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!)

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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!)