Everyone looked at each other solemnly.

Someone was going to have to become Voldemort. The darkest wizard of all time. And play him well enough to fool a mad woman who was obsessed with him.

Uncle Ron stepped forward bravely. "Then I would like to I think I should be him. I mean, it won't be exactly nice being Voldemort but without wishing to blow my own trumpet I am probably the most chilled out of all of us and . . . so maybe transfiguring into him into the Dark Lord will do less damage to me than any of you more… intense people."

Uncle Harry stepped away, introspective.

I didn't like the look on his face. There was something there that reminded me of when Aunt Ginny talked about his willingness to sacrifice himself for others.

Aunt Hermione slugged him again. "Who are you calling intense?"

Uncle Draco stepped forward. "I'd also like to volunteer. I think being Voldemort requires precision, no offense, Ron and a knowledge of Dark Magic and…"

"NO!" Aunt Aly screamed, shocking everyone. "No, you sit down and at least pretend to be a cowardly Slytherin, you infuriating man. Of all of us I am the one with the most experience playing a double agent."

Uncle Draco took her in his arms. "Love…"

"NO!" Aunt Aly looked close to tears. "I already let Harry and Ron and that damned Ministry… No offense Hermione… have you. I won't lose you to this. I won't… Merlin! Do you know what he could do to you? With this? Aunt Aly had gripped his arm."

"Alright, love, be calm." He soothed. "Although oddly… there isn't even a twinge…" He looked down at his arm strangely.

Oh Merlin! That was wear the Dark mark was. I forgot he had been an actual Death Eater.

Aunt Aly had buried her face in his chest.

Aunt Hermione also stepped bravely forward. "And I'd like to volunteer too. As Minister for Magic I think it's my responsibility and right."

Scorpius pulled out some licorice sticks. "Maybe we should draw lots we could use these."

Uncle Draco looked at Scorpius sharply. "You're not volunteering, Scorpius."

"Damned right he isn't." I glared at him, shocking and amusing Uncle Draco. "And where do you keep getting all of these sweets? I thought we had talked about fruit being a better choice?"

"No, YOU talked about it." Scorpius reminded me. "And I got them at that muggle store."

Albus interrupted us. "Actually…"

Aunt Ginny put her foot down. "No, no way. I think you're all mad. I know what that voice is like inside your head I won't have it in mine again."

"And anyway it has to be me." Everyone turned to Uncle Harry.

"What?" Uncle Draco asked.

Uncle Harry explained. "For this plan to work she has to believe it's him, without hesitation. She'll use Parseltongue and I knew there was a reason why I still have that ability. But more than that, I know what it is to feel like him. I know what it is to be him. It has to be me."

"Rubbish." Uncle Ron looked at him. "Beautifully put but beautiful rubbish. No way are you going to…"

Aunt Hermione just looked sad. "I'm afraid you're right, my old friend."

Uncle Ron wasn't having it. "Hermione, you're wrong, Voldemort is not something to be Harry should not…"

Aunt Ginny stood next to him. "And I hate to agree with my brother, but…"

Uncle Ron looked ill. "He could get stuck as Voldemort forever."

"So could any of us." Aunt Hermione pointed out. "Your concerns are valid, but . . ."

"Hang on, Hermione. Gin." Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry make eye contact. "I won't do it if you don't want me to. But it feels like the only way to me, am I wrong?"

Aunt thinks a moment and then softly nods. Uncle Harry's face hardens. "You're right."

"But…" Scorpius tried to interrupt.

"Oh do be quiet." I snapped. "Sit down next to your father and look cowardly."

Aunt Aly wrapped an arm around my shoulders. I wished I could stop trembling.

"Lils…" Scorpius started.

"Don't you "Lils" me!" I was almost in tears. "Craig… I promised him I would save him. Did you know that?" Scorpius nodded. "And then she killed him. That bitch just…" I shuddered. "But I never told you.. The person I promised to save him from was YOU! There is no way you are stepping one toe in to the dark Scorpius Malfoy!"

Scorpius inhaled sharply.

"And ME!" I continued. "In that awful horrible world." I really was crying now. "We were the BAD guys, Scorpius! And I was going to have to marry Yann Fredericks!"

"Alright, Lilliana." Scorpius hugged me. "You know I would never let you marry Yann."

My heart beat in my chest hard when he said that.

"I mean, what are best friends for?" He grinned.

Aunt Aly sighed. "Scorp…." I felt myself blush.

"Smooth son, real smooth." Uncle Draco laughed behind me. "I will have to introduce you to the secret Malfoy male charm."

"You mean throw jewelry at some poor girl until she gives up?" Uncle Ron snickered.

"Ronald!" Aunt Aly hissed.

The banter had relieved the tension somewhat, which was good because Scorpius still had not let go of me and I guessed the reason why. He had gone tense when Uncle Draco talked about teaching him something.

"You are SO taking your turn around the Black Lake Reality check, Scorp." I hugged him back.

Uncle Harry steeled himself. "Then let's do this."

Uncle Draco ignored my comment to Scorpius. "Don't we need to discuss the route you're taking the…?

Uncle Harry looked towards the window. "She's watching for him. She'll come to me.

"And then what?" Uncle Draco asked. "When she's with you. May I remind you this is a very powerful witch."

Uncle Ron waved his wand. "Easy. He gets her in here. We zap her together."

Uncle Draco raised an eyebrow. "Zap her"? I can't believe you are my partner."

Aunt Hermione looked around the room. "We'll hide behind these doors. If you can get her to this point, Uncle Harry," she indicated the point where the light from the rose window hits the floor, "then we come out and make sure she has no chance to escape."

Uncle Ron said with a look of amusement at Uncle Draco. "And then we'll zap her."

Aunt Hermione looked concerned. "Harry, last chance, are you sure you can do this?"

"Yes, I can do this." Said firmly.

Uncle Draco finally acted like the Slytherin he was supposed to be. "No, there's too many what-ifs too many things that can go wrong the Transfiguration could not hold, she could see through it if she escapes us now there's no telling the damage she can do. We need time to properly plan, to…"

Albus looked up from where he had sat at the pew. "Uncle Draco, trust my dad. He won't let us down." Uncle Harry looked at Albus moved.

Aunt Hermione drew her wand. "Wands."

"Oh wait!" Uncle Ron pulled something from inside his robes. "Thought you might want this back."

I caught what he tossed me. "My wand! You are seriously the best!"

"Yeah, well, spread that around, will ya?" He grinned. "I'm bucking for a raise, but the new Minister is a real hard arse."

"Ron." Aunt Hermione groaned in amusement.

Everyone withdrew their wands.

Aunt Ginny looked at Albus wand. "That is not your wand, Albus."

"Yeah, Delphi snapped ours." He explained. "We had to improvise."

"You mean steal new ones." Uncle Draco laughed.

I suddenly had a thought. "Ummm.. Uncle Harry, before we do this…"

He looked at me surprised when I went over to the corner and pulled out the broom I had borrowed… oh alright… stole… earlier.

"I am sorry we had to ruin your baby blanket. Albus told us how important it was to you." Uncle Harry looked at Albus in surprise. "But umm… this, it was your Dad's. I got it out of his Quidditch shed and I thought, well, it isn't the same, but it is something…"

Uncle Harry hugged me tightly. "That is really great Lilliana, thank you."

Uncle Harry clasped his wand with what looked like more purpose.

There was a light that built, that overwhelmed. The Transfiguration was slow and monstrous. And the form of Voldemort emerges from Uncle Harry.

And it's horrendous.

He turned. He looked around at his friends and family. We all look back aghast.

Uncle Ron looked ready to vomit. "Bloody hell."

Uncle Harry/Voldemort said in a terrifying voice. "It worked, then?"

Aunt Ginny said gravely. "Yes. It worked."

Uncle Ron, Aunt Hermione, Uncle Draco, Scorpius, and Albus stood at the window, looking out. Ginny can't look. She sat further back.

Albus noticed his mum sitting apart. He walked over to her. "It's going to be okay, you know that, Mum?

Aunt Ginny hugged him. "I know it is. Or I hope I do. I just… don't want to see him like that. The man I love shrouded in the man I hate."

Albus sat beside his mum. "I liked her, Mum, you know that? I really liked her. Delphi. And she was Voldemort's daughter?"

Aunt Ginny pulled him closer. "That's what they're good at, Albus catching innocents in their web."

Albus choked back a sob. "Scorpius and Lilliana didn't trust her. Just me. This is all my fault."

Aunt Ginny takes ALBUS in her arms. "How funny. Your dad seems to think it's all his. Strange pair that you are."

"And it's rubbish anyway, Albus." I told him firmly. "We were right there with you. We all share blame. I should have sent an owl to Uncle Harry and told him what we were doing. Or shouted out while we were in the Ministry being eaten by a horrible bookshelf. Which was brilliant. Terrifying, but brilliant." I quickly added when Aunt Hermione glared at me, making her laugh a bit.

Scorpius called suddenly. "That's her. That's her. She's seen him."

Aunt Hermione gave us all a little push. "Positions. Everybody. And remember, don't come out until he's got her in the light we've one shot at this, we don't want to mess it up."

Uncle Draco laughed a bit. " Hermione Granger, I'm being bossed around by Hermione Granger. She turned towards him with a slight glare. He smiled and raised his hands in surrender. "And I'm mildly enjoying it."

Scorpius looked embarrassed. "Dad . . ."

We scattered. We hide behind two major doors. I was next to Scorpius. I reached for his hand. "You are my… best friend, Scorpius Malfoy. Don't do anything stupid."

"Ditto, Lilliana Dursely." He squeezed my hand. "Although one of us is incapable of doing anything stupid. Less brilliantly perhaps…."

"Shut up." I laughed. "And thank you."

"I meant ME!" Scorpius sounded scandalized. "Now shut up before you give us away."

I shut up, but I swear I heard Aunt Aly grumble something about Malfoy men.

...