My Soul Mate

~

PrOlOgue ~

---

It was breakfast on a cloudy September morning and the owl post was due any moment. Draco pushed his plate full of sausages (which Crabbe had generously filled) away and looked up at the Great Hall's windows expectantly. He must have some news by now ... it has been two days and he was informed of nothing! Absolutely nothing! Outrageous, thought Draco angrily, he'll pay for this!

But it seemed that he, whoever he was, had gotten cold feet at last. Hundreds of owls flew into the Great Hall to their respective masters. Amidst them, an elegant looking black eagle soared gracefully to his seat on the Slytherin table and sat itself, with even more grace, onto the table, lifting it's gorgeous black head at Draco, with a scroll of yellow parchment in its beak tied with a red ribbon.

Draco looked around carefully; nobody seemed to be giving him or his post much thought. Good, thought Draco, no one prying.

Draco unrolled the parchment. Upon it in loopy green ink, written was 'Password:'

He took out a quill (conveniently with automatic ink) from the pocket of his school robes and quickly, and casually, scribbled Veritas Draconis next to it.

This was done as a precaution, so that the letter could not be intercepted by anyone else other than the recipient. Draco read on.

Dear Master Malfoy,

The whole team and I are deeply aggrieved by your father's unexpected death. Please accept our deep condolences for your mother and you.

Ha! Thought Draco, as if they do ... even I don't give a damn care what happened to that old bastard. However, he continued reading.

I am pleased to inform you that I have raided the department properly, but to further grief, I could find nothing. It appears that he had already hidden it somewhere before you could assassinate him.

But rest assured; I will soon find it. However, I knew Alexander Malfoy well, and if he were here, he would have managed the task without bloodshed. Of course his death accounts no importance.

Yours truly,

Wormtail.

Again, Draco cast a cautious eye around the Great Hall. No, everyone was minding his or her own business. Draco lowered the letter under the table and pointed his wand at it. He muttered "Incendio" and dropped the parchment to his feet as it caught fire.

He never kept any trace of his business; that would be foolish, something Draco wasn't. It was too risky. He'd been lucky so far that no one had gotten wind about what was happening to him.

But it seemed that luck had now kissed him goodbye. Professors McGonagall, Snape and Dumbledore (looking rather hasty and tactful) were striding towards the Slytherin table ... towards him! Draco reverently hoped that they didn't know anything.

But it seemed that they did. Draco leapt to his feet and muttered a spell that created a powerful shield around him. Immediately the Dark Spell sensors studded on the Hall's walls, buzzed off. All the noise at the breakfast, the chattering of people and the clattering of the spoons died away. Everybody was clearly aware of the use of a Dark Spell. Meanwhile, the teachers reached him.

"Petrifcus Totalus!"

cried McGonagall.

But as Draco had expected, the curse rebounded and hit McGonagall instead. She immediately stiffened and fell to the floor like a board. Everybody in the hall gasped loudly.

"Reduct -"

started Snape but Dumbledore cut him off. Obviously, the Headmaster recognized the spell Draco had used. It would be fatal to use any deadly spell against him. Dumbledore looked at him curiously. He had to find a way out ... but the magic used was too powerful. For at least half an hour, no charm or curse could affect Draco. What would he do? The only thing that seemed possible was to wait for the spell to wear off, but by then, who knew what the young Death Eater could do?

Draco seemed to have been well aware of his advantage over Dumbledore. He smiled evilly. But as soon as he had stopped, realization dawned on him. He had a maximum of thirty minutes to get out of trouble. Obviously, the faculty or at least Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall have known something. He couldn't stay there any longer. It would be dangerous; he would have to get out. But would the faculty let him walk away with a cheerful farewell? Like hell they would, he thought. He would have to get out. But for the time being, he decided to stall Dumbledore.

"All right, Dumbledore," he called. By now the entire Hall was quiet and watching them intently, wondering what the hell was happening. "Don't try and do anything, it would be foolish!"

Dumbledore smiled at him, though his eyes were ablaze. "I know that, Mr. Malfoy," he answered, "but if I were you, I would choose fight over flight. If you leave now, you're only delaying the inevitable; you've committed murder and the consequences will find you."

Everybody present in the Hall gasped even louder this time. "Murder?" Whispers rang throughout the Hall.

Draco narrowed his eyes at his Headmaster. "You're wrong," he hissed. About time ... he had to get out. He started walking backwards. "If you try to stop me," he said, "I will harm others, Dumbledore."

Dumbledore knew it would be no good to stop him. He couldn't let others be hurt because of this. He realized now - he was helpless.

Draco kept walking towards the Entrance Hall. He crossed his own table, then the Ravenclaw table, the Hufflepuff table, and now he was nearing the Gryffindor house table. He noticed that Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger were sitting next to the exit at their table. He smirked at them as he became level with them. Ron's face reddened unimaginably while, ironically, Harry's paled as he narrowed his eyes at him. Hermione, on the other hand, looked positively petrified.

Draco was about to leave when an idea struck him. He turned back and retraced his steps back to the three Gryffindors. He neared Hermione and made to grab her arm. Hermione screamed and backed away and Ron leapt and yelled "Reducto!"

Immediately, as it had with the Transfiguration teacher, the spell backfired upon Ron and he became extremely still.

"What the hell are you doing, Malfoy?" yelled Harry.

Draco did not answer. Personally, he thought that it was wise of Harry to not to use any spell against him. He grabbed Hermione's arm successfully this time and Hermione shrieked again.

"Keep your voice down, Mudblood or you will face worse consequences," Draco hissed at her and muttered, "Stupefy!"

Hermione was stunned and limp. Draco magically levitated her and turned to leave.

Harry yelled, yet again, "Leave her, you scum!"

But Draco merely smirked at him and ran away, Hermione drifting weirdly behind him.