Chapter 10 – Luncheon with the Malfoys

The sun had yet to peek over the horizon when Harry awoke. ""The day's blessings to you, ghergo'ir" chimed the cheerful lowaar.

"Bright blessings to you" Harry thought as a yawn claimed him. He groped for his glasses and stopped when his hand didn't find them where he expected. He grinned to himself as he remembered he no longer needed them and instead reached for his wand as the lowaar sent him gentle reminders. "Oh" he realized. "New room, sharing quarters with Malfoy, right." He controlled his irritation with effort and stared at the ceiling. "And his parents are coming" he groaned and pulled a pillow over his face.

"Ghergo'ir, I know we agreed to defer continuing your elemental magic lessons until you were settled into your new term, but perhaps those exercises would calm your mind and burn off your nervous energy" suggested Ortinoth. The other lowaar crooned their agreement.

Harry thought about it. He could use a focus for the morning to avoid dwelling on the coming rendezvous with the Malfoys. Once decided, he changed quickly into loose fitting clothing, spelled his mouth clean and quietly left the quarters. The Room of Requirement had proven that it could handle his magic and he made it his destination. Once on the seventh floor, he concentrated on the training room with the dummies he had used the day he had learned of being Malfoy's "chosen" and smiled when a warded room with practice dummies was provided.

As a Guardian Protector, Ortinoth led the instruction. "You are most comfortable with Ixen or Fire, ghergo'ir. Most fire users find Thrae or Air a compatible magic. Let us see if you can summon it to your hand."

Harry stood straight and focused on his hand, imagining a small whirlwind in his hand. With only a tendril of thought, the air over his hand began to spin. He increased the speed until he could see the miniature funnel the rotations caused. He looked at the practice dummy and sent the whirling air over to it. The dummy twisted as the air hit it but was not destroyed.

"A good first attempt, ghergo'ir" praised Ortinoth. "Over time, we will work with both rotating thrae and downburst damage in addition to using the thrae to either lift a target or to cushion a target as it falls.."

The next hour was spent forming the air around the raven-haired teen into various forms. He also summoned fire and used the air to both spread the fire and then shield an area and removed the air to suppress the fire. "Wouldn't fire fighters the world over like to learn this" he thought with a grin of success.

"Ixen and Thrae are your obvious strengths, ghergo'ir" rang the bass of Ortinoth. "We will work on Edar and Hesjing or Earth and Water once you have mastered your control of the other two. As for now…" Harry dove into his mind in time to see Ortinoth's teasing grin. "As for now, I will step aside for Charok."

Harry raised an eyebrow as Charok's ringing baritone advised him to begin his stretching exercises. While Charok taught him Potions and good study habits, he was also the lowaar that was training him in transformation. He felt a slight flutter in his stomach as he obediently began a full body stretch. Standing straight with his feet shoulder width apart and knees slightly bend, he bent forward at the waist and inhaled as he reached down to touch the floor. After he counted to fifteen, he exhaled as he returned to the standing position. He repeated that until Charok called for the second position.

He widened the distance between his feet, but kept his knees flexed, then rotated his waist and touched his left foot with his right hand. He returned to the standing position and repeated the motion by touching the left hand to his right foot. Charok had him repeat the stretch twenty times, alternating the sides until he deemed Harry ready.

"Now ghergo'ir, stand tall and proud, remember that you are Juanth Darastrix. Picture your opsola in your mind in his natural form. See the sun play across his scales, the ridge on his skull, the muzzle, the powerful jaws." The black dragon's silky baritone had a soothing almost hypnotic effect on the teen as he visualized Aironth in his natural form.

"Look at him closely and see his eyes, with the golden iris filling the eye except for the vertical pupil. He showed you his eyelids. Look at each one carefully. See how the clear innermost lid protects the eye during flight, while the other two inner lids help keep the eye clean and protected."

Harry felt the love he had for Airnoth surround and infuse him and sensed the devotion and encouragement of the lowaar in his mind even as he continued to hear Charok.

"See the wide flaring nostrils above his long powerful jaws filled with keen edged fangs and teeth." Charok's silky voice whispered "Let your magic flow, ghergo'ir; join your opsola in his form."

Tendrils of light, color and power played over the human iejir'deevdru of the Juanth Darastrix. He felt immersed in a warm constantly swirling pool of sensations. He had been focused on Aironth's fierce and formidable head at Charok's words, but his mind continued to play over his opsola's form. The deep chest rippling with muscles; the powerful shoulders leading into the smooth and supple wings tipped with claws; the strong haunches that launched him into the air and the beautiful golden scales covering all but his wings.

Harry stumbled slightly at the increased weight on his back and face. "Well done, ghergo'ir! This is the farthest you have come" praised Charok. Harry conjured a full-length mirror and stared at himself.

His face was no longer human, but Darastrix in appearance with a bony ridge on the upper part of the skull followed by a long muzzle set with wide nostrils. He attempted to grin and watched his mirror counterpart open a jaw of sharply pointed teeth. He opened his mouth wider and felt his jaw dislocate and drop open even wider. He closed it with an audible click as the jaw realigned itself.

His eyes were still green, but with the vertical pupil of the Clan. He blinked and saw the inner membranes. "I formed the eyes correctly this time!" Harmonized approval filled his mind from the lowaar.

He turned and noticed the nearly hidden ears, fitted closely to the skull so as not to interfere with flying. And…"Wings! I formed wings!" Laughter at his delighted exclamation didn't deter his enthusiasm. His shoulders seemed much larger and heavier, which he knew was needed to support the large wing muscles needed to fly. The wings were close to his body and with a few twitches and a little concentration he was able to unfurl them. He reached out a hand…"Claws! I was able to form the claws as well!" and gently stroked the wings. They were smooth and flexible, but felt curiously impervious; perhaps not quite invulnerable, but close.

Charok let him look his fill, which took close the better part of an hour, before starting the transformation back to his human form. Under the black dragon's instructions, he again allowed his magic to saturate his body and felt the warm pool swirl around him, restoring his human form.

"Very well done, ghergo'ir. I am pleased with your progress" rang Charok's warm baritone. You will soon be able to complete the transformation into your Juanth Darastrix form and soar the skies with us."

"Has any close-kin ever reached beyond the size of an adolescent, isohon'ir?"

"Not yet, ghergo'ir. Not yet." The silky baritone carried overtones of both amusement and promise. Harry looked into his mind and gave a deep bow of respect from child to elder, his hand pointing up to indicate the depth of his gratitude to his lowaar.

Harry whispered "Slytherin-Gryffindor" to the painting outside the entrance and made a mental note to discuss changing it with Draco.

The portrait had barely closed behind him before a wide-eyed Draco Malfoy barreled out of his room into the common area. "Where in Salazar's name have you been?"

Harry raised an eyebrow at the anxious and accusatory tone "Good morning, Malfoy. I'm surprised to see you up so early."

"I woke and found myself alone, with no idea where you had gone, if you were in danger, if you had…" The blonde abruptly snapped his mouth shut.

Ydraith brought a portion of "Veelas and their Mates" to his attention. "Until the bond has been formally accepted, the Veela lives in a state of uncertainty, not knowing whether their Mate will accept or reject them. If the two are separated during this time, the Veela wonders whether the Mate has rejected the bond or whether there is a rival for the Mate's affections."

"Thank you, Nafldask." Harry tried to control his irritation and understand that Malfoy wasn't necessarily in command of his emotions. But still, wasn't it enough that he had to live with the Slytherin without catering to his moods? He took a deep breath and tried to release his irritation.

"I should have left a note. I apologize." He laid a hand on his chest and gave a bow of apology. "I frequently use the early morning hours for my exercises before anyone else is awake. I was not rejecting you with my absence nor was I with anyone else." He offered an apology for the half-truth to his lowaar who returned harmonies of understanding and acceptance. "I thought I would return before you even awoke."

The Slytherin's eyes ran over Harry, and the dark-haired youth was conscious of his wrinkled sweaty clothes, grateful that Charok had spelled the jumper away when he transformed. He wouldn't want to explain how wings had shredded it to the anxious Veela.

The blonde ran a hand over his face and straightened. "My apologies as well, Ha..Potter. I'm still not used to the Veela impulses and emotions."

Harry felt a prodding from his lowaar and hid a grumble, but acquiesced. "Let's go ahead and use our given names, if you prefer. We are roommates after all."

He was rewarded with a brilliant smile by Draco and saw much of the tension ease from the slim frame. "Thank you, Harry."

"No problem. Do you mind if I take the bathroom first? I can be out in ten or fifteen minutes and would like to clean up."

Draco seemed to swallow hard before replying evenly "Be my guest. Would you like me to plan a menu for lunch?"

Harry stopped on the way to his room and gave the blonde a cheery smile. "Please do. I would probably put food groups together that don't belong and ruin everyone's meal."

A long hot shower relieved the few aches the transformation had left. Harry was surprised that changing bones and muscles had only left a few twinges, nothing more than a hard Quidditch workout left. Ydraith spoke up as the Healer. "You shared blood and magic with Aironth during the adoption, ghergo'ir. Both his power and your own combine to help you change forms with minimal effort and pain."

Harry smiled and felt a flush of both wonder and pleasure at how the Juanth Darastrix did everything possible to help and support him. Did every child have such physical, mental and emotional support? Did every child feel so loved and treasured as he did? He stood still and basked in the waves of affection and encouragement that rolled over and through him from the lowaar.

After a few minutes, Ydraith prodded him with "Dry off and dress, ghergo'ir. Your roommate will want the bathroom as well." Harry chuckled and quickly brushed his teeth and ran a comb through his hair. He wrapped a towel around his waist and hollered "I'm done with the bathroom!" and headed back to his room, closing the door as he heard Draco open the door on the other side.

He dressed in black dragon hide trousers, formed from the shed skin of young Darastrix before they formed their scales in adolescence. Many of the close-kin made attire from it, as it was naturally heat, cold and magic resistant. He added the black dragon hide boots and the green dragon hide tunic with a stiff collar and silver embroidery. The tunic emphasized the broad shoulders he had acquired over the summer. The black belt with a large silver belt buckle of a dragon in flight with emeralds for eyes finished the look. He took a thin black leather band, pulled his hair back and fastened it, leaving only a few wisps of dark hair to cover his forehead. He pulled out an open black silk formal robe with an emerald green border and carried it into the common room. He assumed Draco would know whether it was needed or not.

He noticed a parchment on the table in Draco's handwriting and realized it was his proposed menu. It began with stuffed artichokes topped with an asiago sauce for an appetizer, portabella mushroom soup, followed by grilled salmon fillets with roasted redskin potatoes and fresh vegetables. Draco apparently recommended a Vosne Romanée wine to accompany the main course. He had a couple of different desserts written down including champagne and strawberry mousse, treacle tart with clotted cream, and a warm cinnamon and vanilla bread pudding.

Looking behind him to make sure Draco was still in the bathroom; Harry summoned a flame to his hand and tossed it into the fireplace. He adjusted the flames until a low and cozy fire created a soft ambience. He took his Herbology supplemental reading and sat in one of soft leather chairs flanking the hearth, and became absorbed in the uses of those plants.

He didn't notice Draco return to the room until he heard "Does the menu agree with you, Harry?" He looked up, trying to pull his mind away from the methods of growing the Argentinean Pteris plant to find the blonde leaning against his bedroom doorframe, his arms crossed lightly. He was in charcoal gray trousers with a very pale silken shirt that shimmered as the light caught it. His silky white blonde hair was flowing freely, no longer gelled into submission away from his face as he used to wear it.

Harry stood and the blonde's eyes widened slightly. Harry nodded to his robes over the chair. "I didn't know whether formal robes would be needed or not. I see you're not wearing them."

"If we were dining at the Manor, I would recommend them, but since this is a Sunday luncheon at the school, I think we can forego them. You look...fine as you are. Does the menu suit you?"

"It looks delicious." Harry gave a sly look at the Slytherin. "I noticed three desserts? Do you have a sweet tooth, Draco?"

"I've always been partial to sweets, but since I gained my inheritance, I've noticed I practically lust after them."

Harry chuckled and picked up his robe, returning it to the wardrobe in his room. When he returned, Draco was giving the menu to Dobby. He paused to watch their interaction, curious about why Dobby would respond to his former owner's son. The house elf was smiling in delight. "Yes Master Draco. Dobby is pleased to be having the kitchen prepare a special meal for you." The blonde grinned. "Thanks Dobby." The small house elf bowed and disappeared with a small crack leaving Harry curious about the visible positive relationship between the two.

Draco checked the time with a quick Tempus spell. "My parents will be here shortly. I'll head down to the apparition point and escort them back." At Harry's nod, he smiled encouragingly at the dark-haired teen. "They're eager to get to know the real you, Harry. It will be fine."

Harry offered the blonde a wry smile. "I look forward to meeting the real Malfoys, as well."

After Draco left, Harry tried some meditation exercises to calm himself. He wasn't going into battle, nor was this supposed to be a luncheon of tricks and traps. And it certainly wasn't a "meet the future in-laws" luncheon!

As he waited, he thought about Dobby's pleasant interactions with Draco versus the angry and malicious relationship he remembered with Lucius Malfoy. In fact, the elder Malfoy's treatment of the small house elf was part of the reason he felt so much animosity towards the man.

Harry heard a mental snort from Azreth. "The family were all in the Slytherin house, were they not?"

"Yes, iosta. Why do you ask?"

"Is not the Slytherin House where those with cunning and ambition land?" Azreth mental voice carried overtones of amusement, causing Harry to reconsider what he had seen and been told.

He heard the portrait begin to move and made an abrupt decision calling "Dobby!"

The house elf popped into the room and smiled at the teen. "Yes, Harry Potter sir? How may Dobby be helping you today?"

Draco and his parents entered the room, both poised and elegant with their blonde hair and aristocratic features, and Harry pointed towards them. "Would you take our guests cloaks, Dobby?"

The little elf turned towards the newcomers and immediately cried "Master Malfoy! Madame Malfoy! Dobby is so pleased..." His voice faltered and he looked over his shoulder at Harry, who raised an eyebrow at him.

"I mean..." The house elf folded his arms and began in an altogether voice "You will not harm Mister Harry Potter..." His words halted again at Harry's snort of amusement. He looked at Harry and back at the Malfoys with wide eyes.

Ignoring the house elf for the moment, Harry laid a hand on his chest and bowed in the manner of the Clan, giving respect from one younger to those older. "Welcome Mr. Malfoy, Madame Malfoy. The day's blessing to you both."

Lucius inclined his head graciously. "Good afternoon, Mr. Potter. We are pleased to be here." His wife stepped forward and dipped in a slight curtsey. "The day's blessings to you as well, Mr. Potter."

"Thank you, Madame. Please…" Harry gestured towards the seating area. "…make yourselves comfortable."

The formalities completed, Harry dropped his eyes back to Dobby and fought to keep his face stern. "So...is there something of which I should be aware Dobby?"

Dobby turned wide-eyed between the Gryffindor teen and the Malfoys, his face anxious. Before he could inflict any harm on himself, Lucius Malfoy chuckled briefly. "No harm done, Dobby. You are excused."

Relief clearly visible on his face, Dobby gratefully said "Thank you, Master Malfoy" and disappeared with a loud pop.

Harry saw Draco grinning from his peripheral vision and shook his head slowly. "I was played like an ignorant yokel, wasn't I?"

"More like a Gryffindor, but yes" Draco admitted.

Harry sat in one of the wing chairs while Draco took the other; the senior Malfoys were already seated on the sofa facing the softly glowing fire. Harry raised an eyebrow at Lucius. "So you sent Dobby to me that year? He wasn't abused? Or freed?"

Lucius Malfoy reclined gracefully on the sofa, his white blonde hair was pulled back and tied with a leather band; his slightly triangular face appeared composed and slightly amused. In a silky tenor, he said approvingly "Bravo, Mr. Potter. There is a rather lengthy story to tell about that period."

Harry inclined his head politely. "Perhaps it should wait until after luncheon then, sir?" At the other nod of agreement, Narcissa asked about their first week of classes and they continued with bland topics until luncheon was ready.

The house elves had performed admirably, delivering a meal that even the Malfoys seemed to enjoy. Narcissa continued to be the one to lead the conversation. She smiled at the Gryffindor as if she shared a meal with former enemies regularly, asking "What are the goals of your studies, Mr. Potter" as they enjoyed the grilled salmon entree.

Harry paused and took a drink of his ice water to gather his thoughts. What did he want? He had agreed with Professor McGonagall to pursue the courses necessary to enter the Auror program the previous year, but was that his life-long ambition? While trying to explain the difficulty he had experienced adapting to the wizarding world to the Clan, he had become interested in making sure other children didn't experience the same problems he had.

He carefully returned his crystal goblet to the table. "I am currently taking courses that would permit me to enter the Auror program, ma'am, although that may be simply because it is expected of me. One of my friends says I have a "saving-people thing", which would be satisfied with that career. To be honest though, over the summer I became interested in how Muggle-born or Muggle-raised witches and wizards are introduced to the wizarding world and may want to focus my efforts on improvements there."

Lucius raised a refined eyebrow. "Indeed Mr. Potter? What are your thoughts about the Wizard-Muggle state of affairs?"

Harry met the older man's eyes squarely. "I think the wizarding world has failed to an unprecedented degree, sir."

Lucius' mouth twitched. "What led you to that conclusion, Mr. Potter?"

Harry took a bite of his grilled salmon and chewed slowly to give him time to consider his words. "I am a prime example, sir. I was raised with no knowledge of magic or the Wizarding world. At the very least, there should have been some form of annual contact, no matter how circumspect. Children's books, such as "The Tales of the Beetle Bard" should have been provided as a fictional but important introduction to the concept of magic and the wizarding culture. Once Muggle-born or Muggle-raised children reach Hogwart's age, I firmly believe that they should go to the castle one month before the start of the term and be immersed in what I would call Wizard Studies, providing a background in the customs, money, banking and government of the world they are entering, and a supplementary course should be provided for their first year."

He took another sip from his crystal goblet. "Where I grew up, we wrote with different tools. I had no idea how to hold or trim a quill and no one explained or demonstrated it. I had no idea why one stirred a potion clockwise or counterclockwise. I didn't know the basic ways one could use magic in everyday life. I had never seen Floo travel and didn't know about Apparition. I had never even heard of house elves."

Harry met the older man's eyes again. "All of that could have been explained with children's books and a special introductory class before the term began. Instead, the Muggle-born and Muggle-raised are tossed out of the nest and the best they can hope for is not to crash too spectacularly." He took another bite and chewed delicately, swallowing before speaking again. "Is it any surprise with such a lack of information that children expect the wizarding world to operate the same as their own and to fight against the unfamiliar when it doesn't? So many problems could be avoided with prudent intervention in their formative years."

Lucius' eyes played over Harry's face for several long moments. "Mr. Potter, you surprise me. Many purebloods are offended by the boorish criticisms and perceived insults that we experience from Muggle-raised individuals. Our own children are repressed in their Hogwarts classes as the lessons are targeted to their slower Muggle-raised classmates, resulting in increasing frustration and resentment. You suggest that it is primarily a lack of understanding and preparedness that produces these rifts?"

Harry nodded cautiously. "For the most part, yes sir. Of course there will be exceptions to every rule, but try to put yourself in a Muggle-raised student's place. Or imagine what it would have been like if your son had been introduced to a non-magical world at the age of eleven and expected to excel with no foundation upon which to build. Would he have been like my friend Hermione? Memorizing copious amounts of information without necessarily understanding it?" He offered a silent apology to Hermione.

Draco gave a visible shudder. "I would prefer to forego that experience, thank you."

Harry nobly restrained himself from sticking his tongue out at the blonde teen. "Every culture has both advantages and disadvantages. Muggle-born have walked upon the surface of the moon and are exploring distant solar systems with their space craft. Wizards know how to heal what would be fatal injuries to a Muggle. Both wizard and Muggle cultures have great value."

Harry leaned forward towards the older man. "Mr. Malfoy, I am certain Malfoy Manor houses some incredibly beautiful and valuable tapestries." At the other man's nod, he continued. "Think of life as a rich, colorful and very valuable tapestry. Doesn't every thread woven into it add to the overall image and value? The colors of each thread may differ, the origin may vary, but when the artist blends them together, the overall image is improved. Try to imagine your most valuable tapestry heirloom as if it was created with only one or two colors. While the threads may be uniform and consistent, the overall tapestry wouldn't be nearly as valuable as the one woven with differing or even conflicting colors. It is the blending of the threads that creates the tapestry's beauty."

Deciding that he had offered enough of his thoughts, he turned to Narcissa. "I understand that you help oversee a variety of charities, Madame Malfoy. Would you tell me about them?" She smiled at the change of subject, but graciously began to explain the different charities she sponsored and why.

After the meal was completed and they had retired to the seating area in front of the fireplace again, Lucius met Harry's eyes. "I believe I owe you an explanation regarding your second year and Dobby, Mr. Potter."

Harry smiled and settled comfortably into his chair, assuming an expression of polite attention. "You have the floor, sir."

Dobby reappeared and poured the older Malfoys cognac, obviously brought from their own collection. At the nod of approval from Lucius, he bowed to the company and disappeared again. The older man took a deep breath and leaned forward slightly, his grey eyes met Harry's brilliant green eyes with pitched intensity. "Firstly, Dobby has been with my family for decades and is a valued and trusted member of the Malfoy household. I wanted Dobby here at Hogwarts as an added layer of protection for Draco. I was concerned that the Dark Lord was attempting to either find a new and permanent host or barring that, create a new corporeal form. Many families followed the Dark Lord only reluctantly, but others were quite eager in their support, and I was unsure of their children's affiliation. I wanted Draco to have security beyond the wards here at Hogwarts."

His gray eyes unfocused momentarily as he was caught in his own thoughts. With a slight shake of his head he continued "I knew the Headmaster would not permit a bonded house elf to be on site and that an invitation would have to come from him. Therefore, I had to put Dobby in a position where Dumbledore would willingly invite him. Thinking him to be a free elf would do it."

"So tossing him a sock wasn't giving him clothes? I assume it was because there was no intent to free him?"

Lucius quirked his lips in approval. "Precisely. In order to free a house elf, the Bond Holder must inform the elf that they are being discharged from the bond and must then hand the elf the clothing with the specific intent of freeing them." He smiled slightly. "Considering how they tend and care for our clothing, the bond might be broken inadvertently multiple times a day otherwise. It is all about the intent of the Bond Holder."

Harry frowned a little. "Why did he hold my mail and try to dissuade me from returning to school?"

"That was how he interpreted my instructions. I told him he was to warn you that something was going to happen at Hogwarts, warn you against attending and to make it believable. My intent was to pique your curiosity and interest, prompting your Gryffindor instincts to look for problems."

"I don't understand why you gave Tom Riddle's diary to Ginny Weasley that year. Did you know Riddle had hidden part of his soul in it?"

The shock on all of the Malfoys was too instant to be anything but genuine. Lucius was the first to vocalize. "It was a horcrux? Salazar's beard, no wonder he became insane. He split his soul and hid part in that diary?" The older Malfoy leaned back, thoughts obviously racing through his mind. "That explains so much. And considering how unbalanced he's become, he likely has more than one." He gave an involuntary shudder, and Narcissa placed her hand on his. His other hand automatically covered hers and they stayed that way for a moment.

He looked back up at Harry. "To answer your question, Mr. Potter, no, I did not know that Riddle had hidden a portion of his soul in the diary." He frowned and pursed his lips briefly. "The Dark Lord had given me the diary for safe-keeping before his death. I knew the Ministry was raiding homes of those that have practiced both Dark and Light Arts, and chose to remove some items from the Manor at that time. I decided to put the diary into the possession of the Weasleys. At best, Arthur would be embarrassed, but at least he would have it properly destroyed. It never occurred to me that a child of the Weasleys wouldn't immediately turn over an unknown item to her parents. The entire family is Gryffindor; who knew the daughter had some Slytherin in her? I never intended for the child to be injured and accept her life debt to you as my own."

Harry's eyes widened. Lucius Malfoy would voluntarily take on a Weasley life debt? But he didn't suggest it until now, so how much credence could he give the declaration? He took a deep breath and prepared for the question he wanted to ask the most.

"At the risk of violating basic guest courtesy, may I ask why you chose to follow Voldemort at all, sir?""

Lucius' grey eyes met his again. "Lord Voldemort is a sadist and a madman, no one can deny that. But I didn't meet Lord Voldemort at first, I met Tom Riddle and he was very compelling and charismatic. I understood and agreed with many aspects of his philosophy initially. I could see the problems that occurred with the infusion of Muggle-born wizards into society. Perhaps it was as you said and they were unaware and had no idea of the blunders they made. I also agreed with keeping the wizarding world strong and safe." He swirled the cognac in his glass and gazed at it absently.

"Even so, I would never have allowed myself to be marked like a slave. My father forced it upon me with no warning before I was of legal age. And only after that did the Dark Lord begin to twist and turn the ideals into a parody of what I supported. As Tom Riddle disappeared and Lord Voldemort rose, he attracted a different type of follower. Those that enjoyed the violence he now advocated. By then, I had a Mate and child more precious to me than mere words can possibly convey. Keeping my family alive and intact became my only objective."

"Why didn't you go to the Ministry for help?"

"A Slytherin doesn't approach someone for an alliance until they fully understand the proposed ally's strengths and weaknesses." At the puzzled expression, he continued "What would have happened if I had expressed my unhappiness with the Dark Lord to someone who was either firmly entrenched in his camp, easily swayed to join it, someone who would gossip where it could be heard by someone else, or someone who would find extortion value in my predicament? Putting my family at risk was not an option. An ally that could make protecting my family even more difficult was not practical."

Harry thought about what he had read of Veela and spent a few moments reviewing it with his lowaar. He looked at Lucius appraisingly. "So you built the reputation you have deliberately?"

A slight smile lit the older man's face with approval. "A very Slytherin deduction, Mr. Potter. Yes, I have been walking a very fine line between not befouling our Family with the Dark Lord's repulsive deeds while anonymously offering what protection I could to his targets. Between his first defeat and his rebirth, I deliberately crafted a reputation for being ruthless in business and unrelenting where the honor of the Ancient and Noble House of Malfoy was concerned. It gained my Family a measure of protection, and guarding my Family is my primary concern, Mr. Potter."

Ghergo'ir = Young one

Lowaar = Indwellers

Ixen = fire

Thrae = air

Edar = earth

Hesjing = water

Juanth Darastrix = Elder Dragons

Opsola = father, sire

Iejir'deevdru = blood son

Isohon'ir = honored one

Nafldask = grandmother

Iosta = uncle