I Have a Dream
This is the story of how I died.
Don't worry, this is actually a very fun story, and the truth is, it isn't even mine. This is the story of a boy, named Draco Malfoy, and it starts, with the stars.
Now, once upon a time, a single drop of starlight fell from the heavens, and from this small drop of the stars, grew a magic, silver, flower. It had the ability to heal the sick, and injured. Well, centuries passed and a hop, skip and a boat ride away, there grew a kingdom. The kingdom was ruled by a beloved King and Queen, and the Queen, well she was about to have a baby, and she got sick, really, sick. She was running out of time, and that's when people usually start to look for a miracle, or in this case, a magic silver flower.
The magic of the silver flower, healed the queen. A healthy baby boy, a prince was born. With beautiful golden hair. I'll give you a hint: that's Draco.
To celebrate his birth, the King and Queen launched a flying lantern into the sky. For that one moment, everything was perfect, and then that moment ended.
The queens sister, Bellatrix broke into the castle and stole the child. Just like that... gone. The Kingdom searched and searched, but they could not find the Prince, for deep within the forest, in a hidden tower, Bellatrix raised the child as her own. Bellatrix had found out from her neighbour that the old kingdom ruler was back, and the child was the key to his return. Bellatrix was determined to keep him hidden until he was needed.
“Why can’t I go outside?” A young Draco would ask Bellatrix.
“The outside world is a dangerous place. Filled with horrible, selfish people. You must stay here, where you're safe. Do you understand, Draco?”
“Yes, Bella.”
But the walls of that tower could not hide everything. Each year on his birthday, the King and Queen released thousands of lanterns into the sky in hope that one day, their lost Prince would return.
“Hmm, I guess Pierre isn’t hiding out here.” Draco looked out of the window to see his small dragon companion hiding behind a plant pot and grinned, pretending to walk away before reaching out and grabbing him. “Ha! That’s twenty two for me! How about 22 out of.. 45?”
His dragon shook his head and Draco sighed. “Well what do you want to do?”
Pierre shook his wings and pointed his tail out of the window. “We are absolutely not going outside. I like it in here, and so do you.” Pierre pushed flames out of his nose in a huff. “Oh come on, Pierre, it’s not so bad!”
Hermione was standing on the top of the castle, watching as the Weasley brothers Fred and George jumped from roof to roof to meet her. “Wow, I could get used to a view like this.”
“Hermione, come on.” Fred urged.
“Hold on, just one moment.” She took one last glance at the view. “Yep, I’m used to it. Guys, I want a castle.”
“If we do this job, you can buy your own castle.” George grunted.
They opened the hatch on the roof and started lowering Hermione down towards the diadem box using a rope. One of the guards in charge of keeping watch over the diadem sneezed.
“Oh, hay fever?” Hermione asked as she dangled over the glass box.
“Yeah.” The guard turned around and looked at Hermione briefly before turning back, and then again turning towards her, seeing that she had the diadem in her hand. “What, wait! Hey! Wait!”
Hermione was being pulled up by the twins and saluted the guard before she completely climbed through the top window. “Can’t you picture me in a castle of my own? I mean, I certainly can! Oh, the things we’ve seen and done and it’s only eight in the morning!” She turned to the twins, grinning. “Gentlemen, it’s going to be a big day.”
“This is it,” Draco sighed. “I’m finally going to tell her, Pierre. I’m going to tell her I want to see the floating lights.”
“Draco! Let down the rope!” Bellatrix called from outside of the tower.
“It’s time. I know, I know. Come on, don’t let her see you.” Draco whispered to his little dragon companion, who crawled into his pocket.
“Draco? I’m not getting any younger down here.” Bellatrix called again.
“Coming, Aunt Bella!” He cast down a rope of 70 feet, and Bellatrix loosely tied a loop and stepped into it, waiting for Draco to haul her up. “Welcome home, Bella.”
“Oh, Draco, how you manage to do that every single day without fail, it looks absolutely exhausting, darling.”
“Oh, it’s nothing.” Draco grinned sheepishly.
“Then I don’t know why it takes so long.” Bellatrix smiled at him. “Oh, darling, I’m just teasing.” She laughed, pinching his cheek.
“So, Bella, as you know, tomorrow is a big day..” Draco started to say, but Bellatrix cut him off.
“Draco, do you see that mirror over there? Do you know what I see? I see someone strong, good looking and confident. Oh, and you’re there, too! Again, I’m just teasing, sweetheart! Stop taking everything so seriously!”
“Okay, so, Bella, as I was saying, tomorrow is-”
“Draco, I’m feeling very tired. Can we save this conversation for later? A cup of tea, perhaps?”
“Of course,” Draco whizzed around the room, making a cup of tea for Bellatrix as fast as he could, shoving the mug into her hand.
“Draco!”
“So, Bella, as I was saying, tomorrow is a pretty big day and you didn’t respond so I’m just going to tell you anyway, it’s my birthday!” Draco grinned at his aunt.
“No, no. Can’t be. I specifically remember, your birthday was last year.”
“That’s the funny thing about birthdays, they’re kind of an annual thing.” Draco twisted his hands. “Bella, I’m turning 18, and what I wanted to ask.. well.. what I’ve wanted for quite a few birthdays now..” He trailed off.
“Draco, what have I told you about the mumbling? You know how I feel about the mumbling! Blah, blah blah, blah blah. Its very annoying. I’m just teasing! You’re adorable! I love you, darling.”
Draco grew frustrated and blurted out: “Oh, I just want to see the floating lights!”
“What?”
“Well, I was hoping you’d take me to see the floating lights.” He uncovered a curtain, showing a mural he’d painted on the wall of lanterns with a small figure of himself watching them from a cliff.
“Oh, you mean the stars.” Bellatrix waved him off.
“That’s the thing, I’ve charted the stars.” He pulled a rope and the light moved to shine on the roof where he had constellation after constellation painted. “They’re always constant, but these? These only appear once a year, every year, on my birthday, Bella. Only on my birthday. I can’t help but feel that they’re.. they’re meant for me. I need to see them, Bella, and not just from my window, but in person. I have to know what they are.” He sighed, wistfully, looking at the painting.
Bellatrix scoffed. “You want to go outside? Oh, why Draco, just look at you! As fragile as a flower, still a little sapling, just a sprout. You know why we stay up in this tower.”
“I know, Bella, but-”
“That’s right, to keep you safe and sound, dear.” She sighed, dramatically. “I guess I always knew this day was coming. Soon enough, I knew you’d want to leave the nest. Soon, but not yet.”
“But-”
“Trust me, pet. Aunt Bella knows best.” She pinched his nose. “Listen to your auntie, it’s a scary world out there. Auntie knows best, one way or another, something will go wrong, I swear.”
Draco rolled his eyes, having heard this speech one too many times, but indulged her anyway. “Ruffians, thugs, poison ivy and quicksand.” He repeated from memory.
“Cannibals and snakes! The plague!”
“No!”
“Yes! Also, large bugs and muggles with pointy teeth.”
“Stop, no more. You’ll just upset me.” Draco said, sarcastically.
“Auntie’s right here, auntie will protect you, on your own you won’t survive.”
Draco scoffed and Bellatrix narrowed her eyes. “You’re sloppy, underdressed, immature and clumsy, trust me, they’ll eat you up alive. You’re ditzy and a bit well.. hmm.. vague? Plus, I believe, you’re getting kinda chubby. I’m just saying, because I love you!”
Draco sighed, and Bellatrix put her hands on his cheeks. “Draco?”
“Yes?”
“Don’t ever ask to leave this tower again.”
“Yes, Bella.” He sighed, resigned.
“I love you.”
“I love you more.”
“And I love you most. See you in a bit, my star.”
Draco watched as Bellatrix swung down the rope and sat on a chair, his head in his hands. “I’ll be here.” He spoke to the empty room, loneliness encompassing him again.
“No, no, no!” Hermione growled, pulling a piece of parchment off of a tree trunk. “They just can’t get my hair right!”
“Who cares?” Fred asked.
“Easy for you to say! You guys look perfect. Alright, give me a boost, I’ll pull you up.” Hermione smiled.
“Not a chance. Give us the bag first.” George countered.
“What? I just can’t believe it. After all we’ve been through, you two still don’t trust me?”
The twins gave each other a side glance, and then glared at her small form below their chins.
“Ouch.” She handed them the beaded bag and they gave her a boost, allowing her to scramble up their bodies. She made it to the top of the cliff and looked back over at them.
“Alright, pull us up.”
She smirked, “Sorry, boys. My hands are full.” Then she ran before they could catch her. All she heard in the wind was them bellowing “Granger!” And she laughed to herself. She stopped running when she saw a group of Ministry auras huddled, and they saw her.
“Retrieve the bag with any force, Buckbeak. We’ve got her now. Yah!” The auror riding the forefront hippogriff commanded, and the hippogriff started to run.
Hermione thought quickly on her feet, and used a willow tree branch to swing herself around and kick the auror off the hippogriff, landing smoothly on its back.
“Come on, go!” She urged, but the hippogriff was having none of it, refusing to move at all. They had a small fight, and the hippogriff stole the bag, except he accidentally flung it onto a branch hanging off a cliff. Hermione rolled her eyes and ran, trying to reach it before the creature did, only the branch snapped, sending them both tumbling down to the bottom.
They landed with a soft grunt, and Hermione groaned. “You, were no help whatsoever.” She told the creature, who just huffed at her. She rolled her eyes and moved away, clutching the bag closely to her. She saw a small opening covered with dangling ivy and decided to walk through, and she was met with a single tall tower in the middle of the clearing. She looked behind her and saw that the horse/bird hybrid hadn’t followed her, so she decided to scale the castle, hide out there for a while until she could figure out what to do with the damned stolen diadem.
She crawled through the top window, exhausted after climbing the tower even though she had used her wand, and she relaxed, breathing deeply. “Alone at last,” she grinned, before she was hit sharply on the head and everything went black.
Draco stood behind her body, holding a cast iron frying pan closely to his body, his eyes wide and frightened. He looks at Pierre who shrugged, both of them just stared at the body on the floor. Draco used the handle of the pan to move a curl out of Hermione’s face, somewhat struck by her beauty before Pierre pointed to the drawing of a woman with fangs on the floor, indicating that he should check and see if her teeth are normal or fangy. Draco sighed before lifting one of her lips with the handle, noting that her teeth are perfectly human-like, before Hermione popped an eye open.
“Wha-” she slurred groggily, and Draco screamed, hitting her with the pan again to knock her back out.
He then attempted to drag her to the closet, failing a few times before he finally succeeded. “Okay. Okay. I’ve got a muggle in my closet.” He paced around before stopping and laughing. “I’ve got a muggle in my closet! Too weak to handle myself out there? Tell that to my frying pan, Auntie.” He swung the frying pan around his finger before hitting himself in the head. “Ow.”
“Draco! Let down the rope!” He was interrupted by his aunt’s shrill voice.
“One moment, Bella!”
“I’ve got a big surprise!” She called.
“Uh, I do too!” He rushed around the room trying to get the rope and clear up any damage that the muggle may have left after she broke in.
“I bet my surprise is bigger!” Bellatrix stepped into the rope and allowed Draco to pull her up.
“I seriously doubt it.” He said through gritted teeth as his muscles worked. His aunt stepped through the window holding a basket.
“I brought back small pumpkins. I’m going to make you pumpkin soup for dinner, your favourite! Surprise!”
“Well, Auntie, there’s something I want to tell you.” Draco started, twisting his hands again.
“Oh, Draco, you know how I hate leaving you after a fight. Especially when I’ve done absolutely nothing wrong!”
“Okay, I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said earlier.”
“I hope you’re not still talking about the stars.”
“Floating lights, and yes, I’m leading up to that.” Draco grew frustrated again. Why would his aunt never just indulge his wishes?
“Because I really thought we dropped the issue, sweetheart.”
“No, Bella, I’m just saying that I know you think I’m not strong enough to handle myself out there-“
“Oh, darling, I know you’re not strong enough to handle yourself out there-”
“But if you just-”
“Draco, we are done talking about this.”
“But trust me, I-”
“Draco!”
“Know what I’m-”
“Draco!”
“Oh come on!” He shouted, standing up.
“Enough about the lights, Draco! You are not leaving this tower! Ever!” She screamed in Draco’s face, which immediately crumpled. “Oh, great,” she sighed, slumping back in a chair. “Now I’m the bad guy.”
Draco changed his mind about telling Bella about the muggle girl in his closet. She was too riled up and she just wouldn’t understand. “All I was saying, Bella, is that I know what I want for my birthday.”
“And what is that?” Bellatrix sighed.
“New paints. Paints made from the shells you brought me.”
“Well, that is a very long trip, Draco. Almost three days time.”
“I just.. I just thought it was a better idea than the stars.”
Bellatrix hesitated, and Draco was sure she was going to refuse, but her resolve broke. “You’re sure you’ll be alright here on your own?”
“I know I’m safe, as long as I’m here.” He smiled hopefully.
Bellatrix stood from the chair, kissing Draco’s cheek. “Alright. I’ll be back in three days time. I love you.”
“I love you more.”
“I love you most.”
Draco watched as he lowered the rope, letting his aunt make her exit and start her trip to the seaside to gather the shells. Once he knew she wouldn’t be coming back, he went to the closet to let out the girl. He opened the door and sprung back, pan poised and ready if he needed it, but the girl hadn’t woken up, and she merely fell out of the closet onto her face. It was so comical, Draco almost laughed, but he realised he needed to get her restrained so he could find out why she was there. He bound her in a chair, using devils snare that his aunt had left for emergencies.
Hermione woke up, struggling when she realised she was bound. “What- what is this? Hey!”
“Struggling.. struggling is pointless.” Draco said from the dark where she couldn’t see him. “I know why you’re here, and I’m not afraid of you.”
“What?” Hermione laughed.
“Who are you, and how did you find me?” Draco emerged from the shadows, finally revealing himself.
Hermione was gobsmacked. The most beautiful, blonde haired man had walked out from the dark, he was tall, and lean with muscles, and a jawline that could cut steel. “Ah.” Her mouth was dry, her tongue fat. She swallowed. “Hah.”
“Who are you, and how did you find me?” Draco repeated.
Hermione hesitated, before laughing. “I know not who you are, or how I came to find you, but may I just say, hi.”
Draco stared at her.
“How are you? The name’s Hermione Granger. How’s your day going, huh?”
Draco’s eyes narrowed. “Who else knows my location, Hermione Granger?”
Hermione huffed. “Alright, Blondie-“
“Draco,”
“Whatever, here’s the thing. I was in a situation, gallivanting through the forest and i came across your tower and.. wait. Wait.” Hermione stopped, realising she was wandless. “Where is my beaded bag?”
“I’ve hidden it. Somewhere you’ll never find it.” Draco smirked.
Hermione looked around the room, eyes focusing on a small pot. “It’s in that pot, isn’t it?” She grinned, and again, everything went black. “Would you stop that?” She shouted when she came to.
“Okay, now I’ve hidden it somewhere you’ll never find it. So, what do you want with my magic? Steal it? Bottle it up to use?”
“What?”
“Sell it on the black market?”
“No! Look, the only thing I want with your magic, is to get out of it. Literally!”
“Wait.. you don’t want my magic?”
“Why on earth would I want your magic? Look, I was being chased, I saw a tower, I climbed it. End of story.” Hermione rolled her eyes and struggled again.
Draco hesitated, casting a look at Pierre. “You’re telling the truth?”
“Yes! Do you want to use veritaserum on me or something?”
Draco turned around to have a conversation with Pierre. “But I need someone to take me, and she doesn’t have fangs.” He looked at Hermione, “Okay, Hermione Granger, I’m prepared to offer you a deal.”
“A deal? Really?” Hermione scoffed. If her wand and the diadem weren’t in her bloody bag, she wouldn’t be entertaining this kid.
Draco pointed at the painting of the lanterns. “Look this way. Do you know what these are?”
“You mean the lanterns they do every year for the lost Prince?”
“Okay, well, tomorrow evening, they will light the night sky with these.. lanterns. You will act as my guide. You will take me to these lanterns and then return me home safely. Then, and only then, will I give you back your bag.”
“Yeah, no. No can do, unfortunately, the Kingdom and it’s ministry are not exactly.. compatible, at the moment. So, I won’t be taking you anywhere.”
“Something brought you here, Hermione Granger, whether it be fate, destiny-”
“A hippogriff.” Hermione interrupted.
Draco continued. “So I have made the decision to trust you.”
Hermione laughed. “A horrible decision, really.”
Draco pulled Hermione’s chair forward, coming nose to nose with her. “But trust me when I tell you, that you can tear this tower apart brick, by brick, but without my help, you will never find your precious bag.”
Hermione cleared her throat. “Let me get this straight, I take you to see the lanterns, and then I bring you home, and you’ll give me back my bag?”
Draco stared Hermione in the eyes. “I promise, and when I promise something, I never break that promise. Ever.”
Hermione sighed. “Alright, I didn’t want it to have to come to this,” she batted her eyelashes at him, pouting her mouth a little. He let go of the chair, causing her to fall on her face. “This is kind of an off day for me. Fine, I’ll take you to the lanterns.” She shouted as Draco walked away.
He stopped, turning on one heel, “Really?”
Hermione nodded, and Draco helped her out of the Devils snare, lowering the rope so she could climb out of the tower. When Hermione reached the bottom, she looked up to see Draco hesitating. She then saw him grab the rope and start climbing down, only to stop when he was an inch from the grass. Hermione smiled awkwardly and he let his feet down.
Immediately, Draco’s reserved nature changed. “Just smell the grass, the dirt! Just like I dreamed they’d be!” He spun around in the grass, ignoring Hermione’s chuckling. “Just feel the summer breeze, the way it’s calling me!”
“For the first time ever, you feel completely free?” Hermione laughed.
Draco grinned. “I could go running, and racing, and dancing, and chasing, and leaping, and bounding, hands flying, my heart is pounding, I’m splashing and reeling and finally feeling that now is when my life begins, Hermione!”
They walked through the woods for a while, and Hermione couldn’t help but feel like Draco was battling some inner turmoil. He would get a spurt of energy and scream “I can’t believe I did this!” only to then turn back and look stricken saying “I can’t believe I did this, Bella will be so furious!”
“What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her?” Hermione offered.
“Oh Merlin, this will kill her. I am a horrible nephew.”
They walked in silence after that until Draco climbed a tree and was swinging on a branch. “I am never going back!” He laughed, upside down.
Hermione felt it was finally time to step in when she saw Draco huddled in a bush, crying. “You know, I can’t help but notice that you seem a little bit at war with yourself, here.”
“Really?” Draco sniffled.
“Now, I’m only picking up bits and pieces. Overprotective Aunt, forbidden road trip, this is serious stuff! But let me ease your conscience, this is all a part of growing up. A little rebellion, a little adventure, it’s good. Healthy, even.”
Draco laughed wetly. “You think?”
Hermione smiled. “I know, you’re way overthinking this, trust me. Does your aunt deserve this? No. Will this break her heart and crush her soul? Of course! But you’ve just got to do it.”
“Break her heart!?” Draco whimpered.
“In half,” Hermione answered whilst inspecting her nails, and then plucked a berry off of a bush.
“Crush.. her soul?”
“Like a grape.” Hermione squeezed the berry until it popped.
Draco hesitated, before looking at her. “She would be heartbroken, you’re right.”
“I am, aren’t I? Oh, merlin, alright, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but, I’m letting you out of the deal.”
“What?!” Draco’s head swung around, looking at Hermione again in shock.
It took everything Hermione had to be able to keep a straight face, but she knew she couldn’t waste the next three days walking around with this absolute nutter whilst she was wandless and he had a horcrux she needed to destroy. “That’s right, but don’t thank me. Let’s just turn around, and get you home. Here’s your pan,” she handed Draco the pan, “your dinosaur,” she pointed at Pierre, “I get my beaded bag, you get back an Aunt/Nephew relationship built on mutual trust and voilà! We part ways as unlikely friends.”
Draco’s eyes narrowed and he stepped closer to her, “No. I am seeing those lanterns.”
“Oh come on! What is it going to take for me to get my beaded bag back?”
Draco held up the pan in a threatening manner, “Don’t make me use this.” He got distracted by some rustling in the bushes, before grabbing Hermione by the shoulders and placing her in front of him. “What is it? Is it muggles? Centaurs? Ruffians? Thugs? Have they come for me!?”
A small bunny jumped out of the bush, looking up at them both and Hermione smirked. “Stay calm, it can probably smell fear.”
“Oh, sorry. Just getting a little bit.. jumpy.” Draco blushed and grinned sheepishly.
“Yeah. Probably best if we avoid ‘ruffians’ and ‘thugs’ though.”
Draco nodded in agreeance, “Yeah, probably best.”
“Are you hungry? I know a great place to eat.” She grinned.
Draco looked at her warily, “Where?”
“Ah, don’t worry. You’ll know it when you smell it.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him away.
Bellatrix walked through the woods, setting out on her journey to find Draco those seashells so she could make the paint. She would need to visit the Old King before she returned, so she could inform him that Draco had finally turned 18 and he was finally of age for whatever the Old King needed him for.
As she was thinking this, she came across an unlikely creature. “A ministry hippogriff..” she murmured in awe, reaching out to stroke it’s fur, before she realised it was not accompanied by a person. “Where’s your rider?” She gasped. “Draco!”
The hippogriff gave her an odd look as she turned a heel and ran in the direction she had just come from, and then huffed, carrying on sniffing the leaves on trees.
Bellatrix ran through the clearing where the tower was, the sky changing colour to a dark grey, and Bellatrix noticed that there was no light coming from the window.
“Draco! Draco, let down the rope!” She called, and got no answer. “Draco!” She called, frantically, her heart rate going up. “Draco!” She gave one last cry before stamping her foot, and then running to the back entrance, pulling rocks away from the wall, uncovering a door where she would then run up the stairs and open a hatch where she could walk into the main area, finding it empty and dark. She screamed in frustration, throwing things around and breaking them.
A sharp glint caught her eye, a blink and you miss it type of moment, and it came from the direction of the wooden stairs, and she noticed that one of the stairs was unusually uneven. Bellatrix pulled and pulled at the piece of wood before she finally tore it off, finding that a small beaded bag had a small crown sticking out of it. She pulled out the diadem, feeling it’s magic, and dropped it with a gasp. She knew exactly what it was, and who it belonged to, and how it came to be in Draco’s possession, she had no idea. Bellatrix reached into the bag again, which she soon found it had an undetectable extension charm on it, and pulled out another witches wand. She was shaking with rage, feeling the thrum of magic coming from the piece of wood, and she had half a mind to snap it, but thought better of herself. No, she wouldn’t snap it, she would keep it safe, and use it to bring Draco home where he belonged, home until the Old King needed him.
“I know it’s around here somewhere,” Hermione mused, walking ahead of Draco where he hung back with hesitation. They turned a corner and a small pub with the name of “The Thee Broomsticks” caught her eye. “Ah, there it is! Don’t worry, it’s a very quaint and safe place, perfect for you! Don’t want you scaring and calling off this big endeavour now, do we?” She grinned.
Draco hesitated, looking at Pierre who had taken refuge in Draco’s top shirt pocket. “Well.. I do like broomsticks.”
“Yay!” Hermione exclaimed, over enthusiastically. She walked them to the door, throwing it open. “Garçon! Your finest table, please!”
She had caught the attention of a lot of old highschool alumni, most of whom she didn’t get along with. A lot of thieves, fighters, the odd retired quidditch player or two. Draco hung back, gobsmacked at the animosity he was immediately met with as he made eye contact with multiple of the patrons.
“Ah, you smell that, Blondie? Take a deep breath, in through the nose. Really, let it seep in.” She grabbed his hand, dragging him through the crowd of people. “What are you getting? Because, to me, it’s part man smell, and the other part, really bad man smell. I don’t know why, but overall, it smells like the colour green. Your thoughts?”
Draco was stunned, a tall man with brown hair had grabbed him by the arm. “That’s one expensive looking shirt.” Hermione recognised him as Theo Nott.
“It was a gift. Is that blood on your forearm?” She poked the man’s forearm. “Hey, Goldie,” she called to Draco, “look at this! that’s a lot of blood you’ve got on your clothes there, good sir. Hey, you don’t look too good, Blondie, maybe we should get you home.” She tugged at Draco’s arm.
Draco was too shocked to speak, his mouth opening and closing like a goldfish as Hermione was trying to drag him through the crowd of overgrown men.
“Maybe we should call it a day, probably better off. This place is a five star joint, and if you can’t handle it, you should probably be back in your tower-”
“Is this you?” One of the men held up a wanted poster with Hermione’s face on it, with hair curlier than the last one that she saw.
“Ugh, now they’re just being mean.” She scrunched up her nose in disgust.
“It is her,” a man spoke and she recognised him from school as Gregory Goyle. “Crabbe, go find some aurors. That reward is going to get me a new broom.”
Another man she recognised from school, Blaise Zabini spoke up. “What about me? I could use the money, too.”
The man who had hold of Draco’s arm started sputtering, “What about me!? I’m broke! Get back!”
They had started to brawl, and Hermione looked frightened for a moment when Draco caught her eye. “Stop it! Enough! Give me back my guide!” He bellowed, catching the attention from the scrapping men. “Put her down!” He screeched, causing them to stop and go silent. “Okay, I don’t know where I am, and I need her to take me to see the lanterns, because I’ve been dreaming about them for my entire life. Find your humanity! Haven’t any of you ever had a dream?” He yelled, chest rising and falling as he heaved in breath.
It was silent for a moment still, before Gregory Goyle spoke up. “I had a dream, once.”
Draco tilted his head, urging the man to continue.
Goyle shifted his feet for a moment, before deciding to finish his sentence. “I might be malicious, mean and scary, and yeah, my sneer could curdle dairy, and violence wise, my hands are not the cleanest.”
“But despite his evil look, his temper and his mean right hook, Goyle’s always yearned to be a concert pianist.” A girl with a short black bob spoke up, Hermione knew her as Pansy Parkinson.
“Could you see me on the stage performing Mozart?” Goyle’s eyes tinkled, “Tickling the ivories until they gleam? I’d rather be called deadly for my killer show-tune medley.” He sighed, “Like everybody else, I’ve got a dream.”
Draco grinned, jumping up and down on the table with glee. “He’s got a dream!” He shouted to Hermione. “He’s got a dream!”
Goyle smiled, “See, I do like breaking femurs, but you can count me as a dreamer. Like everybody else, I’ve got a dream.”
Theo Nott stepped forward, looking back at the crowd of men before voicing his own dreams. “I’ve got scars, nightmares and horrors, and unprocessed childhood traumas, and granted, I know I’ve got a perfect complexion, but despite my cursed last name, and my father, and the mark, I really want to make a love connection.”
Hermione scoffed, thinking back to how much of a womaniser Theo was back in school.
Theo sauntered up to Draco, “Could you see me with a special little lady?” He asked. “Rowing in a small boat down the stream? Though I know I’m one traumatised blighter, I’m a lover, not a fighter, just like Goyle here, I’ve got a dream.”
Draco smiled at Theo, his eyes twinkling. “I suppose even though your father leaves people screaming, there’s a child inside there dreaming, like everybody else, you’ve got a dream.”
Pansy started pointing around everyone in the room. “Dean would like to quit and be a florist, Marcus does interior design, Cho is into mime, Blaise’s cupcakes are sublime! Padfoot knits, Moony sews, Seamus does little puppet shows, and Percy here collects ceramic unicorns.”
Draco looked at Hermione and asked “Well, what about you?” Earning the attention of everyone, who looked at her.
Hermione gave a nervous smile and laughed. “I have dreams like you, no really! Just much less.. touchy feely, they mainly happen somewhere with little conflict. In a kingdom with no threat to come, my friends safe and then some, surrounded by all 7 broken horcruxes.”
Everyone turned their attention on Draco who hesitated, looking at Hermione who gave a small short nod. “I have a dream, I just want to see the floating lanterns gleam, and with every passing hour, I’m so glad I left my tower, like all you lovely brutes, I’ve got a dream.”
Everyone cheered at the revelation of Draco explaining his dream, until Crabbe came back with the Ministry aurors. “I got the aurors!”
“Where’s Granger?” A man she once knew as Kingsley Shacklebolt called. “I know she’s in here, tear this place apart if you have to, just find her.” She missed Kingsley, before the Old King found him and imperiused him to believe his beliefs instead of Kingsley’s own.
Goyle grabbed their attention and pushed down a lever, exposing an underground tunnel. “Go,” he spoke to Draco. “Live your dream.”
Hermione grinned, “I will.”
“Your dream doesn’t seem reachable, I was talking to him.” Goyle scoffed.
“Thanks. For everything.” Draco shook his hand before climbing in the tunnel after Hermione.
As they crawled through, Goyle closed the hatch, just as Pansy held up a small elf. “I believe this is the woman you’re looking for.”
Winky slurred drunkenly, “You’ve got me!” holding out her hands as if she was going to get handcuffed.
An imperiused Ron Weasley walked back to Kingsley. “Sir, there’s no sign of Granger.”
Harry, who was also under the imperius curse looked at Buckbeak, who was sniffing the floor and moving through the crowd of patrons. “Buckbeak, what’s he doing?”
Kingsley watched as Buckbeak nudged the lever with his hoof. “A passage! Let’s go!” He nudged Ginny and Luna, who were holding Fred and George captive. “Weasley, make sure these two don’t get away.”
The twins glanced at each other sadly, before stealing the wands of the aurors and stupefying them. “Play it safe, or go get the diadem?” George asked Fred.
“Diadem.” Fred nodded, following them down the secret passageway.
Winky wobbled outside alongside a drunken Kreacher, singing that they both also had dreams, and they bumped into Bellatrix. Winky gasped, and Kreacher smirked. “Winky, go and get me a glass, because I just found me a tall drink of water.”
Bellatrix laughed, before holding a knife to Kreacher’s nose. “Where does that tunnel let out?”
Kreacher gulped, “Knife.” he squeaked.