The halls of Hogwarts were quiet as everyone was in the Great Hall for lunch despite a few lingering students...one of them including Harry.

The raven-haired boy found himself apart from the group more often than usual. He didn't feel quite himself, only a mere host for Voldemort's tormenting visions. Not only that, but he felt determined to sniff out any potential dark works in the school. 

He knew there was impending doom, he just hoped it wasn't inevitable.

Yet his best blonde companion shared little to no interest in this. Anna did her best to remain oblivious to everything bad in the world. She immersed herself in Caspar, in her family, in finding her dead father who she didn't believe was dead. And Harry didn't know why, as he was usually the mellow one. It felt as if they had switched roles, as if he were the crazy one.

So he walked and walked, hoping to come across Slytherins up to no good or a teacher breaking the rules.

And he did. 

The oh-so-familiar voice filled with ice and menace came from the restroom. "I know what you are...you can fool everyone else but not me."

It was returned with the suave one that everyone adored. "Malfoy, I'm just trying to take a piss."

"And I'm just trying to protect the only good family I have left, Mundy."

Harry pulled out his invisibility cloak, as he had been keeping it on him at all times lately - and cloaked himself before entering soundlessly, being closer to the scene.

Mundy had stepped away from the urinal, turning to face Malfoy, a smirk upon his structured face despite a glitter of worry in his bright blue eyes. "Malfoy...look, we both come from dark families, I get it, you think I'm a traitor like you-"

"I know you are!"

"You don't know a damn thing. Now, why would I get close to Anna if I were Voldemort's servant? Why would I date her?"

The pale boy rolled his eyes. "Do you think I'm dense?"

"A bit."

"So you could use her, of course. To trick her into trusting you-"

"I love her!"

Draco gave a scoff, crossing his arms, "If you loved her you would stay away to keep her safe...it's what I've had to do."

"Well," Caspar began, "you and I aren't the same. I'm no threat to her...now if you'll excuse me I'm gonna get some lunch-"

The Slytherin shoved him into the wall, forcefully grabbing his left arm. "I'm going to expose you for everything you are! I know you have the dark mark!"

But he wasn't quick or strong enough, as Caspar used his free arm to punch Draco in the jaw, then pulling out his wand, "STUPEFY!"

Draco was blasted back, giving a yell as he slammed against the opposite wall. He tried fighting back with a disarming spell, but Caspar kicked the wand away from him, towering over his sad figure. "Don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong, Malfoy. If you'd just listen-"

"I love Anna, and I will do anything to protect her. I swear if you get her anywhere near the Dark Lord-"

"EXPULS-"

"SECTUMSEMPRA!" bellowed Harry, revealing himself as he pointed his wand at the Ravenclaw. 

All that could be heard was the wand clattering to the floor, falling from the limp hand of Caspar Mundy before he crashed the glistening tile, screaming as he was lacerated by an invisible force. 

"W-what did you do?!" asked Malfoy breathlessly as Harry helped him up. They both stared, eyes dilated with unexplainable fear as death worked its magic before them. 

Blood visibly spurted from Caspar's olive skin, his wounds angrily spitting. His once-tidy uniform donned crimson instead of blue and white, and his face twisting with pain as he begged for help.

Snape's voice responded to the pleas from down the corridor, and Harry pulled Draco under the cloak with him so they wouldn't be caught. 

The two trembled as they watched Snape enter the room, his face holding something like cold reminiscence as he muttered healing incantations. They knew by the growing tension that they had to leave.

"Merlin, what'd you do?" whispered Draco in a choked, quiet sob as they continued down the corridor.

A spark of worry ignited in Harry. He'd never seen Draco Malfoy, the bully that had relentlessly tormented anyone in his path, ever show a shred of genuine weakness...a sign that he too, was a human being with breaking points.

And despite the grudge Harry had held for the past six years, guilt tugged at his heart not just for possibly killing Caspar, but for doing it in front of the blonde boy.

"Come on," hissed Harry, tugging Draco with him away from the grotesque sight. He could feel the boy shaking next to him as they were out of anyone's possible presence. "Erm...are you okay?"

"J-just go, Potter!" yelled Malfoy, squeezing his eyes shut. "You...you've done enough, you bloody idiot!"

"Draco-"

"I get it! You always want to be the hero, but you know what? It's just more blood on my hands! And more that I get caught up with your kind!"

Harry calmly asked, "What do you mean, 'my kind'?"

"You're good, okay? Better than I ever will be!" he wailed, tears now escaping his eyes. "Damn you and Anna...just more people I have to protect. You, Merlin, it was so easy to hate you, to want to hurt you, and now I owe you-"

"Why-"

"You saved my bloody arse back there-"

"Malfoy," started the raven-haired boy, grabbing him by the shoulders, "I almost killed him...I'm no hero, no saint. Now calm down, you didn't do anything wrong here."

He scoffed, shrugging away from the gesture, "I don't need reassurance, Potter."

"We'll check on Mundy later, alright? Let's give it about an hour-"

"Whatever," said Malfoy with a sniff, his cold demeanour returning. "I'll see you, Potter."

~=~

Anna sat in the library with Hermione,  unable to concentrate on the studying at hand. She knew exams were important - and it was hard to forget with Hermione as a friend, but she could help that her mind travelled to Caspar whom she hadn't seen all day...and something felt off.

They always spent at least half of their free time together, whether it be studying or just relaxing. They never were apart without a good reason, so today worried her.

"You aren't even listening to me!"

Anna gave a sheepish laugh, "Of course I am!"

Hermione sighed heavily, slamming the book shut. "Anna, this is serious. You're about to fail Defence Against the Dark Arts! And you want to be an Auror!"

"I know...I just...my future doesn't matter to me right now. Hell, I probably won't even have one-"

"Don't say that! It's...morbid and pessimistic-"

"No, it's realistic," muttered Anna, grabbing her bag as she rose from her seat. "I'm gonna look for Caspar...I'm a bit worried that I haven't seen him. Thanks for attempting to study with me, see you later."

Meanwhile, in the hospital wing, Harry and Draco sat by Caspar's bed and tensions were high.

"Let's just obliviate him!"

"Potter, you don't know the mental damage it causes. I bet you've never performed it."

"Well, now's a perfect chance to?" suggested Harry, but sighed upon seeing Malfoy's angry expression. "I didn't know the spell was going to do that...I wasn't trying to kill him-"

"I wish you would've," spat Malfoy, glowering at the unconscious boy. 

"So...what were you two arguing about exactly?"

Draco breathed deeply. "Look, you don't know nearly half of what's going on with The Dark Lord. Pureblooded families are being recruited quickly. Children are being forced to grow up. Murders and kidnappings are ordinary. It's only going to get worse. There's a lot of people going undercover and being used...I believe Mundy is one of them."

"But he's from America-"

"But that makes it even more perfect. Nobody knows him, only that his mother's a Nott - for the record, she's a Death Eater - and that he's smart and apparently attractive. He sought after Anna since the first day...I knew he was bad."

"We can't do anything now, it's too late...she loves him." Harry paused, looking to his enemy, "Why do you care? You hate us."

"I hate you, Potter. Anna...well, she's my only good family and the only hope of making this war stop."

Harry snorted. "Maybe start by acting like family."

"Maybe treat her with respect, Saint Potter," spat Draco, a sharp frown on his face. "You're the only one who can get through to her anyway...so I'll take the blame for this so she doesn't hate you. My reputation is going down the drain anyway."

"Malfoy-"

"I have nothing to lose...nothing I'm not already fighting on the other side for," pleaded the boy, his grey eyes full of sorrow tinged with anger. "For once, get your head out of your arse and listen."

"Are you a Death-"

The tall mahogany doors opened to reveal the topic of conversation. Anna rushed over to the bed, her expression drenched with worry. "What happened to him?! Why...why is he covered in blood?!"

Harry stood up, putting his hands on her shoulders, "Anna, calm down, everything's okay-"

She jabbed a finger in his chest. "Did you do this?!" Silence. "Which one of you tried killing him?!"

Draco cleared his throat, causing her to meet his cold gaze. "He's an arse."

"Ugh...I thought I was dead...now I'm an arse?" groaned Caspar with a cough, attempting to sit up. He decided against it as pain shot throughout his body. 

Anna quickly knelt down beside the bed, holding his hand. "Honey, who did this to you? What happened?!"

Caspar's wide blue eyes flitted to Harry for a split second, but he quickly turned his attention to Malfoy after seeing the regret in the raven-haired boy's face. "I uh...I think blondie over here duelled a bit too hard."

"Draco! You...didn't...did you?" asked Anna, her voice quivering. 

The thought of her cousin doing something as horrific as attempted murder made her stomach churn painfully. This wasn't helping his case, considering the fact that he was already a death eater and had the apparent task of killing someone to save his own pathetic arse.

"I'm sorry it has to be like this," said Draco, his voice seemingly void of emotion despite his heart feeling as if it were electrocuted. He simply walked out of the room as the three watched him.

"Wait, if you had nothing to do with this...why are you here, Harry?"

"He was trying to break up the fighting," Caspar interjected, giving an airy laugh. "I might actually be dead if it weren't for him. Right, bud?"

Harry forced a laugh and nod. Everything felt surreal and unbelievable. Maybe Caspar really believed Harry had nothing to do with this. Although he hoped so, he felt the heavy weight of guilt.

"Well, I'm happy to hear that," said Anna sceptically. "I should get back to Hermione, we were studying and I kind of ditched...I'll bring you up some dinner, yeah?"

"Sounds great!"

Anna walked over to Caspar, gave him a kiss on the cheek, and whispered something in his ear before leaving the Hospital Wing, thanking Harry on the way out.

The tension between the two teenage boys was deathly. Silence worked its fearful wonders, making them wonder what the other was thinking...especially Harry.

"I know it was you, you bastard," said Caspar with a smirk, causing emerald eyes to snap to him. "You're damn lucky. Anna would never speak to you again if she knew."

Harry was at a loss of words as reality came crashing down on him. All he could stupidly ask was, "How could you know? You were unconscious."

"You used an invisibility cloak and some dark spell. Look, I don't know what you're playing at, but just because you're a famous orphan doesn't mean your opinion is always right...stop trying to out me for something I'm not-"

"Are you a death eater?" Harry asked simply, glancing to the boy's concealed arm.

"You owe me, Potter."

~=~

I'm back for the...what, like 4th time?

Life has been hard, so much has happened. I'm going to use "Rants, Advice, and Random" book as a diary in conjunction with advice for this website. If you want updates on my life (you don't have to, it's ok) that's the place to go.

I'm gonna try to binge-write over this winter break.

Question of the chapter

~Did you like my twist on the whole "Sectumsempra" scene? What do you expect to happen next?~

Love to all (that is left, at least),
~Lumos