I will admit that the second book is not as good as the first one, but it is still an enjoyable read ( )

I will admit that the second book is not as good as the first one, but it is still an enjoyable read ( )

"The past tempts us, the present confuses us, and the future frightens us. No choice is simple and no one can know what the future holds."

When Hermione is kidnapped, Harry and Draco must team up to rescue her from a thousand-year-old evil that threatens the entire wizarding world. Cursed demon swords, love potions, time travel, dementors, flying dragons, Draco wears leather, and everybody dies at least once. Except when they don't.

I must warn you, because the fifth book ("Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix") was not yet published when this was written, Claire has taken on a dfferent twist. Sirius is still alive, as is Dumbledore. Luna Lovegood does not exist. Ginny is short for Virginia instead of Ginerva. Fudge is still Minister of Magic and that nasty Slytherin boy Blaise Zabini, is actually a beautiful and mysterious red-headed witch (more about her in the last installment of this trilogy). We have not met Bellatrix Lestrange or Nymphadora Tonks. These are just a few things you should watch out for.

On the upside, not only are the familiar and loveable characters such as Hermione, Ron, Neville, Ginny, and Seamus returning, but also more sinister character such as Lucius, Wormtail, and Tom Riddle come back for more. You get to see the happy faces of Sirius and Remus again as well as learning about the past of Narcissa Malfoy. You will also meet new characters and creatures such as resurrected Salazar Slytherin, Rhysenn Malfoy, Ben Gryffindor, Gareth Slytherin, demons and dragons.

The story opens up with Harry and Draco as roommates in Magid School located in Ireland, currently housed in a fortress used to be owned by Godric Gryffindor. Professor Lupin is teaching there, a position secured influenced perhaps by Professor Dumbledore and owing to the fact that a werewolf can easily deal with magid powers compared to an ordinary wizard. Fleur Delacour is a magid as well, and has immediately attached herself on Draco upon his arrival: "You are part-veela, are you not?" Fleur continued. "I am as well. am sure we are related, I have brothers who look just like you. I take one look at you across the hall and think to myself, "That is a beautiful boy, he must be related to me!" And if you thought this French part-veela witch's arrogance is just the beginning, you thought wrong.

Trouble starts with the sudden disappearance of Hermione after receiving a message from Victor Krum for them to meet up. She sends a letter to Harry breaking up with him and stating that she has decided to run away with Victor to live in Bulgaria. Ron & Ginny (back from her exchange program from Beauxbatons Academy) appeal to Harry and Draco for help, from what they suspect to be kidnapping. Meanwhile the two are faced with a little bit of trouble of their own: mainly the arrival of a demon in their dormitory room who searches for its "other half". Add to the mix that the Ministry of Magic is in chaos, for nobody could explain why dementors suddenly left their posts at Azkaban.

It was Professor Lupin who later uncovers what the demon meant, that it was searching for the Living Blade, specifically Terminus Est. This sword used to be encased in adamantine within the Malfoy Mansion, freed due to the Whirlwind Charm cast by Hermione in the first book of this trilogy.
“There's a prophecy about the sword."
Reading from the book, Lupin said: "When the sword is once again wielded in battle by a descendant of Slytherin, Slytherin himself will return, and he and his descendant will join together to wreak havoc and terror on the wizarding world." The thing is, only Harry and Draco can withstand touching Terminus Est, remarkable since it is only the Heir of Slytherin who has the ability to do such.

To further complicate things, Hermione was forced to take a love potion, with Draco being the first person she sees. She makes Draco promise not to tell Harry, but what do you think will happen when Harry finds out? How does Draco truly feel towards Hermione, knowing that he has given her his Epicylclical Charm for safekeeping? Is there really an antidote to the most powerful type of love potion brewed by a Hogwarts Founder? Or is Professor Snape telling the truth: that only death serves as an antidote?

As mentioned in "Draco Dormiens", Sirius has decided to legally adopt Harry as his son and plans to marry Narcissa (now that Lucius is in Azkaban). Guess what that means? Draco and Harry would legally become brothers! Harry, Draco, Ron & Ginny decide to rescue Hermione resulting of course in a squabble between Malfoy and Weasley:
"I'm the one in Slytherin," said Draco coolly, standing up as well and returning the glare. "I'm the shrewd, underhanded one. I come up with the cunning plans around here, not you. You wouldn't know a cunning plan if it painted itself blue and danced naked on a harpsichord singing 'Cunning plans are here again'!"

In the course of one adventure after the next, Ron confronts Harry with the former's jealousy over the friendship between Draco and Harry:
"You're my best friend," he said. "You know why? Because I chose you to be my friend. I didn't choose to have Malfoy in my life, but he is and not much I can do about it."

Another thing Ron should be worrying about is the building attraction between Ginny and Draco. Oh, and the reason why everyone who has read fanfiction may it be from Fanficction Alley to Mugglenet now knows of Draco wearing leather trousers :)
Draco wore Charlie's jacket of black dragon-hide leather, and black dragonhide trousers. Against all the black, Draco's silvery hair and pale skin stood out startlingly. He looked a older, thought Ginny, and different, and just a little...dangerous.

He sighed. "I know what you're thinking," he said. "Same thing you were thinking last night. 'Hey, look at Malfoy, all cute and helpless and kindda nice. He's not mean; he's just wounded and bitter. All he needs is love and he'll be fixed right up.' Well, guess what?" he said, unmoved by her horrified expression. "I'm not nice. And I don't need love and I don't want to be fixed. Especially not by you."

Other important developments includes the discovery of Slytherin's journal written in Parseltongue, an attack on Minister Fudge, Headmaster Dumbledore in the hospital and bound in magical stasis, The Burrow supposedly a castle of Hufflepuff descendants, Mr. Weasley becoming the new Minister of Magic, the Mirror of Judgement (counterpart of the Missor of Erised), Sirius pretending he's a vampire, Professor Lupin becoming the general of the Slytherin werewolf army, etc.

And of course that of Draco confronting Lucius Malfoy of who they are, of their destinies intertwined with that of Salazar Slytherin's and of Voldemort's:
Draco raised his head. "Whatever else I am, I'm your son. Of your blood. I look like you. I have our family name. And you traded me to the Dark Lord for a little bit of power?"

Wormtail glared. The fire blazing all around them made him look frightening; Harry had never found him particularly frightening before. "My Master is prepared to offer you power beyond your wildest imaginings-"
"That's awfully vague," pointed out Draco. "How come it's always 'power beyond your wildest imaginings' and never anything specific, like top-box tickets to the Quidditch World Cup and a yearlong subscription to Playwizard magazine? I mean, how about something I could use?"

Book Details:

Title Draco Sinister (Draco Trilogy, Book 2)
Author Cassandra Claire
Reviewed By Purplycookie ( )