what was on the tip of his tongue to say would be wrong.

"I'm the first to go to Hogwarts of my siblings." Draco blurted out at last, "My father's with my sister looking at books and my mother's up the street with my brother looking at wands. My brother and sister think it's a shame first years can't have their own broomsticks. I'd smuggle one in ... somehow ..."

Harry looked at him, before Draco sighed, and said, "Have you got your own broom?"

"No," said Harry.

"Do you play Quidditch at all?"

"No," said Harry yet again.

Draco fell quiet for a half a second. He didn't know what else to say. Finally he sighed and said, "I play Quidditch ..." Draco frowned as he said, in a slightly dreamy voice, "You'll be a great Seeker, Harry Potter. You'll be greater than you might ever know."

Harry gaped at him, blurting out, "How'd you know my name?"

"I didn't," said Draco, bewildered.

His predictions were random. He told the future without meaning to. In many ways, Draco was dreamy, and half of the time, he had trouble keeping track of what was real and what wasn't.

He didn't know which future was the real one, and he could barely remember what the present was, since his mind was always in a time far, far ahead of the times. Draco shook his head, "Well ... you're really Harry Potter, aren't you?"

Harry nodded, "Yes."

"Oh," said Draco, then he caught sight of a man, "I say, look at that man!"

"That's Hagrid," said Harry, looking pleased to know something that Draco didn't. In fact, Draco could see the colors of happiness swirling around Harry's aura, tingeing the other colors that stated that he'd been feeling stupid.

"Oh," said Draco, "I've heard of him. He's a sort of servant, isn't he?"

"He's the gamekeeper," said Harry.

Draco almost frowned as he saw the cool color in Harry's aura, telling him that Harry didn't like him very much.

"Yes, exactly," said Draco, "I heard he's some kind of savage - lives in a hut on the school grounds and every now and then he gets drunk, tries to do magic, and ends up setting his bed on fire."

"I think he's brilliant," said Harry, his voice cold.

Draco shrugged, "I'm not saying I think he's awful, I'm just saying that that's what I've heard." He grinned at Harry and said, "My Father always said that judgment must be reserved for special occasions. We mustn't make quick judgments because if you judge people, you will have no time to love them."

Harry was staring at him now, eyes wide.

"Are you always like this, or is this just a special occasion?" Harry finally blurted out.

Draco shrugged, "I don't know. I haven't been around people long enough to find out what I'm like around people I haven't known all my life."

"That's you done, dear," said Madam Malkin to Harry, who hopped down from the footstool.

He hesitated, looking at Draco, who said, "If you wait for me, we can keep talking. But you don't have to."

Draco was surprised, but pleased to find that Harry chose to wait for him. He didn't quite understand why he felt like dancing at this development, which had most certainly not been in his dream.

Finally, Draco and Harry walked of the shop, to Hagrid, who handed Harry his ice cream.

"You have to come and see the broomsticks!" said Draco, looking at Harry, "That is the best place ever. Then there's the joke shops - although the ones in Hogsmeade - that's the village outside Hogwarts, is a lot nicer."

"Really?" asked Harry, looking at Draco, who nodded, "Yes, and the candy shops are very good too. Knockturn Alley's a good place to visit if you want to find things you can't find in Diagon Alley."

"I forbid ye from goin' there," said Hagrid in his growling voice. Draco shrugged, "I don't think you should. There's a certain appeal to the forbidden that draws people into doing what they're told not to do. It's reverse psychology."

Hagrid stared at him and so did Harry.

Draco only smiled and shrugged as he walked a little ahead, until finally he spotted -

"Pansy!" he called out to her.

She turned to look at him, smiling already saying, "Oh! You're better! We thought you were going to die! You gave us such a fright."

"Better?" asked Harry quizzically, looking at Draco, who only waved it off saying, "I was sick, but I'm better now. Have you seen Aran?"

"Er ... I think I saw him with Layla in the Apothecary. I swear, those two spend so much time around herbs and making potions that they're going to know too much by the time they get into Hogwarts next year," said another witch.

"Yes," said Draco, "But you know that we all have to learn something, Daphne. And it's harmless - they don't spend nearly as much time as I do around books and other things." He turned to Harry, saying, "Oh, yeah, this is Pansy Parkinson and Daphne Greengrass. Pans, Daff, this is Harry Potter."

"Harry Potter?" said Pansy, eyes widening.

"The Harry Potter," echoed Daphne.

"See, you're famous!" said Draco, "Everybody knows who you are, even if you don't."

"Oh, no," moaned a boy who joined them, "please, avoid going off into your whole philosophy theory thing."

"Oh, please, Nott!" said Draco, scowling, "Just because you're still in your box doesn't mean we all have to be."

"Yes, and the next thing we'll know you'll be being Sorted into Gryffindor," said Daphne, sniffing.

"I wouldn't mind," said Draco.

"That's just sacrilege!" said Nott, "What would your grandfather say if he found out that you're not aiming for Slytherin like the rest of your family!"

"My grandfather must be spinning in his grave," said Draco dryly, "but I think my Father's made him crawl out of his grave so he could box his ears."

"He married a Black, didn't he?"

Draco shrugged, thinking of his mother.

"Yes," said Layla, joining them. She shot Harry an odd look, but didn't say anything.

"Layla," said Draco, "this is Harry Potter, Harry this is my favorite sister, Layla."

Layla rolled her eyes, "I'm your only sister."

"But not for long if Mother and Father keep at it at the rate they're going," said Aran.

"And that's my brother Aran who never knows when not to say something in public," said Draco, once he'd recovered from a coughing fit. Harry looked bemused.

"Whatever, Draco," said Aran, laughing, "just because you're eleven doesn't mean you know everything."

"You're only ten!" said Draco, glaring at his brother, who looked very much like him, excluding the fact that Aran's hair was darker, "You mustn't be talking about things like that. In fact, you shouldn't even be thinking of such things."

"You sound so old," said Layla, laughing, "but come on, Harry Potter, Draco, we're going for a tour of Diagon Alley. Mother's got everything for you."

"What about Hagrid," said Harry, worried.

Draco looked at him, then said, "Don't worry; we'll meet up with him at the Leaky Cauldron. Run off and tell him so - he's over there." Draco pointed at Hagrid, who was speaking to a witch.

Harry nodded and ran off to speak with him. A minute later, Harry came back, breathlessly, saying, "He said okay, but to remember to show up in an hour."

"Great," said Layla, "you'll be with us and not this lot."

"Oh, no." said Draco laughing, "We wouldn't want him to fall into bad company."

"Hey!" said Pansy, sounding offended.

Draco looked at Nott pointedly adding, "After all, they're still lost within their prejudices."

"What's wrong with that?" asked Daphne. "Oh, surely you can't tell us that you don't mind Muggles."

"They have excellent taste in shoes." said Draco, loftily, "Not to mention they have an excellent taste in fabrics and clothing without magic at all! Of course, they make much better shoes, and I will not condemn the best shoe-makers."
Daphne shook her head, "Oh, Draco. You're too weird, you know that?"

"Yes, I know," said Draco, softly, "and someday ... it might save us all. Now, come on, Layla, Aran ... Harry."

The three of them left, wandering through Diagon Alley, and much to Harry's surprise, when he arrived an hour later with Draco at the Leaky Cauldron, he found that not only had he had the time of his life, but in fact, he had made a friend.

-3-

Malfoys and Weasleys: Terminating the Feud

Draco spent much of his time with his siblings, promising that he'd owl them as much as he possibly could.

But, Draco could feel the fingers of anticipation within him. He was going to go to Hogwarts - with Harry Potter. And for the first time in his life he would be living away from home.

Draco had already sent off an owl to Harry more than once and was delighted to receive a reply almost at once. Most of Draco's letters were interrupted by things that Aran or Layla added as he wrote, annoying him very much.

By the time, the day that he was to leave arrived, Draco was excited, but terrified at the prospect of leaving everyone that he knew that loved him.

His father was away on a business trip that day, but Lucius had made it a point to have a nice little man-to-man talk before he left on his business trip, as he wouldn't be able to say goodbye to Draco on that day.

Draco hurried off, boarding the train alone. He'd tried to find Harry, but did not locate him at all, so a little disappointed he'd boarded the train.

It occurred to Draco that Harry might be on the train somewhere, so he went looking for him.

"... and then you get the - " a redheaded boy was saying animatedly when Draco pulled open the compartment door.

For the first time, Draco felt shy. He did not have his usual companions with him - Crabbe and Goyle, or even any of the people he normally interacted - if briefly with. He felt Aran and Layla's absence keenly.

"Draco!" said Harry, his face suddenly lighting up with a smile. Draco smiled back uneasily.

"Hello," he said to the redhead, "I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy."

The redhead's blue eyes widened slightly before, casting a sideways glance at Harry, he said, "I'm Ron. Ron Weasley."

Oh dear, Draco thought in some dismay, Dad's going to kill me. Yet, Draco smiled and shook the redhead's hand.

"Were you talking about Quidditch?" asked Draco finally, trying to break the sudden silence.

"Oh, yes," said Ron, "I was telling him all about the ..." and off he went about Quidditch and Draco quickly jumped into an argument as to which was better -- the actual flying or the game (something that seemed to make no sense to Harry).

"Personally, I think the Chudley Cannons are much better," Ron was saying when someone entered the compartment.

They all looked up and Draco sighed, "Hello, Blaise ... Nott, Crabbe, Goyle. Can we help you?"

"Ah, so it's true," said Blaise, a sneer on his features. "Draco Malfoy has sided with Harry Potter and a Muggle-lover Weasel."

"Take that back," said Ron hotly, shooting to his feet.

Turning to look at Draco and Harry, Blaise said, "You know, Draco, you of all people ought to know that the Weasley family is the worse of the pureblood families. Surely you could teach Potter here to make friends with the right sort of people if you know what I mean."

Draco looked at Blaise and then said very quietly, "I know the prejudices we've grown up with, Blaise, but I think it's time to stop. We should grow up. There's nothing wrong with Ron here. There's nothing wrong with the fact that they like Muggles."

"Except that they're worth less than rat shit," sneered Nott.

Draco shook his head, "Get out."

"Take that back now," said Ron, finding his voice at last. Harry stood up slowly, knowing that Draco was much calmer than Ron was, but he wouldn't be to hold him back by himself.

"Oh ..." said Nott, eyes glittering, "so, you've sided with the wrong side, haven't you? You and Potter - who would've thought it? Imagine what your father will say when he hears about your friendship with Weasley."

"He'll say nothing." said Draco coolly, "And get out. Now!" he'd pulled out his wand, but he was uncertain whether he could cast any curse or hex that might cause them harm.

"No," said Blaise, looking at Crabbe and Goyle, "I don't think so. You've got food, and we haven't got any. I think we'll just ..."

Goyle reached down to get some of the candies that Draco had more or less tried to organize without realizing he'd been organizing candy, and Ron moved forward, when he let out a yell of pain.

Draco made a quick sound of disgust, moving away from the rat that dangled there.

The four boys finally left and Ron hurried over to check on his rat.

"Ugh ... how can you touch that ... that ... that thing?" asked Draco.

"It's only Scabbers. He won't hurt you, you know," said Ron. "I think he's been knocked unconscious ... No, he's gone back to sleep!"

"I don't trust that rat," said Draco, feeling uneasy, the hairs on his neck prickling feeling the flight-or-fight reaction that he always got when he saw someone bad ... or something he couldn't trust.

"Scabbers been in my family for years." said Ron, looking at Draco in surprise, "There's nothing wrong with him at all."

Draco sighed, giving him an uneasy smile, "I know there's nothing wrong with your rat ... it's just me. I'm just paranoid."

Just then a girl came into the compartment, looking around and said, "What has been going on?"

"And what did he mean?" asked Harry, looking at Draco, "About you? That you ought to know which families to make friends with?"

Ron looked at Harry saying, "Well, my dad told me some stuff about Draco's family. No offense," he added, looking at Draco, "but the Malfoy family is infamous for siding with You-Know-Who. They were among the first to come back claiming that they'd been bewitched, but my dad reckons that Lucius Malfoy didn't need a reason to go to the Dark Side - that he knew what he was doing all along."

"In other words," said Draco, "Like most folks in the Wizarding World, they believe that my family's Dark all the way." Draco sighed, "Can we help you with something?"

"Hello," the girl said, "I'm Hermione Granger and you are?"

"Draco Malfoy," Draco said, looking at her up and down from her bushy hair to her large front teeth.

Make her your friend, a part of Draco whispered - the part that felt older and different. This was the part of Draco that had lived this before in a very different way.

"Pleasure," said Hermione, shaking not the hand Draco stuck out for a handshake.

"What do you want?" asked Ron, not very nicely.

"You'd better hurry and put your robes on. I've been up to ask to the conductor and he says we're nearly there." Hermione shot them a suspicious look, "You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we get there!"

"We haven't been fighting," said Ron, scowling terribly at her, "Scabbers has!"

"Now, would you mind leaving us while we change?" asked Harry, almost as sullenly as Ron.

Hermione headed out the door, pausing at the threshold, saying to Ron, "You've got dirt on your nose - did you know?"

Draco was the only one of the three boys who smiled at her as she left, saying, "Bye, Hermione, we'll see you when we get there."

"Oh, no," said Ron, "please don't tell me you fancy her!"

Draco burst out laughing, "She's as attractive as an Alsatian! To me at least, though I suppose that someone might think she's appealing."

Ron looked at Harry who rolled his eyes.

xxx

They arrived at the castle, and they were ushered into a room by a stern looking witch by the name of Professor McGonagall. Draco heard a snippet of her thoughts as her eyes landed on Harry.

Harry Potter ... I haven't seen you since you were a baby ...

Draco quickly blocked the thoughts. He didn't like being a Telepath much, seeing as it allowed him to invade other people's privacy without meaning to or on a whim.

Professor McGonagall gave her welcoming speech, which Draco tuned out as his father had told him already.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," she said, and Draco heard, "Blah, blah, blahty blah, yada yadaty. Lose points blah, blah, yada, yakky yak, blah, I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever House becomes yours." Draco straightened, looking at her, finally paying attention, "The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting." Draco ignored the rest of what she said.

"How exactly do they sort us into Houses?" Draco heard Harry asked.

"Some sort of test," said Ron to Harry.

"Shh!" said Draco to them, "Watch this ... hang on, just wait ..."

They looked where he was looking expectantly and much to their surprise they saw ghosts coming through the wall.

They were white, pearly and transparent.

Draco smiled at the amazement that he beheld in Harry's aura, feeling a warmth within him that he could not explain away.

The eleven-year-old shrugged it off as a feeling of friendship.

Somewhere in a distant place that borders our world but is and is not a part of it simultaneously, a being smiled.

xxx

"Do you know what you are doing?"

The being smiled, "I can hope, Elder."

The Elder looked at the being, "You cannot betray us."

"I know. But they do know of us," said the being, "They call us the Fates." It smiled whimsically, "They believe that we are three. They have many myths, those of the Mortal World, about us. The Three Fates."

"Oh, really?" said the Elder coldly, "And whose fault is that?"

"My predecessor is at fault. He was the one who told the job description of the Fate. They have so many of the details wrong."

"He was not to interfere with the Mortal dealings."

"As you believe I am not." said the Fate, "And that makes you a hypocrite. Did you not deliberately allow that protégé of yours - Harry Potter to live when he should have not lived at all?"

"It was meant to be!" spluttered the Elder. "Do not think I am Elder for naught. I know the workings of the universe much better than you. You are young."

"I am over a millennia old." replied the Fate, "By their reckoning, by the Mortals' reckoning, I am old. And it is not as though the Ancients never messed about with the intricate workings of humanity."

"We are not Aerials," replied the Elder. "We do not give a definition or name to what we are. They do. The fools! They think they can stay out of our little 'spat' as they so put it."

"You've had trouble with them, I see," said the being quietly.

The Elder sighed, "Again, I must ask you ... do you know what you are doing? You cannot change things due to a mere whim. You cannot fool about with free will. The Aerials gave them that gift. We cannot take it away."

The Fate's mouth twisted into something that was to resemble a smile, "No. We were great once, weren't we? Us - the Fates, the Powers, the Elohim, the Aerials ... the Gibborim ... and the Grigori ... we were great once."

"Yes." The Elder's eyes darkened, "But the Grigori cost us too many things. The Elohim and Aerials were one once, and they split because of their decision to take Mortal brides and beget children with them. The higher Bene Elohim declared them abominations. A cursed hybrid that should never have existed."

"But do we agree?"

"No." said the Elder. "They would call us evil, to taint the blood of the Supreme Power with Mortal blood, but we call them cruel for killing off those who were merely born as the offspring of one of ours and a Mortal."

"And who is our enemy ... who is our friend?" asked the Being softly. "The Aerials will not be able to stay out of this one. Not if that boy is going the way I think he is."

"You have Chosen, I see," said the Elder, studying the younger being. The Fate was young for an immortal, but weary of the immortal life that only allowed them to be observers rather than take part of that life. They were not within Time, but they were not out of it either.

"Yes," said the Fate.

"And what if he is not the one?"

"Then I will wait another millennia for another one just like him." The Fate smiled grimly, "I have a feeling he will past the test, however. As you know, we rarely choose wrong. I was my predecessor's first choice. Draco Malfoy is mine. It is logical, after all, my predecessor is within that boy..." the Fate pointed at the redhead boy next to Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy, "And you have chosen to have Harry Potter as your protégé ... I have chosen Draco Malfoy as mine."

"Logical?" said the Elder, "I believe it would have been more logical if you had chosen Hermione."

The Fate only smiled and said, "But I have chosen her too ... you will see. We will win, I will make it so."

And it would. Even if the price was the price of all their kind ... their immortality ... hell, even their entire race.

The Fate smiled grimly as it watched the boy. Already ... it was going according to plan.

Of course it would, the Fate thought, my kind has been manipulating Mortals since before they understood the word.

xxx

Draco walked up as his name was called.

"Good luck," Harry whispered behind him, and Draco smiled faintly, walking up trying to seem less nervous.

The hat was placed on his head and a small voice said softly, Well, well, a Mystic ... haven't seen one of those in many years. And one of the two that have had a second life ...

It was a dream, Draco thought confused.

The Hat did not say anything, instead said, I imagine you do not wish to be in Slytherin ...

The part of Draco that felt older, somehow, said, No!

Very well, then ... I always thought you belonged here anyhow ...

"Gryffindor!" yelled the Hat.

-4-

Mysteries Unexplained

Draco was sitting at the Gryffindor table and he could feel Pansy's glare. Blaise Zabini's eyes were boring a hole into the back of his head, and Daphne looked disappointed. Nott simply looked angry while Crabbe and Goyle looked confusedly at him.

Draco knew why - why Millicent Bullstrode would look at him bemusedly. He knew why all the Slytherin First Years would look at him as though his being in a different House was a huge betrayal for them.

Long ago, when they were around three or four, Draco had declared himself superior. Ever since then, they followed him. It was expected that he become a Slytherin.

Take that! Draco thought to himself, not knowing where the unexpected resentment toward his father and childhood friends came from.

"I do hope they start right away ..." Hermione was saying somewhere.

They had met the Gryffindor ghost, Nearly Headless Nick already, seen why he was called that.

Draco had found out a few interesting things about his classmates - such as Seamus was a halfblood because his mother was a witch and his father was a Muggle. Neville Longbottom had been raised by his grandmother, apparently, not by his parents, something that surprised a part of Draco.

Draco was glancing around himself, interestedly, when Harry suddenly said, "Ouch," and clapped a hand to his forehead.

"What is it?" asked Percy Weasley.

"N-nothing," said Harry, but Draco could tell that Harry was lying. He could see the bright red on his aura around the same lines of the lightning scar, telling him that Harry was in pain. But it faded quickly enough, to Draco's relief.

"Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?"

"Oh, you know Quirrell already, do you? No wonder he's looking so nervous," said Percy, "that's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions ..."

"That's Uncle Sev," said Draco at the exact same time.

Percy stopped talking and everyone turned to stare at him.

Draco blushed. "He's my Godfather," he explained, "I've known him since I was baby so I call him Uncle Sev."

"Oh, dear," said one of the Weasley twins - George, Draco thought.

"Poor thing," said the other, "you must be traumatized!"

Draco laughed, "His bark is worse than his bite, as they say. He only thinks he's mean, cruel and bitter. He's really an overgrown teddy bear if you deal with him the right way." Draco shrugged, "Though I imagine he doesn't like most people because of a certain failed relationship I'm forbidden to ask about. I think it had to do with a girl - a student, maybe. I don't actually know the details."

"Wow." said Fred, grinning evilly, "You sure know quite a bit. How 'bout you give Ron the boot and come with us?"

"Yeah, you could be our protégé," said George.

Draco rolled his eyes, "I think I'll stay with Ron and Harry, if you don't mind, but I'm sure I can make the time for you. After all, everybody wants my company, don't they?"

They laughed at the sarcasm in his voice.

"So, Draco," asked Seamus, "does that mean everybody's wrong - including my mother, about you? That you're just an evil spoiled rotten little rich kid?"

Draco shrugged, "I get almost everything I want - not everything, though. My dad won't let me." He stopped. "Eh, I just called him my dad. I mean my father - he thinks 'dad' is too soft for him and makes him lose that 'I'm-so-evil!' aura if we ran about calling him Daddy or Dad."

Seamus snorted at the expressions going across Draco's face.

"So that's why you call your dad 'Father?'"

"Partly," said Draco looking at Neville, "but also because it's formal, but he's not that bad."

Finally, it was time to head to bed.

When they arrived at the Fat Lady, Draco was not amused to find that the password was "Caput Draconis."

"Behead the Dragon?" Draco muttered. "My name is Draconis! How can they have that as password? It's like they're saying they're going to behead me!"
Ron and Harry burst out laughing at his words.

"Oh, sod off," Draco said, disgruntled, which only made them laugh even harder.

xxx

Draco didn't know how Harry could stand it. From the moment that he, Ron, and Harry ventured out of their House to the first day of their classes, people gawked.

"There look."

"Where?"

"Next to the tall kid with the red hair."

"Which one? The one wearing the glasses - ?"

"Did you see his face?"

"Did you see his scar?"

"Bugger off the lot of you!" Draco finally exploded at them, surprising them. "We're not some freak show!"

Ron sniggered and Harry stared at him.

"Wow, Drake, you'd never be able to deal with being a celebrity," said Ron in some amusement.

Draco rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath, "Technically, I already am one. I mean, look at me - I'm a Malfoy and I'm in Gryffindor rather than Slytherin where my family's been in for centuries - almost as far back as anyone can remember. It's always been that way. Not only that, but I'm technically speaking the Malfoy heir - well the first heir at any rate. If I die really young, then my sister Layla gets the Malfoy fortune, seeing as she's five minutes older than Aran and would you look at that! Lucius Malfoy's eldest son is hanging about with Harry Potter!"

Harry winced. "Oh." he said, "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it," said Draco airily. Then he frowned, thinking about the time, "What time is it?"

"Erm ... a quarter to nine," said Ron. Draco cursed, but he turned around and ran off for the Gryffindor dorms.

"What's with him?" he heard Ron ask Harry as he left.

Once he arrived into the room he shared with them and the rest of the Gryffindor boys, Draco reached into his trunk and pulled out the last potion. He glanced at it. It was running low and he'd have to talk to Uncle - Professor Snape, he corrected himself, about replenishing his supply, he thought as he poured out a small amount and downed that, shuddering at the feelings he got when he took this potion.

Sighing, Draco placed it away, as he did so, his hand brushing against a very odd cloth. Draco stopped and stared into the trunk.

Apparently, his getting accepted into Hogwarts merited an award ... the cloak he'd admired once as a young child was in there, along with another cloak that was his, inherited through his grandmother.

Draco slammed the lid closed and ran off to his Potions class.

xxx

"Slimy git!" Harry exploded, "Like he expects me to remember everything I read about during the summer? I did read my books, but I didn't think I'd be facing an interrogation on the first day here!"

"He's evil. I hear he favors the Slytherins more," said Ron.

"He's not that bad," said Draco simultaneously. "He's just ... a little strict and demanding ..."

"Right," said Harry and Ron in unison looking at him.

Draco only shrugged.

"Cheer up," said Ron, finally, "he's always taking points from Fred and George."

"Can we come with you to meet Hagrid," Draco asked abruptly.

Both Ron and Harry looked at each other then at Draco.

"How'd you know about that?" asked Harry, a little suspicious, a little amazed. Draco shrugged, "I didn't."

"Then why did you ask?" asked Ron, "You weren't there when Harry got Hagrid's owl."

"I know that. I don't know how I knew. The same way I know you're going fall in love with - " Draco broke off. He didn't want to go there.

That blasted mudblood married the weasel ... how pathetic. You see what you are allying yourself with, boy?

Draco pressed a hand to his head, shaking it slightly, trying to get rid of the voices in his head.

"What?" said Ron.

"Nothing," said Draco. "Nothing at all. Don't worry about it."

Draco walked purposely ahead of them. Behind him he heard Ron asking Harry, "Why do I get the feeling he's not telling us something?"

xxx

Draco went with Ron and Harry to meet Hagrid. Hagrid lived in a small wooden house at the edge of the forbidden forest.

A cloaked figure... blood... unicorn...Voldemort...

Draco staggered into Harry, a handing flying upward to touch his head. He shook his head to clear his vision.

"All right?" asked Ron, looking at him.

"I'm fine," said Draco quickly.

"Are you sure you're feeling okay?" asked Harry anxiously.

"Yes. I'm fine. Just a little dizzy."

"Maybe you should go to Madam Pomfrey," said Harry, looking at him worriedly.

Draco shrugged, "I'll be fine."

Inwardly, Draco was trying to puzzle out the images. Why he'd thought of Voldemort, Draco didn't know. The images seemed to surge forth in front of him.

"Fang," Draco murmured just as the door swung open.

"What?" said Harry, looking at him.

Draco's eyes landed on the huge boarhound dog Hagrid was holding back.

"You're Fang, aren't you?" he asked the dog, moving to scratch it behind the ears. Hagrid let go of Fang, who immediately bounded at Draco, and licked his ears as Draco petted the dog, cooing over it, murmuring nonsense.

"Yeh like dogs?" asked Hagrid, looking at Draco as he kissed Fang on the nose, laughing when he was licked by a rough tongue.

"I love animals," said Draco, absently. "My mother got me a unicorn once. It was a foal." He smiled up at Hagrid, "It's still somewhere around the Manor. It comes when I call it - Layla said it was because..." Draco trailed off, suddenly feeling embarrassed.

Hagrid only looked amused and Ron coughed.

"Oh, stop it," said Draco, crossly looking at Ron. "It's not like you aren't one too!"

Draco turned to look at Harry, wondering at the waves of unhappiness radiating from him.

"Harry? What's wrong?"

"I - nothing," said Harry.

Who's the one not saying everything now? Draco thought, looking at him. For some odd reason, images kept trying to surface into his conscious.

Draco sighed, and gave up his struggle. It had not been a dream, after all.

The life... it had been a certain future - but this was the life he wanted. Draco almost smiled in relief when he felt his mind right itself when he finally admitted that he was living his second life.

That was also the moment Draco Malfoy decided that be damned if he was going to let the future go the way it had gone in his previous life.

"Make yerselves at home..." Hagrid busied himself by pouring boiling water into a large teapot and placing rock cakes on a plate.

"This is Ron," said Harry, nodding at Ron. "Draco you already know."

Hagrid glanced at him and nodded, "I know yeh... yer Lucius Malfoy's boy, aren't yeh?"

Draco nodded, standing up. He could sense Harry's amusement as Fang followed him.

"Looks like you've got a fan," said Harry, nodding at the dog.

Draco shrugged. "He's okay."

They sat down and made themselves comfortable as Fang put his head on Draco's lap. Draco sat there quietly, listening to them talk - about everything. He was musing and not all together sure whether or not he was doing that correctly, but he was musing on his old life.

The memories of the life he had lived prior to this one - the one in which he'd been Sorted into Slytherin, ordered to kill Dumbledore and Harry Potter - where his father was thrown into jail on charges of murder and mayhem... where his mother became paranoid and clingy. He was sorting through those memories.

Something had made him regain his humanity... some semblance of decency formed within him had surfaced and made him switch sides.

Except his father had gone mad and tortured him for God knew how long before he - Draco Malfoy had died and then woken up in his bed nearly seven years in the past.

He idly wondered what had happened between that gap - between death and waking in this life.

It had been a dream, but it was not a dream at the same time. The memories were shaky, watery even. They were like ghosts of themselves as though they had never happened. They hadn't happened, Draco reminded himself. In this world... in this life... this dimension - this - this - this - whatever this was, it had not happened. In this place, he had younger siblings - a brother and a sister. He had parents who did not secretly hate each other. Far from hating each other, in fact, Draco thought that the Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy of this time loved each other deeply.

They were soul mates if his memory of seeing them together - with their auras overlapping to form a golden halo - the golden of the sunset sky... they had to be soul mates...

"Draco?" asked Harry, bringing him out of his reverie.

"Hmm?" he asked, looking over at the boy who in another time, another life had refused his friendship.

"Look at this," Harry said, waving a newspaper clip. Draco took it from him and read the cutting from the Daily Prophet:

Gringotts Break-in Latest

Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on 31 July, widely believed to be the work of Dark wizards or witches unknown...

Draco stared at the article, quickly scanning it through. His mind cut to the date...

There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it.

Draco would have stumbled and fallen if he had not been sitting. As it was, he almost fell out of his chair, feeling his face twist against his will in pain. His hand flew to his temple, rubbing at it.

It wouldn't hurt so much, a small little voice said to him, if you just let the visions come instead of trying to block them out.

What would you know about it? Draco silently questioned the voice irritably.

Why, I gave you that power... you do remember me, do you not? Or have you forgotten?

Draco didn't answer. He closed his eyes, and saw a flash of light. A being made of lights that looked like flames running up and down many strings. The most remarkable thing about this being was the eyes.

Draco opened them with a start, the only words in his mind were: who... what are you?

"...co? Are you okay?" asked Harry anxiously.

Draco nodded, "Yeah... I'm fine... I just have a headache..." he looked at Harry, smiling wanly, "You were saying?"

"I was saying that whoever broke into Gringotts broke in the day we were there. Remember?"

Draco nodded, "Yeah...Yes, I remember. I didn't hear anything, though... I could send an owl to my father and ask him if he knows anything..."

Hagrid did not approve of this idea, clearly stating his disapproval as he offered them more rock cakes.

xxx

"Hagrid emptied out vault seven hundred and thirteen that same day - what if it were that vault? I mean the article said that the vault was emptied out before somebody tried to break into Gringotts." said Harry, still ranting as they got ready for bed that night, "If it was that vault - where's that package?"

"What was it," asked Draco, "to require such high security? And why did Hagrid go and get it for Dumbledore?"

"And what about Snape?" asked Harry "I get the feeling he really hates me and Hagrid knows why."

"Well," said Draco sleepily, "my father once said he had a thing for James Potter... your dad..."

"Wait, what?" asked Harry, looking across the room, but Draco was already fast asleep.

-5-

Of Villains and Heroes

Harry seemed to have an instinctive hatred for Blaise Zabini and Nott. Particularly Blaise.

It was lucky, Draco thought in some relief, that they only had Potions with the Slytherins. He did not want to be stared at by his old crowd of friends, who decided to shun him now that he was in Gryffindor.

However, Ron was the first to point out the notice pinned up in the Gryffindor common room.

"Typical," Harry said darkly. "Just what I always wanted. To make a fool of myself in front of Zabini and Nott."

"Oh, chin up," said Draco, "you'll be awesome. You'll knock their socks off."

Ron and Harry gaped at Draco, who only smiled and continued to calmly write a letter to someone. He shrugged and said lightly, "My cousin Maya always says that. She's from the branch over other side of the world... North America, I think."

"Oh," said Ron.

Draco continued writing in tiny, but neat and precise handwriting.

"Who are you writing that novel to?" asked Fred joining them.

"My sister and brother," said Draco. "Aran and Layla demanded that I tell them everything unless I want to be cursed into next Friday."

"Oh," said George. "Do you want to go to Hogsmeade? I can sneak you out and teach you the finer points of rule-breaking."

"You," said Draco, amused, "they say that Slytherin is the evil House, but it's really Gryffindor that breaks all the rules, isn't it? Then Slytherin gets in trouble for trying to point that out. My father says that Slytherin is famous for rule-breaking and generally backstabbing people. Very uncomfortable House, I should think." He tilted his head, and then smiled, "I rather like this House. I'm very happy as a Gryffindor - even if I did make my Grandfather Arabaxas roll over in his grave... and his father and his father's father..."

"Right," said Harry.

"Okay, I'm off," said Draco, standing. He nodded at Fred and George who smiled evilly and they went off.

xxx

"Blood-flavored lollipops?" Fred asked as they walked back into the Gryffindor common room nearly two hours later.

"What's wrong with them? They're okay - they're designed for vampires, but they taste the way blood tastes for vampires." said Draco, "They don't actually taste like blood. Just honey and something else..."

"Right. But still... oh, look boys, I've got butterbeers."

"Huh?" said Harry, looking over at the drinks.

"Want some?" asked Draco holding a bottle out. Harry shook his head and went back to... to doing whatever it was he was doing.

Draco frowned as he felt the waves of some strange emotion coming from Harry. He sighed as he realized Harry was brooding again.

xxx

On Thursday, when the mail arrived, Neville received a Remembrall, which was much more interesting than Draco's own letter from home and his sweets, which he laughingly gave to Ron when he saw the gleam in the blue eyes.

"Honestly," Draco said, "I don't know how you stay that gangly when you eat so much!"

"You're practically anorexic," said Ron around his forkful of food.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," said Draco automatically.

"You sound like Mum," said Ron, rolling his eyes.

"You could choke and die, but I suppose if you really think talking with your mouth full is more important than not choking to death, be my guest. I won't cry at your funeral, however."

Harry burst out laughing at the expression on Draco's face as he spoke. Next to him, Seamus and Dean also laughed appreciatively, "He's got a point," they said.

Ron shrugged, swallowed, then said, "I won't choke and die. You need to eat."

"I'm a vegetarian. This is meat. I don't do meat - meat and I are mortal enemies."

"I see," said Ron in the tone of someone who did not see at all.

Just then, Neville who had been talking about his Remembrall, saying, "When it turns red it means you've forgotten something." The Remembrall turned scarlet and he added, "Problem is, I can't remember what I've forgotten."

"And here comes trouble," Draco muttered, spotting the Slytherins walking by. It was Nott who took the Remembrall from Neville's hand.

Draco stood up with Ron and Harry, who were both itching for a fight with the two boys. Draco was not interested in fighting - especially not Blaise.

He winced at the thought of what his father might say if he was caught fighting with Zabini...

"What's going on?" asked Professor McGonagall, sharply.

"Nott's got my Remembrall," said Neville.

"Just looking," said Nott and he walked away with Zabini next to him and Crabbe and Goyle behind him.

xxx

When they hurried out to the grounds for their first flying lesson, the Slytherins were already there.

Draco had a vision/memory of the time he'd taunted Harry by taunting Neville. He had the feeling that Nott would be taking his place in that activity and so, he walked slowly.

"Are you feeling all right?" asked Harry, looking concerned.

"Yes... I'm fine," said Draco. "Just... Just - Harry, wait... don't get into trouble... don't do anything... heroic..."

"All right," said Harry gamely, but obviously wondering what on earth Draco was talking about.

xxx

Draco's broomstick jumped into his hand when he said up, and he grinned at Harry. They had both gotten their broomsticks to obey on their first try. Harry, he saw with some sort of odd pleasure inside him, grinned happily at him.

Ron, however, his broomstick only hit him in the face, something that had Harry and Draco coughing to hide their laughter. Ron ears turned red as he snapped, "Oh, shut up!"

Draco shrugged, amusedly. He looked around and saw that Neville Longbottom's broomstick hadn't moved at all and Hermione Granger - who'd bored them all stupid with so-called helpful tips from a book she'd gotten called Quidditch Through the Ages - her broomstick only rolled over.

Madam Hooch taught them how to mount their broomsticks and how to hold them correctly, praising Draco.

Of course you'd know how to do this... you were Seeker once. Too bad you can't be seeker now. Maybe you'll be Chaser... or you can be reserve seeker, a small voice that sounded remarkably like Draco's own voice, but somehow older and a far more cynical, said.

Draco sighed. He felt like he had two people living inside his body. One that was older and the other that was younger and had only lived this life.

"... steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle - three - two - "

"Neville, don't," said Draco quickly, but it was too late. The other boy had pushed hard against the ground before Madam Hooch's whistle touched her mouth.

"He's going to fall," said Draco, sounding alarmed and a moment later, Neville fell to the floor, "... and break his wrist," Draco added softly.

"Broken wrist," announced Madam Hooch. She forbade them to touch their broomsticks at all while she went with Neville to the Hospital Wing.

"Did you see his face, the great lump?"

"Shut up, Nott," snapped Parvati Patil.

"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" said Pansy.

Draco closed his eyes. "Oh Pans," he murmured as she continued, "Never thought you'd like fat little crybabies, Parvati."

"Look! It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him." Nott lunged for the Remembrall lying in the grass.

"Harry, don't," began Draco, but Harry was already stepping forward, saying, "Give that here, Nott."

"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find - how about - up a tree?"

"Give it here!"

Draco watched with some horrified fascination, idly wondering if this was what he'd looked like in the past life - before the Fate - (was that what it was?) intervened, as Nott jumped on his broomstick and shot upward.

"No, don't," said Draco softly as Harry grabbed his broom.

"No!" yelled Hermione Granger, drowning out Draco's whispered protest. "Madam Hooch told us not to move - you'll get us all into trouble."

Harry ignored her and Draco sighed. He didn't know what to do... should he change this future - or should he let it be?

The choice was made for him when Harry jumped on the broomstick and flew up into the sky.

Draco knew he was too far away to hear what was being said, but he heard it... as a memory of a past life he had never lived.

Give it here or I'll knock you off that broom!

Oh, yeah?

No Crabbe and Goyle up here to save your neck...

Catch it if you can, then!

"He's going to get himself killed," muttered Hermione Granger, suddenly next to Draco.

Draco shook his head to clear it. "No... he'll catch it."

Harry was diving after the Remembrall. Draco was about to cheer, when Professor McGonagall yelled, "HARRY POTTER!"

Draco mouthed the words along with her, for he remembered them in a way he could not explain away.

Certainly, things from his dream-life were different, but not by much. It would take much more than his being in Gryffindor and Harry Potter's friend to change the future, Draco saw. He felt some dismay within him - it was a distant dismay, the little part of him that was detached and aware of another life... the part of him that insisted he had lived this before in a different life... a different version. It insisted he had met a being made of light.

McGonagall was marching Harry away and Ron was furiously trying defend him.

"But Nott -"

"That's enough, Mr. Weasley. Potter, follow me, now."

Draco could feel the sick sensation in his stomach - but the detachedness in which he felt it, told him that the emotions of dread radiated mostly from Harry.

xxx

"Harry!" said Ron, when Harry joined Draco and Ron at the Gryffindor table for dinner.

"Listen," said Harry in a soft whisper, "I thought I was done for - but she didn't expel me - she made me a Seeker."

"What?" asked Ron.

"But First Years are never -" said Draco, but that little piece of him was saying in a tone of resentment, they do if they're Harry Potter... St. Potter... perfect little Golden Boy...

Draco ignored that voice.

"She took me to Defense Against the Dark Arts class and demanded to borrow Wood - I thought she was going to beat me or something, but it turns out that Wood is a Fifth Year and he's the Gryffindor Quidditch team captain."

"Is he?" asked Draco, avidly interested. "He's gonna be a professional and get hired by - I mean... what happened?"

Ron and Harry stared at Draco. Draco silently prayed they change the subject on his little slip-up.

"Well," said Ron, "what did happen?"

"Well, she introduce and she told him she'd found him a Seeker. She said I was a natural and that Charlie -" who Draco had discovered was Ron's brother, " - couldn't have done it!"

"Brilliant!" said Ron, wide-eyed, "Charlie could have gone and played for England if he hadn't gone off chasing dragons!"

"Speaking of dragons..." Draco murmured, almost to himself, "doesn't Hagrid have one?"

"What?" said Ron as Harry simantaneously said, "What do you mean? Hagrid wants a dragon..."

"But Seeker...?" said Ron, whose mind had a one-way track.

"You're the youngest player in a century," said Draco quietly.

"Yeah, Wood told me," said Harry, shoveling food into his mouth. Draco sighed, and pushed his food around. He wasn't particularly hungry as usual.

They were just getting started on the subject of Harry's training for Seeker when Fred and George came over.

"Well done," said George, "Wood told us. We're on the team -"

"Beaters, I know," said Draco rolling his eyes.

Fred shrugged and continued for George, "I tell you, were going to win that Quidditch Cup this year. We haven't won since Charlie left, but this year's going to be brilliant. You must be good, Harry, Wood was almost skipping when he told us."

Draco had the mental image of Wood skipping and couldn't help the snort. Fred nodded at him, "Yes, you see? Harry has to be good to make him act that way."

"Hmm," said Draco helplessly amused for some odd reason.

The twins had just left when Draco spotted the four last people he really wanted to see.

"Here comes trouble, boys," Draco muttered to Ron and Harry, who followed his gaze.

"Having a last meal, Potter?" asked Nott with a nasty smile, "When are you getting on the train back to the Muggles?"

"You're a lot braver now that you're back on the ground and you've got your little friends with you," Harry observed coolly. Draco might have smiled in approval at Harry's words had it not been for the fact that that little part of him stung in the memory. Draco shoved it back into the dark recesses of his mind and prepared to enjoy the moment even though he knew what was coming next.

"I'd take you on anytime on my own," said Nott. "Tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel. Wands only - no contact."

"What's the matter?" asked Blaise, "Never heard of a Wizard's duel before, I suppose."

"Of course he has," said Ron. "I'm his second. Who's yours?"

Nott didn't even look at the three boys next to him, saying lazily, "Zabini."

"Oh dear," said Draco very quietly.

"Excuse me," said Hermione Granger suddenly, "I couldn't help but overhear what you and Nott were saying."

Ron said at the exact same time very loudly, "Can't a person eat in this place?"

I do believe, Draco thought to himself, that they are going to end up in the same messy love triangle they did before... unless, of course, I give them a little push...

He thought about that as he listened avidly to Hermione, who continued as Ron hadn't interrupted, "...mustn't go wandering around school at night, think of the points you'll lose Gryffindor if you're caught, and you're bound to be. It's really very selfish of you."

"Suppose we don't get caught?" Draco suggested suddenly, "Think of the fun we'd have. Oh, joy, we'd get a midnight duel, a nice romantic tryst - ow! Harry, what was that for?"

Harry rolled his eyes at him and Ron looked apoplectically at him. Draco only smiled at him sweetly and then added, "And it's really none of your business."

"Good-bye," said Ron, standing. Harry and Ron both left the table and then turned to Draco, "Coming or what?"

"Yes. Give me a second," said Draco and he turned back to Hermione. "They don't really mean anything by it. Don't take it too personally. I'm sure you're a nice girl with the right intentions, but haven't you ever heard - the road to hell is paved with good intentions." He gave her a last smile, before following his two best friends out of the Great Hall, already scheming for ways of avoiding getting caught.

xxx

"We could tell Filch there's somebody going to be wandering about at night," said Draco.

"No, we're going," said Ron. "And you're coming with us. I don't trust them. I know he'll have something sneaky planned. All Slytherins are evil."

"I resent that," said Draco lightly, "my family was all in Slytherin. I'm the one breaking the mold."

"Oh... sorry," said Ron. "Maybe your family's okay, I s'pose, but most of the Slytherins aren't."

"True," said Draco with a wry smile, "but my sister and brother - especially my brother will likely end up in Slytherin, you know. I suppose I could blackmail him into begging to be in Gryffindor..."

"Wouldn't Lucius kill you?" asked Ron, curiously.

"No. He'd be really mad and yell for a bit, but that's all," said Draco shrugging. He smiled at them adding, "I'm spoiled rotten - we're rich, what do you expect?"

"More children to even it out?" Ron suggested.

Draco threw his pillow at him. In less than a minute, the whole First Year boys' dormitory was involved in a miniature pillow war that sent feathers flying.

xxx

At half past eleven, Ron, Draco, and Harry were sneaking out of the Gryffindor Tower, only to find Hermione Granger armed with her snooty airs and pink bathrobe barring their way.

"You!" said Ron, "Go back to bed!"

"I almost told your brother Percy - he's a prefect, he'd put a stop to this."

"Come on," said Harry to Ron and Draco.

Draco sighed. He'd hoped she'd understood his words to stop interfering, but she had not. Idly, he hoped that he could somehow make this work to his advantage, but before he could say anything, they were through the portrait hole. She was still hissing at them as they climbed out of it, "Don't you care about Gryffindor, do you only care about yourselves, I don't want Slytherin to win the House Cup, and you'll lose all the points I got from Professor McGonagall for knowing about Switching Spells."

"Go away," said Harry.

"Do you have any idea how many times you mentioned that you're going to be looking bad?" asked Draco, curiously, "I mean, I hate to say it, but you sound a little hypocritical. You're interested in your own advantage - not the House's."

Hermione opened to mouth to argue her point, but then shut it. She couldn't win this, so she said instead, "All right, but I warned you, you just remember what I said when you're on the train home tomorrow, you're so -"

"Ah, tough luck," said Draco, hiding a smile, "The Fat Lady's gone on a nighttime visit!"

"Now what am I going to do?"

"That's your problem," said Ron. "We've got to go, we're going to be late."

"And it really wasn't your problem, until you made it be," added Draco, "But you can come with us."

"I'm coming with you," said Hermione at the same time.

"No she's not!" said Ron, "What are you doing - inviting -ummphh." Draco put his hand over Ron's mouth whispering, "What harm is it? She'll never shut up if we don't let her come. Trust me. I've got a sister."

"So do I!" said Ron loudly.

Draco rolled his eyes, "But you don't know how to deal with girls."

"You realize I can hear, right?" asked Hermione, sounding offended, "And if you think I'm going to stand out her and wait for Filch to catch me, you've got another think coming for you. If he finds all four of us I'll tell him the truth, that I was trying to stop you and can back me up."

"You've got some nerve -" said Ron even louder.

Draco rolled his eyes and whispered, "Girls!"

"Shut up, all of you! I think I heard something."

"Neville!" said Draco, trying not give into his sense of ridiculous, which was tickled pink.

"Thank goodness you found me! I've been out her for hours, I couldn't remember the new password to get in to bed."

"Keep your voice down, Neville."

"The password's 'pig snout'," added Draco, "but it won't help you now as the Fat Lady's gone off for a stroll."

"How's your arm?" asked Harry.

"Fine. Madam Pomfrey mended it in about a minute."

xxx

Later Draco would wonder why it had to happen this way exactly. Had it happened like this before - with Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Neville?

He could remember his side of it - going to Filch and leaving a note, but he had no idea what happened with them. He remembered the glee - the idea that he could get them into trouble...

But, now he was seeing it from this point of view. He felt like he should have known it would have happened, but he still felt the surprise when Filch's voice whispered, "Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner."

They all ducked around the corner toward the door, when Filch muttered, "They're here somewhere... probably hiding..."

"This way!" Harry mouthed at them, and poor Neville, terrified and clumsy, he tripped, grabbed Ron and the pair of them toppled into a suit of armor.

Draco later remembered that they ran, no longer caring about the noise and that somehow, they ended up in a room... with a three-headed dog.

"Fluffy!" said Draco, looking at dog.

The other four stared at him as though he were mad, and then said, Harry, "Let's get out of here."

Draco took one last look at the room and saw that the dog guarded a trapdoor in the floor.

Thoughtfully, he ran after his friends. None of them stopped running until they reached the seventh floor and gasped out the password.

"What do they think they're doing, keeping a thing like that locked up in a school?" said Ron, finally. "If any dog needs exercise, that one does."

"You don't use your eyes, any of you, do you?" Hermione snapped, getting both her breath and bad temper back, "Didn't you see what it was standing on?"

"The floor?" Harry suggested. "I wasn't looking at its feet, I was too busy with its heads."

"No," said Draco thoughtfully, before Hermione could tell them, "it was standing on a trapdoor..."

"No, not the -" Hermione broke off, and looked at Draco with new eyes, "it was standing on a trapdoor, yes. It's obviously guarding something." She stood, glaring at them adding, "I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could have been killed - or worse expelled. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed."

"No we don't mind," said Ron. "You'd think we dragged her along, wouldn't you?"

"Yes, I'm very pleased with myself," murmured Draco, loud enough for Ron and Harry to hear him, "I had a very entertaining night adventure. And I do believe we've got a mystery on our hands. Harry - I think that's where the little package you said Hagrid took out of the vault is."

xxx

Harry and Ron came to regard the night as Draco did - as an awesome adventure and all three boys were keen on having another one.

Ron suggested that the package was valuable or dangerous.

Harry said it was probably both.

Draco said it was something very odd such as an entire collection of famous Witches and Wizards cards. When both boys looked at him annoyed, he only protested his innocence by saying that it didn't have to be a logical thing as long as it made sense to the person guarding it.

Draco, Ron, and Harry were amused at the expression on the four Slytherins' faces when they realized that all three of them were still at the school - a little tired, but not in trouble or expelled.

The days slipped by and Harry received a Nimbus Two Thousand, something Draco envied because he only had a Comet Two Sixty. Harry left Ron and Draco to fend for themselves as he became busy with Quidditch.

Ron discovered that Draco had a tendency to study far, far too much, but he was game for playing a well thought-out prank on any of their Housemates or those of other Houses.

He got along well with Fred and George, keenly interested in their pranks and the methods of not getting caught.

Ron complained once that Draco was going to be a Fred and George combined in the miniature.

"That's exactly what we're hoping for," said George.

"Yes, we need an heir to carry on the tradition of the pranksters," said Fred. "Draco's an ideal person for it. He'll carry on after we've left."

"Only for about a year," pointed out Harry.

They'd shrugged and gone back to plotting. Draco learned that the Weasley twins wanted to open a joke shop - like Zonko's. So, Draco voluntarily helped them with the more complicated potions, seeing as even Snape couldn't find fault with his potions. Draco knew that some said Snape was playing favorites - because Draco was the only Gryffindor Snape never picked on, but almost... approved.

On the morning of Halloween, Draco somehow managed to find himself promising to tell Dean a Wizarding Halloween legend - a type of ghost story, as Dean put it. Dean was Muggle-born and he was interested in hearing more about Wizarding culture. Draco had offered to tell him some of the lesser known legends. Somehow, Seamus heard of the promise and wanted to be told the story too, and then Neville got involved - then Ron and finally Harry, who got the whole House involved because they soon realized that Draco knew a story hardly anyone knew about.

So, Draco promised the story that night - at midnight in their dorm. As they were going out to their Charms lesson, Draco absently told Seamus not to try too hard or else his feather would catch fire.

He didn't notice that Dean, Neville, and Seamus looked at each other then at him as he joined Ron and Harry, wondering what the heck he was talking about.

"Be careful, Ron," said Draco suddenly as they entered the classroom. "Don't say anything you might regret."

Ron only stared at him and said, "You know, Drake, even for a wizard, you're strange."

"I know," said Draco lightly, before going off to find a partner. Flitwick announced they were learning to make objects fly, but no one had any luck.

Seamus set his feather on fire and suddenly remembered Draco's warning and on the other table, Ron had Hermione for a partner.

Draco amused himself by watching the golden threads of their auras meet each other. They were faint, but very strong in color, symbolizing soul mates. Harry's own aura - the main color of it was Phthalo blue with interesting shades of color depending on Harry's emotions.

He knew that his own aura was nearing a black to a Payne's gray. He forced his attention to the spell, but was immediately distracted by Ron's shouting, "Wingardium Leviosa!" and waving his arms like a windmill.

I don't think that'll help, Draco thought in some amusement.

"You're saying it wrong. It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, make the 'gar' nice and long."

"You do it, then, if you're so clever."

Draco sighed, thinking that at least he'd tried.

By the end of the class, Ron was fuming because Hermione was the only one to manage it, aside from Draco.

Draco met with Hermione saying, "He doesn't mean it. He's... he's eleven, doesn't know what he's saying."

Hermione only stared at him, obviously agreeing with everyone that he was very odd.

He reached Ron and Harry in time to hear Ron saying, "... wonder no one can stand her - she's a nightmare, honestly."

"I think she heard you," said Draco.

"So?" asked Ron, "She must've noticed she's got no friends."

Draco shook his head, "Honestly, Ron... I don't know about you..."

At dinner that night, Draco informed Ron, "Lavender Brown told me that Parvati Patil told her that Hermione Granger's been crying in the girls' bathroom all day long. I hope you're happy with yourself."

"Well, she deserved it! I mean, she's such a know-it-all that she needs to - wow!" Ron had apparently noticed the decorations.

Harry and Ron were both distracted and spoke of other things, but Draco worried as he watched the doors.

"What's wrong?" asked Seamus.

"There's a troll in the dungeons," said Draco absently, "Quirrell's going to come in running and he's going to yell it out and then faint."

"Pardon?"

Just then Quirrell burst into the Great Hall yelling, "Troll - in the dungeons - thought you out to know," and promptly fainted, just as Draco had predicted to Seamus and Dean.

In the mayhem that occurred, only Ron, Harry, Dean, Seamus, and Neville were more interested in figuring out how Draco had known what would happen before it did. Draco managed to avoid answering the questions when Dumbledore ordering them to their common rooms.

"Wait," he said, "we need to go and get Hermione in the girls' bathroom."

"What? Why?"

"She doesn't know about the troll."

"All right," said Ron, finally, "but Percy had better not see us."

"He won't," said Draco, "but please don't do anything heroically stupid."

"Wait!" said Harry, grabbing both of them.

"Percy," Ron hissed, but it was not Percy, but Snape.

Draco frowned. He was really out of his depth in this one. He couldn't remember anything about Snape... except he walked with a limp for a while afterwards.

"What's he doing? Why isn't he down in the dungeons with the other teachers?"

"Search me."

"Dunno," said Draco, "but I'm sure he's got a reason."

"He's going for the third floor," said Harry.

"Can you smell that?"

"Ugh." said Draco, "Father always said you can smell trouble a mile away."

They spotted the troll, which was very ugly, but Draco was much more worried with what Harry was planning than what it looked like.

Harry said, as the troll made its way into the room, "Look - the key's in the lock. We could lock it in."

"No! Wait," said Draco, but Ron and Harry had already leapt across the hall and slammed the door shut, locking it, "it's the girls' bathroom..."

"What?" said Harry, horrified, just as a shrill scream came from the room.

"Hermione!" Ron and Harry said.

"Yes, Hermione," Draco snapped, managing to get the key out and yanking the door open. "That's what I was trying to tell you before you two had the brilliant idea of locking into a room you don't know what it is!"

"Confuse it," yelled Harry, and threw something against the wall.

Draco and Ron ended up in a corner together, as Ron yelled, "Oy, pea-brain."

"Great idea, genius!" said Draco, "Let's draw the attention of a full-grown homicidal mountain troll today, shall we? It's on my To Do List."

"Come on, run! Run!" yelled Harry at Hermione as the trolled turned to them.

Draco watched as Harry jumped on the troll. He couldn't think for a while - his mind froze in horror, as he dazedly processed the thought that being a hero was not as easy as it looked. It actually required some work.

Finally, Ron yelled out the first spell that came into mind: "Wingardium Leviosa!"

The troll's club flew out of it's hand and hovered above the troll's head and fell with a sickening crack. The troll fell over, knocked out.

"Is it... dead?"

"No," said Draco, very pale, "it's just knocked out. Let's get out of here before it wa - Professor!"

"What on earth were you thinking of?" Professor McGonagall asked, coldly furious. Harry looked at Ron who looked at Hermione who ended up looking at Draco. Then she drew her gaze away as McGonagall said, "You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?"

"Please, Professor McGonagall - they were looking for me."

"Miss Granger!"

Hermione had managed to get to her feet with Draco's help.

"I went looking for the troll because I - I thought I could deal with it on my own - you know, because I read I've read all about them.
Ron dropped his wand in surprise. Draco hid a triumphant grin - Hermione really was what he'd imagined her to be like - she was lying to save them.

"If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead now. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived."

Draco kept his face expressionless while Ron and Harry tried to look as though this story was not new to them.

"Well... in that case..." said Professor McGonagall, "Miss Granger, you foolish girl, how could you think of tackling a mountain troll on your own?"

Hermione hung her head and Draco did his best to keep still and not laughing out loud in the sheer thrill of this. He wouldn't miss this moment for the world.

"Miss Granger, five points will be taken from Gryffindor for this. I'm very disappointed in you. If you're not hurt at all..." Draco tuned her out to reflect on his thoughts. He was pulled out when McGonagall turned to them after Hermione left, saying, "Well I still say you were lucky, but not many first years could have taken on a full-grown -" homicidal, Draco's mind quipped, "- mountain troll. You each win five points..."

Draco did the math and barely listened as she spoke about telling Dumbledore.

They hurried out of the girls' bathroom and didn't speak until they had climbed two floors up.

"We should've gotten more than fifteen points," said Ron.

"Ten," said Harry.

"What?"

"Ten," said Draco, "points after she's taken Hermione's off."

"Good of her to get us out of trouble like that," said Ron.

"Yes," said Draco, "and what have I been trying to tell you? She's really not all that bad. Honestly. If she is, you can blame me."

"Okay," said Ron, "I blame you."

"Thanks," said Draco, "I really appreciate your love."

"Pig snout," said Harry as they reached the Fat Lady.

Inside, Hermione was waiting for them at the door. There was a slightly embarrassed paused until Draco said, "How's the damsel in distress who ended up saving the would be heroes?"

They laughed, and then they added in unison, "Thanks," as they went to get their plates.

Draco smiled, looking upward

Hermione Granger was officially part of their group.

Are you happy? The being asked him from somewhere far away, but Draco heard the question.

Yes... Thanks... whatever you are...

xxx

The Fate smiled.

Everything was going according to plan. The next step... well, the next step was to teach the boy how to use his own power to help them out.

"It's like chess," the Elder had once said of humans and the interference of their kind, which was rare, for there were rules, "you never move unless you have a strategy and know how to win."

Of course, the Fate thought, sometimes it only took a pawn to make its way all the way across the board to become the most powerful piece.

So what if Draco Malfoy was a wildcard - he was the Fate's winning ticket out of the game. So what if it meant playing with the Mortal World - interfering?

The end justifies the means, after all.

- Dale Carnegie.

A/N: Some of you might be confused. The thing that goes with the numbers (ex: -1-) is a section within the chapter. The "xxx" are scenes within each section. The reason why I'm writing this way is because I don't want the story to be insanely long.

P.S: The original writer misused genetic illnesses... so, sorry if it's confusing.

Citation/Disclaimer(s)/Reference:

1. Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer Stone. U.S.A: Scholastic Inc: 1997.

2. If you judge people, you will have no time to love them. - Mother Teresa

3. "The path to hell is paved with good intentions" - saying, no idea where it came from.