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Scorpius Malfoy and the Salem Witch Trials by Hotrav

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Outside of a cabin near Oxford, Maine, U.S.A.

Harry was the last of the prisoners to be led out of the cabin towards the gigantic, black, motorized vehicle. As he approached the vehicle, he saw that, from the outside, the vehicle looked like a cross between a Muggle military lorry and one of those toy cars which can also turn into a robot, like the ones that Dudley use to attack him with while he lived at the Dursleys. A N.A.M.E.D. agent used his wand to direct him up towards the entry ramp in the back of the vehicle.

Harry turned his head to the side and squinted as he walked up through the tsunami of light that flowed down the ramp of the lorry and into the dark pine forest. As he reached the top of the ramp his eyes finally became adjusted to the overload of light, he saw that the inside of it had been magically enlarged to an area larger than the Auror’s office largest conference room. As he walked in front of the guard, he could hear their footsteps clank on the metal floor plates. The other N.A.M.E.D. agents sat on a row of seats that faced the ramp and beside each man was a Muggle automatic weapon. Responding to a nudge by one of the trailing guards, he proceeded to his left towards a spot next to Hoyle Grindus. Grindus’ gaze met his and they silently nodded at each other.

As Harry sat on the cold, hard metal seat, the trailing guard snapped Harry into his seat using the shoulder and lap restraints. He looked across the area to where the three kidnappers were seated. They wore grey metal shackles on their wrists and ankles which had a chain connecting their arms and legs together. A chain also ran between the trio’s ankles connecting them together as one unit.

He repeatedly tried to catch the eyes of his capturers to gauge their reaction to the rescue team, but the Americans wore plastic bubble helmets with a dark glaze on the face shield to block any eye contact. The style of the uniforms and vehicle confirmed Harry’s first impression of his American counterparts. They were wearing the trappings of soldiers not of peace officers. They were ready for straight forward threat repression and that meant that they were even less prepared to take on a patient schemer like Lucius Malfoy than he and his office was.

Grindus nudged Harry, in the side with his elbow, and in a soft voice said, –We got them out alive; all of them, except Devon. The first time I met him was when Comet was chosen to supply the brooms for the team. He told me if I thought I was buying a place on the team for my grandson; I was mistaken. He was a good, honorable man. He deserved a damn lot better than he got.”

Harry nodded in agreement as he watched the kidnappers. Looking past a week’s worth of beard stubble, the middle kidnapper looked vaguely familiar. Harry wondered why it had only registered now. He locked on to the other man’s face, not varying his stare. As he held his gaze, he noticed the other man flinch before looking up from the floor to face him. Smiling at him, Harry said, –I don’t remember your brother Marcus being as nervous as you are. Perhaps he didn’t have such a guilty conscience, Tiberius. Of course, Marcus was twice the Quidditch player you were.”

Tiberius Flint tried to rise up until his shackles held him in place. The dark skinned American guard, sitting with a Muggle gun on his lap and a wand in his left hand, looked over at Harry and his shout was muffled by the bubble helmet, –No talking between the prisoners.”

Harry nodded and smiled, knowing it would infuriate Flint. He nudged Grindus, who looked at him. –Hoyle, with your powerful team of barristers and hundreds of millions of Galleons for bribes, we’ll be home in what, three days maximum.”

Grindus was, at first, confused the Harry’s statement, until he looked over to the obviously nervous Flint. He understood. –If I spend two more nights in this foul country, I’ll fire my whole legal staff. Tomorrow, we’ll be free by supper time tomorrow at the latest.”

The American guard snorted. Harry didn’t care; the Yank wasn’t the target of this little charade. As he kept his eyes on the kidnappers, Harry talked to Hoyle, but loud enough to be overheard.

–Too bad for them, if they ever do get back home I give them two or three hours before old Lucius leaves them floating face down in the Thames.”

Flint grunted, showing Harry a very combative face. Harry hid the smile. He had him hooked. If the trip was long enough, Flint would be delivered to the Americans singing like a lonely spring robin.

Harry leaned forward towards Flint and lowered his voice. –Ares Pyter, takes the Malfoy boy, and leaves you lot alone with the other prisoners. And within minutes, we and the Americans all arrive at the same remote cabin with wands drawn.” Harry shook his head knowing that a silent derision would hurt Flint’s pride more. Also, the silence would let the truth of all he said sink into the skulls of the other men.

One of Flint’s men whispered something to him. Flint nodded and shouted, –Go bugger yourself, Potter.”

The hired wands of Grindus laughed at the weak retort. Flint’s face went from a light grey to a bright red.

Harry, not knowing how long they would have before the trip ended or the guard silenced him, went for the kill, –Pyter left behind a path for us that a blind man could follow. He led us straight to you. And just after he left, these American blighters showed. I’ll bet you brass Knuts to Galleons they got an owl or something from an unknown source fingering your exact location. Lucius chose you for this mission so you could come to America and die. So, if you do return to England he will assume you turned coat on him and kill you. And if you didn’t turn coat, nothing lost for him.”

The trio of men in shackles twitched in unison.

A blast of red sparks shot over Harry’s head slamming into the wall of the vehicle, causing a mild metallic ring. –I told you no talking to each other. The next time it will strike home.”

Harry gave a slight bow of his head to the guard. He had planted the seed, let the American’s take the credit for breaking the prisoners. The kidnapping had been a trap within a trap within a third trap. He marveled at the way Lucius’ mind worked. If the kidnapper henchmen didn’t kill him, maybe the Americans would and even if he survived he would be the source of an international incident that would probably cost him his job and undermine Lee’s popularity when the reason Harry had gone to America were made public. And if Lee tried to muzzle the Prophet, Harry didn’t doubt Lucius had a scheme, already in place, to spread the story via owl post or the Wizarding Wireless.

Lucius got to disrupt the Auror Office, weaken the Minister of Magic and he got the Muggle crown jewels as a bonus. For the first time since the battle in the Department of Mysteries all those years ago, he felt outclassed by an adversary and in over his head.

A countdown from the front of the vehicle began. The deep southern accented voice echoed through the large vehicle and after one, the vehicle rocked as a Portkey like device was triggered. Harry wondered where in America they would arrive.


Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom

Draco had arrived at the Ron and Hermione Weasley house just a few miles north of the university to find it empty. Draco had approached the door after waiting for almost ten minutes to see if he had somehow been traced by his father’s men to here. Harry had trusted him with the secret counter spell passwords to get to the Weasley door. He marveled at the easy trust of Potter and, because of his sacrifice didn’t want to let him down.

He knocked at the door. No one answered and no lights appeared in the windows. Draco slipped back through the security spells and returned to his observation point. With Harry in the States and the crown jewels stolen, the dolt Ronald would probably be on duty. Where would Hermione go, during a family emergency like this one? Her Muggle family? No, Lucius probably had them watched. She wouldn’t endanger them. She would go to The Burrow with rest of the Weasley clan to await news.

Draco thought about the abandoned mill on the edge of Ottery St. Catchpole and spun on the Oxford street. He stepped onto the country lane less than half a mile from Weasley home. He had been to the Burrow only once and during that visit he had to disarm the whole family to get them to listen. As he approached the line of trees which hid the oddly shaped building from the view of the drivers on the motorway, he wondered how he should approach the building. With the kidnapping, he was certain that he had already triggered some protective warning spells. He hoped Hermione was in charge. If Ronald or George was in charge he might be in big trouble.

After a ten minute walk, he stood outside the gate. He pondered tossing pebbles at the house, like some besotted lovesick teenager, to get someone’s attention without him getting blasted. As he thought about it, in his mind’s eye he pictured Ron or George Weasley laughing at him from behind a window inside of the house. Anything would be better than that.

He decided the direct way was the easiest way to be noticed and would cause the least number of chances for his motives to be misunderstood by the inhabitants. As he touched the top of the gate, he heard a sound at the corner of the house.

He began speaking in a voice only slightly louder than a whisper, but hopefully not loud enough for spying ears to hear. –It’s Draco Malfoy. I’ve come from America with instructions from Harry Potter.” A twig snapped to his left and he twitched, starting to go for his wand which was in a sleeve holster. He did not follow through. He had to enter unarmed, just in case Granger was not here.

The voice of a young female came from the bushes by the house and Draco was suddenly blinded by the light from a wand. He threw up both hands to block the beams and to show whoever it was that he was not carrying a wand. –Step forward through the gate, take two paces, and drop onto your knees with your hands up over your hands.”

–Really, girl! This isn’t some fool drama on the Wizarding Wireless; I have messages and if Hermione or Ron is not here, tell me where they are. Potter’s messages are already an hour old and getting older, so let me in, kill me, or send me wherever the hell Granger is!”

–It’s okay, Victoire. Only the real Draco Malfoy is dense enough to think calling me by my maiden name is clever.”

–Granger…” he saw her in the pale moonlight standing, wand drawn, behind the girl. Hermione’s face looked quite drawn and from there, flashed a pair of angry eyes and pursed lips; he changed his tack in mid-sentence. –Mrs. Weasley, Hermione, I’ve news about the children and instructions for you and Ron from Potter, who is a prisoner of the Americans.”

–Harry is captive and you are free? Did you sell him out, Draco?”

–No! Let me in, every second we waste Harry’s position grows weaker, my father grows stronger and Scorpius is farther away from rescue and home.” As he said that, the fear and adrenalin that had been fueling him since the beginning of the rescue attempt seemed all spent and he almost tipped over his own feet as he walked toward the building.

The quickly downed shot of Fire-whisky brought Draco back to his full senses. He looked across the table to see Bill and Fleur Weasley, their daughter, Percy Weasley and Molly and Arthur Weasley who were in discussion with Hermione standing next to Arthur, George Weasley, Luna Scamander, and, in the fireplace, the apparition of the head of the dolt Ronald. Draco exhaled. He could now give his messages to the pair and tell them the story.

Looking at the elder Weasleys, Draco said, –I have special instructions for your youngest son and his wife from Harry. Let me relay them, and I’ll tell you all I know. However, this is my first stop of the night. I must go to Wimbourne to notify someone of what has occurred and then to my wife. Auror Weasley, could you meet me at the Visitor’s entrance to the Ministry tomorrow at nine in the morning?”

–Why?” asked Ron.

–So you can arrest me as an accomplice to murder and expedite my deportation so I can stand trial with Potter in America.” The room went totally silent except for the soft flicker of the flames which supported the visage of Ron. Draco was surprised by the extent of the shock on Ron’s face. The silence went on for almost two minutes and he felt the weight of his head causing it to droop toward the checkered table cloth.

Draco extended the shot glass into the air in front of his bowed head and Arthur’s wand flick re-filled it for him. Draco sipped this glass and said to answer the important unasked question. –In our rescue attempt, three died. – Molly abruptly inhaled and began to tremble; half of the members of the team were her family. Draco realized his mistake and physically and verbally reached out to her, –Dear lady, none of your kin, was physically injured. However, I fear there was great emotional trauma done.”

Molly let out a whispered thanks to God or something. Hermione focused on Draco and asked, –Who died then?”

Draco paused trying to figure out how to get this over with as quickly as possible. He’d tell them the story and ignore questions until later.

–When we first got to the cabin that they were being held in, we put a spell on the door so we could hear what was happening inside as we were getting organized to strike. We heard one of the kidnappers asking a weeping Lily Potter, to choose which of the other children they should torture instead of her. When Harry heard that, he impulsively blasted the door open. The kidnapper shouted something and pointed his wand at the children grouped around Ginny. Coach Devon charged the man’s wand and took the whole ‘Killing curse’ in the chest. Gwayne Pierce, one of Grindus’ the hired wands, did the same to the man who killed Devon. A second kidnapper set a fireball into the face and body of Pierce. It all happened in front of the children.”

–So how did Harry get arrested?” asked Ron from the fire.

–When Pyter removed Scorpius from the cabin, he must have contacted the Americans. We were just getting ready to bring the team safely back home, when the Americans announced they had the place surrounded. Harry ordered the rest of the rescue team to surrender. He gave me this and told me to give you his messages” Draco reached into the magicked rucksack grasping some tent poles before finding the heavy cloak. He pulled it out. –He told me to give this to you.” He offered the Invisibility cloak to Hermione.

She quickly examined the looking for whatever, she found nothing and turned back toward him. –Why me?” Draco shrugged in answer to her question.

Ron had the next question, –What did you mean, when Pyter removed Scorpius?”

Draco took another sip of the whisky. –According to Ginny and Rose, Ares Pyter put his wand to Rose’s head and told Scorpius that he would kill her unless Scorpius went into the back room with him. The two went through the door into the back room and were never seen again. I assume, he had an illegal Portkey or a form of Side-Along-Appartion occurred. They still have my son. No! HE has my son.” Draco searched through the faces full of pity and empathy, it made him sick. He looked at Hermione and said, –Don’t you see, my father did all of this to kidnap my boy. And who knows what number of Unbreakable Vows he has made my son take or what type of brain washing has been done to him.– Draco downed the last dram of the whisky and lowered his gaze to the tabletop. When he looked up, Arthur had slid the whole bottle next to him. Draco looked at the bottle, and wet his lips. The drink seemed to be calling for him to take it and drown his problems, but he saw his father holding a wand on his son and reached over to the table picked up the stopper and placed it back in the bottle.

–Please, let me pass on my messages. I have two more stops. Ron, you might want to get word to the Joneses and the Grindus boy’s parents about the safe rescue. Also Ron, Harry was worried that news of his arrest might beat me to you. He suggested you pass along his orders immediately, because he thinks Lee will use this as an excuse to clean house of the both of you from the Auror office.”

Weasley’s face in the flames just nodded. Draco thought that Ron, as slow witted as he was, had already figured that much out.

After delivery of the pair of Harry’s cryptic messages, Draco stood up to go. He found that he was unsteady on his feet. It was probably a combination of the drink and tension. He found a set of arms taking him into one giant hug. He looked to see that Luna had taken him in their arms for comfort and support. He nodded his thanks to the woman, but there was only one set of arms he wished to be in tonight and she would be his last stop.


Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, London, England, United Kingdom

Astoria was already waiting in a chair at the front door when he arrived. He barely had the door moving towards being closed when he found her taking hold of him. As he kissed her forehead, Draco heard the old wind up clock in the parlor clang six times.

–Hermione sent a Patronius to tell me that you had survived and you had bad news. She tried to not reveal your news, but I got it out of her. Are you really going to turn yourself in tomorrow?”

Draco nodded. Astoria took him in her arms and began repeatedly kissing him. He felt his knees weaken at her caresses. She took him by the hand and lead to the stairs and the bedroom. They undressed and remained in each other’s arms for the two hours until it was just past eight in the morning.

Draco and Astoria walked into the water closet. She took his straight razor and shaved him. As he tended to his teeth, she brought to him the outfit that Krowker had laid out. He recognized them as the same clothes that he had worn to the Dokes’ deportation hearings almost two years earlier. Astoria helped get him dressed and fussed with the properly aligning of the tie, and the black opal stick pin.

Draco looked into the mirror, with his wife’s arms around his chest. Attempting a bit of gallows humour, he asked, –Do I look good enough to arrest?”

–You look good enough to run for Minister of Magic.”

–Really, I thought you thought better of me than that. I need everyone to see that Hoyle, Potter and I are not thugs, but responsible pillars of society who were driven to our desperate acts by a loathsome madman. If the press or anyone at the store asks, that’s your answer.”

Astoria nodded. She didn’t know if this was part of the ‘plan’, but it was close enough to the truth to be told with confidence. It would start the process to sway the public, just in case. Draco reached over and kissed his wife, took his gold topped walking cane out of the troll leg umbrella stand, and stepped out into the morning.

Astoria trailed her husband hoping the small brushing of his shoulders and other small movements would keep her from begging him to stay with her. Just before he disappeared, she caressed him once again and told him of how much she loved and trusted him. He seemed to straighten up. He took his top hat off of his head held it in his left hand, smiled at her and turned on the spot. The smile was the last clear image she had of her husband.

After Draco had gone, Astoria called for Krowker to fetch the home owl and the business owl to the kitchen. She wrote a short note and attached it to her business owl and sent the owl to the address requested by Hermione Weasley during their conversation early this morning.

The second owl bearing a simple message written with dragon’s blood, from a dusty, old bottle that Kreacher had found in the pantry, was sent to Malfoy Manor. The note gave the reader a very simple option.

Return my son or die!

Astoria Malfoy