FHB: Chapter 29

Lucius did not expect it to be so soon. Barely a week after his little meet up with the Dark Lord, he was called to Professor Dumbledore’s office. Lucius never liked Professor Dumbledore and was rather glad Professor Slughorn was also present when he entered the circular room.

“Professor, you have requested for me?” Lucius asked.

“Yes, I’m afraid something has happened,” Professor Dumbledore said as he handed Lucius a letter.

Without hesitation, Lucius tore the letter open and gazed at the words on the brown parchment.

“Your mother. She wrote us a letter too, explaining-”

“Professor, this is…” Lucius interrupted Professor Slughorn, but immediately stopped himself from continuing. What he intended to say would have ruined the Dark Lord’s plan of getting him out of school, and it was a good thing he caught on fast.

“Don’t worry, Lucius. You will board the train right away,” Professor Slughorn said as he placed a comforting hand on Lucius’ shoulder.

“Thank you, sir,” Lucius replied, keeping his gaze on the handwriting that was clearly not his mother’s. He was afraid that if he looked up, he would not be able to hide the truth from Professor Dumbledore.

“Pack what you need and I’ll send someone to escort you to the station,” Professor Dumbledore said.

“Thank you, professor,” Lucius said, quickly turning on his heels.

“And Lucius,” Professor Dumbledore called out. When Lucius turned but did not look him in the eye, there was a short awkward moment of silence. Professor Dumbledore did not speak until Lucius forced his gaze upon him. “Your father will be fine.”

Lucius gave him a firm nod before he hurried off. Letter still clutched in his hand, Lucius headed to the empty dungeons and went straight to his room. Once alone, he heaved a sigh of relief; relief that no one called the letter a bluff. What would happen if Professor Dumbledore knew he was working for the Dark Lord? Lucius can only imagine the horror his family would have to go through.

After a few minutes of complete silence, Lucius changed into something more muggle-like and began packing. The letter said he would be away for one week, so he decided to pack light. One suitcase should suffice, so Lucius swiftly grabbed what he needed before running into Professor Slughorn outside the common room.

“I told Dumbledore I’d escort you. Better if no one else knows what is going on,” Professor Slughorn said.

“Thank you, sir,” Lucius replied.

“So much gossiping among the students these days, this is the least I can do for you.”

Lucius gave a nod and followed after Professor Slughorn. As the two made their way to the train station in Hogsmead, an unwanted conversation took place.

“Ms Lovegood has been writing to me, you know,” Professor Slughorn said. “She’s doing very well in her training. They even sent her on field!”

“That’s good to hear,” Lucius responded shortly.

“Don’t you two write to one another? I thought you were friends.”

“Well, sometimes. She’s been busy,” Lucius lied, not knowing why he did.

“Yes, yes. A clever girl she is.”

Lucius merely nodded.

“I wish she could have finished her studies here. But I guess it is better for her to start her training now.”

“It is.” Two words that were the opposite of what Lucius was thinking.

“Can you believe it? I do not even have a picture of her!” Professor Slughorn exclaimed.

Thankfully, the conversation could not continue on the Hogwarts Express, as Lucius thanked Professor Slughorn again and boarded the train. When the train started to move, he heaved another sigh. This time, it was not a sigh of relief but a sigh of uncertainty.

As the train chugged into the night, Lucius found himself slowly drifting off into dream world. The scenery could not keep him awake and the thoughts he had became tiring. When he finally realized he had dozed off, the Hogwarts Express hissed and screeched as it came to a stop. Pulling himself up, Lucius wasted no time and hopped off the train.

Platform 9 ¾ was awfully quiet that night. The last time he stood on the platform, it was full of noisy students. Now, it was dead with not a single soul lurking about. Lucius did not like how the atmosphere felt and headed straight for the pillar. Once through, the stillness was ripped from him.

King’s Cross Station was busy, with muggles transiting home after a long day. Lucius blended in with the crowd and casually strolled to the exit. The moment he stepped outside, he felt lost. He always had an escort, but that night was different. Even though the letter said he would have a pick-up, he did not see anyone waiting for him. Lucius looked up and down the sidewalk he was on, hoping to see a chauffeur and a car, but when no one fit his mental description he gave up.

Lucius decided that since waiting did him no good, he should start walking. As he headed down his right, slipping past strangers, he kept his eye out for someone who might be waiting for him. When he saw someone leaning against a car, he decided to try his luck. But just before he could approach that man, a stranger brushed past him and whispered in his ear.

Not catching the whispered words, Lucius spun around to see who it was, but it was impossible to play the guessing game in such a crowd. A few seconds later, the same stranger bump into his shoulder and whispered again. This time, Lucius heard him.

“Follow me,” he said, as he continued walking ahead rather slowly.

Lucius was not sure if he could trust that man. He had never seen him before, and he couldn’t help but doubt. Things could go wrong very quickly if he made the wrong decision. Was following the stranger the wrong decision?

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment below or vote on whether Lucius should follow the stranger or keep on looking!)

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FHB: Chapter 28

It was a letter, one he wrote and mailed out with no idea if it would reach its recipient. He had to use his own owl to play it safe but he was not even sure if his owl would be able to make the delivery. The only thing he was sure of, was that his letter was well written, if one could even consider ‘I need a favour’ as well written. At least he knew nothing could go wrong if a stranger read it.

After that night with Severus, Lucius did two things; one was the vague letter and the other was making Severus swear to secrecy. The secret was not regarding the Dark Lord but his father. Severus swore on his own father, which Lucius knew carried little weight as he did it without blinking. But Lucius decided to trust him anyway. After all, he didn’t have a choice. As for the conversation about the Dark Lord, Lucius told him to be patient. One day, Severus will get his chance to meet the Dark lord; one day when he’s older.

Lucius had took upon himself the duty of making sure Severus was far from this dark world as possible. He would hate to admit it, but he wanted to give Severus some form of childhood. Severus might think it glorious to fight for the Dark Lord, but having grown up in a family always surrounded by the ‘cause’, Lucius knew there was not a single ounce of fun or glory in it all. Sure, Lucius would continue to do the Dark Lord’s bidding and recruit children, but he would decide how much these children would be exposed to.

A whole week after those secrets were shared, Lucius did not see his feathered friend. Lucius was almost convinced that the Dark Lord could not be reached at that moment. So when his owl finally returned with a letter, Lucius assumed it was his own. It was only when he untied the letter that he realized the envelope was of different material. With scepticism, Lucius tore the envelope open and read its contents.

‘Let’s meet. Same place.’

The letter felt so familiar. Assuming that the letter was referring to Potage Cauldron Shop, was it implying that he would be meeting with his father again? Dread immediately swept over him, as he had no intentions of meeting his father. But just like the previous letter, Lucius had not choice but to go with it.

When the weekend visit to Hogsmead arrived, Lucius joined his friends before excusing himself as usual. None of his so-called friends questioned him, even though he knew they were very curious. He could only hope that none decided to follow him out of curiosity. Killing the cat would be so messy.

Just like before, the cauldron shop was empty. There was no one at the counter and the back door was slightly ajar. Lucius did not hesitate as he descended the steps leading towards the dark basement. When he was at the bottom, he pulled out his wand ready to chase the darkness away, but before he could, the basement door slammed shut. Lucius jumped at the sudden sound before the hair on his nape began to stand.

“I’ve been waiting,” a voice said, cutting through the silence.

Lucius recognized it, and it was not his father’s. There was also a soft hissing that floated around the room, and Lucius immediately knew he was in the presence of the Dark Lord.

“I came as fast as I could,” Lucius replied.

“Have you spoken to any of your friends about me?”

“One, but there will be more,” Lucius said, wishing there was a hint of light to tell him where the Dark Lord was at.

“Good. What is this favour you need, Lucius?” the Dark Lord asked in a rather friendly manner.

“My father, he has been cursed.”

“I know.”

Lucius could not help but wonder why the Dark Lord did nothing to help his father. What was the Dark Lord’s definition of loyalty?

“Can you help him?”

“I can, but it won’t be easy. The curse he acquired while he failed to do my bidding is a dark one.”

That was why the Dark Lord was not lending a helping hand. His father had failed a bidding and not helping was his punishment.

“I’ll do anything. Please help my father.”

“You’ve done a lot for me Lucius,” the Dark Lord stated.

There must have been a reason for that statement, because it made Lucius foolishly think he did not have to do anything for that favour. Just when he thought it was really a ‘favour’ as per the original definition, the Dark Lord redefined it.

“But I need you to do one extra thing, if you want me to save your father,” the Dark Lord added.

Holding back a disappointed sigh, Lucius asked, “What do I need to do?”

“I need you to join my Death Eaters on a special mission.”

“What kind of a mission?”

“A mission to strike an agreement with my hooded friends. I think you know them as Dementors.”

Lucius swallowed hard at the sound of what he needed to do. It was a special mission all right, because Dementors were not creatures to be messed with.

“I-I have school,” Lucius managed a reply.

“I know what to do. School will not be a problem, unless… you’re using it as an excuse. If so, I will not help your father.”

Lucius stood in the darkness, not sure on what to do. He wouldn’t be alone on the mission, so everything would be fine… right? It was stupid to even consider his next thought, but was his father worth it? Two things could happen with his decision, either his father looses his soul or Lucius looses his.

To Be Continue…

(Leave a comment below or vote on whether should accept the mission or decline it!)

FHB: Chapter 26

“Father!” Lucius called.

Abraxas Malfoy stopped in his tracks, almost unwillingly. He rested his hand on the doorknob before turning to Lucius.

“Is something wrong?” Lucius asked uncertainly.

His father shook his head and was ready to leave.

“I know something is,” Lucius quickly said.

His father let go of the knob, and said, “No, you don’t.” Before Lucius could prove his point, his father apparated without another word.

Knowing there was nothing he could do to find the answers he wanted, he sighed and exited the basement. He was so sure of leaving the dingy shop empty handed when he saw a familiar face at the counter.

The boy rang the rusted bell on the wooden surface, but no one came out to greet him. Disappointed, the boy turned towards the door and caught the reflection of Lucius in an old copper cauldron. Immediately, he stopped in his tracks.

Lucius caught the boy’s surprised expression and walked up to him.

“What are you doing here, Severus?” Lucius asked. “Who gave you permission to visit Hogsmead?

“Professor Slughorn. I was looking to buy a new cauldron, but…” Severus trailed off.

“What happened to your old one?”

“It…”

A boy with talent in potions could not have blown up his own cauldron.

“It?” Lucius asked.

Severus shrugged. Lucius knew he was too embarrassed to admit he was still being bullied. Maybe if Severus joined the Dark Lord, he would find a reason to stand up for himself.

Walking up to the counter, Lucius gave the bell three rings. When not a soul showed interest in selling a cauldron, Lucius took out a few galleons from his cloak and placed it on the counter.

“Take that one,” Lucius said and pointed at a new silver cauldron seated by the window.

“But…” Severus only managed a word.

“Thank you would suffice,” Lucius simply replied.

Severus nodded his head and muttered the softest ‘thank you’ Lucius had ever heard. He then hurried towards the cauldron, but before he could reach for it he stopped and picked up something from the floor.

“What is it?” Lucius asked.

“I don’t know,” Severus answered, as he handed the piece of paper to Lucius.

While Severus struggled to find the right position to carry the cauldron, Lucius examined the piece of paper. The only thing written was, “Dr. Maddock. Highly recommended” and it was signed off with D.B.

Something about it felt familiar and when he thought it through, he recalled the last time he fell ill. His mother called the family doctor who signed off a few exotic herbs with ‘D.B’. At the memory of it, Lucius wondered if the piece of paper belonged to his father. Something was definitely wrong and Lucius was beginning to worry. Yet at that very moment, he kept his cool and headed back to Hogwarts with Severus stumbling beside him.

That night, Lucius could not fall asleep. He wrote a brief letter to his mother asking if everything was fine back home before he rested his head, but that only made things worse. His worry would not die down and when the sun came up the next day he decided to act on his own. He did not have a plan but he hoped the day would work to his favour.

When afternoon came, day was on his side as Lucius stumbled upon a prefect reprimanding a group of students. It was not hard to guess what had happened as the students were split into a group of three boys against one. Picking up speed, Lucius closed in on the debate on ‘who started it’ before saying, “I know who the bullies are.”

Little did he know, he was wrong with his assessment. The three boys were Avery, Mulciber and Severus, and the one they were against was a Gryffindor boy; a boy he had not seen before. He was probably someone no one noticed, making him an easy target.

“You do?” The Hufflepuff prefect asked.

Lucius was not sure if he should sell out his own to save this new face, so he played it safe and said, “Better they confess to lighten the sentence.”

“He did it!” the Gryffindor boy said, and pointed at Severus.

It was unbelievable as Severus was commonly the target of bullies, not the other way around.

“He jinxed Severus’ cauldron!” Avery responded in accusation.

“We just wanted justice,” Mulciber added, in the most threatening tone.

 When the Gryffindor boy hesitated to defend himself, Lucius knew it was true.

“What’s your name?” Lucius asked him.

“Peter.”

“Peter what?”

“Peter Pettigrew.”

“Detention Mr Pettigrew. And if you jinx another cauldron, you’re paying for it,” Lucius said.

The Hufflepuff prefect looked at Lucius uncertainly and Lucius doused his suspicion of biasness with, “Ask Professor Slughorn about the cauldron. As for the fight, we can just let it go.”

Reluctantly, the Hufflepuff prefect nodded his head and took Pettigrew with him. When the two were out of earshot, Avery and Mulciber began high fiving and praising Lucius. Severus on the other hand, thanked Lucius and turned on his heels.

“You owe me, Severus,” Lucius simply said.

It was then that Lucius had an idea. Maybe he could use Severus once more, and do the Dark Lord’s bidding at the same time. After all, Severus was indebted to him, and Tanya was no longer around to question his motives.

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment below or vote on whether Lucius should use Severus again or let him go!)

FHB: Chapter 25

Lucius sat on his bed for a very long time, contemplating if he should do as what the letter had asked of him. He knew what the right choice was, but did he want it? Somehow, free will was no longer a privilege in his life and he found himself deciding to go with the letter.

The following weekend, students were allowed to leave school grounds for a visit to Hogsmead. Lucius would normally stay back and lurk the hallways, but this time he went along. His only goal was to meet the Dark Lord and then return to school immediately after that. So, when everyone decided to grab a mug of butterbeer Lucius excused himself and headed to Potage Cauldron Shop instead.

Potage Cauldron Shop was a shop away from the busy street with a door that made no sound when opened. As Lucius stepped into the crowded cauldron stacked shop, he took hesitant steps and debated silently on whether to make his presence known. But just when he was about to say a ‘hello’, he heard a shuffling of feet.

Unlike most people who would voice their uneasiness, Lucius remained quiet and stood in place. He listened intently and when the shuffling stopped, he slowly turned to look behind him. It was then that he saw someone he least expected to see.

“Father?” Lucius asked in surprise.

His father simply nodded his head and gestured for Lucius to follow after him. Holding back the questions in his head, Lucius did as he was told and hurried after his father.

The two of them headed to the back of the shop and climbed down a flight of narrow, wooden steps. They creaked dangerously and Lucius held on to the pipes on the basement wall as he made the descent. When his feet finally touched the floor of the dark room, his father whispered a spell and the lantern at the corner lit up.

“Father, what is going on?” Lucius asked.

“I was sent here to pass you a message,” his father replied in a voice that carried unwillingness and dread.

“Was it you who wrote me the letter?”

“He wrote the letter, I sent it.”

Lucius had a feeling his father knew about the letters Lucius was receiving from the Dark Lord, and he quickly said, “I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid he would find out.”

“I know.”

“He might think I’m-”

“Weak,” his father interrupted. “I know.  He’s testing us, Lucius. Testing our loyalty. You did what you had to do.”

Lucius nodded his head. He was glad his father understood.

“Things will get harder now. He wants you to be marked,” his father added.

“The dark mark? But I’m still in school.”

“Not so soon. He needs you to do one thing for him, one thing very important.”

There was something about the way his father spoke that day that did not seem right. It was not just the words but the way he said them. Lucius did not know his father well, but he knew when someone was distracted. Wanting to relieve the worry that was apparent on his father’s face, Lucius asked, “What does he want me to do?”

That question was met with hesitation, that lingered for a while, freezing time as the pin drop silence began to ring in their ears. Lucius wanted to break it but he dared not. Fear knocked on his back door and he was suddenly scared to hear what was required of him.

“He…” his father paused briefly, “He wants you to recruit students.”

Lucius let the words sink in before asking, “Aren’t we too young?”

His father looked Lucius in the eye, as though to point out that Lucius was too young but still doing the Dark Lord’s bidding.

“Why?” Lucius could not help but ask.

“The younger, the better. It would also be the perfect timing when you finish school.”

Lucius merely stared at his father in response. The Dark Lord was depriving him of a schooling life and now he wanted to do the same to others. Lucius did not care about the others, but he found it hard to believe that children now had to choose sides. With Tanya starting her training as an auror and the Dark Lord recruiting children, he knew both sides were preparing for a war.

“I’m sorry, Lucius,” his father said.

Lucius gave his father a nod and immediately after, his father turned on his heels ready to leave.

“Wait, are you leaving?” Lucius quickly asked.

“Yes. Is there anything else you need to ask?”

“No. I just thought…” Lucius trailed off. He thought it would be nice to spend some time with his father, but it looked like his father was not interested. “Never mind,” Lucius ended his sentence.

It was strange, but as his father ascended the steps out of the basement a bad feeling sunk in Lucius’ stomach. His father looked even more distracted than he was before and Lucius could not help but wonder if his father was holding information from him.

At that very moment, Lucius stood frozen with the urge to chase after his father. He wanted to know everything but he was not sure if everything would put him at rest. Just as his father was about to reach the door, Lucius forced himself to make a quick decision.

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment below or vote on whether Lucius should stay quiet or find out!)

FHB: Chapter 24

As Lucius swaggered down the hallways, heading towards the direction of his first class, his mind formed a trail of thoughts that shifted away from Tanya to something as minute as Severus’ tutoring request early that morning. His mind was so used to transitioning that it was slowly moving to nothingness when he entered the courtyard. But it was there that he saw Tanya.

Tanya was chatting with a few girls and Lucius immediately stopped in his tracks. He contemplated walking up to her, but was tempted to slip past her at the same time. Lucius would admit he wanted to find out why Tanya was leaving, but he was afraid that he was the cause of it. How would he feel if that was the truth?

Fortunately for him, his lingering caught the attention of Tanya’s friends and they did not hesitate to point him out. When Tanya saw him, she excused herself from the group and walked towards him. Lucius was surprise at her reaction, but he played it cool.

“I heard you’re leaving,” Lucius said.

“Yes, I am,” Tanya replied.

Lucius nodded his head. The question he wanted to ask was at the tip of his tongue but he held on to it.

“I’m moving to home schooling,” Tanya added.

“I see. Why the change?” Lucius finally let out the ‘why’.

“It will be easier for me to do my training.”

“What training?”

“Auror training. After the internship, they told me they wanted to train me.”

“But aren’t you too young? You haven’t graduated yet.”

“No one is too young to fight for a cause,” Tanya said.

There was a short moment of silence before Tanya added, “Besides, with home school I graduate faster.”

“Ah. So you’re going to be an auror,” Lucius said what meant to be a thought.

Tanya simply nodded and silence fell between the two of them once again. When it lingered too long, Tanya broke it with a smile.

“Well, all the best Mr Malfoy. I hope we never see each other again.”

Tanya gave him an awkward pat on the shoulder before walking off, leaving Lucius wondering what she meant.

There was no hate in her voice yet her words were like a punch in the stomach. Something about the whole goodbye did not seem right either. Tanya acted as though nothing happened between them but her last words did not sound too kind. Was it a jab at what he did or was it something else? Was Tanya planning on telling the ministry about him and his family, or was she just saying that to scare him?

It was an uneasy ending to an odd friendship, but Lucius knew that overthinking only wasted time. So, he decided to pack the conversation at the back of his mind and leave it there to collect dust. After all, he and Tanya were no more.

The rest of the day continued on in a slow pace. It was not just the classes, but the weeks before were slow in letters too. It was either the Dark Lord wanted to give him a break or something big was coming his way. Lucius could only wait and hope the next letter he finds would not be it.

When the weekend finally arrived, Lucius was told that Tanya would be boarding the train on Saturday evening. The prefects were urging those who knew her to see her off, but Lucius declined. She made it clear that she did not want to see him again, and Lucius silently agreed to that. So, while some went to the station to say their goodbyes, Lucius was in the common room being Severus’ worst tutor.

“No, you cannot mix snake fangs and billywig stings in a single bowl,” Lucius said.

“But if you add the standard ingredients in between, you can,” Severus replied.

Lucius narrowed his eyes at him.

“Look, it says here,” Severus said, as he showed Lucius a book he borrowed from the library.

Lucius took the book but he did not bother to read it. He wondered why Severus needed his help when clearly the boy knew much more than he did.

“It seems so,” Lucius said.

Severus nodded with a wide smile, as though it was the first time someone agreed with him.

“You’re doing a great job. Now excuse me, I want to get some rest,” Lucius said.

“Thank you for your help, Lucius,” Severus said.

Lucius waved him off and disappeared up the stairs to his bedroom. He was in a dull mood the whole day and he simply wanted it to end. Sadly, rest was the least of his worries.

As Lucius’ eyes gazed at the steps, the platform before his bedroom door greeted him with a white envelope. Shutting his eyes, Lucius wished the letter away. But when he opened his eyes, it was still there.

Picking up the envelope, Lucius took in a deep, tired breath before tearing it open. Inside, he found a letter that read, “Hogsmead, next week. Potage Cauldron Shop. Let’s meet.”

The letter was not signed with ‘your friend’ but the handwriting resembled the Dark Lord’s. Was it meant for him or was this letter actually meant for someone else? Lucius was not sure if he should go, but if the letter was really for him he better be at Potage Cauldron Shop next week. After all, the Dark Lord might not appreciate being stood up.

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment below or vote on whether Lucius should follow the letter’s instructions or not!)

FHB: Chapter 13

“Friends?” Lucius paused and with slight hesitation before he continued, “sure.”

“Great! Well as a friend, I’m encouraging you to do your prefect duties,” Tanya replied with a small smile.

“Right,” Lucius simply said as he awkwardly waved Tanya goodbye.

Of course, Lucius didn’t return to his duties but straight to the common room instead. Friend or not, nobody told him what to do. As he lay in his bed that night, he found himself wondering what being friends really meant. By the time his eyes shut, he still did not have the right answers.

The following morning came as fast as the end of Quidditch season. Slytherin took the Quidditch cup with Hufflepuff not too far behind. The Slytherins found no reason to rub salt into the Hufflepuffs’ wounds, so they jeered at the Gryffindors instead. Slytherin and Gryffindor were always rivals, and many being friends with each other made no difference.

Lucius who went along with the celebration still did not understand the meaning of friends. He was too proud to ask and he decided that it was best if he continued pretending not to have any. When those around him asked about Tanya, he simply said he was being nice to her for the sake of her intelligence. After all, O.W.Ls was nearing and Lucius was not the best at every subject.

As the months flew by, Lucius found himself studying more than he usually did. Tanya had encouraged him to work hard instead of cheat his way through, and he had no idea why he thought it was a good idea to do as she suggested. Clearly, after days of pouring over boring Divination Lucius realized it was a bad idea.

Jumping from the armchair near the warm fireplace, he headed to the older group of Slytherins gossiping at a corner.

“Interesting conversation,” Lucius merely said.

“Er, yes. Would you like to join us?” a male student replied.

“No.”

“Then how can we help you?” a female student asked.

“Slytherin was second to Ravenclaw last year in the Owls outstanding grade. I want to know who helped,” Lucius answered.

“Helped? Well, we studied,” another male student said.

“Everyone in this group did not study. The ones that actually did are asleep now,” Lucius replied.

“We didn’t use a memory spell if that’s what you’re wondering.”

“I’m not wondering. You’re telling me,” Lucius went straight to the point.

There was a moment of hesitation, but it didn’t last long.

“We bought the papers before hand,” the same student replied in a lower voice.

There were only a few people in the common room that night and Lucius wondered why he was whispering.

“From who?”

“You don’t know him, but I can introduce him to you. You have a trip to Hogmeads coming up, right? I can sneak out to join you,” the student suggested.

“Sound good,” Lucius simply replied. He patted the boy on the shoulder before heading up to his room.

On the day of the Hogsmead trip, Lucius headed out with the usual boys. A lot of the students decided not to go, as they preferred staying indoors to study, but Lucius went mainly to find a way to make him breeze through a few of the subjects he was struggling with.

Surprisingly, as Lucius and his posse settled down in the Three Broomsticks, he saw Tanya entering with her friends. Tanya was behind in her studies, so she must have caught up being that she was out. As he watched her, the Slytherin boy that promised an introduction came walking in.

Lucius did not wait for him to walk over as he headed to him instead.

“Let’s make this quick,” Lucius said.

“Of course,” he replied and went straight to the stairs.

Lucius took one look at his fellow housemates and gestured for them to remain seated. Once he and the other student were on the first floor, the student pointed to a man in a suit at the table near the window.

“He knows you’re coming,” the student said.

“Good,” Lucius replied and thanked the student with a nod.

Lucius swaggered to the table and took a seat. The man acknowledged him with a fake smile and said, “So, how can I help you?”

“I need papers…owl,” Lucius said.

“One paper does not come cheap.”

“Money is not a problem, and I only need a few.”

“Oh? If you’re so clever, why don’t you just study?”

“I don’t need you to tell me what to do.”

The man chuckled and said, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you. I’m just trying to do business here.”

“So how much for a paper and when can you deliver?”

“20 galleons, 13 sickles, 13 knuts. And I’ll deliver tomorrow if you pay today,” he replied with a sly smile.

“Fine. If you cheat me, you will pay for it.”

“Oh, I’m not the cheater here.”

Lucius narrowed his eyes before paying the man and informing him on the papers he needed. When the deal was done, he did not stick around and headed straight for the stairs. That was when he bumped into Tanya.

“Hey,” Tanya greeted.

“Hello,” Lucius replied as he edged towards the steps.

She looked at him and then at the man in the suit. Casually, she asked, “Who is that man? What were you paying him for?”

Lucius’ head screamed at him to cook up a lie, but he had a strange urge to tell the truth, as though lying was just going to make things worst. It now came down to what he was going to say to the only friend he had.

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment below or vote on whether Lucius should lie or tell the truth!)

Chapter 30

Joanna headed to Knockturn Alley after gossiping about everyone from school with Annoria. Being that she was an Auror in one of the darkest parts of the Wizarding World, Joanna never took her hand off her wand. As she walked down the old shops, mostly unable to tell if they were still operational, Joanna recalled the trip she took with Tom to the tavern in Hogsmead. Oh yes, the same trepidation was lingering within her.

Finally reaching Borgin and Burkes, Joanna took a peep through the old musty window. She saw a wide array of magical objects which she was sure all could be used for dark magic. Silently, she wondered why there was no law against magical objects that enhanced dark magic.

“Can I help you?” a man, who was standing by the door, asked in a suspicious tone.

“I’m… looking for someone,” Joanna hesitated.

“Why?” The man, whom Joanna recognized as Caractacus Burke, kept the same suspicious tone.

“You’re Caractacus right?” Joanna had to confirm her doubts, as the man was missing a finger, which was not the description they had on him at the Auror department.

“Who’s asking?”

“You’re on our watch list,” Joanna simply replied as she walked past him and into his shop.

“I didn’t do anything, you can’t prove anything,” Caractacus immediately defended himself as he followed after her.

“Relax, I’m not here on a job.”

“Then why are you here?” His suspicious tone returned.

“I’m looking for an old friend from school, they say he works here.”

“Who? Tom Riddle? He’s the only one that works for me,” Caractacus quickly replied, hoping to shift the conversation away from himself.

“Yes. Is he here?”

“I’ll… I’ll go get him,” he said, before hurrying off and disappearing among the shelves and big objects.

And then, as though the placement of the objects were so perfect to bounce off sound, Joanna heard a conversation.

“Who is she?! What did you do?!” Caractacus demanded.

“Relax old man, she’s a friend from school.”

“She better not be snooping around. They need a warrant for that.”

“She won’t give you any problems.”

Joanna could still hear the authoritative tone in his voice. Though it may seem like Tom was working for Caractacus, but Caractacus was wrapped around Tom’s fingers.

“I’m taking a break,” Tom said, before she heard his footsteps. And though they were loud and clear she couldn’t make out the direction he was coming from.

“Funny how sound works in here huh,” Tom finally said from behind her, making her jump as her hand tightened on her wand.

“Yes. It is.” Joanna turned to face him. Tom had not really changed as he still looked the same, just older and more manly.

“Let’s talk outside. Mr. Burke likes to eavesdrop,” Tom said loudly before he led her to the exit.

Once outside, Joanna found herself letting go of her wand. Somehow, she knew he wouldn’t hurt her.

“The arrangement of the objects… your job?” Joanna asked, already knowing the answer.

“Yes. We like listening to our customers’ thoughts,” Tom answered with a smile. “So, how have you been?”

“Pretty good, you?”

“I’m fine.”

“I thought you wanted to work in Hogwarts?”

“I was turned down.”

“Ouch. But I heard you had a lot of offers from the Ministry.”

“I turned THEM down.”

As Tom answered, she noticed how he never took his eyes off her.

“As an auror, aren’t you trained to be on guard every time?” Tom suddenly asked.

“Yes.”

“You should keep your hand on your wand. I must tell you, it is more dangerous out here than in there.”

“I…” Joanna didn’t know how to answer. She didn’t intend on letting her guard down at all.

“But don’t worry, I’ll protect you. No one here crosses me,” Tom said with full of pride. And then he smiled, that same smile that captivated the hearts of many.

“I get off work at around seven. We can have dinner if you want to catch up?” Tom added.

Joanna started to read him again, just like how she would back in Hogwarts.

“Dinner sounds fine,” Joanna replied, after a few seconds of internal debates.

“Great. I’ll meet you at the Three Broomsticks,” Tom replied and disappeared back into the shop without even saying goodbye.

Placing her hand back on her wand, Joanna left Knockturn Alley, did some shopping, and settled down at the Three Broomsticks right at the stroke of seven. Moments later, Tom walked in and sat down at her table.

There was a long moment of silence as the waitress came, went and returned. Joanna buried her face in the menu long enough for the waitress to make an annoying throat clearing sound. After they made their orders, Joanna started staring out the window, trying to avoid Tom’s gaze. He had never taken his eyes off her the moment he saw her.

“Could you stop staring at me?” Joanna could not take it any longer.

“Why did you come and see me?” Tom asked in reply.

“I… I just wanted to see how you were doing.”

“Curious as always,” Tom said.

“No. I was concerned.”

“Right. But why? We haven’t spoken since we left school, its almost a year and a half now.”

“Is it wrong to check up on an old friend?” Joanna was getting defensive.

“I don’t know. We weren’t really friends after you came back to Hogwarts.”

“Well, that’s not really my fault, is it?” Joanna couldn’t believe they were getting into an argument.

“You were saying it was my fault?”

“You weren’t there when I needed you the most, you ditched me remember? After your emotional speech about wanting me to be in your life and all that, you still ditched me,” Joanna replied, trying not to get angry.

“I made a speech? I don’t recall it,” Tom said, with no expression on his face.

“Wow Tom, just wow. I don’t know why I agreed to have dinner with you. You’re just the same arrogant boy I use to know.”

“I’m always the same, Joanna. I’ve never changed. Is that all you remember me for, arrogant?”

“I don’t need to remember, you’re proving it now.” Immediately, Joanna stood up.

“You’re leaving?” Tom asked, not at all surprised.

“Yes. I am.” Joanna decided to give up trying. Tom may have grown to be more handsome, but he was still the same inside.

As she walked past him, he reached out for her wrist and stopped her.

“I’m sorry. Old habits die hard,” Tom quickly said. “Please, sit back down.” The tone in his voice had changed.

“No. I got to go.” Joanna often wondered if Tom had a split personality, and if he did, she did not want to deal with either personalities anymore.

“Don’t go. I need to tell you something.” Tom refused to let go of her wrist no matter how hard she tried to tug it free.

Joanna thought for a while. Should she listen to him and give him a chance? Or should she just leave him, as dinner WAS his chance.

To Be Continued…

(Leave a comment below or vote on whether Joanna should stay or go!)

Chapter 25:

Joanna hesitated for a moment, as she looked at Annoria who was shaking her head and tugging at her hand to leave. But instead of heading out the front door, Joanna walked towards the back. Annoria quickly tried to stop her but Malfoy butted in before Annoria could say anything.

“What are you doing?” Malfoy said, as he hurried up to them.

“I’m giving your girlfriend the duel she wants,” Joanna replied.

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Malfoy replied and said nothing else as he opened the back door for both Joanna and Annoria to exit.

The back alley was rather abandoned at that hour of the day. The sun was at its highest and it wasn’t the best time to be strolling down the streets.

“So, will here do?” Matilda asked, sounding very much like Rose at that moment.

“Where ever would do,” Joanna replied casually as she headed up to Matilda and gave a bow. Not even bothering to see if Matilda did the same, Joanna turned and placed herself 20 feet away across Matilda.

As Joanna went into her dueling stance, Matilda quickly asked, “Wait! Who’s your second?”

“I don’t need one,” Joanna repled, immediately waving her wand and throwing a spell at Matilda, who barely managed to block it.

“Hey! I wasn’t ready!” Matilda shouted.

“The duel started a while ago. Unless you don’t know the rules, you shouldn’t challenged anyone.” Joanna threw another spell, making Matilda stumble backwards. Her housemates immediately caught her before she fell over.

“I didn’t challenge you!” Matilda threw a spell in return, and Joanna blocked it off with a wave.

“Then you shouldn’t point wands when you don’t intend on using them,” Joanna replied as she sent 3 more spells. Sparks of red, blue and green flew towards Matilda and as she screamed, she ran behind her housemates, shoving them forward as she did.

Three of her housemates took the spells as they were caught off guard. One flew backwards, knocking over a few Slytherins like a bowling ball. Another had his legs tied together, and as much as he tried to balance himself, he joined the pile of his friends on the ground. The other girl screamed as boils started appearing on her hands and face.

When Matilda saw it all, she immediately demanded, “Where you trying to kill me?!”

“That is the common intention of a duel. No other rules were set, right?” Joanna replied as she walked towards Matilda.

“Joanna! What are you doing?” Annoria asked, with desperation in her voice. Then turning to Malfoy, which Annoria rarely did, she said, “Stop her!”

“Me? You gotta be kidding. Clearly, home school paid off,” Malfoy replied as he remained where he stood, by the back door of the Three Broomsticks.

“Joanna! Don’t!” Annoria shouted, as Joanna was closing in on Matilda.

Matilda’s housemates were already backing away, leaving Matilda to fend for herself.

“Guys! Help me!” Matilda commanded as she dared not to take her eyes off Joanna.

“If we did, we would be breaking the rules,” one of her friends replied.

Matilda then attempted to run, but Joanna managed to cast a leg locking spell before she could, and Matilda fell to the ground instead. She screamed in pain as she landed on her shoulder, and when she tried to prop herself up, Joanna flicked her wand and sent Matilda’s wand 10 feet away from her.

Immediately looking up at Joanna, Matilda stammered, “Ple-please. I’m, I’m sorry o.k?”

“Looks like we have a stammer,” Joanna said, and she could have sworn she heard a few of the Slytherins laugh. They probably never liked her at all.

“You know, when I was being tutored at home, I learnt a spell.” Joanna slowly squatted down beside Matilda. “This spell is not illegal yet, and most people use it in duels. It’s called, the Cruciatus curse. Have you heard of it?”

Joanna immediately felt like Rose, when she threatened to use the Cruciatus on her. But Joanna felt better than Rose, as Matilda deserved it. She was a gossipy, back-stabbing, nosy girl, who gained attention through the false rumours she spread all over school.

“Do you know what it does, Matilda?” Joanna asked as Matilda’s eyes widened.

“Joanna, don’t!” Annoria said, as she ran up to her and pulled Joanna to her feet.

“If you don’t stop your nonsense, Matilda, you will feel how it’s like being cruciated,” Joanna gave a final warning, and walked off.

As she headed past the exit of the Three Broomstick, Joanna saw Tom standing by the doorway. She didn’t know how long he had been standing there, but she decided she didn’t want to know.

After the duel, Joanna told Annoria she would be going home. She also apologized if she scared her, and justified her actions by saying she was only doing it to warn Matilda. But deep down inside, she wasn’t sorry at all, because it felt good.

That night, as Joanna was lying on her bed, an owl swooped into her room, through an open window. It landed at the foot of her bed, and with the little light that came from the moon, she noticed the seal on the letter. It was a letter from Hogwarts.

At that very moment, Joanna was afraid that the duel had reached the ears of Professor Dippet, and so she hurriedly took the letter from the owl and tore it open. But the first sentence immediately drowned her fears, as it stated that her father has informed the school that she can return to Hogwarts if she wishes to.

Why her father did not just inform her himself, she did not bother to dwell over. The question that really bothered her was whether she really wanted to go back, or remain home schooled.

To Be Continued…

(Vote or leave a comment below on whether Joanna should go back to Hogwarts or remain home schooled!)

Chapter 9:

Monday came as swiftly as the owls that flew into the great hall that morning. Soon, Joanna was heading to class and when she arrived, she slid into her usual seat beside Annoria.

Tom, who was up in front, was in a discussion with Professor Slughorn, who kept patting him on the back as he smiled broadly.

“Joanna,” Malfoy greeted as he walked pass her to his seat.

“Since when is he in good terms with you?” Annoria asked as she watched Malfoy shove a Ravenclaw boy out of the way as he called him a mudblood.

“Don’t know, don’t care,” Joanna muttered as she saw Tom heading back to his seat, while Professor Slughorn greeted the class.

The lesson went by quickly and Joanna was afraid time was speeding up quicker than it should have to. Finally, when class was over, the moving crowd forced her out of the classroom. And as much as she wanted to stick around to see what the discussion Tom and Professor Slughorn had began getting into, she couldn’t.

“Come on, we have another class,” Annoria said when Joanna stopped outside of the classroom.

“I’ll catch up later,” Joanna said and waved for Annoria to leave without her.

“Just don’t be late.” With that, Annoria left.

“Who you waiting for?” Abraxas Malfoy said as he lingered outside the classroom.

“None of your business Malfoy,” Annoria said as she tried to hear the conversation that was happening behind the close doors.

Malfoy chuckled as he folded his arms and leaned against the wall across her.

“I saw you at the ball with him.” Malfoy smirked.

“And I saw you at the ball with a girl who looked like she needed a spell to fix her face.”

Malfoy narrowed his eyes, he seem to be holding back on a remark. “I was joking,” Joanna added sarcastically.

“Thought so,” Malfoy said, just as Tom exited the classroom.

Tom merely looked from Malfoy to Joanna, before he spoke, “I’ll see you in the common room Abraxas.”

“I thought-“

“Just go,” Tom ordered and Malfoy did as he was told.

“What are you doing here? Don’t you have a class?”

“Just wondering if you got the Boomslang,” Joanna said softly.

“No. He said he couldn’t find it.”

“That’s because…”

“Because?”

“I have it,” Joanna said as she pulled the small jar out from under her cloak and handed it to Tom.

“I thought you said you didn’t?” Tom asked skeptically.

“I forgot,” Joanna answered unconvincingly.

Tom merely laughed, his expression showing disbelief.

“Ok, fine, I didn’t wanna give it to you. I almost got caught for you.”

“Right, well, you better get to class,” Tom said before he walked off.

“Great,” Joanna muttered to herself, she felt as though she had just betrayed his trust. Hopefully, he would forget about it over time.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The next couple of days, most students were packing and getting ready to head home for the Christmas holidays. This year, Joanna was forced to stay in school because her parents were busy trying to find her missing aunt. Apparently, Aunt Omelia disappeared one evening and has never showed up since.

Aunt Omelia was Joanna’s mother’s younger sister. She was a beautiful young lady whom many man sought after. And since her disappearance, her mother has been obsessed with the idea that Aunt Omelia had been kidnapped. Hence the cancellation of Christmas for her family.

One evening, Joanna found Tom standing outside her common room. She suspected he was staying for the holidays too and found it rather relieving that she didn’t have to be alone for 2 weeks.

“I’m heading down to Hogsmead, do you want to come?” Tom asked casually, seemingly having forgotten of the Boomslang Skin incident.

“Are we allowed to?” Joanna had to ask.

“I have a letter from Professor Dippet.” Tom gave a smug.

Joanna nodded and followed after him. The school was rather deserted as almost all the students had left, and getting out of the school felt better somehow.

Hogsmead was a small town not too far away from Hogwarts, but during this season, there weren’t many people in the streets. The only ones rushing around in the cold weather were doing last minute Christmas shopping. And the rest were lounging in the different taverns and cafes all over town.

Joanna expected Tom to stop at a cafe to get a drink, but he didn’t. Instead, he turned down an alley which led to a narrow row of closed shops. Joanna peered into some of the shops and they didn’t look customer friendly.

“Tom, where are we?” Joanna asked, sticking close to him as a hooded man walked pass them.

“The right place to find what we need,” Tom said as he stopped in front of a tavern. Above the door was a sign that hung crookedly. It read, “Mors Mortis Tavern”.

“Death Tavern?” Joanna gulped.

“Come on,” Tom said and walked right into it.

The place felt like a bad omen. She knew she wasn’t suppose to be there when an old woman, who exited the tavern, stared at her with her blood red eyes.

Joanna wasn’t sure if she should enter or wait. It was cold outside and there was a huge man staring at her through a musty window of a shop. But if she did enter, there will be a lot of huge, ugly, not to mention scary looking people staring instead.

To be continued…

(Leave a comment below or vote on whether Joanna should or should not enter Mors Mortis Tavern!)