January 18, 1996

18

The world is so out of control.

It is so bloated and infested with fraud and deceit and corruption and abuse of power.

-Ted Nugent

"This," Moody growls, angrily, as he comes stamping up the stairs. He looks around the gathered Order before his wild eyes lands on the only closed door in front of them. "This is why you called an emergency meeting!" He jabs a finger to the shut door that hid Draco. "Blast the bloody thing off and drag him to Voldemort!"

"Moody," Molly chastises him, coming forward with a stern look on her face, "We can't appear hostile or else he will never come out, he is obviously scared."

"Scared?" Moody scoffs, "Scared is facing that bastard with one eye and no wand, a wand pointed to yer temple and preparing for death!" He finishes with a roar as Molly turns away from him with an exasperated roll of her eyes. "That's scared, Molly! This boy will have it too good; he's already been one of them once!"

They have all seen the Dark Mark on the blond's forearm and it has fester a distrust and animosity from Moody, the older man making sure that his hate for the boy was known and clear - he was sure that the boy would betray the Order, anyways, if he already hadn't.

Arthur palms his face into his hand, shaking his head, "That doesn't mean we should just throw him to them," He looks up at them with wide, imploring eyes, "Don't you think this is being a bit...extreme? I mean this will make us no better than you-know-who." Molly shuffles, a guilty look on her face as she understood what her husband was trying to say.

They were sending this man to die.

"A bit extreme?" Moody mocks with a glint in his eyes, he limps towards Arthur who glares at him as he leans forward until he was eye to eye with the red head, "This is a war, man! Some people will be sacrificed so others can live! One measly Death Eater from another world won't be missed, I assure you that."

"But, yet, you're forgetting one little thing," Arthur says, quietly, his brown eyes lighting up with rage and disbelief, "If you so much touch a hair on that boy's head, you will have a very angry, very powerful, wizard in your hands. Now, I ask you, is that what you really want?"

"Rubbish." Moody snaps, "That Harry Potter boy? He hasn't done anything I couldn't do and look at his counterpart, a weak little Hufflepuff brat!"

"Watch your tongue, Moody," Sirius snarls, turning sharply to him with a deadly glint in his eyes, "That is my godson you're speaking of. You'd do best to remember that."

"I will say what I please, boy!" Moody roars, turning to Sirius.

"Are you trying to pick a fight?" Sirius asks in an ominous tone.

"So, what if I am? I trained you, boy! I know your every move!" Moody shouts.

"Enough!" Molly says, loudly, coming in between the three as Moody's hand twitches at his side, readying to attack at any minute. "What use will it do to tear each other's throats?" She looks at them, sternly, "Calm yourselves."

"Just open the damn door." Moody says, grumpily.

"He has jinx and wards up," Sirius huffs, still a bit peeved from Moody's words, "Bloody bastard gave me warts!" He thrusts his arm in front of Moody who gives him a disgusted look and pushes the offending appendage away from him.

"Serves you right!" Draco shouts, his voice muffled by the door but the smirk that was obviously on his face was apparent in his tone. "You will have to drag me out of here, Order of Losers!"

"Real mature, Draco," Sirius calls out, rolling his eyes as he turns to Molly. "Please, tell me other-Harry responded to your owl by now."

"He did," Molly begins, nervously, she pulls out a piece of parchment and begins to read, "Dear Molly, as amusing as I find that you think I can make Draco do anything he doesn't want to do, I will be the bearer of bad news and tell you that Draco has made it perfectly clear these past few weeks that he will not willing be spying on anyone and I agree wholeheartedly. Of course, he has bribed me these past few weeks in far superior ways then you lot ever could like..." Molly chokes off, her face turning a shade of red as her eyes widen in scandalized shock, "O-oh my." She tilts her head to the side in wonder, "Did he really...?"

"Yes, I did!" Draco shouts causing Molly to sputter and drop the letter as if she's been burn. Sirius gives her a curious look but she merely shakes her head, her face red with embarrassment.

"Am I missing something here?" Sirius asks in confusion as Arthur picks up the letter before his eyes widens and his mouth twist in embarrassment before he balls up the parchment.

Draco merely laughs.

Moody shakes his head in irritation as he asks "So, he isn't coming?" He has had enough of the two dimension travelers and what he wouldn't give to bring them both down a notch and realize that they weren't as valuable as they think they were – no matter how much Dumbledore believes they are their last resort.

"No, I don't believe so." Arthur says, grimly.

"You lot are worthless," Moody says with a grunt, as he limps to the front. He pushes Sirius roughly out of the way and pulls out his wand. "Honestly, he is a bloody inexperienced twenty-three year old, for Merlin's sake! I am his elder and I will show him that I am to be feared and respected!"

"I wouldn't do anything stupid, Moody." Draco warns.

"Reducto!"

The red light shoots from his wand and hits the door. It, then, rebounds and hits Moody squarely in the chest causing him to fly back into Sirius and crashes to the wall. Sirius groans in pain, the air knocked out of him as he struggles to push the man on top of him away from him.

"Like that." Draco says, monotonously.

"Get off of me, Moody!" Sirius gives him one last hard shove and the man rolls of him with a grunt as he sits up holding his head in his hands. "Had enough of making an arse out of yourself or would you like him to demonstrate how superior you are once again?"

"Piss off, Black," Moody says, as he stands up, wincing as a sharp pain shoot through his back. "Bloody brat."

"I did warn you." Draco says, "Now, if you all have had enough. I would like to be left alone as I plan my escape from this hell hole."

Before anything else can be said, there is a sharp pop and Dumbledore is suddenly there, standing in front of the door, looking haggard and tired as he looks around the Order members that are gathered. He frowns at them and asks, "You still haven't gotten him out?"

"Dumbledore," Moody greets as he comes forward, his limp heavier than before. "You have the bloody devil behind those doors."

Dumbledore is silent for a moment, he looks thoughtful as his blue eyes twinkling before he says, kindly, "He just needs the right coaxing."

Moody gives him a weird look but doesn't say anything as Dumbledore turns to the door and says, "Good morning, Mr Malfoy."

"Dumbledore," The blond responds, curtly, his voice sharper and less lax than before. "You have incompetent monkeys as followers, no wonder you are losing this war."

Dumbledore lets out a sigh and refrains from rolling his eyes at the blond's words, "Your opinion is not needed, Mr Malfoy," He title his head to the side as he continues, "I presumed after our last talk that you would be more cooperative to our cause."

"I see no reason for me to go spy for you, Dumbledore," Draco says, "You know Voldemort will kill me before I can even open my mouth to defend myself."

"Not if you reveal that you were one of his from another dimension," Dumbledore says his voice light, "He would be too intrigued."

"Why do you really want me there?" Draco snarls, "To have me killed? That will certainly go well considering you need my soul mate's help."

Dumbledore releases a breath as he says, "The information you can retrieve will be invaluable."

"You think Voldemort will trust me," He snorts, "Fat chance at that, he will be suspicious of me until I prove myself."

"You will go," The old Headmaster says, ignoring his words, "You have no choice."

"No, Dumbledore, I think I have the upper hand in this," Draco says with a slight laugh, "Oh, I see, you think that if I am not in the picture Harry wouldn't be swayed to tell Harold that –"

"Enough." Dumbledore says, sharply, his back straightened as his magic crackles in the air. "You will not speak of that, it's not true."

"What isn't true?" Sirius asks in a low hiss, his eyes narrowed, "He said Harold," He takes a step forward, his hands curls into fist, "What about Harry? What did you do, Dumbledore?" He roars, his whole body shaking in anger and fear.

"Sirius, calm yourself!" Molly says, urgently, pulling him away from Dumbledore who turns to look at him with a frown on his face.

"It's nothing, Sirius," Dumbledore says, calmly, "He can't prove anything."

"Stop lying, Dumbledore," Sirius says, his eyes wild, "This isn't just some boy you're toying with – this is my godson!"

"It's all politics," Draco whispers, his voice breaking through the tense atmosphere, "Isn't it, Dumbledore?"

"You know nothing, Draco." Dumbledore says, quietly.

Sirius shakes his head, pulling away from Molly's grasp to turn Dumbledore to look at him, there was desperation in his voice as he whispers, "Tell. Me."

"Stand down, Sirius," Dumbledore says as he pulls away from his grasp, "That is an order." Sirius shuffles back with a frown on his face, "This doesn't concern you."

"To hell it doesn't!" Sirius shouts, shock evident in his voice, "Harry is my concern and –" he chokes off as he lunges at Dumbledore, his hand ready to close around his throat but Arthur and Moody are already in front of him, pulling him back from the old man.

"Sirius, stop!" Molly says, placing a hand on his shoulder and shakes her head. Sirius' whole body shakes and his mind races at the thought that something was happening that concerns Harold and he couldn't do anything about it.

"I am not going, Dumbledore." Draco says, quietly.

Dumbledore narrows his eyes in anger as he leans forward, "You care about your counterpart, don't you?"

"Oh, well played, old man," Draco sneers, there is a shuffle behind the door before he adds, "But Harry would never allow you to hurt any of them. So, if you so lay a finger on either of them then I will personally rip you apart -"

"I have the Malfoys."

The words are said in a low, cold whisper - so low that not even Sirius catches what is said. There is an eerie silence that causes the others to shiver; there is a pressure in the air so heavy it feels suffocating and Molly lets out a shuddering breath as Draco doesn't say anything.

"What happened?" Sirius takes a cautioned step forward; thoughts of Harold out of him mind temporarily at the sudden change of events, "I don't hear him anymore."

"Do we have the brat's cooperation, now?" Moody asks, his fake eye swirling in every direction. He lets out a satisfied huff, "Serves him right."

Dumbledore straightens up, his face indiscernible but doesn't say a word at the questioning glances he receives from his followers. He merely walks away; a sense of satisfaction coils inside of him and he doesn't even have to ask if the blond will go because he already knows.

He has won this battle.