Draco Malfoy, Broken

Battle of Hogwarts - 4 months ago

Draco had been roused out of bed by a grumpy Slughorn. "Everyone upstairs! We need to go to the Great Hall."

He had felt the burn... the lasting burn of his Mark not that long ago. It still throbbed in uncontrollable spasms. Why Voldemort's followers willingly let themselves take a Protean Charm, Draco would never know. Potter was here. He felt it. He might have had some doubts, but now that Slughorn was shouting through their house to get up, it was certain.

Draco stiffly got out of bed. He was still recovering from his excessively long and painful Easter Break. After Potter escaped, Voldemort arrived and struck them all down with Cruciatus Curses. Thankfully, no one knew of his involvement, but he did not escape the mass punishment. It was weeks before he was allowed to return to school. He had to take his mother's wand... there was no way that she would let him go to school unprotected. Lucius had taken the wand that Potter had left behind and Bellatrix had taken Granger's. Draco felt some sort of amusement in that fact.

Goyle and Crabbe were up and dressed before him.

"Are you ready, yet?" Crabbe growled. Their patience with him was thin. The Carrows' opinions of him had rubbed off on them. He hated the two vicious Death Eaters and they knew how close he was to being killed off.

"Nearly," he mumbled.

He was underweight and weak from Voldemort's curses. He needed them to protect him. He was damn near hexed every day from the Carrows or one of Neville's Army. He smiled thinking of how insane the thought would have been, even last year, that Neville 'the Squib' Longbottom had a gang... and they listened to him. Of course, Ginny and Luna had helped him at first, but he was running it, now. The Carrows had failed to capture him before he disappeared into the Room of Hidden Things. Draco might have offered a few pointers in how to get in there, but the Carrows could go fuck themselves on each other's wands.

"Come on," Goyle grunted, grabbing him by his shirt and pulling him out the door. He hadn't laced his boots, yet.

"I'm coming!" Draco spat indignantly.

"Something's not right..." Crabbe muttered. "Did he call us?"

Draco tried not to smile. Neither Crabbe nor Goyle had Marks, though they were coming. The Carrows kept promising them. They had to rely on Draco to tell them news.

"No," he said, but Goyle grabbed his arm and he yelped.

"It's still warm! Alecto said it would stay warm!" Goyle said and grabbed Draco by the front of his shirt, lifting him off the ground. "You lied to us!"

"Coward! You're taking the chicken's way out!" Crabbe said, pulling out his wand.

"No... I... he wants us to stay here. They are coming here is what I meant! We have to stay here," Draco said, lying through his teeth, hoping they'd believe him.

"I don't know," Crabbe said looking at Goyle. It was weird that they were thinking.

They heard loud clanking and footsteps. The statues were coming to life and walking toward the entrance hall.

"See? The attack is here!" Draco said, thanking his good luck.

"Right," Goyle said, lowering him to the ground.

"What does he want us to do?" Crabbe said, clearly unaware how limited communication over the Mark was. He could only feel his master's whims.

"Just that the attack is forming and don't leave," Draco said, trying to sound confident.

There was cheering coming from the Great Hall. It seems like they were late. Goyle pushed him forward and Crabbe took the lead. They stopped when he heard his master. Draco was nearly sucked into a flashback, just hearing his sinister voice. He finally shook off the memories in time to hear the last sentence: "Give me Harry Potter and you will be rewarded."

Draco froze. The battle was coming. Potter was definitely still here.

"But he's there! Potter's there! Someone grab him!" Pansy screamed.

Draco could have slapped her, if he'd been next to her. But McGonagall dismissed her and the rest of the Slytherin House, apparently, they were forcing them to leave the castle. Draco could just see the members of Dumbledore's Order ahead as well at the prefects of all of the houses, making sure no one slipped off.

Draco felt a liquid dripping down his back. He was disillusioned. Goyle seemed pleased with his work as he and Crabbe also faded. It wasn't the best charm-work, but there was so much running and yelling in the hallway that no one noticed them. Goyle kept a firm grip on his arm, not taking any chances.

Draco saw Potter run over to the somewhat-headless ghost and talk to him. Draco figured that was pointless as ghosts were only good for spying and distracting. Potter then bolted straight for another ghost, but he was too far away to see who it was. McGonagall almost ran straight into them as she tear out of the Hall casting spells at every inanimate object she could.

"Where'd Potter go?" Crabbe grunted, eagerly. He wanted the reward Voldemort promised.

"I don't know," Malfoy said, but they back out into the Entrance Hall, where the younger students were being evacuated out of the new location for the Room of Hidden Things.

"We aren't leaving. The Dark Lord told us to wait here!" Goyle hissed.

Draco kicked himself for telling that lie. Truth be told, Voldemort wanted all of them outside to launch a coordinated assault, not start a muggle commando mission.

They pressed against the wall, with no real goal in mind. Professor Sprout and Neville hurried past with what looked horribly like mandrakes. Hagrid and his boarhound also went running past. When the last students, clambered into the Room... a man that looked like Dumbledore, came storming out, spluttering.

"Potter!" he growled, alerting Draco's two companions to Potter's presence. "I've had hundreds of kids thundering through my pub, Potter!"

"I know, we're evacuating! Voldemort's..." Potter started and Draco felt Crabbe and Goyle flinch.

Aberforth Dumbledore yelled at Potter some more and Draco couldn't help but stare at the Chosen One. He was fit and determined. He knew what he wanted and he was going after it. Aberforth was just holding him up. What the hell could have Potter so excited... a way to defeated Voldemort? Draco smiled, freedom was chose. If only he didn't have two overbearing non-bodyguards and a wand that didn't like him. He missed his old wand that was only a short space away from him. He had learned to do so much with it.

"It wouldn't have stopped Voldemort... and your brother would never have done it," Potter chastised the man 50 years his senior.

Aberforth just grumbled and left, Potter proceeded forward alone and Draco had to grab both of them to stop his former friends from attacking Potter. Weasley and Granger just showed up. He struggled to restrain Crabbe and Goyle and whispered, "Wait until he's alone," as a means to stop them from attacking.

"Chamber of Secrets," Weasley said, looking particularly prideful of that fact.

Draco listened in mild fascination Weasley and Granger talk about entering the lair of the Founder of Slytherin. He had no idea what the hell Horcruxes were and tried to remember if he had ever heard of them before. However, he was brought out of his reflections when Weasley let out a few hisses in Parseltongue. Draco's breath froze. The Dark Lord's serpent had haunted his dreams and footsteps when his master stayed at the house. He felt her coil around him... and tighten.

"..another Horcrux down!" the Weasel continued, showing a broken tea cup, which was important to them. After a few more congratulatory remarks, their hand-holding session was broken up by an explosion that rocked the building.

"I know what the diadem looks like and I know where it is," Potter declared, walking them down to where the new entrance to the Room of Hidden Things was. "He hid it exactly where I hid my old Potions book, where everyone's been hiding stuff for centuries. He thought he was the only one to find it. Come on."

Draco looked inside his sanctuary from last year. He couldn't grasp how it was the same room. He had only seen it as the Room of Hidden Things. Potter talked with the three remaining occupants of the Room, where Draco assumed housed Neville's Army. One by one the three vacated, going up the stairs into the main hallway. Draco had to stop Goyle from hexing Ginny Weasley as she walked up the steps.

"We're surrounded, idiot," he hissed and Crabbe seemed to think he'd done wrong. Draco, even with his reluctant wand, could have easily taken out all of them undercover, but preferred to keep his two companions in the dark of his abilities and their clear advantage.

"No, I mean we should tell them to get out. We don't want any more Dobbies, do we? We can't order them to die for us..." Weasley said, but was cut off when Granger dropped a pile of the weird, according to the Weasel, basilisk fangs. She grabbed Weasley and snogged him full on the lips as though it was their first and last time doing it. Weasley responded by sweeping her up into his arms and passionately kissing her.

Potter stared, in a mixture of surprise and exhaustion, "Is this the moment?"

Draco genuinely smiled. He'd wonder when Weasley and Granger would finally hook up. The Yule Ball showed that much, but Weasley was such a blundering idiot sometimes.

"Oi! There's a war going on here!" Potter yelled, finally ending their make out session, but they didn't seem to want to let go.

The Weasel muttered an apology and they picked up the fangs. Potter teased them some more, but mentioned the Horcrux and a diadem, again. Draco had to push the two of them back up the stairs, as Potter and the others cleared out of the Room.

Destruction was everywhere in the hallway. Blasts and explosions rocked the walls of the school and the ceilings and walls were collapsing under the attack. Voldemort had to behind them as the walls were imbued with centuries of protection spells. Draco knew first hand that only an experienced and extraordinary wizard or witch could break warding spells.

Potter again took his attention off his surroundings and turned his back on the three of them. Draco had every opportunity to hex Potter. He could have. Tie him up, bring him to the Dark Lord and be forgiven. He saw that path, but he immediately dismissed it. Voldemort was evil, torturous, bloodthirsty and petty. Draco would never bow to him, again. He held onto Crabbe and Goyle, to make sure they didn't try anything. Potter traded some words with the she-Weasley, before turning back to the Room. He walked back and forth and the Room of Hidden Things appeared in front of them.

"He never realized that anyone could get in?" Weasley said, stupidly.

Of course, anyone could get in, Draco scoffed. The Room was filled with thousands of objects, anything broken, forbidden or unused came here, somehow. 

Potter lead them though the stacks, explaining what they were looking for. He paused at Draco's mission from last year. The Vanishing Cabinet that had nearly gotten Draco killed because he couldn't figure it out. Peeves had destroyed it some years before and Draco had tried to mend it. It was tricky. In the end he had to use a non-verbal chant that had nearly killed him. When he woke up later that night, he had been stoked. He'd be safe, his mother would be safe. It was later that he realized what his next step was... and he couldn't take it. Though Voldemort still punished him and his mother, Draco realized he had made the right choice. Voldemort wasn't worth splitting his soul for.

"He's alone," Crabbe whispered and true enough the Trio had separated. Goyle pulled him along and they cornered Potter. Crabbe lifted the Disillusionment charm. Goyle let go and stepped forward next to Crabbe.

"Hold it, Potter," Goyle growled and pointed his wand at him.

Draco had to stop them from attacking Potter. Whatever that diadem was, Potter needed it.

"That's my wand you're holding, Potter," he said, wanting it no matter the stakes. He had bonded with it, like he had no other person or thing. Crabbe and Goyle blocked him from view. They wanted to take Potter themselves.

"Not anymore," Potter growled. He twitched the wand to empathize his point. "Winners, keepers, Malfoy. Who lent you theirs?"

"My mother," Draco said, sadness creeping in his voice. He realized that she would have come with Voldemort, even though she didn't have a wand.

Potter chuckled, looking for a way out, surely. "So how come you three aren't with Voldemort?" Potter was trying to buy some time. Three on one, he was in trouble.

Crabbe mumbled, "We're going to be rewarded."

Crabbe did some more boasting and Potter responded in kind. Malfoy was staring at the ugly effigy of the warlock, Potter had been walking toward. On it was a tiara thing, a diadem. Potter's goal. The lost diadem of Ravenclaw... he had read that in Hogwarts, A Hi온라인카지노게임. Of course, his copy was from Knockturn Alley, with side notes and secret passageways. It was how he found the Room of Hidden Things. What the hell could Potter need with that? he wondered.

Potter was trying to not-so-subtly back up to it.

"So how did you get in here?" Potter said, again, being about as blatant as a Hippogriff in the room, although Crabbe and Goyle clearly couldn't tell the difference. Draco wasn't going to clue them onto it.

"I virtually lived in the Room of Hidden Things all last year. I know how to get in," he drawled. Yes, he lived in, slept in and cried in. He couldn't fix the blasted Cabinet and his mother was being tortured for it.

Goyle chimed in loud enough to finally bring their presence to Weasley's attention. Crabbe was quicker than he could have believed, turning and blasting the wall of objects that separated them from Weasley. Potter tried to stop it and his attention diverted to saving his friends. Draco grabbed Crabbe's arm, before he could hex anyone.

"No, if you wreck the room, you might bury this diadem thing!" he yelled, though its survival meant more to Draco than it did as a possible reward from the Dark Lord.

"What's the matter?" Crabbe sneered at him, disgusted. "It's Potter the Dark Lord wants, who cares about a die-dum."

The slow, dim-whited fool, couldn't even say it right. Even when Draco tried to explain that it could be valuable to the Dark Lord, they couldn't understand its value. But Crabbe turned on him, ending whatever hold he had had on him.

"...you an' your dad are finished," he growled, but turned his attention to Weasley, who was climbing out of the junk. Crabbe shot a spell at Potter and Ravenclaw's diadem went flying.

"Stop!" Malfoy yelled, trying to stop Crabbe, desperate to stop him from casting anymore spells. "The Dark Lord wants him alive!"

Crabbe ignored his request. He didn't care whether he killed Potter or not. He just wanted to kill. Granger finally appeared and nearly stunned Crabbe and himself. He pulled Crabbe down, instinctively. They had been friends their whole lives. Crabbe responded with sending a Killing Curse back at her. Malfoy couldn't believe that he had tried to kill her. His friend really was Voldemort's. Crabbe collided into him as another spell came at them and knocked his mother's wand right out of his hand, stripping him of his only defense. Shit, he swore to himself.

Crabbe rounded on Potter and Goyle did too, they were ready to kill Potter. "Don't kill him! DON'T KILL HIM!" he ordered, distracting them enough for Potter to attack. Potter swiftly disarmed Goyle and spells went flying everywhere. Draco had ducked down to avoid Granger's spell, though he was wandless. She managed to Stun Goyle, while Weasley and Crabbe went at it.

"It's somewhere here," Potter said, setting Granger after the diadem. He wasn't trusting Weasley enough to handle the slow Crabbe.

"Harry!" Granger screamed.

Draco looked in the direction where Crabbe and Weasley came running from. The stacks were lightening up with an orange menacing glow. He leap up and went to Goyle. With no wand, he couldn't wake him. He was too heavy to lift. As he pulled, he whispered a chant, trying to draw on his raw core. It was incredibly difficult and draining, but he managed to lighten Goyle. He nearly lost consciousness, but the hellhounds in flames approached him. He took off, trying to keep up with Crabbe, who was crying for the spell to stop. Draco had no idea where Potter or the rest of the Trio was.

The fire came up around from the other side and surrounded them. Draco could only look around in fear at the flames chasing toward them purposely. He remembered the burn of the Mark too well to know that fire was one of the worst ways to die. Crabbe looked on helpless, casting spell after spell into the torrent of flames.

"Climb!" he roared and pulled Goyle up a makeshift set of stairs.

He barely made it, before the Fiendfyre scorched his leg. Goyle looked unharmed. Draco looked down at Crabbe, who had not listened. The jet of water he had tried to unleash against the wall of flames fizzled and the fire engulfed him. He screamed in absolute agony and the intense heat melted the skin and flesh off him body. It took mere seconds and Crabbe dropped to the floor without moving.

He didn't have time to think about the gruesome death he just watched. The tower he and Goyle had taken refuge on was splintering under their weight. The super-heated flames were destroying the base and they were soon to join Crabbe. Draco looked for anything that could save them and he saw Potter on a broomstick, coming down to him. Potter was saving him... he couldn't believe it, but he reached up and couldn't grasp onto his hand. Draco felt the table beneath him lurch and Weasley yelled disparagingly at Potter as he grabbed Goyle, thankfully still lightened. Draco jumped behind Potter, just as the table gave out and Fiendfyre reached out for them. He wrapped his arms around Potter's chest.

"The door! Get to the door! The door," he screamed in Harry's ear. Potter winced from his scream, but he was never so terrified of dying. He tightened his hold on Potter, as though worried he'd slip off into the cursed fire. Potter suddenly changed direction and dove down, into the flames.

"What are you doing! What are you doing? The door is that way!" he shrieked.

Potter was after the diadem. "For Merlin's sake!" Draco growled under his breath.

Potter, seeker extraordinaire, caught the blasted thing and pulled them upward. Malfoy was amazed he pulled off that maneuver on the old broomstick. But as the billowing flames shot up at them, determined to burn them, Draco screamed, grasping Potter as though his life depended on it. The door was too far and he couldn't breathe. Potter urged the ancient broomstick faster and Draco could feel the wisps of the flames on their heels. A fiery dragon was chased them all the way to the door which slammed shut at Granger's urging. Potter flew right into the wall and Draco into him, as they fell off the broomstick, collapsing on the floor and gasping for fresh air.

"C-C-Crabbe?" Draco choked, trying to clear the smoke from his lungs.

"He's dead!" Weasley spat, coughing himself.

Goyle was slowly coming around. The Golden Trio had gotten to their feet and were talking about the Room of Requirement when the crown-thing Potter had risked their lives to get was bleeding and screaming. Draco watched in morbid curiosity, wondering what on earth it could have been. A horcrux, he guessed.

"It must have been Fiendfyre!" Granger said, eyeing the destroyed piece.

"Sorry?" Potter said, confused like always. Granger was the brains in the Trio.

Granger went on talking, as Draco shook Goyle awake.

"Must've learned it from the Carrows," Potter guessed and he'd be right. Crabbe and Goyle had learned a lot of dangerous spells.

"Shame he wasn't concentrating when they mentioned how to stop it, really," Weasley said, stupidly. There was no stopping it. It's Fiendfyre, Draco thought to himself. "If he hadn't tried to kill us all, I'd be quite sorry he was dead."

That hit Draco a little deep. Weasley didn't sound like he was sorry at all. He probably wouldn't have saved him if Potter hadn't come over. Draco wasn't on the best terms with Crabbe or Goyle, but they were friends. He wondered why they would willing to discuss this above him and Goyle, Crabbe's friends, but they were so involved talking about the fucking snake, for some bloody awful reason. Then they went over to help two of Weasley's brothers, who were battling three Death Eaters. Goyle was awake, now and Draco wasn't sure if he heard what Weasley said.

"Crabbe's gone. He got caught in the fire that Crabbe started. They saved us," Draco said, over the yelling.

He could scarcely believe it. He had no idea why Potter would save him. As far as he knew, there was no way that Potter could have known about the wards or that he'd been holding Crabbe and Goyle back in the Room of Hidden Things and before. Both wanted to kill Potter. Draco couldn't let that happen.

"They didn't save Crabbe?"

"We couldn't save him. He got caught by the Fiendfyre," Draco insisted.

"'We'? You with them, Draco?" Goyle growled.

"No, they pulled me and you out of the fire."

"Why'd they do that?"

"They're Gryffindors?" Draco offered as an explanation.

"Likely 온라인카지노게임. It's their fault... they killed Crabbe."

"No, they didn't...." Draco started, but one of the Death Eaters just got stunned by the Trio and his wand flew back and landed just out of reach of Malfoy.

The Trio hadn't noticed. They were caught up in watching one of Voldemort's henchmen was being transfigured. Goyle grabbed the wand and shouted a spell that Malfoy recognized that came from Wormtail, of all people. He could only watch in horror as the spell went right toward the Trio hitting the outer wall behind them. Bodies were flying and even Draco and Goyle had to duck. The air finally cleared and Goyle jumped up in victory. He ran in the opposite direction as the Trio stirred and castle walls started to fall.

Draco heard the mournful wail of one of them, the older Weasley, "No-no-no-no! Fred! No!"

He knew he had to leave, before they spotted him. Besides Goyle might use that evil spell, again. He followed him down the hallway. Goyle went down a flight where there was a pile of unconscious Death Eaters.

"Why did you do that? You shouldn't've..." Draco started.

"I wanted to! Crabbe is dead... I want to kill them all! If you weren't such a coward, you would, too."

That was when he saw Luna. Draco could only guess she had knocked out 7 Death Eaters around them, but was hit with some kind of spell. Goyle sent Avada Kedavra after her, without hesitation. Draco unfroze and lunged at him, knocking the second spell out of the way.

"Run, Luna," he yelled, wrestling with Goyle who had over 100 pounds on him. Goyle threw him off easy. He tripped over a Death Eater and fell down the stairs. Luna shook him to bring him to his senses.

"Go that way," he said, shoving her down the opposite way.

"Come here, Malfoy! You're dead!" Goyle growled, slowly stalking him sending green spells at him.

Draco ran. He had no wand and Goyle was ready to end their relationship, forever. He ran straight into another Death Eater, Runcorn, he recognized him from Voldemort's meetings. Runcorn hadn't seen him very often, but was content on killing anyone that he even remotely suspected.

"I'm Draco Malfoy... I'm Draco!" he insisted, desperately. The Death Eater was prepared to kill him. "I'm on your side," he pleaded, but that wasn't stopping Runcorn.

He raised his wand, but suddenly knelled over from a stunner. Draco looked around for who shot down his opponent. Suddenly, a fist came out of nowhere, nailing him in the mouth, dropping him to the floor.

"And that's the second time we've saved your life tonight, you two-faced bastard!" Weasley yelled from somewhere.

Draco saw their feet moving away from him. They were under the Invisibly Cloak that Potter owned. He shook his head clear. Weasley had a point. They had saved him and from their perspective, he was two-faced. He supposed that they were going after Nagini, for some reason.

But he didn't have time to recollect. Goyle found him. Draco grabbed Runcorn's wand and ran, narrowly avoiding Goyle's spell. He used Protego, but Goyle was into the heavier stuff.

Draco ran through the hallways as fast as he could. He could feel Runcorn's wand resisting him, though not as much as his mother's did. He couldn't sprint very long. His energy was spent casting that lightening spell on Goyle. However, Goyle wasn't exactly a runner. Draco lost him. He stopped outside of Charms, wheezing.

Sounds of the battle echoed through the corridors. He was alone and capable of hiding from the rest of the battle. He looked out the smashed out window and saw spiders carrying off the old Groundskeeper Hagrid, a strange sight, surely.

He felt his feet taking him toward the Entrance Hall, where the battle was. He couldn't run and hide forever. He gripped his stolen wand. He descended the main staircase and had to duck immediately as spells were shot through the windows over his head. Kingsley ran by him chasing Trevors, who was sending spells at everything he could. Kingsley paid him no mind, but Draco had to put up a Shield Charm when Susan Bones sent a spell his way, but she went outside, dueling with another Death Eater and holding her own.

Draco made his way out into the yard. His insides plunged into ice. The dementors were sweeping in from the forest, but in one great blast of white light, they immediately retreated to the woods. The spell spread over the battleground and Draco felt the light touch his soul. It was pure, full of compassion and happiness. He knew immediately it was Potter's. No one else could give himself so willing to protect others. Draco dropped to his knees, his emotions crippling him. The raw goodness of Potter's soul had only scraped his damaged, dark soul, but it was enough to show him how much of his had been ripped out of him, already.

Potter's Patronus spell ended and he could see the trio ahead of him, nearly halfway to the forest, with Luna, Seamus and Ernie MacMillan. Potter had probably gone traipsing after Hagrid, knowing him. Their confab was broken up by one of Voldemort's giants thundering of the forest toward them. The Trio broke away from the others and headed toward the Whomping Willow. The other three raced back toward the Entrance Hall, the giant dead on their heels, threatening to stomp them.

"Conjunctivitis!" Draco said, getting up, using Runcorn's chestnut wand, and nailing the giant right in the eye.

The giant roared and stopped chasing Luna and the other two. He held his eye and stumbled about. Unfortunately, he was heading straight for another group of Hogwarts defenders. Draco sighed and sent an Incancerous Spell at the giant's legs, causing him to trip. The self-declared giant, named Grawp, who was now screaming "Hagger!" started to bash in the blind and bound giant's head in. Draco considered the matter handled.

Suddenly, a rough hand grabbed his shirt from behind and pulled him back. "What the hell was that?"

Draco looked up into his uncle's raging eyes. Bellatrix's husband, Rodolphus Lestrange, was not as vicious as his wife. In fact, other than when Voldemort directly ordered him, he didn't even torture him. He would not say that the man did it out of kindness, but as that Draco was not even worth the effort.

Aunt Bella loved to torture him. Uncle Rodolphus and his brother Rabastian were more partial to killing. Azkaban had unhinged them both. Rodolphus rarely slept or spoke. Draco feared him more than Aunt Bella, because Rodolphus cared not who he was. Aunt Bella had shown some sense of familial ties. She'd taught him a lot of spells and Occulmency.

"I-I..." Draco started. He could feel the stale breath of his uncle on his face.

"I saw what you did! You traitor! Oh... the Dark Lord is going to strip the skin off your back, this time, nephew!" he growled, pulling him toward the battlefront.

"No, I'm not going," he stammered, trying to break his grip.

"Don't make me dress you up like a suckling pig, boy. You are a bleeding coward, but time to face Lord Voldemort like a man," Rodolphus hissed. "And don't try any spells, now. I'm a far better duelist than you and no weak-ass spell will get through my shield."

Draco swallowed hard, short of Avada Kedavra, there was not many spells that would penetrate a ready Shield Charm. He was getting closer to the mass of Death Eaters. He ran through his options and focused on his uncle's weakness. He chanted in his thoughts and tilted the wand toward Rodolphus.

"What are you doin-" he started, attempting to shield himself, but Draco's spell was working off his desire to bypass the wards of his uncle. "H-How? I'll kill you! Ava-" But his uncle's eyes shut, succumbing to sleep the he so often denied himself. He dropped to the ground, curling up for a good, long sleep.

Draco smiled at his uncle and steadied himself before dropping to his knees, again out of exhaustion. It took a minutes to regain his composure.

"Well, it's all over, now," he said to his uncle's unconscious form. Unless he killed him and Goyle everyone would know. But if he couldn't kill Dumbledore, he doubted he could his family and friends. Screams erupted from the pitch.

The battle was still going. Potter was still fighting, he had to be. He got to his feet, this time disillusioning himself. He'd be hit walking around in the open. He was alone... forsaken by everyone... readily killed by both sides. But as long as Potter won, he'd be free. He reached the main doors when he saw the she-Weasley and Colin Creevey, the head of the Potter fan club, were dueling Rowle and Yaxley, vehemently.

"Mudblood brats!" Yaxley yelled, as the Death Eaters sent Killing Curses at both of them.

They parted and dodged the spells, sending their own at them. Draco had to choose of who to help first. But he watched as Ginny had ducked behind a fallen pillar and Rowle sent another pillar down on top of her. She moved out of the way, but it pinned her. Rowle cried out triumphantly.

"Bye bye, mud-rat," he hissed as he pointed his wand in the youngest Weasley's face.

"Bombarda!" Draco yelled, not wanting to take any chances. It exploded right in Rowle's face sending him flying. Draco turned in time to see Yaxley's spell connect into Colin Creevey's chest. Draco watched as the young boy dropped, his eyes open in terror. Yaxley gave a gleeful cry of triumphant, until he was hit by the yellow light of Ginny's Bat-Bogey Hex. She was about to do more when Voldemort's sinister voice echoed through the courtyard, bringing them to their knees. Draco tried to tune it out. He'd heard enough of Voldemort's words and speeches.

However, Draco's heart hardened, when Voldemort delivered his personal message to Harry Potter. He knew exactly what Potter would do. His Patronus spell showed him that much. Draco couldn't even cast one. There was no light in him.

"Ginny!" the eldest Weasley brother came out, his face mauled by Greyback the previous year. Yaxley pulled up Rowle off the ground and disappeared into the forest. "Ginny, are you alright? What are you doing out here?"

"I have every r-" she started defensively.

"You could have been killed!" he chastised, eyeing the retreating Death Eaters.

"Did you blast Rowle?" she asked.

Draco forgot he was still disillusioned.

"No, but Ginny... you need to come inside... it's Fred," Bill Weasley said, quietly.

The she-Weasley paled. Draco could barely see her freckles. He remembered the explosion upstairs. He knew the twins. One of them had beat the crap out of him in his fifth year, for a good reason. From the elder Weasley's tone, Fred hadn't made it. Ginny first walked over and checked that Colin was really gone and then took her brother's hand and went inside the castle.

Draco stood over the dead, trying to bring order to his emotions. He saw his old Slytherin Quidditch Captain Marcus Flint on the ground, his head smashed in. Millicent Bulstrode was impaled by a stone spear. A Hufflepuff, Justin Finch-Fletchley, was splayed on the ground, hit by a Killing Curse. Draco could see more victims, both supporters of Voldemort and defenders of Hogwarts, scattered across the grounds. There was even more inside.

Draco walked to the inside, just as Potter, Weasley and Granger were returning from where ever they went. Potter seemed unusually quiet. They near floated inside, where they staged the dead. The Weasley's crowded around one twins, Fred, he assumed. Potter did not move. Draco didn't want to enter the makeshift morgue they had set-up, but he looked down the hall past the staircase and caught a glimpse of Goyle. He was trying to escape out of the castle, but must have stopped when he saw Potter. Draco walked toward him. No more hiding. Goyle had killed at least one person. Draco had to take him down, before he did any more damage.

Draco glanced when he heard Potter run up the staircase behind him. Draco thought it was better than running into the woods to Voldemort, but his attention turned back to Goyle. He removed the disillusionment and found his former ally trying to climb out a window.

"I don't think you're thin enough to fit through the window, dumbass," Draco drawled, his wand drawn.

Goyle straightened out. "There you are, traitor. Saving the mudbloods? Licking the dirt off Potter's boot?"

"Better than Voldemort's. I won't be his dog, anymore. He's a monster and he'll kill anyone who pisses him off. Look at what he did to me, Goyle. You shouldn't serve him. He treats his servants like roaches," Draco said.

"You're trying to turn me into a bloodtraitor? This night is the Dark Lord's victory! You and your family will die for your treachery, Draco!" Goyle growled.

"I saved you," he said, gruffly.

"Well, that was very... Gryffindor... of you, but we are Slytherins, or at least I am. Do you want to die here, or do you want me to drag you to the Dark Lord? Who knows he might keep you around... for his entertainment," Goyle chuckled maliciously.

"You'll have to beat me. Alecto and Amycus might have taught you a lot, but you're not that quick."

"Avada Ked-"

"Langlock!" Malfoy growled and Goyle's tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth.

Goyle made some motions with his wand and Draco just got his wand up in time to block it. Goyle managed to free his tongue and sent a few more spells at Draco. He flicked them aside as easy as if they were annoying flies. Even the great oaf could tell he was out of his league.

Goyle growled, "Reducto!" He aimed for the window and glass shattered over Malfoy. Draco had to shield his eyes and Goyle lunged at him, wands and magic forgotten. Goyle was smarter than he let on. Draco was ten times weaker than him. Goyle planted a few punches in his face.

Draco pointed his wand up and thought, "Levicorpus."

Goyle flipped upside down and lifted off him. Draco would have to thank Snape for that one.

Unfortunately, Goyle held onto his wand. "Finite!" He landed on the ground and blocked Malfoy's attempt to bind him.

"Confringo!" Goyle roared and Malfoy hit the floor as the explosion rang out.

Pettigrew's signature spell blasted a new hole in the outer wall and knocked Goyle off his feet. As they were only a few doors down from the Great Hall, some of the defenders of Hogwarts were coming out. Goyle ran. Malfoy didn't wait for them to spot him, he ran after him. Goyle was pretty spry considering, then it hit him. He was still lightened. It'd make him run faster. He swore to himself. He didn't even know if he could reverse it, as he had just reached down inside of his core to save him. There was no thought of reversing it.

He looked around, trying to guess which direction he went to. He roamed the school for near an hour trying to find Goyle, but the idiot had hid well enough. Draco went back to the Great Hall, just in time to hear Voldemort's third announcement, declaring the Chosen One dead. Draco felt like his heart stop. Potter was supposed to be the Savior. He couldn't die. He followed the crowd outside and stared at the figure Hagrid placed on the ground. He froze... it couldn't be true. He mumbled something and the next thing he knew, Neville was charging forward.

"Don't! He'll kill you!" he pleaded.

But Neville knocked his wand down and ripped himself from his grasp. Neville fired a few shots at Voldemort, but Draco's aunt disarmed him swiftly. Voldemort made some grand speeches about Slytherin House, which made Draco's skin crawl. He had always loved his house, but the idea that Voldemort was a member, turned his stomach. He supposed that he should be worried about other things... like his immanent death. Potter was his last hope. Truth be told, he'd rather die than crawl back to Voldemort on his belly. He grabbed his wand, ready to die.

Neville was planted in front of the crowd, the sorting hat flaming on his head. Draco raised his wand, just as Neville somehow broke the binding curse and flipped off the hat, while pulling a sword out of it. In one clean swipe, Neville sliced off the head of the accursed snake. Voldemort's rage was beyond anything. He blasted Neville away and everyone fled in fear of his wraith. 

Draco was almost stampeded as a swarm of people surged from the front gates. Former students, parents, Ministry members, Hogsmeade residents, centaurs and current students from all four houses stormed the battlefield. Grawp and the other giants were fighting just beside the crowd, barely missing stepping on their respective groups. Voldemort and his supporters were forced into the school, while the centaurs forced the giants to flee back into the woods.

Through all the commotion, Draco heard Hagrid roar, "Harry! Where's Harry!"

Draco glanced at the spot where he'd last seen Potter's body. It was gone. He smiled and raised his wand, stunning both Rowle and Avery who had their backs to him. The yard had slowly cleared as the fighting was taken inside. Draco saw his friends approaching him, ready to back him up. He smiled, but then felt a green blast barely miss him. He looked around and then up. Goyle was on one of the brooms they had used to escape the Fiendfyre. Goyle landed, wand in hand.

"Why am I so... different?"

"I had to lighten you to save your life, Goyle."

"Don't expect me to say thanks," he responded.

"I wouldn't exp-" Draco retorted.

"Avada Kedavra!" Goyle shouted, taking the offensive. His spell just missed him and hit a young Slytherin, fifth-year Astoria Greengrass, who was next to her sister.

"No!" screamed Daphne, who clutched her sister, now sobbing. Draco just glanced at Blaise and Theo as they approached. They pulled out their wands.

"Bastard, you aren't going to kill anyone else!" Draco yelled.

Goyle laughed and blocked the few spells he spent at him. "You don't have it in you to kill me, Malfoy!"

"I do!" Daphne shrieked, letting go of her sister and bringing her wand up. "Avada Kedavra!"

Goyle, ever so light on his massive feet, easy avoided it and jumped to the broomstick he'd dropped. He climbed on and spat, "I'll see you again, Draco!" Goyle avoided all of their spells and disappeared into the night.

"Blast him," Draco grumbled. "Daphne... I'm so sorry." Draco held her as she cried.

"Why did I bring her?" she sobbed and then tore away from him to grieve over her sister. Draco looked at Theo and Blaise. He was glad they came back.

Blaise gave him a weak smile. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Thanks... thanks for having my back," Draco said.

"No problem," Theo said. "I can't believe you stayed behind."

"Yeah... I wasn't going back to him," Draco murmured. His friends had seen the trophies of Lord Voldemort's lessons.

There was an explosion coming from the Great Hall, a wave of darkness soared outward. The exact opposite of Harry's blast.

"Stay here. I'll be back," Draco said and went into the Great Hall.

Potter and Voldemort were paired off, facing each other, circling. Their wands out. Draco saw Death Eaters dead or unconscious all around the hall. It was only Voldemort left. Draco felt his fingertips tingling. The moment was so close, though he didn't think Potter had it in him either. Killing... was so... dark. Potter was cool, collect, and poised. He possessed the same calm, level-headedness that Draco had only seen in Dumbledore. Potter even called him by his real name... Tom. Such an ordinary name.

When Potter got to the part about the elder wand and his hawthorn wand, he felt a dozen eyes look briefly at him. He had Disarmed Dumbledore. He had taken Dumbledore's wand away and left him defenseless. His stomach dropped, but Potter went on, challenging Voldemort's control and skill over the wand that was once Dumbledore's and apparently his at one point. Potter was a sight to see... standing up to a creature of darkness. His wand out, ready to cast the final spell that would decide all. Draco knew what he was going to say. His signature spell. They cast their chosen path at the same time, light and darkness.

"Expelliarmus!"

"Avada Kedavra!"

Voldemort's green spell hit Potter's and came right back at him. Voldemort fell to the floor, but Potter, still in full force, caught the Elder Wand. He didn't even have a second to reflect on his victory before he was mobbed by his friends. The whole room was clamoring to touch the Chosen One. Even Draco wanted to go thank them for saving them all, but his inner-cowardness wouldn't allow him to do that.

"Draco!" his mother shrieked, pulling him into her arms. She blubbered on him, and if he wasn't so happy at that moment he might have been embarrassed.

Draco looked at his father, still bloodied and bruised from Voldemort's punishments. He wished he could find some forgiveness in him, but he couldn't. He let his father give him a hug, but he cringed from the contact like he did every time someone touched him without his consent. His father had hurt him too much for him to ever trust him, again. Even if Voldemort hadn't made Lucius torture him. His father already damaged him... damaged his soul. He'd never be right, again. He'd still be afraid of the dark and flinch whenever someone touched him.

His mother grabbed his attention, again. "Are you okay?" she said, feeling his head that was red and ashen from fire.

"Of course, mom," Draco said, hugging her, again. Then he said something that was true... for that moment at least. He didn't know, at that time, how wrong he was. "We're going to be okay, Mom. We're free."