Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

The Last Remaining Light

Chapter 2

May 14th, 1998

"I'm going to do this, mother. I have to turn myself in," whispered Draco Malfoy. He stood in front of the fireplace at the Malfoy Manor. His father had been found by Aurors earlier that same day. That gave Draco the final push to make the decision to turn himself in. His mother stared at him with tear-filled eyes.

"Draco, you can't leave me here alone. I'll go mad in this house," she cried.

"I'm sorry mother. I can't live with this guilt anymore. And besides," he turned to face her, "you can do whatever you'd like to now. You can even move to our Manor in France and redecorate like you've been wanting to do for years now, mum." He gave her a small smile. "You're free, mother." With those last words, he flooed to the Ministry of Magic. There, he turned himself in to the Aurors and gave up his freedom.

That night, he sat on the floor of his Azkaban cell, lost in thought. The faces of all the people he had hurt had been swimming in his thoughts. The most recent were still lingering in his mind.

His mother, of course, being the most important one, never left his thoughts. However, there were few others who he couldn't get out of his head: The Golden Trio.

'Potter, Weasley, and Granger. If anyone deserves my apologies, it's them. Merlin, how could I have been so stupid my whole life? How could my father have turned me into that monster I was?' He remembered all those moments in school when he had picked on the Trio. Regret was now becoming a familiar feeling.

Then he remembered that day. That dreadful day that gave him nightmares for months. He could picture it so clearly. He saw her, the girl with the beautiful smile. The smile he had seen throughout his six years at Hogwarts. Her smile. Hermione. He remembered seeing her that day withering in pain on the floor of his own home while his aunt took her time torturing her.

He had cried that night. He had wanted to stop Bellatrix. He had wanted to free his former classmates. Gods, the thought of that day was torture. He remembered when they had brought him to identify Potter, he had immediately recognized him. But he had lied to Bellatrix. He didn't want to see Potter, Weasley, or even Granger get hurt. He hadn't even wanted to become a Death Eater. He hadn't wanted to fight in the stupid war. He hadn't wanted any of it.

But there he was: Dark mark on his arm, the Dark Lord under his roof, his family's safety on the line. He would never be able to change his past. He wouldn't be able to change that day. Although he knew he couldn't do anything to save Granger that wouldn't put his mother's life at risk, he felt like a coward.

He sat on the cold floor of his Azkaban cell. Regret and sadness filled his heart. So he cried letting his hatred towards himself take over him. He cried until he couldn't anymore.

'I'll pay for what I've done,' he thought to himself, 'I have to.'

May 15th, 1998

It was late when they arrived at the road that would lead them to the Wilkins' farm. Hermione knew it would be about a mile down the road and was hardly able to contain her excitement. Ginny sat next to her in the backseat of the car. Harry was driving and Ron had taken the seat next to him. When Ron had announced to his friends that he had received the information on Hermione's parents, Harry and Ginny had insisted on accompanying him and Hermione to Australia.

The four of them had flooed to Australia and had decided to drive to Hermione's parents' home so they could take in the scenery. The sun had already set as they drove closer to their destination. Hermione was tying her shoe laces when she heard Ginny gasp. The car stopped completely as she looked up at her friend and followed her gaze.

The small home that belonged to Hermione's parents would have been beautiful. It was a perfect home, the kind seen in paintings. The moonlight shone on it perfectly. It would have been extremely beautiful, had it not been for the Dark Mark hovering above it.

Hermione felt a knot form in her chest. Her world was crumbling around her. She felt herself trying to run towards the house, only to be pulled back by someone. She saw Harry running into the house with Ron. Her eyes were blurry with tears. She heard herself screaming.

'They can't be dead, they can't be dead,' she repeated to herself.

"Hermione, please," she heard Ginny say as she tried to restrain her. Hermione gave in. She fell to her knees in front of her parents' home. Harry and Ron walked out of the home. Harry rushed over to Hermione and engulfed her in his arms.

"'Mione, let's go. We have to let the Aurors know." He tried pulling her up but she refused.

"I have to see them Harry," she whispered.

"I don't think it's a good idea-"

"NO! I have to see them. I sent them here. I have to see them."

"Ok, 'Mione." The four of them walked into the home together. Ginny and Harry were on either side of Hermione, while Ron brought up the rear. On the sitting room floor lay Hermione's parents. Their bodies lay cut, bruised, and mutilated in a pool of blood. On the wall opposite the front door, written in blood were the words: YOU'RE NEXT MUDBLOOD.

"No! No! Please, God, no!" she cried as she clutched onto their bodies. Hermione wept profusely. Harry and Ginny held onto their broken friend and cried with her. They didn't notice Ron behind them leaning against the wall, a smirk on his face. He stared down at Hermione as he fought the urge to laugh.

After some time, Harry sent a patronus to the local Auror office notifying them of their situation. The Aurors were there within minutes and began to clean things up. Hermione said a last tearful goodbye to her parents when their bodies were taken away. They apparated back to the local Ministry. From there, they flooed back home, away from the place where Hermione's nightmares had come true.

Author's Note:

This is my first fanfiction so reviews would be greatly appreciated.