There was so very few things in life that made Lucinda nervous, but
as she and Harry readied themselves to visit her parents and
Draikon, she felt the apprehension mingled with her excitement.
Even now, having slept on the conversation they had shared
yesterday, Lucinda was still overcome with disbelief.
She had known for as long as she cared to remember that she was
in love with Harry, but she had not dared admit it, not even to herself.
There had never been any doubt in her mind that Harry felt affection
for her but hearing him express how deep that went for him was
something else entirely.
Lucinda had never been a giddy, gossiping teenage girl the same
way Eleanor and Ana could be. She had not taken part in
conversations where they openly admired the boys around them for
their looks or seemed to go through the same changes they had
experienced over the years.
For her, there had only ever been one with the ability to elicit those
more human characteristics within her.
Harry could be frustrating at times, stubborn to a fault, and he knew
just how to get under her skin with his mischievous ways and that
damned smile that just made everything feel better, but she truly
wouldn't change a thing about him.
He made her feel all of those things that she would otherwise miss
out on in life, and she still found what was happening hard to digest.
"Did you mean it?" she asked.
Of course he had meant every word he'd said to Cassiopeia, but
Lucinda needed reassurance, to push away the insecurity she was
not familiar with away once and for all.
"Mean what?" Harry asked, a grin tugging at his lips.
Lucinda rolled her eyes before grabbing under the armpits and sitting
him on the nearby dresser as though he was a petulant child.
"Are you going to do this to me when we're married?" Harry sighed.
"Yes," Lucinda answered without hesitation.
Harry chuckled as he shook his head.
"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it," he replied. "I wouldn't have
spoken to your parents if I wasn't sure, and I wouldn't be going back
to speak with Draikon either. He could make things difficult for us."
Lucinda frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, how many humans do you think have approached him to
marry a member of his clan?"
"Not many," Lucinda murmured.
"If he wants to, he could try to use it to his advantage," Harry pointed
out.
"I don't think he would," Lucinda said thoughtfully. "He likes you."
"When it comes to power or having an advantage, liking someone
has little to do with it. But then, I could be wrong. I just have to be
prepared for all eventualities, especially where my marriage is
concerned. It is a big deal, and there will be a lot of people that do
not like it."
Lucinda was aware of the human attitude towards vampires in
Britain.
They were not looked upon fondly.
She had not, however, considered just how much trouble this could
potentially cause. The excitement she'd felt had clouded her
thoughts, and she bit her bottom lip worriedly.
"Are you sure you want to..?"
Harry cut off with a wave of his hand.
"I am prepared to do what I have to for this," he said firmly. "Cassie
is right. I have lost and given enough to this country, and they don't
have to like my decision, but they will respect and accept it. This is
one thing I will offer no compromise on."
Lucinda offered him a bright smile.
She loved how playful and fun Harry could be, but it was times like
this that she was reminded of just who he was.
Harry was a powerful lord of two prominent families, and he knew
how to conduct himself as such.
"Come on," he urged as he slid himself off the dresser. "We don't
want to be late."
Lucinda nodded as she gathered her bag and straightened out her
dress.
It was not often she wore one, but tonight seemed to be an apt
occasion to do so.
"Ready?" Harry asked as he offered his hand.
Nodding nervously, Lucinda accepted it and the two of them were
transported from Grimmauld Place to a short distance away from the
cave that acted as the entrance to where her clan resided.
It felt odd being back here.
She had not expected to be until the war was concluded, but
evidently, things did not always go to plan.
Looking towards Harry as they made their way towards the cave,
she decided that could indeed be a good thing.
This certainly was.
Or so she hoped.
"I expected you had something to do with it," Svetlana sighed as she
greeted them near the mouth of the cave, her hand wresting on the
pommel of her sword.
"With what?" Lucinda asked curiously.
"With why Draikon has been acting so strangely today," Svetlana
answered. "Are you going to explain what's going on?"
Lucinda grinned as she shook her head.
"I think I will make you wait."
Svetlana narrowed her eyes at the younger vampire and hummed
before turning her attention to Harry.
"Twice in only a day, Harry Potter?" she probed.
Harry nodded.
"I'm not telling you either."
Svetlana chuckled as she gestured for them to follow, muttering
about humans and their secretive nature.
"Well, she didn't threaten you," Lucinda pointed out.
"Not yet," Svetlana interjected.
"Are all of you intent on threatening my life?" Harry huffed.
"You should be grateful they are only threats," Svetlana returned with
a smirk, showing the tips of her pointed fangs. "For now."
"Bloody hell," Harry grumbled.
Lucinda took him by the hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"It's not too late to change your mind," she teased.
"I think it might be," Harry murmured as he nodded towards the
waiting Draikon.
Lucinda's parents flanked the man on either side in the middle of
underground city.
They seemed nervous, but Draikon welcomed them both with a
smile.
"As ever, you are welcome amongst us, Harry Potter," he said, his
gaze flickering towards Lucinda. "You have grown into quite the
beauty."
Lucinda offered her leader a respectful bow which was returned in
kind.
"Come, I believe we have much to discuss."
Squeezing Harry's hand encouragingly, the two of them followed in
the wake of Draikon and her parents where they were led towards
the former's place of residence.
Lucinda did not know if that was necessarily a good thing, and once
more, she felt a sense of nervousness set in with the excitement.
Harry remained as calm as ever, on the surface at least, but even as
they were shown into the large house hewn into the rock at the rear
of the vampire dwelling, she did not miss him checking that his wand
was easily accessible.
" Hello, Peter."
Wormtail backed himself into the corner of his cell as much as he
could, his eyes bulging fearfully and his lip trembling as he looked
upon his visitor.
Sirius imagined that this might appear to be little more than a
nightmare for his former friend, but it was very real.
He'd heard Cassiopeia mention that the rat had been brought to
Nurmengard and having consulted a few books on the war against
Grindelwald, it had not taken him long to locate where his infamous
prison had been built.
There seemed to be little to prevent him from entering; the security
measures in place having been designed to keep prisoners in rather
than people out proving to serve him well in his own efforts.
Nurmengard seemed to be empty; abandoned but left standing as
perhaps a monument to those that had suffered and perished within
its walls.
That, however, was no longer true.
Pettigrew was here. Sirius could smell him the moment he entered
the stone tower.
" S-Sirius?" Wormtail stammered.
" I bet you thought you were quite safe here, didn't you?" Sirius
returned, the smell of alcohol on his own breath making him feel
rather nauseous.
He had been drinking for most of the day and could no longer sit on
the information he had.
He'd tried to ignore that the man who had betrayed James and Lily
was quietly rotting away here, but he simply couldn't.
Prison was too good for Wormtail, and Sirius knew he would regret
not acting on the impulse to punish the man suitably for all he had
done.
Twelve years.
For twelve years of his life, Sirius had been subjected to the horrors
of Azkaban, the constant torment of knowing that Pettigrew was out
there somewhere, free after what he'd done.
No, that was unacceptable.
He could not allow Peter to get away with it.
Even when he'd been captured, it hadn't been enough, and though
he knew that he was perhaps acting foolishly, it would not stop him.
Peter needed to truly suffer.
Before the rat could open his mouth to speak again, Sirius felled him
with a punch.
From that moment, everything else had gone by in a blur as the pain,
anger, and hatred was unleashed on Wormtail.
By the time Sirius came to his senses, he was covered in blood, and
parts of Peter Pettigrew were strewn around the cell.
He had not even used his wand.
Sirius had beaten Pettigrew to death before transforming and
mutilating the man's remained.
Did he regret what he'd done?
The truth was that he only wished Wormtail had suffered more.
Still, he was dead now, and Sirius hoped that having been the one to
administer what the man deserved, he could finally move on without
being consumed by the need of vengeance.
It was not to be so.
Only days later, Tonks' body had been discovered in Diagon Alley
and that very same need for vengeance reared its head once more.
Since the Order had reformed and the young metamorph had
counted herself amongst their ranks, Sirius had begun reconnecting
with her.
He remembered the girl fondly when she had been but a
rambunctious child, before he had been sent to Azkaban.
Sirius had been the only member of his family to remain in contact
with Andromeda after she had been shunned, and the only blood
relative of the Blacks who had been allowed to meet her daughter.
Now, Tonks had fallen like many others before her, murdered by the
very same psychopath who had killed James and Lily.
The following funeral had been a deeply unpleasant ordeal to
endure.
Not only had Sirius had to watch as Tonks was laid to rest, but also
see the utter heartbreak and devastation of Andromeda who had
refused to even acknowledge the members of the Order in
attendance.
Even Sirius had been snubbed by the mourning woman who
undoubtedly blamed them all for what had happened to her only
child.
Sirius did not hold that against her.
How could he when nothing had been put in place to keep her safe?
As such, Voldemort had gotten to her with ease.
Sirius threw his full goblet of Firewhiskey into the hearth as he
cursed under his breath.
The grief and hatred he'd carried for Pettigrew was gone now, but in
its place was a fresh need to see those responsible for what had
happened to Nymphadora Tonks brought to justice in the same way.
No, Sirius did not regret what he had already done.
If given the chance, he vowed that he would do the same again
when the opportunity arose.
"What was that crash?" Remus asked as he entered the kitchen,
releasing a deep breath as he spotted the discarded goblet by the
fireplace.
The werewolf took a seat next to his oldest living friend and wrapped
an arm around his shoulder.
"Come on, I think you've had enough, don't you?"
Sirius did not have the energy argue and nodded his agreement.
"Coffee?" Remus offered.
"Thanks."
As the man busied himself preparing the drink to help sober him up,
Sirius took some calming breaths.
His anger would not simply abate, but he had learned long ago that
stewing on it would not help him.
"Where's Harry?" he asked.
"He mentioned something about visiting Lucinda's parents," Remus
explained. "I think they already left."
The thought of the two brought a smile to Sirius's lips.
He was pleased for Harry that he had managed to find a semblance
of happiness in the messed-up world they lived in, and he found he
quite liked the vampire.
It was hard to say what James and Lily would have thought of her,
but Sirius liked to think they would approve.
Lily would have welcomed Lucinda without question. James may
have been a little more cautious but having spent enough time
around Remus as he had, he wouldn't have let any preconceived
notions he had of vampires cloud his judgement.
Yes, James and Lily would be pleased for Harry.
"Do you think…?"
Remus shrugged.
"I suppose we will have to wait and see," he replied as he handed
Sirius a steaming mug. "Would it surprise you?"
"Not really," Sirius snorted. "James didn't wait around. Harry is more
like him than he knows."
"He is," Remus agreed amusedly, "and a lot like Lily too."
Sirius nodded as he took a sip of his coffee, his thoughts turned
away from the ills that were plaguing him as he chose to think about
things that did not fill him with dread and fury.
"I must say, I was rather surprised when I learned of your intentions,"
Draikon said to Harry when they were seated in a large study. "I
knew the two of you had grown fond of one another, but I was
unaware of how much. Marrying one of our kind is not the norm,
certainly not for a man in your position."
"It is unorthodox," Harry acknowledged.
Draikon chuckled as he shook his head.
"It is unheard of," he murmured as he eyed Harry curiously. "In all
the centuries I have overseen the running of my clan, I have only
been approached by two other humans in such a way. The first was
a woman who had fallen for a vampire that turned her upon my
approval. She chose to end her existence after only a year."
"What of the second?" Harry asked.
"A man, very much unlike yourself who chose not to be turned. He
died as all humans do, and he left behind a broken spouse who
chose to join him. The prospect of an eternity without him was not
something she could face. So, you can understand my reservations."
Before Harry could formulate a response, Lucinda spoke.
"Should this not be my decision?"
Draikon looked towards her and offered her a smile.
"It is," he declared, "but as your leader and the one that turned you, it
is my responsibility to ensure you understand the ramifications of
your decision. I do not wish to see history repeat itself. With that
being said, if it is truly what you desire, you will have my full support."
"It is what I want," Lucinda replied. "It won't be like it was for them. I
do have one question. What about children? Harry is the head of two
families. He will eventually need heirs."
Harry had pondered that very thing, but seeing that he would live for
so long, it did not seem to be an immediate concern.
Lucinda, however, thought differently.
He couldn't be sure what, if any, maternal instincts vampires had.
"Well, since you both have human magic, I expect you shall face no
problems having children," Draikon replied thoughtfully. "I cannot say
for certain if they would be human. Even if it proves difficult for you to
conceive when you are ready, there are other ways, rituals you can
undergo to ensure you have the heirs you wish."
Lucinda breathed a sigh of relief.
"Then I don't need to know anything else."
"You seem certain," Draikon mused aloud. "Harry Potter is still a
human," he reminded her.
"I am, but I won't die after only a century or so of living," Harry broke
in. "Things have happened that will see me live for a thousand years
at least. So long as I am not killed by Voldemort," he added with a
frown.
A smirk tugged at Draikon's lips.
"Your magic is like no other I have come across," he said
thoughtfully. "I recognise the magic of the Peverells, but there is
more. There is magic within that is not human. I will not pretend that
either are familiar to me…"
He paused, evidently waiting for an explanation.
"I was bitten by a basilisk," Harry revealed.
There seemed to be no sense in hiding it from the aged vampire.
"Is that so?" Draikon chuckled. "Well, I will not profess to be an
expert on the subject, but I do know that you should be dead."
"Phoenix tears and some assistance from a thunderbird," Harry
explained.
Draikon's eyebrows rose considerably at the revelation.
"That is quite the occurrence. A thousand years as a human…"
He broke off as he pondered the notion before shaking his head.
"Do they have your approval?" Lucinda's mother asked, pulling him
from his thoughts.
Draikon leaned forward in his chair.
"Lucinda is to be your only bride?"
Harry scoffed at the unexpected question, nodding once he had
composed himself.
"You have my approval, under one other condition."
Harry had expected a caveat or two.
"Name it."
"You will marry under our laws as well as your own in a ceremony of
my people."
"What would that entail?" Harry queried.
"Nothing of further consequence than your own ways," Draikon
assured him. "I would bestow my blessing upon you, the two of you
will feed on each other's blood, and then you shall mark Lucinda as
yours."
"Mark her as mine?"
Draikon nodded.
"It is so that any other vampire that she may meet will know of her
status," he explained. "Bonding so deeply is sacrosanct amongst us.
Attempting to interfere or break such a bond is most severely
punished. Lucinda is to be yours and yours alone."
Harry frowned thoughtfully.
To him, it sounded as though he would have some claim to
ownership over her, but as he glanced in Lucinda's direction, there
was no denying that was what she seemed to want.
She seemed to be rather excited by the prospect of the vampire
ceremony.
Drinking her blood did not present any problems.
He had drunk blood on a few occasions now, so once more would
not deter him from complying.
"Does this mean she finally gets to bite me?"
Lucinda muttered under her breath as Draikon laughed heartily,
shaking his head as he did so.
"No, you need only provide a sample," he informed Harry amusedly.
Harry nodded.
"Agreed."
"Excellent!" Draikon declared as he stood and clapped his pale
hands together enthusiastically. "If you will both join me?"
"Now?" Lucinda's father choked.
"I see no reason to delay it," Draikon replied. "Do either of you
object?"
Both Harry and Lucinda shook their heads, and Draikon offered them
a smile before approaching a nearby cabinet and removing a
matching pair of gold goblets that were encrusted with various
jewels.
"I truly am pleased for you both," he said as he handed one to each
of them. "You will find a silver knife inside, Use it to provide your
sample."
"And there was me thinking I might get to bite you at least," Harry
sighed.
Lucinda's nostrils flared.
"I'll kill you, Potter," she warned as Draikon snorted.
She wasn't mad, not really.
Lucinda just hadn't expected the comment.
"The blood," Draikon reminded them.
Harry nodded before removing the silver knife and inspecting it.
It was designed to cut and heal only, according to the runes etched
into blade and handle. As expected, it was nothing more than a
ceremonial knife.
With a shrug, he cut into his palm and watched in morbid fascination
as his blood pooled into the bottom of the goblet before the wound
sealed over of its own accord after barely enough for a sip had been
collected.
Lucinda followed suit, her own blood proving to be much darker than
Harry's, almost black with a reddish hue.
"Switch goblets," Draikon instructed.
"Wait, will my blood not kill her with the venom in it?" Harry asked.
Draikon shook his head.
"We are not effected in the same way as humans are to venom," he
explained. "Are you ready?"
Harry nodded and offered his goblet to Lucinda who passed him
hers in return.
"I offer you both my blessing for a long, and happy coupling. I ask
that you love and cherish one another, that you remain faithful for the
remainder of your days. Through times of strength and weakness,
may you turn to each other equally, and to the father of your clan
should the need arise."
The words were something akin to what Harry knew to be a muggle
ceremony, only it differed slightly. Nonetheless, the sentiment was
much the same.
Clapping his hands together, Draikon began to speak in a tongue
that Harry did not recognise, and the tips of his fingers began to glow
a brilliant golden colour before he reached out to take the free hands
of Harry and Lucinda.
The power of the magic was rather stifling, though not unpleasant.
To the contrary of what Harry usually felt from the vampires, this was
warm and welcoming.
When he finished speaking, Draikon offered them a final smile.
"Drink," he urged.
Harry prepared himself for the expected bitter taste but was
pleasantly surprised when the flavour that spread across his tongue
proved to be similar to the scent of the woman.
It was musky with the slightest hint of sweetness and perhaps
something of an underlying floral note.
Turning towards Lucinda, he could not miss that her red eyes were
almost glowing from the sheer enjoyment she was experiencing from
tasting his blood.
As far as Harry knew, this was the first time she'd ever consumed
her food so fresh, and he finally understood why there were some
older vampires that longed for the old ways of hunting for their own
sustenance.
Still, if they were allowed to do so, it would create quite the problem
across the world, and they would once more be seen as an imminent
threat.
"Now you must mark her as your own," Draikon reminded Harry.
"Where?"
"Wherever you wish for it to be. Traditionally…"
Draikon broke off as he nodded towards Lucinda.
Harry frowned as he turned to her once more to find that she had
already exposed her neck and was pointing to where the mark was
usually placed.
"It is where most of us have it," her mother assured him, showing her
own mark.
Mrs Tarasov's was in the shape of a crescent moon, and though it
was visible, it was only a shade or two darker than her natural skin
tone.
Not wanting to offend any of the vampires when they had been so
welcoming to him and the idea of marriage, Harry removed his wand
and placed the tip where Lucinda indicated.
She only winced slightly as her skin began to burn, and when his
mark had been left, Harry removed his wand immediately.
"Of course it would be that," he snorted.
The mark resembled a lightning bolt, identical to the one on his
sternum.
"And that concludes the ceremony," Draikon announced. "It may
mean nothing to humans, but in the eyes of our kind, you are bonded
as one in blood and magic. You both have my congratulations. Now,
I think it would be a good moment to announce our latest union to
the rest of the clan, don't you?"
He led them from the room, and Harry felt an arm thread through his
own.
"It seems as though we are family now," Lucinda's mother
commented.
"It does," Harry acknowledged. "I suppose I should curb my
inappropriate remarks towards you."
"I think that has always been for the best. My daughter certainly will
not take kindly to it now. Not that she ever has."
Harry chuckled.
The visit had become more than he had anticipated, but he had no
regrets.
He'd made his decision long ago, and if an additional, immediate
ceremony was all it had taken to be given Draikon's approval, it was
a small price to pay, though he would need to explain to Cassiopeia
that he was already married.
The woman would still insist on a magical ceremony, of that, Harry
had no doubt.
"How are you feeling?" Eleanor asked.
"All the better for seeing you," Cain returned with a grin.
Eleanor tutted as she pushed his hand away.
The full moon had come, and she had insisted on spending the
evening in the basement with Cain and Remus, both of course
having been given a dose of wolfsbain.
"What about me?" the older werewolf demanded. "I had a rough
night too."
Eleanor shook her head amusedly.
"Oi, get your own woman," Cain fired back.
"No, I've seen how much grief this one gives you," Remus yawned.
"You are welcome to her."
"That's enough out of you two," Eleanor huffed. "Honestly, it is like
living in a house full of children. Come on,," she continued, unlocking
the cages they had slept in. "You could both do with a good
breakfast."
"Is Harry back yet?" Cain asked.
"I think I heard them a few minutes ago."
At her response, Cain all but sprinted from the basement and
Eleanor could only shake her head.
"Well, it's not hard to tell who he would choose between us if he had
to," she murmured.
"He's just excitable," Remus comforted. "That little wolf thinks the
world of you. Come on, you can make me a strong coffee."
"Make your own pissing coffee," Eleanor returned evenly as she
made her way up the stairs.
"Charming," Remus chuckled as he followed, pausing as he reached
the kitchen. "Did someone die?" he asked taking in the shocked
silence.
"You could say that," Sirius huffed. "He only went and got bloody
married," he explained, pointing towards Harry. "I was looking
forward to taking him out with us. Not even a stag night," he finished
disappointedly.
Remus was the first to shake himself of the shock.
"Congratulations to you both," he offered sincerely. "And you should
think yourself lucky. If you thought it was bad having Lily after your
hide for James spending the night in the cells, imagine what an
angry vampire would do."
Sirius grimaced as Lucinda waved at him.
"You got married?" Cain asked. "I thought I'd get to be your best
man. I haven't been hanging around with you for this long to get
nothing," he added dramatically.
"It was a vampire ceremony," Harry explained. "We will still have to
have a wizarding one."
"So, there's still a chance for a stag night," Sirius said excitedly.
"Now I can be happy for you both. Bloody hell, we need to
celebrate."
The others nodded their agreement but it was Harry that shook his
head.
"We will, but there is something else I need to do first," he explained
as he removed a wooden Dark Mark from within his robes. "This
came for me yesterday, and I don't want to wait before I put it to
use."
"Malfoy Manor?" Cain asked.
Harry nodded darkly.
"Tonight," he declared. "I will be going there tonight."
The mood within the room shifted immediately.
None of them liked the idea of Harry going it alone, but he had
insisted to the point that he had threatened to lock them all in the
house.
Still, no matter how many times he assured them he would be fine, it
didn't sit right with any of them.
It had been another long day beside Draco's bed, nursing and
comforting him when whatever was plaguing him caused him pain.
Narcissa, Severus, nor any other who had checked her son over had
any answers, and she could only hope that Potter did indeed remain
true to his word.
The portkey he'd requested had been sent two days prior, and yet,
she had not felt a disturbance in the protections around the home to
indicate he'd made use of it.
It was nerve-wracking, to say the least, simply waiting for the young
man to act.
He would, of that, Narcissa had no doubt.
"It's okay, Draco," she soothed as he groaned in his sleep.
He rarely woke now, and when he did, he had to be administered a
Dreamless Sleep potion.
His condition was much worse when he was conscious, though it
was difficult to look upon him.
Draco was severely malnourished now, skeletally thin and his
already pale skin having become pasty over the intervening weeks.
His once luscious blond hair was lank, dry, and weak.
As a mother, Narcissa knew he had done wrong, but he was still her
son and she would give anything to see him well again.
She had given everything she could.
Even when Potter chose to act, her life could be forfeit if it was
discovered whom had given him the way into the manor.
Narcissa hoped that she would be far from here when those
questions were asked. Not that it would prevent the Dark Lord
hunting her down.
Releasing a deep breath, she gasped as a strong hand was pressed
over her mouth, and her chest heaved from the shock.
"You have around ten minutes to get you and him out," the voice of
Potter whispered. "I would not hang around if I were you."
Even when he released her, Narcissa did not relax.
"You promised you would heal him!" she hissed.
"I did say I would undo the curse," Potter conceded, his hand
materialising seemingly from thin air before he touched Draco with
the tip of his wand.
Draco immediately sat up, his eyes bulging with fear and confusion
as he tried to take in his surroundings.
"Calm," Narcissa urged. "We have to get out of here, Draco," she
explained, pulling him to his feet.
Fortunately, everything they would need was already prepared and
had been packed into a trunk she now carried with her at all times.
All that she needed to do now, was get them out of the house.
It would not be easy, not when Draco was so weak and still delirious
from the weeks of being cursed, but as a mother, there would be
nothing to stop her getting her and her son free.
Usually, Harry would not show so much faith in someone he deemed
to be an enemy, but he could not question Narcissa Malfoy's
motivation to see that she and Draco would survive what was
coming.
Still, he would not relax until he had achieved what he'd set out to do
and he was clear of Malfoy Manor.
As anticipated, he had arrived without being detected.
Despite being within the confines of his cloak, he waited for several
moments before transporting himself to the other side of the door
and into a long corridor filled with various doors.
Much to his relief, there was no need for him to enter any of these
rooms.
He merely needed to ensure that none could escape them.
Harry had waited until the early hours of the morning when he was
less likely to be disturbed as he carried out his task, and much to his
relief everything was going to plan, though he could not ensure it
would remain that way.
Having spent longer than he wished doing so, he'd managed to
secure the rooms on the lower floor with some rather ingenious spell
work courtesy of the Blacks, and he'd even thrown a few of
Voldemort's own into the mix.
The Death Eaters within the rooms would be going nowhere.
Any spell they attempted to use would be repelled back at them, and
besides, before they realised what was happening around them, it
would be too late.
He smirked at the thought as he felt Narcissa's presence becoming
fainter with each passing moment.
She had seemingly taken his warning and was likely dragging Draco
from the manor.
That thought only made Harry's grin widen, but he chose to focus on
the task at hand rather than the smaller, though no less satisfying
victory.
All was not what Narcissa would be expecting.
It was when Harry neared the end of the final hallway he needed to
secure, when his plan seemed to go out of the window.
Peering out of one of the doors curiously was Augustus Rookwood
who seemed to have a sixth sense for detecting danger.
The tip of his wand was lit and his eyes narrowed as he stared down
the corridor curiously before he cursed under his breath and
slammed his door shut.
How the man knew something was amiss was anyone's guess, but
Harry expected that he had quite the sensitivity to magic.
It certainly would have served him well during his years as an
Unspeakable.
Nonetheless, much of the work was already complete, and not even
the likes of Rookwood could change it now.
The die had been cast, and in only a matter of moments, the tide of
the war would change in a single blow.
Harry's only regret was that there wasn't any sign of Voldemort, but
then again, if the man had been here, the plan would not be going so
swimmingly.
Harry paused suddenly as Rookwood's door opened again.
The man was so close to him that Harry could reach out and brush
the tips of his fingers against him if he so wished.
Instead, he held his breath, his grip tightening around his wand just
in case he needed to act.
"Who's there?" Rookwood called.
Much to Harry's surprise, a house-elf appeared in front of the man.
"It is just Dobby, Mr Rookwood, sir."
Rookwood lowered his wand.
"Blasted elf," he muttered. "Keep the bloody noise down!"
With that, he slammed the door once again and the elf turned to look
at Harry, grinning before disappearing with a click of his fingers.
How the little creature knew he was there, Harry didn't know, but he
was grateful that his cover had not been blown.
Evidently, even Dobby did not want the Death Eaters here any
longer.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Harry bypassed the room Rookwood was
staying in and made his way back to the lower level of the house.
Checking that all was in place, he cast a final spell before opening
the front door of Malfoy Manor, grimacing as it creaked, and carefully
closed it behind him.
"Potter?"
Harry cursed under his breath as Narcissa Malfoy approached.
"You promised me you would heal him!"
Harry removed the cloak from his head, his grin once more in place.
"I promised I would remove the curse," he corrected. "I cannot heal
the damage already done."
"You lied to me!" Narcissa hissed furiously.
"No, you assumed I would do as you wish," he returned. "There is
not a thing on this planet that can heal him, and he deserves every
miserable moment he will live. I can't imagine he will be pleased
being a squib."
"A squib?" Narcissa choked.
Harry nodded.
"He's a murdering little shit. Did you think I would just let him get
away with it?"
"And what does that make you?" Narcissa replied with a humourless
chuckle.
"Oh, I am much worse than you can imagine," Harry retorted. "If I
were you, I would not push your luck. Do not think for a second that I
am beyond killing you and leaving Draco without anyone to care for
him. If I were you, I would take the mercy you and your son have
been granted and be grateful for it. There will be nothing but death
for you here in less than a minute."
Narcissa was taken aback by his words and she retreated a few
steps.
"You are just as bad as him ," she accused.
"How do you think I have managed to survive?" Harry snorted. "I
killed your husband and many others along the way. I'm about to kill
dozens of others that are in there," he reminded her, jerking his
thumb in the direction of the manor, "and I will likely have to kill
several more before Tom comes out and faces me. I can live with
that. The question is, will you ever be able to look your son in the
eye knowing what he has done, knowing that every day he lives he
will wish he was dead, or that it was Lucius here instead of him. I pity
you, Narcissa. I cannot fault you for wanting to be a good mother, but
you brought this on yourself. How else did you expect Draco to turn
out with such a disgusting piece of shit for a father?"
Harry laughed as Narcissa slapped him across the face.
"I'm going to give you three seconds to be out of my sight," he
warned, knowing that time truly was of the essence. "Take your son
and leave, but I promise, if I get even a whiff of him back in Britain, I
will hunt him down and feed him to the dementors."
Narcissa shot him a final look of disgust before fleeing, and Harry
quickly put some distance between himself and the manor.
"This one is for you, Gellert," as he checked his watch.
Only a moment later, the ground trembled as the enormous house
was engulfed in an eerily blue flame, and the screams, although
momentary, filled the air of the grounds that had belonged to what
remained of the Malfoy line.
Harry's eyes never left the inferno, and he felt no guilt for what he
had done.
Everyone within the walls had deserved much worse than the quick
mercy they had been given, but being at war, Harry's focus was
putting it all to an end.
For that, he needed Voldemort, and this would certainly get the Dark
Lord's attention, bringing their fated meeting just a little closer.
He stared at the smouldering remains of what had been one of the
most impressive homes in all of Britain, his nostrils flaring in fury as
he contemplated just how this had come to pass.
None could have entered Malfoy Manor without assistance, and
there was only one person in such a position.
Draco had long ago been rendered all but useless, bedbound and
barely coherent. That left only his mother.
"My Lord, you can't think…"
Voldemort held up a hand to silence Bellatrix.
"Narcissa chose to betray me," he murmured. "She knew what fate
awaited her if she failed to find it. She must have sought Potter out."
The flames.
He had seen them only once before, and it had been when his foe
unleashed them upon his Death Eaters in the Department of
Mysteries.
"Narcissa…"
"Is a traitor," Voldemort said firmly.
The woman was too savvy to have been within the home when
Potter came. She would have someone secured the safety of her
and her pathetic spawn.
"Find her, Bella," he commanded before turning away.
"What shall I do, my lord?"
Voldemort turned his attention to the woman.
He should have known that the younger of the Black sisters could
not be trusted, but for Bellatrix's sake, he had given her the benefit of
the doubt.
That mistake would not be made again.
"Kill her and her son," he instructed. "I want their heads at my feet."
Bellatrix merely nodded before vanishing, and the Dark Lord gave
Malfoy Manor a final look.
Many of his followers had perished this night, and though he still held
the numbers advantage with those not residing here, he could not
deny that it was quite the blow.