"Whoever sheds the blood of man,
by man shall his blood be shed,
for God made man in his own image.
- Genesis 9:6
Draco woke with a start. He was confused what had woke him since the room was still clouded in darkness - the house-elves hadn't yet drawn the curtains, seemingly not daring to wake their master on his first day at home. A hand grabbed his leg and shook him, more urgently this time.
"Draco, wake up."
His mother was sitting at his bedside, her face barely visible. "Draco sweetheart, wake up!"
"I only came back from Hogwarts yesterday mother! What is so important that it has to disturb my first day of vacation?" Draco asked angrily. He had left the Hogwarts-Express in a bad shape yesterday thanks to the combined efforts of the Golden Trio and the Weasley Twins who had all casted jinxes on him and his companions. Stupid Diggory, stupid Scarhead - Dumbledore is once more making a fuss because the famous Boy-Who-Won't-Die is telling another story. Famous Harry Potter and friends can of cause hex whoever they want - I will show them...
"Draco, it is important that you listen closely now!" Narcissa whispered, as if afraid someone listened.
"Fine." Lets see what will disturb my holidays this time
"Your father is receiving a very important..guest for lunch. He asked especially for you, so be ready at the table in one hour.
"And dress in a suit," Narcissa finished. Her grip on Draco's knee finally loosened. As she walked to the rich oak-doors, Narcissa said softly, "be at your best manners, please" and left the room, leaving behind an confused Draco Malfoy.
The boy in the mirror stared back with a smirk that was so very characteristic for him - and yet, there was a tension the smirk was unable to mask. Stop freaking out - it's probably just another rich wizard with a daughter my father wants me to befriend. The boy in the elegant suit still looked unsure of himself. But why does it have to be on the very first holiday? And why is mother reminding me to be at my best manners? Draco wasn't able to assure himself, but the grand magical clock showed 1:50pm through the mirror's reflection, so he had no time to rethink it once more.
Standing before the elaborate doors that led to the dining room, he composed himself a final time. Stop being nervous, you are Draco Malfoy, you are strong!
When Draco entered the dining room, he saw that his nervousness was unfounded, for now at least. Narcissa and Lucius sat, facing each other, at the table. The seat at the head which Lucius normally occupied was left empty. Strange.
"Draco, sit down please. He has not yet arrived, so we will move the discussions. Sit down and eat," Lucius said curtly. Draco knew better than to ask who the guest was and why exactly they would eat without him; Lucius hated it when Draco asked him a question after he gave an order.
When Lucius snapped with his fingers, the house-elves started serving the meal. They ate in silence, as usual, and after the house-elves had emptied the table, they waited in silence. After a while, Lucius started looking to the entrance doors. Narcissa stiffened and sat straighter in her chair, looking at the doors as well.
The doors opened and a man entered, staring straight at Draco with scarlet eyes - a tall, inhuman looking man. Nonono, that can't be right, it's one of Potter's lies! What is he doing here, what does he want from me?
"Draco." Voldemort had spoken to him. "My boy, there is something important to be discussed, and but I have very little time." Draco shuddered at Voldemort's voice. He speaks like a snake.
"Yesterday," Lucius began after Voldemort had sat down at the table's head, "I offered the Dark Lord a possible solution to a very - annoying - problem. I am sure you heard what happened at the end of the Triwizard tournament?"
Draco had indeed heard the story he believed, until now, to be a lie, like every student who listened to Dumbledore's speech at the end of the school-year, that Lord Voldemort had risen up again and Potter somehow managed to escape.
"I-I heard the story as told by Dumbledore."
"Ah." Voldemort hissed quietly, "then I am sure you know that it is vital to act quickly, now that Dumbledore heard of my rebirth. Potter has to be removed, but he is well guarded outside of the school and while in Hogwarts, Dumbledore will watch his every step. Lucius came up with the idea that someone inside Hogwarts could lure him out. He assured me that you would be up to such a task."
I have to lure Potter away from school under Dumbledore's nose? I will never be able to do that! "M-My Lord, how can I do that?" Draco tried to let his voice sound interested and confident, but it sounded nothing but terrified. Draco quickly looked to his father, silently pleading for help.
"You will," Lucius said angrily, "receive training over the holidays. When your new school year begins, you will be up for the task. You are, after all, an excellent student, aren't you?" The last part sounded more like a threat. "Of cause I am, father."
Voldemort raised from his seat. "Then this is done. I am sure you will give your best Draco. This is a chance for your family to be honored by Lord Voldemort above all others, you will better not fail. I will be informed about your progress."
Draco was still unsure if what he was doing now was wise, but he had no choice. Knocking on the doors to his father's study, he didn't need to wait long before he heard a curt "Come in."
Lucius sat behind his desk writing a letter, not looking up as Draco entered the room. For several moments all that was heard was the quill scratching across the expansive parchment. When he had finished the letter, Lucius carefully rolled it up and sealed it magically. "I have a lot of work to do Draco, what do you want?", Lucius asked, grabbing a new parchment. His father always did that when Draco disturbed him, making me wait.
Not asking how he felt about the task, no words of explanation, nothing. Just like Draco had expected, through he had dared to hope otherwise. Draco would just say it straight away, his father would have to listen, he had to.
"Father, I can't do it."
Lucius picked up his quill and started writing again. "You can't do what?"
"I can't do the task. I won't do the task!" As soon as the words left his mouth Draco knew that he had made a mistake. The scratching on the parchment had stopped. Lucius carefully laid down the quill, then stood up.
"I fear you don't understand the ongoing situation Draco. I think you don't understand anything at all."
Lucius stood before Draco in three long steps, "I will enlighten you: The Dark Lord - as you will from now on always refer to him - will rule this country very soon. How you will pass in your OWL-exams won't matter anymore. Loyalty and devotion to the Dark Lord and his cause will be everything. The Dark Lord is not only judging a person by his actions, but by that of his family members as well. What you will do will affect my reputation. All that will matter for you in the school-year is your contribution to the cause. Have I made myself clear enough?"
"Father I can't do it!" Draco pleaded. Couldn't Lucius understand that he wasn't up to it?
"You will do it," Lucius growled, "or you will be punished. Training will start tomorrow, and I will make sure that you will be taught some courage. Get out of my office, now!"
Quickly pulling open the door, Draco hurried out of his fathers office. I can't do it! Dumbledore will catch me and I will be thrown into Azkaban..
Draco stopped his run when he reached the doors to his room, halting before them. What now? Maybe I can read some spellbooks, prepare myself for tomorrow. I cannot fail father, I must not...
"Draco." He turned around. Narcissa was walking to him, opening his door and hushing Draco in. She locked the door behind them.
"Draco, you will not do this mission. I won't allow it!" Narcissa said firmly. "I don't want to do it, but father says there is no other way, he says-"
"He thinks the Dark Lord is immortal after what happened at the tournament, he is sure the Dark Lord will rule the world one day. Lucius would risk everything to get a better standing in the Dark Lord's ranks. But he will not risk my son!"
Narcissa walked across the room and opened his wardrobe, "We are leaving - tonight."
"But Lucius does not want to flee! He won't-" "We are fleeing without him. He... he will rethink what is more important to him and follow us. He will find ways to escape from the Dark Lord's anger. We will be back soon enough." It sounded like Narcissa tried to convince herself as much as Draco.
"We will go to the cottage in Austria, in the Alps, where we stayed before the Quidditch-Worldcup. Lucius has never been there, no one will find us.
She threw a small black backpack at Draco. "Pack what you need in here, it is enchanted with an Extension-Charm. We will leave at eight o'clock."
Without giving Draco a chance to respond, Narcissa left the room.
Draco had finished packing at 4pm, which meant there were four hours left to think and debate with himself. He had more and more doubts about what could happen. Voldemort would be after them, they would have to go into hiding. And what if Lucius would not come after them? If he would simply announce them blood-traitors?
Draco Malfoy, a blood traitor and coward who ran away the moment he had to stand up for himself.
And if all went well, if Lucius would protect them, what would happen next? Could Draco even safely return to Hogwarts?
Voldemort was killed by Potter that night in Godric's Hollow, but now he was back. It seemed like Voldemort was indeed immortal. What hope was there to survive if the enemy was invincible? Maybe he could indeed lure Potter away from Dumbledore, then his family would stay on the winning side. Draco would then serve Voldemort, he would have to do his bidding, maybe even kill someday.
His thoughts grew darker and darker.
When Narcissa knocked at 8pm, Draco wasn't sure anymore if fleeing was the right, the better decision for them.
"Don't waste any time now. Lucius seems to still be in his study, so we will walk out of the mansion and I will apparate us as soon as we cross the anti-apparition borders." Narcissa said as soon as she entered the room.
"O-Ok." Draco couldn't stop his hands from shaking. Why is this happening? I can't do it nonono. He picked up his backpack and shouldered it. It's too late now, there is no other way - I won't do the task.
"One more thing Draco," Narcissa said. She took something from her coat pocked and held it to him. In her hand laid a long, triangular dagger. It was made of a shiny black metal with tiny runes engraved along the blade.
"It belonged to your Aunt Bellatrix. This is a very... special dagger, made of hardened goblin-steel. It might be useful."
Draco took the dagger wordlessly and put it on his belt. It was the first time he really realized that they were really in danger, that he was no longer protected. Don't worry, it will all be okay, it will be!
Today was truly a beautiful day. It was warm, but not warm enough that you needed to search for a cool place to spent your free time. It was the perfect time to watch the just starting sunset. Draco would've spent such a day on his broom, enjoying his holidays.
Instead, he and Narcissa walked through the vast gardens of the Manor, going to the entry gates that marked the anti-apparition borders.
"Listen Draco, as soon as we cross the borders, I will apparate us. You just need to hold on my arm and think of the destination, okay? As long as you site-along, nothing can go wrong."
"Yes," Draco said. They were just a few meters from away from the gates. "I've read about apparation, it doesn't look so difficult. Lets just hurry before someone-"
"Well," a cold voice said behind them. "It looks like the Dark Lord was indeed right about you, Narcissa."
Draco stopped. A cold breeze went through him, his body was frozen. No, we were so close.
Narcissa and Draco turned around. "And how did you knew," Narcissa asked. She tried to remain calm, but her fear was audible in every syllable.
Lucius had his wand pointed at Narcissa. "The Dark Lord is an accomplished Legilimens. He knew that Draco was afraid and unwilling and he also knew that you wanted to protect Draco from us. The Dark Lord knew that you were trying to escape with Draco today. He-," Lucius looked away, as if ashamed of his next words. When he continued to speak, his voice lacked the previous arrogance.
"He also told me the appropriate punishment for both of you. Draco will be sent to another loyal Death-Eater, who will make sure that Draco will learn the consequences of his actions and will be ready for his task when the school-year starts. And you," Lucius lifted his wand higher, "you will be punished by a loyal minion of the Dark Lord."
Another figure had appeared behind Lucius - a large, bulky man, walking strangely crouched, taking small, fast steps. The face of the man was plastered with scars. He had a mad grin on his face with long, yellow teeth shining in the sunset. But Draco's attention was turned on the man's hands. He had thick, tapered fingers, with strangely mutilated nails that looked more like claws - this thing has claws instead of hands.
Narcissa stiffened besides Draco. She grabbed his wrist and pulled him back behind her.
"You know me, heh?" the man laughed. "Then you also know that running is pointless with me. It looks like your son hasn't yet heard about me, so let me introduce myself: I'm Fenrir Greyback, and I'm making sure that all mudbloods and blood-traitors get what they deserve. The Dark Lord told me I could have your mother, boy. Told me I should teach her a lesson. Now, you stand put and watch what happens to wrong-doers." Greyback moved forward slowly, licking his lips.
"Stupefy!", Draco had quickly pulled out his wand and yelled the first spell that came to his mind. His hand was shaking so badly that the spell barely graced Greyback's right shoulder. In a blink of a second, Greyback changed targets and went for Draco in one mighty leap.
Draco turned around and ran - too late. It felt like long knifes tore open his backside when Greyback's claws teared over his back. All air left his lungs when the mighty strike pressed him into the ground - he couldn't even scream in pain. He tried desperately to get up, to run away, but he couldn't move. Is this how dying feels like? It hurts, it hurts so much, please let it end! But he couldn't speak, he couldn't plead.
Greyback breathed down his neck, his bulky frame towering over him. Draco could see Greyback's face - his mouth opened, a hungry look in his yellowish eyes. Draco tried to stand up once more but fell down again before he had even managed to get on his knees. Draco felt something thin and sharp pressing against his right thigh. He felt it with his hand, he could-
A yell tore through the night, Greyback stumbled and screamed. "Get away from my son!" Mother! Mother please make it stop, it hurts so much...
Another scream, but this time it was a woman's voice. "Think I'm going down that easily you cunt!" Another scream, and another.
Draco moved an arm under his chest and pushed himself upwards. The first thing he saw when he turned around was Greyback, looking, bent down, on his mother, who had wounds all over her body. Greyback's claws were on her thighs, wandering upwards between her legs- "NO!"
What he did next was a mere instinct, a need to protect his mother; Tumbling forward, Draco ran to Greyback and his mother, he had lost his wand when Greyback attacked him, so he pulled the dagger from his belt, the only weapon he had. Greyback was right before him, still fixed on his mother. Draco lifted the dagger and rammed it with all his force into Greyback.
Blood spluttered in Draco's face. Greyback stumbled and fell, Draco falling with him. Bellatrix's dagger protruded from the werewolf's throat, blood spluttering out of the wound like from a fountain.
Draco stared in shock at the dagger. He had just killed someone, he was a murderer.
A whimper tore Draco's gaze away from the dying man. "Mother, nononono please. Mother get up!"
Narcissa lay on the ground, large wounds scattered all over her body, blood running from her mouth- "NO! Mother you have to get up!" He couldn't lose her, she was everything he had. She had to-
"Draco," Narcissa whispered, "Draco you must- run. Draco go." Her hand had gripped Draco's holding tight to it. "Draco you must leave me. Draco you must go on, always go on promise me."
The grip on Draco's hand loosened. Draco held on tighter I can't let go, I must hold on.
"Promise me Draco." Draco's vision became blurred, tears were running down his face. "I promise mother, I will go on always! I promise. Please get up, please!" He tried to pull her up, to help her stand- but the grip on his hand loosened, her arm fell down to her side, her eyes looked through him, no longer seeing him.
Draco started to sob uncontrollably, it went through his whole body, he felt the wounds on his back with each shake. Let it end now, please make it stop!
"I must say, I am impressed," a cold voice said.
Draco looked up. His father was standing a few meters before him, wand drawn, his ash-pale face contorted and unreadable.
"I wished you didn't do that. The Dark Lord ordered for me to dispose you in case you resisted. I fear killing Greyback counts unmistakable resistance." Lucius lifted his wand, pointing it at his son. Lucius' hand was shaking badly. How could his father do that? His wife's body laid before him and he had his wand pointed at him.
"So now you are killing your son as well," Draco sobbed. He wished he would be standing brave against his father, showing resistance. He wished he were been braver.
"The Dark Lord ordered me to do it. Either... Either I will do as ordered, or he will kill us both. Your faith was sealed the moment you disobeyed him. I won't die for your mistakes. The Malfoy family won't die for your mistakes."
"What family?" Draco yelled, "you murdered your wife, now you are about to murder your son! There will be no one left for you." Please make it all stop, please
"I will be left! I can have a new wife, I can have another child, like before." What?
"The Dark Lord is all-mighty," Lucius whispered, "he told me about his powers. There is no chance of resistance, his way is the only way! I will rise to power, I am his right hand, you are but a hindrance." Lucius voice became louder and louder with each word.
"I AM YOUR SON!" "You are a blood-traitor, like your mother. You are no family of mine." The wand pointed at Draco was lifted higher. Draco frantically thought about about a chance to escape, a chance to survive.
His mother's lifeless eyes stared through him, her body already paling. But there, right beside her, lay something, a piece of wood, a lifeline. Draco heard his father yelling a spell. He dived forwards, grabbing the wand, the whitish spell Lucius had cast flying above him, Draco could feel it humming over his neck.
"Stupefy!", Draco screamed, his mother's wand pointed at Lucius. His father fell forward, the eyes wide open in shock.
Draco stood still, his arm aloft, gazing down at Lucius. What should he do know? His mother was gone, there was no one to protect him, no safety - only uncertainty and darkness before him. How could this have happened? How could he lose everything he held dear in just a few hours? Mother, what can I do, mother!
He couldn't bring himself to look at Narcissa, at his mother, laying dead before him, her clothes cut to ribbons, Greyback's body still laying beside her. Always go on, promise me.
How could he break his promise, dishonor the last words his mother spoke to him? She had died protecting him, she died for me.
What could he do? Voldemort would be after him as soon as he found out what happened. He couldn't stay here, Lucius would wake up very soon, he had to leave, he had to go far, very far away. We will go to the cottage in Austria.
Right! But he had no Portkey, he had never apparated. I read it in the spellbooks, just think of the location, remember where you want to go, and turn. I could splinter, but there is no other way, I have to try it, I promised...
Draco looked around him - there lay his backpack, with all the things he packed. He walked with effort to the backpack and picked it up - with every step his back screamed, the wounds burning like a thousand knifes, boring into his body, making him gasp in pain. Have to go on...
Having shouldered it, he made his way to Greyback's body. The knife his mother gave him was still deep inside the werewolf's throat. Draco gripped the handle - and pulled. The smacking, sickening sound made Draco vomit all over Greyback's body.
Draco tumbled away quickly; the mixed stench of blood and vomit was unbearable.
There was one more thing to do before he left behind his old life. Draco knelt down besides his mother, closing her eyes. He kissed her on her forehead, his tears pooling like raindrops on Narcissa's pale face. "I'm sorry mum, please forgive me."
He got up quickly, unable to bear it any longer. Draco walked to the gates, just a few meters away. Why couldn't they come a minute later? Just a minute, we would've escaped, she would've escaped.
Draco stood behind the apparation borders, the great iron gates to the Malfoy Manor throwing it's shadows over him, as if the cold marble palace that Draco had called his home would now, that he left it behind him, call him back, offer him into a life that was lost forever now.
Just like in the books: Wand aloft, destination in mind, turn. Wand, destination, turn. TURN!+
Nothing happened, he tried it three, four, five times, nothing happened. Concentrate, think of the cottage and TURN
Draco felt the magic through him, but he still stood at the gates, still in Scotland, still just a few meters away from his mothers body. He concentrated and again, he felt a tingle through his body, a sign that something did happen, that maybe he could do it.
He heard a rustle behind him, then a groan - a very familiar groan. Lucius had woken up. Draco was so close to escaping, he couldn't stop now.
Destination, turn. Destination, TURN. TURN!
A tingle, a spark in his fingertips. Lucius slowly rose up, groaning loudly once more. TURN! Lucius saw Narcissa's body, then quickly turned around, seeing Draco- TURN. Destination. TURN!
Lucius started to run forward, he would reach Draco in a few seconds. A cottage, high in the Alps. A little garden before it, a stone way leading up to the house. I want to land on the stone way, right at the entry- Lucius had reached the gates, pushed them open- in Austria, in the Alps. TURN!
Draco felt light, as if his whole body was weightless. He saw Lucius, just a few meters away, the gates were opened, his hand already outstretched, ready to leap forward - then everything swirled before his eyes. Draco tumbled - and landed on soft snow.
He just laid there, the snow melting under his face, unbelieving that he really escaped, that Draco was still alive. Slowly, carefully, he looked up - and saw nothing.
The landscape was hulled in thick, unyielding fog - Draco could barely see his own feet. He walked in circles around himself, searching for the stone way that had to be there, that led up to the cottage. Panic flooded his mind. Draco walked faster in his circles, went on the ground and felt with his hands for the way, stood up and walked again. It has to be here, somewhere here!
Draco stopped in his trackers, put down his backpack and sat down. The snow around him was spluttered with droplets of his blood, blood that was still trickling down his back onto the ground. The pain that had subsided in his excitement now came back with full force. He felt the coldness biting into his skin, adding to the pain in his back, numbing him further...
I have to warm myself or I will freeze to death soon. I will just search tomorrow, without the fog all over. He had dropped both the wand and the dagger beside him, so he quickly pulled his wand into his numb hand, pointed it at himself and muttered a heating charm. Draco couldn't focus so the heating charm barely had any effect.
He repeated it a few more times before he pulled the next best piece of clothing from his backpack, quickly pulling the hoodie over his torn T-Shirt. He pulled on a few more clothes until he found himself no longer shivering, then dropped the remaining clothes on the mixture of melting snow and dirt that made the ground.
Laying down on his makeshift bed and covering himself with a T-Shirt and a thin jacket, Draco started to cry again. He realized that he was alone in the middle of nowhere, injured and without any plan on how to continue. Think. You can't give up, you promised!
Okay, so he didn't knew where he was, but he still had his wand. I can apparate. But Draco missed the location the first time, what if he splintered himself this time? I can still try my luck and then search for the nearest wizarding community, then I will owl Dumbledore. He will help me, he helps every student! But Voldemort would be on his tail the moment he entered the wizarding world. The Death-Eaters would find and kill him immediately. I will have to find out where I landed. I can't be this far away from the cottage, I am somewhere in the Alps, somewhere...
He had no answer, he didn't know what to do, but Draco needed sleep, he needed to rest, to let his wounds heal. He huddled together, clutching the clothes to his chest and closed his eyes.
Draco was alone, without any family and friends to help him. He had no hope, nothing to life for, but one thing, revenge. The need to avenge his mother was all that kept him alive, all that prevented him from taking the dagger and thriving it through his heart. I can't die, not yet.
"How could the boy escape?" "I-I'm so sorry, my Lord! My confidence wavered, it won't happen again, I will find Draco personally! He apparated the first time." The man fell down on his knees in front of his master. His dead wife laid to his right - he had held her when his master appeared, lost in thoughts of regret and shame.
"He probably died, splintering himself." His voice was quiet at the end, barely more than a whisper.
"I have to be sure of it," Voldemort said. The man cowered before him, not daring to look up into the scarlet eyes of his lord.
"Where is your usual arrogance Lucius? Aren't you usually the first to offer yourself when Lord Voldemort requires a task to be done? Look at yourself! The moment you face a challenge you waver like the coward you are." The man didn't dare to look up. He cowered in the dirt, next to his wife.
"You are no longer loyal to me, no longer committed to the cause. I allowed you to be my right hand, confided you into my plans. You know too much to turn against me, Lucius." "My Lord, I would never-" "You failed to kill your son once, Lucius. You will fail again."
"Please, I-" there was a flash of green light. The man fell backwards.
Lucius Malfoy died besides his wife who he had betrayed.
An unbearable pain shot through him as Draco tried to move. The make-shift clothing had kept him warm well enough, but his back, which had seemed like it was starting to heal, was hurting just as bad as when it was torn open.
You idiot, the wound is probably infected! You should've washed it out, you should've... But Draco couldn't go down this spiral of thoughts. What if's and should have's would only lead to what happened to his mother, how he hadn't stopped it. If he had just- you must go on...
What could he do now? He had to find out where he was, but the Alps were huge and there was no way he would be able to climb with with his infected wounds. Find out where you are. You've been in the Alps before, maybe some mountain looks familiar...
Slowly, carefully, Draco shifted and turned. He gasped at what he saw.
Just a few hundred meters before him, on top of the mountain he was currently on, a gigantic grey tower rose up high into the sky.
Draco stared at it for a while in absolute stupor before he quickly stood up. The pain of his wounds temporarily forgotten in his newfound hope, Draco gathered up the clothes in his bag and started to walk.
It had first looked like the tower was just a five minute walk away, but for Draco it felt like an hour. The bag scrubbed over his wounds at every step, it became more and more difficult to walk, the weight on his shoulders felt heavier and heavier.
I'm nearly there, everything will be good when I enter this tower-castle. This castle would offer a solution, something would be in there to help him, it has to. The tower was before him finally, a door was right there, something would be behind it to save him.
Draco felt something he hadn't felt since that dinner that ruined his life, hope. The door was right in front of him, a grey, handle-less door with a strange triangular symbol etched into the center.
If Draco would've paid attention in Professor Binns' class, he would've known that a grey tower in the Alps could only be one tower and that it's owner was imprisoned in it. But Draco had exchanged notes with his classmates instead, so he had no idea where he was.
He stretched out his hands to the recessed door. As soon as he touched the cool grey stones, the door started to melt away and finally vanished into nothingness. Draco stared at the long black way before him for a second before he started to walk, unknowingly entering Nurmengard Castle.
A dozen floors above the newly orphaned boy, a frail man began moving on his stone bed. He felt the wards that he had installed so long ago shifting. The man stretched and rose slowly, his differently colored eyes glowing in the pale sunlight that shone through the tiny slot of his prison cell. Finally, Grindelwald thought.