Prerogative of Power

PREROGATIVE OF POWER

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Chapter One: Through Woods So Deep

"There is room in the halls of pleasure
For a large and lordly train,
But one by one we must all file on
Through the narrow aisles of pain."

--Ella Wheeler Wilcox; Solitude

A harsh scream went on and on, piercing through the stark silence of the night. The pale-haired young man who headed the riders reined in his stallion, and his group of nine men halted as well.

"It must be an animal. Sounds like a horse," a burly rider commented from behind. The leader nodded, looking at the dim light beyond the trees where the sound was coming from.

"I'm going to take a look. There's bound to be someone with the animal--they might be able to tell us where we are." The leader swung from his saddle, tossing his reins to the burly rider, Goyle. Beside him, a thin, sallow-faced man garbed in black robes frowned.

"You shouldn't go there alone, Draco. I shall come with you." He dismounted his own steed, but Draco shook his head.

"Stay here, Severus. You're in charge." Draco smirked when his mentor tightened his lip disapprovingly, but Snape didn't argue further. He knew not to.

The icy cold wind blew, harsh and seemingly ominous. The forest was shrouded by shadows as the moon hid behind multiple wisps of clouds in the sky, refusing to give light to the gloomy night. "Be careful, Draco," Blaise Zabini said. The dark-skinned rider kept glancing at the shadowy corners of the forest. "The people around here are against Voldemort."

He didn't need a reminder. He had been even more watchful, his hand brushing his wand from time to time, ever since Blaise declared that they could be in Gryffindor land. That had been a few hours ago.

Draco silently stalked towards the direction of the scream. As he came closer, he drew the silver dagger at his side, while his other hand rested on his wand. He was near the clearing when he heard voices.

"Hagrid, is there no other way to remove the trap?"

"'fraid not, Harry. The trap's enchanted ter be irremovable. Dunno if magic will work, but I sure can't pry it open." The former sounded youthful, but the latter was a heavy brogue of an older man.

Draco settled behind a tall bush and looked into the clearing. There was a single lantern perched on top of a boulder that illuminated the odd scene he witnessed. A unicorn of breathtaking splendor lay struggling on the ground; one of its legs was caught in a metal trap, its silvery white blood spattering everywhere as it thrashed around in pain. Two people were kneeling beside the unicorn: one was a giant of a man with wild, scruffy hair and a thick beard. He must be over seven feet, Draco mused. The other was younger with untidy black hair and a lithe form. Both were wearing thick, threadbare cloaks, and the younger man--to Draco's utter surprise--was holding a wand.

The youth waved his wand in a sweeping motion, muttering an incantation that Draco recognized as a charm to break a curse or a spell. A flicker of red sparks appeared, but Draco could see the futility of his effort--it wasn't affecting the metal trap.

"Damn," said the black-haired youth. He frowned worriedly. "My magic is not enough to break through the spell."

"Let me help then." Draco didn't know what made him say it, but he did suspect that the pathetic state of the unicorn and the deep worry on the youth's face had something to do with it. He emerged from his hiding place.

The gigantic man and the youth jumped at his voice.

"Gallopin' Gargoyles!" exclaimed the giant of a man. He grabbed his crossbow just as Draco leveled his wand at him.

"Don't," Draco snapped. "Move and I'll hex you." The giant looked like he couldn't care if he was hexed, but his companion put a hand in front of him.

"Wait, Hagrid. He said he wanted to help us." The youth turned to look at him. Draco absently noted that he had eyes like the emerald earrings his mother, Narcissa, used to love--vivid and flawless.

"Who are you? What do you want?" the youth continued. Draco noticed that his wand wasn't pointed at him. He put his dagger away, slowly lowering his own wand. "I'm just a traveler in need of directions," he answered. "I was riding by when I heard your unicorn."

As if on cue, the unicorn gave a loud whinny.

The youth's intense look was unnerving, delving deep, as if he could see into Draco's very soul. If Draco didn't grow up in Severus' care, he might have been intimidated.

"You're a wizard." It was a statement. He glanced at Draco's wand. Draco merely shrugged.

"Indeed, I am."

"Will you truly help us?"

Draco snorted. "I did offer to help, didn't I? But yes," he added when the other scowled. "I will help you."

"Harry, are ye sure 'bout this?" protested Hagrid, casting doubtful glances at Draco, but Harry shook his head as he gestured Draco forward.

"The unicorn has been trapped for several hours already. It's lost too much blood, I think," Harry said, stroking the unicorn's mane.

Draco nodded, grimacing at the sight of such heartbreaking pain. "Well, shall we?"

With Hagrid hovering like a worried mother behind them, Harry and Draco waved their wands in a sweeping movement while speaking the incantation, sending a flurry of red sparks around the trap. A moment later, it opened and the unicorn was freed.

"It worked. We did it." Harry was grinning happily; relief made his green eyes twinkle. His enthusiasm was so contagious that Draco felt a small smile tug at his lips.

"Our thanks." Harry held out a hand, which Draco took without thinking. "I'm glad I stopped Hagrid from shooting you." Hagrid just grunted.

Draco wrinkled his nose. He didn't make a habit out of helping other people, so it must have been a minor fluke. "It was nothing, though I'd appreciate it if you could tell me where we are."

"Ye're in Gryffindor land," answered Hagrid as he took off his cloak and wrapped it around the wounded unicorn.

A burst of triumph surged through Draco--they weren't lost after all. Blaise's sense of direction prevailed amidst the darkness of the forest. "There were no lights anywhere," he remarked, keeping the smugness out of his voice.

Harry grinned. "It's simple, really. Aside from the normal wards, I added a Disillusionment Spell on the border." At this, Harry's smile completely dissolved to be replaced by a hard look. He knelt once more and started to heal the unicorn. "We're not making it easy for poachers, thieves and Death Eaters to find our land," he added in clipped tones.

"Damned poachers," growled Hagrid. "Since that bastard Voldemort attacked Gryffindor, everyone 'sumed every creature in the forest is fair game. Bloody buggers!"

Draco remained silent, but he was fuming. Poachers on his land! How dare they, he thought.

"So, you're also a wizard." Harry was looking at him again, his green eyes full of curiosity and interest. Draco could understand his behavior--it was rare to find another wizard anywhere; there were less than fifty of them left.

"Among other things," Draco answered wryly.

"Other things?" Harry's eyes rested on Draco's silver dagger. "Are you a soldier, then?"

Draco carefully kept his face blank.

"You could say so," he replied, noncommittal.

Both their reactions were immediate. Harry stiffened warily, and Hagrid scowled at Draco, distrust evident on his black, bead-like eyes.

"Who are ye fightin' fer, then, lad? Dumbledore or Voldemort?" Hagrid questioned.

"I fight for myself."

"That's no answer!" cried Hagrid. He clutched his crossbow yet again, bending down closer to Draco so that they were face to face. "Who are ye and where are ye from?"

Draco had no desire to announce his presence until he was firmly established at Gryffindor Castle. As he hesitated, Harry shrugged. "He's not an enemy, Hagrid. If he were, he would've killed us, wouldn't he? He'd certainly not have helped the unicorn." He patted the giant's arm reassuringly. "These days, someone may have a good reason for keeping his name and business a secret."

"But Harry--"

"Draco!" It was Blaise. "For God's sake, Malfoy, are you all right?"

Draco inwardly swore. But it was too late.

Harry's wand fell to the ground in a soft rustle. "Draco... Malfoy," he whispered, paling. His green eyes widened in shock and accusation, and a hint self-blame. Beside him, Hagrid was turning bright red in anger.

"DRACO MALFOY! DEATH EATER FILTH!" he roared, charging at Draco. But Draco was faster; he flicked his wand at Hagrid and the giant-like man froze, unable to move his whole body. But as Draco turned back to Harry, he suddenly felt his throat close up, tightening each second, strangling him. He couldn't breathe, and he imagined his face slowly turning purple. He dropped his wand and opened his eyes, not even noticing that he closed it, and saw Harry as his sight dimmed.

His eyes were burning in hatred, a haunting green the color of the Killing Curse. His thin form trembled with an almost violent quality. He was cursing Draco without using his wand, his magic pulsing around him like a living thing. It was both frightening and magnificent.

Later, he would wonder what could've happened if Severus had not arrive and blast Harry backwards, breaking the curse.

Draco wheezed, breathing hard. "Wait," he gasped, panting still, as he saw Snape advance toward Harry and Hagrid, who had immediately gone to Harry after being freed from Draco's enchantment when he dropped his wand. His mentor stopped, raising a brow at him.

"Are you fine, Draco?"

"Yes." It wasn't precisely a lie; he was feeling better. Though he still fought to regulate his breathing. "Don't harm them, Severus."

"Hm." He was looking at Harry with black eyes both calculating and assessing. "This one's a wizard--a very powerful one. He could have killed you."

"He deserves it," Harry snarled. "All Death Eaters deserve it. You're nothing but murderers and thieves, killing innocent people just for fun. Bastards!" He struggled in Hagrid's arms.

Suddenly, Draco felt something inside him snapped. He lashed his wand and Harry's whole body convulsed, his head wrenching back, as if he had been punched. "We do not kill needlessly, but provoke me again and I will kill you. You," he growled at Hagrid. "Restrain your friend if you don't want him hurt." Hagrid glared at him.

Bloody, sanctimonious bastards, Draco thought, furious.

"You wouldn't want to do that, Draco," Severus was saying. His thin lips were pursed in a grim smirk.

Draco frowned. "Why is that?"

Severus' laugh was brimming with irony.

"Because he is Harry Potter, the new Lord of Gryffindor."

To be continued...