Draco watched Harry with a surprised expression, as Harry seemed to age in front of him. Harry didn't even change positions, he just slumped a little bit, and his entire being seemed to sag. Not wanting to draw attention to it Draco spoke up. "So?"
Harry tilted his head, puzzled at the question "So?"
"So what's the plan? Are you going to try and get your friends back together on this world? Going to try and get your family to help?" Draco asked, watching Harry's expression closely. "Hell no. I'm going to stay as far away from them as possible. I got them killed last time." Harry stated immediately and emphatically.
"Then what are you going to do?" Draco pressed. He wasn't going to argue with Harry about the responsibility for his parents. Though it was obvious it still bothered him.
"I'm going to stop the Goblet of Fire from choosing a fourth champion. Then do my best to stop events from continuing. I've already taken a couple of steps, though only one was truly productive." Harry paused a moment, his expression thoughtful. In the last week, one of the things he had managed to verify was that in this world, Voldemort had created horcruxes.
A trip with Nicholas Flamel, to the same cave Harry had gone near the beginning of his horcrux search on his old world proven very productive. Harry was honest enough to admit it was because of Nicholas that the trip was much easier than the first time. They had found the locket in a basin of poison, and instead of someone having to drink it. Nicholas had merely sniffed it, and then dumped two vials into it, neutralizing the poison. They had taken the locket from inside the pedestal. However, like in Harry's original world. The locket was fake, with a note from Regulus Black taunting the dark lord.
That was a puzzle he and the Flamels were trying to work out. In Harry's world Regulus had died in that cavern. However in this one he was imprisoned at Azkaban according to the papers.
"And this year, while I have the time, I'm going to train in anything and everything I can like you wouldn't believe." Harry replied, Draco's raised eyebrows spurred him to explain a little bit further. "Most of what I've learned, has either been learned while I was fighting for my life, or are things like runes and wards. I'm relatively good with wards, seeing as I learned from one of the most talented cursebreakers in the world. Very handy to have and all, but useless in an active fight since all but the most basic take time to set up."
Draco nodded a little bit at that, "Well make that two for whatever training you decide to do."
Harry heaved a sigh, "Look Draco, no offense. I'm glad you saw the light, or whatever you want to call it, but people who associate with me end up dead. As much as you irritate the shit out of me, I really don't want to be at fault for another death. You know firsthand that people who get involved in this war end up dead." Draco shook his head, "Look Potter. I'm going to have to be involved in the war. I know it's coming. You know it's coming. I can't avoid it. My parents expect me to be a death eater when the Dark Lord returns." Harry looked like he was about to reply, but Draco continued. "That way ended up with my death last time. This time I'm making my own choices."
Harry heaved a sigh, he was well aware that he could probably order Draco to just leave him alone because of the impetuous loyalty oath that Draco swore. At the same time he felt that would be taking away Draco's free will. And for the first time he felt a vague kinship with Draco. Draco was raised and molded by the expectations of people around him, much like Harry had been. Neither had a choice.
"Very well. But I hope you realize that it's going to be a ton of work." Harry said, in a last half-hearted attempt to warn Draco away.
Draco shook his head, "I don't care. I have to be ready too, don't I? What is it you're planning on doing?"
Harry chuckled, "I've got quite a bit I want to learn and probably am only scratching the surface."
Draco tilted his head. "Like what?"
Harry sighed, "I need to learn a greater variety of spells. I need to find ones for utility in fights and have something besides speed and power behind them. I need to get used to being in this body again, because I'm still not quite used to moving without a limp so I overcompensate on my leg. I think that's part of why I got blasted in the leg the other night after the world cup." Draco's eyes widened, "I KNEW it! I knew that was you when my Father described the whirlwind spell you used as a shield. That's why I was looking for you on the train."
Harry just nodded. "Yeah, that was me. Took a curse in the leg and shoulder though. It was stupid and pathetic the way I fought. You'd have thought I was back in fifth year for the complete lack of plan I had or forethought I exhibited."
Draco's eyes narrowed thoughtfully, "That's not what I heard. Father and his friends are all trying to figure out who attacked them. They think it was some foreign wizard or wizards there for the World Cup who was incredibly lucky. You injured several of them in the fight. The Nott family especially is trying to track down anyone who might know something. Crabb Senior, took a cutting curse to the stomach but they managed to heal him. You know you killed Theodore Nott's uncle right?"
Harry raised an eyebrow, "I knew I got someone right at the start, though I didn't hear who. Didn't much care, to tell the truth."
Draco nodded. "Yeah. Theodore's Father's older brother. Father told Mother that there was no warning, you just blew him up."
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