Reality twists 8/39

[herumtreiber]

Title: Reality twists 8/39
Chapter: Draco's revenge
Author:herumtreiber 
Genre: Post DH, romance, adventure, time travel
Disclaimer:  I do not own Harry Potter or related characters. Nor do I make any money from the writing of these stories.
Rating: R
Warnings: None
Epilogue compliant? No
Chapter length: ~2,296 words
Summary: Harry/Draco/Daphne. Draco in Azkaban, plus time-travel. Explores the idea of powerful magic pitted against a nuclear bomb and the implications for the world. Noncon - evil Hermione and Ron – Atlantis may appear later on, and another meaning of the Prophecy. How a Time Turner can win a game. Very ecological use of the Fidelius charm; Dementors abound, but...

Table of contents






Second twist

As Daphne watched the still body of Draco Malfoy, she was immensely glad he had stopped her and talked with her at length yesterday.

She had always had a strong attraction to Malfoy, and was discouraged to see him devote all his attention to following the Dark Lord's dictates and dogging Potter's footsteps. Despite the close friendship they had, nothing else of substance had grown between them, and she was discouraged, until Draco asked her to perform this service, to lay in wait at the front of Gryffindor Tower, enter and cast a specific spell.

When Daphne had asked him to be on the level with her and tell her the truth, Draco had scowled, and it looked as if he might refuse. However, he took out a worn-out photograph, watched it and said, "I will tell you everything, Green Eyes, and if at the end you want to kill me, I won't oppose you."

So Draco explained to her about the future, their son, about the Protection Charm, about his dreams and the Dementor's Kiss. He offered her the photograph, saying, "This is the most precious of my possessions, because it shows what matters the most."

The photograph took away Daphne's breath. A future Draco Malfoy looked dashing enough, if with less hair, her future self looked tidy, and between them, a Mini-Draco. Scorpius looked at his father with love, and covertly watched his mother, a shy smile lifting the corner of his lips. Draco acted like the big Dad, and it was plain to see that in reality, he was wound tight around Scorpius's fingers, and she looked greatly satisfied at her family.

Draco said, "So you see, Daphne, our son died, I could not prevent it, I was shut off in Azkaban." Then Draco hugged her as if she was a life-saver and burst crying. It was the first time he had cried since Sixth year in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, that is, it was the first time he cried in 20 years.

Daphne knew then that this moment was special. Whatever happened, wherever they got to, they had each other. She vowed to help Draco, in honor of the future that never could be.

In explaining his Machiavellian plans, Draco, as was his wont, tended to use curt explanations, which might be why so many plans failed. He'd only asked her to use the spell, and didn't say what would happen. Knowing him, it would be something convoluted. She didn't think dying was convoluted enough for Draco, so she was sure that it wasn't Draco who was dead. Please Merlin, let it be so!

McGonagall arrived, together with Slughorn, and while the Head of Slytherin was interviewing them, the Headmistress passed through the spell. He checked the body and pronounced it dead.

It was at that moment that the body started to rapidly change its features. Everyone was startled. Daphne inwardly rolled her eyes at the unsuspecting and naïve Gryffindors, conveniently forgetting her doubts.

When the change finished, the body that was on the couch was Theo Nott.

Looking at Harry's stricken face, Daphne could deduce the probable relations among the usual suspects. Nott was probably on Harry's side and reported on Draco. The Dragon found out (nothing strange considering his timely resources) and this is a kind of double whammy of revenge.

Slughorn said that he had to communicate to the Ministry, to speak to the Aurors, and Harry paled. McGonagall tried to stop him, but she legally had no grounds to do that. In fact, failure to act would put her in judicial jeopardy.

HRHRHRHRHRH

They were given 24 hours to prepare their case. On the day they would travel by Floo to the Ministry, the Prophet declared loudly that Harry Potter had killed a fellow student in Hogwarts, and the school had stood by and not punished him. There was hidden talk about an intended rise in Death Eaters and magical creatures.

Harry, Ron and Hermione went to the Ministry, to the main judgment room. It was full. Some Hogwarts students were present, among them Draco Malfoy, Daphne Greengrass, Ginny Weasley and Neville Longbottom. Harry was forced to sit in the chair of the Accused and wear chains.

There was one visage that was drinking every nuance of feeling in Potter's face. Draco had halfway expected the Protection Charm to be deactivated by Potter killing someone in a rage, but apparently the Charm didn't consider this to be a treacherous attack, or not strong enough to disarm itself. This really lent weight to the theory of the Charm being self-aware and influencing the Heirs. Could this be why Potter is invariably drawn to danger? Could it explain his cavalier attitude towards life, towards Draco? If the Charm were lifted, how would Potter react?

But this was material for the future. Right now he would strike at Potter's blind zone; his friends.

The prosecutor, Mr. Wilson, called on different witnesses to depict what had happened. Then he called George Weasley. There was a hum of expectation and Weasley took the chair. Mr. Wilson offered Weasley to undertake his testimony under Veritaserum, and he would ask only five questions. Weasley agreed.

They asked him, "Have you developed a potion to achieve Veela powers?" "Yes"

"To which uses could such a potion be put" "To create an unbeatable army"

"Have you tested the potion" "Yes"

"Do you intend to create this army?" "Yes"

"Did Harry Potter know about this?" "Yes, he did. He financed the research."

Everybody was gasping and talking loudly to their neighbors, until some spells quieted the noise.

And everything was set for Ron Weasley's testimony. Ron Weasley was called to the chair. He took the Veritaserum and was asked:

"Did you willingly take this potion" "Yes"

"What are your goals?" "To create a Veela army to assure the will of Harry Potter."

"Do you belong to the Light?" "Light, Dark, they are just labels and not what matters. What's important is that everybody follows Harry."

What Ron didn't know is that the potion he'd taken, which converted him into a Veela, had left him wide open to the Veela Allure, the unassailable call of powerful Veelas to do as they say. Draco was not technically a Veela, but he did have their powers, among them the Allure, which he could use to make Ron answer any way he wanted.

And it was through means quite similar to those employed by Potter and friends that Ron Weasley and his brother were served swift revenge.

Hermione was beside herself trying to process all this new information. She'd been happy, as happy as she could be plotting the downfall and hurt of Malfoy, she was overjoyed to see that her control spells worked on Neville. Then all this happened. Now things were out of kilter, Ron and George incriminated by their stupid testimony. The problem was that with this Ministry, they had no pull. OK, some pull due to the Boy Who Lived, but it would not extend to the Weasleys.

The prosecutor, in his closing statement, said, "I ask that a dangerous individual be sent a message that unrestrained anger is not good enough. I also ask for a long stay in Azkaban for the Weasleys. Attempting to get the powers of magical creatures to create armies is something that used to belong to the Dark side. Now it appears in a Light family. Will it be treated the same or will the family get special treatment because it originally comes from the Light? What we do today will determine many things in the future. Choose wisely."

The Wizengamot deliberated and voted, and finally Chief Warlock Stevens stated, "The nature of your service to the Wizarding World is not open to discussion, Mr. Potter, what you did, such an act of heroism, saved us all from the crazed Dark Lord. The world owes you for that." Harry gloated, he was going to get off scott free!

The Chief continued, "However, you killed a fellow student just because you were displeased with whom Mr. Weasley had sexual relations. Furthermore, you killed him using a Dark curse, you, who are so intent upon pointing out the loathsomeness of Dark Magic. Obviously a corrective measure is needed, and consequences need to be drawn."

"The murder will be classified as a misdemeanor. You are hereby forbidden from seeking employment with the Ministry for ten years. You are strictly forbidden to make or buy potions, if you need any the Matron will give them to you. You will be on probation for a period of three years. You will report to an Auror for weekly talks. You will also have bi-weekly appointments with a counselor. If any terms of this probation are violated, then the complete judgment comes into effect and you will be sent to Azkaban at once, hero or not."

"George Weasley: for your reckless experimentation with forbidden materials, and conspiracy against the Government, you are hereby condemned to 20 years in Azkaban."

"Ron Weasley: for allowing yourself to be so recklessly used in the schemes of your brother and Potter, for conspiracy against the Government, you are condemned to Azkaban for 20 years."

"Take away the prisoners."

And Draco observed minutely Potter's face, how it expressed utter pain. One of his goals had been achieved: the Golden Trio was no more.

He and Daphne, and Neville and Ginny were walking out of the room, when Draco faced a distinctly furious Hermione. She said, "This is your entire fault, Malfoy, it's thanks to you that the Weasleys were condemned!"

Draco replied coolly, "Not at all! It was Potter who became criminally insane and used the Dark spell. It was George Weasley who decided to create such a potion. It was your empty-headed boyfriend who decided to use it!"

Hermione fumed, she whipped out her wand and started the incantation to transform Malfoy into a ferret when a cold voice stopped her, saying, "If you don't stop at once, I will turn you into a chipmunk!"

The haughty voice continued, "What the heck! I will do it anyway." Then Daphne muttered the incantation and Hermione was transformed into a chipmunk.

A brown, bushy chipmunk, who chattered angrily at them. Her screeches were altogether too reminiscent of human Hermione's rants. She stomped her paws angrily at them, and her ruffled tail was displayed to great effect.

Her beady eyes regarded them all malevolently. When she recognized Malfoy, the enraged Gryffindor rodent seemingly calmed down, only to prepare to jump and pounce on him, intending to wreak havoc.

It was only Neville's quick intervention that saved Draco, or at least his clothes. Neville muttered: Stupefy! and froze Hermione. Later he would comment it was something he had wanted to do since a long time ago.

Draco grabbed the stupefied chipmunk and took her to Potter, who was still bound to the chair. He put her on his lap and said in his most infuriating drawling voice, "Here's a member of the Golden Trio. You should take more care of her now, Potter, since the other member of the group is unavailable."

Draco could sense the magic preparing to free Potter, preparing to have Potter curse him, so he decided a strategic retreat was in order.

HRHRHRHRHRHRH

Sometimes friendships perplexed Draco. Not his Slytherin friends so much, because he understood where they were coming from, the web of tradition and alliances they relied on. Neville was altogether another case. If ever Draco had hated Gryffindor, it was Neville that convinced him that there were good people there anyway. He was a truly unassuming hero, and Draco was convinced he should have been the Boy Who Lived if not for Dumbledore's meddling.

Draco could read his friend's behavior, and sensed his attraction to the Weaselette. Now ordinarily he would taunt him or something, but this time he wanted to help.

So he hurried to approach the Weaselette before she Apparated away. He led her to an empty room in the Ministry. He cast wards to prevent anyone listening in.

Ginny was tense, and asked, "Why do you want to talk to me, Malfoy? You want to gloat about my brothers?"

Draco replied, "I wanted to tell you something. About your brothers, they were not good brothers at all, like Bill and Charlie and even Percy. They were Potter's men through and through, and would follow him to hell. Potter's cruelty seemingly seeped on to them."

Ginny gasped, and timorously asked, "How do you know this?"

He answered, "It's one advantage of having such an explosive rivalry with him. I study him carefully. Your brothers didn't regard you as a sister, but merely as a pliable tool to use to coddle Potter."

Ginny protested weakly, "But Harry and I, we are destined for each other!"

He replied, "Let me offer a probable future. Eventually you marry him, but one fine day you discover he's been having a torrid affair with someone for years. The other person is me."

"It wasn't that Weasley was being fucked that set him off, it was the fact that it appeared to be me. He was so jealous, he wanted to hurt me real bad and cast that curse, knowing he'd cast it on me before. It was his calling card, his form of punishment, and believe me when I tell you that Harry Potter knows all about how to administer punishment."

Analyzing his words, Ginny had to concede grudgingly they made perfect sense. She asked, "Is this all you wanted to tell me?"

He answered, "No, there's an important piece of news which could change your life if you let it. It would seem that you attract the attentions of heroes. Potter is not the only one who is after you."

Third twist