The Bravest Snake

CHAPTER 31

The first thing Draco noticed was how heavy his head felt. It felt like it weighed a hundred pounds. He could see sunlight from a window from behind his eyelids, but he just wanted to close them tighter and fall asleep.

Moving his feet, he felt a dip in the mattress, indicating that someone was there. Draco forced open his eyes to see Dumbledore sitting at the edge of his bed. Noticing Draco was awake, he turned to him and said, ''Good afternoon, Malfoy.''

''Professor Dumbledore?'' Draco muttered. His mind felt murky, as if it were under the lake outside. ''What're you doing here? The Stone is out there... Quirell has it...''

''Calm yourself Draco, you are a little bit behind. Quirell does not have the Stone?''

''Then who does? Where - where's Harry? And Hermione? And Ron?''

''Please relax or Madame Pomfrey will have me thrown out, Draco.'' Madame Pomfrey! Draco looked around, careful not to swivel his head too much, and saw that he must be in the hospital wing. White was everywhere. His bed had white neatly pressed sheets, white curtains were drawn all around him, and on his white nightstand was a high pile of what looked like a whole candy store's stock.

Draco grabbed a lollipop to inspect, still in disbelief. ''Tokens from your friends and admirers. What happened down in the dungeons between you, Harry, and Professor Quirell is a complete secret, so naturally the whole school knows. I bet Harry has a pile just as grand, but you are the Gryffindor Hero.''

''Wow,'' Draco breathed, staring up at all the gifts left from people who liked him. He could clearly picture in his mind all the students going out of their way to find him gifts and bring them here. Father always says that happiness tastes like metal, cold and poisonous, but this happiness tastes sweet like honey. 

''How long have I been in here?'' Draco asked.

''Three days. Miss Granger and Mr Weasley will be excited to see that you have awaken, you took quite a fall down in the dungeons and they have been very worried. Mr Potter, on the other hand, is still sleeping., but Madame Pomfrey has no doubt that he will wake up like you.''

''Alright, I'm glad they're okay, but what about the Stone? Does Snape have it? I still don't trust him.''

''No. You and Harry prevented Quirell from taking it very well, though I came in the nick of time and finished the job. Hermione's owl arrived extremely quickly, and I left London at once. I'm glad I wasn't too late.''

''You nearly were! Harry and I couldn't keep him off the Stone much longer, I don't know how we did it in the first place -''

''Not the Stone, you two! The effort nearly killed both of you. As for the Stone, it's destroyed.''

''Destroyed?! But what about Nicolas Flamel? And his wife? Won't they... die?''

''Yes. They've both agreed that it's for the best. They have enough Elixir stored to get their affairs in order, and then they will die.'' Dumbledore smiled kindly at Draco's shocked expression, like the sweet grandfather Draco never had. ''To one as young as you, it must seem incredible, but tho them it must seem like going to bed after a very, very long day. After all, to the well organized mind, death is but the next great adventure. It can be a beautiful thing. But the Stone prevents it, and the trouble is humans do have a knack of choosing the things that are the worst for them.''

Draco didn't know what to say to all that, so he played with his dirty hair while Dumbledore hummed a little and smiled at the ceiling. Then Draco had a question. ''Dumbledore, I've been thinking that even if the Stone's gone, then Voldemort is going to try other ways to come back, right? Cause he hasn't gone, has he?''

Dumbledore smiled again, but this time there was a haunting sort of sadness to it that didn't quite reach his eyes. ''No, Draco, he has not. He is still out there somewhere, looking for another body to share. He obviously left Quirell to die, he shows just as little mercy to his followers as to his enemies. Nevertheless, if you and Harry delay him just as you did again and again and again, why he may never return to power.''

It felt like the floor had opened up and swallowed Draco whole, and it hurt. It hurt badly. ''But Dumbledore, sir, while he's returning to power... what about my family?'' Draco knew his family's past with Voldemort, and he had to pretend not to hate it all the time. Yes, it made him sick, but there was no way he could erase it. But if it happened now, there was no way he could stand by and watch.

''Draco, you proved today that you aren't like your father. Hogwarts will always be home to you when you can't go to your own.''

It was two sentences. Two simple sentences, but they made Draco glow from the inside all the same. ''Thank you, that means a lot. I have another question, if you don't mind?''

''Fire away.''

''Why couldn't Quirell touch me or Harry?''

''Harry's mother died for him, protecting him. Your mother is protecting you now, always believing in you even when she knew you weren't being the typical Malfoy. Voldemort just doesn't understand that love. That love left a physical scar on Harry and a scar on you, deep in your heart. In your blood. To be loved so deeply, even by a person who isn't with you right now... Quirell, with his heart full of greed, ambition, and hatred, couldn't touch somebody marked with something so good.''

A tear dripped from Draco's eye and splattered onto his sheet. He rubbed it clumsily. Malfoy's don't cry, he heard his father's voice saying to him, but he also remembered his mother holding him as a small child whenever he got scared from a nightmare. His mother, the pillar holding up his heart. 

Never had he imagined possessing a power so strong it could defeat someone so powerful. But here it was, a twin to Harry's power, and it was his.