Chapter Two
In Which Some Light Is Shed
"This is war," he said, and shook himself awake.
There are wars fought in fields and wars fought in cities. Explosions and death and the harsh banging of shotgun shells and bombs. There are wars everywhere and always, between individuals and civilizations and species.
But there are few wars more silent than the war between light and dark.
In the war between wizards there was white and there was black and there was gray -- the white impure, the black evil, the gray just fighting to stay alive.
"This is war," he said, and took his wand from his pocket.
In a war between wizards, hiding in shadows and ducking around corners, battles are fought between individuals. Snipers like thieves in the night, shooting down innocents and blowing up bridges.
They aim to kill, and they hide to stay alive.
"This is war!" he said, and crept out into the night to die.
Draco Malfoy lived under an enduring umbrella of failure and embarrassment, a twisting weasel trying to survive the snakepit. His father had been captured, his mother was weak, and he... had failed his mission. His one mission. His all-important mission. The one thing that could redeem his father and save his mother and keep Draco himself alive.
So he fought.
He fought as a soldier, a nothing-person in the night, ransacking and sniping and killing for the manthing that commanded such respect, such loyalty, such fear. His hands shook on every curse, his soul broke into gradually smaller pieces with every death.
This was the nightmare time, and even underneath his glib elitism he was worn down and broken.
Broken and hated and disrespected, no power, no doting adoration, Draco Malfoy was sent on a suicide mission.
to kill is to become less than a man
Draco Malfoy stood in the doorway of the makeshift barracks and breathed hard with his young lungs. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die.
to kill is to become more than human
He was going to take them all with him.
to kill is to become alive.
"This is war!" he said, and crept out into the night to kill -- and be killed.
come alive!