Chapter 1 – Vignettes of Draco's Relations

Chapter 4Avada….. (Winter by Vivaldi)

10 AM London7 PM Shanghai

As Lucius and Narcissa toured Shanghai, he sensed an emergency call from the manor. "Narcissa, it seems we have an emergency at home."

"You don't think it could be the boys coming home and pulling a prank."

"If it is I'll be back within the hour and meet you at the hotel."

Immediately, he touched the family's portkey, after twenty minutes he arrived to find the home in full defensive mode when it wouldn't allow him to apparate in directly. When he saw the swords attacking his grandchildren and then coming towards him, he knew someone set it to more than just defensive. Only the head of the family could command the home's defenses, which in his absence now befell Draco. Quickly, he silently commanded the phrases to lower the defenses.

Now that he could apparate into the manor, Lucius did. Inside the foyer, he found his daughter lying there: bruised, clothes torn asunder, blood oozing from her mouth while clutching her side. For her modesty, he covered her with his cape. Thankfully, he found a pulse. "My dearest daughter, who dared to harm you?"

"Hermione," Harry cried, rushing next to her.

"Watch her while I get some healing potion." Hastily, he retrieved some potion intended for internal injuries, knowing the bruises could be healed with another potion later. After he gave her a dose, he gave the remainder to Harry. "There is enough for the boy. I'll take care of my daughter."

"Sir, Draco sent a note about a vision Astrum had. You used the killing curse on your son not a decoy. We need to be careful."

From the stairs, they heard movement. As they turned, they saw Draco bloodied up, clutching the balustrade, aiming his wand at Lucius who now held Hermione and not his wand. "Ava…," Draco commanded.

"Expelliarmus," Harry commanded before Draco could finish. Then he saw him fall to the ground unconscious. He surmised that Lucius must have used a silent wand-less command. Within the magical world, wizards and witches grew their powers with age, amassing even more spells and mental training unless their minds weakened which he doubted would happen with Lucius.

"Thank you," Lucius said. "After I tend to my daughter, I will tend to other matters."

Once Lucius saw all the broken shards from the dresser mirror within Draco and Hermione's room, he commanded, "Reparo."

Teary eyed, she muttered, "Don't let him hurt my children."

"Astrum is unharmed and safe at Potter's house. The boys are in Draco's study." Hesitantly, he held her hand. "I assure you the departed will suffer for this."

"First, we have to find Draco. He's either very ill or possessed because I found the imposter in the house. I feel it's a possession."

"Tell me what happened."

"When I sensed Draco was ill, I came home early. I thought that Astrum would be in here with him. I found him sitting on the bed with his back to me. I thought something was wrong because I didn't sense Draco like I normally do but he's never been ill so I thought that may have been the problem. Then he tried to seduce me but the moment I looked into his eyes, I knew he wasn't my husband. Though I fought him, he was so strong like my Draco because he's veela. Suddenly the mirror exploded. Luckily, none of the pieces hit me but only him so I got away."

"You're safe now. Narcissa should be here soon. I'll have her sit with you. In the meantime, I want you to rest."

As he got up, she grasped his hand firmly. "Don't leave."

As he looked at the large bruises circling her wrists, he contemplated several methods of torture for the departed until a subtle knock on the door broke his concentration. Narcissa popped her head in. By then, Hermione had fallen asleep so he motioned for them to talk in the hall. "Someone posing as our son attempted to rape her here inside the house. Thankfully, she fought him and the mirror exploded injuring him so she could get away. By now, I'm sure Harry put him in a holding cell." With the amount of times his family had stayed at Draco's behest, Harry knew the manor quite well.

While Brandon rested on the couch in a richly decorated mahogany study with a broken window, the boys sat next to him. Moments later, Harry appeared with a healing potion that he swallowed. "Boys, your mother is fine now and is sleeping upstairs." Then he turned back to Brandon. "They explained that you escorted them from Hogwarts at their request because they sensed their father was ill." Brandon nodded while the potion took effect. "On behalf of the Malfoy family and me, thank you."

"Not a problem. Is everything alright now?"

"No. Would you mind staying for a little while until we get things situated? It would be on behalf of the Chief Auror in case Hogwarts has any issues."

"Very well but I need a shower and a change of clothes." He looked down at his blood stained robes. During the family crisis, they needed a baby sitter.

"Arrangements are being made."

Lucius approached the soon departed and commanded, "Crucio!" For a brief while, he knew satisfaction.

"Mr. Malfoy Stop!" Harry stood in the doorway. "We have to find the real Draco. We'll have better luck with this." Harry held up the bottle of Veritaserum. Lucius then stopped. "You could go to Azkaban for using that curse."

"After what he did to my daughter, I'll torture him as much as I please! I don't care about your laws!"

"I only meant that if anyone asks, I'll say I used it." Immediately, Harry commanded "Imperio" and made prisoner drink the Veritaserum Lucius forced down his throat.

"Who are you and what have you done with my son," demanded Lucius.

"I am Draco Malfoy."

"You're lying," Harry yelled. "Draco would never hurt his wife.

"I noticed your lab in disarray. Our prisoner could have tampered with the serum. I could get some from the Ministry. I'll be back shortly."

While Harry retrieved untainted Veritaserum from the Ministry, Narcissa ventured to the lab since Harry noticed it in disarray, to see if the prisoner had possibly concocted something to counteract Veritaserum. A few ingredients had been used one of them being fairy blood, an ingredient not strictly legal. However, it couldn't counteract Veritaserum. Though a stranger wouldn't know it, they did have a portion of the supply closet for some not so innocuous or necessarily legal potions.

Within the regular potions closet, she tapped her wand for five taps to form an M on the floor. It dissolved to reveal a staircase beneath which led to an oubliette. Several dusty bottles lined the shelves with the exception being the highly illegal, little known Veritaserum counter potion. That bottle, though full, had no dust on it. She opened it to find the pungent potion odorless, a decoy. With the lab in disarray, she doubted the culprit had been so careful regarding the potion if he even knew how to get to it. Beyond question, she knew who the junior culprits were who took the potion and so carefully hid the theft. With the entire family distraught over Draco's disappearance, she decided to leave the matter for her son upon his return. Then she requested that Astrum be brought to Malfoy Manor.

Using the Floo in Draco's study, Harry quickly returned with untainted serum, which they forced the prisoner to ingest.

"Now tell us who you are and what you have done with my son," Lucius demanded once more.

"Since it has been nearly an hour, why don't we wait? That way you will see that no Polyjuice Potion is involved." Five minutes later, once the hour had fully passed, the prisoner remained the same. "I am Draco Malfoy."