The dementor backed off a bit. "Sometimes," she
answered, "to bring in fresh blood we marry muggles, but
never magic folk. The incantations to make magic powerless
against us wouldn't work on them."
"Thank you!" Harry remarked. "I know those are
probably private things, and I assure you I will not discuss
them. But I needed the information."
The dementor nodded. Harry started to walk off and then it said
"Wizard Potter!"
"Yes?" Harry asked. "There was a rumor some years
ago that a wizard had bewitched one of our young sisters, a kind
of magic we were not protected against, and she had a child by
him. That child lived with us a couple of years and then had to
be removed. I was not involved in this incident myself, it was
not a member of my family, but the story was well told."
"Thank you!" Harry again praised. He went back to his
dorm and found Draco there visiting Ginny.
"Draco," Harry asked, "you don't talk much about
your mother. Do you remember her?"
"Oh yes!" Draco answered. She was with me a lot then
one day I woke up in a different house. It was a lot brighter.
There was a woman taking care of me, and a man who said he was my
father, and that my mother had died, and I would now be living
with him. For a long time I missed her. I can remember her smile
and she used to sing to me all the time. Why do you ask?"
"The thought just came to me," Harry answered. He went
up to his bed and laid there pondering, for some time. Had he put
all the pieces together right? Should he act, or should he just
leave things alone? Professor Potter had said "Do good even
when others don't want it." Harry had to think on this, he
had to think on it quite a bit.
Christmas was growing near. Professor Potter had told everyone to
follow their normal routine. Harry knew that Christmas would a
good time to attack Hogwarts. Over fifty per cent of the students
would be away. Some of the teachers might even be away! It would
be a time that the school would be vulnerable. Having had thought
if he was going to attack Hogwarts that's when he would. The days
dragged by. Then again Harry saw the dementor creeping around
like it was waiting for potions. Finally one day when he saw it
arriving he grabbed Malfoy. "Come with me!" he snapped.
"Ginny, stay here!"
Ginny looked startled but obeyed. Harry led Malfoy up to the
balcony where the dementor waited for the potions. When the one
there saw them coming she started to walk off and Harry cried
"Stop!" She turned back. "Take on your other
form!" Harry insisted. The dementor shimmered and changed.
Harry saw the other Malfoy appear beside her. "Draco,"
Harry simply commented, "this is your mother. Say
hello!"
Harry then turned and headed off. He looked back to see the elder
Malfoy fading away. He sensed completion, an end, peace. Harry
smiled and went about his business. About the same time the next
day he saw Malfoy leading Ginny towards the balcony. "Where
are we going?" Ginny was asking.
"Someone you have to meet!" Malfoy explained
"Something you have to know before we go on."
Harry watched them go and smiled to himself. "Not going to
make a bit of difference!" he muttered. He looked up to see
snowflakes start falling. "Going to be a white
Christmas!" he sighed. He hurried on. They were ready as
they could be, but he just wanted to double check everything.
Professor Potter had told him "Pick good people, Harry and then depend
on them. Have back up if things go awry but trust your people." Harry
trusted his people.
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