Astoria → Draco Malfoy

CHAPTER FORTY

"family for a reason"

"Daphne!" She cried out once she saw the silhouette of her sister in the distance.

At once, her father turned around,his arm wrapped tightly around Daphne's, "how kind of you to join us. I was believing that I would only have  one of my faughers, but it appears the whole family is reuinted again."

"What did you do to Theo?" She questioned him, her wand posied.

He scoffed, "that boy got in the way, he was just like his father in that way. It is his fault."

"Is Theo okay?" Daphne said hurriedly, she hadn't had a chance to check on him before her father had grabbed her, all she had heard were his cries of pain. Even as she was moving down the tracks, she could still hear it, part of her even thought she could hear it even now.

Astoria let herself nod, she wasn't entirely sure if he was, but he would be okay, he had to be.

"Your care for others is such a disappointment Daphne, just like your mother." He rolled his eyes, tightening his grip on her arm, "Astoria," he turned to face his youngest, "why even hold a wand when you won't use it?" He grinned, knowing that he was safe, despite the weapon in her hand.

"I will!" She protested, "hurt Daphne and I hurt you."

"You would never, now, please join us. We have much to attend to..."

Astoria questioned him, shivering as the harsh winds flew by her, "such as?"

"Well Astoria, we have many more plans. Once the Lethifolds have been released and purged Hogwarts-"

"Purged?" She cut him off, "like-like the Basilisk?" Her mind went back to the haunted memory of her first year, when she had witness the petrified students, their bodies frozen in time.

"Exactly," he smiled at her, "glad you are finally catching on. Once Hogwarts has been purged, we shall renew it, in the Dark Lords image. All students shall be sorted into Slytherin, as we once were," he nodded at his children. "All as the Dark Lord intended. Those students shall become our army, taught the darkest magic as we rise through the ranks."

"I can see the inspiration from the Durmstrang Institute," Daphne said, wriggling in his grasp. "Pity really..."

Astoria had only heard ill of Durmstrang. Before she had even attended Hogwarts, she knew of it's legacy, a legacy for breeding the darkest of Wizards, those like Gellert Grindlewald. She had heard of the military fashion, the way the students were no more than subjects, barely even human beings under the rule of the Headmaster.

"Hogwarts will never do that, not under McGonagall!" She protested to him, McGonagall would never allow his plan to continue, she would never allow the removal of the House system - neither would the Ministry.

"Ah," he scratched his chin with the tip of his wand, "well isn't it handy that your Headmistress would be otherwise occupied."

"What have you done?" She clutched her wand harder.

"Nothing, as of yet. But your Headmistress will be no challenge to me, not with our army of Lethifolds, and our army of loyal followers waiting in Azkaban. Soon," he sighed, "soon we will free those who were imprisoned by the Ministry, those who share our ideals."

Astoria scoffed at her father, "Death Eaters? You plan on freeing them?"

It seemed impossible. Once, Azkaban had been one of the safest places in the world. It was thought impenetrable, guarded by the most frightening of creatures. However, since the introduction of  Kingsley Shacklebolt after the Second Wizarding War, Azkaban was now guarded by Aurors. Clearly, there had been some flaw in this plan.