Sorry about the long wait on this, here is the next chapter here for you!:
Chapter Fourteen: Meetings and Surprises:
Hadrian came too slowly and realized at once he was in the hospital wing at Hogwarts. He reached for his glasses and put them on and saw not only madam Pomfrey but professors Snape, McGonagall Sprout and Flitwick along with Lucius Malfoy? Snape was sitting on a bed clad in nightclothes snapping and growling at everyone here, his left arm was bandaged and he looked angry. Why was he so angry and why was Malfoy here of all people? He was a death eater and had been one to torment and taunt him when Voldemort torture him. He snarled and reached for his wand something that did not go unnoticed by those gathered here.
"Oh good you are awake." Poppy said walking over to him, "the headmaster should have waited until you were taken care of but no, you have been asleep two days."
"Two days?" Hadrian said looking shocked, he had not been hurt that badly! "I was not that badly hurt!"
"Really Potter you nearly bled out, were hit by a Cruciatus curse several times and you wonder why you were out for so long?" Severus said, "you are lucky to be alive."
"I am sorry, I could not stop him from coming back." Hadrian said looking down at the blanket.
"It is not your fault, but I intend to see that he fails." Lucius said, "I have done something that will not affect Severus, as well he is not evil as I have been."
"Yea you are evil, you willingly joined Voldemort." Hadrian said, "but so am I, we are both evil."
"No you are not." Lucius said wondering why this boy thought himself evil, "I have done something to see that the dark lord's work will not be carried on."
"Oh and what is that?" Hadrian said, "go whore yourself in Knockturn alley?"
"Hadrian Potter!" McGonagall snapped.
"I have bound the death eaters to the dark lord's life." Lucius said, "not hard really, only one was needed to start he bond, he dies so do we all."
"You know you will die, you bound yourself and when I kill him you will die?" Hadrian said feeling sick, "but why?"
"To atone for my evil ways, do not feel bad, I hope with this act that my judgment in the next world will take that in to account." Lucius said, "you will not kill us, for we are already dead, do not worry I made my choice, I will see that the works of the dark lord do not live on."
Before he could add anything the minister of magic came into the room. He was a short portly man clad in a three pieced pinstriped suit and matching traveling cloak with lime green tie and matching bowler hat. He looked nervous and was twitching his bowler hat in his hands. He saw Lucius and looked even more scared and then he saw Hadrian. Hadrian knew things hung on a knife's edge, that things could go two ways and it was up to him to see that things went the right way. Oh how he wished Voldemort were not back but he was and now he had to convince Fudge of that.
"What happened Hadrian?" Fudge asked.
"I can let you see the memories sir, but the truth is that Voldemort is back." Hadrian said and at the drain of color from Fudge, "sir I wish it were not true, but he is back and I had to watch him use evil and foul arts to come back."
"It is true, I was there." Lucius said calmly.
"You are a death eater, you…." Fudge snarled and had his wand out pointed at Lucius, "I should kill you!"
"I would deserve no less minister, but I can help bring him down, I will help, Mr. Potter is right." Lucius said, "he is back but perhaps I could offer a bit of advice?"
"What advice would that be Lucius?" Dumbledore asked walking into the room.
"That the minister publically denies all this." Lucius replied, "but privately starts to bolster the hit wizards and Aurors, to create an army if you will to fight Voldemort when the time comes." Lucius said, "I will proved the monies for this."
"He is back, but, well I could do that, yes." Fudge said, "a year, then we get him, can we wait a year, will he attack in that time?"
"No he has to gain his strength." Lucius replied, "I want him gone as much as you do, never wanted him back, he does far too much damage to expose our world."
"It's alright to be afraid, but he really is just an evil man, well not much of a man, I had to er see him come unclothed from a cauldron." Hadrian said grimacing, "I think I know why he is so evil, not much of him at all if you know what I mean."
"Ah well, I am sorry for what you had to endure." Fudge said, "you are understand that things will be difficult for you for a time?"
"Yes sir, but that is fine, I know you will do the right thing." Hadrian replied, "I do look forward to that thing paying for the deaths of my family."
Fudge knew he was not suited to war at all, he was a man of peace and liked his comfortable office. Yet now he had a choice to do the right thing though all he really wanted to do was hide. No, no that he would not do, he was going to the right thing, Amelia would know what to do, funny he never thought of asking her for help. Yes that would do nicely, and Lucius, well he hoped the man was on their side or he would have him killed. No matter if they were friends or not.
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Harry sat in the chamber of the founders cross-legged on the floor. He was thinking, now with Voldemort back he knew that war was coming and that he did not feel ready. He knew that the founder's heirs did feel ready and could protect the castle and help remove Voldemort from the earth permanently. Harry opened his eyes and looked up as Severus entered the chamber, no longer a death eater. Blaise, as the heir of Slytherin had been able to remove his mark and so he was no longer a death eater. Still Voldemort would have a price on his head and Severus knew it was not safe for him to leave Hogwarts. Most of his Slytherins would not dare join Voldemort, not with Blaise openly the heir of Slytherin. To do so would be treason, in fact the other heirs had disclosed who they were to their houses and ordered them to not join Voldemort under pain of treason.
"How are you doing Harry?" Severus asked.
"Well enough, just thinking, he is back, what if he finds out about me?" Harry replied, "I don't want him to find me, and not because I could not fight, I could."
"I know you could, you just don't want anyone else to find you." Severus said sitting by him, "I will make sure that does not happen, you know that right?"
"Yes I do, well this does mean that Hadrian is the one of the prophecy, he knows he is right?" Harry asked.
"Oh yes he does, and when the time is right he will fight the dark lord."
There was a sound of scales on the cold stone floor and Sapphire came up and carefully put her large head next to Harry. She flicked out her tongue against the boy's check getting him to laugh a bit and smile at her. She was truly happy now, no longer alone as she had been, with no need to sleep decades and centuries even she had friends now and life had gotten very good for her. She smiled as much as a snake could at Severus who reached up and patted her on the snout getting a rumbling sound that was very close to laughter. Tough Sapphire could not speak any language but Parseltongue she was smart enough to understand many languages.
"So Sapphire what do you think of a Voldemort snack?" Severus asked her.
"I would not wish to eat a human, much less one like him, it could hurt my stomach." Sapphire replied.
"Now I don't need translation for that, how about a lamb treat?" Severus said taking out a large slap of lamb and levitating it to Sapphire who gulped it down in one bite, "there you are."
"Do you need more venom Severus?" Sapphire asked.
"No, not yet, thank you though." Severus replied.
Harry leaned back and took up his staff and scratched Sapphire's hide with it. She curled up gently around him and Severus smirked at the scene. Sapphire might be Blaise's familiar with who he was but Sapphire liked anyone who was kind to her. She had been lonely for so long and was not, as so many claimed an evil wicked creature. She was sweet and kind though she could kill if needed and would if anyone came to the school to cause her students no matter the house harm. Severus was glad to see Harry happy, he deserved it, he did so much for others even now, even after all the things he had suffered he was still a giving boy. To see him relaxed as he was nearly got Severus to curl up against Sapphire and take a kip. Well it was only Harry here and why not? After all the chamber was quiet and he had been so busy lately.
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Dumbledore was feeling his old age even more now. Voldemort was back, Hadrian though a strong capable boy knew he had to face him and defeat him and he could not find Severus. The heirs had been training outside today, they were getting stronger day by day and learning so much to contain the great power that was being unleashed inside them. Such power he had never seen in all his days, and it was good power, pure and loving power. He knew looking in those four boy's eyes he was looking at men, men willing to lay down their lives for others, for the world no matter if the world deserve that or not. For the first time Dumbledore felt a bit of hope, though he was sad when he heard what Lucius Malfoy had done. He would die and was willing to as it meant it would get rid of the last vestige of Voldemort.
The head of the house Malfoy was standing in his office petting Fawkes, for the very first time the Phoenix had allowed this and Lucius looked far more nobler than he ever had. He had changed, his heart was not given to darkness and Fawkes could feel that and so allowed him to pet him. Lucius looked up as McGonagall came into the room and had to cover her shock and surprise at seeing him not only here but Fawkes letting him pet him! She took in the fine robes and sleek white-blond hair and the face, she had never seen such a look from Lucius in all her days. There was a kinder look, a more softness in his eyes, with a jolt she knew he had sacrificed himself and that is what had caused this. He did care about the world enough to forfeit his life, still she was not going to be nice to him, she did not like him after all, he was such an odious man.
"Lucius what a disagreeable surprise!" She said.
"Ah my dear Minerva, a fine day don't you think?" Lucius said turning to face her, "the dark lord will fall, and when he does…."
"You will die, you really did bind the death eaters to his death." McGonagall said, "might I ask why?"
"It is the right thing to do, I realized that I have done things that have been wrong, not just bad for our world but wrong. Evil in fact and I want to atone for those things. I can sacrifice myself, my son is far better than I, he will make a fine head of house. "
"You have changed a bit for the better, still I do not like you though." McGonagall said.
"Do you know where Severus is?" Dumbledore asked, "I have looked for him everywhere, even his quarters."
"Well then you did not look enough, I am sure he is in the chamber no doubt sulking." McGonagall replied.
"Why would he do that?" Dumbledore asked.
"The heir of Slytherin will not let him go back to the dark lord?" Lucius said.
"I will go to the chamber." Dumbledore said.
He walked down the stairs and took the journey to the chamber down the winding stairs to the chamber far below the school. He came to the chamber with the great round door open and entered the room McGonagall behind him with Lucius. He stopped short at the sight before him, there curled up nearly wrapped around Sapphire was Harry fast asleep. Next to him leaning against the great snake was Severus who was also fast asleep his chest rising and falling slowly in deep sleep. McGonagall thought both wizards were adorable and she did her best to not grin at the sight before her. Harry was basically using Sapphire as a very oversized living breathing stuffed animal and Severus was using her as a pillow. Sapphire gave a large yawn and looked down at the humans below her sleepily and put her head on the floor so she was at more of a level with them.
"Ah well so this is where my boy got to." Dumbledore said eyes twinkling.
"Trust Severus to use a highly deadly though noble creature as a pillow!" Lucius said.
"I do not mind you pale peacock." Sapphire said.
"What did she say?" Lucius asked.
"She called you a stuff peacock." Harry said waking up slowly, "or something of the sort."
"Ah you can speak to her then?" Lucius asked.
"He learned it, not all Parselmouth are born with the ability." Severus said waking quickly and quickly coming up with the cover story, "I am learning though she can understand English."
"She is beautiful." Lucius said walking up, "Salazar was right to create her."
"She was not created, hatched." Severus said, "basilisk are rare in natural form, but one can be created by a chicken egg hatched under a toad in the right instances, those are not true basilisks, not like Sapphire, they never get as large as she. In fact most do not live as long as she has, maybe five hundred years or so but our Sapphire is tied to the life force of the school." Severus said.
The rest of the heirs filed in and Harry sat up as they gathered around with their familiars, though they were large they were dwarfed by Sapphire. Harry saw Zach glaring at Lucius his wand out, he feared for the Malfoy head of house as Zach in a temper, or training could hurt. He was very strong in dueling and could use the earth to bend to his will in a duel. Robert was standing watching while Neville was wondering why Lucius was here as was Blaise, Blaise stood before Sapphire and was very surprised when Lucius knelt before him. He quickly walked forward and forced him to his feet, he hated it when anyone knelt before him, he was not the kind of lord to demand that sort of subservience.
"No you do not need to kneel before me lord Malfoy." Blaise said, "I know what you did, so brave of you and cunning."
"It was the only way my lord Slytherin." Lucius said.
"Your family will be cared for and you will be honored, if this is not a trick." Blaise said.
"It is no trick, Fawkes accepted him." Dumbledore said.
"Then that means he is no longer evil." Neville said, "pity that, I was looking forward to running him through."
"I would deserve it." Lucius said.
"Nah release my sister on him." Zach said, "that would be fun to watch."
"No, not really, by the way what is she going by today, I would like it if she answered me." Harry asked.
"Not sure." Zach replied.
"Why must she switch her name all the time?" Neville asked, "first Abigail, then no Rachel, then yes Abigail then Page or Anna, will she ever settle on a name?"
"No she loves to wind people up, strange that way, but I like her." Robert replied.
Harry decided that now was a good time to leave the chamber, the heirs would spend time down here dueling, spell casting and the like and though he was on good terms he was not an heir. Besides he had a pretty red headed girl to see er study with. He walked out with the professors and Lucius knowing that this next year was going to be very interesting indeed.
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So there it is, Lucius found a way to bind the dark mark so that when Voldemort dies all his followers go with him. All but Severus who had his mark removed by the true heir of Slytherin. Oh and yea Sapphire makes for a great pillow/ guard don't you think?
Anyway do review please!