Sirius didn't mind his new white strand of hair, but he still tried to dye it, color it back to the way it was. He tried all the spells he already knew and when none of those worked, he went to the library and found more spells, older, more powerful. Some permanent, other not. None of them worked. If magic couldn't change back the color of his hair, would a muggle hair coloring kit work or not? Dumbledore didn't think it would and he was often right about things.
"Looks like I'm condemned to keep you this way guys. Sorry." He spoke to his hair, looking at himself in the mirror after he tried the last spell, which was also the most powerful one, and permanent.
It was a simple enough spell that Sirius decided to keep in mind, it could be fun to use on a Death Eater at some point. A fun way to brand them when they couldn't catch them.
"Is the Master really speaking to his hair?" Kreacher asked from behind him, surprising the professor.
"Kreacher! You surprised me! Yes, I was speaking to my hair... I... Anyway, what do you need?" Sirius asked his house elf, trying to ignore the fact that the house elf had surprised him.
"Kreacher came to ask if there was anything special to prepare for your return home." The house elf asked.
The change in him was even more obvious now.
"Ah, yes. Good thinking Kreacher. I was actually going to call you about this. Narcissa and Draco will probably end up having to hide away with us, I was thinking of giving them rooms at Grimault Place. They'll still have their independence and they'll be safe. Would you mind preparing a couple of rooms for them, please?" Sirius asked.
"Yes, Master." Kreacher nodded and, after making sure that there was nothing else to prepare at the Marauder's lair or the Headquarters, the house elf left his master alone.
Sirius took one last look at himself in the mirror, deciding that this white strand of hair was something he should be proud of instead of feel shame. He combed his hair the way he always did and left his private quarters to join the rest of the staff.
.
This was it, the very last dinner at Hogwarts before they all went home for the summer until next year. Gryffindor had won the house cup, once again, and was very proud of it.
Sirius had thought that his new white strand of hair would push back the older students who liked to pursue him, but he had been wrong. The Battle of the Ministry had been in the Daily Prophet and everyone knew that he had gotten this during the fight, it only made him look braver to everyone else. He, too, was growing to accept it. Not that he had any choice anyway.
Fred and George had gotten a special autorisation from Dumbledore to put on a display of their products. Of course the Headmaster knew that asking for his autorisation was just to be polite. He knew them enough to know that they would have done it even if he had refused. They wanted to leave with a BANG, they wanted people to remember for a long time that they had been here.
Everyone had eaten happily, cheerfully and once everyone was done eating Dumbledore spoke:
"Before you all part ways for the summer, where you're going to empty your heads to better fill them next year, I suggest you go in the park, where Fred and George Weasley have offered to show us some of their more celebratory products. I believe that what you're about to see is called Weasley's Wildfire Whiz-bangs. They've given me a list of spells that could be cast at it to make it more fun and I have to say, I am most curious about what a stupefixion spell will do to their fireworks."
Dumbledore looked almost as excited about this as the students who knew about the products and so, everyone followed outside, ready to enjoy the show happily.
Once everyone was outside, the Weasley twins set the large firework, along with a few smaller ones, and everyone, student and staff, clapped at the different forms that appeared, danced, met and merged...
There was a large Dragon, surrounded by the emblems of the four houses. Normal fireworks and other animals, all dancing together in the sky. When they hit each others, some disappeared and others became something else.
"Look, a sun and a moon met and it looks like they had fish babies." Luna exclaimed dreamily.
"This is fantastic magic!" Hermione nodded.
"I agree." Draco said from her side.
"We had to use all of our stock for this, but by the look of people, it's worth it." Fred said as he settled back behind Rose.
Then, Dumbledore and McGonagall started casting the spells the twins had suggested and they watched as a simple stupefy enlarged the dragon. Other spells made them change color, this is how they ended up with a Gryffindor colored Slytherin emblem, making both houses frown and the other chuckle.
Albus decided, here and there, to order some for each end of year banquet from now on.
"Do you think you can make some more for Remus and Tonk's wedding?" Rose asked her boyfriend.
He was holding her in his arms, standing behind her and his chin on her shoulder.
"Of course. We've started working on it. A special one, custom made, with the Marauders in their animal forms. We might even end up adding it the the Marauder branch." Fred nodded, kissing Rose's neck.
"Perfect." She smiled, turning her head to kiss him on the lips.
.
Voldemort was furious. His stupid Death Eaters had managed to screw things up and his most loyal servent, Bellatrix, had been killed.
"You stupid, incompetent fools! Draco Malfoy gave us the best information, that boy is risking his life to spy on the enemy for us right under Dumbledore's eyes, he gave us a perfect piece of information, one that was true, and you all managed to screw it up! How did this happen? How could you let Bellatrix die?" He screamed as he tortured the 3 Death Eaters who had managed to escape.
Watching the scene, Narcissa was relieved to know that The Dark Lord still believed in her son.
When he had told her that her sister was dead and that her husband had been arrested, she had been afraid he'd seek revenge on Draco, or even that he'd torture her as a punishment, but he was more convinced than ever of her son's loyalty. She just hoped things would be fine during the summer, that she'd be able to find a way to ensure Draco, her only son, wouldn't be marked. She hoped they'd find a safe way to run away and that her cousin would truly be willing to help her out.
Nagini was loyally by the Dark Lord's side, waiting on a potential order to kill as he tortured the men who had failed in protecting the most valuable members of his servants. She seemed to love being fed human flesh.
"You three get out of my sight for now. You better succeed in the next mission I send you on or Nagini will have you for dinner." Voldemort declared before he started thinking of ways to break is Death Eaters out of Azkaban.
The dementors had been sent away, the prison was now guarded by wizards, Elite Goblin guards and even trolls. Fudge had reached out to Goblin and they had started negotiating in better agreements and on more rights for them, including the right to own a wand. Breaking his followers out was going to be harder than before and this fact angered the Dark Lord even more.
"My Lord, rumor has it at the Ministry that they're about to meet with the Centaurs, to negotiate fairer rights for them, undo all the restrictions Umbridge placed in the past." One of his hidden ministry officer informed him.
"What about Azkaban?" Voldemort asked.
"Some think that Fudge wants the centaurs to help keep the jail safe, other believe he's trying to get dragons to help guard it." he replied.
"Dragons?" Voldemort asked for confirmation.
"Yes, My Lord. It would involve a lot of magic to hide them, but they believe they can do it... There are also other plans to keep Azkaban even safer but I wasn't able to find out what, only Fudge and a few trusted members know about it. The sooner we break them out of Azkaban, the better it will be because it looks like it's only going to be harder as time passes." The man replied.
"Alright, now leave me be, I need to plan." Voldemort nodded.
The Death Eaters he had looked at left the room, and the house. Narcissa was still there, mainly because it was her house but also because she hadn't been asked to leave yet and she knew better than to defy Voldemort, even if this was her own house.
"You know Narcissa, I had my doubts about you at first, but it seems that your sister was right, you are smarter than it looks. You managed to raise a very smart and talented son. You can be proud of him. Without the incompetence of these other idiots, the mission would have been a complete success, the information he managed to get us was golden and I have faith that his position will allow him to give us even more information like this in the future." Lord Voldemort complimented her.
"Thank you, my Lord." She bowed her head.
"You'll be happy to learn that he will be marked this summer." he added.
"My lord, may I make a suggestion?" She tried.
"Go ahead." he nodded.
"Draco wearing the Dark Mark on his arm could ruin his plan, they could stop trusting him, even if he states that it was forced on him, or that you were threatening my life. Maybe... I might have an idea to reinforce his pretense to Potter's circle." Narcissa tried her luck.
If she could avoid her son having the Dark Mark, then she'd do it.
"You think I shouldn't mark him?" He asked with a frown.
"I think, as a teenage boy wanting to run away from this life, which is what he's been trying to make them believe, he should come home. We set a date where he's supposed to be marked and when this day comes, he runs away. He's told me that he's been getting a bit closer to Sirius, and I'm sure Dumbledore wouldn't leave him on the street. While they're smart enough to place him in a safe house and to hide the location from him, he'd be even closer to them and he'd be able to give us more information. He wouldn't be able to say too much because I'm sure they have their locations on secret keepers and all but, still.." Narcissa explained her idea, hoping it would work.
This way, her son would be safe, away from Voldemort, and he wouldn't be chased by Death Eaters.
"This isn't a bad idea... You might be right. Has he talked to them about escaping this life before?" Voldemort nodded.
"Draco's told them that he was just waiting for an opportunity to take me with him, that he believed that, as his mother, I wanted out as well. I told him to go ahead and tell Sirius Black that I wanted out, that I was ashamed of my husband's choices. I figured it could help and it did." The worried mother added.
"I can see where your son gets his smart thinking from. Very well. Once he comes home, we'll meet to discuss things. We'll set a date, he'll tell Black that he knows something will happen at this date but that he doesn't know what. Then you'll write him a letter saying that you want out, that your son is about to be marked and that you don't want this for him. You'll let Black and Dumbledore plan an escape and you'll follow, pretend you're happy to be finally safe. You probably won't be able to tell us much, but your son's position will be even stronger. Then, when the time comes for me to kill the Potter Twins and their gardians, you two will take your positions by my side and your son will finally receive his much deserved mark. As for informations, your son will just have to give then to Severus who will give them to me, this way he won't get caught." Voldemort decided, happy to know that some of his followers were capable of thinking by themselves.
"Very well My Lord." She bowed.
"Now go, you should prepare for you son's return tomorrow." Voldemort told her with what seemed, to him, like a smile.
"My Lord." She bowed respectfully before she left the room, happy about the turn of events.
What did you think? Will the Malfoys be safe? What will Lucius think once he finds out?
Narcissa might end up finding someone new to love... I might know who it will be...
Review please
Lorelei Candice Black