--don't own don't sue thanks!
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The New Order
Harry had to move quickly. Now both Voldemort and the Ministry were a threat. If they discovered Lucius, he would be carted off to Azkaban without hesitation. If Voldemort found him, he'd most certainly die. Either way Harry would be left without the knowledge of the Horcrux whereabouts. He had no intention of finding them alone anymore. The more people out searching, the better, but he could only count on his most trusted friends. Ron and Hermione.
Malfoy wiped the Dursley's memories and suffered the wrath of Vernon when he thought Harry had let a tramp into the house. Harry almost laughed at the tension between the two men. The effort it took for Lucius not to turn him into a toad was written all over his pale pointed face, which glared at the muggle with utter, silent disdain.
Vernon's angry purple face was oblivious to the danger he was in as he tried to force Malfoy to leave without having to touching him. Eventually the boy, the wizard, and the tramp all pulled out wands and disappeared in a black puff of smoke.
They found themselves outside Sirius' home. Lupin informed Harry that sending letters to his friends with Hedwig was too risky, so volunteered to fetch them himself, leaving Harry and Malfoy to stew in their mutual dislike of one another.
Harry saw Lupin off then returned to the entrance hall of Grimmauld Palace. He heard voices and a trembling wave of fear swept through him. Lucius was whispering to someone…a woman.
She had a high pitched voice that grated a little, and first Harry thought it was Bellatrix Black. He pulled out his wand slowly, ready to attack.
"Oh yes that Potter brat…I quite agree…bad blood bad blood indeed!" She said.
Harry's fear was replaced with puzzlement. He leant around the corner to see Lucius had lifted the curtain covering Walburga Black's portrait and instead of her screaming and spitting, she had started having polite if not pleasant conversation with him. They were speaking so softly Harry had to creep closer to hear properly.
"You honour me."
"Oh my dear boy look what they've done to you! Oh the fiends! How dare they! Azkaban indeed!" She was cooing and flirting like an old dame in pantomimes. Harry couldn't help but snigger. It made a change from the screeching curses she let fly at everyone else. "Tell me young man how is your dear Papa! Oh I did love his parties! I remember the last one was your seventeenth-"
"-Madam my father died well before you did, don't you recall? …the Dragonpox? And I'm no longer seventeen years old…I'm forty-three!" Lucius smile faded at the mention of his father. Harry registered a look of deep loathing and an icy, cold demeanour befall him as he spoke. He looked very much like the Malfoy he used to be, who took pleasure in torturing people.
"Say what? Oh yes terrible accident indeed…but you survived didn't you? Had a son of your own? Now that's a boy who's welcome in this house!" The old Lady sighed. Lucius seemed to tire of her company and let the curtain fall back.
"Come back soon dear!" The voice was muffled as Lucius paced toward the living room, hands clasped behind his back as if lost in his thoughts. He hadn't noticed Harry nearby.
"Mr. Malfoy?" Harry followed.
"What is it now Potter?" Lucius drawled.
"Do you want to talk to someone?" Harry asked, feeling sorry for him.
Lucius let out a slight chuckle. "Do I want to talk?" He mocked and turned back to Harry. "I have been starved of decent conversation for the best part of two years Potter…I break out, and finally find someone from my past who doesn't hate or resent me, but is so old and withered she can't even remember how old I am! To top it off, she decides to talk about the one person I hate and resent! So NO Potter I DON'T WANT TO TALK!" His temper rose in seconds, and Harry stood his ground. Malfoy may have been older, may have been about a foot taller, but he was a shadow of his former, intimidating self.
"LEAST OF ALL TO YOU!" Lucius slammed the living room door in Harry's face.
Had it been Draco he hollered at, he would have been left alone. Lucius was used to getting what he wanted, but Harry was not going to stand for it. Taking a seat outside the living room doors, He leant against the doorframe and carried on.
"How did you know where I lived?" Harry frowned.
"Use your head Potter…your Father may not have been quick but you're betraying your mother's brainpower! How would I have known?" Luicus' temper was cooling.
"You work at the ministry?" Harry shrugged. "You're rich…you could have bribed someone, Draco could have found out by spying on me."
"Owls you fool!" Lucius spat. "Your little friend Weasley writes to you every summer…I noted your address in your first year…just in case!"
"So why didn't an army of deatheaters attack me when I was young and vulnerable?" Harry was confused.
"Most were in Azkaban or believed the Dark Lord dead why bother!"
"Well why not after he returned then?"
"Because neither he nor his followers can set foot in your aunt's house…your mother's spell makes it impossible."
"But…you did-" Harry climbed to his feet, and pushed against the door. Lucius had ignored the two large sofas in the room and sat himself on the floor by the fire he had lit.
"I've been living on the floor for so long I don't like to sit anywhere else…" He explained. "…to answer your question is simple…the moment I entered prison was the moment the Dark Lord lost all faith in me. Like Regulus I have been cast out and marked for Death…hunted by the very people I once called friends. The moment I stepped inside your home I was no longer a deatheater, no longer his servant…your mother's magic was blind to me."
"I'm sorry." Harry didn't know why he was apologising. He felt guilty, as if it was he who was responsible for Malfoy being imprisoned, marked for death, his wife's suicide…but he shouldn't have apologised…it was Lucius' own fault he got himself in trouble…not Harry Potter.
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Lupin apologised to Mrs Weasley about a dozen times as he ushered Ron from the building. She was waving her arms, demanding to know why Harry had not sent an owl for Ron, and why he was asking for Ron at this time of night in the first place. Lupin made up some story about Harry needing Ron's advice, and that it was a bloke thing. She reluctantly rolled her eyes, said he was just being childish and left them to it. Ron had only realised Lupin was lying when Hermione apparated outside, waiting for them.
"But she's not a blok-"
With a soft howl the three of them had apparated outside Grimmauld Palace. Hermione tucked her wand away and frowned at Lupin, who sighed and opened the door.
"Why are we here?" Ron looked at the house fearfully, as if Deatheaters were crawling all over it.
"Long story… get inside!" Lupin pushed them in and made for the entrance hall beyond the corridor.
"Harry!" Hermione smiled as she saw her friends back in a doorway. Harry whirled around in surprise, and she caught a glimpse of a figure behind him.
"Who's that with you?" She strained her eyes. Harry stepped in front of her and glared at Lupin.
"You didn't tell them?" He gasped at Lupin, who mopped his brow. He had been running a lot today.
"There wasn't much speaking involved…I just thought to get them here as quickly as possible!" He answered.
"Harry what-" Ron's smiling face faded and went terribly pale as Malfoy towered behind Harry with his arms folded, "-the hell is Malfoy's dad doin' here!"
"That's Mr. Malfoy to you." Lucius said coldly.
Hermione gave a little squeak and clamped her hand over her mouth to quell a scream.
"Sorry sir!" Ron stuttered.
"Well, Ron, Hermione, as you have doubt figured out…we are hiding him here, so don't tell anyone!" Lupin nodded and moved over to a sofa where he conjured himself a drink from thin air. Lucius followed and returned to his seat on the floor by the fire.
Ron gave Harry a bemused look and moved over to Lupin, not taking his eyes from the blonde deatheater, who looked nothing more like a homeless man off the street.
"Guys…Mr. Malfoy…" Harry mocked, "…has decided to fight for our cause-"
"-my son's cause not yours." Lucius scowled.
"Right. Anyway he knows where the Horcrux are!" Harry grinned eagerly, waiting for Hermione and Rons excitement to appear. It didn't.
"…and he just joined us like that…and you said ok?!" Ron scoffed. Harry must have been mad to trust him.
"Weasley if Harry hadn't convinced me to join you in the first place he wouldn't be with us anymore…and if anything happens to my son during our…quest…I promise you will die first!" Lucius threatened, his temper rising.
"Lucius stop scaring the children." Lupin sighed and pinched his nose painfully as a headache formed. Ron let out a 'hey' at being called a child and Harry carried on explaining to Hermione about what they were to do next.
"First thing we have to do is recover my pensieve from the manor." Lucius explained. "I put all my memories in there, so I could look over them in greater detail…the cup I'm pretty sure Severus has it, but I can't remember exactly where he keeps it…for all I know he smuggled it into Hogwarts and its been hidden there under Dumbledore's nose."
"You put all your memories in one place? Surely the ministry would have found it and are fishing its contents as we speak!" Ron laughed.
"The pensieve is protected by the darkest magic, the ministry would have overlooked it as a broken vessel …you think me stupid Weasley?"Lucius hissed.
"No sir!" Ron blurted.
"Lupin Malfoy Manor is not under watch is it?" Harry turned to his former professor grimly.
"Not since Malfoy escaped, every auror in existence is scouring the country for him…and I have to report to the order soon and tell them about your 'change of heart'. I was meant to bring Harry back with me under ministry protection."
"I'll have to go back with you to keep up appearances then." Harry said.
As if something had stung him, Lucius sprang to his feet in fear. "Harry you must not go back!"
Harry exchanged nervous glances with Lupin. "Why?" He asked.
"I used your wand to curse your aunt and uncle!" Malfoy blurted out, his hands moving to his head in horror.
Lupin leapt to his feet. "Tell me you didn't use unforgivables!"
The horrified look on Malfoy's face answered his question. Lupin tensed up, as if a great pressure was pressing down on his skull. "Oh…BUGGER!" He snapped. Hermione gave a horrified gasp, and Ron and Harry merely stared at them in shock. Lupin never swore, nor lost his temper before…this was bad.
"Malfoy used your wand Harry, you're underage...you can't use magic outside of school…whatever Malfoy did they'll think you did it!" Hermione explained.
"They'll be hunting you right now!"
"Bugger me!" Ron gasped.
"Ron!" Harry groaned.
"Harry!" Lupin barked with an air that commanded obedience. "We are going to Malfoy Manor right now! You two…" He turned to the others. "You're going to try and explain this situation to the order! Don't tell them the plan, just tell them that Malfoy is not a threat, and that we need their help protecting him, bring as many trusted friends as you can find! Meet us back here!"
Hermione and Ron nodded grudgingly, for they were reluctant to leave Harry and Lupin with a man so notoriously famous for deception. However, considering that Lucius and Harry were now being hunted by both parties, it appeared there was very little choice in the matter.
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