Searching for Dawn

Searching for Dawn

by cindale

Chapter 11

"Coercion"

Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange raised their wands toward the women in the cage. "Crucio!"

Unable to move or close his eyes, Harry watched as Hermione and Lisa writhed in pain on the floor. The room echoed with agonized screams, and it took Harry several minutes to realize that some of it was coming from his own throat. His eyes burned from lack of moisture, and his muscles ached from straining against his invisible bonds, but these discomforts paled in comparison to the ache in his heart as he watched two people he cared about in such horrible agony. He fought the urge to retch as he remembered Lestrange's description of the curse.

Just when he thought he couldn't take any more, he felt something forced into his hand. He was momentarily distracted by the smooth feeling of his wand, and then shocked as he heard his enemy's voice, unnaturally magnified in his ear. "When I release you, immobilize Bellatrix. I'll take care of Lucius. Be ready."

A few seconds later, Harry almost fell to the floor as he was released from the spells. He pointed his wand at Lestrange and yelled, "Petrificus Totalus!" He watched Lestrange and Lucius fall to the ground next to each other, and then stumbled over to Hermione and Lisa, who were mercifully unconscious.

"Let them sleep," drawled Draco. "The longer they're out, the better they'll feel when they wake up."

Harry looked at Draco. "Release Ron," he said in a dangerous voice.

"Sure, whatever," he answered, casually waving his wand in Ron's direction. Harry hurried to Ron and caught him as he stumbled forward.

"I'm okay, mate," Ron said and made his way quickly to Hermione's side.

Harry crossed to the bars closest to Draco. "Are you going to let us out of here?"

"As soon as I'm sure you're not going to attack me."

"What's going on, Malfoy?"

Draco strolled up to the bars separating him from Harry. Harry raised his wand as Draco approached, but the blonde man only rolled his eyes, shook his head, and put on a falsely bright voice, saying, "Thank you so much Mr. Malfoy, for saving my life and the lives of my friends."

Harry narrowed his eyes, but lowered his wand. "Why should I be thanking you?" he asked. "You allowed the girls to be tortured and you tortured Ron yourself."

"I had to choose my moment," Draco said with a shrug. "It wouldn't have done you any good if my father had killed me, now, would it?"

Harry stared at Draco for a long moment. Then he turned and walked over to Ron, who sat on the ground with Hermione's head in his lap. "Is she okay?" He saw the tears in Ron's eyes as he raised his head to look at Harry and nodded slowly. He swallowed a lump and turned to Lisa, kneeling down to examine her face. She appeared to be sleeping and breathing normally, and her cheeks had a healthy color. He walked back over to Draco. "The bars, Malfoy."

"Right." Draco muttered a spell and the bars disappeared.

Harry walked over to Lestrange and picked up her wand. Her body was completely stiff and immobilized from his spell, with the exception of her eyes. He stood where she could see him and said, "I hope you enjoyed Azkaban, since you're going back." Then he broke her wand in two. He allowed himself to enjoy the look of hatred and defiance in her eyes for a moment before he turned to pick up Lucius's wand. He froze before he completely straightened up, and then knelt beside the unnaturally still man. "He's dead! What have you done, Malfoy?"

"Simple killing curse, Potter. I know you know how to use it."

"What?" Ron shouted. "Are you crazy? You killed him? You'll get a life sentence in Azkaban."

"I don't think so," Draco said quietly.

Harry stood and walked over to Draco. "I don't get it. You killed your own father to save our lives? Why?"

Draco laughed bitterly. "Don't get all sappy on me. Not everything is about you, Potter. I did it to help myself, not to save your pathetic lives. When my father dies I inherit the Malfoy fortune. As long as he was alive we had to stay in hiding, but now he's dead and I've saved the lives of the Boy-Who-Lived and his friends. All will be forgiven me."

"We can't let you get away with murder," Harry argued.

"I think you can," said Draco. "I'd hate for the Ministry to find out that you got away with murder, wouldn't you?"

Harry shook his head. "Everyone knows I killed Voldemort - I don't think I'm going to get into trouble for that."

Draco casually crossed his arms in front of his chest; his expression looked like he had just been told Christmas was coming early. "I'm not talking about Voldemort - I'm talking about Pettigrew." Harry felt the color drain from his face and his stomach roll with nausea. Draco laughed. "Thanks for confirming it, Potter - you're an open book." He took his father's wand from Harry, broke it in two, and pocketed the halves. Then he turned and walked toward Lestrange. "I guess your self-righteous attitude explains why you didn't kill Bellatrix. I certainly would have if I were in your position."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked in a weak voice.

Draco turned to Harry and shrugged. "She killed your godfather, didn't she? I would want revenge."

The nausea in Harry's stomach was quickly replaced with anger. "She'll go to Azkaban, where she belongs," he said in a tight voice.

"What happened? Did you suddenly grow a conscience?" Draco said with a sneer. "You certainly didn't have one when you killed Wormtail!" He paused, jerked the glove off his right hand, and held the mangled hand in front of Harry's face. "You certainly didn't have a conscience when you did this!"

Emotions stirred wildly in Harry's stomach, making the nausea return. Amidst the spinning of his head, he was able to distinguish one vital emotion, and he clung to it with all his might. Guilt. He actually felt guilty for scarring Draco's hand, despite all the hurt the boy had caused him in school, despite all the hurt he had caused his friends today. The voices of Dumbledore, Remus, Ron and Ginny floated through his head, all telling him that he couldn't be evil if he felt remorse for his mistakes. Hope began to blossom in his heart, and as he stood there, looking at Draco's hand, the hope slowly began to overwhelm the fear, anger, and sadness. He turned his head slightly to look Draco straight in the eye, and spoke in a firm voice. "I made some mistakes during the war, but that's not the person I am. I will not kill again."

"Whatever," Draco said with a roll of his eyes. He turned suddenly, pointed his wand at Lestrange, and shouted, "Avada Kedavra!" Harry watched in horror as the green light hit the woman squarely in the chest. He turned to look at Ron, whose eyes reflected the revulsion he felt.

Ron finally managed to speak. "Harry, we can't let him get away with two murders. The Ministry will never believe Malfoy about Pettigrew - they officially still believe Sirius killed him twenty years ago. We've got to turn him in."

"I don't think so," Draco said. His smirk returned as he played his final card. "Potter, have you been to any stag parties lately? Weasley, you can be such a toad sometimes! And Granger always figures everything out, doesn't she, the wise old owl!"

Harry and Ron stared at Draco in shock as he named all three of their Animagus forms. After a moment, they looked at each other, silently asking the other what to do. Harry noticed the terror he felt reflected in Ron's eyes.

Draco's smile became broader as he watched their faces. "You three aren't registered, are you? Isn't that an automatic Azkaban term?" He moved closer to Harry and said, in a stage whisper, "You two might be okay in Azkaban for a while, but I know you don't want to see Granger have to go there."

Harry's memories of past encounters with Dementors flooded his mind. He sighed and turned to Ron. "We've got to keep quiet about this, Ron," he said in a defeated tone.

"But it won't matter what we say, Harry," Ron protested. "All they have to do is examine his wand."

"Oh, thanks for reminding me," said Draco. He pulled his wand out of his pocket and stroked it lovingly for a moment then put a hand on each end and pulled his knee up forcefully, breaking the wand in two. He pocketed the halves. "Okay, I think that takes care of all the evidence, since I no longer have eyewitnesses."

"Er, Malfoy," Ron said, "there's the slight issue of the two dead bodies."

Harry wasn't listening; he suddenly had an idea. He was armed, Malfoy was not. He took a few steps back, raised his wand, shouted, "Obliviate!" and waited for the other man's eyes to glaze over.

Instead, Draco laughed softly, eyes as bright as ever. "Give it up, Potter. The Memory Charm doesn't work on me."

"Why not?"

"I don't know," Draco said with a shrug. "You can fight off the Imperious Curse; I can fight off the Memory Charm. Special talents, I guess."

Harry looked over at Ron, who shrugged.

"Now about those bodies ..." Draco began.

"Neither of our wands is going to show a killing curse, Malfoy," Ron interrupted. "Even without your wand, the Ministry will still assume you killed them. All they have to do is administer truth serum to find out."

Draco looked thoughtful for a moment, and then said, "I think they killed each other. My father was against killing you all, but was afraid of Bellatrix. He decided to help me save you, and she killed him for it. But he was too quick for her, and he managed to curse her before he died. In fact, now that I think about it, he saved my life. She would have killed me next." Draco pulled a tragic face and managed a sniffle. "My father's last act as he died was to save my life. He was a hero."

Harry and Ron looked at each other in disbelief and rolled their eyes. "No one's going to believe that, Malfoy," said Harry.

Draco's casual demeanor returned. "Sure they will - especially if you back me up. Everyone knows Bellatrix Lestrange was Voldemort's most faithful disciple, while Lucius Malfoy was only a reluctant follower." Harry and Ron both snorted derisively at this. "Besides, I'm a great actor." He resumed his tragic face, took several deep breaths, and actually managed to send a tear trickling down his face.

"I think I'm going to be sick," said Ron.

****************************************

The American Ministry of Magic accepted the story without question. They praised Lisa for a job well done and gave her two weeks leave with pay to recover from her injuries. Harry, Ron, and Hermione parted from Lisa with hugs and many promises to keep in touch.

The British Ministry of Magic was a little more reluctant to believe a Malfoy was a victim of circumstance. Ms. Edwards and Mr. McFly looked at all of them skeptically as they recounted their story, especially Draco's part. However, with no evidence to the contrary, they reluctantly released Draco from custody.

Ron and Hermione considered themselves lucky. Ron received only a formal reprimand for taking his wife on the mission, and Hermione escaped with only a fine, provided she immediately register her Animagus form. Harry used his paycheck from the Ministry to pay the fine. Harry and Ron didn't mention their Animagus forms; they decided to quietly register after a few weeks had passed.

The three of them rode the elevator to the lobby with Draco. They silently avoided looking in his direction, but as the door opened, Draco brushed by Harry to exit, and their eyes locked briefly.

For the first time in years, Harry didn't see hatred in the blond's eyes. He wasn't sure of the expression, but it could have been gratitude. He watched as Draco joined Narcissa at the other end of the room, as mother and son embraced warmly, and as Draco pulled back slightly and pressed his cheek against hers. He continued to stare after them as they left. He wondered if a man who so obviously loved his mother could really be evil. The thought comforted him a bit, realizing that Draco would have never had the chance for redemption in Azkaban. Draco had a second chance, and Harry could only hope he wouldn't use it for nefarious purposes.

Harry turned to the others waiting in the room. Remus had his arm draped around Susan's shoulders; it was obvious they had reconciled. "Glad you've come to your senses, mate," Harry said in a low voice as he shook Remus's hand warmly. He grinned at the slight blush on their cheeks, and then he turned to Ginny.

He gently put his hands on her arms and looked into her eyes, knowing his expression betrayed his feelings. She looked at him in wonder as he slowly lowered his lips to hers in a chaste kiss. She choked out a small sob as she flung her arms around his neck and pulled him close. "I love you, Ginny," Harry whispered in her ear, and pulled back slightly to kiss her again, this time more enthusiastically.

They finally pulled apart when someone loudly cleared their throat. They looked around at the four faces, three registering surprise and one grinning broadly. Remus spoke first, "Did I miss something? When did this happen?"

Hermione noticed Ron's expression. "You knew!" she accused with an elbow to his ribs.

"Yeah," Ron said with a small laugh. "This is great! Now everyone remember - for a short time, I actually knew something Hermione didn't!"

"But ... why didn't Ginny ... why didn't Harry ... nobody told me ..." Hermione babbled.

Ron put his arm around her and led her away, murmuring, "I'll explain it to you later, love."

Harry watched them go, then turned to Remus. "Sorry, mate. I guess we owe explanations to several people, don't we?"

"That's okay," said Remus, "I think we owe a few, too."

Ginny shook her head and groaned. "My mother's going to be insufferable about this."

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EPILOGUE

Narcissa Malfoy buried her husband and her sister on the same day. Lucius Malfoy was buried on the grounds of the Malfoy Estate, while Bellatrix Lestrange was buried in the Black Family Plot in London. There was no memorial service; anyone who would actually admit to being a friend of Lucius or Bellatrix was either dead or in hiding. Andromeda met them in London to pay her respects to her sister, but Draco and Narcissa stood alone by Lucius's tomb. He was a little surprised that he actually felt sorry. Not remorse for taking his father's life, but sorry that his father's poor choices had led to this. He noted that his mother did not cry.

After the house-elves cleared dinner that evening, Draco gathered up the courage to tell his mother what he and his father had done during the past year, and how Lucius had met his demise. But as he launched into his story, Narcissa stopped him with a gentle touch on his cheek. "I don't want to know, love. It's in the past. What's important is that you're home." She stood, kissed his forehead, and left the dining room. Draco stared at her back for a moment, feeling a little bewildered, and then shrugged and went to his room.

He shut the door and charmed it locked. Then he flung himself into his favorite chair by the fireplace, thinking how much he had missed home. He idly pulled on the chain that lay hidden under his robes until the pendant rested in his hand.

It was a clear crystal, about the size of a golden snitch. It felt oddly heavy. Draco stared at it, turning it this way and that, watching the prismatic rainbows flicker within. It had been a simple matter to magically bypass the Muggle security at the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, locate the correct Remington sculpture, and charm the crystal out of the base. His father had never known.

He thought about the enhanced powers that had been revealed so far. He had discovered he could fight off the Memory Charm quite by accident. One day he had walked in on Lucius and Bellatrix in a compromising position. He had turned and immediately left the room, but thirty minutes later Lucius had come to his room to erase his memory of the event. Draco was actually a little sorry it hadn't worked; he felt he could have done without that particular mental image.

He realized he had also been able to detect whatever mind-reading spell Potter's group had been using on him. He couldn't help wondering if the crystal could act as a defense against Legilimency. That alone could be a useful asset.

The crystal had already demonstrated its usefulness as a tool of defense. Now Draco found himself wondering if the crystal could benefit him in offensive strategies. He needed to do research and conduct tests. He smiled as he tucked the crystal back into his robes, rose from his chair, and walked out of his room in the direction of his father's library. Correction, his library.

THE END

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AUTHOR'S NOTES: Yes, we have finally reached the end of this story. Since I know I'll get the question, I'll answer it now: No, I have no plans for a sequel at this time (12/03). To be honest, I can't think of a plot for a sequel. However, I have some ideas for another HP story. If you're interested, join my Yahoo group for updates: Yahoo Group

Many, many thanks to Ginnysdarkside, who has been my faithful beta from the beginning. She has taught me so much about writing and has become a great friend (luv ya H!). If this story is well written at all, it's because of her influence. (Click on her name to read her story - it's excellent!)

I also need to thank Dethryl, who helped me with some plot points in the middle chapters. Even though he can be brutal, his advice is almost always good. Thanks also to Lady Jayne Paisley (luv ya J!), who has had some great ideas about my last few chapters, and is a fun IM friend. (Sorry, I couldn't get the links to work - Dethryl is the author of "They Shook Hands" and Lady Jayne is the author of "Triskelion", both on Schnoogle.)

I must thank my mother and Kristen, who helped me to believe in myself. If it hadn't been for my mother's encouragement, I would have never written, and if it hadn't been for Kristen's encouragement, I probably wouldn't have posted. I would also be remiss if I didn't thank my husband and kids, who have graciously put up with my hours on the computer. (Love you!!!)

Thank you so much to all of you who have read this - at this point I have over 1,200 hits! I want to thank all of you who have reviewed, but I have to mention two in particular, who have reviewed every single chapter and who have become my friends. Bryonia Alba was my first FA reviewer and recommended "Searching for Dawn" on the newbie's guide. (You rock, girl! Keep in touch!) Swishandflick started reading my story when I was several chapters in, but still stopped to review at the end of each chapter. (Aren't you glad I taught you about IM?) These two always left long, meaty reviews, and I really appreciate that. They are also great authors themselves; click on their names to read their stories!

I want to thank all my reviewers so far (I hope I don't miss anyone):

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Love to everyone I've mentioned, and if I've forgotten you, please accept my apologies! Harry Potter rules!

cindale