BANALITY : Draco Malfoy

66

Terry tries to insist on us thinking silently until dinner. I do as he says, but not because he suggests it. Rather, my goal is to read as much of The Daily Prophet as I can. The news of yesterday's attack has seemingly taken over this morning's issue; there are articles upon articles which are tangentially related. Some of them detail how Harry and Ron's task force was just cancelled four days ago. An opinion column calls to reopen it so that the notorious Draco Malfoy can be found. Another article discusses everything there is to know about Gregory Goyle. He did not go to Azkaban after the war, mostly because the task force was focused on official Death Eaters. Goyle was at Hogwarts during most of the war as well, and while he did fight in the battle on behalf of the Death Eaters, his trial was not seen as a priority. He barely worked with a few Snatchers over the summer, and the majority of the Snatchers only got fines equal to the profit they made from catching muggle-borns. If they were to try every wizard who worked for Voldemort, a huge proportion of the population would be in Azkaban. Physically, Azkaban cannot hold every one on its island. Economically, arresting everyone who collaborated with the Death Eaters would put so many workers behind bars that the Magical Community in Britain would threaten to collapse. An opinion piece is calling for vigilante justice against all of those who have yet to be put on trial so that they suffer without taking down all of Britain with them.

War trials take a long time. Rage and vengeance last even longer.

Anthony seems to be trying to stay calm. He has a hand on his chest, and he takes deep breaths in and out. I notice when I glance at him every so often over The Prophet.

There is an article on Pansy Parkinson. She has gone missing from her parents' estate as of the early hours before the paper was printed. I wonder if she has found Draco, or if Draco has found her, or if anything has happened or if nothing has happened.

Anthony sighs.

I lower the paper to look at him.

"You don't remember anything, do you?" he says.

I shake my head, "no."

"I assume you have found out some things," he says. "Obviously not all of them if you still don't know much about Terry or me."

I blink and fold the copy of The Prophet up. Goyle's face is staring at me, once again. I wonder if he found my family before he found Hermione and Ron. Would he have gone for Ginny and Harry if their home wasn't hidden under the Fidelius Charm?

"I truly don't remember you," I say. "I wish I did."

"We went to the Yule Ball together," he smiles. "I thought you were so mysterious, and I wanted to get to know who you actually were."

"Did I date you too?" I ask, holding back a groan.

Anthony laughs, "no. You didn't really date Terry either. I think you might have gone to the ball with me to make Terry jealous. When his massive hair isn't taking over his head, and he isn't wearing his glasses, he's more handsome than I am."

I peer my head towards the kitchen. I cannot see Terry.

"I assume it worked," I say. "Making him jealous, I mean."

"It did," Anthony smiles. "Well, I gave up on trying to get to know you after you were so evasive. You and Terry started flirting for the rest of fourth year. By fifth year, you were shagging in secret places. He didn't mind being your secret, and I haven't the foggiest why to be honest."

"When did it stop?" I ask.

"Closer to the end of fifth year, I think," Anthony says. "I didn't even know about any of it until you went into hiding at the end of sixth year. Terry was kind of torn up about it. Well, I don't know the exact timeline, but each time you hung out starting in fifth year, you waited even longer the before the next time. Eventually, you didn't invite him out anymore, and you always said you were busy when he asked to spend time with you. When we found out that you died, other people started to find out that you both were seeing each other. Parvati loved to gossip, and Padma always enabled her."