Draco Malfoy Promises To Be A Good Boy This Year

Chapter Eighteen

The Deal With The Devil

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Tom met us half way back to the main cavern. He bowed slightly to Snape and told him quite formally that the headmaster would see him in the little library. "Of course, you won't actually see him. No one sees him. But he will communicate with you, so they say."

Snape nodded and headed towards the small library. We followed along. Snape had a firm grip on Ginny's hand so she went along with him into the library, as did the others. I was about to go in too, when Tom pulled me back. "Stay with me, please?" He asked.

I fidgeted uncomfortably. "Well, all right." We sat down, and I bounced Nathaniel in my lap a bit, since he had been clinging to my hand and hadn't gone into the room with the others. Tom looked at him longingly.

"Could I hold him?"

I eyed him. "I guess so…" What could it hurt? This boy had no powers. He was obviously not Voldemort anymore, so what could he do to me? I handed Nathaniel to him. Tom smiled and cuddled Nathaniel against his chest. I gave him a strange look. "So, are you going to tell me what's going on? How come you haven't smacked me and tried to make me call you 'My Lord?' You are nothing like you were during the summer. You've faded and lost all your spunk."

He glared. "My spunk's not gone! Just my powers." He grumbled and played with Nathaniel's fingers.

I put one hand on his shoulder. "Look…will you just tell me what happened?"

He stared ahead. "Last summer, when Harry and the others hit me with the Avada Kedavra curse, I was nearly destroyed. I made a desperate grab for Ginny and Nattie, but when I couldn't get a hold of them I fled. I had lost a lot of life force in trying to give it to the baby and I couldn't support my current body anymore. In fact, I was starting to change the second I fell out of my father's burning house. I used a lot of my failing strength to become a disguised teenaged Tom Riddle again, since it didn't take as much of my energy and I wouldn't be recognized that way. I changed my hair color, left it longer. It seemed like a good idea."

I felt anger boiling up. I shoved him slightly. "But then you came back! Why didn't you just go away? Why did you have to come and destroy our lives again? We might not make it out of here because of you!" I balled my fists and practically hissed at him. "Why didn't you just go away? Was Harry really still that important?"

He shrugged. "Harry is…important for many reasons. But I won't go into that now. This time, I figured I could use him for a bit. I could try to turn you all into dark wizards and I thought that maybe I could start over. That day when my old Death Eaters were beating you up, I stopped them and became part of your life to win your trust and eventually lure you to this school to be properly trained in the Dark Arts."

I glared. "Just think of all the people you've killed..."

"Do you think I actually enjoy killing people?" he flared at me. "There was a reason for every person I killed! I'm only heartless because I can't afford to feel." He took a breath before continuing. "But the more I got to know you lot, the more I actually…liked you." My eyebrows shot up and he turned his head from me. "I know, it's weakness."

I took a hold of his arm and turned him towards me. "Look, actually liking someone is not such a bad thing."

He shook his head. "How can I become the Dark Lord again, Draco? I tried. I really tried. I put magic into that cauldron while you were all sleeping. I tried to earn your favor by blowing up the Slytherins. I wanted to strike fear into their hearts. I killed that Pansy girl. I transported you all here. I was going to take advantage of Ginny while she slept."

My fists balled at this comment.

He continued. "But I didn't. As my power drained away with each little spell I cast, so did my hunger for it. And now I'm stuck in this body and I'm no longer Voldemort. And I miss him. He was mighty and no one laughed at him. Not like little Tom Riddle who was scrawny and shy at his Muggle orphanage. Tom Riddle whose father didn't care about him, gave him away. I needed Voldemort."

I thought this over. This poor boy. This poor, pathetic, unloved boy. I saw myself in him and I also could see where I would have been heading if I had never fallen into step properly with Harry and his friends. I said to him softly, "Tom…it's over now. As much as I need to forget about dark power, so do you. You have no idea how many people you've hurt throughout the years and for what? Can we please stop this now?"

He glared. "I can't! I have to be the best! Don't you see that? I have to have control!"

"And you will. You will have control of yourself. We will both gain control together, on our own. The right way."

He faltered, but ended up holding out his hand. "Fine enough."

I eyed him. "You promise you'll try to go straight? No more killing?"

He grasped my hand forcefully. "I couldn't kill anyone if I wanted to. I'm not even a wizard anymore."

I smiled, shaking his hand. "You are. You're just a pathetic one like me."

And thus Lord Voldemort decided that since he had no choice but to live as Tom Riddle again, he may as well try to go about things the right way this time. We were both going horribly soft, but I don't think either of us were having a great deal of fun being dark wizards. It would be hard for him to stay on the right track, but he knew the lot of us could probably kill him if he tried anything, so he was going to make a valiant go of it. At any rate, we decided to go see what the others were up to in the little library room.

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Tom and I walked into the library and our mouths immediately dropped open. White swirls of light were flying around Snape and our group in a frightening way. Snape was sitting on a chair in the middle of the room, Ginny at his side, with Harry, Ron, and Hermione standing directly behind him. They all looked absolutely mortified, but were trying to put a brave face on. "Tom, what is this? Who is the headmaster exactly?" This was completely different from talking to the walls. This was a real, true experience that none of us much wanted to be having. The feeling of doom was lowering upon us all.

Tom stood next to me, his legs shaking with terror, almost powerless and looking as if he might drop Nathaniel at any second. "I don't know exactly who he is. But when I was here years ago, the older students had rumors. I've heard that he's…Mephistopheles."

"What then?"

"Satan."

I gulped.

Suddenly a sinister voice rang out through the room and everyone but Snape and Tom, who was holding the baby, covered their ears. "Severus Snape. What have you come before me today to ask? Speak quickly. I do not like to be disturbed."

Snape spoke bravely. "I have come as an old student to ask for the release of these five students…"

I spoke hoarsely, "Six students."

Snape glared slightly at Tom. "…Six students, and the baby."

The white mists swirled slightly before turning black. "These students were highly recommended and possess great talent for the Dark Arts. I am not eager to let them go. You disappoint me."

Snape narrowed his eyes. "It is written in the rules that they must be granted their freedom before the end of the term if a student of the Black School, old or new, asks for consent. This has never been a prison, but a sanctuary."

The mists swirled faster and faster. Ginny was starting to shake and I knelt by her and held her hand. Some minutes later, the voice growled its decision. "Very well, Severus. But, as you know, I will receive the soul I crave."

Hermione shivered. "What does it mean?"

"Hush." said Snape. "I understand." He looked at Tom Riddle. "You will have your soul." He rose and pushed us all ahead of him as he left the small room.

Once we were all in the hallway, Snape explained to us quickly in a hushed voice. "In just a moment, you will all run as fast as you can through the passageway I used to come into the school. Riddle, give Draco the baby. Harry and Ron, hold Ginny's hands and don't let her fall on her weak feet, whatever you do. You make sure you get her out of here with you. Hermione, you stay near Draco. The Headmaster craves one soul from every class that leaves the school. In order to get that soul, the last one out of those doors will have to stay here forever and never see any of their loved ones again. I hope you understand me when I say run and DO NOT look back. You run like your lives depend upon it, which they do."

We looked at him with our mouths open. "But what about you?" I cried.

He rested a hand on my head. "I am staying here to give you all the opportunity to get out alive, including you Riddle, although I can't figure out why I would save your sorry skin."

Tom bit his lip and looked away.

"You will never see me again, but you will not let that stop you from running with all your might through those doors."

I was in tears. "Nooooo!"

"Draco, none of that." He smiled at me with the kindness he rarely let others see. "Look after the others and make sure they loose plenty of house points in my honor."

Harry's lip was trembling. "All this time when you hated us…and yet you would stay here for us."

He turned Harry around roughly and gave him a little shove. "Take Ginny's hand and go. NOW!"

The others hesitated, but would not cross Snape even in this moment of emotion. Harry and Ron grabbed Ginny's hands and they started to run. Hermione grasped my hand and yanked me along. I held onto Nathaniel tightly and stumbled along behind her, continually turning around again to look at Snape and Tom, who hadn't moved yet. "Noooo!!!"

Snape smiled halfheartedly at me and raised one hand slightly in a gesture of farewell.

I choked out a few words right before Hermione pulled me around the corner. "I'll never forget you…my Father!"

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