Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville/Harry Potter
Sequel to: Chloe Sullivan & The Slytherin Princes
8/8
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"I don't understand anything that's going on right now," Ron mumbled as he sat down next to Harry and Hermione by the fire long after everyone else had gone to bed. They'd managed to get some answers today at the picnic as planned - they now knew for sure that Chloe Malfoy (if that was truly her name) was the one who'd been in Hogwarts pretending to be Pansy - but they'd also gotten so many more questions! "Is she a Death Eater? Because, well," he scratched his head, "I don't think I've ever seen a Death Eater cry."
"She's utterly terrified of Harry," Hermione recalled with shock as she nibbled on her thumbnail, clearly deep in thought, probably thinking back to the picnic fiasco, as well as to when the trio quickly switched places with George, Fred and Ginny inside of the bathroom (with the help of Polyjuice) so that no one would think it weird that the trio had disappeared right after Draco and Chloe left. The trio had been able to catch up with Draco and Malfoy in the woods, Harry's Invisibility Cloak keeping them hidden. They'd made sure to keep as quiet as possible, and yet Chloe had seemed to sense they were there.
"I don't think she's really a bad guy," Ron mumbled as he plopped a chocolate into his mouth. "I mean, sure, I think she's on the wrong side, but there's a lot about what's happening here that doesn't make any sense."
"Ron's right, something's really weird about the whole situation," Hermione agreed, and looked very uneasy for having done so. "She nearly had a mental breakdown, Harry. Honestly, if Malfoy hadn't sedated her when he did…"
"How does she not know about the story of your scar?" Ron wanted to know as he pointed to said scar, as if they all needed reminding of it. "You heard her, she saw your mother's death when you touched her in Hogwarts, but she not only doesn't know the story of the bloody BOY WHO LIVED - the most famous person in the whole Wizarding World - but she thinks you bloody did the murdering! Hell! She didn't even know you're called the Boy Who Lived!"
"Again, Ron has a point." Hermione made a face once more, pulling a crazy curl out of her face and behind her ear. "I'm a muggle and even I knew everything about you before I met you on the train. Chloe also thinks you killed Cedric, which... everyone knows what really happened, how Voldemort killed him and…" She frowned, clearly not wanting to think too long on that subject. "I'm glad I asked Viktor to approach her when I realized that you were having problems keeping her from running after your dance. Because of that we have an in now, and the things Viktor has gleaned while visiting the Malfoy Manor… He's a Pureblood and a celebrity, he'll be able to have access to households we never would, and if it hadn't been for his visits we'd never know as much as we do about her, or her situation with the Malfoy's, as we do now. And yet we still don't know much about her except the fact that she's an only child, her mother is dead and her father always 'away on business', she's scared of heights, incredibly smart, has let some Muggle terms slip that Viktor didn't understand yet didn't acknowledge because he saw how worried her saying those things made the Malfoys. And when he told me about them later, they were things that I definitely recognized from having lived in the Muggle world."
"It's like when she was pretending to be Parkinson," Ron reminded as he got more comfortable. "She kept talking about things like awards named Oscar, and Guardian Angels and stuff. Really weird."
"All Muggle things," Hermione agreed very rapidly, leaning in closer to them as she did so. "Also, we know from her interactions with the first years that Chloe isn't prejudiced against those with impure blood. Let's be honest, Riley was her favorite, and Riley doesn't have a drop of wizarding blood in him."
"Isn't it weird how those First Years seemed to realize something was different about Parkinson though?" Ron frowned as he sat up straighter. "I mean, we knew Parkinson was herself because of the Marauders Map, but those kids seemed to have figured out something very quickly. Especially that Riley kid. He keeps watching Parkinson with narrowed eyes, clearly suspicious of something."
"That's not actually important now, Ron, we're talking about Chloe Malfoy." Hermione let out a little huff as she straightened her shoulders. "Thanks to Viktor we also know that unlike the Malfoys, she isn't snobbish, he actually described her as sweet and lonely, as well as normally very pale and seeming to be always worried about something, which a part of me wants to believe is all part of the ruse but instincts tell me is not the case. You can't keep an act like that up perfectly all the time. You saw the way she reacted when I offered to cast that warming charm on her. She was terrified. Even if she only revealed it for a second it was there, and maybe if I hadn't been watching for it I wouldn't have realized - but I did. She's terrified of Harry, but she's scared of us as well."
"Not me," Ron corrected quickly with a huff at the declaration. "She likes me."
Hermione pouted, clearly deep in thought. "You're right, she has shown a preference for you. I mean, she approached you in Hogwarts and didn't appear to be planning on attacking you or slipping you something with potions in it - and you and Viktor were the only two she actually genuinely smiled at today."
"If you two hadn't basically attacked us that day I probably could've gotten something out of her too," Ron mumbled, like he always did whenever this topic came up. "Sure, I thought she was taking me somewhere to attack me, but it was very obvious very quickly that she just wanted to talk. Maybe, if we'd talked longer, I could've found something out."
"No use crying over spilt milk, Ronald," Hermione grumbled before taking in a deep breath and starting once again. "Getting back to the topic, Viktor also told me that apparently she's very un-Malfoyishly kind to House Elves and seems to favor one in particular."
"Trixie!" Ron remembered victoriously, both he and Harry had been there when Viktor had informed Hermione of that fact. "Do you think Dobby would be able to get any information out of the House Elves? He did use to work for the Malfoys." His expression darkened. "Thinking about it, probably not, their loyalty is to their masters."
Hermione frowned darkly, like she always did when the topic of House Elves and their (mostly) happy enslavement was brought up, clearly souring her mouth, yet she continued on. "Getting back to her familiarity with Muggle things… her words today confirmed it, didn't they? You both heard her while we were under the Invisibility Cloak… she was taken from the Muggle world two years ago and told at that time that she was a witch - that's far from the usual invitation you get at eleven years of age. How did she manage to keep hidden so long? The Ministry uses spells that automatically detect magic in any child once it becomes active, which is usually during their pubescence. That's how muggleborns like me are found. So how did she not get found until two years ago?"
"And why does she see things about you when she touches you?" Ron grabbed another chocolate and bit into it. "And how doesn't she know the stories behind what she's seeing? I mean, everyone knows about Quirrell by now, don't they? Again, I need to point out that Harry's the most famous person in the Wizarding World right now and everything you do is highly publicized so everyone knows about it. Hell, no one believed you that You Know Who was back until, you know. And yet she didn't know any of this, and to her it just looks like you're killing babies and burning up blokes."
"She also thinks you're going to try and kill her," Hermione reminded immediately once he was done. "That was apparently the second thing she was told once she realized she was a witch, that you and Dumbledore were evil and would kill her."
"Sounds like something Death Eaters would say," Ron chimed in immediately. "It really sounds like some Death Eaters found her, grabbed her from her home with the Muggles, and totally lied to her about everything. They must've also kept her in total isolation for those two years otherwise she'd know about you and about stuff that she clearly doesn't know about."
"Why would they do that though?" Hermione nibbled on her bottom lip. "Why go through all that trouble? And what sort of connection does she have with Harry? There has to be one! They feel pain around each other, sometimes have nose bleeds at the same time, and she seems to get headaches exactly where Harry's scar would be. I'm not exactly sure since his hairstyle is covering his scar, but when she was rubbing her forehead I thought it was at least very close to where Harry's scar is."
"Blimey, I hadn't noticed that!" Ron's eyes widened. "Is that true, Harry?"
Harry Potter finally looked up from the fire, which he had been eyeing intently since they'd started this conversation. Hermione was right. There was some sort of connection between him and Chloe Malfoy. He'd sensed her in Hogwarts, he'd sensed her at the ball he'd been forced to attend, and he'd sensed her at the picnic, had sensed her so physically he'd easily been able to find and follow her and Draco despite them having had a bit of a lead on them. Being around Chloe somewhat hurt them both, and touching each other resulted in them seeing things. Things that...
Harry sighed and rubbed his scar.
He'd been confused when he'd seen Viktor approaching Chloe after the girl very obviously ran from him after their dance, but The Boy Who Lived had quickly turned very relieved that Hermione was so faithful to this mission - so very so that she'd sacrificed her unofficial date for the cause. Thanks to that they now had an in with Chloe Malfoy. Viktor was on the fringe enough that he could be welcomed into the Malfoy home and give the trio detailed information of little things he picked up on during his visits - such as the fact that not only did Draco Malfoy clearly have un-cousin-like feelings for the girl, but he also considered Viktor a rival in the worse of ways.
The Tri-Wizard competitor, alert from years of dodging Bludgers and players - as well as the tournament itself - had admitted to not only feeling very dangerous, silent yet nearly physical warnings for him to back off if he got too close to Chloe, but more than once more he'd sensed the beginning of a curse being formed only for Chloe to shift in the way, and the hex would die. At first he'd believed the girl oblivious, but after about the fifth or sixth time she'd gotten in the way of a potential hex he'd caught her sending a reproachful look in Draco's way, proving she'd not only realized what was happening, but had purposely put herself in between Viktor and any hex Malfoy was seconds away from sending, protecting Viktor with her own body as discreetly as she could. She'd also send a look in Lucius' direction every time this happened before sighing in relief whenever it was made obvious that Lucius had no idea of what had gone down.
According to Viktor, while the cousins were obviously close, he did not know whether Chloe actually reciprocated Malfoy's amorous feelings, or if she was just incredibly lonely and scared, latching onto the protection that Malfoy could provide her with given his standing in the British Wizarding Society. Either way, Viktor assured the trio that Draco gave him looks which claimed his cousin as his solely, Chloe did no outwards claiming but clearly - almost instinctually - gravitated towards Draco, and Lucius Malfoy did not seem to approve.
Considering cousin-weddings were very much accepted and expected in the Pureblood families, this was quite intriguing. Viktor said that Lucius doted on Chloe, treated her better than he did his own son, and it did not seem to be for show as Chloe appeared quite fond and trusting of Lucius in turn, so if Lucius had an issue with a union between her and Draco, clearly the one he had issue with was his very own heir.
And that continued to raise more and more questions.
Harry had so many questions!
"When I touched her today I didn't see my fight with Quirrell," he admitted finally, looking up to see his friends' wide eyes on him. "But I did see something." He'd seen a couple of things if he was being honest, it was why he'd continued to touch her like he had, but for right now he was only ready to reveal one of those things.
"What did you see?" Hermione shifted closer, her hair falling into her face, causing her to blow it away impatiently.
"Yeah, Harry, what did you see?" Ron asked while grabbing more chocolates.
"I saw my mother's death, but this time, I saw… there was someone else in the room with Voldemort that night." Harry clenched his fists tightly. "I'd seen a flash of it before, when we touched in Hogwarts, but I hadn't really gotten a good look at it like I did this time. There was a woman behind Voldemort and she was holding a baby, and the baby was covered in blood, and was crying just like I was."
Ron's mouth fell open.
Hermione's eyes widened. "You think she was there the night your parents were murdered. You think Chloe Malfoy was the other baby."
Harry nodded. He'd had a suspicion when he'd seen the brief glimpse in Hogwarts, but now he was more than sure of it. Chloe Malfoy had been there, in the arms of one of Voldemort's followers, and had been witness to Harry's parents' deaths, as well as Voldemort's Avada Kedavra backfiring on him.
"That means she's probably the daughter of Death Eaters who went into hiding after He Who Must Not Be Named was defeated that night in Godric's Hollow." Hermione curled her finger through one of her frizzy locks, clearly deep in thought. "Harry, we know something happened that night - you are the first survivor of that curse, and it gave you that scar. What if—what if whatever happened that night is responsible for your connection with her? Maybe somehow it snapped back on her too? Maybe that's why she feels pain where your scar would be?" She groaned and shook her head. "I don't know! But, Harry, why would You Know Who bring her to your murder?"
"Yeah, that's… that's weird, even for him," Ron agreed as he scrunched up his nose.
"Unless…" Hermione gulped.
Harry narrowed his eyes on her. "Unless what?"
Hermione avoided his gaze before sighing and finally meeting him. "We know he has done all sorts of foul magic in the past and continues to do so, there is no taboo for a monster like him."
Harry nodded, agreeing a hundred per cent and wanting her to get to the point.
"Harry, what if your parents' deaths weren't just because of the prophecy?" Hermione was clearly very uncomfortable with whatever she was going to say. "What if he was planning on using their deaths as part of a ritual - your death, Harry, an innocent baby's death. That—that could fuel the darkest of spells."
Harry felt glued to his place, sick to his stomach at the implication. "You think he was going to use our deaths to fuel some spell that, what, he was going to cast on her?"
"What kind of spell—?" Ron made a face and shook his head. "You know what? I don't want to know."
"It wouldn't have been complete, he wouldn't have been able to finish it because he was the one who got hit with the Avada, not you." Hermione clenched her fists. "But that sort of magic - it would still be binding, connecting." She looked up at Harry with utter sadness. "Harry, I don't really know if that's the case, but with all the facts I have so far, I think it very well might be. It makes sense. It adds up."
Harry gulped.
"You Know Who knew he needed to kill you because of the prophecy and decided to use that energy for some horrible spell he was casting on Chloe Malfoy, who, as a Malfoy, would no doubt have been offered up as the Malfoys are all sniveling…" Hermione stopped herself and took in a deep breath, regrouping. "So he took her, maybe with her mother, and went to your house, starting the process by killing your father and mother, but he got hit by the Avada and seemingly is killed. You're alive though. In the haste the mother would've taken her child away and the family would've escaped into the Muggle world to hide - if they were willing to offer up their child they must've been very deep into his group and knew what would happen to them if caught. Maybe they tried to hide her magic to keep her from being detected by the Ministry - and thus giving away their position. There has to be some spell to do that, not that I have heard of any."
"Probably is," Ron agreed, munching once more on the chocolate and listening to Hermione, enraptured with her theory.
"But then You Know Who comes back, but he needs a while to get his strength back - he doesn't get his body back until Cedric - and then afterwards he can bring Chloe and her family back to the fold and maybe even restart whatever he'd started doing to her as a child. But Ron was right, for her to be so ignorant of things that are common knowledge, it means You Know Who kept her in isolation for two years. Who knows what he did to her then? Except for the fact that he has her believing you're evil and will want to kill her… obviously she was raised Muggle, it means she wouldn't have the blood-hatred that she would've normally had growing up with Death Eaters as parents. That means she'd be more like you than like him in her beliefs." Hermione was definitely on a roll, her eyes widening further and further. "He'd also want to keep her afraid of you, and thus very far away from you, because…" Her brown eyes suddenly widened impossible large. "Oh my god, Harry."
"What is it?" He leaned in closer.
"Do you remember what she said? About suddenly having all sorts of questions she'd never thought of before suddenly spiraling out of her just because you were next to her?" Hermione gripped her hair tightly, breathing erratically. "Harry, you've been getting Occlumency lessons from Snape for a while now because He Who Must Not Be Named is one of the most powerful Legimency users ever, and even with those countless lessons you sometimes have issues with blocking him out." She looked up at him. "Imagine a girl who didn't even know witches or wizards existed until two years ago. You saw her. She was manic. That's an unstable mind. Probably one that's been tampered with." She leaned forwards and grabbed his hand, squeezing tightly. "Harry, I think the fact that you survived You Know Who's murder attempt might've accidentally linked you and her together, maybe, whatever he was trying to do to her - happened to both of you."
Harry's eyes widened as he thought it over. They couldn't be sure this was exactly what had happened, but something similar could've happened, and it was the closest thing he had to an explanation for everything odd that was going on. Even if Hermione was completely off base and something else was going on, he and Chloe Malfoy were connected, and obviously she was also connected to Death Eaters and Voldemort himself.
Whatever it was, Dumbledore knew. It was obvious. They'd brought the situation to his attention when Chloe (and that other girl) had been parading as Hogwarts students, and yet Dumbledore had not only not done anything about it, but he'd told them not to either. That meant that he hadn't thought the two girls were dangerous. Maybe, maybe he'd wanted Chloe and Harry to meet, to realize there was some sort of connection between them. It wouldn't be the first time the Headmaster hadn't said something but had steered Harry in the direction he needed to go in.
"What are you going to do, Harry?" Ron wanted to know after the silence had dragged on between the three of them.
Harry sighed and looked between his friends. The smart thing would probably be to stay as far away from Chloe Malfoy as possible… but… "I'm going to make friends with her, show her I'm not going to kill her, and then maybe when she realizes all the lies she's been told we can figure things out together."
"How do you plan on doing that though?" Hermione wanted to know, clearly backing this plan. "She's terrified of you. Also, there's school to think about. We won't be on holiday forever."
Harry sighed, knowing this was going to get him a fair bit of scolding. "When I took off my jacket and placed it around her shoulders, I used the motion - and her distraction - to subtly put a spell on her."
Ron's eyes widened. "That was wicked smooth, Harry!"
"Harry!" Hermione looked shocked. "What spell did you put on her? When she finds out-."
"She won't," Harry assured Hermione yet hurried to continue before she could insist he tell her what spell he'd put on Chloe Malfoy. "And about the other issues you raised... I have a plan, but I'm going to need your help."
"The girl sent something off before we could stop her, but we have them in custody in the dungeons below, My Lord," Gregory Goyle Sr declared as he stood before Lord Voldemort. "They obliviated certain memories before we could break down the wards around them, and they destroyed the documents and books and everything in the room they were staying in. If anyone was helping them, I doubt we will discover it."
Sometimes Voldemort wondered at the incompetence of his men. At least they'd managed to find the girl and her lover, and they were right where they needed to be - the dungeons of Riddle Manor. He'd have to make sure Chloe did not come to visit them for a while, not while things were happening at least, not until everything was ready. He'd been working on her mind, but with its fragility he'd been truly unable to do what he wished, so he had to work slowly, and that made things more… complicated.
He was still frowning at this thought when he finally made his way down to the dungeons to observe his captives. They were both bound magically, shackled, close to each other but not close enough to touch other than their fingertips, which they were touching while staring at each other.
Emotions such as the ones displayed on their faces as they looked at each other were ones Voldemort didn't understand and never would. They were useless emotions, weak emotions. It was these emotions which had ultimately led to both of their downfall.
"Welcome back, Lana," he declared as he eyed the girl pensively. "And welcome to you as well, Mister Zabini." He eyed the boy who'd taken his Mark yet had turned against him, seemingly without a second thought. "I hope you find your accommodations acceptable."
"I won't let you hurt her," young Zabini whispered darkly in promise. "I'll kill you if you touch her."
"Blaise, don't," Lana whispered immediately in audible fear, clearly worried about any retribution his words might bring to him. She turned her hazel eyes from her lover to Voldemort. "I know what you're doing to do with me. I know the truth - at least my truth."
Did she now? How intriguing.
"I won't fight you," Lana promised as she stared up at him. "Just let Blaise live."
"Don't you dare!" Zabini snarled at her. "Don't you freaking dare, Lana!"
"I corrupted him, I turned him from you, this is all my fault, not his," she pleaded with Voldemort. "So please, please forgive him his life. I will let you take mine without fighting, but please save his."
"No." Zabini shook his head. "NO!"
Voldemort stared into the girl's tear-filled hazel eyes. It reminded him so much of Chloe's as she begged for Lana's life to be spared. "Chloe begged me for your life, just as you beg for his." He could see the shock on her face. "How betrayed will she feel knowing you turned against and abandoned her and Lois? All for what? A boy?"
"I didn't betray or abandon them! I wanted to save them from you, I just didn't know how!" Lana yelled at him, surprising furious in her anger. "They don't know the truth but I do, and I—I—."
"You what?" He moved closer to the bars with a little smirk, amused at her show of backbone.
Lana took in a deep breath before meeting his gaze fixedly. "You might kill me, Voldemort, but that doesn't mean you've won. Far from it." She smiled darkly at him. "When you kill me, you will have started the first step towards your own destruction."
Her assurance unexpectedly bothered him but he refused to show it. "Is that so?"
"Yes," she assured him.
His hands clenched in his hands before he sneered at her. "Well, we shall see, won't we?"
He turned to leave and start the preparations, but behind him he could hear Lana and Zabini whisper soft words of love and encouragement towards each other. The sounds made the darkness inside of him grow.
Weakness. Weakness. Weakness.
How he hated love and how it made even those with the greatest of potentials weak.
With utter disgust, he climbed up the stairs and left the two in the dark, with chains, shackles, imminent death, and whispered words of mutually shared love.
The scratching on his window woke him up from a very weird dream he'd been having where a young girl scrubbed her hands clean so hard she'd started to bleed. Whatever had awoken him from the odd dream was welcomed, and as Harry put on his glasses and turned on the light in his room in the burrow, he was surprised to see an owl there.
Sitting up in bed, Harry opened the window and immediately the owl dropped a heavy package onto his lap before flying right back out of the burrow and disappearing into the night sky.
Confused, Harry eyed the neat handwriting.
To Harry Potter - Weasley Burrow.
Confusion growing, Harry opened the package to find some books and a collection of other things, but what caught his attention was the scroll tied with a ribbon on top of everything.
What the hell was going on? Who was this from?
Pulling the ribbon off, Harry opened up the scroll and read the neat handwriting, which was the same as the one that had addressed the package in the first place.
Dear Harry Potter
You do not know who I am, but I know so much about you. For so long so much of what I knew were lies, but, I digress.
If you're receiving this package it means that Voldemort has found me, and if that's so, it means I'm going to be dead very soon. It also means you're my only, last hope. Not for my own survival, it's already too late for me if you're reading this, but for theirs.
His eyes widened in horror as he straightened in his bed and brought the parchment up closer.
My name is Lana, and I'm your distant cousin - I'm a Potter as well, amongst other things. I didn't know all this growing up, I was raised a Muggle and only found out the truth of my parentage two years ago when Death Eaters found me and two other girls in the town where our guardians were raising us in hiding, a place called Smallville, Kansas, USA. The names of these other two girls are Lois and Chloe, and they are the ones you need to save.
Harry felt sick with both nerves, unable to believe what he was reading.
We were taken to live with Lord Voldemort for two years, and in those two years we were very much indoctrinated in the Death Eater belief system. You and Dumbledore were painted as tyrannical figureheads of a ruthless war who were searching for us, and others of our kind, to kill us. We feared you, Harry, you were the monster of our nightmares, and I'm afraid that you are most probably still Lois and Chloe's personal Boogeyman because they don't know what I do.
Voldemort is a liar. He is evil. And he's got horrible things planned for us.
You know, you and I met briefly when I was in Hogwarts pretending to be Millicent Bulstrode with the help of Polyjuice Potion. It was there that I started to realize that maybe we have been told very terrible things - lies. We didn't know about what Voldemort did to you, or to other children, how he massacred people just because they were muggleborn. We never heard of the story of the Basilisk or the murder of Cedric Diggory or anything that could paint Voldemort in a terrible light.
For two years Voldemort was our lord and savior, and to learn it was all a lie broke a part of me that will never be fixed.
But that is not important now.
Blaise Zabini is helping me, has risked his life for me, and I hope that he does not get captured when I do because he doesn't deserve it. I love him. You're the only person I've been able to actually admit that to. Voldemort has separated Chloe, Lois and I, most probably to keep us in further isolation so that we cannot influence each other - so he will be our influencer.
It didn't work on me. I killed Bellatrix Lestrange and I escaped. But obviously, since you're reading this, it means he found and caught me. He'll kill me, because that was what I was born for - to die so he can gain power.
I don't really have much time, I'm writing this without Blaise's knowledge because he'd never forgive what he'd consider a doubt in our ability to pull this off.
Harry, there's something you need to know, Voldemort has made Horcruxes. It's part of why he is so horribly disfigured. I don't know what they are or how many of them there are, but he has them. If you're going to defeat him you need to find and destroy his Horcruxes. Blaise and I were searching for them, and we think you may have already destroyed one - the Riddle Diary.
My purpose is to die to return some of his original power to him - as well as his original form. Don't be surprised if you see him and he has changed. It just means I am dead and my part in his plan has been complete… and knowing him, he's going to blame you for my death when it becomes known.
So, don't worry about me, like I said if you're reading this I'm already dead, but there's still time for Lois and Chloe.
I don't know what their purpose is, and even if I did I would be unable to actually write it down as there are various spells placed on me and them that make it impossible to do so. But I have gathered as much information as I could, notes and books and every important bit Blaise and I have managed to gather so far… and I've sent them to you along with this message.
Voldemort says you would kill us, but I'm begging you to save them.
Your cousin
Lana
Harry stared down at the parchment, eyes wide in horror, as a single tear slipped down his cheek. He'd never met this cousin, but he could feel her emotion in each and every word.
The girl they'd seen pretending to be Millicent, it'd been his cousin, family he hadn't even known he'd had!
Had he known— had he known—he could've helped sooner! Maybe she wouldn't have had to…
To…
To die.
There was a sudden, soft poof, and then Dobby stood in front of him on the bed, eyes wide. "Harry Potter! Dobby has news!" The freed House Elf then frowned as he noticed Harry's face. "Is Harry Potter sad?"
Forcing his face into a smile, not wanting to burden Dobby with this depressing news, Harry cleared his throat. "Sorry, I had a bad dream. What is it Dobby? You looked excited."
The excitement returned to Dobby's face as he grew animated. "Dobby has news! Dobby talked to the House Elves of Malfoy Manor to find out information on Chloe Malfoy…" He frowned. "Most would not talk, they consider Dobby a traitor for taking the sock and being free. All they want is to serve serve serve those awful Malfoys." He then shook his head. "But Trixie talked to Dobby! Trixie wanted to boast!"
Harry tilted his head in intrigue, pushing back his eternal confusion as to why most House Elves did not desire freedom, and many times were highly offended if offered it - or if it were even suggested as a possibility. Dobby was doing great ever since Harry had helped trick Lucius into freeing him, and the Boy Who Lived was sad that more of his kind not only didn't experience the life of freedom - they didn't even want it.
"Trixie loves Miss Chloe!" Dobby came closer, a smile on his face, whether it was because he had news or whether it was the news itself was not immediately obvious. "Trixie says Miss Chloe favors Trixie above the other House Elves and treats Trixie very kindly. Chloe Malfoy says please and thank you, and tells Trixie that Trixie is Chloe Malfoy's friend." Dobby made a face. "Chloe Malfoy does not act like a Malfoy." He then shook his head and continued in his energetic informing. "Trixie told Dobby that Lucius Malfoy gave her to Chloe Malfoy tonight as a reward. Trixie was so happy, had been sad when thinking Chloe Malfoy would leave one day and return. But Harry Potter — Trixie was wearing clothes."
Harry's eyes widened in absolute shock. This was not where he'd thought this conversation was headed! "What?"
"Trixie told Dobby that after Lucius Malfoy left, Chloe Malfoy offered Trixie a scarf. Trixie was saaaad! Trixie cried! Trixie thought Chloe Malfoy did not want Trixie as her personal House Elf and wanted Trixie gone! Trixie is like the other House Elves, Trixie does not want to be free." Dobby frowned at this before shaking his head. "But Trixie said Chloe Malfoy hugged Trixie and comforted Trixie, saying Trixie was Chloe Malfoy's friend, and Chloe Malfoy wanted to see Trixie in pretty clothes, not shoeless and in rags." Dobby was grinning, clearly ecstatic to hear and relay this. "Chloe Malfoy told Trixie it would hurt Chloe Malfoy to not be able to dress Trixie in fine clothes, that it did not mean Chloe Malfoy did not want Trixie - Trixie could stay with Chloe Malfoy forever if Trixie wanted to." Dobby's smile grew and grew, it was large and funny. "Trixie took the scarf to make Chloe Malfoy happy, but Trixie kept touching the scarf and smiling. Trixie is very happy." Dobby moved in closer, eyes wide, voice low as if sharing a monumental secret. "Harry Potter, Dobby thinks Chloe Malfoy tricked Trixie into being free." He chuckled and pulled back amused. "And Trixie is called Trixie because Trixie is… tricksy! But Trixie was tricked!"
Harry blinked, taking all of that in. Despite looking the part, Chloe really did not act like a Malfoy (even if a Muggle-raised one), not in public, and most definitely not behind closed doors. He remembered the abuse Dobby had gone through in Malfoy Manor at the hands of his Masters, and Harry was always grateful that he'd managed to trick Lucius into giving Dobby his freedom - so the fact that Chloe had so quickly gained the love of one of the House Elves in that Manor just went to prove that she was consistently kind to it.
"But Dobby is confused. From what Trixie told Dobby, Chloe Malfoy is more like Harry Potter than any Malfoy Dobby has ever known." Dobby's countenance darkened. "And Dobby has known many Malfoys."
Harry had no idea how to react to any of this. First his connection to Chloe, then Lana's letter, and now Dobby's report all jumbled up inhis head. "What else did Trixie tell you about Chloe?"
Dobby made a face. "After boasting, Trixie no longer wished to speak to Dobby, says Dobby cannot be trusted because of friendship with Harry Potter." He looked sad at that before clearing his throat and continuing. "But Trixie did tell Dobby one thing before stopping herself. Trixie told Dobby Chloe Malfoy is being trained by Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy in Pureblood etiquette, which confuses Dobby because these trainings are given to Purebloods from the time they are very young children. It seems late, to Dobby, to begin her studies now."
It wouldn't be if Chloe had been living as a Muggle until two years ago. More and more the pieces began to fall into place and make more and more sense.
"Trixie only told Dobby this because Trixie was bragging on how 'superior' Chloe Malfoy was to Lois Gaunt - whom Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy trained right before Chloe Malfoy."
Harry froze. Had Trixie just accidentaly given them the surname of the 'Lois' in Lana's letter? If they were to look for and find this third girl, this information would be vital!
We might be able to do this...
Clearing his throat, Harry took in a deep breath as his gaze lowered to the letter he still held clutched in his hands. He didn't know how he was going to do it, but he'd honor his cousin's last request.
Somehow he'd find and save Lois and Chloe, even if they fought him the whole way.
The screams echoed throughout the manor. It was probably the fact that he hadn't been asleep, that he'd been roaming the halls, that Draco had managed to make it to Chloe's bedroom before anyone else.
Throwing open the doors, he saw her bed empty, but she was quickly found in the corner of the room, crouched down, gripping her head and screaming, wailing like a banshee.
"Chloe?" He hurried towards her, kneeling in front of her, not sure whether to touch her or if that would only make things worse. "What happened? What is it?"
"The green flash." She clutched her hair tighter and sobbed. "The green flash." She rocked back and forth, sobbing those three words over and over again in between wails. "The green flash!"
"What about the green flash? What green flash?" She wasn't making any sense! He reached forwards and grabbed her face, forcing her haunted, terrified eyes to meet his silvery and worried ones. "Chloe, what green flash? What's wrong?"
She stared up at him in despair and then threw herself at him, gripping him painfully tight as she sobbed. "...dead." She hid her face in his shirt. "I don't know how I know, but she's dead. Lana's dead."
Horror filled Draco as he froze. She'd had a nightmare. It had to have been a nightmare! Otherwise, it would mean Zabini and Rosier—.
Chloe lost all ability to speak coherently after that, merely sobbing desperately in his arms, and that is how the others found them when they finally got to the room. Tons of questions were being asked, but Draco had no answer, especially none that wouldn't make him appear incredibly suspicious.
They are not dead. This is a nightmare fueled by Chloe's fear for Rosier's well-being. I'll write to Zabini and he'll confirm they're okay. They are okay.
And yet later, when he wrote, there was no response, in fact, the message was never sent, the ink instead disappearing from the parchment, and that could only mean one thing. The linked Sweetheart scroll had been destroyed.
Draco leaned hard against the wall as realization sunk in.
Lana Rosier and Blaise Zabini were dead.
—
End - Draco Malfoy and the Potter Conundrum
