Chapter 9: The Ire's of Lucius Malfoy
Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts, Northern Scotland
Albus Dumbledore frowned, sitting behind his desk, twiddling his wand between his fingers. He had a massive headache, and all from trying to figure out how to undo his numerous mistakes when it came to his wayward charge, Harry Potter. Setting his wand again on top of his desk, he began to carefully massage his temples, for what had to be the eleventh time that afternoon.
As Albus stood up, and began pacing back and forth in his office, which he did quite a lot, but even more so lately, he pondered his wand. Harry had told him how he knew of the Hallows, and of Albus' own wand, but lately, Albus couldn't help but to wonder if the Elder Wand was finally beginning to lose it's power.
When Dumbledore won the wand's allegiance from his old friend Gellert, he had felt a humming, a sense of sentience within the wand, as if it had a mind of it's own. The feeling was slightly familiar to that which Albus got when he was within Hogwarts, but this was different. Albus could often hear, and feel things from within the wand, especially during duels, and it had often saved his life. Unlike Hogwarts, Dumbledore could feel that the wand was not totally subservient to it's master, which confused him a great deal. It felt more like partner to him, a partner ready to accompany him on great and mysterious adventures.
Now though, the connection between wand and master seemed weaker than before. No longer did Dumbledore feel it pulsing, always eager to do his bidding. Now, it seemed resigned, much like that of a normal wand that was being forced to serve the wrong master. Dumbledore hadn't the faintest idea what to think of this bizarre behavior, but it unnerved him even more when in the presence of a certain emerald-eyed wizard.
Try as he might, Albus Dumbledore could not shake the feeling of wariness when near Harry Potter. The feeling was that of a sheep being stalked by a wolf, hidden deep in the shadows, unable to be seen, but hungry and always ready to strike. When he was near him, Albus could feel the tumultuous power, raging within Harry, but also so carefully controlled. Unknown to anyone else in the castle, Albus had been outside Harry's transfiguration class, and felt the immense power that Harry put into his spells. True, this lack of control, and overpowering of his spells was a clear sign of ineptitude, but the sheer force that Harry was able to continually put behind each spell was unnerving. Then, not hours ago, Albus had seen clear evidence of Harry's powers in the Great Hall, but also received a very disturbing report from his Potions Master, giving evidence that Harry was able to call forth his powers, and control them with a great deal more ease than Dumbledore could have guessed from watching his prior spellwork.
The feeling of unease would not go away. Dumbledore could not dismiss the similarities between Harry and Tom Riddle. Their childhoods were alike in many ways, and grudgingly, Albus had to admit that he saw Harry's personality budding into one far more like Tom's than his own. Harry was already resourceful, intelligent, very talented, and very powerful. And, Albus had to admit, while gritting his teeth, Harry seemed to have a certain disregard for the rules and laws set in place, if they did not align with his own, personal beliefs. How was Albus going to guide the boy the way he was supposed to?
Why was it that Harry had been so certain of killing Pettigrew? Certainly, Dumbledore understood the reasons the Harry, and he himself gave, but it didn't have to be that way. Dumbledore had proved years ago, with his defeat of his once best friend, Gellert Grindelwald, that killing was not always necessary. Since Arianna died, Albus refused to kill anyone, or anything. Albus knew firsthand that there were far worse things than death, as he himself had often wished for the release death gave since that day. Wish as he might, Albus knew that it would not release him from his grief and despair, but at least he would be with his family again, and he could apologize for having not protected Arianna. No matter the reasons, Albus simply could not agree for Harry's disregard for the lives of his enemies.
As Harry had argued, people killed in war, but Harry had executed a disarmed Peter Pettigrew on a platform in the presence of many fully trained witches and wizards. Harry had killed in anger, and such an act would leave a scorch mark on one's soul, especially if they felt no remorse. and Harry showed none. Anyone firmly in the light would feel a deep sense of pain, guilt, and self loathing after such an act, but Harry Potter showed no signs of feeling any of this. Albus shivered at the possibilities. Could one develop such powerful control over their thoughts and feelings, that they would be able to use Occlumency to completely shut out these emotions? Or did Harry Potter simply not feel anything in effect of his actions?
After all, what was to stop Harry from becoming exactly like Tom Riddle? Harry was already powerful, and would likely grow to be more powerful than Dumbledore and Riddle combined, especially if the first years' power readings were correct. Harry was also charismatic in his beliefs, and held far more political potential than Voldemort ever had. Couple that with his current celebrity as a hero, with so many already willing to fight and die to protect him, and Harry would be greater and more dangerous than Voldemort himself could ever have imagined. Albus could not bear to think of what would happen if Harry gave into the seduction of power as he himself once had. If Harry shifted his views that way, Albus doubted very much that anyone would ever be able to stop him.
Fortunately, for the time being, Harry voiced a strong opposition to Voldemort, and others who chose to bully and torture those weaker than themselves. Like Riddle, Harry was very secretive, but at least Harry confided in those he trusted, and had already shown himself willing, and capable, of doing anything to protect those he cared for.
Still, as he had walked up to Harry and Professor Snape, Dumbledore could feel the Elder Wand pulsating strongly. It was practically singing in response to Harry's magic. What was that all about? And why did Albus feel a powerful sense of subservience between his wand and Harry's own? Albus had thought for many years that Harry would choose the wand that was the brother of Voldemort's, but Ollivander had told him this was not so. But how could that be? If Harry was indeed a Horcrux, that wand should have fit him perfectly, but it did not. This left Albus very unprepared for Harry's reply when he asked Harry about the wand he had used before he came back. Albus did not understand why that wand had fit Harry before, but not now. Albus now had proof for his Horcrux theory, but that didn't explain why Harry had come back in time, and had not just been revived in the graveyard. When Harry told Albus of the ritual used, Albus knew that Voldemort taking his blood should have doubled the connection between them, anchoring Harry to life while the blood that now ran through Voldemort's veins kept Lily's sacrifice alive. Even though all of his theories led to this conclusion, and made perfect sense to him, nothing had happened as it should have. Instead, Albus now saw the result walking the halls of Hogwarts.
Albus stopped pacing and looked out at the grounds, and saw Harry wandlessly summon the Weasley twins to him, transfiguring them in the process. Dumbledore should have been expecting something like this from Harry, but the extent of Harry's abilities continued to astound him. Dumbledore, himself had never attained that level of mastery in wandless casting, and here Harry was doing it casually, as if it were nothing! None of the pieces were falling together, and for valid reason, none of the portraits or monitoring spells that Hogwarts placed upon its inhabitants would report to Dumbledore on anything concerning Harry. As Headmaster, Dumbledore was used to having the sole authority in Hogwarts, but now that Harry had returned, Hogwarts gave it's allegiance to it's true master. Harry had left Hogwarts in his power, but refused to allow Hogwarts to report anything about his activities to Dumbledore.
None of the pieces came together, including why Hogwarts only gave Harry her allegiance after he came back, and not before. Albus was no fool. He knew that Harry had left far too many holes in his story and plans. Albus felt a sense of irony as he sat back down behind his desk. For years, Albus had schemed and manipulated, while giving out only the crucial information. Now, it seemed as if Harry was turning his own game against him, and Dumbledore could do nothing about it.
'It is truly unfortunate that you have just had a burning day, Fawkes. I could really use the peace right about now.' Dumbledore thought to himself as he leaned forward on his desk with his hands over his eyes and rubbed his temples.
Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire, England
'Pop'. All at once, several small pops broke the silence on the vast grounds of an impressive, centuries old manor. If the visitors were at all aware that their sudden appearance, having smashed through the wards guarding the impressive mansion, set off several alarms inside, they did not show it.
Among these visitors were three aurors, clad in baby blue robes, and a single, important looking goblin, who held a sheet of rolled up parchment in his bony hands. The aurors looked distinctly ruffled, as if none of them had any wish to be there. After all, Lucius Malfoy was very powerful and well connected.
They now stood in a wide driveway that led off the lane. The lane was bordered on the left by wild, low-growing brambles, and on the right hand side by a ten foot high, neatly manicured hedge, which showed all the signs of being carefully and painstakingly trimmed daily. Without a second's pause, the official looking group strode purposefully up the marble path, passing the high hedge, which curved with them, until the hedge abruptly ended. They continued alongside a well kept lawn and garden, which ran off into the distance beyond a pair of impressive silver gates and held several pure white peacocks. Passing through the gates as if they were nothing but smoke, the group walked briskly up to the front door of Malfoy Manor, where the goblin rose his fist at once, and knocked.
Inside the manor, Lucius Malfoy heard the alarms as his wards were breached. Though he had a fairly good idea who it might be that dared to disturb him, Lucius thought that he had enough pull within the Ministry to last at least another year or so until the Ministry had the gall to raid his home.
"Damn that insolent fool, Arthur Weasley!" he shouted. Lucius really wanted to finish up with his toy. Looking down at the preteen muggle, he guessed that the blonde was about eleven, just right for him.
She remained on her hands and knees, as she'd been trained to do, whimpering and begging for him to end her torture. The girl was honestly very beautiful for her age, with the beginning of natural, feminine curves, and little bumps where she would one day have breasts the perfect size for a nice handful. Christine Granger was her name, before Lucius had stalked her family closely, imperiusing them to move far away, before killing the rest of her family during transit. They became just another family lost in the forbidding mountains of Russia. Now, her name was either Whore or Slut, whichever he preferred.
Lucius had only had her for a few days, and had not managed to do much more than beat her. It infuriated Lucius to know that she had so far been able to throw off the Imperius curse, saving herself from being raped. When the time came, he might even give her the honor of bearing his child, as a testament to her strength, before disposing of her.
"Shut up you muggle filth!" he screamed at her, backhanding her across the face as he stepped in front of her and raising her face to meet his. Lucius loved seeing the terror in their eyes. They were weak, powerless, and filthy muggles, not worth the time he spent beating them and raping them, and they knew it.
Christine moved not an inch, afraid that Lucius would hit her again. He made it much harder for her not to spit in his face when he kneeled before her and brought his head within inches of hers. She could smell the sweat and booze on him, and she wanted more than anything to attack him, and run away, but something invisible kept her bound where she was. She hoped and prayed that it was not magic that kept her there, as the man who called himself Lord Malfoy claimed, or she'd never escape. She had thought long and hard about the name Malfoy, but not once could she recall the name as being related to any of Noble blood. Lucius had to be lying, didn't he?
Lucius saw, and felt the fear and hatred in the girl's eyes, but before he could think much of it, he heard a small 'pop' behind him, signaling on of his house elves appearance behind him.
"What is it elf? Haven't I warned you never to interrupt me during one of my sessions!" he snarled, rounding on the poor elf in question.
"D-Dobby is s-sorry, Master," the elf squeaked, bowing low with his nose almost touching the floor. "But, there is being visitors here from the Ministry of Magic and Gringotts Bank. They is wanting to see you, Master."
'What could be so important for Gringotts to send a representative to me? Narcissa, possibly? I haven't seen or heard anything of her whereabouts in days.' "Very well, elf. See them to my study, and inform them that I will be with them shortly. After that, you will punish yourself severely for your incompetence and insubordination! See to it that you do not eat or sleep for a week, and you shall refrain from any cleaning whatsoever, and if I find that you have not followed my instructions, I will have one less elf to worry about."
Bowing deeply again, Dobby squeaked, "Y-Yes, Master. Dobby is good elf. Dobby do everything Master says." With that, the sad elf disappeared, before reappearing seconds later at the front door, to open it for their guests.
"You got lucky for the time being, Slut." With this, Lucius stood abruptly and walked briskly up the stairs, forgetting in his anger, to redo the Wards on the room, which was conveniently located behind the wall where his bookcase stood in his study.
Lucius quickly took a secret passage to his private chambers and within minutes he was refreshed and ready to deal with his unwanted guests.
Christine watched the man leave, wondering if anything during her last few days was real. She knew that she had just seen an impossible creature appear out of thin air behind the man, announcing the arrival of guests from a Ministry of Magic and a bank that she had never heard of. What was going on? The moment the man left the room, Christine felt as if a weight had lifted from her. She could move again! Still, she had no idea where she was, but if she could at least make it to the Ministry people, who sounded like they were from the government, then they might be able to help her.
Spurred on by a powerful instinct for her own survival, Christine made it through the door within seconds, and tore down the long, dark hallway.
"Could I offer you gentlemen a drink? Perhaps some firewhiskey would do?" Lucius Malfoy strode quickly into his study, seating himself comfortably in his personal chair, just behind the desk that he used to write all of his most important laws and bylaws.
The aurors watched Lucius closely as he entered. Lord Malfoy walked proudly, the way a man that had long been at perfect ease and comfortable with his power would. Without trying, Lucius Malfoy could intimidate any who watched him, simply by walking past them. The three rookie aurors prayed fervently that they would not have to arrest him, or they could simply forget about the last three years they had spent training, and find new careers. They had no idea who had the influence to bring such a matter to Lord Malfoy's own doorsteps, but they knew a power play when they saw one, and they were caught dead center.
"We are not here for pleasantries, Lord Malfoy. I am here on behalf of Lord Black," the goblin said crisply.
"You are, are you?" Lucius was getting more furious by the second. If they were here on Lord Black's behalf, then it must have had something to do with Narcissa.
"Indeed," the goblin replied curtly. "I am Griphook, Manager of the Black family's accounts. As of two nights ago, you were given 72 hours, by which time, you must pay back the full allotted dowry that was given to you the day you took Narcissa Black to be your wife. Your marriage was annulled on the basis of violation of contract, and therefore, you must also pay interest on the dowry, beginning from your wedding day, along with any of the costs to Gringotts to set these affairs in order. You must also pay heavy fines, which by law, you must to pay to the House of Black, according to the letter of the signed marriage contract. There will be fines for your violation of contract, the shame you have brought upon the Black family, your violation and deflowering of a woman in the Black family, disgracing her, and a very heavy fine for each and every time you or another touched her sexually without her express permission. The amount comes to approximately 200 million galleons, all of which must be paid within the next 24 hours or Gringotts will seize the whole of your possessions and assets and deliver them to Lord Black as payment."
As Griphook spoke, Lucius' face grew redder and redder, and by the time the goblin finished speaking, his face was a very pale white, almost translucent, much to the auror's horror, and Griphook's satisfaction. Griphook was very pleased with Lord Malfoy's reaction, and was hoping very much that the arrogant wizard attempted to resist them or attack them. Attempting to resist payment would immediately result in the forfeit of everything to Lord Black, but the pompous Lord Malfoy had to already know that.
The aurors each had their wands out now, desperately praying that they would not need them, although it now looked seemingly impossible that this would end without bloodshed. Whoever had recently been named Lord Black was cleaning out Lord Malfoy magnificently, but Gringotts refused to budge as to his identity, and certainly, none of the Blacks were saying a word as to who their new Lord was. The rumor was, Harry Potter was the new Lord Black, but either way, they sensed the beginning of a war between the two powerful families, one which could very well end up being very bloody, and economically devastating.
"I'm not sure that I have that much on hand, goblin," Lucius said coldly. "Perhaps I could arrange to pay Lord Black over time? Surely he wants the full amount, as opposed to what I could give him now."
Griphook grinned evilly. "I was well aware that you would attempt this tactic, Lord Malfoy, and have taken the liberty to draw up your accounts. During the process, all of your assets, save for this manor, and everything within it, have been liquidated. You have just enough gold in your vault right now to pay Lord Black, and we will clean it out completely, and transfer the gold as soon as you give the word. Of course, all treasures and heirlooms that were within the vault to begin with remain there, and have been praised to determine their value, and will be added to the payment. Of course you could take a few out, but this manor and everything in it is not worth even one of those priceless artifacts."
"Gringotts had no right to touch any of my business' or properties and other assets without my consent!"
"We had every right, Lord Malfoy," Griphook snarled. "Lower your tone toward me immediately, or I will report that you had no intention on repayment to Lord Black! We have saved you from certain ruin! We've done what it would have taken you weeks to do. At least this way, you have a home to return to! We will touch nothing in this house to make the payment, I assure you. This has been done in the best interests of two of our oldest clients, so do not take our kindness for granted, Lord Malfoy. If you resist, you will forfeit everything, surely you realize this?"
Lucius growled in reply, but made no move to get up or reach for his wand. Instead, the was a sudden crash, and one of the valuable black diamond bookends fell to the floor, shattering the vase standing beside the bookcase as it fell.
In an instant, the aurors all had their wands pointing back and forth between Lucius and the bookcase. Griphook, who noted that Lord Malfoy only reached for his wand after the crash, immediately knew that Lord Malfoy was not expecting the interruption either, loath as he was to admit it. He was pleased to see, however, Lucius become even paler as his eyes swept towards the bookcase, with a panicked look in his eye.
Grinning maliciously, Griphook raised his hand towards the bookcase, casting several revealing spells in the direction. He smelled blood, and he couldn't very well deny Lord Malfoy his chance to be brought to justice for whatever he was hiding, now could he?
After a second, the results came back to the goblin. There was a hidden passage behind the wall, along with a muggle female. Surely a pureblood Lord, who spoke so outrageously against muggles and muggleborns, would not have a muggle servant?
"Auror Dawlish, there is a passage behind that bookcase. Be careful how you open it, there's a muggle female behind there."
Following Griphook's command, Auror Dawlish walked up to the bookcase. Leaning up against it he shouted. "Miss, please step away from the wall for your safety. We are here to protect you, so please back away at least ten feet. I am going to blast a hole open to reach you."
Immediately, they all heard a high pitched squeak and the shuffling of feet from behind the bookcase. Lucius looked murderous.
Auror Dawlish stepped back, raised his wand to chest height, and cried, "Bombarda Maxima!"
A moment later, an explosion ripped through the room, and there was a gaping hole where the wall and bookcase had been moments earlier. Halfway down the passage, the muggle female stood slowly, horror written all over her face.
Auror Dawlish stepped forward to the hole in the wall and the other two aurors had grim looks on their faces, keeping their wands pointed at Lord Malfoy's heart.
"You will all leave my house immediately! Goblin, do what you must to ensure my repayment to Lord Black! I give you full authorization to clean my vault out in order to do this, but you must all leave immediately!" Lucius was enraged, but also quickly calculating his chances of escaping the situation without life in Azkaban. He knew that they would not leave, but while the goblin formulated a response, Lucius quickly sized up the aurors, trying to figure a way past them to escape.
The aurors were all rookies, judging by the color of their robes, and Lucius could easily defeat them all in a duel in seconds, but the goblin had powerful magic of it's own, and Lucius wasn't so positive of his chances there. Even then, there was the girl, and a slim chance of one of the aurors getting to her and disapparating before Lucius could get to her or take them all out. That hurt things even worse. The fact that they had broken through his wards meant that they had at least one curse breaker with them, and since the curse breaker remained outside, it was quite probable that the curse breaker in question was currently maintaining wards to keep him from escaping by any magical means. That posed a serious problem. Unfortunately, Lucius was trapped. He was foolish, but not stupid. He had no choice but to cooperate.
"Don't be stupid, Lord Malfoy! We cannot leave now," Griphook said coolly. "Who is this girl? And why is she abused so?"
"She is my concubine! I can treat her as I wish, so her pain has only just begun, I swear it to you!"
'Concubine? Merlin's pants! If that is true, then we will have no choice but to leave her here. The question is, how would Lord Malfoy acquire such a concubine without alerting the other purebloods, and why did he not have his property registered?' "I was not aware that you had any concubines, Lord Malfoy. Surely she would have been registered as part of your assets?"
The girl looked on horrorstricken from where Auror Dawlish sat treating her many wounds. The female auror happened to be a healer, and was closing her wounds and treating her scars, which apparently, would all be gone within the next few minutes. This woman was good!
Lucius Malfoy again said nothing, confirming Griphook's suspicions.
"Having an unregistered concubine is illegal, Lord Malfoy."
'Thank Merlin I've already disposed of the other two,' Lucius thought grimly.
"How did you obtain her and where is her family now?"
Lucius scowled. "Her father owed me business debts, and I have the paperwork in the top drawer of my desk. I believe her family moved out of the country, to save themselves the disgrace of having a slut for a daughter. I have not yet had the time to register my new acquisition." Moving quickly, Lucius began going through the drawer, appearing to look for the documents.
"Liar!" Christine's voice surprised them all, and Lucius jumped back. Her silent sobs had stopped and fresh tears were streaming down her face as she shot Lucius a glare of utmost loathing.
"Shut up, Slut! You will be silent or pay the price later!"
"You bastard! You murdered my family!"
"I said -," Lucius began, as he raised his wand to curse her. A second later, he found himself blasted against the wall by the third auror, who still had his wand aimed at Lucius' heart.
"Lord Malfoy, if this child was your concubine, she would not have been able to speak after you ordered her to remain silent," the auror said slowly, still very shocked at his own actions. "That is all the evidence we need. Lord Lucius Malfoy, you are hereby placed under arrest, pending the investigation into the unlawful kidnapping of a muggle, and possible murder of said muggle's family."
Seconds later, Christine watched as Lucius was placed in magic suppressing cuffs by the auror who had blasted him. If she hadn't seen it for herself, she would never have believed that magic was possible. Now, she was nothing but thankful to the strange man, even as wary as she was of the stick in the man's hand. Still, those sticks didn't do that all the time, she noted. The man who saved her and the nice lady both had sticks and badges and were using them to heal her. For the first time in days, Christine smiled in relief, before realizing suddenly that she had nowhere to go. What would she do now? Her parents were dead, she had no money, and she didn't want to go to an orphanage!
"What is your name, child?" Griphook asked, startling the girl.
Looking up at the goblin, Christine felt her fear begin to creep up onto her anew. "C-Christine."
"What is your surname, Christine. Do you know how long you have been here? And is it true that your family is now dead?"
"M-My name is Christine Gr-Granger," she stuttered out. "I've only been here a few days. Before he murdered them, it was just me, my mom, and my dad. W-We were going to move to the mountains in France."
Griphook's eyes went wide. "Granger, did you say?"
The girl nodded.
"Are you by chance related to a Miss Hermione Granger?"
The girl nodded again, a look of dread dawning on her. "S-She's my cousin. He didn't get her too did he?"
Oh sweet Merlin. This was getting worse for Lord Malfoy by the second. At least this would solve several problems as for what to do with the child. "No. Lord Malfoy has not laid a hand on your cousin. In fact, if he had, I daresay that Lord Potter-Black would have murdered him several times over after cursing him for all eternity."
The aurors all gasped, and Auror Dawlish actually dropped his wand. Lucius, on the other hand, stood there stiff as a body bound statue, pure and utter terror flashing through his eyes and his heart was beating so hard that he was hopeful that it would explode. None of this was lost on Christine, who was just as bright as Hermione. She actually smiled a bit wider at the varied reactions. Even the solemn goblin with speechless at his own words.
"Is there something going on with Hermione? Who's this Lord Potter-Black that sounds so powerful?"
The aurors and Lucius remained silent, each one's mouths opening and closing, but no sounds coming out. After a few more seconds of silence, Griphook answered. "Miss Granger, I know it is a lot to ask of you, but if you would trust me, I could show you better than I could tell you the answer to your questions. I also believe that I will be able to take you to a much safer place, and alert Lord Potter-Black, along with your cousin, fairly quickly."
Christine wasn't particularly sure about this goblin, who seemed to know so much of what was going on, but if the people with badges trusted the goblin enough to allow it, would it really hurt? It wasn't as if she had much choice at the moment. Anything was better than the house they were in right now. Seeing her only chance, she nodded.
"Very well. Auror Dawlish, how are her wounds coming along?"
Auror Dawlish and the female auror looked Christine over once more, and announced that she was now in perfect health, without even a single physical scar to show for her suffering.
"Good, Miss Granger will accompany me to the perimeter of the wards. I will then take her personally to safety, and ensure that the appropriate parties are notified. The aurors will receive my report of this from Gringotts by tomorrow morning."
The aurors all nodded and while the female auror opened the door, the other two pulled a sick looking Lucius Malfoy through and out to the gate to his property before disappearing into thin air.
When they made it out to the perimeter of the wards, Griphook turned to Bill Weasley. "Mr. Weasley, I thank you for your admirable work. I will make sure that my report praises your work very much. Now, you may return to Gringotts to file your own report. After that, you are free to take a two week vacation, under my authority. Spend it with your family, and maybe I will have a promotion of sorts set in order for you when you return."
Bill looked confused as ever, but disappeared with a 'crack' and a broad smile, never realizing why Griphook was so thankful for him doing his job, yet.
"Are you ready, Miss Granger?"
Christine wasn't nearly as terrified as she had been half an hour before. She still had very little clue what was going on, but was more than willing to place her trust in the strange creature that had saved her from the horrible man that was hurting her. "Yes, sir. And thank you for everything, just in case I don't see you again."
It was rare for a human to thank a goblin with genuine appreciation, and it brought a grin to Griphook. "Miss Granger, you are very welcome. And I am quite sure that we will see each other again. I am also thankful that we found you, because I hate to think of what the results would have been if we left you there. Now, take my hand firmly and don't let go."
Christine took a firm hold of Griphook's hand, and the goblin and child disappeared a second later.
Emrys Dormitory, Hogwarts, Northern Scotland
Shortly under an hour after the Harry, Gabby, and Hermione had left the spot beside the lake after watching the Weasley twins disappear quickly to find their dorm mates, they found themselves in the Emrys house common room watching the twins usher in the newly dubbed 'Wardens', named because of the Emrys house seal. Harry thought it was a bit weird. The Wardens of Emrys? The Emrys Wardens? He could hear it being announced in his mind that the Wardens of House Emrys had won the quidditch cup. It didn't sound quite right, but the school had taken to it already, and it wasn't as if he had any better ideas.
The twins looked grimly at Harry, who was seated in his favorite spot, in between Gabby and Hermione.
Catching sight of the twins and their 'condition', Harry grinned. Frowning, Gabby and Hermione turned to look toward the door, and promptly broke into another fit of giggles, joining the several others who had been snickering at the twins' expense since they laid eyes on them.
"Alright folks, Harry said he has something to show us all," Fred called out. "Give him your full, 'undivided' attention."
Parvati and Lavender broke into giggles again at the poor joke.
The twins glared at Harry, but were soon standing beside him. "Harry, mate, we did your little favor, so do you mind changing us back now? Most of the school has already seen us, and you know this means war, right?"
Harry gave George a predatory grin, which made both twins gulp. "Well then, war it is. But before I undo my charms, I have one more favor to ask of you two."
This earned Harry another glare from them.
"Hey Harry, are you three going to keep whispering over there all night, or can we get on with the show?" Angelina was seated on the other couch, across from Harry, Gabby, and Hermione. On either side of her were Alicia and Katie.
"Give us a minute, Angelina. The twins have something that I need to borrow."
The twins raised their eyebrows as one. "And what that might be, mate?" Fred asked.
"Yes, what could we possibly have that a scrawny little git like you would want," George continued.
Harry smiled evilly and motioned them both to lean in so that he could whisper. "A map. A very old map."
The twins paled considerably, and their reaction wasn't at all lost on the crowd. Whatever Harry had told them was a definite surprise. Fred and George looked at each other quickly, and leaned back down to whisper to Harry.
"Harry, mate."
"How in Morgana's bloated right tit, do you know about that?"
"And do you honestly think we are going to allow anyone that we just barely met to borrow that map?"
"It's been the secret to our success for the last two years!"
Harry leaned forward, carefully considering his options for a moment, and also enjoying his game with the twins. They had no idea what he knew, and he could lead them on all day if he wished. "I wish I could answer your first question right now, but I really do have to be careful who I trust with that information. Would you agree to lend it to me so I can make an improved version of for myself, if I agreed to introduce you to two of the marauders... say Padfoot and Moony?"
The twins were stonewalled. They stood there silently, stunned speechless, with shocked, blissful, dreamy looks on their faces, each sporting a marvelously bloody nose, for several moments. Finally, after several minutes, during which, the onlookers were very amused once more, Fred found his voice, even though it sounded more like a croak.
"Harry, if you're having us on-"
"I'm not."
"But how could you possibly-" George's voice was high and squeaky like a girl's, making half the room roar with laughter.
"You'll find that out soon enough."
"Can you really do that? Both of them?"
"You got it."
"Are you sure, mate?"
"Yep."
The twins looked at each other in awe before coming to a silent agreement. "Can we get it to you in private later?" the twins asked in unison.
"Naturally," Harry replied pompously with a grin and his chin in the air, thoroughly enjoying himself.
"Then you got yourself a deal," the twins said, reaching out to shake Harry's hand to seal the pact.
"Thanks, you guys are the best." Harry quickly undid his charms, and the twins reverted to normal.
"We know we are," Fred said, patting Harry's shoulder from behind.
"So don't you forget it," George finished, smiling broadly and moving to stand beside Angelina.
"Okay, everyone. I guess you are all wondering why I brought you all back here to show you something," Harry began.
There were nods of agreement from everyone, except Gabby. They were all quietly wondering what other surprises Harry Potter had up his sleeves for them. Fidgeting, the twins fervently hoped that it wasn't another prank. They silently agreed that he was too good for his own good, and they would have to think hard about how to get one over on him. Let the prank war begin!
"Before I begin, I would like to say that what I wish to show you all is very secret and I trust everyone in this room to keep this a House secret. I have a story to tell you all after I show you, but it will sound pretty ridiculous, so before I say anything else I want you to all know that I am telling you all the truth."
Harry raised his wand to his own heart. "I, Harry James Potter, hereby swear upon my life and magic, that anything I say to those in this room with me right now, from now until midnight tonight, will be the full truth, to the best of my knowledge."
A second, and a flash of light later, everyone in the room was silent as they realized how serious Harry was.
"Would that include me, Pup?" No one had noticed Sirius enter the room.
"Of course it does, Sirius. I'm sorry I didn't think to have you here with us before. I thought you might be busy."
"Nonsense, Harry. I'm never to busy to be there when you need me, Pup," Sirius said, chuckling softly as he sat in his favorite recliner.
"Well, now you all know that everything I say is the truth, or I'd fall dead. But in case I do, do me the favor of getting a picture of me starkers and put it in every girls bathroom with a permanent sticking charm. I'd love to see what goes on in there, ya know what I mean?" Harry said laughing heartily.
Every girl in the room glared at Harry, while the Weasley twins had nasty, positively evil grins on their faces. They looked like hunters that had their prey nice and cornered now. Harry, who caught their grins, gulped. He would have to keep a very close eye on the twins, and his clothes.
"Alright, on a more serious note. I trust everyone in this room for different reasons, some of which will become apparent once I get to tell you all my story, but before we go anywhere, I need each of you to swear a wizard's or witch's oath, not to repeat anything I say, or mention anything I show or tell you to anyone who is not now in this room with us."
The twins looked at each other, and across at Harry. They had been expecting something like this, but before they could step forward and swear their oaths, Sirius beat them to it.
Standing up, Sirius gave Harry a protective look. "Harry, you've already taken a great risk with your oath, and you obviously have something very important to show us. I want you to know that I will never repeat anything you tell me unless you ask me to, and I will never betray you. I see you as my own son. So-," at this point Sirius pointed his wand at his own heart. "I, Sirius Orion Black, the Marauder known as Padfoot, do hereby swear upon my life and magic to Harry James Potter, the Marauder known as Blazewing, Son of Prongs, that I will never reveal any of his secrets, and to never reveal what I learn tonight, unless Harry gives me leave to by his own free will. So mote it be."
Harry stood silently for a second, floored by Sirius' knowing who had been secretly visiting him in Azkaban, and by his naming Harry as a Marauder. "I, Harry James Potter, the Marauder known as Blazewing, Son of Prongs, do hereby accept your oath Padfoot. So mote it be."
A flash of light later, as magic accepted the oath, and Sirius embraced Harry fiercely, with rare tears of happiness streaming down his face. "I knew it. I knew it had to be you. No one else knew our secret."
"I'm glad you figured it out, Padfoot. I hope you enjoyed the food I brought you when you were in Azkaban?"
"So that wasn't just a phoenix, huh?"
"Nope."
"Harry, what are you two talking about?" Gabby asked. "And why did he call you Blazewing?" Sirius and everyone else looked at her in astonishment, surprised that she didn't already know this about him.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, Gabby. I wanted it to be as much a surprise for you as for everybody else," Harry said as he stepped to the middle of the couches and transformed.
~I'm sorry, Love. I hope you aren't upset with me. I wanted it to be special. You already know so much about me, it was hard figuring out how to surprise you. I hope you forgive me. I love you.~
~Don't be silly, Love. I'm not mad. I'm actually really pleased that you would do that just to make me happy. There's nothing to forgive, and I love you too.~
Harry was enjoying the feeling of the girls cooing and stroking his feathers, while Sirius had become Padfoot, and was getting a nice belly rub for the show.
The twins were silently cursing their luck. They were split between awe of the two Marauders, one of whom was the legendary Padfoot, and horror at having declared a pranking war with a Marauder who was the son of the legendary Prongs, and godson of the legendary Padfoot. They would have to pull everything they knew to stand a chance against the Legendary Marauders.
Suddenly, the twins broke through the crowd and threw themselves before Harry and Sirius, who now sat side by side, amused by the twins antics as they were now on their hands and knees, bowing over and over and saying, "We're not worthy, Masters, We're not worthy!"
This confused everyone else in the room who was watching. Harry was laughing as he and Sirius transformed back into themselves. "You do realize, we are still at war, right?" The twins gulped audibly, and made silent notes to owl Bill for the best books on warding and cursebreaking he had. They would need every advantage they could think of, even more than they knew.
As they retreated back to their original positions behind the other couch, neither noticed the discreet listening charm that Harry applied to the tips of their ears. Harry smiled, satisfied with his work. That would give him a heads up on anything they planned, and they would never know what hit them.
Sirius seemed almost as confused as everyone else in the room. "Harry, what was that about. That acted like they know me."
"Oh, they do, Sirius," Harry replied laughing. In a quieter note, Harry whispered in his ear, "They have the map."
"They do?" Sirius was grinning broadly now, and happily glaring hungrily at the twins, the way a wolf would stare down his prey. "And they declared war on you?"
"Yep."
"Ahh, so sweet. I guess that evens out the playing field a bit, don't you think?"
"I do."
Harry and Sirius looked maniacally at the Weasley twins, and they bolted from the room, only to be strung up in the air by their ankles before they had made it around the corner.
"Good one, Padfoot," Harry said, smiling easily as he leaned back against the couch.
"You too, Blazewing," Sirius replied, grinning like a madman.
"Yeah, well. Great minds think alike."
"I'll second that."
"Are you going to let us down anytime soon?" Fred yelled. Tonks blew a raspberry at him, and the Patil twins burst out in the giggles.
Neville was holding his gut from laughing so hard.
"You think it's funny, do you? Why don't you join us!" George cried, and another flash of light later, Neville was in his place.
Almost everyone was rolling on the floor by now, but Harry cast a 'finite' on Fred and Neville, and cleared his throat loudly to get everyone's attention. "Okay, back on subject. We really need to do this if we want to make it down to dinner on time."
After Harry was sure that he had everyone's attention, he motioned for them to either take their oaths, or leave.
Not surprisingly, the Weasley twins were first. "Harry, we trust you and we know now that it has to something seriously important that you have to tell us, especially after the last few minutes. We are honored that you trust us, and we will always do our best to remain your friends, and we will never betray you." With that, they gave their oaths and were quickly followed by everyone else in the room.
"Perfect," said Harry. "I'd like you all to know that I'm really grateful that you are bearing with me on this. I'm sorry that I had to require the oaths from all of you, but when we get to where we are going, and I tell you my story, hopefully you will understand why. In the future, we will need all the friends we can get. We will need to stand strong together if we are to survive. Follow me."
Hermione and Padma gave each other a look at the word 'survive', but they were just as confused as everyone else. Silently, Harry led everyone to his room, where many of the girls looked around, confused, but squealed when they saw Selene.
Gabby walked over and gently stroked Selene's feathers, enjoying the peaceful feeling she got when she was around the beautiful phoenix.
"Gabrielle, is this your room too?" Hermione asked. Always the observant one.
Gabby nodded. "Yes. I have a room too, but ever since Harry and I met, we've been on our own. We've shopped together, practically lived together in the same room at the Leaky Cauldron for the last few weeks, and we've slept in the same bed from the very first night. I've grown so used to it, and we are both much more comfortable that way."
There were looks of admiration from the twins and Neville, one of utmost pride from Sirius, and a mixture of shock and jealousy from the rest of the girls.
"Wow," Lavender said softly, reaching out slowly to stroke Selene. "You two must be really close."
Harry put his arm around Gabby, and held her close. "We are. Gabby is wonderful."
There was an "awe!" from all the girls in the room, and Gabby had tears of happiness in her eyes.
"So," Harry began, as he stepped closer to the foot of the bed. "I need you to please step back, away from my trunk for a moment."
The crowd stepped back, and Harry pointed his wand toward the trunk, and it popped open, with a hole just wide enough for a person to stand in. "Okay, I'll go first to show you how it's done. Make sure you let the person in front of you move before you jump in. And don't worry, this is the only time you'll have to enter this way."
With that, Harry jumped into the trunk, and disappeared. Those that looked down into the trunk could see Harry standing in a dark room as he moved to the side to allow the rest entry.
A few minutes later, and everyone was now in the trunk, looking around curiously, and the lid to the trunk slammed shut, causing many of them to shout their worries.
"Don't worry. I will show you how to get out, and an easier way to get in next time. First off, for your safety, please note that only Gabby or myself can open this trunk, as it's wards are tied to our blood. No one without our blood and one of our permission, which must be granted of our own free will, without the use of spells or potions, can open it without being trapped inside it, in a very unpleasant holding cell. While I am going to give you each something, in order for you to come back here anytime you wish, please note that nothing can be removed from here without both of our express permission. Violation of this rule has an even harsher punishment, due to the fact that everything from every one of my vaults, except my gold, is held in this trunk for the time being."
"Yeah, and this Mansion is totally wicked. And didn't you say you would visit me in here last night Harry, Gabrielle?"
Harry turned, and saw Ginny coming out of the library. He immediately felt guilty. He had completely forgotten that he promised to meet her the night before, and silently vowed to make it up to her somehow. "Umm, we kind of got caught up, Ginny. I'm sorry," Harry said slowly. "I really am. I was looking forward to giving you a private tour, and maybe hanging out for a few hours."
"Harry."
"Yes, Love?"
"We can still give Ginny her own room here. That way she can stay anytime she likes, and you'll be able to spend more time getting to know each other."
Harry looked thoughtful for a moment, and Ginny's anxiousness at Gabby's suggestion was not lost on him. "What do you think Ginny?"
Ginny squealed. "Oh, Harry! I'd love that! Are you sure though? I don't want you doing this because you think you have to."
"No worries, Ginny," Harry chortled. "I think Gabby's idea is perfect. In fact, I believe there are enough rooms for everyone here to have their own."
Instead of replying, Ginny ran up to Harry and launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around him in a bonecrushing hug, before planting a kiss firmly on his lips.
The twins were still looking at Ginny as if in a daze, obviously not believing their eyes. "G-Ginny?"
Blushing, Harry was immediately grateful that their shock at seeing their little sister there hadn't worn off, or they'd probably have throttled him for kissing her in front of everyone else.
Ginny turned to look at her brothers, barely realizing that they were there in the room with them. "Oh, hey Fred, George. You're going to love this place." Ginny paused for a moment, still holding onto Harry tightly. "I hope you don't mind, Harry, but I was reading one of those really old books that had your seal on the cover. It was on a separate, really fancy, antique bookcase, filled with others with the same seal and binding."
"Nahh, go ahead, Ginny, but be very careful with those. If they have that seal on them, they were written by Merlin himself." Everyone except Harry and Gabby gasped.
"Thanks!" With that, Ginny gave Harry another kiss, hugged her brothers, and grabbed Gabby's hand, dragging her off through the door with her.
"Bye, Love." Harry called after Gabby. A second later, Gabby peeked her head back in the door and blew him a kiss before disappearing around the corner to follow Ginny.
"Harry, how is it, that you have books written by Merlin and why did she say that it was your seal?" Neville asked cautiously, almost afraid of the answer.
Harry winced. "Ahh... well... that's part of the story, but to be blunt, Merlin is my ancestor. Harry flashed the Emrys Head of House ring. Our House seal is Merlin's seal. He once wore this very ring as the first and only Lord Emrys before myself. Sorry I didn't mention it before, but I would have thought that nearly everyone here knew enough history to recognize the name Emrys."
Several of the girls were too stunned to speak.
"Fred."
"Yeah George?"
"We're really in for it."
"That's putting it lightly, we're doomed."
"We declared war-"
"On the bloody Heir of Merlin," the twins finished together dramatically.
"Come on you guys, that isn't even half the news," Harry said merrily, waving at them all to follow him through the door and ignoring the looks of stunned disbelief on all their faces.
"What more could there possibly be?"
"I don't know, Padma. What about you Katie, any ideas?"
"Ask Hermione."
Before Hermione could say anything, a scream was heard from somewhere outside the room, and everyone ran through the door and found themselves in the vast room that made up the main living area of the mansion.
"Ginny!" Fred called out.
"Hey little sis, is everything okay?" George said as they approached her.
"She's fine. We just got surprised, that's all." Gabby was standing just behind Ginny, who had been startled out of her seat on one of the two massive, jet black sectional couches that surrounded an ornate crystal center table.
"By who?"
"By us." The voice of the goblin surprised them all, and Harry surprised them further when he stepped up to the goblin.
"Griphook, what's going on? Has something happened?"
"Indeed it has, Lord Potter. Can they be trusted?" Griphook asked curtly, glancing around as everyone filled into the room, watching him and Christine both carefully.
"Of course they can. Tell me what happened and what do you mean by us?"
"We have collected on the payment that Lord Malfoy owed you. He now has nothing, save his Wiltshire manor, and everything within it, but that's not where the problem came in. Rather, that is where we stumbled upon the problem, which is why Lord Lucius Malfoy is currently a guest of the dementors of Azkaban, awaiting his trial."