Elementals of Magic: Prophecy of Lies

Chapter 16

A Reluctant Beginning

As Harry and Draco detached themselves from each other, Harry's mind registered that Drake Moore was Draco Malfoy! Likewise, Draco realized that Henry Evans was Potter! The two boys quickly scrambled away from each other.

That gesture, the way he had looked when he drew his arm back, it had uncannily resembled Drake, the Drake that he had known before they had become friends. That had caused Harry to ask his archnemesis the question that should never have left his lips. He couldn't hate Malfoy in peace now, not if he was Drake.

Draco felt the same way. He wished that Potter had never revealed the truth, the truth that was better left in shadows, forgotten, until the cobwebs obscured it for all eternity. every time he insulted the Golden Boy, every time he taunted the Gryffindor, every time he aggravated The Boy Who Lived, he would be reminded of that pitiful eight-year-old who had become his friend.

The two contemplated each other for a moment, Harry's emerald eyes filled with different emotions, Draco's as unreadable as ever. Draco decided that he was not going to be easy on Potter. If Potter hadn't refused his friendship in First Year, then things would be different. But it was Potter's fault, and he was not going to all of a sudden become friends with Potter just because he had discovered that they were friends a lifetime ago.

Harry didn't know what to do. His first true friend was standing in front of him, and the Gryffindor could only stand and stare back. Just when he thought that he had Draco Malfoy down, something comes up that leaves him in doubt of everything that had always seemed to him like fact. Why? Why did it have to be Malfoy? Why couldn't it have been someone else?

Just then, Malfoy turned and walked away, Invisibility Cloak on his arm.

"You can't just leave without saying anything! Not after what just happened!"

"Nothing happened except for my realization that I had been a fool to befriend you, Potter, both times."

"Why...you insufferable git!"

"I am struck by your abundance of wit, Potter."

"You....you...Death Eater!"

Something within Malfoy snapped. He turned around and walked back slowly, with a determined stride. The blonde stopped in front of Harry, lips inches away from the Gryffindor's. He pulled his sleeve up. Nothing was there except pale, unmarked skin, smooth as marble, perhaps even more so.

"I am not and will not be a Death Eater, Potter. I am a Malfoy, and I am proud of that, but I am not my father," he whispered, breath hot against Harry's face. Without another word, the xanthochroid spun on his heels and left a very confused Harry Potter behind, staring after his retreating back.

***

Draco returned to the Ball to find Turpin standing by the doors. She looked like she had been standing there the whole time, as if she hadn't gone out the doors with the Fourth Year. The Ravenclaw smiled seductively at Draco.

Draco merely glanced at her as he walked up to Pansy. As the next song started, the two resumed their dancing.

"You should have seen that Fourth Year when he walked in. His face was completely flushed, he was gasping for air, all the signs of a virgin."

"Pansy?"

"Yes?"

"Do you remember when I went to that Muggle camp during that one summer?"

"Of course! That was the only summer in which I was not able to see you." The brunette pouted.

"Remember Henry Evans?"

"That Muggle boy you became friends with?" asked Pansy disdainfully.

"It's Potter."

Draco could feel Pansy's grip on him tighten.

"Does he know?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"Then make his life living Hell. He made his choice in First Year, and this will not change anything. You need to remind him of it. Everyone thinks that you've gone soft, Draco. Some of our Housemates have started supporting Blaise. You have to prove to them that you are still the cold-hearted, calculating, scheming, ruthless Draco Malfoy that we all know, but only I love."

***

Yule break was soon over, and the rest of Hogwarts returned. Blaise had returned back to normal, though he now harbored a deep hatred and resentment for Draco. The Slytherin never dared to upset Draco, but he was determined to hurt someone close to the blonde.

Hermione thanked Harry enthusiastically upon her return.

"I had been studying for the wrong things over the summer! I had been studying about the functions of potions instead of the purposes of specific ingredients and their uses in different potions! Also, I scored really low on the theories of interspecies Transfiguration! And N.E.W.T.s are in five months! The two of you need to start studying if you want to get good grades!"

Ron was ecstatic about his Yule present.

"Blimey, Harry! I can't believe you got the Chudley Cannons' autographs! I've put some spells on the book so it can't be taken out of the Burrow. I can't believe it!"

Harry was filled with joy now that his friends were back. However, the start of the second term quickly quelled Harry's happiness.

More homework had been given to all the Seventh Years in preparation for N.E.W.T.s. They were now reviewing First Year material while learning new curriculum, throwing almost everyone into a frenzy of work. Hermione had been unfazed, and when the two boys complained, she had told them that it was good for them, as it was a comprehensive review on everything that could possibly be on the N.E.W.T.s, therefore guaranteeing that everyone will receive enough N.E.W.T.s to make a decent living. Even Sirius had given them a huge load of work, saying that they couldn't have learned much from Snape, which earned him even more negative points with the Slytherins. The three had heard some of them mutter death threats under their breath as they left in a huff, indignant about Kyon's scornful treatment of Snape.

In his spare time, which mostly consisted of times when Harry slacked off and neglected his homework, Harry took to staring at his miniature griffin figurine, wondering how to unlock the secret it held. Dumbledore's statement at the end of Ravenclaw's Hunt had not helped at all, and Harry was certain that no clues had been dropped for the third contest to any of the champions. The Gryffindor had even taken the figurine into the shower with him, hoping against all hope that the figurine would somehow drop him a clue. It hadn't worked, and Harry was back to square one.

Meanwhile, the enmity between Harry and Malfoy had not just doubled, nor tripled, nor quadrupled, but had increased tenfold. At all times of the day, Malfoy taunted him and insulted him, while the Slytherins formed a circle around them and laughed contemptously at him. Jeers and taunts rang in his ears everywhere, and Harry was close to the breaking point. Ron had already acted on his famous Weasley temper, which ended up with the redhead in the Hospital Wing, genitals gone.

Harry hated Malfoy, hated him with an unbridled passion. But at the same time, he wondered about the Drake Moore side of the evil Slytherin, wondered how someone so cruel and heartless could have such a kind and friendly side. Malfoy was a paradox in himself, one that Harry had no time to unravel, though he wanted to, wanted to see what was beneath all the masks and lies and disguises and walls that the blonde put up, wanted to see if the true Draco Malfoy was nothing but fragile glass, a young man that could break under even the slightest pressure. He wondered how it would feel like to break Malfoy, to make him suffer the same way the Gryffindor had been suffering. Draco Malfoy slowly became an unhealthy obsession to Harry.

***

Draco was pleased with the results. His Housemates that had switched to Blaise were now being swayed, and he was sure to gain their support again soon. A Malfoy had never been bested by a Zabini and never will be. The Malfoys were powerful and had always been more powerful than the Zabinis. The Zabinis had always been a small Wizarding family that dabbled in the Dark Arts and hoped to rise through society by marriage to one of the more prominent families.

The Slytherin's lips curled in disgust as he thought of what might have happened had his father married Alexandra Zabini. He would have none of the beauty or charm he possessed now, and he would be related to Blaise Zabini, probably just as unpopular, power-seeking, and dreadfully idiotic as the other Slytherin.

It was hardly a suprise that Lucius had cursed Alexandra to St. Mungo's. He had probably been disgusted by her, how she paraded around him like a faithful puppy dog, how she bent to his every single whim. Lucius did like obedience, but he did not like obedient fools.

Draco, in hopes of finding clues to the third contest, had checked out a book from the Library that told of all of the past Founders' Prides. Some of them had most interesting contests, such as slaying a basilisk, which happened in the Founders' Pride of 1338. He learned that Aunt/Cousin Victoria had been in the 1944 Founders' Pride, along with Tom Riddle. Victoria had won. The school had closed in 1966, when Voldemort first started gaining power, though reopened in 1969, at the urgings of the Ministry and many Wizarding families, who all wanted their children to attend the best school in Britain.

Seven years later, in 1976, the Founders' Pride was again held, this time with Sixth Year James Potter for Gryffindor, Sixth Year Lucius Malfoy for Slytherin, and Fifth Year Narcissa Moore for Ravenclaw. Two Heirs and the heir of one of the most powerful Wizarding families that had ever exsisted. Narcissa had won that one.

They had had to fight against a Chimera, and the one that defeated it would be the winner, the other ones given points for their part in helping to triumph over it. The book could show the reader the events that happened during a contest, and Draco, of course, wanted to watch his parents.

During that contest, Lucius had been wounded by the Chimera. It was going to finish him off until Narcissa stepped in front of him and cast a Stunning Spell so powerful that the Chimera was knocked into the walls that surrounded the arena. So that was how everything started between them.

Draco could understand why. Lucius must still owe Narcissa a Wizard's debt, and no doubt that had caused him to want to know Narcissa, want to know why someone who was supposed to be an enemy saved him, a Malfoy. And then, they fell in love, married, and had him.

Everything that had happened between Lucius and Narcissa was a haze to him, as neither had ever told him the full story and probably never would, which just piqued his interest more.

***

Friday night, as dinner was ending, Draco made his way to the Gryffindor table, just as all the professors left. Harry groaned inwardly when he saw the blonde coming. He could never have any peace.

"Potter-"

"Sod off, Malfoy, I'm sick of your twisted little games."

"Potter, if you had any wit at all, you would be enjoying our little verbal banters. So, you're still in the company of the Weasel and the Mudblood. A disgrace, just like your father. You'll meet the same end-"

"Malfoy, get lost right now." Harry stood up, fists clenched at his sides. How dare he insult his father?

"Yeah, Malfoy, go back to your ferret cage where you belong," Ron said, standing up by Harry. Hermione looked worriedly between the two of them, then stood up as well, no doubt going to run for a professor if things became rough.

"At least I live in a cage adorned with antiques and priceless treasures, made of the finest materials in the world. Your little Weasel cage is nothing but a box made of wood, filled with bits of sawdust. I know! You can make money by selling pictures of you and Potter shagging. People would pay millions for pictures like those."

"Why-" Ron would have leapt on Draco had Hermione and Harry not held him back, Harry having cooled down a bit by now though quickly becoming angry again.

"So, Potter, restraining your precious Weasel, are you? I always knew you had a thing for S&M. Is he going to be whipped tonight for disobedience?" Draco put on a mock pout.

Harry shook in anger.

"I'm warning you, Malfoy, if you don't shut up right now-"

"Or what, Potter? You'll send me to the Hospital Wing? Your father couldn't beat my parents, and you can't either. Did you know that James Potter was the champion with the lowest score in his Founders' Pride? My mother, Narcissa Moore, won, with my father in second place. You still think you're so mighty, Potter? You are weaker than even Mudblood over there, who could at least think up of a way to get herself out of a situation. You, on the other hand, can only rely on your adoring fans. Not everyone in the world is your fan, Potter. You might do well to remember that."

Harry had had enough. He ignored Hermione and raised his wand, ready to curse Draco. However, Draco was faster. The Slytherin hit Harry with a spell before Harry could even utter a curse.

Three pairs of arms grew out of Harry's back and dangled at his sides. He could feel his trousers tighten around his groin. And as his robes were now askew, the Slytherins had a good view of his erection.

Malfoy smirked.

"Why don't you take Weasel there and go to the loo? I'm sure S&M works better when you have eight hands instead of two." With that, he left, the other Slytherins following him, laughing uproariously at the scene.

Hermione quickly came up to him and took him by one of his arms.

"We need to get you to the Hospital Wing. Ron?"

Ron came up and gingerly took a fistful of Harry's robes.

"Ron!" Hermione snapped. "Forget what they said! It's not true, so...It isn't true, right?"

"Of course not!" Ron exclaimed.

"Then help me get Harry to the Hospital Wing!"

***

Harry dreaded Monday, when they would have Care of Magical Creatures with the Slytherins. Slytherins had come up to him in the halls during the weekend and had taunted him about Friday night, leaving Harry with an evergrowing hatred of the blonde and an even stronger desire to unravel the mystery that was Draco Malfoy.

After Divination, Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked together to Care of Magical Creatures, where the rest of the class was already gathered. When they arrived, Hagrid clapped his hands.

"Today, class, we're going ter study the LongDi. Can 'nyone tell me what they are?"

Hermione, of course, rose her hand.

"Yes, Hermione?"

"The LongDi are the mortal enemies of dragons. They will attack any dragon that they sense, though they usually do not win, as dragons are much stronger and much more powerful than they are. LongDi is Chinese for Dragon Enemy."

"Very good! Ten points ter Gryffindor. Now, foller me."

The class followed Hagrid to a box lying by his hut. Slits were in the box, though not big enough for the creatures to escape. There were at least ten of the LongDi confined. They were brown, sinuous creatures, much like a serpent but with four sets of strong falcon claws on their bodies. Red eyes gleamed as they surveyed the Seventh Year Gryffindors and Slytherins. All of a sudden, they became restless.

"I'm goin' ter let one of these out, ye see. They won' cause any harm."

Hagrid carefully opened the top of the box. All of a sudden, the whole stream slipped out and jumped on Draco. They covered him from head to toe, and the rest of the students could see the falcon claws busily scratching at the blonde.

Hagrid went over and tried to remove the LongDi from Draco without harming the boy, but no matter how he tried, he couldn't succeed. Pansy became impatient and moved Draco away from the half-giant, wrenching the LongDi off her love. However, they jumped right back onto the Slytherin as soon they detached from the blonde. Crabbe and Goyle went to help her, pinning down any LongDi that she removed, but the creatures always slid out of their grasps, even flipping the two hulks into the air.

Most of the class was watching this with morbid curiosity, though Harry noticed that Blaise Zabini and Ron were enjoying this, Ron muttering something about how the git deserved something horrible.

The raven-haired boy couldn't take it anymore. Even though Draco Malfoy deserved to be put down, he did not deserve to be mutilated. And though Malfoy was an insufferable git, he was also Drake, Harry's first true friend, and his conscience would not let him forget that.

To appease his conscience, Harry decided to take matters into his own hands. The Gryffindor had looked over the book that Hermione had given him, and he had found some handy spells. The raven-haired boy aimed his wand at Malfoy and performed the Repelling Charm. A blue light shot out of his wand and shot towards the xanthochroid, forming a blue bubble around him. The LongDi were perched on top, trying to break the shield.

Hagrid took this time to recapture all the LongDi and put them back in the box., securing the locks. As the bubble faded, they could see Draco Malfoy. The blonde had not cried out once, and as they saw the damage the LongDi did, a new respect for the Slytherin fell over them all, even the Gryffindors.

Strips of skin were gone from the handsome face, raw pink flesh showing themselves to the world. Some of the flesh was mangled, indentations made in the sensitive tissue. The eyes weren't ruined, no doubt because the blonde had closed them tightly, though the eyelids had only a few thin strips of skin left. The blonde's nose was completely gone, only the bridge remaining. Only thin strips of tissue remained of the soft, pink, smooth lips. Blood streamed down his face and onto his robes, dying the cotton. The robes themselves had strips missing; the LongDi had scratched all the way to his bare skin. The holes in the black robes also showed bloodied flesh; these were just as horribly maimed as his face. All of his exposed flesh was in the same condition as his face.

Pansy emitted a wail and ran to her love. She put her arm around his waist, carefully avoiding any injuries. Draco gingerly placed an arm around the brunette's waist, and without asking for permission, the two friends walked away towards the castle.

Only when they were out of view of the rest of the class did Pansy feel Draco tremble. He was strong, but no human being could withstand a horrible onslaught like what the blond had just gone through. She used her hands and her robes to wipe off the gushing sanguine blood, even using her hair when she ran out of clean, dry surfaces. Tears fell from her eyes as she worked, and Draco raised his shaking hand and brushed them off her face.

***

That night at dinner, Harry excused himself early, saying that he had to use the loo. His conscience was bothering him again, telling him that he had to check on the mutilated Draco Malfoy, since the blonde had once been his friend.

Crabbe and Goyle walked past him as the Gryffindor made his way to the Hospital Wing. He paid them no heed and continued walking, only stopping when he reached his destination. Harry could hear voices inside and decided that it was best that he didn't enter.

A moment later, Pansy Parkinson came out, her hand clutching a small object around her neck. She did not look around her but walked the opposite way, away from Harry. The Gryffindor breathed a sigh of relief, then stepped inside the Hospital Wing.

Malfoy was the only one in the Hospital Wing at the current moment; he was in the bed right next to the door, a curtain around him, blocking him from the view of curious pupils who had heard of the events that had transpired that morning.

Harry moved the curtain aside and walked in, then moved the curtain back. Bandages were swathed around his head, his hands, everywhere that Harry could see. There were holes in the bandages for eyes, and the lips were healed, no doubt because Madame Pomfrey had worked on them first so that he could talk to any visitors that he might have.

Malfoy raised his eyes warily, thinking that he was Madame Pomfrey. When the grey eyes met emerald orbs, they stayed there, trying to dissect the Gryffindor's soul.

"Why did you help me, Potter? Being a noble Gryffindor or just so that you can gloat?" rasped Malfoy.

"I...I did it because you needed help."

Harry could tell that Malfoy had arched his eyebrow, though the bandages covered them.

"I couldn't let you just be mutilated like that. You might have been a nasty git to me and my friends for seven years, but before Hogwarts, you had been my friend, and my conscience wouldn't have let me stand by and watch while someone whom I once was friends with became disfigured, maybe for life. Consider this payment for your friendship at camp."

Harry turned around and prepared to leave.

"Thank you." The two words were barely audible, but they were clear. Thus, an uneasy friendship started between Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter.

***

Voldemort looked at a prone form chained onto the stone walls.

"This is your last chance. Either you will or won't."

When the figure made no sound, he raised his wand. As he cast Avada Kedavra, he heard a chilling sentence.

"The Heir of Gryffindor and the Heir of Slytherin have set the prophecy in motion."

______________________________

The Long in LongDi is pronounced "lone."