A/N: Again I wanna thank everyone who is following this story. Tell your friends to read it... I may give out cookies. Thanks to my Awesome/Neato/Keen beta chelseyb1010
And finally thanks to JKR whose world has inspired so much.
I have placed a few Easter eggs so to speak in this chapter let's see if you can find them.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I gain no money from this either.
Malfoy Files Chapter 10
I was getting nowhere with my comprehension of the book or the hidden pages. All I know for sure was it was somehow connected to a branch of magic I had never heard of. I could find no reference to Sanguimancy in any of the usual tomes I check: Tobin's Spirit Guide, The Mrin and Darine Codices, and lastly the Roylance Guide (of Secret Societies and Sects). I knew I would need the help of an expert in the field of dark magic so I decided to make an appointment with one such expert. Horace Slughorn had retired years ago from his position as Potions Master at Hogwarts. He now made money selling his expertise in potions and his knowledge of the Dark Arts to those with "theoretical" questions.
It turned out the appointment I made with Slughorn was on the same day as my father's funeral. I decided to do nothing additional for his funeral other than what he had laid out in his will. Aside from Astoria, Scorpius, Blaise and myself, very few other people made time to attend the services. Predictably Mother could not fit attending the funeral into her extremely busy schedule.
"I only showed up for the free bar," Blaise said, shaking my hand after the service.
"Blaise, you own a bar," I said, shaking my head.
Astoria and I exchanged goodbyes and decided that she would take Scorpius back to Hogwarts while I went to my appointment. Thankfully she had decided that she would leave Scorpius alone about his choice of girlfriend.
Astoria really is a fine woman. Sometimes I think if we were just left to our own devices, allowed to develop our own relationship rather than being forced together, we might have grown into something special. Oh, well. At that point, that ship had sailed, and the prospects seemed unlikely.
I hugged Scorpius goodbye and told him to do well. I disapparated from the funeral service directly to my meeting.
-ooo-
There was no other way to describe Horace Slughorn other than old. He was confined to a spelled chair that hovered wherever he willed it to go. His hand shook so badly that he could no longer do the precise work potion-making required. His mind was still as sharp as ever, though.
I entered his office and approached him. "Professor Slughorn," I said, extending my hand. "Thank you for seeing me."
"No problem at all," he said coldly, ignoring my hand. "What can I do for you?"
I recognized this look. I had seen it quite often. He had not gotten over the war or the role my family played in it.
"I have two texts I would like you to look at," I said, producing the two books I had. "I need you to tell me if there is any way they might be connected?"
"I will take a look," he said. "I assume that the standard fee has been paid to my assistant?" I nodded.
He picked up the book from my father's study and turned it so he could read the title. He gasped and dropped the book as if it bit him. "Merlin's beard," he said, almost hissing. "Where did you get that book? They were all supposed to be destroyed years ago."
"The book was in a private library I came across," I explained. "It has many of the same symbols as this other book and may be related to a case I am working."
"I will not be a party to the magics that are in that book," he said, pointing to the table. "It is illegal to even been in possession of it."
"Okay, what, if anything, can you tell me about this other book?" I asked, sliding the other book over to him.
He leafed through the book for a few minutes and placed it back on the table. "This is a copy of an illuminated manuscript from a very eclectic sect of the Catholic Church that arose in the 1200's," he said, pausing. "But I assume you already know that."
"What I want to know is why there are several pages that look like potion lists?" I asked, opening the book to a certain page and turning so he could read it. "And what do these symbols mean, and why are they in the other book as well?"
"Again we have entered into an area I will not speak of."
"I am willing to double your fee," I offered. "This is my only solid lead and I need information."
"All I will say is that the books both contain instructions on how to invoke an ancient and evil branch of magic," he said adamantly
"Can you at least point me to someone who might be able and willing to help me?" I asked.
Slughorn looked around nervously as if to make sure we were still alone. "The only person that studied these magics and might be willing to talk is currently in Azkaban."
"Great." I sighed sarcastically. "Give me the name and I can go from there."
"Oh, I believe you know the name already. It's Rabastan Lestrange."
I nodded, handed the additional galleons to him, and left the office. Now all I needed to do was find some way to get a visitation with the most notorious surviving Death Eater while getting the authorities to ignore that I am one as well. Sometimes my job's so easy it makes me ashamed.
-ooo-
I contacted Auror Phillips to see if he was able to help me get in to see Lestrange, and he had not contacted me back yet so I was at a standstill. I was sitting in my office going over my "all-time seen play in person" Quidditch team in my head. I was debating whether to play Katie Bell or Ginny Potter in the three position. It was an important decision as the three slot is the field captain and calls the formations and plays.
My door opened and a very large man with thick calloused hands and neck the size of a bull entered. He looked around then went to the doorway and nodded. A young woman, a girl really, entered my office closing the door behind her. She moved gracefully and economically as if she hated wasting any movement.
"Mr Malfoy, do you know who I am?" she asked sitting in the chair across from me.
"You're from the Quidditch Historical Society, you've heard of my dilemma between Potter and Bell, and you've come to help?"
The young woman smiled a hollow smile and nodded. "Emile said you were over fond of your own wit."
"I assume you're Petra then?" I asked. She nodded, shifting her positing in the chair. It was then that I noticed it was all a facade. This girl in front of me was scared, lost, and unsure of herself. "Emile said you might be coming by. Let me get right to it," I said, observing her reactions. "Did you recently steal several artifacts from the Saterbourne family estate?"
"I like a man who is straightforward," she said in what I assumed she thought was a seductive voice. "Why would I admit it to you if I did?"
"Do I look like the DMLEs?" I asked. "I just want to know if you had a hand in the theft. I assume you've checked my reputation so you know you can trust me to do what I say I will."
"Well, I guess you're in luck. Let's say, for the sake of argument, that I was hired to steal said items. Let's also say that when I turned over those items I was paid significantly less than what was promised." She smiled. "Then I was told to keep my mouth shut. Again, it is lucky for you I don't always do as I am told."
"Okay, in your hypothetical, who hired you?"
"I was working for a mid-level fence named Bryce." I winced at the mention of her name. Petra slid me a folded piece of paper. "This is where you would, hypothetically, find Bryce," she said, smiling.
"And what do I owe you for this information?"
"I am sure we can think of something," she said, licking her lips in what I am sure she thought was a very sexy way.
I looked at her and shook my head. "How old are you?"
"Does it matter?" she asked, lowering her voice.
"Does to me." I said. "Tell you what. I owe you; if you ever need help or anything let me know."
She appeared angry and stood up. "You don't know what you're missing, old man. I have men clamoring for my time and attention."
"I am sure," I said. "Just not me. If you need help with anything the hired muscle outside can't handle, let me know. I owe you."
Still a little upset she nodded and left my office. I hated that she was so young and appeared to have grown up too fast. There was nothing I could do about it right then. I looked at the address and recognized the location. I just hoped I could get there before Bryce moved on.