Straight to Heaven

Prologue

"We'll find you. No matter where you go. And then you'll die."

These were the words that followed and haunted Draco Malfoy during his desperate escape through the forest. He gasped frantically, not even noticing the hot salty tears cascading down his pale face, and clutched anxiously at his side with his left arm. As he ran, recklessly, narrowly avoiding crashing into a dozen of trees, he pulled his hand in front of his face, taking into account the warm, sticky stain. He jerked his head up then, and, too late, saw the log protruding from the ground, sending him flying through the air wildly.

He landed with a sickening thump, and his final word before lapsing into the realm of unconsciousness was, "Help..."

Chapter 1

"Welcome back to another year at Hogwarts. Before the sorting commences, though, I'd like to introduce a new sixth-year student. Trace Prewitt - he's just transferred here from America, and I would like everyone to treat him with kindness and courtesy. That will be all."

The students cheered, and in that instant Professor McGonagall appeared leading a long string of children and an older boy. The younger students looked out into the great hall with apprehension. Professor McGonagall cleared her throat and glared at the chattering students as she pulled out the long parchment.

"Alright, then, Mr. Prewitt, you first."

The boy stepped forward, and whispers broke out all over the hall, particularly from the females. Snatches of various conversations floated up to the boy and he smirked as the hat was lowered onto his head for the second time in his life.

"Well, well, Mr. Malfoy, I didn't expect to meet you again. Oh, but you're not Malfoy now, Prewitt, then, is it? Very well then. Let's see, Prewitt, what house for you? You've got brains - and ambitions, as well. However - bravery! Oh, good lord, ounces of it. I proclaim you to be in..."

'Not Gryffindor..."

"GRYFFINDOR!!!"

With a grunt of disgust, he ripped the hat off his head and scowled out it, before plastering a blank look on his handsome face and descending toward the scarlet and gold clad table. His eyes roamed over the table, mentally filtering out the cheers, catcalls and whistles he was receiving, trying to pick out a strategic spot to sit, when he noticed an arm waving him over.

"Oy, Prewitt!"

He held back a groan and shuffled over to the gangly boy who'd called him.

"Sit down, mate, welcome to Gryffindor!"

With a muted sigh of despair, he sat down next to the tall red-headed boy, who promptly stuck out his hand.

"Ron Weasley."

"Dr - Trace Prewitt."

The boy, after releasing Ron's hand, turned and examined his surroundings. In truth, he'd always wondered what it'd be like to be a Gryffindor...After his eyes took in the massive amounts of red and gold, he turned to observe the other students at the table. Directly across from him, watching him curiously was a girl of around his age. Their eyes locked and she blushed at having been caught staring, but didn't turn away.

He suddenly heard himself saying, "Trace Prewitt," and realized that his arm was stretched across the table to the stunning girl.

"Virginia Weasley. You can call me Ginny though, as most everyone does. I'm Ron's sister."

Dismay flooded through him as he stared back at the attractive girl who was still studying his features intently.

He released her hand and just continued to stare at her in a sort of awe. He sat like that for a moment until he realized that someone else was speaking to him.

"I'm Harry Potter, and this is Hermione Granger. The three of us, I mean, Ron, too, are in sixth-year - that's what Dumbledore said that you were in, too, right?"

He blinked and fought the urge to recoil at the other boy's name. He sneered mentally at the hokey-ness and the irony of the entire situation. Rich, powerful, handsome Draco Malfoy, a Gryffindor who was getting chummy with the trio and fantasizing over Ginny Weasley. He cracked an involuntary smile and said quietly, "Pleased to meet you all."

At this moment, Albus Dumbledore stood again and addressed the students cheerfully.

"Now that that is settled, I'd advise you to sit back and sample some Hogwart's fine cuisine. Tuck in!"

Food appeared on the tables and there was a mad rush for it. Draco, who was, not surprisingly, not hungry, observed the students of his new house eating. As much as he tried to stop it, his eyes were continually drawn to the youngest Weasley, and he wondered how he could have ever missed her. As he was pondering this, she looked up at him, suddenly, and smiled.

"So...Trace...what brings you to Hogwarts?" she asked politely, mentally cursing herself for the idiocy of her question.

"My parents died and my uncle works here and offered me a place to live," he replied, somewhat nervously, afraid she'd see through his lie.

"Oh, Trace, I'm so sorry!"

He smiled sadly at her, saying, "That's alright, you didn't know and it's not your fault. We didn't get along anyway, and I'm sure I'll love it here."

Ginny, meanwhile, was mentally kicking herself at the question.

"So...Virginia, what year are you in?"

"Me? Oh, uh, I'm in fifth," she stammered, going red and still trying to get over her earlier blunder in the conversation.

"Oh," he said, disappointed, although, at the same time, knowing the answer to his next question, "so we won't have any classes together?"

"Actually," she replied, "we probably will. I guess technically I am in sixth-year."

This earned her a confused, but pleased, look from the 'American' boy across from her.

She continued, "See, I spent this past summer doing my fifth-year, because the subject matter was getting too easy for me, and my father is good friends with Dumbledore, and he arranged for me to take classes, along with my O.W.L.s...So, I guess we will have some classes together!"

Draco grinned at her.

"I look forward to it."

She went red again and mumbled something incoherent, smiling at him happily.

"Come on, Trace, time to go up to Gryffindor Tower. You'll love it," Harry Potter, boy-wonder of the wizarding world, said, turning to him.

"Alright, then." Draco got up from his seat hesitantly, and then fell into step with his five year rival.

As the walked in an awkward silence among the crowd of chattering Gryffindors, Hermione came dashing up and tapped Harry urgently on the shoulder, whispering into his ear frantically.

They both shot looks at Draco, who had stopped next to Harry and was standing there uncomfortably. Ron, also in on the conversation, being part of the trio, and had been standing on Harry's other side, turned red suddenly and stalked off angrily. Hermione ran off after him, leaving Harry alone with Draco.

Turning to the 'new student' he said, "Prewitt," rather shortly and gestured to another hallway that was devoid of students then walked there ahead of the boy.

Draco hesitantly followed, wanting to know what the brief huddle the dream team had had was about.

Harry stopped abruptly and turned to face his old-rival.

"Long time no see, Malfoy."