Harry Potter and the Trelawney Prophesy

A/N: A gazillion apologies. I know you've been waiting for a post for longer than ever this time. My computer didn't implode. It CRASHED. We're talking fatalities galore. Fortunately, I am no fool and have everything backed up. WHEW.

The delay however was unavoidable as I can only edit and submit from work until I get the other computer to some state of use.

But it is my intention to have the rest of Trelawney's Prophesy posted BEFORE Sat. I know how busy we will all be then.

Don't forget to review. You guys are great.

By the end of this chapter I hope you all are recalling the summary from the Slytherin Connection:

"How does an evil Dark Lord convince a 15 year old boy, orphaned by his own hand, to join him?"

hehe

Chapter 15

The Gift

"It's mild telepathy," Voldemort had told them. "You will learn to control it."

"But-"

"Harry," Voldemort interrupted him. "The spell I used to test your magic made you share your magic and visa versa with Draco. One of the possible side effects is telepathy. I'm very pleased with the results, so don't be alarmed. You and Draco have already become close, this is only a mild inconvenience."

"But-"

"Your internal magic is so strong that it latched onto his, bonding his magic to you," said Voldemort.

"But-"

"Harry," said Voldemort.

Shut up, Harry. You're trying his patience.

Harry sent Draco a glare.

"Voldemort-"

"Go back to school, Harry," said Voldemort. "You will both learn how to control this gift."

They did indeed learn how to control the gift after a couple of weeks but it was a strange, disturbing couple of weeks while they learned how.

Hearing some of Draco's random thoughts those first few days was very interesting.

Crabbe, you can't be that stupid.

Just wait, Blaise. You'll get yours.

And Harry's favorite:

Oh, I wish Harry was here to see that.

And while Harry had been noble enough not to respond to any of those comments, Draco wasn't so generous.

I don't want to talk about it.

Had been Harry's thought while talking to Ron.

Talk about what?

Nothing, Draco.

Harry could almost hear him snort.

Don't give me that crap, Harry.

I wasn't talking to you.

Yeah you were.

Excuse me for living. Harry shut off his thoughts after that. He had learned quickly how to close Draco out of his mind, something that bugged Draco to no end.

It wasn't until a week later that they found out how to use the gift rather than be trapped by it.

Harry was frantically trying to explain the telepathy thing to Ron during potions.

"Potter!" said Snape with annoyance.

Harry looked up with alarm. Severus had his you're in trouble look on his face.

"Professor?" said Harry.

"Since you obviously have time to talk, you can detail the list of ingredients needed for the potion we're making."

"Er, which potion is that?" said Harry.

Snape smirked at him. Harry sighed. It didn't seem to matter what their relationship was outside school, the potions Master thrived on being able to catch Harry off guard.

"The Restricting Potion," said Snape, lifting his eyebrows expectantly.

"Oh, right," said Harry. "Um-"

That was when Draco started feeding him the information.

Knotgrass.

"Knotgrass," said Harry.

Shredded boomslang skin.

"Shredded boomslang skin," said Harry.

Harry went on with the list Draco was telling him as Snape's frown got worse.

And a partridge in a pear tree.

"And a-" Harry cut himself off.

"And a what?" said Snape.

"And I think that's it," said Harry.

"Yes. Very good, Potter," said Snape.

"What? No points?" said Ron.

Snape turned a glare to Ron. "Points for paying attention to the lesson, Weasley?" said Snape.

Ron instantly got contrite. "You're right, Professor. Sorry."

Snape blinked at him. "Very good, Weasley. I won't take off points for your outburst then," said Snape. "Although I should."

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir," said Ron.

Harry heard Draco's laughter in his head.

Damn, if Weasley isn't learning.

Harry fought his own laugh. I'm sure he'll be glad to know you think so.

Draco sobered. You wouldn't.

Maybe.

Harry-

Oh, never mind. And, by the way - thanks.

Next time pay attention.

Yeah, yeah. And a partridge in a pear tree.

Draco laughed out loud and the class looked at him.

"Something funny, Mr. Malfoy?" said Snape who suddenly turned and looked at Harry.

Harry wondered if Snape knew about the gift. If he did then he would know what had just happened.

"No," said Draco, looking down into his caldron and turning red. "Sorry."

That's a lovely shade of red-

Shut up, Harry!

Harry snorted to himself.

The next occasion was in Care of Magical Creatures.

Harry was pretty sure that Draco was involved in some flirtation with Pansy. What he saw in the girl was beyond Harry, but who was Harry to judge.

"Malfoy," said Hagrid. "Y'r up."

Draco turned and looked around, confused. Oh, shit.

"Come along, Malfoy," said Hagrid with a glare.

Just go, Draco.

Draco moved toward the paddock. What the hell am I doing?

You're going to act subservient.

Me? A Malfoy?

Why was Harry not surprised. Do you want to get mauled again, like the hippogriff?

Not especially.

Then listen to me.

All right.

Harry talked him through the steps to get close to the Griffin and much to Hagrid's delight, the Griffin let Draco get on it. They took a cantor around the paddock.

"Well done, Malfoy," cried Hagrid. "Well done."

As Draco slid off the beast, grinning, he stroked it's head and the thing actually nuzzled his hand.

"Beautiful thing, aren't you?" said Draco.

The beast whimpered and sighed then fell to it's knees before Draco.

Oh, sure. Milk it for all it's worth.

Can I help it if I'm irresistible?

Hagrid was almost crying.

"Malfoy, that's incredible," said Hagrid. "Not many Griffin's fall docile to a wizard."

Draco sent an arrogant grin to the Slytherins but when he turned back to the Griffin, his expression was one of appreciation again. Again the beast nuzzled Draco's hand.

I like him.

Harry laughed. It's a her, you git, and obviously she likes you too.

The Griffin turned suddenly and looked directly at Harry. She stood up.

Hagrid noticed and smiled. "Come on then, Harry."

"No. I don't think so," said Harry cautiously.

Come on you coward.

Me? A coward?

Just get your arse in here.

No. Look at it.

Since the beast had been turning it's head at every thought, Harry figured it out.

She knows we're talking.

"Go on, Harry," said Hagrid.

Harry didn't want to disappoint Hagrid so he climbed the fence and went over to the Griffin by Draco. The Griffin instantly fell to her knees.

You must be getting sick of that by now.

Shut up, Draco.

The only real problem with the 'gift' was fencing. Harry's arm was well on the mend but it wasn't his arm that was the problem. It was the 'gift.' They had both cut each other rather badly on several occasions before being able to block their intentions from the other.

Madam Pomfrey was frustrated because they couldn't tell her what the problem was (they hadn't told anyone the extent of the 'gift'). After weeks of sparring they were now carrying each other in to the infirmary all bloody.

This last incident, Harry had to literally carry Draco into the hospital with a nasty slice across his stomach, was severe enough that Dumbledore was called.

Pomfrey healed Draco quickly enough but Harry was distraught.

Dumbledore took Harry aside into Madam Pomfrey's office while Draco was being mended. Harry was a little unnerved not knowing how much Dumbledore knew.

He sat down nervously as Dumbledore leaned against Pomfrey's desk.

"I know you and Draco have become close," Dumbledore began. "Indeed almost as close as you and Hermione and Ron."

"It's different," said Harry. "He understands what I'm going through in ways the others don't."

"I know, Harry," said Dumbledore. "I am also aware that Voldemort has marked him."

Alarmed, Harry sat up. "It wasn't his fault," said Harry. "He didn't want-"

"I know that too, Harry. I know what Draco's been forced to do," said Dumbledore. "He is allowed certain allowances because he is needed," Dumbledore met Harry's gaze, "by you."

"Me?"

"Yes. To keep you from becoming too dependant on Voldemort."

Harry was about to argue that he thought it was too late for that but then realized it wasn't. When Draco was at the compound...

"I don't feel so alone."

"Yes, Harry," said Dumbledore. "So what happened?"

"I set it off," mumbled Harry.

Dumbledore straightened. "You what?"

Harry glanced up at the old wizard. "I didn't believe Lucius would allow it to happen, so I had to see it. I pushed up Draco's sleeve and I accidentally touched it."

"And it went off?"

"Yes."

"Harry," said Dumbledore very slowly. "You activated the Dark Mark?"

"Er, yes," said Harry.

"I take it Voldemort was pleased."

"To say the least."

"And," prompted Dumbledore.

"Well, he figured out, since I'm now connected to the Dark Mark, that he had a different means of judging my powers."

"Hm, yes," said Dumbledore. "It is a Dark spell."

"It doesn't hurt," Harry felt compelled to say.

"I dare say. Quite the opposite, I've been told," said Dumbledore, eyes sparkling again. "But if held for too long or if one is very powerful, it could have side effects."

"I know," said Harry softly.

"What did Voldemort say?"

"Well he told Lucius that I was ready."

Dumbledore nodded gravely. Harry was starting to hate when he did that.

"And - well - Draco and I are telepathically connected."

"Telepathy?" said Dumbledore with surprise.

Harry looked up again. "Is that bad?" said Harry.

Dumbledore sighed with open relief. "No, Harry. That is good, actually. Quite good."

"What does it mean?"

"It means, my boy, that you were correct in thinking that Draco was forced," said Dumbledore. "Had Draco, or you, actually have turned, the spell would have effected him differently. The sharing of magic would have been uneven. If he had turned, you would have felt the Dark in him and shut him out. If you had turned you would have simply taken him. Either way, the result would have been that Draco would have been yours to command."

"What-"

"Harry, the sharing of magic was equal, hence the telepathy," said Dumbledore. "My guess is that Voldemort was testing Draco to see where his loyalties are. If he was pleased, it's obvious that he wants Draco to be loyal to you."

"Wait a minute," said Harry. "Are you saying Voldemort was trying to give Draco to me?"

"Fundamentally," said Dumbledore. "Yes."

"Fundamentally?" Sometimes Dumbledore was as bad as Voldemort. "What-"

"Harry," said Dumbledore. "Voldemort wants you to be happy while you are with him. He has been trying to create as much as a home environment for you as he can."

Harry nodded mutely.

Dumbledore went on. "And now it seems that Voldemort has implanted Draco as a brother figure for you."

Harry smirked at that, although when he thought about it, they had covered the realm of what Harry could believe brothers went through. He had seen it within the Weasley family. The rivalry, the competition, the pranks (although he doubted most brothers went through the motions with the animosity that Draco and Harry had had).

Whether or not Draco had this so called loyalty was something that Harry would have to see to believe.

"The more the Ministry tries to take from you, the more Voldemort tries to provide. What that entails is family."

When Harry thought about it, he had too concede that point. Harry had become far too comfortable at the compound because of that very reason. He could relax. He felt perfectly at ease.

Most of his time lately had been spent with Death Eaters. And they had taken him in.

All Harry ever wanted was a family. And Voldemort was providing it.

Great.

Harry's gaze shot up. "Where's Sirius?" Harry demanded. Sirius was Harry's family. His true family. "Where did you send him?"

Dumbledore sighed. "I have no idea where Sirius has been sent presently."

Harry was afraid he believed him. Had the Ministry taken Sirius from him too?