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Chapter 3

Strange Days Indeed

Disclaimer: JK Rowling is a goddess for thinking up this wonderful world. She, along with WB, Bloomsbury, Scholastic, and numerous others are lucky to own it. I do not.

AN: I decided with this chapter to switch POV every once in a while, but only with each new section in the chapter itself. There was a lot more I wanted to convey than just in Harry's view.

Thanks to Lily, outcast123 and Phoenix for reviewing. The explanations are coming, just not this chapter. Next, I promise!

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Harry looked at the others as they gathered in Professor Dumbledore's office. It was another of the meetings, although not a scheduled one at that. The Headmaster looked deeply troubled as they gathered in his office, and he wondered what had happened.

The faded blue eyes didn't twinkle like they usually did and Harry missed it. It had been too long since he had seen such a thing. It looked like this war was going to drag on, and he didn't know if he had enough strength to fight along with Dumbledore. Finally, the door opened and closed for the last time.

"I'm sorry to pull you away at such a time, but I'm afraid I've some bad news," the old man began.

Harry looked around the room to see everybody's expression. Professor McGonagall seemed saddened while Snape wore his usual scowl. Professor Steele wore a blank mask, but her eyes were dull. Mr. Weasley's face was pale and Harry could feel Ron tense beside him when he caught sight of his father.

"The Dementors finally took Azkaban."

The room was silent and Harry was afraid to disrupt it even to breathe.

"It looks like most of the Death Eaters that still remained there have escaped, and I do believe they will eventually head here to Hogwarts."

Harry blanched. He knew they were coming to get him. Ever since the beginning of this summer he had known that something like this was going to happen, but he didn't want it to happen so soon. He felt eyes on him and he looked up to see Sirius watching him carefully, a guarded look on his face as if he too knew what they were looking for. Harry caught a haunted glaze in the dark eyes for a moment before the older man pulled himself together.

"Minister Fudge refused to deal with this for too long. Now we are the ones that have to pay the consequences," Dumbledore continued, his blue eyes hard in his age-old wise face. "He was there when it happened."

Mr. Weasley went to speak but Dumbledore raised his hand. "No, Arthur, let me finish this and then you can speak." Mr. Weasley nodded and slumped into his chair as if he had been handed a large weight.

"We only know this because of Percy Weasley, who managed to escape when this first began."

Harry felt Ron tremble next to him. He reached over and took his friend's hand and gave an encouraging squeeze. Even though Ron and Percy didn't get along personality wise, they each loved each other in their own ways.

"Sir?" Hermione raised her hand. "Was - was Percy hurt?" Her normally strident voice was shaky and Harry could hear a faint trace of tears in it.

"Fortunately, no." Harry gave a deep, silent sigh at that and felt Ron release a little bit of the tension. He didn't care how funny it looked for him to hold his hand, but he refused not to be there when Ron needed him to be.

"Apparently a couple of the Death Eaters that worked in the Ministry were there and tried to force Fudge into handing over the prison to them. When Percy noticed this he went for help. By the time it arrived the Dementors had taken over and it was too late." Dumbledore sighed, and Harry could hear exhaustion in it.

The old man nodded to Mr. Weasley, who stood up. "Those left in the Ministry sent a bunch of Aurors to Azkaban, and only four returned out of the ten. They did manage to bring back one of the Death Eaters."

"Malfoy." McGonagall's voice was sharp, cutting through the two syllables.

Mr. Weasley nodded. "He's being kept somewhere, but I haven't been able to find out where yet."

Harry looked back at Dumbledore, who wore a grave face. "Professor Snape, when this meeting is over please bring up Mr. Draco Malfoy. He will have to be told."

Harry held his breath. He wondered how the Slytherin boy would take this news. He might even be expecting it, but he would have to look for a reaction.

Dumbledore went to the door that led to the small room behind his office and pushed it open, sticking his head into it. "I'm afraid that we will have to add another person to this group, but I have the feeling that she will be able to help greatly. Aeryn, please come in."

The door opened wider, revealing a young girl, no more than twelve, holding hands with Marty.

"Dumbledore, who is this?" asked Mundungus Fletcher.

"This is my great-great-granddaughter, Aeryn Negre," Dumbledore said. The little girl pulled on her hand and ran towards Harry as Dumbledore led Aeryn to Professor Steele. "And Ella's little sister."

Shock ran through everybody else in the room. Harry didn't have time to think as Marty crawled up on his lap, even as some niggling idea tingled in his brain. The name was very familiar. He looked over at Professor Steele, who stood up. "I am not related to Professor Dumbledore. Only Aeryn is. She is my half-sister," she said in her toneless voice.

Harry looked at her again and found age-old eyes in the young girl's face, though she was smiling up at her sister. He looked again at the Professor's face and found a trace of sadness on it. He wondered if anybody could see it.

"Harry!" Marty's squeaking voice brought everybody back from their shock.

"How can a twelve year old know what to do?" asked Snape, eyeing the girl with distrust.

"You will see later, Severus," Dumbledore replied. He refused to say anything more on it until the meeting was over.

As they were leaving, Harry heard him remind Snape that he wanted to see Draco as soon as possible. A part of him wanted to stay behind and listen to what the Headmaster was going to say to the Slytherin boy, but he also knew that he wouldn't get the chance as 'Snuffles' pushed him down the hallway to an unused classroom. Hermione, Ron, and Remus followed soon after.

"What is Dumbledore thinking, bringing that girl into this?" Sirius said as soon as he return to his normal form. The tall man began to pace one wall of the room, making sure he was well away from the window as the opposite side of the room.

"Sirius," Remus said in a soft voice. "I'm sure that Albus has his reasons."

"They'd better be good." Sirius stopped at this point and was silent for a minute. Harry watched the changes as they passed over his face, one emotion flowing right after the other. "I - I..."

"Spit it out, Padfoot," Remus said, a twinkle in his eye as he winked at Harry.

"I think I've seen her mother," Sirius finally said.

Harry perked up at that. Where had he seen such a woman? "Where?"

Sirius looked at him before turning to the others. "Before Azkaban," he said in a shuttered voice.

The room was silent for a couple of minutes before Hermione shuffled over to one of the windows. Harry watched her for a moment before he looked over at Sirius. "Sirius?"

The older man started, as if he'd forgotten there was somebody else in the room. Harry watched his eyes travel around to the others before he turned back to him. "She was one of the people a couple of Death Eaters killed before Voldemort...."

"But that's impossible!" Remus exclaimed. "That girl can't be more than twelve. If what you are saying is true, she would never have been born, since her mother would have been dead for four years!"

Harry looked at his godfather, whose face ran a gamut of emotions. Slowly the older man shook his head. "I guess that is true, but that woman looked just like her. I remember the picture in the Daily Prophet. Lily was so torn up about it."

Remus put his hand on Sirius' shoulder, but didn't say anything.

******

Malfoy looked around the room, wondering why Dumbledore had wanted to speak to him now. The detention he had gotten from McGonagall had been last week, and he didn't think he'd gotten caught doing anything since then. A cold chill ran down his spine, but he ignored it as the old man leaned forward in his chair.

"Mr. Malfoy, do you know why I asked to see you this late?"

Draco shook his head.

"Your father," Dumbledore said before he went quiet.

Draco uneasily eyed him, conscious of Professor Snape standing to one side of the room.

"Yes. About your father," the old man began again. "I'm afraid to say that he was involved in an incident at Azkaban earlier today."

Slate grey eyes narrowed at this, but nothing else crossed his face. Draco buried any feelings he was having down deep. He wasn't quite sure what Dumbledore was going to say.

"He was captured as a Death Eater by several Aurors and is being held by the Ministry until a trial is arranged."

Draco stood up suddenly. "That's not possible. My father..."

"Is a Death Eater." Dumbledore's voice was suddenly hard.

Draco was startled enough that he fell into his chair.

"You have yet to carry the Dark Mark, haven't you?"

He felt like the pale blue eyes were piercing him to the very core of his soul. Draco gave a slight nod before he could stop himself. His eyes widened when he remembered that Snape was still in the room. He knew the Potions teacher and head of Slytherin was in the same group as his father. There might be some good in this.

"Then what about Professor Snape?" he asked, his cold voice slyly insinuating a little revenge for the question.

"Ah, yes." Dumbledore turned to Snape. "Severus, would you please bring Aeryn out of the room there?"

Snape's black eyes glittered sharply in the bright light of Dumbledore's office. "Very well, Albus." He turned and knocked on the door. Draco watched with studious intent as the door opened slightly and Snape muttered something to whoever was inside. As somebody stepped out of the door, he was only slightly aware of Snape's shock, but he felt stunned when he saw a young girl, not much younger than his seventeen, approach him.

"Albus?" Snape's voice was distant in his hearing as the girl, presumably Aeryn, walked directly in front of him. Draco saw the puzzled look on her face as she looked towards Dumbledore.

"This is him?" Her clear voice made Draco shudder. There was something about it that reminded him of Professor Steele and inwardly he cringed, even though he knew he shouldn't cower before anyone.

"Yes, Aeryn."

She looked back down at Draco and he saw that her eyes were a lot like the Headmaster's in the way they seemed to see below the surface. They were a strange color, blue with a million different green flecks in them, shining strangely in the suddenly dim room.

He started to feel drowsy, unaware of Dumbledore gently pushing him towards the inner room. Stumbling, he drowsily looked around the strange room but not caring much about it as he glanced at Aeryn again. Feeling some piece of furniture brush against the back of his legs, he wavered for a second before he felt too heavy to keep himself upright. Draco fought to keep his eyes open as he saw the girl lean over him but it was a losing battle.

Scattered dreams flitted behind his eyelids before he rose to the surface of consciousness. Silvery eyes looked around sleepily as Draco pulled himself into a sitting position. He didn't remember lying down, but going to Dumbledore's office must have been a dream. Eyes wandered lazily around the room until realization hit that this wasn't his room he was settled in.

Draco shot up to his feet before he tumbled down again. Underneath him lay a large book with strange markings written across it. He hadn't seen anything like this before in his wanderings through the library. He picked it up and thumbed through a couple of pages before the weird letters swam in front of his eyes.

"Awake I see, Mr. Malfoy."

His head shot up when he saw Professor Steele walking into the room. Behind her was Professor Dumbledore, who wore a worried expression on his face. Draco was a little curious at that, but he didn't feel up to saying anything about it. The DADA teacher came over and put a cool hand to his forehead as bewilderment coursed through him. What was going on?

"Aeryn did well," he heard Professor Steele mutter under his breath.

Draco jerked at this. Now that he was fully awake he could remember what the girl had done. "She - she took me on a trip," he stuttered. He wasn't sure if it was a dream or reality but it had scared him. His father had been sitting in a room, unable to use any magic, and he had been screaming. When they had first entered the room, Draco couldn't decipher what his father had been saying, but after a couple seconds of adjustment he had understood.

"My father..." he trailed off, looking up at Dumbledore who nodded gently. "He was saying it was me. That I'm the one who's doing all these things." Draco took a shuddering breath, feeling as if he had to get it out, to make somebody understand the pain he was in. He could remember the screams from the elder Malfoy, how he was pleading that it couldn't be *him.* He was a respectable wizard and that he was totally ashamed of his son for dragging him into this. That it was just like all those years ago when he was innocently dragged into the situation and there was no way he would ever do this. Bewitchment must have fallen over him again.

Draco had heard these sorts of things before when there had been inquiries, but his father was fighting for his life now and *he* had never taken the blame. Why would his father say that he was the guilty one of the family? He would rather much ignore the whole thing in the first place, choosing a quick suicide over the entire mess.

"Draco," Dumbledore cut into his thoughts. "It was real."

His eyes shot back to the Headmaster's. How could it be real? There was no possible way that could be so. His father would never implicate his son in *his* problems. Would he? Draco's forehead furrowed in thought as he looked at Dumbledore, who seemed to have aged several decades over the last couple of years.

"El?" Draco's attention switched to the person in the doorway. An exhausted, strained looking Aeryn stood shakily next to the door, Snape close behind her with an unusual expression to his face that he couldn't quite place.

Professor Steele strode over to the girl and helped her sit down, close to Draco. He could see strain in her young face, which somehow seemed a little older than it had earlier in the evening. As he looked at her she turned to watch him with a concerned look on her face.

"All right, Draco?" Worry flowed through her voice and her eyebrows pinched together as she concentrated on him.

Shock ran through him at the obvious concern she had for him. She looked worse off than he felt, or maybe he looked the same. For once he didn't care about his self image. A small part of him was shocked that someone would show this much concern for him, and not just for a favor he would have to repay.

"Albus." Snape's voice from the doorway snapped everybody's head around. "Tell me what's happening here."

Dumbledore sighed and crossed the room. Draco choked back a laugh as the Potions teacher tried to fight the polite order for him to sit down while the Headmaster explained. Snape put up a fuss before he finally took a seat well away from the others. Out of the corner of his eye he saw confusion run across Aeryn's face. He looked over to Professor Steele and found she was watching all this with her normal mask on.

Only once had he seen it slip, but he knew enough not to say anything about it. It had been while he had been in detention. He had been startled when she had helped him. The last of the stands had almost been finished when a wave of dizziness had hit him and he had started to fall down the stairs. Panic had fluttered through him as he realized he didn't have the strength to catch himself. Then he had seen the expression of his teacher's face when she grabbed a hold of his arm. Worry had been etched into a most lifelike face. He had been stunned by it.

Now he looked up at Dumbledore as he felt eyes on him. Only one pair was he concerned about. Draco looked steadily at the Headmaster, refusing to back down from the skill he saw in those pale blue eyes. The shrewd look in them seemed to burn a hole right through him, leaving nothing but emptiness in its wake and him an empty shell. Was this what somebody felt like after a Dementor's kiss? He knew that was his fate if his father had his way, and he didn't want that. He wanted to get down on his knees for the first time ever and have somebody listen to him, not his family, his name, but him as a person.

"Draco?"

Aeryn's voice came to him again. Dull grey eyes turned to find sadness in her unusual eyes, strange even for a witch.

"I'm sorry you had to learn it this way, Draco," Dumbledore said in a concerned voice. At that Draco turned his attention outwardly again and found the other three in the room waiting for some kind of reaction. Snape was silent, a strange look to his face. Professor Steele's eyes danced in a myriad of colors in the flickering light from the fire, and Aeryn's hand on his gave him the last little step back into reality.

Draco was silent as Dumbledore turned to Snape. "You are wondering why Aeryn has aged so much in a couple of hours?"

Snape's black eyes seemed to bite at the air around him as they flashed. Dumbledore gave a small chuckle, making Draco realize that he hadn't heard such a sound from the old man in quite a while.

"I do believe she could give you a run for your money, Severus," Dumbledore's eyes glowed for a second with pride such as Draco had never seen. The only pride he had received was stilted by his father's sense of power over his son and wife.

Snape sat forward sharply in the chair. His eyes became slits as they glared at the girl next to Draco. "You've managed to perfect the aging potion?" His voice was dangerously low.

Aeryn gave a tired laugh. "Yes," she said, giving an exhausted glance over to Professor Steele, who nodded at her. "I wouldn't recommend taking it however. But, it got me safely here, unrecognized." She stood, her legs seeming to not want to hold her weight. "Forgive me, but I think I need to rest for the moment."

"I'll see her out, Albus," Professor Steele said as she guided Aeryn out of the door and out of Dumbledore's office. Draco looked between Snape and Dumbledore, wondering what was about to happen next.

AN: Aeryn is pronounced "I-Rin," with the "r" somewhere between a soft "r" and an "l."

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