The Dragon Games

Draco looked down to see his chest bleeding, but that didn't matter. What mattered right now was that he was in the game. He glanced over to see Harry looking down his robes at his own bleeding chest.

"M-Malfoy?" Harry asked, and Draco could hear him trembling from the pain.

In response, he grunted, looking around the room for a sign of where to start.

"We're not dead, are we?"

Draco grinned inwardly. Trust Potter to believe I'd trick him into his own death.

"No, Potter, we're not dead," he assured him, standing up.

Now how do we get this game going?

There was another loud screech of a dragon, and Draco smiled. There we go.

"Welcome, strangers, to the Game of the Dragon," a deep, dark voice echoed across the room. "You begin here, in the Chamber of Truth. Before you may continue, you must ask the questions you seek, and uncover the answers from each other. The game begins now."

Draco turned to Harry and said, "Let's just dive in, Potter." He knew what question he wanted to ask. "Do you trust me?"

Harry's green eyes shone, but Draco couldn't read what he was thinking.

Odd, Draco thought, usually, Potter's like an open book.

"No," was his firm answer.

Draco expected that.

There was a long pause as Harry thought, and Draco waited impatiently.

"Can I trust you?"

I wish you could, Draco thought. It would make this game much easier.

"No."

Draco heard Harry sigh. I wonder if he knew that was the obvious answer. Well, I wonder...

"Do you hate me?" Draco asked aloud, and watched closely as Harry titled his head, caught off guard.

"Surprisingly, no," Harry said.

Really? That's odd, he thought, now awaiting his next question.

"Do you want to be here, or are you only here because you're forced to be?"

He didn't ask me if I hated him! What, does he think I don't?

"I don't know," Draco said quickly. "Aren't you going to ask me if I hate you?"

"No."

Draco suddenly realized he had just blown a question. Shit!

"Hey! That wasn't a real question," he said, trying to take it back.

Harry's face split into a grin and Draco was pissed- especially because the grin was mocking him.

"What are you getting out of all of this?"

Draco sighed, aggravated by his own stupidity, and then looked Harry in the eye. "My freedom."

Draco watched Harry's face twist with confusion.

Don't even bother to ask what that means, Potter. Even I don't really know.

There was a loud bang as the white walls on one side of the room were pulling apart to reveal another room.

"Do we go in?" Harry asked uncertainly.

He seems uncertain a lot. Especially around me.

"Yeah," Draco answered, and they both headed through the door. He heard the door thud closed behind them.

They had entered a room that seemed to be made of solid steel. Everything was a ghastly silver color, and there were six metal boxes in the center of the room, each with a number on the front.

"Looks like we pick a box," Draco said, walking towards them.

"Wait, Malfoy!" Harry called quickly.

"What?" Draco asked, turning to see Harry pulling down a note that was suspended in air.

"It's a riddle," Harry muttered.

"Well, go on then, read it!" Draco urged. Harry wasn't picking up on the whole 'it's a game and it's timed' thing too well.

Harry didn't answer, and Draco quickly realized that he was reading it silently.

"You stupid git!" Draco sighed. "Read it aloud." Moron, he thought, groaning.

"Oh, right," Harry said. Clearing is throat, he began:

"Here's a few clues you cannot miss

Boxes of six you must pick like this

One before three

That's simple as can be

But the middle is first

If that's a bit worse

Just remember this in your haste

Even evens can have middles in this case

T's are second in their might

But the second T hates to have a right

Just to have a mix

Five can't stand six

One puts five first

A six behind to thirst

Now a surprise

There's a potential demise

Inside six

And it's accompanies

There is a test

Good luck with the rest."

Draco stood puzzled for a moment, and then went to examine the boxes.

"What sort of game is this?" Harry asked.

Draco wasn't paying attention; he was fitting the clues inside his head. "T means two and three."

"Do we have to pick them up in a certain order?" Harry asked.

"I believe so." Draco nodded. "Now help me figure this out."

"Right, T, two and three," Harry repeated him.

Draco shook his head and continued, ignoring Harry. "Okay, that means two is second and three is last, because it can't have anything to the right of it if it's there, right?"

"Right." Harry nodded. "Oh, and middles can be even, which means that if three's not the middle, that leaves four to be it, so that's first!"

Draco raised an eyebrow at Harry. That was actually a good assumption.

"Right, so, 4, 2, and last is 3," Draco said.

"Now we only have three left!" Harry said, smiling.

"Don't be so smug," Draco hissed. "This is just the start."

Harry's smile vanished.

"Now, 5 can't be next to six, and one's in the middle. Okay, I got it. 4, 2, 5, 1, 6, 3. How's that sound?" Draco asked as he went over the riddle again.

"Seems right." Harry nodded.

"Seems?" Draco asked. Come on, Potter, be sure. We have to get this right.

"Pretty positive," Harry answered. "What's the last bit mean?"

"I believe it means 1, 6 and 3 are going to give us some trouble."

"Typical," he heard Harry mutter under his breath.

Well, thought Draco, here goes nothing.

He went to the boxes and looked for a way to open box 4. He found a handle on the top and pulled it up. There was nothing in the box.

Harry went to box 2 and opened it. Still nothing inside.

Draco picked up 5, and again there was nothing, but he wasn't expecting anything till the next one.

"Get 1 Potter, and don't be too surprised if something attacks you."

Draco watched Harry as he awkwardly picked up box number 1. The two peered inside, and Draco was shocked to see nothing.

"That's odd," Draco said.

"Are we doing this right?" Harry asked cautiously.

"I believe-"

"So far, so good, gamers," the deep voice interrupted him. "Here's your first test. Can you handle trouble in your partnership? At the beginning of the second level, the one who did not open this box will create a scenario where they believe their partner will not be able to handle watching the scene. This scenario will follow you through two levels. Can you last?"

The voice stopped.

"Scenario?" Harry asked. "You have to create a scenario?"

Draco detected a quiver of fear in Harry's voice.

"The game said to, Potter," Draco said with a grin. "This ought to be fun."

"What exactly are you planning?" Harry asked, eyeing him.

Draco just chose to smile coyly.

Harry shook his head and turned back to the game. "You open the next box."

Draco pulled up box number 6, and both boys fell silent.

"You have till your forth level to answer me this: Who is Hector Collins the Fifth?" the voice echoed.

Draco had never heard of the person before, and he looked to Harry. "Have you heard of him?"

"No, you?" Harry asked.

"No."

"Well, let's deal with this later," Harry said. "Let's do this last box."

Draco agreed, and Harry slowly lifted up the lid to box 3. Inside lay two sharp looking swords.

"What are these for?" Harry asked, dumbfounded.

"They're nice," Draco said, pulling one out and examining it.

"Okay, but what are they for?" Harry repeated as he picked up the other sword.

Draco was about to answer when both boys stumbled over, dropping their swords as the room began to spin. It spun faster and faster until it came to a sudden stop. The boxes were gone, and Harry and Draco were thrown against the wall.

"What's going on?" Harry asked.

"I don't know," Draco said, picking himself up. He suddenly felt a biting sensation on his foot and looked down to see a hairy, red creature no taller then his knee gnawing there.

He wriggled his foot furiously, but it held on tight. "Get off!" he yelled at it.

Harry immediately told Draco to hold still and kicked it off. The creature sputtered indignantly as it went flying.

"Grab your sword," Draco said, picking up his own from the ground. The creature faced off with him as Harry rushed to grab his sword.

"What's it doing, Malfoy?" Harry asked as he joined Draco.

Draco was about to ask the same question. The creature was doubling- tripling- in size.

"It's growing!" Draco exclaimed, stating the obvious as the creature bared its sharp teeth, growling.

He glanced over at Harry and saw that the boy was looking a bit more confident then he himself was feeling.

The creature lunged at Harry and both boys swung at it, but Draco didn't hit anything. Instead, the creature pushed him out of the way, straight into the wall. He heard Harry's cry of pain.

Draco quickly thought about what he could do and shouted, "Oi!"

The creature ignored him and kept mauling at Harry. Draco groaned and rushed at the creature, his sword point first. The creature was not quick enough this time, and Draco's sword went straight into the creatures' side. It howled, and Harry quickly rolled out from underneath it.

"Get your sword!" Draco reminded him.

The creature was too busy limping in pain to stop Harry from getting his sword back, but a misstep from it came to its advantage as it stepped on Harry's outreaching hand.

Draco heard a crack from Harry's hand and he grimaced. That definitely didn't sound good.

Harry quickly kicked the sword towards Draco, and not thinking twice, Draco snatched it up and thrust it into the creatures head. It stumbled and screeched before falling down, lifeless.

"Potter, you okay?" Draco asked, rushing over to him.

"I think my hand's broken."

"It sounded like it! Let me see."

Harry held out his hand, and Draco tried not to feel sick as he saw the horrid gash.

"It's broken," he announced, nodding.

"Level One completed, gamers. Return home now by walking through the gold doors, or return back to the white room."

"Let's get your arm fixed. I can't work with you like that; you won't be able to concentrate."

Harry nodded and Draco took the lead, the injured one hobbling behind him. He knew it was rude to let Harry walk on his own- especially when he looked that bad off- but he was choosing not to care. So instead, he called out some supportive words.

"You'll be fine, Potter. I know a few spells I can use on you."

Harry didn't answer as they stepped through the golden doors. They were blinded by a flash of white and arrived safely back in the Room of Magic.

---

When Harry realized they were safely back in the room, he collapsed in a heap to the floor. Draco was staring down at him curiously.

"If you're not going to heal me, Malfoy, then leave me alone! This is all your fault!" Harry groaned.

Draco didn't say anything as he reached down and muttered a few incantations with his wand. Harry felt his arm tingling and reshaping, the pain was lessening, and he was feeling less light headed.

"Better?" Draco asked.

"Yeah," Harry said, not bothering to thank him. He was only doing it for selfish reasons, he assumed. "That was weird, Malfoy."

"Yeah," Draco said, nodding his agreement. "I didn't expect anything like that."

"Who told you to participate in the games?" Harry asked suddenly. He had been thinking about it for a while now, and he wanted to know the answer.

Draco ran a hand through his hair, and it immediately fell back into place. "If I told you, you'd think I'm lying."

"Well, probably, but I still want to know."

"Alright, Potter," Draco grumbled. "They go by the name of The Angel of Reason."

"What?" Harry asked, his mouth falling open.

"Oh, not you too?" Draco groaned. "The Angel has contacted you as well?" he asked, looking oddly upset.

"Yeah." Harry nodded. "Is that why you were by the Astrology Tower before?"

"No. I don't send the Angel messages," he responded with a shrug.

"Oh... That's really strange. Why would they contact both of us?" Harry wondered.

His mind was racing. If Draco had received the same letter, then the Angel of Reason could be working for any side. Or maybe there was more to what Draco wasn't saying.

Draco shrugged.

Harry sighed, knowing Draco was done answering his questions. "What time is it?"

Draco glanced at his wrist. "Six."

"Wow, it's so late," Harry muttered. "It didn't seem like we were there for that long."

"And your point?" Draco growled.

Harry sighed. Draco was becoming insufferable again. However, he knew something that would lighten him up.

"I have a few hours before I have to meet Ron and Hermione. Do you want to go look up that Hector Collins the Fifth guy?"

"Smart idea, Potter. I'm impressed."

Harry stared, dumbfounded for a minute as Draco left out the door before he came to his senses and scrambled after him.

"So how do we get back into the game?" Harry asked. "It's not like the first time over again?"

"I hope not," was Draco's answer. "And we don't have to say the spell again; we just have to concentrate on the games and we sit like we were."

When Draco and Harry entered the library, they glanced around for Madam Pince. She was no where to be seen.

"Where did that woman go?" Draco hissed.

"No clue."

Draco shrugged, and Harry watched him go to the restricted section.

"What are you doing, Malfoy?"

"Getting a book while no one's looking. What are you doing, Potter? Standing there like a git as usual?"

Harry muttered something angry underneath his breath before setting to work finding books.

"What exactly are we looking for?" he asked.

"You know as much as I do, Potter," Draco snapped. "Here, let's try these."

Harry saw Draco set down a book from the restricted section and another from the history section.

"I'll handle the restricted book if you're too much of a wimp, Potter."

Harry rolled his eyes, but took the other book anyway.

The two began to search in silence. The first two books were duds, and so they got more, their stack piling up. They were in the middle of their seventh set of books when suddenly, Draco burst out laughing.

Harry stared, stunned. Draco Malfoy was laughing. Sincerely laughing.

"What?" Harry asked.

"This is so lame!" Draco laughed again, and he began to read to Harry what was so amusing. "A unicorn, which is so simply delicate and beautiful, will cause you to lose all self control at the sight of it." The boy went into another fit of laughter.

Harry grinned, bemused at Draco's laughter and not at the actual passage. "What the hell, Malfoy?"

Draco continued to laugh. In spite of himself, Harry began to laugh as well, and finally both boys calmed down.

"I don't get it!" Harry said, chocking down a laugh. "What's so funny?"

Draco chortled again. "This stuff is just so clearly bullshit! This person clearly had no idea what they were writing about! Read this."

Harry took the book and read another preposterous statement about an Imp. Chuckling, Harry said, "You're right, that's so stupid. Who would publish this?"

"The same people who published those damn Lockhart books!" Draco said, amused.

"I wonder," Harry said, flipping to the back of the cover.

"Oh my God!" Draco laughed. "It is!"

The two boys began laughing again, until a look of horror slid across Draco's face. He stopped laughing, and Harry frowned.

"What's wrong, Malfoy?" Harry asked, perplexed.

"This, Potter! I can't be laughing with you! You're Potter, the famous Git-Who-Lived," Draco said slowly. "I have to leave."

Harry paused in confusion, but Draco was gone in a flash.

"Talk about mood swings," Harry muttered, rolling his eyes.

What was Draco freaking out about, if they were actually having a decent conversation? Wasn't it better if they got along instead of fighting constantly? And was he supposed to think it was bad that he actually enjoyed laughing over the book with Malfoy?

Harry sighed. Malfoy was a complicated person.

He glanced over at the library clock and saw that it was twenty after nine.

Oh no! Harry thought immediately. I missed my own DA meeting! Hermione's going to kill me!

He quickly rushed out of the room, leaving the books scattered all over the table.

He ran through the halls and into the Room of Requirement. Nobody was there, but there was a note on the door.

Harry,

We all waited around for you, Hermione or Ron to show up until half past eight. I assume you have a good reason for not making it, so just let us know if there's anything wrong that we can help you with.

Sincerely,

Your fellow DA members

Harry frowned. Hermione and Ron hadn't shown up either? Where were they?

Harry headed up to his dormitory and found Ron waiting up for him with a grim look on his face.

"Ron, what's wrong?"

Ron held up a Daily Prophet and tossed it to him.

Harry caught it and settled on the couch, reading the top story title. Two Notorious Death Eaters Escape from Azkaban. Have you seen them?

Harry held back a groan of annoyance. "This can't be happening!"

"It's Lucius, Harry. Him and one of his lackeys escaped a few months ago, but nobody has found out till today! The Ministry was probably trying to keep it under wraps."

"Typical," Harry muttered. "Ron, is this why you and Hermione missed the DA meeting?"

"Er, not exactly, Harry," Ron stammered, his ears taking on a shade of pink. "We just got caught up talking."

"Oh, talking? Is that what they're calling it?" Harry asked rather rudely.

What am I doing? Harry scolded himself. They were having fun. It was your responsibility to run the meeting, not theirs. I should have paid more attention to the time.

Ron just stared, taken aback.

"Sorry, Ron. It's just, I screwed some stuff up tonight. I shouldn't be taking this out on you." He sighed. "I'm going for a walk." With that, he left the room without another word, and Ron just stared dumbly after him.

Harry knew Ron wanted to talk about his date with Hermione, but he just didn't want to listen at the moment.

He made his way down to the Quidditch pitch to clear his head and gave a frightened start when he ran straight into Draco going the same way.