Chapter 34: Family Alliances
“Ginny, take down the barrier!” Ron was calling, watching in horror as the dark-robed figure loomed over her and Draco, wand pointing threateningly in their faces. The magical barrier around them and the unicorns still crackled and hummed, warning all of them to keep their distance.
“It looks like he’s broken the spell that was on her,” Hermione commented, a hint of frustration in her voice as looked down at her hands, red and tender from her contact with the barrier. Ron placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Hermione, are you hurt?” he demanded suddenly, spotting her inspection of her hands.
“I’m fine. But we’re going to need some help here, Ron. I’m worried that they might get their hands on the unicorns and get away before we can stop them, and we can’t let that happen,” Hermione said. Ron nodded.
“Yeah, you’re right. Come with me, we’ll go round up some Aurors.” Hermione shook her head.
“My wand is broken. You should go, get some help and grab a spare wand for me…and take Gabrielle with you. She’s far too…emotional to be of much help, and I’m sure Harry will be less distracted knowing she’s safe,” Hermione said decidedly. Ron stared at her for a long moment, before he sighed, and nodded.
“Just be careful, ‘Mione. I don’t like leaving you here without a wand,” he said with a weak smile, before he walked to where Harry and Gabrielle were huddled, to tell them of the new plan. He gave a backwards glance at Hermione, standing just at the edge of the barrier, staring in at his sister and Malfoy.
“Don’t worry about Ginny, Ron. Draco won’t let anything happen to her while you’re gone,” she said, reassuring him.
* * * *
“Danika! Danika, don’t do this!” he was pleading, watching her taking over where her master had left off, approaching the herd of unicorns with the silver dagger shinning threateningly in the moonlight. The creatures scattered away from her at his cry, and she swung around to glare at her brother, her normally pale blond hair glowing red through the barrier.
“Bugger off, Darien! This has nothing to do with you! I’m not going to stand for you interfering in my life like you did last time!” she yelled, her arms crossed petulantly.
“But why? I don’t understand why you are doing this! Don’t you care about them? Don’t you care about our duty, our promise to protect them? Does our family mean nothing to you?” he called to her, desperate to try to understand her motives.
“Don’t you see, that’s why I’m doing this Darien! We’ll be free from the curse of looking after them. We won’t be the target of anyone trying to get at them anymore, and this will help to make the world a better place. The kind of world that the Dark Lord wanted – the kind of world that Uncle Lucius always spoke about!” she declared.
“Don’t you remember what happened the last time you tried to help their kind, Danika? What happened when they thought you betrayed them? I won’t be able to save you this time!” Darien called, trying desperately to talk some sense into his sister.
“I don’t need you now and I didn’t need you then! Now get out of here before one of you gets hurt,” she said, with a hint of warning in her voice, before she turned her back on him and stalked off, her eyes scanning the field for her prey.
* * * *
“Ah, Ginny, it seems you have remembered me after all. All this time, and you still know my name,” the cold and twisted voice laughed. Draco felt Ginny’s hands tightened around his, and he felt her shudder at the sound of the cold voice.
“But you fell! I saw her spell hit you, and you fell,” Ginny whispered, stepping forward, ignoring the menacing gesture Neville was making with his wand. She felt as though the whole world was spinning wildly around her, and the only thing keeping her from flying off of it was the strong hand holding on to hers. She could hear voices beyond the barrier calling at her, but she couldn’t think, couldn’t see anything other than the person standing in front of her.
“And did you bother to check to see if I was alive? Did you pause for a moment in your celebrating after the great hero brought down the Dark Lord to see if poor little Neville Longbottom was actually able to survive a direct hit with a minor curse?” he snarled, thrusting his wand in her face. She backed away from him, but was still unable to tear her eyes away from him. Alive, he was alive. All this time, all the time she’d spent, wracked with guilt and regret, and he was alive!
“You saved my life, and I never got a chance to thank you for it,” she said softly, looking up at the man standing before her. Kind, innocent, fumbling Neville Longbottom – it was so hard to imagine that the boy she’d known could possibly have grown into this - twisted, cruel and cold. The pale, impassive face didn’t react to her words.
“Did you ever think to wonder where my body went to? Why it wasn’t there after the battle? Did you even pause for a moment in your joy to remember that I had died?” he demanded, his face twisting frighteningly as he spat out his words.
“There wasn’t time, Neville! After Voldemort was killed, the Death Eaters grew desperate and we would have all been killed if we stayed. We went back, after, to try to find you. If I had known there was even the chance you would still be alive, I would have found you. Harry, Hermione and Ron, too,” she said, grateful as she felt Draco’s hand on hers, reassuring her, keeping her grounded in reality. “Where have you been? Why didn’t you let us know that you were still alive?”
“He saw the curse I used to take down Bellatrix Lestrange, and he was impressed. After you all fled to save your own skins, he brought me with him. A place where they could mold my potential and help me become powerful. There was a new plan developing, even though the Dark Lord had fallen, there was another who could rise to take his place. One of the founders, and he knew of a way to ensure that happened. They would need all the help they could get, and since the supposedly ‘good’ side didn’t seem to care whether I lived or died, I should be with a group of people who could appreciate my talents,” he said.
“Guatemala. You went to Guatemala, to the wizard colony that Salazar Slytherin founded after he left Hogwarts. It was rumored that a lot of former Death Eaters escaped there after Voldemort was killed,” Draco said, finally seeing his opening to breaking the silence.
“Yes. Interesting place, that was. Amazing things you could learn there. They taught me more than I could ever have learned at Hogwarts. I finally understood, you see, the reason why they wanted to get rid of Muggles and Mudbloods in our world!” he declared proudly.
“Neville, how could you believe that? Don’t you remember what they did to your parents?” Ginny asked, horrified. He ignored her question, and turned his attention to Draco, staring at him as a thick silence fell over them. Draco met his icy gaze unflinchingly.
“Do you know what he said to me? Good and evil are only perceptions – the true meaning changes with every person you meet, so it doesn’t really matter all that much. The only thing that does matter, that doesn’t change is—”
“—Power. It’s something he was always saying when I was growing up,” Draco said, cutting Neville off. Ginny realized who the “he” was in Neville’s explanation as he said that, and felt her stomach leap in horror. “But the funny thing about that is that I understood when I was very young just how full of crap he was – his worshipped Dark Lord lost his power because of a baby! Obviously power does change, you can never count on it.”
“You’re wrong, Draco Malfoy. I don’t know how they turned you against your own father, but when he told me what he was willing to sacrifice in order to bring back the most powerful magician in the history of wizards; it was only then that I realized how great of a man he was,” Neville yelled, walking forward slowly until his wand was poised just at Draco’s throat.
“Yeah, he was a real treat. He killed his wife because he was afraid she might tell the Aurors all his little secrets. He killed innocent women and children who couldn’t defend themselves. He betrayed his family and his duty, and for what? To bow down before some other broken wizard, another ‘powerful Dark Lord’ who’d already been destroyed once before? He was a coward and a disgrace to the Malfoy name, and it was the only good thing I’ve ever done in my entire life, stopping him from harming my unicorns!” Draco’s voice, starting off low became increasingly louder with each word, until his cherished control was lost and he was yelling in the face of man who he’d teased endlessly as a child.
Ginny watched in horror as she saw Neville’s face grow red, and he seemed to attempting to control the rage that was building up within him. She looked back to Draco, still clutching his hand, and saw the very same kind of anger in him.
“He was a man who taught me everything I now know, who is the closest thing I’ve ever had to a father!” Neville screamed.
“He was a bloody bastard who only spared your life because he knew you’d be useful and easily manipulated!” Draco answered back. Neville took a step back, as though he’d been slapped. He glared, his hands twitching, and he was sputtering as if trying to find something to say. He face was so red, and his eyes were blazing with rage. He raised his wand hand again, and took aim.
As the spell he was uttering left his lips, and the bright light flashed from his wand, Ginny unleashed her control over her power. A blast of red light filled the area, and as the shockwave of magic rolled over the land, bowling Neville down to his feet, she grasped Draco’s hand tighter, and ran.
“Ginny, take down the barrier!” Ron was calling, watching in horror as the dark-robed figure loomed over her and Draco, wand pointing threateningly in their faces. The magical barrier around them and the unicorns still crackled and hummed, warning all of them to keep their distance.
“It looks like he’s broken the spell that was on her,” Hermione commented, a hint of frustration in her voice as looked down at her hands, red and tender from her contact with the barrier. Ron placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Hermione, are you hurt?” he demanded suddenly, spotting her inspection of her hands.
“I’m fine. But we’re going to need some help here, Ron. I’m worried that they might get their hands on the unicorns and get away before we can stop them, and we can’t let that happen,” Hermione said. Ron nodded.
“Yeah, you’re right. Come with me, we’ll go round up some Aurors.” Hermione shook her head.
“My wand is broken. You should go, get some help and grab a spare wand for me…and take Gabrielle with you. She’s far too…emotional to be of much help, and I’m sure Harry will be less distracted knowing she’s safe,” Hermione said decidedly. Ron stared at her for a long moment, before he sighed, and nodded.
“Just be careful, ‘Mione. I don’t like leaving you here without a wand,” he said with a weak smile, before he walked to where Harry and Gabrielle were huddled, to tell them of the new plan. He gave a backwards glance at Hermione, standing just at the edge of the barrier, staring in at his sister and Malfoy.
“Don’t worry about Ginny, Ron. Draco won’t let anything happen to her while you’re gone,” she said, reassuring him.
* * * *
“Danika! Danika, don’t do this!” he was pleading, watching her taking over where her master had left off, approaching the herd of unicorns with the silver dagger shinning threateningly in the moonlight. The creatures scattered away from her at his cry, and she swung around to glare at her brother, her normally pale blond hair glowing red through the barrier.
“Bugger off, Darien! This has nothing to do with you! I’m not going to stand for you interfering in my life like you did last time!” she yelled, her arms crossed petulantly.
“But why? I don’t understand why you are doing this! Don’t you care about them? Don’t you care about our duty, our promise to protect them? Does our family mean nothing to you?” he called to her, desperate to try to understand her motives.
“Don’t you see, that’s why I’m doing this Darien! We’ll be free from the curse of looking after them. We won’t be the target of anyone trying to get at them anymore, and this will help to make the world a better place. The kind of world that the Dark Lord wanted – the kind of world that Uncle Lucius always spoke about!” she declared.
“Don’t you remember what happened the last time you tried to help their kind, Danika? What happened when they thought you betrayed them? I won’t be able to save you this time!” Darien called, trying desperately to talk some sense into his sister.
“I don’t need you now and I didn’t need you then! Now get out of here before one of you gets hurt,” she said, with a hint of warning in her voice, before she turned her back on him and stalked off, her eyes scanning the field for her prey.
* * * *
“Ah, Ginny, it seems you have remembered me after all. All this time, and you still know my name,” the cold and twisted voice laughed. Draco felt Ginny’s hands tightened around his, and he felt her shudder at the sound of the cold voice.
“But you fell! I saw her spell hit you, and you fell,” Ginny whispered, stepping forward, ignoring the menacing gesture Neville was making with his wand. She felt as though the whole world was spinning wildly around her, and the only thing keeping her from flying off of it was the strong hand holding on to hers. She could hear voices beyond the barrier calling at her, but she couldn’t think, couldn’t see anything other than the person standing in front of her.
“And did you bother to check to see if I was alive? Did you pause for a moment in your celebrating after the great hero brought down the Dark Lord to see if poor little Neville Longbottom was actually able to survive a direct hit with a minor curse?” he snarled, thrusting his wand in her face. She backed away from him, but was still unable to tear her eyes away from him. Alive, he was alive. All this time, all the time she’d spent, wracked with guilt and regret, and he was alive!
“You saved my life, and I never got a chance to thank you for it,” she said softly, looking up at the man standing before her. Kind, innocent, fumbling Neville Longbottom – it was so hard to imagine that the boy she’d known could possibly have grown into this - twisted, cruel and cold. The pale, impassive face didn’t react to her words.
“Did you ever think to wonder where my body went to? Why it wasn’t there after the battle? Did you even pause for a moment in your joy to remember that I had died?” he demanded, his face twisting frighteningly as he spat out his words.
“There wasn’t time, Neville! After Voldemort was killed, the Death Eaters grew desperate and we would have all been killed if we stayed. We went back, after, to try to find you. If I had known there was even the chance you would still be alive, I would have found you. Harry, Hermione and Ron, too,” she said, grateful as she felt Draco’s hand on hers, reassuring her, keeping her grounded in reality. “Where have you been? Why didn’t you let us know that you were still alive?”
“He saw the curse I used to take down Bellatrix Lestrange, and he was impressed. After you all fled to save your own skins, he brought me with him. A place where they could mold my potential and help me become powerful. There was a new plan developing, even though the Dark Lord had fallen, there was another who could rise to take his place. One of the founders, and he knew of a way to ensure that happened. They would need all the help they could get, and since the supposedly ‘good’ side didn’t seem to care whether I lived or died, I should be with a group of people who could appreciate my talents,” he said.
“Guatemala. You went to Guatemala, to the wizard colony that Salazar Slytherin founded after he left Hogwarts. It was rumored that a lot of former Death Eaters escaped there after Voldemort was killed,” Draco said, finally seeing his opening to breaking the silence.
“Yes. Interesting place, that was. Amazing things you could learn there. They taught me more than I could ever have learned at Hogwarts. I finally understood, you see, the reason why they wanted to get rid of Muggles and Mudbloods in our world!” he declared proudly.
“Neville, how could you believe that? Don’t you remember what they did to your parents?” Ginny asked, horrified. He ignored her question, and turned his attention to Draco, staring at him as a thick silence fell over them. Draco met his icy gaze unflinchingly.
“Do you know what he said to me? Good and evil are only perceptions – the true meaning changes with every person you meet, so it doesn’t really matter all that much. The only thing that does matter, that doesn’t change is—”
“—Power. It’s something he was always saying when I was growing up,” Draco said, cutting Neville off. Ginny realized who the “he” was in Neville’s explanation as he said that, and felt her stomach leap in horror. “But the funny thing about that is that I understood when I was very young just how full of crap he was – his worshipped Dark Lord lost his power because of a baby! Obviously power does change, you can never count on it.”
“You’re wrong, Draco Malfoy. I don’t know how they turned you against your own father, but when he told me what he was willing to sacrifice in order to bring back the most powerful magician in the history of wizards; it was only then that I realized how great of a man he was,” Neville yelled, walking forward slowly until his wand was poised just at Draco’s throat.
“Yeah, he was a real treat. He killed his wife because he was afraid she might tell the Aurors all his little secrets. He killed innocent women and children who couldn’t defend themselves. He betrayed his family and his duty, and for what? To bow down before some other broken wizard, another ‘powerful Dark Lord’ who’d already been destroyed once before? He was a coward and a disgrace to the Malfoy name, and it was the only good thing I’ve ever done in my entire life, stopping him from harming my unicorns!” Draco’s voice, starting off low became increasingly louder with each word, until his cherished control was lost and he was yelling in the face of man who he’d teased endlessly as a child.
Ginny watched in horror as she saw Neville’s face grow red, and he seemed to attempting to control the rage that was building up within him. She looked back to Draco, still clutching his hand, and saw the very same kind of anger in him.
“He was a man who taught me everything I now know, who is the closest thing I’ve ever had to a father!” Neville screamed.
“He was a bloody bastard who only spared your life because he knew you’d be useful and easily manipulated!” Draco answered back. Neville took a step back, as though he’d been slapped. He glared, his hands twitching, and he was sputtering as if trying to find something to say. He face was so red, and his eyes were blazing with rage. He raised his wand hand again, and took aim.
As the spell he was uttering left his lips, and the bright light flashed from his wand, Ginny unleashed her control over her power. A blast of red light filled the area, and as the shockwave of magic rolled over the land, bowling Neville down to his feet, she grasped Draco’s hand tighter, and ran.
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