The Lost Potter-Draco Malfoy

Chapter 34 (Year 4)

"Ms. Potter, how are you feeling?" He asked, as he put his quill down. Charlotte looked over at his desk. There were several notes spread out on his desk, including one he was still writing. Charlotte guessed that they were letters he would send to the rest of the order members.

"I'm... angry."

"Angry?" He asked,

"I'm angry that I couldn't stop Cedric from entering," Charlotte muttered, pulling at the loose threads from her skirt.

"You weren't meant to stop Cedric from entering."

"But now he's dead."

"Because he had to. I saw that first night this year, what you were thinking about, and I knew that he must die, just like you should." Professor Dumbledore said, as he leaned back in his chair, and folded his hands neatly in his lap.

"It doesn't matter, Cedric was innocent," Charlotte said, feeling like her voice was rising higher and higher, as she got angrier.

"You can't have that mindset for the future. People will die, innocent people will die, and the second wizarding war has started."

"But wasn't that why I was sent to help as many people as I could?"

"Yes, but some people have to die, like Cedric, whose deaths are important." Charlotte took a deep breath. She knew he was right. Those people had to die, just like Dumbledore has to die in the future.

"I understand, but...how did Voldemort return if Peter is here? Peter was meant to betray them, but he didn't, so how did Voldemort return?" Charlotte asked.

"Well, Voldemort wasn't working alone, he couldn't in his condition. Barty Crouch Jr found him once he was free from his father, and found Voldemort. He went to the Carrow siblings. That's what Harry told me. One, the sister, cared for Voldemort, while the brother decided to give Voldemort what he needed. His hand."

"Why the Carrows?" Charlotte asked, surprised, as she thought back to the books where the Carrow siblings were mentioned.

"He needed someone he knew wouldn't betray him. His most loyal death eaters were trapped in Azkaban. Others pretended to be under the imperious curse, like the Malfoys. The Carrows had done neither. They were the perfect family that Voldemort could go to. One that was not powerful or rich, someone he could easily use, and one that was devoted to him." Charlotte nodded, understanding.

"So, Voldemort is really back?"

"I'm sad to say yes. You might have changed some things, but not everything." Dumbeldore said.

"It feels like nothing! The only thing I've done is bring Peter back. Cedric still died, Harry's still traumatized, and Voldemort is still back."

"You can never change everything. That was never what you had in mind in the first place. You just wanted to save your parents, and you have."

"But what if I did that, and then they just die in the second wizarding war? What would the point be?"

"The point being that Harry still had a good childhood, and has parents, and now you have parents as well."

Charlotte wanted to shout. What about her childhood? What about the abuse she endured over the years by the several pairs of foster parents, but she kept her mouth shut, not wanting to fight about her when Harry had just suffered so much?

"I'd like to be excused." She said, standing up.

"Try to get some rest, Ms. Potter," Dumbledore advised. She nodded as she walked out the door.

Charlotte realized she didn't want to be alone, in her room, or with her parents in the nurse's office.

---

After a couple of minutes, Charlotte walked to the Slytherin Common room. She muttered the password "Pure-blood," And the Slytherin common room was presented to her.

Draco was the only one in Slytherin's common room. He had changed out of his robes and into a pair of an old white shirt, and some black sleeping trousers. He sat in front of the fire thinking before he heard Charlotte.

"Draco." She whispered, her voice shaking. Draco turned around surprised, before jumping to his feet and walking over to Charlotte, confused.

"Charlotte, what are you doing here? Are you alright?" He asked as she hugged him, her arms wrapping around his torso. She hid her face in his chest.

"What happened?" He said as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm just tired, and don't want to be alone." She said,

"You want to come and sleep in my dorm?" He asked as she looked up at him.

"Don't you share your dorm with the others?" Charlotte asked.

"My parents forced Dumbledore to give me my own room after I complained I couldn't sleep because of Crabbe and Goyles snoring." He chuckled. Charlotte smiled weakly before nodding.

Draco grabbed her hand and took her upstairs to his dorm, which was the last room on the fourth floor. He opened the door and lead Charlotte inside. Charlotte looked around the room, seeing his very neat room. There was nothing she could tell that was out of place.

"Do you want to borrow a shirt? You can't sleep in your school robes." Draco said. Charlotte nodded, and he got her his quidditch jersey before turning around and letting Charlotte change.

"You can turn around now," Charlotte said, as she put her clothes on the desk. Draco turned around, and looked around the room instead, as he tried not to stare at Charlotte's bare legs. Charlotte got into the bed, and Draco looked around nervously.

"You can come in." She said as she lifted the cover-up for him to enter the bed. Draco nodded as he crawled into the bed. Charlotte closed her eyes, her body sinking into the bed that was much more comfortable than her bed in the Gryffindor dorm. She felt Draco put his arm around her waist and pull her closer until her back was touching his chest, and they both drifted into a deep sleep.