Part One-
Didn't do a word count so I might have been off from before. But anyways, ENJOY!!!
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Pieces of the Puzzle: The First Light
His dark cloak flowed behind him like black rushing waters as he made his way to the front desk at St. Mungo's. The witch with the glittering purple eyes and long, shimmering, black hair was startled so abruptly she jumped from her seat behind the desk and almost fell onto the floor. She straightened herself out and approached the figure in front of her cautiously.
"Can I help you , sir?" she looked him up and down warily, trying to see his face, but it was completely masked by the hood of his cloak.
He cleared his throat and took a step closer to the desk. A shaky hand inched out from his sleeve with a black envelope twisted in in it's fingers. A second time he cleared his throat and said, "I want you to give this to Mr. Malfoy. It's vital information that he needs to know sooner rather than later," he paused, than placed the envelope carefully on the desk. "Please, it would be wise not to tell him anything about who brought it, even if he begs."
"Mr. Malfoy has been unconcious for a few days now, and still has-"
"I know these things already!" the figure lowered his voice to a loud, angry whisper, "Just give him this and things will be a lot easier for everyone... except maybe him." He turned and walked out of the ward of the hospital, his cloak swishing behind him, as the witch behind the desk stared after him with disbelief. And stared at the envelope with caution.
****
When the war had ended, not too long ago, everything pretty much stayed the same. There were many people who volunteered to help with the clean-up of the major and most used parts of the wizarding world. Smaller towns and villages taken care of by the minimal residents that still lived there. The Daily Prophet, Quibbler, and other papers were on temporary hold until things were better organized at the ministry. The shops in Diagon Ally were starting to reopen, but not many people made a visit. There was too much work to be done and shopping was on no one's mind.
St. Mungo's hospital was up and running though. It was filled with sick little children and some of there parents, with elderly witches and wizards, people who had lost there memories and others who drove themselves crazy from the effects of war. Still, everyday, bodies were rolled out of the hospital to there respective places in already full cemetaries.
There was only one out of place person, in an entirely different ward than most all other patients. Draco Malfoy lay unconcious in his bed. In a room with white walls and two tables. One nightstand, with a cup and glass pitcher of water atop it, and a large, metal cart close to the only entry, witch had nothing on it at all. There was also a window at the far end of the room, closed tight and secured with bars.
Draco was almost too drowsy to even realize that he was being held prisoner. He tried to move his legs but it hurt as he flexed his muscles. He lay still for a moment, drifting in and out of hazy dreams and visions that could not possibly have happened.
Draco was standing over a purple robed woman, obviously dead, and his wand was pointing at her chest, while her face was contorted into unimaginable features. But then he stepped away, a playful smile curling at his lips. And yet it suddenly wasn't him, it was his father. He looked at Draco and broke into a mad-man's cackle. The vision blurred with another, a dark shadowy figure standing over him. Draco laughed at this person with a disgust and malice he saved for the most worthless and low class people he came across.
"Won't you please come with me?" the figure asked. "I can protect you. I know you're not the one you used to be."
Draco laughed again as the figure faded into the white walls of the room.
And he was still laughing as everything came back into focus.
****
The witch with the purple eyes and black hair, also known in the hospital as Athena, made her way down the ward to room twenty, where Mr. Malfoy currently resided. As she walked down the hall she thought of the stranger who had come late the night before and delivered the envelope.
Athena didn't even dare herself to peek quickly inside. For one, she was never one to pry, also, she was too afraid for her own life to even think about what dark magic could rest within the envelope.
As she arrived at number twenty she was very aware, for it was loud enough for anyone to hear, loud, hysterical laughter coming from within the young Malfoy's room. Though she was immediately afraid, she tapped her wand on the lock and pushed the door open anyways.
The boy was just lying there, staring at Athena with terrified eyes and an open mouth. Athena took the few short steps towards the nightstand and placed the envelope down there next to the cup, witch immediately afterward she filled with water from the pitcher. She stepped back a few feet, close to the door. She studied the Malfoy child with wondrous eyes and tried to think of how such a young boy could end up like this. But she was torn from her reverie by a voice that was as smooth and cold as marble.
"Who are you? And furthermore, why exactly am I here?" Draco eyed the beautiful woman in front of him, who couldn't have been more than five years older than he was.
"Mr. Malfoy, you were brought in by people unknown to St. Mungo's and even the Ministry. We've concluded that there were two women and a man was with them as well. They were heavily cloaked and talked very little." she paused to see his reaction, but all she saw was confusion. "You were in very bad condition, broken bones: your leg, a few ribs. You even had a collapsed lung. You were dying and are very lucky to be awake now, you should be forever grateful for the young persons that brought you in. If it weren't for them you'd be dead." she sighed heavily and turned to walk out the door.
"Wait a moment," Draco took a breath and asked " I'd really like to leave Miss.."
"Call me Athena. And NO. You are not permitted to leave for a long while, a day or two at most. Stay put young man or I'll have to restrain you!" she turned quickly on her heal and stalked out of the room. Draco was sure she would slam the door, but with courtesy she closed the door softly.
Draco stared after her shadow through the window in the door for a few minutes. Then remembered that Athena had brought him something.
He looked at the black envelope on the table beside him and picked it up, and as he began to open it he reached for the cup of water and took a long sip, put it down again and pulled a two page letter out of the envelope.
It began:
Draco, this may be hard to hear, but bare with the facts as well as you can. Everything my companion and I write to you is true.
~*~
part two to come soon!