Archive of Our Own

Neutral is an Illusion

When Blaise Zabini would think back to his uncle’s words, he didn’t doubt them for a moment. Though he didn’t expect things to go the way they had. He knew he said that he needed to be prepared for a war that was to come. That he wouldn’t be able to stay neutral like his mother had for years. Not that he would, his mother’s death had signified his part in the war. Though he didn’t consider himself to be on Dumbledore’s side. For all that concerned to him, he was on the side of magic.

For all that he hated towards Muggles, even he knew a war against them was suicide. Maybe he would have believed that they could win because they had magic. But talking with his uncle, Tony, he knew differently. He had still been only fifteen at that moment, getting ready to turn sixteen in the next few months.

Though, Blaise hadn’t told anyone the true reason why he had been gone his fourth year of Hogwarts. He was willing to bet that most Slytherins had a good idea what had happened. They would have heard about it from their parents that had been there for her burial over a year ago. He still had moments that he wished she was still here, and he knew that Tony felt the same. It had become more bearable and didn’t hurt as much to see her pictures or read the letters.

Not to mention he had Tony teaching him all that he could. By then, he wasn’t surprised to know how many muggle weapons Tony owned. He knew he had his gun, he used it for work. He had a few years to get used to that. Blaise knew how it worked but that didn’t mean he would ever touch it. He preferred his wand, no matter how good Tony’s logic was.

He understood it was good to have a knife if his wand was ever taken from him. Though it took a while before he actually warmed up to the idea. Even with Draco dead, he would imagine the reaction the blonde would have to owning something so… muggle.

Though, he wouldn’t tell Tony that it did have its uses. He was a Slytherin as well and they tended to have their own egos when proven right. They just wouldn’t be obvious about it.

Blaise just didn’t expect the time to be while he was still in Hogwarts, even though he had already turned seventeen last November. It wasn’t like anyone could say that he was underage, not that they would. The only person that would have, was the one that wanted him to be there. He wasn’t sure that his own mother would have done that. But Yule had been decided the perfect time because even Blaise kept note of who was staying and leaving.

Tony had made the guess that he could have been in hiding, for some reason. But things wouldn’t be really obvious until the year after. Though he hadn’t been able to work out exactly where Voldemort had been hiding all these years. Regaining his strength was the only thing that came to mind. But it didn’t make sense why he would have waited almost two decades for that. Unless that Death Eater of his, Barty… he had done something that nobody else had. Whatever it was, it had done something.

But Tony knew one thing for certain, the Death Eaters that normally would have been called, they would all be at their manors with their children. That was how Blaise found out that Voldemort’s base of operations was being held at Malfoy Manor. The younger Slytherin wanted to curse himself for not knowing that tiny piece of information. He felt that it had been so obvious, knowing the Malfoys as he did. Though he hadn’t visited the Manor since he had been thirteen. Lucius and Narcissa had never reached out to him, and he knew they knew about his mother. He almost had wanted to place some of the blame on them but didn’t. Even though that had been before their son had died.

Blaise watched as Tony started to dismantle the wards and was impressed on how fast it took.

“I thought Wards were a lot more complex than that,” Blaise murmured as they crossed the property.

Tony nodded, “they are but these were more scattered. The wards recognize you and make it easier to bypass the more complex failsafe that are in place. Whatever had been added make the original wards weaker and easier to break through.”

Blaise frowned; he was sure that he knew who probably added those additional wards. Even though it was working in their favor.

“Make sure you watch where you step, I won’t be surprised if there is someone patrolling around the property. No Killing Curses, with the number of curses that you know and what I taught you. You are to find other spells and curses to use,” Tony told him.

“It can be backtraced to my wand,” Blaise realized.

Tony nodded, “even if it was for a good reason. I do not want my nephew going to Azkaban just because we decided to do a favor for the Ministry.”

Blaise snorted but otherwise didn’t say a thing. He didn’t think he needed to really. Though the thought of using the Killing Curse had come to his mind. He knew how it worked, theoretically, even though he had never used it. His mother had told him enough about the Unforgivable Curses and Tony had never shown him the uses for them. Even though he did talk to him about them, they were obviously something he detested. He could guess on why that was.

Though as the pair went through the garden, they only spotted a couple of snatchers and Blaise had recognized Fenrir Greyback. Tony, more or less stepped back and almost observed on how his nephew handled it. Even with Greyback, using a more lethal Cutting Curse to the neck. It was more of a silent death as the werewolf gurgled on his own blood.

One by one, each of them fail without setting off any alarms. The less Voldemort knew about their presence the better.

The easy part was making their way through the Malfoy Manor, especially with Blaise as a guide. He had practically grown up there even though he had never been close with Draco. It was still in that group of friends that had been expected to be sorted into Slytherin. Though he tensed up when he saw Lucius and Narcissa. He had never seen the pair look so defeated.

Even in the public eye, the pair of them had always looked confident. He supposed that the loss of their son had been the result. He wondered if he had ever looked like that after his lost his mum.

Lucius’ eyes narrowed in on him and it was almost… relief? Then he saw Tony behind and then his look turned to shock. Because Tony was behind him, he didn’t see the nod that Tony gave Lucius. The elder Malfoy placed a comforting hand on Narcissa’s shoulder before he gestured to the room next to them.

Had they been under the Cruciatus, Blaise wondered.

That was when Tony took the lead and Blaise more of followed after him. That was when he saw Voldemort for the first time. Blaise grimaced in disgust. The man literally looked like a snake with the scaley head and red slit eyes.

“YOU!”

Blaise wasn’t sure who the Dark Lord was speaking to, him or Tony. It must have been Tony because he didn’t hesitate to make him angry.

“Didn’t think I would forget what you did to my family did you?” Tony gave a half-cocked grin.

Before Voldemort could fire any curses, most likely the Killing Curse, Tony acted faster. Withdrawing his weapon at his hip and firing a single round, which went right through Voldemort’s head.

His wand had fallen out of his hand and rolled towards them on the floor as Voldemort fell to the ground. Dead.

Blaise just blinked in surprised before turning towards Tony, who had his weapon in his hand before holstering it.

“You never said that you were going to bring your gun,” Blaise huffed.

Tony rolled his eyes, “it was faster than yelling the words to the Killing Curse, which takes too long. Besides, a muggle death suits him better.”

“So, that’s it? The war is just over with that?” Blaise asked.

Tony shrugged, “most of his Death Eaters will disband and it will be a matter of catching them. Which has been most of my task here anyways. With their leader finally gone and not coming back, they will have nowhere to go.”

Tony cast a look towards the hall, walking back towards where Lucius and Narcissa still were.

“He is gone, truly?” Narcissa was the first to speak.

“I am sorry about, Draco. I know I would feel the same if I had lost Blaise. But yes.”

“It is good to see you again, Anthony,” Lucius extended his hand out.

Tony nodded before shaking it. “Despite the circumstances, at least my return has done some good, then. Lucius, take care of Narcissa.”

Tony didn’t bother to look back before starting to walk out of the manor, knowing that Blaise was at his side. Not speaking until they were well out of the boundaries of Malfoy Manor.

“You knew them?” Blaise asked.

Tony sighed before nodding, “long ago. I suppose that Lucius recognized me, thinking I was dead like everyone else. Though I guess you still have a bit left of Yule to enjoy before returning back to Hogwarts yourself. I imagine that Madam Bones will have a long task ahead of me.”

“I didn’t think it be that easy,” Blaise muttered.

Tony snorted, no part of that had been easy. “Don’t dwell too much on what you did tonight, Blaise.”

“You let me kill them,” Blaise brought up.

“You needed to prove it to yourself. I just provided you with that. What you did was no small feat. You needed that moment to take back that control of your life. But for now, focus on Yule and finishing up your sixth year of Hogwarts. I believe that seems to be the most important part of your life now.”

Blaise grinned, although it had been a long time since he looked forward to Yule.