A/N: This is a response to the Harry Potter forum called Harry Potter FanFiction Challenges from Hondagirl's challenge One Year Later. I tried as best as I could to use all of the prompts but sorry if I left one out! Hope you like it! R&R!
Disclaimer: I really don't think that JK Rowling would get her ideas from a forum on FanFiction…
--
It was one year later.
One year after the battle.
One year after the death of thousands.
And he had been on the dark side.
Draco Malfoy. Former Death Eater. Former sterio-typed Slytherin. Former shadow of his father.
He remembers the time when he was young and naïve. He followed in his father's footsteps and accepted the Dark Lord's invitation of becoming a Death Eater, and serving at his side, for at the time he had seen it as a great honor. He attempted to kill the headmaster of Hogwarts, and helped his family find Harry, Ron, and Hermione, all to save the pride and pure noble blood of his family.
He now knows he was wrong.
He knows that he should have listened to his conscience, his pain deep down inside him telling him that it was the wrong thing to do. He knows that he should have fled, should have run far away or joined the good side while he could.
He now knows what he should have done.
He sees in disgust how he cruely laughed at Harry and his friends. How he got Vincent and Gregory to go along with him, out of fear that Draco would do something to them if they didn't.
He now knows the real meaning of happiness and laughter.
He gets a vision of the Dark Mark in the night sky at the night of the Quittich World Cup just before his fourth year at Hogwarts. He looks at his arm and sees the same imprint. Regretting all that he has done, he averts his grey eyes.
He now knows the guilt that he will always carry.
He looks out of his window and sees children walking on the streets of Diagon Alley. He wishes that they will not take the same path that he did, and carry that same guilt with them for the rest of their lives.
Then he remembers.
The Dark Lord is dead. He has been for a year. Just that one day one year ago when the sun didn't seem to shine. That the yellowness of its warmth was gone as hundreds of lives were put to rest. The day when peace was brought to the wizarding world.
Now the sun comes back out everday and is as yellow as can be. Draco walks outside and sees a butterfly spread its wings and fly. He smiles and goes on his way.
Because for one year, Voldemort has been dead, and the Malfoys have been free.
--
A/N: Ok, I think I covered just about all of the topics. I hope that this was interesting enough for you. I know I put my best work into it.