The Shattered Dragon

Chapter 34: Ash

The Dragon seemed different when they got back, the porkey dropping them at the gate house at the front of the property. Draco took her hand in his and they walked up the gravel drive to the imposing front doors, the brass plaque that she'd examined with scorn on the day of her arrival. It occurred to her just then that she hadn't seen it since. As they stood on the front stairs she ran her fingers over the engraved letters of his name.

"Oh!" She said, reaching into the sleeve of her jumper and drawing out her wand. "I almost forgot." She'd dreaded the moment she'd have to relinquish it again, but understood why.

"Keep it," he said, standing at the front door and staring at the elegant vine wood in her hand. "I'm giving them all back today. You were right. We can do this. I kept finding ways to delay, to hold off on telling the girls, to hold off on exposing all of this to...everyone...my father, the Veritas, the Council...because as soon as we make a move we have to keep moving. As soon as we make a move we have to start looking over our shoulders for the rest of our lives. As soon as we do this...we have to start fighting."

Hermione smiled and lifted her wand to unlock the front door.

"It's nothing that I haven't been doing for years, Malfoy. Don't worry, I'll show you the ropes," she said with a wink. "...so to speak."

TWO MONTHS LATER

The loss of the Dragon was front page news for six days. The mysterious fire had started in Malfoy's office and ripped through the second floor, gutting the bedrooms of all of the girls. All of the records, financial or otherwise were reduced to ash and investigators found a pile of broken and emptied memory vials in the locked cabinet behind the charred desk. The fire was so devastating and the building so destroyed that they couldn't be sure if there were casualties. Clothes and shoes and personal items were found, but no bodies...a mystery that baffled ministry workers, as there had been no notification of mudbloods leaving the area. The Dragon had no floos and there were no portkeys found. It was as if everyone involved in the brothel had simply...

disappeared.

But Draco had enemies all over wizard England and the list of suspects, a comprehensive list of people who wanted to see the youngest Malfoy suffer for his sins, would take months, if not years to investigate. The list of pureblood patrons of the Dragon, men who had indulged their taboo fantasies and revealed their secrets was equally long and seeing the mansion burnt came as something of a relief to them. The wizard population in England was in a shambles in every aspect, including pressing issues of pureblood infertility, lack of work, and general political discord as more and more people realized that they'd put their loyalty and trust behind a man who had no desire to serve them. Under this cloud of unrest the people soon grew bored of hearing about Malfoy's mystery. It was just a handful of mudblood whores sacrificed to the flames after all, no real loss. First Generation Inspectors and Veritas reporters were uninspired to pursue any leads, particularly given the lack of gory details, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy mourned their son as if he were dead (although they refused to hold a funeral ceremony) and before long The Shattered Dragon's existence in England at all had been forgotten.

EIGHT MONTHS LATER

The Academy bustled with energy as the finishing touches were put on the dormitories, Sarah and Katie overseeing deliveries of food to the kitchens and Claire helping Professor Longbottom with planting in the herbology gardens and greenhouse. Hermione sat in her History of Magic classroom, standing proudly behind her desk, imagining what it would be like to have rows and rows of expectant children depending on her to fill their minds, to guide them; a daunting thought to be sure. She slid down into her chair and picked up her quill...at a loss of how to begin.