elfflame (elfflame) wrote in elfflame_fics, @ 2009-09-27 11:09:00 |
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Entry tags: | fandom: harry potter, genre: drama, length: chaptered, mc: harry, rating: pg, sc: draco |
Finding Harry - Harry, Draco, PG
Title: Finding Harry
Author: elfflame
Rating: PG
Summary: Harry disappears the night of the attack on his parents' home. (Pre HBP canon)
Disclaimer: This story not intended to infringe, no money is being made. The characters and places do not belong to me. I’m just borrowing them for a bit.
A/N: Notes with the Prologue
Once the feast was over, the headmaster made a few announcements, but Orion found himself staring at the old man. Did he know? He hadn’t said one word to him the entire time he had visited the day they had opened the letter. But occasionally, during the feast, he had noticed the old man looking at him with an odd glint in his eyes.
When the announcements were done, the entire school sang the school song. It was horrible. No two people used the same tune, and it lasted far too long for Orion’s taste, but then it was finally over, and the entire school got to their feet to leave. Unfortunately, Orion was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.
Professor Snape stood behind him, smirking. “Mr. Malfoy. The headmaster would like to talk with you.”
Orion glanced at Draco, who had stepped closer to him when he had noticed Snape’s appearance. Snape was an old family friend, but the expression on his face, and their strange new surroundings made that hard to remember. Draco raised his chin. “If he wants to see Orion, I’m going, too.”
The sneer broadened. “The headmaster assumed that you would say that, Mr. Malfoy. You are more than welcome to accompany us.” Snape turned on his heel, and without looking back to see if they were following, stormed off to the door near the teacher’s table. Draco grabbed his brother’s hand. “Everything will be okay, Orion. I won’t let him do anything to you.”
Orion smiled, but it did not reach his eyes. They hurried off after Snape, following him down several corridors, and getting lost in the process, finally finding themselves in front of a stone gargoyle set into the wall. Snape snapped out, “Licorice whips,” and the gargoyle jumped aside, revealing a staircase. He motioned the boys forward, and the moment they stepped on the stairs, the staircase began to move upward. At the top, they found themselves facing a door. Snape knocked on it, opened the door, and ushered the boys in.
“Here they are, headmaster.”
The old man smiled, but Orion’s stomach rolled over. Whatever he wanted, it couldn’t be good, could it? Why else would he need to see him their first day here? “Thank you, Severus, I will take them down to their common room myself.” Snape scowled at being dismissed, but still turned and left the room. The headmaster turned his eyes on Draco and Orion. “Please, boys, sit down. I have a lot to tell you. I realize you are probably both exhausted with your adventures today, but this is important.”
Draco glared at him, but held his tongue for the moment. This was the headmaster, after all. It wouldn’t do to be expelled for being too snide their first day here.
The headmaster looked searchingly at Orion for a moment before continuing. “Orion, by any chance, did you receive a letter for Hogwarts addressed to someone else?” The boys looked at each other, horrified. How did he know? And if he’d known, why hadn’t he talked to them when he had come to Malfoy Manor? Draco could tell his brother was unsure, so he took his hand again and nodded once.
Orion looked up at the headmaster. “Yes, sir,” he said in a quiet voice. Then he rushed on. “I knew it wasn’t right, ‘cause it did have someone else’s name on it, but…”
“Orion,” the headmaster interrupted. “It went to the person it was sent to,” he said calmly.
Orion’s eyes grew big, and he clutched Draco’s hand tighter.
“That letter was carefully enspelled so only the person who it was addressed to would receive it. And only the person it was addressed to would be able to open it, Orion.”
Orion gulped. “What are you saying, sir?” Draco could feel his brother’s trembling growing stronger. They had talked about the letter, but he had mostly passed it off as some kind of joke. Apparently, Orion had taken it much more seriously.
“You did open the letter, did you not?”
The boys blinked. Then Draco sneered. “Oh, good joke, sir.” He stood, and pulled on his brother’s hand. “Come on, Orion. We’re leaving. Father’s right. Dumbledore’s a crackpot.” But Orion didn’t move.
“And if I did?”
Dumbledore smiled consolingly. “Then you already know the truth.”
Orion’s heartbeat sped up. “Which is?”
The headmaster leaned forward. “That you are Harry Potter. Not Orion Malfoy as you have been led to believe.”
Orion was stunned. But not so Draco. He let go of his brother’s hand. “Shut up, you lying sack of dung! Orion is my brother, not The-Boy-Who-Went-Missing. And if you say otherwise, you’re lying!” Draco’s voice was louder than Orion had ever heard it before. Draco never raised his voice.
“Draco, it’s okay. I can handle this.” Orion looked at Dumbledore. “Why…” He stopped, then started again. “How is this possible, sir?”
Dumbledore sighed. “I’m not entirely clear on that myself, Orion. Your father and I talked after I discovered your…identity. And he and I agreed on several things. You seem quite happy, Orion. Is that true?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I don’t want to take you away from a family you care about, Orion. I want you to be happy.”
Orion grabbed Draco’s hand once more. “I am, sir. I can’t imagine what life would be like without Draco, or Mother, or Father.”
“I’m glad to hear it. But your father and I came to a little agreement, Orion. While you’re here, I promise not to divulge who you are until you are ready, and you are allowed to stay with your family, and in Slytherin. But I would like you to make a few friends outside of your house. I have already set up a meeting spot, and have asked the other heads of houses to invite some first years to meet you.”
“But, sir…” Draco seemed upset by this pronouncement.
“I’m sorry, Draco, if you feel this is unfair, but I’m afraid I must insist. You are invited to come along, but I ask that you bring no one else to these meetings until you have found friends in at least one of these houses.”
Draco glared at the headmaster. “And what’s wrong with having friends only in Slytherin?”
“There is nothing wrong with it, Draco, but your ‘brother’ needs to have a broader view of the wizarding world than your house would be able to give him.” He looked at Orion, who seemed lost in thought. “Is this all right, Orion?”
“I…suppose so, sir.” Orion looked up to meet his gaze. “Is that all, sir?”
“Just one more thing. Lucius asked that I give this to you. I haven’t read it, but I think it may explain a few things.” He handed Orion a large parchment envelope with the Malfoy crest on the front. Orion ran his fingers across the parchment, feeling horribly detached from the green and silver “M” that had been his family crest for longer than he could remember.
“Thank you, sir.” He stood, still not looking at Draco.
Dumbledore sighed. “Well, I should show you both to your common room now. If you’ll follow me…” He stood, and led the boys from his office.
As they walked, Draco tried to get his brother’s attention, but Orion was deeply lost in thought. They followed the Headmaster down into the dungeons and to a blank space of wall where Snape waited for them.
“Headmaster.”
“Severus, if you would settle the boys in.”
Snape nodded, waited until the headmaster had departed, then turned to the boys. “Remember, both of you, whatever happens, you are more than welcome to come to me about anything. Is that understood?”
The boys nodded, then Snape turned to the wall, said “Pureblood,” the wall cracked open and he ushered the boys into a large stone room done up in shades of green, silver and black. “This is your common room, and your dorm is marked ‘First-years,’ and is down the left-hand passage. The Prefects will help you to your first classes tomorrow, but after that you are on your own. I expect you both to live up to the Malfoy name. If I ever find out anything that causes me to take points from this house, I will be writing a letter to your father. Do we understand each other?”
The boys nodded, then Draco pulled Orion down the hall. The room was smaller than their bedrooms at home, and was already filled with Vince, Greg, Theo and Blaise’s snores. Their beds were on the far end of the room, right next to each other. Draco changed into his nightclothes, then turned to look at his brother, who still stood next to his bed, staring down at the letter Dumbledore had given him. He crawled onto Orion’s bed and pulled him down so he was sitting next to Draco. “Are you going to read it, or just stare at it all night?” he asked.
“Dunno.” Orion bit his lip and looked up at Draco. He had never seen the worry he now saw in his brother’s face. “What…what if it’s true, Draco?” His lower lip trembled. “I don’t want to be someone else! I want to be your brother!”
Draco quieted him. “Shush. You’ll wake the others. It doesn’t matter, Ori. No matter what, no matter who you really are, you’ll always be my brother. Okay?”
Orion nodded.
Draco grinned, but it was a feeble grin. “So, you gonna open it?”
Orion nodded, but inside all he could think of was the last time Draco had goaded him into opening an envelope. He took a deep breath. This was from his father. How bad could it be? He put his finger under the flap, and opened the letter.