Blackmail

Chapter 11

It seemed as though the remaining fortnight went by very quickly, in Harry’s opinion. The NEWTs were taken one week before graduation. Harry didn’t concentrate too much on his; he went through each test mechanically. Hermione, of course, was very enthusiastic about all of it. Afterward, she complained about the facility of the Transfiguration final, of all things.

"Honestly," she said at one point, "it certainly didn’t match up to the level of difficulty that Professor McGonagall was going on about. It’s rather disappointing, actually."

Harry, who privately felt that it was, in fact, very difficult, remained silent.

In what seemed like no time at all, commencement was upon them.

The ceremony took place one evening. The seventh year students were dressed in their best Hogwarts robes, seated at the front of the Great Hall, next to the teachers, with their parents, relatives, and friends looking on from the main area. One by one, their names were called, and they stepped forward to meet Professor Dumbledore, who bestowed on each the rank of full wizard or witch.

It was supposed to be a joyous occasion, but Harry couldn’t concentrate. When his turn came, he stepped forward and as Professor Dumbledore performed the rite, his eyes skimmed the crowd. He saw his friends (Ron was giving him a thumbs up), other students that he hadn’t gotten to know too well, the Weasleys (Mrs. Weasley was dabbing at her eyes), the rest of the adults there (saying how this was such a momentous occasion in the Great Harry Potter’s life), and… Draco. His eyes rested on that familiar pointed face and arrogant expression. The past two months flitted through Harry’s mind, and he wondered if anything would ever be the same. Draco finally noticed him staring, and he turned his face to meet his eyes. And, as Harry watched, a change came over Draco’s face. It softened, even if just a little bit, and something indescribable went through his grey eyes. Then, as quickly as it came, it was gone.

And the rite was over. Harry hadn’t even heard Professor Dumbledore recite the words. He moved mechanically back to his place in the group of students ("Congratulations, Harry!" Hermione whispered excitedly) and watched as the rest of his peers became full fledged wizards.

After the ceremony was finished, the families came over to greet the class. Harry made his way outside for some much needed air, ignoring Ron’s inquiries about where he was off to.

He found himself on a rather large balcony overlooking the grounds below. Harry took a deep breath and stared out into the night sky, his hands resting on the cool stone railing in front of him.

A sound came from behind him, and someone walked up to stand next to him, their shoulders brushing together for the briefest second.

"Voldemort killed him, you know," a quiet voice spoke from Harry’s right. The lone sentence echoed in the silent night. Harry knew who the newcomer was, and what he was talking about, without even having to turn to look at him.

Harry didn’t respond to this statement, and Draco continued. "He was working on a plan, to somehow capture you and give you to Voldemort. Nothing was working, nothing was good enough. Voldemort was… punishing him for his incompetence. His life, our family, was falling apart, and I needed to do something. I couldn’t just let our family disintegrate. I had to do something, Harry."

There was a pause, and Harry gave a small nod.

Draco leaned forward onto the railing. "I didn’t think… I didn’t count on feeling this way, Harry."

"Do you regret it?" Harry asked abruptly. "Any of it?"

Draco hesitated for the tiniest minute before saying, "Some parts of it, yes. What I did, how I went about it. But now…" he stopped, lost for words.

Harry moved his right hand over cautiously, until it rested over Draco’s. "I understand," he told him.

One of his fingers started moving, slowly caressing the other boy’s hand.

Draco gulped very audibly. "Harry," he said, his voice rough and barely above a whisper. "I’m sorry. For everything."

"It’s okay. I understand," Harry said again. He paused, and considered. "What do you think is going to happen?" he asked. "We’re done with school, with Hogwarts. We’ve graduated. Now what’s going to happen?"

Draco grinned. "Well, I once thought about going into the family business, but the pay isn’t too high, and the benefits are practically non-existent."

Harry turned and looked at him, for the first time since they had started talking. He stared at him for a second in disbelief, then let out a laugh. "I can’t believe you’re trying to make light of this situation, Draco," he said.

"What?" Draco asked innocently. "It’s true. A year ago if I had been asked what I was going to do after graduation, that would’ve been my answer."

He turned to look out into the night sky and grew somber again. "But I just decided that I’d rather not be anybody’s pawn. Especially not for the creature who killed my father."

"So what are you going to do?" Harry asked. "Say you want out? Just like that?"

Draco snorted. "It won’t be that easy. I’ll have to go away." He shrugged. "Hide somewhere."

"Oh," Harry said quietly, trying to hide the disappointment in his voice. "Just completely leave?"

"Harry…"

"No, it’s alright," Harry reassured him. "If this is something you have to do… if that’s what it takes to get away from Voldemort."

"It’s not that I’m a coward or anything," Draco said sharply. "I’d gladly go after him myself, but that’d be a suicide mission, and I reckon I’ve still got a few good years left."

Harry cracked a tiny smile. "That wasn’t what I was insinuating, Draco. I know you could take the big bad Dark Lord if you really tried."

"Damn right I could," Draco said vehemently. Then he frowned and thought about what Harry just said. "Wait a second… what are you-"

"Draco."

"Yes?"

"Shush."

Draco smiled. "So what about you?" he asked. "What is Harry Potter going to do now?"

Harry shrugged. "I guess I’ll do what I’ve been doing in between classes for the past seven years: save the world, prevent Voldemort from murdering everyone… the usual. Only it’ll be full time now, apparently. Professor Dumbledore mentioned something about this order he was forming…"

Draco shook his head and sighed.

"What is it?" Harry asked, confused.

"You haven’t realized it yet? Seven long years, and you haven’t realized it?"

"Realized what?" he asked, frustrated.

"Dumbledore’s been manipulating you. Probably since you were a year old. C’mon Harry, if I’ve seen it, how could you not?"

"Manipulating?" he asked, surprise evident on his face. "How do you mean?"

Draco shrugged. "You know… manipulating. Controlling you. From the stories and things you’ve told me over the past couple of months, it sounds like he’s been ruling your life ever since your parents died. He made you live with those Muggles-"

"That’s because I had no other relatives left!"

"So why couldn’t you just go live with Dumbledore himself? Or Hagrid? Or any of the teachers? No, Dumbledore deliberately put you with those Muggles."

"I…" Harry felt very confused.

"Then you come to school, and somehow get yourself in all these convenient situations where you face the bad guys, and always come off triumphant. Sometimes they seemed a little too constructed, don’t they? Like you’re being set up for them? And Dumbledore is always there, right at the end to reassure you, to tell you everything’s alright. Doesn’t it strike you as a little odd?"

"Uh…" it seemed too radical, too fantastic an idea to be real. And yet… and yet there was something nagging at him. Hadn’t he wondered about things like these before? But he had always quickly dismissed the thoughts before he could really consider them. But now…

"I don’t know for certain, Harry," Draco finished, shrugging one shoulder "But that’s just how it seems to me."

Has Dumbledore really been controlling his life? Harry shifted uneasily. Could it really be true?

"I’ll need to think about this," Harry said at last.

Draco nodded, then glanced at a big window, looking into the Great Hall.

"We’ve been out here awhile," he said. "It looks like they’re finishing up. We should go back inside."

Harry grabbed onto his arm, stopping him. "Wait," he started. He swallowed, realizing that this would sound as corny as one could get, but he pushed ahead. "Draco… is this… will we ever see each other again after tonight?"

Draco didn’t laugh, much to Harry’s surprise. Instead he looked at him very thoughtfully. "I don’t know, Harry," he said. "Things are uncertain right now. I guess we’ll just have to see where life takes us."