Chapter 16
McGonagall looks at them over her glasses. Then she turns and leaves. Draco sighs and sits in a chair in front of where Dumbledore should be. Harry looks around and finds the sorting hat. Draco watches him put it on. He takes it off and sets it aside. Draco stands beside him.
"Didn't tell you what you wanted to hear?" he asks.
Harry shakes his head. "It just repeated that I would do well in Slytherin," he says.
Draco shrugs. "Perhaps it's right. It doesn't negate how good Gryffindor is for you though," he says.
"Exactly. People tend to forget that," the hat says.
Draco sighs. "Listen, Harry, I'm in Slytherin and it doesn't affect me. Not really. It can teach you a lot like wit and charm. You already have them, but it helps to have the competition. Anyway, you aren't in Slytherin. You're in Gryffindor, don't overthink it and cause problems," he says. He holds his hand out and takes the hat.
"Mr. Malfoy, good to see you again," it says.
"You too. Do you just sit in the closet all year?" he asks.
"Sometimes. Sometimes Dumbledore has me do stuff."
Draco nods. "Still putting me in Slytherin?"
"Yes, but just like last year I think you could make your place anywhere," it says.
Draco nods. "Anything you want to tell me?"
"Well, Mr. Malfoy, I think you should keep an eye out for Harry but also your involvement has gotten deeper, perhaps you need someone to look out for you too," it says.
Draco rolls his eyes. "No need to worry about me. I will make sure Harry lives," he says. He sets the hat on a shelf.
"Even if it's at the expense of your life?"
"That doesn't matter. I don't do much. Harry's important," he says.
The hat seems to shake its head. "One day you'll realize just how important it is that you survive. Even if you don't want it, people are looking out for you. I suppose someone has to." It turns back into a regular hat. As regular as a hat can be that sings and talks.
Draco shakes his head. He doesn't care how long he survives, not anymore, he just needs Harry to get through everything. He joins Harry staring at a bird. Draco is trying to place what the bird is when it ignites. Harry's eyes widen and his jaw drops. Dumbledore comes in at the time.
"I didn-"
"Har, relax, it's a phoenix," Draco says.
"That is correct, Mr. Malfoy, Fawkes is a phoenix," Dumbledore says.
Draco nods. "Pretty old, but now it's being rebirthed," he says.
"Again, correct, Mr. Malfoy. They also make good pets. Do you know why?"
Draco nods. "They can carry heavy loads, have healing tears, and they're loyal. Would you allow me back when it's been reborn?"
"Any reason why?" Dumbledore asks.
Draco doesn't want to tell him that he wants to talk to it. "Beautiful bird that I have never seen at its prime. Actually, this is the first time I have ever seen one," he says.
"Hm. I will make sure to call you," he says.
"We should discuss-"
"Harry and Draco didn' do i'," Hagrid says. He stumbles into the office. "I sa' 'em moments before. There's no way they coulda'."
Draco highly doubts that Dumbledore thought they did but it's nice that Hagrid cares.
"I did not suspect they did," Dumbledore says, "They are two second years. I doubt they would be able to."
"Oh, tha's good," he says. He turns back to the door with his dead chickens and leaves.
Draco turns back to Dumbledore.
"You don't think we did it?" Harry asks.
Dumbledore shakes his head. He looks over them. "Is there anything that's bothering you?" he asks.
They look at each other and then him.
"No," Harry says.
He strokes his beard and nods. "Okay. I am always here to listen to your concerns," he says.
They nod and leave.
"Should we have told him about hearing voices?" Harry asks.
Draco stops and turns to him. "Harry, I need you to understand, hearing voices that we can't place is bad even in the wizarding world. We have no proof of anything so we cannot go around telling people about anything. We'll have to figure it out ourselves."
Harry nods. "I figured. Although, I do think people would believe we're hearing voices in our heads."
"Or we're controlling thousands of snakes in the walls and those are the voices we're hearing," Draco says. He grins.
Harry rolls his eyes and grimaces. "They would think that."
"Make way for the heirs of Slytherin," George yells.
Draco tries not to laugh, and Harry hides a smile behind his hand.
"I don't like the inferences made with that statement," Harry says.
Draco raises an eyebrow. "That we're descended from Salazar Slytherin?"
"No. I don't care about that. That we're related," he says.
Fred wraps an arm around Harry's shoulders. "You have something against being related to Draco?"
Draco laughs. "I'm wounded."
Harry shakes his head. "I just don't like people thinking we could be related. I know wizarding family trees are a mess, but I would prefer not to be on Draco's."
The twins make eye contact, smile, and nod.
Draco doesn't really get it. "I thought we were close," he says. He doesn't understand the change from Harry's usual behavior with him.
Harry sighs. "We are. As friends," he says.
Draco suddenly wants to jinx someone. He glares at everyone in the halls.
"Don't worry, Harry, I'm sure you'll end up on Draco's family tree eventually," George says.
Fred nods. "Probably in a few years."
Harry flushes bright red. "Whatever," he says.
Draco doesn't really understand what they're trying to say. Marriage seems to be the only way to join a family, but Harry has never expressed interest in Lara. Did Harry like Lara? Is that why he wouldn't want to be related to Draco? He could see it. It seems like Harry has a thing for his friends' sisters. Since Lara wasn't there before it could make sense like that too.
"Make way for the heirs of Slytherin," Fred yells.
Draco is thankful to the twins. They aren't acting any different than usual and even though Draco is involved this time they're acting the same as when it was just Harry. He grins.
"See that's the mad grin of an heir of Slytherin," George says.
Draco laughs and Harry cracks beside him.
"At least there are two people at this school with a shred of sanity," Harry whispers.
Draco nods. "Never thought it would be these two though," he says.
Harry covers his mouth with his hand. They walk down the hall with the twins yelling about their status and people cowering along the edges of the hall. Draco and Harry try not to laugh but they break down before getting to their class.
"Have fun," George says.
"Try not to petrify anyone," Fred says.
Their classmates either roll their eyes or try to avoid their eyes.
"Do you think they think we're Medusa?" Harry asks.
Draco scoffs. "With your hair they would be insulting her," he says.
Harry pouts. "It's not that bad." He tugs at a strand.
Draco raises an eyebrow.
"It's not my fault," he says.
Draco rests a hand on his shoulder. "Have you tried a comb?"
Harry glares. "I broke a few."
Draco sighs. "You are amazing, Harry. Even the combs can't deal with you."
"You've stuck around so far," he says.
Draco smiles. "I'm stronger than combs. One day I will fix your hair," he says.
Harry shrugs. "If you really think you can."
"I can." Draco will make sure his hair and him are good until they're ancient and have to die.
"Are you staying this Christmas?" Harry asks.
Draco nods. "Lara wanted me to meet Andromeda, but I don't want to," he says.
"Why?" Harry pushes his glasses up.
"I just don't," he says. He can't quite say why either. Draco sent Lara there and trusted her to be treated well but he cannot convince himself to follow. He needs to stay at Malfoy Manor a little longer.
Harry eyes him. "Staying with us in Gryffindor?"
Draco hums. "Slytherin is typically pretty bare during the winter holidays."
Harry smiles. "We don't mind. Right, Hermione, Ron?"
"Of course, not," Hermione says.
Ron shrugs.
The feast is set up when they come in. Harry sits beside Draco and Ron. Hermione sits on their other side. Dumbledore gives a speech about family and caring for each other. Draco does not pay attention. He's been thinking about that day in potions. That never happened to him before.
"Dumbledore," Draco says.
He hums. "Yes, Draco?"
Draco leans forward. The feast this year is exceptionally small. There are about fifteen others in total and then the professors. Since they set the hall up so they're closer for Christmas Draco is already very close to Dumbledore.
Draco cuts a piece of meat. "You discover muggle born wizards because they accidentally use magic, right?" he says.
Dumbledore nods. "They typically set a spell off when they're feeling extreme emotions. It happens with wizard born children too. Why?" He glances at Draco.
Draco hesitates. He's never seen anyone accidentally set a spell off in the castle but maybe he just doesn't pay attention. "Why doesn't it happen at the castle?" he asks.
Dumbledore strokes his beard. "It does at times, but the school is designed to get students to control their magic. Some struggle more than others. You know Seamus, correct?"
Draco nods. The boy who blows every spell up.
"To some degree his struggles are related. They're a combination of his wand being volatile and him not having complete control," he says. "The other major factor is how much magic they have. Sometimes the higher potencies can make it difficult to keep control especially when startled or feeling a lot."
Draco hums. "That's what the wands are for, right?" he asks.
Dumbledore nods. "But even with a wand sometimes in moments of high tension it can be difficult to not let go," he says, "Is this line of questioning related to your accident in potions?"
Draco feels his face heat up. "I guess. I just don't usually struggle with control," he says.
Dumbledore stares at him over his glasses. "No need to feel embarrassed. I'm sure you're excellent at control but it's a good self-defense mechanism."
Draco follows the other three to the Gryffindor dorms. He sits on Harry's bed eating chocolate frogs. So, presumably, there is a snake in the walls of Hogwarts that petrifies people. He was joking with Harry but that's the only thing that makes sense. Harry and Draco can hear snakes and as far as both of them are aware that's the only animal they have in common hearing.
Reggie swoops in and lands by his head and nuzzles his cheek. "No chocolate for you," he says.
Reggie coos.
"Nope," Draco says.
Reggie quiets down and stays on his shoulder.
"Do you know what's in the walls?" Draco asks.
Reggie coos.
Draco hums. "That's alright. It must be hiding from you too. I just don't get it," he says.
Reggie rubs his head on Draco's cheek.
He brings his fingers to the bird's head and traces the feathers down it's body. He doesn't know where to start. The creature must be smaller if it's in the walls but not necessarily because there are many secrets at Hogwarts. He doesn't get what is happening. He didn't get told what it was his first life. Honestly, he's not sure he wanted to know. He was constantly scared then. Now, he wishes he found out.
Harry sits beside him with a book. "What's got you thinking so hard?" he asks.
Draco sighs. "The thing petrifying people. I think it might actually be a snake of some kind, but I can't think of how or why," he says.
"What do you mean?" Harry asks.
Draco reaches his fingers up to Reggie. "Well, whatever it is seems to attack when people are alone so it's intelligent. It's also getting around somehow. Since we're both hearing it, it's probably a snake but I don't understand how," he says.
"We'll do research. Lara and Hermione will definitely find something," he says.
Draco sighs and nods. Reggie coos. Draco's eyes drift closed.