Scorpius grinned over toward Jimber. He had to laugh at his friend’s face. The left half of it was painted a bright scarlet and the other side was gold. And Jimber laughed back at him, because his face mirrored that of his friend. They were two in the midst of a crowd of young wizards, screaming at the top of their lungs.
–Go! Go! Gryffindor...â€
Scorpius watched as Albus took a pass from Thistlecrowne and quickly fired the Quaffle past the Hufflepuff Keeper to make the score Lions 50 and Badgers nil. Although he had missed the Hufflepuff defeat of Ravenclaw 210 to 50 because he had been working late with Crystal on the Herbology project; he like the rest of his house, saw no problem with beating Hufflepuff. After all, Gryffindor had beaten Slytherin almost by two hundred points.
However, all week Kaitlin had been pacing back and forth in the common room, muttering to herself about facing her cousin Rhys. Kaitlin was so not herself that she actually ignored all of the insults from James Potter. On Wednesday, she got so distracted that she didn’t pay proper attention to the instructions on her potions assignment. She misread what was written on Professor Kettlebaum’s chalkboard and caused an explosion which sent smelly, yellow goop across Rose’s face and Albus’ face and arm. The cousins missed the rest of the class so they could go to the Hospital Wing to have large, blue warts tended to.
–Go! Go! Gryffindor…â€
The score was now Lions 110 and Badgers 10.
–Wow, he can fly,†said James, as he craned his neck to follow the two Jones cousins, as they flashed across the sky. James’ mouth was wide open as he watched the two riders corkscrewing their way around each other and down the pitch.
James’ comments drew Scorpius to stop obsessing about Rose and her goal-keeping to watch the Seekers duel in the sky. Rhys was flying flat on his broom towards the Hufflepuff goal with Kaitlin at his hip when he stood up on his footholds and pulled back on the handle with all of his might to kill his momentum. Kaitlin flew twenty yards past before she could change her direction to match his movement.
James’ index finger almost poked Scorpius in the eye as he pointed to a spot about forty feet up in the air near the Gryffindor goal. Scorpius saw Rhys flying with his forehead resting on the broom handle and his hands on his back. He couldn’t believe the balance that it must have taken to achieve the almost perfectly aerodynamic position so effortlessly. Just as Rhys reached out to grasp the Golden Snitch, a Bludger from Freddy Weasley glanced off his shoulder and he overshot the prize.
As Rhys turned around to find the Snitch, he saw his cousin diving to his right. Kaitlin was only feet from the winged ball and yards ahead of the Hufflepuff Seeker.
An aimed shot from the other team whizzed past her head as she shifted her weight to the right to get to the Snitch. Inches from her hand, the ball dropped at least a foot and eluded her grasp. The wings fluttered through her desperately clutching fingers.
The crowd cheered around the Scorpius. Harold shouted from behind, –Albus scored. It’s 140 to 10. Go! Go! Gryffindor...â€
Rhys, following in his cousin’s slipstream, had time to adjust his course and easily grabbed the rapidly sinking Golden Snitch. He held it up so that the referee could see the capture. The Hufflepuff and Slytherin stands erupted in celebration. The Gryffindors fans and team seemed to deflate like a balloon that has been pricked with a pin.
Hufflepuff 160 - Gyffindor 140.
After the game, the Gryffindor common room was like a morgue. The whole team just sat there, looking into the large fireplace like they hoped the roaring fire would burn the memory of the loss away. Kaitlin Jones was inconsolable. She sat there with tears running down her face.
–I lost. I’ve never lost before,†she repeated to herself.
Abby, Jenelle and Margaret -each in turn- tried to comfort her, but their attempts were in vain. Scorpius and Jimber spent all of the time after the game trying to make Rose and Albus smile. They had no success either.
However, the whole common room seemed to hold its breath as they watched James Potter approach Kaitlin’s chair from the side. She looked up to see her antagonist. Expecting the worse, she lashed out first. –Go ahead, make fun of me. Tell me you would have beaten him to the Snitch.â€
James just shook his head. –You were unbelievable out there. I’d never even have got close to it. What you said about Rhys was the true, Kitty-Kat. I wouldn’t have stood a chance.â€
Kaitlin did not change how she held herself. She was acting defensively expecting James to add a crushing insult to his fake empathy. However, James didn’t say anything for a couple of minutes.
–I really don’t see how you could have beaten him. He’s so much quicker on his maneuvers.†James paused again, thinking.
Kaitlin locked her fierce eyes on James’ face, waiting again to be ridiculed. –The only thing I think you could have tried would be to ignore him completely and try and find the Snitch yourself. If you wait to react to him, I don’t think there’s anyone this side of a young Viktor Krum who’d have a chance.
The group saw Kaitlin’s lip quiver and she said, –Thanks. I’ll try that next time. Did you notice anything else I could try?â€
James turned his head to the side like he was somehow reviewing the game. –Only one small thing which might cut down on the wind resistance and give you more speed. How about just before our next game against Ravenclaw, you have me shave your head bald. It could be the difference between our winning and losing the Cup. And it has to help your looks.â€
Kaitlin made a face, growled and punched him hard on the shoulder. James walked around the Common Room feigning injury and demanding his cousin Freddy dismiss Kaitlin from the team. As James fell about the couch in the center of the room, everyone saw a smile appear on Kaitlin’s face. It was the first time she had smiled in over a week.
Scorpius caught Rose’s eye and the smile they shared told the other that everything would be all right, eventually.
–Rose, want to be beaten again in chess?â€
–When have you ever beaten me, Malfoy? Tell me,†she said, feeling a rush of energy from his challenge.
–Well, you’ve never beaten me either. Since you lost the Quidditch match, I should get white.â€
–No, I should get white. You had it last time we played.â€
Scorpius pulled the set out of his rucksack, Rose waved her wand and the pieces moved into the correct squares. She had arranged them with white on her side of the board. Albus and Jimber gathered on the sides cheering for Scorpius to be the first member of their class to defeat her. The game was on. Checkmate was not really important to him right now. Helping Rose was…
Astoria’s Perfect Potions - Diagon Alley
Draco looked up from sealing the package of his customer’s anti-nausea potion to check out who had triggered the bell over his wooden front door. The person who walked into his potion shop was the last person he ever expected to see. The customer was his distant relative, ‘Uncle’ Hoyle Grindus.
Draco continued his expected small talk with the elderly lady as he escorted her to the front door. As the door shut, he pulled his wand out of his pocket and flicked it to both lock the door and cover the windows with curtains. Turning away from the door, Draco began to look over the older man.
–Astoria, come here and meet my ‘Uncle’ Hoyle.â€
As she walked through the swinging door from the work room, Astoria began to size up her guest. Hoyle was a half a head shorter than Draco was. He was a thick set man, but yet not overweight. Solid was the word that came to her mind. She extended her hand. expecting it to be shaken or ignored. Instead, the older man grasped her right hand and brought it to his lips. Astoria, use to being looked down on by her in-laws because she was only seven-eighths pure, gave an incredulous look to her husband.
–So you are the poor woman cursed by the fates to marry young Draco,†Hoyle said without a smile, but with a twinkle in his eyes.
She couldn’t help but like the man. –Alas, I am. Do you know a counter curse?â€
–There is none. I’m sorry.â€
–Why are you here?†Draco asked.
Grindus gave Draco a look that told the younger man that he was disappointed at the question. He decided to answer anyway. –I have instructions from your father.â€
–You mean you have orders he wants me to follow.†Hoyle shrugged at Draco’s comment. –So, tell me what Lucius wants of me now.â€
–Saturday, at midnight, you will be at the Muggle Carlton Cinema in Essex. Mundungus Fletcher purchased the building from some Muggles not so long ago. They think the building is abandoned, but he used it as a meeting place and headquarters. The Ministry monitored the Hog’s Head, but not that place. Your father commanded that you join him on stage to help him remove the danger from our families.â€
–Our families?â€
Grindus nodded. –I have two grandchildren at Hogwarts; a fifth year Ravenclaw girl and a second year Slytherin boy. Goyle showed up one day and threatened to have the intruder harm them unless I paid him gold and gave him some of our top racing brooms.â€
–What exactly is my father scheming?†he asked.
–Everything, you know him! As for Saturday, he is practically purring. He even ordered a new silk dress robe for the occasion.â€
Draco sighed. The last time his father ordered a special dress robe for an occasion was the time the Dark Lord chose him to lead the party to retrieve the prophecy and return with Potter from the Department of Mysteries.
–Tell Father I’ll not be showing up.â€
Hoyle dropped his chin onto his massive chest. –Draco, I grew up with your father. We were both in Slytherin together. You know I tried to get him to join me in starting Comet Broomworks and he chose…Well, we know what he chose. At first, I was confused by Goyle’s clumsy attempt at blackmail until the next day, out of the blue, Lucius showed up at my door. I told him of my plans to hire private security wizards to protect the school and escort my grandchildren to class. He assured me there was no need to go to the expense and bother. He said that Harry Potter had the situation under control and to trust him.â€
Draco’s mind was swimming at the news. –He said to trust Harry Potter? He’d never say that, unless…â€
–Exactly,†replied Grindus. –Now I’d trust Potter and his Aurors to guard my tea cozy or pocket watch. However, when it’s my family, and as long as I have an ounce of gold, I’m protecting my own. I don’t know how, but I think we both have been pawns in some grand scheme of your father’s.â€
Draco knew he was right and frustration rose into his throat like gall. –I’ve spent my whole life as a pawn in one or another of his schemes. Hoyle, why should I care about this one?â€
–Your son and my grandchildren were threatened… our children, Draco!†Hoyle said with a fury present in his eyes to match the tremor in his voice.
Draco could see that he had a point. –I can’t go at his beck and call. I won’t let myself be seen as at his side or on his side.â€
–I understand. I will not be there, but I think you need to bear witness to what he’s done so you can prepare. Your family’s happiness and safety may be affected by what occurs there.†Draco started to speak, but Grindus beat him to it. –I know a place where you can see, but not be seen.â€
Abandoned Carlton Cinema – Essex
The approximate two hundred seats were about two thirds full of robed characters. Draco looked down through the small windows of the room, designated the Projection booth, toward the stage below. He looked past the Muggle machine with its giant wheels and sprockets to his right to ensure that his guest was comfortable. He looked everything but comfortable.
The lights dropped and the crowd began to quiet. A spotlight appeared in the middle of the stage and there in the middle of the circle of light, appeared Gregory Goyle. Goyle looked like the cat that got all of the cream. He had on a fine dress robe, a diamond ring on each finger and waistcoat which framed a diamond stick pin holding his tie in place. He held his arms out, welcoming the crowd and anticipating an overwhelming, explosive reaction from those gathered.
The crowd began to applaud. The applause was not boisterous and no one stood giving him an ovation. Even from a hundred yards away, Draco could see the wariness grow in Goyle’s manner. In a weak second, Draco almost felt pity for the sap.
Goyle walked to stage right and back to stage left, trying to get more approval from those he would be leader of. The clapping slowly died away. Draco strained his vision for a second and thought he could see droplets of sweat forming on the man’s brow. Then, Draco saw Goyle jerk in reaction to an incredibly loud sound.
–Look at him! Look at the buffoon who would attempt to match wits with the Ministry and Harry Potter.†The booming voice filling the theatre belonged to Lucius Malfoy.
Goyle spun around searching for the person responsible for the taunts.
–How many of you did he try to bully? How many of you did he threaten to hurt? Is he the man you would trust with overseeing the organization that Fletcher built? I say, no!†Lucius’s disembodied voice rang forth.
–No!†responded a majority of the crowd.
–Run, you idiot. You’ve lost everything,†thought Draco. He watched as Goyle reached into his pocket and turned in the middle of the spotlight, with his wand ready to attack a person who he could not see. –Fool.â€
Lightning bolts began to flash on stage and out of a concentrated strike on stage left stepped his father. Lucius Malfoy did not have his wand at the ready. He just walked calmly towards Goyle, who was trembling, and snatched his wand away. A familiar look, to Draco anyway, of total distain for Goyle filled the senior Malfoys face.
Lucius held the captured stick up to the crowd and they roared their approval of his show of who was ready to lead and who was ready to be forgotten. Two men walked towards Goyle. Draco recognized both of them; they were the men that Goyle had used as messengers to the potion shop. The dark man with the hair turban conjured manacles and locked Goyle’s hands behind his back. They lead him away towards a door with am exit sign above it. The door opened and Draco saw that the door lead to an alley.
Lucius turned to face the crowd. –Do you know that imbecile tried to blackmail and threaten my family? Me, of all people: he threatened me! He told me of a plan to use your hard work and scheming to make himself wealthy, while you took all of the risks.â€
The crowd began to mumble.
–My friends, we need a leader that knows how much hard work and time goes into each project. A leader who is there to help you succeed, not to skim your profits away. I offer someone who still has old friends in places of influence to help you if things were to go wrong. I offer myself as the temporary leader of Knockturn Alley until someone more qualified than I can be found for the position.â€
The fake sincerity of his father almost made him retch, but the audience, having seen the idiot Goyle removed, was ready to cheer any possible replacement as if it were a gift from beyond.
Draco turned to his companion. –I have a message to be delivered exactly as I command. Do you understand?â€
Harry Potter’s Office
Ron Weasley looked into the dredges of his teacup at the soggy leaves. A shape appeared at the bottom. He thought of Trelawney and smiled. The Grim is ever moving closer… He rotated the china cup to the right and started to say, –You’ll never guess what my tea leaves look like. They look like a house-–
Into the room appeared an old elf. He was familiar to both Harry and Ron, but what made them be taken aback by his arrival was that the ancient creature, who had appeared out of thin air, was wearing a blindfold.
–Is my former master, avenger of Regulus Black, in this room?â€
–I’m here, Kreacher,†Harry responded.
The small being turned slightly to his right, following the voice so that he faced Harry. –I have a message for you. If you go to the abandoned Carleton Cinema in Essex, you will find a gathering of the leaders of the criminal element in the country. They have chosen a new leader. The leader is the illustrious father of my current master. Master’s father has also locked Gregory Goyle up and will probably eliminate him. If you act quickly, you can catch them in the act.â€
–Why did Draco send you and not come in person?†Ron asked.
Kreacher seemed to shrink a bit and he began to whimper. –Kreacher did not know that his former master was not alone. Kreacher does not like sneaks who listen to private conversations.â€
Ron gave a bemused shrug toward Harry who just lifted his shoulders in reply. –Kreacher, why are you blindfolded?â€
–When I was in master’s house, master came to me and placed a blindfold on me and told me that someone would be taking me to a place. And later, I might have to deliver a message. Kreacher was blindfolded. How can he know who gave him the message to be delivered?â€
Harry shook his head. The source of the message had to be Draco, but by having a cloth over the elf’s eyes, he could deny doing so. It was a transparent (yet worthy) deception.
–I thank you, Kreacher. Once again, you have done the biding of you master perfectly,†Harry told the old elf.
Kreacher seemed to vibrate with joy. The elf began to mumble just loud enough to be heard. –Kreacher did exactly like what Master Malfoy wanted him to and Kreacher delivered his message to both my former master and the blood-traitor Weasley just like he said to.†And Kreacher vanished from the office.
Harry looked over to Ron. –Draco chose to betray his father and give us warning.†Harry was impressed.
Ron looked less sanguine. –He could just be making one last betrayal to cover his backside. He is his father’s son.â€
Harry turned to the third person in the room. –What do you think, Teddy?â€
Seated in corner of the office behind a low table across from Harry’s desk, sat a dark-skinned man with his braided hair wrapped like a turban on his head. –Draco was not a good soldier to Lucius. He fought both Goyle and his father where he could. I’d give him the benefit of the doubt.– And the dark man dissolved in front of their eyes to be replaced by a thin, pale, rainbow-spiky-haired, newly minted Auror: Teddy Lupin.
–And how are our two guests in the dungeons doing?†Ron asked.
–Goyle is singing like a spring robin. Ares Pyter is more like a Snargaluff stump.â€
–Let Pyter stew overnight. I want someone always in there with Goyle. We need names and dates,†Harry said. –I’ve got to go and update the Minister of Magic.â€
Ron smiled. –Better you than me.â€
Godric’s Hollow
The house was quiet and Harry absent-mindedly sipped from his tankard as he looked out of his study window toward his parent’s old cottage. He had been surprised to find Hermione and Ginny talking at the kitchen table when he arrived, well after midnight. –Are Ron and Hermione having marital problems?†he wondered. He hoped not. He needed Ron more than ever with Lucius in charge.
The Minister was clueless to the danger.
–So instead of a thirty-something hot head, we have a man in his sixties in charge. I don’t understand why you are so concerned. A man of his age will be more cautious. I consider this a victory.†March Lee’s unconcerned, dismissive smile had made him sick. Harry missed Kingsley. Kingsley had been a man of action, not a career politician.
Harry took another sip. Lucius would spend the next month or so trying to consolidate his control. He would then have to organize a mini-crime wave to prove his leadership to the thief on the street and to buy their loyalty with their newly filled purses. However, Harry knew Lucius wasn’t doing all of this just to regain his confiscated wealth.
The question was just how far is Lucius’ ambition going to push him? How do you fight an enemy who can bide his time and wait to strike hard when you are weak? Or fight an enemy who can create havoc across the country in both Wizard and Muggle worlds, while setting up a major strike.
If only he knew the old snake’s endgame. Would Draco have a clue? –Like it or not, Draco, you chose sides tonight. Lucius will not forgive your betrayal very easily,†thought Harry.
He would have to notify all of the old D.A. gang. Neville, Luna, Flitwick and the entire Weasley clan had to be notified of what had occurred tonight. They had to be put on their guard. Even if gold was Lucius’ true goal, he wasn’t one to ignore a chance to avenge himself on an old enemy.
Harry lifted his cup and found it was empty. He didn’t remember drinking that much ale. Oh well, it was past time for bed. Harry went to set the tankard on the edge of his desk and missed. He sat it on the table on his second try.
–I’ve got to get up to bed. Another very busy day tomorrow…†he thought
A slight breeze ruffled both Lucius Malfoy’s cloak and his white-blonde hair. He stood with one hand on the Potter statue in the center of the village. Thanks to the dolt Weasley not checking to see if he was being followed after Draco’s Hogwarts announcements, he knew that Potter lived somewhere on this very street. He knew that the dwelling and its exact location would be protected, but the act of just standing here made him feel like he could just reach out and swat Potter away.
I will need to take about a month or two of weeding out the weak, and the games will begin. And when I am all done, Harry Potter will have paid for what he had done to the Dark Lord and to me. The whelp was in over his head. Did Potter know? I hope not. I want to see the anguish on his face as he watches his blood-traitor wife and worthless children suffering, and maybe die, for what he had done to our righteous cause. I want Harry Potter to see my victorius smile as the life leaves his eyes.
And Draco, what should I do about you after Potter is humiliated, dead, and gone? You’re probably a lost cause. I bet that it’s your damn wife that is somehow responsible for my losing you. However, there is the boy. I will show the boy the error of his Gryffindor ways and eventually, Scorpius will be the heir to my new empire. And maybe, the next Dark Lord will be a Malfoy.