Unofficial Portkey Archive

It was late in the evening and The Three Broomsticks was crowded as usual. Blaise, Crabbe, and Goyle sat lazily nursing their drinks at a table near the window.

"Where the devil is Draco?" Blaise said taking a swig of his Firewhisky. They had spent the better part of the day in Hogsmeade waiting for Draco to show his face.

"He wasn't at Malfoy Manor, I checked there earlier," Goyle gruffed.

"Can we go now?" Crabbe said. "It's hot in here and I'm bored."

"Aye," replied Blaise taking a final swig. He tossed three sickles onto the table and rose to leave. Crabbe and Goyle followed suit. The crowded bar seemed to part for them as they headed towards the door. Many eyed them warily as they walked past.

Once outside, a cold wind swept the trio. The evening sky was bruised with purples and reds from the setting sun. Blaise turned up his collar and led them down the street.

"Oi, here comes a Weasley" Crabbe said suddenly.

Blaise had spotted the red haired man too heading towards them. He wasn't looking for a fight today. He hadn't seen Draco since the night of the party and he was eager sort out what had happened. Still, he readied his wand.

Ron Weasley was dressed in a dark cloak and wore a serious expression. Hi looming height and stern look made him a formidable figure. He approached the group with eyes narrowed. "Zabini, a word," he said curtly.

Blaise smirked. "Only a word? I heard you were looking for more than a word, Weasley."

"I'm looking for Draco Malfoy."

"Why, have you lost him again?"

Crabbe and Goyle guffawed.

"Cut the crap," Ron said tersely. He drew his wand. "I want Malfoy."

Crabbe and Goyle moved to respond, but Blaise held them back with a pointed glance.

"There's no need for that. Draco's obviously not here," Blaise replied casually. "I know you mean to duel with him, but I'll happily take up your challenge against him." He drew his own wand now. "I'm pretty fond of killing Blood-traitors."

"Stop this, both of you!" Hermione hissed as she appeared in the street with them. She was in a traveling cloak and looked disheveled. She rushed to Ron's side. "Leave it, Ron," she warned evenly. "You're not allowed to fight."

"I won't leave it," he spat back at her, wand still raised. "I don't care about the law. This is bigger than that."

By now people in the street had begun to take notice of the standoff. Hermione eyed them warily. "Withdraw then," she whispered eagerly to him. "Withdraw to some private place and have a proper one on one duel. Don't do it like this!"

"There's no need," Ron said briskly. A dark grin suddenly appeared on his face. "Here comes my man."

Blaise turned over his shoulder. Draco had arrived in Hogsmeade and made a beeline towards Blaise.

"Draco Malfoy," Ron said loudly, catching his attention. "You villainous bastard."

Draco stopped suddenly. He eyed Ron and then Blaise.

"Your wrongs against me will be avenged today," Ron said dangerously. "I am going to end the Malfoy line forever," he continued. He drew his wand and glared at Draco. "I duel to kill."

There was no way out of it now, Blaise thought. Although no words passed between then, Blaise knew that Draco must understand that too. The challenged had been issued. It must be answered.

"I will back you," Blaise said him in an undertone.

Draco dismissed this with a shake of the head. He walked towards Ron's outstretched wand but did not produce his own. Blaise tensed. Ron's brow furrowed slightly.

"Ron," Draco said steadily, "You will not and cannot understand my motivation for this moment, but I swear to you will one day."

"What are you mumbling about, Malfoy?" he snapped back angrily. "Draw your wand."

Draco could not help but see bits of Ginny in Ron's tense face. They had the same shock of red hair, the same smattering of freckles. She was her beloved brother, her closest brother. He was his brother now too.

"I refuse your challenge," Draco said firmly. "I am not your enemy."

Ron's face did little to mask his confusion. He shook his head angrily. "I don't accept your words, you Slytherin coward. Draw your wand!"

Draco made a motion with his arm towards Ron.

Finally, Blaise thought, he's drawing his wand. He realized only a second later that he was dead wrong.

Ron slapped away the hand Draco had extended. Draco's only reaction to the blow was to turn around yet again. With a determined glance at Blaise, he began walking away.

"Turn and draw, you coward!" Ron spat.

In a flash, Ron's anger at Draco's denial boiled over. Hermione screamed a panicked "No Ron!" as Ron tackled Draco to the ground from behind. Ron landed a few blows before Draco scrambled from under him and backed away again.

"I will not fight you!" Draco roared back wiping away the blood that was now trickling from his mouth. He drew his wand finally from his pocket, only to throw it aside as he turned away again.

Hermione stepped in and grabbed Ron's arm tightly. "You must leave it alone. He's disarmed," she pleaded.

"I don't need a wand to kill him," Ron spat. He threw his own wand to the ground and ran again towards Draco. The two men fell to the cobblestone street hard and with a sickening thud. Ron began striking Draco again before Crabbe and Goyle finally pulled him away.

"What the hell are you thinking?!" Blaise shouted while pulling Draco up from the ground. He was bleeding profusely now from a fresh gash on his cheek.

"I can't fight him," Draco said again after spitting out a mouthful of blood. His head was spinning.

"I know you can't fight him, he's beating the piss out of you!" Blaise countered angrily.

"Stupefy!"

"Protego!"

"Sectumsempra!"

Draco looked away from Blaise and saw that Crabbe and Goyle had drawn their wands against Ron and Hermione now. "No, let them alone!" he shouted over to them, pushing Blaise aside. "Put your wands down!" Draco took off unsteadily towards them.

"You don't have a wand, idiot!" Blaise shouted after him.

Draco ran towards the group, arms outstretched in an attempt to break up the fighting.

Ron seized his chance and raised his wand against Draco. Blaise stepped in front of the unarmed Draco and fired back. Their spells collided mid air. A bright light and sinister crackle ensued, causing confusion all around. Blinking against the brightness, Blaise raised his wand and shot off again towards Ron.

"No!" Draco shouted, rushing towards Blaise.

In a moment it was over. Draco had put himself between Ron and Blaise, physically blocking the latter's line of sight. Blaise struggled against Draco towards Ron.

"Sectumsempra!"

A small flash of white light zoomed towards the entwined pair, hitting Blaise square in the upper chest. A deep slash appeared almost instantly.

Horrified, Draco released Blaise who staggered back, looking down at his already blood wet shirt. He touched the wound torpidly.

Draco started after him immediately. "Blaise, I-"

"It's just a scratch," Blaise said dazedly.

"We've got to get you help," Draco said hurriedly grabbing for his arm. "We've got to-"

"It's just a scratch!" Blaise said louder. He threw Draco off and backed away, half laughing. He grabbed at his chest again, finally pausing to look down at his own blood soaked hand. He staggered back and fell to the floor.

Draco was at his side in a moment, but again Blaise pushed him away. He looked up at Draco angrily. "Fuck you!" he bellowed. "Why did you come between us! I was hit because of you!"

Draco was at a loss for words. "I thought it for the best," he finally said painfully, reaching out to Blaise again as the blood continued to flow from him. "I'm sorry."

The color was draining from Blaise's face now. "That damn Weasley," he said. "Why the hell did you come between us?"

Draco was holding onto him, desperate to try and stop the blood from flowing. "I thought it for the best," Draco repeated numbly.

"Fuck you both," Blaise said carefully, eyes closing. He was surrounded by a pool of blood now.

"No!" Draco shouted, shaking him violently. "Blaise!" He felt his friend's labored breathing slow dangerously and finally cease. Blaise opened his eyes once more, but his stare was blank.

Draco held Blaise, his own body shaking fiercely from the shock. He was crying now and clinging to Blaise, desperately willing him to wake. He had tried to prevent the fighting. He had tried.

Blaise's last words to him had been filled with hurt, anger, and betrayal. He died thinking that Draco had forsaken him. Draco sat there with Blaise for a moment, frozen and filled with an utterly immobilizing sense of anguish and regret.

Finally Draco looked up and saw Crabbe and Goyle nearby, dazed and frozen too. Hermione had disappeared and Ron had taken off running. He could see him a little ways down the street.

Draco rose, his shirt stained through with Blaise's blood. Something inside of him broke. He collected his own discarded wand from the ground and took off after Ron in a feverish sprint.

O o O o O

"Challenge me again!" Draco said, finally having caught up to Ron in an alleyway.

"I see you've finally come around," Ron said breathing heavily.

"You've gone too far," he spat back, half crying still. "You don't get to live when Blaise is lying dead on a street!" Unadulterated rage pulsed through Draco as never before, fueling him.

Looking defiant, Ron raised his wand against Draco. "I'd be happy to send you along with him!"

"Either you, or I, or both of us will go with him!" Draco roared. "Avada Kedavra!"

Ron dove to avoid the curse and fired back. They exchanged blows for a few moments. Curses danced around the two men, lighting up the alley in blinding green light. A trash bin panged loudly after it was hit by an errant spell.

Draco was forced to drop to the ground to avoid a particularly well placed move. Ron smirked and advanced quickly towards him, wand point squarely at this chest. The rage and hatred coursed through Draco like adrenaline. Ron was too close now for a miss. This was his chance.

"Avada Kedavra!" Draco screamed from the floor, stopping Ron in his tracks. The rushing sound of the curse loomed over them as Ron, bathed in the bright green light, fell hard backwards onto the ground. His eyes were still open.

A beat passed.

Draco's wand fell from his grip. There was a hollow pling as it hit the pavement below him and rolled a little aways. He dropped to his knees and began to sob. He thought Ron's death would bring some sort of vigilante justice to the world - it hadn't.

The anger that had fueled his violence was drained from him. All he was left with was an overwhelming sense of despair. He had already lost Blaise -- now he would lose Ginny as quickly as he had found her.

"I am fortune's fool," he whispered finally.

O o O o O

"I want the absolute truth," Eirena Milnore began carefully. "How did this all begin?"

A small group had assembled in her office. Crabbe and Goyle sat close together, robes still singed and disheveled. Behind them silently stood Lucius Malfoy, looking grave. On the other side of the room sat Hermione, trails from her tears still fresh on her face.

"Ms. Granger, what happened?" Eirena asked again.

Hermione wiped her eyes and sat up straight in her chair. "It was Ron," she said miserably. "He challenged Draco, but he refused to fight. Blaise stepped in and they quarreled instead." She took a breath. "Draco came between them to try and stop them…Ron hit Blaise over Draco's shoulder."

The room was silent.

"And?" Eirena prompted.

"When I left…he was bleeding on the street," Hermione said, looking down. "Ron took off and I left to try and find help." She looked up at Eriena unhappily. "By the time I came back with the Healer, Blaise was dead."

Eirena Milnore was watching Hermione very closely. "And that was the last time you saw Ronald Weasley alive?" she asked carefully.

Hermione's eyes filled with tears. "Yes," she choked out after a moment. "He…he was trying to get away."

Eirena nodded. "Thank you Ms. Granger." She turned to Goyle and Crabbe next. "Did you see Draco Malfoy pursue Ronald Weasley?"

"Aye," Crabbe said gruffly after a moment. "Draco took off after Weasley. But we ain't seen him kill no one."

A stifled sob arose from the corner near Hermione where Arthur and Molly Weasley sat.

"He's loyal to the Malfoys," Molly choked. "He's lying!"

"We ain't seen him kill no one!" Crabbe repeated louder.

"Enough!" Eirena Milnore said firmly. "Listen, all of you. There is no speculation on this point: Draco Malfoy did indeed kill Ronald Weasley."

"There is hardly-" Lucius began.

"Mr. Malfoy," she interjected, "We discovered your son's wand near the body," she said curtly. "Prior Incantato revealed that he had indeed used the Killing Curse against Ronald Weasley."

Lucius blinked and stood silently and Molly began to sob anew. Arthur rubbed her shoulders numbly as tears fell down his own face.

"I demand justice," Arthur said gravely. "Draco killed my son. He should be dead too."

"Now now, see here. Draco's actions only hastened justice for Blaise's death," Lucius countered. "Blaise was Draco's best friend. Draco only-"

"He murdered my boy!" Molly yelled. "My child! Where is the law?"

"Silence!" Eirena said resolutely. "Draco killed Ronald, Ronald killed Blaise. Tell me, who should now pay the price for Blaise Zabini's life?" She rose from her seat, clearly agitated. "I am setting an example of you all," she said firmly. "I have decided that Draco Malfoy will not be executed nor sent to Azkaban."

The Weasleys and Hermione began to shout in outrage, but Eirena Milnore raised her hand to quiet them. "Draco Malfoy is henceforth banished," she said sternly. "His wand will be destroyed. He is exiled from the Wizarding World."

Lucius stared at her incredulously. "Surely there must be a trial, evidence must be presented-"

"I have been authorized by the Minister of Magic to carry out this judgment, Mr. Malfoy. You know as well as I do that in extreme circumstances, criminals can be sentenced without trial. This is an extreme circumstance if I ever saw one. "

Lucius was horrified. No son of his was going to be reduced to a Squib. "Surely something can be done to remedy this. My family has -"

"Your pleading and excuses will fall on deaf ears, sir," she said curtly staring at him pointedly in the eye. "By morning, this will be headline news in The Daily Prophet. This is not something you can try to sweep under the rug, Mr. Malfoy," she finished coldly. "There have been two murders here. I cannot in good conscious pardon Draco for his part in this."

The room was still. Crabbe and Goyle looked sickened. Molly was still crying but had been shocked into silence. Arthur alone looked somewhat mollified. Hermione was watching Lucius very carefully, who was struggling to mask his severe displeasure.

Eirena Milnore sat down and rubbed her eyes tiredly. "Tell your son to leave the city immediately," she said finally to Lucius. "If he is found, he will be killed."

O o O o O

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