Blood and Ink

(a Harry Potter fanfiction by Jedi Boadicea)

The distribution of this story is for personal use
only. Any other form of distribution is prohibited
without the consent of the author. 

***

First - I know that I should be working on MoT and
DoY, and I fully expect to get cursed for deviating
like this. But I swear, I am working on them, and the
next chapter of DoY will be up very soon. But in the
meantime, I thought I would post this, as it's been
sitting around on my computer and in my brain for some
time now, and I thought I ought to let it out. 

***

NOTE: I was inspired to write this story, in this
particular format - that of an enchanted diary - by
reading Arabella's "Hermione, Queen of Witches." If
you have any praise to give about the style of this
story, then it should rightfully go to Arabella, not
myself. (Which is, of course, a hint - if you haven't
read her "Hermione, Queen of Witches", you really
should. Trust me - you'll love it.) That said,
anything you might have to say about dear Draco's
psyche, and the way it's
represented in this story, should be said to me. (I
don't want Arabella getting all those hexes.) I now
have to add that this story is an attempt to get into
the mind of canon Draco, so don't expect too many
bunnies and flowers. We all know what he's like in
canon. I LOVE the guy, and I want to try to understand
him for what he is. I hope you'll "enjoy" this with
me. J 

Everything between -'s is the diary.

***



Year 1 - Part 1 


July 25th



I don't know why I'm doing this. 

It's stupid and it's childish and it's certainly not
safe. This book doesn't even have a lock on it. If
father were to see it and realize that I've been
writing in a diary - 

Well, I suppose this might not even be a diary,
really. But it looks like a diary, and I can't imagine
it would be anything important if it's been up in the
attic for so long. I don't think father keeps any of
his things in the attic, and mother certainly never
stores anything up there. I don't even think the house
elves go up there - it's the dirtiest place in the
whole house, dust everywhere, scattered boxes, and I
think there might even be a ghoul hiding in there
someplace, though it must be mute or something because
otherwise someone would have heard it and father would
have had it killed. I thought I saw it scuttle away
from me today when I was up there. 

I know I shouldn't be up in the attic. But it's the
only place in the house where I know no one will look
for me, and it's the only place I can get my robes
really dirty and I just like to imagine the look on
mother's face if she saw me. Sometimes I smear some of
the dust on my sleeves on purpose, just wishing she
could see me "fouling up" my clothes like that. It
would put her in a right fit, and I'd love to make her
angry after all the times she's harped on me about
it...... but I won't. I always have them cleaned
before she sees. Sometimes it's just not worth it.

Honestly, I don't know why I'm doing this. Diaries are
stupid. I'm sure that's what father would say. And
it's not like I could really write down whatever I was
thinking in this thing, because what if it was found? 

-So why are you writing in it?-

-Well?-

-Hello??-

You're an enchanted diary. 

-Bright one, aren't you?-

Are you one of father's things? 

-Why don't you tell me who your father is first, and
then I can answer that. And I'll try not to become
offended by being referred to as a 'thing'.-

I'm not an idiot, you know. I'm not going to tell you
anything until you answer my questions. 

-Is that so?-

I could force it out of you. 

-With what? A truth potion? On a book?-

I don't need a truth potion to make you tell the
truth. There are lots of ways, I know there are. I
could start setting your pages on fire. 

-Well, that settles it. You have to be a Malfoy. I
recognize the traits after all this time, that's for
sure.-

And what are you, then? And how do you know the
Malfoys? And are you one of father's off-limits
objects?

-While I'm positive that your father has many
'off-limits' objects, I can't tell you whether or not
I've ever had anything to do with him, as you still
haven't seen fit to inform me of his identity.-

How long have you been up in the attic? 

-Is that where I was? It figures. Lying forgotten, I
imagine. How very droll.-

Have you been up there for a long time? 

-It certainly felt like an eternity.-

Did anyone write in you before this? I didn't see
anybody else's writing. All of the pages were blank. 

-I imagine that the pages go blank every time you
close the book. No Malfoy has ever wanted anyone
knowing their secrets.-

You sound like my father. 

-How unfortunate. Are you planning to tell me his name
any time soon? Or perhaps your own?-

-Hmm?-

-Oh, bother. Did you run away again?-

I did not run away. 

-Glad to see it.-

My name is Draco. 

-Draco Malfoy, is it? Well, Draco Malfoy, somehow I
don't think your nameless father would be very pleased
that you were rooting about in the attic and writing
in old enchanted books that may or may not belong to
him.-

It's none of your business. 

-It is indeed my business, as you're writing on my
pages. Aren't you concerned that I might be one of
those off-limits objects you were so worried about
disturbing - one of your father's "things"?-

I don't think you are. Father would never write in
something so dirty and ugly. 

-So why are you writing in it, then?-

-Hmm?-

I think I'm going to burn you anyway. 



July 27th



All right. So tell me what spell you used to make the
pages go blank. 

-You didn't burn me, I see.-

I might if you don't answer my question. 

-Calm down, Malfoy.-

Answer my question. 

-I don't know what spell makes the pages go blank. I'm
only a book, after all.-

Who else has written in this book besides me? 

-A few of your ancestors. I just can't escape the
Malfoys.-

You're lucky that father didn't know you were in the
attic. He really would have burned you. 

-So why aren't you following his example, then?-

Because I feel like having a secret. And I suppose
you'll do for now, until I can find something better. 

-I'm so flattered.-

Good. 



July 29th



I just want to make one thing very clear before I
write anything else in this book. This is not a diary.
Men do not keep diaries. I'm writing in this book
because I'm bored and I don't have anything better to
do. 

-If you say so. It seems to me like you just want
someone to talk to.-

You're just a book. What do you know? 

-A lot more than you might suspect.-

Like what? 

-Try me.-

All right then. Do you know anything about Hogwarts?

-Of course I do.-

You do? Well, one of my ancestors must have written
about it, I suppose. I'm going to Hogwarts this year.
In just one month, in fact. And it's about time, too.
I'll finally be rid of smelly old Stevros after all
these years. 

-Stevros?-

My tutor. I hate him. He's here practically every day
and he lectures me on absolutely everything. Sometimes
if I complain to mother she'll excuse me from my
lessons, but they've all been so strict about it this
past year. They want me to be top of my class when I
get to Hogwarts, so they're letting daft old Stevros
have his way with me, the beast. I hate him. 

-And he's smelly?-

He just reeks of potion ingredients - all the time.
Doesn't the pig ever bathe? Father says he spends a
lot of time doing "commendable work in
experimentation", and that the Malfoys have been
buying potions from his family for years, so I
shouldn't complain about it. But he doesn't have to
spend hours at a time in a room with that stench. It's
not fair.

-And I'm sure you've made it very clear how unjust you
think it is.-

Of course I have. But it doesn't matter now, because
at Hogwarts I'll be rid of him. We're going to Diagon
Alley in two days to buy my school things, and I'll
finally get my own wand. I'm sick of using the old
ones around the house. I don't see why I couldn't get
my own wand before this. I'm sure my wand will have a
dragon heartstring in it. Can you imagine getting a
wand with a unicorn hair in it? That's a girl's wand.
I'd simply have to break it. No, mine will have a
dragon heartstring in it, because it's part of my
name, isn't it? I'm sure that anything with a piece of
a dragon in it has to be the best. 

-And only the best for you, I'm sure.-

Of course. What a stupid thing to say. Why should I
settle for anything less? And I'd have the best
broomstick, too, if there wasn't some stupid rule
about first years not being allowed them. What a
ridiculous rule. It must be that old fool Dumbledore
who passed it. 

-Dumbledore?-

He's the Headmaster at Hogwarts. Don't you know who he
is? How long have you been in the attic? 

-A long time, apparently.-

Father says that Dumbledore is just a Muggle-loving
old fool, and that it's a disgrace to the school to
have him running the place. But I  think Dumbledore
must be a powerful old fool, because father's on the
board of school governors and if he hasn't been able
to have Dumbledore removed yet then he has to have
some power. Father only complains that loudly about
people he can't get rid of. Ha. He's always telling me
to pay attention to the way a Malfoy handles his
business, and I do. I wonder how he'd feel about my
noticing that! 

-Why don't you tell him and find out?-

You think I'm that stupid? 

-Just testing.-

Is that so? You've got a lot of nerve, for a book that
I could burn at any moment. You know, I think I've
written enough in you for today. 



August 1st



I can't believe it!!!! 

-I'm breathless with anticipation.-

I can't believe that father wouldn't buy me a racing
broom!!!! 

-Sarcasm is totally lost on you, I see.-

I don't care about your sarcasm. I'm furious. Why
shouldn't I sneak in a broom? I'm sure some of the
other Slytherins will be doing it. I mean, I simply
know I'll be in Slytherin, and I refuse to show up
without a broom when people like Zabini will have one,
I don't doubt it. Just this summer he was talking
about it. I can't believe father wouldn't buy me a new
broom! Fat lot of good all of his talk about image is
now. I'm furious. I wonder if I can find a way to
sneak in my Comet. 

-Well, it sounds like you had an absolutely awful day,
poor darling. Did your wand have a unicorn hair in it,
too?-

No, of course it didn't. I knew it wouldn't. My wand
has a dragon heartstring in it, just like I knew it
would. It's made of ebony, and it's twelve inches
long. I like it. It's the only good thing to come out
of this whole wretched day. I can't believe I walked
out of Quality Quidditch Supplies empty-handed. Thank
God there wasn't anyone I knew around to see that
embarrassment. I hardly saw anyone I knew all day. I
do hope Crabbe and Goyle managed to get all the right
books from their list - I simply refuse to share mine
if they didn't. And these robes are just awful.
They're horribly uncomfortable. Why can't we have them
made of silk? I'm going to have to be sure someone
packs my personal robes in my trunk before I leave. 

-However are you going to manage with all of these
ghastly burdens to deal with?-

I don't know. And you can just save the sarcasm for
when your covers are closed, since you're only amusing
yourself anyway. As a matter of fact, get to it right
now. I've got better things to do. 



August 2nd



Now that's more like it. 

-What? Did you get the broom after all?-

No. Forget about that. I'll have to start that battle
again for Christmas. 

-So what's got you in such a good mood?-

I caught one of the house elves again! 

-You... er... caught it?-

You know, you're not supposed to see your house elves
doing their work. They're very discreet about it, and
mother especially insists on not seeing them, so we
hardly ever do. But sometimes I like to hide
somewhere, like in the kitchen, and wait for them to
show up, because then I can have them punished for
being seen. It's great. I caught one today when I was
looking for a snack. I've seen this one before - I
think father uses it a lot for his personal tasks and
stuff, in all of those rooms I'm not allowed to go
into yet. But anyway, I caught this one sorting out
the dishes, and I got to give it a great fright. Made
it shut its ears in the oven door, too. That was
brilliant.

-And this is your idea of fun, is it?-

It's entertaining, that's what it is. This is starting
off a good day - much better than yesterday. I think
I'll go out and start practicing with my wand. Maybe I
can get to the garden before the gardeners start
pruning - I might be able to find some gnomes to
practice on. 



August 5th 



I hate Stevros. 

-Hmm... yes, I seem to remember you saying this
before.-

Well it's still true. He's just a disgusting old
nuisance, and I wish I could curse him. 

-Starting young, I see. Know a few curses already, do
you?-

I know some. I know how to make mushrooms grow out of
his head - not that there would be much of a
difference, since I don't think he ever washes his
hair.

-And what did he do to earn such a truly horrible
punishment?-

He's making me study my new Hogwarts set books, and
there's still three weeks before term starts! I don't
need to know any of this now. You know, I think he
just wants to order me around as much as he can,
because he knows that once September the first comes
I'll be free of him forever. I asked father today, and
he said I don't have to continue with tutoring during
the summer after I start at Hogwarts, so I'll never
have to see Stevros again. Maybe I should curse him,
just once before I leave. I've always wanted to. And I


-Yes?-

-Hello?-

That was close. 

-What was close?-

Father just came in to talk to me. I was afraid he was
going to see what I was writing, but I just told him I
was practicing my penmanship and he didn't pay any
attention to the book after that. But I should go.
Stevros will be back any minute now. You know, I think
I'd be doing him a favor if I made mushrooms grow out
of his head. He'd certainly look better. 



August 6th



Did you know that there are only ten species of
pure-bred dragons? 

-Er... no. I take it you're studying your set books
after all.-

I didn't have a choice, did I? But at least there's
some interesting information on dragons in this book
about Fantastic Beasts. That book is all right. It
says that it's illegal to trade dragon eggs, but I bet
father could get them somewhere. I wonder if I could
ever convince him to? 

-And what would you do with a dragon? Make it eat the
House Elves?-

No, I'd make it burn irritating books - starting with
you. And then I'd make it burn this stupid book about
The Dark Forces. A Guide to Self-Protection, it says.
I don't see how anyone wouldn't know all this already.
I've always known this stuff. If this is what they're
going to be teaching us in Defence Against the Dark
Arts, then that's going to be a very boring class. 

-Hmm. And do the rest of your classes promise to be
just as boring?-

It's hard to tell from just the books. Transfiguration
sounds exciting, but everything in the book looks very
simple and dull. I want to learn how to change people
into bugs and things like that. 

-Somehow that doesn't surprise me.-

I think Herbology sounds rather boring too, but there
are some interesting plants in this book about Magical
Herbs and Fungi. Did you know that there's a plant in
Africa that eats people whole? And a marsh fungus in
Ireland that actually grows eyes? I can't figure out
what a fungus would need eyes for. 

-Sounds fascinating.-

I guess. But I'd rather be out practicing with my
wand, or practicing for Quidditch. I heard that first
years aren't allowed to play on the House teams, but
I'll make them put me on the team somehow. They'd be
stupid not to take me. I've been playing for years,
and even father says I'm good on a broom. 

-And that kind of praise is rare, is it?-

I suppose so. 

-That's a bit of an evasive answer.-

It was a pretty dumb question. And I have practicing
to do now. 

-I'm sure you do.-

I do. 

August 10th 



I just realized something today. You know who Harry
Potter is, right? 

-No, I don't.-

You don't? Oh, that's right. You've been up in the
attic. Well, if you hadn't been, then you would know
who Harry Potter is. He's this kid who survived an
attack by the Dark Lord. 

-The Dark Lord? Family member of yours, by chance?-

No. That's not funny at all. Father would kill me if I
made jokes about anything like that. 

-Well then. That sounds serious. Tell me about this
Dark Lord.-

I can't believe you don't know. I've known my whole
life! Well - the Dark Lord was the most powerful
wizard that ever lived, everyone says so. He wanted to
make sure that wizards kept their bloodlines clean,
and didn't mingle with Muggles and such. There really
are far too many Muggle-borns out there as it is, you
know. Don't those wizards have any respect for
themselves? I would never even think of mingling with
a Muggle. It's just... disgusting. 

Anyway, the Dark Lord had the right idea. But all of
the Muggle-lovers out there, like Dumbledore, they
were all afraid of him because he was so powerful. I'm
sure that father knew him. He doesn't talk about it
much, but I'm sure that he worked for the Dark Lord
somehow. It's sort of strange, really. I can't imagine
father working for anyone. But when he talks about the
Dark Lord, he gets this weird tone in his voice, and
he never sounds like that when he's talking about
anything else. I think father must have known the Dark
Lord really well, because he always gets angry when
anyone mentions anything about Harry Potter. He never
says much about it, but I can tell when he's angry. 

-What on earth could a little boy have done to inspire
this anger?-

He's not a 'little boy', you know. He's the same age
as I am, or at least I think he would be. That's what
I realized today. I think Harry Potter might be
starting at Hogwarts this year, too.

-Ah, then he's certainly not a 'little boy'. How
foolish of me. Do tell me more about this impressive
young man, then.-

I wouldn't call him impressive. He's just really
lucky, if you ask me. He comes from a whole family of
Muggle-loving wizards. Father always says the Potters
were a disgrace to wizarding society. They were a
really old family, and I think they had pretty
powerful magical blood, but they never did any good
with any of that power. Father and mother were talking
about it at dinner once, and father said, "They could
have been a power to respect if they hadn't filled
their heads with Dumbledore's Muggle-loving filth."

The Potters were stupid enough to fight against the
Dark Lord, and they all paid for that of course. But
ten years ago the Dark Lord was fighting the last of
them, and this little kid, Harry Potter, did something
that defeated him. 

-What? A child defeated a powerful dark wizard? How?-

I don't know. And quite honestly, I don't think father
knows either. No one seems to know. It's all a big
mystery. They call him The Boy Who Lived. Like I said,
I just think he was lucky. 

-Indeed.-

So are we done with the history lesson now? Can I get
to my point? 

-Can I stop you?-

No. I'm positive that Harry Potter will be at Hogwarts
this year, if he's not there already. I wonder when he
turned eleven? I hope he's not already at school. It
would be interesting if we were in the same year.

-And why is that?-

Because he's famous. I mean, I think it's a really
stupid thing to be famous for, being lucky... but I
should definitely get to know him. And I'm sure he'll
want to know me. No one's really seen him for the past
ten years, so I'm sure he'd be happy to have someone
who can tell him who to know and who to avoid. And I
want to know what's going on with him. Maybe I could
even find out exactly what happened with him and the
Dark Lord, and then I'll know more than even my father
does about it! I wonder what House he'll be in? He'd
better not be in Hufflepuff. I wouldn't want to be
associated with anyone from Hufflepuff.

-And what are you hoping for? Do you seriously think a
boy famous for defeating a dark wizard would ever end
up in Slytherin?-

I don't know. Crabbe and Goyle are both so stupid they
probably should end up in Hufflepuff, but I'm sure
they'll be in Slytherin. Blood counts for everything.
So maybe that Potter blood will count for something. 

-I guess we'll see, won't we?-

Yes. I can't wait to get to Hogwarts. Freedom at last.
And oh, you'll never guess what I did to Stevros. 

-Made mushrooms grow out of his head?-

Even better. The curse went wrong, and I ended up
making mushrooms grow out of his nose. 

-Just lovely.-

I thought so. You should have heard him snorting. Just
remembering that is going to make me smile all through
dinner. I suppose I'll write something else later,
though I don't know why I bother. 

-Because you don't want to admit-

August 11th 



Something interesting just happened. 

-You know, it's very rude to shut a book on someone
when they're in the middle of a sentence.-

When did I do that? I don't remember doing that. A
pity all the writing disappears whenever you close the
book, isn't it? 

-Oh yes. A great pity. I'm struck speechless with the
tragedy.-

Good, then maybe you'll shut up and let me write about
what I just overheard. 

That's better. Anyway, I was in the kitchen after
dinner, sneaking some more dessert, and on the way
back up to my room I passed by father's study. The
door was sort of open, so I could see the firelight
coming out of it, and I could hear father talking. At
first I thought he must be talking to mother, but
we're not supposed to disturb him when he's in his
study after dinner, so I realized it couldn't be her.
I stopped and hid next to the door to listen. 

-Of course.-

Well, yes, of course. How else was I supposed to find
out who he was talking to? 

-You couldn't have just walked away instead of risking
getting in trouble for some petty eavesdropping?-

No, because I heard father say my name, and I had to
know what was going on. Would you have just walked
away? 

-.....No, I suppose not. But I've never done what was
good for me.-

Well, that's your problem, not mine. So I hid behind
the door to listen, and I'm going to write down what I
heard because I want to make sure that I remember it. 

Father was saying, "I expect you to keep a close eye
on Draco. I don't want Dumbledore's policies to
interfere with his getting a proper education." 

And that's when I knew for sure he wasn't talking to
mother, because the voice that answered was a man's
voice. He sounded really irritated. "I am not a
private tutor, Lucius. Your son will receive the
attention he deserves, but I make no promises. After
all, if it turns out that the boy isn't in my House at
all, I cannot be expected to keep any kind of watch
over him." 

Father's voice started to sound cold like it does when
he's getting angry. "You insult me, Severus. Draco has
been raised with proper ideals, and he carries the
Malfoy blood. He will not disgrace his family. No
Malfoy has been sorted into any House but Slytherin." 

-That's not true.-

What? 

-A few Malfoys have been sorted into other Houses in
the past. It's just that they are instantly shunted
aside or disinherited, depending on where they ended
up, and no one ever talks about them.-

How do you know that? 

-I've been in the hands of the Malfoy family for a
very long time.-

I didn't know that. 

-Not surprising. It's hardly something your father
would want to talk about, is it?-

I guess not. But...

-Yes?-

Nothing. You interrupted me and now I'm trying to
remember the rest of the conversation. 

-Of course. I'm so sorry.-

This Severus person didn't sound happy at all. He had
a dangerous sort of voice, really. I don't think I've
ever heard anyone talk to father like that. He said,
"Your family pride is not my concern." 

I thought father would really get nasty, but for a
while he didn't say anything, and then he used his
calmest voice, which is always the worst. "You've
changed, Severus. Are you letting this charade of
yours get to your head? Been listening a bit too much
to Dumbledore's drivel?" 

"I am no more altered than you, Lucius. I read about
your generous donation to St Mungo's last week. How
very humanitarian of you."

For a moment father didn't speak, and then he said,
"Very well. Live your life as you wish. Just see to it
that my son receives proper schooling." 

"I will see to it that he receives proper instruction
in Potions. That is all I am responsible for." 

-So this fellow is a Professor at Hogwarts, then?-

That's what I think. He must be the Potions Professor.
Tomorrow I'm going to ask father if he knows anything
about any of the teachers I'll have, to see if I can
learn more. But I don't think I'm going to like this
Potions Professor. 

-Why not? He seems nasty enough. You should get along
with him just fine.-

What's that supposed to mean?

-Nothing at all.-

You know, I think you and my fireplace might get along
really well too. Think about that while your covers
are closed, why don't you. 




August 12th



I found out about the Potions Professor. 

-Did you.-

His name is Snape. Professor Snape. He's head of
Slytherin house, and father used to know him. They
must have gone to school together or something, or
maybe they met through society connections. I'm not
sure. Father wouldn't tell me exactly. He just said
that he expects to hear good reports from Snape in
regards to my progress at school. Now I know I'm not
going to like him. The last thing I need is another
Stevros looking over my shoulder all the time. I just
hope he doesn't smell. 

-Well, he -is- the Potions teacher.-

Yeah. And I was looking forward to Potions, too. 

-What a shame.-

Well, at least he's head of Slytherin. 

-If you can consider that a bright side to the
situation.-

The Crabbes and the Goyles and the Parkinsons and the
Pritchards are all coming for dinner tonight. Mother
keeps talking to me about Pansy, it's really annoying.
I don't care about Pansy. And I'm sure the Pritchards
will bring that little brat of theirs, and he'll want
to hang around with us all the time. I'll have to find
a way to sneak out with Crabbe and Goyle to practice
some Quidditch. They're really awful on brooms, but at
least they're more entertaining than listening to all
that dinner talk. Anyway, I have things to do now.
Only nineteen more days till Hogwarts. 



August 22nd



Dinner was awful today. 

-Well well. It's been a while.-

Yeah, I had better things to do.

-What a nice thing to say. You're such a considerate
boy.-

Crabbe and Goyle were here. Father let me invite them
to stay for a week, so I've been busy practicing
Quidditch and stuff. I tried practicing a few hexes
with them, but they're so stupid that just about the
only thing they're good for is standing there and
getting hit by them. But mother made us stop doing
that when she had to put Crabbe's nose back on the
right side of his head. That was pretty funny, though.


-And Crabbe didn't mind this?-

Crabbe and Goyle don't care, as long as it doesn't
hurt. It doesn't take much to entertain them. Besides,
they do whatever I tell them to. Just like their
fathers do for my father. It's just the way it is. 

-How convenient.-

That's what father always says. Why get your hands
dirty when you can have others do so for you? Besides,
they get to claim ties with my family if anything ever
goes wrong for them. It all works out in the end, I
guess. Though I wish they weren't quite so stupid.
Sometimes it gets really boring. 

-And yet you had them stay with you for a whole week.-

Why not? It's better than wandering around by myself,
trying to avoid Stevros all day. But that's all going
to change. Tomorrow is my final lesson with Stevros.
The end. I've decided I'm going to curse him one last
time before I go. Father didn't seem too upset last
time. He scolded me, of course, but he actually seemed
sort of amused. This time I'm going to try something
like Jelly Legs. Or that weird dancing one I heard
Zabini talking about last month.... what was it?
Tarantallegra. I'll have to practice that one, though.
Zabini said it was pretty hard, and he's actually sort
of good at curses. 

-But I don't imagine you've ever told him that.-

Of course not. Blaise thinks far too much of himself -
him and his whole family. It's best that they don't
get any ideas. 

-Your father's words, I take it.-

No. Well... not exactly. He did mention the Zabinis at
dinner today, though. That's what I was talking about
when you so rudely interrupted me. 

-My manners are simply atrocious.-

Yes. But you're just a book, so I guess I really can't
expect much. 

-How magnanimous.-

What? 

-Never mind.-

Then stop interrupting and let me finish. Dinner was
awful. Father is in a very bad mood. He likes to talk
a lot when he's in a bad mood, and he never lets me
leave the table while he's talking, so I just have to
sit there and listen to him go on and on. 


-And what does he go on and on about?-

People, mostly. He dislikes a lot of the other school
governors, and he's been dealing with them more often
lately because I'm about to start at Hogwarts. But
what he enjoys the most is complaining about the
Ministry. Today he spent all second course complaining
about Arthur Weasley - he works for the Misuse of
Muggle Artifacts Office. What an incredibly boring
job. And it's incredibly boring to hear about it all
through dinner. And to make it worse, father started
talking to me about how I should avoid people like the
Weasleys. "Bad blood" he calls them. Wizards who don't
know how to do honor to their heritage. And after the
Weasleys, he started talking about the Bones, and then
I could tell he was really in a bad mood because he
started criticizing the Patils and the Zabinis.
They're very old families, and normally we get along
with them pretty well - especially the Zabinis. But
when father's in a bad mood, everyone suffers. 

-Including you, obviously. What torture to have to sit
through such a long and boring dinner.-

You've obviously never had to sit through one, or you
wouldn't think it was so funny. 

-You'd be surprised.-

I doubt it. I'm going to bed now. I want to get up
early to practice those curses before Stevros gets
here.



August 31st



This is it - my last night before Hogwarts. Tomorrow
night I'll be sleeping in the Slytherin dormitory. 

-You're pretty confident about that. What if you get
sorted into a different house?-

I won't. I'd better not. Father and mother would not
be happy. I mean... I suppose Ravenclaw might be all
right. They get pretty good marks and all that.
But.... no, I'll be in Slytherin. I don't care what
you say about other Malfoys in the past not getting
into Slytherin. Maybe you're wrong. Everyone I know
was in Slytherin. I will be too. 

-Don't worry. I'm sure you will be.-

Of course I will. 

-Your hand writing looks a bit jumpy. Nervous?-

NO. I'm not nervous. I'm just.... 

-Excited. Why don't you go do something, then?-

Good idea. Maybe I can..... well, maybe I can try to
catch that house elf again, the one that father uses
all the time. 

-That's not the kind of distraction I had in mind.-

Probably not, but it's a good idea anyway. And just
think - the next time I write in this book, I'll be a
student at Hogwarts. Finally. 



September 2nd



I knew there was nothing to worry about with the
sorting. I never should have listened to your stupid
stories. 

-What, you didn't get sorted into Hufflepuff?-

No. Of course I didn't. I am in Slytherin. I knew I
would be, and I am. 

-What about Crabbe and Goyle?-

Oh, they're here too. I'm sharing a dormitory with
them and with Zabini. I'm not too keen on that,
actually. I don't like having to share a room. All
we've got are these beds and a small table and our
chests to ourselves. We even have to share a washroom.
It's very annoying. All I can say is that it's a good
thing the curtains around these beds are thick. And
I'm really not too happy that our common room and our
dormitories are all in the dungeons. That's really
where all the stupid Gryffindors ought to be, don't
you think? Preferably all chained up. 

-You certainly didn't waste any time getting
acquainted with your house prejudices, did you?-

You only need to look at those Gryffindors to know
they're a bunch of idiots. Potter should be perfectly
happy there.

-Potter? Is this the same Harry Potter you mentioned
before?-

Yes. And you can just forget everything I ever said
about him. He's a complete moron, and he belongs in
Gryffindor with all the other morons. Let him get cozy
up to that pauper Weasley. They deserve each other. 

-Weasley? The same Weasley your father talked about
over dinner? The "bad blood"?-

That's right. Father was totally right about them.
They must breed like rabbits. There were at least four
of them all at the Gryffindor table. It's no wonder
they have no money. 

-And Potter is cozying up to the Weasleys, is he?-

He is, and it's his own fault. When he can't show his
face in polite society again, he'll have no one to
blame but himself. I offered to help him. He could
have had me as a friend, but he chose that
freckle-faced, red-headed idiot instead. Well that's
fine. He'll regret that choice someday. 

-I'm sure.-

And there is absolutely nothing special about him. I
really can't believe that he could have done anything
to defeat the Dark Lord. He's just a skinny,
messy-looking git with glasses. The only thing unusual
about him at all is that scar he's got. 

-Scar?-

Yeah, an ugly old scar on his forehead. Looks like a
lightning bolt. They say that's where the Dark Lord's
curse touched him. Obviously it didn't go deep enough.
Too bad. 

-That must have been quite some first meeting you had
with him.-

What do you mean? 

-Only that you've got quite a lot of venom stored up
for this kid already, and didn't you just meet him?-

Well it doesn't take long to see that some people are
just plain stupid. 

-I suppose not. And what did he say to you?-

Nothing intelligent. 

-And I'm sure you didn't say anything nasty.-

I just told him the truth. I told him that he'd best
shape himself up or he'll go the same way as his
parents. 

-And I'm sure that didn't upset him at all. I simply
can't understand why he didn't want to be friends with
you.-

I don't want him as a friend. The last thing I want is
some bumbling Gryffindor to deal with. I've already
got Crabbe and Goyle to deal with. And I wish Goyle
would STOP snoring. These curtains aren't thick enough
after all. 

-How late is it? Shouldn't you be sleeping?-

I don't want to sleep. And don't start telling me what
to do. You're not Stevros. If I wanted Stevros, I
would have put him in my trunk. Do you want to hear
about my first days at school or not? 

-I..... yes.-

Fine then. 

The castle is actually pretty impressive. I like it.
We came up to the school over the lake, on these tiny
boats. That would have been interesting if Crabbe
hadn't almost turned the boat over, the great moron.
They say there's some kind of giant monster in that
lake, and if we hadn't been eaten we all would have
drowned. I know Crabbe and Goyle can't swim either. I
wish they would think about these things. Next time
I'll push him out before he can tip the boat. That
should teach him a lesson right quick. 

-One way or another.-

Exactly. So anyway, the boats took us across the lake,
and then once we got to the castle we had to wait
before they would let us into the Great Hall for the
sorting and the feast and all that. All sorts of
ghosts came through the room while we were waiting. I
didn't know that Hogwarts had so many ghosts. Each
house has its own ghost, and then there are all sorts
of other ones that just roam the halls at all hours.
It's very odd to see them all. We've only got one
ghost back at home, and he hardly ever shows himself. 

-No. Malfoy Manor is full of ghosts. They're just not
quite so tangible.-

What are you talking about? There aren't lots of
ghosts. I've never seen them.

-No, you're too young. Give it time.-

I don't see how my age has anything to do with it.
Either they're there, or they're not. And they're not.
But what I was trying to say, if you'd stop
interrupting, is that there are a lot of ghosts here
at Hogwarts. Though I can't say I much like the
Slytherin house ghost. They call him the Bloody Baron,
and he looks just ghastly. He's got all of these
silver bloodstains all over him, and he looks half
dead, with his eyes just wide open. I don't think he
ever blinks. Well, I guess ghosts don't exactly need
to blink. But I wish he would. And I just hope he
never sits next to me at table again. 

-He sat next to you at table?-

During the welcome feast. If he ever does that again,
I'm making Crabbe switch seats with me. But except for
that, the welcome feast was rather good. The ceiling
in the Great Hall is brilliant. It looks just like the
sky outside. 

-And have you met any of your teachers yet?-

Yes. We had our first lessons today. And all the
teachers were at the feast last night, up at the High
Table with Dumbledore. He's just as doddy as father
said he would be. He talked nothing but nonsense the
whole feast. I think he must be mad. I don't know how
he ever got to be Headmaster. 

-They often say that there is only a fine line between
madness and genius.-

Who says? 

-People wiser than you.-

They don't sound very wise to me. That sounds like
rubbish. I just think he's a crazy old man. 

-Of course you do. But what about the mysterious
Professor Snape?-

I haven't spoken to him yet. I only saw him across the
Hall, one of the Slytherin Prefects pointed him out to
us. All I can say is that he doesn't look friendly. He
is the Potions teacher, like I thought, but I haven't
had a Potions lesson yet. I'm not looking forward to
it. Just somebody else to look over my shoulder and
tell father about everything I do. Just like Stevros.
Only I don't think I could curse Snape. He really
doesn't look friendly. 

-What did you expect from the head of Slytherin
house?-

Someone powerful. 

-I see. And this is where your own ambition lies, is
it?-

Doesn't everyone want to be powerful? You either have
power or you don't. You would have to be very stupid
not to want it, and if you're that stupid then you
belong in Hufflepuff. Or Gryffindor. 

-And what about Crabbe and Goyle, then?-

I don't know about them. All I know is that Goyle is
STILL snoring. I just peeked out to look and he
doesn't even have his bedcurtains closed. The dumb
prat. That's it. I'm putting a stop to that right now.


To be continued...