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Death Eater\'s TOY	By : TalisRuadair Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 11187 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: The Harry Potter Series (1997-2007) and any characters and original locations within the books belong to JK Rowling. I do not profit from this story.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
Chapter Five – Gazing into Darkness

After apparating back to Shell Cottage with the promise of returning to the Burrow for New Years, Draco collapsed on his bed in pure exhaustion. He told himself he’d use the seeing ring the following morning, and tucked the wizard journal; his cousin had given him, underneath his pillow. He planned on containing his visions within it, so he could work out the future events and figure out where he needed to be to change what could be changed. He felt the sensation of falling, which he would usually quickly wake up from, but there was something different about the sensation than the dreams he’d had before. It was as if his consciousness was falling into another reality. If that batty divination professor at Hogwarts was correct that seers looked into the beyond, what exactly was the beyond and was a seer able to travel there in his or her dreams?

The fact that he could think coherently told him that whatever he was doing was similar to the dream he had where he spoke with his mother. Was it possible that she had more to discuss with him? He was back at Hogwarts, but instead of sitting in the destroyed Great Hall with his father and mother, he was standing on the Astronomy Tower. A shiver ran up his spine, as he looked out at the constellations in the night sky. He went around in a circle until he spotted the bright trapezoid representing the head of the constellation of his namesake. He couldn’t help but wonder what it was about the constellation that led to his mother choosing it for his name. He knew about the Black family tradition of being named after the stars, as they were the purest family line. Of course, it didn’t stop the name from dying out. If only Bellatrix hadn’t succeeded in killing Sirius or his brother Regulus lived long enough to get married and have a son of his own. Perhaps Sirius could’ve had a child if he hadn’t been wrongfully imprisoned for the death of someone still alive.

He found himself muttering, “Why didn’t Sirius find someone before being imprisoned?”

He jumped when a familiar voice answered, “Perhaps he was too focused on fighting against the Death Eaters and protecting his best friend and his family. One couldn’t answer that question other than Sirius himself and I’m not sure he’s ready to meet with you yet.”

Draco slowly turned around and gasped like a fish out of water, when his eyes focused on the one man he’d watch die only months before. His former Headmaster, which he’d been assigned to kill with threat of his mother’s life, and he shook with fear of retribution, “I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean for you to die that night, but when the others showed up, I’d missed my opportunity for salvation.” He looked down at his feet, “I’m sorry that you had to die at the hands of a man you thought you could trust. Perhaps it would’ve been better if it were by my hands.”

His eyes shot up when the Gryffindor started chuckling. The old man’s blue eyes twinkled with amusement, “I guess you’re no longer influenced by the Death Eaters if you’re standing here and using your seer gift.” Draco nodded. “Only someone of the purest heart can pass here without dying and I can tell you’re very much alive. Well, if you’re no longer with them and aren’t a threat to Snape’s cover, then I guess I can let you in on a little secret. I was already dying Draco. I did something stupid the summer before your Sixth year and Snape was able to contain the curse, but I only had a year to live. I asked Snape to kill me so that he could keep his cover, and you’d be spared from tearing your soul. I knew you were never evil. You were misguided and cruel at times, but never evil.”

He looked over at his former headmaster for the six years of which he spoke ill, “I’ve been marked.” He looked away ashamed, “I’m no longer with them, and I’m in the hands of the Order.” He took a deep breath, “I guess; I have Longbottom to thank for the safety I’ve found.”

“Yes, Neville will have his role to play during the final battle. I’m sure you will see that as soon as you start gazing forward. I fear that Severus may be killed by Voldemort in his attempt to master the Elder Wand. If you could try and find a way to save him, I’d greatly appreciate it. He’s suffered so much; I’d hate to see him die in the act of protecting the final memory of the woman he loved. If you save him, perhaps he’ll find another love.”

He felt pain overtake him at his former headmaster’s request. He fell to the floor of the Astronomy Tower, the same tower he’d watched the man before him fall with blank staring eyes. He whimpered as he rested his face on the cool stone floor, “I watched you die after disarming you. I’ve already had my aunt ask me to protect Dora and Lupin. You ask me to save the man who brought me back to the Dark Lord after I failed my mission to kill you. You want me to save the man that watched as his master raped me, but he wasn’t the only one who watched, was he? No my parents were present, as well when I received this branding on my wrist.” He couldn’t stop the tears from falling from his eyes and pooling on the bitterly chilled floor. Part of him felt wretched for showing such weakness, but another part of him knew that the dead could spill no secrets of his weakness.

Dumbledore’s voice rumbled, “I don’t think he enjoyed seeing that. You’ve always been a favorite of his, and I fear seeing that happen to you hurt him as much as it hurt you. However, he was unable to break his cover because he needs to be at Hogwarts to protect the students. I’ve given him some tasks that he still needs his cover to fulfill.”

Draco rolled into a ball and tried to quiet his sobs, “Protect the students. There was nothing he could do to protect me from the Carrow siblings or my housemates. It wasn’t Snape that found me in that bathroom and got me help. It was Neville bloody Longbottom, the boy I bullied for the first few years at Hogwarts because he was so awkward. I owe him a debt for getting me protection. A debt I’m unsure if I can ever repay.”

He felt the old man’s hand on his shoulder and it caused shivers to run down his spine, as the memories of what he suffered at the hands of the Death Eaters flooded his mind, but they stopped as Dumbledore’s voice reached his ears, “You’ll find your way toward redemption. I know you’re stronger than you think you are, and you’re already on your way toward forgiveness. I never blamed you, and you’re not responsible for my death. I would’ve died by the end of that summer without your intervention and Snape’s help.”

Draco woke up with tears still in his eyes. He quickly wiped them away while taking a deep calming breath. He never thought he’d see life in those blue eyes again. The death of Dumbledore was one of the many images that haunted his dreams when they weren’t filled with the horrors he endured. He reached under his pillow and pulled out his wizard journal. He held his wand over the book and spoke the incantation that would store everything he saw in his dream and the conversation he had. He watched, as the first four pages of the journal filled with his conversation with Dumbledore. He closed the book, as the early morning rays of the rising sun cast a warm glow in his room. He stretched realizing he was awake and couldn’t go back to sleep if he tried.

He sat back down on his bed and stared into his ring. He knew he had three lives he needed to concentrate on saving, his cousins and his godfather. He paused for a moment and reopened the book that lay on the bed, ready to record his visions. He stared into dark stone of the ring on his pointer finger of his right hand. His mind focused on Dora. He listened as she spoke with Harry outside of the Room of Requirement. She explained that she left her one month old son Teddy at home with her mother, as she wanted to find Remus. He watched as she discovered her husband dead and lying on the floor of the Great Hall. He watched she went into an angry frenzy at the sight. She was soon face to face with Bella and they were firing curses at each other and skillfully blocking them, however it was too soon before Dora was hit with the green light of the killing curse. His mind quickly retreated from the vision.

Soon he was in a worn out room he didn’t recognize and was unaware of its location. He looked around the room and noticed the old bed, the wood panels, and the worn area rug. He felt a tingle on his spine as he saw Voldemort and Snape in the room. He had his snake in a magical cage as he explained to Snape that he cannot be the true master of the Elder Wand because Snape was still alive. He flicked the Elder Wand and the cage opened up. Voldemort said something in snake language and his snake attacked Snape. Draco watched as Harry arrived and collected the silvery substance pouring from the man’s wounds. He continued to follow Potter back to Hogwarts and the gargoyles opened when Harry spoke the name, “Dumbledore.”

He watched as Harry discovered the secrets held within the memories collected in the vial. He entered the Pensive with him. He discovered Snape’s childhood friendship with Harry’s mother Lily Evans. He watched their ride to Hogwarts and the two of them sitting in the same compartment as Harry’s father and Sirius Black. He saw the memory from their fifth year when Snape called Lily a Mudblood by mistake after being publically humiliated by James and Sirius, while a young Remus sat by and watched. He watched as he came to Dumbledore and offered him anything at the request that the only woman he ever loved be protected. He felt his own heart break when he saw the grieving mess sitting in the chair across from Dumbledore when Snape discovered Lily’s death. He listened and understood quite a bit when Dumbledore explained that the boy lived and that Harry had her eyes. He watched as Snape complained about Harry being just like his father.

He watched Snape come to Dumbledore to contain a curse. He overheard the conversation where his name was mentioned. He knew when he got the curse that Draco was given the mission to murder him and he requested that Snape do it instead. He continued to watch and finally got to the part where Dumbledore told Snape that Harry must die. He watched the conversations between Dumbledore and Snape. His interaction with the bald man and casting a spell on him gaining information about Potter’s move and suggesting the use of Polyjuice potion. He saw him in the air and attempt to hit another death eater with a spell but accidently getting George’s ear. He watched as Snape cried reading a letter from Lily in a room and ripped a family picture in half that had her smiling face on it. He watched as he cast a doe and Harry was led to a frozen pond where he’d placed the Sword of Gryffindor.

He gasped for air and pulled himself from his vision once Harry exited the Pensieve. He tried to catch his breath as he tapped the journal. All of his visions were recorded, and realizing the importance of keeping what he saw out of the wrong person’s hands, he cast a few other warding charms on the book before placing it under his pillow. He sat on the edge of the bed and tried to make sense of what he saw. First, Remus was dead before Dora showed up. Second, Dora was killed by Bellatrix’s wand. Third, the Dark Lord was protecting his snake. There had to be some importance to the snake that would cause him to protect it and if he could manage to kill the snake then he could prevent Snape’s death. However, he knew because of his previous dream that Snake face would need to believe that Snape was dead and that he had full control over the Elder Wand. If he killed the snake before it could attack Snape, then would Voldemort have the confidence needed to fall at Harry’s hands? Didn’t Mr. Weasley survive an attack from Nagini during their fifth year?

He jumped up at that idea and quickly dressed before heading down to breakfast. He found Bill sitting at the table with the Daily Prophet and Fleur was busy cooking in the kitchen. He sat down next to Bill and wondered how he could broach the subject about his father’s attack. He tapped his finger on the table before clearing his throat. He looked up and met Bill’s blue eyes and raised eyebrow, “I was wondering something. I saw someone being attacked by the Dark Lord’s snake, and I was wondering how your father managed to survive an attack from Nagini two years ago.”

Bill furrowed his brow, “So, I’m guessing that you want to protect the person attacked by the snake?” Draco nodded. “I don’t know the exact details, however he was taken to St. Mungo’s and they bandaged him and kept feeding him blood replenishment potions until they found a cure for the poison.”

Draco sighed, “Do they keep their antidotes on file at St. Mungo’s? I mean, if I managed to escape with the dying man to St. Mungo’s, would he have a chance?”

Bill’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, “I suppose you’d probably have to administer some first aid and some blood replenishment potions before apparating him there. Wait, would you be able to apparate him?”

He shook his head no, “I’m not sure where he was but it was all happening at Hogwarts. Who knows the apparition wards may’ve been removed, so I might be able to apperate.”

Fleur walked in levitating three food filled plates to the table, “Who was this?”

Draco knew what they thought of the person he was attempting to save, but they needed to know. “It’s Snape, but Dumbledore requested I try to save him. You see, Dumbledore was already dying. Snape had to strengthen his cover to protect the students at Hogwarts. He’s the one, who suggested the idea for the seven Potters to that bald guy; of course he was just following the orders from Dumbledore’s painting. He tried to protect the Order during the fight; he even threw a curse at a Death Eater. However, his aim was off and it hit George in the ear instead. I know this because Harry sees this in the memories he will recover from Snape’s dying body.”

Bill cleared his throat, “This is dangerous because he’s wanted dead on two different sides. I will share the information you shared with the Order. Do you know why Snape killed Dumbledore other than the fact that he was already dying?”

Draco nodded feeling the tears welling up in his eyes, “The old man believed in me. He knew about my mission to murder him when he was cursed by a ring. Snape arrived in time to stop the curse from spreading any further than his hand, but he only had maybe a year left to live. So, he asked Snape to complete my mission instead of me. He never thought I was evil and he wanted to save me from killing because he told me it would tear my soul.”

“Dat does sound like something ‘e’d say,” Fleur spoke after swallowing her forkful of eggs.

Bill nodded, “I will try to get this information to the members of the order; however, they will have to help keep Snape’s cover. I’m sure McGonagall would benefit from this knowledge.”

Draco spent the rest of his day walking alongside the beach with his cloak on. The images he saw turned around in his mind. He wanted answers but knew they’d take time. He continued to focus on his glimpses into the future because they kept his mind from dredging up his past. He was never sure if his wounds would ever heal but he felt lighter, as if knowing the truth about Dumbledore lifted the darkness from his soul. When the winter sun set in the evening he ventured back into his room and found a pair of warm brown eyes invading his mind. He pulled out his journal and decided to concentrate on his pathway to salvation.

He looked into his ring and was quickly flooded with more images than he thought possible. For the first time, he looked into the past. He watched as she was cradled in her mother’s loving arms as a baby. He saw the loving home environment she grew up in, however he noticed she never really fit in with other children her age. She was far brighter than her fellow muggle peers. He watched as she struggled at Hogwarts as her hope for friendship and not being labeled a freak dwindled. He saw her crying in the girls’ bathroom because of something Ron Weasley said about her. He watched as the mountain troll tore apart the bathroom before Ron and Harry showed up. He watched the fight, Harry sticking his wand in the troll’s nose, and pulling out bogies. Ron followed Hermione’s direction and casted the levitation spell causing the club to float out of the trolls hand and knocked it out when the spell was removed. Their friendship formed over almost dying at the hands of a troll. His Slytherin mind wanted to roll his eyes and say, “Of course they’d bond over a dangerous situation like taking on a full grown mountain troll. They were bloody Gryffindors, after all.”

He continued to watch the many adventures the group faced. His heart plummeted as Hermione discovered the monster in the school was a basilisk and was petrified instead of killed because of the mirror she was holding. At the time, he wanted to see her die, but really it was because of the pressure his father was putting on him perform better than a Mudblood. His heart melted at the smile that lit her face when she returned from being petrified and saw her two best friends. He watched her adventures with the timeturner, Sirius Black, the Hippogriff, dementors, and a werewolf professor who forgot to take his potion. He then saw all the snapshots from their fourth year during the Triwizard tournament. He was once again awestruck by her entrance into the Yule Ball on Krum’s arm. He saw her angry with the toad faced professor in their fifth year. He watched as they practiced defensive spells in the Room of Requirement. He smiled when she produced a corporeal Patronus in the shape of an otter. He held back the dread in the pit of his stomach as he watched their journey through the Department of Mysteries at the end of that year. His father looked horrid with his sneering evil face, which was a far cry from the broken man, who was now being kept under house arrest.

Draco was shocked when he saw the conversation between Harry, Ron, and Hermione, where she defended him. His heart warmed as he realized she wasn’t willing to label him as a Death Eater without proof. He watched the heartbreak she felt when Ron was busy snogging Lavender. He saw her attempts at making him jealous by going to the Christmas Party with McLaggen. He listened as Harry explained to them that Voldemort had created Horcruxes, by trapping a part of his soul into objects to guarantee his immortality. Harry mentioned both the Diary from second year that Draco’s father had put in the youngest Weasley’s caldron and a ring that Dumbledore destroyed. He watched over them during the Battle of the Astronomy Tower. He felt tears form as Harry told them what happened and that it was Snape all along. Harry was there that night returning from searching for another piece of Voldemort’s soul, but found a fake locket instead. He watched as she wiped the memories of her parents before leaving for the burrow. She’d given them completely new names and sent them off to Australia.

He saw them on the run after the ministry fell. He watched as they used Polyjuice potion to infiltrate the Ministry and take the necklace from the toad who was overseeing the Muggleborn Registration Act. He watched as the necklace negatively impacted each person who wore it. He saw when Hermione had the realization that the sword of Gryffindor was goblin made and that it only takes in what makes it stronger. She then reminded Harry that he killed a Basilisk with it in their second year and that he’d used the fang of one to destroy the diary, which was a Horcrux. He watched the fight that occurred between Ron and the other two before he took off. He watched as she and Harry grew closer and they walked through Godric’s Hallow. He saw the Nagini impersonate a woman she killed and their escape from her. He saw when Ron and Harry came back with the sword and the destroyed locket. They were still camping and trying to find out things about the Deathly Hallows and where other Horcruxes might be. He saw them being captured by Snatchers around Easter because one of them said the tabooed Voldemort. He watched as they were brought to the gates of his former home. He saw when Greyback desired claim over her. He saw the wild anger in his aunt’s eyes when she saw the sword. He pulled back once the torture of Hermione started. He couldn’t watch it, and he knew there was nothing he could do to stop it.

He was shaking, breathing heavily, and trying to keep back the sobs, as he tapped the journal and said the incantation to record his visions. He ran his shaky hands through his wet platinum locks. He managed to put the book away before collapsing to the bed in shaky sobs. Seeing her tortured was too much. Watching her grow up and seeing every challenge she met, made him care for her in a way he never did before. She was singled out because of her blood status and he was because of his branding. His mind turned over the idea that the ring causing Dumbledore’s curse was a horcrux. He must’ve destroyed it using the sword of Gryffindor. If the snake was being protected because it was the last one left, then only the sword or a basilisk fang could destroy the snake. He shook the thought from his mind because he knew it wasn’t his place to kill the snake. He just needed to protect Snape and get him to St. Mungo’s before he died.

Hermione didn’t know what to do with the information from her dreams. He was able to peer into her past and future. A future where she would be tortured by Bellatrix’s hands because of a dragon sword, she didn’t want to feel the pain of that woman’s Cruciatus, but part of her knew it was something that had to happen. She must play her role as a brave Gryffindor because only then would she be reunited with the man for which she was destined. Part of her couldn’t believe that it was Severus Snape who had led Harry to the sword. She knew that she needed to do something to hide this information, as no one could learn the truth.

She closed her eyes and started practicing the meditations she found in the Occlumency book she had packed in her beaded bag. She only had a few months to master mind shielding before her mind might be tested by a horrible witch. She would hold onto her strength so that she can lend support to the man who would change the future. He was given so much power and she knew with power came great responsibility. She knew deep down their paths would cross once more. She just had to bide her time and keep her eyes wide open. The universe was already forming strong bonds between the two of them even though they were separated by great distance.

All she had left to do was deal with Ronald and his stupid affections. Why couldn’t that man-boy understand the concept that she was not interested in him? They were friends and she saw him as a bloody younger and sometimes insufferable brother. Harry was her youngest brother and sometimes he acted far more mature than the ginger did. She couldn’t help but wonder if that was because of his home life with those horrible muggles along with the pressure he had been under since eleven to destroy Voldemort. She couldn’t continue with her mental monologue because they needed to get ready to move their campsite once more.
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Death Eater\'s TOY