The meeting in Kingsley's office the next morning was attended by not only Draco, Harry, Theo, Blaise, Dean and Hermione...but Lucius Malfoy had also insisted on being involved. Now that he had his future grandchild to protect, the wizard was adamant that he'd be allowed to track down any potential threats to his future daughter-in-law. Kingsley was less than amused however, but Hermione was oddly touched at Lucius' desire to protect her and her unborn child.

Harry had explained the mural that Julian and Sydney had found on the wall in San Cielo. There were runic markings that led the group to underground catacombs beneath the prison where they'd found a vault that had been destroyed. Theo made the supposition that the Rose may have been referring to Rambaldi himself, and perhaps there was something within the prison he was trying to retrieve. Hermione looked thoughtful for a moment before she left the room, only to return later with an old journal that she and Theo had been studying before she had been taken captive.

"This journal that Theo and I were studying mentions an amulet of some kind. It was believed that it was a map to Rambaldi's tomb, which could only be revealed by sunlight shining through it whilst standing in a cavern on Mt. Subasio. There was also a prophecy that was included by Rambaldi and it states:

When blood-red horses wander the streets and angels fall from the sky

The Chosen One and the Passenger will clash...and only one will survive

Draco nodded thoughtfully. "If I'm understanding this correctly, it means that Sydney and her mother Irina will fight to the death and only one will survive."

Sighing sadly, Hermione nodded. "I think that's exactly what it means. The amulet was taken, and I know for a fact that Dolohov had no idea what Rambaldi wanted with me. I think it was too much of a coincidence that Muggle intelligence happened to be sent to the exact place where I was being held prisoner. I keep thinking that this is some elaborate game that Rambaldi is playing, but I have yet to come up with any plausible explanation as to what his motivations are, or his endgame."

Lucius sat back and pondered the options before him whilst the others in the room threw out theories and possibilities. Milo Rambaldi had cursed the Nott line, and he was unable to sire an heir. He had lived for over 400 years, and perhaps he was the one who'd orchestrated the breakout of the prisoners from Azkaban two years ago. Was he orchestrating both muggle and Wizarding factions...having them search for his works, or perhaps there was something else? And why take Hermione? What did he want with her? Why have her imprisoned for three days if you weren't going to utilize that to your advantage?

Draco had noticed how quiet his father was being. Lucius seemed deep in thought and Draco wondered what his father was thinking about. As the conversation droned on, Draco decided he'd had enough and confronted his father.

"Father, you are awfully quiet...is there anything you wish to add to our discussion?"

Lucius looked at his son and could feel the questioning gazes of all within the room, and sighed. "I was just ruminating on why Rambaldi would have taken Miss Nott and held her captive for several days without making his presence known. I can understand the Muggles need to ascertain Rambaldi's endgame and it would seem that this scenario, whatever it is meant to be, will likely play out soon. But what exactly is Rambaldi after?"

Hermione nodded, wondering the same thing herself. "What if it was some kind of test?"

Lucius looked up at Hermione thoughtfully. "A test of your powers?"

Hermione thought for a moment and shrugged. "Perhaps. My ancestor cursed Rambaldi as he cursed the Nott family line. It would make sense that he would be interested in how his curse was broken. Amariel stated within the dream I'd had of her, that she had used family magic to bind Rambaldi's line. What if the curses were broken on both ends? What if my ancestors curse on Rambaldi's ability to sire an heir was broken concurrently? Perhaps he had planned for Sydney to be the Passenger or her mother for his heir, but what if she was merely a means to an end?"

Everyone in the room looked confused except for Lucius who was looking at Hermione with something akin to respect. "To use Muggles to get what he wanted? An heir? To finally merge his line with the Nott family?"

Hermione nodded a bit more enthusiastically. "Yes, exactly. But I am pregnant, so I couldn't be the Passenger for his heir. Somehow he must have been able to ascertain my condition while I was there, but I'm not sure how that would've been possible."

"You awoke in the room where you were held captive, with no way of ascertaining how long you'd been unconscious?" Lucius inquired. Hermione nodded once. "Then Rambaldi must have run diagnostic scans on you prior to you waking up alone in your cell. If that is the case, he'd have known of your pregnancy and his inability to fulfill his goals. That would leave him with only one option."

Hermione gasped as she realized exactly where this was going. "Whomever wins the fight between Sydney and Irina would be the Passenger for Rambaldi's Heir. And my guess, since Sydney is the Chosen One, she would most likely be the one to survive the upcoming battle."

Lucius nodded slowly. "If the battle didn't kill her, she'd be greatly weakened and unable to protect herself from Rambaldi. Since he was unable to utilize you as a vessel, he'd take the next best option. From what I've learned, Miss Bristow although Muggle, is quite formidable in her own right. She is highly intelligent and a skilled operative from all I've read on the subject."

Harry looked a bit confused. "If you're right and Rambaldi took Hermione to impregnate her, how do we know that the child she is carrying is really Draco's? Also, why didn't Rambaldi try to terminate the pregnancy while he held Hermione captive?"

Hermione looked at her best friend in shock and paled at the thought that someone might have harmed her unborn child. She instinctively grabbed her stomach and felt her magic flare protectively around her. Lucius smiled at the gesture, watching the awed faces of all those within the room, who felt Hermione's powerful magical surge.

"That is why I'd imagine Rambaldi was unable to do the vile things you'd suggested, Mr. Potter." Lucius sneered and Harry blushed at the reprimand. "The stronger the magical offspring, the more violently the mother's magic will react instinctively to any perceived threat. I'd imagine the curse Rambaldi placed on the Nott line, prevented Thoros and Calla from ascertaining the magical potential of their daughter before she was born and that was why they'd assumed you to be a squib and gave you away, Miss Nott. The fact that Miss Nott was able to sense the child's magical signature so early on within her pregnancy suggests that this child will be truly powerful. I'd imagine that was why he had Miss Nott isolated. He underestimated her ability with wandless magic, or perhaps he was testing her ability. I would surmise that Dolohov acted of his own volition when he chose to attack Miss Nott and his overconfidence was his downfall."

"That was why I was able to feel the baby's magical signature so early." Hermione whispered in awe, looking at Lucius in understanding. "I had wondered why and how I was able to feel such a defined magical signature apart from my own. My signature is comprised of reds, yellows and oranges. But I saw...blue and greyish hues separate from mine yet apart of it. If Rambaldi had tried to harm me while I was unconscious, then it makes sense now why I was left alone, and why I could feel our baby's magical aura." She looked over at Draco and smiled widely. "Our baby protected me when I couldn't."

Draco smiled softly and kissed the back of Hermione's hand in comfort. Looking over at Lucius, the wizard smiled in kind. "The bracelet Draco gifted to you has extensive Malfoy family protection spells imbued within the goblin silver. Being pregnant with the Malfoy heir, would have caused the bracelet to magnify any instinctive or wandless spells if needed. That is why you were able to be protected and why you were able to shift into your animagus form wandlessly. I'd imagine over the course of your pregnancy your magic will increase exponentially."

"Does that mean I'm having a boy?" Hermione queried in awe.

This time Lucius smiled widely. "I'd imagine so, although I can't say with absolute certainty. There hasn't been a first female Malfoy born into our family in nearly 600 years. And the last witch born was well over two centuries ago."

Hermione scoffed. "What is it with Pureblood lines only popping out sons? That's a bit sexist don't you think?"

Lucius chuckled at Hermione's outrage. "You are the first female born Nott heir in the history of your house, my dear. Didn't Theo share that lovely fact with you?"

Hermione turned towards her brother who looked down sheepishly. No, he hadn't told her anything of the kind! "Is this true, Theodore Nott?"

Amused chuckles filled the room as everyone watched Theo blush deeply. "Yes, it's true Hermione. There have been several Nott witches over the millennia, but none save you were ever first born."

Hermione sat back and stewed on this new information. "Is there some kind of significance in the birth order of Noble Pureblood houses I'm not aware of?"

Theo shrugged nonchalantly. "Not in most houses, Hermione. The House of Nott is the only Pureblood House never to sire a female first born, at least until you. Our line is descended from the Druids before the time of Merlin. Diviciacus was the first of the Nott family line of Druids, and was a noted healer during the time of the Roman Empire around 60 B.C. He was a magical consort to the Roman court, and was touted by Cicero to be quite learned in Divination and Astronomy."

Hermione sighed. "He was a seer." She stated flatly.

Theo nodded. "Quite a noted one, and extremely powerful."

"Lovely." Hermione deadpanned, causing everyone in the room to chuckle in amusement. "We still don't know where in Mongolia Rambaldi's tomb is and...why in Godric would a wizard create a tomb when he is still alive out there somewhere? All of this makes no sense to me at all."

"In literary references from the earliest ancient writings a tomb was more than a place where someone was buried, but literally meant death itself. Rambaldi's tomb was never referred as a place of his 'entombment' which I thought was strange at first, but now makes a bit more sense." Theo supplied helpfully. "Perhaps through his 'tomb' is the vessel to cheat death. The horizon needs to be utilized to confer immortality, and we have that in our possession. Whomever took the amulet, only knows the position of the tomb, but has no means to call forth its powers."

Hermione sighed uneasily. "A trade then of some kind. Whomever has the amulet is going to want the horizon. Perhaps that was the reason I was held hostage...whomever took the amulet needed a bargaining chip and I was it. I could have been ransomed for the horizon..."

Lucius nodded in agreement. "Whomever took it must have done so before you were taken. You'd mentioned that Irina Derevko and a man called Arvin Sloane had escaped the Muggle raids on their terrorist organizations. I hypothesize they are the ones to have procured the amulet, and will most likely be seeking a way to obtain the horizon. Rowle and Rookwood are still at large, and as much as they abhor Muggles, it might not be improbable to assume they are part of this as well."

"Then we need to smoke them out. We offer the horizon through Sydney and Sark in exchange for the location of the tomb. Once we have them located, we can take everyone out simultaneously." Harry suggested.

"As much as I'm against running into danger blindly, I have to agree with Potter." Draco offered. "We can use this to our advantage and if we get help from MACUSA and the ICW we might be able to end this once and for all."

Kingsley sat back thoughtfully. "Do you think Miss Bristow and Mr. Sark will agree to work with us?"

Hermione nodded. "I think they both wish for this to be done as much as we do."

"Then make the arrangements immediately and I will contact the ICW and get them on board." Kingsley stated.