Draco Malfoy, Broken

"Alright, we have Luna, Neville, Narcissa, Theo, Blaise, and Daphne," Harry counted off.

"And me and you. We carry some weight," Hermione said.

"What are you going to say?" Harry wondered.

"About how he looked when his aunt was torturing me. He had tears in his eyes, but his father was right next to him, with a hand on his shoulder."

Harry stared at her and gave her a hug. "I'm sorry you went through that."

"You went through some torture yourself, Harry."

"Apparently not as much as Malfoy has. From what I heard, it was every day... every day his father or Voldemort punished him. He wasn't even safe at Hogwarts. Can you imagine?"

"I can't Harry. It's amazing he's held out this long."

"McGonagall said... she said that he... that I might not be able to save him. That he might not recover...." Harry confessed.

"That's... possible... it's hard to know. Three months of..."

"Torture," Harry spat.

"Yes... that. It might have destroyed what he was holding on to."

"Merlin. Hopefully tomorrow, it ends. And Vance... that slimy git. I wish I could nail his ass into a cell. But Malfoy was right, there's no proof."

"Well... you could get his wand," Hermione said, her face bright with the idea. "Priori Incantatem! It can be used as evidence, Harry! There's a section in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement that are experts at reading the spells that a wand cast and what its targets was. You just have to convince one of them to come with you to take it into evidence."

"That'll work?"

"You saw Mr. Diggory at the World Cup? He only just did the basic charm. There are more extensive spells that will give you more information. He wasn't even experienced in wand theory and investigation. I'm sure all the evidence you need will be in his wand!"

"Hermione... what would I do without you!" Harry said and hugged her. Then he stopped and froze.

"Harry?"

"I still have his wand... Malfoy's... you think I could get something out of it?"

"It'd be direct evidence. But there's a chance it could give them more ammo against Malfoy, too. I don't think you should risk giving it to the Aurors."

"Ollivander," Harry said, suddenly.

"What?"

"He'd be able to help. He owes us and I still haven't talked to him. He might help tell me if there's anything that can help or hurt the appeal."

"Harry, the hearing is tomorrow," she stated.

"I'll go now," Harry said, grabbing his wand.

"There's still more that needs to get done, Harry. Final letters... and the Wizengamot might call their own witnesses to testify. Malfoy's victims... you know?"

"I don't care about the Death Eaters... but could you go talk to Madam Rosmerta... and Katie Bell?"

"You don't think that you should talk to Katie? She was your team mate."

"I don't want to shanghai her into not testifying. Malfoy almost killed her. She deserves to speak her mind."

"Fine... make me do the heavy work..." Hermione grumbled and then looked at Harry. "And Ron?"

"Do you want to ask him?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrows.

"No. He's your best mate. You two haven't exactly handled this maturely. He's even more pissed because I keep siding with you."

Harry's breath got caught in his throat. "Is that what this is about?"

"Not just. But you saw what that Horcrux did to him? Jealousy is the worst part of him and he still hasn't come to terms with it."

"I guess. But Malfoy..."

"Ridiculed and tormented him every year at school. But go. We don't have time for this. I'll talk to Katie and Madam Rosmerta and check in with the others. Neville said he'd send letters to our sympathetic supporters in the Wizengamot."

"Thank you and good luck, Hermione," Harry said and bolted up the stairs to Sirius's old bedroom that was now his.

In his trunk was Draco Malfoy's hawthorn wand. He found it exactly where he had left it three months ago. As his own wand had been repaired, he had not used it since he defeated Lord Voldemort. He gave a curt nod to the wand as it only dimly responded to his touch. He wondered if the wand resented being locked in trunk for months. But he stashed it in the holder with his wand and Apparated to Diagon Alley.

The old wandmaker had slowly been rebuilding his shop and his life after being imprisoned for nigh a year at Malfoy Manor. Harry had not seen him since he left him at Shell Cottage with Bill and Fleur Weasley mending him back to health. Harry approached the door and saw he was not open, yet. It was only 8. He knocked on the door anyway, as most storekeepers, Mr. Ollivander included, had an apartment above.

"I'm coming!" an old voice wheezed. "A little eager, aren't you? Couldn't have waited until 9? I haven't even got cha-" Mr. Ollivander stopped when he opened the door to Harry Potter. The Chosen One. "Merlin... Mr. Potter, come in, don't stand on ceremony."

"Thank you, sir. I hope you have been doing well, then?" he said, formally, despite the wandmaker's request. Harry saw that the shelves are half-filled. His long-time held stock pilfered. Mr. Ollivander watched him.

"Yes... working takes my mind off those unsettling times. What brings you to my door? I doubt you need another wand."

"No, Mr. Ollivander, mine is back to working order."

"May I see it?" Mr. Ollivander said, eagerly.

Harry handed him his phoenix-core wand. Mr. Ollivander examined it with keen eyes and pronounced it whole and completely sound as the day of the Weighing of the Wands.

"Amazing, Mr. Potter. I don't suppose you have the Elder Wand?"

"No, sorry."

"Pity, but you should know, I sense that some of its power has been transferred to your wand... when you repaired it. I have never, in all my years, seen such a magnitude of impossibilities in wandlore and it all surrounds you, Potter."

Harry looked at his wand, curiously. He hadn't really had cause to test it during the past summer. He had been mainly stripping his house of the old evil remnants of the Black family. He had managed to get Sirius's mother down of the entrance hall wall, but couldn't bring himself to throw her away. She's currently affixed to the attic wall.

"So... why are you here?"

"Well... sir... I know it is a rough subject, but I have come to talk to you about Draco Malfoy," Harry said, trying to gauge Mr. Ollivander's reaction. He hid his emotions well.

"The young, and only, Malfoy," Ollivander stated.

"Yes. He was sentenced to life in Azkaban. I'm trying to... appeal for his release. I... know I don't have any right to ask this of you, but I wanted to ask you for your help."

"What could I possibly help with?" Mr. Ollivander said, his tone neutral.

"Luna said he helped her. Did he..." Harry trailed off. It was too much to assume that Malfoy had helped him. Mr. Ollivander had been there all during last summer when Malfoy was home.

Mr. Ollivander stared at Harry for a long time, but Harry waited. Mr. Ollivander sighed. "I have little doubt that without the younger Malfoy's administrations, I would not be alive. Whether or not he did it out of fear or compassion wasn't always clear. But he did want none of what Voldemort was doing. I can't imagine anything I say will help your mission. He brought me food, tended my wounds, and relieved my pain. He did not speak to me like he did Luna. Perhaps because she was more his age. She was a breath of fresh air... a rare thing of nature. If she has forgiven the Malfoy boy, so shall I. I will write a testimonial for you, if that is your desire."

"Thank you. Do you know what they did to him?"

"A lot worse than what they did to me. I had value. They treated the rat better."

"Yes... they did. There was one another thing... I have Malfoy's wand," he said, handing him the wand.

"Hawthorn, 10 inches, unicorn core," Mr. Ollivander said, as he again held the hawthorn wand that was once Draco Malfoy's.

"Yes. I was wondering if you could... if you knew how to determine... what spells he might have done with this wand?"

"Priori Incantatem? It's a fine art, but I am well-versed. If that is what you wish, I shall try. You used it up until your battle with Mr. Riddle?"

"Yes, shortly after that I repaired my old wand."

"Let us get started. Do know what was the first spell you used?"

"I think it was when I craved out the tombstone for Dobby's grave. No... I stunned Greyback, right when I got the wand."

"Very well, let me see if I can find that point," Mr. Ollivander said, and he took out his wand.

He locked the doors, windows and put up Silencing Charms. Harry sat at the table and watched the wandmaker in fascination. Mr. Ollivander took no note of him, running through the spells of the hawthorn wand, using Priori Incantatem. Harry saw echoes of his spells and wisps of words of the very magic he cast during the Battle of Hogwarts. Some of which he had no recollection of, just automatic reflexes. Then he saw the spells from Gringotts, then from Shell Cottage. It was coming. At last, the Stunning Spell to Fenrir. Now, was the spells that Malfoy had cast.

Ollivander ran through them, slowly, arching an eyebrow in confusion and amazement. "Mr. Malfoy seems to like non-verbal spells. It's fairly difficult spellwork, but he managed it with surprising ease."

"Why would he use non-verbal spells?" Harry asked.

"As wizards mature, the ease of casting non-verbal spells increases, but I imagine he was mainly keeping what he was doing a secret, being in the hostile environment he that was in. However, even his unlocking and locking spells into the dungeon, was in silence. Highly unnecessarily, perhaps he had just gotten used to it. But it's more that I was commenting on his particular spellwork. Extraordinary really, for one as young as him. I would hardly call it normal. Then there's a spell he cast between his two locking spells, but it's hard to discern it. He didn't speak the spell and it has to do with the house itself as a target, not a person. It's strange."

"You don't know the name of the spell?"

"No, it's not a common spell, more like a chant. You see one of the subjects that can be studied, after you graduate, is the fluid nature of casting. Like when you do accidental magic. There's not a word or incantation that your mind fixates on, it's just a desire and your magic acts upon it. Wandless magic is like this. Mr. Malfoy was tapping into his magical core and summoning the desire he wanted, rather than searching for the correct magical words. It's extreme difficult to understand what it is from an echo. Plus, there's another spell before he unlocked the basement door, which he draws upon that wordless ability, again. Two spells... both directed at Hermione."

"Hermione! Bloody hell! Did he really hur-?"

"No, Mr. Potter. I can feel the emotions... the aura of the spell. It has no pain-inducing intentions. The tenor is more of a healing spell and the other is surely a calming spell, no doubt about that. I'm relaxing just feeling the echo of it."

Harry stared at him with his mouth open. Malfoy had tried to ease Hermione's pain.

"I go forward and there's more, directed at Luna, his mother and even me. All wordless incantations, no easy one or two word spells," Ollivander said and put down his wand. The echoes disappeared.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked.

"There's a reason, several reasons, why this type of magic isn't taught at school. First, it's incredibly difficult. Second, it's very unpredictable and therefore dangerous. But most of all, it's draining. It takes so much out of you, that it weakens you considerably. He uses it, so readily, that he must know what it is doing to him. He didn't even try using words... more like he purposely avoided them."

"To hurt himself... is that what you are getting at?"

"Not hurt himself. Render himself defenseless, I think. I can't find any time that he heals himself or defends himself from any attack, not even in the slightest. There were a few spells that he tried just to reassemble a broken glass, but instead of a simple Reparo, he cast countless non-verbal, chanting spells to reform it. It's incredibly interesting. I suppose he could have just been experimenting with his mental powers, but when he was healing Luna and I, he was being actively tortured by his house guests and he still used a chant, pulling from his own strength."

"He didn't think he could defend himself."

"I suppose, but going back to this spell from the basement before we escaped... I can't figure it out. He cast nothing like it before, but it had to have worked. It permeated the boundaries of the house very subtly. Hang on, I will try one more spell." Mr. Ollivander tried one more, but still frowned. "The words he chanted... it's like he was pleading for a stripping. It's a very weird sentence structure."

Harry froze. He remembered what Luna had said. That Malfoy, no Draco, had been trying to get her out... that no living thing could leave... but they did. He grabbed the old man's arm, who jumped.

"Sir, do-do you think that-that it could have been to remove the Apparition Wards?" Harry asked jittering in excitement. Mr. Ollivander winced from the tight grip he had on him.

"That... by Hecate... I think you may be right. He couldn't unlock it with words. His father's wards were too powerful. He had to resort to non-verbal incantations. That must be why the words are so mixed up, he was pulling at his pure desire. Remarkable. It's no easy thing to strip an Anti-Apparition enchantment on a residence."

"He saved us. He's the reason Dobby could rescue us... he saved us all," Harry breathed.

"So, it would seem," Mr. Ollivander frowned, weakly.

"I don't care what happens tomorrow. He's not spending another night in Azkaban," Harry vowed with every fiber of his being.

"I will write a statement to the Wizengamot and the Auror's office. You should go get him out tonight, you can take responsibility for him. You can petition that. Here, give this to that new minister, right now," Ollivander said, quickly writing a note and sealing it.

"Thank you, Mr. Ollivander," Harry said, accepting it.

"Give my thanks to the young Malfoy," he said, scooting him out the door and Harry popped into the atrium of the Ministry of Magic.

***

Harry Apparated to the entrance of hell, the order of release in his hand. At his side, was a witch and a wizard: Penelope Clearwater, a junior member of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement as well as his older classmate from Hogwarts, and Albert Baker, an inspector within the Auror department specializing in wand evidence. Harry gave no one warning this time.

As soon as he had gotten approval, he first briefly stopped by the Auror office and wrangled up his two companions. He then stopped at his house, to tell Hermione the good news and grab some clothes for Malfoy.

"Hermione!" Harry had called through his house at Number 12, Penelope Clearwater and Inspector Baker, followed him through the fireplace. He didn't want to alarm them by Apparating from the Ministry.

"Harry? Where have you been?"

"Good news. I'm going to go get Malfoy. I got the Minister's approval."

"You're getting him tonight?"

"Yes, so... if you wanted to leave, I'll understand. He has to stay with me until the trial, tomorrow."

"No, I'm fine... I'm just surprised."

"There's something Ollivander found out, Hermione... but I'll tell you when I get home."

Hermione nodded. "Alright, I talked to Katie and Madam Rosmerta. They said they won't oppose his release. It's just Ron... and Bill, I guess."

Harry gave her a hug, grabbed an extra set of black robes for Malfoy, and then escorted his guests outside. "Please do nothing. As far as Vance knows, I'm only here for Malfoy," he instructed them, before they had landed on the steps of the prison.

Alarms wailed through the prison, but Harry didn't even feel any concern as a swarm of dementors came toward them. Penelope and Inspector Baker hid behind him as he raised his wand and shouted, "Expecto Patronum!"

The dementors dispersed in every direction. Harry snorted and motioned for his companions to follow him. He entered the prison and took the route Vance had shown him to Malfoy's cell, without any delay. Vance was just coming out of his cell when he got there.

"Potter? What are you d-"

"Expecto Patronum!" Harry roared as loud as he could, scattering the sentinel dementor in front Malfoy's door. But the absence of darkness around him told him that every dementor was gone from the prison. He wished that the spell was permanent.

"You can't do that!"

"I'm here to escort Malfoy to his hearing," Harry said in a dark tone.

Vance took the offensive. "Really? How does a Death Eater warrant a hearing?"

"Does it matter? I wouldn't worry. I am quite interested in hearing all about your conduct, Vance."

Vance gave a smirk. "Hear from who?"

Harry advanced on him and Vance backed into Malfoy's cell and to the corner. Harry glanced at Malfoy, nearly naked, huddled next to his bunk, freely shaking. Harry stared Vance down.

"What did you do, Vance? You think I can't lift a Silencing Charm?"

"There's no charm on him," Vance smiled knowingly. "Oh, he's a suicide risk... we had to take away everything away as a precaution. You have nothing."

"Inspector Clearwater, what are the rules for wands inside Azkaban?"

"Any wand can seized and inspected at any time," she chimed in.

Vance paled and looked down at his wand. He figured it out.

"So... what's your wand going to tell us, Vance? Hand it over," Harry ordered.

Vance raised his wand and started to say, "Stup-", but who was he kidding.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry spat with enough full to send Vance into the wall. His wand landed in Harry's hand. "I do really like that spell. Inspector Clearwater, did he just try to attack me?"

"Yes, he did. That's arrestable and we can seize his wand for trial," she said.

"Here you go, Inspector Baker. Please take that into evidence." Harry handed him the wand as Vance slowly realized that he had tricked him.

"With pleasure, Warlock Potter," Baker said, taking the wand. He placed the tip of his wand against Vance's. "Priori Incantatem."

Screams erupted from the wand and Harry could tell it was Malfoy's voice. "You used the Cruciatus Curse on him?" Harry seethed.

Both Penelope and Baker readied their wands, both visually appalled.

"I didn't do- ah screw it... yes, I did! He's a Death Eater! He deserved everything he got!"

"Incarcerous!" Harry growled, and Vance was bound. "I'm sure you'll be enjoying your own cell very soon, Vance."

"Probably, but he won't talk again," Vance laughed, viciously.

Harry didn't like his laughter. Malfoy was silent, not looking at them and trembling. "Get him out of here. I'll be down when I can."

"Of course, Harry," Penelope said, flickering her wand and Vance was forced upward. "Let's go! Not another word or I'll gag you."

The two ministry officers and their prisoner departed, leaving Harry alone with Malfoy. Harry set the robes he brought on the empty frame. Malfoy wouldn't look at him. Just to make sure, he checked that there wasn't a Silencing Charm on him. There wasn't one.

"Malfoy?" Harry tried and crouched down, trying to reach him. "Malfoy... it's me. Vance is gone. I've come to take you out of here." Malfoy swallowed, but still didn't say anything and continued to avoid his eyes.

I'm too late, he thought, but he refused to accept it.

"I'm not going anywhere, Malfoy," Harry sat down across from him and waited. His former rival's posture did not change. He still stared off, determined not to look at Harry. Ten and then twenty minutes passed, he spoke to Malfoy slowly and sincerely, telling him that he was safe, Vance was gone and no one was going to hurt him. If he heard him, he gave no sign. After thirty minutes, Harry tried to move his hand forward. Malfoy jumped, again, like last time. He finally looked at him, clearly.

"Draco... it's me," Harry said in a loud voice. "I've come to take you home."

Malfoy just stared at him. Disbelief was in his eyes. Harry pulled out the order and held it for him to read. Malfoy did not take it, but his grey, fearful eyes looked at the words.

"You're leaving here, Malfoy. I'm taking you away from here," Harry said, clear, and his charge's eyes looked back up into his eyes. "Draco?"

Malfoy's mouth twitched like he wanted to say something. It was almost like he still had the Silencing Charm on. Harry watched him, guessing what kind of psychological torture Vance had done to him. Malfoy had to be stronger than that, he had to believe it.

"You can do it, Malfoy. No one is going to hurt you. Vance was arrested. He's gone. I'm the only one here. You can tal-" Harry paused when Malfoy visibly flinched at the word. "I'm sorry. I won't say it. I'll give you all the time you need."

Malfoy's hands were trembling, still. Harry moved his hand forward, again, and Malfoy avoided him, bringing his hands to the floor, out of his reach. He clearly wanted no part of being touched. His reaction was the same since the first time he visited Malfoy. At least that reaction he couldn't blame on Vance. He wondered why he reacted so badly. Most people liked comfort, human contact, when they were in pain. It occurred to him that Malfoy was wearing only shorts and he might be particularly vulnerable. Harry had avoided letting his eyes wander, though he could see Malfoy's ribs and even the faint outline of the Sectumsempra scar.

"Hey, I brought you a set of robes. You want to put them on?"

Harry asked. Malfoy managed a hesitate nod, which was a start, but he made no effort to reach for the robes. Harry grabbed it and rolled it up put it over Malfoy's head.

"Ready?" He never thought he'd be helping Malfoy get dressed, but strange things happen every day. He pulled it over his head and was about to help with the arms, when Malfoy decided to finish. He pulled his shaking hands though the holes and over his knees, he wrapped the robes tightly around his body.

"Are you cold?" Harry asked and Malfoy tightened up more. Harry took it as a "yes". Harry waved his wand and cast a Warming Charm. Malfoy winced when he saw the wand, but then relaxed as the warmth spread though he body. "Sorry, I'll warn you next time."

Malfoy managed another nod. He massaged his throat, as though realizing he could speak, again, but forgot how.

"Come on, Malfoy. Are you really going to let that asshole win?" Harry challenged.

Malfoy's eyes narrowed and he glared at him.

"Well? You really gonna chicken out or are you going to prove that you aren't his bitch?"

"Fuck you, Potter," Malfoy growled, though he seemed shocked that he spoke. He looked around the cell as though waiting for punishment for speaking.

"He's gone," Harry said, again.

"So... it would seem," Draco drawled, looking down. "Sorry, he's been fucking with my mind."

"You don't have to explain. You ready?"

"To go where?" Malfoy asked hesitantly.

"Your hearing is tomorrow. But I convinced the Minister to let me take you out tonight to prepare you for the case."

"So, I may be coming back," he grunted.

"No. I won't let that happen. Besides, we have enough, now."

Malfoy's eyes simmered. He was still shaking. "What do you mean?"

"You let Dobby in. You lowered the wards at your house, didn't you?" Harry said, staring at Malfoy's every reaction.

"How..."

"You forget that I still have this?" Harry said, holding out his old hawthorn wand.

Malfoy did not move to take it. "Priori Incantatem?"

"Yep. Hermione thought of it to settle the Vance problem, and I realized that your wand might have some answers."

"It was the best thing that could have happened... when you took it. Voldemort would have killed me for sure. He thought Wormtail had somehow lowered the wards," Malfoy murmured.

Harry lowered the wand.

"You saved us all, why didn't you say anything?"

"Like you'd believe me? Or anyone else... I wasn't going to make a fool of myself."

"You saved me."

Malfoy looked at him. "You're the hero, Potter. The Chosen One. You were the only one who could save me. Evidently, it holds true even after Voldemort is dead. Everyone else was content to let me die in here."

"Besides your mother. Hermione, Neville and Luna are testifying for you, too. Your friends. Even Ollivander. He knows you were helping him."

"I only brought him food and healed him. I never stopped any of it."

"You know, Ollivander told me that the spell you used to strip the words was something else. Not a spell... willpower and it wasn't easily done. You broke your dad's spell, non-verbally," Harry said, impressed.

Malfoy stared at him. "I needed motivation. Luna and Ollivander wouldn't survive on their own. They needed you."

"Thank you, for saving us."

"I think I'm still overwhelming in your debt, Potter."

"Still, it only takes once. You're a hero, too."

"No one will ever call me that."

Harry laughed to himself, but he hoped Malfoy was wrong. He was shaking less, now, but Harry thought it was just leftovers from the Crucios. Harry looked at him and Malfoy lowered his eyes, under his scrutiny.

"Why didn't you just answer me? The last time I was here," Harry said, his voice accusing. "About the battle? You could have helped me along. Luna and Neville told me what happened... and Blaise. They told me about you and Goyle. You were fighting him."

Malfoy tensed up again and retreated inward. Harry was curious and surprised. "What's wrong?"

"You don't know the whole 온라인카지노게임... Potter," Malfoy said, his voice thin. "You probably should hear it, before we leave here."

*** I hope you are enjoying the 온라인카지노게임 so far! Next one is big, two chapters worth. I didn't want to split it in two.***