A Piece of His Soul

A Piece of His Soul

Chapter Eight

Deja Vu

"But, Professor Malfoy, don't you give extra credit?" asked one of Draco's students. She was twirling a lock of curly blonde hair in her finger and looking up at her through her eyelashes.

"Laura, I don't give extra credit to students who are obviously making no effort in my class," Draco said, rolling his eyes. This was one of the sixth years from his potion's class. All the girl seemed to do was sit and stare at him during class. He had no idea why. The girl looked over at her two friends who were waiting for her to finish her discussion with her Professor.

"Are you sure?" she asked huskily. "I can make it worth your while."

He took a step forward and leaned in until their noses were almost touching. He looked her straight in the eyes. "No," he said clearly.

Her face fell and her shoulders slumped forward in defeat. "Don't you three have another class to be going to?" he demanded.

"Of course," she smiled at him taking a step closer. "Bye, Professor Malfoy." She winked.

He rolled his eyes and turned around and walked away. He heard the three girls run off giggling to themselves.

"Wow," said a voice in the doorway, "your job makes my work as an auror look easy."

"What are you doing here, Potter?" Draco asked collapsing into the chair by his desk.

"Do your students normally try to seduce you like that?" Harry's eyes were twinkling madly.

"No need to tease, Potter," Draco said. "Did you come here with anything pertinent to say?"

"I have a question for you. I was just at the Minster's office looking at the body and there was a message on the wall written in the Minster's blood. I'm trying to figure out what it means."

"So you came to a person of superior intellect. I'm impressed, Potter."

Harry rolled his eyes. "It said: 'You may think you have won, Potter. You have destroyed a piece of my soul and I shall return the favor.' "

"Ah," said Draco nodding.

"You know what it means!" said Harry relieved that the mystery was solved.

"No clue. I'm just impressed that Voldemort could make it sound so threatening and at the same time be so ambiguous," Draco said approvingly. "He must have spent hours trying to think how to phrase it properly."

"No need to joke, Malfoy."

"I'm not joking. I once walked in on him while he was practicing threatening a prisoner in front of a mirror. He couldn't decide if he liked the word 'slaughter' or 'butcher' better."

Harry looked at Draco strangely. Sometimes it was hard to tell when he was being serious. "But seriously," Harry said. "What do you think he's taking about?"

"Have you been making Horcruxes again, Potter?"

"Don't be stupid, Malfoy," Harry scoffed.

"No harm in asking," said Draco offhandedly. "Why don't we go and ask Weasley? She might know."

"That's a good idea. Anyway I'm curious what information she got out of Zabini."

CCC

Harry and Draco apparated into Ginny's flat. It was very quiet. Draco walked into the living room to see if she was there and Harry went to scope out the bedroom.

"Ginny?" Harry called.

"Weasley?" Draco called.

"Where is she?" Harry called to Draco from the other room.

"Not here at the moment," Draco announced as if it was the most intelligent thing he had ever said.

"I could see that," Harry snarled, "I'm not stupid."

"But you are a Gryffindor. They're renowned for bravery, not common sense. One can never be too sure."

Harry walked into the living room and rolled his eyes at Draco. "I gave Ginny a Pensieve where she would put the memory of what Zabini told her. She told me that she would leave it in the bathroom. Someone probably wouldn't look for it in there."

"But we're about to," said Draco.

"But...but..." Harry said trying to think of something in reply, "Oh, I hate you."

"Shall we then?" Draco said taking a step towards the room. Its door was already ajar.

They stepped inside the room and Harry pulled out the Pensieve from beneath the sink. He used his wand to swirl the liquid inside. It looked like liquid mercury or the color of Draco's eyes.

"Would you like to go in first, Malfoy?" Harry said leaning towards the Pensieve.

"You can go first. Age before beauty after all, Potter."

Harry sputtered for a moment before he felt himself falling into the Pensieve. When he opened his eyes, he saw Draco standing next to him and Ginny sitting at the table across from Blaise Zabini.

"How was your day?" Ginny asked smiling at Blaise. She was stirring her tea innocently.

"I hope she put in the Veritaserum already," said Draco from Harry's left.

"She probably did, otherwise she would probably look more nervous."

"Ever heard of a poker face?"

Blaise started to speak and Draco stopped talking immediately. "All I had was my meeting with the Dark Lord. And that was very stressful. He was berating me for failing to capture you yesterday."

"He's a Death Eater!" Harry said gleefully.

Draco looked at him strangely. "It's vaguely disturbing that you're so pleased with that."

"Did you hear about the Minster being murdered? How tragic!"

"More like how disgusting," Harry murmured to himself, looking a little green.

"I forgot to ask what the scene was like. I only heard about the ominous note old Moldy Voldy left for you."

"It wasn't a pretty picture."

"Not likely to be featured on any Christmas cards in the future?" Draco asked seriously.

"Shut up, Malfoy, I think Zabini has something important to say."

"That'll be a first," Draco quipped dryly.

"Marcus Flint smuggled him inside. Security is so closely managed, but Flint was able to circumvent it slightly being a Department Head. He smuggled in Voldemort, who was polyjuiced to be another person."

"That little bastard!" Draco growled. "I'll have a thing or two to do to Julius Flint when I get back to Hogwarts. That little twirp tried to blackmail me!"

"Someone's trying to blackmail you? How could that ever happen? You're the epitome of right."

"Save it, Potter," Draco snarled.

"I saw the crest and stole it for the Dark Lord," said Blaise Zabini, shutting both Draco and Harry up.

"I knew it!" Harry said. "I'm going to put him in Azkaban faster than you can say Dementor's Kiss."

"Dementor's Kiss," Draco said cheekily.

"Where is the Dark Lord going to put the Horcrux?" Ginny asked. She was looking worriedly at Blaise, her hand hovering over her wand. Draco and Harry had drawn their wands as well.

"If he lays one of his filthy Slytherin paws on her, I'll cut off whatever he touches her with and feed it to him."

"How messy." Draco wrinkled his nose.

"He's leaving the Horcrux at Malfoy manner for now. He said he's going to keep this one close - entrust it with someone whom he'll be able to control."

"Who?" Draco, Harry and Ginny all asked at the same time.

"I don't know," he snapped and stood up from the table. "I think I have a few questions for you also."

"Obliviate!" Ginny screamed pointing her wand at Blaise. He fell back into his chair heavily with unfocused eyes.

Harry looked over at Draco. They had just left the Pensieve and were now staring at each other.

"Malfoy Manor?" Harry asked. "What's Voldemort doing at Malfoy Manor?"

"Didn't I tell you that I rent it out to Evil Overlords during the school year? As long as they don't run up the floo bill."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Why is he at your house?"

"Well I don't use it and he took up residence there before I was a Death Eater. He usually keeps prisoners there and has meetings there as well."

"I should have some people raid the place. Maybe we could catch Voldemort or at least some of his cronies."

"I wonder if that would look a little suspicious if it's my house?" said Draco looking thoughtful.

"Sorry, Malfoy," Harry said, "I hadn't thought of that."

"I figured." Draco said. "Gryffindors were never great thinkers."

They walked into the kitchen and sat down. Draco looked at the table and said, "The cups are still there."

Harry looked at Draco strangely. "Why on earth would you criticize Ginny's housekeeping skills at a time like this?"

"The other dishes are cleaned or in the sink," Draco pointed out.

"So," Harry asked, looking at Draco like he needed a one-way trip to a Muggle psych ward.

"Wouldn't Weasley have put the tea cups away if she left on her own accord? Would a kidnapper take the time to put away the dishes?"

"If the kidnapper was a compulsive perfectionist," Harry said.

"Granger is not out to kidnap Ginny Weasley."

CCC

Ginny rubbed the large goose egg on her head and looked around the room. Where on earth was she? She remembered seeing Blaise and getting the information Harry wanted about him and...

Ginny's eyes widened in shock. He had stolen her wand and stunned her. The goose egg on her head was from where she had hit the ground unconscious. That bastard could have at least been enough of a gentleman to prevent my head from hitting the floor so hard, she thought.

Ginny looked around her prison cell. It was very nice accommodations for a prisoner. Right now she was lying on the couch on the left side of the room. A large bed took up most of the room, with a bureau and a wardrobe on the right side.

She was closest to the door, which appeared to be shut tightly. However, she wasn't able to stifle the shocked exclamation when it opened on its own and a dark figure stepped in.

"I hope you are finding your accommodations pleasant, Miss Weasley. I dare say that you will be here awhile."