The Broken Boy [d.m]

chapter three

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"Now, i'm sure that you have a lot of questions but if you don't mind I am very busy at the moment" Dumbledore ushered me towards the door of his office.

I didn't know what to think, my mind was spiralling. Professer Dumbledore wouldn't lie to me but I still could quite grasp that I had just found out the truth. The real question was, do I tell Harry?

I know that he wasn't coping well with the whole Voldemort situation and to tell him would just add pressure. I had decided to keep quiet- at least for now.

The next few days I spent every waking minute thinking about what Dumbledore had told me. I showed up for my detentions everyday but Malfoy and I were no closer to getting the job done.

One day he perked up and asked me "if you don't know who your parents are, then why do you have the last name Edwards?" I thought back to a time where I lived with the Edwards.

It was probably the worst year of my life, I would have been about five when I went to live with them. The father was so kind to me at first but as time past be started getting very close to me and I mean that in a very literal way. He would tell me I looked pretty and then he would hurt me. He hurt me in the worst way he could. He would... touch me in places no child should be touched.

When Malfoy asked me that question my head went to a dark place. The mother used to hit me too, but I was almost relived when I would see her rather than Mr. Edwards.

"They were the first family I stayed with." I turned away from him so I could let out a silent tear, but that single tear allowed me enough time to tell emotions to move on. The potions classroom was no place to be weak, especially in front of Draco Malfoy.

He finally got the hint and stopped talking about my family. I was sick of the family bullshit.

Another week went by and I started to feel more confident about standing up for myself in front of Malfoy.

"What about you then?" I asked him. "What makes you think that you're great and mighty?" He was taken aback, I don't think he expected me to start grilling him the way he had to me in the first in the first week. "I come from a long line of purebloods, my family can be traced back centuries" he smirked at me.

I thought for a millisecond before saying "But that's not really you, I mean... you didn't really do anything" he raised an eyebrow at me and spat "what's that supposed to mean?".

I looked down and took a deep breath in before retaliating. "Being born isn't an accomplishment Malfoy!" my words were filled with anger. I was angry how he treated people, I was angry how he thought that all muggle-bones were worthless.

He took a step back, I had never seen him so insulted. I didn't understand why he took such offence from my comment, people snapped at him all the time and he would just brush it off and besides, it wasn't like we were friends or anything.

He ignored me for the rest of detention, leaving me to finish labelling the last of the ingredients by myself. When Snape arrived I had finished everything.

"Congratulations you two, it seems as though your series of detentions are over" he slithered. I knew that now I had nothing else to distract me from the truth about my parents.

The weeks went by and soon enough it was beginning to become colder, but in terms of the weather and my mood. Umbridge started handing out more and more detentions. Students were turning up with red marks on their hands that spelled out different things. There was a rumour that Umbridge was using a quill that could carve the words you write into your skin.

I didn't know this at the time but I would soon find out if those rumours were true.

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One day I was sick of it. I was sick of the constant pressure from exams and the fact the Dumbledore was refusing to speak to me about my parents. I was sick of following the rules. I wanted adventure more than anything so I decided to explore the forbidden forest.

After I had finished my classes for the day I slipped out, careful that no one was watching me. I was unaware of the blonde boy who had followed me down.

I ran in the wind breathing the fresh air, it made me feel sain. I ran past Hagrid's hut and down towards the trees.

I started to wander into the forest. The leaves were covering the floor as though they were a protective barrier. Although it was gloomy, the darkness was calming I let out a soft sigh and I went to sit down on one of the tree roots.

The sound of a twig snapping echoed around the silent forest. My head turned around to see gigantic beast looming over me. I cried out as it scurried towards me.

It was like a spider yet- massive, it was more than double the size of me. I reached down for my wand but realised that my I had left it in the common room."Help! Somebody help!" I yelled. I knew my only shot was to get Hagrid's attention somehow. His hut was quite far away and I didn't think he would hear then my heart sank. Hagrid wasn't there he didn't even show up to school this year.

I let out a shaky gasp as I turned around to run. I knew I couldn't out run it for long the I had to try. I sprinted- I sprinted as if my life depended on it, because my life was depending on it.

My lungs were wheezing and I knew I couldn't run for much longer. The great beast was catching me and I beginning to give up. I slipped on a loose tree branch and fell face first into the ground, the sticks on the forest floor leaving cuts and scratches all over my face.

"Petrificus Totalus" I heard someone curse from behind me. The spider froze and then dropped to the floor. I turned to look at my saviour and to my surprise, it was Malfoy.

"What- what are you doing here?" I stuttered, "Saving you..."
"How did you even know I'd left?"
"A thank you would be nice" I glared at him sensing that he wasn't telling the whole truth. "You're telling me, that you did that out of the kindness of your heart. "Well I- I'll have to report you to Professor Umbridge" I snigger. "I knew it"