The Task - A Draco Malfoy Story

Draco Malfoy walked into the Potions classroom, his expression carefully composed, though his mind was anything but calm. Everything had been different this year, and this class was no exception. Snape's absence from the dungeon felt like a disruption of the natural order, and having Slughorn back in his place only added to Draco's unease. He glanced around the room as the students filed in, noticing the usual division between the Slytherins and Gryffindors. Potter and his friends, of course, had taken their usual spot, chatting animatedly as if they had nothing to worry about.

Draco resisted the urge to sneer. How easy it must be for them to go through the motions, as if nothing had changed. But everything had changed. Draco's summer had been a nightmare, and the task hanging over his head was a constant, gnawing fear that he couldn't shake. His mind drifted, just for a moment, back to that cursed task—the cabinet, the endless attempts to repair it, the way the Dark Mark seemed to burn on his arm whenever he thought about what failure would mean.

He clenched his jaw and forced the thoughts aside as Professor Slughorn began to speak. Draco couldn't afford to get distracted, not here, not now. He had to stay focused. Slughorn was droning on about Amortentia, Felix Felicis, and other potions Draco knew well enough already, but his attention was barely on the lecture. Instead, he was watching Potter out of the corner of his eye, observing him as he pretended not to care, but Draco could see the curiosity in Potter's eyes. Potter was always curious, always sticking his nose where it didn't belong.

When Slughorn announced the competition, Draco's interest sharpened. The chance to win a vial of Felix Felicis—liquid luck—wasn't something to be taken lightly. Even though he was confident in his brewing skills, Draco couldn't help but notice how Potter seemed oddly unconcerned. It was infuriating. Of course, Potter would breeze through this, just like everything else.

As they began working on their Draught of Living Death, Draco's thoughts continued to swirl. He knew how to brew this potion, had done it countless times before. But the pressure of everything else in his life made it hard to focus. His hands moved methodically, slicing ingredients and stirring with practiced ease, but his mind wasn't fully on the task.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Potter make a move that surprised him—a small adjustment to his cauldron, a change in the way he added an ingredient. It was subtle, but enough to catch Draco's attention. Something was off. Potter wasn't usually this careful, this precise. Draco watched, irritation growing as Potter's potion started to turn the perfect shade of lilac.

By the time Slughorn came around to inspect their work, Draco knew Potter had won. He tried to keep his expression neutral, but he could feel the frustration bubbling up inside him. When Slughorn praised Potter and awarded him the vial of Felix Felicis, it felt like a slap in the face. Draco's anger simmered beneath the surface, his grip tightening on the edge of the table.

This was supposed to be his year—his time to prove himself, to show everyone what he was capable of. But everywhere he turned, Potter was there, effortlessly stepping into the spotlight, stealing the attention, the praise, the luck. Draco forced himself to take a deep breath, to keep his composure as Slughorn moved away to the next table. He couldn't let his frustration show, not here, not in front of Potter.

As the class ended, Draco packed up his things with deliberate slowness, watching as Potter laughed with Granger and Weasley. The sight of them together only deepened his resentment. He had no time for friends, no room for laughter in his life. All he had was the impossible task that loomed over him like a dark cloud.

Leaving the classroom, Draco's thoughts were already back on the cabinet, on what he had to do next, and on how to keep himself from falling apart before it was all over. He was in too deep now, and every moment he spent in that classroom, surrounded by people who didn't have a clue what he was going through, only made it harder to keep his head above water.

But he would keep going. He had no other choice. And one day, Potter would get what was coming to him. Draco would make sure of that.