The Little One with Green Eyes

11: Guilty Marigolds Part II

-September 29 1991-
Draco can't wait to write a letter to his father. No doubt, the Inner Circle was panicking at the loss of Little One, and Draco was excited to be of help. He finished his breakfast quickly, risking quick glances at the Head Table where Dumbledore sat eating porridge. The old man seemed to be entirely unaware of what he'd done, and Draco was grateful for it. The last thing he wanted was for the man to get paranoid and move Little One.

He rushed to his dorm as soon as breakfast was over, happy that he had another hour before classes start. Pansy had gone off to the library to study, while Blaise and Theo followed him into their room.

Father
I believe that Dumbledore has Little One. He was in possession of Little One's flowers.
Best wishes,
Draco

Draco hummed as he sealed the letter. It was short and to the point, which was what was needed. He stood up, brushing the nonexistent dust off his robes, and walked briskly to the owlery. He handed the letter to his owl, a majestic eagle owl that he named Helios, and directed it to Malfoy Manor.

Hopefully, his father received his letter and knew what to do.

Draco arrived in the Slytherin common room to see his friends huddled in a group by the fireplace. Draco smiled at them and sat down next to Theo. Theo shifted over slightly, allowing Draco more room on the couch.

"Did you send the letter?" Pansy asked, leaning forward slightly. Draco was slightly surprised that she was back in the common room already, but he supposed that studying didn't take that long.

"Yeah," he said with a nod. "Father will know what to do. I just hope he's okay."

Pansy shifted, pulling a book that he hadn't noticed before out of her bag. She placed it on the coffee table and grinned. The title read, 'Dark Creatures and their Behavior'. Draco frowned slightly. "I got this in the library." she said.

"What for?" Draco asked. Pansy huffed and opened the book, flipping through several pages before she landed on the one she had been looking for. Draco's eyebrow raised at the pictures of inferi on the page.

"I wanted to do some research," she said. "On Little One. And how he'll react."

"React to what?" asked Theo, bowing his head to look at the book better.

"To being separated from the Dark Lord." Pansy said, as though the answer were obvious. At the sight of the blank looks on everyone's face, she sighed. "Little One isn't alive---"

"Astute observation." Blaise drawled. Pansy glared.

"---but he acts like he is. Haven't you ever wondered how?" Pansy asked. Draco scoffed.

"The ritual. Obviously." he said. "It brings dead things back to life."

"But Little One isn't alive." Pansy pointed out, making Draco pause. She smirked. "Little One isn't alive but he's not dead either. He's in between. That's what the ritual does."

"I don't understand." Theo sighed.

"Little One died, but he didn't die." Pansy said. Blaise huffed.

"Okay, can you explain it to us commoners, please?" he snarked. "Obviously you know something we don't, so if you're in the sharing mood..."

"What's neither dead or alive?" Pansy asked. It was silent for a few seconds before Draco gasped.

"Magic." he cried, his eyes wide with shock. Pansy smiled victoriously.

"Exactly!" Pansy cried. "Little One is magic. Everything about him. It's what animates him, gives him his sanity. Everything that makes Little One Little One is magic."