(How to) Save a Life – Prologue – AngelicInsanity

Reading Time:
18 Minutes

Prologue:

Draco ran through the corridors of Hogwarts, ignoring students, creating chaos around him. As he ran, he continued to press his thumb to the disc in his pocket. Granger wasn’t the only one to think of her trick with the coin, but instead of coins, The Thunder had used plain metal disks that they could embed the normal spell on one side and an emergency summons to their meeting place on the other.

Rounding a corner, he didn’t have long to run before he sped into a classroom, glad to see his friends there waiting. Some looked annoyed.

“Draco, what?” Pansy asked just as Vince grunted, frowning.

“Umbridge wants us to be doing things, Drake. She’s going to be upset.”

Draco waved his hand in the air angrily before taking a deep breath and cutting off all their talking. “We don’t have time for this! We have an urgent decision to make. As you all have pointed out, Umbitch is going to be looking for us. I overheard a conversation and mixed with what Theo’s father and my own have been dropping hints at in their letters, we have little to no time to make said decision.”

Unable to stand still, Draco paced back and forth, running his hands through his hair in his agitation as what he had overheard came spilling out. “I was doing rounds and happened upon Longbottom and my cousin Luna talking. They didn’t know I was there. Potter has had a vision. One of my cousin Sirius being imprisoned by the Dark Lord in the Department of Mysteries. For some reason, he thinks he needs to go there to save him.”

“I don’t understand,” Vince said, frowning, and Draco nearly growled at him. “Why do we care…”

“It’s a trap, Vinnie,” Greg said softly before Theo nodded, having understood right away.

“Greg’s right, as is Draco. It certainly is a trap, and if we all want out of this war alive, we have to do something. If the wrong person dies…”

“If the wrong person dies, then all our plans are shot to shit,” Pansy said grimly. “Heaven forbid that person be Potter or Black. Although if it were the Weasel…”

Draco snorted and shot his best friend a grin. “We wouldn’t get so lucky. Look. We have to make a decision now. Our time is out. We have debated this all year, and the time to talk about our options is over. My vote is we say fuck those arseholes that created us and go save Potter and his merry band of helpless souls. There is no way that the lot of them have the knowledge to stand up to the Death Eaters.

“I don’t care how successful their little DA was; we all know what kind of spells the Death Eaters will be using. So, no more talk. Everyone votes. I vote we go and throw our lot in with Potter and his gang and be damned what our parents want. I can get my hands on a place for us all. Grandfather left me his cottage if nothing else.”

Pansy immediately nodded. “Agreed. I am not letting myself be sold to be some fucking brood mare to some old, nasty Death Eater that my father wants to impress.”

“Mamma taught me all sorts of lovely curses and spells for this sort of thing over the summer. I believe this is the perfect time to try them out.” Blaise grinned, and Draco couldn’t help but smile back at him. Blaise was just barely on the acceptable side of blood thirsty. It was why he loved his Italian friend so much.

“Greg and I are in,” Vince grunted, crossing his arms. “As long as you swear to protect us. We’ll both be kicked out of our families immediately. And Greg’s mum. We need to do something for Greg’s mum.”

“I have your backs, I swear on Apollo’s life,” Draco promised and looked to Theo, Daphne, and Millie.

“I can’t,” Millie said, shaking her head. “This is where I have to part from the group. I’m sorry. I love you all, but I swore to my father that I wouldn’t draw attention to myself. This would certainly get the wrong person’s attention. Have one of the Elves bring me the potion, and I will take it while you are all gone.”

Draco called for his Elf, Apollo, and gave the order, unsurprised to see him in his battle armor or that Hades and Ares had followed. Also wearing their armor. “Zeus will be seeing that it be done. Apollo, Hades, and Ares are going with you, and you cannot stop us!”

Daphne grinned at the fierce House Elf who was so extremely loyal to and protective of his Master. “I am in. I even have a contingency worked out with Father for Astoria. She will be going to Beauxbatons next year, no matter what happens tonight, and custody of her will be given to a distant relative there. It will keep her safe and allow me to do what I need. I am in.”

When Draco looked at Theo, his god brother just huffed. “Be serious, Draco. Of course I’m going. If I’m lucky, someone will kill that sonofabitch who helped create me. It’s the least of what he deserves for what he did to my mother.”

“We will look for her, Theo,” Draco swore and turned and nodded to the group. Looking to the house elves, Draco cocked his head to one side. “Romano, Lulabelle, Hestia, and Kronos!”

“Draco, why are you…” Blaise started to ask, but stopped when the four PA Elves arrived, also dressed in their battle gear. Immediately, Romano looked to Apollo.

“Romano is sorry we late. Mistress Faye no would stop giving orders!” He then huffed, and Draco almost chuckled despite the serious nature of the situation.

“OK, so we just have to get out of the castle. Once we get to the Ministry, I can get us into the DoM. Can you elves get the seven of us to the Ministry?”

Apollo nodded quickly. “We can. Hades and Ares can take Master Greg and Master Vince.”

“Good, let’s go now before,” Draco started, only for the door to crash open as Umbridge’s ugly face appeared in the opening.

“What are you…”

“Go, go, go!” Draco shouted and was immediately grabbed by Apollo and popped out. He was sure he saw Hades reflect a spell at the Headmistress and would worry about that later.

When they got into the entrance of the Ministry and found it empty, Draco felt a cold shiver go down his spine. “This is bad.” He uttered before shaking himself out of the unnatural chill. “Come on, we need to take the elevators down.”

Quickly, Draco led his group through the Ministry and then the DoM, letting his inner sense of where Potter was pull him in that direction. This wasn’t a time to fight whatever reason he’d developed the ability when he desperately needed to make sure the Gryffindor stayed alive. As they ran to their destination, Draco found himself giving out last-minute orders.

“Everyone in groups. Theo, with me. Greg and Vince with Daphne. Her safety is your first priority, and looking out for each other is your second. Pansy and Blaise, go forth and do as much damage as you can. I want two house elves with each group. Hades, you are personally responsible for making sure that Sirius Black stays alive, if he’s here or if he shows up at some point. I wish Dobby were here. I would assign him to Potter.

“Call him and see if he’ll answer. Potter needs a minder, or he’ll never make it out of here.” Theo suggested. So, after nodding his agreement, Draco called out for his old friend whom he hadn’t seen since his father released him.

“Dobby!”Draco called, and the house elf appeared with baking sheets hung over his shoulders connected by shoestrings and a pot on his head.

“This why you need to talk to you master and confess what you did, Dobby Black!” Apollo scolded, shaking his head, and Dobby just huffed.

“Why I be called? I was helping students.”

Draco smirked at his friend as he shook his head. “Your Harry Potter is in there battling my father and his friends. I do believe that it is your duty to protect him, isn’t it? I agree with Apollo that you need to come clean, but we don’t have time right now. Just make sure he stays alive, Dobby, alright?”

Dobby nodded and popped off without another word, leaving Draco and company behind. Inside the room, they heard Lucius as he noticed Dobby’s presence. “Cursed elf! I should have killed you long ago. Worthless creature.”

“Let’s go. While they are distracted. Try to place yourselves behind and out of view of the Death Eaters until they start fighting. No need to show our hand right off the bat. Now let’s go!”

Draco heard a loud crashing sound and rushed in through the doors with Theo, Apollo, and Kronos following him. He trusted that the others would follow his wishes, but had no time to check because the battle immediately kicked off. Draco’s first shot was at Nott Sr., casting an infertility curse on him that would ensure not only could he not make any further bastards (as he had more than one), just to cast them aside, but that he’d never get it up again. Thus ruining his favorite pastime, which was taking advantage of vulnerable and helpless muggle women and forcing them to do whatever he wished.

Theo then followed up with a cutting curse that hit his father’s wand arm, making him drop it. Quickly, the two boys and the elves ran behind the next row of orbs, pausing only long enough to break Nott Sr’s wand as they ran by. Once done, they fought their way to Harry’s side. Dobby was doing his best to keep close to his master, and it was clear that things were not going according to his father and Bella’s plans.

“I’m on your side, Potter, relax.” Draco hollered between curses, and the Gryffindor looked incredulous.

“Since when? Do you really expect me to buy it?”

“Since now,” Draco shot off a curse at the Death Eater, aiming for Granger’s back. Draco wasn’t completely sure, but by the fighting style, he suspected it was one of Yaxley’s sons. “Look, we need to have a talk later, but for now, I swear on my magic that my friends and I are here to help you and yours. Trust me when I say that we are much better trained in fighting and countering the kinds of dark curses and spells that are being thrown around by the other side. After all, they are the ones that taught us, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t use our abilities against them.”

Draco then shot a spell at his Aunt Bella, making her screech angrily. The fight sped up from there, and while Draco had seen his father take several hits from both circles of friends, no one had yet been able to take him out. At one point, Sirius showed up with several other order members, and the older man fought his way to Harry’s side.

When he called Harry James, Draco saw the brief flicker of devastation on Potter’s face, as he tried to urge his Godfather to leave. “Why are these house elves here?” Potter shouted over his shoulder as he and Draco fought back to back, having gotten separated from the two elves and Sirius.

“They came with us. They are mostly Personal Attendant Elves. Which is something you need to talk to Dobby about being for you. If anyone needs a PA Elf, Potter, it’s you.”

“I don’t even know what that means,” Harry whined, shooting a spell at one of the Lestrange brothers who was lurking nearby, “So, how can I know if you’re insulting me? Sirius!”

Draco looked in the direction Harry had shouted and saw Sirius tip back toward the veil, only to be tackled by Hades and popped out of the room. “Relax, Harry, Hades took him to a safe place that no one can get to but me and my elves.”

“Draco Lucius, what in Hel’s name are you doing here?” He heard shouted from way too close a distance. Curling his lip in a snarl, turned to shoot a body bind at his father, just missing.

“I’m fighting for the side I chose! I won’t become a slave to that monster you call Lord. You’re dragging the House of Malfoy to ruin, and I won’t have it! I am your son, not your puppet!”

“How dare you!” Lucius snarled as Draco realized he’d somehow gotten separated from Harry, but quickly felt Apollo pop back to his side. “This family owes the Dark Lord our allegiance, and no son of mine will be a traitor. You either come to your senses right this instant or I will get rid of the stain on our family.”

There was a brief burning sensation on his arm, but Draco ignored it, too busy to worry about something minor. “The only stains on this family are you and Great-Grandfather Roman. This family was doing fine until you both stuck your noses up that beast man’s arse. I will not join the cause. I will not allow myself to be branded like a cow, and I will not follow in your footsteps. If you kill me, then the House of Malfoy will reach its end.”

“Your mother is the damaged one, not I, Draco. I can always find someone to make a new heir with. You are, as always, a disappointment. Your death is on your shoulders. Avada Kedavra!”

“Draco!”

“Duck, Drake!”

“Noooooo!”

“You will not!” Came right before Draco felt something collide into his side. Just before the pull in his stomach that told him he was being sent somewhere either by apparition or elf magic, Draco heard a very clear shouted Bombarda, and thought how ironic it was that he was going to owe Hermione Granger a house.

When he landed, Draco found himself on his back looking up at the stars, and heard a human growl off to his left. “You no will die!” Apollo spat, and Draco sighed.

“Very well, if you insist,” Draco snarked as he pushed himself into a sitting position. “I want you to go back and, along with the other elves, begin bringing people here. Not just my friends, but Potter and his friends, also. Is father…”

“Bad Master Lucy went through Death’s Door,” Apollo advised, his ears twitching with agitation. “Apollo will do as asked. What should we do about Mistress Cissy?”

Draco sighed and dropped back onto his back as a big black dog came charging at him, only to be stopped by Apollo with a flick of the smaller creature’s fingers. “Bad Dog Master!”

Draco snickered and looked up at the stars, letting his eyes focus on his constellation. “Get Mimsy and go tell mother what happened. Tell her that I am safe, but that I am not returning to the manor. Tell her that I am staying somewhere safe and that I will get myself to Gringotts. Get Pansy’s mother and see if she will go stay with my mother. Mother will need her best friend with her if father has truly died. For some reason, she still loved that person who helped create me.”

Before he could go further, Harry, Ginny, Ron, Pansy, and Daphne were dropped off, and the elves immediately popped back out again. “Remus? Can you bring Remus, please?” Sirius asked, sitting where the dog had been, and Draco tilted his head to one side, studying him.

“Animagus?” He asked and turned immediately to look at Kronos, who popped Theodore in. “Kronos, I would like you to go back and bring Professor Lupin here. Do you remember what he looks like? He was our DADA professor in 3rd year.”

“Kronos does,” the littlest of the male elves said, looking to Theo, who nodded his approval. “Master Theo says OK so Kronos will retrieve Professor Wolf.”

When Ron Weasley started yelling to be freed, Draco sighed and waved a hand as Romano popped in with both Blaise and Neville Longbottom. Close behind him were the other PA elves with the remaining students, closely followed by Remus Lupin.

Draco knew he should sit up and issue orders, but he didn’t have it in him. He didn’t love his father any longer, and yet, it still hurt that he was gone.

“Draco, are you hurt?” He heard and shook his head back and forth.

“I saw him go through, Drake. I’m so sorry, brother.” Theo offered, sitting down in the damp grass at Draco’s shoulder. “I know we joked about it beforehand, but…”

“I’m not so sure I was joking,” Draco whispered and looked at Sirius, who silently made his way over from where he’d been huddled with Harry and Hermione as they tried to calm Ron down.

“Ron…” Sirius started, and Draco just waved a hand.

“He can be taken anywhere he wants. It isn’t like anyone can get back here, even if they figure out where it is. I had Hades raise the war wards on this building weeks ago. Just to be clear, though, no one else, including Weaslette has to leave unless they want. The cottage is officially listed as a sanctuary with the bank and…”

“You call this a cottage?!” Harry shrieked, and Draco snorted as the Gryffindor hero sat down at Draco’s feet.

“Well, I don’t but my grandfather Abraxas did. This was the place he lived in for many years after grandmother died, safe from his father and mine. Is everyone here, Harry? Blaise and Pansy?  Is everyone from both circles accounted for? Is anyone injured? Should I call for Lord Barrows?”

“They are all here on my side,” Harry assured, frowning. “Why would you call for Mercury’s dad?”

“He’s the top healer at St. Mungos. This is probably a little below his pay grade, but he and Drake have been corresponding for a couple years now. Lord Sterling understands the position Draco is in and understands that Drake is not automatically evil just because he’s a Slytherin and his last name is Malfoy.” Blaise answered as Draco finally sat up.

“My mother would box my ears if she found out that I hadn’t invited you all in and offered you tea.”

“I rather like it out here,” Hermione said wobbly and Draco’s eyes sought her in the dark. “Draco I…”

“You owe me no apologies, Granger. It was a battle, and my father was trying to kill me. Not only that but he’d just implied that he would be having a child with someone other than my mother. Which means he was going to kill her too or just have another affair. Both despicable and disgusting in my book.”

“That’s… I was hoping that I saw and heard wrong,” she said, her voice small and quiet and Draco shrugged.

“Lucius wasn’t exactly father of the year or husband of the year for that matter. Ares and Hades, I would like you to go to the manor and capture Pettigrew and take him directly to Madame Bones. Also advise her that she is at the top of the Dark Lord’s hit list and I would appreciate it if she didn’t die. I don’t know if her home has war wards but…”

“The Estate of the Bones, is old enough that it should,” Theo offered as the rest began settling in the grass in small groups around Draco. “I don’t know about the townhouse where she lives though.”

Lupin pulled a small paper box out of his pocket and tapped it with his wand tossing it to Ron before he came over and sat down next to Sirius. Draco watched Ron disappear before looking around at everyone gathered.

“So, where are we and what are we doing here?” Ginny asked, leaning on Luna who smiled gently at Draco.

“I am guessing we’re at one of my Great Uncle’s homes. He and Draco were extremely close before he died. Daddy said that he left everything he had to his only grandson when he passed.”

“Hmm, father was furious,” Draco snarked but was saved from replying when Demeter and Diana popped in with tea, food, and blankets that were popped onto the ground underneath where the children were sitting. Draco briefly visited each group before returning, thanking Pansy for the tea knowing that she would have made it for him.

“Well, this is fun,” Sirius said with a grin. “We’re here. Peter is about to be taken to the most incorruptible DLME Head in years and this place will surely be better than Grimmauld place. That is unless this is temporary?”

“No, cousin, please stay as long as you’d like. It would be nice to have you. Besides you and I need to discuss some things.” Draco’s eyes trailed over to the vast darkness beyond the cliff the house sat on as a great sigh slipped free.

“I love my mother, Sirius. Despite everything I love her, but I am not going to live my life for her any more than I was for father, either. My circumstances are as much her fault as they are father’s. The bottom line is that I need you. I need some adult that I can trust and I know you have Harry to consider but…”

“Draco, I am not unaware that the Family Magic has picked you to be the next Lord,” Sirius offered quietly.

“When the Dragons of Gringotts first told me I will be honest in that I was sure that was the end of me, but you have surprised me. Truthfully, I don’t want to be Lord. I never did and so it’s a relief that a different son was chosen. I know this may seem petty but I think it would be a nice gesture if you changed your last name to reflect that of both Houses that you will represent.”

Draco nodded with a small smile. “It is on my to-do list. My new name will be Draconis Abraxas Arcturus Black-Malfoy, which is what I have planned. Since Hermione did me the favor of sending father through the veil I don’t have to worry about being disinherited.”

“Will you move back to the manor once you have all the Death Munchers booted out?” Harry asked and Draco gave a sharp and emphatic snort.

“No, absolutely not. If I have my way I won’t set foot in there again. I trust the elves to do whatever I need there for me. Hades can take me directly to the ward room so that I can change the wards on it, but anything I want from the house can be retrieved without my presence in the rest of the building. No, the house of my birth has been irrevocably tainted for me and I do not wish to go back at any time in the next decade, if I ever return. I don’t know what mother will want, but I am going to encourage her to get mind-healing and retreat to somewhere on the continent. I have my doubts that it will be that easy though.”

“You’s tired,” Apollo chirped as he popped in next to Draco.

“There no is anything that can’t wait for tomorrow. House Elves will all go retrieve our masters’ things from Hoggywarts overnight so that you have them in the morning. Zeus already overseeing the packing of you room and potions lab at the manor and taking as many books as he can sneak out of the house.”

Draco wanted to argue, but before he could his traitorous body let loose a loud and long yawn. Those sitting around him snickered before they too were yawning. Before he knew it Draco had been shuffled off with only the quickest of goodnight wishess to his guests and Zeus’ promise that everyone already had a bed.

As he lay in the master bedroom bed, trying to get comfortable on the unfamiliar mattress, he remembered the burning sensation on his arm. On the edges of sleep and already touched by the Sandman, Draco swore to himself that he’d look in the morning. Then there were no more thoughts until the next day.