Chapter 3

The next few weeks past fairly quickly for Draco. He settled into his job at the Hogs Head and found much to his surprise that he actually liked it. He had never done manual labor before and had worried he'd hate, but it filled him with a certain since of accomplishment. He liked hoe it made him appreciate what he had, instead of lamenting what he didn't. He began the day the same as he had everyday for the past couple of weeks, with a work out followed by a run. He loved the solitude of running. It drove out the negative thoughts and purged his soul of the lingering sorrow that he felt for his past mistakes. He was just returning when he ran into two friend he knew well.

"Draco," cried Pansy Parkinson, "over here," she yelled from the entrance to the three broomsticks. Draco sighed and made his way over to where she and Blaise Zabini stood.

"Hi Pansy, Blasie," Draco said nodding to them both, "how's your summer going?"

"Good for the most part," Blaise began to say, "I just can't stand how the ministry is now heralding the service of those mud bloods, crying for unity and end to old prejudices, can you believe that nonsense."

"Maybe its not nonsense," Draco said, "did you ever consider that maybe their just people, like us, worthy of respect, many of those so called mud bloods, like Granger for instance risked all to fight the dark lord, and let me tell from personal experience that had he won all of our lives would have been much worse. Maybe it is time to stop hating everyone we see as different from us, maybe it is time to try for some understanding."

They both just stared dumb struck by what they had just heard.

"You can't really mean that Draco," Pansy said in disbelief.

"Why not, don't you see how much better the world is now, most of that is thanks to muggle borns, if we're ever to move past the misery he rained on the world we have to accept that muggle borns have just as much right to be here as we do" Draco said in a firm voice.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing, Draco Malfoy defending mud bloods and blood traitors, and putting down the dark lord, next thing you now you'll be calling Harry Potter a hero," said Pansy.

"He is a hero, I owe him my life and we all owe him a debt for getting rid of the so called 'dark lord' I mean really would you two have really liked to live in his vision of the world, I know I wouldn't," Draco asked.

"What has happened to you Draco, are you sick, have you taken leave of your senses," asked Pansy completely stunned by his attitude.

"No I'm just not afraid to be who I really am, or at least who I'd like to be, look I got to go, I'll be late for work," Draco said turning to leave.

"Work, you actually work, like at a job," Blasie said in a mocking tone.

"Yeah, you two should try it sometime, its not so bad," Draco said as he walked away leaving them shocked and feeling insulted.

Draco entered the pub feeling lighter for having just shared his true feelings with his former friends; at least they would be his former friends if they continued their small, closed minded, bigoted thinking. Their world was growing, why couldn't they see that. The path to their future was in doing away with those outdated notions of blood purity. He had felt like this heavily these past few weeks. He remembered how his father had always told him they were great due to their family name and their lineage, but that notion always struck a cord with Draco. He now knew why. He felt greatness comes from you, what you do, what you accomplish. It doesn't come from your ancestors, the ones that came before you, it comes from you. They made their mark, now it's your turn. All you can do is your best and then it's up to history to decide. He vowed then that he would be remembered, and not because of his name but because of him, what he had inside, he would make his mark on the world alone, without his family and the victory would be his and only his. The thought gave him a certain strength. He was determined not to waste his gifted life.

He wrapped an apron around his waist and began wiping the tables down when Aberforth emerged from the back.

"Morning Draco, have a good run then," he asked in a light tone.

"Yeah it was fine," Draco answered casually.

"Good, mail came while you were out, you got a letter there," said Aberforth pointing to a large envelope sitting on the bar.

"A letter from who," inquired Draco having not received any mail since he arrived here.

"Gringotts from the looks of it," answered Aberforth.

Draco walked to the bar and picked up the letter, looking it over in his hand. It was addressed to him, and it did have the Gringotts seal on the back, golden wax sealed with a large G and a smaller one in its center. He wondered what the letter could be about, he knew his father had cut him out of the family accounts; he didn't care though he wanted nothing from that man. He broke the seal and took the letter out and began to read.

Mr. Malfoy,

We would like for you at your convience to make arraignments to come in for a visit to settle the matter of the will of your Aunt Bellatrix Lestrange, as well as your inheritance. Hoping to hear from you soon.

Yours, B Weasley.

He finished reading feeling a certain numbness; he didn't know how to feel. He had affection for his Aunt but he also knew all the misery and pain she had caused. She was truly evil and the last thing he wanted was to be thought of in the same sense as she was. He was not like her, and now he had the matter of her estate to deal with. He knew right then what he had to do. He folded the letter and put it in his pocket and returned to his work.

The next day he informed Aberforth he had to visit Diagon Alley to settle some personal business, as well as buy the supplies he'd need for the coming school year. Not the least of which was a new wand, his being pretty much useless now that Potter had won it and given him its allegiance. It would be the last time his wand would do that for anybody he thought.

He stepped out of the grate at Gringotts and walked into the brightly lit lobby, full of early morning risers, getting a start on the days banking needs. He made his way to an available goblin, who was examining a large ruby through a magnifying glass. He waited patiently for the goblin to acknowledge him. The goblin did at last, putting the ruby down.

"Can I help you," asked the goblin.

"Yes I'm Draco Malfoy, I'm here to see Bill Weasley about my Aunts will," answered Draco.

"Yes very good, if you'd wait here for a moment I'll run and get him for you" the goblin said as he hopped off the stool and made his way through some doors that were off to the side. He waited for about ten minutes until the goblin reappeared followed by the still scared form of Bill Weasley.

Draco hoped this would go smoothly; he and the Weasleys had their problems in the past to say the least. Bill looked just as unhappy to be the one dealing with this matter as he hastily beckoned Draco to follow him. Draco obeyed and they made their way through the doors which lead to what appeared to be the administration offices. They past several doors with the names of the offices occupants on them. They finally made their way around a corner and walked into Bill's office.

It wasn't huge but it was big enough, it was decorated nicely with many pictures of his family everywhere, all smiling and waving at the camera, included in these were ones of Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, with their arms around Bill's brother Ron. He looked at this last photo longer than the others.

"Well Mr. Malfoy this shouldn't take long," began Bill sounding as if he wanted nothing more than to see the back of Draco. "You just need to sign these papers and then you'll be in full possession of the Lestrange vault, with some put aside for your mother. Its one of the oldest vaults here at Gringotts and one of the richest I might add," Bill said in tone of contempt.

Draco took the documents and signed where indicated, as soon as the last was done a set of keys materialized out of nowhere.

"Good if there's nothing else," Bill began to say.

"There is actually," Draco interjected.

"Really and what might that be," Bill asked.

"I don't want it," Draco said plainly.

"What do you mean you don't want it,' asked Bill in disbelief.

"Just what I said I don't want it, every last drop of gold in the vault was gained through pain, the pain my family has been causing for centuries, I don't want to be associated with that or them so,' he said as he pulled a piece of parchment out of his pocket," I want the estate divided between these charities, many being to help rebuild our world and help those hurt by this war, the families who've lost loved ones, those hurt or maimed," Draco said as he looked at Bills wounds, "I want this fortune to help heal the wounds my family helped inflict, I'll only take out what I need for the coming school year, the rest I want to go to those who really need it."

Bill just stared with his mouth agape for a moment. This was the last thing he expected to hear coming from this young man. "Very well Draco if that's what you want I'll see that it's done, is there anything else?"

"I want it to remain anonymous, I don't want anybody to know where the moneys coming from, I don't want to be praised for trying to erase some of the misery my family has caused, and I know it wont be nearly enough to make up for what I have done but at least it can serve this small good." Draco finished taking a deep breath in the process.

"Well I must say I'm surprised, I wouldn't have expected this, there seems to be more to you than people know about, maybe there's hope for you after all" said Bill smiling slightly now.

"Maybe, so how are they doing," Draco asked pointing to the picture of Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"Good, their doing real well, they'll be here in Diagon Alley this morning to do their school shopping, maybe you'll run into them" Bill said.

"Yeah," smiled Draco, "Maybe I will."