A Malfoy's World - 0 (Patreon)

Disclaimer: I do not have any rights of ownership for the characters used except the OC's. All the credit goes to the authors. Only the plot belongs to me.

Chapter 0

~ Draco Malfoy ~

The sudden, jarring shift was less a gentle awakening and more of a punch to the gut. One moment, I was navigating the existential dread of a Monday morning commute when I was interrupted by the less than pleasing sound of a massive crash and glass breaking; the next, a white-hot wave of foreign memories, a complete life, slammed into my consciousness.

Draco Malfoy.

Pureblood prick, future Death Eater, wannabe Prince of Slytherin and current teenage aristocrat with a freshly scheduled date with a Dark Lord who had severe daddy and anger issues.My eyes snapped open. The familiar, suffocating opulence of Malfoy Manor’s drawing-room swam into focus. A low, silken voice was droning on. Lucius. My— Draco’s —father. He was leaning forward in a high-backed armchair, the serpent head of his cane glinting malevolently. Opposite him, Narcissa, poised and pale, watched with an intensity that belied her placid expression."…a great honor, Draco. The Dark Lord himself has deemed you worthy," Lucius urged, his voice dripping with forced pride. "To take the Mark, to fulfil your glorious mission. Dumbledore will fall by your hand. A Malfoy will finally bring down the greatest thorn in the Dark Lord's and our faction's side."

My stomach churned, but not from fear. From a cold, calculating fury.This was it. Mid-August 1996. One week before Hogwarts. The Half-Blood Prince. The vanishing cabinet. The cursed ring. Snape. Potter. Everything.Lucius misinterpreted my silence. "The Dark Lord trusts you, son. He sees your potential. You will not fail him."I felt a smirk stretch across my face, a mirror of Draco’s customary sneer, but with an entirely new, chilling edge. "Oh, I won't fail him, Father," I said, my voice, Draco's voice, coming out smooth and confident, utterly devoid of the usual teenage petulance. Lucius blinked, surprised by the sudden shift in tone. "I simply won't be doing it his way."Narcissa’s breath hitched. Lucius’s eyes narrowed, a vein throbbing in his temple. "What are you implying, Draco?" His tone was dangerously soft.I leaned back, mirroring his posture, but with a casual dismissiveness that instantly put him on the defensive. "I'm implying, Father, that the Dark Lord's plan is… sloppy. Beneath the Malfoy name. To simply walk in, confront Dumbledore, and 'strike him down'? It’s a fool's errand. Even if I were to succeed, the fallout would be catastrophic for our standing. The entire wizarding world would turn on us, not just Dumbledore's sheep. You forget, he is not just the headmaster. He also holds the position as the Supreme Mugwump." I watched him closely, enjoying the subtle flicker of doubt in his eyes. He valued reputation above all else."We cannot afford to question him, Draco! The Dark Lord’s word is law!" Lucius hissed, but the conviction wasn't quite there."And his wisdom is sometimes clouded by his theatrical flair," I countered, my eyes glittering with an almost insolent amusement. "Think, Father. The Dark Lord wants Dumbledore dead. Good. But he also wants us to maintain our standing. A direct, public assassination would achieve one, but destroy the other. There’s no subtlety, no finesse. It's crude. And frankly, quite beneath a Malfoy."I paused, letting the words sink in. But I had one more card left in my deck. One that would make him realise why survival was a more of a necessity over blindly following a tyrant. 

"The sighting of the Dark Lord in the Ministry Atrium might have spared you and his inner circle of being incriminated, but everyone who is everyone would assume that you are, once again, back on his payroll. It would not take the intelligent ones much time to connect the dots and this time you might not be as lucky as you were last time," I said, reminding him of his unfortunate history with the trial room and the gates of Azkaban. 

Narcissa was watching me with a new, speculative glint in her eyes. Lucius, however, was bristling."Are you questioning the Dark Lord's intelligence?" he snarled."I am questioning his tactical approach for this specific mission," I clarified, emphasizing the distinction. "A direct assault plays into Dumbledore's hands. He expects it. He'll have contingencies. But a prolonged campaign to destabilize the Order from within, to sow discord and suspicion, to make his own allies turn on him, that would be a true triumph. A triumph worthy of the Malfoy name," I let that hang in the air, a poisoned bait.Lucius chewed on his lip, a tiny crack appearing in his fanatic and unwavering loyalty. "And how, pray tell, would you achieve this 'insidious campaign'?"I gave him a slow, knowing smile. "By accepting the Mark, yes. But not as a mindless assassin. As an infiltrator. A spy. Dumbledore trusts Snape. Blindly, it seems. And Snape, bless his greasy heart, is loyal to the Dark Lord. But what if there was another? Someone Dumbledore wouldn't suspect? Someone whose desperation and pride could be exploited? Someone who could be seen to be coerced, yet reporting directly to the Dark Lord?"I leaned forward now, my voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "The Dark Lord needs more than brute force, Father. He needs eyes and ears where Snape cannot go. He needs a Malfoy's cunning, not a mere attack dog. If I am to take the Mark, it will be to serve his true purpose: not just Dumbledore’s death, but the complete and utter dismantling of his entire network. From the inside."Lucius stared at me, his expression unreadable. Doubt warred with a glimmer of the ambition that made him the man he was today. This wasn't the plan. It was insanity. But it did sound like something a Malfoy would concoct. And the idea of diminishing Snape's perceived importance, that was a delicious bonus."And the Mark itself?" Narcissa finally spoke, her voice surprisingly firm."I will take it," I said, my gaze unwavering. "But not yet. Not before I establish the groundwork for this… strategy. I need time to prepare. To show the Dark Lord the true value of a Malfoy." I knew I was playing with fire, but the original Draco was terrified. I was not. I had already lived one life. A life that had ended abruptly, but had prepared more than enough to handle this.Lucius finally exhaled, a slow, grudging sigh. "Very well, Draco. You have one week. Prove to me that this… campaign of yours… is more than youthful arrogance. Prove that it will benefit the Dark Lord more than his current directive."One week.

Perfect. Just enough time.

~ Draco Malfoy ~The Malfoy vaults at Gringotts were all about extravagance. The vault beneath the Manor? Filled with our history. And secrets. 

Draco had been led down there by the older Malfoy once the Dark Lord returned as Lucius feared that during one of his master's... tantrums, he may lose his life if he did not land in Azkaban. He needed his son to know certain things in case the worst came to pass.

Well, thank you, father.

Amongst the literal piles of ancient and dark objects, one object in particular had caught my predecessor's eye. Something that now I would take complete advantage of.

I found it in a dusty corner, nestled amongst tomes containing forbidden magic and confiscated Dark artifacts. A mirror, certainly, but unlike any I’d ever seen. Not glass, but polished obsidian, etched with swirling runes that thrummed faintly with dormant magical power.

A communication mirror, undeniably. But unlike the standard two-way mirrors, this one required ritualistic sacrifice.

And precisely what I needed. No standard communication would reach Dumbledore without suspicion. This, however, would scream ‘dire, unprecedented emergency’ to him.Touching the mirror, I felt a familiar surge of cold magic. This wasn't just a communication device; it was a conduit. It needed a breath of living magic to kickstart the process.  

A drop of blood, a whisper of intent. Malfoy blood, specifically.

I pricked my finger with a sharp, enchanted nail, letting a bead of crimson well up. I smeared it onto the central rune, feeling a sudden jolt, a dizzying pull, as if the mirror was sucking a piece of my essence."Albus Dumbledore," I said, my voice low and steady, "I demand an audience."The obsidian surface shimmered, the runes flaring emerald green. Then, like ink diffusing in water, a face began to form. Long, silver beard, twinkling blue eyes behind half-moon spectacles. The familiar, slightly amused, slightly weary face of Albus Dumbledore solidified within the mirror.His eyes widened fractionally. "Draco Malfoy," he murmured, his voice echoing from the mirror, sounding distant, disembodied. "This is… an unexpected channel of communication. And one not easily breached by a young wizard, I might add." There was a hint of wonder, and a spark of caution, in his tone."Indeed," I replied, my voice devoid of the youthful deference he was used to. This was not a conversation between student and Headmaster. This was a negotiation between powers. "I didn't think Owl Post would quite convey the urgency, nor the sensitivity of my message."Dumbledore regarded me, his gaze piercing, as if trying to see through the obsidian into my very soul. "Urgency? Sensitive? Has something happened, Draco?""Something is going to happen, Headmaster," I corrected, a forlorn smile playing on my lips. "Something you’re ill-equipped to handle. I wished to warn you since it seems my days are numbered."He raised a silver eyebrow. "Mr. Malfoy?""I have no hidden agenda Dumbledore. I have been assigned a task, one by the Dark Lord himself. And the only way out of it is either through killing someone else, or joining you. Which is why I wanted an audience."

Conviction shone brightly in my eyes as I addressed the headmaster, "I have information. Something so pivotal that would shape the coming years of our world's advancement and would dictate the survival of many. But I have demands before I lay it all out in front of you."Dumbledore chuckled, a soft, dry sound. "Demands? You are bold, Draco. Or perhaps foolish.""Neither," I said, my eyes locking with his through the shimmering mirror. "I am simply pragmatic. And I have information you desperately need. Information that proves I am not a foolish boy seeking attention."I leaned closer to the mirror. "The Vanishing Cabinet. It's in the Room of Requirement. Repaired and ready for use. Death Eaters will use it to infiltrate Hogwarts, bypassing your precious wards, to attack you."Dumbledore’s eyes widened, the amusement draining from his face, replaced by a shock he quickly tried to mask. "An interesting theory, Mr. Malfoy.""It's not a theory, it's a certainty. And speaking of certainties," I paused, letting the silence stretch, watching his reaction. "That cursed ring you wear. Marvolo Gaunt’s ring. It's a Horcrux, Dumbledore. And the curse on it the one that's slowly rotting your hand, slowly killing you was placed there by the Dark Lord himself. You have perhaps a year, if you're lucky."The color drained from Dumbledore’s face. He instinctively clutched his withered, blackened hand, his usual serene composure shattered. This was the raw nerve. This was undeniable proof. No one but he, Severus Snape, and I knew the true nature of his affliction and its origin.

As for the knowledge regarding the Horcruxes, he had suspected it since the entire Chamber of Secrets ordeal. It was the entire reason he had gotten that man, Slughorn, back to Hogwarts to teach.

"And there are others," I continued, pressing my advantage. "But I shall hold on to that one a little longer."Dumbledore was silent for a long moment, his gaze fixed on me, no longer seeing a brash teenager, but a dangerous, knowledgeable adversary. Or ally. "These are… grave accusations, Draco. And remarkably specific details.""Grave realities," I corrected. "And I'm offering you the means to avert some of them. To gain an unparalleled advantage against the Dark Lord. All I require in return is this: absolute, unequivocal protection for my mother, Narcissa Malfoy, should anything happen to me or should my allegiance be discovered. She is to be held blameless, granted sanctuary, and assured of her safety, no matter the political upheaval. She's innocent. I do not care what happens to my father."Dumbledore considered this, his eyes regaining some of their familiar twinkle, though now laced with a deep, analytical shrewdness. "And your second demand?""Unrestricted access to the Restricted Section of the Hogwarts library," I stated, my voice firm. "And any advanced magical texts or research materials you deem worthy of my intellect. I don't want to be spoon-fed. I want to learn, to master magic, in ways no one has conceived since you and the Dark Lord. I want to push boundaries. To innovate. To become the strongest."The last word hung in the air, a declaration of intent, a terrifying ambition. Dumbledore studied me, a long, assessing silence stretching between us. He saw the cold intellect, the ruthless pragmatism, the boundless thirst for power and knowledge. He also saw the potential. The sheer magical talent now paired with a mind that could outmanoeuvre him."You are a remarkably dangerous individual, Draco Malfoy," Dumbledore finally said, a ghost of a smile touching his lips. "And you have presented a remarkably compelling offer. I cannot guarantee your mother's safety unconditionally, but I will swear upon my magic to do everything in my power to protect her, should your... rather extreme proposition proves fruitful. You have my word, so mote it be." He paused, his eyes gleaming as the magical vow took hold. "And as for your access to knowledge, consider it granted. But know this, Draco: you play a perilous game. On both sides, no less. Your loyalties will be tested.""My loyalties are to myself, Headmaster," I stated, my voice as hard as the obsidian mirror. "And to my ambition. Nothing more. Consider this a trial. I will deliver results. You will uphold your end. The moment you fail, or cross me, this alliance is forfeit. And you will find that a Malfoy scorned is a far more potent enemy than any Dark Lord."Dumbledore merely nodded, a complex expression on his face. "A trial it is, then, Mr. Malfoy. Welcome to the game."The mirror shimmered again, the runes fading, and Dumbledore's image dissolved, leaving only the polished black surface.

I had done it.

Political shield secured. The first chess piece moved.

Now, for the pawn. The most crucial pawn of all. I had about 2 days to pack before another year at Hogwarts. And the train itself will be the place where I shall bait the person who would prove an incredibly valuable piece in this game.

And serve my ulterior motives.

Hermione Granger.

Author’s Notes

New story. I wanted to do one with Malfoy as the main character. Expect a (hopefully) different take on the spy draco trope. And expect a lot of smut, because why not.

See you soon.