...And Justice For All?

C&C welcome

     AND JUSTICE FOR ALL?

     by Scott K. Jamison

     Chapter Two: Brokeness Is What I Long For

     "Uncle...Draco?" Duncan was fairly certain he'd never heard of such a person. Of course, he hadn't heard of any living aunts or uncles on his father's side.

     "Indeed." The intruder removed his hat, revealing a fall of white-blond hair to his shoulders, and starlingly pale blue eyes. "Draco Regnus Malfoy, Professor of Divination at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, at your service."

     The voice was tauntingly familiar to Duncan, with a slight drawl and an almost inhuman smoothness. But still the man himself escaped memory.

     "You're not his uncle," said Mum quietly, with a cold tinge of fear in her voice. "There aren't any Dracos in the family."

     The intruder's smile didn't waver. "Perhaps not uncle by blood, but my dear companion Harry was raised as Dudley's brother, and as we are so close, his relatives I think of as mine. Come now, I even came to the christening."

     Who was Harry? wondered Duncan, and how come Da never mentioned him before?

     Mum stiffened. "I remember now. You *were* at the christening. I remember those eyes. But you were dressed in a proper suit then."

     "D'you think wizards are born in robes? I can carry off Saville Row as well as any Muggle. And yon hulk," said Draco, pointing to Da, "would no doubt have forbidden me from entering if he'd known what I was."

     Duncan mustered his courage. "Please, sir, what *are* you, and why did Da say you were a freak?"

     "'Freak'?" The intruder's pale eyebrows shot up. "You and I are the normal ones, Duncan, my lad. *They*, the Muggles, are the freaks, born without the natural ability to use magic."

     "But, but I can't use magic! Magic doesn't exist! Da said so, it's just a trick to make people think their lives can be better."

     Draco turned to look down at Da. "Poor, bitter man. I really had no idea. You saw the golden griffin soar, and made yourself blind rather than admit it." There was genuine pity in his voice, and for the first time Duncan truly believed that the visitor wasn't harmful.

     Draco looked at Duncan again. "No, you can't actually *use* magic yet, not properly, at any rate. But I'll wager there have been incidents when things happened around you, things you could neither explain nor ignore. Indeed, I will go so far as to guess that one happened today."

     The note tucked inside Duncan's pocket, long forgotten, suddenly felt like a ton of lead. "Yes. Sorry, Mum. I was going to tell you about it later, after the party."

     "It's all right, Duncan, my sweet, my precious, my one and only son." She stroked his hair reassuringly, then looked straight into Draco's eyes.

     "You can't have him. I didn't really believe before, when Dudley told me, but I understand now. You want to take my son away, make him into one of you, lost to me forever. NO!"

     A darkness passed over Draco's face. "Contemptib--" He coughed behind a fist. "My *dear* woman. Duncan is already a wizard. But if he is not trained in the use of his powers, if left in the outer darkness, the boy's magic will be uncontrolled, growing and attacking those around him. There will almost certainly be deaths."

     Mum shuddered.

     "Mum?" Duncan wriggled out of her embrace. "I believe Uncle Draco. If learning how to use magic will help me not hurt people, then I have to learn magic."

     Mum nodded, tears running down her cheeks. "But your father will never agree."

     "Then, Zelda (may I call you that?), you will simply have to change your husband's mind. After all, his parents were eventually... persuaded to let Harry attend."

     "Who's Harry?" asked Duncan, still confused.

     Draco acted surprised, but Duncan could tell he really wasn't. "They haven't told you? Not told you about Harry Potter, the hero? The one who finally defeated Voldemort once and for all? My very best friend in the world? No matter, you'll hear all about him at Hogwarts, and perhaps you'll even get to meet him."

     There was rapping at the window again, and Draco stalked over to it, opening the pane. A small gray owl flew in, and dropped a letter in Duncan's hands. It was perhaps the first time he'd ever held a physical letter addressed directly to him.

     "There," said Draco, smoothing his robes. "That'll be your invitation to Hogwarts. I'll drop by again in a few weeks to help you get your school things. I really must be going now." And with that, the wizard plopped his hat on his head and vanished.

     Da stirred and groaned. Mum rushed over and began fussing over him.

     After a moment, Da pulled himself to a leaning position on Mum's shoulder. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the letter. "I heard every thing that was said, boy. If you go to this school for freaks, you needn't come back."

     "Now, Dudley,--"

     "Don't 'now' me, Zelda! You have no idea of the hell we were put through with the last freak--"

     "This is our *son*! And don't you go accusing me again, I've never even met your damned cousin!"

     This was obviously going to be going on for a while, so Duncan made up a small plate and went to his room. He kind of wished he believed in a god, so he could pray for advice. But no, he was going to have to figure this one out on his own.