Warm But Tainted Blood (Drarry)

chapter twenty-one

Harry sits in a chair that is too uncomfortable with a man who is both too suspicious and his only hope for freedom. He is offered a lemon drop and refuses harshly.

"So my boy," said Albus Dumbledore, "what can I do for you?"

"I would like to request to stay at Hogwarts," says Harry evenly, "over the summer."

Albus hums and Harry decides he does not like the sound.

Albus simply tilts his head, giving no sign that he's to say more, so Harry continue, "My family situation is not ideal. They're-- t-they--" don't water it down, they don't deserve it, "The Dursley's are abusive, sir." The words are heavy on his tongue and it hurts his head to think about but it's nessacary.

But Albus? He seems relatively unmoved from the admission. Almost as if, thinks Harry as Albus gets up and walks to the door, he already knew.

As Harry gets up, intent on getting the fuck out, Albus Dumbledore wards the door. He turns back toward Harry, a knowing smile playing on his lips, a twinkle in his eye, and Harry knows he was right not to drink this man's fucking tea.

"I know," says Albus. The words flood Harry with rage and he bites back a go to hell and instead says, his voice rough:

"Elaborate."

"It's not the ideal housing situation, I know, but, my boy, look at how much it's helped you. The blood wards have increased your magical core significantly, can't you tell? You've been casting fourth year spells with ease--"

"I don't care!" snapped Harry. "I don't care about being powerful, I just want to be safe."

Albus tuts. "I apologise but there are others who need you there--"

"Who?" Harry demands. "Fucking who!"

"I'm a man of seven main promises, Harry," Albus explains. "One was to Gellert Grindelwald. I promised to craft a leader, worthy of the new generation, and let it be known I intend to make due on that promise."

Harry filed away the name to look up later and settled himself to just glaring. (He did not trust himself with words.)

Albus Dumbledore walks back around to his desk and sits back lazily. "Great leaders deal with slander all the time, I'm sure you know, and my little Seer says with the right teacher placement, you're to be more than prepared.

"I won't even have to interfer as heavily as I did this time--"

"What are you talking about?" Harry asks even as his mind began to connect the dots.

"You think young Neville was able to orchestrate this entire debacle himself?" Albus chuckled and Harry's ears bled at the sound. "No, my dear boy, he was but a pawn. It was me who started the endeavor, me who turned the first boy into a dragon, and Neville who continued. With the help of an Imperio, he was willing. Excessively so. Turning him against you was easy enough as well-- I told him the Prophecy and only had to erase the memory of where he heard it. I sent him the book-- yes, Harry, the very one you and young Malfoy aquired-- and he destroyed the reversal section, and I sent it back once done. I supplied the portrait passwords through smartly placed notes, I turned the one marked with runes into dragons, and I manipulated the memories of everyone who went through such. I got Neville Longbottom to give you the soultion to the problem I created after the fact." Albus leaned back, spreading his hands. "Can't you see? It was all me, Harry, all me!"

Harry clenched his fists and thinks heatedly that he's the reason that Justin Flich-Flecther-- the dragon he was all but forced to kill-- is dead and that he's not even fucking remorseful over it.

"For next year," continues the man who Harry really wishes would stop talking, "be prepared. It'll go down in history as Harry Potter's Thrice Outed Year-- I'm simply giddy over the title, aren't you?"

"No," Harry deadpans and adds, ignoring whatever that meant, "Your motives don't make sense."

"Don't they?"

"No," says Harry again.

"Then perhaps they will," Albus smiles, "in time, they will."

Harry Potter leaves the room with no memory of what happened, and a strong conviction that he's okay with going back to the Dursley's. (He's not--)

∆¶∆

The Hogwarts Express pulls up to King's Cross station and Harry is okay with it (he's not--). He waves to the newly reunited pair of redhead twins, smiles bittersweetly as Hermione walks off to her parents, and is left standing side by side with Draco Malfoy.

"I'm glad I met you," Draco says fondly-- and is it not the understatement of the year?

"Yeah," Harry says with a tired smile, "I am, too. But, erm-- ya can't fucking write me this summer. I'm not going to be in a position to write back." I'm worried they'll kill Hedwig if I come back with her. (I'm worried they'll kill me.) I'm planning on setting her lose before I go and hoping she'll return to me before school starts, in all honesty.

Draco furrows his brows but he understands Harry's boundaries (or pretends to understand-- it doesn't matter. It's enough) so he replies, softly, "Okay."

Draco spots his parents in the crowd and walks toward them. He turns back to Harry before he goes and says, "See you next year. Happy early birthday, by the way."

"To you as well, fucker." To you as well.

As Draco embraces his parents with a warm smile and relaxed posture, Harry watches and mourns the life that could've been and mourns the life that wasn't. He wonders, briefly, if his parents would be proud of him.

He decides it doesn't matter. He decides it doesn't matter, then starts the long walk home to a family that doesn't love him, to a home that's just a house, and a cupboard that holds more than cleaning supplies.

See you next year.

a/n
word count: 1000
hello !! Harry's first year is officially over. coming up next: luna! ginny! a new antagonist! events foreshadowed!
as you could probably tell, there's a lot detail that hinted to the not-so-twist ending. pay attention 2 literally everything bc there's already events that'll outright explain the Big Event in Harry's third year! and Harry's fifth year! and sixth year! it's very jam packed so please praise me in the comments thank you.
luna's character is going to be VERY different from what you've seen i just want to make that clear.
um albus! wtf amright! his seven promises will be a yearly thing ofc so look forward to that.
Snape and lucius r still going to he anatognistic but like,,, to a way lesser degree than originally anticipated.
as you can probably tell, ive changed a LOT abt the canon. from Parseltongue itself, to the When Draco Called Hermione A Mudblood (changed it from second year to first,) so yeah!! it's fun & sexy to fuck w jk's writing.
anyway ill only do an a/n at the end of each year so see you in 20-30 chapters <3
ty for reading & please comment, my stars