Unofficial Portkey Archive

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, it belongs to JK Rowling, etc etc.

Authors Note: Next chapter will have the first appearance of Hermione so don't worry. Sorry it's taking so long to get going, but give me time. Everything will be revealed, including the differences to the timeline, as we go along, okay? I know a lot of Harry/Hermione fans don't like Ginny, but keep in mind that this is an AU, so my Ginny is a little different. Personally, I have nothing against the Ginny in Canon, although I don't really find her funny, for the most part, like I'm sure we're supposed too. Also, keep in mind that Ron hates (on principal) anything Slytherin, okay? Hope you all enjoy! Thanks for the reviews!

Chapter Two

Malfoy Manor was located on the outskirts of a small wizarding village that was hidden in the valley of two large mountains, and it resided rather precariously looking on the ledge of one of the mountains, overlooking the village. Despite its hazardous looking location, it was in fact completely safe, due to the magical energy holding it together, along with the Malfoys own protective wards.

The house itself was large, spanning almost the whole width of the mountainside ledge, and made of archaic looking cold stone slabs, making it look more like a castle than a house. The house had two wings, and in the second wing, Draco Malfoy sat on his bed, doing some extra homework, and currently chewing on the end of his quill.

His room was smaller than one would think befit a Malfoy, but larger than most kids his age, and was actually quite bare. Draco didn't really keep a lot of his possession in his room; most of it was stored away in another room next to his. The only objects in the room were his bed, a hefty dresser and wardrobe combo, and a green and fluffy looking rug that covered most of the cold stone floor. His bed was also coloured a similar green, lined with silver, obviously Draco's favourite colours - the Slytherin colours.

He was so engrossed in doing his homework that he didn't even hear the echoing footsteps coming towards his room, and in turn, he jumped and almost swallowed his quill when his Father, Lucius Malfoy, barged into the room with a bang, the doors smashing against the wall loudly. He was carrying his serpent headed staff, which secretly incorporated his wand, and had his nose upturned as he stopped before Draco, looking down at his son with cold grey eyes, his black robes falling still at his feet.

Draco fought hard not to gulp, and just about succeeded, as he turned his eyes up to his fathers pale pointed face.

"Yes Father?" Draco queried curiously.

"What do you think you dolt?" Lucius snapped. "Report - now!"

This time Draco did gulp, visibly and audibly. Lucius sneered at his son's sign of weakness.

"You mean on Harry, sir?" Draco asked, needing clarification.

"I swear boy," Lucius growled. "They must have switched you at birth with a stupid muggle, because there is no way you could be a Malfoy. Yes, Potter, now hurry up!"

"Sorry," Draco gulped again. "I'm sorry sir, but I don't have anything to report. Harry - "

"What do you mean 'nothing to report'?" Lucius raged. "You have spent four years getting to know that little runt, have you not? You must know something. He does not tell you anything of his meetings with Dumbledore, or of the Prophecy?"

"Prophecy?" Draco looked confused.

"Answer me boy!"

"I'm sorry sir," Draco repeated. "Harry is a really private person. He considers me his best friend sir, but even I hardly know him. I'm sorry."

Lucius growled again, his frustration with his only son evident. He ran a hand through his long silver hair and turned around, as if looking at Draco pained him. He squared his shoulders and grit his teeth together, clutching his staff tighter. Draco tensed in anticipation of what was to come.

"You have failed me again Draco." Lucius said. "I am disappointed. I was going to recommend you to the Dark Lord to be one of the new Death Eaters, but to do so would be an embarrassment. And to think I hoped that he would give you the special assignment..." Lucius sighed.

"I'm sorry Father." Draco whispered, lowering his head in shame, trying to fight back tears. He knew what was coming.

"Crucio!"

(----)

Tonks led Harry up the stairs to the second floor, down the formerly dark and mouldy corridor that now actually shone with warmth from the many magically lit torches along the way, past three sets of mahogany doors, and finally came to rest at Harrys room, which had a new sign stuck to the front of the door that read: 'Boy-Who-Lived's Room'. Harry smiled to himself at the sign before turning to face Tonks, who grinned at him.

"Like the sign?" She said. "It was Sirius's idea."

"Hilarious." Harry said dryly. Tonks laughed out loud and handed him his shrunken trunk.

"Hope you like the rest of it as much as the door." She called back to him cheerfully as she walked away, leaving him standing outside his new room.

Harry shook his head to himself and entered the room, dropping his trunk on the floor and flicking his wand at it to return it to normal size. He put Hedwig's cage on a nearby table and then surveyed the room. In a rather out of character action, he found himself laughing out loud when he saw that his room was painted predominantly with the colours Red and Gold - the Gryffindor colours.

Obviously, it was Sirius's idea of a joke, knowing that Harry was a Slytherin, not a Gryffindor. It was one of the many things Sirius joked about with him, the fact that he was a traitor to the legacy of the Marauders by being in Slytherin and not in Gryffindor like his parents and godfather. Harry shook his head in amusement and turned his attention to the rest of the room.

It was small and cosy, just the way he liked it, and the warm colours only helped matters. He wasn't used to a bedroom like this, generally Slytherin slept in cold rooms, but Harry certainly saw the pleasure in it. His bed was shoved far up in the corner, wedged in by a tiny side table mounted by a lamp. He noticed a book placed on the table and decided to look at it later.

At the foot of his bed was a large expensive looking wardrobe made of oak that almost seemed to merge with the bed. Placed right next to the wardrobe was the table on which he had placed Hedwig's cage. The walls of the room had also been plastered neatly with posters of a Quidditch team, and on closer inspection he found them to be the Chudley Cannons. Harry also noticed his Firebolt had been mounted on the wall by two strategically placed holders. All in all, it was a pretty nice room.

Harry shoved his trunk under his bed and then sat down on the bed, bouncing on it to test its give, finding it to his liking. He then grabbed the book and examined the cover. It read: 'Flying with the Cannons.' Harry figured it was Sirius's favourite team.

Deciding to unpack his trunk later, Harry placed the book back on the side table and left the room, heading towards the door across the hall from him - the bathroom. Just as he was exiting his room though, the bathroom door opened and a tall red haired figured emerged. It was Ron Weasley.

Ron's eyes widened at the sight of Harry, before narrowing to dangerous slits. Harry just regarded him curiously. Ron had always been very hostile to Harry, especially after he became the new Gryffindor Seeker in his second year, counterpart to Harry, who was the Slytherin Seeker. He seemed to think that Harry was his arch-nemesis or something, when in reality Harry couldn't care less. No doubt that probably infuriated the red head more, but that was just Harrys nature.

"What are you doing here?" Ron practically snarled.

Harry looked around, making sure he was actually in Grimmauld Place, before turning back to Ron with a raised eyebrow. "This is my home you know."

Ron went slightly red, but never took his narrowed blue eyes of Harry.

"This is the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, I don't see why they let a Dark Wizard like you live here. Seems a bit stupid to me."

Harry shrugged and made to walk passed Ron, but Ron grabbed his arm before he could pass and snarled once again:

"I know you killed my dad."

Harry yanked his arm out of Ron's grip and made to walk off again, but Ron grabbed him again and spun him around, reaching for his wand. Before he could even touch the tip, he felt Harrys own wand pressing into the hollow of his throat.

"Don't." Harry said.

"Screw you." Ron replied, but he didn't move his arms, and again locked eyes with Harry. "I know what you did. You're just like You Know Who. I don't know why everyone else can't see it, but I can."

"Believe me," Harry began. "You're not the only one who thinks so."

Ron's eyes narrowed even further, but before he could reply another voice interrupted them.

"What the hell is going on?" It was Ginny Weasley.

The younger red head stomped over to them and attempted to get between them. Ron shoved her aside, and in the confusion of the scuffle, he managed to raise his own wand and point it at Harry.

"Stop it!" Ginny shouted.

"He killed dad!" Ron argued to his sister. Harry noticed his shoulders start to shake as the boy was overcome with emotion.

"Bloody Hell."

Two simultaneous voices cut in at the exact same time. The Weasley twins appeared behind Ron and quickly grabbed him, one around the waist and the other, his arm, so that he couldn't cast any spells. They dragged him away and all the while he was screaming at Harry, accusing him, his eyes spilling tears now, until finally he was shoved into a room down the hall and the door slammed shut behind the Weasley twins as they followed him.

Harry finally lowered his wand, but didn't pocket it. He heard Ginny sigh and turned his head to face her. She looked up at him and gave him a slightly shaky, nervous smile. Harry wasn't surprised; most people regarded him with a little fear.

"Sorry about Ron." She whispered, her red hair falling down to hide her face as she lowered her head.

"It's okay." Harry said, and he finally pocketed his wand. He walked over to the bathroom door, stopping with his hand on the doorknob. "I didn't kill your father."

"I know," Ginny assured him. "And Ron knows too. He's just...he needs someone to blame..."

"I'm sorry I couldn't save him."

Silence. Then:

"I know." But her words fell on deaf ears as the bathroom door shut with a bang. Ginny sighed and went to join her brothers.

(----)

When Harry emerged from the bathroom only minutes later he heard voices chattering low coming from down the hall. Figuring the meeting was over; he headed over and started down the steps, just in time to see Mad Eye Moody leave through the front door. As he reached the landing, Professor Snape appeared from the kitchen, stopping at the bottom of the stairs, and raising his eyes to meet Harrys.

"Potter." Snape gave a curt nod.

"Professor." Harry returned.

Snape studied Harry for a moment longer, as if trying to read his mind, and Harry figured that Snape was trying to use Legilimency against him. Harry did his best to throw up his weak (but improving) Occlumency Shields. Snape frowned at him for a moment, and then gave him another curt nod.

"Not bad Potter."

"Thank you Professor."

Snape whirled his cloak around him and turned, exiting through the front door without even a second glance at Harry. The door shut with a bang behind him and Harry relaxed. He hoped Snape hadn't been able to his doubts about the man's loyalty, but their was really no way to be sure. Shrugging away those thoughts, Harry went over to the kitchen door and knocked once before entering.

Harry entered the room to find Sirius and Mrs. Weasley sitting around the dinning table, Sirius with a bowl of casserole in front of him. Harry turned his attention to the only other person in the room, Dumbledore, who was hovering near the fireplace.

"Harry," Sirius said, kicking out one of chairs at the table. "Take a seat. Have some casserole. It's good." Sirius licked his lips for good measure and grinned.

Harry sat down, but didn't touch the bowl of casserole put in front of him by Mrs. Weasley - he just starred at Dumbledore. Dumbledore turned to look him in the eye.

"I take it you have questions Harry," Dumbledore said, that familiar twinkle in his eye.

"What was the meeting about?" Harry asked bluntly, getting to the point.

Mrs. Weasley frowned and looked at Dumbledore, then Sirius, and back to Dumbledore. Harry didn't notice this; he was still staring at Dumbledore. Dumbledore opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted before he could even begin.

"Surely you're not going to tell him Dumbledore." Mrs. Weasley said, still frowning.

"Why not?" Sirius asked, putting down his knife and fork and looking across the table at Molly.

"He's just a boy!" Molly argued.

"Quite right Molly," Dumbledore said, still looking back at Harry. "But he is, in fact, the boy who will have to face Voldemort, in the end. He has a right to know."

"But - " Mrs. Weasley spluttered, sighed, and then sat back in her seat, still frowning, but quiet.

"So?" Harry pressed.

"It was just a routine meting Harry." Dumbledore told him. "We have nothing to report, I'm sorry to say. But I assure you, Harry, when we do, you will be informed. I promise you."

Harry sighed and ran a hand through his messy raven coloured hair. "Okay."

"Now," Dumbledore announced, straightening up. "If I could have a word Harry. Privately. This way." Dumbledore motioned to the door in which Harry came through, then followed Harry as he got up and left.

Dumbledore shut the door to the kitchen behind them and turned to regard Harry once again. He set his hands on Harrys shoulders and looked him in the eye.

"How are you Harry?"

"I'm fine." Harry replied, a little puzzled.

"Good." Dumbledore pulled back a little. "I want you to know that I regret having to send you too your Aunt and Uncles every year. If I had known, well..." Dumbledore trailed off, looking away. When he looked back at Harry, he continued. " But I daresay that you have turned out better than I could have hoped, given your situation."

"Is there a point to this sir?" Harry asked, not disrespectfully, but with curiosity.

"Right. The point. The point is Harry, I'm proud of you. That being said, I would like to inform you that you will be having private lessons with me this year. The time is drawing nearer, whether we like it or not, and I think it's best if you where prepared, don't you?"

Harry nodded.

"Good. Now then, I'm afraid I must be going, but I am sure I will be seeing you again before you return to Hogwarts. Have a good summer Harry."

Dumbledore said goodbye to Sirius and Mrs. Weasley, then left through the front door, leaving Harry standing in the front lobby, pondering whether he should have told Dumbledore about his suspicions regarding Professor Snape.

(----)

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