Draco looked around him at the ruined courtyard of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The silence was deafening. The group of warriors was clustered on the steps leading up to the castle. All eyes were trained on to the mass of people picking their way through the rubble towards them. One figure drew the eyes of them all, his pale face shining, victory flushing his eyes and countenance. As one, the swathe of people stopped and the giant mass of Hagrid stepped forward.

The movement caused Draco to look at him. The half-giant was carrying something in his arms, and even at this distance, Draco could see that he was crying. Fear settled in Draco's gut. He knew that only one event could have happened tonight that would bring Hagrid to tears. He had heard the disembodied voice himself only a few hours previously, had heard the demands that he had felt sure would never be fulfilled. But now, staring at the lifeless form in Hagrid's arms, he feels the bottom of his stomach drop and fear freeze in his bones.

The soldiers of Hogwarts remain silent as the Death Eaters stare at them across the courtyard. Voldemort has stepped forward, that god awful snake on the ground at his feet. Another Death Eater steps forward as Voldemort begins to speak and Draco feels a stab of grief and shame at the sight of his aunt Bellatrix, standing on top of a piece of the castle, her smile visible to everyone. Voldemort speaks, and the words rip through Draco, tearing the air from his lungs and causing a burning in his eyes.

'Harry Potter is dead!'

The whole thing seems so ridiculous that Draco wants to laugh because Potter surely isn't dead. But the Weasley girl's scream of anguish and Voldemort's answering taunts slam him back to reality. Harry Potter is dead. Draco barely hears Voldemort's next words, his eyes fixed on Potter's lifeless body, tears still pricking at his eyes. But suddenly his name is being called from across the courtyard, and his gaze flits to his mother and father who are imploring him to return to them. He walks stiffly towards them, his footfalls resounding in the deathly silent air. He briefly entertains the idea of turning back and re-joining his classmates, but before he can, he has reached Voldemort, who embraces him.

Draco barely manages to repress his shudder of revulsion at his touch. As soon as he is able to he moves to his mother's side, hoping that she will take him away from this place, somewhere where he will not feel the disappointment and hatred in the stares of his classmates and teachers. His mother's hand on his shoulder is warm, but heavy, like lead. There is the sound of more footsteps from behind him and he squeezes his eyes shut so as to avoid seeing which of his brave classmates has finally abandoned hope.

What comes next then, surprises him greatly. The voice of Neville Longbottom ringing out across the space makes him turn, awestruck. Neville is faced with a horde of Death Eaters, et his voice is steady and sure. Draco wants to scream at the Death Eaters to listen to him, because he speaks the truth, but he finds himself voiceless. Neville's belief in Harry is so strong and so pure that Draco feels his strength returning to his limbs. He has just moved slightly from his mother's side when the strangest thing happens;

Hagrid drops Harry!

But no! Harry is moving, Harry is alive! Before Draco is fully aware of what is happening, Voldemort is raising his wand and levelling it at Harry. Draco does the only thing he can do, he screams 'Potter!' and moves towards the bespectacled boy. He feels his mother and father try to grab at him, but he runs towards Harry, seeing the Boy Wonder's wand on the ground, he snags it and as he straightens, sees Harry staring at him. He smiles slightly and tosses the wand to him. With Seeker reflexes, Harry catches it, spares one grateful and slightly awestruck look at Draco, before pointing his wand at Voldemort's snake and yelling,

'Confringo!'

After that, all hell breaks loose. The battle resumes stronger than before, but Draco no longer cares. He sends curse after curse at the Death Eaters and protects those students around him, much to their surprise and gratitude. The odds may have been against them but they have something to believe in that their enemy didn't have. They had, The Boy Who Lived.