Chapter 12: A misty night
Lucius swept into the classroom with an air of arrogance as if he owned the place. "Severus!", he drawled. "A word with you, please!"
Snape shot him a sour look and opened the door to his adjoining office. "Continue with the task", he ordered his students, waving in direction of the instructions on the board. "And no idle talk!".
"What is so important that you disturb my lesson, Lucius?", he inquired after shutting the door behind them.
"I need to know something about your 'Divina Porta' spell", replied Lucius haughtily.
Snape sneered. "I was expecting that", he said. Sitting down on the rigid-backed chair behind his desk, he made a welcoming gesture. "How can I help you, then?"
Lucius sat down and bowed nearer towards the other man, lowering his voice. "I want to know how exactly the spell works", he said.
"It takes you to a random safe place", answered Severus smugly. "Since the place is chosen at random, your route of flight is nigh impossible to track."
"Could it be altered to, say, take you to a dangerous place instead?", asked Lucius.
At that, a malicious gleam appeared in Snape's eyes. "Planning to deceive the Dark Lord, are we, Lucius?"
Lucius paled. "I realize I am serving you a leverage against me on a silver platter, but for old time's sake and for your godson, I beseech you to use it some other time, Severus!"
"Agreed", said the dark-haired man. "To come to the point, it is possible to alter the spell slightly, if you add a horizontal flick in the middle part of the wand movement...", he demonstrated, "...and changing the cadence of the incantation, stressing the second word."
Lucius carefully mimicked the altered wand movement until he could recreate it to Severus' satisfaction.
"No guarantee what will happen, if you combine it with your unknown second spell, though", said Snape, his expression betraying a certain suspicion. "You will have to try that yourself."
"Thank you, Severus", said Lucius and turned to go. "I owe you."
He was aware of the silent guard that followed him like a shadow, as he made his way up the stairs from the dungeons and through the Great Hall. Suddenly something struck his mind, and he paused, swallowing a curse. He whipped out his wand and summoned a piece of parchment and a quill out of thin air. He scribbled a few words on the parchment, then tipped it with his wand and it folded itself into a paper bird, which fluttered away into the depths of the castle.
Scowling, Lucius left the hall and marched across the grounds where he stopped right at the wrought iron gates. He threw a glance back at the castle and tapped his foot impatiently. It took about ten minutes until a small figure appeared at the castle doors and hurried towards him and his unseen companion.
"You made me wait, Draco", he spat when the boy joined them, trying to catch his breath.
"You wouldn't have to take me out of classes, if you had stayed for dinner yesterday, father", hissed the boy. "Mother was livid!"
"When I come and go is my business", said Lucius and pushed the gate open. "I hope you prepared the armoury as I requested?"
"Of course, father", replied Draco.
"Let's go then", said Lucius and disapparated, his guardian at his side. They reappeared right outside the armoury. Draco took out his wand, tapped the latch and pushed the door open.
"Are you familiar with the 'Avada Kedavra'?", asked Lucius, once they were inside.
Draco scoffed. "What kind of question is that?", he spat. "Of course, father."
"I meant to ask whether you have the determination to cast it", said Lucius, his voice icy.
He perceived a shadow of doubt pass Draco's young face, then his defiance returned. He nodded.
"Stand aside and hit my spell the moment I am to complete it", he commanded. "On the count of three: one, two, Divina Porta!"
A feeble greenish smoke seared past him and vanished. Lucius sighed.
"You need to put genuine hate in the spell, Draco", he said. "Otherwise it won't work. Picture someone you want to kill, if it helps."
The boy swallowed. I shouldn't have allowed Narcissa to pamper the boy, thought Lucius. He's too young to be a Death Eater, he doesn't have the guts.
"Ready?", he asked. Draco nodded. "One, two, Divina Porta!"
This time, the spells collided and a gate appeared, larger than the one he had conjured before. Two blindfolded skeletons were depicted on it and their hands moved to pull it open.
Lucius flicked his wand. "Finite incantatem", he commanded. The gate flickered and vanished into nothingness. "Very well, Draco", he said. "Seems like we found out how it works."
The boy looked doubtful and a little disappointed. "How can you be sure it's the real deal, father?", he asked.
Lucius threw him a haughty look. "How many gates to the Afterlife are there, Draco? My absence seems to have had a rather bad influence on your manners."
"Sorry, father", Draco hurried to mumble and cast his gaze down. "May I be excused now? Once Potions is over I had better returned or I'll end up losing us house points."
Lucius sighed inwardly. House points? Here we are, at risk of getting killed by the Dark Lord in the most painful way possible and this is what he thinks about. Oh carefree youth!
He made a dismissive gesture. "Hurry along, then. You have indeed been helpful."
The boy disapparated as soon as he uttered the last syllable. Now alone with him, he turned to his guard.
Then suddenly the door flew open and Narcissa strode into the room. "Lucius Abraxas Malfoy", she said coldly, "how about keeping your word?"
Lucius needed mere seconds to overcome his surprise and managed to smile at her warmly. "And what would you mean by that, Narcissa, my dear?", he asked.
"You said you would tell me all the details over dinner", hissed his wife. "Yet you did not even condescend to show up!"
She had walked up to them and was now standing directly in front of Lucius, her eyes shooting daggers at him.
He swept her into a tight embrace, planting a kiss on her neck, only to whisper: "I cannot speak freely right now. Be patient."
He let go of her and noticed by her slight nod, that she had gotten the message. She turned on her heel. "Fine, be like that!", she drawled over her shoulder, stalking out of the room. "Next time I see you, I demand an explanation. You cannot keep me in the dark forever." At that, the door closed behind her with a loud bang.
Lucius had the feeling his silent companion was throwing him a strange look, but his thoughts were already straying elsewhere, imagining what would happen, if he conjured this gate in front of the Dark Lord.
Back in his cell in Soul Society he was still thinking about ways to ensure Voldemort would enter the gate, yet he could think of no scenario in which he would. The Dark Lord would never be so stupid as to run in first, he thought. He will send in somebody else first, maybe even me, to make sure it is no trap. If he sends in somebody else and finds out I have been lying to him, me and Draco will pay. Where does that gate lead to, anyway?
He awoke with a shudder. He was outside, sitting on a patch of grass, wet with mist. The landscape was lying under a thick white blanket of fog, he could barely see his hands before him. Staggering, he came to his feet and turned around. There were dark shapes in the distance, yet he could not make out what they were. Over all, a heavy silence had settled, he heard nothing except his own breath. He imagined even hearing his heartbeat. He made a step forward. Which direction should he take? He made another halting step and it seemed he had found a path. Slowly, he made to follow it, trying fruitlessly to pierce the fog with his eyes. He had not walked for long until the path split up into two. One was well trodden and seemed familiar like a pair of old shoes. The other felt alien and was paved with even white flagstones. He already made to follow the old path when he suddenly hesitated. The white stones reminded him of Soul Society. If he was still there, they would lead him out of this fog. He turned around and walked down the new path, even if his Dark Mark started to hurt the further he went. He stopped and threw a look over his shoulder. For a fleeting moment, he imagined seeing a pair of red eyes behind him in the mist. He hurried onward, the pain increasing with every step. He staggered, tripped and the world tilted around him.
He opened his eyes with a snap. His arm was burning with searing intensity. A drop of sweat dripped from his brow. He felt blood in his mouth, maybe he had unconsciously bitten down on his tongue.
"Help", he breathed, barely able to form words and tried to stand up. It was dark outside, pale moonlight spilled into the cell and onto his swaying form.
He crept to the door on shaking legs, cringing as a new wave of pain shot through his arm. Looking outside, he realised with rising panic that the corridor beyond was abandoned.
"Guards!", he wanted to shout, managing only a hoarse whisper. His knees buckled beneath him and he collapsed against the door, shaking and writhing in unbearable pain.
Renji had only wanted to throw a look at the ryoka's cell, just to be sure and had found the guard round the corner, fast asleep. When he pried into the room, he found it empty.
Zabimaru in hand, he ripped the door open and found its occupant out cold on the floor in front of the door. One arm was bared and looked white as paper in the moonlight against the coal black scull tattoo grinning back at him.
"Oi, Honda-san!", he called over his shoulder. The neglectful guard stood to attention. "Yes, sir!"
"You better fetch Kuchiki-taichou", said Renji darkly. "Hurry!" The shinigami was gone in a flash.
He crouched down next to the blond man and slapped him across the face. "Get yourself together, Malfoy-san!", he said.
The grey eyes fluttered open and stared at him, unseeing. The pupils were wide pools of black rimmed only by the thinnest line of silver. He reared up and opened his mouth showing bloody teeth for an inarticulate scream that chilled Renji to the core.
"Shit", he mumbled, gazing at the tortured soul. His eyes fell on his Zanpakutou, still ready in his hand.
He drew back his arm and a slender hand closed around it.
"That would indeed seem merciful", declared Byakuya, his voice as usual calm and collected. "Yet it would still not be the right thing to do, Abarai-san. We do not kill the Living."
The red-head looked up into the face of his captain and suppressed a sigh of relief.
"Of course, taichou", he replied. Then his look grew sceptical. "Do you think he will be able to travel?"
Byakuya produced a vial of purple liquid and poured it into Lucius' open mouth. "This should lend him enough strength", he said and pressed the wand into the wizard's hand. "You better accompany him this time, Abarai-san. I will explain this to the other captains. Take heed!"
"I will be careful, taichou", answered Renji. He pulled Lucius on his feet and a second later, the room had spun away to be replaced by hard dark granite tiles.