The Fight of the Gray One

A/n: this is my first work since being back online so bare wit me. I feel kind of like this could turn into a long one so lets ride.

Introduction

The second war did not go the way you think. There were not two sides there were three the light, the dark, and the gray side. History would have you believe the light and dark differed in ideals but that is a lie. Both sides believed in blood supremacy, both sides supported the segregation of magical beings, it's just that the dark fought for it while the light did nothing to stop it. Inaction is just as bad as doing the wrong thing. The only real difference between the two is one side was willing to do things by any means necessary and the other had to be covert. You cannot stand for the "light" and condone the murder of innocent people. You cannot represent the entire magical community and not go after people who preach hate against a portion of the community. Through the entire first and second war no one on the light side moved to purge the ministry of known death eaters. No one brought up the issue of discrimination against werewolves, veelas, or goblins who were still classified as magical dangerous creatures not equal magical beings. The gray side was the one that made the change, they were the people who didn't just fight for show they fought for the betterment of all beings in magical Britain. They were recruited by the dark side but the lives of the people they loved that Voldemort had taken from them while they were young brought a hatred for the dark they could not overcome. The light side tried to recruit them but the resentment and callousness with which the light had treated them until they needed them was unforgivable. The gray fought independently to try and stop both, they weren't about light and dark they were about change for the better by any means necessary.

Letters

Draco

My name is Draco Malfoy, you want to know something brilliant? I am now eleven years old, that means I am now going to be free from this prison for nine months each year. Free from my father and his death eater friends. Away from my completely mental aunt Bellatrix, she likes to cast hexes at me when I am unaware for no reason other than her enjoyment. I no longer have to sit through the weekly lectures about how blood, power, and money are the only things that matter. Although, I will give father one thing, those are the only things that keep our family safe. My family catches fire from both sides of magical Britain, light and dark. On the light side I personally am treated no better than a death eater in waiting, gawked and frowned at, no curtesy being offered to me a in any way, they see me through a prism. I am the son of a death eater, one of Voldemorts closest, I am the nephew of death eaters, and I am also the godson of a death eater. I am also a Black, one of Britains oldest and darkest families. My cousin Sirius Black is serving a life sentence in jail for betrayal and mass murder. On top of that my father only involves me in his life in public and then all I am ever seen with are death eaters and their children. Other than that he wants nothing to do with me or my mother. I have to be mean and cunning to survive in the world I am in. Cooperation, manners, and kindness are seen as weakness to the dark side. Be considered weak and you might as well be dead, yes even children my age, I have seen children disappear. The light side doesn't see what I deal with and they don't lift a finger to help, they just look and judge as if they were in the same position they would not act accordingly. How smug they are standing on their morals and looking down at me, if they had a threat of death constantly near them they might think differently.

The dark side is not our families ally either. They do not like the fact that my mothers sister Andromeda was disowned because she married a muggle born. Although uncle Ted is a great man, aunt Andy is wonderful and my cousin Dora is the best they don't care to know them, their blood status disqualifies them to be thought of in any esteem. The fact that mother visits them and takes me along causes my fathers friends to look at both of us as if we have been infected, I think that is why father barely makes an effort to be part of our lives, distancing himself from us and thus from them. My cousin will be with me at Hogwarts next year, she will be starting her fourth year, we will have four years together before she moves on. She is my only real friend. I don't call the death eater kids friends, I don't think like them, being around aunt Andy and Uncle Ted makes it impossible to do so but I have to act like it. Light families won't really associate with my family so I haven't met meant of their children. But when I go to school I can change, I can be myself without having to act. I can be free to be who I am and not my fathers clone. I can break free of that dark shadow that precedes me. I can make real friends and be a real person. If people don't just count me off at first sight. So, yeah, I am going to Hogwarts this fall. I am getting out of here.

Luna

I am Luna Lovegood and I am now eleven years old and that means my magical training can officially begin. The Ministry likes to believe that parents aren't teaching their children magic before they turn eleven, which I am sure is not the case. My father has been teaching me magic for a few years now as did my mother before she died. Mother showed me some really stellar magic charms,transfiguration , and we studied stars. Father is a big animal lover so we study magical creatures together, he also has been teaching me defense spells because we are not very liked and some of the kids and young people in the town where we live cast nasty spells at us.

When I say we aren't liked I mean it. The people call my father all sorts of names, mainly because his newspaper publishes the truth no matter who the person is that the article is about. He faced much ridicule when he wrote about Dumbledores abuse of power in children's education and overstepping his bounds when the ministry is involved, it was bedlum. The way people acted you would think they worship Dumbledore, I have heard the man talk and personally I think he is infested with wacksprouts. Then daddy wrote about the death eaters that still work in the ministry and that meant having to put up extra wards around our property, but of course the ministry made no effort to help at all even though the attackers were seen in their black robes and masks. The ministry doesn't care if it has death eaters in it as long as they have money. Britain is behind, way behind. We are the only country in Europe that don't classify Werewolves, Veelas, and Goblins as full citizens, which is a shame because they are awfully nice people when you get to know them. Kids say they don't like me because I dress weird, I guess liking colors other than blue and black is weird, and because pause before speaking and the I say weird things. I don't know what exactly is wrong with thinking before you speak and I don't say weird things I just try to see deeper than the surface of what they're saying to me. The village doesn't treat us nice at all and neither do my neighbors the Weasleys. They have a daughter Ginerva who is a year younger than me and a son Ronald who is my age. I thought we might be friends and Ginny seemed willing but Ron made her stay away from me because I was "looney." They have twins too Fred and George they like to play pranks, not very funny pranks if you ask me I had to go to the healer after one of them, they call me looney too.

I can deal with them talking about father and me but they also attack mother, she is dead and they don't even care. They said she was mental, she was not she was a seer a true one and they were scared because things she said would actually happen. People always try to drag down what they don't understand. I thought we lived in a magical world, why is it so hard for wizards and witches to except something like seeing? It seems about as magical as you can get. But anyway back to Hogwarts, I am not very optimistic that things will be any better there than they are here, I wanted to go to France but daddy didn't want me that far away. I have no option now, I have to go so hopefully it will go well. But I doubt it.

Neville

I am Neville Longbottom and I am finally eleven years old and that means I can finally get out of this bloody house. For nine months of the year I get away from my Gran and my Uncles, who says prayers are never answered? I love my Gran, she raised me but sometimes I wish I was somewhere else with someone else. Every chance she gets she likes to remind me of how unlike my father I am. How much more smart, how much more powerful, taller, skinner, handsome, and more equipped to be head of house than I am. Every time she forgets the he is also in a hospital and insane! I know that seems harsh but I mean really, they were taken from me when I was a baby and all she tells me about my father is how much better he was at everything than I am and that I will never be able to be as good as him. As far as being better than him I can forget about that. She doesn't even talk about mum, I don't think she liked her. My uncles are always trying to get me to do "real" magic as they call it. I love plants, I like doing potions and studying healing charms, I want to be a healer, maybe one day I could do something to help my parents. My uncles think I should be an auror like dad was, they think true magic is in displays of power and being able to cripple people. They are from an old school of thought that your power is shown by amount of force you put behind it.

Personally I think the power to heal is much more magical than the power to destroy. They were afraid I was a squib years ago and have been trying to get me to do really strong magic all the time but I don't have to prove anything to them. Sure I can cast powerful spells but I see no need for them to know that. I am going to be head of the Longbottom house when I turn 15 whether they think I can handle it or not! Being head of house isn't going to be all good either, dealing with those stuck up tossers who sit around and talk about how great the ministry is, they're no better than death eaters if you ask me. They all ignore inequality and prejudice in this community. They tell people who are willing to fight against the dark side that they can "as long as they don't use fatal spells" you kniw what that got? That got nearly three times as many light fighters detroyed and killed than dark including my parents. They may not fight for the dark it but they don't seem to be fighting hard against it either, inaction is just as bad. Blood status means just as much to them as it meant to Voldemort. Maybe when I take my place in the wizengamot I can try and change it, ha Gran would faint dead away, serves her right the prejudice old bitty. You know she wants me to use my fathers wand, isn't that crazy? You have to get a wand that suits you. I tried my fathers wand, the thing barely gives me sparks, I will be going to go get my own wand I don't care what she says. Then I am going to go to Hogwarts and start living my life.

Susan

Susan Bones, eleven years old. It's just another year really, all the other eleven year olds are excited about learning magic, my aunt has been teaching me magic for years. Auntie is the head of the DMLE, you know the branch of the Ministry that is suppose to protect you but the minister doesn't give a damn about. I'm sorry it's been a rough time for us, auntie led a raid on a few families that were suspected of trying to revive the death eater movement, and it turned out some of the suspects were ministry employes, which is not surprising in any way, that whole place is a mess. They got off scott free and then led attacks on our house and of course nothing was done about it. I want to move but Auntie is dedicated to her job even though being an auror is a death wish in this country. They don't persecute criminals if their blood and family is old enough and in confrontations they aren't allowed to use deadly force even if it is being used against them. It's all bloody idiotic to me.

The light side in this country is a joke, led by Dumbledore the definition of loon if there ever was one, they let this headmaster have sway in whatever ministry affairs he wants. But he doesn't use his power to help anyone just things that make him look good, even with that big dope of a minister hanging onto his ass all the time trying to gain favor. No one seems to care about equality or justice for people, I mean they still have Veelas, Trolls, mad Werewolves on the magical creatures lists it is atrocious. So now I'm going to Hogwarts, I don't expect much, auntie complains every year about have education standards are falling. I don't see this as being a good thing but you never know, all one can do is hope.