"Sorted Too Young"
Dumbledore tells Snape, "Sometimes, Snape, I think we sort them too young."
CHAPTER 21 – WAR
The steps of Gringots goblin-run bank rose before them. Harry sat on the fourth step waiting. "Cheers. I lost Ron at George's. I expect he'll still be there when we are done."
Hermione covered her mouth as she giggled.
"Harry," It sounded so strange to call him by his first name, but they were calling him Draco, so he made efforts to show them the same respect. "If they say your letters are about the Black family accounts and estates, get me. I have all their legal paper work on hand. Since my mother was a Black and things I was thinking about for Teddy, I made sure to have them. But you might need them. We have some shared… investments." By the look he received, Draco realized he bordered on foreign languages with them. "I'll explain later."
Hermione reassured Harry that Draco was not trying to take away the Black estate from him since she had read the letters before and have perused the confusing documents in Draco's sleep. Nope, he hadn't really earned their trust. Earning took longer than he expected and he had no real idea how to do so.
Harry wandered in to speak with the goblins. "Hermione, do you have an account here?"
She shook her head, "I only came to exchange muggle funds from my muggle bank account."
"Then we will need to change that unless you wish to be a plebeian and keep your money in a jar under the bed." She glared at him as he walked to the counter and identified himself. "Draco Malfoy. Lord of House Malfoy. I have come to modify my accounts, merge the vaults, and access the heirloom. I am also here to open a join account with Hermione Granger for the duration of one month to establish her credibility with this bank."
"Terms of release?" asked the goblin.
Draco glances at Hermione then back, "Recommencement at Hogwarts School of witchcraft and Wizardry."
"What kind of account?" the goblin then asked.
"Platinum international, full access inter and intra bank, 500 galleon credit. I will co-sign and vouch."
Hermione gaped. He did not give her a chance to interject or protest. She did however understand enough about banking to know that a platinum account was like a Swiss bank account with some of the highest security. It came with fees he was assuming. Full access meant she could wire money to herself anywhere at any time or to any institution. And the credit, was like a muggle credit card. "Draco, you don't have to do this."
"Yes, I do. You can't accept my bank note payments without something like this." And he handed her the first installment of the tutoring fees.
She gaped again and demanded explanation. "Securing fee, hiring fee, retaining fee." The goblin oversaw a contract and he handed that to her. He then handed the goblin a bank note with a stipulation notation for an amount to be deducted weekly till September 1st. She noticed on the contract that he was obliged to provide letters of reference for her which would then later be sealed in her vault. She was handed a key, a booklet of blank bank notes that were spelled to her blood, and guided to visit her vault which turned out to be his mother vault.
He merged his mother's belongings into his own personal vault. All according to his mother's will and what he was magically and legally allowed to do. He was refused access to his father's accounts as his father still lived. While the legal world stated that everything from Lucius was rested from him and to be passed to Draco, goblins ran by different rules. They locked it away till Lucius was officially dead. Though, since Lucius committed crimes against the goblins and this bank directly, he would also be refused access. In fact, he would be locked within his own vault till death took him if he should ever enter the bank. Goblin law.
Harry did come for Draco, if for no other reason than to help him make sense of … everything. Draco also was still holding Harry's letters from the bank. Hermione was not permitted in that meeting. So she let them know she was going to get lost in the book store. Draco wondered if she was going to splurge with her new found financial freedom. Most teens did. He doubted it though. Hermione seemed very frugal and practical.
He and Harry left the bank and nodded to an auror on a corner. Harry at least had recognized the man from the war. Draco tried to smile and nod politely. A moment later, Draco found himself dragged into the Familiars Shop and surrounded by animals. A flicker of discomfort was followed by embarrassment about the early morning cat incident. Draco hoped Hermione didn't gossip about it. Harry occupied the sales clerk with questions about owls. It left Draco to look around in peace. He found a dog from the breeding stock of his father's. They had stopped breeding the dogs when it became clear the Dark Lord might return, somewhere around Draco's second year in Hogwarts. This one was a friendly one and a very smart one. Familiars were hard to breed, hunters were easier. He knelt and petted the young dog.
Over his shoulder he heard Hermione, "You seem to do well with dogs. Why don't you get one?"
"Because I have Teddy," he replied. The silence was sudden and uncomfortable, especially with her reproachful look. Then he realized what he had said and how it could be misinterpreted and quickly followed, "A child takes time and energy that I do not have for a dog. It would be unfair to both to split my responsibilities. Maybe when Teddy is older and my life more stable and mine." He sighed as the understanding settled and conversations continued. They left the shop with a small barn owl with a flat white face framed in a rich brown circle.
They shopped a little for clothing and books and explored some, having a decent day. Hermione offered to take their things back to the house and rejoin them soon if they could get Ron out of George's so they could make sure he had nice dress robes. Draco was clearly starting to ache from all the walking, his limp more and more pronounced. "I'll apparate to the shop and meet you there." It was just easier than slowing them down. It felt good to apparate. He needed the practice now too for he landed and wobbled.
The other advantage to Hermione not with them? She could shop for something fancy for herself in secret. She watched him disapparate and apparate with the wobble. He had to now compensate for the knee brace and cane. Then she was gone to deposit their items in Grimauld Place via the floo.
Harry caught up with Draco and clapped him on the back. "Maybe you should have been doing that for the stairs of Gringots."
Draco thought about it and then explained, "No, I need to work it more. There is no apparating within the school grounds. I need to be able to do those bloody stairs. But apparently, I need practice apparating too." Draco was frowning while he mentally criticized his skill that should be masterful and was a little less so.
A child came out of George's shop with his mother, both having witnessed the apparating. Draco and Harry made room for them to pass. "That was COOL!" said the boy. "Mum, that's the man from the picture."
"Picture?" asked Draco, lost.
The mother smiled pleasantly at Draco. It had never happened that someone just smiled pleasantly back with no pretense to him. "Oh, um, yes, the one in the paper, where you are holding Teddy Lupin. It was very sweet. A moving story. My little brother still hopes to get an actual interview with you to supplement his story."
The glance Draco gave Harry told Harry that Draco hadn't yet seen that article. Harry noted to show it to him when they got home.
"Can you do that again? Apparate? We only use the floo 'cause mum isn't very good and does want to splinch me." The boy looked up excitedly.
Harry shook his head as Draco accepted the chance to show off like a hero. Apparating here and there and even tossing in a little bit of apparition flying. Ron joined Harry at the entrance to watch. "He's blood good at that." Harry turned and nodded to Ron. Sounds of disappointment drew his eyes back to the street for Draco must have finally stopped showing off.
Draco was gone.
Harry scanned the crowd and the nooks and the street and the stairs. No Draco. He apparated to the stairs to be on higher ground to look for Draco. He saw nothing. Or rather no one. Four flying apparitions dropped in from the sky. A hush froze the streets. Black robed figures drew wands and turned white masked faces out to the people. Someone screamed. It broke the stunned state and panic broke out instantly. Harry rushed down the stairs to be stopped by an auror. "Let me go! Let me fight!"
"No, I need a shield wall. Can you make a shield wall?"
Harry did what he could to shelter civilians. Ron stood beside him to help. People ran up the stairs toward the two young men. They would drop the shield wall to let them pass and raise it instantly again.
What happened to Draco? Where was he? They worried about him and Hermione, who was due back very soon. She would arrive to… this….
Draco was having a bit of fun with the apparating. He enjoyed the praise and the smiles that were so genuine and appreciative. He also enjoyed not falling on his ass. Apparating was easier than walking. He wobbled less and less with each apparition. He landed in front of an alley for the second time and searched for another good place to pop to, even considered doing a little flight for the boy to show what that boy could one day do with practice.
Four Death Eaters dropped in. Draco sucked in a breath. Hands yanked him back and someone kicked his cane from his hand. He was shoved face first into the wall, cheek scraping on the bricks. "Obfuscato," rumbled the voice of someone Draco did not know. "Mufflato."
"Hello, my son." That was a voice he knew all too well as it almost purred dangerously in his ear. With the obfuscate spell on the alley entry, no one would see them. Also, no one would hear them. Lucius knew Draco could not call for help now. A self-satisfied grin curled his lips.
Draco's heart dropped into his stomach along with his throat. Sweat turned to ice and cut down his spine. He had to press his palms to the wall in a desperate attempt to remain standing without his cane. His mind ran ferret circles with panic at how this could have happened and how he might escape it. He did not want to die. He was just starting to make his life his own, dammit!
"I saw you out there. Showing off like an entertainer for those muggle lovers. So now, not only have you turned blood traitor, but you are the lap dog to… them… to… her… that mudblood." So much hate dripped from each word. Screams could be heard in the main street. Draco knew the fight had started. But was he the distraction from the actual danger? Or was the fight the distraction from what they would do to him?
Lucius held Draco firm on the back of the neck. Hidden, in this hold, it was too familiar. Rape would follow, if not death at this point. Draco vacantly wondered which would come first. He felt Lucius search with the free hand over each of Draco's hands, then move through every pocket and into even less acceptable locations. "It isn't here." He almost growled in anger, "What have you done with it? Where is the key? I am blocked from the house. It demands the rightful key. What did you do, Draco? Did you make a new spell? Did you design a special key? Where is it? WHERE IS IT!"
Two things snapped in Draco's mind. His father can't get into the house. And… What key? Draco had no key. He hadn't been to the house. According to his paperwork so far, so long as his father lived, his father was still able to access the house. Draco was master legally, but not magically. Wasn't he?
"Where is it Draco?" The words were hushed in his ear, calm, cold as steel. "I can force it from you. One way… or another." Draco felt his mind invaded. Ransacked like a man furiously robbing a house searching for one thing and ignoring all else. Not unlike the dark Lord. Lucius had gotten better at it, dove deeper and faster than he used to and saw into more hidden corners. Draco let his mind go blank. That was too easy, in shocking states like this, what else do you do but go numb and ride it out. "Fine! I'll force it from you another way!" Draco's breath caught in panic. So it would be rape first then death after all. Right here in public just for the extra humiliation for Draco.
Hermione stepped from the floo and ducked a randomly flying curse. More Death eaters arrived as did more aurors. Some other people also joined the fight. It looked just like the wars they had fought last year. Fast apparating and fists and blades, wands and wand-fire. And then she felt it. She knew. Draco. Lucius had Draco. She could almost feel his terror. She saw Harry and Ron on the stairs of Gringots and apparated there. They welcomed her help. From this higher vantage point she scanned then apparated away. Ron yelled for her. Harry threw an attack to cover her passage, to protect her and give her an opening.
She followed the faint instinctual tugs.
Lucius jammed his hand into Draco's pants. The obfuscate fell and Hermione yelled Draco's name. Startled by the sudden exposure, Lucius sprang away from Draco and disapparated. Draco snatched the second of freedom and also disapparated. He landed in the middle of the fight and started to take out his distress and fury on the Death Eaters. He joined the fight to Hermione's horror. She hurried back to Harry and Ron, with Draco's cane in hand. She handed the cane to Ron as she was better with the spells than he.
They watched Draco surprised at how good a fighter he was. Harry was reminded of the early duelling lessons. Draco had been deadly fast then too. Draco didn't care if he used dark magic in this fight. He didn't care how badly he damaged these vile followers of his so-called father. It was dangerous what he was doing apparating and disapparating and apparating again and again in the fast paced fight. Splinching could so easily happen if you were not a master of this kind of fighting, if you were not incredibly accurate. The worst would be apparating into the same place someone suddenly stepped into or apparated into. That splinching ended with a merger of the bodied and instant death for both.
When it was clear that Lucius would not get what he wanted at this time, he signaled a retreat. Most of the Death eaters vanished. Draco apparated to the bottom of the stairs. Harry and Hermione dropped the shield wall and he apparated behind it in an exhausted heap. Ron handed the cane back to him and threw a defensive spell at a Death eater bold enough to keep fighting.
Final tally was two death Death eaters, one injured one, three injured auror police, eight wounded civilians, one dead for getting involved, and a shop from destroyed. The aurors toured the area before declaring it again safe and people began gathering the shaken remnants of their afternoon. An Auror turned to the Golden Trio, "Go home. We'll handle it from here. If you still have business here, please do it tomorrow. We'll have better protections in place by then."
War? No, not really, just a battle… ugly and terrifying and like any battle, over quickly leaving people to pick up the pieces and pray for the dead. Battlefields all looked the same. Ron and Harry walked to the floo and waited. Only then did Hermione and Draco apparate there together. They took the floo back to Grimauld Place.
A/N: So I have failed at first person perspective. I have even failed at keeping this mostly from Draco's perspective. Please forgive me. The story wants to be written like this, so I won't fight it. Heh… fight it. Lucius… You didn't think I would just abandon the evil man, did you? He was bound to make a comeback. And this is definitely not the last you'll see of him either.