Drapple - A Broken Boy

Chapter 2: Two More Weeks

It was a warm summer day with a light breeze, and surprisingly no rain. August 17, 1993.

Outside Malfoy Manor, a young boy named Draco was sitting in the grass enjoying the light winds. He had an Apple for a companion.

"Yes Apple, you will be coming to Hogwarts with me. Maybe you can even get sorted!" He exclaimed happily. He had thought about this before. Dumbledore surely had to! But what if Apple didn't get into Slytherin? He really didn't care. He just wanted her to be happy.

They talked for a while about what their adventures were going to be. What they were going to do at Hogwarts together. Apple would surely have to meet his friends. He would be judged, he knew, but he didn't care.

He began to read aloud his friend Nova's letter.

"Hello, dearest dragon boy. I'm glad to hear that I will be able to meet this wonderful Apple. Tell her that I said thank you for keeping you company. I would have tried, but I know that your father would never even think about it. Druna is at my house. We are preparing for Hogwarts as it is only two weeks away. We will be traveling together. We hope to see you guys on the train. I also have some unfortunate news..." Draco stopped reading the letter aloud, but instead read the rest on his own. Because he believed that this was too gruesome for Apple to hear. He was already terrified because of the tear stains and the blood spatter on the parchment.

Apple became jealous and eventually she got angry. "What did she say Draco?!" Draco was scared that Apple would hate him if he didn't tell her. But this was between him and Nova. Apple began to cry. She was very angry with Draco. What was he hiding?

Draco heard her small whimpering and this broke his very fragile heart. He decided to tell her.

"Back in first year, I had mad a few friends in Ravenclaw. Nova, Druna, and Starly. We were good friends until the year ended and Starly went mental. We were on the train heading back to Kings cross station, when Starly turned into a rabid pack animal. We were all frightened, everyone on the train, except for Nova. I asked her why and she told me that she knew that there was something very wrong with Starly. She changed back into human form, but things were not okay with her anymore. Early in second year, before the chamber of secrets thing. After Potter and Weasley drove that muggle contraption into the whomping willow, though that didn't really whomp them enough for me. Starly disappeared a lot. Nova and I talked about this. We finally came to the conclusion that she had a magical disease. We went to Madam Pomfrey and we asked her. She comfirmed our suspicion. Starly had a very, very rare magical disease called Sanæ Mentis . It caused her to lose control of her magical ability. This disease is usually caused by dark magic performed on the mother while pregnant. Starly eventually became so non controlled that she turned into a pear, and she never turned back. Nova took Starly home with her in hopes of changing her back. But since there is no cure for this horrific disease, she could do nothing. Today, Nova told me in her letter that Starly had made some progress, being able to turn into other things besides a pear. Starly turned herself into a small mouse and crawled into Stormy's cage, thats Nova's owl. She begged for it to be over, because Senæ Mentis is a very painful thing to have to go through. Stormy ate Starly and Starly is no more." Draco had small tears trickling down his face while telling Apple about his no longer living friend.

He sent a letter telling Nova that he was sorry, and that this was a sad time and he was really hoping that Starly was going to get better. He also felt guilty about telling Apple, so he told Nova that he spilled their secret.

He sent it away on Snowy, Druna's owl, and began to read her letter.

Hello Draco. Are you having a good time with Apple? I assume that you've heard about Starly. Very sad it was. I'm at Nova's house. The environment is very gloomy to say the least. Nova, Heaven, Sienna and I are mourning together. I don't think that we will ever be the same. Nova never told me what was wrong with Starly until today. It was hard hearing all the things that Senæ Mentis does to people. I know that you'll see the tear drops on this paper, and somehow I know that there will be more. Looking forward to Hogwarts, it's the only thing keeping Nova and Sienna sane. Lots of love towards you and Apple. - Druna p.s. FREEDOM