Galahad knew something was missing, but he couldn't say what it was. He had spent five years in this hellhole of a school. He had garnered a following, especially when Draco and Blaise had poised themselves as his rivals. But now he had an opportunity to prove himself. Galahad would prove himself worthy of his namesake. And they would see how clever he actually was. He was better than Rookwood, better than Barty, Jr. He ultimately knew that his family was wrong. You couldn't stop what was coming and if there was anything he had learned, it was that it was always prudent to ally yourself to the winning side.
Galahad hadn't taken the dark mark that day at Borgin and Burke's but he had taken an oath of loyalty and all he had to do was open the door he had been repairing. It was high time the Fauste name stopped playing second fiddle to the Blacks and the Malfoys, especially with the fiasco in the ministry last year. With his grandfather dying and his mother missing, Galahad would lead the Faustes to a new era. It was his destiny.
So Galahad stood in the Room of Hidden Things, his friend Draco behind him wand pointed at his back.
"Galahad, I can't let you do that. If you've ever cared about our friendship, you will step aside."
Galahad turned around and swiftly drew his wand. "When did you grow a spine, my friend? You're the one who should stand aside. Don't you still want daddy's approval?"
"You taught me to stick up for myself. To not let anyone bully me, not even you."
Galahad scoffed. "But you had to stick up to up now? Now?! When I'm on the cusp of greatness?!"
"I swore you and me would fight side by side until the end. I meant that. Now I have to save you from yourself before you do something stupid."
Galahad lashed out with his wand, a flash of violet lightning crackling out of his wand with a thunderous explosion. "Don't you dare call me stupid!"
"Protego!" Draco said coldly, a shield intercepting the bolt in midair. "Galahad please listen to me..."
Galahad pushed forward with a roar and flicked his wrist, adding more tendrils to the lightning that crackled and struck wildly. "You left me to join Potter, last year! You left me alone to deal with Umbridge and lost the right to counsel me! I am doing what I have to!"
Draco's wand hand shook violently and sweat beaded on his forehead. "Do what you must, you sellout..."
Galahad snarled and without thinking he cast the one curse he had once sworn he never would cast.
"Avada Kedavra!" A flash of emerald erupted from the wand to replace the violet lightning and it hit Draco in his chest. Galahad was in shock by what he'd done. He shook violently and bit his lip so hard he drew blood. He wouldn't cry. Not now. Not when there was no turning back.
Galahad rapped on the door of the vanishing cabinet he had carefully repaired and opened it. A half a dozen of Voldemort's inner circle emerged from it, cloaked in shadows.
"Dumbledore isn't in the castle. If it falls, he does." Galahad said hoarsely. "Stick to the plan. Burn the school. Take no prisoners."
Bellatrix Lestrange looked at the body of Draco and then back at Galahad her shrill voice as cold as ice. "You dare to kill superior blood and then dare to give us orders?"
Galahad looked her equally coldly in the eyes. "Draco was my friend and he ended up betraying us all. He decided to get in the way of the winning side, and regretfully I had to do what was necessary. If you get in my way, I won't have such regrets."
"Pathetic Halfblood Runt!" She snapped, starting towards Galahad, but Galahad smiled.
"Do it. I dare you. I'm the last Fauste, favored by the dark lord. But know that there's always fates worse than death. Killing me would be a mercy to what the dark lord will do to you if I fall here and now and you let let his quarry escape when they both could have died in one fail swoop."
Amycus Carrow stepped between Bellatrix and Galahad. "He's right, Lestrange. We can win this war before it even really begins. I hate to admit it, but we need him."
"What a time we live in, when a Carrow is the voice of reason." Bellatrix lowered her wand, still seething in Galahad's direction. "If we fail, it's on your head."
Galahad regarded Draco's body sadly, one last time. "We won't fail."
Galahad marched out of the room of requirement, throwing transfiguration spells to turn several unsuspecting teachers into glass and shattering them.
Galahad felt wrong. He felt disgusted at his own actions, but he knew they were necessary. There would be peace in his time. There had to be, perhaps then Galahad will have found whatever was missing.
