Author's Note: Sorry about how short the last chapter was, but that chapter as well as the one fallowing this one is necessary for the plot. I hope you enjoy this chapter!
~*~Chapter 6 - Winds of Change~*~
A 30 or so miles away, Harry silently fallowed is (former?) nemeses, Draco Malfoy, through a long, dark, underground tunnel. The only light that could be seen was that of the two wands.
"You had better have a good reason for hexing those two, Malfoy" Harry said after they'd been walking for nearly an hour.
"I do. I needed you, and only you, to come with me and I knew you wouldn't if Lupin and Granger had their say. So I made sure they didn't" Draco said over his shoulder.
Harry was silent for a moment, "Why, exactly did you want me, out of all people, to come with you? And where are we going anyway?"
Draco stopped walking and sighed, Harry barely avoided a collision. Draco glanced around, "Alright, sit down and I'll tell you the story." He said as he sat down at one side of the tunnel, Harry took a seat directly across from him and waited.
Draco took a deep breath and began. "Alright, as you know, a few months ago my father was sent to Azkaban. Well, I went to Diagon Ally one day, a few weeks after the end of term. There was an attack, well two actually. One on Diagon Ally and another in Muggle London, they happened simultaneously though. Anyway, I know I've never been the nicest guy at school, but when I saw a Death Eater about to attack a little five-year old girl, I couldn't just stand aside and let it happen. So I hurried forward and took the little girls curse onto myself. It turned out to be the Cruciatus curse that was meant for that little girl."
Draco glanced up at Harry, from the glow of the wands, he could tell that the other boy was listening carefully and that he had just gained a bit more respect. He sighed and continued, "When the Death Eater realized that he missed his intended target, he released the curse. I looked up to see if I could recognize who was behind that black mask." Draco swallowed and looked up to Harry again. He kept eye contact as he spoke again, when I looked into the eyes of the man standing above me, what I say scared and angered me. Harry, when I looked up I saw the eyes of my father staring back at me. They were full of hate, the look in his eyes wasn't unlike that of Professor Snape when he looks at you. My father has been out of Azkaban for over a month and a half now. He told me, by accident about the plans for the attack on Hogwarts today."
"I considered the information he, unknowingly, gave to me. I knew I had two choices, I could join in, or I could try and stop what was going to happen. After I thought about that little girl in Diagon Ally and how my father attacked her, simply because her parents were loyal to Dumbledore, I knew I could never be like my father. Then father let it slip what he and Belletrix were going after, a prophecy, correct?" Harry nodded hesitantly. "Don't worry, I'm not going to ask you to tell me. Anyway, I'm taking you to a secure location where I can tell you all I know about the future plans. Oh, by the way, when we get back to Hogwarts, you have to somehow get the Weasley's away from the Burrow. That's one of the next targets. Father believes it may be the Headquarters for you're little organization." He noticed that Harry visibly paled at that. He sighed "Come on, we've got to keep moving."
~*~
Harry couldn't help but frown to himself as he fallowed Draco down the tunnel. Everything he'd just been told was a surprise to say the least. Draco Malfoy was one person most of Gryffindor thought would be one of the new Death Eaters, yet he was betraying his family.
At first Harry thought that it was a trap, but after listening to Draco's story, he realized that Draco wasn't faking the emotions that slipped into his words. "Draco?" Harry said hesitantly.
Draco glanced over his shoulder and smirked, "Let me guess, you want to know if I'm leading you into a trap?" At Harry's surprised look, he stopped walking and pushed both sleeves up to his elbows. "I'm clean, Harry." he said as he turned and continued down the tunnel.
Harry smiled weakly, "Sorry if I seemed a bit rude there, I just can never be too sure."
The other boy just nodded, "We're almost at the end of the tunnel, just a bit more to go."
When they two finally reached the end of the tunnel, Harry thought momentarily of the Shrieking Shack. Both buildings were in similar states of disrepair. Draco glanced around as he settled into a chair that was at a table. Harry silently sat across from him.
Harry noticed that Draco looked a bit uncomfortable. He opened his mouth to say something, Harry knew better than to rush what ever it was, so he waited patiently. "I-I was wondering," Draco started, "if you would be willing to talk to Dumbledore on my behalf. I know I'm not his, or your, favorite person, but I'm severing all ties to my family here."
Harry studied the other boy for a moment, "Of course, Draco. It takes a lot of strength to do what you are doing. I'm sure Dumbledore will understand and help you. He's always been one to give second chances."
Draco nodded and sighed, "You know, if I do tell you all of this, I'll be just as much of a traitor as your friend Wormtail."
Harry growled at the mentioned of his father's old school friend. "Not exactly, Draco. See, when Peter changed sides, he did it through lies and deceit. And he did it for all the wrong reasons. Peter wanted power, he was selfish in his choices and because of him many people that he claimed to care for, for eleven years, died. He thought of no one but himself."
"You, on the other hand," Harry said, "You saw something that you truly believed was wrong. You thought it wrong even before you knew who was on the other end of that wand. When you saw that little girl in Diagon Alley, you put aside your own well being to help her. There may also be personal benefits that are persuasive, but you see the changes that need to be made and seem willing to do what needs to be done to make the changes. No, Draco, You are nothing like Peter Pettigrew."
Draco smiled slightly and sighed, "Since we're being sentimental here, I'd like to say I'm sorry for what happened to Black. He was my second cousin, but I didn't really know him. He was your godfather, correct?"
Harry nodded, "I met him during our third year, he was at there right during the whole mess of the Triwizards Tournament, I spent most of summer and also Christmas holidays with him last term. He was completely rotten, even though it took a while for the dull look of Azkaban to fade, he always had this mischievous glint. You should have seen some of the pranks he'd play on Remus, Professor Snape, and Molly Weasley. They were mostly quite childish, but what really made them funny were Sirius's expressions when they succeeded. I remember a few times though, when Remus would return the favor just as easily."
"Wait a minute, you mean to tell me that our stern Professor Lupin, was pranking Sirius Black?" Draco laughed.
"Oh, of course. Remus was the voice of reason for the Marauders, but that doesn't mean he was completely innocent." Harry said with a smile. "I remember one time, last summer, when Sirius decided to play a rather cruel trick on Mrs. Weasley. He decided to turn her hair bubble gum pink. I don't know if you know Tonks, but Mrs. Weasley looked like her older sister, she was furious. Anyway, Remus found that trick disturbing, being directed at whom it was. So our dear Professor thought pay back was in order. I'm assuming from your comment on the train last September, you know about what Sirius was?"
Draco nodded, "He was an animagus, a dog right?"
Harry smiled, "Well, Remus, being as clever as he is, did two separate charms. One trapped Sirius in his animagus form for a full 24 hours, the second turned Sirius's hair the same bubble gum pink that Sirius had used on Mrs. Weasley. Now the trapping charm wore off in a day, so the scruffy pink dog turned back into Sirius. The coloring charm, however, stayed for a full two weeks. Remus was a lot stronger in charms than Sirius, so Sirius couldn't counter the charms, so whether he was in animagus or human form he had pink hair. Tonks teased him for that one for forever."
By the end of the story both boys were laughing, neither paid much attention to the fact that the most unlikely of friendships had just begun to patch up old wounds.
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