Some people had left already, going to celebrate the death of evil. Everyone who had stayed was strewn around here and there in the Great Hall. Madam Pomfrey and a few other helpers were treating the injured while people mingled with each other.

Neville and Luna were seated together at one of the tables. The Weasleys were huddled together, mourning over Fred Weasley. The golden trio were sitting, watching over everything that was going on.

Only one person sat at a table alone though. Draco Malfoy. He sat there, twirling his wand between his long fingers and thinking about what he had lost and what he had gained, which looked pretty bleak, when a shadow fell on him. He looked up and saw the last person he wanted to see.

"Well, well. If it isn't the golden boy himself," Malfoy smirked, then gasped dramatically. "Forgive me if I'm not thanking you profusely for defeating the Dark Lord."

Harry chuckled. "Once a Malfoy, always a Malfoy." He then gestured at the bench. "May I?"

Malfoy shrugged. "It's a free country."

Harry sat down beside the young Death Eater and waited for the latter to say something. Five other pairs of eyes followed their movements. After a moment of silence, Draco sighed. "Is there a reason you came over here, Potter? Cause I doubt it was to see my pretty face."

Harry thought through his next words slowly. "I heard what you said and saw what you did in the courtyard, and what you did for Molly."

"Molly...?" Draco asked, confused.

"Mrs. Weasley," Harry hastily informed him.

"Right." Draco nodded slowly.

"Well, there wasn't really time before, but, I just wanted to say, thanks," Harry said to him.

"I was just doing it so that now we're even from the fire," Draco lied, but Harry saw through that lie anyway and shook his head.

"Alright, think what you want, but, seriously, thanks," he said again sincerely.

"You're welcome," Draco said. They stayed sitting like that, side by side, for a moment. An awkward silence had settled between them before Harry broke it.

"So... What are you going to do now? Now that Voldemort's gone?"

Draco sighed. "I don't know. The obvious choice would be to go home, though I doubt I have a home to go to. My parents would no doubt disown me due to that little stunt in the courtyard, or probably they already have." He kneeled over and put his head in his hands. "Ugh, well I guess there's no going back now. Couldn't even if I wanted to."

Harry looked at him. "Do you want to?"

"Heck no!" Draco said, offended.

Harry laughed. "Well, then, you're in the right place."

Draco chuckled softly at that but then frowned at another thought. "But there's the ministry, with which then I am screwed."

"No, you're not," Harry protested and Draco scoffed at him.

"Yes, I am. I'm looking at five years in Azkaban just for being a Death Eater, plus more for being the son of one of the most ruthless Death Eaters there are."

"Again, no, you're not," Harry repeated. "You're a 17 year old, they wouldn't do that. And, besides, even if they did, I would never let that happen."

"And...why not?" Draco drawled.

"You saved my life, twice, I might add, and I know that, unlike you're father or the other Death Eaters, there's still good in you." He got up and turned to face him. "Let's start over."

"Start over? And you really think that's possible?" the blonde boy said unbelievably.

The Boy Who Lived shrugged then stuck out his hand, the same way that Draco had stuck out his hand all those years ago on the steps leading to the Great Hall. "I'm Harry Potter."

Draco looked at it, then back at its owner, then back at the hand. He hesitantly got up, leaving his wand on the table behind him, and took it. "Draco Malfoy."

Before anyone else could do anything, there was a sudden disturbance in the air, and, out of the blue, seven blokes were standing in the doorway of the Great Hall.

The person at the head stepped forward. He was a medium-sized man with black hair and a bowler hat. "Alright, everyone calm down. We are Aurors from the Ministry. We have orders from the acting Minister to collect the Death Eaters and bring them back."

Everyone looked relieved and pleased except for a select few, I think you can figure out which.

"They're right here," one of the teachers spoke up, leading them to a small corner in the Great Hall. There were about six Death Eaters, two were unconscious and the other four were tied and gagged.

Draco could see Rowle and Rookwood among them and some others he could only recognize by face.  They looked a combination of fear and anger, which made Draco glad that he wasn't with them. He shifted to the side a bit so that part of him would be hidden to the Aurors by Harry.

The ministry officials reached the corner where Professor Binns was leading them to and frowned. "This is it? Why are there only six of them?" one of the men asked. He had red, curly hair and he was rather skinny.

"Well, we couldn't catch them all," McGonagall admonished, walking up to them.

"Really? A whole school of people, and you couldn't catch more than six?!" the same man spluttered.

Anyone could see that Mcgonagall wanted to yell at him but she kept her voice dangerously calm and restrained from lashing out. "I'm sorry, but we had to tend to all of the children before we could get them."

"Harrumph. We'll see about that," the black haired man grumbled. He then proceeded to take out his wand and pointed it up to the sky...er...ceiling. "Morsmordre revelio," he shouted.

Harry saw the six Death Eaters squirm and clutch at their arms. He curiously followed through down the arm to see something glowing underneath their robes.

After a few moments of blindly looking at them, he then figured out what was happening and slapped himself mentally for not figuring it out earlier. He then looked over at Malfoy who was pale, paler then usual, and clutching his arm.

He looked at Harry and Harry looked at him before snapping into action, but it was too late.

"Well, grab him and then let's go," the main man said unamused, then mumbled, "at least seven is better than six."

He and another man stepped out of the group and walked towards the young Death Eater. He was pretty bulky and looked rather mean.

"Wait!" Ginny ran to intercept them. "It's not what you think it is."

"It's exactly what I think it is," the bulky guy with shades argued. "He's a Death Eater," he said, gesturing at Malfoy who was too busy focusing on the Dark Mark that he didn't hear what was going on.

Ginny was at a lost for words. "Not by choice," Hermione said, helping her out.

The man sighed. "Look, are you a ministry official?"

"Well, no, but-"

"Are you, in any way, higher in ranks then me?"

"Of course not, but-"

"Then I would advise you, girlies, to step aside and stop keeping me from doing my job. I have orders from the Minister himself to bring back all Death Eaters and that is what I'm going to do." And with that, he and the other man pushed past Ginny and Hermione.

Harry, who was standing nearest to Malfoy, got ready to defend him when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked back and saw Malfoy looking at him and slowly shake his head.

Harry was confused but resistantly stepped aside.

The two men stopped in front of them and one of them stepped up to talk. He observed the young Death Eater before him with disgust. "You look awful," he commented.

"Well, that makes two of us," Draco growled.

The man huffed at him then smirked as he saw the boy shudder from the pain that he was no doubt feeling. "So, Malfoy, are you surprised to see us?"

"Well, not exactly, Robards. You are head of the Auror Office and this is part ministry business so I see no reason why you shouldn't be here," Draco said coolly with smirk regardless of the obvious pain shooting through his arm. "Pointless question really, I might add."

"Why you little-" Gawain Robards grounded out before taking a deep breath. He was not going to be rattled by the brat. Despite the situation, some people smiled at the expense of the head Auror. "Let's go," he said ruffly instead.

The two men grabbed ahold of Draco's arms and forced him forward to the group. Draco winced at the abrupt pressure on his left forearm. He then remembered something as they led him to the entrance of the great hall.

"Oh, someone needs to grab my wand before we leave. Merlin forbid you leave any evidence behind," the young Death Eater added sarcastically.

Robards went to get the wand which was laying on the table behind Harry who hadn't moved for he was too occupied with watching the situation to notice. He was drawn out of his musings by Robards' voice.

"Mr. Potter," Robards said gratefully. "We at the ministry want to thank you immensely for your great service. Be sure to expect wonderful things in the future and we will be in touch soon. Thank you again."

Harry was at a lost for words. Great service? In touch? He just nodded dumbly and stepped aside for the guy to access the table. Robards grabbed the wand and swiftly returned to the group where Malfoy was successfully detained, his hands tied in front of him.

Each of the men grabbed onto a Death Eater and began to disapperate but not before Draco shot Harry a pointed look as if to say, it's in your hands now.