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Chocolate Frog by L A Moody

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Disclaimer: With humble gratitude to J. K. Rowling for allowing me to build castles in her sandbox once more.





Forty - One
Harry: The Ruins of Babylon



How could he have refused? The request had come from the Head Auror, Gawain Robards: a favor for the Department, an afternoon away from the stuffy confines of the Ministry itself. Who wouldn’t have opted for a summer day in the countryside?

No surprise that the Plant Unit of the Experimental Breeding Office had been overwhelmed. It was a two-person operation which had, until now, researched patents on new horticultural species. A field enquiry was a whole new experience for them. But Harry was the ideal person to get to the heart of the matter without causing any undue alarm. After all, their taskforce was there to impose fines -- or worse.

–It won’t come to that, Potter,” his direct supervisor, Elliot Ellerby, had been quick to provide. Just like Harry’s skills at diffusing dark magic weren’t really a requisite for this assignment. It didn’t take much for Harry to imagine veteran Aurors like Proudfoot and Savage muttering that it was high time the newest member of their squad established his true mettle.

The head agent from the Plant Unit, Ben Wallingford, had conceded that perhaps Harry’s specialized training with poisons and antidotes might come in handy. –But truly, mate, it’s more a case o’ rampagin’ geraniums. Mark my words.”

–We don’t really know what we’ll encounter,” Wallingford’s aide, Audrey Farnsdale, noted as she joined them in the Ministry corridor.

–We’d invite ya in for a confab but there’s no room at the blinkin’ inn,” Wallingford chortled.

Through the half-open door at Audrey’s back, Harry could discern that they had inherited a claustrophobic clothes cupboard reminiscent of Arthur Weasley’s days in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office.

–Do you have any facts at all?” Harry prodded.

–Anonymous tip of cultivation gone awry,” Audrey allowed. It took Harry an extra moment to recall why she looked so familiar: he’d passed her chatting with Percy a number of times in the Atrium.

–Could I suggest a licensed Herbologist as a consultant?” Harry proposed.

–Glad for it,” Wallingford agreed. –Not much advance warnin’, though.”

–Not to worry,” Harry replied. –I’ve a colleague we might call in. I’ll make sure Auror Ellerby adds it to our budget, not yours.”

Three days later, they reconvened at the Auror field office in Wiltshire to coordinate their approach. Neville Longbottom eagerly shook hands all around as Harry made introductions.

–A bit like the old D.A., eh?” Neville whispered into Harry’s ear.

Harry gave his old school chum an encouraging grin. –I’m sure these agents from the Plant Unit would like to hear more about your credentials, Neville. We didn’t interfere with your summer holiday, did we?”

–Glad I could help.” With a self-conscious blush, Neville added, –Have some projects brewing closer to home.”

–Harry tells us you teach Herbology at Hogwarts,” Audrey encouraged.

Neville nodded, grabbing the lifeline she offered. –I don’t have to tell you the Headmistress is all for building bridges with the Ministry. A bit of practical experience will just emphasize my true relevance -- especially to the students.”

–Are you familiar with propagatin’ new species?” Wallingford posed.

With characteristic humility, Neville admitted, –In theory.”

–Well, we’re abouta come face ta face with a bit of a situation ‘ere,” Wallingford emphasized.

Had anyone bothered to mention that their destination was Malfoy Manor? A detail that had been, oh so conveniently, omitted. Not that he could back out at this point, Harry silently grumbled.

–Ellerby mentioned ya mighta been ‘ere before,” Wallingford acknowledged casually.

Noticing Harry’s ambivalence, Audrey surmised, –Memories of the war?”

Harry nodded. –I’ll make myself useful by examining the outside areas, if you don’t mind. The grounds are extensive.”

Harry didn’t need for Wallingford to spell out his duties. It was abundantly clear he’d been recruited due to the stigma that still surrounded the Malfoy name. If there were any rogue Dark Objects found in the course of the investigation, they would need someone trained to handle them with a minimum of risk. By all other accounts, the matter would’ve been assigned to the Magical Accidents and Catastrophes Department.

Harry had no desire to revisit the overwrought entrance hall of the main house; once had been enough. Hanging back, he still had no difficulty making out Draco’s snarl from the front door, –If you’ve come looking for contraband, you’re going to be disappointed yet again. Perhaps if you’d had the courtesy to owl first, I might’ve procured some specially from Mr. Borgin himself.”

Taking the lead, Wallingford retorted, –Right lot ya know, lad. Mr. Borgin’s been outta business for going on six months. As for Mr. Burke, ya’d ‘ave to be right handy with an ex’umation charm to get any cooperation from ‘im.”

Pleasantries aside, Draco grudgingly consented to escort them through to the greenhouse which was the true reason for the visit.

Adhering to plan, Harry circled the perimeter of the house, eyes alert for anything that might signal potential trouble. The estate was but a shadow of its former self, rather like a diamond whose flaws had dimmed its beauty. The albino peacocks so emblematic of Lucius himself were gone. The surrounding woodlands were now peppered with other grand houses which had been erected in the outlying acreage. Clearly the Malfoy name still held a certain tarnished cache as the Daily Prophet had reported that there had been no shortage of moneyed investors clamoring to carve out their own dynasty a stone’s throw away.

Where there had once been swans to glide across a man-made pond, a few dark-winged geese nosed about the overgrown bank. The formal hedges lining the walkways had been replaced by white gravel. Still elegant, but maintenance free.

Harry recognized some of the plantings from the hours he’d tended Andromeda’s garden in preparation for his Herbology NEWT exam. Genuine tiger lilies, not the third-rate Muggle hybrid. They growled as he drew near their multi-striped petals. Musical trumpeting vine curled around the metal drainpipe, dormant in the sun. Come twilight, its serenade would accompany the swaying orchids which draped across the rear balcony.

– -- a bit overgrown, admittedly,” Draco drawled as Harry caught up with the group on the back veranda. –Had to sack the gardener last year, incompetent lout. Mother’s always been quite adept at cultivating her posies, as she likes to call them.”

A short distance away, the crystalline greenhouse was a miniature iron and glass version of the main house. Only the dark cracks adequately displayed the true state of the Malfoy fortune.

Draco permitted his mother to swirl past him then turned to a shadowy figure still inside the house. –Draw the drapes, sweetheart,” he urged lowly. –You know how these Ministry types upset Father.”

Narcissa issued a saccharine smile. –Be fair, Draco, darling, visitors of all sorts unsettle Lucius. A sad side-effect of the Cruciatus -- or so the Healers say.”

–Bunch of charlatans, if you ask me…” Draco groused under his breath.

Narcissa turned to the silhouette of the young woman lingering just inside the door. –Asteria, dear, why don’t you see to Father’s Calming Draught while I allow these nice gentlemen to tour the gardens?” The hardness in the eyes she turned in Harry’s direction betrayed Narcissa’s true feelings.

With the poise of a practiced hostess, she led them to the greenhouse doors. –I’ve been experimenting with the fertilizer, see,” Narcissa continued in a breezy manner. –Something I brewed with ingredients leftover in the shed. I always enjoyed working with potions, fine-tuning them as our dear friend, Severus, used to do with such rousing success.”

Harry was about to make up the rear when Neville’s restraining hand stopped him in mid-stride.

–No further!” Neville ordered. Ignoring Narcissa’s running commentary, he leaned forward to examine a side vent intently. –Looks like ordinary fanged geranium, but what would make it behave like this?” he muttered under his breath.

The broken panes of glass were actually plant vines. Twisting into thick ropes, the branches had worked their way up the walls and across the domed ceiling -- both inside and out.

–I’ve never seen anything like it,” Audrey proclaimed with awe. –These here could be effervescent grapes…or pomegranates --”

–STAND BACK!” Harry ordered as a stray tendril swooped towards Audrey while her back was turned.

Narcissa blithely rapped the errant vine with her wand. –None of that, now!”

In the afternoon light, Draco’s eyes were pale pools of shock as he grabbed his mother by the elbow. –Let the professionals handle this, Mother. You don’t want to bungle their investigation by being too eager now.”

Narcissa relented with a scowl of annoyance. But Harry had heard the unmistakable quaver of fear in Draco’s voice. So Draco had been unaware of his mother’s tinkering.

Neville donned protective goggles then mumbled a complicated incantation. The tip of his outstretched wand smoked a pale blue that made the alternating red and violet blooms hiss in outrage. Both Wallingford and Audrey donned similar gear before following him inside the greenhouse itself.

–But I always go inside!” Narcissa tried to extricate herself from Draco’s grasp only to collapse against him in a fit of coughing.

With a handkerchief covering his own mouth, Harry cast a wide protective shield around the three of them. He handed her an unopened bottle of water from his robes. –Only one, I’m afraid.”

Narcissa drank deeply as she tried to get her voice back.

Over her shoulder, Draco’s defiant look held a hint of dismay. Once he was able to regain his breath, he taunted, –Come to gloat, Potter? No Dark wizards for you to catch elsewhere?”

–A wasted trip all ‘round,” Harry replied calmly. –Just standard precautions. How close are your nearest neighbors?”

Waiting until Narcissa excused herself to check on her husband, Draco spat, –Nearest is a mile or so. Used to be you couldn’t see any lights other than the moon in the evening. Now it’s like a swarm of fireflies. Mother complains it keeps her up at night.”

–Did you suggest she close the blinds like everyone else?”

–More than once. She replies with some hogwash about the moonbeams giving her skin its pearly glow. Utter, superstitious rubbish, but you know how vain women can be about their appearance.”

Thankfully ,Ginny wasn’t so self-absorbed, Harry noted but wisely kept that to himself. –What about your father?”

He’d intended it as a question pertaining to the lights, but Draco gave him a much broader answer. –He hasn’t really been the same since….”

–None of us are,” Harry acknowledged, keeping his face as bland as possible. –Seeing colleagues die is never easy.”

–Seeing them die because of you is worse,” Draco amended.

Harry barely stopped himself from commiserating that he often felt exactly that way himself; the Auror Department expected him to portray himself as nothing but the hero they thought him to be. Trying to steer the conversation back on track, he prodded, –Any Muggles nearby?”

–Merlin, no! Do you want to give Father heart failure on top of everything else? Only wizarding families are allowed to resettle in these parts. It’s all spelled out very clearly in the contracts.”

Harry doubted it would hold up in a court of law; but as long as the Repelling Charms made Muggles see a dead-end road, none were likely to venture this far.

–Relashio!” Neville’s voice cried from deep within the greenhouse. –Keep the smoking wand on them, Ben. It intoxicates them just enough so that we can --” His words were lost in the trashing of vines coupled with the flash of multi-colored spells.

–I’d best see if they need an extra hand,” Harry issued, then faltered at the tornado of leaves just inside the door.

At his flank, Draco conceded, –I had no idea…”

–Stand back!” Harry commanded, practically pushing Draco out beyond the doors. –We’re here to see that you, in particular, aren’t hurt.”

–Same goes fer yerself, Potter,” Wallingford yelled. –Wait outside as back-up in case any antidotes are needed. THAT’S AN ORDER!”

Silently fuming, Harry acknowledged that he was seriously out of his league, yet the last thing he needed was for Draco to tag him as being ‘ornamental.’ Slowly he backed away, mesmerized by the synchronized slashes of the three horticultural experts. Already there was a growing pile of writhing vines in the basin of the empty fountain.

–Don’t let ‘em fall to the ground!” Audrey cried, barely sidestepping a vine that made for her knees. With a swath of her glowing machete, the errant stalk joined the mound.

Catching sight of a tangled mass that was ready to collapse, Harry warned, –Watch out, Neville!” He took two steps nearer but retreated as a thick branch deliberately barred the doorway.

With mounting frustration, he watched Audrey come to Neville’s aid. Transfiguring the machete back into a wand, she Levitated the roiling bundle of angry blooms to join the others.

Flashing an irate look over his shoulder, Wallingford growled, –I meant what I said, Potter. No ‘eroics!”

Unseen by the others, a short stalk landed on a bare patch of gravel, immediately sending thorny tentacles to anchor itself to the ground. While Harry watched in shock, it lunged for Audrey. She ducked at the last moment, only to send Neville flying backwards towards the fountain. Like welcoming arms, the tenacious vines reached out to lift him from his feet.

A reverberating crack made Harry’s ears ring. Instinctively, he threw his arms over his head and staggered back from the fragile walls. But instead of glass shards raining down upon them, the air hung motionless as if time had come to a standstill.

Hardly daring to breathe, Harry peeked between his hands to find Neville, Audrey and a deeply scowling Wallingford clustered against the far wall of the greenhouse. Before them, a tiny house-elf was furiously swirling her arms over her head. In a blur of motion, the last of the vines were wrenched from the ceiling to collapse with an eerie wail among the others.

–Fire’s the only thing they truly fear,” the elf squeaked.

With a curt nod, Neville cast an Incendio Charm to char a few errant pieces that were in the process of rooting.

–That’s Fern,” Draco whispered at Harry’s shoulder. –Always helps Mother with the gardening chores. She wasn’t too keen on destroying her mistress’s efforts. Took a bit of convincing on my part.”

Harry peered more closely at the nimble house-elf. If he wasn’t mistaken, she was wearing a small gardener’s smock of her own creation.

–Couldn’t have a bunch of hacks shattering the walls,” Draco drawled in his patented haughty manner.

Unfortunately, his voice was loud enough to be heard inside the greenhouse and three pairs of eyes glowered in reply.

–Oh, no! Dear sweet Merlin, what have you done?” Narcissa wailed as she flew down the back steps. –All my carefully tended flowers!”

With a loud pop, Fern reappeared kneeling at Narcissa’s feet. –Please forgive me, Mistress! Fern resisted, she did. The young master said you wouldn’t mind. Oh, please don’t punish Fern. No one’s been hurt…” The elf’s supplications trailed off as she gazed adoringly up at Narcissa.

–Don’t be silly!” Narcissa snapped. –No one’s going to berate you for following orders.” With a dismissive wave in the trembling elf’s direction, she bore down on Draco. ”What’s the meaning of this?”

To his credit, Draco calmly held his ground before his mother’s anger. –You have to admit, a good pruning was in order.”

–I’ll do nothing of the kind!” Narcissa railed inches from Draco’s face. –You know full well how long I’ve been working on a moonlight garden for Lucius.”

–Beggin’ your pardon,” a charred and sweaty Wallingford interjected. –That was ‘ardly night flowerin’ jasmine in those containers.”

–I was attempting to create Celestial Morning Glories, if you must know,” Narcissa huffed.

–Very lovely,” Audrey commented. –The way its white flowers glow like lanterns in the night. Only somehow, you ended up with a regular infestation of Hell’s Bells instead. A flower so insidious it even repels garden gnomes.”

–Dead useful it’d be, if it weren’t deadly poisonous to wizards as well,” Wallingford added. –Luckily, it ‘adn’t gone to fruit.”

–The berries are highly noxious,” Audrey concurred. –They’re used in dragon sedatives, you know.”

–Only thing strong enough ta bring one o’ those blighters down,” Wallingford elaborated. –With people, it slows bodily functions until everthin’ gradually stops.”

From inside the greenhouse, Neville announced, –I think I’ve isolated the culprit.” He emerged holding a small plant before him like it was rigged to explode. At the base of oddly drooping leaves, triangular flowers hung like malignant growths.

At least that’s what it seemed to Harry. He’d never seen flowers veined with what looked like purplish venom among the pale green petals.

–Deadly nightshade,” Neville issued in a bare whisper.

Audrey nodded her head in sudden understanding. –It all makes sense now.”

–Care to elaborate for the rest of us then?” Draco demanded.

–It’s the moonlight garden, see,” Audrey explained. –To get certain plants to produce their pure white hybrids, pollination must occur during the week that the moon is at its zenith. Not necessarily at full moon, but those days before and after when the moon hangs heavy in the sky.”

–Nightshade releases nocturnal spores during the full moon,” Neville volunteered. –When these interact with other plant species, strange aberrations like Hell’s Bells can result.”

–So yer suggestin’ this dastardly overgrowth may ‘ave just been an accident?” Wallingford pressed.

–That’s for Mrs. Malfoy to tell us,” Harry interjected.

–Are ya willin’ ta state that for the record, madam?” Wallingford insisted.

With a disdainful shrug, Narcissa allowed, –If that’s what it takes. I never professed to be an authority like the rest of you.”

–Likely you wouldn’t have had a problem if it weren’t for the nightshade,” Audrey opined. –Although moonlight hybrids are notoriously fickle. The fact that these seedlings outgrew everything else in sight should’ve been a red flag.”

–I attributed that to my fertilizer potion,” Narcissa defended.

–I’ll accept that if yer willin’ ta sign a statement,” Wallingford acknowledged. But before Narcissa could issue a sigh of relief, he added, –Now the nightshade, that’s a whole different kettle o’ beans, mind ya.”

–And just why is that, Agent Wallingford?” a sullen Draco inquired.

–Its sale is tightly controlled; illegal without the proper documents -- and then only under restricted circumstances,” Wallingford supplied.

–Although I suspect one might be able to procure such a thing in Knockturn Alley,” Harry ventured.

–Is that where ya purchased it, Mrs. Malfoy?” Wallingford asserted. –I want ta be sure ta get the facts in order for my report.” He dug a self-inking quill and a notepad from his pocket.

Narcissa shot Harry a baleful look before asserting, –Of course not. I’ve never set foot in Knockturn Alley.”

Maybe not, but Draco and his father certainly had. As if reading Harry’s very thoughts, Draco volunteered, –If you must know, it was a gift… from a family friend.”

–Strange choice for a gift,” Audrey mused aloud. –Unless your so-called friend wanted you to accidentally poison yourselves.”

Taken aback, Narcissa’s mouth open and closed soundlessly.

Coming to his mother’s aid, Draco announced, –Not that it’s any of your business, but Severus Snape made a special gift of it to Father.”

–I’m afraid ya’ll ‘ave ta do better than that,” Wallingford growled. –’ighly controlled botanicals can translate inta jail time if the situation warrants it.”

–Not that it will come to that,” Audrey soothed. –Not if we have your complete cooperation.”

Narcissa’s eyes shone with controlled fury, but she gave a curt nod nevertheless.

–When exactly did ya receive this gift?” Wallingford demanded.

–During the Dark Lord’s last year of power,” Narcissa surrendered. –He was displeased with Lucius and often took out his frustrations in diabolical ways. We were not permitted to seek medical attention.”

Not so easily appeased, Wallingford countered, –And why not, madam? Ya don’t expect me ta believe ya lacked the resources?”

–Because their house had been commandeered as an unofficial Death Eater headquarters,” Harry interceded.

–Held captive by a bunch of boors, more often than not,” Draco insisted.

–If memory serves me, you would’ve been away at school,” Audrey admonished. –I think we need to hear your mother’s version.”

–Besides, I would’ve thought it an ‘onor to be allowed ta volunteer yer ‘ouse fer the cause,” Wallingford sneered.

Narcissa took a deep breath before continuing in a more subdued tone, –Then you understand exactly how much we relished having uncouth barbarians tromping through our hallways day and night. But it was very clear that due to Lucius’ previous shortcomings, we were the ones to be inconvenienced. And we couldn’t refuse without giving insult to a madman who punished infractions by torture -- or even death. Why the billiard table alone…” She shuddered violently as her voice died out.

–Let it go, Mother,” Draco cut across with surprising gentleness. –It’s all over now. Those things have been replaced.”

Narcissa nodded dumbly as she stared at her feet.

With a woeful sigh, Wallingford issued softly, –That’s a volatile situation that ‘ardly makes the nightshade seem an innocent acquisition. Why that fractious lot coulda been stewin’ up an ‘ost o’ poisons.”

Narcissa bristled. –None of them ever set foot inside my greenhouse, I can assure you. No one ever offered to help me prepare the fresh flower arrangements they expected to greet them each day.”

–Elf work, I’d say,” Wallingford noted dryly.

–In most houses, true,” Draco defended. –But Mother has a talent for such things. Everyone expects the Malfoy flowers to outshine the rest.”

–It was my refuge,” Narcissa conceded.

–If I accept that, why did Severus Snape present ya with the nightshade plant?” Wallingford insisted.

–Because none of us would be able to obtain it in any other fashion! The man’s been cleared of all wrong-doing, hasn’t he?” Narcissa argued.

With icy calm, Wallingford hissed, –But the same can’t be said of ‘is associates.”

–I find your baseless accusations insulting!” Narcissa railed.

–And yer evasiveness just fuels my suspicious nature,” Wallingford volleyed.

–Fine!” Narcissa seethed. –If you must know, the macerated nightshade leaves are an essential ingredient in Lucius’ draughts. It’s a --”

–Narcotic,” Neville put forth quietly. –If I might have a word, Ben, Harry.”

Harry could hear Audrey’s attempts to soothe in the background as Neville led them to the other side of the tool shed.

–What’s so important that ya interrupt the rhythm o’ my interrogation?” Wallingford growled.

Neville gulped noticeably but held his ground. –What she’s telling you is the truth. Nightshade is used for victims of extreme torture, especially those who have been repeatedly subjected to the Cruciatus Curse.”

–Do ya ‘ave credentials in Pharmaceutical Potions as well?” Wallingford demanded.

–He doesn’t need to,” Harry supplied. –Both his parents were similarly tortured.”

–Forgive me, son,” Wallingford acknowledged. –I didn’t know. Was the nightshade beneficial ta them?”

Neville shrugged self-consciously. –The Healers in the Spell Damage Ward seemed to think so. At least the two of them don’t wake up thrashing from their nightmares.”

Wallingford patted Neville reassuringly. –Let’s see if Mrs. Malfoy ‘as managed ta procure an official ‘script in the past few years then.”

Returning to the back portico, they found only Draco waiting for them with his arms crossed imperiously across his chest. –Mother went to mollify Father. All the combative voices made him imagine that the house was under attack.”

–And Audrey?” Wallingford wanted to know.

–She accompanied her to set the record straight.” With a sly smirk, Draco clarified, –Or rather to be presented as a Herbology expert come to assist with the moonlight garden. Father will accept that his guests were debating the best course of action.”

–Then I’d better come, too,” Wallingford asserted. –I’ll need ta ascertain Mr. Malfoy's condition fer myself.”

–You’ll show Agent Wallingford to Father’s study, won’t you, dear?” Draco requested of the young woman who lingered just inside the house. –He so enjoys welcoming guests to our home.”

Before Neville could follow suit, Draco barred his way, –Not you, Serpent Slayer. Father’s bound to remember your face and that will make him doubt the others’ intentions.”

–Why don’t I go start a bonfire with the last of those vines, then?” Neville supplied handily. –Is there any salt in the gardener’s shed? I’ll need to spread in on the flagstones as an added precaution.”

–What type of salt?”

–Coarse granules are preferable, but table salt will do,” Neville explained. –We used what we had to subdue the vines in the fountain.”

–I’ll send Fern to assist you with whatever you need,” Draco promised. –Best use that cracked patch on the north side of the greenhouse. The bulk of the building will keep the smoke from wafting so much in this direction.”

Not to mention also blocking Neville himself from view of the main house.

Draco watched Neville’s retreating back before turning an icy glare on Harry. –I don’t suppose I have to ask why you hesitate to step inside. The Snatchers are all in Azkaban.”

Determined to remain unfazed, Harry answered, –Thanks, but I’ve already had the tour.” Another phantom I’d like to consign to oblivion, he added silently.

–We’ve redecorated, you know. Finally convinced Mother to change that vile wall color that reminded me of dried blood. Scrapped all the heavy draperies, too; it’s much sunnier and welcoming now.”

–If you don’t mind me asking, what happened to the billiard table?”

Draco looked over his shoulder to make sure there was no one to overhear. –That damned snake liked to nest in it. Ground scales into the felt surface ‘til it was useless. Had to throw the ruddy thing out; none of us like to play anyway.”

Harry was arrested by the stooped house-elf who silently appeared at Draco’s elbow. His tiny body was draped in a starched azure towel, the elaborate Malfoy coat-of-arms stitched in silver in one corner.

–The Mistress suggested you’d be wanting tea, Young Master,” the aged elf croaked.

Much to Harry’s surprise, Draco nodded gravely. As an afterthought, he added, –And make sure Father doesn’t take a notion to wander down the stairs.”

–The Master’s in his usual spot on the upstairs balcony,” the elf provided as he twisted his hands nervously.

–Then all he’ll see is me offering tea to our guests,” Draco approved.

–He’s sure to recognize me,” Harry protested. –Perhaps it would just be better if I drew back into the shadows -- at least until the others return.”

–Don’t be an oaf, Potter!” Draco dismissed. –What kind of message will that send? Besides, Father’s rather short-sighted these days; he won’t recognize the Chosen One if he doesn’t make a spectacle of calling out and waving.” Noting that the elf was still cringing nearby, he hissed, –Don’t wait until nightfall, you moron!”

The elderly elf jumped as if he’d been electrocuted, then disappeared with a sharp crack.

–Didn’t anyone ever tell you it’s impolite to stare?” Draco taunted lowly.

Caught off guard, Harry stammered, –Wha--? Right. It’s just that I’ve never seen house-elves in….” It took him a few seconds to come up with the proper phrase. –…household livery.”

–Mother’s idea really. Said the things were ugly enough without being swathed in dangerously threadbare cloth.” Draco grimaced in disgust at the very idea of a naked elf. –Turned out to be a bit of a battle, mind you.”

–Too much like being presented with clothes?”

–Only in their twisted little minds. In the end, it was Asteria’s unassuming manner which convinced Elwyn. He’s the one with seniority; all the rest follow his lead like they were…” Malfoy hesitated uncertainly.

–Lemmings?”

Draco gave a sharp, derisive snort. –Yeah, right over the sodding cliff!”

Recalling Hermione’s misguided efforts with S.P.E.W., Harry offered, –Elves can be stubbornly single-minded. How’d you manage it?”

Draco shrugged. –Asteria actually complimented Elwyn on how handsome he looked.” He curled his upper lip to indicate that she had more diplomacy than he could ever muster. –To which Elwyn bowed lowly and muttered, ‘Only the likes of us ain’t strictly supposed to be seen.’

– ‘And yet here we are,’ she remarked matter-of-factly.

– ‘Some would say that was a punishable offence, miss.’

– ‘Then they forget the old adage about vinegar and honey.’

–Elwyn nodded solemnly. ‘Many do. It does not behoove an elf to be so thin-skinned.’

– ‘Can all of you accept that it’s not my nature to be so formal?’

– ‘Of course, miss. Nothing wrong with being true to yourself, my mater always said.’ ”

–So that’s what it took to convince them,” Harry commented as he made a mental note to tell Hermione.

Draco gave a dry laugh. –That and Mother replacing every last tea towel in the place. Had me drag whole hampers full to the nearest charity drive. As if the older stuff wasn’t still --”

He was cut short by a laden tea tray hovering uncertainly between the two wicker chairs.

–Thank you, Doilee,” Draco muttered absently as a swish of his wand settled the tray on the side table.

The tiniest house-elf he’d ever seen gave Harry a cheeky smile before she disappeared with a hollow pop.

–It’s rude to stand for tea,” Draco intoned as he settled himself in the nearest armchair. The silver teapot was already upended in mid-air to pour two cups. –And you can stop worrying your wand, Potter; it’s not poisoned. But if you want to show-off your Auror chops, by all means subject it to a detection charm.”

Draco took a sip of tea as his pale grey eyes dared Harry.

Sensing a confrontation, Harry was uncertain how to proceed. –If I’ve done something to offend…” he stammered lamely.

–Drink your tea,” Draco commanded tersely. –And I’ll pretend to be curious about the latest detection spells used by Magical Law Enforcement.”

How could he have thought that Draco’s bullying days were behind him? Not willing to back down, Harry removed a tiny vial from his inside pocket. One drop of colorless liquid was all it took to confirm the tea was perfectly safe.

–Let me see that,” Draco demanded. As he turned the vial that bore a Healer’s prescription in Harry’s name, he muttered, –Very ingenious. They might disarm you, but medication is likely returned to its owner.”

Harry didn’t mention that with a simple incantation, he could change the vial’s contents to a pale yellow, thus altering its chemical composition into that of a poison. A handy trick in case enemies decided to sample it for themselves.

–Doesn’t explain why you were fiddling with your pockets, though,” Draco remarked with distrust narrowing his eyes.

–Oh, this.” With a sheepish grin, Harry removed a tattered card from his trouser pocket. –Just a nervous habit, I’m afraid.” Albus Dumbledore gave them a jaunty wave before sauntering out of the tiny gilded frame. –A good luck charm of sorts that I found amid the rubble of the once Great Hall.”

–No explanations needed. I’ve a similar talisman myself.” Draco placed a collector card of his own on the low table before them. Standing woodenly inside the frame, the saturnine features of Severus Snape gazed past them as if they were nothing but cockroaches beneath his boots.

–Is this new?” Harry gasped.

–Just a prototype. It will take years for the Chocolate Frog people to come to an agreement with the Ministry about whom to feature and whom to consign to obscurity.” At Harry’s questioning look, Draco elaborated, –The Greengrass family is still on good terms with the company president. It was a gift, but I trust you’ll keep it to yourself. No need to step on anyone’s toes over something so trivial, if you get my drift.”

Harry did indeed: the Malfoys couldn’t afford to make enemies of any powerful families these days.

–So that was Asteria Greengrass I saw in the background,” Harry noted. –She’s a lot taller than the day she got sorted into Hufflepuff instead of Slytherin.”

–Ravenclaw, actually. Not that her parents wouldn’t have been mortified either way.”

Almost of its own volition, Harry’s mind shifted back to his fifth year at Hogwarts. While the rest of the school had been arrested by Dolores Umbridge’s bad show of manners during the welcoming feast, poor Asteria had sobbed uncontrollably at the next table.

When Harry happened to mention it to Hermione a few days later, she’d confided, –Padma heard her whimpering in the hallway later that evening. But before she could say anything, that evil toad swooped in and hissed, ‘If you don’t stop being such a silly goose, I’ll give you reason to boo-hoo to your heart’s content.’”

Harry’s eyes were drawn to the gold ring on Draco’s finger that so closely resembled his own. –How long have the two of you been married?”

–Only a few months. She’d only just come of age when we got engaged last year.”

–I don’t remember reading an announcement.” Not that he read the society pages of the Daily Prophet, but Ginny or Molly would’ve definitely caught it.

With a deprecating smirk, Draco added, –No need to have the entire world breathing down our necks.”

–Can’t say I blame you there.”

–Really?” Draco waggled his pale eyebrows suggestively, but when Harry refused to take the bait, he prodded, –Not everyone marries a famous Quidditch player.”

–I didn’t,” Harry retorted. –I married my school sweetheart. She just happened to pursue a career of her own.”

–Suit yourself,” Draco arrogantly dismissed.

Truth be told, it had been the Prophet that had invaded his privacy, their roaming photographers determined to turn Ginny and him into tabloid sweethearts like Celestina Warbeck or even Gwenog Jones. As if they could ever eclipse the scandals surrounding the drummer for the Weird Sisters!

But there was no point in trying to convince Draco. Sarcastic words aside, the look in his hard eyes conveyed that he himself was no stranger to unwelcome media fanfare.

–I can’t say I knew Asteria much at school,” Harry ventured in an attempt to turn the conversation in a less touchy direction.

–She was a bit gawky. Not a bit like her older sister who was in Slytherin.”

Harry recalled eleven-year old Asteria as being winsome, moving on cat feet as if she wanted to fade into the wallpaper. But he knew better than to correct his host.

Warming up to the subject, Draco continued, –Many of Mother’s friends think of us as being mismatched, but they’re wrong. Being a disappointment to one’s parents gave us common ground from the start.”

–Weren’t you friends with Daphne, though?”

–Delectable Daphne was too good for anyone in our year. Rumor was she had her eye on Roger Davies or even Cedric Diggory. Marcus Flint might’ve had a chance if he hadn’t been such an arrogant tosser.” Draco frowned slightly as he considered his words, –The only one of us who she ever fancied was Theodore Nott. Claimed he had a truly romantic soul, the way he was always off by himself sketching or dabbling with watercolors. What utter tripe! Couldn’t she see that Theo only had eyes for Zabini who only had eyes for Padma Patil?”

Harry stared open-mouthed.

–Don’t tell me someone as intent on ferreting out the school’s secrets failed to discover that one!” Draco taunted.

–Never much cared for gossip,” Harry shrugged. Then recalling the wild rumors which had persisted about Dumbledore’s unfortunate sister, he added, –Don’t reckon Dumbledore did either.”

–Probably not. But this is no tall tale, Potter. You weren’t there when Snape ambushed us as we were turning in for the night. Umbridge had been sacked by then; otherwise, she might’ve reinstated public stoning.”

–For the good of morale,” Harry quipped.

Draco gave a huff of amusement before launching into the tale wholeheartedly.

We didn’t even see him at first when we returned from supper; he blended so perfectly into the colorless surroundings. Motionless in the corner, even the languid turning of the pages seemed like nothing more than a vague sigh.

–Quite instructive, this,” he mumbled as if to himself.

The five of us tried to back out of the room as silently as possible, but we encountered a solid wall of air at our backs.

–Not so fast,” Snape snapped, his eyes like smoldering coals as he looked us over in turn. –Not before we have a little chat.”

To my left, Goyle gulped loudly enough to be heard in the Ravenclaw Aerie.

–So it was
your bed I found these under,” Snape drawled as he savored the moment. –I thought I recognized the permanent dent of your body in the bedclothes.”

–Those aren’t…” Goyle began only to falter before the penetrating gaze.

–Of course, they’re not,” Snape dismissed with a disdainful wave of his hand. –You and your pal, Crabbe, strike me more as classicists of the Rubens variety.”

They didn’t get it, of course, never having seen the painting in Mother’s dressing room. It might’ve been amusing had Snape not turned those lasers on me next.

–Experimenting, Malfoy?” he sneered. –Checking the view from the other side of the lake?”

–Why would I store my belongings with the dust dragons under Goyle’s mattress?” I issued with as brave a face as I could muster.

–Indeed,” Snape muttered as he made a show of tapping his skeletal finger against his jaw. –A Slytherin worth his salt would never hide incriminating evidence among his own things.”

Zabini slowly sank to the foot of his bed, his dark skin taking on the greenish cast of a nauseous narwhal.

At the hint of movement, Snape charged like a predator sensing fresh meat. To his credit, Blaise held the man’s gaze defiantly -- even though his hands clawed backwards on the blanket.

Without warning, Snape whirled around to face hapless Theodore Nott who was still trying to ease his way between the particles of air blocking the exit.

–If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were trying to cast a wandless Disillusionment Charm,” he oozed. –Save yourself the bother, Mr. Nott! Any more color fades from your face and you’ll be a dead ringer for Professor Binns.”

–What makes you think that magazine belongs to any of us?” Crabbe shot from the safety of Goyle’s shadow.

–Consider it a hunch,” Snape returned. –But if it’s a rousing guessing game you’re after, who am I to put a damper on the evening’s entertainment?” He turned slowly in place to catch everyone’s attention with his fathomless eyes. –Who wants to go first?” Into the aching silence, he snarled, –Ten points for the best imitation of Hermione Granger!”

Goyle made the unfortunate choice to snigger ever so softly.

In one fluid motion, Snape hoisted him off his feet by the collar. –Is that the sound of a volunteer?” he crooned maliciously.

–No, sir,” Goyle stammered. –Not one for imagination, sir.”

Snape snorted his approval as he tossed the rugged lad against the nearest four-poster. –Don’t expect me to believe you indulged visitors from other Houses.”

–The Bloody Baron,” Crabbe threw into the snake pit.

Snape gave him a contemptuous look.

–The Fat Friar, then,” Blaise dared. –You know how those repressed clerics are!” A round of nervous laughter was the most encouragement the rest of us could manage.

Snape zeroed in until his face was inches away from Zabini’s. –Not personally, no. Care to elaborate?”

–Millicent Bullstrode,” I put forth with a pathetic show of bravado. –She likes those burly types.”

–Undoubtedly,” Snape concurred in a voice like ebony silk. –Would the other fellow in the photo be for her best friend, then?”

–Some girls like to share,” Nott commented. –Saves them from having to make difficult decisions.”

Snape pounced with relish. –Think the world of yourself, don’t you, Theo? Care to share some of those intimate moments with the rest of us? We’re all mates, as the saying goes.”

Nott glared back with his arms wrapped tightly across his chest. –Why should I?” he hissed. –A Legilimens like you could pry it out of our minds. Does the browbeating make for a spicier brew?”

Snape reared back in outrage, drawing his wand with murderous intent. Seeing everyone cringe in fear had a placating effect, however. –I have no desire to partake of your sophomoric fantasies,” he huffed as he straightened his shirt cuffs. –And neither does the rest of the school.” He tossed the glossy pages into the grate where the flames rose to embrace them voraciously.

Nott made as if to protest, but then thought better of it.

–Anyone else who has similar recreational material will be expected to do likewise,” Snape commanded. –Privacy is only for those thoughts you keep locked in your head.”

–I doubt anyone else has similar tastes,” I drawled. –That was a specialty item.”

–Care to tell us which shop in Knockturn Alley stocks such
unique literature?” Snape taunted.

–I hardly think I need tell a worldly man like yourself, Professor,” I rejoined.

–Your slick flattery won’t get you out of this one, Malfoy,” he threatened. –Or does your father already suspect?”

–My father has no illusions about me,” I volleyed back. –I’ve fancied birds since I was old enough to board the Hogwarts Express. Never had a taste for blokes, thank you very much.”

Snape took in the cagey faces encircling him from all sides. –Trust me, you don’t want me to bring this matter before the Headmaster,” he needled.

–Dumbledore’s all for promoting diversity in all aspects of life,” Blaise challenged.

–Since when is it a crime to walk in another man’s shoes?” Theo insisted.

–Not when they’re lilac stilettos!” I interjected wryly to much guffawing from all sides.

–You really don’t get it, do you, Malfoy?” Snape growled lowly, brandishing his wand for emphasis.
–Everyone’s different, unique in their own way. Inside their heads where it really counts. None of that should be for public consumption. Care to debase yourself more fully?”

–Here, you can borrow my filleting knife,” Crabbe sniggered gleefully.

Snape’s eyes bore into Crabbe’s until the poor sod’s laughter died away with a hollow croak. –One more snide remark out of any of you degenerates and you’ll be joining Mr. Nott here in detention.”


–Why me?” Nott squawked in protest.

–Don’t be coy with me,” Snape hissed lowly. –I wasn’t born yesterday. I’ve seen plenty of recluses come down the pike. It’s always the same: they hold themselves apart to guard their paltry secrets. It just took me a while to discover yours. You should at least own up to the truth before your dormmates.”

Taken aback, Nott still managed to denounce, –Like you said, it’s nobody’s business.”

–Now that we’ve established that,” Snape tossed over his shoulder. –I’ll expect to see you in my office at eight for the next week.” With a careless sweep of his wand, Snape collapsed the barrier into the hallway. At the last moment, he whipped around and leaned over poor, chagrined Theo, –And I’d better not find you wearing your pink leather knickers so you can make the most of the degrading experience!”


Harry wasn’t sure how he was expected to react, but Snape’s parting shot was just too rich to ignore. Unable to maintain Auror decorum, he threw back his head and laughed uproariously.

Draco joined in weakly at first, then with increasing gusto.

–Merlin, I wish I hadn’t been so intimidated by the man to enjoy his scathing sense of humor!” Harry confessed.

–Trust me, it didn’t seem funny at the time,” Draco chortled. –Just in retrospect.”

–How many others have you told?”

–No one,” Draco snapped self-consciously. –Just as I’m depending upon your professional discretion now. We all kept each other’s secrets at school, part of the Slytherin creed. What pureblood family doesn’t have its fervently guarded skeletons? Wasn’t it the same in your House?”

Uncertain what to say, Harry allowed, –Not much happened in Gryffindor that the whole school didn’t already know. Ron’s silent crush on Hermione was mostly a secret to himself.”

Draco laughed appreciatively. –You got that right! The Weasel himself was the last to know.”

–Other than that, the rest of us were total rubbish with women. If Ginny hadn’t practically demanded that I ask her out, I would probably still be arguing with myself.”

–So it was a conversation that sparked your romance?” Draco considered with a sarcastic lift to his eyebrow. –Story I heard was a bit different.”

Suddenly embarrassed, Harry changed the subject. –How ever did we get this far off track?” he muttered under his breath.

–Sorry. I was expounding about Daphne’s deplorable taste in men,” Draco allowed. –Good thing for me, Asteria’s the polar opposite. But I shouldn’t badmouth Daphne. It’s not like I was ever interested in her myself. And she’s always been loyal to Asteria, offering to tell their parents she’d been sorted into Slytherin with the rest of the family. Or rather, just let them assume it on their own. Eventually, they found out of course, but Asteria’s first year was almost over by then. Daphne still maintains they didn’t hear it from her.”

–Umbridge,” Harry supplied sagely.

–The High Empress herself?” Draco pursed his lips in thought. –I suppose it’s possible, but Asteria would’ve been too young for the Inquisitorial Squad anyway. Merlin, we were all so easily manipulated then.”

–Draco, I thought I’d find you here,” Narcissa simpered from the doorway. –Your father was wondering why you didn’t join the rest of us for tea.”

–I trust you told him I was seeing to our other guests.” Taking advantage that Neville was still intent on disposing of the garden waste, Draco amended, –Besides, someone had to make sure Longbottom didn’t start a wildfire.”

Returning a tight smile, Narcissa clarified, –Asteria missed you as well, dear.”

–Please ask her to join us then. Just don’t mention to Father that we’re entertaining school chums. He’ll insist on details that will just make him unhappy.”

–Of course, dear.”

No sooner had Narcissa’s footsteps retreated than Neville eased his tired body onto the lowest step. Wiping his brow with a sooty sleeve, he announced, –It’s nothing but a smoldering heap now. The ashes will need to be raked into a secure receptacle and then treated as contaminated vegetable matter.”

Draco waved his hand imperiously. –Fern will see to it. Join us.” It was a command, not an invitation. –My wife will be here shortly.”

Neville gasped in dismay as he hastened to tuck in his shirt. A hasty Scourgify Charm did nothing for the blackened fingertips he ran through his hair.

Draco chuckled heartily at Neville’s panicked reaction. –Good thing your hair isn’t blonde like mine or you’d be making things worse. You’re welcome to the washroom that’s to the right of the vestibule. What about you, Potter?”

–I’m fine, thanks. Standing on the sidelines and all,” Harry demurred. –Combing my hair never does much good anyway.”

–Why does that not surprise me?” Draco drawled darkly. –Is that the best excuse you can summon at a moment’s notice?”

–Sorry. Didn’t know those were the rules of play,” Harry returned in kind. –In that case, I don’t want to disturb the elves who are no doubt scuttling around the kitchen as they begin preparations for an elaborate dinner.”

Draco gave a sharp laugh. –Is that what you think of us? Your ignorance knows no bounds if you think a wizard’s kitchen is situated on the ground floor. But I forget you only have the Weasel-Hole for comparison.”

Harry pressed his lips to keep from deriding Draco for his arrogant manner. Customs too ingrained to ever change, he reminded himself.

–Kitchens are always in the basement so the house-elves’ domain remains separate,” Draco elaborated. –Bunks in the attic, stoves and larder in the basement. Basic wizarding architecture.”

So that explained the odd placement of the kitchen at Grimmauld Place; Harry had never given it a thought before this. Only Kreacher had slept under the basement furnace as well. Why was that, he pondered, when the townhouse was equipped with an attic as well?

From the murky depths, he recalled overhearing Dumbledore asking Sirius how the two old roommates were settling in. Sirius’ reply had been something about how the attic even allowed Remus to stretch his legs as needed. Like a life-sized jigsaw puzzle, the pieces locked into place. The attic had been the domain of the wolf, even if it was only for those times when Wolfsbane Potion was unavailable.

–Forgive my ignorance. My godfather’s townhouse wasn’t grand enough for a dungeon, either,” Harry goaded.

–Neither is Malfoy Manor!” Draco objected.

–I suspect Dean, Luna and Ron will disagree. Not to mention Mr. Ollivander.”

Eyes like flaming comets, Draco hissed, –Those were storerooms! We had to cram everything into the wine cellar to accommodate the Death Eaters’ grandiose plans.”

–So you say. I’ve never seen a storage room with a turn-key lock.”

Much to Harry’s surprise, Draco threw back his head and laughed. –I don’t suppose you have. But really, Potter, even Muggles have such a thing as a butler’s pantry. A place where the valuables can be locked away out of sight. Especially when one’s away on holiday or whatnot.”

Much to Harry’s chagrin, images of the cupboard under the stairs sprang to the forefront of his mind. Perhaps his Uncle Vernon hadn’t added the lock to deal with his sociopathic nephew after all.

The squeal of the back door interrupted his musings as Neville and Asteria emerged deep in conversation.

Locking eyes with her husband, Asteria gushed, –Oh, Draco, dear, you didn’t tell me you shared classes with the Serpent Slayer himself!”

Draco scowled darkly at Neville’s hair dripping with water. –Didn’t I? Longbottom was a great source of amusement for the rest of us. Saved us the trouble of making fools of ourselves.”

–Sounds to me like the lot of you learned from his mistakes,” Asteria returned evenly. –Or were you so intent on cultivating a quasi-dangerous persona that you failed to notice that it was Neville who was truly defying the overlords?”

–A right delinquent he was,” Draco scoffed. –Him and his paintbrush!”

–Never been much of an artist,” Neville allowed. –But someone needed to inspire that demoralized bunch. Show them that they hadn’t lost the war before they were old enough to fight.”

–In Dumbledore’s Army,” Asteria recalled fondly.

–I was only doing what Harry would’ve done. Had he not been on a different mission,” Neville admitted self-consciously.

–I didn’t exactly see the recruits lining up for duty,” Draco dared.

–Too risky to trust anyone we didn’t already know,” Neville admitted. –But at least the slogans rankled the faculty.”

–Enough for them to exact bodily punishment,” Harry interjected.

–One has to be willing to lose a few battles in order to win the war,” Neville issued. –Or so my gran always says.”

–You didn’t think to post a look-out?” Harry countered.

Neville shrugged sheepishly. –Not enough of us to go around. If only I’d had some of those decoy detonators --”

–-- they would’ve been confiscated by Filch at the school gates,” Draco finished handily. –Not to mention turning you over to the Carrows for a cavity search.”

Harry was shocked at Snape’s tyrannical term as Headmaster. –Surely, that’s an exaggeration,” he protested.

–Nothing but the unvarnished truth,” Draco returned. –Just ask Goyle what happened when he expected preferential treatment because his father had recommended that oaf, Amycus, for his post. Made a right example of him within sight of all the Slytherins!”

–Line moved much faster after that,” Asteria added.

–Thank goodness he didn’t try to make an example of Gryffindor House,” Harry decried. –Ginny would’ve hexed him into eternity!”

–And paid too high a price,” Neville shuddered. –It was precisely that type of mistreatment we wanted to discourage. Resistance, not retaliation.”

–Oooh, I remember that slogan!” Asteria exclaimed. –It was scrawled on the gallery right above the Entrance Hall.”

Draco scratched his chin in thought. –Took you a few nights to finish it, though. I recall it read ‘Resistance, not’ for a number of days. Was that to build the suspense?”

Undaunted by Draco’s mocking tone, Neville clarified, –Had to abandon it in mid-sentence when Mrs. Norris happened by. Ducked behind a tapestry only to realize I’d left my paint can behind. Not even a wordless Summoning Charm worked.”

–What did you do?” Harry pressed. He’d broken a lot of rules in his time, but never under the noses of such sadists.

–Concluded that Filch had taken the evidence to the Carrows and it was only a matter of time. So I high-tailed it back to my dormitory as fast as I could. No one was as surprised as I when the morning light filtered through my bed curtains and I was still in one piece.”

–He didn’t report you?” Draco scoffed. –Doesn’t sound much like the grubby little Squib I recall.”

–Perhaps there was no evidence to find,” Asteria supplied with a coy smile.

–You?” Neville gasped. –You were the one who hid the paint?”

–Used a cleaning spell on the splatters as well,” Asteria confessed. –There was a nearby door masquerading as a window. Otherwise, both of us would’ve likely been caught in their dragnet.”

–Why, darling, I never suspected you’d taken a schoolgirl fancy to Longbottom of all people,” Draco teased mercilessly.

–Hush, Draco,” Asteria replied without the slightest hint of embarrassment. –The fumbling stooge you remember had been replaced by a midnight marauder in that last year. If you hadn’t spent the better part of your seventh year avoiding any human contact, the two of you might’ve been tempted to join forces.”

–Never!” Draco grimaced. –My presence would’ve guaranteed ruination. Those Carrows would’ve liked nothing better than to find an excuse for an in-house assassination.”

–Cloaked as an accident, of course,” Neville acknowledged.

It wasn’t long before the others returned and Harry stood up hastily, alert that he needed to re-establish his professional demeanor. Narcissa was none too pleased that the Deadly Nightshade plant was being confiscated, but no one had been fined or imprisoned either.

Neville empathized when he reviewed the Healer’s ‘script, promising Narcissa that he would personally see that she was supplied with what she needed. –We have a secure greenhouse at Hogwarts where nightshade can be cultivated without fear of an unplanned infestation.”

Wallingford made to protest, but Audrey quickly interceded. –I’ll help you prepare the paperwork to obtain an official permit,” she promised Neville.

–Just make sure the students don’t ‘ear of it,” Wallingford warned. –I don’t want ta ‘ave ta explain ta my superiors why we’re being called ta raid ‘Ogwarts for contraband.”

With a few words of thanks for the refreshments, they all took their leave. Wallingford declined Draco’s offer to escort them past the front gates. –It’s not as if this were a social call,” he insisted.

As he took one last look over his shoulder at the once palatial estate, Harry caught sight of the solitary figure of Lucius Malfoy on the upstairs balcony. The once proud patriarch was hunched low in his chair, gazing impassively into the distance as he clung tenaciously to the trapping of the past.