Chapter Twelve: Draco's Christmas "Present"
"Christmas is coming! Tra-la-la-la-la lal-lal-la-la!" sang Nearly Headless Nick at the top of his lungs floating through the Great Hall, which was unusually empty. Well it wasn't that unusual, because it always happened during Christmas holidays. Much to Dumbledore's surprise, all the students had decided to leave Hogwarts to visit their parents despite the danger which was brought by the war. Everybody was afraid of Voldemort's attacks and scanned the newspapers everyday trying not to find anything about their relatives attacked, wounded or even dead. But students returned to their families nevertheless. Hogwarts was the safest place in the wizarding world at times like these. The only possible explanation was the protest against Voldemort's opinion that the whole wizarding world is deathly scared of him and will crawl on its knees to beg for his mercy. And that was an absolute absurdity, if you ask me, because it was common knowledge that he was totally merciless.
Oh no, far from it. Everybody decided to celebrate the most beautiful and cheerful holiday of the year in a way they do every year. With their families, who love and care for them. Maybe it would be their last Christmas together, but such a reunion would give them strength to fight and aim to fight: for the love and freedom, not for themselves, but for their children and grandchildren.
This wasn't, of course, concern any of the older slytherins who on the Christmas night, were to be initiated into becoming the youngest Death Eaters. It wasn't a secret to anyone; all Hogwarts including the staff knew about it, but did nothing to prevent it. Dumbledore was quite sure that they wouldn't return to Hogwarts any time soon.
Voldemort thought that it was a very brilliant idea of his to initiate his new followers at Christmas, like the new saviors of the world would be born.
Hogwarts was quiet and calm, but the tension was also present. It wasn't the tension which could be served for dinner and eaten with a knife, but still its presence was undeniable. Teachers, using the absence of the children, put more protection spells on the castle and the grounds, but also new alarm spells which would warn about any upcoming danger in the radius of two miles. The highest attention was kept towards the Quiddich pitch because several matches were to take place just after the holidays. One of them was Slytherin versus Ravenclaw, but there was one simple problem. One very tiny problem: who would play for the Slytherin, if half of the team including the Captain is missing?
In spite of all the big or small problems connected with the war, the cheerful holiday mood hung in the air also. The Great Hall was decorated in traditional Christmas colors with mistletoes on the walls and above all the doors of course. Garlands from fir branches were hung on the windows and covered with some substance which made them glitter in all rainbow colors on the top of the fir spines. There was always something new in the Christmas decoration of the Great Hall, and this time it was table ornaments. The tables were covered with the ice webs, just like the windows during winter frosts. They weren't cold of course, but reminded of lace tablecloth.
But nobody enjoyed this beauty. The only alive people in the castle were professors, but they too seemed to be far from alive. Everyday they were working on the strategies of the Hogwarts protection, dealing with the upcoming slytherins-Death Eaters situation and finding solutions to uphold the unity of the school tired every staff member, that's why they ate mostly in their private chambers.
Let's return to my favorite place so far; the dungeons.
Snape was sitting behind his work-table, preparing equipment for the experiments concerning professor Halflife's "problem". He had just returned from the Christmas dinner in the Great Hall. Dumbledore asked everyone to be there just to make a toast to Christmas. Yes, it was lame, but still the tradition of generations should be upheld.
Snape saw her there too. She was pale with bags under her ocean eyes and quite unhealthy looking. 'Probably, it wants to eat again. I better finish this quicker than I intended. It is just unfair that such an intelligent and young woman must suffer from some stupid family curse.'
He hadn't any problems with his admitting that she was a witty and powerful woman. She was, so why think against it? He didn't say that she was beautiful or kind or something more sentimental. She was what she was: young, powerful, a little bit eccentric, but smart nevertheless. Now Snape understood why the Headmaster has chosen her as the new DADA teacher.
His office was gravely silent except for the clinking of the glass retorts and test tubes now and then or creaking of the quill. Suddenly the office door was slammed open. Snape slowly turned to see who this unwelcome intruder was and already prepared to hex him to the next universe or even further with a very nasty curse, but when he saw who it was he was speechless from shock. At first he didn't recognize the person in front of him, but when he did, he was stunned even beyond shock.
In his doorframe on the Christmas night was standing Draco Malfoy. But the strangest thing was that he looked far from what he usually did. His clothes were ruffled and creased, eyes were larger than normal, hair was sticking out in all possible directions and there was something different about the color, but Snape couldn't place it.
Draco moved towards Snape like a zombie and without saying any word, when he reached the potions professor, he fell on his knees, putting his head on the knees of his favorite professor and started crying uncontrollably.
You can understand what feelings were flashing though Snape's mind. Firstly it was surprise and disbelief, because he thought that his own eyes were lying and this was not Draco Malfoy, who was watering his robes. Then came curiosity about the reason of his being here. The question escaped his mouth before he could restrain it,
"You haven't done it, have you?" Draco only shook his head still crying non-stop. "Good boy." Snape patted him on the back, really thankful to fate or anything that helped him not to do it.
Then curiosity changed to pure hatred and rage. 'How could they do this to him! What have they done that Draco Malfoy, the most emotionless guy at Hogwarts, started crying! One day I will go and kill them all. Those damn Death Eaters,' he was sooo sick of them.
His thoughts about what way he will kill all Death Eaters were interrupted by muffled noise. Draco was saying something, but it came muffled because of the robes.
"What?" asked Snape, relieved that Draco had stopped his crying session because he wasn't used to comforting anybody in hysterics. 'What's with him lately? Fainting and hysterical woman, now crying Malfoy. Where is the world going? Yes, right into the mad house.'
"I will kill him," Draco stated. He was heard clearly now, because he put his forehead on Snape's left knee, but still wasn't looking at him.
'Merlin! He is ashamed of his outburst. He thinks that this is a disgrace, when a grown up man cries like a baby.' "There is nothing to be ashamed of. I am sure you didn't cry a lot in your childhood. Calm down and sit in the chair down there." He gestured towards a comfortable looking armchair beside the edge of his table. Draco soundlessly stood up and did as he was told. He put his elbow on the armrest and then forehead on his fist, so his eyes were again unseen.
"So who you are going to kill?" Snape asked conversationally. He knew that if he spoke with him in any other tone, Draco would close up and tell him nothing. Being Draco's Head of the House he knew him pretty well, and he knew one important thing about talking with Draco Malfoy. Draco must feel himself in control of the conversation and the whole outburst incident must be totally forgotten as if it never happened. It was a moment of weakness and would never happen again. What's new? A very arrogant boy.
"Lucius," Draco snapped.
"You mean, your father?"
"No, I don't have a father now," Draco's voice was full of hate and disgust.
"Why so?" asked Snape, playing with his quill.
"Our beloved Dark Lord told him to get rid of the spare ears in the Manor. He went to her bedroom and killed her," the quill in Snape's hand had stood still, "He killed his own wife, who has been living with that bastard for twenty years, never objected him, and even …loved him. He killed her not only because some crazy idiot told him to, but he did it willingly, as if she were another vase he breaks every day."
Only now he looked at Snape, his eyes were red from crying, but there was unmistakable pure loath in his glance. But Snape also saw another feeling which was alien to a Malfoy till now, it was hurt. Hurt for loosing a person he cared for. Draco said it all in a low, calm voice, but anyone could hear his readiness to kill in every word. "I was made to sit through this and watch. I wasn't tied, but I did nothing to save her. I was too scared and shocked. I saw pleasure in his eyes. Pleasure from killing his own wife. I thought I was going to be sick, but not from the view of torture and murder, but from his delight and enjoyment.
I know that Death Eaters love to kill, torture, and see people's misery and begging for mercy, their name stands for it. I was brought up to be a Death Eater. I understood that it will come sooner or later. Frankly speaking, I was ready to become one today, but this stopped me. After he finished his "little business", he said, "Well, let's go, it is a big holiday for you today." That was it. I said something about needing to take something from my room, ran there at top speed, her numb body still standing in front of my eyes. I grabbed my belongings and broom and was off to Hogwarts. Now I understand that it was crazy of me. Excuse me professor, I better go," he stood up and headed towards the door.
"And where do you think you're going?" Our beloved strict Snape was back again. "Into hiding? They will find you wherever you go. It safer here than anywhere else."
"But how? I can't be seen here. Everyone, including the staff must think that I am a Death Eater and have gone with the other slytherins."
"Oh, I can assure you that this Death Eater thing won't be a problem. Every student thinks that you are a Death Eater since the beginning of the term."
"Yeah," Draco looked at his toes. He looked like a vulnerable and absolutely defenseless baby, like he was, when he cried his eyes out. "What should I do then?"
"You can live and work in the laboratory. You can't waste your time and talent on hiding from those good-for-nothing gits." Draco's eyebrows rose on Snape's attitude towards Death Eaters, but he didn't ask anything. "I'll coordinate everything with Dumbledore immediately. Now go to the lab and sleep, no one will disturb you till tomorrow's evening."
Draco was still in a trance about the whole ordeal, but managed to walk to the lab which was only one door to the right.
'I need you here, Draco. We need you here. You are capable of a lot more than you ever imagine. She will help you to deal with all this. She will certainly do.'