dark side • draco malfoy

18 | Tragedy

"Tomorrow is Christmas break!" Ginny cheered from beside me, making me laugh and causing a few people around the common room to stare at us.

"What are you doing for Christmas, Neville?" I turned to the brunette boy on the other side of me.

"My Gran invited all of her relatives over, so I guess I have to put up with them for two weeks. And I'll go visit my parents too, of course. What about you, Ivy?"

"I think I just want to relax at home and watch movies with my parents. I think we might be going to visit some of my muggle cousins as well." I answered, giddy at the thought of not having to study for tests or write essays for two whole weeks.

Just then, the portrait hole swung open and Professor McGonagall stepped into the common room.

"Whatever you've come in here to yell at me for Professor, I swear I didn't do it!" Seamus immediately piped up, earning some chuckles and groans around the room.

"Relax, Finnigan. No one is in trouble." She rolled her eyes at the Irish boy.

"What is it then, Professor?" Lavender Brown asked as she finished braiding Parvati's long hair.

"I need Miss Chapman to come with me, Professor Dumbledore wishes to speak with you." She spoke seriously, turning to look straight at me.

"Of course. See you later guys." I smiled at my friends before following McGonagall out of the common room and wondering why Dumbledore would want to speak with me in private.

***********************************

"Chocolate frogs." Professor McGonagall spoke to the gargoyle outside the headmaster's office. She gave me a sad smile, before walking off in the other direction and leaving me confused as hell as to what she meant by that.

Dumbledore's office never ceased to fascinate me, and I couldn't help but stare at all the magical relics inside as I walked up the spiral staircase.

"Good evening, Miss Chapman." His pensive voice startled me, and I whipped around to see him calmly petting his phoenix.

"Hello Headmaster. What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Perhaps it would be best if we both sat down. Please, take a seat." He gestured towards the comfy-looking chairs in front of his desk. Nodding, I sat down as he sat across from me and folded his hands on top of his desk.

"I'm afraid that I bear some incredibly bad news, Miss Chapman." He started, and I felt a lump begin to form in my throat as my heart dropped to my stomach.

"As you know, your father is one of the most respected aurors at the Ministry, as well as a former member of the Order of the Phoenix. It seems that, because of his skills as an auror and his marriage to a muggle woman, he became a hated target of Voldemort and his followers. Last night, there was an attack on your family home in London. I am so sorry Miss Chapman, but the Death Eaters killed both of your parents." He spoke quietly.

I felt as though someone had just slapped me across the face and kicked me in the stomach all at once. No. This couldn't be happening. My parents couldn't be dead.

"No I-Professor, there must be some mistake. Please!" I begged, feeling hot tears begin to well in my eyes as my entire body began to shake with grief and anger.

"I am so sorry, but I'm afraid that there is no mistake." The weight of the situation suddenly came crashing down on top of me, and I found myself gasping for breath as heartbroken sobs wracked through my entire body. My parents were dead. Killed in cold blood. Voldemort's followers murdered them. They were gone.

"No, god no. Please, please don't say that. I, I can't do this without them!" I sobbed, thinking about how my mother, being a muggle, didn't even stand a chance against the dark wizards. And if my dad, one of the most skilled aurors ever, couldn't fight them off, how the hell are we supposed to win a war against them?

I felt my heart continue to break as I realized that I would have to spend Christmas alone, without them. I would never see them again.

"Miss Chapman, I understand that you are grieving, but I must tell you that I've made arrangements for you for the holidays. Rather than staying alone at Hogwarts, you will be staying with two members of the Order of the Phoenix, Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin. There's a possibility that you may be Voldemort's next target, so they will protect you. And for Christmas, the three of you will be spending it with the Weasleys and Mr. Potter." He told me. I attempted to nod at his words, but it was difficult considering I couldn't even see him through the waterfalls of tears pouring from my eyes.

"Would you like me to bring one of your friends here for you?" He asked kindly, looking at me through sad eyes. Draco. I yearned to be held in his strong arms and take in nothing but his intoxicating scent and radiating warmth. I wanted to be with Draco.

"Ginny." I mumbled as I held my head in my hands and shook with grief. I heard Dumbledore asking one of the portraits in his office to locate Ginny and ask her come to his office, and I felt his hand gently pat my back before he sat down again.

"Who did it?" My question came out in a whisper, but I needed to know. I needed to know which Death Eater killed my parents. I knew I could never live with myself until they were dead.

"Ivy, I do not think it would be wise to-"

"Dumbledore, please! Who did it? Who killed them?" I begged, and I realized that for the first time,  he was seeing me as an adult, an equal, rather than one of his students.

Sighing, he stroked his beard and closed his eyes before opening them again and answering me.

"There were about ten or twelve Death Eaters in total at the house, but it was Bellatrix Lestrange who lead them and killed your parents." He told me, just as the door opened and Ginny came running in.

"Ivy, oh god I'm so, so sorry." She cried, pulling me into a hug and rubbing small circles in my back. I didn't know what else to do, so I just cried and cried into her shoulder, and I let her hold me together while I couldn't stop myself from falling apart.