Innocents Be Damned

How Zacharias Smith Almost Died

Draco sang along with the radio as Mother pulled up to school.

"You, with your words like knives and swords and the weapons that you use against me, you-"

"We're here," Mother interrupted.

Draco pouted before opening the door.

"Goodbye, Mother."

"I'll pick you up at five. Just wait for a couple hours on the lawn or something." With that, she drove away.

Draco pulled his backpack up and started walking.

"Hey, fag!"

He froze. He hadn't been called that name in months. And it didn't bring good memories.

He turned to see a boy he didn't recognize storming up to him. To his left was a stunning girl with long brown hair and bright blue eyes, and on his right  was a shorter boy with muscles and an irritated expression.

The first boy shoved him back against the lockers and yanked the flower crown off his head.

"You fucking faggot, what the hell is this?" Him and his friends laughed.

Draco blinked. "A flower crown," he muttered.

"'A flower crown'?" the boy repeated with disbelief.

The girl yanked it out of the boy's hands and ripped in half.

The shorter boy laughed. "Girls wear flower crowns, you faggot." He shoved Draco to the ground and kicked him in the side.

"Stop!" Draco screamed. "What have I ever done to you?"

"'Stop'!" the girl mocked. She ripped the flowers off the broken crown and threw them on the ground.

Draco sobbed. He loved that flower crown, it was his favorite, a gift from Pansy.

Suddenly, an almost inhuman screech rang through the yard, followed by a feminine voice shouting "hold my backpack!"

And Hermione Granger flew at the girl.

She ran across the yard at almost inhuman speed, and launched herself at the girl, knocking her to the ground.

A scream tore itself from the other girl's throat as Hermione scratched and hit her.

"Astoria, you whore!" Hermione screamed, pulling the other brunette's hair.

Footsteps pounded toward them, and then Ron was pulling at Hermione, shouting "Hermione, stop, you'll fuckin' kill her!"

"Maybe I wanna kill her!" Hermione shrieked, fighting Ron's grip. "Bitch thinks she can fuck with my friend, I'll fucking ruin her!"

Harry's commanding voice was dangerously low.

"Nott."

The taller boy looked terrified. His scared eyes flickered to Hermione, who had been pulled away from Astoria.

"Lookin' hot, Granger!" the shorter boy called to her.

"Ron." Hermione's voice was dangerous. "If you don't let me go and kill Smith right now, I might actually hurt you. I know you hate fighting, but-"

Ron let go of his girlfriend, who launched herself at the short boy, Smith.

Harry's eyes didn't leave the taller boy.

"Theodore Alexander Nott, if you don't step away from Draco right now, the hospital is going to have to take away three dead bodies."

Theodore swallowed and moved away from Draco, who was still curled up in a ball. He helped Astoria up.

Ron was wincing at Hermione's brutal attacks on Smith.

"Zacharias Smith, I swear to god if you ever touch Draco again, you're a dead man." Hermione stood and walked over to Ron, who wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her forehead.

The other trio rushed off.

Hermione, Ron, and Harry's eyes turned to Draco.