The Once and Future Dragon King

~~~^~~~

Ginny was having the nightmares again.

She was standing in a Muggle court, being accused of the murder of Lucius Malfoy. No matter how many times she denied it, saying that her Expelliarmus had over-balanced him, that he had fallen, they charged her and Ginny was sent to Azkaban.

She didn't know how long she sat in that dark, damp cell, terrified every moment that the Dementors were on their way, with only a large dog for company.

But she knew that eventually the door would be unlocked, and Draco Malfoy would step through, that stupid smirk plastered across his slimy face. He'd pat the dog, and then crouch down in front of her, and say:

"Serves you right for murdering my father..."

And then the shadow would come.

"Too bad it didn't make a difference..."

Someone would whisper a curse, and Draco would fall to the floor, his head falling heavily into her lap, stone cold already. He would still be smirking.

Out of the shadows would step a tall man. The man she herself had killed. The man who had just killed his own son. He would raise his arm, his wand pointing directly at her heart.

"Your turn."

And then she would wake up, sweating.

~~~^~~~

Albus Dumbledore took a sip of his tea. Something wasn't quite right.

~~~^~~~

Draco curled up under the covers. The expensive bedspreads with their warmth charms didn't seem to keep him from shivering.

He'd dreamt about his father again. He'd dreamt that his father was still alive, and that he was coming after Draco. That he killed the Weasley girl first. And that the stupid girl came back to haunt him, forever chiding him that he still owed her a life debt, and that he could never pay her back.

He hated that dream. He hated owing anybody anything. And now he seemed to owe everybody everything. And he hated it.

~~~^~~~

Albus Dumbledore sighed, and asked the thin air what was happening. The thin air remained silent of course, as it had no ability to speak.

~~~^~~~

"Ron, you've got to talk to her."

Ron shook his head. "Harry, you don't get it, do you? If I talk to her, I'll ruin everything!"

Harry sighed and went back upstairs. A moment later, he was pulled through an open door to come face to face with three Weasley girls.

Well, to be fair, one Weasley, one Granger, and one girl how didn't actually know her real last name. But Elaine was adopted into the family, and Hermione had practically lived at the Burrow since the early finish of sixth year. It wasn't completely fair that Harry thought of Hermione as a Weasley, mostly because it made the whole situation very incestuous, but also because he himself had also lived at the Burrow and didn't exactly think of himself as a Weasley.

Harry realised then that three sentences had been dedicated to his stupidity and brought his mind back to the story at hand.

Hermione glared at him.

Ginny folded her arms and glared at him.

Elaine yelled "well?"

Harry grinned. "He's scared."

Ginny's frown melted away. "Great!"

Hermione, confused, asked, "how is that great?"

Surprising the others, it was the tiny blonde eleven year old who answered, "Hermione... If he's scared, it means he doesn't want to stuff it up with you! He must really like you!"

Hermione's smile spread to a broad grin.

~~~^~~~

Albus Dumbledore frowned and popped yet another lemon sherbert into his mouth.

"What am I going to do..."

The thin air was as confused as the old wizard.

Fawkes flew in circles.

~~~^~~~

Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini, and Millicent Bulstrode gave each other nervous glances before Millicent took a deep breath and pressed the button on the door with her wand.

The grand halls echoed with the sound of a hundred bells ringing throughout Malfoy Manor.

~~~^~~~