The Little One with Green Eyes

46: Pink is the Deadliest Color

My Dearest Dragon, it read. I am writing to inform you that there's been an incident. Your father was injured in the New Ministry two days ago, I'm not sure if you've heard about the attack. Though it is not public knowledge, the Dark Lord believes Albus Dumbledore attacked your father, blew up the New Ministry building and kidnapped Little One. Please be careful, Dragon. I don't know what that man is planning, but it can't be good. I'm afraid that with the recent news, it would be prudent for you to remain at Hogwarts instead of coming to visit. I will keep you informed, but my priority is to keep you safe. I love you, and please, don't do anything rash.

Draco's face had steadily grown paler as he read the letter, his well-crafted mask breaking at the shocking news. His head snapped up when his mother mentioned the Headmaster, his silver eyes locking on the empty seat at the teacher's table where the Headmaster should sit.

"Draco?" Draco turned his head to meet Theo's worried gaze. "Are you alright? What is it?"

Draco bit his lip, the letter crinkling in his hands as he clenched them. "Not here." he whispered, his eyes darting around to see if anyone had noticed his lapse of control. Thankfully, no one had noticed save for Theo, Blaise and Pansy. Said people were looking at him with nervousness, unsure of what was going on. "Come with me."

Draco stood, making sure to remain calm and poised so as not to raise any suspicion, and he began to walk out of the Great Hall, subtly glancing behind him to make sure his friends were following. They walked in tense silence for a few minutes before they reached the empty Slytherin Common Room.

Once they were situated, Draco cast a quick muffling charm before he pulled out his mother's letter. "Mother wrote me," he said. "She said that father had been attacked by the Headmaster."

"What?" Pansy gasped. "But why would he do such a thing?"

"Little One was taken again," Draco said, his eyebrows drawing together with rage at the thought of his pseudo little brother being kidnapped by the Headmaster again. Beside him, Pansy let out a harsh gasp while Theo and Blaise hardened with anger. "The Dark Lord is looking for him, but the Headmaster is missing."

"Oh, poor Little One!" Pansy cried. "He must be so scared! How could this happen? Is there another traitor?"

"I don't know," Draco sighed. "Mother said that Headmaster Dumbledore attacked father and blew up the New Ministry. How have we not heard about it?"

"It must have been covered up to avoid a panic," Theo said with a frown. "But why would he blow up the building? And attack your father? What could he possibly gain from that?"

"Maybe he was the one who took Little one," Blaise proposed. "The explosion must have been a distraction."

"And they say he's a Light Lord." Theo scoffed, bitterly shaking his head before he turned to address Draco. "Do you think this is why you've been feeling weird?"

"Weird? What do you mean?" Blaise asked.

"I woke up with a weird feeling this morning," Draco explained. "I felt like something bad was going to happen." he frowned before he answered Theo. "I don't know, maybe? I keep having these weird dreams, too---"

"Dreams? What are they about?" Theo asked.

"I... I don't really know," Draco said honestly, his mind flashing back to the strange encounters he'd had. "I'm just in a void of nothingness, I suppose, and I feel someone talking to me. A presence. It calls me a 'guardian'."

"A guardian?"

Draco nodded. "The last dream I had, the voice told me that I had to protect the Master. Whoever that is," Draco sighed. "The voice was really urgent. It kept telling me that I had to hurry."