Chapter 21 - The 8th One I

Instead of returning to school immediately, Harry stopped by the Three Broomsticks and ate a sumptuous meal. It was nearing evening, and after having 'exercised' so much, he was famished.

Finally, after that, Harry returned to the school with the sole aim of finding Slughorn. Christmas had gone by, and not much time was left for the sixth year to end. The closer it got to the exams, the more anxious he felt since things kept happening around that time.

"There you are!" Ron approached him as soon as he headed towards the Great Hall. "Did you do something to Draco?"

"What happened?"

"He's been running around school, asking where you are," Ron replied and pulled Harry to the side. "You can tell me, Harry. What did you do?"

Ron looked rather excited, and Harry knew the current Ron would tell everything to Lavender in a heartbeat. "Nothing… just broke something that belonged to him."

"Serves him right." Ron scoffed and walked to the Great Hall for dinner with Harry. "But be careful. He was walking around with his wand out."

Must be enraged with his plan ruined. Harry reckoned and clenched his wand in his jacket pocket. Now that he can't fulfill his duty to Voldemort, he's like a cornered dog.

Soon, they arrived at the Great Hall and sat down for dinner. Harry sat between Hermione and Ron, listening to both of them lecture him about being careful. But Harry didn't feel hungry, nor scared of Draco. He kept glancing at the teacher's table, noticing Slughorn there.

He tried to come up with a plan to make the old spineless Professor talk. How could he sit there and smile, knowing he's protecting the Dark Lord's secret and leading us to ruin?

After having been through so many faceoffs with Voldemort, and having been mentally inflicted by the Dark Lord himself, Harry couldn't bring himself to be as patient and kind. He wanted this whole ordeal to be over so he could just live his life normally.

Even I had enough courage to face off against him as a first-year student, and he's supposed to be a great potioneer? A powerful wizard? Harry wondered, growing frustrated more and more. What's the use of all that knowledge when it isn't even used?

Harry, still armed with some knowledge from Voldemort's memory, and also the materials from the book of the Half-Blood Prince, felt much more confident in getting the old Professor to talk one way or another.

But I can't force him. He knew Dumbledore would be dissatisfied if he forced the man.

"Harry."

"Stay away, Parkinson!" Ron quickly shielded Harry's back with his arm.

Harry looked behind, seeing Pansy standing there. He remembered the charming potions lessons he had given her previously. He had enjoyed her rather thoroughly, and also taken a few pictures. She was nothing but his pawn at this point.

"What is it, Ms. Parkinson?" He asked.

Pansy extended her hand, giving him a folded paper. "Draco wants me to give this to you."

Harry took it and read it silently. Meet me at Myrtle's bathroom right now. Every hour you delay, someone you hold dear will feel my wrath. Beginning, of course, with that scatterbrained Lovegood."

Now you've done it. Harry sighed and stood up.

"Where are you going?" Hermione got up as well.

Harry frowned and gently pushed her to sit back in her seat. "Stay here. I'll deal with this myself."

"You can't possibly go there alone, Harry. What i—"

"I said…" Harry glared into her eyes, shutting her up. "I will take care of it. Don't you trust me?"

"Harry…" Hermione murmured but sat down silently and watched Harry stride away. She looked at Ron then. "Did he… sound different to you?"

"Badass, that's what I saw," Ron barked. "Let's go, we should at least be nearby in case something happens."

####

Wand out, Harry quickly arrived at the first floor and entered Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. As soon as he went inside, he saw Draco at the back near the dyed glass window, standing with Luna right before him, his wand aimed at her neck.

"Hey, Harry." Luna chirped as if fear was an unknown concept for her.

"Let her go, Malfoy." Harry reasoned before teaching the boy a lesson. "I'm here as you asked. You don't want to end up in Azkaban now, do you?"

"Potter." Draco sneered and pushed Luna away roughly with his hand.

"Leave, Luna," Harry firmly ordered her. "I don't want you to get injured."

"I'll go call a professo—"

"No need." Harry stopped her from doing that. "Just return to your dorm. I'm enough to teach this spoiled brat a lesson he would never forget."

"Okay, Harry," Luna chirped back and walked away lazily as if nothing had happened.

Finally, alone, Harry raised his wand towards Draco, matching the stance for a duel. "What's got you wiggling like a dying cockroach, Draco?"

"You know what you did!" Draco growled, his eyes bloodshot. They appeared puffed as well, as if he had been crying.

"Oh! Don't tell me it's because I blasted that old, rotten cabinet?" Harry asked back, teasing him to make the first move. "Why? Did you put something important in it?"

"Expulso!" Draco swung his wand first.

"Protego!" Harry blocked it easily and reacted. "Stupefy!"

Draco stepped back and managed to block it to a degree, but he still got pushed back to the wall behind him. "You have no idea what you have done, Potter!"

Harry slowly stepped forward. "Oh, but I do."

"Confringo!"

Harry once again blocked it. "Expelliarmus!"

Thud!

With nowhere to move, Draco was hit by Harry's quick reaction. His body got slammed back against the wall once again, and his wand flew out of his hand and landed in Harry's grasp.

"Aaargh!" Draco still tried to get up and attack Harry like a raging bull.

"Locomotor Wibbly!" Harry had no mercy and turned Draco's legs into jelly, landing him on the floor with a thud. Draco hit his face as well, making his nose bleed profusely.

"You ruined my life! You've—"

"I saved your pathetic existence." Harry cut him off and approached him, his wand aimed at Draco's face. "If living is so hard, perhaps I should free your soul right now? Why waste life at Azkaban?"

"You wouldn't dare, Potter!"

"Stupefy!" Harry struck Draco with the stunning spell. But he controlled the output and only made it hurt Draco and stun him for a few moments. "Kill? Perhaps not. But I sure can have you sent to Azkaban for conspiring to kill Dumbledore. For preparing the Vanishing Cabinet so the Death Eaters could invade the school."

Draco's eyes widened in horror. "Y-You knew!"

"Stupefy!" Harry shot him again, torturing him at that point. "Did you forget who I have under my control? Bellatrix Lestrange! I know everything, Malfoy!"

"T-The Dark Lord won't let y—"

"Anything else? He's tried five times already and failed every single time," Harry mockingly replied, his voice lost in anger. "I don't understand you, Malfoy. You have wealth, a name, and a family. Yet, you want to throw it all away just to grovel at the feet of a creature that couldn't even kill me as a baby. You think he can do anything now that I have grown?"

Draco sneered, growling in some pain. "Don't be so proud, Potter. You will soon know your plac—"

"Stupefy," Harry hit him again, leaving Draco on the verge of fainting. "You're beyond saving. I don't know what your mother sees in you for her to come pleading at my feet to save your sorry existence."

"Mother?!" Draco forced himself to wake up from the stupor. "W-What are you saying?"

"Hah!" Harry laughed; any semblance of the old, kind, gentle Harry lost. What stood there now terrified Draco. "So you don't know? I pity you, Malfoy. You try to prove yourself as a powerful wizard, yet you kneel before someone's feet. Grow a spine for once, or be grateful if you even get to reach Azkaban!"

With that, Harry stepped back.

Snap!

Harry broke Draco's wand in half and walked to the door. "Cross my path again, or pull anything like this—I'll forget my promise to your mother… Ah, I truly pity her."

Walking outside, Harry noticed Hermione and Ron standing there. He shrugged and led them away to the Gryffindor common room.

Left behind, Draco stayed lying on the wet floor, staring at the dark ceiling. Humbled, ashamed, defeated, and lost—he felt like an utter failure. He failed his task from the Dark Lord, and he failed as a son.

"Why, Mother?" he mumbled, frustrated to learn about Narcissa. "Why plead to him?"

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