(Author's Note: Hey guys, sorry it took so long to update, but I don't have much time to work on anything this year. Sorry if there are mistakes in this, it happens to us all.)
Chapter Ten: Draco's Story
The next morning everyone was sitting and eating breakfast in the Great Hall. Everyone was just talking and catching up on what had happened since they had all left Hogwarts. As they all chatted a few owls came in through the windows like they had always done. Three owls landed in front of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Giving each other strange looks they each opened their own letter.
'Met in Dumbledore's office at ten.' Was all the letter had said.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at each other before realizing that it had to do with Draco. After breakfast Hermione took Gabrielle and Septimus out to the Quidditch Pitch. The rest of the children what were brought were also there. Madam Hooch and some of the other teachers had things planned for them while their parents went off to talk and spend time with old friends.
Hermione quickly made her way back up to castle where Ron and Harry waited for her. "Kids all set?" Harry asked her. Hermione nodded her head and together the three friends headed up toward Dumbledore's office. The three entered the room to see the rest of the Order sitting around the room. The three friends took their seats and waited for things to begin. Within five minutes Dumbledore entered the room and sat behind his desk.
"Most of you have no idea as to why we are all here. The few of us who witnessed the return of a member has been waiting to know what happened." A few members looked at each other and gave questioning looks. Almost everyone in that room had no idea as to what Dumbledore was talking about. "Minerva, would you please open the door." Dumbledore asked Professor McGonagall. Everyone stopped looking around at each other and watched Professor McGonagall. Slowly she rose and headed toward the door. She opened it and standing behind it was Draco. A few people gasped as they saw him. Many if not all have thought him to be dead, and now here he stood in front of them all. Professor Dumbledore made a comfy chair appear for Draco to sit in. Slowly, with the help of Professor McGonagall, he limped over toward the chair. Once he sat down Dumbledore went on.
"I figured it best if the whole Order hear the story first hand. It usually leads to less confusion that way." A few people smiled at the comment. "Draco if you please, would you tell us what happened?"
"I figured I didn't really have a choice." He replied. Draco sighed and began with his story.
The morning of the attacked on the Death Eaters started out in Grimmuald Place. Harry, Ron, Dumbledore and Snape were all sitting around the table. A while later Draco showed up and the final planning began. "Now remember, Harry and Ron are to protect you two at all costs. If things go wrong one of them will come back and inform the rest of us." Dumbledore said. The four men who usually hated each other nodded their heads and agreed. With a few last instructions from Dumbledore the four men dissaperated from Grimmuald Place and apperated in the forest just south of where the Death Eater meeting that was about to begin.
"You two stay hidden and out of harm. As much as it pains me to say this, but Potter you are the one who needs to be careful. You hold the out come of the wizarding community. Come Draco, let us go." Severus said as he turned to leave. Draco began to follow but stopped. He turned back toward Ron and Harry.
"We've never been friends until recently, but even now I know that you two still hate me. I don't blame you, but I must ask that you two are the ones who go to her if something happens to me. She trusts you and knows that you'll always be there for her. Take care of her for me. Take care you two." Draco said and began to walk away.
"Good luck." Harry said as Draco walked away. Ron stared at Harry then back to Draco.
"Is he nuts? Does he think he's going to end up dead or something?" Ron asked Harry.
"I don't know, but let's hope not. I don't think Hermione could take it if he did." Harry said.
Severus Snape and Draco Malfoy entered the hall where all the other Death Eaters had gathered. The two men looked around to see who all was there. The sight of one man made Draco's heart drop.
"My Death Eaters, I have news for each and everyone of you. Some may find it bad other good, but either way you have to deal with it. Lucius Malfoy has returned to us." There were a few quiet groans but the Dark Lord ignored them. "Now, for the main reason why I have brought you all here. There are two people in this world that we must destroy before I kill Potter. I could kill him now, but the weaker he is the better."
"My Lord, we all know that Dumbledore must die to crush the Potter brat, but who else is left my Lord?" asked a woman from the crowd of Death Eaters.
"The werewolf." Voldemort simply replied.
"Lupin? But my Lord why does he matter so much that he must be killed before hand?" another woman asked from the crowd.
"That is none of your business to know why I want the werewolf dead. You do not ask me why. You are to do as I say and nothing more. Now, I want that werewolf dead. Is there someone who would track him and kill him?" Voldemort asked.
"I am sorry my Lord I didn't—" said the woman but was cut off by a man.
"I will my Lord. I will finish that disgrace of a werewolf." Said one of the men in the crowd.
"Good. I trust you will be able to find him on the next full moon then, Grayback?" Voldemort asked the man who had talked. The man nodded his head while replaying a yes to the Dark Lord.
"Now," Voldemort continued on, "I have been told that two members of the Order are right outside this cave. I think it is safe to say that they followed our spies here. I am told that neither of the spies know that they were being followed. Before we can all go off and do more of the things that I want done, we must take care of one of them. The two followers are none other then Harry Potter himself and the youngest Weasley son. Kill the boy, but let Potter escape. It is not yet his time to die." Voldemort said. With that he dismissed the Death Eaters to go out a kill.
The Death Eaters stormed out of the cave right to where Harry and Ron where hiding. Harry and Ron turned to flee, but Ron was caught in a full body bind. Harry turned as watched as Death Eaters were rounding on him now. Harry ran away from them and dissapperated as soon as he got the chance to. One Death Eater was rounding down on Ron. He raised his wand and began to shout the killing curse. Suddenly the man was knocked over by Draco. Silently Draco released Ron and Ron was free to run, which he took full advantage of. Snape had also left just like Ron and Harry. Draco was about to when he heard a sickening sound.
"Catch Him!"
The voice was from none other then his father. Three Death Eaters rounded on Draco and had the Crusiartious Curse placed upon him. Draco let out in ear splitting scream as he was dragged back into the cave. Ron and Snape had dissapperated to the sound of Draco's voice. There was no time for them to turn back to save him.
Draco was pulled into the cave and tied to a rock. He watch as he father stood in front of him. "You disgraced the family name when you were married, and now you disgrace it even more." Lucius Malfoy said.
"Lucius, I do not understand why we stopped your son from leaving with the others. We need that information." One of the three Death Eaters who had helped in the capture of Draco said.
"He is not the one giving us information. Snape is the only one loyal to our side. Draco has been on the other side since he was married. He has been defying the Dark Lord all along. I have talked to the Dark Lord about it. I was told that if I discovered that Draco was disloyal to the Dark Lord, then I was allowed the privilege of killing him. I am now convinced of it." Lucius Malfoy said.
"How so?" asked another Death Eather. This time the question came from a female voice.
"My son disgraced our family name when he married. He didn't marry a pure-blood. And why on earth would he marry a half-blood? He married a mudblood. He married one of the people that we hate the most. Not only did he marry, oh no, he and his mudblood had children, two as a matter of fact. He disgraced our name then added two half-bloods to the pure-blood name of Malfoy. That began to show me that he was going to turn. He was going to be feeding us false information, while he gave the Order the real information. I had already disowned my son for his marriage, but now I send him to his death. Tonight, we were sent out to kill the Weasley boy. We would have too it hadn't of been for him." Lucius pointed his finger at Draco. "Avery had the boy in his power. He was about to kill him when Draco collided into him. Silently Draco released the Weasley boy and attempted to escape. I realized what he did. So now Draco is sent to live the rest of his life tied to that rock. I refuse to kill him just yet, that makes it too simple and quick. No, I prefer to have to slow and painful." Lucius said. He glared at his son one last time before the four of them left the cave.
Draco was tied to the rock and couldn't move. He had no idea how to get free. He had no idea if he was ever going to get free. He couldn't apperate. He was tied with non-apperating ropes. He was stuck. Suddenly his minded flashed to his family. Hermione would be hurt if he didn't come home. He had no clue how his daughter would take it and his son would figured that he, Draco, no longer cared.
Over the next two month of being tied to that rock the thoughts of his family kept him alive. He over heard Dumbledore telling Harry once that love was a powerful thing. His love of his family kept him alive.
Draco was tied to the rock for two long months. Every now and then he was feed a small amount of food and some water, just enough to keep him barely alive. One day Avery came into the cave to give Draco and lack of food he was being given. Draco was acting to be asleep, but from the lack of food and water, acting made him look dead. Avery thought that Draco had finally died the slow and painful death he was destined to die. Avery walked over to Draco and began to smack him trying to make sure he was dead and not just faking it. Believing Draco to be really dead Avery summoned Lucius. Lucius arrived looking fairly upset that he had been disturbed because of something concerning his 'so called' son. He looked at Draco and he too thought him to be dead.
"The Malfoy family has always been stong, but I never figured that he would live for two months. Avery, dispose of the body. I do not want this filth in the cave making it smell." Lucius said before apperating back to wherever he had come from.
Avery untied the body of Draco and took it outside. He dumped it down the other side of the cave. Draco rolled down the hill for over 25 feet. On the way down he hit rocks and other sharp objects before he came to a stop at the bottom. Draco had come to rest, face down, in a mud puddle. He managed to roll over a just lay there for a while. He was covered from head to toe in mud and in extreme amounts of pain. Draco began to slowly move. Every movement he made sent excruciating pain through his body. He was surprised he had died on the way down the hill. At that moment Avery saw the movement from down below and apperated to the bottom of the valley. Draco reached up and pulled Avery down into the mud. He threw Avery in the mud before getting up. Draco had no strength what so ever, but he still managed to put up a fight. Once Avery was knocked out cold in the mud, Draco, using the rest of the strength he had apperated to his home. He found that no one was home, but found the letter of the Hogwarts reunion. Draco headed straight for Hogwarts without even resting or changing. He couldn't wait any longer to be back in the arms of his wife or to be holding his children once more.
Draco finally finished the story of what had happened during the two months that he was gone. Tears were beginning to form in Hermione's eyes as she heard the story. Once she learned of the pain that her husband had endured, she finally understood why he only wanted to tell the story once. Everyone else in the room had also fallen quiet. When no one else knew what to say, yet there was still one man in the whole room who knew exactly what to say.
"We're glad you've come back." Professor Dumbledore said as everyone else just stared at Draco still trying to comprehend his story. "You may head back to the Hospital Wing now. Madam Pomfy should be waiting for you outside my office. Mrs. Malfoy will clue you in on the rest of out meeting." He said.
"I would like to stay." Draco said ash he looked at Dumbledore.
"I'm sure you would, but you need your rest. Hermione will inform you later." Dumbledore said to Draco. With that Professor McGonagall helped Draco to the door where Madam Pomfrey stood waiting.
"Off we go Mr. Malfoy." Madam Pomfrey said as she helped Draco up. The two of them walked out of Dumbledore's office and the door closed behind them. Everyone in the room turned back to look at Dumbledore.
"Now we all face a very large problem. Lucius Malfoy knows that Draco is on our side. He is in as much danger as Harry." Dumbeldore said. No one said a word. No one had anything to say, until someone spoke.
"Professor, does that mean that my children and I are also in danger?" Hermione asked.
"I have a very strong feeling so that. I think it would be better if you and your children stay here. I need you to write out a list of things that you will need from your house. I'll send some member of the Order out to your house and pick everything up. I think you three, along with Draco will be here for quite some time." Dumbeldore said. Hermione nodded her head, stood up and walked out the door.
"Professor are you sure they are all in a lot of danger?" Ron asked.
"If Lucius is mad that Draco married a muggle born, then he's twice as mad that he has grandchildren. We must do everything in our power to keep that family safe. Ron, Harry I need you two to keep Hermione calm. Remus, Alastor I need you two to go to the Malfor home and gather that things that the family will need once I receive the list. Thank you all for coming. I have a feeling we will be meeting here again in a short time." Dumbledore said. With that the meeting ended with many thoughts and questions running through everyone's minds.
(Author's Note: I hope you liked this chapter. I'll try to update more offten, but right now I'm kind of stuck of where to start the next chapter at. I will work on it as soon as I get time to. R/R)