A Thousand Years [Harry Potter]

Chapter 20 - Helping in the Hunt for Horcruxes

This chapter was pretty difficult to write, mainly since I had to do a lot of research about certain things discussed in the chapter. Just as a note, I don't know if Draco knew about a certain form of magic discussed, maybe he did, but just for the sake of the story, he had no idea.

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That was the worst night's sleep that he ever had in his life. Literally. The mat in the cell was only a few inches thick, which didn't provide much comfort at all, and the temperature had dropped to freezing. He was shivering all night because all that he had on was the prison gown, and it became a bit damp because the rain from the outside came through the window. No matter where he put the mat in the small cell, the rain still got him. People probably had gotten sick with severe colds, or maybe froze to death, in the past with these horrid conditions.

He knows it was morning since it became only a little lighter outside. He didn't know the exact time. He guessed it was around seven or eight in the morning since one of the werewolf men had slid a meager meal of bread and sausage through a little opening in the bottom of the door. A spell was used to open that, too. He found that out when they gave him his dinner the night before—he arrived after lunch, so he wasn't given anything to eat then.

The pork sausage was cold, as was the meat patty he was given for dinner. The bread was stale as well. He was given water, but after drinking it, he chose not to do it again since it tasted like fish. He guessed that they took water directly from the sea and use some spell to take the salt out of it. How vastly different these meals were compared to the ones he usually had at home and at school. At home, he had meals fit for a prince since his family was so wealthy.

"Draco!" he heard his father hiss after finishing off the last of the stale bread. He put the thin metal plate aside and stood up and went to the little barred window. "Draco, are you awake?"

"Yes, Father, I was awake a good portion of the night. How does one manage sleeping on those things and in a place that is as cold as winter?"

"You get used to it after a while, but luckily for you, you're leaving the day after tomorrow and won't have a chance to get used to it."

The day after tomorrow at noon to be exact. Draco couldn't wait for that time. "Yes, agreed. Did you want to talk to me, Father?"

"Yes. Draco, I just want you to promise me something."

"What?"

"Promise me that when you get out of here, you will do exactly as the Dark Lord commanded you, understand? You may have gotten out of killing that deranged old man, but you will not be able to escape the new task given to you."

Draco felt his chest pinch, as well as a cold breeze in places where he shouldn't be feeling breezes. "I know, Father. I already promised the Dark Lord that I would do it, as much as I loathe to." He bit out, feeling the anger, "I never wanted this... being a Death Eater, and being forced to kill people who don't deserve it... even people who I care about."

This was the first time that he had told his father that he never wanted to be a follower of the Dark Lord. He was always afraid to since his father would think him weak and a coward. The man said as Draco gripped the cold iron bars, "You were chosen, Draco. It should be a complement that you were chosen to be one of his followers and be commanded to do something so grand as to rid the world of that insane old man."

"Don't call him that," Draco ordered fiercely. If the old man was capable of ending the Dark Lord, like Annabelle had said, then he had to be incredible. Well, Draco already knew that he was, but after what Annabelle told him, Hermione, Harry and Ron, he seemed even more so. "He's a better wizard than anyone could ever be, including the Dark Lord."