Drarropoly 2018

Prompt 36

Prompt 36: The Forbidden Forest - "I can feel it in the air tonight" - The Return of Something Dark

This story takes place sometime five to ten years after the War. Mentions of suicide, sort of? It's really mentions of Hermione thinking Harry's suicidal, but he's actually not, so, I don't know if that counts, but the warning's here anyway. Oh, and also Harry sort of says Voldemort killed himself, but that's more in a figurative sense than a literal one. If you're having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please reach out to a therapist or your country's helpline. I had to make this about Voldemort. I just had to. There's nothing darker than him. But this has a twist! This is honestly just because I've always been like, is Voldemort really dead though? Like, there's like three times we think he is, but then he's not, so what's to say he won't just come back again? The entire time I read Cursed Child I truly believed that Voldemort was going to show up.

"Draco, please! Don't leave me. He's coming back. I can feel it in the air tonight." Draco sighed.

"I have to go on my trip, love. You're not connected to him anymore. He's not coming back. We all saw him die."

"Yeah, and I watched him turn to dust when I was eleven. Guess what? He came back!"

"And what can I do about it if he does?" Harry shook his head.

"You don't want to know why I want you here."

"I do. Please. Tell me."

"So that if I die, I'll have you with me!" Draco's eyes widened.

"Harry..."

"Please don't. Look, it's fine, whatever it is, but I just really don't want to be alone tonight. I'm scared. More scared than I've been since the War. You know, 'Mione once thought that I wanted to die. Before I killed him. I was going to sacrifice myself, right? So she had this whole talk with me about how I should want to live and everything. But she was wrong. She didn't get it. I didn't want to die. I was terrified actually. But I thought I had to. And I actually did die! It wasn't horrible, I suppose. But I have so much to live for! I just don't want to be alone if I die again. I'm already The Boy Who Lived Twice. I doubt that I'm going to cheat death again, Draco."

"Okay. I'll stay. But I'm not letting you die!" Harry smiled gratefully.

"I won't let you die either." He took Draco's hand, and in that moment, there was a noise and suddenly he appeared.

"Harry Potter. You still haven't defeated me! You never will!" Harry just rolled his eyes.

"How? How are you back again? What is it this time? We destroyed all of the horcruxes, even the one inside me!"

"Now, what's the fun in telling you that?"

"Tom, there's a reason you're doing this. It's not power or fame like before. You're not causing mass terror or making big speeches. There's no audience. So why? Why are you doing this to me now?"

"Revenge. You killed me!"

"No. You killed yourself the day you became Lord Voldemort. Now, I'll ask again. Why are you here?"

"Don't you know? You brought me back. I represent lack of love, and you're afraid. Afraid that Mr. Draco Malfoy will never love you as much as you love him. Even if the horcrux in you is gone, the magic I held will never truly be out of your system. I will always come back at your will."

"Then I know how to defeat you. Draco? Prove it to me. Prove you love me. Destroy him."

Draco closed his eyes and thought of every reason he loved Harry. He had memories flash through his mind, of things Harry said or did to him or to others, of days Pansy would laugh at him for being such a girl, of diaries upon diaries filled with "Draco Potter" and "Harry Malfoy" with dozens of hearts surrounding them, and of that moment he thought he'd lost Harry forever without ever telling him he loved him. And light burst from his hands and burned Voldemort to ashes. And then, just because he was Draco Malfoy, he stomped on the remnants of the "Dark Lord" his parents had believed would rise to greatness.

I love how Harry says he's scared, but then when he talks to Voldemort, he's just plain old exasperated like, how are you here again? It's that "this time" that killed me. "What is it this time?" He's just so done. And it's really true that Voldemort did pretty much kill Tom Riddle in a sense. He got rid of all of Tom's humanity and turned him into a monster. That was the day he sealed his fate. Really though Harry? Draco's like obsessed with you! How could you EVER think that he doesn't love you? Don't you guys like the twist? Harry himself brought him back! Harry's faith in Draco is so beautiful. "Destroy him." So certain! The diaries are every middle schooler ever, let's be real. And they're also just SUCH a Draco thing to do. *Gasp* Maybe that's what he was sending Harry in that note in Third Year! The last line though. I honestly don't even know where I thought of that except that, again, it's just such a Draco thing to do.