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Chapter 1

Hello readers!! This is my first fan fiction ever, and I'm really excited to share it. Enjoy!

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All Ginny Weasley could see was the sky (well, and a couple tree branches). She lay on her back in the shade of the enormous maple tree in front of the Burrow and gazed up at the clouds ambling across the bright blue expanse of the sky. It was a perfect summer afternoon, like the kind you see in the first scene of a movie. Of course, in a movie, with a scene so picturesque, someone was probably about to be murdered. Suddenly a shadow fell across her face, and she started, still thinking about murder movies. Ron's shaggy mop of bright ginger hair and slightly annoyed face loomed over her head, upside down.

"Ginny, I've been calling you for ten minutes, didn't you hear me?" Ron sounded rather exasperated.

"Nope, I've been out here," Ginny said, squinting up at her brother. "Sorry," she added as an afterthought.

Ron rolled his eyes. "Come on," he said, "I was calling you because Harry just arrived from the Dursleys'."

"Harry?" Ginny's voice came out squeakier than she meant it to, and her stomach turned over.

"Yes, Harry," Ron said with a sigh, "as in, Harry Potter; as in, my best friend."

As in my only crush since I was 11 years old, thought Ginny. She stuck her hand out to Ron and he pulled her up from the ground. Ginny brushed herself off and the two siblings walked across the lawn to their house.

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Draco Malfoy was also lying on his back, although not under the shade of a maple tree. He was panting, and a sword point quivered at his throat.

"Get up." Lucius Malfoy growled. Draco sighed and hauled himself to his feet. He was two hours into his daily fencing practice with his father and already soaked with sweat. He turned to face Lucius and adjusted his position. Beat. Lunge. Attack. Counter-attack. Feint. Riposte. The terms and movements flowed through Draco's mind like water and his body followed. All that could be heard in the fencing room were footsteps and the metallic clang of swords. For all his efforts, Draco had never been able to get the better of his father, and he dreaded these practice sessions. It was the middle of July and he should be outside on a broomstick, or reading a book in the library, not getting pinned to the ground by a sword tip.

Oof. Draco found himself looking up at his father yet again from the hard wooden floor of the fencing room. Lucius looked disdainfully down at him.

"You're not paying attention, Draco." he said coldly.

"Sorry Father," Draco said tiredly.

Lucius nodded curtly. "I hope you will be more attentive tomorrow night."

Draco frowned. "What's tomorrow night?"

His father's lips curled into a thin smile. "After tomorrow night, there will be no question who is the Dark Lord's most trusted servant. The plan I have set into motion will put Harry Potter at the mercy of the Dark Lord once and for all."
He took the sword point away from Draco's throat and let him get to his feet once more. "Now, no more questions; your mother and I have a lot of work to do."

Actually, Draco had a lot more questions, but he knew better than to argue. At least the fencing practice seemed to be over for the day. Lucius strode out of the fencing room and down the long hall to one of the sitting rooms. Draco lay down on the bare floor, utterly exhausted, and stared up at the high ceiling. I seem to be looking at things from this angle a lot lately, he thought.