Draco Malfoy and The Twisted Times

Family Secrets

Over the next couple days Draco spent the time reading and studying for classes, which took up most of his time.  He had gotten his list the day after he arrived back home and found out he managed to get only one of the classes he wanted.

He would be taking the normal core classes; Charms, Potions, Transfiguration, History of Magic, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Astronomy, and Herbology.  Yet he had managed to take Arithmancy, Divination, and Care of Magical Creatures. He was most excited for Arithmancy and had been learning about it for at least six months.  Divination and Care of Magical Creatures weren't exactly on his list of favorites but hopefully they will allow him to get higher marks than Granger this year.

Narcissa had planned a trip to Diagon Alley the day before he was to leave for Hogwarts so Draco spent that entire morning looking at himself in the mirror and fixing his hair.  It felt weird to suddenly care about his appearance and he wondered if anyone would even notice.

Eventually the time came for Geemy to come upstairs and knock on his door to tell him Narcissa was waiting at the fireplace for him.  After a thank you to Geemy he made his way downstairs to meet up with his mother.  When he reached the fireplace he gave his mother a kiss on the cheek and helped her into the fireplace. 

Being in Diagon Alley again was a feeling he couldn't explain.  Seeing other witches and wizards flood the streets, disappearing into the shops, and the occasional first year gawking at the overall magic the alley radiated.

"What's first Draco," Narcissa asked as she looked around, pausing at the Knockturn Alley entrance.

"Oh, I think-" Draco looked up for the list in his hands and spotted Crabbe and Goyle walking over to him. "Oi Malfoy!" Goyle said smiling. The boys had gotten taller, stronger even.  Goyle finally cleaned up his act a bit, Draco couldn't say the same about Crabbe.

"You're looking proper Malfoy," Crabbe laughed which made Draco smirk.  He wondered if the other guys were here and how they would think of his new look.  "Is it cool mom if I go get my school stuff with them?" Draco asked his mother.  Narcissa for some reason looked very uncomfortable and he guessed it was because of the many wanted signs for her cousin.

"Yes..yes...I will be in Borgin and Burkes if you need me Draco," She kissed her son on the cheek and disappeared into the dark alleyway.  Draco waited until she was fully out of sight before he smiled at Crabbe and Goyle and began walking down Diagon Alley.

"So did you guys get anything already?" Draco asked.  They weren't holding anything but he noticed by the heaviness in their robes they were carrying a couple galleons. 

"Just our robes, we had to get them readjusted," Crabbe said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a cauldron cake.  Maybe those weren't galleons in their pockets.

"Ah, well I just need books mostly, my robes still fit and nothing of mine has broken, so just...books," Draco mumbled while pulling out the list to check.

The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 3 by Miranda Goshawk

Unfogging the Future by Cassandra Vablatsky

Intermediate Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

The Monster Book of Monsters

Numerology and Grammatica

The Essential Defence Against the Dark Arts

So many books, so many classes, yet so much excitement.  They ducked into Florish and Blotts where it was much different from their usual quiet scenery.  Workers were rushing around with ripped robes and determined looks on their faces.