THE PERFECT STORY
by shiningbright

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Just this fanfic idea.

A/N: This is one of my favorite chapters. I really enjoyed writing it, although it was one of the hardest to write (besides chapter sixteen of course...lol). This one is decent in length and includes- TA DAH!- the article Ginny wrote about Martha in the Daily Prophet. Please leave a review at the end to let me know what you think!

Also, you guys have no idea how great it is to look at the 130 reviews I've gotten so far for this story. My other chapter fic, that I wrote last summer, got 144 with 20 chapters, so I hope to have at least 145 by chapter 20 of this story. All right. Enjoy!

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: CONDEMNED

Draco Malfoy sat on the rickety bench in his cell, absent-mindedly twiddling his scarred thumbs. Meeting Ginny a mere 24 hours ago had been wonderful, but when she had left, crying, angry, he felt terrible. If he hadn't killed Harry, Bellatrix would have killed his mother and himself! He had no choice! Potter had already been half dead anyway.

Her reaction to his answer had stung him. She never even gave him a chance to explain that it wasn't his fault. It didn't matter now anyway. He was going to die. That or rot in this cell for the rest of his life.

A guard walked past his cell. Draco didn't even bother to look up. Then the guard's footfalls ended and a knock was heard.

"Malfoy. This is for you," the guard said idly, tossing a newspaper into the cell. Draco stood, stretched, then grabbed it. A copy of the latest Daily Prophet. Ripping it open, he faced the front page and practically fainted.

DRACO MALFOY: MUGGLE SLAVER

Wizards and witches are not the only ones affected by the evil wizard and You-Know-Who successor, Draco Malfoy, reports Ginevra Weasley, 24, but muggles are too. Less than two weeks ago I was kidnapped by the sinister man and brought to his home, the Malfoy Manor, where I was kept in his custody for over a week, during which I was tortured and starved. It was not my fate, however, that was the worst, it was Martha Bent's.

Martha Bent is your average muggle. About 5'4" with long brown hair and almond colored eyes, she wanted nothing but a good future and to be with her family. But at age 17, these hopes were ripped cruelyfrom her fingers.

It had been your average day in Meriwether Village. Bent woke up with her sister and mother, their mother going off to work and the two daughters to school. Upon arriving home, however, they witnessed a terrible sight: their mother was nowhere to be seen and many of the homes had been torched to the ground.

Chaos was apparent. Bent tried to hide her sister and herself, but her attempts were in vain. Her mother suddenly appeared, as though chained to a man in a mask and long, sweeping robes, who we know as the cowardly Death Eaters. They killed Bent's mother, who was too old for any use, and Bent's seven-year-old sister, who was too young to complete work. Bent watched in horror before being taken by a Death Eater and knocked out.

Days later she awoke in a small room on the stone floor, dressed in a black dress with white lace- servant attire. But she was no servant. Servants are paid. She was a slave.

This shocking realization was enough to send her into panic and she immediately stood, spying a door. Ripping it open, she found herself in a busy kitchen, filled with other muggle girls around her age. "What is going on!" she screamed. "Where am I?"

Another slave told her to be quiet, that "Master" would kill her if he heard her. Bent did not understand. She started to weep when she remembered her sister's and mother's cruel deaths.

"New slave woke up, Master," Bent heard a man in a mask say on the other side of the room. "She's a pretty one too, sir."

"Yes, I see that," answered a man in black with sleeked, shiny blonde hair. Something in his silvery eyes made Bent feel scared inside. This was the leader, she realized, her slaver, her mother's and sister's killer.

"Get away f-from m-me!" she whispered, her lip quivering.

Bent later realized this man was Draco Malfoy, to whom she was to call Master. He was the leader, ruler, dictator, king… The law. Bent was sentenced to kitchen duty and began working there. By the time I arrived she was eighteen years old and had lived at Malfoy Manor for over sixth months.

While I was kidnapped, Bent and I met by mere chance. She told me her life story and begged me to help the other girls enslaved, the muggles who were never shone the good side of wizardry. Bent later sacrificed her life for mine. I owe a debt to her that I fear will never be repaid.

Draco slammed his fist into the wall, seething. I can't believe this… She's condemned me to this hell! I can't believe I ever loved her! He thought angrily, jumping up and pacing. Now that that article was out, it was only a matter of time before the Wizengamot voted him to be killed or screwed to life in this hellhole.

"Malfoy. Visitor. Five minutes." A different guard from last time informed him. Draco nodded, hoping it was someone who could help him, not that lying twit Ginny-

"Weasley," Draco growled as the redhead walked up and leaned onto the bars. "I shoulda known."

Ginny spied the Daily Prophet in his hand. "Draco, Draco! I'm sorry… I was angry… I've made an awful mistake! Please believe me!" she cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I love you."

"Funny," Draco retorted, although her last words had sent him slightly off-guard. "How you beg for forgiveness after publishing crap like that in a newspaper. Front page, Ginny, FRONT PAGE!"

"I know…I'm sorry… After Davison published it I remembered what you said when we were at Hogwarts, about Bellatrix forcing you to do all your dirty work and I realized that it wasn't your fault… You had had no choice… Oh, Draco…" Ginny sobbed. "Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?"

He wanted to forgive her so badly. But he found that he couldn't. "You've condemned me, Ginny, don't you know that? Either the Wizengamot sends me back here for the rest of my life or I die. Don't you see?"

"I could fix it!" Ginny answered. "I could write another article… They've promoted me to Head Reporter! I'm equal rank with the editor! They wouldn't be able to say no to me!"

"Yeah? No one wants to hear about what a good boy I am, Ginny…" Draco muttered, turning his back to her.

"Five minutes are up, Ms. Weasley," the guard said, returning from his rounds. "By the way, great article this morning."

Ginny simply shook her head. Draco tore the newspaper to shreds.

shiningbright