Draco Malfoy, Broken

29-The Gauntlet

Published: 11/19/18

TRIGGER WARNING: For bullying and physical assault

The calmness faded by the end of Transfiguration. Draco was trembling again, fully able to acknowledge how alone he was going to be in Herbology. Blaise was hovering next to him as they started to pack up.

"I'll walk you to your class," he said, but as Draco shook his head, he added, "I'm not letting you...."

"Your class is in the North Tower and mine is out in Greenhouse 5. You won't make it even if you run."

Blaise gave him a look, knowing he was right. "I'll just be late."

"Every class?" Draco said. "I was never impressed with Trelawney, but I doubt she will be okay with you being late every class."

"Theo, Daphne and I can switch up."

"I'm not letting Daphne walk to North Tower by herself."

"Theo and I then," Blaise insisted.

Theo and Daphne both looked over at their hushed conversation. Luckily, McGonagall was still critiquing her abnormally large class.

"You can't protect me forever, Blaise. I don't want you to walk back alone, either. We might as well not put this off anymore."

"Draco... it'll be like walking the gauntlet. Everyone will take the chance to get a lick in."

"And how will that be any different than if you walked back to North Tower on your own?" Draco muttered.

"I can take care of myself. You don't seem to be willing to defend yourself."

"I can't go back... Blaise. I can't risk it."

"I have no such inhibitions. I'll make them regret even looking at me wrong."

"Blaise... you can still get expelled, especially if you mess with the wrong person. Malcolm's family is in the ministry. So are many of the other students. Don't be so wand-happy. McGonagall already warned me to put a leash on you two."

"I don't care."

"I do... please, Blaise. I'll be okay."

"No, you won't."

"It's my choice. I've had worse. I can take a few hexes, I'm not a complete wuss."

"Really? Is that why you were cringing in fearon the train?"

Draco flushed. "It doesn't mean I welcome the pain. I was also trapped. Just give it a chance, Blaise."

"It's the first day, Dray. Can't we try next week?"

"No... better to get it over and done with. I don't need to hide behind your skirt every second."

"Asshole..." Blaise grumbled. "This is why...."

"Mr. Zabini, Mr. Malfoy... is my class interrupting your conversation?" McGonagall admonished. Some snickers followed. McGonagall never did play favorites.

"Sorry, professor," Blaise said, and they both paid attention to McGonagall's summary of the class. She assigned them homework and dismissed them on time. Blaise had no chance to try to take him to class, if he didn't want to be late. Blaise, Daphne and Theo gave him long looks as they separated.

"Don't leave the Greenhouses until we come and get you... okay?" Blaise ordered.

Draco nodded and walked downstairs toward the south entrance. The hallways were filled with students going to their next class. He pulled his hood up and tried to weave through the crowd, unnoticed. It worked for maybe a minute, until two Ravenclaw quidittch players, Bradley and Chambers, recognized him and purposely smashed into him. He brutally collided with the wall and slid down it. His hood came off and stared up at the seventh year chasers.

"Malfoy! Trying to hide?" Bradley growled, glaring at him.

The other students stopped to watch the altercation. Draco tried to get up, but Chambers shoved him back down.

"Where do you think you're going, Death Eater? We aren't done!"

Students crowded in closer, cutting off any chance to escape. Trapped. He hated being trapped. No one was going to help him, now.

Draco swallowed hard and managed to say aloud, "I'm just trying to go to class."

"Like we care... we got a few minutes," Bradley laughed and reached down, grabbing Draco's robes and pulling him to his feet.

Draco didn't fight back, but Chambers pinned his arms behind his back.

"It's open season on Death Eaters! Free punches and hexes!" Bradley called out and sunk his fist into Draco's gut, twice.

Draco whimpered from the pain, but managed to keep from crying. He knew, from his own experience, that they loved it when you cried and begged. He would not do that... easily anyway. These school kids were not ready to get into the heavy stuff. Humiliation is what they want. He tried not to cringe as others held up their wands, their hexes hitting him without anything to stop them. His legs collapsed under him and Chambers was the only thing keeping him up.

Peakes, a Gryffindor beater, punched him in the eye. "That was for Nigel, Death Eater."

Draco had no idea who the fuck Nigel was, but he got the impression he was dead. Peakes spat in his face and walked away. A few more students came and got their licks in before he heard the yells to get to class. Chambers dropped him to the floor without warning and spat on him.

"Fucking Death Eater!" he growled and threw a Stinging Hex right into his chest.

Draco yelped from that one and brought his arms in.

"Until next time, traitor," Bradley said, kicking him in stomach.

The hallway cleared and Draco dragged himself over to the wall. He sorted out the Jelly-Leg Jinx and a few other low-key hexes and slowly stood up. He wiped the spit off his face, grimacing. Thankfully, he bag was untouched. That would have been annoying. He needed to ask Blaise to ward it for him. Blaise was good at that and Draco had no idea what spells he was allowed to cast. He wouldn't risk anything that was remotely dubious.

He walked into Greenhouse 5 a few minutes late, but Professor Sprout merely looked at his forming black eye and waved him to a table by himself. He had no one in this class. He tried to concentrate on the lecture, but he could barely avoid the glares of the Ravenclaws and his fellow Slytherins. He also wasn't able to extract the Cicuta oil he was trying to collect. His hands were shaking too much. Professor Sprout came over and gave him a pitying look when he tried to handle the toxic plant.

"Sorry, I can't make it stop," he whispered to her.

Professor Sprout nodded and showed him how to do it, so he at least saw how it was done. Then she went onto other tables while he struggled to keep from destroying the flowers he was working with. However, the professor went further on down the greenhouse, nearly out of view in the voluminous chaos of deadly plants and the next round of the gauntlet started as Michael Corner and Oliver Rivers approached him.

"Nice eye, Malfoy," Michael Corner grunted, pushing Draco's books off the table.

Tracy and Alexus laughed and said, "Get him, Mike."

Corner enjoyed the attention they were giving him as he flashed a smile their way. The rest of the class was oblivious.

"Tell me, did you enjoy your time with the dementors?" Michael said, leaning in.

Draco winced and tried not to rise to their bait. He kept his eyes on the Cicuta in front of him, but Rivers knocked his hands down.

"What's a matter... too scared to fight back now that you don't have your Death Eater pals to help you?" Michael goaded.

"Little bitch is probably afraid of going back...."

"Is that it, Malfoy? You a scared bitch, now?"

"Here, I would have thought you and the dementors were kindred spirits... you know being soulless killers and all," Oliver growled.

"Come on, bitch. You assholes had no problem torturing me last year... can't even stare one of your victims in the eye."

Draco finally turned. "I never...."

But Michael punched him in the nose. Draco doubled over from the pain, blood flowing out, soaking his hands. The crowd around him laughed with depravity.

"I didn't think that sword of a nose could break... but I guess I was wrong," Tracy laughed.

Draco didn't look up at any of them. He had stupidly risen to Michael's bait in the first place. Mike knew that Draco hadn't tortured him. Draco remembered everyone who hurt him, it wasn't something he'd forget. But the Carrows were executed, like his father. Draco was a convenient punching bag.

"Leave him alone, Mike," Terry Boot, the freshly-made Ravenclaw prefect growled.

"This doesn't concern you, Terry. It's between me and the Death Eater."

"And now me. Go back to your desk, Mike... Oliver."

"Anthony is dead because of him and his buddies... Terry."

"Go back to your desk, now," he growled. "You aren't doing that shit in here... in class... not when I'm right here. You're being an asshole and a bully."

"It's Malfoy, Terry! He's been strutting 'round the school like he owns it since first fucking year. You're going to stop me now that the tables are turned?"

"Yes. Now move or it's detention."

"Oh no! Not detention... not going to take points from your own house, Boot?"

"20 points from Ravenclaw, happy? Now get or I'll call Professor Sprout over. I always enjoyed how she makes students in detention spread manure in the Devil's Snare pots."

Apparently, the fear of being straggled by an aggressive, teething plant was enough to make them walk away. Draco looked up, at his unexpected rescuer, his eyes blurry with tears from the pain. "Thanks."

"No problem," Terry said and then snapped at Tracy and Alexus who were sending him rude gestures. "20 points from Slytherin, Davis... you want to try me?" They turned away.

Terry looked back at him, concerned, and asked, "Do you want to go to the hospital wing?"

Draco shook his head. Blaise would be furious if he left the greenhouses without waiting for him. Plus, there was that broken part of him that wouldn't defy Blaise's direct order. But in reality, some students had open periods, it'd be just as unsafe to walk the hallways. He could handle pain from waiting. He had worse... a lot worse.

"Want me to fix it, then?" Boot offered.

Draco met his eyes. Being righteous and morally upright he could understand from the new prefect, but kind and sympathetic was a surprise to him. He wasn't that he thought Boot couldn't do it. Draco was still hesitant to have a wand pointed at his head by a less-than-cordial classmate. As far as he knew, he had never exchanged even a pleasantry with him.

"Sure?" he said, uneasily.

"Episkey," he said, and Draco felt the sharp snap back and the pain went away. He felt his nose and it seemed normal.

"Thank you," he murmured quietly and bent over to retrieve his books. His side was protesting the bending. Bradley's punches were light.

"Here," Terry said, crouching down and handing him his books

Draco straightened up and looked at Terry Boot in the eye. "Why?"

"Harry knows best, doesn't he? He says you're okay, I believe him. I believe that you wanted nothing to do with them... we all knew you weren't buddies with the Carrows. Besides, it was always you and Potter, wasn't it? No one else really mattered. Everyone else is just being stupid about it. They want someone to blame."

"I'm convenient."

"Yes."

Draco lowered his head, accepting his books from Terry just as Professor Sprout reappeared. She gave a concerned look at him, noting the blood. He just muttered that he had tripped. Terry went back to his own table with Sue Li, who didn't look particularly pleased.

When class ended he slowly packed up, to not make it seem like he was staying behind for his bodyguards to show up. Michael Corner and Oliver Rivers bumped into him as they left, threatening more pain. Alexus glared at him and Tracy actually flipped him the bird. She and Millicent Bulstrode were girlfriends during their last year. How she could blame him when Millicent was fighting with the Death Eaters... he didn't understand. Tracey may or may not have been there. She escaped without anyone knowing or she'd been too chicken to help either side.

Draco averted his eyes from anyone, as the rest left. He picked up his bag, but made no move toward the door.

"I need to lock up, Mr. Malfoy... is there something you wanted?" Professor Sprout asked, the kindly witch asked.

"No, professor... I'll go wait... outside," Draco said and exited the greenhouse. Professor Sprout cast a locking charm on the door, keyed to her, no doubt. Greenhouse 5 had very dangerous plants inside.

Luckily, there was no one outside waiting for him. They must have been eager for lunch.

"Dray!" Blaise said, finally coming out of the castle. Theo and Daphne were behind him.

Draco looked up and felt some relief as his friends came toward him.

"What happened?" Blaise asked, looking at his face.

"Nothing."

"Nothing looks like a black eye... and is that blood?"

"I'm fine. Let's go to lunch."

"Who did it?" Theo asked.

"Like I'd tell you guys. You'd go off and hex them," Draco said.

"Damn right I will! Who was it?" Blaise demanded.

"It doesn't matter. Just let it go... I'm hungry."

"Liar...." Blaise huffed and gently touched his cheek. "Just a punch, then? What else?"

"Couple stinging hexes and minor jinxes. Nothing I couldn't handle. I'm fine."

"I should have just been late. I don't give a fuck about Divination."

"You couldn't have saved me. They would have hurt you, too. You couldn't have defended against the whole storm of them. I'm okay... just leave it at that."

Theo put his hand on Blaise's shoulder to get him to stop arguing. He finally agreed to head to the Great Hall for chow. They slowly made their way to the new eighth year table squeezed in on the far side of the hall. The table was smaller, only half the size of the others. Blaise again took the seats closest to McGonagall, believing them to be safer. Draco sat facing the wall to avoid the eyes of the rest of the school.

Draco ate his lunch slowly, trying to ignore Potter staring at him. He was surprised the volatile Gryffindor didn't come over and demand the names out of him, too.

"Zabini! What the hell did you do to me!" Malcolm Baddock growled, approaching the eighth year table, regardless if the professors were watching his movements.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Baddock," Blaise said, smirking and refusing to acknowledge his presence. Blaise had no fear of being cursed from behind. Theo was on the other side of the table and there were nine professors at the head table eating.

"I can't write anything... the right way."

"You mean you can only write backward? That's strange... I wonder how that happened?"

"You cursed me yesterday, Zabini!" Malcolm spat.

"I have no recollection of that. Theo... do you remember anything?" Blaise said, calmly.

"Nope... nothing comes to mind. Maybe you just aren't feeling well, Mel. Maybe you should go to the hospital wing?"

"I did! She said that I had to get the curse lifted from who cast it!"

"I'm sure it'll go away in a few days... or weeks...."

"Oh yeah. What about that other problem? Incontinence happens to everyone eventually..." Theo mocked. Malcolm went red.

Draco couldn't help but smile, despite his concerns over his protectors being overly punitive.

"Fuck you, Nott! You're just as bad as the Death Eater! You're just the son of one!"

Theo stood up. Daphne grabbed his hand, warningly. They were in the Great Hall in front of everyone. Draco stole a glance at Harry, who looked ready to intervene himself.

"That wasn't even close to being worse we can do, Malcolm. You keep trying us and mouthing off and things are going to get interesting. Then you'll need more than a few diapers to sort you out!" Blaise growled, dangerously.

Laughter started around the tables. No matter how much the school hated them, they enjoyed humiliation more.

"You'll pay for this! You'll all pay!" he growled and he ran from the hall, away from the taunts.

"I don't think that was very helpful," Draco said, quietly.

"Nonsense, Malcolm's a little bitch and now all these assholes know what will happen if they try us," Theo said, sitting down.

"Or they'll just attack me when you aren't around, Theo," Draco murmured.

Blaise sighed. "We'll do our best to stop that from happening. Come on. Let's go to the hospital wing and get you checked out."

"I'm not going to the hospital wing every time I get hit, Blaise," he snapped.

"We still get twenty minutes before Defense Against the Dark Arts. You want to stay here?" Theo asked.

"It'd be better than hanging out in front of the Auror's classroom," Draco muttered.

"Oh Salazar... he is an Auror, isn't he?" Blaise grimaced.

"Well, he did work under Yaxley," Daphne commented. "Maybe he wanted to."

"That doesn't help us either way. Either he'll hate me because I'm a Death Eater, or he'll hate me because I'm a shitty one," Draco grunted.

"I think traitor is the word you're looking for," Theo said with disdain. "That's what they called my dad when he wouldn't kill those muggles."

Draco and Blaise both looked at him, alarmed. Theo didn't open up about the night the Death Eaters killed his father in front of him easily. Through bits and pieces, Draco got the 온라인카지노게임 that several Death Eaters, including Theo's father, were sent to torture and kill a muggle family. Mr. Nott refused and Apparated back home to get his son, with plans to disappear. However, the Death Eaters got there first, disarmed them both and brought them to Voldemort. Theo's father pleaded with the Dark Lord, but he had enough and killed him in front of his son.

Theo had barely managed to explain how he shut down his emotions, like his dad had taught him. He lied to Voldemort when his father's murderer asked him if he approved of what happened. He said the only thing he could: "yes". Voldemort threatened him a bit, but sent him to Hogwarts nonetheless, believing all purebloods supported "Magic is Might". It was only locked in the bathroom with Draco and Blaise that he was able to grieve for the loss of his loving father, who tried to shield him from the horrors of the world.

Daphne had befriended him later, after they had rescued her from Crabbe, and really helped him heal, like she had helped Draco. She was the only one who Draco could open up to. There was just some things he couldn't share with Blaise and Theo, not that they didn't know. His screams gave enough them insight to what they did to him, but he wasn't near ready to tell them the humiliating details.

"He was brave. He tried to do the right thing. He tried to run," Draco said, attempting to ease Theo's painful words.

"You refused to kill people and stayed for the punishment, Draco," Theo said, quietly.

Daphne held out her hands in a placating gesture. "Okay guys... we're going to class and this is getting way too emotional. Save this talk for the dorm room."

"She's right. We'll have a good cry tonight," Blaise said, taking charge. Being the most undamaged one of the group, he had easily filled in the role of the leader, since Draco's fall.

"Shut it. I'm not going to cry," Theo said, petulantly.

"Five galleons says you do," Blaise said, teasing.

"You're on."

"You guys are morons," Daphne sighed. "Blaise, you're not really going to make him cry, are you?"

"Who me? I wouldn't dream of it," he said, smirking devishly. Theo turned his head annoyed.

Daphne shook her head and they eventually stood up and made their way to the third floor. Auror Dawlish was unknown factor. He had supported both Fudge and Thicknesse against Potter. Blaise entered the classroom first, ready to fend off any attacks. It was only the Hufflepuffs and the remaining Slytherin girls.

Pansy and Alexus threw nothing but scornful looks. Tracey Davis had a grip on her wand, but didn't throw any hexes. The three were well wary of Blaise and Theo to try anything. The Hufflepuffs cracked their knuckles, but remained in their seats. Theo picked the desks closest the door as Pansy and the other two Slytherins had taken the desks in the back.

Everyone sat down and Draco tightened up, unable to relax when he was surrounded by enemies. The gauntlet wasn't over until he was in his bed, again. His heart beat faster and louder as the minutes past.

"Easy, Draco," Blaise whispered, looking at his shaking hands. He was headed straight into a panic attack. "Settle down, before it gets any worse, Dray."

Daphne turned around in front of him and stared straight into his eyes, grounding him. He nodded, though the panic did not completely subside.

The door to the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's office opened swiftly, crashing into the wall with a loud and echoing bang. Snape had better entrances, but the forty-something-year old Auror sure made the room quiet. He still had his Auror robes, which Draco did not take as a good sign. The class stared at the man, who was the second Auror they had assigned to them.

Of course, the first was the "Mad-Eye" Moody imposter. Draco still hated the man, despite the fact that it wasn't really him. It was the first time he'd been humiliated in front of the whole school. He was nearly clobbered by the sixth and seventh year Slytherins for "letting" anyone disgrace their house so badly. He took out his frustration on Harry, of course. He always blamed him, though it was never his fault. Harry was an easy target. One that didn't hurt him back.

"Good afternoon. I'm Professor Dawlish and I am your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. I understand that your education has been all over the place, so we will start rebuilding the basic detection and defense spells that you should already know and then work up to the advanced NEWT level hexes, counter-curses and dueling techniques. I will start with roll call to learn your names," the steady Auror announced and pulled out an attendance scroll.

"Abbott, Hannah," he called.

"Here, sir," she called.

He continued calling names and the students raised their hands. "Bones, Susan... Davis, Tracy... Greengrass, Daphne... Hopkins, Wayne... Jones, Megan... MacMillan, Ernie...."

Then the Auror came to his name and smirked, "And the Death Eater?"

The class broke out in giggles. Draco lowered his eyes to the table, blushing red. So, this was how it was going to go.

"Here, sir," he breathed, disinclined to raise his voice above a whisper.

"There's our resident criminal. I feel obligated to remind you that any hint of you fighting or using offensive spells and I'll be forced to report you. Then you'll be back with the other Death Eaters... where you belong," the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor said, bearing down on him, cruelly.

Draco shrunk lower in his seat, trying in vain to disappear. He was nearly hyperventilating. He did not want it confirmed to the entire class, and soon the whole school, that he couldn't defend himself, even if he wanted to. 

His classmates continued to snicker at the new professor's provoking words, but Blaise was tense and ready to attack the professor if he continued. Draco couldn't tell him to calm down. He had no idea what he could say.

"Do you understand, Death Eater?" Dawlish growled.

"Don't call him that," Blaise spat, venomously.

"Excuse me... Mister?"

"Zabini... I said don't call him that!"

"Don't Blaise..." Draco whispered.

"50 points from Slytherin! Don't proceed to tell me what I can and can't do! He's a Death Eater... and I will make sure he understands the conditions of his strict probation, least he fall into his old practices of illegal and immoral behavior!"

"He doesn't need reminding."

"Detention after class! Anyone else got a problem?" Dawlish asked looking around.

Draco looked up in front of him, Daphne had tears in her eyes and Theo was sitting stiffly in his chair, blocking his emotions. It had saved him once.

"Death Eater, do you understand your restrictions?" the professor pressed his question.

He nodded, unable to speak.

"I'll take that as a yes... let's see who's next on the list... another Death Eater spawn. Well that's confusing... we seem to have two in this class," the abrasive Auror announced and more laughter followed.

Three, actually, Draco thought, but Theo broke out of his frozen posture. A head-tilt was all Blaise needed to see to cast a Freezing Charm to keep Theo from hexing the professor.

"That'd be you, then... Nott?"

Draco could hear Nott seething under the Immobilis Jinx, Blaise wasn't stupid enough to release him. Luckily, the professor choose not to wait for an answer and continued with roll call and ended with "and the Death-Eater sympathizer".

"That'd be me," Blaise growled and released Theo, judging him in his right mind not to attack the Auror.

Theo nodded in thanks and lowered his head, dejected. Daphne rubbed his back. He didn't deserve this. He wasn't even a Death Eater, but Theo held in his tears somehow. Never let them see you cry... it's always worse. Theo knew that.

Auror Dawlish started going through the requirements and testing their knowledge. Potter's army buddies knew their shit, Draco noticed. While the Slytherins had mostly knowledge of semi-legal spells, that would not appear on the NEWT exams, unless it was how to counter them.

"We will also be going over how to tell when you're going to be attacked. You can look for little ticks, going for a wand, or just nervousness. But you need to know what to look for... know what the enemy looks like. Stand up, Death Eater!" Dawlish ordered, looking at him. He had his wand out.

Draco had no desire to comply. He was freely shaking, the panic was spiraling out of control.

"I said stand up!" he growled.

Blaise was shaking, too, but in rage. Draco gave him a look to calm down. Nothing good would come out of him exploding. Thankfully, he was a Slytherin. If Harry had been there, it would have been an all-out duel. Draco slowly eased out of his chair. He supposed he deserved some humiliation after all he did to his classmates over the years.

"This is a Death Eater: the enemy during this past war. Of course, the stupid idiots marked themselves... so it is so easy to figure out that they are evil and untrustworthy. Roll up your sleeve," Dawlish demanded.

The class grew silent, neither amazed at the Auror's audacity or the shock of seeing the Mark of Voldemort.

Draco winced and even tried to pull up his right sleeve.

"The other arm, Death Eater," he drawled, viciously.

Draco refused to look up at the professor's cruel eyes. He was about to reach for his left sleeve, when Blaise snapped.

"Don't do it," he started and looked at the professor. "You've got no right to...."

"Detention until eleven. You shut up, before you get a week of them!" Dawlish threatened, ready to defend against anything Blaise could throw at him.

Blaise growled in frustration, as though trying willing himself not to hex the man. "

"Roll up your sleeve!" he ordered.

Draco pulled up his sleeve to reveal the fading Dark Mark, which stood out more on his pale skin. He heard a few gasps.

"Hold it up proudly, now. Let your classmates see the mark of your contribution to the war!" he sneered.

Draco went redder and despite his reservations about crying in public, he couldn't hold back a few. He could hear Zacharias Smith laughing quietly at his humiliation.

"This is what everyone fought against in the war... the mark of the enemy... the symbol of death and torture. It is the sign of the Death Eaters and their support for the Dark Lord. Anyone who has it, has proven their loyalty and faithfulness to Lord Voldemort. They can't be trusted and every one of them is a criminal. And any of their offspring are surely just as sympathetic to the Death Eater cause," Dawlish finished dramatically.

Theo jerked his head up and growled, "Fuck you."

"Another 50 points from Slytherin... starting off the year in the hole, aren't we? You can join your sympathizer friend in detention for the reminder of the night."

Theo glared at him and Blaise had his wand ready to freeze him, again. Theo just snorted in defiance, though.

The Defense Against the Dark Arts professor looked at Daphne pointedly and said, "And you can join them."

"I didn't say anything, sir," she said, quietly.

"You're friends with the Death Eater, aren't you?" he spat. She blushed and lowered her eyes.

"That's not fair!" Blaise growled.

"I didn't say it was. Maybe leaving your pet Death Eater alone and unguarded for the night, might teach you all restraint. This is my classroom. Don't disrespect me, again. Don't you dare open your mouth, again, Zabini."

Blaise clenched his jaw and the professor smirked. He motioned for Draco to sit, which he did. Abject humiliation... how Dawlish was once a Gryffindor Draco didn't know, but he had very clear Slytherin traits, now.

The rest of the class passed in a blur as Draco slowly got control over his emotions. Blaise put his hand on his shoulder, gripping it, as a means of reassurance. When the class let out, Blaise helped him up.

"You're going to be okay," he said, reassuringly, straightening out Draco's robes. "Just skip dinner... go back to the dorm room. There's snacks in my trunk." Blaise didn't sound very sure, but he tried to be. Daphne and Theo could only nod.

"I'm sorry," Draco murmured.

"Hey... this is not your fault!"

"Death Eater, get out of my classroom, now!" Dawlish ordered.

Draco didn't waste any time in fleeing. He grabbed his stuff and run out the door, straight into Zacharias Smith and Wayne Hopkins.

"Look who's all alone!" Smith said, grabbing his robes and pulling him in. "Can't fight? Can't even defend yourself... Death Eater... interesting...."

"Let's hex him until he forgets his traitorous name."

"Beat the crap out of him!" Megan Jones spat.

Geez, the Hufflepuffs have gotten vicious, Draco thought, before readying himself for pain.

"Enough. Let him go!" Ernie growled. His Head Boy badge was prominently displayed on his chest.

"Or what? Professor practically gave us permission to!"

"Headmistress thinks otherwise. Let him go or you can have detention for the rest of the night, too."

The Hufflepuffs let him go, shoving him into the wall. He slid down it, not willing to get back up immediately.

"Just wait until we're alone... Malfoy," Hopkins growled, before they walked away.

"You okay?" Ernie asked, when they cleared off. "That was pretty brutal in there."

"I'm... fine... thanks," Draco murmured, wiping his face in his sleeves.

"I can walk you downstairs... for dinner," Ernie offered.

"Umm... no I think, I'll go back to the tower. Blaise has food in his trunk," Draco said and got off the floor.

"Alright... I'll walk you there."

"You don't have to do that," Draco muttered, though glad he offered.

"Yes, I do. What he did in there was wrong, but come on, before someone jumps us," Ernie said and walked him all the way to his room.

"Okay? You sure you got food?"

"Candy food, but food. I'll live. Thank you," Draco said, lowering his eyes to the Hufflepuff he had never spoken a kind word to.

Ernie merely nodded and left. Draco threw a few locking hexes on the door. He cried some and only nibbled on the snacks, before leaving for his Magical Theory class. He managed to slip down to the third floor undetected and fell into a seat, without looking at who was in the class.

"Look who's here...." Smith said, as he and Wayne entered the classroom.

Draco dropped his head down and winced when Smith sent a Stinging Hex into his back. Draco heard a light chuckle to his left and looked up to see the Weasel a few desks away, with a wide smile on his face. Zacharias seemed to understand that Ron was firmly on his side and sat by him.

"Wha'da ya think, Weasley... wanna have a go at him?"

"Have at him I say... but I promised Harry I wouldn't. I'll just enjoy the show," Weasley said, leaning back in his chair and egging on the Hufflepuffs. Ron had fit in easily with them.

Wayne sent another hex into his back, hitting him like a punch shot. The burn seared for a long time. He probably was the one who got him last night. Draco only casually looked around at his other classmates, none were near the "good" side. Mostly seventh years had taken this course, mostly ones that Draco hadn't bothered to learn their names. Harper was the only other Slytherin. The other eighth years were Lisa Turpin, Sue Li, Oliver Rivers, Fay Dunbar and Sally Smith. Apparently, this was a soft-option class.

Draco put his head on his desk and didn't rise to the baiting and hexing. He wouldn't look at anyone. He just hoped the professor would get there soon, so the hexes would stop.

"Hey, Ron. I didn't know you were in this class," Dean Thomas said, coming into the room, sitting next to him.

"Yeah, didn't mean to take it actually... but I bet this is going to be more interesting than Muggle Relations," Weasley said, happily.

"I don't see how," Thomas grunted.

"Really... look who else is in this class," the Weasel chuckled, no doubt pointing at him.

Draco tensed and grunted in pain as another Stinging Hex hit him, again. He felt another welt forming.

"Oh... you are right. It's going to be a lot more interesting," Thomas said, walking over to him. "Hello, Malfoy... glad you could join us."

Zach also joined him, leaning in on the other side. "Remember what I told you at dinner, Dean? The bitch can't fight back... or it's off to the slammer...."

Draco did not look at them. "I just want to be left alone."

"Like that will happen!" Zach growled.

"I wish I had grown up with a father. But we don't always get what we want!" Dean spat.

"Alright, students... please go back to your seats," said a wheezing voice from the door. A near hundred-year old witch floated in so eerily that Draco thought it was a ghost. "Good morning, students. I'm Professor Tempura and I've agreed to come in once a week and teach you youngster's some of the lesser known magical theories and mysteries."

Thomas whispered, "I'll see you after class, Death Eater." Then he sat next to Ron.

"I've worked at the Department of Mysteries for something resembling 50 years, but I could not give you a precise time... or dates," the old lady said, like she didn't have a clue what year it was. "Now, you've heard of Welcher's theory of identifying magical signatures, right?"

"Umm... no," Fay Dunbar said, derisively.

"No... pity," she said and turned around to write the basic constructs of the theory on the board with her wand.

Draco would have loved to pay attention to Welcher's theory, but his classmates kept shooting him with hexes, throughout the period whenever the professor turned her back, which unfortunately happened frequently.

When the clock tower struck eight, Draco left his bag and ran, without waiting for the professor to release them. He needed a head start. The outraged cries and scooting of chairs and desks, told him that he had pursuers. He ran as fast as he could, but the South Tower was far, and he was weak. He made it to the fifth floor, passing the piece of swamp that was a memorial to Fred and George Weasley's attendance. He was trying to make it to the prefect's bathroom. None of them should know how to get in, unless the Weasel ran after him, too.

"Impedimenta!" Dean Thomas growled and Draco stopped in his tracks, right next to the statue of Boris.

"Yeah, Dean... you got him! Incarcerous!" Smith yelled and tight thick ropes wrapped around Draco's body. When he broke free of the Impediment Curse, he fell to the ground, hopelessly entangled. He looked at them wide in fear and tried to get free.

"Nice one... Zach!" Wayne slapped his buddy on the shoulder. "Look at him struggle... wiggle little piggy." 

"You aren't going anywhere. You are our bitch, now. No one is going to interrupt us now!" Smith growled and the others cheered. Fay Dunbar, Lisa Turpin, Oliver Rivers and two seventh years had joined them on the Death Eater hunt.

Draco didn't bother to beg or resist. All squirming stopped immediately and he cut off his emotions. Pretend. Pretend he wasn't scared and hurting. He could do that. He had long taught himself how to do that. No emotions. He couldn't scream and hide when Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters killed and tortured people in front of him. There was nothing he could do to get them to stop hurting him. Begging did no good. He shut off everything.

"Looks like he's limp," Oliver growled, toeing him.

"Pull him up... can't hit him properly from the ground," Dean directed. The two seventh years dragged him off the ground. He neither helped nor hindered their movement.

"This is for our friends, Death Eater! For Justin... Jeffery and Al!" Zach said, punching him in the stomach each time he spoke their names.

Draco's head lobbed from the hits, but he didn't cry out. His eyes fixed on someone coming from down the hall. He first saw the red hair of Weasley, before looking down at his smirking face. Weasley laughed to himself and continued walking past, enjoying what he saw. Draco's hope for reprieve dwindled, as the others took their turn in the queue. The last round was always the worst.

"For Mandy and Morag!" Lisa said, punching him.

"For Lavender and Jacqueline!" Fay said, slapping him across the face.

"For my dad!" Dean said and landing a punch into his ribs.

They all kept taking turns, hitting him for all the wrongs done to them over the years. Eventually, they tied him to the Boris statue and he hung loosely against the cords that bound him.

"All hail the Prince of Slytherin! Here's a sign for you!" Smith said, affixing a roughly made sign that read 'Death Eater' on it around his head

"You fucking scum," Dean said and spat in his face.

They left him there, blood dripping from his re-broken nose. He never said a word.

Ouch... sorry... going to go back and forth between good and bad for Draco for a bit. People are assholes in all aspects of life. And they can be pretty damn amazing, too.

Y'all keeping track of good guys, bad guys and who's dead okay? JK really didn't tell very many names of who died, so I picked and chose as I saw fit for plot development and drama-inducing effect. But I can post my lists if that'd be helpful?

Also, sorry about updating the first five chapters. I just made some spelling/grammar changes, but I won't be doing anything else for a long time. I can spend hours editing and I'd rather write at this point in time.

Also also... Good news! Next chapter is from Blaise's POV.... I think I'll post it on Turkey Day.