Davina | hp. ✓

47 | The Ultimate Sacrifice

DAVINA MALFOY WAS surrounded by death her entire life. She was born to parents who called themselves deatheaters to signify the way in which they thrived on the deaths of others. The blood that ran through her veins -- blood that she spilled when she scraped her knee as a child, when her father's fist broke skin, when she cut herself open to relieve her emotional turmoil, when she chose to spill it to save those whose blood was worth so much more -- was touched by Death itself many generations of Peverells ago. She envisioned death in the way that others surrendered themselves to daydreams. It was so much a part of her that she had learned to use it to her own will; to define it as much as it had defined her.

If she wanted to, Davina could destroy everything.

Davina Malfoy had the power to bring about the ends of civilizations, to raze history and build it back again. Albus Dumbledore recognized that power within her too little too late to preserve her innocent soul, but he knew -- and he left the world knowing that she would never do it. Others began to realize it, too. They began to realize the sheer power that lay dormant in Davina's bones, conveyed only by the electricity in her eyes when she was about to do something bold and fierce. Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin knew it. Parvati Patil knew it. Fred Weasley knew it. They experienced her power first-hand. It coursed through their veins like wildfire, warming their bodies and chasing away the cold kiss of death still lingering in their souls.

If she wanted to, she could destroy everything, but she chose to save lives instead.

What so many people did not understand -- what they were too proud to see -- was that Davina Malfoy defied every single expectation set for her. Defiance wasn't merely a defense mechanism or personality trait for her, but the manifestation of her life. She was raised by a coward and a deatheater, and became the most fearless advocate for the Order and the freedom of magic folk their world had ever seen. Hell, she was a leader and they didn't even know it. None of them did. And that was the other thing about her: she had humility when her last name, her blood status, her childhood, and everything else about her was supposed to prove she was incapable of such a thing. She was perfectly happy sacrificing in secret if it meant the greater good lasted just a little longer for it. She did very bad things and did them well, but she owned up to all of them and used it to create goodness. Even with a dark mark branded onto her arm, she still commanded authority and respect wherever she walked. She was an enigma.

That was why she didn't mind it when she stood on the opposing side of the war, the side of darkness, under the hateful gazes of those she truly aligned with. They didn't have to like her. She didn't do anything of this to be liked or revered or thanked. She did it to create a world in which they could all live in peace -- a world that didn't have to be destroyed first to achieve that.

Lucius and Narcissa stood on the opposite side of the main courtyard from their children, watching them carefully and longingly as both sides of the the battle convened in the courtyard for the announcement. Everyone except for Davina and her friends thought that Harry Potter was dead. He currently lay limply in the arms of the bound and weeping Hagrid. Upon the sight of him, many of the freedom fighters gasped and cried as the hope drained from their faces.

Among them, Tonks and Remus met her gaze with confused, still slightly dazed eyes. Fred broke his gaze from Harry's limp body to spare her a glance, as well. They knew what she had done for them. Somehow, as they stood in that courtyard, they could feel it in their bodies. Fred was confused as ever and doubtful of her allegiance to the dark side, but Tonks and Remus knew. She kept her promise. They just couldn't understand how. Neither could she.

The Dark Lord stepped forward, his robes sweeping the dust of shifted stone as he surveyed the crowd with a sadistic smirk. "Tell me. These last few hours --as you collected the dead andtended your wounded -- was he byyour side?"