Thank you to ALL my reviewers and to ALL my readers!
Disclaimer: see previous chapter.
Thank you to Merlin, GoldenSunnyGrl, and Malombra for being such great BETA'S.
ENJOY!
CHAPTER EIGHT
Dumbledore had said that their powers were to intertwined now and could not be separated. But what if Draco gave them up? What if he voluntarily gave them to Harry? Would that work? Draco decided he didn't care that Harry was a squib, he had just felt so shocked that he was.
Determined to do this now, Draco struggled to get out of the bed. "Milli!" He called out.
"Take me to Dumbledore." He demanded when she came running into the room.
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Dumbledore looked sadly at Draco as his hurried questions tapered off. "Draco, I am sorry but it wouldn't work. He just does not have enough magic to perform the spell."
"When will he be strong enough?"
"He never will be."
"Then I give them up voluntarily."
"You do?" Dumbledore looked surprised.
"Will he get them back if I do?"
"I don't know, either the magic's will go to their rightful carrier, or they will disperse until another heir is needed. You could end up a squib." Dumbledore cautioned Draco with a very worried look. He may not have approved of the relationship to begin with but the boy had been good for Harry.
Draco waved that off before replying, "and Harry could end up with his magic back."
"Yes."
"Then that is what I will do." Draco said firmly.
"Mr. Malfoy, you could very well loose all of your magic." The Headmaster pointed out gently.
"I don't care sir, not if it gives Harry back his magic. Then I will do it."
"May I ask why?"
"Yes."
"You're not going to tell me are you?"
"It should be obvious why. May I ask something of you sir?"
Dumbledore nodded.
"Once I do this…I won't be able to stay. Will you explain for me?"
"Of course. Where will you go?"
Draco shrugged his shoulders, "I've always wanted to learn to ski."
"And what should I tell Mr. Potter?"
"Nothing. He'll understand when he gets his magic back."
"Mr. Malfoy, perhaps-"
"No!" Draco snapped. "He's not to know!"
"Why? So he can feel just as bad as you?" He was asked shrewdly.
Draco flinched before whispering, "no, so that he can live."
"I can't allow-"
"Listen old man," Draco snarled as power radiated from him, "I'll do this with or without you."
"Fine."
"I want to see my father." Draco said as he stood to leave. Milli came from the corner where she had been standing since they arrived to help steady him. He could tell by her closed face that she disapproved but would never say anything in front of the Headmaster.
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"You're an idiot." Milli said calmly as she helped him into bed.
"Yes, yes, we've already established that." Draco said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes at her.
"Your father will be here in the morning, Dray." Was all that she said before leaving.
That night Draco was plagued by dreams, not of the many people he had killed, but of Harry. His love. His betrayer. And the one thing that still meant more to him than anything.
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Draco was eating his breakfast when he got his first visitor.
"He wouldn't want you to do this, Draco." Pansy said from the doorway. Besides Milli, she was the only one left out of his year. The rest were dead, he had killed them.
Draco sighed and set his fork down, "no, he wouldn't."
"But you are going too." It wasn't a question but a statement of his motives.
"Yes."
"Even if it makes you a squib?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because it's all he has Pans." Draco said softly.
Pansy shook her head, "it's all you'll give him, Dray. He knew the consequences and was willing to live with it."
"And if I am not willing to live with it?"
"Are you?"
"No."
"Why?"
"God, Pansy! What is this, 20 questions?" Draco asked angrily.
She shrugged her shoulders, "if it must be, yes. Why?"
"He deserves to have his magic."
"No, Dray, he deserves to have your love. His magic is secondary." She said softly before turning and leaving.
Draco stared at the place she had been standing and wondered what that was all about.
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About an hour later his father was ushered into the room by a grim looking Milli. Draco was surprised at what a few weeks had done to this once proud man. Father and son were alike, both broken, sad men.
"I am going to speak first. I want you to listen well." Draco waited for his father to nod before he began again, he smiled at the shock his first words brought to his fathers face.
"I'm sorry. I should have listened. In my grief you were an easy target to take it out on." Draco waved his hand and with a muttered word the curse was lifted.
"I'm sorry, son." Lucius Malfoy said, his voice harsh from disuse.
"Me too." Draco replied. The two men stared at each other before his father broke the silence.
"Albus tells me you are going to voluntarily give the magic back." He said slowly.
Draco nodded his head yes.
"Why?"
He sighed, when were they going to stop asking him that question. "Because he needs it more than I do."
Lucius nodded before he reached down and with a firm grasp pulled his son into a tight hug. With a last squeeze he turned and walked to the door. Before he left he turned to face his son. "I am proud of you, Draco. I will support you in any way that I can, no matter the outcome."
Draco nodded gratefully to his father and then sighed once more. He was anxious to perform the transfer. But first he needed to gather his thoughts to write a short letter to Harry.
Dearest Harry,
I am sure you have been told what I am about to do and are asking why.
I always doubted your love for me. No matter how you tried to convince me otherwise that you did love me, there was always a part of me that doubted. Giving up your magic was the most stupidest sacrifice anyone had ever made. But it accomplished what you assurances had never done, it made me see your love and know it for real.
Know that I do this for you. Not because of anything else but that. For the longest time you were my life. I plan on giving yours back to you. You have lost much in your life, you should not lose this.
I will miss you, Harry. Live the life that you always should have.
I love you, Ice.
Your Fire,
Draco
He was crying when he finished. It didn't say everything, in fact it didn't say a lot, but it said enough. Wiping the tears away he slowly got up and gathered his things into a satchel. He had money so he would not have to ask for any from his father just yet.
With a thought he apperated to the outskirts of Hogsmead. He stared at the town for a few minutes before he turned his wand upon himself and spoke the words that would strip him of Harry's magic.
He could feel a great tearing sensation in his soul and then his vision went white. Sometime later he could see and he forced his shaking body to walk to the three Broomsticks. Twenty-five minutes later he was on the Muggle side of London waiting for a taxi to take him to the airport. He was going skiing.
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I must apologize for the lateness of this chapter.
Honestly, people, we writers here are all writing out of character. Yes, Harry did seem obsessed with Malfoy but he is with Ginny too until the very end when he told he couldn't see her anymore.
But everything that we write is AU. EVERYTHING. The only one who can write canon is JKR herself and the last time I checked I wasn't her.
So, my theory is this: this story is for me to write and for you to read. That's it. End of story. No big deal.
I DO want everyone to read my story and I DO want everyone to like it. Just like JKR does. Though I didn't make 36 million dollars in less than 24 hours, I do love to write.
MY STORY IS AU. KAPEESH!
Please, just ENJOY.
LMG
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SPOILERS
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SPOILERS
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I just finished Book 6 and I am sitting here in complete shock. I want to say that I believe that Dumbledore will come back but I do think he is truly dead. I felt pity for Draco and my anger at Snape is boundless.
I think Dumbledore was showing Harry all those things so that Harry would know what was needed. I also think that Dumbledore knew he was going to die. He knew and he wanted to give Harry as much information as was possible.
Harry not returning to Hogwarts and going to Godric's Hollow was a surprise. I have no thoughts about who R.A.B. is and can only think that it is an ally that Harry needs to find. After all, the note did say that he knew Voldemort's secret.
I sit here in shock and wonder what the hell am I doing? I am not sure if I am going to be writing anymore after this. I just seems...GOD! wrong somehow. I plan to spend the next few days reading my stories in the hopes that it will give me the incentive I need to continue. I love writing. I don't want to give up what I have started and I am sure many other authors are feeling the same way.
The one saving grace for me about all of this is Draco's obvious reluctance to kill Dumbledore. He was being forced to so that he could save his own life and that of his mother's. It is possible that he can be redeemed and there was something fishy about when Harry confronted Snape at the gates. He didn't WANT to curse Harry. In fact, he kept Harry from cursing him.
Dumbledore may well have been wrong about Snape, but then again maybe this was all part of the plan.
ARG! My head hurts just thinking about it so I am just going to stop. Please, take my ramblings as nothing and just remember, Harry has knowledge that Voldemort doesn't know that he has. We saw a glimpse into what made Voldemort like he is, and therein lies his defeat.
ENJOY!
LMG