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Draco Malfoy’s heart pounded in his chest as he hurried through the Department of Mysteries. Very aware that he was not allowed to be there--nor was any witch or wizard who was not specifically assigned to the department--he felt paranoid at every corner. The department was hidden deep in the Ministry of Magic, but the architects had still made grandeur a focus of each room. They were massive and confusing, and Draco silently cursed with frustration at his aunt's poor directions that led to the object Voldemort demanded.
At last he crept into a small, dark room with a single glowing orb floating in the middle. It felt too easy, but Draco had very little time and would have to deal with traps as they came. He made a grab for the orb, and he was surprised at the lack of resistance. He slipped it into his pocket, turned back for the door, and let out a yelp of surprise when he came face-to-face with a red fox smiling slyly at him.
“Ah, Draco Malfoy. What a pleasant surprise,” the fox said, looking at the glow that was emanating from Draco’s pocket. “I believe you have taken what is mine.”
Suddenly, the orb sped over to the fox, who swallowed it whole.
“Hey, give that back!” Draco said, shock finally worn off, allowing him to speak.
The fox clicked his tongue. “Dear boy, you know better. It is not yours.”
“What does it matter whose it is!” Draco snapped. “I need it. Give it back!”
The fox looked at him with pity. Draco did not appreciate that. He didn’t want anyone feeling sorry for him.
“I know why you are after it, and I will relinquish it for your sake. But only after you have listened to my tale.”
“I don’t have time for your silly tales,” Draco scowled.
“Well, you can either listen to my silly tale and free the item, or leave without it.”
Draco gave an exasperated sigh and reached for his wand.
“If you try to hex me, you will have no chance of obtaining the orb,” said the fox with a seriousness that made Draco believe him. “It is connected to me. If I die, so will it.”
“All right, fine,” Draco said. “Get on with it.”
“Excellent,” the fox replied and began his story. “Once upon a time, there was a witch who craved life and feared death. She wanted nothing more than to be immortal. Then, one night the witch spotted a glowing orb floating through the air.”
Draco impatiently rolled his eyes, knowing where this story was going.
“The witch had heard of a floating orb, similar to the one in front of her. She had heard tales about it being an Elixir of Life, giving the owner immortality and unimaginable power. Upon realizing this, she hastily chased after it. At last, it came to a halt at the top of a hill in front of a sleeping fox, ready to return to its owner. Now, this fox was absolutely dashing. A really handsome fellow--”
“Are you going to continue flattering yourself or will you get on with the story?” Draco huffed.
“Yes, right. While the unsuspecting fox slept deeply, the witch grabbed for the orb and ran. When the fox awoke, they were gone.
“The witch swallowed the orb, immediately feeling the effects. Over the next few weeks, she used her powers to talk with devils, obtain riches, and happily dream about her newfound immortality. She abandoned her friends, family, and home for her new life. Unfortunately for her, the fox had tracked her down. As she slept, he patted her on the back and out came the orb, gleeful to return to its true owner. The witch woke up as the fox swallowed it. Realizing what she had lost, she grabbed for him but her skin quickly wrinkled and her energy faded. The orb’s power had taken everything from her because it had been everything to her. With a cry, the witch passed away.”
The fox remained quiet, then, signaling the end of his tale. Draco narrowed his eyes in irritation.
“I don’t see the relevance,” Draco finally said through gritted teeth.
“No?” replied the fox. “Well, amongst other meanings, I see it as a helpful reminder that sometimes we put our trust in the wrong thing.”
“This is my duty,” Draco said with a snarl, knowing that the fox was indirectly chiding him. “You wouldn’t understand what’s best for the wizarding world.”
The fox just looked at Draco as if to analyze him. This filled Draco with rage, then frustration, then exhaustion, and finally anguish.
“You don’t understand,” Draco said quietly. “If I don’t do this, Voldemort will kill me. He’ll kill my parents.”
The fox felt immense grief for this boy who had so much potential that was put into the most unfortunate place. “I do understand, dear boy. Those fighting against Voldemort in this war all understand. What you need to consider is this: is fear a good reason to choose wrong?”
“Yes!” Draco snarled, but something in his chest tugged at him, making him question everything he and his family stood for.
“Very well,” said the fox sadly. The orb escaped from his mouth and floated to Draco. “Here is the elixir, as promised.”
Draco stared at it, mesmerized by its glow. He started to reach for it but the tug in his chest grew more unbearable.
What if he disobeyed orders? Voldemort might kill him and punish his parents.
What if he didn’t take the orb back to Voldemort? The other side might actually win. The war might end sooner, sparing innocent lives.
With a sigh, Draco turned from the fox and walked out the door, empty-handed.
Author's Note: I based the fox’s tale off of a Chinese story called "Fox-Fire." The original story was about a farmer who saw a fox preparing the elixir of life, which looked like a ball of fire. The farmer stole and swallowed it, using its powers for years. After over fifteen years, the fox finally caught up with the farmer and took back the orb.
I changed quite a bit, such as details like switching genders (from a male farmer to a female witch), having the fox be asleep when the witch steals the elixir, and calling it an "orb" instead of a ball of fire/crystal. Also, in the original, the man did not die at the end. I just felt like that would add significance to the witch's punishment for her thievery and greed.
As mentioned in my story, the Department of Mysteries is a part of the Ministry of Magic. It holds mysterious and experimental magical objects, and the only people who are allowed to work in there are called the Unspeakables because they are not allowed to say what is in there.
My story is set in the seventh and final book of the Harry Potter series, when Draco is around 17 years old. I’m sure he was asked to carry out many tasks for Voldemort, and stealing valuable objects was likely one of them. For those who have not read the books, Draco Malfoy is the son of a family that supports Voldemort (the main villain in Harry Potter). Draco seemed to be having some doubts about Voldemort near the end of the series, so I wanted to depict him in a way that makes the reader understand what he was going through. He was just a kid who got wrapped up in the antagonist’s side because it ran in his family. He was scared and fearful. I always wanted a redemption arc for him but we did not see that very heavily. I would've loved to read scenes like this in the series, where he is wrestling with his beliefs and trying to understand who he is while being put through such dire and terrifying situations.
Image Information:
- Banner image: Department of Mysteries from Harry Potter Fandom Wiki
- Orb (Halloween Night Sky Moon) from Needpix.com
- Fox in Vintage Camouflage from Public Domain Pictures
Bibliography: Fox-Fire from the Chinese Fairy Tales unit. Story source: The Chinese Fairy Book, ed. by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens (1921).
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