Chapter 20
Published: 2/14/2021
*TRIGGER WARNING* mentions of sexual assault
Harry decided to recheck the house one more time. He hadn't finished his search of the first floor. Like Hermione, Harry tried to talk to all the portraits who hissed and spat obscenities at him.
"Another interloper! Hark, leave us in peace! We wish to sleep!" a portrait labelled Abraxas Malfoy growled.
"I'm not an interloper. I'm Draco Malfoy's healer! You owe him your allegiance."
"Filthy blood traitor he is!" hissed a witch behind him.
"He's not a blood traitor!" Harry growled.
A third painting jumped in. "Any pureblood that seeks abnormal relationships is blood traitor!"
"You're all mad!" he growled. Then he wondered if Lucius and Narcissa would have portraits, or was that Draco's job to have them made? He followed the wheelchair tracks around the house finally found them in a lounge where Draco's temporary bed was in. It made his heartache a little, thinking that Draco had sought the comfort of his parents. Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy's portraits were unbelievably accurate. He lit the candle as the drapes were drawn, and the sun was starting to set.
"Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, do you remember me?" he asked. The portraits were on opposite walls of each other.
Lucius glared at him and hissed, "Of course, Potter. We aren't senile. What are you doing in my house!?"
"I'm helping Draco get better," he explained.
"Draco? You are? Is he okay?" Narcissa asked, very distressed.
"No... but he will be. I'm his healer at St. Mungo's. Tell me, was there a house elf here caring for him?"
"Don't answer him!" Lucius growled.
"Yes. From the temporary elf service!"
"I told you...."
"Shut up, Lucius," Harry spat. He hadn't forgotten what Draco had told him about his father. "Do you know what happened to Draco?"
"We aren't blind either, Potter," Lucius snapped.
"He's crippled... and mute," his mother sobbed, burying her face in her hands.
"My line is broken... if only you could have had more children," Lucius lamented.
"You're the one who couldn't...."
Harry didn't need the portraits fighting. "Hang on. You can argue when I'm gone! But you should know that Draco will be fine. I already healed most of his injuries and he's talking, now."
"He is!" she gasped.
"You did?"
"Yes. I asked him permission to come here. I want to know what happened... do you know about the fall?"
Lucius straightened up. "You know that we are portraits, Potter. We can't be witnesses."
"You can verify what I already suspect."
"There aren't portraits in the attic," Lucius growled.
"Was someone else here? Tell me," Harry urged.
"That man was here... he said many cruel things. I wanted so hard to protect him... but I'm trapped in this...state," she whispered.
"He took Draco upstairs?" Harry pressed.
"Yes... and then he stole things from the house. Draco didn't come back."
"I saw his tracks. It was McGrath, right?"
"Yes... the parole officer."
Harry growled under his breath, "I knew that he was a dirtbag. I didn't want to ask Draco... he's still hurting a lot. Did you... talk to him?"
Narcissa started crying. "I couldn't... I just... he was... so hurt. I feel so guilty."
"You didn't wait for him, did you?" Harry guessed.
"Lucius told me... what happened...."
Harry looked to the former Death Eater with interest. "You have all your memories from Azkaban?"
"Of course, Potter. But I'm not going to tell you!" Lucius puffed up.
"I probably already know," Harry whispered. "I can feel his injuries... but you were there? You know what the guards did to him?"
"They made me watch... as they broke him, mentally and physically. They wanted to hurt me in the worst way."
Harry's eyes narrowed. Lucius had hurt Draco in the same way, but he had to wait. He wanted information.
"They didn't break him. He is strong."
Lucius grimaced. "He wouldn't talk."
"He talks to me. You shouldn't have given up on him."
Narcissa let out a sob. "My poor baby...."
"Quit that! You're making a scene!" Lucius shouted.
"Shut up! Merlin, you are a prick," Harry growled.
"Insulting portraits, now? Leave us in our misery."
"Your misery? Draco's the one you should be concerned with, if you care anything for him. You killed yourself, too, didn't you?"
"I saw no point. My house, my line is dead. Draco is gone, crippled."
"Lost... maybe. But I'll bring him back."
"You lie... you can't heal those wounds. I saw the spells they used."
"I can. I'm Harry Potter, defeater of the undefeatable, remember? Draco's hands and legs are healed. He will walk, again."
Lucius glared. "Maybe... but you'll never heal his mind."
"I will. I promise you and him that."
"But no woman will want him, especially when he finds out that he's... unclean in more than one way."
"Lucius!"
Harry glared at him. "You don't mean just the rapes, do you?"
"He's unnatural. Betraying our bloodline and magic itself!"
"And I bet you told him that, didn't you? You're a piece of work, Lucius."
Narcissa cried.
"You don't understand. He's my only son. The last Malfoy... our future rested on him and he failed."
"You failed, old man. You choose to serve Voldemort. You let him brand your son and get you both sent to Azkaban. You deserved to go to that hell, but Draco didn't. It was your job to protect him!"
"We would have been at the Dark Lord's right hand, if he had won."
"As his ass-licker, you mean? Yeah, I bet you'd bend over for that mad man if he asked."
Lucius was shaking in rage.
Harry chuckled. "Hit a little close to the mark, there?"
"The Dark Lord was not a... buggering ponce!"
"No, most rapists don't think that they are. Ain't that right, Lucius?"
Narcissa gasped and stared at her husband. Lucius didn't respond.
"Oh yeah, Draco told me about that. It wasn't unnatural enough apparently for you to fuck him. I thought incest was even more... immoral."
She whispered. "Lucius... you didn't...."
"No... he's just lying...."
"No, I'm not. You were trying to correct him, weren't you?" Harry growled, feeling stronger than he had in years.
"Purebloods cannot be homosexuals. He had to see what would happen if the Dark Lord found out about his proclivities."
"So, Tom was a fag-hater, too?"
"Do not address the Dark Lord like that!" he screeched.
"Or what?" Harry spat. "He's dead. You're dead, Lucius, and the Death Eater stain on our society is dead. You all were wrong... so fucking wrong. So... full of hate."
"Alas, the Savior speaks... but the day will come that...."
"What, Lucius? You hate-mongers are broken, defeated. Even at your best... you couldn't defeat love and righteous. Guess how many pureblood families are left after the war? You broke yourselves."
"We will rise, again!"
Harry turned, but stopped. "You know... Draco said that they tortured everyone. I don't think that they left you alone, out of the evilness in their hearts... did they? You didn't kill yourself because Draco was hurt. No... you gave up because you couldn't handle it."
Lucius was shaking in anger.
"That's it, isn't it? Normally, I wouldn't mock a victim... but Lu... your son is so much better than you are. Maybe he can bring your family name out of the pile of shit that you left it in."
"Potter...."
"I wouldn't push your luck, Malfoy. I might decide to find a sledgehammer and make sure that you can never hurt Draco, again. I'll be back to decide your fate, when Draco is ready to come back home. So, you best think about your actions and words."
"You dare...."
"I don't need to dare. You-are-a-painting. Your immorality is in my hands, Lu. I don't think that Draco will care if you're gone," Harry growled and turned to Narcissa. "I suggest you talk to him, if you want him around, but I won't let him hurt his son anymore."
"I will try... when you see Draco... tell him... I love him and I'm sorry," she said.
Harry nodded. "I will."
Harry gave the elder Malfoy a glare before he walked back out to the courtyard. He gave the deserted, empty manor another look, before Apparating to Ron and Hermione's house.
"Harry! We weren't expecting you!" Hermione said, when she greeted him at the door and let him into the kitchen. "Ron's putting the kids down for a nap."
"Okay, but I just came from Draco's house."
"Harry, I said that...."
"I got his permission, relax. McGrath did it, Hermione. You remember the photo? The shadow on the ground?"
Ron came in from the den. "Yeah?"
"Hermione... his house faces east! He took the photo in the morning... and waited for him to die!"
She gasped. "I can't believe I missed that...."
"Well, it was lunchtime when you went, but I took some blood off the window that Draco went out of, if you want to analyze it. I also found his wheelchair, shrunk in the attic." He handed her the evidence bags.
"You're not an Auror, Harry."
"Not officially. You can go back and check the blood. The wheelchair just proves that one existed, and Draco couldn't get up the steps, nor climb out of the window. I also talked to Draco's parents. They said that McGrath was there, and I noticed that there were several things stolen from the manor."
"He stole things?" Ron interjected. "We'll pick him up for that, at least. Aurors did a thorough audit of the house after the war for illegal items. I'll pull the file and get what items are missing, as long as my department head approves an investigation."
"Shut up, Ron," Hermione snapped.
Ron smiled. "We already went into Azkaban. We're going to get enough evidence to hang every one of them and should raid the place tomorrow."
"I'll sign the arrest warrant for McGrath, tomorrow, too," Hermione said.
"Thanks."
Hermione nodded. "I also found out, who failed to do inspections... I mean... other than me."
"Hermione?" Harry whispered.
"I'm the head of Department of Magical Law Enforcement. I should have...."
"You've only been head for six months. It's not exactly in your job to...."
"Perhaps, not completely. The Wizengamot has control over Azkaban, but really it comes down to the Probation and Parole Department."
"That's not completely under you, Hermione. It's overseen by the Chief Warlock, and its staff is supervised by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement," Ron said.
"I'm not completely guilt-free in this. Yes, the Wizengamot permanent staff is responsible for all aspects of the sentencing, transportation and prison, but I'm their direct supervisor. It's very muddled. That aside... the head of the Probation and Parole Department is supposed to task weekly inspections, as well as conduct a release interview for parolees."
"Wait... so Ernie?"
"It's either neglect and falsifying reports, criminal neglect, or he's part of it."
"Wait... he actually went there?" Harry asked.
"His reports say he did. Also, that Robards went there, too. I'm supposed to go every year, too, but it wasn't even in my directive entering office. I wish I had checked into it before."
"They might have hidden the evidence, Hermione," Harry said.
"I still might get asked to step down over this."
Harry lifted his head. "You ordered the investigation. Uncover the real culprits and they...."
"Will do whatever it takes to save their own skin, but this isn't about me. It's about finding truth and whoever is responsible. Don't worry about me, alright?"
"Of course, I'm going to worry!"
"Mate... you know that it won't matter. This is going to shake up everything. Sympathy for the Death Eaters in there will grow. We might have to release others, and many are going to need healing. Your kind of healing. There hasn't been anyone as bad as Malfoy, yet, but there are some severe ones."
Harry nodded. Some deserved the place, but after torture like that, they served long enough.
"I also found out that Malfoy was charged with "attacking" his guards four times, hence the longer sentence. But considering what you've said... I highly doubt he could have attacked anyone, and they couldn't extend his sentence any longer without a trial," Ron said. "I made it to their records office and copied everything. Lucius Malfoy's file was fair vague about his death."
"Well, I just saw his spitting portrait in the manor. He killed himself from the shame of it."
"That's terrible," Hermione said.
"I'm not too torn up about it, but they falsified the file, unless Lucius can give himself a heart attack?"
"No... not without a wand anyway. I'll order the exhumation. We'll be arresting everyone within the next few days, but the investigation will take a while."
"Thank you... and for all of this."
"No, problem, mate."
"You didn't have to ask, Harry. We have to do the right thing, and this... cruelty must stop. "
He nodded. "It still amazes me what people will do to each other."
"I'm sorry, Harry."
He nodded, again.
"Harry? Are you doing okay?" Hermione asked, staring at him.
"Me? Oh... yeah... kinda been worried about Draco."
"Draco... is in good hands. Just give him time, okay?" Hermione reassured him, but she probably wanted to turn the conversation to him.
He did not. "Yeah. Both of his parents killed themselves... his bed was in the room where their portraits were."
"Oh... he probably misses them."
"His mother... I'm sure, but I should go."
"Harry, stay for dinner. The kids will love to see you."
"Sorry, I'm not in the mood for faking happiness. I need to think."
"Harry... I don't want you to be alone," she whispered.
"I'm always alone, Hermione. I'll be fine," he said and moved to the door.
"Harry, I'm worried about you," she said, touching his shoulder. It took everything not to recoil from her, but she felt him tense and lifted it. "Sorry... Harry, I didn't mean...."
He turned. "It's fine. You caught me unawares. Hermione, I told you what happened so you could understand, not make me talk about it every time I see you. I don't need to chug a half-bottle of firewhiskey every night when I leave here."
"Is that what you do?" she asked.
"You helped clean my flat. You know the answer." He turned to leave and paused. "How did... everyone else handle it?"
Ron stepped forward. "We didn't do it, yet. We decided to wait until the weekend. We wanted to dive into... Malfoy's case."
Harry nodded. "Thanks." He left out the door.