Orpheus' Legacy

Christmas Colours

Harry clutched Draco so tightly his fingers began to ache. This was the exact same situation they had been in last time, except now he was with a rather more incriminating accomplice than Ron and Hermione had been, given the situation. As per the events before, Mr Weasley again came running forward, placing himself between the two cowering boys and the seething circle of Ministry wizards.

"Stop. Stop! That's Harry Potter you're firing at!"

"And Draco Malfoy!" A stout woman shouted back, moving forward.

Barty Crouch emerged from the throng, wand still pointed accusingly at the pair. "You have been spotted at the scene of the crime! Explain yourselves immediately!"

Mr Weasley stepped between them, holding his hands out placatingly.

"Look, I'm sure this is a simple misunderstanding Barty. A wrong place, wrong time situation- Harry, what is it that you are doing here? You and your, er, Mr Malfoy? How com-"

"We ran into one another in all the panic." Harry blurted, grasping desperately for an excuse before they could be questioned any further. "And he wasn't involved in this either. We both got into a, um," Harry swallowed, saying 'a duel' seemed a bit unbelievable considering at this point they would have had only the knowledge of third years. They'd barely learned Alohamora, let alone high calibre stunning spells and hexes, that would dig them an even deeper hole.

"Trouble! I was stuck under a, erm, tent post that fell down. Harry helped me." Draco intercepted. He then noticed Harry unsubtly eyeing all of the rather suspicious burn holes in both their clothes, "and I accidentally set us on fire. So," he gestured weakly to the holes.

Crouch looked unconvinced.

"And then you cast the Dark Mark?"

Draco blanched, "No! We d-"

"The Dark what?"

Draco stopped mid-sentence. Surely Harry wasn't really trying to feign obliviousness?

Crouch, as well as some of the other Ministry wizards, exchanged uneasy glances.

"The Dark Mark, Harry." Mr Weasley said in hushed tones, "His mark."

Harry seemed to decide this was the appropriate moment to start to understand.

"You mean Voldemort's mark?"

A gasp rippled through the circle.

"Don't say his name!" Crouch hissed.

Harry put on his most innocuous face.

"But we didn't do that! We were just trying to get out of here, away from them! You should know that, I told you they'd be coming here! I warned you! I'm not on their side!" Harry's voice was bordering hysterical, and as he had lost his glasses: his wide, frightened eyes only added to the 'harmless schoolboy' part he was playing. "Please, Mr Crouch, he killed my parents! Why would I ever be on his side? You must understand, we couldn't cast that spell, we don't even know the incantation! You can check my wand if you'd like- and Draco's- it won't be there."

The panic that shot through Draco with the offering of his wand was immediately swamped by another more overwhelming feeling, Potter said his name. Not Malfoy, but Draco. The warmth that swelled inside him at that was deeply unfamiliar, yet not uncomfortable. He didn't know why hearing it from Potter's mouth made his stomach do somersaults, but he wasn't in a place to question it now.

Surprisingly, the 'harmless schoolboy' act seemed to have done the trick, "No. No I do not think that will be necessary. However, did you boys happen to see who did cast the spell?" Crouch asked, with the air of someone trying not to spook a wild animal.