Temporal Transference

As they stepped out of what used to be Dumbledore's office, now more a memorial than a workspace, a heavy silence enveloped Harry, Ron, and Hermione. The aderenalin rush from before subdued somewhat.Bringing back the sadness from before.The corridor stretched out before them, its once-familiar features now in ruins.The debris crunched under their feet as they walked and the air smelled smelled  faintly of dust, and sometimes of blood.The walls were cracked and demolished,so much that in some places Harry was surprised that the wall still could support the ceiling.Then again he was probably using muggle logic.Magic can just about do anything.

  Harry's mind drifted to Andromeda Tonks, who now faced the daunting task of raising Teddy alone....no not alone Remus had entrusted him and him with the duty of being a godfather to him and he would fulfill it to the best of is ability...until he can set things right.A flicker of hope that ignited within him. Hope, that perhaps, amidst the wreckage of their world, there was still a chance for healing, for rebuilding.And before Harry knew it,they were standing in front of the seventh floor corridor.

"Well here we are..."Ron said and he was already walking from one end of the corridor to the other.On is seventh round there was a noise of shifting rocks,and there stood before them was the entrance to the Room of Requirement.Ron pushed open the door.And they entered the room.

The fire had died out,but almost everything in the room lay in ashes.But that that was to be expected...no what shocked them far more was to see Draco Malfoy standing in the middle of the room looking at them with expression of a deer caught in head lights.Harry's gaze narrowed at Malfoy , his surprise mirrored in the Slytherin's widened eyes. The air crackled with tension, and Harry's hand instinctively tightened around his wand, ready for whatever confrontation lay ahead.

Meanwhile Malfoy had composed himself and  said with a sneer,"Well well,look who we have here.The Vanquisher of the Dark Lord themselves.Fancy meeting you here, of all places.Thought you all were going to mourn till next year.Especially you Weasley."

Ron growled and was about to launch himself at him but was stopped by Hermione and Harry. He took a breath to clam himself and then looked at Malfoy with loathing and said,"You ungrateful bastard,you would Have been dead in this room,after your lacky Crabbe set this place on fire,if it was not for us.I bet the plan was to kill us instead just Crabbe was too stupid to carry it out on time.I bet you are real pleased to see our friends and family die seeing as how you didn't lose anyone you cared about if you care about anyone at all, that is."

Malfoy looked murderous as he bit out,"Don't presume you know anything about me Weasley. And if I wanted you three dead I would have given away your true identities when they brought you in the manor." 

Ron's jaw clenched, his knuckles turning white as he struggled to contain his anger. "You think you're so clever, Malfoy,"he spat out, his voice low and tense." Playing both sides, trying to save your own skin. But don't think for a second that we owe you anything. We know what you did during the Battle of Hogwarts, hiding like a coward while others fought for their lives. And if it weren't for Harry, you'd be rotting in Azkaban right now. So don't you dare act like you're better than us."

"You don't know a thing...what I lost-"

Harry's gaze remained fixed on Malfoy, his expression unreadable, but his voice carried a cold edge as he spoke, "Save your excuses, Malfoy. We all know what you're capable of, and we know where your loyalties lie. I acknowledge that our escape from your manor that day was partly thanks to you and I owe my life to your mom which is why I spoke against everyone's opinion to drag your family to Azkaban, but that doesn't make you innocent."

"Now leave,We have better things to do."Ron said gruffly.

"I am afraid that isn't possible,I have just as important this to do here."and it was then that all three of them noticed that near Malfoy lay a few items that were not burned by the fire...or more precisely it seemed Malfoy had restored them from their previous state.

"What....are you doing exactly Malfoy." Hermione asked an odd note in her voice.

Malfoy give Hermione a nasty look,"That should be self-explanatory Granger,I am restoring the room. "

"But why?"

"That's none of your fucking business!" he hissed out with surprising venom.

"Don't take that note with us and answer the question Malfoy." said Harry coldly.

"It is none of you business as well Potter." 

"Well it is seeing as how we came here for the same reason."Ron said.

For the second time in the day Malfoy looked shocked,"What? Why?"

"None of your business"Ron mimed,"Now will you say first or..."

Malfoy hesitated..."I...cannot tell you..."

Harry sighed, his patience wearing thin. "Fine, you can take your time. But with the Elder Wand, it would have been a breeze to restore the room."

Malfoy hesitated for a moment, weighing his options. He knew he couldn't afford to waste any more time, especially with the trio already present. And he knew they would get to 'it' before him  anyhow with the Elder wand.His best chance was to ask them to let him tag along...again.Reluctantly, he nodded. "Alright, I give up. I'm looking for a specific book that I heard of from my father when I was a child. It's a book that contains a potion capable of sending memories back in time. The book was originally in Malfoy Manor years ago, but it was apparently hidden in a secret room by one of my ancestors."

Draco's admission caught the trio off guard, their expressions shifting from suspicion to intrigue.Malfoy continued,"It wasn't until my fifth year at Hogwarts that I stumbled upon this room while trying to catch Dumbledore's Army for Umbridge. At the time, I had no reason to search for the book.In my6th year I scoured the room but found nothing."

Draco's expression darkened as he remembered the pivotal moment when he was spared from killing Dumbledore. "In the end, I didn't need the book. Snape did it instead, and I was spared from committing that sin. But now... now I need it for a different reason."

Ron broke the tense silence, his voice breaking through the air with a rough edge. "So, Malfoy,' he started, his tone challenging, 'what's so important about that book now?"

Draco's mask of indifference slipped, revealing a hint of vulnerability beneath. "Because... because Bellatrix killed my mother for lying about Harry's death. And Astoria... Astoria was killed by Dolohov." His voice broke.

"Astoria? Astoria Greengrass ? The 6th year Slytherin? " Hermione asked a looking a little apprehensive.

"Yes...her She and he sister Daphne were some of the only Slytherins who returned mid war to help you all...astoria and I....were close.She was the only person who understood me....and we were also going to get married."

Despite the tension thickening the air, Harry remained outwardly composed,Harry watched Draco's demeanor shift from composed indifference to thinly veiled sorrow. Beneath the surface, however, a whirlwind of emotions raged within him – resentment, bitterness, and a flicker of something akin to pity for the boy who had once been his greatest rival.

"You had a Girlfriend?"Ron asked incredelously.

" No,you idiot,our families had arranged it after both of us graduated Hogwarts. It's a Pure blood family thing.Not that I would expect you lot to know..." he trailed of with a sly smile .

Ron gritted his teeth,Harry glared at him and Hermione sighed.

"We're not here to trade insults, Malfoy. We're here for a reason. So unless you want to help us,I suggest you stay away."

"What is in it for me Granger?"Malfoy drawled,his face again a mask of indifference.

"I already told  you that I will be restoring this room.We need that book as well,for the same reasons.Once we do you can tag along."Harry said irritably,aving enough of the pointless arguments.

"Ahem,I am still in the room if you did not notice. Besides that's my property what gives you so much entitlement to it ?" Malfoy sneered.

Ron's jaw tightened as he met Draco's gaze. "What gives us entitlement to it? How about the fact that your family's secrets have caused enough damage already? How about the fact that it was  your friend who burned this place down and it will take you years to restore it yourself.We're not just here for ourselves, Malfoy. We're here to put an end to all this madness, to ensure that no more lives are lost because of some twisted, crazy,git."

Malfoy retorted, "Well, good luck trying to find that book since you don't even know what it looks like."

"The room will lead us to it, or we'll just ask Dumbledore," Ron replied confidently.

Malfoy's smirk widened. "Ah, so that's where you found out about it... So he used it too. Explains his behavior. Well, Weasley, Dumbledore's a portrait now. He can't remember things that far with too much clarity, can he? Isn't that why he sent you all here instead of telling you himself?"

Ron looked shocked by Malfoy's deduction. Hermione appeared mildly impressed, and Harry silently acknowledged the Slytherin's shrewdness.

Ron attempted to argue, "The room will lead us to it, Malfoy. It always provides what we need, even if we don't know exactly what it is. Trust me, we've used it before."

Malfoy remained skeptical, shaking his head. "You think too highly of that room, Weasley. It won't be as simple as you think. It'll merely take the shape of the 'Room of Hidden Things' and show you where you might find the book. But it won't outright give it to you. As Someone, my ancestor, tried to hide it there. Dumbledore was fortunate to find it."