"Well-brewed Polyjuice Potion works for over twelve hours." Harry Potter was saying. "Just enough time to finish the mission and get out safely."
Lucius Malfoy stared unseeingly as Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter discussed plans.
Actually…Draco wasn't Draco at all.
Constantine had tricked Draco into drinking Polyjuice Potion with his father's hair in it. Within minutes, he was staring at a makeshift Lucius. And instead of Constantine, Harry Potter had returned to gather him.
"And the boy?" Draco Malfoy – the lookalike, at least, asked.
"They'll have found his body at the Manor. Or not, I suppose. It doesn't matter." Harry Potter replied.
Draco – the real Draco – stared on. He couldn't bring himself to care about the state of matters, not now. Not with the strength of the Imperius that Constantine cast on him.
On surface level, everything felt calm and airy. He was light and happy. Underneath, he was fully aware of the extent of damage that Constantine and his father were planning to unleash on the wizarding world. He desperately wanted to fight it, but the feeling of relaxation and bliss was too hard to ignore.
"Excellent." Lucius-as-Draco smiled. "How fortuitous for us that a mudblood has fallen for my son. Now, have you sent the appropriate owls?"
"Yes, of course, my lord." Constantine-as-Harry replied. "I owled Dumbledore, the Ministry, and all the major papers. In a few hours, the wizarding world will be in a state of panic."
Lucius turned to Draco. It was utterly bizarre, seeing his own face reflected back to him. For once, Draco felt a special understanding for the Weasley twins. It was quite the experience to have a clone.
"Now, my son. How do you feel?"
Draco said nothing, of course. Constantine hadn't lifted the Imperius or given him an order.
Lucius barreled on without waiting for an answer. "You'll see soon enough that your family is on the right side of history. It is, after all, written by the winners. And Malfoys never lose."
"Don't talk to him, Master." Constantine urged. "He is still deluded by those blood traitors! We must wait until his hope is extinguished. Then he will return to us."
"I suppose you're right, my dear." Lucius said softly. He turned away from Draco. "In the meanwhile, let us see if my wife is ready to accept her place in the world."
As bizarre as Lucius-as-Draco was, nothing could have prepared Draco for the sight of his body double referring to his mother as his wife. Bile rose in the back of his throat…the thought repulsed him so much that – "LET ME GO!"
Constantine whirled around to face him. "What?"
As she did, the Imperius slipped back into full control and he snapped back to the position he'd been in. Constantine glared at him through Harry's eyes, but he couldn't do anything besides her direct order.
Lucius laughed lightly. "Careful, my dear. The Imperius is only as strong as its castor."
Constantine glowered at Draco. As Lucius turned around, her glare turned to his back.
Draco did nothing. Constantine had tightened the magical bonds.
…
It wasn't long before Constantine and Lucius returned for him. Draco walked beside Constantine at wandpoint, completely helpless. Underneath the calm exterior, he frantically thought of a way to get the message to Hermione, to the others. He still wasn't entirely sure what Lucius and Constantine's plan was, but it had to be helpful to know that Harry Potter wasn't Harry Potter.
They reached the floo and Lucius went first – Malfoy Manor.
If Draco had been in control of himself, he would have raised his eyebrows. Malfoy Manor? What could they possibly want there? That place was likely rife with aurors and traps.
Constantine moved him forward and he went through without incident.
At Malfoy Manor, everything was silent. Draco stood silently, and when Constantine came through, he followed her to the main hall, where Lucius was already seated.
"Alright, Cousin." Constantine said, turning to face him. She stared at him through Harry's eyes, and despite everything, he could see the weariness in her. "Here are your orders: when we step outside, you will present yourself as Lucius Malfoy – the lord of the Manor. You will act as though everything that is happening is your idea, and you will remain calm and composed. If you see any of your friends or anyone from the other side that you know, you will stay quiet and make no indication that you recognize them. You will not move after we position ourselves slightly past the front door of the Manor."
Constantine paused, thinking. After a moment, she added, "You will do everything you can to ensure that we – the right side – win."
The words sunk in. Draco had no idea what was going on, but he knew he wouldn't be able to disobey Constantine's orders. No wonder the Imperius was outlawed.
Constantine and Lucius disappeared, leaving Draco to simply stand where he was. He tried to close his eyes, desperately wishing he could fall asleep.
…
Draco couldn't gauge how long had passed before Constantine returned. Her weariness was even more palpable now, clear in her eyes and the tension in her shoulders. Draco watched her like a hawk, wishing he could move. He kind of had to use the bathroom.
"Come." She ordered, and he followed her. As they got closer to the front, Draco could hear something clamoring. It sounded like a dull roar – the way King's Cross Station sounded at the beginning of Hogwarts.
Constantine paused at a window to peek outside, and Draco got a glimpse of his front lawn…filled with people. He could see Rita Skeeter right at the front, but behind her was a myriad of reporters and people with cameras and Quick-Quote Quills. Past the reporters, it looked like aurors were charging forward, trying to get past the wards. And past them…he caught sight of Dumbledore, moving forward through the crowd.
That was all he could see before Constantine ducked backward and pulled him along. "Alright, listen carefully. When we go out, I'll cast a sonorous charm. You must say these words, exactly."
Draco could do nothing but listen to her and memorize the speech he was about to give, looking just like Lucius Malfoy.