Bond DVD Extras

Newspaper Articles

1. Day 65, Wednesday, December 2, "A Bond Revealed" (interview with Draco, done by a reporter with "discreet ties" to the Malfoys (i.e. a well-placed payoff))

2. Day 133, Monday, February 8, "Boy Who Lived, Abusive Spouse?"

3. Day 152, Saturday, February 27, "A Bond Renewed"

ooooooo

The Daily Prophet
Wednesday, December 2

A Bond Revealed: Interview With Draco Malfoy

Two months ago, the wizarding world was shocked to learn that Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived, had been cursed with a forced marriage. More shocking still was the identity of his new spouse: Draco Malfoy, only son of Lucius Malfoy, who was arrested last year for activities allegedly connected to You-Know-Who. As Hogwarts kept a tight lid on all information concerning the two young men, for months we have had to be content with nothing but hearsay and rumors about their marriage. This week, Draco Malfoy finally agreed to our request to do an interview.

I spoke to young Mr. Malfoy in the Great Hall at Hogwarts, and while he expressed some discomfort at being involuntarily thrust into the spotlight, he was forthcoming and candid with us. And although Harry Potter did not agree to be interviewed, and Malfoy declined to speak for his spouse, Potter was present while I conducted the interview, doing schoolwork at a nearby table. At one point, when I asked a question that made Malfoy uncomfortable, Potter glanced over, obviously highly attuned to the discomfort that his spouse was feeling. He started to rise from his seat, but Malfoy merely shook his head and gave him a reassuring smile and he sat back down. It was a small thing, but showed, better than words ever could, the rapport that has grown between the two.

What follows is an excerpt of my interview with young Mr. Malfoy. Please note that, while we are aware that the wizarding world is keenly interested in knowing some of the more intimate details of their marriage, out of respect for their privacy and consideration of the fact that both of them are still very young, I did not question Malfoy on those details.

---

First of all, I would like to thank you for taking the time to talk to us.

You're welcome.

The wizarding world is dying to know how you are both doing. What would you tell them?

We're fine. We've adjusted to the bond, we're doing all right.

Tell us, what was it like, that first day? We heard that the curse knocked you both out - do you know why?

We were told that the suddenness of the bond - you know, feeling each other's feelings and all that - was too big a shock. Especially because of how the bond happened. We were arguing, and we walked through a door, and that set it off. It was completely unexpected.

So you went from a heated argument to waking up in the hospital wing, bonded?

Yeah.

How did anybody figure out you'd been bonded?

I was told the bond sign appeared, you know, around our wrists.

You were told?

I've no memory of any of it. Neither one of us does.

That's interesting. Some people claimed that you'd been put under a body-bind spell and then bonded, and that your memory was erased so that you couldn't tell anybody who'd done it.

No, that's not what happened at all. Not sure how people got that idea. I mean, there were at least five witnesses right there when it happened.

What did you think, when you woke up?

Erm... well I actually thought it was some kind of sick joke. But then we realized we could feel each other through the bond, and nobody around us was laughing, so we had to accept it.

We've heard that you were considered rivals, were you not?

We... didn't get along very well.

From what I've heard, that's a bit of an understatement.

(laugh) Yeah, I suppose so. It was just schoolboy stuff, though. You know, fights, insults, that kind of thing. And we were both Seekers, so there was that, and our houses don't generally get along.

Gryffindor and Slytherin, yes. Not generally the two most friendly houses.

No.

What was it like, the first few days?

It was... it was pretty difficult. We had to leave our dorms, move into our own quarters, which was a bit of a shock. Switch a bunch of our classes so we could attend together, and we both had to drop out of Quidditch.

You were both Seekers and Captains of your respective teams, were you not?

Yeah. It was hard, having to leave that.

And what about living together? I can only imagine what it must have been like, having to spend all day with somebody you don't like.

It wasn't easy.

We were told you landed yourselves in the hospital not very long after your bonding. What can you tell us about that?

Yeah, a couple of weeks in. We just got sick of each other and tried to get away from each other. It didn't work out very well.

No, I can imagine. New spouses are not supposed to be more than a few feet apart for the first little while.

Well, we knew that, but it was really not easy to be together all the time. So we tried to - we went to sit at our separate tables. Don't know how long it took, just a few minutes, then we both passed out. Felt horrible afterwards, too.

What happened after that?

The bonding spells specialist decided we should be allowed to go back to each other's dorms if we wanted to. You know, to be with our own friends and not just alone all the time.

Did that help?

Yeah.

And then we heard that there was a rather spectacular fight in the Great Hall? What was that all about?

That's... private. We were just... tense. We were getting along a lot better, but it was still... rather tense.

Yes, we heard. There were a lot of rumors going around about the state of your bond at the time.

I heard.

Were they true?

I don't know, I didn't read any of them.

Really?

Things were complicated enough. I didn't particularly want to read what people thought about what was going on.

That's understandable. The rumors had to do with the two of you not consummating your marriage for some time after the bonding took place.

Yeah, I thought so.

Was that true?

I don't think I have to answer that.

No, not if you don't want to. How did you get over whatever the problem was, though? There were so many stories - you both being sent to St. Mungo's, or being suspended from school, or staying in the infirmary to recover from your injuries - one source even claimed you'd been briefly sent to Azkaban for assaulting each other.

Azkaban??

Oh yes.

No, no, nothing like that.

How badly were you hurt?

It was just a fight. It got a little out of control, but-

One source claimed an Unforgivable was used.

No, nothing like that. God. We didn't hex each other at all.

Is it true that Mr. Potter caused extensive damage to school property?

A bit, but it was just a fight. We'd done worse to each other before being bonded. The only reason it was a serious problem was that because of the bond, the teachers couldn't just take away House points and give us each a dozen detentions.

So what did they do instead?

We didn't go to St. Mungo's. We just went to our quarters, and spent the next four days at the school but not in classes. The Healer from St. Mungo's gave us a list of things to do to get to know each other better - you know, tell each other about our pasts, what our favourite classes were, that kind of thing.

The kinds of things that people do when they bond for political purposes?

Yeah, pretty much. I'd expected to have to do all of that some day; I just didn't think it would be so soon. Or with another boy.

Did it bother you that your new spouse was male?

Not much, no.

Had you ever dated other boys?

No, but it wasn't that big a problem. I mean, the bond takes care of that, doesn't it? Plenty of gay wizards marry somebody of the opposite sex and manage all right. Besides, the fact that it was him was a lot more difficult than the fact that he was male.

Now, what happened, exactly, a few weeks ago? We heard that the two of you had landed in the hospital wing again, and that there was an additional curse?

Yeah. It's kind of technical and the Aurors don't really want me talking about it.

I hear that it required a great deal of effort to set to rights.

Yes.

Your parents were involved in it, weren't they? Helped to save Mr. Potter's life as well as your own, didn't they?

Yes, they did. My mother also helped develop the spell that was used.

And how do your parents and your spouse get along?

They haven't really had to get along. We're at school, so they don't actually see each other much.

But is there animosity between them?

I wouldn't say so, no. The few times they've had to be in the same room there's been no conflict.

What about the two of you? Any lingering animosity there?

No.

How did you get from where you started, to here? You seem to be getting along well, you walked in together-

We have to walk in together, the bond doesn't really let us be apart all that often.

No, I know, but you came in talking together, and you seem at ease with each other.

Yeah, we are.

How did you get there?

It just took time. We just needed to get to know each other as people. The four days helped a lot. And we both really wanted it to work. We'd put each other through a lot, so we knew we had to really work to make things better.

Kind of like a honeymoon? There were stories that you'd gone off somewhere exotic together.

That's daft. No, our honeymoon was The Three Broomsticks at Hogsmeade.

(laugh) Oh dear. Not terribly exotic.

Not terribly, no.

Is that really all you needed to do? Get to know each other better and be willing to work together?

Yeah.

Before the bond, would you have ever suspected that was all it would take?

(laugh) No, never. But I didn't know him very well, I think. He's... not quite the same person I thought he was.

No?

He's not bad, once you get to know him. And it turned out we had a lot in common. I mean, we both love Quidditch, and we play chess at the same level, and we can actually... you know, talk.

About what?

Life in general. School, classes, other students.

I would imagine there's a lot you can't talk about. The history between your family and him...

That's not really a problem.

How do you think of him? Other than the fact that he's your spouse, do you think of him as a friend, or do you still see him as a rival, or-

No, he's a friend.

A close friend, or a sort of acquaintance-friend?

Close friend.

So there's friendship there. Is there love?

I wouldn't call it love - we care about each other, I suppose.

Do you share personal thoughts and feelings? Hopes, dreams of the future?

Well, we live together, so of course personal things come up every so often.

And do you support each other in difficult times?

It wouldn't be terribly bright not to, would it, when we can feel what the other is feeling?

But with your history, you can understand why people would be skeptical about-

It's just like any other marriage. It doesn't matter what we were like before the bond, we're there for each other if we have to be. Like I said, we're friends.

And what about your friends? How do they get along?

All right. They've all been pretty supportive.

Are you welcomed at Gryffindor?

Yeah, they're pretty decent.

And what about Slytherin?

Same thing. It's not really that strange. People have been known to date people from other houses.

Yes, but going into another house's dormitories...

Well, yeah, that part's unusual, but everybody's adjusted to it.

Do you think the Gryffindors see you as an honorary Gryffindor?

Er, no. No, not at all. I may be married to a Gryffindor, but I'm still a Slytherin. I wouldn't want that to change.

Still have house pride?

Yeah, absolutely.

What about Quidditch? Will you be cheering for Gryffindor during their next game?

Oh. I haven't thought that far ahead yet.

And what do you see in your future? As a couple? Do you see your future together, or separate? After all, you are in seventh year, the end of school isn't that far away.

Erm... I'm not really thinking about the future right now.

There are so many rumors - that you're moving in together after school, that you're in love, that you're planning on having children together-

Children? Erm, no, we haven't talked about that. I mean, we're just getting through seventh year, have to get through the NEWTs first. I don't know. It's a long way away. We'll figure it out when we get there.

It seems you've figured out a great deal already.

Yes.

I'm sure you'll do well. Thank you very much for agreeing to speak to us.

You're welcome.

---

I must admit, I left the interview rather in awe of what both of them have accomplished. These two boys have turned what could have been a nightmare into a warm and caring marriage. In just two short months, they have managed to get past childhood enmity, troubling history between their families, Hogwarts inter-house rivalry, and a mysterious curse, and have managed to come out the other side with aplomb.

Would that more adults could behave with the courage and dignity that these young gentlemen have demonstrated.

ooooooo

The Daily Prophet
Monday, February 8

Boy Who Lived, Abusive Spouse?

It seemed too good to be true, and apparently it was. The brief marriage of Harry Potter to his childhood rival Draco Malfoy, punctuated by rumours of conflict and violence, appears to have actually been abusive, if reports from Hogwarts are to be believed. The Prophet has learned that during the couple's time together, his spouse was twice treated for serious physical injuries suffered at the hands of Mr. Potter, and that at one point the school nurse was so concerned with his safety that she contacted a Healer from St. Mungo's to come and evaluate the situation.

The young man in question claimed that their relationship, though fraught with conflict in its early days, had settled into a good marriage with a bit of work. How can this be believed?

"I know what I saw," said one student on condition of anonymity, "Potter punched him in the face, right in the Great Hall. And nobody did anything about it, just sent them off to be alone for four days."

Lucius Malfoy expressed shock at rumours of his son's ordeal at Potter's hands, and added that considering Potter's past, he had strongly advocated sending them both to St. Mungo's, but "I was unable to convince the other adults involved of the importance of keeping both of them safe. I was assured that my son wanted to stay at school, but with an abusive spouse and a cadre of adults who only seemed to want to keep everything quiet, I now very much wonder how free he was to speak his mind."

It seems this situation demands to be investigated.

ooooooo

The Daily Prophet
Saturday, February 27

A Bond Renewed

Since the day after their divorce, rumours have circulated alleging that Harry Potter and his ex, Draco Malfoy, have become romantically involved again. Now, for the first time, pictures taken on Hogwarts grounds and sent to The Prophet show those rumours confirmed by solid visual evidence.

There is no way to tell how long the couple has been back together, or indeed if they ever really separated other than formally, though officially the wizarding world had been led to believe that they had. Indeed, in the last few weeks, Malfoy has been linked to various other people at the school, including a Muggle-born Hufflepuff girl, an unnamed teacher, and fellow Slytherin Quidditch teammate Seamus Finnigan. Potter has also been linked to various fellow students, male and female, although none of those speculations has been printed in these pages, as The Prophet is not in the habit of exposing the private lives of Hogwarts students without reason or evidence.

Nevertheless, this reunion will not come as a surprise to many of our readers, many of whom expressed surprise at the fact that the two had decided to unbond in the first place, as, by all reports, their marriage had settled into a very good and close relationship.

It is possible that Potter and Malfoy simply opted to dissolve the involuntary bond but remain together until they decided to go their separate ways or re-bond voluntarily. And while normally it would be premature to speculate on whether wedding bells will ring for any couple that has only been together for a few months, we must remember that these two young men have already experienced a successful marriage. It won't be surprising if they do decide to remarry, this time of their own free will. They would likely have the support of many of our readers who have expressed a fond desire to see them reunite.

Whether Malfoy's family will echo the support of Prophet readers is difficult to tell. Convicted Death Eater Lucius Malfoy, father of Draco Malfoy, who was shown these pictures prior to their publication, appeared shocked but had no comment about his son's renewed romantic relationship with Potter. At the time of the divorce, Lucius Malfoy expressed a desire to see his son's "friendship" with Potter continue, but clearly seemed to expect it to remain a friendship and nothing more.

The larger political ramifications of this liaison are difficult to predict. In recent weeks, as news of Death Eater activity has risen, many have speculated that Lucius Malfoy has returned to his previous position alongside You-Know-Who. If true, his son's relationship with the Boy Who Lived will no doubt put that position in doubt. What consequences this will have for the Malfoy family, for Harry Potter, and for us all, are too numerous to contemplate.

Even more troubling to consider: The Prophet, in an exclusive interview with an Auror who agreed to speak only on condition of anonymity, has learned that this current rapprochement between Potter and young Mr. Malfoy may be part of a plot by You-Know-Who. A plot aided and abetted by Lucius Malfoy, to bring his son into a position of trust with the Boy Who Lived and his allies in order to gain inside information, or to weaken Potter, or to strike him when he is most vulnerable. Ugly as it may seem to believe that a seventeen year old boy (who, by all accounts, became a close friend to Potter during their marriage) may be plotting to betray him in the most heinous way, our source in the Ministry claims that it "would be irresponsible of us to not consider and guard against that possibility."

Readers can rest assured that The Prophet will keep them up to date as to the latest developments in this ongoing story.