The New Marauders and the Trickster God

Chapter 45: Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus

Everyone looked up when the knock echoed through their compartment. They wanted to see who would disturb them other than the trolley lady who wasn't due for another hour or so. When the compartment door opened, it revealed a very familiar blond Slytherin, though surprisingly without his goons.

"Malfoy?" Harry asked, surprised. "What do you want?"

"Uhm," the blond began a bit intimidated, knowing only too well that one wrong word would get him pranked before the year even started. "Could I perhaps talk to you, Harry? Alone?"

Harry blinked a few times in surprise, primarily since the blond used his given name and not a simple snarked "Potter". However, in the end, he nodded, wanting to know what Draco wanted. Yes, curiosity might kill the cat, but Harry couldn't help himself. He was intrigued why Draco would willingly come to their compartment in the full knowledge that he might get pranked for disturbing them.

"Sure, why not."

He stood up and followed the other boy out of the compartment and down to another empty one. Harry wasn't worried in the slightest. What could Draco do to him in the worst case? Trying to stare him to death? No, compared to all the other threats out there and who were hell-bent on getting him to do their bidding, Draco was like a kitten, so not dangerous at all.

"What do you want?" Harry asked while flopping ungracefully down on the seat before placing his legs over the others. He was with his back to the door and facing the window. Though at the moment, he was looking at Draco expectantly.

"I wanted to know whether it is true," Draco stated while gracefully sitting down opposite of Harry.

"Whether what is true?" So many things would fit the question behind that statement that Harry didn't know what Draco meant.

"What my father said about you making a deal with a demon," Draco deadpanned.

"Oh that, yes, that is true. Though I thought that it was obvious from my reaction," Harry replied with a shrug.

"I...I couldn't believe it. Actually, I still have a hard time believing that you really did that. Do you have an idea what such a deal entails? You damned yourself to eternal torment for what? Getting your parents back? Is that really worth it?" Draco exclaimed.

That, however, equally shocked and surprised Harry. Was Draco worried about him? It sure sounded like it.

"And here I would have thought that someone from a dark family would be less...fearful towards it," Harry said with a snicker. "However, it is quite questionable what is worse...what Hell can do to me or what I can do to Hell."

"What you can do to hell?" Draco raised one of his finely sculpted eyebrows.

"Crowley was quite willing to do what I wanted him to do after I pointed out that his contracts needed a make-over," Harry now grinned broadly.

"Crowley as in king of the Crossroad-demons? No, no, wait, don't answer that...I don't want to know...you're probably the most insane person on this planet. There is a reason why making a deal is deemed the darkest of all arts. No witch or wizard that has some self-respect would so much as think about making a deal with a demon. Merlin, they are the reason why we have such a bad reputation with the Muggles," he shook his head in disbelieve.

"That as it happens just shows how insane Voldemort was," Harry mused.

Draco flinched at the name but now looked confused.

"What has the Dark Lord to do with that?" he asked.

"What? Don't tell me you don't know," Harry retorted but only received an even more confused look. "You really don't know...huh? That is a surprise. Voldemort, aka Tom Riddle, aka the Dark Lord or whatever you want to call him, also made a deal with a demon. That was before he came up with the oh so great idea of splitting his soul to evade hell."