The memory faded and it floated away. There was only three left in the dark bubble, and he selected the next one. Maybe this one would be the one he wanted.
As it opened before him, he was pulled in easily. He saw the two howlers his mum sent. Then, he saw himself walking out of the library late at night. He was going to meet Harry, but he came upon Blaise Zabini, with a few other Slytherins. His heart fell into his stomach and he stopped walking.
"You know, Malfoy, I thought there was no way you could humiliate our house further. After failing the Dark Lord, having your father sent to Azkaban, I thought for sure, your shortcomings would end there. But I was wrong." Zabini approached Draco and seized him by the front of the throat. "You had to go gay, and who would it be for but the one who killed the Dark Lord."
He jerked a knee into Draco's groin, and he doubled over. Zabini thrust him toward the wall, where he struggled to remain on his feet.
"We were so close. Do you have any idea the kind of world you've deprived the rest of us?" He served a fist into Draco's face, striking his jaw. Draco spat blood. "And now you've got the gall-" Another fist, into his gut. This time, Draco did fall to his knees. "-to publicly-" He held the back of the blond's head and served his knee into his face. "-humiliate-" Draco felt an elbow strike his spine and he fell. "-your own house. Just how are we not supposed to take that personally?"
Draco groaned and lifted his bloodied face to the group of Slytherins bearing down on him.
"This has nothing to do with you." He spat another mouthful of blood at Zabini's feet.
"Oh, is that right?" Zabini turned to share a laugh with his mates before serving his knee into Draco's face again. This time, Draco's head struck the wall behind him and his vision went white. Finally, his knight in shining armor appeared.
"Hey!" Draco still couldn't see, and he slumped against the wall. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Chosen Pouf himself." The other Slytherins laughed at Zabini's remark. Suddenly, their laughter halted.
"You think I won't hurt you, because I'm Saint Potter?" The sound of a scuffle, then a body slamming the wall. "If you knew anything about me, you'd know how fiercely I will fight for those I love. You couldn't have made a bigger mistake."
And then Harry used the torture curse on Blaise Zabini.