Fic: "Finding the Light", for bewarethesmirk
Title: Finding the Light
Author: Kerrymdb
Recipient: bewarethesmirk
Rating: G
Character(s): Draco Malfoy, Luna Lovegood and Cedric Diggory
Summary: On the eve of the First Task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, Draco Malfoy wanders the Forbidden Forest and makes some interesting discoveries…
Author's Notes: Many thanks to T and S for their wonderful beta work!
Modly Note: Giddy thanks to bewarethesmirk for not only playing in the exchange, but pinch-hitting on top of it! You rock, woman/man/little furry creature from Arcturus!
Finding the Light
Draco Malfoy thoroughly enjoyed exploring the Forbidden Forest. It was his secret, a guilty pleasure. For as much fuss as Dumbledore put on it being dangerous, there were absolutely no wards barring students. There were other students, like the Weasley twins, who would ramble around the forest. And they had never been expelled. Draco was always careful not to let anyone see him as he roamed, not wanting to hand someone potential blackmail material. Not that anyone would ever dare to blackmail a Malfoy. Secure in this knowledge, Draco had no worries as he strolled through the Forbidden Forest in the daytime.
Just never at night.
The Forest changed at night; he remembered this vividly from a detention his first year. The moment he had returned to the safety of his dorm, he owled his father to complain. But instead of the outrage on his behalf and the comforting threats to Hogwarts that Draco expected, his father had told him to walk in the forest when the sun was shining and face his fears. Bristling at the suggestion that he had been acting like a child, Draco marched into the forest, not even caring if he was caught and lost House points. Professor Snape would have never taken points away from him anyway, especially if he knew that it was on his father’s instructions.
What he found amazed him. Creatures that lurked at night slept during the day, leaving a stillness that Draco coveted. Not that he would ever admit it, but he enjoyed the colours as well. There was so much more than the greens and browns from the trees and bushes; there were flashes of colour that would appear from flowers or an animal streaking by. Occasionally, he’d tell Pansy what he saw and she loved it, thinking that he was being romantic.
Always an early riser, Draco enjoyed walking the Forbidden Forest in the morning, just after the sun rose. Though every so often, Draco would find himself outside the forest, waiting impatiently for the sun to show itself. He never stepped inside the forest until he knew for certain that the sun had risen above the horizon.
Sticking his hand into the pockets of his robes, Draco walked deeper into the forest. The first task for the Triwizard Tournament was tomorrow. It seemed like yesterday he had just found out about the tournament from Father. A snort escaped from Draco’s lips. Already Potter had been lording it up as Dumbledore’s pet, especially when that stupid article came out in the Prophet.
Naturally, his father had been furious that Potter had been allowed to compete. No matter how many times Draco tried to explain that he did indeed try to get past the age line, like a true Slytherin, late at night, when no one could see him, it wasn’t enough. Potter made it past the age line, therefore Lucius Malfoy thought Draco should have as well. End of story.
Krum and that Delacour girl were no better than Potter. Krum hadn’t spoken to him in ages and he probably didn’t even exist to Fleur. The only champion behaving somewhat reasonably was Diggory, but that was probably because he was so out of his element. A Hufflepuff Tri-Wizard champion? Ridiculous.
“I wouldn’t go any further if I were you.”
Draco spun around, taking out his wand as quickly as he could. When he saw who had spoken to him, he breathed an inward sigh of relief. Instead of a professor, ready to give him detention, it was only Luna Lovegood, staring at him with those buggy eyes. Nothing she could possibly do would get him in trouble.
“I don’t take orders,” Draco said with a sneer. He had modeled the look after one he had seen Professor Snape use occasionally. “Especially from someone as insane as you, Looney Lovegood.”
She looked at him with her large, unblinking eyes. “Did you say that to try to hurt my feelings?” she asked conversationally, her head titled to one side. “I only suggested that you not go where you’re headed.”
Draco rolled his eyes. Honestly, Lovegood was difficult to deal with. If she had been Longbottom or a first year, she would have been running away in tears by now. He decided to entertain her. For the moment, at least. “And why shouldn’t I go any farther, Lovegood?”
“Dragons.”
“What?” Draco asked eagerly, all traces of superiority gone. “Dragons? In the forest? Where?”
Luna’s face registered a hint of surprise. She raised her arm and pointed towards a dense area of the forest, one he had never explored before.
“And there are dragons? You’re sure?” asked Draco. For a moment, he thought this might be a set-up, but Lovegood would never attempt that sort of thing. She certainly wasn’t Slytherin enough to even have the nerve.
“Four,” she said dreamily. “I was looking for some Bark-eating Quimtesses, but only found the dragons instead.”
He couldn’t quite believe that there was a trace of disappointment in her voice that she only ‘found’ the dragons. “Look, Lovegood. Because you told me about the dragons, I won’t tell anyone that you were wandering the Forbidden Forest.”
“So were you.”
Draco didn’t want to waste anymore time. “You didn’t see anything, Looney,” he called over his shoulder, walking towards the dense forest.
“I see you walking away!” she yelled back.
He simply shook his head. Lovegood could be clueless sometimes. Well, most of the time, actually. But the he pushed her out of his thoughts and instead only concentrated on what she said about the dragons. Dragons! He had never seen a full grown dragon in person before, only a baby hatching. But seeing that egg hatch almost three years ago was one of the most exciting moments of his life. He was just sorry that that giant oaf Hagrid had seen him, so he couldn’t watch longer.
It was then he decided that if he ever wanted to get a job of some type, Draco wanted to work with dragons. Not that he would ever need a job, of course. But volunteering to work with dragons would certainly be a hobby one would look at with respect.
Shouts could be heard in the distance and Draco hid behind a tree. After counting to ten, Draco made his way closer to the shouts. There were two tall bushes slightly apart. Draco could stand there, look, and no one would ever be the wiser.
He peeked his head through, and there they were. Four dragons. Four beautiful, amazing, strong, perfect dragons.
With a sigh of disappointment, Draco realised that all four had chains around their neck, to keep them flying away, most likely. It seemed wrong somehow to keep them chained up. Creatures like that deserved to be free to fly where they wanted.
There was another sigh when he noticed that all of them seemed to be taking their afternoon naps. For a moment Draco wondered if he could do something that would wake them all up. Throw a stone or make a loud noise. But then Hogwarts’ motto, Never tickle a sleeping dragon, came into his head and he decided it would be best for now to simply observe.
A snort escaped his lips, thinking of that wild oaf, Hagrid. He would probably wet himself from excitement if he knew that there were dragons in the forest. Hagrid would probably try to keep one and raise it in his hut, let it sleep in his bed.
Letting himself enjoy every moment, Draco identified which breeds were present. It was fairly simple to figure out which was which. Not long after seeing the baby dragon hatch, Draco bought the best book on dragons that money could buy and then memorized every breed. A slow smile spread over his face as he saw his favourite out of all of the dragons, the Hungarian Horntail. The Horntail was one of the largest and most powerful of all the dragons. Therefore, it was the best.
There had to be close to thirty wizards standing around, laughing. Draco looked at them carefully; he wanted to get an idea of what sort of clothes and equipment were needed to be a keeper.
The majority of them were wearing dragon hide pants and a dragon hide vest. That made sense, seeing as they could be burned by the flames at any time. Draco sniggered to himself, wondering how his parents would react if he told them he wanted dragon hide pants for Christmas. But he could easily save his allowance to buy a pair.
They all wore wand-holders strapped to their legs, for easy access to their wands if needed. The majority had short hair, most likely to not get burned or caught on a spike. Draco ran his hand through his own hair, which was getting on the longer side, as he wanted to grow it out like his father’s. But getting it cut eventually would be a sacrifice he would be willing to make if he could work, volunteer, with dragons.
His eyes narrowed slightly when he saw one of the dragon keepers that looked suspiciously like the Weasley twins. He knew there were older Weasleys. This must be one of them.
Weasley and another keeper started walking towards Draco. Quickly, Draco knelt to avoid detection. The two keepers were talking, and Draco listened carefully so that he wouldn’t miss a word.
“Can you even imagine how hard it’s going to be calming these beauties down tomorrow after the First Task?” said one to the other.
“I just hope Potter comes out of it alright,” the other responded. “My mother will be heartbroken if anything happens to him.”
A pool of ice cold jealously formed in Draco’s stomach. The dragons were here for the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Potter was going to get to face one of the dragons. He was going to be only feet away from one of them. Potter probably didn’t give a rat’s arse about dragons, probably was afraid of them, in fact. But he was the one who would be near a dragon, not Draco.
He never let himself be jealous of Potter before. Who wanted to stupid scar on their forehead anyway? And while Potter might be Dumbledore’s pet, Draco was Professor Snape’s favourite, which would be better in the long run. Dumbledore had to be close to a million years old. Professor Snape would be around a lot longer for important references and contacts.
Draco slammed his fist on the ground in frustration, which he immediately realised was a mistake. The two keepers near him both snatched out their wands and were at alert. Staying as still as possible, Draco simply waited for them to decide that it was only an animal or the rustle of leaves, thinking the whole time how nice it would be to be able to perform a Disillusionment Charm.
Finally, Weasley and the other keeper left the area, leaving Draco alone. So he simply stayed in his hiding spot and continued to watch the dragons. He tried to memorize every detail he could, from the golden spikes around the Chinese Fireball’s face, to silvery-blue hide of the Swedish Short Snout.
Only when a couple of crates where opened and sheep, pigs and goats were released into the clearing for the dragons’ dinner, did Draco leave. Watching the dragons devour the animals was as appealing as spending time at the Weasley’s dinner table.
He headed back quickly to the castle; it was almost dinner and he didn’t want to deal with the questions he would be asked if he was late. As Draco walked into the castle, he saw Cedric Diggory talking to Cho Chang, a fairly good Quidditch player. For a girl.
And then an idea came to him. A way to get back at Potter, for being the attention-seeking brat that he was. A way to get back at Krum, who after all the attention and offers of friendship that Draco had given him, decided that he preferred to work in the library. A way to get back at the Delacour girl for ignoring him completely.
He walked briskly up to Cedric and Cho. “Diggory, a word?” he asked coolly.
“Sure,” Cedric said easily. He smiled apologetically at Cho and followed Draco, looking at him expectantly.
Draco glanced to his left and right, wanting to make sure they wouldn’t be overheard. “I was walking in the Forbidden Forest and I saw something you might be interested in,” Draco said plainly.
“What?” asked Cedric, shifting his book bag to his other shoulder.
“Dragons,” Draco told him, hoping to keep the dramatics out of his voice. He couldn’t help but think how much better this story would be if he were telling it to Crabbe or Goyle. Those two appreciated a good tale.
To Draco’s disappointment, there was no trace of shock on Cedric’s face. No surprise, no fear, no dismay, nothing. His face was completely blank. “Well?” asked Draco impatiently.
“Are you going to tell the others?” asked Cedric seriously.
Draco flashed his “Potter Stinks” badge. “No,” he said with a hint of annoyance. “This information is for you only, Diggory.”
Cedric looked uncomfortable. “If you’re not going to tell the others, you really shouldn’t have told me.” He hurried away. Over his shoulder, he yelled, “Thank you, though.”
Draco watched him walk away in disbelief. If he didn’t know better, he would say that Cedric already knew about the dragons. But that couldn't be possible. For a brief moment, he wondered if he should get Cedric in trouble, say that he knew about the dragons ahead of time. But that would only mean a number of questions Draco wouldn’t want to answer, as well as one less person to beat Potter at the Tournament.
Instead, Draco let his thoughts wander back to the dragons. Looking out a nearby window, he thought perhaps that he would try to see them again tonight. Opening his pocket watch, he noticed that by the time dinner was over, the sun would have set. For a moment, he was conflicted, and thought that his desire to see the dragons might just outweigh his hesitation to go into the Forbidden Forest at night. Perhaps, just this once, this once, he could walk through the Forest and not be worried over what he might find.
With a slight sniff, Draco decided that with the lighting in the Forest this time of night, he might strain his eyes trying to watch the dragons. He’d have a much better view after sunrise tomorrow.
~~~~~
Several Years Later…
Draco lifted the hood of his cloak so that it covered his face. It wouldn’t be good to be spotted, not after all the trouble he had gone through to set up this meeting.
He had taken the Dark Mark because he honestly thought it was going to save his family. Little did he know that his parents would become footnotes of the war, murdered by the Dark Lord without a moment's hesitation.
When he had held his mother’s body in his arms, Draco realized that he had nothing left. No family. No friends. No money. Even his dream of working with dragons was fading with no hope of renewal.
It was then he realised he had to do something. Far from the watchful eyes of the Dark Lord and Professor Snape, Draco plotted for a way to reach out and work with Potter.
It had taken almost a year before Potter agreed to even talk to him. When he finally relented, they agreed to meet in an unlikely place for a Death Eater to be found, in the Forbidden Forest. Early. During that time where it was pitch black but everything seemed to be still.
But it still meant that Draco would have to go into the Forbidden Forest while it was covered in darkness. As he stared into the Forest, he realized how foolish it was to be afraid, especially after all he had seen over the last year. Surely nothing in the Forest could be as bad as the bloodshed he had witnessed, as well as seeing his parents murdered in front of his very eyes?
Draco shifted and stared at Dumbledore’s tomb, which seemed to practically glow, even at night. He knew it was a waste to mourn the past. There was no changing what had happened that night in the Astronomy Tower. Even so, Draco couldn’t help but wish he had let himself trust the old man’s words. Then maybe, just maybe, his parents might be alive.
Turning once more, Draco looked back into the Forest. The sun wouldn’t be up for several hours. Lumos was out of the question. The bright light would easily be detected in the dark forest. No chances could be taken; he had to meet Potter. His old tool, the Hand of Glory came to mind. What ever had happened to it? He had left it behind when he had fled Hogwarts with Professor Snape. Surely someone picked it up and found it useful. What Draco wouldn’t give for it now!
Every delay, more and more witches, wizards and Muggles were being killed. The Dark Lord’s plans were becoming grander. There was even discussion about using dragons to attack Muggle villages. The Dark Lord would make them no more than servants, like the Giants or Werewolves, instead of simply allowing them to roam wild and free in the mountains like nature intended.
The time was now to meet Potter, to work together to try to end this war. The responsibility should have weighed him down, chained him like those dragons he saw in the forest so many years ago for the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Instead, he felt liberated, as he imagined what the dragons experienced as they stretched their wings above the clouds. And everything would start with one simple step.
Taking that first step, Draco lowered the hood of his cloak and walked purposely into the Forbidden Forest.
Never again would he wait for the sun to rise.
From now on, he would find his own way into the light.
Author: Kerrymdb
Recipient: bewarethesmirk
Rating: G
Character(s): Draco Malfoy, Luna Lovegood and Cedric Diggory
Summary: On the eve of the First Task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, Draco Malfoy wanders the Forbidden Forest and makes some interesting discoveries…
Author's Notes: Many thanks to T and S for their wonderful beta work!
Modly Note: Giddy thanks to bewarethesmirk for not only playing in the exchange, but pinch-hitting on top of it! You rock, woman/man/little furry creature from Arcturus!
Finding the Light
Draco Malfoy thoroughly enjoyed exploring the Forbidden Forest. It was his secret, a guilty pleasure. For as much fuss as Dumbledore put on it being dangerous, there were absolutely no wards barring students. There were other students, like the Weasley twins, who would ramble around the forest. And they had never been expelled. Draco was always careful not to let anyone see him as he roamed, not wanting to hand someone potential blackmail material. Not that anyone would ever dare to blackmail a Malfoy. Secure in this knowledge, Draco had no worries as he strolled through the Forbidden Forest in the daytime.
Just never at night.
The Forest changed at night; he remembered this vividly from a detention his first year. The moment he had returned to the safety of his dorm, he owled his father to complain. But instead of the outrage on his behalf and the comforting threats to Hogwarts that Draco expected, his father had told him to walk in the forest when the sun was shining and face his fears. Bristling at the suggestion that he had been acting like a child, Draco marched into the forest, not even caring if he was caught and lost House points. Professor Snape would have never taken points away from him anyway, especially if he knew that it was on his father’s instructions.
What he found amazed him. Creatures that lurked at night slept during the day, leaving a stillness that Draco coveted. Not that he would ever admit it, but he enjoyed the colours as well. There was so much more than the greens and browns from the trees and bushes; there were flashes of colour that would appear from flowers or an animal streaking by. Occasionally, he’d tell Pansy what he saw and she loved it, thinking that he was being romantic.
Always an early riser, Draco enjoyed walking the Forbidden Forest in the morning, just after the sun rose. Though every so often, Draco would find himself outside the forest, waiting impatiently for the sun to show itself. He never stepped inside the forest until he knew for certain that the sun had risen above the horizon.
Sticking his hand into the pockets of his robes, Draco walked deeper into the forest. The first task for the Triwizard Tournament was tomorrow. It seemed like yesterday he had just found out about the tournament from Father. A snort escaped from Draco’s lips. Already Potter had been lording it up as Dumbledore’s pet, especially when that stupid article came out in the Prophet.
Naturally, his father had been furious that Potter had been allowed to compete. No matter how many times Draco tried to explain that he did indeed try to get past the age line, like a true Slytherin, late at night, when no one could see him, it wasn’t enough. Potter made it past the age line, therefore Lucius Malfoy thought Draco should have as well. End of story.
Krum and that Delacour girl were no better than Potter. Krum hadn’t spoken to him in ages and he probably didn’t even exist to Fleur. The only champion behaving somewhat reasonably was Diggory, but that was probably because he was so out of his element. A Hufflepuff Tri-Wizard champion? Ridiculous.
“I wouldn’t go any further if I were you.”
Draco spun around, taking out his wand as quickly as he could. When he saw who had spoken to him, he breathed an inward sigh of relief. Instead of a professor, ready to give him detention, it was only Luna Lovegood, staring at him with those buggy eyes. Nothing she could possibly do would get him in trouble.
“I don’t take orders,” Draco said with a sneer. He had modeled the look after one he had seen Professor Snape use occasionally. “Especially from someone as insane as you, Looney Lovegood.”
She looked at him with her large, unblinking eyes. “Did you say that to try to hurt my feelings?” she asked conversationally, her head titled to one side. “I only suggested that you not go where you’re headed.”
Draco rolled his eyes. Honestly, Lovegood was difficult to deal with. If she had been Longbottom or a first year, she would have been running away in tears by now. He decided to entertain her. For the moment, at least. “And why shouldn’t I go any farther, Lovegood?”
“Dragons.”
“What?” Draco asked eagerly, all traces of superiority gone. “Dragons? In the forest? Where?”
Luna’s face registered a hint of surprise. She raised her arm and pointed towards a dense area of the forest, one he had never explored before.
“And there are dragons? You’re sure?” asked Draco. For a moment, he thought this might be a set-up, but Lovegood would never attempt that sort of thing. She certainly wasn’t Slytherin enough to even have the nerve.
“Four,” she said dreamily. “I was looking for some Bark-eating Quimtesses, but only found the dragons instead.”
He couldn’t quite believe that there was a trace of disappointment in her voice that she only ‘found’ the dragons. “Look, Lovegood. Because you told me about the dragons, I won’t tell anyone that you were wandering the Forbidden Forest.”
“So were you.”
Draco didn’t want to waste anymore time. “You didn’t see anything, Looney,” he called over his shoulder, walking towards the dense forest.
“I see you walking away!” she yelled back.
He simply shook his head. Lovegood could be clueless sometimes. Well, most of the time, actually. But the he pushed her out of his thoughts and instead only concentrated on what she said about the dragons. Dragons! He had never seen a full grown dragon in person before, only a baby hatching. But seeing that egg hatch almost three years ago was one of the most exciting moments of his life. He was just sorry that that giant oaf Hagrid had seen him, so he couldn’t watch longer.
It was then he decided that if he ever wanted to get a job of some type, Draco wanted to work with dragons. Not that he would ever need a job, of course. But volunteering to work with dragons would certainly be a hobby one would look at with respect.
Shouts could be heard in the distance and Draco hid behind a tree. After counting to ten, Draco made his way closer to the shouts. There were two tall bushes slightly apart. Draco could stand there, look, and no one would ever be the wiser.
He peeked his head through, and there they were. Four dragons. Four beautiful, amazing, strong, perfect dragons.
With a sigh of disappointment, Draco realised that all four had chains around their neck, to keep them flying away, most likely. It seemed wrong somehow to keep them chained up. Creatures like that deserved to be free to fly where they wanted.
There was another sigh when he noticed that all of them seemed to be taking their afternoon naps. For a moment Draco wondered if he could do something that would wake them all up. Throw a stone or make a loud noise. But then Hogwarts’ motto, Never tickle a sleeping dragon, came into his head and he decided it would be best for now to simply observe.
A snort escaped his lips, thinking of that wild oaf, Hagrid. He would probably wet himself from excitement if he knew that there were dragons in the forest. Hagrid would probably try to keep one and raise it in his hut, let it sleep in his bed.
Letting himself enjoy every moment, Draco identified which breeds were present. It was fairly simple to figure out which was which. Not long after seeing the baby dragon hatch, Draco bought the best book on dragons that money could buy and then memorized every breed. A slow smile spread over his face as he saw his favourite out of all of the dragons, the Hungarian Horntail. The Horntail was one of the largest and most powerful of all the dragons. Therefore, it was the best.
There had to be close to thirty wizards standing around, laughing. Draco looked at them carefully; he wanted to get an idea of what sort of clothes and equipment were needed to be a keeper.
The majority of them were wearing dragon hide pants and a dragon hide vest. That made sense, seeing as they could be burned by the flames at any time. Draco sniggered to himself, wondering how his parents would react if he told them he wanted dragon hide pants for Christmas. But he could easily save his allowance to buy a pair.
They all wore wand-holders strapped to their legs, for easy access to their wands if needed. The majority had short hair, most likely to not get burned or caught on a spike. Draco ran his hand through his own hair, which was getting on the longer side, as he wanted to grow it out like his father’s. But getting it cut eventually would be a sacrifice he would be willing to make if he could work, volunteer, with dragons.
His eyes narrowed slightly when he saw one of the dragon keepers that looked suspiciously like the Weasley twins. He knew there were older Weasleys. This must be one of them.
Weasley and another keeper started walking towards Draco. Quickly, Draco knelt to avoid detection. The two keepers were talking, and Draco listened carefully so that he wouldn’t miss a word.
“Can you even imagine how hard it’s going to be calming these beauties down tomorrow after the First Task?” said one to the other.
“I just hope Potter comes out of it alright,” the other responded. “My mother will be heartbroken if anything happens to him.”
A pool of ice cold jealously formed in Draco’s stomach. The dragons were here for the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Potter was going to get to face one of the dragons. He was going to be only feet away from one of them. Potter probably didn’t give a rat’s arse about dragons, probably was afraid of them, in fact. But he was the one who would be near a dragon, not Draco.
He never let himself be jealous of Potter before. Who wanted to stupid scar on their forehead anyway? And while Potter might be Dumbledore’s pet, Draco was Professor Snape’s favourite, which would be better in the long run. Dumbledore had to be close to a million years old. Professor Snape would be around a lot longer for important references and contacts.
Draco slammed his fist on the ground in frustration, which he immediately realised was a mistake. The two keepers near him both snatched out their wands and were at alert. Staying as still as possible, Draco simply waited for them to decide that it was only an animal or the rustle of leaves, thinking the whole time how nice it would be to be able to perform a Disillusionment Charm.
Finally, Weasley and the other keeper left the area, leaving Draco alone. So he simply stayed in his hiding spot and continued to watch the dragons. He tried to memorize every detail he could, from the golden spikes around the Chinese Fireball’s face, to silvery-blue hide of the Swedish Short Snout.
Only when a couple of crates where opened and sheep, pigs and goats were released into the clearing for the dragons’ dinner, did Draco leave. Watching the dragons devour the animals was as appealing as spending time at the Weasley’s dinner table.
He headed back quickly to the castle; it was almost dinner and he didn’t want to deal with the questions he would be asked if he was late. As Draco walked into the castle, he saw Cedric Diggory talking to Cho Chang, a fairly good Quidditch player. For a girl.
And then an idea came to him. A way to get back at Potter, for being the attention-seeking brat that he was. A way to get back at Krum, who after all the attention and offers of friendship that Draco had given him, decided that he preferred to work in the library. A way to get back at the Delacour girl for ignoring him completely.
He walked briskly up to Cedric and Cho. “Diggory, a word?” he asked coolly.
“Sure,” Cedric said easily. He smiled apologetically at Cho and followed Draco, looking at him expectantly.
Draco glanced to his left and right, wanting to make sure they wouldn’t be overheard. “I was walking in the Forbidden Forest and I saw something you might be interested in,” Draco said plainly.
“What?” asked Cedric, shifting his book bag to his other shoulder.
“Dragons,” Draco told him, hoping to keep the dramatics out of his voice. He couldn’t help but think how much better this story would be if he were telling it to Crabbe or Goyle. Those two appreciated a good tale.
To Draco’s disappointment, there was no trace of shock on Cedric’s face. No surprise, no fear, no dismay, nothing. His face was completely blank. “Well?” asked Draco impatiently.
“Are you going to tell the others?” asked Cedric seriously.
Draco flashed his “Potter Stinks” badge. “No,” he said with a hint of annoyance. “This information is for you only, Diggory.”
Cedric looked uncomfortable. “If you’re not going to tell the others, you really shouldn’t have told me.” He hurried away. Over his shoulder, he yelled, “Thank you, though.”
Draco watched him walk away in disbelief. If he didn’t know better, he would say that Cedric already knew about the dragons. But that couldn't be possible. For a brief moment, he wondered if he should get Cedric in trouble, say that he knew about the dragons ahead of time. But that would only mean a number of questions Draco wouldn’t want to answer, as well as one less person to beat Potter at the Tournament.
Instead, Draco let his thoughts wander back to the dragons. Looking out a nearby window, he thought perhaps that he would try to see them again tonight. Opening his pocket watch, he noticed that by the time dinner was over, the sun would have set. For a moment, he was conflicted, and thought that his desire to see the dragons might just outweigh his hesitation to go into the Forbidden Forest at night. Perhaps, just this once, this once, he could walk through the Forest and not be worried over what he might find.
With a slight sniff, Draco decided that with the lighting in the Forest this time of night, he might strain his eyes trying to watch the dragons. He’d have a much better view after sunrise tomorrow.
~~~~~
Several Years Later…
Draco lifted the hood of his cloak so that it covered his face. It wouldn’t be good to be spotted, not after all the trouble he had gone through to set up this meeting.
He had taken the Dark Mark because he honestly thought it was going to save his family. Little did he know that his parents would become footnotes of the war, murdered by the Dark Lord without a moment's hesitation.
When he had held his mother’s body in his arms, Draco realized that he had nothing left. No family. No friends. No money. Even his dream of working with dragons was fading with no hope of renewal.
It was then he realised he had to do something. Far from the watchful eyes of the Dark Lord and Professor Snape, Draco plotted for a way to reach out and work with Potter.
It had taken almost a year before Potter agreed to even talk to him. When he finally relented, they agreed to meet in an unlikely place for a Death Eater to be found, in the Forbidden Forest. Early. During that time where it was pitch black but everything seemed to be still.
But it still meant that Draco would have to go into the Forbidden Forest while it was covered in darkness. As he stared into the Forest, he realized how foolish it was to be afraid, especially after all he had seen over the last year. Surely nothing in the Forest could be as bad as the bloodshed he had witnessed, as well as seeing his parents murdered in front of his very eyes?
Draco shifted and stared at Dumbledore’s tomb, which seemed to practically glow, even at night. He knew it was a waste to mourn the past. There was no changing what had happened that night in the Astronomy Tower. Even so, Draco couldn’t help but wish he had let himself trust the old man’s words. Then maybe, just maybe, his parents might be alive.
Turning once more, Draco looked back into the Forest. The sun wouldn’t be up for several hours. Lumos was out of the question. The bright light would easily be detected in the dark forest. No chances could be taken; he had to meet Potter. His old tool, the Hand of Glory came to mind. What ever had happened to it? He had left it behind when he had fled Hogwarts with Professor Snape. Surely someone picked it up and found it useful. What Draco wouldn’t give for it now!
Every delay, more and more witches, wizards and Muggles were being killed. The Dark Lord’s plans were becoming grander. There was even discussion about using dragons to attack Muggle villages. The Dark Lord would make them no more than servants, like the Giants or Werewolves, instead of simply allowing them to roam wild and free in the mountains like nature intended.
The time was now to meet Potter, to work together to try to end this war. The responsibility should have weighed him down, chained him like those dragons he saw in the forest so many years ago for the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Instead, he felt liberated, as he imagined what the dragons experienced as they stretched their wings above the clouds. And everything would start with one simple step.
Taking that first step, Draco lowered the hood of his cloak and walked purposely into the Forbidden Forest.
Never again would he wait for the sun to rise.
From now on, he would find his own way into the light.