Never • The Lost Daughter | A Draco Malfoy Love Story

Chapter 47 - Falling Apart

I returned to Hogwarts and stayed up all night in front of the fireplace, waiting for Sirius. He never appeared, knowing it would be unsafe with the Ministry's eyes on me. I wrote a letter that I would send safely via Luna's owl. I explained everything about my encounter with Lucius.

...What should I do? He said I have until Christmas. He said he'd kill me... Is he bluffing? What should I do?

Should I become a Death Eater and just keep working for the Order? Please, Padfoot, I can't seem to find a way out of this. It seems like the only way I can help...

Anne

I waited and waited. The answer arrived as the sun was rising behind the mountains.

Anne,

The letter Lucius gave you was before the Hearing. Snape confirms that after Lucius explained your arguments, You Know Who became more lenient. You played this very well, Anne, very well. I think you have more time than Christmas. He is not bluffing; he could kill you. But if you play this correctly, you can buy yourself more time.

Under no circumstances are you to become a Death Eater. Not even to become our spy. This mission is temporary. Your task of following your mother's footsteps, surpasses a small mission over Christmas break. You cannot bear the mark. Doing so would rule you out as your mother's successor; it would break your followers' faith in you. I cannot stress this enough, Anne, don't do it.

Stick to our plan. Buy as much time as you can and find out any information, and leave it at that.

Padfoot

It was soothing to know that the Order believed Voldemort wouldn't kill me off yet.

However, I tried to see a vision of myself, any vision at all after Christmas. I tried to see something easy, like if I would pass my OWLs. I tried to see where I'd spend the summer holidays.

Nothing. 

I could see no future for me.

The Order was sure; they had their inside information from Snape. They were confident I was safe.

But all I could see was Cedric dying. He was proof that my visions never lied. They never faulted. 

I knew I would die. I knew he would kill me.

*     *     *

"So, how did it go? The hearing?" said Luna at the next breakfast table.

"Didn't you read the article? For the first time The Daily Prophet is right," I said and flicked my newspaper after finishing reading.

"So you'll be under observation?" she asked.

"No, I'm already under observation. Take a look at the Great Hall door." She turned to look at two thickset, brown-worn man standing by the end of the Hall, not taking their eyes off me. "They'll follow me in every class and everywhere I go for the next two months. From then on, they'll be just wandering around keeping an eye on me. And in four months I'll be free," I said but my face was unexpressed.

"This is ridiculous!" said Hermione who had just sat next to me. "This is first and foremost violation of privacy. And who would ever think that you could be a threat?"

"This is how it should be. If everything goes well then they won't need to do anything," I said, not really believing it. I knew that Umbridge would do everything to make me look bad and there is no way of them, not noticing that she would.