Lucius Malfoy gripped the handle of his wand tightly. But try as he might, he could not raise it.
Harry Potter lay asleep in the train carriage after a long day at the Quidditch World Cup outing. Lucius’ objective was the bind the boy. Killing him would be a pleasure left for the Dark Lord.
Upon the train’s arrival at Hogwarts all of the children and school staff aboard the train would be rounded up by waiting Death Eaters. They would be taken to the great castle and subjected to a new rule. A rule devoid of weakness or compassion.
And he - Lucius Malfoy - would have the joy of bringing the ultimate prize to Lord Voldemort.
All he had to do was raise his wand.
But there was a problem. A problem he had foreseen. But one that was no less vexing.
Lying next to Potter, wrapped in the same gold and red scarf, was his daughter, Draecena.
Her hand was intertwined with that of Potter’s.
He had known of course. No matter how much she claimed to loathe the boy with all her heart and soul, no matter how much she would humiliate or repudiate him at every turn; the fact that his name was always on her tongue at any given moment was proof enough.
What was that muggle saying? The opposite of love is not hate…?
She was very much like her mother that way. It wasn’t just her eyes.
Lucius slid his wand back into his cane and hurried out of the carriage. He reached his own carriage and slammed the door shut behind him.
“What’s up with you, Malfoy? You look like you’ve seen a Dementor.”
Lucius turned to glare at Silas, the fellow Death Eater he’d had the misfortune of being paired with on this journey to atrocity. The man - if one could call him that - had a grin that could kill the entire dark forest; bald, skin like that of a snake. A perfect servant for the Dark Lord.
Lucius composed himself, sat down across from Silas as the reptilian man twiddled his wand between his fingers. Lucius watched it carefully.
“You need to cheer up, Malf,” said Silas as he stuffed the wand back in his belt, “Once tonight’s over and we take the Ministry, we wont have to worry about a bloody thing anymore.”
Idiot, he thought. Those in power always need to worry. Especially when bereft of popularity as they no doubt would be.
But still, the opportunity was there. The Ministry was at its most in denial and Dumbledore and his cronies were at their weakest, lacking central support as they did.
Potter… Draecena…. That… silly girl….
Lucius quashed the thought like a foot stomping on that ridiculous rat the Weasely boy was always carrying around. It was not how one spoke of a Malfoy.
But to hurt the cause… to hurt him….
“So, Malf,” Lucius looked up to acknowledge Silas once again, “I know the orders was to keep ‘em alive, right? But I’ve been working on this spell. A flaying spell. Works on rats and dogs, it does. Maybe we could take some of the little mudbloods aside and have some fun, eh?”
Lucius studied the creature in front of him. He had no irises. Most likely some form of cosmetic applied in Azkaban. If it hadn’t been for the portkey they’d hidden in the luggage hold this thing would never have been allowed on the train.
To hear the word ‘mudblood’ coming out of this thing’s mouth…. Lucius shuddered. He wanted to retch.
Lucius shut his eyes, tried to imagine the end of things. The great things that would come under the rule of the Dark Lord. Freedom for those with the blood of wizards.
For Draecena.
But would she want it? Without… him?
He had watched them during the outing. The way they sniped at each other. Traded barbs but never left each other’s side. Weasely and the Granger girl wandered nearby, rolling their eyes at what was by now a very obvious and tedious courting ritual.
The tannoy rang. The voice of the driver spoke.
“We shall be arriving at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in ten minutes time. Please make sure you gather your belongings or they will be magically crushed into a cube and incinerated. Thank you.”
Silas cackled. “Finally! Gonna get me a nice mudblood-skin cloak!”
The Dark Lord’s reign. Freedom for those with the blood of wizards.
This was his purpose. He wasn’t doing this for himself. He was doing it for Draecena. For the children of his brethren. His ancestors -
Lucius opened his eyes, glared back at Silas’ muck-eating grin.
“You know, Silas,” Lucius whispered, “I’ve never really liked you.”
For the first time he’d met him at a Death Eater meeting, Lucius saw the smile on Silas’ lizard face disappear.
The creature’s hand moved towards his belt.
For Draecena.
Lucius Malfoy whipped his cloak aside, brought his wand up with lightning speed.
“SECTUM SEMPRA!”
The spell whipped across Silas’ throat before he’d even managed to draw his wand and in a second the carriage window was painted red.
Lucius was frozen for many seconds. Silas’ blood dripped down his cheeks. His arm, still raised at the end of the wand’s slash, trembled slightly.
Then he got up and exited the carriage.
~
Lucius Malfoy burst into the train carriage where Potter and his daughter lay.
“Wake up! Now!” he barked.
They both stirred and their sleep haze was quickly replaced with fear upon laying eyes on Draecena’s father.
“Father!” her eyes darted down to her hand, clasped with that of Harry’s. She threw the boy’s hand down as though it were a slimy toad. “Ah! Uh, uh, POTTER! How DARE you put your hands on me you filthy - !”
“Quiet!” rasped Lucius, “Listen carefully, both of you! When we get to Hogwarts there will be Death Eaters. They will be waiting to round you all up at the station.”
“Wh-What?” stammered Harry. Lucius wanted to slap some sense into the boy but he didn’t want to upset Draecena any more than was necessary.
This is the boy she loves. Damn her this is the boy she loves!
“F-Father! Your… face,” said Draecena. She had seen the blood. There was more of it since he had cut down Silas. There had been no time to wash it off.
“There is a portkey in the luggage hold at the back of the train. I have… seen to it that it will be unguarded. Use it to escape. Get anywhere that is not here. Do you understand?”
Harry was stunned, but true to the boy’s nature he said the words that Lucius knew he would say but hoped to all his ancestors that he would not.
“What about Hermione? Ron! What about - ?”
Lucius groaned, “All right, get them! But be quick! And no trying to take half the train with you! I will do what I can here but you must leave! Now!”
Malfoy glared down at the boy. If nothing else he would intimidate him into doing precisely what he told him. Draecena stood up.
“Wait, Father! Come with us! Please, th… they’ll kill you!”
Lucius could sense tears coming. She wasn’t the only one.
“No. I must stay. If I can lead them astray in any way then I shall.”
Harry got up, grabbed Draecena’s hand. “Drae… we have to go.”
Lucius watched as Draecena looked back and forth between himself and Potter. It was no real choice. No matter what, Draecena was to leave with the boy. If he had to knock her out with a spell and have Potter carry her to the portkey then he would.
“Potter… you will protect her. Protect my daughter at all costs.” He bowed his head and said, “… please.”
Harry looked back at the looming, fair-haired man. Eyes that had only ever looked upon him with hatred now showed something different.
Harry nodded. “I will, sir.”
The train began to slow down. They were coming close to Hogwarts.
“Go. Find Granger and Weasely and get out of here.”
Harry pulled Draecena towards the door of the carriage. “Wait!” she shouted. Then she parted from Harry, shot back to her father, jumped up and kissed him on the cheek.
“Thank you, Father. For… understanding.”
Then she grabbed Potter’s hand and fled together with him.
Lucius felt his legs begin to give way. He turned and collapsed in the chair where Potter had sat.
What have I done?
But he knew what he had done. He had betrayed his brethren. His ancestors. But above all he had betrayed the Dark Lord. His master.
The train slowed to a stop. And as it did Lucius began to laugh.
Is this what freedom feels like?
Lily Morton hanging out at the Brookvale Asylum, what do you think she's there for? Update for Helplessly Haunted Heroines out 09/30, usually around 4pm Eastern 🎉