Summary: Draco Malfoy stands trial before the Ministry for his crimes as a
Death Eater. His only vote of confidence is a letter from Albus Dumbledore,
who died during the Final Battle. The current headmistress, Ginny Weasley
mistrusts her new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, but Dumbledore
must have known something.
Disclaimer: My name is not J.K. Rowling, I do not own Harry Potter, and am not either Warner Brother.
Crimes Against The Heart
Chapter 9
"It is as natural to man to die, as to be born; and to a little infant, perhaps the one is as painful as the other." -Francis Bacon-
"To the well organized mind, death is but the next great adventure." -Dumbledore, J.K. Rowling-
Draco walked towards the exit of his rooms and bid Ginny a quiet farewell. His class began in less than five minutes and he was now running to make it to his class on time, when he saw the most amazing apparition. A silver dagger bedecked with emeralds was hovering a mere foot from him in thin air. He reached out to touch it, but it disappeared and he was holding air. Draco mentally shook himself before continuing his journey to his classroom. He walked through the door and saw the class sitting there talking quietly, but they fell silent upon his arrival. He entered the room and closed the door. He placed his things on his desk and thought about his unprepared lesson. When a small voice interrupted his brainstorming session.
"Professor Malfoy?" a Slytherin girl said quietly. Draco turned around to look at her. She had her hand raised timidly above her head.
"Yes, Ms. Warrington?" he asked staring at her. She was one of the brightest students of the year, she was Cassius Warrington's daughter named Anastasia. She was not a trouble-maker, always finished her lesson, and was remarkably well-behaved, what could she possibly want. He doubted anything was seriously wrong.
"We're missing one of the other Slytherins," said Anastasia delicately, not wanting to break any sort of rules. She had learned her lesson on the first day of class that Draco was a strict task maker. Draco immediately realized who was missing from their numbers, Owein Bole. Draco pondered what he should do. On one hand the boy was probably skiving off his lesson, but what if something was really wrong.
"And where is Mr. Bole?" Draco asked addressing the entire class. Everyone looked around and Draco felt uneasy. Draco saw Owein's best friend shift his gaze around the room and he himself shifted uncomfortably in his seat. His best friend would surely know his whereabouts, Draco thought.
"Mr. Flint? Perhaps you could tell me where he went?" Draco stated evenly staring into his eyes, demanding the truth. Flint cowered under his silvery gaze and glanced to the other Slytherin boys.
"I think he said something about taking a walk around the lake, but that was hours ago," William Flint replied looking to his housemates for support. Draco began to worry about Owein Bole, not because he liked the annoying prat. He was really beginning to worry about Ginny.
"Are you sure he is not skiving off classes or perhaps in the Hospital Wing?" Draco questioned the Flint boy again.
"No, sir. I was just at the infirmary," replied Gabrielle Pritchard, another trustworthy Slytherin girl. She sounded very concerned about her housemate.
"Mr. Flint, kindly alert the Headmistress about his disappearance. Also, Ms. Warrington go to the gamekeeper's hut and tell him as well. If I find out this is some clever joke, none of the Slytherins shall return to my class,"he promised them. "The rest of the class will please read chapter eighteen, concerning werewolves. I will return shortly," Draco announced as he left the room.
He immediately started to head towards the lake. It had been the place he was last seen. Draco had often taken soothing walks around the lake as a boy. He had walked about one hundred feet from the entrance when he saw the grizzly scene. A boy with dark hair was floating in the lake, face down and definitely not breathing. Draco dove in after the body, but Owein was already stone cold when he reached him. As he grabbed the boy, he heard yelling from the shore and Ginny screaming. As Draco looked at her he saw Snape and Hagrid standing behind her.
"How did this happen?" Severus Snape asked calmly, obviously having seen too much death to be scared.
"E' musta drown," Hagrid said saying what Draco thought to be obvious. Hagrid's sympathy obviously did not extend to this Slytherin boy, he seemed indifferent.
"IT'S NOT POSSIBLE!" Ginny cried looking at his body. Her heart was breaking as she looked at her son. She had never even known the boy, his father had controlled him his entire life and now he was dead. Ginny wept at the loss of life and family, her head began spinning as she glanced at the other staff members. "HE CAN NOT HAVE JUST-"
"Ginny, calm down. It is entirely possible-" Snape began trying to soothe her. Snape was studying Draco's face, he noticed the compassion with Draco looked at Ginny. He saw the subtle signs that revealed to everyone more than Draco had meant to. Luckily, Hagrid was too ignorant to see.
"NO, WIZARDS CAN SAVE THEMSELVES! THEY NEVER DROWN, THEIR MAGIC SAVES THEM," Ginny screamed tears running down her face. Draco wanted to grab her and kiss away her tears, but he knew he could not in front of the other teachers. He wanted to kiss away her tears and tell her to forget her son, but he knew he could not. He knew Snape had already seen too much. Ginny was still yelling about Owein. "SOMETHING MUST HAVE HAPPENED TO HIM."
Draco's curiosity immediately sparked, it was true. Innate magic protects young wizard children, or saves them. If Owein had known something was wrong his strong emotions would have helped him survive. His magic would have been uncontrollable. Draco had heard stories about Harry Potter blowing up his aunt he was so emotional as a child. Snape seemed to comprehend what Ginny was saying and his opinion changed radically.
"She's right," Snape said immediately still surveying the scene. "Owein must have not seen his death coming and that rules out accidental drowning. There has to be a reason. It seems odd a Slytherin boy would be killed, especially one from a family like the Boles."
"Unless they 'er tryin' to send a message to somewun,'" Hagrid said looking at Draco darkly. Hagrid's eyes stared at Draco as though he was dirt beneath his feet. Draco had no trouble returning the glare to the half- breed giant. Ginny was still weeping as she clung to her son's lifeless body. Then an ebony eagle owl appeared from nowhere bearing a letter. Draco could just barely recognize the words, Virginia Weasley, it said. Snape also saw the letter and began giving Hagrid directions, sending him off, much to Draco's relief.
"Read your letter, Ginny," Snape told her quietly as he handed her the parchment the owl had brought.
"Darling Virginia, I hope this letter finds you better than our son," Ginny said faltering at the cruel reference. "I think if you examine your school you will find another one of 'your' children missing. If you want to see her again, come alone, to the place where we were wed. Your beloved Derrick," Ginny finished in disgust. Snape looked at Draco as though trying to determine how much he knew, or should know. Ginny continued to cry, she had already lost her mother and brother and it had broken her heart and now it was smashed again.
Ginny was rushing back to the school to find the missing child, but there was no need. Draco immediately knew which child was gone, he could feel it inside his very bones. Some how he knew who was kidnapped, his child.
"Brangaine," came Ginny's yell from the castle.
A/N: Next is the big climatic scene where Ginny has to confront her past and Draco must determine his future. For your information: there are about five or six more chapters. I am sorry I had to kill a young character, but he is a tool of his father. And just so you know, Derrick Bole does not know Brangaine is Draco's daughter. I am going to update sometime this weekend, hopefully. Lots of love and thanks, KTBallerina.
Disclaimer: My name is not J.K. Rowling, I do not own Harry Potter, and am not either Warner Brother.
Crimes Against The Heart
Chapter 9
"It is as natural to man to die, as to be born; and to a little infant, perhaps the one is as painful as the other." -Francis Bacon-
"To the well organized mind, death is but the next great adventure." -Dumbledore, J.K. Rowling-
Draco walked towards the exit of his rooms and bid Ginny a quiet farewell. His class began in less than five minutes and he was now running to make it to his class on time, when he saw the most amazing apparition. A silver dagger bedecked with emeralds was hovering a mere foot from him in thin air. He reached out to touch it, but it disappeared and he was holding air. Draco mentally shook himself before continuing his journey to his classroom. He walked through the door and saw the class sitting there talking quietly, but they fell silent upon his arrival. He entered the room and closed the door. He placed his things on his desk and thought about his unprepared lesson. When a small voice interrupted his brainstorming session.
"Professor Malfoy?" a Slytherin girl said quietly. Draco turned around to look at her. She had her hand raised timidly above her head.
"Yes, Ms. Warrington?" he asked staring at her. She was one of the brightest students of the year, she was Cassius Warrington's daughter named Anastasia. She was not a trouble-maker, always finished her lesson, and was remarkably well-behaved, what could she possibly want. He doubted anything was seriously wrong.
"We're missing one of the other Slytherins," said Anastasia delicately, not wanting to break any sort of rules. She had learned her lesson on the first day of class that Draco was a strict task maker. Draco immediately realized who was missing from their numbers, Owein Bole. Draco pondered what he should do. On one hand the boy was probably skiving off his lesson, but what if something was really wrong.
"And where is Mr. Bole?" Draco asked addressing the entire class. Everyone looked around and Draco felt uneasy. Draco saw Owein's best friend shift his gaze around the room and he himself shifted uncomfortably in his seat. His best friend would surely know his whereabouts, Draco thought.
"Mr. Flint? Perhaps you could tell me where he went?" Draco stated evenly staring into his eyes, demanding the truth. Flint cowered under his silvery gaze and glanced to the other Slytherin boys.
"I think he said something about taking a walk around the lake, but that was hours ago," William Flint replied looking to his housemates for support. Draco began to worry about Owein Bole, not because he liked the annoying prat. He was really beginning to worry about Ginny.
"Are you sure he is not skiving off classes or perhaps in the Hospital Wing?" Draco questioned the Flint boy again.
"No, sir. I was just at the infirmary," replied Gabrielle Pritchard, another trustworthy Slytherin girl. She sounded very concerned about her housemate.
"Mr. Flint, kindly alert the Headmistress about his disappearance. Also, Ms. Warrington go to the gamekeeper's hut and tell him as well. If I find out this is some clever joke, none of the Slytherins shall return to my class,"he promised them. "The rest of the class will please read chapter eighteen, concerning werewolves. I will return shortly," Draco announced as he left the room.
He immediately started to head towards the lake. It had been the place he was last seen. Draco had often taken soothing walks around the lake as a boy. He had walked about one hundred feet from the entrance when he saw the grizzly scene. A boy with dark hair was floating in the lake, face down and definitely not breathing. Draco dove in after the body, but Owein was already stone cold when he reached him. As he grabbed the boy, he heard yelling from the shore and Ginny screaming. As Draco looked at her he saw Snape and Hagrid standing behind her.
"How did this happen?" Severus Snape asked calmly, obviously having seen too much death to be scared.
"E' musta drown," Hagrid said saying what Draco thought to be obvious. Hagrid's sympathy obviously did not extend to this Slytherin boy, he seemed indifferent.
"IT'S NOT POSSIBLE!" Ginny cried looking at his body. Her heart was breaking as she looked at her son. She had never even known the boy, his father had controlled him his entire life and now he was dead. Ginny wept at the loss of life and family, her head began spinning as she glanced at the other staff members. "HE CAN NOT HAVE JUST-"
"Ginny, calm down. It is entirely possible-" Snape began trying to soothe her. Snape was studying Draco's face, he noticed the compassion with Draco looked at Ginny. He saw the subtle signs that revealed to everyone more than Draco had meant to. Luckily, Hagrid was too ignorant to see.
"NO, WIZARDS CAN SAVE THEMSELVES! THEY NEVER DROWN, THEIR MAGIC SAVES THEM," Ginny screamed tears running down her face. Draco wanted to grab her and kiss away her tears, but he knew he could not in front of the other teachers. He wanted to kiss away her tears and tell her to forget her son, but he knew he could not. He knew Snape had already seen too much. Ginny was still yelling about Owein. "SOMETHING MUST HAVE HAPPENED TO HIM."
Draco's curiosity immediately sparked, it was true. Innate magic protects young wizard children, or saves them. If Owein had known something was wrong his strong emotions would have helped him survive. His magic would have been uncontrollable. Draco had heard stories about Harry Potter blowing up his aunt he was so emotional as a child. Snape seemed to comprehend what Ginny was saying and his opinion changed radically.
"She's right," Snape said immediately still surveying the scene. "Owein must have not seen his death coming and that rules out accidental drowning. There has to be a reason. It seems odd a Slytherin boy would be killed, especially one from a family like the Boles."
"Unless they 'er tryin' to send a message to somewun,'" Hagrid said looking at Draco darkly. Hagrid's eyes stared at Draco as though he was dirt beneath his feet. Draco had no trouble returning the glare to the half- breed giant. Ginny was still weeping as she clung to her son's lifeless body. Then an ebony eagle owl appeared from nowhere bearing a letter. Draco could just barely recognize the words, Virginia Weasley, it said. Snape also saw the letter and began giving Hagrid directions, sending him off, much to Draco's relief.
"Read your letter, Ginny," Snape told her quietly as he handed her the parchment the owl had brought.
"Darling Virginia, I hope this letter finds you better than our son," Ginny said faltering at the cruel reference. "I think if you examine your school you will find another one of 'your' children missing. If you want to see her again, come alone, to the place where we were wed. Your beloved Derrick," Ginny finished in disgust. Snape looked at Draco as though trying to determine how much he knew, or should know. Ginny continued to cry, she had already lost her mother and brother and it had broken her heart and now it was smashed again.
Ginny was rushing back to the school to find the missing child, but there was no need. Draco immediately knew which child was gone, he could feel it inside his very bones. Some how he knew who was kidnapped, his child.
"Brangaine," came Ginny's yell from the castle.
A/N: Next is the big climatic scene where Ginny has to confront her past and Draco must determine his future. For your information: there are about five or six more chapters. I am sorry I had to kill a young character, but he is a tool of his father. And just so you know, Derrick Bole does not know Brangaine is Draco's daughter. I am going to update sometime this weekend, hopefully. Lots of love and thanks, KTBallerina.