Custody (REDRAFTED- NEW ONE IS POSTED)

Chapter Twenty-Three

“The paper described that he had brown hair and brown eyes. Ring any alarms?”

Harry was, surprisingly, the first to respond. “Wasn’t Teddy’s hair brown the day Draco was attacked?” He was still holding Draco against his side protectively. Draco wasn’t exactly sure if it was the bond between them that made Harry like that or it was Harry’s own choice but he definitely liked it.

“Show me the picture.” Draco demanded. “I think I know who you’re talking about.”

Hermione put down a copy of the daily prophet. “Draco there is also mention of… them. We understand if you don’t want to do this but-”

“No. I have to do this. He killed my mom.” He grabbed the newspaper, his expression darkening.

“HIs name is Ditch Wardell. His entire family was Death Eaters. His mother and his older sister were killed in the original Order of the Phoenix when a portion of a building was blasted by a reducto. Wardell’s father said…” He flinched and looked up at Harry. He was taller than Harry until his inheritance had kicked in. He had to shrink all of his clothes to get them to fit. “Wardell’s father said that the person that had blown the chunk out of the building was James Potter.”

Ron and Hermione winced, looking to Harry to see his reaction.

“So this is a classic revenge story? My father killed the people he loved so now he is out to hurt me?” He said with a sigh, moving around Draco his chest was pressed against the blond’s back. He rested his chin on the top of Draco’s head making his fluffy ears droop slightly.

“In sixth year, after the murder of Dumbledore, Wardell’s father was killed. Because I was supposed to the one coordinating the attack and I couldn’t do it correctly, Vex Wardell was hit by a sectumsempra. So I believe he is out to hit two bird with one stone.” He closed his eyes tiredly. “And we’ve made it easy for him.”

“Well then wouldn’t his next targets be….”

“Mum and Dad.” Ron piped up. “He went after Mum and Dad but Fred and George got them out and took them to Bill and Fleur’s. So the six of them are staying there, waiting for Charlie and Percy to catch up.”

“And us.” Hermione said softly, pulling out a piece of paper from the bag she was holding. Ron and Harry recognized the purple beaded bag. Draco didn’t but he didn’t say anything, knowing that it probably had an extension charm on it. He had a bag like that himself. She placed the map down on the table.

“Look. There is your house.” She pointed to a bright red dot on the map. “This is our house. And the Weasley’s. And seashell cottage.”

Draco pulled out his wand. “And these are the places that he has attacked. That I know of.” Small green dots appeared where he poked the map with his wand.

“They form… a circle?”

“And at the center….”

The center of the circle was a place that they knew all too well. A spot hidden to muggles.

Draco spoke quietly, his ears and tail drooping. “He’s going to try to attack Hogwarts.”

Just to clear up any confusion about their height differences (since that's something that I find important), Draco shrunk when he got his Inheritance and bonded with Harry. He's now a head shorter than Harry while Harry grew a few inches.

Also, I am using the term neko. I know that the definition that I am using now is different than what it actually is.