(A/N: I return once more to give to you another chapter! I'm so happy that so many people have been enjoying the story so far! I hope very much that you will continue to review and to let me know what you think. But anyway, let's get on with the show!)

The North Wind Blows

Part 25

Their day had been full of activity; upon waking they had gone to the Library where they had had breakfast. Then they had their morning sessions with their Mind Healers. Next had been lunch in the Family Dining Room. Then afternoon sessions had taken place. After those came schooling and homework. Now it was 4pm and they were free to do as they wished with the rest of their day.

Unfortunately the storm that Draco had predicted was raging outside, so they were unable to go out to the gardens to play with their brooms. It was really a shame, Harry seemed to belong in the sky, Draco wasn't much different, and even Dudley seemed naturally skilled. Instead they had gone to Harry's room, a common staging area for them, and had buried themselves in blankets. Each boy had selected a book on a subject that interested them and made a communal nest on the bed.

For the most part it had been a silent affair, with only the sound of pages turning and pens scratching notes into paper filling the room. Occasionally someone would comment on something that they thought would interest the other two, but it never seemed to spark any real conversation.

From beyond the open door the adults of the Manor had gathered to check on the boys, each individually seeming to come to the conclusion that they had been entirely too quiet for entirely too long. Narcissa and Severus had suspected mischief, or at least the involvement of a game. But Lucius and Tom had supposed more intellectual goings on.

Secure in the knowledge that the boys would not be able to see or hear them unless they stepped over the threshold the four adults watched the boys in their work. Not one of them flinched at the sounds of the storm, which was a vast improvement in their condition.

"I am beginning to think that they'll all be sorted into Ravenclaw," Severus said softly, beaming as Draco gently turned the page of an enormous Potions Tome that Severus had loaned to him for study. He was proud to see someone taking up his interests, even if the reason behind it was slightly self-serving.

"It is likely. If we were to let them attend Hogwarts I am certain that you would prove to be right," Lucius responded, shocked by the fact that he was not at all disappointed by the idea of his Heir not continuing the family tradition of being sorted into Slytherin.

"With the charges pending against him for tampering with Dudley's magic, I am not certain that we will have to worry about the old bastard getting to the boys," Narcissa said, the hint of venom in her tone enough to make all three men turn to her in shock.

"That's if the charges stick. I don't believe they will, or at least I don't believe that they will do much more than put a damper on his plans. No, the courts will be convinced that it was for the greater good of the Wizarding world that Dudley should suffer. I've seen him manipulate the courts before. How he convinced the world that Sirius Black killed the Potters in my name," Tom spoke up and the group's focus shifted to his eyes as they burned red.

"You may be right. But we cannot avoid hope for a different outcome," Lucius advised and gently reached out, grasping one of Tom's clenched fists, carefully attempting to uncurl fingers that bit into his palms.

"No, hope is a necessary thing. But it is not too soon to begin plans to educate the boys here in the Manor," Tom breathed, loosening his grip enough to hold the hand that Lucius had extended.

"We're already teaching them the basics; it wouldn't be too much effort to ensure their proper education here. The Library and our skill sets are vast enough," Severus said, glancing into the room again when the boys collectively laughed.

"Won't it cause something of a stir if Harry Potter and his cousin don't show up at the school when they turn 11 years old? Not to mention my Draco, the Malfoy family has always gone to Hogwarts; Septimus was on the Board of Governors for a time. Suspicions will be raised," Narcissa said gently, her normally sedate voice still edged with something between fear and anger.

"Oh that won't be a problem dearest Narcissa. The boys will be attending Hogwarts one way or another," Tom said and it was the entire group that blinked in confusion.

"My Lord, you just said that we should make provisions to educate them here. In what capacity would they be attending the school that would leave them safe from Dumbledore's machinations?" Lucius questioned, missing the wince that passed over Tom at the use of the honorific.

"The simulacrums will be attending the school," Tom paused to smile as varied looks of shock crossed the faces of his companions. "Yes, we shall send them to the school instead of the boys themselves. It will be simple enough to alter the monitoring charms so that they boys are able to get copies of the clones notes and lessons. It will be as if they never missed out on any aspect of their education. Of course we will still be their teachers in the practical arts, but for the coursework we can leave it to them to study on their own. Look at them now, learning things that no one asked them to. I believe that such behavior will be enough to get them through their schooling without our intervention," he continued explaining, even as looks of shock turned to understanding.

"But what of Dumbledore's manipulations, are we going to be tracking those through a monitoring charm as well?" Severus questioned softly as his thought whirled through the various possibilities that stood before them.

"Of course, we will track every encounter that he has with the boys. I wouldn't be shocked if he were to try to turn them against one another. After all, he already attempted to ensure that Dudley and Harry hated one another so much that they'd never trust one another," Tom said plainly, the confidence that he exuded enough to calm Severus from thinking about everything that could go wrong with the plan.

"Alright then, I begin to see the shape of the plan, and I like it so far. But we're going to have to do some work in the coming months to build up the strength of the magic in the simulacrums so that they are able to do spell work," Narcissa said and each man nodded his agreement.

(A/N: Well that's it for now; I hope that you enjoyed it and will leave me a review or a comment to let me know what you thought. Hopefully I am working on answering some of the lingering questions that anyone might have. Thanks for reading!)