A/N: Hello, here is a little story that is and isn't about Draco and Hermione. I hope you enjoy.
This is a long weekend for those in the US so I can spend a good few hours and be able to start publishing my new story next weekend. It's the follow up to Harry Potter and the Muggleborn Problem. This one tackles their second year at Hogwarts. It's given me fits and the muse has decided to jump ship a few times.
Hope your Sunday is great and refreshing.
See you next time.
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Every family has secrets, some are little things of no consequence, while others are the sort of thing that would cause a family to lose their position in the world. The magical world was no different, it was just their secrets were more extreme than muggles. In the magical world, the secrets weren't complete secrets. Some were whispered in quiet circle while others were blasted in The Prophet. The old families had spent generations burying their secrets to ensure the most dangerous of them never saw the light of day. It was always the younger generations that seemed to not care about keeping the secret and let things slip.
If you asked the average witch or wizard about the Parkinson family, the most common response was how a banshee had to be in their history as the daughters of the line were known to be overwrought and whose wails could be heard many kilometers away from their position. The Nott family was the same. Due to their overly lanky appearance, dark hair but abnormally pale skin vampire blood was said to run in their veins. Everyone knew it wasn't true, the family was an important member of society and attended society events including garden parties. But when pressed, some would casually mention not remembering seeing a Nott in the full sun. But the most delicious rumor was about the Malfoy family. And delicious is what most witches thought of the Malfoy wizards as they followed the men around fetes or in the Alley or wherever they were seen. They were tall with the palest blonde hair and silver eyes. They seemed to shine whether the sun was out or not. Their wives were just as beautiful and seemed to be as ageless as their husbands. Surely the family were veela, what else could explain it. Nothing, if asked the average witch or wizard.
This is the story of one family's secret and the lengths they took to ensure the world would never be the wiser.
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Abraxas Malfoy gently ran his finger over the cheek of his newborn son Lucius. He smiled softly at Marguerite who was settled in the bed with her son firmly in her arms. "Abraxas." There was a quiet sigh and the new father turned to see his own father standing in the door. The elder Malfoy took a few steps into the room and his gaze landed on the boy. "Well done, the charm worked and our family shall continue." Nicholas looked briefly to the witch who dropped her in head out of respect. She didn't see her father-in-law leave the room but heard the door close. Looking up she saw only her husband remained.
"Abe, come sit with us before he comes back for you." The new father looked a bit scared at the prospect and Marguerite wondered if it was worry his father would be back or of being a father. She gently patted the bed and sighed in contentment when the wizard relaxed next to her.
"Lucius, I am your father. I promise to do my best in raising you to be the man I know you can be." Marguerite smiled knowing her husband's belief in what their son would become was firmly grounded.
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Lucius Malfoy was a precocious boy. He ran through the Manor and asked the portraits questions. His early years were spent enjoying the life of a pampered boy. At four years old his life was altered. He and his mother were settled in the gardens when Marguerite drew the young boy's attention to a rose bush. Lucius didn't hear a word of what his mother said but watched a story play before his eyes.
A blonde witch knelt in front of the same rose bush and clipped eleven of the roses. The stems were extremely long and she took great care to remove the thorns and the unnecessary leaves. The witch waved her wand over the roses and the flowers seemed to brighten. The roses were wrapped with a black silken ribbon. As the witch made to stand, a hand appeared to assist her.
"Thank you. Is this what she wanted?" For the first time a wizard appeared. He was trying to remain stoic but it seemed he was unable to hold his emotions in check and tears began to slip down his cheeks. "Oh Lucius." The witch pulled the wizard into her arms.
Marguerite had immediately noticed when her son's attention had wavered. She hadn't seen the expression on her son's face before, but both her husband and father-in-law had it on numerous occasions. "Come along Lucius, I think you and your father need to spend some time together today." Marguerite led the boy to his father's study and whispered the words Abraxas had longed to hear.
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Lucius learned to be neither seen nor heard. He would settle himself in a dark corner of his grandfather's study and watch as his grandfather and father had meetings with people. He would watch the stories play out in his mind and then tell his father what he saw. As he grew older, he took to detailing the images in writing and providing those to his father. At nine he was presented a leather bound journal with his initials in gilded gold. The journal was linked to a similar one his father had. Abraxas showed Lucius the journals that lined the walls of his office. Each journal contained the thoughts of countless generations of Malfoys.
Abraxas explained the journals detailed all the family visions with the exception of personal ones. Lucius didn't understand what a personal vision was and was simply told the first time he had one, he would know and he would keep those close to his heart until it was time. Lucius took the vague command to heart and never brought the topic up again.
It was only a few months later that Lucius had the first vision he didn't wish to share with his father. It was of a dark hair witch playing in her family garden. She was light and happy and Lucius knew she was something to him. He just didn't know what.
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Visions of the dark haired witch continued and he found himself discovering more and more about the girl. She was the youngest of three girls. She was powerful for her age. She enjoyed reading and playing in the sun. Flowers seem to respond to her mere presence. Nothing of significance really, until the day Lucius received his letter for Hogwarts.
Lucius settled into his seat at the Slytherin table and watched as the first years were led into the Great Hall for the sorting. The first few students were sorted to other houses before Slytherin gained its first new member. The young witch with impossibly black hair smiled and made her way to the table. Narcissa Black seemed to be the point in the universe where his attention wanted to focus.
The sorting continued and Slytherin had gained quite a few members much to the chagrin of those blasted Gryffindors. Lucius watched as the hat sent another boy to their family. Having been focused on Narcissa Black, he had missed the name but the boy was wearing old robes and seemed to be out of place. Lucius heard the whispers almost immediately. "He is a half blood, his mother was a Prince and ran off with a muggle." Lucius watched as the boy settled at the end of the table and didn't make any attempt to befriend those around him.
Blinking Lucius realized he was still holding his letter and grabbed his journal. Quickly detailing the vision and asking his father for a time to discuss the Black and Prince families. As Lucius was watching his thirteen year old self, Abraxas was having his own vision. This was a bit darker and more deadly. It was time to remind Lucius the reason the Malfoy family had been gifted. And why that gift remains a secret to those outside of the family.
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Two days and countless visions later, Abraxas and Nicholas were settled the elder wizard's study and waited for Lucius. "This is a different situation than before Abraxas. I cannot see how this will end." Abraxas sighed knowing how telling the statement was.
"I cannot see the end either father." The elder Malfoy looked to his son with shock. "I see the potential for us to be fine but it's tenuous." The two men began to detail their individual visions in the hope of finding overlap. Lucius entered his grandfather's tense study with no idea what he was supposed to do.
"Grandfather, Father. Mother said you had requested me." The young man, now eleven years old and a month away from starting Hogwarts, looked to the two men he idolized and waited quietly as they finished writing.
"Yes, your grandfather and I have been looking for an answer but it is beyond our ability. We need you to look with us." This wasn't the first time Lucius had been asked to do this. It was upsetting for the child to think about a time when neither his grandfather nor father would be with him, but it was how the world was. Nodding to his father, Abraxas began to discuss the rise of a new dark wizard.
"A new dark wizard? Have there been many?" The question was asked with the naivety only a child could have. That innocence is lost when one sees just how dark and evil the world could be. Nicholas took the conversation and explained about Grindelwald's deeds. The young boy paled and looked extremely uncomfortable. Abraxas stood from behind the desk and motioned for them to move to more comfortable seating. After the move, Lucius seemed to come to himself and nodded to his grandfather to continue.
"You see, when Gellert was rallying for those to follow him, we were approached. What the wizard wanted was our name and vaults to give his movement some sort of legitimacy. I was still a young man, not yet graduated from Hogwarts, when he first arrived. My own father, grandfather and great-grandfather met with him and allowed me to sit in. The visions the four of us had were awful and while they are detailed in our journals, it is not something to be read. To this day, I am shocked at what I saw." Nicholas slowly raised from the chair and walked toward the mantle for a moment to compose himself.
Lucius had spent time learning about his family's role in the past but this dark wizard's story was not in the books. Abraxas, sensing his son's curiosity and father's need for a moment, redirected the conversation. "Grindelwald succeeded in some of his goals and it's a black mark on the history of the wizarding world. Many followed from all countries and found themselves on the wrong end of his wand. His story is not told publicly. The Ministry claims the story is too dark and will lead others to follow his beliefs. I am of the opinion that withholding the story will provide those who think his methods were acceptable. We must always learn from our history, our mistakes to ensure they are never repeated. But, my opinion on such matters is moot due to various factors. But the books related to this are here, just masked until you are a bit older to understand."
Nicholas had found the conversation between his son and grandson interesting. The pair were closer at this age than he and Abraxas were. Nicholas believed this to be a good thing. "Carrying on, we requested time to fully understand his vision. While Gellert was powerful, he knew there would be a large backlash if he went against us publicly. After many visions, my grandfather decided the family would not be positioned in the best possible place if we agreed to support him. The Malfoy family remained neutral."
The young wizard looked to his father and grandfather with a bit of understanding. "You are asking me to use my ability to see if this dark wizard is any better for our family." It wasn't a question but a statement that proved the boy was growing quickly and would soon fall into his responsibility. The elder nodded. "Have I met this man before?"
"No, he has not visited us yet. He is abroad currently rallying for support and finding it difficult. Those who he courts remember Grindelwald and want nothing to do with this new wizard. He gets more and more enraged with each denial. When he returns, we will need to have our decision in place." Lucius understood the importance of what he was being asked. "You simply need to focus on the future and if a vision is not of a man named Voldemort, pass it over. The visions will remain for viewing later. Try to speak what you are seeing, it will take a great bit of concentration, but you can do it. I know how powerful you are." Lucius's eyes flashed to his grandfather in surprise before they fluttered shut. The visions began to play out before him in rapid speed. It seemed his magic knew what needed to be seen and finding the important bits. They were only slow enough for Lucius to speak what he was seeing before the next one started.
His grandfather's death at the hand of a dark haired man who cared not one whit about anything other than his own desire.
His father being forced to take the other man's mark over the still warm but dead body of his father.
His own initiation. The pain seared through his body with an agonizing scream.
The aftermath of the death and destruction the man had mandated.
The disappearance of the man and the relief that filled the Malfoy home once more.
The attempt by the Ministry to convict Abraxas and Lucius of things they had done.
Their escape and just how close they were to being found guilty.
The looks of the public as the Malfoy family began to lose their status.
The return of the man and how quickly things turned worse than before.
More death. More destruction. More parts of Lucius's soul destroyed.
His father's death, not by dragon pox as reported, but at the hand of the now bald wizard.
Lucius's own conviction and arrival at Azkaban. Then there was nothing.
"No, we cannot support this man, but how do we stop it?" Nicholas and Abraxas agreed with youngest Malfoy.
"We are not sure yet, but now that we have a decision we can begin to prepare. This is the most important part of being a Malfoy, son. Continue to focus on things you can change and keep me informed of your visions."
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Lucius took those words to heart, he observed those around him, he documented what he saw and heard, and he thought about his options. Finally, half way through his second year his idea took hold. While he didn't much care for those whose parents weren't magical, it didn't mean they weren't a needed part of society. While the Malfoy family was the pinnacle there had to be those below in order to raise themselves higher.
It was subtle at first, he began to partner in classes with his classmates who weren't considered pureblood. While Nicholas and Abraxas both attempted to avoid associating with others who weren't pureblooded, Lucius found the half bloods in his class enjoyable. He learned a bit about the muggle world and while it wasn't the stories of people living in filth, Lucius didn't feel the need to explore what he had learned. He did understand a child's love of their parents and realized all children were the same.
By the end of his second year, Lucius had gained a bit of power within the house and knew the first years would all follow him along with a good few of the second years. Over the summer he would strengthen his position so by the start of the next term he would be able to act.
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Abraxas had been surprised when Lucius began to ask about the Prince family. Eileen Prince was a few years younger than himself and married a muggle. After a bit of research, Abraxas found Eileen had been banished from the family. It appeared the Prince line was officially dead; however, Eileen had a son who would be starting Hogwarts a couple of years after Lucius.
The family struggled but appeared to have enough for food and whatnot. The witch was miserable but believed in the sanctity of marriage. Abraxas sighed at her stubborn nature, it seemed not much had changed over the years. The boy appeared to be incredibly intelligent and basically alone. As Abraxas expected, the Snape family home was in a muggle part of town and was more than a bit run down. The boy had one friend in the area, a girl who was a witch. She was a muggleborn for sure, but from what Abraxas had discovered, she seemed to quite powerful for a child without the privilege of family teachings.
Lucius had already commented on being a friend and protector to Severus. Abraxas smiled at the realization his son was following in the Malfoy footsteps and gaining support from his peers. Peers who would be running the wizarding world in a decade or two.
After experiencing so many versions of future the Malfoy personal beliefs were slightly altered but didn't really change. In the end they were Malfoy and still stood at the pinnacle of society.
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Lucius watched his vision play out the first night of his third year. Narcissa Black was sorted into the house and settled herself at the end of the table waiting for the next first year. Lucius knew there would be more so he continued to watch the young witch as she looked eagerly around the room. His gaze met hers and before she looked away, he sent her a charming smile and she blushed.
From there his plan quickly became successful, as he befriended Severus and began his quest for Narcissa, Lucius slowly gained more allies from his house. There were whispers about the so called Dark Lord but Lucius didn't get involved. He listened and watched the future of those in the house. Most of them wouldn't survive and Lucius started to deviate his visions to show who would be helpful to save. Very few of his housemates had redeeming qualities and after letters with his father, it was determined to allow fate to run her course with them.
Abraxas waited until just before the Christmas holidays to address the Narcissa question with his son. The letter simply asked if he wanted to give Narcissa a meaningful gift at Yule. He was thirteen and the thought of marriage was scary for the boy but he had the knowledge of just what his life would be like with Narcissa and he wanted it. He his response was to agree he would be inclined to such a gift and asked his mother to think what would be appropriate given their age. Once home, he was given the option to present it or hold it for the future. The bracelet was delicate and would work now and quite a few years down the road.
While he didn't present Narcissa with a courting gift that Yule, his request to his grandfather was accepted and the Black and Prince families were invited to dinner one night over the holidays. As Lucius came to expect, Severus's mother declined but allowed Severus to attend. The boy arrived in tattered robes and was so embarrassed he almost left. It was Lucius's mother who pulled the boy to the side and offered him the protection of the Malfoy home. It was obvious the boy was not cared by his own and there was a strong possibility he was abused because of his magic. The boy felt the warmth and safety of Mrs. Malfoys magic and gave into his emotions for the first time in years. After a good cry, Marguerite led Severus upstairs and the pair found a set of Lucius's robes from his first year that would fit Severus perfectly. The boy looked at the robes and thanked his friend's mother.
Dinner was surprisingly awkward, Abraxas and Lucius had a series of visions when the Black family arrived. Both had visions of the demented creature that was Bella Black. The girl's current appearance didn't truly match the witch who took perverse pleasure in killing but there was a similarity in her eyes. It was clear she was mad. Andromeda Black brought another series of visions that brought Lucius sadness. He liked the witch and was sad to see what her decisions would do to their friendship and to Narcissa personally. Abraxas had his first true visions of Narcissa and knew she would make his son happy.
Cygnus Black watched the Malfoy family with a fake imperial expression. The Black family was old but had started to show their age over the previous generations. While his brother was the head of the Black family, Cygnus knew those boys wouldn't continue the family line. He had met a witch with the gift of divination. She had said the future of Black blood flowed through his daughters. The family name would fall into his line eventually. He worried about Bella, he had noticed her crazed behavior and feared the family madness was in her. His only hope was to get her betrothed before it became public. Maybe he could get her linked to the Malfoy boy. That fix a world of problems.
By the end of the dinner it was clear where Lucius's intentions lie. Cygnus and Abraxas went off to the study to discuss things while the rest of the family relaxed in the parlor. Marguerite wasn't impressed with Druella Black. The pair had quite a history; Druella believed she would be the next lady Malfoy and never believed Abraxas was betrothed when he would brush her off during their school years. Druella believed him to be lying as none of the other girls were his so it was obvious he was available. Who would marry a witch that wasn't a Slytherin. When the announcement of the wedding was made, Druella was furious and found Cygnus Black. It was a ploy to make Abraxas jealous but it backfired when she turned up pregnant a month later. A quick wedding was planned and suddenly the witch was expected to be a wife to the crumbling Black family.
At the end of the evening, Abraxas and Cygnus had an agreement, the betrothal would remain sealed until Narcissa reached her fifteenth birthday. Abraxas got Cygnus to swear an unbreakable oath to not tell any one of the arrangement to ensure Narcissa's continued safety. As far as Druella and the other daughters were concerned, no agreement had been reached.
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Lucius didn't knew where the years had gone but he was suddenly in his sixth year and timing of his awful vision was quickly approaching. Whispers of dark magic and powerful wielders were murmured between all the students and it was one random afternoon when Lucius had an unexpected vision. It revolved around the one friend Severus had from before Hogwarts. The muggleborn was quite intelligent and her house seemed to suit her. It seemed the bully of their year had set his sights on the girl but she remained firm in her rejection of him. Lucius and Narcissa were on a blanket reading to each other when a mighty row kicked off. It seemed the bully had again attempted to get the girl on his side; Severus stood in her defense. The bully's response was to attack Severus directly. Lucius knew this wasn't the first time, but it was the first time he had done it public. Before Lucius could stand Severus was hanging upside down and the Malfoy heir was incensed. The Slytherin House watched to see what would happen, all knew Severus Snape was under the protection of the Malfoy House.
Lucius quickly regained Severus' wand and pulled the boy behind him. It was then the bully and his three friends turned toward whoever had stopped their fun. Lucius stood proud with the majority of Slytherin House behind him, merely cocked his head to the side. The bully turned and ran with his tail between his legs. The last of the four, the short and fat one, looked to Lucius with a bit of envy before he too ran. It was then Lucius had his vision.
Narcissa had seen Lucius doing this during their courtship but it rarely happened at school. She slipped her hand in his and lifted to her toes and brushed her lips across his cheek. While everyone was watching her, they all missed the dazed look in the wizard's eyes. When it was over, Lucius smirked to the beautiful witch at his side and smiled back at her. She knew it was a thank you for helping him, immediately he decided it was time tell her the family secret.
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After leaving the green with Narcissa, Lucius settled into his room and began to write about the vision he had seen. If there was no change to the future, a Gryffindor traitor would be the cause of many of the atrocities they Malfoy men saw. Lucius was light on details regarding the Gryffindors in play now, but noted the future of the Potter heir and his apparent wife played a large role. Their deaths and the survival of their son would be widely proclaimed as evidence of the dark nature of the so called Dark Lord. A fully grown wizard being defeated by a mere babe was not something to follow proudly. That event escalated the downfall of the Malfoy family in the eyes of the public.
The traitor would not turn until they were out of school, which would be the same year as Narcissa so there was time to figure out the importance of the Potter family to the survival of the Malfoys. It also allowed time to determine if any of the planned changes would impact their future as well.
After reading Lucius's visions, Abraxas called for his father and the pair decided Lucius needed to be home as they worked through the future. With a quick lie to the headmaster, Lucius was home and the trio set up in Nicholas's study. After a series of visions showing what would happen if the family sided with the up and coming dark wizard, Lucius commented on how in a number of visions the man provided the family a token of appreciation that was somehow quite meaningful to the man.
Agreeing it would be important to focus on the tokens, the Malfoys set about finding a future where all three men survived the first meeting. Once settling on a plan, the visions began to settle more and more. It took the men all night before Lucius viewed the final battle. The younger Malfoy had bed quiet for a bit before he began to relay the vision. Abraxas listened as his son, his heir, his boy, do things no one should have to do. The one word to pass his lips clearly and loudly was horcrux. Nicholas immediately jumped and began to pull various journals and books from the library.
In reality, Nicholas had heard the word and knew if the items were truly horcrux it would be vitally important to ensure all were destroyed before the monster could be killed. No one who had created an object that dark could be considered anything but a monster. The family journals made mention of how extremely potent venom should dissolve a horcrux or being burned by fiendfyre. There was a mention that a living being could be one and only their death would destroy the horcrux.
With a plan in place, Lucius returned to Hogwarts and began his small part in the weeks leading to the end of the year. The meeting would occur the first weekend after Hogwarts let out. Over the subsequent days, the vision played out again and again for each of the men with no variation.
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Tom Riddle strode into Wiltshire knowing he would have the Malfoy name and vaults behind him before the end of the day. The Blacks happily agreed to join his ranks recently but he'd not yet meet the head of the house yet, but he'd become acquainted with the eldest daughter. Her comments about the Black family aligned with what he remembered from Hogwarts, they were older and more storied than the Malfoy family. She took it upon herself to sway her father and she provided him their support in the form of a letter.
With the Black family onside, it would be easy to get the rest of the families to join and if not, he wasn't above a threat or murder to get people to see things his way. He thought nothing of these people, in fact they were part of the reason why he wanted power. They needed to kneel before him. He needed their vaults more than their loyalty.
Being directed by a Malfoy elf to a private study, he was met with the remaining families of the Sacred 28 and others who were just as powerful. His speech was well rehearsed and flawless as he smoothly laid out his plans for ridding the world of those unworthy of magic. While half-bloods would remain, they would need to prove themselves but could never achieve much. All the power and money would be with those pure of blood.
Lord Voldemort continued his speech and began to set five objects on the table. They seemed to be very ordinary but his gaze proved how important to him these items were. As he spoke he mentioned how the Black family had agreed to join his movement and were to be provided two tokens of his esteem. Cygnus and Bella were called forward. It surprised many when Bella was called but that confusion was ended when they saw Bella flaunt herself. Druella hissed quietly at her daughter's actions and the embarrassment it brought to the house. Cygnus was given a cup and Bella a ring. She was warned to never wear the ring as it was cursed.
The Malfoy, Selwyn and Rockwood families were next asked. When they each agreed they received a token as well. The tokens were a book to Malfoys, a necklace to the Selwyns, and a diadem to the Rockwoods. When the next family, the Averys, were called forward to pledge themselves, Lord Voldemort admitted to not expecting so many to join this day. He promised he'd whip up a token for them and the others in short order. It was important, he said, to ensure everyone knew how thankful he was to have found such like minded people he could call his friends.
Lucius set himself directly behind Narcissa and Andi. The witches wondered why Lucius wasn't with his father and grandfather. They believed to have figured out the answer when Lucius slipped Narcissa's hand into his own. There was a sudden screech, people trying to leave, and a painful scream. Lucius pulled Narcissa and Andi behind him and erected the strongest shield he knew. Those two had to survive.
A scream of 'No it's mine' tore through the room as a green shot of light ripped through the study before a battle started. If one listened you could hear hisses and pops but the noise of spells and destruction covered that and the origin of the painful screams.
The room was in confusion until Lord Voldemort weakly stood and demanded to know what happened. He pointed his wand at Nicholas Malfoy who smirked and dropped the fifth item into a bowl of water which immediately began to bubble as the item was destroyed. Lord Voldemort screamed again and fell to the ground. Without a thought Nicholas shot an avada and ended what could have been the start of a dark time for all of the wizarding world.
As Nicholas ordered people to tend the wounded and identify the dead, he explained who Lord Voldemort was and what the tokens were. Bella yelled in frustration and killed the man who had killed her lover before being put down by her youngest sister.
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After the first night of the terrifying vision, Lucius knew they needed to do something to ensure Narcissa wouldn't have to be the one to kill Bella. Conversation after conversation occurred between the three men in their journals. After seeing various beginning, middle and endings, it was decided the only two that needed to die that day would be Lord Voldemort and Bellatrix Black. Neither could be saved. Once the men made their decision the future was again solid and Abraxas invited a small group of the remaining Sacred 28 and others were called to Malfoy Manor.
The group spent the afternoon discussing who they had each received a request from Lord Voldemort to meet with him. Each was unsure what they would do. Once everyone had admitted they were not completely comfortable with what they had heard, Avery admitted knowing who Lord Voldemort was and just how dangerous the man would now be.
Nicholas took the floor and admitted his family's concerns over backing a dark wizard and specifically this dark wizard. He admitted his desire for a more secure wizarding world, but wasn't ready to back the wholesale murder of people. With a sly smile he asked how you had royalty without peasants. And if the royalty became soldiers for a half-blood of no great means, what did that say about their families. Were they better than any other infantry solider? No, no they weren't.
It was then the families realized just what was at stake. It wasn't a difficult discussion and when Abraxas offered to use the Manor the families agreed to meet as a group to determine how much of a threat the man was. If they believed he was dangerous, they would agree to join and then work out how to destroy their "leader" later. They thought it would be safer if they were in it together and try to fight right away. The Malfoys already had a plan that would be put into play as soon as the tokens were distributed.
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Tom Riddle strode into Wiltshire knowing he would have the Malfoy name behind him before the end of the day. The Blacks had written and happily agreed to join his ranks. It wasn't surprising since he'd already met with one of the daughters. Based on the girl's comments and his memories from Hogwarts, the Blacks were more storied than the Malfoy family. It would be easy to get the Malfoys to join and if not, he wasn't above a murder to get people to see things his way.
What he hadn't expected was to be met with the remaining families of the Sacred 28 and other powerful families. His speech was flawless as he smoothly laid out his plans for ridding the world of those unworthy of magic. While half-bloods would remain, they would need to prove themselves but could never achieve much. Those that didn't meet the standard or were blood traitors would be disposed of quickly. Muggleborns did not deserve a comment as they would just be killed for their stealing of magic. All the power and money would be with those pure of blood.
As Lord Voldemort, as he asked to be called, spoke eloquently of his plans, none believed what he said. Each person looked to Avery who gave the signal confirming the man was Tom Riddle and not some powerful pure blood with a desire to cleanse the wizarding world named Lord Voldemort. He was simply a man who wanted power and would get it anyway he could. The Gaunt family had no prestige or power, just an old family with the ability to speak to snakes. No one was impressed with his lineage.
Lord Voldemort continued his speech and began to set five objects on the table. They seemed to be very ordinary but his gaze proved how important to him these items were. As he spoke he mentioned how the Black family had agreed to join his movement and were to be provided two tokens of his esteem. Cygnus and Bella were called forward to accept the items. It surprised many when Bella was called but that confusion was ended when they saw Bella flaunt herself. No one heard Druella and Lucius knew it wouldn't much matter how she acted in about half an hour. Cygnus was given a cup and Bella a ring. She was warned to never wear the ring as it was cursed. Both agreed, with Bella swearing, to protect the item.
Lucius watched the vision played out and as they hoped, everything was going to plan so far. The Malfoy, Selwyn and Rockwood families were next asked. When they each agreed they received a token as well. The book, the locket, and the diadem were safely in the hands of the conspirators. When the next family, the Averys, were called forward to pledge themselves, Lord Voldemort admitted to not expecting so many to join this day. He promised he'd whip up a token for them and the others in short order. It was important, he said, to ensure everyone knew how thankful he was to have found such like minded people he could call his friends.
Lucius changed where he stood and had subtly moved Narcissa and Andi into a position where they wouldn't have to witness what was about to happen. The witches wondered why Lucius was acting so strangely but their concern was apparently answered when Lucius slipped Narcissa's hand into his own. The positions of others were slightly altered as well. Bella ended up standing directly in front of Nicholas.
There was a sudden screech, people trying to leave, and a painful scream. Lucius erected the strongest shield he knew and started to pluck the tokens from the other families. With a scream of 'No it's mine' a shot of green light ripped through the study and then a dull thud. As Lucius took each token he dropped them into a bowl where they hissed and screamed until they were no more. Four of the tokens were gone before the initial screams died away.
The room was in confusion until Lord Voldemort weakly stood and demanded to know what happened. He pointed his wand at Nicholas Malfoy who merely smirked and dropped the fifth item into a bowl of clear liquid which immediately began to bubble as the item was destroyed. Lord Voldemort screamed again and fell to the ground. Without a thought Nicholas shot sent the killing curse and ended the half life the demented wizard had created for himself and stopped what would have been the start of a dark time for all of the wizarding world.
As Nicholas ordered people to tend the wounded and identify the dead. In the end there were two deaths, Bella Black and Tom Riddle. When Nicholas ran a diagnositc spell to determine who killed the young witch it was found to be Tom Riddle. He blindly started to throw avadas as he felt his horcruxes being destroyed.
The death of the man who claimed the title of Lord was announced three weeks later. There was a flurry of confusion on how such a strong wizard was killed, but no further details were released. The paper simply reported his death was due to his failure in creating an object so imbrued with dark magic it had actually killed its creator. At least that was what the Ministry reported. The elder Rockwood held a powerful position and was able to spin the tale as it was needed.
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As was true every where, there were rumors about powerful families. After the unexpected demise of the dark wizard, the magicals of Britain began to whisper about those who may have pledged themselves to the now dead wizard. With the man's death there was no evidence of their allegiance, only rumors. Those rumors were quickly forgotten when the next bit of juicy news was reported in the Prophet. By the time Lucius married Narcissa four years later, the Malfoy family was viewed as one of the most forward thinking of families. Lucius had started a potion business with his friend Severus and proved to the wizarding world the Malfoy family didn't waste their time with blood status. Severus was an expert in potions and proved success was based on hard work and desire by the person. The business gained a quick following due to Severus's modifications of established potions. Most of the suggestions were detailed in the NEWT potions book that sat proudly on the man's bookshelf.
A few later, Lucius was shown his first glimpse of his future daughter-in-law.
She was a powerful, intelligent and loyal witch.
She would be the only student ranked above Draco.
She was the head girl to Draco's head boy.
The students celebrated their graduation on the lawn of the castle with their families and friends.
Draco approached the brunette witch and dropped to his knee. "Hermione, would you do me the great honor of accepting this token of my love? This token that represents my desire to spend the rest of my days with you? Will you accept my pledge of love and loyalty? Will you be my wife?"
The witch in question was at a loss for words but nodded eagerly as Draco slipped the ring on her finger. He stood and embraced his witch before kissing her.
Lucius smiled and told Narcissa of his vision. His son's happiness would overshadow any political machinations he could design. Abraxas and Nicholas stood in the hall and waited to meet the newest Malfoy. Those in the hall quietly discussed when Draco's visions would start and what would they be. As they stood in the hall, Narcissa gently kissed Lucius as she rocked her newborn son to sleep.