Oblivious

Chapter 14: Death of Malfoy

-H-

As I sit in this dank little pub, waiting for an official from the country's Ministry of Magic, I drum my fingers on my glass, thinking about how I got here.

After departing from platform nine-and-three-quarters, I reported to the Ministry of Magic in London. There, I was given instructions from the Minister of Magic himself to travel immediately to Ireland, where there was suspected Death Eater activity. Even though Voldemort is dead, there are still those Dark Wizards out there who strive to continue his work. Once in Ireland, I helped the Aurors there rid the country of all the Death Eaters.

Then I was sent an owl to be in this pub today for further instructions regarding a new Death Eater plot of which the Ministry has gotten wind. They wouldn't tell me anything more than it involves people I know. Right now, I'm hoping against hope that it isn't the Grangers or the Weasleys. I couldn't imagine what I would do without Hermione, or Ron, or Ginny . . .

Ginny. Little Ginny has grown up so much since the first time I saw her, when she was only ten. Almost all through our shared time at Hogwarts, I saw her as Ron's little sister, the baby of the Weasley family. Of course, I knew that she had fancied me for years. At first, I figured that it was just because of my fame, but then we came to know each other better, and I realized that she no longer saw me only as the "Boy-Who-Lived." She saw me as Harry, just Harry. In my seventh year, after she, Ron, Hermione, and I had fought together against the Dark Side time after time, I began to see her in a new light.

Against my better judgment, even knowing that Voldemort and all his supporters were trying to kill me, I began to grow quite attracted to the fiery redhead. She made me feel as no other girl had ever made me feel. Every time I thought of her, I felt a fluttering in my stomach and I smiled in spite of myself. But I knew that I couldn't try to start a relationship with her, for fear that she would become a target of those Dark Wizards who were after me. So I had to settle with just kissing her once before the Quidditch Cup finals.

Not only was it Ginny that made leaving all those I love so difficult. I had gotten a personal invitation from the captain of the Chudley Cannons to come to try-outs during the summer. After being selected for the Gryffindor House Quidditch team in my first year, I fell in love with the sport and wanted nothing more than to play it professionally when I finished with school. But what with all the Dark Arts always lurking just around the corner for me, I never expected that dream to come true.

It's been seven months now, and now that Voldemort is gone, I hope to finally make that dream come true. I hope I can explain to her why I did what I did and said what I said, without having to fear for her safety . . .

"Top o' the mornin' to ya, Potter. Thank ya for joinin' me on such short notice." The old wizard with a heavy Irish accent snaps me from my reverie. I stand and shake hands with him as he introduces himself as Riley McTiernan. He motions for me to sit again as he settles into his chair, sighing heavily and folding his hands on the table. After he orders himself a drink, he begins business.

"So, you have been informed only that this plot involves Death Eaters an' people you know, am I right?"

"Yes, sir. That's right."

He nods his silvery head and says, "Well, I suppose I should relate the rest to ya then. I'm sure you've been havin' kittens wonderin' who it could be." He laughs briefly, but it's a tired, almost forced laugh. "Well, as you know, Potter, the Malfoys are a very prestigious an' influential in the wizardin' world, even though many suspect 'em of havin' had a part in the rise o' the Dark Lord. However they were acquitted o' the charges, due to lack of evidence. Well, as you can imagine, their lack o' punishment angers those 'faithful' Death Eaters who are now in Azkaban, an' even those who aren't."

"So, what are you saying? That the Death Eaters are planning to kill the Malfoys? What does this have to do with me? I'd rather they died, quite frankly."

"Aye, I understand, laddie. But that's not all. Also entwined in this complicated web are the Grangers, a family of Muggles no less. Now, we don't know exactly if they're plottin' with the Malfoys or are the ones plotted against. That's what we need you to figure out. Once you have, you are to take the culprits straight to Azkaban."

I nod. "Yes sir. I will return to England immediately and deal with the Malfoys." I stand, pay for my drink, and Disapparate.

~H~

About a month after my second vision, I overhear Draco talking to someone in the sitting room. I stand on the stairs and listen.

" . . . as planned. The parents are both Stunned, so I'm heading to Knockturn Alley. I'll owl you later, Dad."

Stunned? Nocturnally? Owl? Must be some kind of code.

I hear footsteps coming toward the stairs, so I quietly hurry back up to my room, close the door, and throw myself on my bed, pretending to be napping. A few moments later, there is a sharp knock at my door.

"I'm leaving for a little while. I'm locking you inside the house, just to make sure you don't misbehave." Then he utters some words under his breath, followed by his retreating footsteps back down the stairs and the opening and closing of our front door.

About an hour later, I exit my room to find some food. After satisfying my rumbling stomach, as I turn back toward the stairs, I look down the hallway toward Mum and Dad's room. Having not seen Dad in a while because Mum says he's been ill, I decide that I'll go peek in on him.

I knock gently on the closed door. Not hearing any response, I open the door and peek inside, gasping at what I see.

Mum and Dad are on the bed, but I can tell immediately that they aren't asleep or dead. Dad looks horrible, but not as if he's been ill. They are both terribly thin and pale, with dark circles under their eyes. I hurry toward them, tripping on something on the floor. Looking down, I see a huge, open trunk with a large collection of odd-looking things inside: dark robes, a pointed black hat, and moldy books with titles such as Gadding with Ghouls and Travels with Trolls, both by someone named Gilderoy Lockhart. Though the name rings a terrible bell, I shake it off and hurry over to Mum and Dad.

"Mum! Dad! Wake up, please! It's Hermione! Please, wake up. Mum! Dad!" My first instinct is to call 911, but something inside me tells me that that would do no good. Not knowing what else to do, I go back to that trunk and dig through it, hoping that something in it might help. Along with the robes, pointed hat, and the books, I find a stack of periodicals, all with the title Daily Prophet. I pull one out and read the headline, HOGWARTS HEAD GOVERNOR'S SON TO WED BEST FRIEND OF FAMOUS HARRY POTTER. The accompanying picture is one of Draco, his parents, and me, but strangest of all is that the picture is moving!

Something's going on here . . .

I read the article beneath the picture, catching strangely familiar phrases.

" . . . the esteemed Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry . . . a pretty Gryffindor . . . Coming from a long line of wizards . . . best friend of Harry Potter . . . the downfall of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named . . ."

"What is going on here?" I say aloud, not expecting the very familiar voice that I hear behind me that answers by calling my name.

-H-

Once back in England, I go immediately to the Grangers' house, sure that that is where I'll find Malfoy. Sure enough, through the window, I see that he's in the sitting room talking to Lucius Malfoy's head, which is suspended in the fireplace.

"How are things, Draco?" Lucius's head says in his oily voice.

"I just refreshed the Imperius Curse on the woman, and Hermione's Memory Charm is still working quite well. She still knows nothing about the past seven years, especially that bloody Weasley. And she still believes that we are to be wed. Over all, things are going well, just as planned. The parents are both Stunned, so I'm heading to Knockturn Alley. I'll owl you later, Dad."

With that, he disappears momentarily up the stairs then descends again. Throwing my Invisibility Cloak over myself, I watch him exit the house and enchant it so no one can get out. Then he Disapparates, and I follow.

When I appear on the grungy cobblestone road, I glance around for Malfoy, finding him walking briskly down the road and disappearing inside a building to the left. I follow, careful not to tread on anyone's feet, and enter the building after him. Inside, I find Knockturn Alley's equivalent of Diagon Alley's Leaky Cauldron; the dark, dirty little bar is filled with sinister-looking witches and wizards wearing grubby robes and donning greasy black hair, their beady eyes looking down their long, crooked noses.

Disregarding the odor, I creep up behind Malfoy to listen to his conversation with the short, stout barkeep.

" . . . as Dad says. The dolts at the Ministry still don't see that soon another, more powerful Dark Wizard will rise, and what with our connections with the Dementors and the giants and the goblins, they will be vastly outnumbered."

At this, the barkeep grins, revealing his missing teeth. "Thanks for the update, Mr. Malfoy."

"It's nothing, Avery. Good day." He tips his hat then turns around, exiting the bar. As we come to a more open place, I notice that many wicked-looking, hooded wizards are suddenly eyeing Malfoy as he strides importantly through the alley.

These must be the bitter Death Eaters. If Malfoy doesn't deflate his head soon, he's history . . .

But of course, he doesn't come off of his high horse; he's pulled from it violently when a pair of the grubby wizards grab both his arms as another points his wand at Malfoy and screeches, "Petrificus Totalus!" Malfoy is frozen as the wizards release him, allowing him to thud sickeningly barely a few meters from where I stand. The wizard who performed the charm glides over to Malfoy and lowers his hood. His striking resemblance to Goyle tells me that this must be his father.

"So, if it isn't Draco bloody Malfoy, strolling through Knockturn Alley as if he owns the place. Then again, we all know where his true loyalties lie: with those who can offer him the most money."

This elicits harsh laughter from the assembled Death Eaters.

"Well, we don't take too kindly to your kind of turncoat riff-raff around here, Malfoy. You and your over-pompous father have betrayed Lord Voldemort for the last time! Avada Kedavra!"

A flash of green light, and Malfoy lies dead at my feet. The Death Eaters turn to scurry off, but I act quickly and Stun them before they can escape. Placing my Invisibility Cloak back in my utility belt, I place a Levitation Charm on them and lead them from the gathering crowd. I'll come back for Malfoy, if he's still here when I return.

Once in Diagon Alley, I hover the Stunned Death Eaters up the street toward the Shrieking Shack, where there's room for me to Disapparate with my load. Removing the Levitation Charm, I bind them all with rope from the end of my wand and Disapparate.

Seconds later, I'm standing outside the fortress of Azkaban. I flash my identification to the guards and explain my business. They allow me to pass and I take the Death Eaters inside, leaving them with the first guards I find so I can go find Sirius, who recently acquired the top position at the wizard prison.

When he sees me, he drops all proper behavior and envelops me in a hug that would make me think that his Animagus form was a bear if I didn't know better.

"Harry! Where the bloody hell have you been, boy?" he says into the crook of my neck, his whiskers tickling the skin just below my chin.

I pull myself from the embrace and explain quickly where I've been the past eight months. Then I tell him about the happenings in Knockturn Alley.

"Serves the bugger right," he growls. "You say they're downstairs?"

"Yes, and they should be coming to soon, so we should get them into their cells."

Sirius nods once and barks to the guards to do so.

"So, sit down, Harry, tell me about --"

"Sirius, I really should go check on Hermione and her parents. I'm sorry, but I'll come back as soon as I'm done and stay up all night talking to you if you want."

"Oh, all right then. But come to Remus'. That's where I'm staying."

"All right then."

I smile and Disapparate to the Burrow to pick up Ron before going back to Bristol. I'm sure that he will want to be there.