To note, this will be a series, kind of following parallel with the books from Philosopher's Stone until Deathly Hollows. Also, I have a long history of not updating for long periods of time. But at the flip side I also tend to update nearly everyday when I can't stop writing and the story itches to come out. Due to how much work I've put into these series already I am placing them into an account where hopefully I won't have any distractions and get side tracked. So please forgive me on all of these accounts.
That aside, please enjoy the dark and twisted ride you are about to endure. Welcome to my world.
Book One of the Unbroken Promise Series: Signs of Change
Prologue
Lucius Malfoy was by all accounts, a pureblood. He had the wealth that had been accomodated from ancestors of his family line, as well as the carefully written records of his pureblood status and careful marriage alliances (excluding any squibs or the few that married out of pureblood status line). To say Lucius Malfoy wasn't proud of his stature would be a crime. He was proud. He was proud of his bloodline, the wealth, the power, the idea of how superior he was over everyone else around him.
Perhaps this was what had attracted him to the Dark Lord in the first place.
He admits only to himself that some of it was due to pressure, since a majority of his family members were quick to sign up as Death Eaters. And that tiny, miniscule of doubt that he pushed aside at the beginning of the war grew until he could no longer ignore it. The realization that perhaps he made a mistake came the day his son was born. But alas, it still wasn't enough to shake him from the hold the Dark Lord had on him.
That was until Lucius heard news of the Longbottoms.
To see the madness take form in his sister in law terrified him to the core. The idea she would go to such great lengths of cruelty shook his boundaries. And it was like he had a moment of clarity after being deprived of sunlight for many years. And one look at his beautiful wife and he knew, he knew she felt the same terror. One look at their son and they both wondered how could they have done this.
He didn't understand why the torture of the Longbottoms brought forth his good conscious. He didn't understand why this one incident bothered him, other than perhaps it was due to the torture upon other purebloods. But he knew deep down that was simply just the way his mind tried to rationalize as when his heart knew better. The Longbottom boy would forever grow up without parents, a normal product of war. However, it was different when the parents were still technically breathing but not of their own sanity.
"What shall we do?" Narcissa whispered in a hush voice, so as not to disturb their small bundle. He knew she wanted so desperately to pick their boy up and hold him close in her arms.
Lucius came to his answer not a moment later. But he knew he had to act quickly. Being close to the Dark Lord and high up in the Death Eater numbers, he knew enough to understand what the man was doing and his next course of action would become. Without informing his wife where he was going Lucius left his family in the safety of the Malfoy Manor in favor for his search for the one wizard he knew would put a stop to the Dark Lord.
"Ah, Lucius Malfoy. To what do I owe this fine and unexpected visit?" Twinkling eyes studied him curiously.
Lucius paused when he caught movement from the corner of his eye. He turned in time to see someone lurking in the shadows. Dark eyes met his, and it took all of his willpower not to crumble from the hard gaze. Lucius' pale irises were supposed to have that effect, not coal black eyes of the common wealth.
Is this the mole the Dark Lord was so concerned about? Lucius couldn't help but wonder upon recognizing Snape.
"Would you care for a lemon drop?" Dumbledore inquired, and Lucius returned his attention to the elder wizard.
"No, thank you. And to answer for your earlier question, I am here to lend you information - "
"Under what circumstance are we supposed to believe your words are true?" Snape interjected, venom clear in his voice. Lucius narrowed his eyes at the fellow Death Eater, the mole within the Dark Lord's ranks, surprised.
"Aren't you high enough within the circle to know what the next course of action he will take? Are you not close to the mudblood Potter?" Something was wrong here, Lucius was sure of it.
Immediately Snape straightened as he stepped closer in an attempt to tower over Lucius. It didn't exactly work, for both men stood on near equal height. However, Lucius didn't have the broad shoulders and form that Snape had in comparison to his lithe structure. And if that wasn't intimidating enough, those dark eyes bore through his skull in a similar fashion of the Dark Lord's, as if Snape could see straight through him and knew him exactly for what he was in soul, mind, body and heart.
Lucius shivered ever so slightly under the gaze, but he summoned all of his willpower not to falter.
"The Potters are safe. I assure you he won't reach them." Snape snarled darkly.
"You actually think I was threatening them? I assure you, I am here to warn of their demise if you don't do anything to put a stop to it." Lucius felt cornered, as if he was the threat. Could they not understand how much he was risking coming here? Did they not understand the sacrifices he was making just by simply warning them in person?
"Tell me, Lucius. When and where will he strike next?" Snape pressured.
"I do not know the location of the Potters, I simply know that he is preparing to kill them." Lucius never strayed his eyes from the dark figure circling around him. Had Snape gone mad?
"How will he find them?" The young man stood to his left and behind him. Lucius felt the hairs rise on the back of his neck.
"I am afraid I do not know the answer to this, either." He didn't even think his own sister in law knew this detail. Ever since her torture session with the Longbottoms the Dark Lord had become quite withdrawn from many of his close numbers.
"Then your information is useless." The tone Snape had set off alarms everywhere within the pale Death Eater's mind.
"Dumbledore, if you would please hear me out. I may not know the key information of which you seek," Lucius focused on the headmaster with a pleading gaze. "However, I swear upon my son's life that the Dark Lord intends to make his move on the Potters. I do not know when or how. But he is making his move soon."
For a long moment the three men stood in utter silence. Lucius wasn't even sure if any of them were so much as breathing as they waited. Waited for what? A nod? Congratulations, a hand on the shoulder to commemorate his bravery to deliver a warning of the Dark Lord's next move, then a promise to protect his one and only reason for putting his neck out on the line in the first place?
"I thank you, Lucius, for informing me of this. I will consider your warning and see to it that the Potters remain safe." Dumbledore spoke softly after a long moment of tense silence.
That's it? That's all that he will do? Does he not understand the gravity of the situation at hand?
Disappointment and fury rose within his chest. Lucius came clean to the other side, and that was it? No, this would not do. If or when the Dark Lord found out about his betrayel, Lucius would not allow his sacrifice be in vain. He left Dumbledore with a different plan. It was a frantic one, he was improvising as he went along, but even Lucius understood that sometimes the improvised proved to be the best form of action.
"Narcissa, pack lightly. In fact, don't even pack. Take Draco and leave for the safe house." Lucius didn't give her any chance to question him. She must have sensed he had done something stupid, and it could bring danger right to them so she went along with what he told her to do. Once she gathered their son and a bag, Lucius called forth one of his house elves.
"Yes, master?" The small thing looked up with fearful, round eyes.
"Go with them. And whatever you do, protect my son. Do you understand, Dobby?" Lucius hissed with promise of punishment should the elf fail, and to drive the message even further his cane was pressing against the creature's chest so hard there would be bruising for a few days.
"Y-yes, master! Dobby will not fail!" The elf squeeked.
"Good. Narcissa, dear, before you leave," Lucius turned to his wife, hoping with all hope this wasn't the last time they spoke. Or that this wasn't the last time he set eyes on his young son.
I promise to protect you. I intend to fully keep it.
"Yes, Lucius?" She adjusted their squirming son to a better position, one hand soothing his back to soothe him to sweet slumber.
"Where can I find that ruffian cousin of yours?"
A Few Days Later...
Confusion and chaos ensued shortly after He Who Must Not Be Named attacked and killed Lily and James Potter. It is known he made an attempt at their infant son's life, but somehow the spell backfired. The dark wizard fled into hiding, many speculated him to be dead, but others knew better. He was merely weaknened and hid to bide his time for his rise in power in the future. Or to those who were more hopeful, dead and gone from this world.
However, this didn't become the only concern among the wizarding world.
Harry Potter, the one and only son of Lily and James Potter, was missing. There was no sign of his body in the remains of Godric's Hollow. This left many to believe he was alive and well, but the question that rattled everyone was where and who had him. As the Ministry investigated further, there were more reports of others who had mysteriously disappeared around the same time as that fateful night.
The Malfoys weren't accounted for. The Malfoy Manor stood proud, the house elves continuing their service as per normal. The only odd detail was the family weren't home. They haven't been home for nearly a week before the attack, if the accounts from some of the house elves were true. What would drive them into hiding? What would frighten one of the most highly suspected Death Eaters into hiding?
This drove terror among the wizarding community of not only Europe, but the world.
It meant that He Who Must Not Be Named was still among them. But were the Malfoys running away from the Dark Lord, or were they aiding him? Rumors and speculations flew everywhere and soon it was unclear what the motives were. Did the Malfoys have a change of heart, and took the boy into hiding for his protection? Or was there something more sinister going on?
But in the midst of all of this, there were two other names that came up among the missing.
Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew hadn't been seen since the night of the attack. The men were two of the closest friends to the Potters, and quickly the Ministry of Magic shifted focus on their search for them. There was nothing to be found of Pettigrew, and Black's trail went cold when aurors located his abandoned flying motorcycle in the streets of London.
At this point the wizarding world was in a blind panic. Something happened that night that brought all of the missing together, then something happened where two died and everyone else went missing. Then the question that came down to was, who had Harry Potter? Was it the Malfoys? Or was it Sirius Black? Or Peter Pettigrew? Why were they in hiding?
As time went by, the wizarding world slowly forgot about the incident. Every now and then curious minds were drawn back to these events and attempted to theorize what had transpired and what the end results were. Yet time eventually continued on, and for nearly nine years Harry Potter and He Must Not Be Named were forgotten.
Half a world away from Britain, during a spring night in Egypt, two boys were star sighting.
"Hey, Drake?" A young boy broke the silence as they watched the stars above them. The pair were laying down in the sands, enjoying the view of bright stars and moon high up. The boys were having their usual routine of late night studying the constellations and stars for simple fun, even though an essay was soon due was also part of it.
"What is it now?" The paler boy huffed in annoyance, he was almost asleep before his friend spoke up.
"Promise me...promise me that you won't ever betray me?" The other one reached out to the sky, as if grasping for a star.
"Why are you asking me this silly question? Was that spell I found in the scroll not enough to prove that I won't?" Drake frowned, perplexed as to what was going on in his friend's head. Did he lose his marbles or something?
"No, it's more than enough. I just..." The boy with unruly dark hair, round glasses and green eyes trailed off, lost in thought.
There he goes again, lost in his own world. The other boy rolled his eyes, used to this sort of odd behavior by now. Then he sat up so that his pale hair and gray eyes were in view of the other's sight. A hand grasped the outstretched hand to the skies above, and suddenly both boys remembered how cold the spring air was in comparison to their warm touch.
You just need to hear it, don't you? The reassurance that I won't leave you.
"I, Draco Malfoy, solemnly swear to Harry Potter with these stars as my witness, to never betray you."
Gray eyes focused on the lightning shaped scar peeking out of dark bangs. But only for a brief second, for he knew how much the other boy hated the attention. And when he focused on green eyes once more there was relief flooded in them. The shining moonlight somehow made it where the green color almost seemed to glow with joy.
"Thank you, Drake." A rare smile brightened the boy's face.
Draco Malfoy burned the memory of the smile before him as one of the most precious moments of his life. Both boys sensed a change in the winds. They didn't understand what the change was, only that it will be drastic and the world as they knew was about to change forever. And if need be, they would still have each other at least.