Hi, this is my fic, G.CPE's fic.
This is not for people who have only seen the movie and not read the book. You must have read all the books, especially the sixth book. If you have only seen the movie or have not read the sixth book, please click the 'back' button up in the top left corner (I believe on the new computers the back button has an icon on it that looks like this: ←) or simply click the small little square in the top right corner, which contains a small 'x'. Thank you, and have a cheery day.
I don't know what time or year this is in. Probably around the sixth or seventh year. Okay… let's just say… Dumbledore never died. I don't know! It's a mix of the sixth book and something else. Never mind. Just read.
I think I've lost it. Yeah… I probably have… Never mind. This fic is very sane, unlike me. NEVER FEAR! Says G.CPE in a booming voice, not unlike the voice of a Shakespearian actor. Oh dear… Anyway, just read.
READ! READ! READ! (pause) READ! READ! READ! (pause) READ! READ! READ! (And so, G.CPE starts up a chant.) READ! READ! READ! (pause) READ! READ! READ! (pause) READ! READ! READ! (read)
"Sir! Sir! Malfoy! Malfoy!" Harry shouted breathlessly, dashing into Dumbledore's office with Ron and Hermione on his heels.
Dumbledore looked up at him. "Yes, Harry? What about Draco Malfoy?"
"He committed suicide. In the Great Hall! Just now!" Harry said, still breathless.
Dumbledore nodded sadly. "Poor boy."
Harry blinked, confused. Hermione and Ron showed similar facial expressions of confusion. Dumbledore noticed it and stood. He walked over to Fawkes and stroked the phoenix's head, whispering something into its ear. The phoenix suddenly disappeared. Dumbledore sighed and stared out the window.
"Professor…?" Harry asked hesitantly.
Dumbledore whipped around and looked at Harry. "Yes?"
"Why…? Erm… why did…?" Harry stuttered.
Dumbledore smiled sadly. "Sit down. All of you." The three obliged as Fawkes came back.
Suddenly, Malfoy's body was on a nearby desk. His face was mixed with emotions. Relief, sorrow, anger, confusion, and most of all… hopelessness. Dumbledore sighed sadly at the still body. He waved his wand and Draco's body glowed briefly.
"Now, Draco's body won't ever decay…" Dumbledore murmured and sat down in his chair.
The trio glanced at each other.
"Draco Malfoy has led a hard life, not that many people realize it," Dumbledore paused, hearing Ron's and Harry's snorts of disbelief. Hermione flashed the two an angry look.
Dumbledore glanced at the body before looking back at the trio.
Dumbledore sighed. "Draco Malfoy was born to Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy sixteen to seventeen years ago. Lucius brought up his son in the normal pureblood way, which was expected. Most purebloods were brought up that way, but Lucius also brought Draco up in the Death Eater fashion. Draco was to show no emotions nor be affectionate. He was supposed to scorn 'non-purebloods', Muggle-borns, and so-called 'blood traitors'."
"Which he did," Harry interrupted. Hermione shushed him quickly.
"Harry, please do not interrupt me. I need no interruptions. If you want an explanation about Draco, stay silent until I am finished," Dumbledore said wearily.
Harry closed his mouth shut, silently fuming.
"Now, Lucius also forced Draco to be like a Death Eater… It's hard to explain, but you must understand. Narcissa was rarely at home. Most of the time, she was out with friends. Draco was left alone in the mansion with Lucius…" Dumbledore paused, hesitating.
"Did Mr. Malfoy abuse Draco?" Hermione asked, blinking.
Dumbledore hesitated and shook his head slowly. "At least not physically. Draco was not harmed physically, but mentally and emotionally. I don't want to go into details… Every child is… well, every child has an urge to please their parents, especially their father. Lucius frequently snapped at Draco and found wrong in everything Draco did. Draco was pressed extremely hard and he tried all types of ways to please his father…"
The whole room was silent. Ron tugged at Harry's arm and jerked his head at the direction of all the portraits of the former headmasters and headmistresses. Harry hid a smile; all the portraits were listening closely with looks of pity on their faces. Harry gestured at Hermione. Ron looked to see Hermione staring at Dumbledore, enraptured with the story.
"Narcissa had no idea of what was going on. All she knew was that her dear son was beginning to be a perfect son. Lucius drilled things into Draco's mind so that Draco would be a perfect pureblood son. Draco was a… success, as Lucius Malfoy put it –"
"How cruel!" Hermione burst out, unable to contain herself.
"Indeed," Dumbledore agreed quietly, nodding slowly. "Indeed. Draco was a perfect son, until he came to Hogwarts… Hogwarts showed him opportunities to have friends, be close to people, like people, and such like things, but Draco knew he had to be careful. He had to have good scores in school and must do most of the things Lucius taught him…"
"Most?" Harry asked, frowning.
Dumbledore nodded. "Only some. Draco had to continue to pretend to hate people who were not purebloods. He had to continue to pretend to scorn me. He had to hide his life in Hogwarts away from his father as much as he could. I helped him…"
"Help Malfoy!" Ron gaped.
Dumbledore nodded. "Draco needed all the help he could. I helped him become extremely good in Occlumency. I advised him to… mock you three and insult the people Lucius would want him to insult. I helped him choose friends who will, actually, would not betray him. People such as Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle who were sons of Death Eaters, yet so immature that they would not even think about betraying Draco. I also arranged that Draco could act as if he and Pansy were together. Pansy was in pure awe of Draco and I helped Draco along. Draco… Draco was the opposite of his father, he just had to hide what he really believes in. He had to act his whole life…"
"Then what about the part in his life about helping Rita Skeeter to find out things about me?" Harry demanded.
Dumbledore sighed. "Harry, if Draco didn't do that, his father would have done terrible things… Draco could have done worse than that… Draco did things that were wrong, but it did no real harm to anyone and it helped keep Lucius off Draco, to put it…"
"Why did he commit suicide?" Ron asked, completely confused. Hermione sighed, annoyed.
Dumbledore held up his hand. Hermione, who was about to speak, closed her mouth and nodded politely.
"Draco was failing to meet his father's and Voldemort's" – Ron winced – "demands. He could barely get any sleep and he was failing miserably to meet their demands. Draco saw no point in living. No one really cared about him and he was constantly under pressure. I believe, if you'll look at Draco, he had written a note to explain a few things…" Dumbledore sighed. Instantly, the three craned their necks to look at Draco.
There was, indeed, a note grasped in Draco's left hand while his right hand gripping his wand.
"But first, let me show you a few memories of mine with Draco," Dumbledore said quietly. Dumbledore flicked his wand and his Pensieve rose into the air and zoomed over to his desk. It landed on the desk gently.
Dumbledore gestured. Harry went into the Pensieve with Ron and Hermione following him. Dumbledore soon came after.
Everything swirled around them and suddenly, they seemed to be back in Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore, the one in the memory, was sitting at the desk, waiting. There was an uncertain knock on the door.
"Come in," Dumbledore said warmly.
The door opened and a pale Draco stepped into the room, looking around nervously. Draco closed the door behind him quickly and looked at Dumbledore expectantly. Dumbledore smiled and gestured to a chair. Draco quickly sat down in it.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were surprised to see respect for Dumbledore on Draco's face.
"You wanted to see me about something, Draco?" Dumbledore said in a comforting voice.
Draco nodded, getting whiter and whiter every second. "I've been working on my schoolwork and the… the things V-Voldemort wants me to do… I haven't been getting any sleep lately… I was wondering if… if I could get a Timer-Turner or something… The last time I slept was a week ago."
Dumbledore hesitated. "Draco… do you have problems with your schoolwork?"
Draco shook his head. "It's just that I can't cram my schoolwork, the things, and sleep into one thing. If I don't get V-Voldemort's things done quickly, he'll punish me and if I don't get my schoolwork done, F-Father will punish me…"
Dumbledore reached into his robes and pulled out a Time-Turner. He set it on the desk between them. Draco made no move to take it.
"This is the Time-Turner Miss Granger had in her third year. Make sure you don't go within sight of your own self. Take care to use it only when needed and not for some fancy thing, I doubt you will use it unwisely though. I believe you already know how to use one," Dumbledore said calmly. Draco nodded.
"Now, how has the decoy been working?" Dumbledore asked gently.
Draco paled; his skin seemed almost transparent. "They suspect something going on! They'll kill me! They'll kill me! They suspect!" Draco exclaimed in a frightened voice as he shook in fright.
Dumbledore reached out and touched Draco's hand gently. "Draco, everything will be all right… I promise you… Trust me and I'll help you with your life. Take the Time-Turner and use it wisely. Remember my warnings. I'll think of some better solution…" Draco took the Tim-Tuner and put it in his robes quickly.
"Thank you, sir… Thank you for everything," Draco whispered before turning away as tears of gratitude swam and fogged up his vision. Dumbledore nodded as Draco quickly left the room.
The real Dumbledore quietly brought the group back to the present time.
"That is only one example of what was going on with Draco… Now, I think it is time to read Draco Malfoy's last words to the world," Dumbledore said quickly.
Ron did not seem to register what Dumbledore had said; he was still surprised at what had happened. Harry nudged Ron who jerked and blinked. "Yeah…?" It was a mix of a question and an agreement.
Hermione sighed, trying to stop herself from laughing.
Dumbledore stood and walked over to Draco's body. He gently pried the note from Draco's hands. Dumbledore unfolded it and walked back over to the desk. He sat down and spread the note on the desk so that everyone could read it.
To anyone who comes across this, whoever the person may be:
I've lived a life unlike other people. I have been raised a different way and I have also been treated another way. I suppose I should state my name, just in case you might not know it.
I am Draco Malfoy. I am the son of Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Black Malfoy, though I really don't care. I'm a pureblood, though I'm not boasting about it. I'm thought to be cruel, stupid, and arrogant. Perhaps I'm cruel to think that I live the worst life in the world. Perhaps I'm stupid to think that I could possibly live a normal life. Perhaps I'm arrogant to defy my parents and their master.
I don't know how to explain everything, but I know I must. My father… my father tried to mold me into a 'perfect son', the way he thought I should be. A perfect Death Eater. A perfect pureblood. A perfect… doll, I suppose. I guess I can say, with a hint of pride, that I successfully played along, but I wasn't without help.
I suppose this is here where I thank people who've helped me. Professor Dumbledore is the person who has helped me the most. I sincerely considered living to thank him, but… I hope he understands… why I did this… I can only hope. I also want to thank Professor McGonagall who helped me with all my schoolwork so that I'd have time to do my father's wishes. I thank Professor Sprout, Professor Flitwick, Professor Sinistra, Professor Grubbly-Plank, and Professor Hagrid for understanding what was happening in my life and helping me cover up my true self. I also wish to thank Madame Pomfrey who helped me act like Lucius' perfect son.
I also want to apologize to Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger, and everyone else. I had to do wrong things to cover myself up. I never meant you any real harm; I was just following along Professor Dumbledore's suggestions. I guess that's a really pathetic apology, but I don't know what to say except that I'm ashamed that I didn't treat you properly and I must admit that I, most of the time, wished that we were friends. I know some of you might laugh at those words, but it's true. If you don't want to listen to me, don't.
I… I'm not sure if I'm afraid of death… I'm not really sure of anything any more. I suppose if I am afraid of death, I'll be a ghost here. I prefer Hogwarts to that cursed Malfoy mansion. If I do become a ghost… I'll make my apologizes personally and my accusations against my father and the rest of them. The Death Eaters, I mean. I suppose if I'll be a ghost I'll first appear in Professor Dumbledore's office. It's the only place I cherish being.
"H… Hello," a sad, quiet voice said softly, and a bit nervously, from behind Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
The trio whipped around to see Draco Malfoy, as a ghost. He looked at them sadly before looking at Dumbledore. Dumbledore stepped around the desk and stepped in front of Draco, looking at the ghost with sorrowful eyes. Draco reached out hesitantly and attempted to touch Dumbledore, but his hand merely went through the old wizard.
Draco glanced down at the letter on the table and gestured at it.
"'When I am forgiven and everyone understands, I will be at rest. With unspoken thanks that can never be expressed by a simple boy's tongue, I sign off: Draco Malfoy'," Dumbledore read out loud.
He looked at Draco who met his eyes. "Everyone understands, Draco."
Draco looked at Harry, Ron, and Hermione. He searched their faces. Harry nodded and nudged Ron who grudgingly nodded. Hermione bobbed her head up and down vigorously.
Draco bowed his head. "Thank you," he whispered before his ghost form dissolved.
Draco Malfoy was buried on the school grounds, since his father wanted nothing to do with him, now that the truth was out. Narcissa blindly followed her husband.
Everyone had left the grave a few hours after the funeral, except for Dumbledore. Dumbledore knelt and placed the suicide letter, which Draco left for the world to read, on the grave. He touched his wand to the letter and stood. Giving a slight bow, he turned away, letting the green fire consumed the letter.
Albus Dumbledore knew Draco was at rest after reading the poem at the end of the letter:
I shall remember lovely things:
The thrilling joy when a bluebird wings
Its way through the dusk of eventide
To a quiet tree on the mountain side;
The dainty flit of a butterfly;
The delicate blue of a drifting sky;
The silent call of the evening star;
The rose's perfume wafted far.
I shall remember lovely things:
A smile, a tear, a heart that sings.
Hope you all like it. I don't know what made me write it. Probably because I pity and I like Draco. Anyway, read and review.