A Light in the Dark

Written for the A Light in the Dark challenge

Disclaimer: I'm not J.K. Rowling and I don't own her characters.

A/N: when I accepted the challenge I took the words "a light in the dark" to have two meanings. The first was obvious, that a baby being born during the battle of Hogwarts was like a light in the darkness of a war torn world, a ray of hope when so many people are dying.

The second meaning focuses on Draco. I've always believed that there is good in him despite what people might think. Yes, he was a bully and a mean little git at times. But Dumbledore knew that he wasn't truly evil. Draco's true heart revealed itself in that scene when he couldn't bring himself to kill Dumbledore. I don't think he could ever truly hurt anyone. And even if he did I don't think he would enjoy or take pleasure in harming another human being.

So this is how I interpret the meaning of "a light within the dark." A light is found when a new life enters the world during the war and a light can be found inside of Draco when he stops to help a fellow student.

This is the darkest hour ever known to mortal man
I am lost
Heaven does not await me
Death will not escape me
But I have set you free
I open my hands slowly
Releasing the white dove that holds your spirit
A little white speck on a piece of black paper
The last remaining shred of light in my world

The sounds of the war were all around him. Voices screaming from down the hall laced with fury and pain. Sobbing voices, voices crying out in torment and misery as their companions were brutally slaughtered. The ground beneath him shook as yet another explosion tore through the ancient halls of Hogwarts. And yet all of these sounds seemed distant, remote. Something far away, a faded remnant of another world.

Draco Malfoy sat slumped with his back against the wall, coughing as he attempted yo rid his lungs of the ash and smoke he had inhaled while in the Room of Requirement. His last remaining friend Goyle, who was sitting on the floor beside him, was hardly in better shape than he was. Though long about now Draco didn't really care what shape Goyle was in so long as he was still alive.

His insides numb from shock and his mind reeling from Crabbe's death, Draco couldn't even feel how much his chest ached, how badly his throat burned. None of this seemed to be happening. None of this seemed real anymore.

How could they have expected a boy his age to be able to cope with the serious matters concerning war? With death, loss and grief? If only he could find a single shred of hope remaining in this war torn world that everything would be alright. One tiny sliver of light that might save him from the darkness that surrounded him.

The "chosen one" and his friends had already left him and Goyle alone in the corridor. The sounds of battle were drawing closer and Draco knew that it was no longer safe for them to stay where they were.

"Come on," he said, taking hold of Goyle by the arm and hoisting him to his feet. "We need to get out of here."

Try as they might to stay together it wasn't long until Draco and Goyle were separated when the staircase they were descending to the lower levels of the castle was hit with an explosive curse that severed the staircase in two.

Draco was in the lead when the curse struck the side of the staircase. The resulting explosion was enough to send the blond wizard tumbling down the stairs while Goyle was sent soaring backwards as the staircase began to collapse.

Far below several teachers were battling a team of Death Eaters that had broken though the castle's defenses. It had been one of the Death Eaters curses that missed its target, ricocheting off a shield charm and sent hurtling through the air in a blazing display of flaming blue sparks that caused the staircase to collapse.

The floor beneath Draco shuddered and gave way, crumbling to pieces in a cascade of splintered wood and stones. Goyle was screaming his name above the thunderous roar of the collapsing staircase, both teachers and Death Eaters were retreating, and all Draco could do was ride it out as he plummeted downwards.

When the darkness cleared around him Draco found himself lying atoo a twisted heap of rubble. Somehow he had managed to survive, though there wasn't anyplace on his body that didn't feel battered and bruised.

He looked up as he heard a familiar voice call his name and saw Goyle perched upon the upper half of the staircase that hung a good thirty feet in the air above him.

"Draco!" Goyle was shouting. "Say something! Anything, please!"

"I'm alive," Draco groaned, rolling over onto his side. "Stop yelling. My head feels like it's going to split open."

"So you're alright?"

"Yeah, I think so."

The blond wizard eased himself over onto his belly, raising himself up onto his hands and knees and looked around.

"How the hell do I get out of here?"

With the staircase collapsed and blocking most of the exits in the room Draco had little choice but to take the only other remaining staircase that lead into the upper levels of the castle.

"Stay here," Drco called out to Goyle. "There's got to be some way for me to reach you from here."

His heart pounding harder than ever, his feet scrabbling through the rubble beneath him, Draco climbed down off the remains of the staircase and began to run. He hadn't even time to recover from his last ordeal where he was nearly burned alive in the Room of Requirement and already he was on the move again. And this time he was on his own, wandless and vulnerable.

If he was perfectly honest with himself Draco hadn't the faintest idea where he was going. Several times he got turned around, finding that he had to go down before he could go up. In his haste and panic he'd lost all sense of where he was in the castle and everywhere he looked there were signs of carnage and destruction.

There was blood staining the wall above the body of a Death Eater who lie in a broken heap at the feet of a crumpled suit of armor. Broken glass littered the floor and scorch marks had been burned into the carpet. Torn curtains were ablaze with brilliant orange flames licking at the walls and creeping towards nearby paintings and portraits. The inhabitants of the portraits were screaming and fleeing from their frames. Not even the figures in the portraits were safe.

But of all the horrific sights he'd seen so far the one that affected him most deeply was seeing the body of the Death Eater beneath the blood drenched wall.

His eyes wide with horror, Draco stared at the body before him. How easily that could have been his mother or his father lying there dead at his feet in a pool of their own blood.

And where exactly were his parents? Were they even alive or had they suffered a similar fate?

Backing away from the grizzly scene, his eyes still fixed on the corpse and unable to look away, his mouth open in speechless horror, Draco finally managed to tear his gaze away from the fallen Death Eater as he turned and once more began to run. He hadn't made it very far down the corridor when he spied a figure sitting doubled over on the floor up ahead.

At first he feared it was another dead body. But as he drew closer to the figure he saw that this person was still alive and apparently in a great deal of distress.

It was Cho Chang, Ravenclaw student and Harry's former girlfriend. She was crying, tears streaming down her face and mingling with the blood that was slowly seeping from a diagonal cut on her left cheek.

Draco slowed his pace, approaching her cautiously, fearing that she may try to attack him.

His first thought was to simply leave her where she was and continue on his way. He had no intention of stopping for her. She then threw her head back, eyes squeezed shut, sobbing as she screamed in agony. It was then that Draco noticed her swollen belly and quickly realized what was happening.

Cho Chang was having a baby. How she had gotten herself in this predicament and with whom Draco didn't know. Then a horrible thought crossed his mind - was this Potter's child?

She held her stomach, turning her head and catching sight of Draco. The pain she felt was so intense she could barely speak, the look in her eyes begging him for help far more than words could ever say. It was a silent cry, a desperate plea for help.

"What happened to you?" Draco asked, moving closer towards her.

"I fell," she said, sniffing as tears rolled down her cheeks. She pointed at the Death Eaters' body a couple yards away. "He chased me. I tried to run, but I fell. Now I can't walk. I think my ankle is broken."

"No, I meant...you know." Draco couldn't bring himself to say the word "pregnant."

What had happened was that Cho had been unable to stay in a relationship with anyone for very long ever since Cedric died. She tried starting a relationship with Harry, and for a while she almost believed it would work. But all too soon what they had began to all apart. She was looking for love. She was looking for happiness. But no one could take the place of her first love Cedric Diggory.

One night things went a little too far. Cho found herself in bed with another student. Now she was pregnant and about to give birth at a very inopportune time during the battle.

"Please," she whimpered. "I'm scared, Draco. Help me, please."

Draco glanced back at the body on the floor. Cho was the only one around so it was obvious that she had killed him. Maybe not on purpose and definitely not with the killing curse judging by the amount of blood on the wall.

He felt torn between wanting to leave her and wanting to help. She had killed one of his own, but were they really like him? Did he really belong with Death Eaters? Did he really want to be a part of this war? A war that stole the lives of so many innocent people?

He thought again about his parents. Did they want to take part in this battle? Right now they were probably more concerned about finding their son. And it was true. Lucius was at that very moment attempting to convince the Dark Lord to order a stop to the fighting so he could search for his son.

There was still good left in his parents despite all that they had done. They still loved their child. And there was still good inside Draco as well.

Draco helped Cho to her feet, allowing her to lean on him as he wrapped her arm around his shoulders, supporting her as he helped walk her down the hall. He could see several doors up ahead leading to empty classrooms. If he could just get her inside one of them they wouldn't be out in the open and he could ward the door, giving them some protection from the battle going on outside.

It was a slow and difficult process getting Cho inside the nearest classroom. She was limping badly on her left foot and was hunched over with one hand holding her stomach. Her contractions were coming close together and it wouldn't be long until her baby was born.

When Draco finally succeeded in getting her into the classroom he removed his cloak and laid it on the floor.

"Good lord, what am I getting myself into?" he muttered, smoothing out the creases in the material.

Cho slowly lowered herself onto the dark colored fabric. She was surprised when Draco then asked to borrow her wand.

"I don't have one of my own anymore. Just hurry up and give it to me!" Draco snapped impatiently.

She reluctantly handed him her wand and Draco quickly cast a series of wards and protective enchantments on the door. How long they would hold in a situation such as this he didn't know. He just had to hope it would be enough to keep them safe for a while.

His attention was brought back to Cho as she screamed in pain from another forceful contraction.

She gasped and panted, sweat dripping from her face as strands of her long perspiration soaked hair hung limp and damp in her face.

Draco knelt down beside her, and using her wand he conjured a washcloth and a bit of water to moisten the cloth with, then used the damp washcloth to wipe the sweat off her face.

The cool water was refreshing across her checks and forehead but it did nothing to ease her pain or improve her mood. She continued to yell and swear as her body was racked with intense pain every time she had another contraction.

"It's coming," she gasped. "It's coming, Draco! I can feel it!"

The castle floor beneath them shook as another explosion sounded from somewhere several floors below, and Draco sincerely hoped that the battle far below was not heading in their direction.

He hesitated before stepping between Cho's legs. He was not looking forward to this anymore than he wanted to be here in the midst of this horrific battle.

"Oh, this is revolting!" Draco exclaimed as he lifted her skirt. It only took a minute or two before he was holding her newborn child.

Draco stared in wide-eyed amazement at the tiny infant. The baby girl was squirming and crying in his arms. She looked healthy and was bawling like there was no tomorrow. Draco almost couldn't believe that at a time like this when so many people around him were dying that a light could be found in the dark as a new life began and entered the world.

"What is it?" Cho asked breathlessly. "What is it? Is it alright?"

For a second Draco was speechless. He blinked and looked from the baby to its mother.

"It's a girl," he said. "And if the strength of her lungs is any indication I'd say she's doing fine. Damn, are all babies this loud?" he added, wincing at the shrill sound of the baby's cries. "My ears are starting to hurt."

Cho giggled at his comment and smiled. "I want to name her Hope."

"Hope?" Draco echoed.

"Yes," Cho replied. "She'll be our hope for a better and brighter future, for a world beyond this war where peace can return to our world."

Draco thought about what she said. He knew that if there was going be any chance for peace to return to the wizarding world the Dark Lord would have to fall. Though long about now he honestly didn't care anymore. All he wanted was for this battle to end and to be safely reunited with his parents.

Moments later there was a loud pounding on the classroom door and the voice of Professor Slughorn drifted into the room.

"Hello? Is anyone in there? I heard screaming. Does someone need some help?"

Draco handed Cho her baby then removed the wards and opened the door.

Never in his entire life had Draco been more pleased to see a teacher and he quicky stepped aside to let Slughorn into the room. And there was Goyle following along in the professor's wake. This meant that with both Cho and Goyle now safely in the hands of a teacher Draco could continue on his search for his mother and father.

"I have to go," said Draco. "I have to find my parents."

"Draco, no. Stay here with us," said Cho. "It's too dangerous out there."

Drco shook his head. "I can't stay here. If there's one thing I've learned from all this it's that family is more important than anything else. You have a daughter now. You understand, don't you? And I'm sure you wouldn't wany anything to happen to her."

"No, I wouldn't."

"Exactly. And I'm sure my parents don't want anything to happen to me. I have to find them and let them know I'm alright."

And with that Draco headed out the door, leaving behind the others as he left in search of his parents.