Arts and Crafts, Task #2, write a letter fic
Word Count: 506
Summary: Jackson Smith (son of Zacharias Smith) writes a letter to Lucius Malfoy telling him about the changes to Hogwarts and thanking him for saving his grandfather.
~wWw~
Dear Mr. Malfoy
I am a Hufflepuff student at Hogwarts. It is our assignment for our history of magic class to write a letter to a former death eater. I understand you may not appreciate my letter; however, I hope you will hear me out. I believe that you are not inherently bad; rather you grew up in a bad situation where you were taken advantage of. I am sorry that you are stuck in Azkaban for the rest of your life.
Hogwarts is slowly rebuilding and many of the paintings have returned to their frames. They all have wonderful stories to tell the students. They talk about the bravery of those who were good and of the untold bravery of the death eaters, especially you. There are a couple of paintings in particular that tell a story of a younger you, still at Hogwarts, saving a little Hufflepuff boy from the grasp of Tom Riddle. I want to thank you for that, even if you do not remember, he was my grandfather. Although he died in the war fighting for the Order, he never forgot you. I remember when I a little kid, he would tell the story of a Slytherin boy saving him. And for that I thank you. Without your actions, I wouldn't be here.
Wizards often forget that you are as human as they are, and that there is good in the bad. I will remember the good you did. I will not let it be forgotten.
Hogwarts is a new place now. There are no longer four long tables spanning the Great Hall. There are dozens of small round tables where the students intermingle, regardless of house affiliation. I wish they had done this sooner, maybe then the war could have been averted. We still compete for the house cup, but we also remember all those we lost on both sides of the war. We acknowledge the good and the bad of both sides, knowing neither side was completely right or wrong. I think that is something they forgot when sentencing you and the other death eaters. Of course, some of you may have deserved the life sentence you were given, but others like yourself did not.
The classes have changed as well. We now learn about our more recent history and Bins is no longer on the faculty. We are taught history by many professors, each of them bringing in guest speakers to share their stories. It's my favourite class. We learn a lot and are encouraged to explore the many perspectives about the different events in our past.
Hogwarts has changed for the better, and as students graduate, so does the magical community at large. Everyone who fought in the war sacrificed something, but now we are growing together as the community heals. Personally, I think that maybe we are better off for it.
Thank you again for everything, I hope to be able to visit you at some point to express my gratitude in person.
Sincerely,
Jackson Smith