iamtherealmaverick – Yay! I'm glad. And I like my Lucius too! LOL. As for the fifth book being angsty… I liked it, actually. It showed that Harry isn't perfect, that he's a teenager going through a lot of things that most people don't ever get to experience, and the way he handled it reflected that beautifully, I thought.

Iset – Thank you! And you get a bit of Draco in this chapter – does that help? There will be a really good, angry, angsty, fairly decent length scene with Harry and Draco soon, I promise!

hero – You mean Kieran, right? Well, I still kinda feel sorry for him, though it'll all be for a good cause… And I'm glad you like it! And what do you mean by immature Harry? Do you mean from the scene with Nigellus? Cause I didn't mean to make Harry immature… though he is a sixteen year old boy – there has to be some immaturity for it to be realistic. Hmm… Will think on this…

IvySnowe – Yeah, I wanted to keep Mrs. Figg and Hestia alive too, but someone needed to die. And yes, Kieran will get what's coming to him. As for the Harry and Draco smutty goodness part… It's not going to happen for awhile. I'm sorry – don't hurt me! It's just that there was five years of hatred between them, and I don't realistically see them suddenly jumping each other. It will happen, I promise, though the smutty scene won't be written or posted since I can't on And it's so good to hear that at least one Harry/Draco fan is still reading this!

dihall – I'm glad you liked them! And Molly will face the consequences of her actions soon enough. As for H/D – it's coming? Ducks to avoid the rotten tomatoes.

B. M. Gray – I'm so glad you liked it! And I have high standards? So completely flattered! And I'm glad you like Phineas! He's what I like to call "Severus without the particular Potter-hating tendencies"… LOL. I'm glad he reminds you of you, cause I loved writing him. He'll make frequent appearances in future chapters too! And I find psychology fascinating as well – I actually have a minor in it! Not that that makes me an expert on human condition or anything… Anyway, as for Molly needing counselling – she won't be seeing a counsellor, though she will talk about it (eventually). As for Percy – he wasn't exactly my favourite character either, but yes, I do plan to redeem him. Not that he'll ever completely lose his pompousness, so he'll likely remain your least-favourite character. And as for Kieran… you'll see in this chapter.

murdrax – Not quite. More details will actually come up in the future chapter though. That's all I'm going to say about it! I refuse to spill those particular details! But it will happen soon.

sweetteetwo – Thanks!

Marikili68 – Glad you like it. Thank you so much!

I have over 100 reviews! So excited!

Anyway, hugs to my wonderful beta Abbey (On-A-Rainy-Day)! Enjoy and don't forget to review!

Chapter Thirteen: Consequences Part II

Percy landed heavily on the carpeted floor of the Headmaster's office. It just wasn't his day today – though really, it hadn't been his day in weeks. He righted his glasses before they fell off his face and stood up, all the while glaring at Snape, who had no difficulty at all in retaining his balance while travelling with a Portkey. It was times like these when Percy wondered if there was any truth to the rumours that Snape was part vampire.

Dismayed at his state of undress – he was still in his pyjamas, for Merlin's sake! – he decided to forgo the niceties and the worry Snape's comment had caused him for the moment. While Percy wasn't exactly the type to throw a tantrum and have a row, he didn't like being at one of the last places he wanted to be, particularly when he was quite literally dragged to said place by a former Death Eater.

"Now, see here! There was no reason to manhandle me! I've done nothing wrong! And how dare you presume-"

Percy was just beginning to work himself up into a righteous frenzy when Dumbledore suddenly appeared in front of them.

"Ah, Mr Weasley. Please, have a seat. Thank you, Severus." At Dumbledore's nod Snape shot Percy a contemptuous glare before leaving the office.

"Mr Weasley, I'm certain the chair will not bite you. Please, sit down. Would you like a sherbet lemon, or perhaps some tea?"

Percy shook his head as he reluctantly sat down in the comfortable chair across from Dumbledore's desk. Percy hadn't seen Dumbledore since the older wizard had escaped from the Ministry in this very office months ago, and considering everything he'd done and said to the greatest wizard alive, Percy was understandably feeling cowed. As Dumbledore continued to quietly sip his tea, Percy fidgeted, feeling like a recalcitrant student who had been sent to the Headmaster's office for punishment – something he was proud to say he had never experienced during his seven years at Hogwarts.

Percy was loathed to interrupt Dumbledore since the man seemed content to simply sit there drinking his tea, but he couldn't take much more of this.

"Professor Dumbledore, may I ask why I am here?" Percy refused to admit that his voice had cracked, as if he was going through puberty all over again.

Dumbledore gently set the tea cup back down on the tray before leaning back into the high back of his chair and regarding him thoughtfully. Percy wasn't sure what Dumbledore was looking for – an apology, perhaps? While Percy did regret all the bad things he'd said about Dumbledore, he wasn't about to apologize for siding with the Ministry. Based on the information given, he'd made the best choice he could, and he still believed that. Everyone knew Dumbledore was off his rocker, so to speak, and he'd never really liked Potter – the boy was a troublemaker and used his fame to get his way. Just because they'd ended up being right didn't say a thing about their character.

Percy was broken out of his thoughts when Dumbledore leant forward and steepled his hands on top of the desk. Percy focused on those hands instead – a cowardly act to be sure, but it was much better than looking at Dumbledore's eyes, which would make him even more nervous since he knew without a doubt that there would not be any traces of those damned twinkles.

"Mr Weasley, after you met your mother and left the pub, did you still have the Order Portkey in your possession?"

Percy started at that. He really should have expected his mother to tell Dumbledore of their meeting – after all, the Portkey did lead to their Headquarters. Still, Percy felt indignant at the implication of the question. Frowning, Percy replied, "Yes, of course. It was an important artefact – I wouldn't lose something like that. In fact, it's sitting on my living room table right now."

"Is it? Hmm…" Dumbledore called for Fawkes and scribbled out a letter to the Weasleys while mindcalling Harry to check Percy's flat. He attached the letter to Fawkes and watched him disappear in a burst of flames. With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore heated up the tea again and poured himself another cup while reaching over to read the correspondences that had arrived for him while he'd been gone from his office. Dumbledore could see that Percy's exasperation was quickly overcoming his nervousness and inwardly smiled. Just a few more seconds…

Just as Percy was opening his mouth to undoubtedly order Dumbledore to tell him what was going on, Harry knocked on the door and entered the office.

A gasp was heard, then, "Potter?"

Draco sat, carefully stirring the cauldrons filled with the Calming Draught Snape had asked him to finish. It was boring and tedious work, something he would normally have balked at, but since he was going to be well compensated for it, Draco decided to put in the effort to make sure they turned out as well as if a Potions Master was to make them.

A triumphant smirk appeared on his face as he remembered what Snape had agreed to give him to ensure his brewing cooperation – one hundred points for Slytherin, the title of Quidditch Captain (not that there had ever been a doubt of his being made captain), an unlimited pass to the Restricted Section of the library (Granger was going to have a fit), and private Animagus lessons.

His father had never bothered to attempt an Animagus transformation because as a Malfoy, he didn't believe in hiding his presence from others; plus, Transfiguration wasn't exactly his strong suit. And while admittedly Draco wasn't much better at Transfigurations than his father, his abilities as a scanner would make things much easier for him. According to everything he'd read so far, his spellwork would get easier as his scanning abilities improved – he couldn't wait to try his skills against Granger this year.

Draco was pouring the last of the Calming Draught into the glass vials when Snape returned.

"I'm finished, Professor."

Snape eyed the vials approvingly. "Excellent work, Mr Malfoy, as usual."

It truly was a shame Draco had no intentions of becoming a Potions Master, Snape thought as he admired the perfect viscosity of the iridescent liquid – he certainly had the gift for it. The exact art of potion-making was very difficult to master – some, like Lucius Malfoy, were good at it, but they didn't have the necessary instinct that the truly renowned Potions Masters, such as himself, had. Still, Snape was aware that even if Draco chose to be certified, it would only be to further his name, not because he truly enjoyed the work. Of course, that was ultimately what had happened with him.

Snape had never wanted to pursue potions and had never once considered Potions Master as his career. While he'd been immensely talented to be sure, his interests by far had laid with the Dark Arts. Unfortunately, due to his regretful mistake of becoming a Death Eater, his options had been very limited, even after Dumbledore had vouched for him. The only other thing he'd been good at was brewing potions; still, even after he'd studied for years to be a Potions Master – and arguably, one of the best – his skills were rarely sought out. He supposed his rather unpleasant demeanour combined with his unsavoury reputation were a deadly combination. Thankfully, Dumbledore's job offer had saved him from being cast out onto the street. Snape owed the man his life many times over, and there truly was nothing he wouldn't ever do for Albus Dumbledore.

As Draco began to clean up, Snape was suddenly struck with a thought. The boy's abilities as a scanner could possibly be the reason why the lad was so good at brewing potions – after all, the ingredients were all magical. It was entirely possible that Draco was able to somehow detect which ingredients went well together and which should be avoided at all costs. Perhaps he could even realize the circumstances when the most volatile of ingredients can be mixed to create potions that the world had never before seen. The idea made Snape's head positively swim with delightful possibilities.

"Draco, I have another proposition for you…"

Lucius Malfoy's grin was positively feral as he stood outside the door of the Macnair home. He had never liked Kieran – there was far too much of a Gryffindor in him to be of any use, and he was as incompetent as a Hufflepuff. Lucius was doing Walden Macnair a favour, really, by undertaking this task – now, Walden could start over and sire himself a worthier heir.

When Kieran himself opened the door, grumbling under his breath about the uselessness of house-elves and paling rather comically when he spotted the older wizard, Lucius didn't think the day could get any better.

"Hello, Kieran. Such a lovely night, isn't it? May I come in?"

Lucius's sickly-sweet tone had Kieran scrambling to shut the door in his face, but he was no match for a Malfoy on a mission.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk… Where are your manners?" Lucius chastised, his wand pressed tightly against Kieran's Adam's apple. Seeing the terror in the boy's wide-opened eyes, Lucius smiled chillingly. "Won't you invite me in, Kieran?"

Kieran gulped in fear, acutely feeling the pressure from the wand. Too terrified to speak, knowing he was likely to scream were he to open his mouth, Kieran instead forced his body to move back and allow Malfoy entrance into his home.

"How kind of you. Shall we take this into the sitting room?" Lucius asked as he spelled the door closed.

As soon as they crossed the threshold into the parlour, Lucius warded the room, and added a silencing charm for good measure.

"We don't want any unwanted interruptions now, do we?"

Kieran closed his eyes resignedly. He was unarmed and alone, with no other means of getting help. Still, he wasn't about to go without a fight – even if it were just verbal.

"So this is what the great Lucius Malfoy has to resort to. Does the Dark Lord know that you're terrified to let anyone discover that a seventeen year old has done something you could not? Or even better – that you threw away a perfect opportunity because you refused to listen to me?"

Lucius narrowed his eyes. "Kieran, it seems as though fear has addled your brain. You're not quite grasping the situation. You-"

"Oh no, I understand the situation perfectly well," Kieran said, interrupting Lucius. "Besides, I doubt it really matters what I do – you're going to torture me anyway. Might as well get my kicks while I still can."

Lucius looked at Kieran thoughtfully. Perhaps Kieran had some potential after all. Too bad it wouldn't do him any good anymore.

"Rather admirable of you. Well then, shall we get on with it? Crucio!"

Kieran screamed.

Hermione stood helplessly by the doors as Bill and Charlie rushed out to head back to Grimmauld Place to get everything prepared for their mum's return. She had been standing outside the room for the last hour or so, unwilling to interrupt them, but now, it appeared as though they were leaving. As she debated on what to do, Mrs Weasley was guided out of her hospital room by her husband and the rest of their children. She was sandwiched between Mr Weasley and Ginny, the former supporting her while the latter held tightly onto her hand. Fred and George followed, their expressions cold, something Hermione didn't think she'd ever seen before. She hadn't realized how much she had been looking forward to their cheery nature and antics to lighten up the atmosphere until it was missing.

Ron looked helpless, angry, and frustrated, all at the same time. He looked like a lost little boy, and Hermione had to stop herself from reaching out and engulfing him in a hug. She didn't want to be a bother, an additional burden, and she hated feeling like she didn't belong there. Because she did – or at least, she had, until she ruined it all by acting like a nosy, stupid, sentimental girl she would never have thought she was.

Sighing, Hermione was about to return to Hogwarts when Ron turned and spotted her. The look upon his face was utterly heartbreaking. Her hand unwittingly reached for his, and when Ron didn't object, she grasped his hand tightly, offering him her support. Hermione tried to convey to him that no matter what happened between them, she would always be there for him. And then the most marvellous thing happened – Ron mindspoke to her. / Hermione? / he said, his voice breaking.

It was all just too much for Hermione to resist. / Shh. It's going to be alright, you'll see. Everything's going to be okay, / Hermione replied as she engulfed him in a tight hug, letting him rely on her. It has to be. It just has to.

Narcissa sat regally in a cozy armchair, sipping her tea, as Bellatrix glared at her from her position on the wall.

"Oh look, Bella, wouldn't that robe look marvellous on Draco? He has such fair skin, you know. You might not remember, what with being away for most of his life, but he looks a lot like Lucius. He's such a handsome boy."

Bellatrix spat out what looked to be very foul comments, though due to the Silencing Charm on her, Narcissa didn't hear a word.

"I'm so glad you agree. I'll be sure to get this then for Draco before he starts Hogwarts again. He's in his sixth year there, you know. You might not be able to recall, what with losing most of your mind from being in Azkaban."

Narcissa continued to flip the pages of the magazine, ignoring Bellatrix's tugs at the chains. "Oh, look, it's a new broomstick model. Draco's an amazing flyer, and a huge fan of Quidditch. I'll have to make sure he gets the newest model – I'm sure he'll make Captain of his team this year. He's in Slytherin, Bella, just in case you didn't hear from the other Death Eaters while grovelling at the Dark Lord's feet."

As Bellatrix's tugs became wilder, Narcissa sipped the last of her tea before vanishing it all to the kitchens. She calmly stood in front of thrashing Bellatrix, watching her tire herself out.

"Yes, I absolutely agree that you've been a horrible aunt to your darling nephew and an even worse sister to me. I'll be sure to send him a letter with your apologies – I'm sure he'll forgive you. Of course, I can't say the same thing for me." Narcissa's polite smile turned frigid as she raised her wand. "Crucio!"

Bill and Charlie looked at the immaculate kitchen in relief. They knew that the demolished kitchen was being fixed, but hadn't thought it would be finished quite so soon. They had come to Grimmauld Place as quickly as they could to help, knowing their mum would insist on cooking them all something soon enough. It was her form of therapy, after all.

They had just been about to head upstairs to make sure the room was all ready when Fawkes appeared in front of them, bearing a letter from Dumbledore. Bill had barely taken it off before Fawkes disappeared in a burst of flame.

Charlie watched Bill's face grow stormy reading it, and his stomach clenched in fear and unease as his mind conjured up scenario after scenario of horrible events that could have occurred. Finally, when he thought he couldn't take it anymore, Bill thrust the letter in his direction.

"Percy's with Dumbledore now. He thinks it would be best if Percy stays with us for awhile."

"What?" Charlie cried out and snatched the letter from his brother's hand. Quickly skimming the letter, his expression turned thunderous as he finished. "He can't be serious! After what just happened?"

"This isn't Percy's fault, and Headquarters doesn't belong to us. We can't refuse him. Besides, there's probably a good reason why Dumbledore believes this is the best place for Percy."

Charlie fumed. "He might not have caused this directly, but he started the whole mess in the first place. If he'd only listened, none of this would have happened, and you know it."

Bill sighed. "There's no point discussing this now – mum's coming soon. We'll deal with this after she goes to bed. I'm sure Dumbledore will grant us that much."

Charlie folded up the letter and placed it in the pocket of his trousers. Dumbledore may have had good intentions, but the matter involving Percy was a Weasley family matter, and they needed to solve this in their own way. Planning to speak to the Headmaster later, Charlie helped Bill prepare some tea before following him upstairs to check over their parents' room.

Lucius arrived with Kieran at the foot of the Dark Lord's throne. He bowed before the monster and rose when commanded to do so.

"Master, Kieran Macnair, as you've asked."

Voldemort looked at Kieran's broken and bleeding form. Kieran's brown eyes were staring at nothing in particular, empty of any recognition or coherence. He had clearly lost his mind.

Voldemort, while upset, was still impressed with Lucius at his initiative. Kieran had clearly been driven insane after being put under the Cruciatus for too long. Having missed out on the magnificent torture Bellatrix had performed on the Longbottoms, it was wonderful to finally see the result. Muggles never lasted long enough to lose their minds and any wizards or witches he had captured were needed. Still, perhaps he should switch his torture tactics…

"Lucius? Explain yourself."

"My lord, Kieran was most resistant. I had to subdue him. But the torture -- it was marvellous, master. I could not control myself. Forgive me."

Voldemort laughed. "Rise, Lucius. You have pleased me greatly. You won't be punished – this time. But don't take such liberties with my orders again, or I won't be so lenient."

"Of course, my lord. Thank you, my lord."

As Lucius Apparated away from the Dark Lord's chambers, he saw the green light of the Killing Curse take what was left of Kieran.