PROLOGUE: This story will be about the rise of the next Dark Lord. But I already have decided that it will be a female, so Dark Lady. The fanfic deviates from the main story line during the Battle of Hogwarts. Thus the events of the battle play out a little differently. The first Chapter covers the events of Battle. Largely, I merge the accounts of the Book and the Movie together. The point of deviation is that Draco followed Harry and saw Voldemort kill Snape over a wand.
The story shall be told from the perspective of Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkison. This will not however be a Draco and Pansy pairing. Efforts will be made to keep this story as canon compliant as possible. Ginny and Harry will be married with three children. Hermione and Ron wil be married. Luna and Neville with have a brief fling in following years after the Battle of Hogwarts before mutally breaking up as their lives are pulled in separate directions. That said, there is plenty of room to craft a story within those boundaries.
Pointless disclaimer:
I am not JKRowling. I did not write the Harry Potter series. I do not own the characters. If you seriously did not know that, I have no words for you. This is . none of the writers are the original writers!
On that note. This is also a work of fiction. Any resemblence to real people is unlikely, unintentional, and unlikely (With the exception of Nicholas Flammel, creator of the Philosopher's Stone. He actually did exist).
Dark Lady: Aftermath
Chapter 1
Neville walked through the ruined courtyard. The rubble of statues and walls littered the entrance. He picked up a pick of cloth. It was the Sorting Hat. "How did it get here?" he wondered. As he looked up, he saw a crowd of Death Eaters marching to the castle. He was not the only one who noticed as Hogwart's defenders came out to meet them. Draco wandered out with them. He still carried his mother's wand. He still wanted his wand back. That is why he followed Potter, and came upon Snape and Lord Voldemort. He watched as the snake killed the Headmaster, all for Snape's wand apparently. Draco couldn't hear everything, but Potter did.
Draco watched as Voldemort left Snape on the ground. He did not even bother taking Snape's wand! Draco felt a deep hatred for the man who had humiliated his family and descecrated their home. Draco could barely eat in the dining room knowing the snake had eaten a person on top of it. Potter was listening to Snapes last words. Draco had sulked away unsure of his purpose anymore.
"Harry Potter is Dead," called Voldemort to the gathering crowd.
"No," screamed Ginny rushing forward, but her father held her back. Harry wanted nothing more than to call back, to let her know his ruse. But her tears were real and they helped convince his lie to the Death Eaters who seemed to outnumber them. The rest looked on in number horror.
"Silly Girl," Voldemort went on, "Harry Potter is dead. From this day forth, you will put your faith in me." Whatever that meant . . . Voldemort's delusions had apparently risen to godhood.
"Harry Potter is Dead!" laughed Voldemort with the Death Eaters. "Ye- he- he," Sounding like a nerd from Revenge of the Nerds.
Smiling the whole time, "And now is the time to declare yourselves. Let any who wish to join me come forth now. All will be forgiven."
Hesitantly, Draco stepped up among the defenders. From the crowd of Death Eaters, Naralissa Malfoy waved him over. "Draco," she whispered, "Come."
"Yes," his father Lucius called, "Come." Scores of Slytheran student kept up along the flanks. Draco could see his classmates Pansy Parkison, Daphne Greengrass, and Blaise among them. And Dumbledor's last words came back to him.
Draco took a deep sigh and march forward toward Voldemort. The Dark Lord was doing this as a chance to allow any Slytherin students trapped inside to escape. But he couldn't know that McGonagle had already evacuated the younger students and most of House Slytherin would have been in their Dungeon Common Room, those that didn't know the secret exits anyways.
Voldemort was quick to hug the Malfoy heir. "Draco," he purred. "Welcome ho . . ."
Draco spat in the Dark Lord's face. "You owe me that much," he said as the spit dribbled down Tom's cheek, "I'm wandless and you killed my favorite teacher for his wand."
Riddle dabbed his face with his sleeve as dignified as he could. His face and his shrug did not deny the accusation or the insult. "All is forgiven," he repeated gesturing Draco over to his family.
Neville Longbottom was the next to step up. He said a brilliant speech that rallied the remaining Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, Griffindors, and members of the Order of the Phoenix. That went unheard by the Slytherins on the flanks. Draco's speech was much shorter and much more meaningful. Snape was the favorite teacher to Malfoy and most Slytherin students. He was the first Slytherin Headmaster since Pheinius Black. They had watched as Snape defended the Death Eater's cause as McGonacle attacked him, killed the Carrows in the process, and forced Snape to abandon his post. They did not know that Snape had deliberately deflected her blasts into the Carrow siblings. But that would not have mattered to them. As far as they knew Snape was a loyal follower of Voldemort. Snape favored them, cared for them, and they in turned liked Snape best. And Voldermort killed him for his wand, a wand he was not using.
Riddle could never understand love. That included a little thing called School Spirit. Through their ambition, the students were sorted into House Slytherin. But it was still Hogwarts they attended, just as Harry Potter loved Hogwarts, so too did House Slytherin love Hogwarts. It was just as fantasic, wonderous, and magical to them as first years as it was to any other house. Around them, Hogwarts crumbled.
Draco held his mother's wand in from of him. She placed her hand lovingly next to her son. Behind them, her husband, father of her son placed his hands atop theirs. It was an ackward hug, but each Malfoy had silently agreed which side they were on.
Tom drew to attack, but Harry took this moment to roll out of Hagrid's arms and fire a few blasts at Nangi. Hagrid was shocked, Hogwart's defenders were surprised, but it was Riddle who was most surprised. "Why won't you die!" He exclaimed.
"TERRA PROTECTO!" cried the Malfoy's, reciting the transfiguration Lucius had whispered to them. Two wizards and a witch funneled magic through the same wand. Luckily the wand recognized Narralissa as its master, Draco through his mother, and Lucius through his son. It accepted their power and the spell. A wall of earth grew from the ground blocking the first volley attacks of the Death Eaters. After all the only way to block the killing curse was for it to hit something else.
House Slytherin struck next. Firing stunners and full body bind casts, they leapt from their hiding places striking their parents. Death Eaters turned towards the youths firing in turn.
But they were blocked by another a volley of protectos and levitated rocks from Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs waiting in the Astronomy Tower. The rest battered away at the barrier. For the moment, the Malfoys were not anyone's target. Slytherin Students grabbed their motionless parents and apparated away.
"You can't apparate on Hogwart's grounds," thought Draco, "Just how damaged is the school?"
But he couldn't dwell on that thought, Riddle was advancing on Harry. "Come on Tom!" Harry taunted, you tried to kill me as a baby and it didn't work." Harry was running from the Dark wizard, leading him away. Draco thought to chase after Potter to reclaim his wand. But as he moved, he noticed Pansy Parkison and Astoria Greengrass wrestling over a wand. He saw his friends Blaise and Daphne stunned, stupified, and flat on the ground. Pansy had chosen the other side it seemed. Draco broke from his parents, to his mother's dismay, but Aunt Bellatrix chose then to begin dueling with her sister.
Draco slipped behind Pansy and did what he'd learned as the best way to disarm her. Dating her for three odd years had taught him that the pug-faced pureblood was ticklish on her lower back, just along the spine. It was not a maneuver he expected to use in combat, but a practiced hand won a squeal from his former girlfriend. Astoria won back her wand in the distraction and hit her cousin with a punch spell that knocked the wind out of her.
The pair watched as Pansy dropped, trying to suck in breath. "She attacked us," Astoria explained, "She saw you cast that shield and she started stunning. I could only cast the disarming charm, before she rushed me." Draco picked up Pansy's wand.
"Crucio," he said pointing it at Parkison. It worked as well as him using Granger's wand. But Pansy felt enough pain to pass out. He turned back to the younger Greengrass. He started to ask if she could see her parents, then he remembered. At all of the Death Eater meetings, he had never seen either Greengrass parent. Pureblood biased true, but not Death Eaters themselves.
"Astoria," He gestured to her sister and Blaise, "Can you apparate them to . . ." He started to say Malfoy Manor, but it was likely a Death Eater fallback point. Where were the other students evacuated too? "The Three Broomsticks? They've set up a place for the Med-witches and injured there."
Astoria took the hands of the unconscious and apparated. Draco looked at his ex's wand. With a grunt he snapped it and tossed it away. He wanted his own wand back. He followed the path Potter had taken into the castle.
Then Draco heard the twang of bows and arrows falling amongst the Death Eaters. Centaurs charged into Hogwarts knocking aside dark wizards. Draco looked back and saw great winged creatures. He recognized the hippogriff that maimed him in his third year and thestral's clawing at the few remaining giants. Hogwart defenders retreated back into the castle, but only because the Death Eaters, no longer superior in numbers, where now herded inside.
Somewhere Harry was having his private battle with Voldemort. Draco intended to find him. He heard Potter taunting Tom some more, "I've beaten you four times already, AND I just came back from the Dead. Guess What? You aren't going to like what happens to you there."
Draco stopped as parade of house-elves swarmed from the kitchen to the great hall where the battle was shifting. Carrying knives and cleavers, they followed at the command of an old house-elf cackling about the name of brave Regulus. It took him a few moments before Draco realized the elf spoke of one of his uncles.
Death Eaters were falling as the reinfocements swarmed and pushed. Yaxley was toppled to the ground by a Weasely and another Griffindor. Professor Hagrid threw Macnair through the air into a wall. The barkeeper from Hogsmead stunned Rookwood. More Weaselys taking down the minister of magic. And Aunt Bellatrix dueling his mother and Potter's girlfriends.
A green flash passed by the red-head, and missed her ever so slightly. And everyone in the hall stopped dueling as the Weasley Matriarch bellowed her challenge. "NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!"
"What will happen to your children when I've killed you?" his aunt taunted, "When Mummy's gone the same way as Freddie?" And his aunt laughed. Draco wondered why she didn't get a shield charm up. Instead the mad witch just laughed and fired half hearted curses. Curses that did not land as his mother rapidly cast shield charms. And she laughed as Molly Weasley struck her with the most powerful and practiced spell the housewife knew. Bellatrix has several spells woven into her clothing to protect her. It was the reason for her success in battle until now. For there was one spell the evil witch would never have thought to weave a protection too: a laundry spell. Mrs. Weasley knew a spell that absorbed the water out of any material. It was good for removing water spots on dragon leather. But never should it be used on a human's body. Bellatrix's skin tightened as her skin became a stiff leather. The spell penetrated deeper taking liquids from her internal organs. Her skin tightened. Bellatrix's eyes bulged as she understood how she would die. And she was powerless to stop it. Her skin kept tightening, until Molly Weasley showed her foe some mercy. Her body shattered with one last spell.
The Death Eaters were routed, that was plain Draco turned and left back to the courtyard. Potter had made his way back here. Actually, it looked like he'd dragged the Dark wizard here. They plummeting from a walkway a few stories up to the ground. Potter was likely hurt as he hit the ground first, with his opponent landing on him next.. He'd distracted the Dark Lord from the rest of the battle. But right now Harry did not have any allies with him at the moment and Draco saw that the Dark Lord was going in for the kill.
At that moment, Ron and Hermoine's battle with Nagini came to an abrupt end when Neville Longbottom decapitated the snake with the sword of Griffindor.
Tom Riddle howled in pain as the last of his Horocruxs broke. It was a distraction for Draco to act. The youngest Malfoy raced to his rival's side. Harry was moving his limbs, so his back was not broken. Potter had taken worst falls in Quidditch. But his arm was likely broken. He lifted Harry's wand arm and the pain jolted Potter awake. He was pointing the wand at his former master. Draco stooped down and wrapped an arm around Harry's waist.
"Come on Potter," he said, "One Avata and he's gone. Clear your head and finish him. It has to be you right?" But the hero was dazed and only slowly coming out of it.
Riddle recovered quicker. "Ah Potter, found someone to hide behind? Someone to take a curse for you again?" The Dark Wizard pointed his wand.
"My Lord," Lucius sneered, "I see no reason for you to have a wand anymore." The senior Malfoy wretched Tom's wand arm into the air. With a scowl, he stabbed Riddle with a blade hidden in the tip of his cane. "You didn't think that was just for my wand did you?"
Wounded, Riddle kicked Lucius away. "I get it. Love gives a protection. Potter came back to save his friends, the people he cared about." Tom swished his wand. "That does not include you, Lucius. Avada Kedavra!"
"Expelliarmus!"
Harry's wand fired its red spell and collided with Voldemort's green. If Lucius leaned forward, his nose would touch the arcane energies. Harry held the spell, but Draco held the wizard.
For Tom, the moment was familiar. He'd already been killed by a reflected killing curse before. This time though he understood what was coming, and was equally powerless to stop it.
The Dark Lord was dead, disintegrating into the dust his body was formed from. His wand flew in the air, and Potter caught it with his good arm. Draco released his grip and let Harry stand on his own. The world seemed quiet. The rush of the wind blew Riddle's remains away.
A cheer broke from within the castle. And then students and defenders descended down to hug Harry. Draco backed away and let the people touch their hero.
Lucuis placed his hand on Draco's shoulder. "I'm proud of you, my son." Draco felt he recieved more praise than Potter that day.
So that is the first chapter. The Malfoy's take a more proactive role in the battle. Draco finally takes the opportunity to grow up, while his father undoes Riddle's emasculation.
I also put my own interpretation on the Molly vs Bellatrix battle. JKR described it as motherly love vs obsessive love. Changing Molly's spell from Avada Kedavar to a creative use of a simple house chore spell, well that just makes the whole battle in the movie look cooler!