(February 27, 2011)
"Save me, I'm lost
Oh lord, I've been waiting for you
I'll pay any cost
Just save me from being confused
Wait, I'm wrong
I can't do better than this
I'll pay any cost
Save me from being confused
Show me what I'm looking for
Show me what I'm looking for
Show me what I'm looking for"
Show Me What I'm Looking For- Carolina Liar
Draco sat at his table that was all the way at the back of Professor McGonagall's classroom. Hagrid stood by Professor McGonagall chalk board, watching his every move like he was a prison guard and Draco was the prisoner. Draco couldn't stand anymore of Hagrid's appearance. He hated him ever since day one and the hatred had never stopped. He couldn't even comprehend the idea of a person being in the same room with him for more than a minute. Sadly for Draco, he was in that dilemma. Just look at him. He's hairy, huge and has the intellectual being of a squirrel. But there was one thing the Draco lacked and that Hagrid had: a heart.
Draco groaned and hit his head against the counter top of his table. He was getting impatient and wanted Professor McGonagall to return to her classroom at that very instant. He wanted to explain to her that he wasn't the killer and that he was being set up by some one. But at the back of his mind, he knew that there was no way of get out of this. He didn't know who the killer was, the ministry probably already decided that he was going to Azkaban, and the photograph of him being next to Lavender's body seemed pretty convincing.
He never understood how his life could go from everything he wanted to a spiraling downfall. He could already imagine what his father would be thinking in his cell. He would be thinking how disappointed he was in his son, how if he was in his situation he would've found out who the person was the minute he got that first letter. Draco shook his head and hit his head one more time on his table. He could feel the blood rushing in his head.
"Stop doin' that," Hagrid warned Draco.
Draco, slightly, looked up with his chin on the table.
"Or what? You'll eat me?" Draco muttered, but still made sure that Hagrid heard.
"'Ow, don' talk to me like that. You 'iller. Thank Merlin, that ou'll fin'lly goin' be out of 'ere," Hagrid roared.
Draco rolled his eyes and then shut them.
"Speak proper English, you dumb wit," Draco said emphasizing on the last two words.
"You!" Hagrid yelled. He started to walk up to Draco's table and as he took his steps the ground shook beneath him.
"You can't even walk without tearing something down, can you?" Draco said and sat upright in his chair.
Hagrid stopped walking and squinted his face in fiery but then relaxed it in a few moment.
"I ain't gonna 'other wit' ya. Let the demons at Azk'ban get ya." With that Hagrid turned around and walked back to his position by the chalk board.
As he said that, Draco got shivers up and down his body and groaned. He was going to Azkaban after all.
After a few more moments of uncontrollable silence, Professor McGonagall walked into the room with a stern look on her face.
"You may now leave Hagrid. Thank you so much for your assistance," Professor McGonagall said and motioned her hand to the door. Hagrid nodded his head and gave one more glare at Draco, then left. Draco's stomach started to form knots. He had no clue with what she was going to tell him. Well he had an idea but other than that nothing. The main thing that was running through his mind was for him not to got o Azkaban. But sadly he knew that, that was a slim chance.
The moment Professor McGonagall closed her door, Draco stood up making his chair screech on the wood floors.
"I didn't do it!" Draco yelled.
Professor McGonagall faced the chalkboard and put her hand up, telling him to take a seat. Draco sighed and sat down while watching the tight bun on the back of her head.
"Words cannot describe how disappointed I am with you. I have fought for you, telling the Minister that a boy like you shouldn't be in a prison cell. Now, I am afraid that those words have come to haunt me. I believe that I am now standing in the same room with a killer." Professor McGonagall turned around and faced Draco. She looked tired. Dark circles were around her eyes, he wrinkles seemed to sink down deeper into her skin, her used to be neat bun now had strands of hair running from the bun, and her body was shaking. Draco felt pity for this old woman to fight for him and then have everything crumble down on her like dominoes.
"I didn't do it Professor McGonagall," Draco said.
"Do you have evidence that reason with your plea?" Draco slowly looked down at the ground knowing that he was losing badly. "See, you don't Mr. Malfoy."
Draco squinted as she called him by his last name.
Professor McGonagall sighed and took a moment to gather her thoughts into words.
"I'm sorry Draco, but Hogwarts is no longer your home. Pack your things tonight because tomorrow morning you will be in Azkaban with your parents," Professor McGonagall said in a calm tone. But for Draco, he was no where near calm.
"I'm not going! There is no way I'm going to Azkaban for something I didn't do. I am not a killer Professor McGonagall and you should know that! For Merlin's sake, I couldn't even kill Professor Dumbledore when he was alive. How could I kill a girl that was in classes? This is crazy and you know it!" Draco ran away from his table and was now standing in front of Professor McGonagall. "Please, don't let me go. Your making the biggest mistake in your whole life. I'm not the killer and if I leave, then the real killer would be inside these walls. Please Professor McGonagall, don't let me go."
Draco couldn't control the on going sobs after what he had said. He could care less if he was in this vulnerable state in public. Professor McGonagall shook her head, not wanting to be in that room.
"I'm sorry Draco, but it has been done. There is nothing else that we could do," Professor McGonagall said while holding Draco's shoulders. "Please, calm your self down. You have to be strong right now. If you truly haven't done it, then fate will take the way. But as of right now, the only thing you could do is pack your bags and go to sleep."
Professor McGonagall took one more look at Draco and took her hands of of his shoulders. She whispered an apology once more and walked out of the classroom, leaving him alone.
Draco started to get furious as he watched her leave. He went to her desk and threw everything on the floor. He picked it up and threw it a few feet away, he walk over to his desk and threw it against the wall. The resulting factor was that the whole room was demolished. Draco stood in the middle of the room and held his head in his hands. He began to have the biggest headache from all of the stress he's in. He, then, started to crumple down to the ground and started to cry.
His life is officially ruined. Professor McGonagall couldn't help him, his parents are locked away, the killer was still out there, and he was going to Azkaban. He really couldn't believe it. Two years ago, his life was perfectly fine. The only thing he had to worry about was winning his quidditch games and making Potter's life miserable. It was now official he hates his life.
A knock came from the door way that made Draco slightly jump. He was in no physical or emotional state to see anyone.
"Go away." Draco shouted and stood up. He faced the doorway and saw the person that entered.
"What do you want?" Draco asked softly.
Hermione eased away from the door and took a look around the room.
She formed her lips into a thin line and walked up to Draco.
Draco didn't even have to ask if she heard everything, just by the look on her face indicated that she did. Hermione took his hand and they both sat down on the floor.
"I can't believe this is happening," Draco muttered into Hermione's shoulder. Hermione didn't reply but she did rub his back in a comforting way.
After a few moments of silence, Hermione finally opened her mouth to speak.
"What are you going to do?" she asked.
Draco shook his head because he didn't know what he was going to to. He couldn't run away because they will search for him which would then resolve for them to actually think he was the killer and serve more years in Azkaban, and he surely couldn't find a way to present to them the real killer because he had no clue whom it was. With all of those possibilities thrown away, he's only left with the option he hates. Going to Azkaban.
Draco stood up and helped Hermione on her feet.
"Where are you going?" Hermione asked.
"Back to my room to pack my things and think some stuff through," Draco said.
He knew that he most likely won't be seeing her again. Just thinking about leaving her alone with the killer sent goosebumps throughout his body. Draco moved the loose strand on curls away from her face and cupped her chin.
"I'll keep my promise Hermione, I will find out who the killer is and I'll be sure to tell you the minute I find out. I can't leave you alone here." Draco lifted her chin, leaned in and kissed her. It was a long time since the last time they have kissed, mainly because of him. Draco kissed her softly but to his surprise, she didn't kiss him back. Draco looked down at her with his lips formed into a thin line. He then kissed her on her forehead after whispering once more the word promise.
Draco walked out of the classroom with his head in a daze. He had to figure out who the killer was, he just had too.
~o~
Draco finished packing his last set of clothes and closed his suitcase with so much force. He hated the fact that it was already two in the morning and he still hadn't figured out anything. Draco laid down on his bed not bothering to take off his clothes. It wouldn't matter if he did. He still had to get up in five hours to change back into them and head to Azkaban.
For a few moments, Draco laid on his bed starring up at the ceiling with random scenes coming in and out of his mind. He sighed and rolled over to his side. He watched the curtains flow around from the opened window, heard the soft waves from the lake that was near by, and listened to the many snores of his room mates. He then closed his eyes and let the scenes replay themselves in his mind.
Inside his head was a mess. He remembered the first time he got his letter, he remembered the message on the tree, the photographs of him and Hermione, the time at Professor McGonagall's classroom for detention, the time the killer pushed him down the stairs, the times at the hospital and the time by the lake with the knife. As he kept replaying those memories, he couldn't help but feel that those things couldn't just happen.
He then started to think about Hermione. Why is it that she didn't get hurt like how he did? But Draco quickly shook his head for even thinking such a thought. She got letters too. Someone was also trying to ruin her life for no complete reason. Maybe the killer was saving her for last. Draco once again shook his head for thinking such a thing. He sat upright on his bed and held his head in his hands. Thinking about who the killer was getting him nauseous. It was terrible, the killer even made him feel this way without actually being next to him. Draco sat at the edge of the bed and faced the window. He let the cold breeze dry up the sweat drips that were running down his forehead and neck. But Draco couldn't stop. He had to figure out who it was. His life depended on it.
Moments later, Draco jumped of the bed. Everything made sense to him now. He couldn't believe that he hadn't figured it out from the beginning. How stupid and naïve he was.
Draco grabbed his robe and ran out of the common room. The only thing that was running through his mind was to get to Professor McGonagall as quick as he can. He closed the door behind him and ran right into the last person he wanted to see. The killer.