Embers

He dropped him heavily on the floor of an unused house and watched. He watched as the brown hair began to give way to white blond. The battered face of Draco Malfoy looked up at the elder wizard. “What did you hope to accomplish with that pathetic little performance?”

Draco sat up and wiped his face with his hand. He cringed when he touched the open wounds, but gave no other indication of his discomfort. “I almost had them.” Given the utter failure of his attempt, the level of his arrogance now was unbelievable. “I would have had them if you hadn’t stopped me!”

The elder wizard looked at him. “Do you even know who I am, Draco?”

Draco, by now standing, fired back, “I know who you are. Don’t think your wise old wizard disguise has fooled me.” He had begun looking around for an escape.

“Will you allow me to help you now? Surely, you’ve seen you cannot do what is asked of you. Let me help you.”

“You’re not Dumbledore!” Draco screamed. “Dumbledore is dead!” He was shaking.

“I know he’s dead. I killed him…on your behalf. Don’t you remember, Draco? Why will you not let me help you?”

“I don’t need any help. I’m able to kill now.” His voice had wavered slightly, but enough that Snape noticed it. Draco continued to rail in an overly agitated manner. “The Dark Lord does not wish for me to accept your help. Nor does my father, nor does my aunt. No one wants your help, least of all me.”

“You would have been killed back there if I hadn’t got you out.”

“I would have succeeded in doing what the Dark Lord asked me to do. Again, you show up and ruin everything.” Draco smiled, his eyes flaring wildly. “You don’t have the wards up, do you?” In that moment, he knew Snape had overlooked an important detail. “It’s too easy.” He laughed insanely. He disapparated before Snape could reach him.

Snape stared a long time at the spot where Draco had stood. “I pray you’ve not gone back to your father, Draco.”

The following morning dawned clear and calm in stark contrast to the emotions of the wizard world. The residents at Grimmauld Place awakened early to reports of a brawl at the Leaky Cauldron the night before.

“But why?” McGonagall questioned Arthur Weasley.

“The early reports say that the trouble started around two young Aurors by the names of Henley and Eastwick.”

“Both names sound familiar,” McGonagall interrupted. As recognition dawned on her, she perked up. “They were students not that long ago. They were in my House. Are they suspected of wrong doing?” The thought of another betrayal weighed heavily on everyone.

“No, no, nothing like that. They’re Aurors and trusted ones.” Arthur explained after he’d raised a hand to silence her worries. “Both of them have given accounts of what happened, independently given accounts, including a deposition by Pensieve. Their accounts match. They were the targets.”

“Do we know who did this?”

“We have a picture generated from the Pensieve memories. Here…Do you recognize him? He looks young, probably left Hogwarts not more than a year or two ago from the looks of it.”

McGonagall studied the picture. She frowned. She normally had an exceptional memory for remembering any students she’d had, but this face proved unfamiliar. Something about it bothered her, though she could not put her finger on it.

“Do we know if this wizard used an appearance altering charm or potion?”

“That’s always possible, yes.” Arthur agreed, nodding thoughtfully. “Both Aurors said he’d called himself ‘Bennington’.”

“Bennington?” She looked pensive for a moment. “Bennington was a Muggle-Born…”

“Yes,” Arthur agreed. “He was killed along with his family shortly after Hogwarts closed.” The two looked at each other. “We kept news of it silent. It’s not been in any wizarding paper.”

“Then…,” she pointed at the picture of the suspect, “he must have known.”

“We don’t know who he is, at least not yet. We’ve got people working on it.”

McGonagall looked again at the photograph of the unidentified young wizard. He seemed so familiar, as though his identity were hovering on the tip of her tongue, just waiting to be spoken aloud.

“We’ll find him. We’ve got people working on it.”

“Find who?” Harry and Ron had walked in and taken seats.

“There’s been a disturbance…,” Arthur began to explain.

“It’s more than a disturbance, Arthur!” She turned to face the boys, and then looked at the doorway as the others trickled in.

“Has something happened?” Ginny asked.

“There was a major altercation last evening at the Leaky Cauldron. An unknown wizard tried to attack two Aurors and all hell broke loose.” Arthur took in the worried expressions and hastily added, “Both Aurors are fine. In fact, they were able to supply us with a Pensieve generated image of the wizard who started it all.” Arthur motioned for McGonagall to place the picture on the table so that all might see it.

All except Harry shook their heads. “He looks around our age,” Ginny stated.

“Not a Gryffindor,” Ron added. “I’d know if he’d been a Gryffindor.”

“Not unless he played Quidditch!” Ginny quipped cheekily.

Harry had continued to stare at the photograph. Like McGonagall, he was certain he’d known this wizard though his name flitted stubbornly just out of reach, almost as if taunting him. That thought triggered something within him. Once Ginny mentioned Quidditch, it clicked. “No, he wasn’t a Gryffindor at all.” Harry agreed as he looked up at the others. “But he did play Quidditch.” He pointed at the photograph. “This is Draco Malfoy.”
A flurry of excitement swept the room as each scrambled to get a better look at the photograph. Harry looked at each of them in turn. He pointed again at the photograph. “Picture him with blond hair and a pale complexion.” The others began to nod in agreement. “It’s him. I know it.”

“Well, at least we know he’s alive then.” Arthur did not sound pleased by the revelation.

“Do we have him in custody?” Harry asked. “I’ve got a lot I’d love to say to him.” The last time Harry had seen Draco had been on the Astronomy Tower the night Dumbledore had been killed. He’d replayed that night endlessly in his mind and had viewed it months later in a Pensieve to try and discern any little bit of information he’d possibly overlooked in the heat of the moment. Again and again, he’d watched as Draco began to lower his wand…before Snape came on the scene. Before. That revelation had shaken Harry quite a bit. Harry had been certain that Draco did not have it in him to kill the Headmaster. He’d almost come to believe that his longtime rival had regretted his actions, indeed, perhaps had been forced into them as Dumbledore had suggested that night. In the months that no one knew Draco’s fate, he’d come close to doing what Dumbledore had seemed to want…namely to forgive Draco all he’d done and offer a hope of redemption. Now, all he felt was emptiness and betrayal. Dumbledore had given his life for this? Apparently, Draco had chosen a side after all…and it wasn’t the side of light.

“No, I’m afraid not.”

“Why not?” Harry was incredulous. “If he was an incompetent as it appears he was, why couldn’t someone bring him in?”

“We believe he had help getting away.” Even McGonagall looked stunned at that revelation.

“Help? Who would help Draco Malfoy escape after he attacked and tried to kill two Aurors?” No one answered Harry’s question at first.

“We’re working on that.”

“Are we really?” Harry could not believe his ears. “Did we have anyone besides those two Aurors in the Leaky Cauldron last night?”

“We have people who are in touch, yes.”

“That wasn’t my question!”

“Harry, it’s not your responsibility to worry about this.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Right, it’s my job to destroy Voldemort while someone else watches over everyone else. Only, from where I’m standing, it doesn’t seem like anyone else is actually doing anything.”

“You’ve given us a good lead by identifying the wizard.”

“So, you know just where to go find him now that you know who he is?”

“Harry,” McGonagall began, “if he surfaced now, he’ll surface again.”

“Or maybe Voldemort will kill him this time.”

Everyone knew that was a distinct possibility. Though they disagreed with the choices Draco had apparently made, the thought of having lost another young and promising wizard to Voldemort was not pleasant. The mood was somber.

“Does everyone know what they are to do today?” Arthur asked as he made eye contact with each of them. He smiled as they all nodded in assent. “Then, I suggest we finish breakfast and get started.”

Somehow, Harry knew he would see Draco Malfoy again. He wondered what he would say to him when that moment came.