dream • 017 • canon update

[mudbloodhater]

Warnings • spoilers for Deathly Hallows (book version), and some head canon.
Effects • none.

The scene opens up on Draco standing at a bathroom sink, shoulders shaking with tears; he slowly draws closer, though he isn't moving - as if someone is walking up behind him. Draco is unaware of the other person until he suddenly whirls around, looking more than a little angry. A conversation seems to be had, but it's drowned out by a sudden bellow of an imperceptible spell, and a bright flash.

Draco is suddenly lying on the floor of the bathroom, gasping for air as he bleeds out from what seems like a thousand tiny cuts. In a billow of his cloak, Snape seemingly appears out of nowhere, drawing his wand to heal them all; the blond's hyperventilating breaths seem to grow faster and shallower all the while, until-

Malfoy Manor. There's an air of foreboding, of oppression - like those who live in the mansion no longer wander their home freely, but instead act as prisoners. It's not an unfair statement.

A thick-bodied snake winds its way up the stairs from the foyer and up onto the long dining table where the Malfoys sit in a line: Bellatrix beside her sister, and Draco looking despondent between his parents; the rest of the table is filled with Death Eaters of all shapes and sizes, Voldemort at its head. There's no sound save for a faint buzzing noise; the image seems to blur and crackle, like a television with a failing signal. The buzzing sound comes to a head, ending with an abrupt bang.

The image continues to blur and fuzz - squinting might help you to see all the details - and a small blonde girl in pyjamas and shackles continues to smile softly at everything around her. Two of the Death Eaters stand by as she's thrown into the dungeons. The image goes black, as the door is slammed shut.

For a moment, everything is black and silent.

And then there's another crack, and the scene comes back to the open foyer of Malfoy Manor. Draco stands behind his mother, who remains protective; Lucius looks more than a little frazzled, as if he's on his last, drawn out nerve. He draws closer to the viewer, slightly manic grin expanding excitedly; he's speaking with a Snatcher.

The trio lie in a heap at the Snatcher's feet, one bruised and swollen beyond belief. The room's gaze turns to Draco, and he seems to shrink back: he stammers something unheard, and the fuzzed out picture returns. The scene cuts off abruptly again with a sharp bang.

This time, the buzzing is the first thing to be heard, interrupted by a shrill scream. The foyer of the Manor comes back into focus like someone opening their eyes. Bellatrix stands above Hermione, threatening her in a way that would make anyone cringe: her wand is close to the girl's face, as she shrieks another gleeful curse. The image seems to vibrate, like a person shivering. Hermione's back arches painfully as the curse tears through her.

Just as it came up like someone blinking, everything suddenly goes black again.

The climax begins with a harsh buzz coming from every direction. The foyer is, once again, visible; there is a flurry of action - Bellatrix hurls curses, hitting both Death Eaters and Snatchers alike, but seemingly missing the escaping trio et al. The firefight continues in flashes of bright lines, the buzzing continuing almost unbearably. Harry scurries across the room to where Draco remains hidden behind a cushioned chair. He snatches up the other's wand, their eyes meeting until the blond releases his wand unhappily. In a snap, the trio is gone, Bellatrix's irate scream overtaking the buzz previously obvious.

No longer is the Manor visible - it dissipates into a grainy image that eventually comes up upon Hogwarts Castle, shrouded by a failing series of wards amid a flurry of spells. It is the war, violent and angry; corpses litter the Great Hall, and survivors either fling hexes haphazardly or duck beneath the flying lights. A fluter of blond hair passes through the crowd.

The scene changes in the flash of a spell, and suddenly Draco is in the Room of Hidden Things. Aptly named, so he believes: it's filled with miscellaneous objects from decades long past, each gathering a thick layer of dust. He's flanked by both Crabbe and Goyle where he stands, and it's easy to follow his eye to where Harry stands alone. Draco's wand is clearly aimed at Harry, his intense expression deliberate and unwavering, for once.

"My wand, Potter."

The first clear statement; it's overtaken again by buzzing as Harry replies. As if in fast-forward, the conversation continues, eventually devolving into a secondary firefight; the room, dark as it is, hides most of the scramble. There's an overpowering roar as the room is filled with the glow of flame, and a dragon crashes past a towering stack of objects - rather than being a typical dragon, it's made of fire. In the glow, it's clear that they all know the danger they've been put in. It's a mad scramble to get to the door, now distant and nearly blocked off from any easy escape.

More than once, Draco nearly finds himself either crushed or singed as he runs, eyes terrified as he climbs desperately towards the vaulted ceilings of the infinite room. Behind him, Crabbe is claimed by his own Fiendfyre - the pained shriek as he's burned alive is piercing. The scene blurs slightly, cutting to the trio pulling Goyle and Draco both to safety - the blond has taken a place behind Harry on a found broom - and the group make a hasty escape as the Fiendfyre dragon roars again, signalling another snap to black.

Draco doesn't know what happens during the rest of the war. All he knows is that he's better off hiding by the corpses and ignoring their very presence (lest he's sick again at the sight and smell of death all around him). He knows his parents are there; he knows they'll look for him.

Finally, the Great Hall is filled with soft murmurs of relief all around; it's hard to see if the Malfoys are there in any capacity, but they are. They merely linger in the furthest corner, where the Slytherin table once stood, saying nothing and looking unsure as to whether or not they even belong. No one pays them any heed, but they move slightly closer together, each making sure to touch a shoulder or arm of the other two, any time someone passes them by.

It's unknown how much time has passed since the Second Wizarding War came to a grand finale upon Hogwarts' grounds. What is obvious is that Draco is miserable, sick to his stomach every time he catches the eye of someone and they treat him to a dark stare - he's still a traitor, a coward in the eyes of the wizarding world. The tables have turned, and he hates it.

[Draco wakes up from his two week coma - the first he's experienced - with a gasp for air, immediately dropping into hyperventilation. His surroundings are completely ignored for the time being, as is the Dreamberry's broadcast. He shivers violently, one hand flying to his mouth in sudden onset nausea before the other lashes out and sends the Dreamberry flying.]