herumtreiber

Title: Reality twists 25/39
Chapter: Justinian
Author:

herumtreiber
Genre: Post DH, romance, adventure, time travel
Rating: R
Epilogue compliant? No
Chapter length: ~2,017 words
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or related characters, nor do I make any money from writing these stories.
Warnings for the fic: Angst, violence, noncon, character deaths (not the protagonists)
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

24. King's Cross

Things went back to normal at Hogwarts, at least as normal as it could get.

Draco decided to punish the Ministry employees who participated in the Chipmunk's scheme by exile from the Wizarding world. There were several of them who were stripped of their magic – the ones who tried to hex Narcissa.

He launched an intense campaign through the Prophet to install Percy as Minister. Shacklebolt was given the option of exile or a complete Obliviate. He chose exile.

As always, Draco continued to nurture some ties with the Muggle fringe groups. He felt the need to keep abreast of their plans and concerns, help them where he could and prevent their doing mayhem.

He carefully presented the facts so the public had to come to the painful realization - for some of them - that their beloved Light idols had behaved abominably and tried to destroy a family. To do that and achieve their means they had foresworn any ethics they may still harbor. This was the kind of people that wanted to forcibly stop a branch of magic. They didn't care that the magic was needed for the correct balance of the whole, they cared that they were unable to do it. They were envious of the wielders of such magics and wanted to stop them.

All in all Draco was proud of his work, which maybe led to his being slightly less aware than usual. He was on his way to the Dungeons, after watching Harry and Daphne head outside to Care of Magical Creatures. As he walked in the corridor, he noticed the strange position of a coat of arms, the portrait showing an unlikely inclination, the chair slightly misplaced. This was a message in the Malfoy code, and Draco followed its directions. He approached the armor and took position slightly behind it. He prepared for what he was sure must follow.

Sure enough, three Stupefy! spells were launched at him. There was no way he could have defended against the three simultaneously. Four figures approached and Draco recognized Justin Finch-Fletchley, Padma and Parvati Patil and Zacharias Smith. Smith called, "Accio Malfoy's wand!" And the Elder wand flew to the git.

Justin approached Draco and hit him hard. He said sneering, "You were the reason our brothers and sisters were petrified! They were innocent third years, not doing anything, and you dragged them to the Chamber of Secrets, to be the bait of that monster! They will be petrified for a month! This is unbearable."

Justin took out a knife, and gloated, "It is necessary for you to know who your betters are. I will mark that beautiful face with this cursed knife, with something so much more visible than the elusive Dark Mark. This you won't be able to hide and everyone will know how ugly you are inside and out."

Draco looked at them, they were all sneering and gloating, sure that they would get away with it. He moved minutely his hand and contacted the armor, and there, safely tucked away, was the Elder wand, as he knew it would be. He soundlessly murmured "Finite incantatem," the spell was lifted and before the outraged kin could know what hit them, he had immobilized and silencio'd them. He accio'd his wand back.

Draco took the knife from Justin's fingers and said condescendingly, "You know nothing about revenge, Mudblood! You cower behind the more powerful ones, you strike only when you're safe in numbers. You are a rat."

"But you had a good idea, and in commemoration, I will mark you. If the knife is cursed, the scars won't be removable. Time we found out about that, right?"

Draco proceeded to cut Justin's cheeks, he made two deep incisions forming a cross. He continued with the Patils and Smith.

Afterward, Draco cast a Glamour charm, he took out his Time-turner and set it to go back 45 minutes. When he got to the past he arranged the chair, the portrait and the armor to spell in the Malfoy code, "Attack soon, refuge here." Then he took the Elder wand and carefully put it where he would be able to reach it easily. Lastly, he returned to his personal present and later cancelled the Glamour.

HRHRHRHRHRHRHRHRH

Draco was back in his rooms, preparing the potions exams, when a thoroughly enraged Harry entered.

Harry started angrily, "Is it true that you marked and scarred Justin, Padma and Parvati and Zacharias? Isn't your thirst for revenge ever sated? Don't you think about the consequences, what people will think, what I will think?"

Draco asked seemingly nonchalantly, "Unlike you, I don't care what people will think. They will follow their prejudices, sure as rain, and they will call them truths. What do you think?"

Harry replied, "You sometimes go out of control Draco, and do outrageous things. I don't know if I can keep condoning your activities. You wield Dark magic like it was a gift from above, and all should be privileged to suffer your hexes."

Draco replied angrily, "You are so worried about your little friends, you never even were concerned about what they might have done to me! In your mind, I'm so steeped in Dark magic I must appear unredeemable. You surely think the knife is mine, a relic of the evil Malfoys?"

Harry foolishly nodded, indicating his consent.

Unfortunately Daphne wasn't there to distract them. Draco continued, seething, "I will let the Board of Governors see the content of my memory, so they can understand why I did what I did. They will come to the conclusion that I was in the right."

"However, this just highlights your poor opinion of me. If I am so Dark that you despair of reaching me, then perhaps this relationship isn't working at all."

"I've come to the conclusion that we likely need some time apart, time without seeing each other." Draco called on Stidgit, and told him to gather all of Harry's things and take them to his next quarters.

Draco continued icily, "You can stay in Slytherin or go back to Gryffindor. I don't care anymore."

He left for the library. Harry was left reeling, very near tears.

Soon he grew aware of the presence of the elf. He miserably wondered where he could reside. He thought of remaining in Slytherin, and being in the rooms and catching glimpses of Draco from afar. He didn't want to hurt so much, so he chose Gryffindor. He told so to the elf, and his things were taken to the Tower.

At that moment Daphne made it to the room, she had a disheveled appearance, as if she had been running to get there. She noticed the missing things and asked, "What happened?"

Harry replied, "Draco and I had a fight. He said that we should separate for a time, and he threw me out!"

Daphne asked calmly, "What was the fight about?"

Harry replied wearily, "It was about Draco scarring Justin and the others. I just don't think it's fair that…"

Daphne interrupted imperiously, "Knowing you, you probably burst in here accusing Draco of nefarious deeds, without listening to his side of the story first."

"I couldn't come here because I had some business at the Infirmary, like slipping Veritaserum to four disgruntled students just before they met a session of the Board of Governors." Daphne smirked and gloated like a consummate Slytherin, before moving on, "Your four oh so innocent friends ambushed Draco, they accio'd his wand away and were about to mark him with a cursed knife belonging to Justinian Flinchy-Flenchy or whatever his name is, which I'm sure etymologically denotes noble and valuable things. Too bad he didn't live up to the name. They almost won, too, but Draco managed to surprise them and he was the one to mark them."

"What would you have done if they had succeeded, Harry? Sure, you would have mustered some indignation, but after all, they are members of the Light, and as such can do no wrong in your eyes. When they do, it's easily dismissed. Just like it was 20 years ago when your Sirius Black cowardly plotted the death of Severus Snape by werewolf attack. Of course Dumbledore knew the truth and didn't do anything, no punishment was enacted. Slytherin took notice that their rights were nonexistent and it caused a rush to join Voldemort's side."

"When you heard about this episode, you immediately jumped to the conclusion that Draco was completely guilty. It confirmed your fears about him. You didn't wait to hear his version, you jumped into the web of arrogant prejudices that sustains your house."

"Frankly, I agree with Draco completely. A relationship cannot be built where one side forever mistrusts the other. Where Draco goes, I will always follow."

"A final word of advice: if you want to do something, do it soon. Graduation approaches and Draco and I have already made plans to take a year-long trip to America and South America."

HRHRHRHRHRHRHRHRHRHRHRHRH

Harry returned to the Gryffindor dormitories. He struggled to rebuild relations with sympathetic members of his house, and appeared to be succeeding, until Padma and Parvati showed up. They sported ugly x's on their faces. They tried to make out Draco was a monster, but someone – possibly blonde – had managed to cast a Sonorus charm so that their discussion with the Board of Governors was widely heard. As a result, they were sometimes ridiculed, sometimes pitied.

Still the Patils managed to further vitiate the atmosphere against the Slytherins, and against Harry, because he had apparently joined them.

The rest of the Gryffindors, with the exceptions of Neville and Ginny, grew to watch Harry with deep mistrust. They started to do pranks to him, first hiding his alarm clock and hiding his clothes. Things grew worse.

When Neville realized the extent of the pranks he was outraged. He offered Harry his room, which Harry gladly accepted. Neville had grown to project a magnificent presence, and Harry observed how he chastised anyone he saw trying to prank Harry.

But Harry could weather the pranks just fine. What he couldn't endure was the loneliness, to be apart from Draco and Daphne. He saw them briefly in lessons, and they appeared as interested in each other as always. Harry missed his blonds. He really missed them!

He was getting desperate, because the final exams would occur in one week. He wouldn't have time for reconciliation then, and the blonds would leave England and leave him behind.

He came up with the great idea of talking to Hermione. Surely she was harmless enough, with her power bound and prisoner in the Chamber of Secrets. He knew the way to the Chamber. He could go there and have a conversation with Hermione, and she would help him with this situation.

So he went to Myrtle's bathroom. The ghost was not extraordinarily impressed to be seeing him, and instead demanded to see Draco. Harry inwardly fumed, it seemed that even ghosts were subject to the infamous Malfoy charm!

He went to the sink, and hissed in parseltongue for it to open. He waited, and kept waiting. The entrance didn't budge. Harry swore at it in parseltongue, and nothing occurred.

He sensed Myrtle floating to stand by his side. She commented, "The Chamber no longer responds to parseltongue, but to the commands of Draco. If you think about it, it makes sense, especially considering that your bushy-haired friend had the Slytherin ring which allowed her to speak parseltongue. New security was needed."

Harry returned defeated to the dormitories. On his way there, he was suddenly attacked in one corridor. A fist collided with his face, his wand was taken and he could hear the sound as it was broken. He felt the backlash of magic go over him, weakening him further. The beating continued. The two assailants wore cowls and their faces could not be seen, but during a moment in the scuffle, he was able to see their visages. Nothing that would be identifiable, except the ugly mark on their cheeks.

Soon Harry slipped into unconsciousness.

26. The mirror crack'd