It All Started At a Lake

Chapter 3

Tuesday, September 3rd, 1998

Draco walked out of the library with his book in hand. 

He knew a place where he could read alone without being bothered. He started going there in sixth year when things got hard with the vanishing cabinet.

Draco quietly walked across the school to the girls lavatory. 

Sometimes he would talk with Moaning Myrtle while in here. At first he thought she was weird and annoying, but he eventually found out that she was one of the only people who wanted to talk to him.

He walked into the bathroom and sat down on the floor. He looked at the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets and scowled.

he wanted nothing that had to do with Tom Riddle any more. 

He opened the book that he had re-read multiple times already. His father wasn't happy with the book he had read, but his mother encouraged him to read it. 

It was one of the only stories he could connect with personally. The book was the journal of his late uncle Regulus Arcturus Black.

He found it in the Malfoy library shortly after he had gotten the mark at the age of sixteen. Regulus had also received his mark at the age of sixteen. 

Regulus, like Draco, had regretted getting the mark. Unlike Draco, Regulus gave up his life by betraying Voldemort. Draco didn't do anything to become a good person. He followed around Voldemort like a puppy until he died for the second time.

As he read on in the journal, he learned a lot about Regulus. 

He wished Regulus were still alive today. He would loved to have met him.

Draco got through the first three pages before he saw the blue outline of Myrtle flying towards him.

He smiled and put his book away. She stopped flying when she was a few feet away.

He remembered all the nights he had spent here in sixth year. He hadn't seen her since the castle got taken over by Death Eaters.

"You're back." said Myrtle

Draco nodded and looked down at where the dark mark used to be. It had reduced to only a scar after Voldemort died, but it was still a constant reminder about what he had done in life. Myrtle had let him rage about it for hours whenever he saw her. 

"I don't want to be back here, people hate me." he replied

Myrtle frowned and flew a bit closer. "I don't mind you being here. You're my only friend. The bushy-haired muggle-born and her two friends don't visit me anymore."

Hermione. Myrtle was talking about Hermione. 

"I didn't know you talked to them. When was the first time you saw them?" he asked

Myrtle went into full details about the Polyjuice potion in second year.

Draco refrained from laughing when she mentioned that Hermione had used the wrong hair and she turned into a cat. 

Now he knew why Crabbe and Goyle were acting so weird that day in the Slytherin common room. 

"When was the last time you saw them?" he asked.

Myrtle explained how she saw Potter in the prefects bathroom with the Golden Egg during the Triwizard competition. 

Draco smirked and listened to everything else Myrtle went on about. 

He was grateful to have such great friends to talk to. He didn't want to live a sad, lonely life like Myrtle had. 

He went into the bathroom to rage about coming back, but listening to Myrtle was a much better thing to do. He didn't feel the urge to break something anymore.