Lonely No More

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Harry leaned forward a little, closer to the open window in an effort to watch the unfolding events without being

seen. If that was Draco, then the other person had to be his father, Lucius, but what was he doing treating his son

like that? It only took a brief look to confirm it was, indeed, Draco Malfoy and his father. It was also clear that

Malfoy senior was currently admonishing his son in a way Harry would never had thought possible; the body

language of both people spoke volumes. Draco was almost cowering back against the wall, while his father

towered over him, the cane like some sort of extension to his arm as the snake head pressed against Draco's

chest.

Occasional words drifted up to the window. They consisted of things like 'idiot' and 'abysmal'. Harry felt a dark

smile slowly curve his mouth and he wished Ron could be here to see Draco getting the brunt of his father's

anger. It was almost too delicious for words to watch the antagonist who had made his life a misery getting a

taste of his own medicine.

He was just wishing he could be down in the alleyway so that he could hear the tirade from Lucius when

something happened that made him gasp. First Lucius slapped his son, then his hand shot out and he backhanded

him across the face, hard enough to send Draco reeling to the ground. Harry ducked behind the wall as the angry

voices floated up through the open window. Moments passed before he leaned forward again. Draco lay

crumpled on the ground, a hand holding his cheek, when the Cruciatus curse hit him.

A blood-curdling scream rend the air, and then it stopped.

Harry dropped to the floor with a heavy thud, his heart racing madly. He thought he might black out as that single

word transported him back to Little Hangleton and the excruciating pain Voldemort had inflicted on him with that

same curse. The pain had been intense and all consuming, and all he could do was scream more loudly than he'd

ever screamed in his life.

He closed his eyes, and tried to blot out the memory as words spiralled up from below, interspersed by choking

sounds from Draco.

"You are a disgrace to the Malfoy name, Draco. I sometimes wonder if you are really my son. I'm ashamed of

you and if you don't begin living up to your pureblood heritage, I will throw you out."

Harry scrambled to his feet and peeped out of the window again. He was just in time to see Lucius lift his wand

and circle it over Draco's body. He thought Draco's body twitched, and for the first time he could remember, he

felt sorry for Draco.

"Look at you. Grovelling on the ground like a House Elf. At least Potter didn't grovel when the Dark Lord

cursed him."

A chill coursed through Harry's veins as he heard Lucius' admission that connected him with events at Little

Hangleton. Fudge and others might refuse to believe Harry, but he now knew he had been right all along –

Lucius had been there with the other Death Eaters.

"Potter had a Mudblood mother but he flies better than you. His marks are better and he won the Triwizard

Tournament. He'd probably make a better Slytherin than you as well." Lucius sheathed his wand. "Get up."Draco tried to pull himself to his knees but the movement sent a bolt of pain through his body. Nausea hit him

and he threw up in the gutter. He could feel the look of disgust on his father's face and the prod of the cane in his

side.

"I said get up!"

Draco shook his head weakly, unable to move. Nothing in his life had prepared him for this, nor for the fact it

was his father performing the curse.

"I should have sent you to Durmstrang; they would have turned you into a proper wizard instead of this travesty I

see before me. I can still send you there, Draco, don't you ever forget that."

He tried to say 'no father', but it came out as a whimper.

"Since you are so determined to show your independence, let's see you get home on your own without your

wand or any money. Let's see how you cope in the big wide world without me to protect you." Lucius gave him

a swift kick and turned to go. "Then I might consider letting you return to Hogwarts.