Such a fascinating story! I have to admit I had to look up Antonin--the name was very familiar, but I couldn't quite place him beyond the Death Eater context. I was struck by how often he appears at key points in canon, a recurring antagonist--during the first war, with the Prewetts; in the breakout from Azkaban; at the Department of Mysteries; at Tottenham Court Road; killing Lupin and then being defeated by Flitwick in the final battle at Hogwarts. Which I bring up only because I appreciated this story doubly when I realized fully what you'd done here, sketching out the career of a "chosen" young man for whom none of Dumbledore's advice would have made a bit of difference. There's no happiness to be sought in Antonin's world, few friends or alliances to carry him through. Where Harry gets to make choices to define himself, Antonin is caught up by forces beyond his control. Where Harry's redeemed by love, Antonin's affections endanger him (and others). It's a clever distortion of the homilies of the books, a clear-eyed look at what the "child warrior" trope really means, and a reminder that some of us truly do face insurmountable odds.
That said, thank you for Draco and the tentative bond he establishes with Antonin. It was a lovely note to end on. M.
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hp_beholder,