𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐄𝐂𝐋𝐈𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓

Part 7

Wings Eclipsing Night
Part 6: Players on the Board
by KC

Disclaimer: I wish I owned Harry, Draco and all the rest; they'd do a lot more stuff than they do in the books and it'd all be rated R through X. Alas, however, I do not.
Other info: Post-HBP, dark!Harry, veela!Draco.
Summary: While beginning his revenge on the wizarding world, Harry Potter shows a bit of mercy to his pet veela.

Players on the Board

The doors to the great hall opened and Ron walked in, his gaudy robes and jewelry exchanged for tailored robes of expensive material. Draco wondered if Madame Malkin had been forced to make new clothes for everyone. It didn't matter. Ron had no idea how to act like a rich pureblood and with every gesture, comment and even every step, he revealed just how miserably poor he'd been brought up.

Hermione came in close behind him, just as dishevelled and dusty as she'd appeared in the bathroom. Other faces followed her, most that he didn't recognize but assumed were Harry's friends or colleagues, but it was the Weasley twins that caught Draco's attention. He didn't know how terrible the fighting had been but now he saw one of its most freakish casualties. They stood side by side sharing one fused arm between them. It had no hand and no joints, and perhaps even no bones. What made him turn away, though, was not their mutilation but they way they walked in step, looking at the same thing at the same time, even blinking simultaneously.

Draco buried his face in his master's robes, trembling and edging closer. The soft pat on his head and a warm arm around his waist didn't make the fear go away completely.

"It's all right," Harry whispered. "You're safe."

"What happened to them?" Draco whimpered.

"They got caught in a crossfire. We'll probably never know exactly what spells they were hit with. It's okay, though." Harry smiled at them from across the room as they took up a position near the door, a wand in each of their hands. "I rather like them like that. They don't talk much anymore and they do what they're told. Now tell me who's coming in behind them."

Turning his head just enough to see the doors, Draco watched as wizards and witches, both the cream of the pureblood families and the lowest muggleborn mudbloods filed in, heads bowed out of respect or fear. Some of them stared at him, but none of them seemed shocked. After everything that had happened, seeing the youngest Malfoy at Harry's side was the least of the war's effects.

"That's Durvach Grinset," Draco whispered, "the one in front with the dog head cane. His family's been hiding for a long time. Even the Ministry didn't know about them. He's probably hoping you'll show some favor to dark wizards."

"And the woman behind him?"

"That's Erzabet Ilwacket. She's also dark, but she's never been influential in our circles."

As they came forward one by one and knelt before Harry before moving to the side and awaiting their particular audience, Draco whispered their names and agendas long hidden from the Ministry. He spotted a few of the former teachers, but McGongall was not among them and none of them would meet his eyes. The room began to fill and still more people came in until their faces began to blur together. Despite the amount of people inside, the room remained quiet save for a few brave souls who dared to whisper.

Harry glanced at Hermione and nodded once, idly petting Draco's hair as she came up and stood beside his throne.

"Wizards and witches, honored guests all," she began with no sincerity in her voice. "You have been summoned before our Lord Harry Potter to give account of yourselves. Your future in our society depends upon your answers here. Rest assured, any attempts to disobey will be met with swift response."