How They Wished it Could Have Happened

The Dark Lord was defeated, simple as that. Malfoy would have taken the potion, seen him the next day, given him a perfunctory glare, and everything would have been fine. Life would have gone on. Or perhaps Malfoy would have never been cursed, his family would have remained as sane as they could manage, the Dark Lord would have been defeated, and Malfoy would still have glared at him, never looking back. Life would have been perfect. Or maybe the Dark Lord never came back; maybe Potter would have killed him for good that Halloween night. Malfoy might not have ever even met him. Or perhaps the Dark Lord never existed. Perhaps magic never even existed. Maybe they could be Muggles and would meet one day, on a street, in a bookstore, or at a party, fall in love, and have a normal life together.

But that's not how it happened.