Draco looked on in dismay as her eyes flew open.

They were black.

"Astrid?" he choked, he couldn't even tell if she was registering him, such as the blackness was swirling furiously around in her eyes.

She slowly stood up and turned around, her hand flying to her wand.

Draco watched, frozen in horror as she walked slowly, carefully towards the man cowering in chains next to a gleeful looking Voldemort.

"You killed her." She said in a slow, deliberate voice that didn't sound like Astrid's. "You killed my mother. You mowed her down and let a seven year old child watch her mother die!"

"I- I just w-wanted to teach her a lesson!" the trembling man in chains stuttered as he looked up at Astrid in terror.

"A LESSON?!" She screamed, "I'LL SHOW YOU A FUCKING LESSON!"

Draco couldn't help but notice Voldemort flinch. He wasn't a fan of profanities, Draco knew. Voldemort had previously expressed how crass he found them.

"CRUCIO!"

The prisoner writhed and screamed at Astrid's feet as the room around them erupted into hisses and jeers.

"Well done, my beautiful child!" Voldemort cried with a sickening delight, "well done!"

Astrid raised her wand again. "This is for me. CRUCIO! CRUCIO! CRUCIO!"

The man started convulsing crazily, vomit spraying from his mouth in all directions.

And then Draco watched as Astrid slowly lowered her wand, breathing hard, as she stared down in hatred at the man begging for mercy before her.

"And this is for my mother. AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Draco watched the next part happen as if it was in slow motion.

The instant the jet of green light had struck the man, Astrid's wand fell from her hand, cluttering to the floor, as her body seemed to contort against its own will; and just like Katie Bell's body had done after touching the cursed necklace, Astrid lifted into the air, black hair billowing around her, dark eyes staring - yet blank; and Draco's insides turned to liquid as she emitted a terrifying, blood curdling scream.

And then she dropped, smacking with a sickening thud down onto the stage. Her body as lifeless as the man she had just killed.

...

"Apparently Potter is still on the run."

"So I hear, along with the Mudblood, I understand? Would you mind passing me the sugar, please?"

Lucius obliged, leaning across the kitchen table to hand his wife the little china pot and spoon which she accepted with a thank you.

"I trust you are packed and ready?" Narcissa asked, looking up at her son who sat staring morosely down at his untouched toast.

Her heart twisted for him. She wanted to take away his pain so much. She couldn't imagine the agonies he must be suffering.

It would do him good, she thought, returning to Hogwarts. Distance from Voldemort was probably what he needed right now. Merlin knows they could all do with a bit of that.

She glanced guiltily at Lucius, thanking Merlin he was unable to read minds. It wasn't that she didn't believe in the cause; she just hated the poison that Voldemort seemed to drip upon her family.

Draco remained silent, continuing to stare at his toast.

"Severus has high hopes for you this year," Narcissa attempted again, "which is why he has made you Head Boy. Perhaps this will be a good chance to show the Dark L-"

She was cut off by a loud cluttering as Draco pushed his chair back, immediately standing up.

"I'm not hungry." He muttered as he started for the door.

"But you must eat!" Narcissa called after her son in alarm.

"I'll grab something on the train," he snapped, barely looking at her as he slammed the door shut behind him.

She exchanged a troubled look with her husband. Lucius opened his mouth as if to offer her words of comfort.

But he soon closed it again when he seemed at loss to find any.

...

Draco didn't look back as the car drove him away from the Manor, despite knowing that his mother wouldn't go back inside until the black Mercedes disappeared from view.

He stared bleakly out of the window, watching the trees go past, their leaves not so green anymore now that summer was drawing to an end.

He had always hated the first day of September. Ever since starting Hogwarts, at least. Ever since meeting Astrid.

It marked the day that he left her here. He remembered the pain on her face when they had parted at the end of summers. And he thought about what he had left her to.

Torment and abuse. His heart ached, twisted and pulled when he thought about what that monster had done to her over the years. What Draco had left her to year after year.

And then, if that hadn't been enough, when Draco finally saved her, he went and introduced her to another monster. And in doing so, finally killed her.

It was his fault his dear, sweet Astrid was gone. His childhood friend, his beautiful girl.

Draco looked down, pinching the bridge of his nose, hard. He wouldn't let himself cry. When the feeling passed, he slowly looked back up.

And his heart stilled.

"Stop!" Draco yelled, panicked and excited all at once, "stop the car immediately!"

The driver slammed on the breaks, and Draco rammed the car door open, his heart in his throat as he pelted at full speed towards the playground.

There was a girl on the swings. A black haired girl. A young girl.

Too young.

Of course it wasn't her, Draco thought despairingly, stopping breathlessly in his tracks halfway across the playground. And he felt his heart shatter all over again.

This time he couldn't stop the tears from falling. And he couldn't stop the howl of pain that escaped from the back of his throat.

Astrid was gone. Destroyed by monsters. She would never be waiting for him on the swings again.

His sweet, innocent Astrid.

...

The unnatural gloominess on Platform Nine and Three Quarters was unnerving. There was none of the usual start of year excited chatter. None of the laughter, hustling and bustling as friends caught up with friends, exchanging excited tales of their summer and showing off new attire and other various shiny new school equipment.

This suited Draco's mood fine. He was not in the mood for pleasantries. He didn't think he would ever be in the mood again, though.

"Hello," a young dark haired girl spoke shyly to him, as he rammed his trunk into the Slytherin luggage compartment.

Draco looked at her curiously. He vaguely recognised her. A fairly pretty fifth year Slytherin.

"You're Draco Malfoy, aren't you?" she said in a timid voice, colouring slightly.

"Yes," he muttered, turning to leave - he really did not want to get into a conversation with this girl.

"I- I'm Astoria by the way."

Draco froze. For a moment he thought she was going to say Astrid.

"My sister is in your year - Daphne." She continued, and Draco didn't have to turn around to know that she was blushing furiously. "Anyway, I- I just wanted to say hi. And that uh... um, I hope you had a good summer..."

Draco turned his head and gave her a curt nod, before heading back up the train's corridor. He hadn't been sure of the kind of reception he would receive this school year after the events of last year.

But it was good to know so far that it wasn't all bad.

...

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts."

Draco watched as Snape took Dumbledore's old spot in the Great Hall. He wasn't sure how he felt about that. Certainly not jubilant like his fellow Slytherins seem to be.

Draco switched off as Snape droned on about welcoming the first years and how they all should set a good example.

Draco wanted to laugh. This all felt like some kind of bad joke. His eyes rested on the Carrows who had been appointed by Voldemort to teach the Dark Arts. No more defence. This was a new kind of school now.

"But before we start the feast," Snape said, drawing his speech to a close, "we have one more very special task for the Sorting Hat."

Draco's eyes shot up. Snape has his attention now. Although Draco wished he could just get up and leave. Go far away from here as possible.

All the other students shuffled and murmured excitedly. What could this be? They wondered.

Draco knew. And he wasn't looking forward to it one bit.

"We have a very, very special addition to our school this year." Snape announced, looking around the sea of students, his eyes resting momentarily on Draco.

Draco swallowed.

Snape held up a hand as the Hall's doors opened and a figure walked through so gracefully, that it was almost as if she was floating.

Everyone stared in awe at the beautiful, yet extraordinary dark haired girl in the magnificent black dress that trailed behind her.

"It is with great pleasure," Snape bellowed, "that I welcome the Dark Lord's child, Astrid Riddle."