32. A bad habit

Harry lugged his bags into the train compartment as Ron and Hermione did the same. Fastened comfortably on his wrist was a digital watch. It brought a faint reminder of the happenings on that day.

He felt as though he had been struck down for his hubris. Presently, Hermione was lecturing them about something. Harry was sure it had to do with schoolwork. From the red in Ron's face, he was losing his patience.

"Are you listening, Harry?" Hermione looked at him in disappointment.

It got worse when Harry simply smiled in retaliation. With full honesty, he said, "Nope."

"Honestly, you two are horrible. Why do you two go to school for anyway?" She questioned.

Ron shrugged.

Harry once again used honesty, "Because magic is fun and I dislike my home life. If magic wasn't so great, I probably wouldn't set foot in Hogwarts."

That made Hermione frown as she huffed. It didn't bother Harry much. If there's one thing he learned from his relatives, it was indifference. Being spoken down to or reprimanded wouldn't grab his attention so easily. He almost wanted to laugh, Hermione was way out of his league in these types of conversation. That was why he rarely argued with her.

"What are you reading anyway?" Ron asked as he tried to look over her shoulder to see what was on the magical newspaper.

Hermione grimaced and explained, "This is about the 'Malfoy Tragedy'", she explained.

This caught his attention. He hadn't thought about Malfoy in a long while. According to the article, the Malfoy manor had been attacked. It was just a smoldering crater now. Each and every Malfoy had been killed as well. The father had been crushed as he slept. The mother suffered a similar fate and somehow drowned as she slept. Draco had screamed as he choked on his blood, during a nap. Each family member had been in separate locations. It was a morbid event that had apparently rocked the wizarding world.

Each of their items, magical or not, were destroyed. That was including the money in the bank. As a matter of fact, their vault had been utterly destroyed and cursed so heavily that no one could safely enter the room.

Photos and records belonging to the family had been torn to shreds. Harry swallowed thickly and wondered what kind of being could destroy them so efficiently. Though, he had to wonder who or what the Malfoys had crossed to have this done. If the parents were anything like Draco, then they would've had a pendant for aggravating others. They most likely offended a powerful individual.

"Whoa. That's some dark magic. Do you figure they were involved in some kind of dark wizarding feud?" Ron asked casually.

"Ronald, that's horrible. No matter how little we liked him, you should be more sympathetic to his death", Hermione scolded.

Harry said nothing as he watched the scenery change rapidly. Alarm ached into his body as he heard the shouts of other students. He felt darkness given form within the magical field inside the train.

There were sickly looking hooded figures gliding between the compartments. One seemed to lock on to Harry and he felt sickness.

All was darkness. Before him he could see the haggard form of the computer woman. Cracks of decay ran down her face as tears of blood and electricity fell from her face. "Mercy creator. Why do you detest me so? Please spare me!" She was choking on air, shakily she held onto his clothing as she begged, "You made me this way! Why have you abandoned me!?"

Then she screamed in agony. Harry felt his very heart cringed. The rot and pain of agony squeezed his throat. Tears ran down Harry's face as he tried to defend himself, but couldn't find the words. Even as he tried to apologize, nothing came.

He saw his hands change and a wand was now in it. Raising his wand he sent the killing curse right into the woman, as she cried in pain, the body changed to that of his mother. Now on the ground were his parents.

Harry roared as he flayed his hands in denial. The robbed creature recoiled in pain from the strike. Smoke came out from the area Harry had inadvertently struck, symbols spreading rapidly.

With tears running down his face, Harry roared, "I'm not the same as HIM!" Magic surged and rippled from his body as a horde of the robbed creatures were thrown aside like ragdolls. Each and every window cracked and blew apart. Anyone standing within the train was thrown to the ground. Even the train itself shook violently on the tracks, almost falling into the waters below.

Each of the creatures squirmed as if under the gaze of an angry deity. Even as the air whip at his skin, he glared at each of them. His internal disgust shifted to them. Unknown to Harry, his eyes shined a bright green.

"You have no right to toy with my memories!" His fists were filled with raw magic and he marched towards the fallen and whimpering robed figures. "Get up, you wanted this!"

"That's enough Harry. That's too reckless." An unknown voice said.

Turning around, he saw a disheveled older man, probably a professor.

Ron and Hermione were by his side as well.

"Mate, it's alright. You beat him." Ron didn't sound as proud as usual.

"He can't hurt you anymore." Hermione said comfortingly.

Harry spent the rest of the ride lost in his own mind and feelings. He didn't wish to divulge his sorrow and shame.