One year had passed the boys by; at times it seemed to take forever whereas other days time seemed to just vanish. Draco was several months older than Harry and often liked to remind him, but in the upcoming week a particular date wasn't one of those days, for it was soon to be the 31st of July...Harry's eleventh birthday.

They got up as usual in the morning but Draco said nothing until Vernon wanted the mail and he let Harry go get it, only to take over at the stove and tried to do as much of the work as he could. They were always too poor to buy any gifts for each other (since they never got given money and only had what they rarely found lying on the streets), so the best way to allow the other to enjoy the day somewhat was for the other to take over the chores for the week leading up to the birthday and then take all the chores on the actual day.

Draco wasn't the best cook but Harry and Petunia had ground tips into him so he was getting the hand of the more structered things. He only glanced up when he saw Harry enter the kitchen with two envelopes clutched in his hands that he didn't pass over to Vernon.

"Oh Marge is ill, ate a funny welk" Vernon said but the boys hadn't heard him.

"What's that?" Draco mouthed to Harry as he pointed to it.

"Dad look! Harry's got letters!" Dudley snatched the envelopes from Harry and handed them to Vernon before the raven-haired boy could react.

"Give them back, they're ours!" Harry said and Draco came over curiously at the word "ours" as it clearly involved him as well.

"Oh? And who would be writing to you?" Vernon laughing hollowly but turned the envelopes over and seemed to pale as he exchanged looks with Petunia. Draco glanced over their shoulders but seconds later he was snatched up alongside Harry and they had been shoved into the hallway and then roughly into their cupboards.

"Ouch!" Draco hissed through his teeth as his skull whacked against a shelf. "What was that about? Who were those letters for?"

"Us" Harry replied. "It said Harry Potter, cupboard under the stairs....you had one with your name too."

"But...did you see a return address? A name, anything?" Draco asked eagerly. "I only saw a red seal with a "H" on it."

"There was nothing else, just our names and address" Harry sighed. "Who is writing to us? How do they know where we sleep?"

"No idea" Draco sighed as well, annoyed that he couldn't read his own letter. "Why didn't you just slip it under the cupboard door? Why'd you walk in there with them?" He growled.

"It's not my fault!" Harry snapped back.

"Right, sorry" Draco grumbled. "I just wish we could have them. I mean, they were addressed to us!"

The next few days consisted of Draco's many unsucessful but creative attempts to get their letters that kept being delivered and seemed to be increasing in numbers. Vernon had drilled the mailbox shut, dismissed the postman and burnt all letters that had still somehow made their way into the house. Harry had near given up on getting his letter but Draco seemed to treat the situation like a matter of life and death...he certainly was determined.

His thoughts only drifted from the letters once when he relived the hilarious memory of Harry somehow letting the snake loose on Dudley's birthday last month. Although Draco hadn't been able to go due to a head cold, he had still been thoroughly amused when Harry cheered him up with the story and as he thought back to it he found himself cheering up at times; but those letters were his main priority. Vernon knew Draco wanted them the most out of the pair so Harry often took that advantage to try and get the letters. But a week later and still neither boy knew the contents of their letters from the mysterious "Hogwarts".

--

"Sunday" Vernon said that weekend, looking rather pleased while Draco crouched in the corner grumbling and Harry passed around a plate of snacks. "Finally Sunday. In my opinion: best day of the week" He said and kept muttering as Harry made his way over to Draco who hungrily took the snacks. Until something caught their attention.

Harry walked over to the window and pulled back the light curtains, seeing owl after owl perched all over the street, from the house roofs to the fences, signs, lawns and cars etc.

"What...?" Draco felt the suddenly rumbling and noise as well, moments before the fireplace burst with letters streaming out all over the once-perfect living room. He grinned and spared no time; jumping up to grap a letter with his name on it.

Harry stared at the shower of envelopes while the Dursleys screamed and attempted to shield themselves. He quickly joined Draco but Vernon took over and while he grabbed Harry's arm and yanked him away roughly, he snatched Draco around the middle and hurled both boys into the hallway, fighting their thrashing and protests the entire way.

"They're our letters!" Draco screamed angrily as his letter was snatched violently out of his hands.

"They're for us!" Harry added as the mailbox blockage broke and more letters poured into the narrow hallway.

"That's it!" Vernon yelled as the struggling from the boys and the pressure of the letters became much and he slid to the floor but did not release either of the boys. "We're going away! Far away, where they can't find us!"

And so later that night, Harry and Draco were leaning against a cold stone wall and watched as Vernon once again tried to light the fireplace in the small shack they were staying at...in the middle of nowhere and upon a rock out at sea. Petunia was upstairs getting ready for bed while Dudley sat on the couch stuffing his face with packets of chips...some in which had been for the other two but neither said a word when the bags were snatched from their grasps. Vernon was in a bad enough mood as it was and Harry had a bruise from when he'd been roughly grabbed by the wrist earlier. Neither boy wanted to add to that.

"You okay?" Draco asked quietly as Harry rubbed his wrist again.

"Yeah, more annoyed than anything" He answered his brother .'This isn't fair."

"No kidding" Draco cast a scowl at Vernon when the man shoved two thin sheets at each boy and strolled upstairs. He then glanced at Dudley, seeing that a packet of chips still remained.

"Draco, no" Harry groaned as the blonde boy headed over to where Dudley was finishing Harry's chips.

"You pig, they're not all for you" Draco said to Dudley bravely and Harry wondered what had gotten into him for he rarely said anything against Dudley as the fear of being beaten up rang too strong within him. But over the last few months his friend had been changing and getting just more frustrated with their situation. Dudley was always bullying them, the Durleys didn't feed them enough, give them their own things or anything that made their life a little less miserable. Harry had learnt to cope, to avoid confrontations for they never came out winning. But when those unknown letter started arriving, it was something that did belong to them and it seemed to bother Draco the most when he couldn't have them...and to not even know who they were from.

And now as he approached Dudley, it looked as though he had reached the end of his mental and emotional limit. They were both cold, hungry and sore...a simple packet of chips was like a three-course meal to them right now. The hunger was making them ache and Draco had always suffered more than Harry with the lack of food. He couldn't stand not being fed and right now Dudley was about to eat Draco's chips.

"Whatcha gonna do about it?" Dudley smirked as he put the crinkled packet down and reached for the last packet; Draco's chips. But the blonde had leapt towards them before Harry could say a word or attempt to restrain him.

They had always been quicker than Dudley but the chips were right there in his reach so both boys had managed to clutch the packet and each refused to let go.

"Draco, no" Harry said, stepping closer. "It's not worth it."

"I don't care!" Draco said, his voice cracking slightly. "I'm so hungry, I'm tired and I just want what is mine!"

"These are mine, dad gave them to me!" Dudley complained, tugging harder on the packet.

"No, he said that Harry and I could have one each, you took all six of them!" Draco yelled while Harry glanced towards the stairs nervously.

"Draco..." He warned as the floorboards above creaked; it was a sign that Vernon was approaching and no doubt they were going to be in more trouble and with no cupboard to lock them into...

"Give them to me!" Dudley yelled back.

"No, they're mine!" Draco replied but gasped as the precise second that Vernon grabbed him by his collar, the chip packet tore and the photo chips burst all over the floor and Dudley.

"Sorry!" Draco winced quickly and tried to break free of Vernon's grasp as the man growled deep in this throat and thrust the boy at the couch, in which he kicked his knee on and then fell forward, spralled beside Dudley.

"Get to bed, the lotta ya!" Vernon snapped and headed back up the stairs.

"Way to go, loser!" Dudley said and rolled over on his couch.

Harry reached for Draco, helping him up and then they flattened their sheets on the floor beside the couch and in front of the non-lit fireplace, huddling together for comfort and in hope of easing away some of the cold.

Dudley had his arm hanging over the side of the couch so Harry glanced at his watch and saw it was only two minutes until midnight. He looked at Draco to see the boy was drawing something in the dirt in front of them and after a moment, Harry finally realised that it was a cake with eleven candles.

"Thanks for staying up with me" Harry whispered as he tried to imagine the cake was real, as though the candles were flickering light against the dull stone walls and that there was frosting all over the top.

"No problem" Draco shrugged as they lay on their stomaches. "It's not like it's easy to sleep here" He added with a sigh but tried to be remain possitive as Dudley's watch beeped softly, announcing that it was midnight.

"Make a wish, Harry" Draco added lightly as Harry took a breath and blew the candles "out". But seconds after wishing that he and Draco could leave the Dursleys, Harry stared towards the door when a loud bang was heard. It continued and the wooden door seemed to be shuddering from the force.

"Wh...?" Dudley jerked upright and the boys got to their feet.

"Draco!" Harry hissed and grabbed his sleeve to pull him behind the spot beside the fireplace and sucessfully hid them both out of sight while the Dursleys watched fearfully.

Another resounding bang sent the door flying to the filthy floor and that sent off a series of events. From meeting Hagrid and finally reading their letters, to Dudley's pig tail and the Dursleys running from the room. Draco and Harry felt like it was all a dream, as though they'd done some good deed years ago and it was finally coming to pay them back for the next morning came around and they were still resting on the bed in the Leaky Cauldron and it was real...they were wizards and were about to head off for from breakfast before getting their school supplies.

--

They had arrived at the little inn very late at night so there were no people around, but as Draco and Harry followed Hagrid downstairs they saw that the tiny inn was now packed with witches and wizards all around, from rich to poor and than to mysterious and chatty.

"Good morning Hagrid!" The bartender, Tom greeted him as he saw the half-giant enter. "The usual, I presume?"

"No thanks Tom" Hagrid replied. "I'm on official Hogwarts business. I'm having young Harry and Draco off to buy their school supplies" He announced.

"Bless my soul" Tom gasped loudly. "It's Harry Potter!"

"What?" Draco glanced at his friend. "They know you?" He asked as the entire room went quiet and several people came over to greet them.

"I...guess so" Harry replied in shock.

--

They followed Hagrid out the back and when he didn't explain how those people knew who Harry was, the boys almost missed what he did next. Tapping certain places on the brick wall caused then to move and reveal Diagon Alley. Harry's eyes were wide and his jaw dropped and while Draco reacted in a simular way...there was something else going through his mind as he recalled the previous night...

--

-- 

"Ye coming?" Hagrid's voice boomed over to him and Draco was startled from his thoughts as he rushed to keep up with his new company and his brother as they wandered the magical streets, staring and gasping at it all while taking in the scenary.

The group went to Gringotts and the boys found that they were both rich for each vault was piled high with gold coins, although Draco smirked to the fact that he had a lot more than Harry but said nothing. It was only great to have the money because he'd never had it before but he honestly had no real clue what to spend it on. He had a few ideas but there was just so much!

And then they got their wands and Mr Ollivander knew right away who they were, even Draco, stating that he remembered when their parents had walked in to get their first wands and how he was very curious about the wand Harry ended up with.

But everything passed in a blur for Draco while Harry absorbed it all and grinned about the entire time. Hagrid bought Harry a snowy owl for his birthday and even though Draco's was many months ago, he also got him an eagle owl. They had their school robes fitted and bought their books, although both boys purchased a few extra items such as books and toys.

As their exciting day was coming to a close, Draco paused by the Quidditch store and was drawn to it for some reason even though he had no idea how to play the sport that required brooms or had ever witnessed a game taking place before. He just stared into the shop window and once again his mind clouded with confusion and as though there was something he was forgetting...

--

-- 

"Draco?" Harry was the one to bring him from his thoughts this time. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I think I remember something...about my parents" Draco admitted, so sure that those people in his vage memories were his parent, the family he lost.

"Yeah?" Harry raised an eyebrow. "You're lucky, all I remember is a scream and bright green light."

"Come on, lads!" Hagrid called them again.

"Let's go, Hagrid is gonna tells us more about Hogwarts" Harry tugged Draco away from the store but the blonde wizard had a sinking feeling in his stomach that there was something big he didn't know, not about his life or his parents but about himself. As though there was something important buried deep within that he knew nothing about although by right he should...something dark.

"Ye alrigh" lads? Ye a bit quiet" Hagrid commented to them over dinner. While Draco had finished his meal and the gazed off into the distance, Harry had barely touched his own food.

"He killed our parents, didn't he?" Harry asked and Draco's head snapped up in attention although he'd thought the same thing earlier that day while they'd been shopping for wands.

"The one who gave me this" Harry added, touching the place on his forehead where his scare was. "You know Hagrid, I know you do."

The half-giant sighed and looked between the boys before taking a deep breath and nodding.

"Firs" there is somethin" ya both should know because it's very importan': not all wizards are good, some of "em go bad. And a few years ago there was one that went as bad as ye can go. His name was V..." He paused and struggled to say it. "His name was V..."

"Maybe if you wrote it down?" Harry suggested.

"Nah, I can't spell it! Alrigh'...Voldemort" He said in a hushed tone.

"Voldemort?" Harry repeated and Draco shivered for some unknown reason even though it wasn't cold inside the room and he had a jumper on.

"It was dark times boys, dark times" Hagrid told them and began the story of what brought them to where they were and in turn, to each other. "Voldemort decided ter gather some followers and run "em over to the dark side. He had huge numbers in his command, some of "em being your parents, Draco."

"What? My parents were...bad?" Draco's eyes were wide and he could barely grasp the thought of such a thing.

"Death Eaters we call "em, but ye parents didn't want no more to do with Voldemort an" they went to Harry's parents, askin" for help" Hagrid explained and Draco relaxed a notch while Harry clung to his words.

"No one knows how they found the Potters for only a few knew where they were, protective charms and such...unbreakable. But they chose that particular night and took you with "em. Some say they fought while others think they planned it all along; no one knows what really happened that night. But Voldemort showed up and he wasn't pleased ter say the least" Hagrid said. "Anyone who stood up to him ended up dead, for no one lived once he decided to kill "em, not one...'cept you" He looked at Harry.

"Me?" Harry gasped. "Voldemort tried to kill...me?"

"That ain't no ordinary cut in yer forehead, Harry. It only comes from being touched a curse and an evil curse that was."

"But I lived and I don't have a scar" Draco added. "He didn't...try to kill me?"

"Ye don't have a scar, so no" Hagrid said. "If he'd bin able ter kill Harry he might've..." He left the story there and both boys were stunned to say the least. They were sad that they lost their parents and knew somehow that they were both very lucky but never had they imagined just how lucky they were to be alive.

--

They headed to bed not long after but while Hagrid was snoring in a nearby sofa, they sat on their rundown bed and discussed the topic until they were exhausted.

"They were so brave" Draco sighed. "Standing up to Voldemort like that, and dying trying to protect us" He said as he bowed his head. "I wish I was that brave."

"You stood up to Dudley, that's pretty brave in my books" Harry said and tried to offer comfort while rubbing his scar again. "We've got to go back to the Dursleys tomorrow. I can't beleive they lied to us about everything!"

"I can" Draco said but frowned as well. "About our parents, about us...everything we should have known, but we didn't because of them!"

Harry and Draco lay down side-by-side and stared up at the bed's canopy.

"I can't wait to go to Hogwarts though" Harry yawned as his eyes began to fall closed. "A magical castle where we can learn how to cast spells and make potions."

"Yeah" Draco said sleepily. "Only a few weeks and we're free....back to where we really belong."