With Sephie safely in the Hospital Wing, Oliver wearily made his way back to his rooms. He heard voices coming down the hall and, from habit born of long practice, pressed himself against the wall, into the shadows.

" This has gone on too long, Severus," the voice said coldly, and Oliver recognized it instantly for who it was. Lucius Malfoy. "The boy must become a Death Eater, and the girl fulfill her destiny."

"That can be avoided, Lucius, and you know it!" Snape's voice hissed.

"I don't like this anymore than you do, Severus! You tend to forget, that's my boy! As much as I've had to pretend that wasn't so, it is. And I know it." The voice of Malfoy was impassioned now, desperate. "My wife…"

"Narcessa? She's a self-absorbed moron, Lucius, and has been since the days of Gabrielle."

"I'm well aware of that, Severus. I've known that since I've met her. If I could break the cycle, I would."

Snape snarled, "It's people like you that help the cycle thrive. Get out of my sight. I will not see the downfall of ANY of my students, Potter included. And you can go back and tell the Dark Lord so. No matter what he does, these students will defeat him, Lucius. One way… or another. Do you really want to be there when he falls?"

"No, Severus. No more than you do. I'll deliver your message."

Then Lucius Malfoy was gone.

~*~

"Peter's trial is set for next Tuesday," Hermione informed the eager group.

"So soon?" asked Mariah in amazement. "It usually takes so long!"

"This kind of trial is almost like an American Military tribunal. Quick, execution style."

"Excellent," said Lexi, rubbing her hands together. Draco laughed.

The group was reposing on the lawn, the crisp late September air feeling refreshing after a day in the castle.

"They got permission to use Veratiserum on him, too. This should be good."

That came from Harry, who was on his back watching the owls fly about. His attention thus fixed, he missed it when Mariah took a leap at his stomach and sent them both rolling.

"Ow! Hey, Mari!" She laughed at his floored expression.



From the other side of the lake, Remus and Ally were watching, Jessi and "Padfoot" beside them. Ally smiled at her husband. "They're so carefree," she remarked.

Jessi shook her head. "They're no more carefree than we were, Ally. They know something big is coming, and they know they might not all make it, but they're determined to do the best they can."

Padfoot barked twice, and Remus frowned at him. "Watch your mouth, Snuffles."

The dog jumped him for that.

~*~

"Mariah?"

Mari looked up in surprise, almost falling off her bed. "Harry?! You're not supposed to be in here!"

Harry grinned at her. "I know."

"Then WHY are you here?"

"I have something for you."

Mari blinked. "You do?"

Harry nodded. "Mariah, you know I love you, right?"

"Yes." Her answer was determined and forceful.

"And you know I'd never, ever hurt you, right?"

"Ye- Harry, where are you going with this?"

"I want you to have this."

Harry extended his hand, letting the firelight catch the gold of the Gryffindor Amulet.

Mariah's mind assimilated this all at once, and she gaped at him. "Harry… are you sure? This is… I mean…"

"I've put a lot of thought into this. You don't have to wear it if you don't want to…"

His disappointed look made Mariah retract her hasty statement. "Oh, no, I love it! I love YOU. I just wanted to make sure YOU were sure, that's all."

"I'm sure."

Mariah turned around and lifted her hair. "Will you clasp it, please?"

~*~

At the moment the clasp fused around Mariah's neck, Voldemort felt a flare of uncontained power. He stretched his thin lips in a smile. "Young Potter has given the Amulet away. Excellent. Nagini!"

"My Lord," she hissed.

"True form, please," he said.

She shifted quickly and extended her hand. "Yes, Tom."

"Call Cho Pettigrew and tell her that the plans are set. The Chamber under the Moon must be readied, and the book taken. Tell her I'll need her help in procuring young Potter. Has Malfoy returned from the grounds yet?"

"No, Tom. He is still out."

Voldemort frowned. "Access his Mark and Call him. I want to be sure he has persuaded Snape."

~*~

Lucius grimaced in his rooms and laid the knife on his arm, just below the bicep, where the Dark Mark was burning steadily. He had his wand at the ready. He took the knife to his arm, cutting deep through sinew and muscle and grinding his teeth with the pain. He cut quickly, clipping around the Mark to the bone. He popped it out of his arm with a sucking down, and the blood pouring down his arm was already making his job precarious at best. He dropped the knife and picked up the wand, muttering incantation after incantation to partially close the wound. Finally, after about twenty minutes, it was done. He hissed and kicked the tainted piece of his arm into the fireplace. This was over, starting now.

~*~

The full moon was two days away, and Jeremy was already irritable. He decided that tonight was a good night for Kitchen food. As he snuck down the hall, Ginny at his side, they heard stumbling footsteps and drew backwards to watch a shaking Lucius Malfoy make his way to Albus Dumbledore's office and knock. After a moment, he was admitted, and the door swung shut. Ginny and Jeremy regarded each other with wide eyes. What was going on?

~*~



Dumbledore heard a knock at his door around 2:30 in the morning and opened it to Lucius Malfoy, pale and shaking.

"Albus, I beg of you, grant me refuge here."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.

"From the Dark Lord," Lucius elaborated, holding up an arm with a jagged circular wound where the Dark Mark should have been.

"Forgive me, Lucius, but I don't know if I can trust you. I shall let you stay here for three days while I investigate, no more, no less. I promise you that while you are here, I shall do all in my power to protect you."

"Thank you, Albus," was all Lucius said before sitting in a chair and looking like he had been through the hardest night of his life.

Dumbledore left, remembering another former Death Eater who had come to him in the middle of the night begging for help…