Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. It belongs to JK Rowling, etc.
The New Dark Lord
Chapter Five
It rained the night Draco left Ambleside. Harry was caught in the downpour, out walking his faithful companion, and thus spent a good fifteen minutes cleaning and drying both Charlie and himself when he arrived home. The shop was dark, the downstairs empty and quiet. He thought nothing of it, but when he went upstairs, he found Hermione sitting forlornly on the end of their bed.
`What's wrong?' Harry asked, moving to sit next to her. Charlie followed him in and sneakily jumped on the bed. Hermione was so distracted and upset she didn't even bother to shoo him off.
`He's gone,' Hermione said, handing Harry the note Draco had hastily scribbled.
Harry read it:
Can't stay. Ministry business. Later.
Harry smiled at the note. `Succinct.'
`It's not funny,' Hermione snapped, grabbing the note and reading it again with pensive eyes.
Harry held up his hands in surrender. `Geez, Hermione.'
`Sorry,' she mumbled in response. `It's just - and I know I sound like a broken record - but he's not coping. I know it. He needs our help Harry. Please, for once just believe me, and care, please.'
`Hey, I care,' Harry defended himself. `I..'
`I know. You believe in minding your own business. That's okay. It's good. But not in this case. Draco needs you. You're his best friend. He'll listen to you.'
Harry scoffed. `Yeah, I am his best friend, but like shit he'll listen to me. He won't listen to anyone but himself. Arguing with Draco is pointless. It'll only make him act worse. I've told you before... Draco has to help himself. It's just who he is. He doesn't want anyone else's help. Especially after what happened to Ginny.'
`He's lonely.'
`And it's self inflicted.'
`You think that's it?' Hermione looked at Harry with pain filled tears in her eyes. `He wants to punish himself? He lives with his mother casting hateful glances at him every day and he avoids us like we have some horrible disease. He doesn't want to feel better. He's wallowing in misery because he feels guilty?'
`Who knows?' Harry shrugged. `It could be anything...' Harry hadn't told Hermione that Draco had used the Dark Arts to torture and kill Blaise Zabini and he wouldn't. Could that be the problem? The Dark Arts?
`And then there's the Death Eaters. Harry - Draco tortures them. Ron told me some of the stories he's heard, about the Death Eaters Draco brings in, and it's obvious to everyone. I'm surprised the Ministry hasn't said anything, but I guess, as long as he's bringing them in, they don't care how...'
Harry had heard the stories as well. He was pretty sure Draco was torturing them - the Dark Arts had gotten hold of him and that much was obvious. But was it as serious as Hermione seemed to think? Draco wasn't torturing anyone else - just Death Eaters. They deserved it, as far as Harry was concerned.
`Harry, I'm afraid something bad is going to happen. Is happening.'
Harry put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. She surrendered to him gratefully. `Nothing bad is going to happen. We're passed all that.' He was silent a moment. `Okay. We'll find a way to help Draco. Somehow.'
`Really?'
`'Course.' Harry leaned down to kiss her. He stopped before pressing his lips to hers and murmured to her. `I'd do anything for you - you know that.'
Hermione smiled into his lips. `I do.'
They sealed the deal with a passionate kiss... and then some.
(----)
Simultaniously, two figures in crimson robes appeared on a sleepy seaside village lane. No one was around to witness their sudden apeparance, and who would be, at this late an hour? One of the figures moved purposefully, striding over to a nearby door and banging with his fist. The other sighed and followed.
`Shit Draco,' Elle said, `do you have to be so violent? The door ain't no Death Eater, is it?' Draco ignored her and kept up his furious knocking. `And yeah, while we're at it, what the fuck are we doing here? Mind filling me in?'
`What do you think we're doing?' Draco didn't look at her.
`With you, who knows? Draco, come on. We're supposed to be partners. It'd be nice if you gave me something…'
Draco shook his head. `The wizard who lives here used to know my father.' He paused, thought for a moment. `Father would bring me here sometimes… they'd shut me in the other room and talk quietly about who knows what. If Death Eaters are free… and my father… I think this guy might know something, and I'm going to find out. Satisfied?'
`Yes, thank you!'
Draco stepped back, his fist falling to his side, a scowl on his face. `This isn't working,' he said, and brandished his wand.
`Draco, what-wait!'
`Reducto!'
The door blew apart, wood splintering into the house and boucing off the walls of the corridor. Elle stared at Draco with incredulity.
`You're fuckin' nuts! You can't just go around blowing peoples doors in!'
`Shut up and follow,' Draco growled, waving an arm to clear the dust as he entered the house. He cupped a hand to his mouth and shouted, `Mallory! You hear me you slimy bastard? Run and you'll be sorry!'
`Fuck,' Elle spoke softly, following her "mentor". `This is crazy. We're so fired.'
`Mallory!' Draco called out again.
They searched the house from head to toe, but found no sign of life. Elle was in the bedroom, looking under the bed, when Draco caught up with her. He stopped in the doorway, face a mask of undisguised rage.
`The bastard's left,' he said. `He was here yesterday, I'm sure, but only for about half an hour. He came in here, used magic, and then left.'
Elle arched an eyebrow at him. `You can tell all that?'
`Can't you?' Draco waved a hand lazily around in the air. `The magic lingers here… started in the kitchen, he probably came in through the back, and then he came upstairs, into the bathroom, and then here… the bedroom…' Draco paused - looked at the wardrobe, which was ajar. `Packed a bag and left.'
`He's running?'
Draco nodded.
`From who? Us? Or…'
`We'll ask him when we find him. Come on. I think I know where he went.'
`Don't tell me you can read his apparition signiture that well after a day.'
`No, obviously I can't.'
`So where are we going?'
`Follow and find out.' Crack!
Elle growled. `Fucking son of a -` Crack!
(---)
`I'm home!'
Serephina was in the basement, weaving a complicated thread of beautiful fabric, when she heard the shout ring through the house. A smile wiped out any sign of concentrated frowning and her wand moved with complex movements, tying a knot in the frabric and safetly storing it back upon one of the many maniquins dotted around her work space in moments. She was upstairs not five seconds later, and wrapping her tiny arms around her much larger husband.
Neville pulled her close and smelled her hair. `I missed you,' he murmured into her hair.
`Me too.' Sera pulled away, but took his hand at the same time. `Coffee?'
`Please.'
She led him over to the kitchen and pushed him into a chair gently. He sat and watched her work with a grin. She moved so gracefully, waving her wand with one hand, moving the kettle to boil with the other. The coffee pot and sugar slid along the counter and stopped before her. She was ready with a spoon to fill the cups her wand summoned seconds later. It was like watching a professional at work. She was amazing, and she did it all with a look of pure contentment on her pretty face.
`How's Hogwarts?' Seraphina asked as she worked.
`The usual,' Neville replied. `Got questioned by the new students first thing. It's becoming a tradition these days.'
`They're just excited to be in the presence of a real Hero.'
`Sera,' Neville said with exasperation.
`I know.' She gave him a fond look.
He shook his head and smiled. `There was this one kid… a young girl. She reminds me of Hermione… and myself, in a way.'
`Oh?' Sera handed him his coffee and pulled a chair over to sit closer to him.
Neville sipped. `Mm. Thanks. It's good. And yeah, she…' He laughed. `She approahced me after my first class… told me I was her… Hero.' He laughed again. `I didn't know what to say, you know. I don't want to encourage hero worship, but then… maybe it's not always a bad thing… that's what I've been thinking anyway…'
`Yeah?'
`I think she wanted to believe in me because it helped her see herself differently. If I could be a… Hero… then maybe she could be more as well…' He looked her in the eye. `You've always been so self aware. You know who you are. What you can do. You're so confident and sure of yourself, I don't think you can understand what it's like to be so insecure. To doubt yourself all the time. It's hard. But in me, she sees a brighter future for herself. Does that make sense?'
Sera nodded. `It does. And I think you're right. I always have. Being a "hero" is more than just saving people. It's inspiring them. Helping them be better. Whether you like it or not sweetie, you're a role model for her, and probably many others.'
Neville scratched his head and shrugged. `I guess that's not so bad.'
Sera kissed his nose. `Just don't let it go to your head and you'll be fine.'
Neville laughed. `Fat chance of that.'
Sera pushed her coffee away, took Neville's and did the same, and then sat herself in his lap. `I'll make sure of it.' She leaned down to kiss him.
(----)
Draco and Elle made their way down Diagon Alley with determination and focus. It was later now and all down the street shops were closing. The few civilians around made way for the red robed Aurors.
`Knockturn Alley? You think he went there?' Elle questioned as they walked.
`You'd be surprised what goes on down there,' Draco said.
`But you know?'
Draco nodded slightly.
`And yet you've never tried to clean it up? If you know so much, why not?'
`It's not worth it,' Draco replied. `The whole place is a front and everyone knows it. You think the Ministry hasen't tried to shut them down before? Sure, sometimes it works, but mostly it's a waste of resources. Someone else just comes in and takes over. It's like trying to stamp out evil altogether. Impossible. No, Knockturn Alley is better left as it is. And this way…' Draco gave her a sidelong look - smirking. `I can use them.'
`You can use them?'
`They all have secrets,' Draco explained, `and I know most of them.' He continued, voice now laced with sardonic venom, `being the son of a Death Eater does have perks.'
`So where are we headed, exactly?'
Draco's face took on a sour look. `Mallory has few friends in the world. My father hates the wizard… not that that's exactly surprising, as my father hates most people… but in this case he's not alone. The only reason Mallory still breathes is because he's useful. Talented, in his own way, and completely dedicated to his job.'
`Which is?'
`He's a conduit,' Draco said. `Information passes through him. You want to know something, he's your guy. It makes it easy for… for those wizards of a darker bent… to relay information. Mallory can be trusted as a source where most others can't.'
`Why?'
`Because he can't lie.'
`He can't fuckin' lie?' Elle grabbed Draco's shoulder and turned him to face her. `What the fuck Draco?'
`He was cursed to be that way. No one can remove it. So that's his job. He's the only reliable source in the dark underground of wizardry. That's why no one likes him, by the way. Honest people tend to piss people off. Still, it's an effective method for a secret society full of serpents to keep an honest basis for information.'
`The Ministry doesn't know about this?'
`Not to my knowledge,' Draco said. `Mallory was kept hidden. He doesn `t live in that Muggle village for nothing. Who would think to find a dark informant there? Mallory hasn't stepped foot in the wizarding world for years. But when he did… this is where he came. And it's where we'll find him.'
`Where?'
Draco pointed. `Borgin and Burkes.'
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