OMG! Thank you to everyone to reviewed this story! I was honestly not expecting this much support from so many people but I'm so grateful to all of you! I hope you enjoy this next chapter!
Harry found himself in the sitting room in Malfoy Manor for the second time in less than four hours. He looked around, and he couldn't help remembering what had happened in this house during the war. When he, Ron, and Hermione had been captured and taken here. He could still hear the echoes of Hermione's screams.
But now that he had a chance to actually look around, he realized that it looked very different from when he had been here last. It was bright, not as dark and gloomy as it had been back then. The windows were open, with sunlight drifting through. The house was not as elegant and intimidating as it had been. It looked more comfortable, more like a home than just a house. It had a more cheerful aura overall.
"Mr. Potter? Are you ok?" Harry jumped when he heard Scorpius's voice.
"Yes, I'm fine. Where's the pensieve?" Harry asked. Scorpius pointed upstairs. Harry had never been upstairs in Malfoy Manor before, and he definitely wasn't looking forward to it. They went upstairs, and Scorpius led him down a seemingly endless hallway of rooms, until they reached the one at the very end, one of the largest ones.
Harry expected to see green decorations, snakes, and maybe a coffin in Draco Malfoy's room, but it was surprisingly normal. It seemed unnaturally neat and elegant, but besides that, completely ordinary. There was one master bed in the middle of the room with chairs near it, and a bookshelf on the far side of the room. Harry tried to imagine Draco in here all alone while Scorpius was away at school, and he felt a pang in his chest. Harry couldn't imagine how Draco had felt when Scorpius and Albus had went missing. At least Harry had all of his family and friends to support him. Draco had been completely alone, worrying that his only remaining family might be gone. Harry didn't even want to know how terrifying that must have been.
"Here." Scorpius pulled out one of the books on the bookshelf, and Harry watched in surprise as a pensieve came out, seemingly from inside the bookshelf. He stared at it for a moment, then turned to Scorpius.
"Can I…" he asked, motioning to the pensieve. Scorpius nodded, stepping back.
Harry slowly put his head into the pensieve, and felt everything around him change.
He saw all of the memories Scorpius was talking about, and he was horrified. He hadn't thought of what Scorpius and Draco had told him as real until he saw it for himself. He could see how terrified Draco was of his father, but he obviously idolized and loved his father as well. Harry could see it in the way he looked at the man, with a mixture of fear and admiration. He practically worshipped the ground his father walked on, and Lucius treated him like an object. That was the most heartbreaking realization that Harry came to.
How could Lucius be so cruel to his own son? He had put so much pressure on Draco, made him strive to be perfect but never succeed. He had broken his own son.
Even things that had seemed so funny to Harry in school didn't seem funny anymore. Like when Hermione had punched Draco. Back then, Harry had thought that Draco deserved it, because it was his fault that Buckbeak was sentenced to death. But now, he saw signs he had missed before. Signs of Draco's abuse. Like how afraid Draco seemed, not of Hermione, but of the threat of her using her wand on him. The way he backed instinctively into the wall behind him and closed his eyes, whimpering. As if he expected Hermione to hurt him, even though Hermione would never seriously hurt anyone with her wand. Harry had thought that he was acting that way because he was a coward, but now he wasn't so sure.
Even though Draco had been a rude, prejudiced bully, he had also just been a child, who didn't deserve any of the pain and abuse that he got. And Harry wished that he could've done anything to help Draco.
But they were all adults now. And Harry knew from experience, or rather, his son's experience, that it was not possible to change the past. No matter how much he wanted to.
Watching Sectumsempra again only made him even guiltier, watching himself hurting Draco. He had almost killed Draco when he should've been comforting him.
When the Sectumsempra scene ended, Harry expected to be taken out of the pensieve, but there seemed to be more memories that Scorpius hadn't told him about. Either he hadn't seen them or he chose not to tell Harry.
Draco and Snape apparated into an unfamiliar hallway, and Draco stumbled and fell to his knees. Tears poured down his cheeks, and Harry grimaced and looked away. When was this?
Snape kneeled down beside him and patted his back quietly. "Draco, the Dark Lord is waiting for you," he said, almost apologetically.
Draco took a deep breath and glared at Snape through his tears. "This is all your fault! If you hadn't come in at the last minute, I could've done it!" Harry gasped. This was right after Dumbledore's death!
Draco looked terrified at the prospect of facing Voldemort, and Harry couldn't blame him. But Harry also knew that Draco wouldn't have killed Dumbledore. He wasn't a killer, and Snape seemed to know that too.
"Draco, stop denying what you know," Snape sneered. "If I hadn't done it, Dumbledore would still be alive."
Draco's entire body was trembling.
"He's going to kill me! I don't want to die!" Draco's voice was high pitched and hysterical with terror. He sounded so childlike, so vulnerable. Only then did Harry realize how young Draco had been. He had only been sixteen, one year older than Albus was now, and he had been told to kill one of the most powerful wizards in the world, the consequence of failing being death for himself and his family.
Snape's expression softened. "You will be punished, but I don't think he will kill you," he said, attempting to be comforting. Draco let out a sob, and Snape awkwardly patted his shoulder.
"Draco, you have to stop crying. You don't want the Dark Lord to be angrier than he already is," Snape said, more gently than Harry had ever heard him speak before. The man seemed to really care about Draco, even if he didn't show it often.
Draco let out a shuddering breath and straightened, wiping away his tears. His gray eyes were fearful, but he had managed to erase all signs that he had been crying. Snape gave him a nod and began walking towards the doors that were on the other side of the hallway, where Harry knew Voldemort was. What had he done to Draco for his failure?
Snape pushed open the doors and stepped in, Draco right behind him. Now, it was obvious to Harry that they were in Malfoy Manor. Voldemort didn't seem to be there yet.
Harry looked around the room and saw Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy standing in the room, along with Bellatrix Lestrange. Narcissa had tears in her eyes.
"Draco!" Narcissa cried out, practically running to her son and hugging him tightly.
"Mother," Draco sobbed. Narcissa held him tightly in her arms, murmuring comforting words in his ears. Lucius walked forward, leaning heavily on his cane. He looked horrible, and Harry assumed that this was when he had just escaped from Azkaban. That would explain why he looked so weak and tired. Draco's jaw dropped when he saw his father, and he pulled away from his mother.
"Father?" he gasped, shock replacing fear for the moment.
"Draco," Lucius breathed. There was relief in his eyes, relief at seeing his son ok. Harry didn't understand the man at all. First he hurt his son, and then he seemed glad to see him?
Draco bit his lip and lowered his head, unable to meet his father's gaze. He looked ashamed to have been caught crying.
"I'm sorry, Father," he whispered. His voice cracked at the end.
Lucius lifted a shaky hand and put his fingers under Draco's chin, pulling his head up.
"Look at me, boy," he ordered, but his voice wasn't harsh. In fact, he sounded almost gentle. Harry frowned at the sudden change in behavior.
Draco's eyes shot up to meet his father's immediately. Lucius tilted his son's face to the side, as if examining him.
"You've grown since the last time I saw you, Draco," he said softly.
Draco looked at him, puzzled. "Yes, Father," he said uncertainty. "It's been nearly a year." Lucius opened his mouth, but Narcissa interrupted.
"What happened?" Narcissa asked, looking at Snape and Draco questioningly. "Is Dumbledore dead?"
Snape's expression was grim. "Yes... I killed him." Narcissa's face paled slightly, but she nodded. Draco shivered in fear.
"Draco has failed! He must be punished," Bellatrix cackled. Narcissa turned to glare at her.
There was a sudden noise of apparition that made all the inhabitants in the room jump. Lucius, Narcissa, and Bellatrix immediately moved back, their heads lowered. Voldemort himself was standing in front of Draco and Snape.
"My Lord," Snape said, bowing low. Draco copied him shakily.
Voldemort looked at Draco. "Is the deed done, Draco?" he asked.
"Yes, My Lord." Draco's voice was shaking so badly that Harry almost couldn't understand what he was saying. Voldemort's cold eyes watched him.
"I see. And who was it who killed him?" Voldemort asked.
Draco's face somehow became even whiter, and he didn't say anything.
Snape spoke instead. "My Lord, I killed Dumbledore. But Draco was the one who brought your Death Eaters into the school using the Vanishing Cabinet," he said.
"But he didn't complete his task," Voldemort hissed. "And for that, he must be punished." Harry's heart dropped, and Draco's eyes widened in terror. His eyes flitted to his mother, who looked horrified.
"My Lord, he's only a child, and he managed to fix the Vanishing Cabinet!" Narcissa cried out. "And Dumbledore is still dead!"
"Quiet," Voldemort commanded, his red eyes never leaving Draco's pale face. He lifted his wand, and without warning, hissed "Crucio!"
Harry winced as Draco fell to the ground, screaming in pain and writhing.
"NO!" Narcissa screamed, running towards her son. Bellatrix grabbed her arm and hissed something into her ear, something Harry couldn't hear. Narcissa glared at her and struggled to escape her grip, but Bellatrix held her tightly. Snape's hand jerked, like he wanted to do something to help, but he only lowered his eyes to the ground.
Lucius seemed unable to watch and looked away with a pained expression that almost made Harry feel pity towards him.
But then he saw how Lucius didn't do anything but stand there as his only son was tortured brutally, and his hatred for Draco's father returned in full force.
Voldemort stopped the curse after a couple of minutes, and Draco gasped for breath. His arms were shaking horribly as he struggled to sit up. Narcissa cried as she tried to get to her son, but Bellatrix still hadn't let her go. Voldemort looked at Narcissa coldly.
"Stop," Voldemort commanded. "Your son has failed me. He must be punished,"
Narcissa shook her head wildly, her eyes on Draco's face, which was twisted in agony. Voldemort pointed his wand at Draco once again, and his eyes widened in alarm.
"No!" Draco cried out. Harry knew exactly how Draco felt. The excruciating pain that consumed the whole world, and how he would do anything, even die, to escape it.
"No, please, punish me instead, I'll do anything!" Narcissa begged. Bellatrix glared at her.
"My Lord, please have mercy on my son." Lucius spoke calmly, but Harry could hear the shakiness and despair in his voice. Did he love his son? Harry couldn't tell, but he certainly cared enough to ask Voldemort to stop torturing Draco.
Voldemort laughed, the cold, high pitched laugh that made Harry shudder. Harry tried to forget the memories of that laugh, that had come in his nightmares so often in the weeks after the war.
"Crucio," he said dispassionately, and Draco's agonized screams echoed off the walls once again. Narcissa was sobbing, and Voldemort laughed again. This time, Voldemort held it on Draco for longer before taking it off. Harry couldn't imagine the pain Draco was in. When Harry had experienced the curse, Voldemort had held it on him for less than a minute. And even in that short amount of time, it had felt like years before the pain had disappeared.
Draco had tears of pain running down his cheeks, and Narcissa screamed Draco's name. She struggled against Bellatrix and Lucius, who were both holding her back now. Snape only watched, stony faced.
Anger filled Harry at Lucius's behavior. How could he watch his own child being tortured and not do anything about it? And even if he was too afraid to help his son, how could he keep Narcissa from helping Draco? But then he thought about it. Voldemort would likely have killed Narcissa if she had intervened.
"No, please," Draco gasped as Voldemort pointed his wand at him again. "Please," he pleaded again. Voldemort's cruel laughter resonated around the room.
"Your son is weak, Lucius. Only two curses and he's begging me to stop," he said softly, turning to Lucius. Lucius stood rigidly.
"My Lord, he's young…" he said.
"Crucio," Voldemort hissed, and Draco screamed again.
"Please, My Lord!" Narcissa cried.
"My Lord, hasn't he been punished enough?" Lucius asked shakily.
Voldemort's red eyes flashed, and Lucius immediately fell silent.
"You should want him to be punished Lucius, for being so weak." Voldemort hissed cruelly.
"My Lord…" Lucius's voice was strangled, a quality that Harry had never heard in his voice before. He was fine with beating his son with his cane, but the cruciatus curse seemed like too much, even for Lucius.
"Punish your son, Lucius. Or I will have no use for him anymore," Voldemort hissed. Lucius pointed his wand straight at Draco with only the slightest hesitation. His gray eyes, so similar to Draco's, were suddenly impassive.
Harry watched numbly as Draco looked up at his father in absolute terror. He didn't even seem to doubt for a moment that his father would hurt him.
If any of Harry's children ever looked at him with that look of terror, Harry would not be able to stand it. He would rather die than ever see his children afraid of him. How could Lucius bear seeing his only son afraid of him like this? And not just this once, but all of his life. How could Lucius live knowing that he caused that fear in his child?
"Please, Father," Draco whispered, meeting his father's eyes pleadingly. Lucius took a deep breath.
"Crucio," he said softly. Narcissa yelled furiously at Lucius, begging him to stop, but he didn't. She was being physically restrained by her sister and another Death Eater wearing a mask. At least she cared enough to struggle, Harry thought angrily. Unlike Lucius, who was torturing his own son because he had been ordered to.
Lucius held the curse on Draco, keeping his eyes on the ground and away from his son writhing and sobbing in unbearable pain. He only lifted the curse when Draco's eyes rolled back in his head and he lay still, unconscious. Lucius dropped his wand and it clattered on the floor, but he didn't dare move to pick it up. Narcissa cried with relief, seeming to believe that her son's torture was over. Harry wasn't so sure.
"Enneverate," Voldemort hissed, and Draco whined in protest as he came back into consciousness.
"No," Draco whimpered, his voice now raspy from screaming so much. Harry hoped that Voldemort would have mercy on him now at least.
Voldemort's red eyes were gleeful as he hissed "Again, Lucius". Lucius slowly leaned down to pick up his wand and struggled to his feet again. It looked as though every move pained him.
"Crucio," Lucius said, and Draco was writhing on the floor again. His screams were hoarse, and Voldemort laughed.
Lucius ended the curse quicker than last time.
"Are you losing heart, Lucius?" Voldemort sneered.
"Of course not, My Lord," Lucius said quietly, pointing his wand at Draco again.
"Please," Draco whimpered, cowering away when the wand was pointed at him once again.
"Crucio," Lucius said. Harry winced and looked away, but he could still hear Draco's wails of agony.
"Stop," Voldemort commanded, and Lucius immediately ended the curse.
"You should be grateful to me, for I am a merciful master. I will not kill your son, but if he ever fails me again, I will not hesitate," Voldemort threatened.
"Yes, My Lord." Lucius bowed his head, and Voldemort disapperated. Immediately, Narcissa shoved Bellatrix away and ran for Draco. She pulled him into her lap. All the other Death Eaters except for Snape and Lucius left the room, and they went over to where Draco and Narcissa were sitting. Draco only looked half conscious, and his eyes were closed.
"Draco, I'm so sorry," Narcissa choked out.
Snape's expression was dark. "I have some pain relieving potions. I'll get them." He walked out of the room swiftly.
"Draco…" Lucius began, but he seemed to not know what to say. He looked almost guilty.
"Lucius," Narcissa glared at her husband. "I think you should leave. We will talk later."
Lucius looked like he was going to protest, but seeing the anger in his wife, he seemed to change his mind. He looked almost… hurt when he turned around to leave the room. But Harry couldn't muster anymore pity for him.
The memory changed again, and Harry found himself in a dark room.
Draco was in there too, and it looked like the dungeons, before Luna or Ollivander had been kept in them. Draco was pale, and he was tapping his foot nervously. He was wearing casual clothing, or about as casual as clothing was for a Malfoy.
Bellatrix Lestrange entered the room, and Harry felt hatred churn in his chest. This was the woman who had killed Sirius, tortured Hermione and countless others, and was the mother of Delphi, the woman who had almost killed his son.
"Draco, sweetheart," she cooed, almost as if she were talking to a dog. She came forward to touch Draco's face, cupping it in her hands. Draco shuddered and looked up at her, eyes narrowed suspiciously. Harry couldn't blame him.
"Yes, Aunt Bella?" Draco drawled, but Harry could hear the fear that he was trying his hardest to hide. Aunt? Harry had almost forgotten that Bellatrix was Draco's aunt. That meant that he and Delphi were…cousins. He wondered what that was like for Draco, having to fight against his own family. He had never thought about how hard it must have been for Draco to turn away from the beliefs he had been raised with his entire life.
"Have you been practicing your Occlumency?" she purred, watching in delight as Draco quickly nodded his head. This was before Dumbledore's death, Harry realized. When Draco had first gotten his task.
"Good. Shall we see how much you practiced?" Bellatrix asked, watching Draco's pale face closely. Before he could answer, she hissed "Legilimens!"
Harry saw the shock on Draco's face before he was plunged into flashes of Draco's memories, like what had happened when Snape had done it to him. Flashes of Draco's past, some that Harry had seen and more, flooded his vision. The flashes stopped almost as soon as they had started, and Draco was on the floor, panting. He sat up, shivering. He really was good at Occlumency, Harry thought. He had managed to push Bellatrix, a powerful witch, out of his mind almost immediately even when he hadn't been expecting it. Bellatrix studied him disapprovingly.
"I see that you haven't been practicing," she whispered.
She leaned down until her face was right beside his. Draco's breathing became rapid in panic. Disgust filled Harry as he watched the two on the ground. One fearful and one gleeful. Harry didn't want to see what would happen next. He hoped so much that Bellatrix wouldn't do anything to Draco.
Bellatrix's eyes suddenly flashed in anger and Draco flinched back.
"This is your punishment for not perfecting Occlumency," she cackled. "The Dark Lord would do much worse, my dear nephew."
Draco trembled, and she caressed his face. He began to struggle when Bellatrix pushed him to the floor, lying almost on top of him. Touching him in places that shouldn't be touched by an older woman on a teenage boy. Especially if that teenage boy was her nephew.
"Shh, don't move. Remember, you deserve this for disappointing me, your father, your mother, everyone," Bellatrix whispered. Anger filled Harry at that. Draco didn't deserve any of this.
"Get off of me!" Draco tried to sound strong, but his voice came out as a panicked squeak. Harry's heart twinged at the sight of Draco, helplessly pinned to the floor by his psychotic aunt. He couldn't watch as a child, around Albus's age, was being hurt in such a horrible way. He tried not to imagine his own children trapped like that, begging to be let go.
Draco looked up at her face pleadingly, not bothering to hide his fear anymore.
She laughed, a laugh that gave Harry chills. And then filled him with anger. She was laughing while her nephew was afraid, begging her to let him go.
She was even worse than Lucius in that way. Lucius had never seemed happy while hurting Draco, only as if he thought it was necessary. While that was no excuse for his actions, at least he didn't enjoy it. Bellatrix hurt people for her own enjoyment, as if that gave her happiness.
Her hands went on his chest and slowly, deliberately, began to unbutton his white shirt. Draco kicked frantically, and she moved off of him, eyes flashing in anger.
"Didn't I tell you to stay still?" she hissed. She slowly pulled out her wand. "Maybe after this you will. Crucio!"
Draco's gray eyes widened, and he screamed and writhed on the floor for a few moments, until Bellatrix took off the curse. He gasped for breath and looked at his aunt in horror.
"You- you used an Unforgivable on me," he choked, as if he couldn't believe it himself. Harry realized that this must have been the first time he had felt the extreme agony of the Cruciatus Curse. "I'll tell Mother!"
Bellatrix sneered at him. "Your mother is also my sister, and my younger one at that. And you won't tell her, will you? You don't want her to be more worried than she already is, right?" Draco opened his mouth but didn't say anything.
"You will listen now, won't you?" she said, and Draco nodded weakly, obviously hoping to avoid another round of the Cruciatus.
She slowly leaned down again, and he shuddered, eyes wide in panic now. Harry was horrified. He hoped that what he was thinking wouldn't happen next.
Draco didn't move or struggle this time. He looked resigned. His pale, scrawny chest glistened with sweat. Harry winced when he caught sight of faded, but still visible, bruises on Draco's chest. He had no doubt about where they had come from.
Bellatrix ran her hands over his chest, making Draco shiver. Then she began to move her hands lower and lower…
Harry couldn't watch anymore. He had to give Draco at least some of the privacy he deserved. He turned away, focusing his attention on the dark, stone ground instead of at the two people. He tried to block out Draco's pants and whimpers. This was child molestation!
"Please…" he heard Draco whimper.
"Be quiet. Calm down," Bellatrix muttered.
Draco took shuddering breaths and sniffled occasionally, letting Harry know that he was crying. Harry's heart was hurting, and he wanted to help Draco, to save this child from what was happening to him.
There was silence. Harry still didn't dare turn around to see what was happening. His heart pounded as he strained to listen.
Then, he heard movement behind him and tensed, hoping that Bellatrix wasn't doing anything else. He slowly turned around and sighed in relief to see Bellatrix was standing up now, jeering at Draco, who was still laying on the floor. His shirt was back on, but still unbuttoned.
Harry couldn't read his face, couldn't see what he was thinking. His eyes were empty. Harry shuddered at the deadness in Draco's eyes.
"You did so well, darling," Bellatrix cooed. "You were such a good little boy." She moved closer to Draco, who let out a whimper and scrambled away from her, eyes wide in panic. Her smile widened, showing her teeth.
"I'll be seeing you soon!" she cackled. Draco shuddered. Harry shivered, wondering if this had happened more than once to Draco. If this wasn't the only time he's had his innocence stripped away by his psychotic aunt.
Only after she was safely out and the door was shut did Draco begin to sob. Harry wanted to comfort him. But he couldn't. He could only watch helplessly as Draco pulled his knees to his chest like a child, tears pouring down his face. He was trembling uncontrollably, and Harry's heart broke.
The scene shifted again, and Harry hoped that this was the last one.