the truth uncovered

Chapter 1: Devastation and Lies

When Draco Malfoy arrived at the Malfoy Manor, a month into summer vacation, he found the place in an uproar. House elves were running to and fro, up and down the stairs, carrying basins of water, blankets, washcloths, and potions.

One, noticing Draco's arrival, stopped in front of him. "Sir," she squeaked, "Welcome back!"

"What's going on here?" Draco demanded.

"Sir, when your father was taken to Azkaban, the Minister of Magic himself came to arrestses your mother also. When he entered her roomses,, he found her collapsed on the floorses, sir. He calledses for a mediwizard, Professor Dumbledore, and Professor Snape. They is all attendingses to her now, sir. Theyses will be able to give more informationses to you, sir."

Draco nodded and slowly made his way up the stairs. He turned right and looked down the hall. He hadn't been allowed to walk down this hall in a long time. His father had forbid it.

He remembered back to the last time he had been in his mother's room. He had been about four at the time and his mother had let him watch her get ready for a party. At the time she was happy and full of love. You couldn't tell that her husband was a death eater.

Draco remembered watching her mother get ready and thinking she was a princess. When she was finished, she tucked Draco into her bed and began telling him a story.

It was about a wizard who had meet and fell in love with a "Muggle Born" witch. They had been enemies for many years but before lone one of them confessed their love. They had hid it for awhile from their friends but soon they couldn't stay apart. She had stopped there, to take a breath, when his father had stormed into the room.

His father slapped his mother hard across the face, sending her off the edge of the bed and onto the floor. He had towered above her and with a kick accompanying each word, he said maliciously, "You. Will. Not. Tell. Our. Son. That. Story. Again."

His mother grimaced in pain, but knowing better than to moan or scream in pain, retorted, "He will have to know eventually, Lucias.

"No, he will not. That story does not pertain to him, I will not let it. I will teach him to be just like me. He will follow in my footsteps. He will follow the Dark Lord as I do, and be a faithful follower. He will marry a pureblood, not some mudblood scum." He turned to his son on the bed. "You will wont you, son?"

Draco looked up at him, his eyes full of hate. "Don't hurt mum." He said.

His father had stared at him, stunned that his son didn't agree. He quickly recovered from the shock, however, and pulled out his wand and pointed it at his son. "Love your whoreish mother that much son? Well, in that case, I will not allow her to talk to you again. Say bye-bye to mommy," His father said sarcastically, "for you will never feel her love again. I will see to it."

Draco stared at him. "I hate you."

His father smirked at him, and then Draco was hit with the Cruitias curse

Draco found himself facing his mother's door.

Hesitantly he knocked. A house-elf opened it and ushered him in, and over to his mothers bed. He looked down at her, seeing his mother for the first time in a while, not in the presence of his father.

After a few moments he noticed a movement on the other side of the bed, and he looked up. Cornelius Fudge, Professor Dumbledore, and Professor Snape and a mediwitch were standing on the other side of the bed, watching him.

"What's wrong with her?" he asked. "What's going on?" A lump developed in his throat. "What's he done to her this time?"

Dumbledore walked around the bed gravely. He stopped when he was next to Draco, and placed a comforting hand on Draco. "Perhaps you should see it. It will be easier than describing it to you."

Draco looked down at his mother, then up at Dumbledore. "I don't see anything wrong, professor."

Dumbledore nodded. "Neither did we. But Cornelius found it was because of a concealing charm placed on her. we lifted it," He raised his wand, lifting the charm, "and we found this."

Draco looked down at his mother. There wasn't a part of her that wasn't black, blue, yellow or green from all the bruises she had. There were also dagger marks leaving infected red cuts all over her body. He knew the marks. He had some on his body also, from his father's favorite dagger. There were whip marks, cuts, scratches, bruises, curse marks...

"That's not all, Draco." The mediwitch said, lifting his mother into the air with her wand. She slowly flipped his mother over. On her back, Draco saw written in dagger lines, Lucias Malfoy.

Draco gagged, turned, and ran out of the room, down the hall and into his room, and slammed the door on his mother's battered body. he leaned against the door for a few seconds, before anger over took him. He walked to the middle of his room, pulled out his wand, and began cursing everything in sight.

Hermione Granger had two different sides to her. At school she was the perfect student. She was studious, always top of the class, always great and brilliant at everything. At home she was a party girl. She loved parties, getting drunk, forgetting about her home life. But no one knew about that side, not even her parents. Her parents had left her home alone that summer, saying that they had urgent business to attend to in Southern France. So they left a week before term ended, leaving her the use of their spider eclipse convertible, and an ATM card.

Hermione was currently in the living room, nursing a hangover from the wild partying she had done the night before. She was watching T.V., when Hedwig soared through the window.

Hermione cursed at the owl, but took the letter anyway.

Hermione,

I just passed my Apparition test!!! Ron passed his to, just barely. So we thought we would come visit you tonight, around seven...how does that sound?

Best love,

Harry Potter

P.S. We're coming at seven whether you like it or not.

Cheers!

H.P.

Hermione let out a long line of curses. "Bloody hell," she said aloud, "don't they ever stop to think maybe I'm doing something?"

Hedwig clucked her beak, waiting for a reply.

Hermione glared at her, then stood and went over to the desk and sat down. She pulled out a quill and parchment, and wrote a letter back to Harry.

Harry,

Congratulations to you!!!!! (And to Ron, who I know will be standing behind your back, reading over your shoulder.) I knew you two would and I'm happy that you two managed to pass.

However, tonight isn't a good time. My parents are taking me to go see a play (or maybe I'm going to a club, Hermione thought.) so I wont be here.

Hope to see you soon!!!

Much love,

Hermione

Hermione called Hedwig over and tied the letter to her outstretched leg. She watched as Hedwig soared out the window and into the sky.

"must be great being a bird," she said, "Not caring what people think about you, or about how you act.