Loyalty - a fine line between being a chauvinist or a traitor

Ch 1 - Draco gets destroyed by a hat

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Why had the school sent him an owl so close to the new semester? He asked himself. A pale fingle ran across the parchment, and he read the green ink over and over in his mind. He'd heard of students being called in early... however what could they possibly need from him? Didn't they know his family was a busy one?

"I heard the owl, dear. What is it?" His mother said softly as she entered the foyer, heels clicking against the polished marble floors. He looked up to her with confusion in his eyes. "What is it, Draco?" She repeated, this time with more haste. She was quick to assume it was something very terrible.

He held up the folded letter and presented her with the wax seal. "They've requested my presence at the school before the term." He explained. "I can't imagine why, I've done nothing wrong."

He set the letter down firmly on the glossy black table, his mother's piercing eyes watched every movement.

She finally let out a sigh and cleared her throat. "I'm sure it's simply formalities or something of the sort. You know how the world's been since... Last year." She stopped herself after that- but Draco knew what she meant. She was talking about the accident at Hogwarts last year.

"When will father be returning today?" Draco then asked, following her into the living room. "He's never been so busy with work. He hardly comes back before dusk." He added. The accident caused it as well- he presumed- the insanely long hours where Draco knew his father was toiling away because of whatever the hell happened in that maze last year during the Triwizard Tournament.

"I don't know, Draco. He told me he has a long business trip planned soon. You know he's working hard." She sits down on the expensive armchair, gazing out the window.

Draco nods, blonde hair falling into his face and stands silent. He watches his mother as she sits down- face pale. She worried about him- about everything. He didn't know what to think, what to say. The entire wizarding world was alight with the death of Cedric Diggory, and because of what that damned fool Harry Potter said. He'd tried to ignore it- but that was a difficult thing to do when your father worked for the ministry.

'To Hell with the Dark Lord coming back.' He thought. 'To Hell with whatever Dumbledore said in defense of that half-blooded prick.' He dipped his head to his mother briefly before bounding up the winding stairwell. 'It's all just a stupid plot.' He reached the door to his own room, which he flung open with extra indignation, and scanned the letter one last time.

A summons to the castle a week before September 1st. He was to arrive by the Floo network to Hogsmeade at 2pm tomorrow. No later than 3. He was expected to bring his trunk, and he'd be staying at the castle for the whole week. 'Oh joy.' He rolled his eyes and kicked the side of his trunk, which popped the top of it open, and reviewed the contents. 'Looks to be in place.' He noted with extra exasperation, eyes falling over glass phials and green neckties.

He took the trunk down to the fireplace and left the note on the table for his father to read, then returned to his room. The idea of going back to school was tiring enough, but gluing on another week in such short notice made him feel exhausted to even consider.

The night and subsequent morning arrived faster than Draco had wanted, and before he knew it, he was standing in the large fireplace. "Make sure to write to me. I'll send Minuit at least twice a month." His mother said, grasping his arm firmly. "I love you, Draco. Don't do anything reckless this year."

Draco nodded, and gave her one last hug of reassurance. She was always like this at Kings Cross, right before he'd get on the train. "I'll write to you once I've settled at Hogwarts, okay?" He heaved the large trunk into the fireplace with him and took grasp of a handful of floo powder. With the toss of his wrist and the word "Hogsmeade!" uttered from his mouth, he disappeared in a cloud of green fire.