The Four Swords of Hogwarts

Chapter 30

Draco's eyes flew open and he drew in a deep, sharp breath as the flood of memories stopped, leaving behind swirling emotions. He gazed around, finding himself in the core with the blue veins pulsing. He looked at the sword in his hand, overwhelmed at his success and experience before moving his eyes to the upturned face of Hogwarts.

She had been right after all.

He was everything he'd been told he would never be.

He moved to the back left where the blue veins kept glowing and dimming. The eagle and its podium were set up just like the one in the mausoleum, the wings curled and seeming to hold the slab. The sword vibrated with anxious power and he carefully laid the sword on the stone. The sapphire in the room glowed brightly and the blue gem on Hogwarts' necklace illuminated, glittering happily with the yellow and red ones. The dull green one now stood out sharply against the gleam of the others. The air around him pulsed with magic and a tingle encircled his arm. He rolled up his sleeve to the elbow to reveal a blue strip had joined the black, silver, and gold bands, this one below the others on his forearm away from his elbow. He couldn't help but think his arm seemed to be missing bands and wondered if they would get the colours of all the Houses at some point.

He looked away from his arm and up at each Founder as they began to speak.

"Champion of Ravenclaw," Ravenclaw said.

"And Hero of Hogwarts," Gryffindor said.

"You have proven yourself," Hufflepuff said.

"Hogwarts thanks you," Slytherin said.

"Thank you," Draco said quietly and they all smiled gently at him.

"They are waiting for you," Ravenclaw said.

Draco spun and hurried out of the core, climbing the ladder as quickly as possible. He could hear voices as he got to the top and approached the open mouth of Slytherin quietly, wanting to look and listen. As his eyes fell on Severus and Harry, he was nearly sent to his knees at the force of emotion that washed over him. Harry was lying flat on his back on the floor while Severus stood next to him, arms crossed over his chest, both facing away from Slytherin's statue.

This was his family. They'd saved him and they'd been stolen from him. Then, all these weeks, they had both remembered, but he didn't and they had to live like that. How had they done it?

"What if something's happened?" Harry said, staring up at the ceiling.

"Have you so little faith in your brother?" Severus said, looking down at the Gryffindor.

"Of course not!" Harry said as though insulted. "Dumbledore, however. What if he knows more than we think and he's gone to stop Draco or something?"

"Even if that is the case, which I highly doubt, I am unsure what laying down there moping is meant to achieve," Severus said and Draco grinned at the comment, realizing how much he had missed that sarcasm.

"I'm not moping. I'm brooding and worrying," Harry said. "Surely you recognize it given it's your constant state of being."

Draco had to hold back a laugh. He couldn't see, but he could imagine the withering glare on Severus' face. He watched as Severus just nudged Harry in the ribs with his shoe, making Harry flinch away.

"Rude," Harry muttered, lacking any meaning.

"Brat," Severus quipped back and Draco smiled at the fondness evident in the single word.

Deciding he couldn't keep away any longer, Draco left the statue and crossed the water, stopping on the other side.

"Harry?" he said. "Dad?"