Reliving the Past, Present, and Future

Chapter 30

"Well then!" said Teddy, clapping his hands together. "Dinner?"

On cue, food appeared on house tables - breaking the spell of silence. Conversation restarted with more vigor, discussing the memories and comparing it to what they had read in the Quibbler.

Unsurprising, the most sullen table was Slytherin House - whispering quietly and avoiding eye contact with one another.

Despite Draco Malfoy's sudden and worrisome empathy for the Boy-Who-Lived, he cursed Teddy Lupin for frivolously outing his father as a Death Eater. How dare he? What bloody gave the half-breed the right?

As he moodily speared his vegetables, a piece of parchment slid under his plate.

Seeing things you don't want to? Meet me at the Astronomy Tower in five. -T

Draco sneered at the note; watching the wizard in his peripheral walk away from Potter and leave the Great Hall.

Draco's self-preservation on ignoring the note would have been enough, but the words seeing things you don't want to echoed in his mind uncomfortably.

The flashes of Potter being abused by his Muggle family... out of all the rumors swirling in Hogwarts, that was not one he'd heard.

It was no coincidence.

Ten minutes soon passed.

Fuck.

Draco quietly stood from the table, ignoring the stares and mutterings.

He clumsily levitated himself over the Weasley swamp, and made his way to the Astronomy Tower.

With his wand out, he climbed the spiraling stairs and soon found Teddy Lupin with his back to him, casually leaning over the banister, unruly turquoise hair whipping in the wind.

"You're late, Malfoy."

Draco sneered, though he gripped his wand tighter. "I have better things to do then talk in riddles with a half-breed."

"How's your Occlumency?"

He narrowed his eyes. "How's yours?" he retorted.

Teddy Lupin finally turned around, a bitter smile twisting his expression.

"A year from now," Teddy started. "You will be in this exact position... but at the end of your wand will be a disarmed and weak Professor Dumbledore. Not me."

Draco carefully schooled his expression to one out of boredom.

Completely barmy - maybe St. Mungo's was missing a patient... as if he could disarm the only wizard the Dark Lord feared.

"Voldemort will punish your family for Lucius' failures tonight," he continued, taking a step closer. "You will be forced to take the Dark Mark..."

His mouth went dry, his knuckles turning white from the choking grip on his wand. No... his mother and father wouldn't have allowed it... he just turned sixteen...

"...and be given the suicide mission to kill Albus Dumbledore."

Draco couldn't prevent the silky twine of fear choking him, the ice flowing intravenously through his extremities. "You're mad," he finally said, loathing the shakiness of his voice and hands.

"You're not a killer, Draco,"  Teddy said quietly.

Draco couldn't do anything but laugh at the absurdity of it all. "You have no idea what I'm capable of!"

"In the future, the Malfoy name holds no power... you're ostracized from society and your wand snapped in half... I'm giving you this one opportunity to change the path you are on."