Aurore arched an eyebrow and nodded. The clerk seemed to take it as a sign of encouragement and stepped closer. “He spent more than ten years on it. Got special permission from the Ministry to access all the records from the war, even trial transcripts that weren't public yet. It's shocking stuff. Some of the sections, I wouldn't recommend reading if your stomach isn't strong. But — if you want to know what happened. This is the book that'll tell you. It's all there. Everything people should know.”
“Do you?” Aurore asked.
The clerk looked uncertain.
“Know everything that people should know about the war?” Aurore said in clarification.
The clerk looked uncomfortable. “Well — for me it's hard not to. I was born in 2005, one of — that generation. The trials went on for years while they tried to figure out what to do with all of us.”
“I'm sorry.”
The boy cleared his throat. “Anyway. Reading that — helps put it all in perspective.”
Aurore looked down at the book in her hands. “I'll check it out. I grew up outside of Europe, but we heard stories. You can't really not hear the stories.”
The clerk nodded.
Aurore tucked the book under her arm and wandered further into the bookshop. Once she was in an empty aisle, she quickly flipped the book open to its index and ran her finger through until she found the chapter title she wanted. Page 186.
She flicked through to the place.
“Draco Malfoy, known to the world as the High Reeve, is the most infamous mass murderer in all Wizarding history. The youngest person to ever join Lord Voldemort's ranks, he was only sixteen when he assassinated celebrated Warlock Albus Dumbledore. Malfoy devoted his life to climbing rank within the Death Eater army. Not only was he the youngest Death Eater initiate, he also went on to become the youngest individual to achieve the rank of General during the war.
He possessed what was widely considered an unnatural proficiency in the Dark Arts. There is some debate among scholars about what means he may have used to obtain it.
In addition to the assassination of Albus Dumbledore, some of his most notable actions were the Surrey Massacre which led to the death of Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Order of the Phoenix's leader at the time, and the coordinated capture of all Order safe-houses during the Battle of Hogwarts. While many Death Eaters retired post-war, Malfoy's ascent was only beginning. He involved himself heavily in the capture and interrogation of all remaining Resistance members, using what became his signature curse to kill them rather than permit their imprisonment. His aggressive use of the Killing Curse was key to achieving his status as High Reeve and eventual acknowledgement as Lord Voldemort's successor.
It is the belief of many that if Draco Malfoy had not been killed in the fire at Malfoy Manor that the Death Eater regime could have lasted decades longer. Lord Voldemort's health was so precarious at the time that many believe he would have handed control over to Malfoy before the year's end.
