The Girl Who Lived (Draco Malfoy x OC)

The Boat on the Water

February 5th 1998

The air was eerie at such a distance from the castle. The lake was near untouched by the battle going on and looking at it from this angle, with the school in flames behind her, Harper could almost pretend nothing was happening. But something was happening. The four of them were crouched behind the crystal house, obscured by the invisibility cloak and sharpened disillusioned spells. Despite the windows thick with scratches and scuffs, they had a clear view of within.

Voldemort was there, his spindly fingers examining the Elder Wand. Beside him, in a strange, starry sphere was Nagini and in front of them was Severus Snape. Harper felt her heart spasm, the reality of what she had to do beginning to suffocate her. This was the moment it had all been leading up too, this was the moment she needed to kill the final horcrux and finish Lord Voldemort for all.

She sunk further into the shadows as they moved. Snape was only inches away and Harper smothered the pain in her heart knowing this was the first time she'd seen him since he killed Dumbledore. This wasn't the time for her to be emotional, she needed a clear head, she needed to be logical. If Snape stood in her way, she couldn't let weakness overcome her, she needed to do what had to be done.

"Their resistance is crumbling," Snape said, unmoving as he spoke to Voldemort.

"It is doing so without your help," Voldemort responded in his high, clear voice, pacing across the harbours floor. "Skilled wizard that you are, Severus, I do not think you will make much of a difference now. We are almost there, almost."

Beside her, Hermione wilted, no doubt confronted by the sight and sound of Voldemort. She never considered how often she saw the dark wizard and how unfazed she was now to his unnatural form. The low, acidic voice she had come to know so well. This was probably the closest Ron and Hermione had ever been to him. Draco himself even seemed unnerved despite having shared a home with the monster for months.

"Let me find her. Let me bring you Potter. I know I can find her, my Lord," his voice was oddly urgent, an edge of fear. Harper hadn't heard it in such a way before. She berated the sympathy that flickered in her heart at the notion. Here they were, her potion's mentor, wishing to hand her in to Voldemort and she was feeling bad for him. She squeezed her eyes tight for a moment, biting back emotion. She could feel Draco's hand find her shoulder, assuredly daunted by Snape's plea.

Voldemort ignored him, striding across, standing to view Hogwarts before looking at his wand again. In the mercurial light, it almost looked like it's own living thing.

"Why doesn't it work for me?" He asked in a near whisper.

"You have performed extraordinary magic with this wand, my Lord. In the last few hours alone-"

"No!" He hissed, whipping angrily to Snape who didn't flinch. "I am extraordinary! It is the wand that resists me."

Harper resisted cowering, something heavy rolling around deep within her stomach. Snape then studied Voldemort carefully in the half-light, then his eyes shifted to Nagini. She wriggled around in her protective casing, clearly irritated. He looked back to his Lord, taking time with his words.

"There is no wand more powerful. Ollivander himself said it. Tonight, when the girl comes to you, it will not fail you, I am sure. It answers to you and you only." His words were measured, careful, yet even Harper didn't believe him fully. Maybe it was the desperation buried beneath his facade that only she would ever see through, or maybe it was the weakness of her forgiving nature. She had spent too much time with Severus Snape to know something was wrong.