“Brian, Harry, what can you tell me about the various houses at Hogwart’s? How do they get along? How do others view certain house?””

“I…I d..don’t understand?” Harry stuttered.

“I know there are four houses,” Vince explained. “What I’m asking is, do they all get along, other than the basic rivalries that would come from being in different houses? Is there a house that the others avoid? That the students who are in it are more likely to be considered supporters of Voldemort?”

“Slytherin,” Brian and Harry both said. Harry continued though, “A lot of the students in Slytherin are children of Death Eaters, if not soon to be Death Eaters themselves. They all act as if they’re better than everyone else. Especially Muggle-born wizards. There’s one, Draco Malfoy, who has gone out of his way to make my life, as well as my friends’ lives, a complete hell and I know his father’s a Death Eater. He was there when Voldemort came back.”

“Yes, I’ve heard of the Malfoy’s, both senior and junior,” Vince stated. “The people we have within the Ministry have mention Lucious Malfoy to our government when he tried to gain a foothold within our community, possibly so that Voldemort would gain support on this side of the ocean. He was not successful. As for Draco, I think you would be surprised at some of the things that I know of him. In fact, he is one of the main reasons that I’m here right now.”

“I don’t understand,” Harry asked. “What does Malfoy have to do with you being here? He’s nothing but an obnoxious git. He’s done nothing but try to get me and my friends in trouble. He takes pleasure in making our lives miserable. He insults anyone who isn’t a pureblood or those who aren’t as rich as him. There’s nothing I would like better than to not have to deal with him when I go back to school and I can think of quite a number of people who think the same way.”

“I’m sure he is an obnoxious git, as you put it,” Vince said. “Then again, considering who his father is, I think he doesn’t really have much of a choice in acting that way. Lucious Malfoy isn’t known to be all that tolerant of those he thinks are of a lesser station than he and his family.”

“That’s the truth.”

“As for not having to deal with Draco when you go back to Hogwart’s, I am working on making that happen, but I may need your help to get him out of there.” Harry looked at the Headmaster, confused at what he was being told. While the thought of not having to deal with the blond Slytherin that had tormented he and his friends over the course of the past four years made him happy, there was something in Masters’ voice that made him wonder if there was something more to Draco Malfoy than he thought.

“I don’t understand,” Harry finally said. “How do you know about Malfoy and what do you mean that you are working on getting him out of Hogwart’s?”

“Harry, what I’m about to tell you is something that very few people know, especially people at Hogwart’s, and it must stay that way for now. There are people whose safety depends on you not telling a soul, not even your friends and especially not your Headmaster.” Harry, Justin and Brian could see how serious the wizard was and all three nodded their heads, even though Masters’ attention was only on Harry at the moment.

“I promise, I won’t tell anyone,” Harry swore, curious as to what all the secrecy was about. He hated the fact that he wouldn’t be able to tell Ron and Hermoine, his two best friends, but if it was as serious as Vince was making it, he knew there was a good reason.

“Did you know that two years ago Draco Malfoy, along with many of his fellow classmates, went to Professor Dumbledore and offered him information on Voldemort and his plans,” Masters told the trio, much to their surprise, especially Harry’s. The raven-haired teen found it difficult to believe that his school nemesis would do something like that.

“But Malfoy’s father is a Death Eater. He was there when Voldemort killed Cedric,” Harry said, his confusion evident in his voice. “And he’s never made a secret that he hates Muggles and muggle-born wizards. And Professor Dumbledore never said anything about him offering any information.”

“That would be because he didn’t take young Mr. Malfoy up on his offer,” Vince explained.

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Justin said. “I mean, sure I just found out about this whole wizarding thing but from what I’ve heard, Voldemort isn’t anyone to take lightly and I would think that any information that this Draco guy could give would be accepted happily.”

“You would think that, wouldn’t you?” Masters’ said. “And if it had been anyone other than Draco giving that information, than I’m pretty sure that Dumbledore would have gladly listened. Unfortunately for this particular young man, the very fact that he was able to gain the information because of who his father was is also the same reason his offer was declined.”

“You’re talking in riddles, Masters,” Brian growled, wanting the Headmaster to get to the point. The brunet wanted as much information as possible before he took his lover to Hogwart’s, just so he had an idea of what he might be walking into. “Get to the point. Why didn’t Dumbledore take the Malfoy brat up on his offer?”

“Sorry,” Vince said, not taking any offense at the harsh tone in which Brian has spoken. “And to answer that question, the reason Professor Dumbledore didn’t take Draco up on his offer was because he didn’t want to lose the protection the children offered the school.” At the trio of confused faces looking back at him, Masters continued. “Dumbledore didn’t want it to become common knowledge that the Slytherin children were turning against Voldemort, knowing that if that was the case, Voldemort would no longer have a reason to not attack the school.”

“Because their parents would no longer be able to use the excuse of protecting the future generations of Death Eaters,” Brian stated, understanding suddenly coming to him. “Voldemort would be able to force them to follow his plans because it would prove their loyalty to him if they went along with the attack.”

“Exactly. Instead, Dumbledore refused their offer, stating that he didn’t believe their offer was sincere, knowing that even if their offer ever came to light, because the children in question were Slytherin, no one would argue with his reasoning. It’s why he encourages the belief that that particular house if full of nothing but those wishing to follow Voldemort, even if that wasn’t the case. He doesn’t want the other Houses realizing that what they believe about Slytherin and what that House represents isn’t the truth. I’m not saying that there aren’t students in that house planning to join Voldemort, but there are even more that would rather stay out of the upcoming war as much as possible, and the US Ministry of Magic, along with myself, are doing everything that we can to make that happen.”

“I can’t believe it,” Harry said, leaning back into the chair that he had been sitting in. “I can’t believe that Professor Dumbledore would use his students that way. He isn’t like that.”

“Harry,” Justin broke in, “you told me yourself how this guy sent you your father’s invisibility robe and practically encourages you to break the school’s rules. And from what you’ve said, he only gives you enough information to get your curiosity peaked, or makes sure you overhear things that get you interested, but he never tells you the full story until its too late. Doesn’t exactly sound like someone who had the students’ best interests in mind when making decisions.” Harry looked down, knowing in the back of his mind that what he was being told was right. He had even questioned some of his Headmaster’s decisions, at least to himself. It was just that he wanted to believe that Professor Dumbledore wouldn’t use a student like that.

Vince looked at the young man, having a good idea what was going through Harry’s mind. He wished that there was something that he could say that would make things better, but Vince knew that Harry had to find out the truth about what was going on at Hogwart’s. Had to know what was happening to some of his classmates, even if those classmates where ones that no one cared about.

“Harry, I want you to know, there is a reason that I am telling you this,” Vince continued. “And I’ll admit it; the reason is because I need your help. I need you to do something for me.”

“What?”

“I need you to help me make sure that the students that need will be protected and that includes Draco Malfoy and the other Slytherins. Protected against their parents who would have them bow down to Voldemort and protected from a Headmaster that wants to use them all, even if it means their deaths.