Father's Minion

Chapter One

Ever since she'd heard her brother and Harry talk about him, she'd learned to hate the Malfoy boy. After all, who would think to be so mean to Harry and to ridicule him all the time, especially after everything he'd been through? So as the years passed, Ginny Weasley soon acquired her own distaste for the Malfoy family, not as much as her brothers, or Hermione and Harry, but she despised them just the same, especially that Draco character...or so she thought. It wasn't until the actions of Harry's fifth year that set the confrontations between the ferret and the girl weasel into motion.

"How did you get away?" asked Harry in amazement, taking his wand from Ron.

"Couple of Stunners, a Disarming Charm, Neville brought off a really nice Impediment Jinx," said Ron airily, now handing back Hermione's wand too. "But Ginny was best, she got Malfoy--Bat-Bogey Hex--it was superb, his whole face was covered in great flapping things." Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, American addition, pg. 760

Draco was very arrogant and proud of it, thank you very much. He took pride in the reputation he held at school, he was mostly feared, and in his eyes, fear meant respect; and he felt everyone should respect him. Of course, plans don't always go as planned and of course, those defiant Gryffindors thought that they ran the school just because Potter was in their house, but this was Draco's year, he could feel it as he stood on the Platform 9 ¾ waiting to board the train that would take him to his sixth year of school and Hogwarts.

Draco walked to the train and placed his things in the luggage compartment before he decided to peruse the platform to see if anyone had changed drastically over holiday. InsteadDraco found himself in the Prefect compartment.Draco himself had changed quite a bit; with his father in Azkaban he had a lot of thinking time, and with thinking time brought on his interest in observance, that's why this year was going to be his year, Draco had grown into a sense of maturity over the holiday.

His father had written him plenty over the summer talking...almost nonsense half the time...some rubbish about a prophesy and more than one...and moons and stars...and numbers. Draco pulled a worn leather bound book out of his robe pocket. It was where he kept all of his father's corresponding letters, and each letter started to get harder and harder for Draco to comprehend. Draco was sure in the beginning that his father would find a way out of the prison somehow, but now he wasn't quite sure. He pulled out a piece of parchment that looked especially worn and opened it delicately with his long fingers. He stroked the parchment absentmindedly and words started to appear, this wasn't news to Draco, it was often how his father sent important letters, it responded only to the finger print of a Malfoy.

Draco Malfoy,

You must understand, I'm not in my right mind right now, but heed what I say, or right, or...you understand, for some of it is of the utmost importance. The dementors are getting to me, I can feel them. The moon son, the moon, remember to always watch the moon. The number seven is also of the utmost importance. I remember when you were a baby and Sarah would hold you in her arms and cradle you close to her.

"Mother's name is Narcissa, father," Draco found himself muttering over and over again.

The Dark Lord will seek you out. He will find you. Don't run from him Draco, do your best to please him. I'll come home soon to you and Sarah.

"Narcissa, father, Narcissa!"...the Dark Lord needs you, you won't be harmed. Watch the stars!

Lucius

Draco carefully folded the parchment and placed it neatly within the leather bound book. He looked out the window of the Prefects compartment to see the people milling around laughing and having a jolly time, while he sat in his world with his crazy father, who sent him bogus letters, talking about watching the stars. Instead, Draco watched the people; studied them intently as they passed by his window.

He groaned inward as he saw Pansy Parkinson who, looked less puggish and more angular, but her sour expression rid her of any true beauty that might have made her worth a second glance. The Finnigan boy had a flock of girls around him, and he seemed to be telling a very animated tale and pointing to something on his arm.

Then he saw them,it's impossible tomiss the red hair. Merlin, it's like they multiply every year! Draco looked on with mild interest; it seemed the whole family turned out just to see their two family members off, and with them stood the Mudblood and Potter. Then, something else caught Draco's eyes, someone else rather.

She was short like her mother and her figure had filled out over the summer and shone through her robes, which surprisingly didn't look like hand-me-downs. Instinctively Draco grabbed at his nose remembering her attack on him last year; he would make her pay for that. He would have to figure something out. He'd make sure that she'd know never to cross Draco Malfoy again.

So, he watched as she came onto the train and walked past the Prefect compartment without a second glance. Ha, Draco smiled, so she's not a Prefect. Just as well, we already have one Weasley dirt child to deal with. And who happened to walk in just as he was thinking such things, but the King Weasel himself followed by the Mudblood Granger who always followed him around. Draco had to stifle his laughter when they entered. This caught Ron's attention and he glared at Draco with extreme dislike.

"What are you laughing at Malfoy?" Ron accused bracing himself for a fight. Hermione looked visibly miffed and wore her, we're-not-even-on-our-way-and-your-already-starting-a-fight look. Draco simply shrugged nonchalantly and looked out the train window. Ron sputtered in confusion for a while before he and Hermione took seats opposite Draco.

Ron and Hermione entered the compartment they were sharing with Ginny, Neville, Harry and much to Harry and Ron's chagrin, Luna Lovegood. Even though she had helped last year, the girl was simply...nutters. Ron looked baffled, and Hermione looked pensive.

"Whoa, wait a tick...what's wrong?" asked Ginny seeing that something must've happened in the Prefects meeting. Ginny had to admit she was pretty miffed when she didn't get a badge, but she got over it...it seemed only sensible since she'd been possessed by Tom Riddle before, Dumbledore probably didn't want to risk something like that again.

"Malfoy--" Ron started but Harry groaned loudly cutting him off.

"What'd he do this time?"

"Nothing," Hermione stated.

"It's that bad that you can't even say it?" Neville gasped.

"No, she means...he did...nothing...didn't do anything. No snide remarks, no dirty looks. He just sat there." Ron confessed. Ginny sighed thinking about the situation, this was definitely different, normally Malfoy would jump at the opportunity to make fun of Ron or call Hermione rude names...it didn't make any sense that he wasn't doing that.

"He's up to something," Harry concluded shutting his Quidditch Through the Ages.

"Most likely...but what?" Hermione agreed.

"It must be really bad," Ron offered. Neville shivered, probably thinking about all the horrible things Malfoy could do to him. Then a misty voice came from the corner of the compartment, "Maybe he's changed," Luna Lovegood peered over the latest edition of The Quibbler at the rest of the compartment. All the students exchanged glances with each other, and then broke into a spontaneous fit of giggles. Everyone except Luna was rolling on the floor of the compartment. Ginny didn't think she'd laughed so hard in her entire life, but soon someone was hushing the room and Neville pointed at the window to the train isles, "Look here he comes."

"See Luna, he hasn't changed...he was just waiting to get us all in one room," Harry stated glaring at Malfoy, but Draco didn't notice, he was walking, getting closer and closer to the door, and soon he was past the compartment and striding down the hall.

"Alright," Ginny concluded as chills, good or bad undecided at this time, ran down her spine, "something is most definitely going on."