Author's Note: Okay, the last three chapters were pretty cruddy, but it
gets juicier from now on.
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Chapter Four: Old Newspapers
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An old *Daily Prophet* lay by his side; a slightly more recent one was open on his lap. The Dark Lord looked up from his newspaper, and smiled. Had anyone been in the room at the time, they would have said that that smile was the most terrifying thing they'd ever seen. "Hermione Granger," he muttered. He put down the paper. HARRY POTTER'S SECRET HEARTACHE screamed the headline. An ingenious plot was forming in his mind. He summoned his servant.
"There is a Mudblood at the school by the name of Granger," he said. "What do you know about her?"
Wormtail shook as he beheld the Dark Lord's hope. "S-she is a great friend of H-Harry Potter, my lord. A very clever girl. "
"Weasley . . ." repeated the Dark Lord. "One of the blood traitors?"
"Yes, my Lord."
"Wormtail, I want you to send for Malfoy. I have a job for his boy . . ."
*****
"My Lord," said Lucius Malfoy silkily, bowing low.
"Is your son aware of the presence of a Hermione Granger in Hogwarts?"
Malfoy scowled briefly, then said, "My Lord, I believe so."
"How does he know her?"
Malfoy's dislike for the girl was now quite pronounced. "I understand that she is somewhat intelligent, my Lord. S-she sometimes beats even my Draco, and he is himself highly gifted - among the top in the school."
"You exaggerate," sneered the Dark Lord. "Your son is not so talented as you would like to believe. But nonetheless, I have reason to believe that she is the object of the Potter boy's affections. My intent is to place her under the Imperius Curse and use her to get at Potter. Do not dare to say it is futile, Malfoy! I want Potter out of the way before I take over the Ministry. He has foiled my plans thrice now."
Not knowing what he or his son could possibly do to implement this ridiculous scheme, Malfoy looked uncomfortable. The Dark Lord noted it. "I want your boy to curse her. I shall possess him and control the girl."
"My Lord," said Malfoy quickly, uneasy about having the master possessing his Draco, "if you will pardon my brazenness: why not simply possess the girl herself?"
"Because, Malfoy," replied the Dark Lord, fingers drumming on his wand, "the body must be willing. The girl will not allow herself to be possessed."
"Nor did the Weasley girl, Lord," said Malfoy, "But she submitted eventually." The Dark Lord looked thoughtful for a moment.
"We shall see how my plan goes," he said at last. "If it fails, we will move on to yours."
"Thank you, my Lord," said Malfoy.
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Chapter Four: Old Newspapers
::::::-------------
An old *Daily Prophet* lay by his side; a slightly more recent one was open on his lap. The Dark Lord looked up from his newspaper, and smiled. Had anyone been in the room at the time, they would have said that that smile was the most terrifying thing they'd ever seen. "Hermione Granger," he muttered. He put down the paper. HARRY POTTER'S SECRET HEARTACHE screamed the headline. An ingenious plot was forming in his mind. He summoned his servant.
"There is a Mudblood at the school by the name of Granger," he said. "What do you know about her?"
Wormtail shook as he beheld the Dark Lord's hope. "S-she is a great friend of H-Harry Potter, my lord. A very clever girl. "
"Weasley . . ." repeated the Dark Lord. "One of the blood traitors?"
"Yes, my Lord."
"Wormtail, I want you to send for Malfoy. I have a job for his boy . . ."
*****
"My Lord," said Lucius Malfoy silkily, bowing low.
"Is your son aware of the presence of a Hermione Granger in Hogwarts?"
Malfoy scowled briefly, then said, "My Lord, I believe so."
"How does he know her?"
Malfoy's dislike for the girl was now quite pronounced. "I understand that she is somewhat intelligent, my Lord. S-she sometimes beats even my Draco, and he is himself highly gifted - among the top in the school."
"You exaggerate," sneered the Dark Lord. "Your son is not so talented as you would like to believe. But nonetheless, I have reason to believe that she is the object of the Potter boy's affections. My intent is to place her under the Imperius Curse and use her to get at Potter. Do not dare to say it is futile, Malfoy! I want Potter out of the way before I take over the Ministry. He has foiled my plans thrice now."
Not knowing what he or his son could possibly do to implement this ridiculous scheme, Malfoy looked uncomfortable. The Dark Lord noted it. "I want your boy to curse her. I shall possess him and control the girl."
"My Lord," said Malfoy quickly, uneasy about having the master possessing his Draco, "if you will pardon my brazenness: why not simply possess the girl herself?"
"Because, Malfoy," replied the Dark Lord, fingers drumming on his wand, "the body must be willing. The girl will not allow herself to be possessed."
"Nor did the Weasley girl, Lord," said Malfoy, "But she submitted eventually." The Dark Lord looked thoughtful for a moment.
"We shall see how my plan goes," he said at last. "If it fails, we will move on to yours."
"Thank you, my Lord," said Malfoy.