Title:
Guiltless Boy
Characters:
Harry Potter
Word Count:
1317
Rating:
M
Summary: Second in the Revenge Series.
Draco gets attacked for changing sides, but Harry still doesn't believe people can change…
Author's Notes:
I don't own this or anything to do with it – go disclaimer, woo. Ummm, I think this works…what do you think?
Harry sat in the corner of the kitchen of Grimmauld place, eating his breakfast like the dutiful little man he was supposed to be. It had been two weeks since the death of one Bellatrix Lestrange and no one was any wiser to how she died. Harry smirked as Molly Weasley read the front page of the Daily Prophet and tutted.
After all who would suspect poor little Harry Potter, who was so delicate since the death of his last remaining family member. Yes there had been a panic when he had gone missing for four hours but Harry had guilelessly explained that he had wandered into Gringotts who had been having trouble with one of their dragons which had held up the carts. Of course he hadn't meant to be gone for so long, just long enough to get some money for a book on quidditch he wanted. The other children had just looked sorry for Harry as the grown-ups had given him a stern lecture before Molly tried to strangle him with her hugs… "We were so worried, but you were safe down there, it's okay now…"
Harry had been slightly withdrawn from the others lately and had taken to spend long hours in his room. His friends were worried about him but thought that he was just grieving. He in fact was planning. Planning horrible ways for those he hated and who had tried to kill to die. Many included blood, pain, screaming. It was the screaming in his dreams that had calmed him down. It seemed to give him some satisfaction, it was the only way for his head to stop repeating and going over the darker events of his life. It was his lifeline and he was clinging to it.
Today happened to be one of the days that the order were meeting for their weekly progress meeting. Like that actually meant anything. They sat there and talked about how they didn't know where Voldemort was or what he was doing. Harry was allowed in because, of course, it was his destiny to destroy he-who-must-not-be-named and he should have his own input. This hadn't gone well with the other Weasley children and Harry wished that they would just learn to mind their own business and not stick their noses in where they weren't needed or wanted.
Dumbledore strode in like he owned the place, with that annoying twinkle in his eye and a smile as sweet as the candy he offered to everyone. Sitting down he turned a grave face to the order members gathered.
"It has come to my attention that a son of one of the known death eaters had publicly declined joining Voldemort's services. He has already had death threats against him and nearly died in one of the attacks. Therefore I thought it best to bring him here where he could properly be protected."
There was a huge gasp from the members present. Cries of 'who is it?' and 'can we really trust him?' rang through the crowd. With one graceful twist of his hand Dumbledore had restored the calm once more.
"Remember this, Draco went against all he has ever known and his family to give us vital information. I believe he is loyal in his desire to remain not a death eater and so we can trust him."
Harry was livid, though he didn't show it. Any sign of his mental instability and he'd be carted of to St. Mungo's faster than you can count to ten. Learning off Snape, the only person who treated Harry like normal, Harry masked his face to show polite enquiry and confusion. He was in fact thinking that this was the perfect opportunity for him…
With the order meeting over, Harry was ushered into the kitchen where a pained Draco Malfoy sat. Keeping up appearances Harry held out his hand and shook Malfoy's, 'all past is forgotten' yeah right. Dumbledore was standing right behind Harry and beamed at this display of new friendship.
"Right, right… you boys get along now. Allies must always be the best of friends and you have so much in common." Albus wandered off after this leaving a confused couple of boys.
"He's nutters." Draco said timidly, not looking at Harry at all.
"Yeah, but he's right. We all need to get along, especially now…Draco." Draco warmed at this and looked Harry in the eyes, smiling he nodded and it started the boys off in a flushed conversation on quidditch.
The next week was filled with Harry getting closer to Draco, much to the displeasure of Ron and Ginny (as he still ignored them). Harry innocently learned information about death eater weaknesses, especially those of Lucius, Narcissa and Wormtail. Also as part of the concerned friend bit had memorised Draco's daily routine and potion schedule. When Draco had been attacked it had caused many internal injuries that weren't healing as well as they were supposed to, which meant that he needed to take daily potions to help ease his pain. Taking full advantage of the dark library at Grimmauld place, Harry learned much about potion ingredients and what NOT should be mixed. Harry had gotten into the routine of bringing Draco breakfast in bed, something that Mrs Weasley thought was very sweet of him to do, as well as bringing him his potions. On one particular day Harry just happened to spill some lemon into his tea, now Lemon should never be added to active potions as it strips it of the neutralising agents, making healing potions quite deadly.
Placing the tray on the bottom of Draco's bed while he still slept, Harry crept out and went down to help Mrs Weasley with the rest of the breakfast.
"Draco still asleep, love?" She asked to Harry.
"I left it by his bed for when he wakes up." Innocent to the extreme.
"You're such a good boy. I'm proud of the way your acting around him, unlike some people I can think of." She jerked her head upwards obviously indicating Ron who was still asleep upstairs.
At that moment, Severus Snape came in as was his usual morning routine. Part of being Draco's godfather meant that he ensured that Draco take his potions on schedule and have a check-up.
"Severus… He's still asleep, should be up soon." Snape nodded in confirmation and went upstairs to his godson. Gently pushing him awake he gave Draco the potions and made sure he ate his breakfast. After seeing that all was fine he left, leaving Draco to carry on the day.
Draco emerged from his room around eleven looking slightly grey. Mrs. Weasley did her mother hen cluck and tutted about the uselessness of too many potions. As the day went on Draco got worse, strong stomach cramps meant that he couldn't keep anything down, his temperature rose alarmingly and Mrs. Weasley fire-called Severus in a panic. Arriving he immediately took Draco to St Mungo's where he could get proper care, Harry upset at the fact that he couldn't watch him in any more pain retired to his room upset, the others saw it as concern and just looked at each other in worry.
Two hours later Severus came back through the floo network with the most upsetting news. Draco had died due to an allergic reaction to some of the potions. A fact that had stunned him since Draco had been taking them for weeks. It was a tragedy, a great tragedy. But things like that happen, don't they….
Harry's Murder List
Bellatrix Lestrange
Draco Malfoy
