HP: The Unchosen One-(Malfoy SI)

Chapter 14

HEADMASTER ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

There was a reason that he had argued so much against the deployment of the dementors around Hogwarts, for in his mind, there were few creatures fouler than the cloaked that traversed this land than the dementors.

They cared for nothing, had no pleas, had no excuses, and were always hungry for souls and joy. To this day, witches and wizards remain oblivious to the origins of such creatures, but none could deny their evil and monstrous disposition.

And despite the intentions of the Ministry, Hogwarts was a school of children, and children were prone to mischief. Mischief, like trying to sneak out of the castle for a Hogsmeade trip—and while in regular times Dumbledore would care little for such transgressions, the presence of dementors at the entrances made such mischiefs a lot dangerous.

"Dementors! What did you think was going to happen?" Poppy chastised him as she scrambled around the beds. The four children sat there under her supervision, and she cast a diagnostic spell on each of them.

"Bringing those foul creatures to the school full of children. So irresponsible. So irresponsible," and he agreed with her, though his own hands were tied.

"I wholly agree, but are they fine?" he asked as he saw her finish her examination.

"These three are. This one, I would like to keep in for the night," she said, lastly pointing at Harry.

"But I am fine," the young lion tried to argue, but Oppy gave him a look.

"You are not. You nearly had your soul sucked out of you, boy. Do you have any idea how dangerous that is," she spoke sharply before picking up a vial and passing it to the bespectacled boy.

"Now, drink it," she said before turning to the rest.

"As for you, have some chocolate if you can," she said, and the two Gryffindor as the black haired boy took out a half-eaten chocolate bar out of his pocket.

"Already doing so," he said as Poppy nodded, and now that they were finally safe it was time for him to reward, punish and chastise.

"Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley, would you mind heading to the Great Hall?" he asked politely, and he saw the red-haired boy open his mouth.

"It is my fault, Professor; I forced him to go along with the idea...."

"Please, your friend will be just fine, Mr. Weasley," he assured the red-haired boy, who flushed and, after a short nod, left the Hospital wing alongside Miss Granger, who seemed rather distraught at leaving her old and new friend all alone.

And what a contrast it was. A muggle-born witch was friends with none other than a Malfoy, and these were the kinds of things that warmed his heart and made him hopeful for the next generation.

"Now, that was some impressive piece of magic, Mr. Malfoy. " He turned towards the dark-haired and dark-eyed boy, a strange coloring for a Malfoy, though his face reminded Albus more of his uncle's than his father's.

And that magic? Dumbledore would scarcely ever expect a third-year student to cast a Patronus charm—not just a simple patronus but a full corporeal patronus.

Flitwick had often raved and complained about the young boy, calling him quite a talent and lamenting the boy's disregard for written works, assignments, and tests. Him and Minerva would often argue about their respective students, with Minerva obviously taking the side of her star student, Hermione Granger who excelled in the theoretical aspects and was quite decent at the practicals.

However, casting a patronus spoke of a skill and prowess that far exceeded even most of the Seventh years, and he doubted that it was a kind of spell that the boy would have learned at home from his father or mother.

"Casting a corporeal Patrnous at your age, I must say you have managed to even surpass me," he complimented, and the boy smiled.

"I highly doubt that," and he smiled.

"Still, it must be a result of that study group that you created," he guessed, and the boy nodded.

And just after the start of the first year, Flitwick had come to him on behalf of his student who was asking for his permission to use one of the abandoned classrooms for practical lessons, a permission he had quickly granted.

"Well, that did play a role," he added, and Dumbledore nodded.

"Perhaps there might be some merit in exploring the feasibility of that dueling club you once proposed, but until then, I award House Ravenclaw forty points for showing such initiative in learning such an impressive piece of magic and forty more for quick thinking and coming to the rescue of a fellow student," and the boy nodded.

"Now, would you be kind enough to give Mr. Potter and me some privacy?" the boy nodded as he rushed off. During this whole process, Harry Potter's gaze continued to linger between him and the Ravenclaw boy.

As the boy left, Dumbledore felt his smile fade as he looked at the green-eyed boy lying in bed, looking down in embarrassment.

"Harry, my boy," he was careful with his words.

"I hope you do know that this was quite irresponsible of you?" he began and saw the boy nod slowly.

"I am sorry, Professor," he began, and as much as he wished to favor the boy given his circumstances, the boy had nearly lost his life.

"The dementors are one of the foulest creatures that walk on this earth. Even at the start of the year, I warned you all about their dangers, that no magic, no excuses, no pleas of mercy, and no invisibility cloaks are effective against them," he repeated as the boy's face flushed.

The dementors must have sensed him under his invisibility cloak, and must have thought him to be Sirius trying to sneak into the castle, and had attacked him in a hoard.

The only reason he had survived was because of the timely and incredible intervention by Cassius Malfoy, and such a strange tale it was.

"You put your life in grave danger, and if it weren't for the quick actions of one Cassius Malfoy, things could be far more dire and permanent right now," he warned, and the boy nodded.

"You will be serving detention with Professor Snape every week till Christmas," and the boy's eyes widened.

"Please, Professor..." but Dumbledore raised his hand.

"And I will be taking eighty points from House Gryffindor because of your rash and inconsiderate behavior," and the boy's face turned ashen as his fists balled up.

"I do hope that you will learn from this mistake, and there will be no repeat of this," he said, and the boy nodded.

"Yes, Professor," and he smiled.

"Now, you should rest and enjoy some of the sweets you must have bought at Honeyduke's," he said as he gave the boy a parting smile, and just as he had taken a few steps he heard his muffled voice come in from behind.

"Professor..." and he turned around to face the boy once more, and he seemed troubled and confused for some reason.

"Yes..." he asked, and the boy hesitated before he finally spoke up.

"Sirius Black," he began, and Dumbledor frowned at the mention of that name.

"Is he somehow related to me?" he asked, and Dumbledore was stilled by that question for a moment.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked, not wanting to divulge and trouble the boy any more than he already was.

"It's just that I overheard someone say that..." and the boy was hesitant.

"...he was friends with my parents," and Dumbledore's lips thinned at the mention of that friendship, one which even he had trusted.

Alas! In the end, it was all a lie.

To this day, he often wondered just why and how Sirius had betrayed James and Lily. Their friendship had seemed so genuine and true, and yet the boy had betrayed them in the end.

Betrayed them all.

"Sirius Black was indeed a part of your father's friend circle. From what I recall, they were good friends," he chose to tell the boy the truth.

"To this day, I wonder just what made him betray his closest friend and turn to the dark Lord's side," he answered with thin lips.

"But you need not worry about Sirius Black," he added sharply.

"The man will be caught soon enough. The dementors, reviling as they are, are rather good at their job and will stop at nothing until they have recovered the man. As long as you follow the rules, you will be safe from him and need not worry. So, I am hoping that there will not be a repeat of such a transgression again in the future?" and the boy nodded.

"As for your parents and Sirius Black, there is someone far more qualified than me to talk about them and their time at Hogwarts," and it seemed that Remus had yet to talk to the boy despite his insistence.

Well, he would need to do so eventually.

"Who?" Harry asked Dumbledore.

"Someone here at Hogwarts. I will make sure that they come to you soon," he finished as the boy nodded and just as he was about to step out.

"Professor?" he asked again, and Dumbledore stopped again and turned around, always happy to put the young, incredulous minds of his students at ease.

"Could he be innocent?" he asked as he looked into his eyes and frowned.

"Who?" he asked, and the Potter boy hesitated before he answered once more.

"Black...." and he stilled at those words, at the insinuation.

"Why wou..." but before he could say anything, a frantic Minerva appeared behind him.

"Albus!" and he turned and frowned as he saw the alarm on her face.

"What happened?" he asked immediately.

"It's him! Black! He has broken into the school...."

0000

CASSIUS MALFOY

Casting a Patronus was even more troubling than he had guessed, and the sheer toll the spell took on you was something he had never expected.

In that moment of desperation, somehow, all his years of practice had come together, and he was able to cast the damned spell, though he did make a mistake midway through the spell, as he lost concentration.

But still. Cassius had cast a full-fledged Patronus.

The word about it had spread quickly throughout the entire school. The joy lasted for a few minutes until they were all forced into the Great Hall as the teachers swept the whole school to search for Sirius Black.

"Do you really think it's him?" asked Daphne as she slid into the sleeping bag beside him, and he shrugged.

"I doubt the fat lady would lie about it," he answered as he looked around the hall and saw many people staring and murmuring while looking towards him.

"It seems word has spread all around," he whispered as Daphne shrugged.

"What did you think would happen when you cast a full-fledged Patronus?" she teased, and he sighed.

"Not this," and he did not like this much attention pointed towards himself.

"You should wait for the breakfast tomorrow. The real storm will come then," she said and he looked at her.

"You don't sound so impressed, though?" he asked and she shrugged as she looked into his eyes.

"I have long known that you are a monster. The rest they are learning it just now," and he shook his head feigning a hurt expression.

"Is that your reason for befriending me then?" he asked.

"It surely was not because of your basic looks," she answered heartlessly with a smile and Cassius groaned in pretend pain as he grabbed his chest.

"You dare call my elegant and beautiful features basic. Such cruelty," he voiced out as she pinched his arm.

"Still, I am glad that you are fine," she said, and he knew that as well. Both her and Tracey had come racing to the infirmary as soon as they had heard of what had transpired, and he still remembered how scared she had looked when she had first seen him.

"Still, I wonder just what kind of memory allowed you to cast that spell?" she asked, and he smiled as his eyes scanned the crowd of students once more before they landed on a certain brown-haired girl sitting nervously and looking straight at him.

"I wonder myself," he answered. He gave Hermione a small nod, and she waved at him.

"Alright, everyone in their beds! I want everyone in their beds!" announced the head boy as he walked into the hall.

"The lights will go out in a minute. Anyone wanting to use the restroom will need to ask permission from either the teachers or the Prefects. No one goes out of this Hall without permission," he announced as Cassius slid into his bed.

"Well, then, good night, Daphne," he said, and the girl nodded as she walked up to the other side, where the beds for girls were lined up.

Soon after that, the lights turned off, and all that happened as Cassius lay in bed, counting the hours that had passed by. He was tired as well.

Very tired, but he could not sleep. Not until he had captured that damned rat. He did not wish to risk it getting away from him.

And as the whispers slowly died down as students fell asleep, he lay there in that little bunk bed. He took out his wand, the Marauder's Map that he had always kept on himself, and as a faint glow erupted at its tip, he placed it on the map as he whispered.

"I solemnly swear that I am upto no good," and his heart raced as the map came to life, and he watched all of the students gathered in the Great Hall, with a few patrolling the Halls.

And there he found him as well, hiding in one of the Corridors.

Peter Pettigrew.

His gamble had paid off.

Cassius pocketed his wand and the map as he slowly slid out of the sleeping bag and approached the familiar-faced Prefect sitting near the door.

"Clearwater," he greeted the Ravenclaw prefect, who seemed to be on the edge of sleep herself.

"Cassius," she replied as she woke up and rubbed her eyes.

"What are you doing out of your bed?" she asked, and Cassius raised a brow.

"I need to go to the washroom," he said, and she clicked her tongue.

"Really," she said, and he nodded.

"I wouldn't have asked otherwise," he said and as she was about to stand up.

"I will be fine on my own," he said, and she seemed to hesitate before he continued.

"I will be back in a few minutes," he said, and she nodded.

"If anything happens, run and scream. Don't try to be a hero like earlier," she said as she ruffled his hair and Cassius nodded.

"Duly noted," and with that, he slid out of the Hall, and as soon as he did, he cast a charm on himself to make himself invisible as he ran through the Halls because Pettigrew was on the other side of the hall, beyond the restrooms.

After a minute, Cassius reached the edge of the Hall, stopped, looked around the corner, and saw the rat lying there in the shadow. A few drops of blood were there on the floor. Small drops and Cassius slowly and carefully walked upto him, as he took out his wand and aimed it straight at the rat before he compelled his magic to obey his command.

"Stupefy!" and either the whisper and the small light woke him or not mattered little, as the beam of light hit it and the rat froze in place.

Then he slowly reached into his pocket and took out something he had prepared all along.

"Engorgio," he said and the cage he had prepared before hand expanded in his hand, as he slowly placed the rat inside it. And the cage was small and barely fit him, and he had made it so specifically to make sure that he did not escape.

With that, he ran back once more, this time towards the abandoned restrooms near the Hall, and placed it in one of the stalls.

"Your time is up you little rat...."

0000

Early in the morning, on the other side of the Wizarding World a blonde woman slid into her room, closing the door behind her rather forcefully as she fell on the bed.

"That damned editor!" she screamed and cursed as she removed her shoes. The room around her was littered with broken and decrepit furniture and stacks upon stacks of parchments and issues of the Daily Prophet.

As she lay there, she suddenly looked to the side and found a letter sitting on her table. She rose up and picked it up. Her eyes widened as she saw the words written on it.

"From Sirius Black to Reeta 'Beetle' Skeeter....."

0000

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