Epilogue

~o~

Draco Malfoy curled up the latest copy of the Daily Prophet in between his fist.

He had just read the morning paper when he saw the headline and picture of a burning house on page two.

Four Privet Drive to be exact.

His investment had just been burnt to a crisp!

Apparently, after Potter had held some kind of reunion party with all his chums at the muggle residence the night before.

"How convenient!"

It could surely not be a coincidence that the house just happened to catch on fire the second Potter left the premise. In fact, why had Potter even been allowed to trespass on his property when it clearly didn't belong or ever belong to him? Merlin sake, it was Malfoy property.

If only Harry Potter wasn't the bloody war hero, praised by everyone right now, Draco would press charges for both trespassing, larceny and arson against the git. His anger wasn't helped by the fact that the Ministry and Harry Potter's allies continued to get search warrants of his own home, Malfoy Manor, and ransack the place looking for dark artefacts to try to nail them by. Their efforts were in vain. His father was too smart to be caught doing anything incriminating. Still the Ministry, including Arthur Weasley, continued to try to nail his father. Bloody Weasleys.

But, of course, Potter would get away with burning down someone else's property. Being the golden boy he was. Despite the arson clearly being on purpose.

Only a few weeks had passed after he bought the property and it had been announced he intended to make a wizarding museum out of his nemesis's childhood home. Although he didn't completely hate Potter anymore, Draco had actually found some comfort, and daresay it, schadenfreude joy, in the project. The museum was the perfect opportunity to take a jibe at Potter while also making a mockery of his muggle upbringing and controlling the postwar narrative about everyone's favourite hero. It didn't help being on the losing side of the war. But if you controlled history and the narrative told about the winning side, well, you controlled everything. His father had taught him that. It would help too if the Malfoys were seen to be celebrating the winning side and being philanthropic.

Draco grimaced.

What a waste of galleons! Though the muggle residence hadn't cost much, certainly not by wizarding standards or anything remotely resembling a proper, livable house in a good wizarding neighbourhood...well it was still a waste of his own pocket money. Draco had been hoping to impress his father with his business acumen and independence. Especially now that their family investments had been depleted by the war. There was even talk of reparations since Malfoy Manor had been used for so long to house Voldemort and other Death Eaters.

He could've made a pretty penny on the museum while also enjoying Potter's humiliation. And he wouldn't have had to rely on his father so much for more money.

"Damn Potter."

Draco opened the wrinkled newspaper again and looked again at one of the photos in the article.

The picture showed Potter and his girlfriend Luna smiling and kissing while raising a glass of Butterbeer. The blonde girl winked at the camera while leaning in to kiss Harry. In the background was a great many people of influence in the wizarding world, including a former Minister of Magic, clapping their hands and celebrating the boy-who-lived.

He really had all the luck. Despite the abominable childhood with muggles.

Harry Potter had won the world.

.

.

A/N: Something asked in a comment who was the Museum entrepreneur trying to make a buck off Harry's past, and so I added this little epilogue. I know Draco and Harry were mostly on good terms by the end of the war, but I thought Draco might also do something slightly petty like this behind Harry's back just to take a dig at him and in retaliation for his own family's humiliation and loss of reputation.

cheers.