Broken

Chapter 1

Hogwarts school had changed in the last week of the year. The Gryffindors had become smug because of what one student supposedly did. The Slytherins were robbed of the House Cup, though two Gryffindors were quite vocal about that being wrong, which surprised the other houses. The biggest change, though, was the student that everyone thought would enjoy the attention. For his friends, they knew Harry Potter did not want this type of attention well, attention in general was quite scary for the child.

No, Harry became quiet and withdrawn from the others. The other house began to notice it in the last days. The small things first, like the older Gryffindors sneering at the small lion or there suddenly being a problem with whatever Potter did.

Then the big things started. They were cruel to him.

His robes were destroyed, his glasses were stolen, the pranks they played on him were beyond horrible, and it was borderline torture. The worst was when someone had taken his broom. The broom was later found, though it was beyond repair. Throughout all of it, Harry Potter stayed silent. No one could get him to speak or even eat towards the end of the year. It was as if he was a ghost floating through the halls.

This brings this story to the present. One student in particular in the school grew both concerned and annoyed.

Draco Malfoy would, actually, be considered more than annoyed. There was no other word for it. He was furious.

Everyone could see it as he stalked down the halls of Hogwarts. His eyes portrayed his annoyance and slight concern for the situation that was unfolding within the school.

What in the name of Merlin and Morgana is going on! Usually, when I insult him, he fights back. Today, he seemed..distant? Draco thinks to himself as he walks past moaning Myrtle's bathroom. He stops dead in his tracks when he hears sobbing coming from within the empty room. Muttering to himself, he steps in, assuming Myrtle was just having another one of her hissy fits again.

Those thoughts die off, though, as he spots the figures in the room.

Myrtle was frantically fluttering around a bent form, speaking to them, trying to calm them down. The boy, as far as Draco could see, had unruly black hair, but unfortunately, that was all he could see as the boy had his face hidden in his knees, his entire body shaking with the force of his cries. Draco frowns and slowly makes his way to them, trying his hardest not to spook the already upset child. "Myrtle? What's going on?" The ghost spins so quickly that Draco backs away from her, throwing his hands up in front of himself.

"I don't know how to help! We were speaking just as we normally do, talking about what his plans were for the summer, and then he just started breathing heavily and dropped down like this!" Draco jerks back at the sudden yelling but nods to her.

"Um.. let me see if I can help." He had never seen a ghost panicked before, so it was quite a jolt to his mind.

With a frown, he kneels down on one knee as he sets his bag down, "Uh..hey kid? Um.. it's okay. You.. you're okay..." The boy stays curled up tightly, gasping for air as he starts to hyperventilate. Draco blinks, finally realizing the severity of the situation at hand. "Shit..." Draco dives for his bag and rips everything out in search of something. Finally finding his two-way mirror, he calls out his father's name.

Lucius Malfoy comes into view, an eyebrow raised, "Draco w..?" He gets cut off as his frantic son starts explaining what was going on. His shocked expression quickly melts away to one of concern. "Draco, turn the mirror towards him."

Draco does just that and spins it around to face the boy, then turns it back to face him again as his father starts to speak once more. "Draco, I need you to listen very closely to what I have to say. Stay with him and do not leave that child alone. Where are you right now?"