Knockturn Alley was a place he never liked. Before, for the inferiority of its residents and visitors. Now, for the sheer darkness and unpleasantness that place reeked.
But you belong here, a voice told him.
He shook the thought from his head. His only remaining contact was a merchant that sold fake potions and fake artifacts to the gullible who came here looking for something regular magic could not give them. But he also knew every supplier that came to Diagon Alley, which made him a good source of information.
Draco looked with a little repulsion at the greasy hair and dirty hands.
"What you need I don't have, Mr Malfoy," Greggory Knabbs said, pronunciating his name with care.
"I know," said Draco with ease. "But you know who does."
"I might, Mr. Malfoy, but you might've forgotten that information does not come cheap."
"And you must've forgotten who I am."
The old man's laugh made Draco's skin crawl. "A Malfoy with no power as I remember."
"No, Knabbs," said Draco patiently but with a sneer on his face. "I am a Werewolf."
"If you keep using that card the way your father used his name, you'll end up exactly like him," Knabbs said, irritated.
"I don't remember threatening you recently, old mad. Tell me who has it and your price."
He sneered. "In a hurry are we? Oh, well," he bent over a piece of paper and scribbled on it.
"Two Galleons," he said, folding it and sliding it on the counter but keeping it safely under his palm.
"Don't come running back to me if he doesn't have it."
Draco laughed and took the piece of paper from under the man's palm. "You know Knabbs. If he doesn't have it, you'll find me another supplier, just this time, it will either be the right one, or you'll know what it feels like to be visited by a werewolf during the night.
With that he left the shop and went in search of the man written on the piece of paper.
The seller's name was Hamas. He sat on a strangely clean carpet in an incove between buildings. He was dressed colourfully, with orange trousers and a violet camisole under a dark green cloak. He had his eyes closed and his hands were resting between his crossed legs. The only thing he did was ask Draco what he was looking for and his name.
Draco gave him a fake name.
The man opened his eyes, revealing white eyes that stared into the void.
"Your real name, werewolf."
Draco hesitated before finally giving his name away.
"I will contact you once I have it. Know that if I don't find it in the next three days, find yourself another seller."
Draco said nothing and left.
Parry knew she had to do something. She had hoped it would all come to an end without her having to intervene, but he was not going to stop. He was going to hurt Ron or his family too. Or both.
For the first time ever, she did not want to hide and ignore everything. She looked the Ron's sleeping face and smiled. He had brought her so much happiness. He had made her feel like home, and he had given up everything to be with her. His friends, some of his family… She got up from under the covers and got dressed.
She had to find him and put a stop to it, before it was too late.
Draco entered the castle in time to see McGonagall run to him, evidently in a haste.
"Mr Malfoy, come with me."
Without another word she passed through the castle's doors and off to the bridge.
He followed her to the Three Broomsticks and got there a little without breath. They hustled through the crowd gathered in the Tavern and rushed up to the room.
When they entered, Malfoy saw a man with honey-coloured skin sitting on the couch and Harry was standing by the window.
"Hello," he said cheerfully, turning towards the door.
"Mr. Shafiq," said McGonagall surprised, not acknowledging the Auror.
"Hello Professor," he said looking anywhere but at her.
Harry said and went to sit down on the other end of the couch near the newcomer. "Please tell them what you told me, Faris."
Draco closed the door and went to stand by the fireplace. He knew who he was. He had seen pictures in the piles on piles of photo albums Parry kept. He was in all of the pictures she had from Hogwarts. He never asked for a name, he knew she would not have told him.
Draco remembered feeling such jealousy for this man. He looked at him now, and he felt aversion for another reason.
If he had had anything to do with what happened to Granger…
"I know why my parents and Parry's parents have been attacked," he said, shifting uncomfortably. He swallowed hard and hesitated before finally speaking again.
"While I was in Egypt, I met a man, he was our guide to the tombs. I told him some personal things the last night of the expedition."
"What things?" asked Draco ignoring a warning look from Harry. His heart was racing now.
"I told him about Perry," said Shafiq and looked up at him, looking directly into his eyes. "I told him about you."
Draco's heart began to boil. But he was willing to wait.
"He asked me if I wanted you to disappear, if I wanted her back. I said no, because it wouldn't be right. If had wanted to come back to me, she would've already done so. She just had to realize that she needed me. And that no one could take my place."
Draco let his weight rest on the mantelpiece. Faris kept quiet for a couple of minutes. "He then said that he could help me, all he wanted to know was just how much I loved Perry. I said that there would never be someone I could love more. A few weeks passed and he told me that," he looked at Draco now. "That you had been taken care of."
Draco stood straight once again. He did not notice Harry standing up as well.
"What are you saying?"
"So I asked him what did he do." Faris exhaled, his breath shaking. "He said he made you into someone that could never be loved by her again."
Draco's body moved on its own now. His fist hit Shafiq like a cannon ball. Harry pushed him against the fireplace again holding him there as McGonagall cried his name and rushed to Shafiq's aid.
Draco did not fight to get free, and Harry let him go when he didn't feel him struggle.
McGonagall admonished him but he did not hear a thing. He was still waiting for him to continue.
"I wrote to Perry about what happened. She told me never to write again. That night the man asked me if she had come around yet. I told him what Perry said. I didn't think he would do anything, I never thought he would go as far as he did."
"He thought he would punish you both, first her, than you, for not being grateful for what he did for you," said Harry, still eyeing Draco from time to time.
"What's his name?" Draco asked, his voice low.
"I know only his first name," he said trying to stop his nosebleed with the tissue McGonagall had given him. "He said it was Xenis. Now I don't know if it was even his real name."
