Chapter 3: The InoccentChapter Text
Chapter III
Lucius's POV
Lucius was not having the best day. First, he had an aggravating conversation with Pettigrew about the next phase of their plan. They only needed some blood from a kid, did it really needed that convoluted of a plan? The kid had a hero complex, make him donate blood or something, but no, the Plan needed the flash and the pizazz, which Lucius, honestly, did not had time for right now.
He has his heir for only a day this Winter Holiday all because of that Yule Ball. Narcissa had insisted on hosting a late Christmas party as well and with the whole time off being shortened that is all he could obtain. Draco was in very high spirit when he arrived at the Manor. Sirius Black dropped him off, almost growling at Lucius when their eyes meet.
"I will be picking him up this time tomorrow"
"How about after lunch, I have tickets to the Quiddich game"
"Oh I love Quiddich, I can join too" Black's grin was all teeth.
Lucius glared. "I am afraid I only have two tickets"
"I would love to go" Draco said in his calculated voice.
Black looked at Draco and sighed heavily.
"I am taking him straight after the game" With that, he kissed Draco on his forehead and disappeared with a loud pop.
"How is school?" Lucius asked when he and Draco moved to the drawing room.
"Good, I am still second place on the overall school ranking"
"After that Mu…"Lucius swallowed "Muggle-born?"
"Hermione? Yes, I do beat her in Potions all the time though"
"Yeah, Severus told me you have a knack for brewing"
"He recommended me to follow a Potions Mastery after Hogwarts actually"
"You do not have to do any work after school"
"I know, but I do like Potions"
"You know being an heir to an old family comes with some obligations it requires a lot of diplomacy and socializations. Do you really think you have time for a Potion Mastery and be the heir of two houses?"
"Two?"
"Of course, I mean that corrupted old man didn't rule in my favor, but you will always be the Malfoy heir as well"
Draco beamed. Narcissa really should have worked in concealing emptions, Lucius though. Never mind, he has enough time to do it now.
"For a pureblood associating with the right people is essential," Lucius preached and Draco nodded. "That is why I invited the Nott's at tomorrow's game as well. Their heir is the same year as you, is he not?"
"He is" Draco said reserved.
"Wonderful"
At the game, Draco was more quiet than usual, Lucius was pleased that he did not keep rambling and bored their guests. Nott and Draco greeted each other, but did not talk further, from time to time, someone made a comment about the game, but no useless chatter, Lucius was pleased.
After, as soon as the whistle signaled the end of the game, Black pop out outside the arena. Lucius bowed his head and bid his son good-bye. Soon, Mrs. Nott and the young heir went home as well leaving Lucius and Arias to their own devices.
Arias and Lyra fought in the First Wizarding War and Lucius believed that with a few words they could easily join again. Lucius knew that the only reason he was broken out from Azkaban was his networking skills. Peter Pettigrew played a long game, he needed Bellatrix for the pure strength and cunningness and Lucius to get the ball rolling again.
Lucius and Arias made their way back to the Manor. Lucius was working slowly on rebuilding it to its formal glory, but was a slow process after so many years of neglect. Arias Nott thankfully did not comment on it.
"To old friends" Arias toasted when Lucius poured him a glass of Firewiskey.
"And to new beginnings" Lucius toasted.
"I was surprised to see heir Black today" Arias said after his first gulp.
Lucius drank as well and for a moment begrudged the miss opportunity of poisoning Arias's drink.
"My son" Lucius said with a cold glare "Is spending a part of his holidays with me"
"Followed the trial in the Prophet, dreadful business what Narcissa did"
"I blamed that disgusting cousin of her's, I am afraid he will contaminate my heir as well"
"He already started I am afraid" Arias said and then took a large sip of his drink.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Don't you know who your son took to the Yule dance?"
Lucius frowned. Did he ask Draco? He was sure he did and his son said the Parkinson heiress.
"He went with Diggory's boy, the Hogwarts Champion"
Lucius's hand started shaking so he put his glass down, he cannot just smash crystal like that.
"Are you certain?"
"Theodore told me himself. He of course went with the Greengrass heiress, I've been in talks for the hand of their little one. I hope that is alright with you, I mean the courtship with the Blacks have failed."
"Yes, we have no claims for the Greengrass family" Lucifer said absentminded.
Arias emptied his glass in a large gulp.
"Listen, he is not the first heir to go a bit astray and he won't be the last, you only have to rein him in a bit"
"How can I when he has such much bad influence around him?"
"Well there is always a simple solution of getting rid of unwanted people" Arias grinned.
Lucius needed help with the next step so he called on Severus for help. He explained the problem while pacing the whole length of his gardens.
"So what do you want to do exactly?" Snape asked.
"I need to stir Draco on the right path and I am afraid I do not have enough influence on him to do so"
"But what can I do?"
"He values your opinion, he respects you"
"This is a problem of the heart, hardly my expertise"
"This is a woman's job I admit, but with the mother he has, the boy is practically an orphan"
"Is a passing infatuation, not something to be concerned"
"I hope you are right"
Severus was wrong. Lucius was reading his morning paper when he was proven on how wrong right in front of him in black and white. The photo was from the second task of the Triwizard Championship, Draco and Cedric on the front page, the Hufflepuff was cradling his son face on the pier of the Black Lake, their faces closed in on each other and Lucius Incendio the paper.
He received a fresh copy by owl only a few hours later with a note from Bellatrix attached "Something must be done". Lucius agreed full heartily, but what exactly is still a mystery.
Lucius takes a big breath and starts writing the letter. He can't put all his faith in Severus, his allegiances were always shifty.
His letter read as follows:
"Mister Diggory,
It had come to my attention that you are engaging in a relationship with my son. I am sure you are aware that my son is a pureblood heir of two very old houses.
As a pureblood yourself, I hope you understand why this information has worried me, since I did not receive any courtship letter from your family. I would have wrote to Amos myself, but I wish to meet you first.
I am aware the new generation has its own way of doing things, but I am a traditional man myself. I will not write to your family, but I would like to meet you myself.
Meet me in Hogsmade next weekend and do please keep this letter from my son. You may understand that a father worries.
Lucius Malfoy"
He couldn't resist the temptation of sealing the letter with the official Malfoy house seal. Hopefully, that will be enough to scare the boy and if is not he has other methods as well.
Lucius was running a bit late to the meeting, it did not matter anyway, as the boy will not show up, he may be a pureblood, but he was a Hufflepuf, they never got into confrontations. He opened the door to the Hog's Head and stopped in his tracks, sitting at a corner booth was Cedric Diggory.
The boy rose politely when Lucius appeared and shook his hand, powerful shake too, Lucius can respect that. They both ordered, Lucius took a Firewiskey and Diggory a Butterbeer.
"Thank you for coming"
"Thank you for inviting me, sir"
"You can't fault me for wanting to see who my son is associating with"
"Not at all. I was very curious to meet you as well; Draco talks so little about his family"
"Does he now?"
"I of course know Harry and the rest of his friends. And Sirius Black talked to me as well"
"Sirius?"
"He gave me the speech already actually"
"Speech?"
"About hurting Draco, he was very threatening" Diggory smiled.
Lucius smiled tightly. The Firewiskey was tasting bitter of all a sudden.
"It was not exactly his place to do that"
"Isn't Draco the Black heir?" Diggory asked.
Was he dumb or cunning Lucius found himself asking, but didn't voice his thoughts.
"He is, but he will always be the Malfoy one in my heart"
"Of course!" Diggory smiled.
"And an heir has some very specific duties as I am sure you are aware"
"My family doesn't really care, we are purebloods, true, but we do not align with all of the values associated with it"
"Some are…rather cruel, I guess, but it is our legacy. The Malfoys have always been a traditional family, so have the Black's"
"I do not think the current Black family is very traditional" Diggory said his eyes gleaming.
"Well they have not walked a long path away either…If you mean Sirius's Black choice of partner though, he is not the only heir that took a lover, it will fade in a few years and he will get a wife like the rest of them"
Diggory remained quiet and took a big gulp of his drink.
"I am sure you've heard the stories about big houses taking lovers from smaller ones and then leaving them for their supposed matches. Is a ritual of passage of sorts"
"That was how things were in the past"
"Maybe, but most people do not want their names to disappear, not after such a long line of ancestors"
"You can always adopt"
Lucius felt his face becoming red, he blamed the firewiskey.
"And erase the identity of the person coming into your family? As well as abilities and features, that are carried in the blood. Do you know the Blacks have a very long line of Metamorphmagi? A very rare trait, seldom found outside their family"
"You need new blood as well in families"
"True, but not enough to dilute the blood, you can't risk a Squib in your family"
Diggory clutched the napkin he had in his hand. Lucius hid his smirk.
"I do not understand why you summoned me, sir. From what I could understand you do not approve of me and Draco"
"I do not. And I can of course let it run is course and Draco will eventually grow tired and marry a pureblood heiress, but I want to speed things along"
"Not all relationships end like that"
"Tell me of a couple of same sex purebloods that actually ended together"
Diggory bit his lip.
"I like you, you are well behaved and from what I've seen of the Tournament, a skilled wizard, so I am making this easy on you" Lucius said and put a piece of paper on the table, it was a blank check he took that morning from Gringotts.
"I can't…" Diggory rose to his feet.
"No one would know, the Diggory's do not have a lot of money, which is one of the reason you agreed to participate in the Tournament in the first place. It can save your family a lot of problems"
"I prefer to win them my own way, or else I didn't really earn it"
"Do not let your pride get in the way of helping your family"
"I prefer winning the Tournament and getting them that way. I am sorry I have somewhere to be!" Diggory stormed out.
Lucius drained the last of his drink, his eyes follow Diggory out. The young Hufflepuf approaches someone grabs their hand and drags them away. Lucius recognizes instantly the white blond head of his son.
"Damn Hufflepufs!"
Lucius has to take drastic measures. That is why he is currently in the Ministry's lobby waiting for the shifts to be done. Peter shows up at 17:01, one of the first employees to make their way towards the Floo points.
„Peter, wait!" Lucius calls.
Pettegrew turns towards him.
„I...need your help in a personal matter"
Pettigrew rose an eyebrow intrigued.
„Can you accompany me to the Manor?"
„Sure"
Pettigrew fidgets uncomfortable in the chair. Lucius has ordered his house elf to bring them tea, but the blasted thing takes a long while.
„So...what is this problem about?"
„I recently found out some disturbing news about my heir" Lucius clears his throat.
„That he is bent?" Pettegrew asked stretching his legs under the table.
Lucius glares at his companion.
„I want to deal with the situation. I need your help"
„Do you now?" Pettegrew smirked. „Look, Lucius, I am your friend and this is why I am telling you this...Deal with your own issues"
Lucius looks at him bewildered.
„There have been talk about your family" Pettegrew continues „ That you couldn't keep your wife in line and now about your son...I don't know how much use we have for a pureblood that can't deal with his own issues"
„Talk from whom?" Lucius glared.
„Not important. Especially now when we should all focus on the ritual to bring the Dark Lord back"
„I am doing my part, we have the Nott's on our side, I talked both with the Goyle and Crabbe family and they are both accepting, I have wrotte to Avery and Macnair just this evening"
„I know, but all purebloods are socialites, all have networks and money...You know how the wolves only need a drop of blood to pounce"
„Thank you for your friendly advice, Pettigrew. You are always such a good friend" Lucius concealed his grimace.
Pettegrew ginned widely. The elf have finally showed up with tea. They already exhausted all subjects of conversation so they only drunk in silence. Lucius wanted Pettegrew out already so he can pounder alone over his next move. After an hour, Pettegrew finally left.
Lucius got a plan till the third task rolls around. They initially wanted to use the Tournament to get Harry to the Dark Lord, but since he wasn't accepted as a contestant, they had to formulate a different convoluted plan to get the young Slytherin to Albania, but why should Lucius let a god Portkey get to waste?
Lucius took his seat in the stands. He recognized a few of the other parents, he took his seat by the Parkinson's, it won't hurt to mix a bit of business with recreation. The Parkinson's are not a powerful or old family, but they are part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight and the heiress is one of his son's closest friends.
He was chatting with Perseus Parkinson while watching the first task unfold as he didn't really care about the outcome. He was looking for a match for his daughter, well, Lucius may have stroked gold with that one.
The champions entered the maze. Cedric Diggory entered first as he had the most points, followed by Viktor Krum and the french contestant, Lucius didn't bother to learn the name of as she had the least chance of winning.
Perseus was talking up his daughter, how beautiful she was, how much was her dowry, how close her and Draco were, the man seemed as desperate as Lucius was. He looked at the stands, Pansy was seated between Draco and Harry Potter. She was pleasant to look at, Lucius could give her that at least.
Draco jumped to his feet his eyes glued to the maze, Pansy Parkison dragged him down by the hand and kept on holding. Yes, Lucius can work with that, he and Narcissa had less when they married.
„How about we meet over a drink this weekend and draw a contract?" Lucius asked.
Perseus jumped from his chair. „That would be perfect!"
Lucius turned his eyes towards the arena, the French contestant was escorted out. Only Diggory and Krum were left, Lucius was not taking a lot of chances, since Barty Crouch Jr. was arrested while Polijuiced as Moody, the security was more tight than ever, Lucius couldn't interfere with the game itself, but he did interfere with the other Champions.
He had given the French contestant Dizziness Draught and slipped a Befuddlement Draught to Viktor Krum. He had to ask the elf Draco freed to help him, had to grant him his freedom for this little task, but if everything will go according to plan it will be worth it.
And Viktor Krum was as well escorted out of the Maze. Cedric Diggory won the task, he put his hand around the Cup and disappeared. Lucius bit his cheek to stop his smirk. The arena erupted in gasps.
Lucius made sure he was visible at all times. Ex-auror Tonks was staring right at him from the Teacher's Lounge, but he bowed his head at her. His eyes meet Severus Snape as well and he smiled. He was glad the job will be done even if he didn't do it himself. Greyback never left a loose end.
Lucius only got a short note, written in an unknown scrawl "it is done". He was not sure Greyback could write so it may be one of his acolytes. He incinerated the note and continued on drinking his morning tea.
He had not talked to Draco since the third task; he knows he attended the search Amos Diggory put together to find his heir, but nothing directly.
The search is ongoing so he waits until he announces the courtship he established with the Parkinson's is for his son's sake and to not draw suspicion on himself. He has enough patience for that.
"The Aurors are at the gate, sir " A house elf announced.
"What do they want?" Lucius asked.
"They said they have a…paper to search the house" The elf jumps nervously from one foot to the other.
"I will deal with them" Lucius sighed.
"Yes, sir, thank you, sir" The house elf disappeared with a pop.
He is not surprised to find Aurors Kingsley Shacklebolt and Alastair Moody at his gate.
"How can I help you?" Lucius asked.
"We have a warrant to search the house" Shacklebolt said stepping forward with the parchment.
"Be my guest" Lucius smiled tight.
There is nothing they can find that can tie him to the missing boy, but he still does not like the idea of them snooping around the Masion. He had the forethought of selling some to Borgin and Burkes right after he returned from the Tournament.
The search lasts for two whole hours. Lucius continues his breakfast and then retreats to his office pretending as much as he can that the Aurors do not exist.
"We are done!" Shackebolt informs him from the door. Both Aurors are peering at him
"I hope for the sake of that poor boy I am not your only lead!"
Alistair Moody glared at him from the door.
"Traditional pureblood doesn't like his son's boyfriend, it is a solid lead"
"I wasn't aware my son was in a relationship, that is news to me"
The two Aurora glare some more and finally make their way out.
"Why were Aurors at your house?" Lucius read the note, yes; Bellatrix was never the one for subtlety. He starts writing her a note explaining the situation and send it by house elf, maybe he is paranoid, but he is not risking sending an owl that can easily be intercepted a day after he was visited by Aurors.
Pettegrew was waiting for him in the office, like always he didn't announce ahead, he was spread out on Lucius's chair, but moved as soon as he heard Lucius.
"We are moving ahead with the plan" He said when he righted himself.
"Now?"
"They are getting more and more paranoid, we should grab the boy while he is at Hogwarts"
"Is everything for the ritual ready?"
"Yes, we only need the moon to be in the right phase. We need the new moon from the 28th"
"If you are sure you can get him there…"
"He trust Uncle Peter" Pettigrew grinned.
"After this you can't play the friend anymore" Lucius warned.
"The boy will be dead, who will tell them about me?"
"Is your plan. I will be waiting for the signal"
"You will know, the tattoo will pulsate and it will lead you to us!"
"I will be there!"
"Congratulation on dealing with your own issues" Pettegrew said when he was nearly at the door.
Lucius bowed.
"We will need new people in the immediate future"
"Won't he wait till they finish school?" Lucius asked, the room started spinning.
"He didn't wait for you to" Peter's gaze is cold.
"Understood"
Peter left. Lucius collapsed on his chair, he hoped he had more time…Draco is not ready for this, not at all.
He was waiting by the fire on the 28th. The new moon was just rising on the sky when he felt the pull of the Dark Mark. Pettigrew was right; it was working as a portkey because as soon as he pressed his wand to it he was transported to a graveyard.
The Dark Lord insisted they all wear black robes and masks. Lucius never liked the dramatist of it, he was behind the ideas the Dark Lord supported, but it could have easily by achieved by politics alone, true in more time and slower, but maybe safer.
In the graveyard he could see a small circle of people have already gathered, all wearing masks except for Pettigrew that was preforming the ritual. Anything to get ahead, that one.
Lucius then noticed the boy, the Potter's kid hold in place by a statue of an angel. He was squirming and struggling to get away, but the transfigured statue had a stronger hold, probably Bellatrix's work, the Black's always were good at transfiguration.
"Everything is ready," Pettigrew announced. He was holding a ceremonial silver knife from the Malfoy family vault.
Lucius walked and take his place in the circle forming around them, a bubbling cauldron to his right, he was staring right at the squirming kid and behind him was an open grave, probably to Voldemort's dad. His muggle dad his brain supplied unhelpful.
He has seen the kid before, never really talked to him or had any sort of connection to him or his parents. James Potter used to be his enemy in the battlefield, but that was so long ago it feels in another life. He knew Lily, she is not a good influence on his wife and he still remembers her silver tongue and curses from their school years.
Maybe Lucius has spent too much time with Draco, but the sight of the distressed kid is becoming unbearable to watch. It does not make any sense; he did help Greyback kill Diggory, which was older, true, but still a kid. Maybe because Harry was Draco's friend and his age, maybe because the kid this absolutely nothing, maybe because killing a Slytherin from a pureblood house even if half-breed was not something he stands for…or a combination of all of those.
He had to turn his face away when Pettegrew slashed Harry's hand and took some blood. The kid did not scream, just stared at Pettegrew with so much hate in his eyes, the green orbs were gleaming. Peter did not notice as he carried on with the ritual, putting the bones in the cauldron together with the blood.
Then Pettegrew turns his back to them and slashed his own hand clean off with a cutting curse. He damps the bloody limb together with the other ingredients. The cauldron bubbles ominously and then Bellatrix brings the Dark Lord.
Lucius has not seen him since they found him; he was looking like a newborn wrapped in black clothes, his face shrunken, pale white flesh wrinkled and dry. Lucius fought very hard to suppress a shiver. Bellatrix dropped the creature inside the cauldron.
The ritual was fast to act, the Dark Lord was restored, the man he was before he died, with pale snake like skin and red eyes. The Dark Lord summoned more people with the Dark Mark, people that were late.
He flew a curse, some masked figured in the circle kneeled in pain.
"Do not be late next time, Avery, it will be the last thing you will do" The Dark lord hissed.
The Dark Lord then move to congratulate Bella and Pettigrew, he even made a silver hand for the poor sod.
"And now what have we go here?" The Dark Lord turned to the constrained boy."Release him!"
Bellatrix was quick to comply. The boy fell on the graveyard leafy ground.
"We didn't had time to formally meet the last times I saw you" The Dark Lord hissed.
"The time that my father killed you, the time that you were piggybacking on a teacher or the time I killed you ghost?" The boy glared.
The Dark Lord hissed something. The boy flinched; the next few lines were delivered in Parseltongue. Lucius mentally check the family tree, the Gaunt's and the Potter's were both from the Peverell family, distant cousins at first guess.
"And yes you are Lucius" The Dark Lord said.
Legitemancy. Lucius almost forgot about that one.
"The young Potter heir, the last of the Peverell's, it will be such a terrible waste to kill you, but I have a debt to pay to your family. Raise your wand"
Harry Potter remained motionless.
"Imperio! Raise your wand and duel me!" The Dark Lord casted.
The boy did not move. Lucius heard gasps from people in the circle.
"Crucio!" He casts.
The boy kneeled under the pain and released a half scream. The Dark Lord looked pleased.
"Now, let's try again, duel me"
Harry Potter raised and took out his wand.
"Accio portkey!" The boy casts. A box wrapped like a present flew into his hand.
The boy disappeared with a loud pop.
"You didn't destroy the portkey that brought him here?" the Dark Lord roared and turned to Pettigrew. He Crucio'ed him, screamed filled the air.
Lucius put out his Occulemncy shields up. He did not not miss this part.