The Dark Legacy (a drarry story)

Chapter XL

After all this time, I finally wrote the ending that I hope you all wished for. I posted a revised version of this story on Fanfiction.net under the user @ purebloodelegance. After 6 years, I am so grateful for all the love you have expressed towards this story. If anyone here likes sshg, i'm in the works of a new fic that will be posted to ff.net as well. Thank you all.

- pureblood.

After some time, it became apparent that Bellatrix's knife rendered Draco's Dark Mark useless, and Draco couldn't help but wonder if somewhere in that wildly deranged mind, Bellatrix was trying to help him. Draco laid on his bed, absentmindedly running his fingers over the fading scar, deep in thought. He had time to spare since he was waiting for Harry to finish his Quidditch practice. They both had their fair share of scars for a lifetime, and yet Voldemort was still at large. The Ministry now acknowledged that he had returned, and after Draco demanded that they look into their memories after their return to Hogwarts, it was shown that Umbridge was, in fact, working alongside him. In spite of the proven memories, dozens of students came forward to the Aurors with their experience of being forced to use her spelled quill, along with the scars to prove it. After deeming it a gross misuse of magic, Professor Umbridge was stripped of her wand and sent to Azkaban, and the spelled quill was confiscated for examination.

Professor Snape was the one who determined that only magic that rendered the quill irreparable would solve the issue of Harry's inability to lie, and while Draco appreciated that Harry couldn't lie to him, it did make him obnoxiously blunt at times. Fiendfyre, Professor Snape had reasoned, would damage the quill and the spells would release on its victims.

There was also the issue of their use of underage magic outside of Hogwarts, but Harry and Draco were pardoned since it was unmistakably a life threatening situation. Luckily, the court agreed with them that when Draco was forced to kill the muggle woman, it was coercion and not out of malice on Draco's end.

Draco hadn't heard any news from his mother. He couldn't be in contact with her with Lord Voldemort still at large, obviously, but he worried that she would never forgive him. Ostracized by his own family, he found that he was incredibly lucky to have someone as loyal and compassionate as Harry on his side. He sat up, running his hands over the emerald green bedspread. His gaze landed on his nightstand, and remembered something that seemed like it had occurred a lifetime ago. Draco opened the drawer, and held up Padma's lost quill.

Deciding he no longer needed his reputation as a prat, he shoved it in the right pocket of his robes, grabbed his satchel, and headed towards the Ravenclaw tower.

The feeling that something bad would happen was slowly starting to fade, and Draco wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. Nervous as he was about that fact, he was glad that he felt safe at Hogwarts and it was starting to feel like home. He absentmindedly fiddled with something in the left pocket of his robes the entire walk. When he reached Ravenclaw tower, the eagle knocker considered him for a second before announcing his riddle.

"I am the dawn of a new day, the light in a child's eyes midwinter, and the inspiration of the motivated. I am neither good nor evil, but can be light or dark at the request of the beholder. What am I?"

Draco pondered for a moment. He didn't intend on entering, but the riddle left him intrigued. He set the quill down on the top stair before the doorway, and turned around to leave.

"Hope," he said, and only the empty hallways of Hogwarts knew of the genuine smile that spread across his unguarded face. "You are hope."

He planned to leave the Malfoy name to fade away into dust as he fiddled with the ring in his pocket. He would abandon his father's antics, and help the side of the light defeat those who opposed him. He walked along the hallway all the way to Gryffindor tower.

He pulled a note out of his pocket, and spelled it to fold up into a bird. Harry should be nearly done with his Quidditch practice now. Now that he was Captain of the Quidditch team, and in his final year, he was determined to be at his best. Draco smiled as he opened the window, and held out the little bird, blowing on it gently so that it would find Harry. He sat in the alcove that they were discovered in back in fifth year, and set the ring in its box next to him. He waited for the boy with raven black hair to find him. Soon enough, Draco saw an unmistakable Gryffindor soaring on his Firebolt.

Draco Potter, he grinned. That does have a nice ring to it.