The Harry Potter world and characters belong to JK Rowling
Blaise went back to his room, which was next to Draco's, and prepared to go to sleep. As he laid down, he thought: "Draco worries about becoming like his father, but I know he will never be like him. What tells me so aren't silly prophecies but the way he treats his friends."
"Outwardly, he handles Crabbe and Goyle like stalwart minions, while inwardly he succors them every way he can. I remember near the end of Fifth Year, they got caught smuggling cartons of cigarettes into Hogwarts, and McGonagall threatened detention with a letter sent to their parents. Crabbe asked for his help, and Draco hurried to McGonagall's office and tried to get them off the hook using Slytherin sagaciousness, all to no avail. He knew their fathers would react quite badly to this incident, and so he did what McGonagall never expected from him, he went Gryffindor-as-can-be: he offered her his word as a Malfoy that they would not engage in smuggling anymore."
"If they were caught doing the same thing, McGonagall would write a letter to Lucius Malfoy, informing him that his son was engaging in smuggling. At this juncture everyone present shuddered, for we all realized how much Lucius cared for regulations and the dire trouble Draco'd be in if such a thing happened. But he got what he wanted, and Crabbe and Goyle were left off the hook. Judging from McGonagall's reaction at the Appellant's trial, this incident may have changed somewhat her perceptions of him."
"What he doesn't know is that afterwards I cornered Dumb and Dumber and got them to agree to no more shenanigans. Actually, at first they were quite angry with me until I pointed out how their carelessness impacted him and his precarious relationship with Lucius. They are quite protective of Draco, we all are."
"When people think of Draco Malfoy they think: cruel, vindictive, cunning, ruthless, smart. He has been all of those things, because he wanted to endure, to continue living, and that entailed certain responses. But to those of us who know him, two words are outstanding: faith and trust."
"He has so much faith in his friends that he makes Potter look like an uncouth moron."
"And that must remain our most precious secret. That's why I convinced him to treat Crabbe and Goyle just like minions. If the enemy knew about his boundless faith, it would only be a matter of time before they captured us and used us against him, or kidnapped us and forced him to go to a trap. And make no mistake; he would go to a trap, knowing it was one, if it could help one of us."
"I know this, just as I know that everything he is is mine, because of the events of our ninth year."
"We'd met so many years before, and quickly became good friends. He had a quick grasp of problems, and could see a way out before I did. He never scorned me because of my mother, and instead cajoled me to go out to the country and indulge in wild flights of fancy, talking about the Fairy, the Siddhe, the Veela and Hogwarts."
"We did not have real wands yet, just training ones designed to be used with the simplest spells. Of course they didn't take into account the acumen of one Draco Malfoy. He fixed the wands so we could do real spells. Trouble was, we knew only Dark spells from our fathers' libraries."
"I felt restless that day and insisted that we go to Diagon Alley. At first he demurred but then decided to humor me and we went by Floo. Little did I know what was in store for us. Walking near that dark alley, I heard someone call my name and like a fool I went to investigate."
"A man held me, and said 'I wonder if this lad is as sprightly as his mother! I would like to find out'"
"I couldn't move, and I felt so powerless, so angry and incapable. Suddenly, an infantile voice sounded yelling 'Crucio!"
"Draco had attacked from behind the man. The assailant fell and I was free. I was so angry that he had made me so helpless I took out my wand and shouted the first Dark spell I remembered, and so it went for awhile. The man's shouts were satisfying, and Draco just stood aside and watched. He didn't cast anything, aside from that first spell. He studiously avoided looking at my tear-streaked face.
"However, suddenly Draco moved aside and peered. He pointed his wand at the man and said 'Obliviate octum!' Then he took out a ring out of his middle finger and approached me and gave me the ring. He told me, 'Blaise, do not go to the Manor now! I will visit you when it is safe to do so!"
"Draco yelled' Terminus!' and the ring, which was a Portkey, activated and took me to my room at my new father's house. This man, with his thinning red hair and beady eyes, greatly disturbed me, and for once I hoped my mother hurried and finished her grisly task before the man murdered me."
"It wasn't until three months later that Draco sent word that it was safe to visit. I could not find out from him what had happened, but with patience I was able to glean the story from the Malfoy house elves. The house elves adore faithfulness. They consider it the highest virtue. It is unfortunate that Fate has deemed it fit that they serve under such a constricting thing as a Bond."
"The house elves respected the little Master. However, when they beheld what happened and how Draco stood by me, they loved him fully, especially his own house elf, the one who later got away."
"Draco had obliviated the man, but the Auror saw two boys. They had been attracted by the Dark spells being cast. The Aurors wanted to know how Draco enabled the wand. He told them. They wanted to know who else was with him, he did not tell them."
"A particularly malevolent Auror accompanied Draco to Malfoy Manor to lodge an official complaint against Draco and his refusal to name his accomplice. One can only imagine how angry Lucius was."
"The house elves were witness to the extent of the torture Lucius put Draco under. But Draco never budged."
"What is interesting about this is that Draco never talks about it. To him, he did what was needed, nothing more, nothing to talk about."
"That's why I'm completely sure Draco tells the truth when he says that everything he is belongs to me. Because my head knows it, because my body knows it."
"That was the last time I used Dark spells. It was also the last time I did something so unthoughtful. I have to be very careful, because I don't want something bad to happen to Draco if I'm being a Gryffindorish unthinking hero."
"I know Draco won't turn into another Voldemort. The boy who at 9 had the patience to only use the necessary force against the attacker, who then suffered torture and never gave up his friend, that person can't be subverted."
"However, what has been known to happen is that Potter makes Draco loose his cool, with stray hexes flying every which way, after which said Draco suffers from guilt, maybe even depression."
"That I want to avoid at all costs. Actually I believe that what happened to Potter may have sanitary effects. He faced Draco and lost. He found out Draco casts a mean 'Crucio' and 'Legilimens.' Having been bested he can learn to coexist with Draco."
"And before anyone gushes over poor Harry's broken pride, just remember all the fights that Draco 'conveniently' lost."
tbc