What a Handshake Can Do (Drarry)

Year 6: Part 6

Draco knew he shouldn't have waited. He knew he should have done the deed before something drastic happened. Now it was too late for that. Now the Dark Mark was hovering above Hogwarts, Harry grinning down at the grounds from the Astronomy tower, barely visible in the hellish light of the sky. Now Dumbledore lay on the ground, his wand in Draco's hands.

He'd shot down Dumbledore. Sure, Snape had shot the killing curse but Draco had disarmed him - made him vulnerable. It had all been part of a greater plan, but Draco still couldn't help but feel sick to his stomach. What had he done?

He squinted toward the tower, where Harry loomed over the school, a tall dark figure next to him. Voldemort lifted his arm, pointing toward Draco with a long bony finger. Was the Dark Lord beckoning him?

The next thing he remembered was a loud cracking sound, and he was on his knees, cold stone pressing against his shins. Voldemort extended his hand, "Wand."

Draco held out Dumbledore's wand, keeping his head down. Harry took it from him, running it along his cheek before handing it to the Dark Lord. "It's the Elder Wand alright," Harry said, a mischievous grin on his face.

Voldemort nodded, pocketing the wand and looking at Draco. "You were weak, couldn't kill the old bastard, could you?"

"I'm sorry, my Lord," Draco didn't meet his gaze, "I failed you."

"Yes. Now, my dear Harry, what do you think we should do with those who fail me? Fail our cause. Fail.. us."

Draco looked up at Harry, whose glowing green eyes were full of confusion. He watched the other Slytherin note his lip before turning to his master. "We, uh, we should punish them."

For just a moment, Draco thought he saw a small tear run down Potter's face, but he quickly brushed the idea off. This wasn't his Harry, this was a cold blooded killer. He steeled himself, squeezing his eyes shut, preparing for the inevitable.

"Why don't you have the honors, pet?" Voldemort chuckled.

Oh he was cruel. So cruel.

"Yes, master," Harry hung his head, raising his wand toward Draco and shutting his eyes, shouting, "Crucio!"

Draco screamed. He screamed so loud his throat tore, vocal folds ripping until he could scream no more, voice wasted. He didn't know how long he was under the curse, but it felt like an eternity.

He went quiet, only making quiet moaning sounds. He whimpered as he felt the curse dissipate, rocking back and forth, pain still running up and down his spine. Voldemort laughed at his suffering. "Innocent boy. Go! Get out of my sight. I don't want to see your disgusting little face until you've settled your loyalties. And don't even think about going to your family, they wouldn't want you anyway."

Draco scrambled to his feet, running down the tower stairs, tripping over himself half way down and falling to the ground floor. Pain shot up his back and neck, legs folding into an odd pattern. He couldn't scream anymore, voice worn out from the crucatious. All he could do was moan quietly, reaching for his wand and trying to remember a spell to alleviate his pain.

He should have gone back long before this. He should have done it as soon as Dumbledore suggested it was possible. He shouldn't have let things get this bad.

Now he only had one thing left to do, save Harry, and save the Wizarding World.

He ran through the Hogwarts grounds and into the Forbidden Forest, odd howling noises coming from every which direction. Draco gulped, throat burning. He had hoped the healing spell would fix his throat but it was still hoarse and aching.

He fell to his knees, doubling over and coughing, which only angered his throat more. He gagged, reaching into his robes and withdrawing the item that would hopefully let him fix everything.

The time-turner wasn't like other, student issue, devices. This was much more powerful. If there were four Deathly Hallows, this would be one of them. Dumbledore said Merlin had created it before deeming it too dangerous, locking it away in a hidden cave for thousands of years. How Dumbledore had discovered it, Draco didn't know, but it was his burden now.

He rubbed a thumb along the tiny hourglass, full of translucent grains that would make little reflections in the light. The metal was black and cool to the touch, sparkling with an inner light. Draco wrapped it around his neck, tapping it with his wand and trying to remember the words Dumbledore had told him. "initium redire, hoc figere pulmentum."

The hourglass began to spin and everything surrounding Draco disappeared.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Draco didn't know time turners could move a person in space, but this was no ordinary time turner. This device had been made to change history. Some had speculated that the alleged Time Turner of Merlin had been used by the wizard to alter his own timeline. They thought Merlin had gone back to make himself one of the greatest wizards of all time. Whether that was true or not, no one would ever know. Yet, Draco hadn't just moved in time, but in space.

The Hogwarts Express made a loud whistling sound as it began to pull out of the station. Cursing under his breath, Draco rushed toward the closing doors and jumped into the train, letting out a gasp of relief. He glanced around, looking for a head of black hair and a scar.

He spotted eleven year-old Harry wandering down the hall, eleven year-old Draco disappearing into a compartment. He only had a few moments.

Draco quickly pushed past Harry, making sure to glare at him, hoping Harry made note of his Slytherin robes. He had to make sure that handshake never happened. That event would change history, end the war. End Voldemort and that creepy, Dark Harry.

Weasley waddled passed him, heading into a compartment. Harry was about to enter young Draco's compartment but Draco couldn't let that happen. He quickly shoved Harry toward Ronald, praying that would be enough to stop the handshake.

If the handshake didn't happen, then all this would be fixed... Theoretically.

He tried to rack his brain about what had happened that first day of Hogwarts, remembering the frog. God, the frog! Heromine needed to meet Harry and Weasley.

Draco found his way into one of the Gryffindor hoards, earning himself some strange glances from the lions.

There!

Neville.

Draco whipped out his wand, "Imperio."

He watched the frog leap from Neville's arms and into his own. Draco ran, not quite knowing where he was going, dropping the frog on the way.

He paused only long enough to see that Harry had entered the correct apartment before tapping his wand on the Time Turner and hoping he said the words right as the world disappeared around him for a second time

———

I was two seconds away from deleting all of this and posting a meme in its place. Huge development here I was not ready for XD

HOPE YOU CAN HANDLE IT

I also have no idea how I'm gonna do the chapters if he goes back in time again (which is TBD) because maybe it's the seventh year but he went back to sixth or something? Send help lmao