❛ the antidote ❜ | draco malfoy

TWENTY-NINE

"Viceroy, early in the morning. Just trying to let the sun in and open up my eyes. Viceroy, as it's getting later. Heading for the corner, already running dry."

***

    IT WAS THE FIRST OF MAY, and Draco wanted to be happy as he had the past month, but as he sat at the Death Eater meeting, he grew incredibly anxious.

    Lucius Malfoy was being watched by the Dark Lord under a microscope, although Thorfinn Rowle gave the Dark Lord good measures about what Lucius had accomplished in their last task, Voldemort still did not care for the Malfoy's.

   Thorfinn Rowle had followed Harry Potter and his friends into a café, although they lost in their battle, the Dark Lord didn't treat the Rowle's as harshly.

    Tom Riddle favored Alice Rowle, daughter or not, she was one of the most skilled and undermined witches he had ever met. He reminded her of his one and only love that had died because of him, and for that reason, he realized she should be treated better.

    Alice sat in her usual seat beside Tom Riddle, conversing with the other Death Eaters on a smart tactic to enter the premise. She didn't want to give them her good ideas, but had been threatened by her mother before hand, about not betraying the Dark Lord.

"They're going to use defensive shields, it's a no brainer." Alice had told Tom Riddle as he listened intently, "We're going to have to use a counter curse against them."

Tom Riddle nodded, agreeing with Alice, before turning his attention to Bellatrix Lestrange, who would be leading the Death Eaters to the Forbidden Forest.

    "Harry Potter is at Hogwarts, Harry Potter is at Hogwarts!" Travers ran in holding a piece of parchment, "Alecto– Alecto Carrow has just owled, Harry Potter is at Hogwarts."

    Clapping his hands together, Voldemort sneered, "The time we have been waiting for my dear colleagues, has arrived."

    As the Death Eaters rushed out of the dining room, Alice sat still, watching as Tom Riddle concentrated with his eyes closed.

    Suddenly his eyes opened a few moments later, staring into Alice's, "I've sent them a warning. If they turn Harry Potter in before midnight, I promised nobody would get hurt, fools."

    Alice nodded, not knowing what to say, so she stared at him one last time before walking into the corridor towards Draco.

    "They're sending Death Eaters to Hogwarts," Draco said as he rushed up the stairs to his room, Alice hot on his tracks. "They're going to see if they'll hand Potter over, until then, we've got to wait."

    Alice nodded, watching Draco quickly take off his unflattering trousers and t-shirt, before changing into his signature black suit. His hands were shaking as he tried to fix his tie, Alice getting aggravated.

    "Come 'ere, I'll do it." Nodding Draco turned towards her as she began to fix his tie properly.
"Whatever happens tonight, I'll be right beside you, Draco. No matter what."

    Draco nodded his head again, giving Alice a quick kiss as she finished fixing his tie.

    "We'll be alright, it'll all be alright."

    Alice wished she could believe him when he said that.

-

Draco held onto Alice's hand tightly as they walked on the outskirts of Hogwarts. They were surround by hundreds of Death Eaters, they never knew even existed.

Gemma and Thorfinn Rowel proudly stood at the front of the crowd of Death Eaters beside Tom Riddle, Narcissa and Lucius were stood beside the couple, but didn't feel as proud.

Trailing behind their parents, Draco and Alice nervously looked at one another. They didn't know, but the events that were to occur, would change everyone's lives forever.

They had been walking towards the castle for several minutes when they suddenly stopped as Tom Riddle held a hand to his chest.

"My Lord, are you alright?" In the blink of an eye, Tom Riddle had killed the outspoken Death Eater, his body falling before Alice.

Quietly gasping, she moved a few feet away, beginning to walk as the crowd did. She furrowed her brows, he held a hand to his chest, was a part of him dying?

Walking ahead, much to Draco's protests, Alice walked towards Tom Riddle, gently approaching him.

"Your Horcruxes, he's destroying them." Alice interrupted Tom Riddle from his thoughts as he turned towards the girl. "By destroying them, he's destroying your soul completely, if he gets to all of them... You'll–"

Tom Riddle wanted to lash out at the girl, but he knew she was just trying to warn him, remind him even, of what was to become of him. "I know, Alice, I will be stuck in Limbo."

Alice nodded, facing the man who seemed calm talking to her. She always noticed he seemed different when she talked to him.

"It's no matter, if I'm stuck in Limbo, all that matters is that my legacy will live on."

The young witch felt bad for Tom Riddle, the feeling was quick, but she felt sad for him no less. She realized he had always been alone, she read he was born into an orphanage, and from her understanding, they weren't very comfortable places to reside in. She knew that he was a horrible, vile man, but at the same time she knew there was reason behind the madness. Maybe if he hadn't been abandoned and unloved, he wouldn't have become what he was. That was always a thought she found never left her mind.

Taking a deep breath, Alice stared at the man as they walked ahead of everyone, "You may be a horrible person, Tom Riddle, but you will never be forgotten for being a genius."

If it had been anyone else both Tom Riddle and Alice Rowle knew he would've killed her without a second thought, but as he stared back at the girl, he nodded his head, not knowing how he felt.

"There's a Horcrux," He began, staring straight ahead, "in the Room of Requirement. It's the Ravenclaw Diadem, find it and hide it, it's my last hope besides Nagini."

Feverishly nodding, Alice and Tom Riddle stared at one another for what could possibly be their final time. Alice walked back to Draco, staying silent for the remainder of the walk.