Draco Finds Jesus

Chapter 10: False Christians

Yet again, Draco had given Crabbe and Goyle the slip in Hogsmeade. He had told them that there was a new, limited edition lollipop in Honeyduke's, and they had not even noticed he stopped behind as they ran there. Now, finding Archibald, that was more the problem. Draco was hovering around on the street he had first seen him, but felt more than a little conspicuous as the other students wandered past him, chatting in groups. Harry, Ron and Hermione walked by. Ron's face went bright red with the effort of not staring at Malfoy, Hermione shot Malfoy a glare and looked as though she wanted to say something, and Harry gave him a shy grin. He smiled weakly back when Hermione wasn't looking. He watched them walk away. He wanted to run up behind them, embrace Harry and somehow - by some strange means or other - make Ron and Hermione not hate him. He felt his resolve weaken and inwardly chastised himself. Don't be so weak! They wouldn't welcome you even if you did follow them. Harry's still keeping you a secret, he must be ashamed.

Just then, he caught a glimpse of a placard, sailing high above the student's heads. It read "Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body (1Cor 6:18)." It was Archibald. Draco's heart sank. From the message on the placard, it was not looking good.

* * *

'I don't trust Malfoy.'

'Really? I'd never have guessed.'

'What do you mean, Ron? You don't trust him either.' Hermione looked suspiciously at him.

'Well. . . You know, it's old news. Maybe we should leave him for a bit. He's probably still embarrassed.'

'No,' Hermione said, shaking her head. 'No, he's up to something. He keeps looking at us, and I saw him in the Muggle Studies section yesterday, and he still hasn't tried to get revenge on us yet.

"An eye for an eye would only end up in making the whole world blind," Harry muttered. They stared at him. "It's Mahatma Gandhi," he said.

"It's what?" asked Ron.

"You know, I really think the wizarding world should pay more attention to muggle affairs," Harry sighed.

"An eye for an eye. . . That's very. . . Biblically focused,' was Hermione's response. "Have you been thinking about this religion stuff, Harry?"

"Ah well," Ron interrupted. "We've all got to contemplate our meaning and purpose sometimes. Talking of which, Harry, do you think the purpose of Honeydukes is sweets or chocolate?"

Hermione shut up. She had begun to suspect everyone now. They were all acting so strangely.

* * *

'So,' Draco finally managed as Archibald stopped for air. Archibald had been very vocal about the sins of sodomy, and the perils of sin, and the hot fiery pokers that awaited the rectums of its practitioners, and Draco was beginning to get annoyed.

'This is the standard Christian teaching, is it?'

'It is the true Christian teaching.'

'And all Christians believe that do they?'

Archibald sniffed. 'All the true Christians.'

Draco rolled his eyes ever so slightly. 'And the other Christians?'

Archibald took a dramatic deep breath, held it, and went purple. 'The false Christians!' he exclaimed in a pompous booming voice that echoed around the Three Broomsticks, making Draco hide his face in shame. 'Ahhhhh the false Christians,' Archibald repeated in a low voice. 'Hideous are the fates that await the false Christians. For does it not say in the blessed book of Revelation (19:20) "And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone."'

'False prophets isn't what I-' Draco began.

'"But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction."(2 Peter 2:1). "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light." (2 Corinthians 11:13)'

'You really do have an excellent memory don't you,' Draco sighed. As if to prove Draco's point, our dear friend Mr Beanstead continued.

'"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." (Matthew 7:21-23).'

That one rang a bell with Draco. Matthew being the first book of the New Testament, he had managed to get past chapter 7. 'Can I have a look at that for a minute?' he asked.

'What?'

'I mean, that was inspiring, I'd love to read that chapter again.'

Archibald beamed at him and handed over his highlighted bible. Draco opened it up, turned to Matthew chapter 7, and scanned down the page:

"Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?. . . Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."

'Interesting,' Draco murmured. 'Do please continue, brother,' he said louder to Archibald. 'You were saying about these false Christians.'

'Such as the liberals,' Archibald spat. 'They just believe what they want to believe.'

'And - er - where do the false Christians hang out on a Sunday morning?'