Thanks for all the reviews on the first twelve chapters! Since you were all so nice to make posts, I'll do my best to answer them:
enchanted nightingale, you'll see, you'll see... :p The Lucius issue is not really a vital component of the story; it's more there to make Harry more sympathetic toward Draco, but I won't just leave it there.
Aisling-Siobhan, if he's your favorite character then I can see why you don't like how I'm writing him. But honestly, in cannon he's not exactly a responsible, nurturing father. But don't worry—this will not turn into an "All Draco Needs is Love" story. Tee hee.
Tempete Sanguine, I think more than half of fanfic is boring and unoriginal. But I'm glad you think my story is neither. :)
Jukeboxx, I prefer fast pacing and lots of dialogue. I guess it's kind of lazy on my part to not put in more description, but I am sometimes so eager to get down the characters' thoughts or what they will say next that I don't bother. Shame on me. Oh, and you kind of have to add to the HP universe if you're going to stray at all from cannon. I do my best not to break any of the clearly stated rules, though.
Barranca, ah, this is an interesting question, but I am quite sure I have the answer. In OOTP, (SPOILER ALERT!) a certain Death Eater gets his head in the jar by mistake (I love that part!) and pulls it out when it is at the baby stage. He cannot speak and seems quite unaware of his surroundings, or at least their significance. He blunders around doing more harm to himself than to Harry and Company. Furthermore, when Harry moves to hex it, Hermione declares, "You can't hurt a baby!" Obviously, the Death Eater did not retain his head-knowledge from his adult life. Conversely, I think it is safe to assume that if the Death Eater had pulled out his head in the old-man stage, he would have gained some level of knowledge. So Harry's fears are quite reasonable when he worries about being a mature guy with hormone issues. (Ha ha, I'm so mean to my characters!)
brightandsunny, please read Barranca's answers above. :) I also thought that if Harry ended up older than Marvolo it would be interesting, to say the least. Hysterical, actually. Hee hee. But you shall have to wait and see... Cruel cliff-hangers. :p Harry's nightmare was not meant to be terribly significant, but DarkFilly gave me an idea for an encore occurrence, so I may well be putting another one in. We'll see. At this point, Marvolo has no clue about the prophecy, and I'm not sure that Lucius does either. I'm thinking not, just to simplify things. Call me selfish.
ams71080, I am a Harry/Ginny fan, partly because I am a writer and like to respect the author's wishes in almost every case, but also because I think she is a great character...or would be if JKR had written more about her! I firmly believe that the reason so many people dislike Ginny is because we hardly hear anything about her until Harry realizes he likes her. *roll eyes* Very annoying. Having said that, I repeat, this is not really a romance story at all, Harry is twelve (for now! Hee hee), and if there is any puppy love, it won't be all that significant (and if Harry ends up seventeen, Ginny will be way too young for him, right?!).
MyraHellsing, ha ha, "icy-blondie!" Nice. I do like it when people comment on specific quotes. It lets me know what people are enjoying most and encourages more of the same. :D
Thanks also goes to everyone else who has followed the story this far. As usual, you guys rock! :D
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WARNING: This chapter includes MAJOR spoilers for OOTP. It has some nearly exact quotes from the book and a lot of half-borrowed description. Ye be warned!
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Disclaimers: This is not a slash story, nor will it develop into one. The iffy references throughout the story are merely to add to the creepiness and not to indicate a HP/TR ship. By creepiness, I mean that Tom realizes it creeps Harry out, so he keeps it up for his own amusement. He's not romantically interested. This is what some call a "mentorship" story.... In other words, while HP and TR do have a budding relationship, it is strictly a platonic one; the same goes for Draco).
Furthermore, throughout the story I use a few quotes straight from the books. This practice should be taken as a compliment to JKR, since I couldn't word it better myself. ;p
This chapter contains another wine reference...if my info is off please forgive me—I've never had wine in my life and I'm not too knowledgeable on the subject. :p
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Author's notes: This story is for DarkFilly.
Please review! As you can see from the above, I love feedback!
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XIII. The Department of Mysteries
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Marvolo did not make Harry sit through any lectures on bloodlines or new spells the next day, opting to allow him to spend time with Draco as he chose. He watched the two boys closely, but not intrusively. Draco seemed to be in complete awe of him, but he did not get in the way or make a nuisance of himself. Lucius had trained him well. It was a pity that Harry had not had the benefit of a similar upbringing, but perhaps Draco would rub off on him.
They spent a good deal of time in the cellar where they had discovered an old pool table. Harry taught Draco the Muggle game in a very short time and Draco took to it immediately.
"Where'd you learn pool anyway?" Draco asked Harry at lunch. "Did the Muggles actually let you play sometimes?"
Harry shook his head. "My cousin Dudley has a pool simulation game on his computer. I'd play it sometimes while they were out. Oh...do you know what a computer is?"
"I've heard of them," Draco said darkly. "Not sure how much I believe about them, though."
"Well...anyway. It's really different playing it in real life. I know how to set up a good shot, but I'm not that coordinated yet."
"That your excuse for my nearly beating you last game?"
"No, that was pure luck! I'll kill you next time. Er..." Harry looked up at Marvolo. "Did you have anything planned for this afternoon?"
"No. You two may 'run along and play,' as they say."
Marvolo saw that Harry was biting his lip to keep from laughing, and Draco looked as if someone had just reminded him that his birthday was coming up.
Apparently the boys spent a bit of time taking inventory of the wine in the cellar, because when dinnertime approached, Harry told Marvolo, "Draco reckons he'd like to try some armagnac with supper. Is that OK?"
"Is Draco a connoisseur?" Marvolo asked with interest.
"I guess. I get the idea he was raised on the glass of wine with dinner thing. He says it'll be aged just about right, now."
"He is correct. Tell Tally to serve the armagnac, then."
Dinner was a more quiet affair than lunch had been. Harry was becoming nervous about their mission.
"You two should get to bed early tonight," Marvolo said, breaking a silence that had lasted several minutes.
"OK," Harry gave his standard reply.
They would really need to work a bit on decorum. Marvolo also decided that Harry needed instruction in stoicism. It was useful, for the time-being, to be able to read Harry like a book, but it could lead to disaster if others could do the same.
"Have you enjoyed your stay with us, Draco?"
"Oh, yes, sir. Very much." Draco looked a little wistful. "I'm sorry I'll be leaving soon."
It was bold of him, Marvolo thought, to make such an obvious hint. Was it the pleasure of the visit or the dread of returning home that made him want to stay? Probably both. Draco did seem to be doing Harry good, but Marvolo wanted a bit of privacy after Harry's Trace was removed. They would be very busy for a few days.
"You will see us again before too long, I am sure."
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An acute sense of hearing was one of Marvolo's many gifts. As he prepared to retire that evening, he could hear Harry and Draco speaking in hushed tones next door. He moved silently to the door between the rooms and listened.
"Why not?" he heard Draco whisper.
Harry answered in a low voice, "Because Marvolo might get the idea he should use you as a guinea pig."
"A guinea pig?"
"A trial run. To see if it works before they try it on me. Wait until mine is done, and then—"
"Can't stand to be second?"
"No!" Harry lowered his voice further. "It's just if something goes wrong, I don't want it to be my fault."
"Your fault! Noble, but conceited as ever. If it's my choice and you have no hand in it, how can you call it your fault?"
There was a rustle of clothing then. A moment later Marvolo heard Harry speak again.
"We're not at school anymore, Malfoy. I'm not going to let you push me around. If you want to try getting in on it, fine. But wait until after. Got it?"
"All right," Draco relented, sounding much less confident. "I just think my chances are pretty slim if I wait until the last minute."
"Well, I'll put in a word for you if I can. But I'm not changing my mind."
Marvolo moved away from the door with a satisfied smile. Harry was learning to stand up for himself—to his peers, at least.
A few minutes later, Harry came to their door to say good night as usual. He was wearing a T-shirt under his dark green dressing gown.
"Harry," Marvolo greeted him, pulling the door open further. "Is everything all right?"
Not quite meeting his gaze, Harry said, "Yeah."
"Are you worried?"
"A bit. I'll be OK."
"Good night, then. I will wake you when it's time."
"Good night."
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At half past three, Marvolo awoke and dressed quickly before going to wake Harry.
Harry blinked sleepily in the glare from Marvolo's wand. "OK," he mumbled. "I'm awake."
"Get up and wake Draco. Lucius will be here any moment."
"All right." Harry slid out of bed and reached for the clothes he had left out the night before. He shivered slightly.
Marvolo saw that at some point Harry had opened his window, probably so he would not have to get up when his owl returned from hunting. He threw Hedwig a reproachful look which she returned from huge, unrepentant eyes. Marvolo had spelled the windows to open only for Harry, himself, or Tally so that visitors could not discern the house's location.
Fortunately, the hall door was bolted while their shared door had remained unlocked, so Marvolo decided that Harry had not risked revealing their location, but had gained some trust in him. He went to the window and closed it, deciding not to reprimand Harry for leaving it open.
Lucius arrived shortly thereafter, and Marvolo made certain that they were all ready. They went to the kitchen fireplace which was still connected to Madam Malkin's robe shop by Secret Floo—the term for any unspecified location attached to one other fireplace on the Floo Network—and traveled one by one to the shop.
Marvolo passed through second, after Lucius. Harry soon followed and Draco came last. It was simple to Apparate from the robe shop to the visitor's entrance of the Ministry building.
Upon arriving, Lucius released his son (who straightened his clothing as if he had just been man-handled) and led them to an old telephone box.
The others instantly arranged themselves to give Marvolo the most breathing space. Lucius stood at the back, one hand on Draco's shoulder. Marvolo saw a quiet blaze of annoyance smoldering in the blond boy's eyes. Harry, now invisible, must have been pressed very close to Draco because Marvolo could stand at ease without brushing against Harry's Cloak.
With his free hand, Lucius entered five digits on the telephone's dial.
"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic," said a cool female voice. "Please state your name and business."
"Lucius Malfoy and two guests," Lucius responded smoothly. "We are here to remove a Trace."
Draco rolled his eyes.
"Thank you," said the voice. "Visitors, please take the badges and attach them to the front of your robes."
Two badges appeared in the coin return, and Lucius passed one to Draco and one to Marvolo.
Marvolo glanced at his badge. It read, "Guest of Lucius Malfoy. Trace Removal." He passed the absurd object to Harry's disembodied hand as the booth began to descend and the voice instructed the visitors to report to the security desk.
The next stage of the operation went as smoothly as the first. As Draco handed his wand to the security wizard for examination, Lucius Stunned the man. Marvolo planted a false memory of visiting the water cooler in the guard's mind, and they continued through the golden gates to the lifts.
Since Harry was invisible, Marvolo kept very close to his ward to keep track of him. Harry kept obligingly near him in contrast to Draco who seemed Magnetically repelled by Lucius. Familiarity breeds contempt, Marvolo supposed.
Inside the lift, Lucius chose the number nine button and they waited until they heard the cool female voice from the telephone box announce, "Department of Mysteries."
"There will be no one here at this hour," Lucius told them as they moved toward a plain black door. "Mr. Potter may remove his Cloak."
When they had gone through this door they were in a black circular room with several plain black doors along its circumference.
Harry, visible once more, reached back to close the door.
"Leave it!" Lucius said, tugging Harry away by the shoulder.
Barely touching the wand in the pocket of his robes, Marvolo murmured "Impedimenta" under his breath.
Lucius was knocked into the wall. He stood there a moment, looking as if he was not sure what had happened.
Marvolo put an arm around Harry's shoulders. "You are not to touch him," he explained simply.
"Forgive me, my lord," Lucius said.
"I am not the one to whom you owe an apology."
With a look more of loathing than penitence, Lucius addressed Harry. "I apologize, Mr. Potter."
"Um...that's OK," said Harry, looking a bit stunned himself.
"Lead on," Marvolo said impatiently.
Through the door opposite the one they had come through was a room filled with clocks and hour glasses of every kind imaginable. The air was full of the sound of ticking and a beautiful dancing light which came from a very large crystal bell jar at the opposite end of the room. The jar stood on a desk, and Marvolo judged that even without this added height it would have been taller than Harry, though not as wide as Harry's shoulders.
Harry looked more nervous than ever as they approached the jar. Still, he watched with as much fascination as the others as the tiny hummingbird hatched within the jar, rose to the top on a sparkling current—maturing as it went—and eventually returned to its egg as a minuscule chick.
Lucius tapped his wand against the glass with a chinking sound and said, "Permios." The jar did not change in appearance, but he declared it ready.
Marvolo produced a silver knife and made a small laceration in his palm.
"What are you doing?" Harry asked, his surprise evident.
"Making certain it works as expected." Marvolo slipped his bleeding hand through the glass of the jar as the hummingbird made its way up the air current. Immediately, the blood faded from his palm, a scar appeared and his fingers became dry and gnarled. The skin of his whole hand became wrinkled, and Marvolo felt a dull pain in the joints.
Then the skin began to smooth. The pain vanished, and the hand gradually looked young again. The scar looked much more recent, and Marvolo withdrew his hand just as the cut reopened.
"Excellent," he said. He healed the cut with the spell he had learned from the magical medical books and turned to Harry. "Are you ready?"
Harry looked very shaken. "Better put some sort of mark on my face," he said quietly. "So you'll know when to pull me out."
Very carefully, Marvolo made a small cut on the side of Harry's face, at the cheekbone.
"OK," Harry said grimly. "Let's get it done."
Marvolo put one arm around Harry, against his back, and used the other to support Harry's shoulders and neck. "Trust me," he whispered in Parseltongue.
Though he was undoubtedly terrified, a kind of resolve came into Harry's eyes. Perhaps there was a bit of the stoic in him after all.
Gently, Marvolo let Harry's head fall back into the jar.
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Oh, is that a cliff-hanger ending? Mwa ha ha ha! I is so evil! :D