𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐏𝐄 𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐈𝐒

Epilogue

Epilogue

Albus Dumbledore stared pensively out of his window. Outside, the sky was clear and the sun was as bright as ever. The birds were singing and the trees were swaying gently in the breeze. His eyes, however, failed to notice any of this, for they were trained on the two boys in the garden. Sighing sadly, Albus shook his head as dark thoughts plagued him still.

“Come now, Headmaster. Don't tell me you're feeling guilty?" a sharp voice pierced the solemn silence that filled the air and Albus turned to meet the coldly furious eyes of Severus Snape.

"My heart aches for them, Severus. They are still so very young,” he answered the angry man with a sigh.

"Is this why you insist on lying to him? Under the guise of protecting his innocence?" Severus laughed mockingly. "I didn't say anything when you kept things from Potter. I still wouldn’t care if you continued to deceive that oblivious twit, but I will not stand idly by while you do the same to my godson! Draco deserves to know the truth about his father!” Severus snarled as he stepped closer. “Lucius doesn’t deserve one second of mourning or even an ounce of his son’s grief! He certainly doesn’t deserve Draco’s affection!” He scowled.

“Perhaps,” Albus conceded with a shrug. “But Draco, on the other hand, is more than worthy of his father’s love. Don’t you agree? How could I deny him that after he’s sought it for so long? He doesn’t deserve to have it taken away from him.”

“It is a mere delusion! A lie!” Severus hissed. “Something he doesn’t need or wouldn’t even want if he realized. You know this full well.”

“And yet it is still the closest thing to that for which he has always yearned,” Albus said softly. “Could you deny him this and cause him more sorrow?”

“No,” Severus snapped, already aware he could never break the child’s heart that way. “And I suppose this has nothing to do with his avowal of vengeance on the Dark Lord? His promise not to stop until he has avenged his parents’ deaths? He has already reclaimed his name as a Malfoy and his title as the heir!”

Albus merely shrugged once more. “Perhaps.”

“You knew all along that this could happen. You must be bursting on the inside. Now instead of one weapon, you now have two! Two children who would live and breathe and die for your cause because they have nothing else!” Severus bit out sharply.

“Do you honestly think I planned this outcome? That I foresaw something like this and did nothing to stop it from happening? That I intended to manipulate the boy’s feelings simply to further my own agenda?” Albus asked him plainly.

Severus surveyed the elderly wizard shrewdly and after what seemed like an eternity, he finally answered, “Could you afford not to?”

Albus sighed heavily and looked away, his heart sinking deeply as he did so.

Severus gritted his teeth and stepped closer. “Then you have my answer.”

Turning on his heel, Severus offered his parting shot. “I shall reserve your seat in Hell.” He smiled self-deprecatingly. “I promise it will be right next to mine.” And with that, he disappeared out the door, leaving Dumbledore alone with his ghosts once more.

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“Shall we make the necessary preparations, Master?” Bellatrix asked him eagerly.

Voldemort merely smiled indulgingly. “Oh Bella, I do admire your voracious appetite for destruction.” He nodded his head as he chuckled. “Prepare a sentry. We may not be able to see their blasted Order, but sooner or later, they will slip up, especially when the Muggle neighbourhood surrounding them falls down in flames.” His smile grew even wider.