Draco Malfoy's Two Months in Muggle Land

Chapter 7: Week Six: The Wonders Of Paris

Week Six: The Wonders Of Paris

Their hotel was small and comfortable, and Heather and Draco quickly settled into their rooms. They had been placed on the same landing, only a few feet apart, which reassured the young wizard greatly. In a strange part of the Muggle world, he didn't want to be too far from his temporary guardian. Each of their rooms was furnished with a double bed and en suite bathroom, with a large luxurious shower. Harry had given his aunt a large sum of money from his vault many years before, so she could afford to treat the pair to a nice hotel. Although it was small, it had all the modern conveniences, and the witch found that the smaller places seemed a lot friendlier than most of the large hotel chains.

The two wizarding folk passed a good first night, and both slept well. The following morning, they met in the dining room and enjoyed a breakfast of croissants and coffee. As soon as they were finished, they went back to their rooms, gathered the things they would need for a sightseeing trip, and headed towards the Metro station. On the way there, Heather decided to find out how much of Muggle Paris the young wizard had seen.

" So, Draco, have you been to Paris before."

" Yes, a few times, when I was younger," he answered.

" How much of it have you seen?"

" Well, we have an estate on the outskirts, and I've visited the wizarding district. Obviously, it's impossible not to notice the Eiffel Tower, but other than that, I've not seen much."

" Good, that means I'll have plenty to show you. Today, I think we'll start with the main tourist attractions, such as the Tower, Notre Dame, the Arc de Triomphe, Sacré Coeur, and the Champs Élysées. Tomorrow, we'll visit the Louvre, as that will take almost a whole day in itself. Then, on Tuesday, I'll take you to somewhere you're sure to enjoy a lot, bearing in mind your love of Disney films…"

" Where?" Draco asked, puzzled. He couldn't see how his enjoyment of animated films would lead to a day trip in Paris.

" You'll see when we get there," Heather said, mysteriously.

Draco fully enjoyed his first experiences of Muggle Paris. The pair started at the Eiffel Tower, taking a trip right to the top. The boy found the view to be spectacular, and he marveled at how Muggles could create such an amazing structure, especially so long ago. Heather smiled at his naïveté, telling him that the Eiffel Tower was far from the greatest Muggle architectural achievement. After the Tower, they headed along the bank of the Seine to Notre Dame, where Draco took photographs of the stunning stained glass windows. Their next stop brought them to the Arc de Triomphe, where Heather decided to give Draco a history lesson.

" You know, this was the site of a great wizarding battle in 1944."

" Really?"

" Yes. On the 30th March, Grindelwald attacked Paris, and the Order of the Phoenix, led by Dumbledore and Harry, fought him here. They killed or injured forty two of Grindelwald's followers, and drove off an entire army of Dementors. It was also the place Harry and his friends were captured."

" Potter was captured?" Draco asked in surprise.

" Yes," Heather said, quietly, the idea of what the four time travellers suffered making her shudder, " Their group was divided, Harry and Ginny being taken to Czechoslovakia, to Grindelwald's headquarters, and Hermione and Ron going to a Muggle concentration camp in Poland."

" What happened to them?" Draco asked, curious despite his dislike of the people she was speaking of.

" They were tortured, of course. Ginny mentally and Harry physically. Hermione and Ron had to endure forced labour and hard treatment. They didn't break, though, which is truly a miracle. They may be scarred, and mentally damaged, but they are stronger for the experience."