Chapter 35: Conciliae Bellicus – Councils of War

            "Surprise!" said Lucius.

Arthur Weasley gaped at him over the top of The Daily Prophet. With a crack, Draco apparated behind him. The three men glared at each other in the living room of The Burrow.

            "Lucius" said Arthur, hurriedly putting down his newspaper and searching desperately under the coffee table for his slippers with his bare feet.

            "Who's here?" said Molly coming into the room when she heard the two sharp cracks of people apparating. When she saw the two tall, black-cloaked, blonde men in her room, her eyes widened in shock.

            "Hello, Molly." said Lucius, smiling nastily.

            "That's enough Lucius. What do you want?" said Arthur coldly, getting up and putting his arm around his wife.

            "I want my grandson, Arthur, now, that's not so terrible is it?"

            "What are you talking about?" said Molly, glaring at Lucius, "What grandson? You mean, Draco has a child? Or do you have another child besides Draco we don't know about?"

            Draco broke away from his father's side and started walking around the living room. "Yes, I do have a son, actually… and I want him back now. Thanks awfully for looking after him." Draco picked up a little ornament from the mantelpiece and sneered at it, "how cheap." He dropped it casually onto the floor where it shattered.

            "How dare you!" said Molly. "That was a gift from Charley!"

            "A cheap gift." said Draco.

            Molly Weasley looked like she would burst with rage. Arthur held her wand arm down. Muttering "we can fix it later" to her.

            "Look Lucius," Arthur said bravely, "We don't know what you are talking about. There are no Malfoys under this roof, you had better look elsewhere."

            "Mum, who's …" Percy Weasley entered the room. He took one look at Lucius and Draco and narrowed his eyes.

            "Hello Percy" said Draco smoothly. "Enjoying life with my son?"

            Percy stood stock still. "I – don't – know- what – you – are – talking- about." He said slowly and deliberately.

            "All right, you Weasels are beginning to annoy me" said Lucius, drawing his wand.

            Molly Weasley reached quickly for her own.

            "Stupefy" yelled Lucius.

            "Deflecto!" yelled Molly, deflecting the charm from her husband. The charm bounced off the deflecting charm and smashed the glass pane of a bookshelf by the window.

            Percy took the opportunity to run from the room, followed closely by Draco.

            Arthur Weasley was rounding on Lucius.

            Penelope Weasley had awoken late that morning and was just coming down the stairs for breakfast. She was carrying her baby in her arms.

            "NO!" shouted Percy, running to his wife, "GET NICHOLAS AWAY!"

            She took in the scene at once. She recognized Draco Malfoy from her days at Hogwarts even though he had grown a lot since she had seen him. Turning, she ran up the stairs.

            "Stupefy!" yelled Draco.

            Percy stumbled and fell. Penelope knew her husband had fallen behind her but she didn't stop running. She had to protect the baby. Unfortunately, she didn't know where to run to! The burrow was tall and narrow. She stumbled madly up the stairs…what did Draco want with her baby?

            She heard his footsteps running after her. With a cry of fear, she turned round to face him.

            "Give me my son" said Draco calmly.

            Penelope gaped at him. "Your son?"

            "Well, you know he isn't yours." Said Draco, advancing on her with his wand outstretched.

            Lucius appeared behind him.

            Penelope looked around wildly for escape.

            "Penelope, he wants Nicky! Don't give him Nicky!" she heard Molly Weasley running up the stairs. Lucius muttered something rude, then he bent over the staircase and said casually, "Rictus Sempra".  There was scream followed by the sound of someone falling.

            "Give him to me." Said Draco, reaching out for Noel.

            "You- can't – have – him" said Penelope, holding the baby closer to her breast. It had begun cry. "This is my son, Nicholas Weasley."

            Draco snorted, "Like I wouldn't know my own flesh and blood when I see him! That is Noel Draco Malfoy and he has been in your foster care for nearly seven months! I WANT MY SON NOW."

            He didn't dare to hex Penelope in case he missed and the hex harmed the baby. Voldemort had been very specific about have the child alive and well. Instead, Draco advanced on Penelope and wrenched the baby from her arms.  It screamed more loudly.

            "Shut the brat up" said Lucius.

            With a crack, Lucius and Draco disapparated with Noel.

            Penelope screamed and burst into tears.

            Percy had just recovered from his hex and was stumbling up the stairs.

            "He took Nicky! He took Nicky!"

            Arthur and Molly Weasley ran up the stairs.

            "How DARE he take my grandson!" said Molly, trembling with fear and rage, while at the same time petting Penelope who seemed to be getting hysterical.

            "What nonsense about Nicky being a Malfoy!" said Arthur.

            Percy's brow broke out in beads of cold sweat. Penelope sobbed pathetically, clinging to her mother-in-law.

            "Penelope" said Percy in a strangled voice, "We had better tell Mum and Dad the truth. Then, we need to speak to Dumbledore."

            "What truth?" said Molly fiercely "What's going on? Why do you need to see Dumbledore?"

            Arthur Weasley laughed suddenly. When he had looked at Draco Malfoy's face in the kitchen, he had seen something familiar. He had a feeling that he knew what had been going on.

*************************************

            Luna Lovegood shot a final silver bullet into the werewolf who collapsed in front of her. Its body slowly returned to the shape of a man. Luna wiped the sweat from her brow and sheathed her wand. Near her, Ginny Weasley lay stunned beside another dead werewolf.

            Luna hurried over to her friend. The moon was setting and the night was nearly over.

            "Ginny! Ginny, wake up! Enervate"

            Ginny didn't wake. Luna checked to see that her heart was still beating and found to her relief that it was.

            "Mobilicorpus" said Luna, and Ginny's body rose of the ground. She would have to get Ginny back to base camp. As she neared the tent, a stately witch in green robes ran towards her.

            "Help me, Emmeline" said Luna, placing Ginny gently on the ground.

            Emmeline Vance muttered a short charm and Ginny's eyelids flicked open.

            "Did we get them?" she muttered.

            "Yes!" said Luna, clapping her hands and doing a little dance. "Right between the eyes! Kapow!" She danced around, her waist-length dirty-blonde hair fanning out around her.

            "Luna…" warned Emmeline, the girl was always a bit odd, "Not so much noise."

            Ginny grinned. "Great. Ow…think I bumped my head when I fell…"

            Emmeline Vance pulled a letter from her robes, it had the official seal of the Ministry of Magic.

            "We've been sent a letter from Auror Headquarters."

            "Huh…thought they'd forgotten all about us" said Luna, taking a long drink of water. "Three girls like us all alone in the fricking forests killing werewolves…I don't see why Colin got assigned Dementors in London…much nicer, and I wanted to do some shopping for summer…"

            "Hush girl" said Emmeline, "Let me read you the letter."

            "Dear Mdm Vance, Miss Weasley and Miss Lovegood, your assistance at Hogwarts is required immediately. Drop all your assignments and return to Hogwarts within a day of receiving this letter. Percy Weasley, Head of Department of Magical Law Enforcement. PS: Ginny, mum says will you please remember to take your Angelica Root Potion every night to make sure you have lots of energy. Cheers."

            "Well!" said Luna, "Looks like we better take off right now if we are to reach Hogwarts by tomorrow."

            "I'll pack up the camp" said Ginny, getting weakly to her feet.

            "No dear, you sit down, I'll do it" said Emmeline Vance. "Luna, that Angelica Root Potion might be needed now, will you fetch it for Ginny. One of Molly's best home remedies that is."

            Luna ran off to find Ginny's Angelica potion. After a few sips, Ginny felt her strength returning.

            "Phoo…it tastes awful!" said Ginny, screwing up her face.

            Luna grinned and drank some from the bottle.

            "Not too bad really…"

            "Luna, you are weird."

            "My pleasure."

            Emmeline had magically packed up the camp in a matter of seconds.

            "Let's go"

            When the three women finally made it to Hogsmeade the next day, they were pleasantly surprised to meet Dedalus Diggle and Colin Creevey at the Three Broomsticks. Apparently, they had also been summoned to Hogwarts.

            "This is it," muttered Diggle to the women. "I know Dumbledore. He never summons us unless it's something really big. I have a feeling about this one."

            "Hi Colin," said Luna brightly, staring intently at him through large, pale-blue protuberant eyes. "Killed any dementors lately?"

            Colin blushed. "A few…my patronus has been busy."

            "Is your patronus still your brother?"

            "Luna!" hissed Ginny, kicking the girl under the table. Luna had a way of asking the most inappropriate questions.

            But Colin was staring mesmerized at Luna's blue eyes, "Yes…W-Would you like to have dinner with me sometime?"

            Luna smiled serenely. "Sure."

            Ginny rolled her eyes.

            Emmeline cleared her throat loudly and said, "I think we should go to Hogwarts straight away."

            Colin was beamed all the way to Hogwarts.

            The five Aurors were welcomed at the main door by an anxious looking Professor McGonagall.

            "The others are already here. They're in the office, come right up."

            When Ginny Weasley entered the office, she was surprised by the number of people crammed into it. Dedalus had been right. This was probably the big one.

            "Sit down, sit down" said Dumbledore, magically conjuring five chairs out of thin air for the new arrivals.

            Ginny, Luna and Colin nodded to Andrew Figg, their old Hogwarts Auror trainer who was seated between Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. Harry Potter was obviously missing as were Elphias,  Justin and Sturgis.

            As if reading their minds, Sirius said, "Harry, Elphias, Justin and Sturgis are still in Eastern Europe...we've tried to owl them and I think they should be in position in time."

            "Where's Severus?" asked Emmeline curiously.

The room was silent.

            "Where's Draco and Neville?" asked Ginny.

Sirius and Remus exchanged glances.

Dumbledore looked at the assembled party over his half-moon glasses. He drew a fourteen inch thin black wand from his robes and sighed. "Ladies and Gentlemen, this, is Severus Snape's wand which came to me through Hermione Granger this morning…"

"Hermione's here?" shrieked Ginny.

The little assembly all turned to look at here and she blushed. "It's just that I was so worried about her…is she all right?"

Dumbledore nodded slightly. "She is fine, and you can see her soon Ginny. In fact, were it not for her cleverness in escaping, we would still be in the dark about Voldemort's rapid progress."

"Rapid progress?" said Figg curiously.

 "I'm afraid so, Andrew. That is why none of us have been able to contact Severus…or Draco for that matter. Listen carefully for we have not much time, I was contacted by Percy and Penelope Weasley this morning…."

*********************************************

            "We have brought you the child." said Lucius, kneeling before Voldemort. Draco knelt beside his father and lifted the child up to him

            Voldemort extended a long, clawed finger and drew it down the baby's cheek. It left a few drops of blood in its wake. The baby began to cry again.

            "Very good. Very good indeed."

            Voldemort gave a harsh laugh. "You may rise, both of you have done very well. Draco Malfoy, you have surpassed my expectations. In offering to me the life of your child, you have guaranteed my success in attaining immortal life. You shall be rewarded."

            "The girl however, we tried our best but…she escaped." Lucius said, haltingly. Not daring to raise his eyes.

            There was a moment when he thought Voldemort might hurt him, but to his surprise, the Dark Lord merely waved his hand impatiently.

            "It is of no consequence. She is only a dirty little mudblood- I doubt we have to worry about her. By tonight, I will be invincible." He rubbed his hands together eagerly.

            "Yes, my Lord."

            Voldemort turned to Draco's father, "The time has come. The process should begin now, have you the pure sample?"

            "I do my Lord. The last of the eggs hatched last month and the hearts of the dragon spawn were all healthy. We have our sample." Lucius drew a flask from his robes and handed it over to Voldemort.

            "Dolohov."

            A thin, ugly man with dark eyes who had been standing to one side approached him. "Yes, my Lord?"

            "I want a ring of defense set up around the castle now. Let the others know. Tonight, the Ritual will take place and nothing must get in the way."

            "The others are already in position, my Lord, but I will speak with Goyle again about the forests."

            "Good…nothing must go wrong now. I want the tower specially fortified"

Dolohov bowed his way out of the room.

"Draco Malfoy, take the child to the south guard room and wait there. I have to speak to your father privately about something."

            "Very good, my Lord."

            Draco carried the crying child out of the room. The child had grown a lot since he had last seen him, Draco tried to avoid looking into the golden-brown eyes of the baby, they reminded him too strongly of its mother. The pain was still too raw. He hardened his heart again… he had felt no pleasure when he had forced himself on her last night. She didn't know that he had wept after it was over.

            Each time he thought of the times they had shared and her betrayal, he felt like dying. Draco had done a lot of thinking over the last two days. His father was finally proud of him, he was in Voldemort's inner circle, he had performed unforgivable curses with more power and pain than he had thought imaginable. If he just thought about that, how it felt to be feared, powerful, useful at last….and blocked out Hermione's face, he could go on living. Sort of.

            Draco reached the south guard room. This mysterious castle was mostly in ruins but some rooms still stood, this being one of them. In the dungeons below was a series of ancient tombs that Voldemort had been using as his headquarters.

There was food and drink there, but none of it for the baby. Helplessly, Draco looked around for anything to feed to the child. He knew Noel was hungry, he recognized the cries even after not hearing them for months.

            "Hello Draco!" he heard a lady's high voice greet him. Turning around in surprise, he laid eyes on someone he had not expected to see ever again.

            "You! What are you doing here?" he said.

            Pansy Parkinson walked towards him and took the baby from his arms. Too surprised to resist, he watched her do it.

            "Once you became a Death Eater, your father contacted my parents to arrange a Pureblood Marriage for us. Oh…isn't he sweet." She said, bouncing the baby up and down, making Noel cry even louder.

            "Stop that! He doesn't like it" said Draco angrily, trying to snatch the baby back. But Pansy's grip on the child was vice-like.

            "Your father asked me to look after Noel till the Ritual. Don't worry Draco, he'll be fine."

            Draco watched as Pansy laid the child down on a cot he hadn't seen at the side of the room. There was a bottle of milk in it. The child began to drink hungrily. Eventually, Pansy let go of the bottle and Noel held it by himself. She noticed a beautiful dragon pendant around his neck…

            "That's much too nice for a baby like you" she muttered and tried to unfasten the  chain, but it wouldn't come undone. The child stopped drinking for a moment and stared at her. His silver-blonde hair turned momentarily orange, but she thought it was a trick of the light. Giving up, she shoved the bottle roughly into the baby's hands and left him.

            Pansy turned round to Draco who stood looking out of a window. She was wearing the most outrageously low-cut and tight robes a witch could wear. Going to Switzerland must have been good for her- she had more curves than before, and her skin was very clear, not spotty as he remembered it had been in Hogwarts.

            "Draco…" she murmured, going up to him.

            He stood like a statue as Pansy pressed herself against him, conflicting emotions rushing through him. On one hand, he thought her a spiteful, foolish girl…on the other, it had turned out that he was no wiser or kinder than she. Pansy tossed her long, black hair back and raised her eyes to his, "I've missed you" she whispered.

            Impossibly, he felt his body beginning to respond. His arms found their way around her and he entangled his hand in her hair. He jerked her head back and kissed her, his hand running down her tight robes. Even if he didn't love her, he could still enjoy her.

            Pansy had dreamed of this moment with Draco nearly all her life. His gray eyes were stormy, his body strangely powerful. In the background, the baby began to cry. Suddenly, Draco pulled back from her and gasped.

            "What?" she said, staring at him curiously. He had a haunted look on his face, his eyes focused on a spot behind her. He turned from her and left the room quickly. "What is it?" Pansy yelled after him, but he slammed the door in her face and by the time she managed to open it, he was gone. Annoyed, Pansy went back to the cot and stared at Noel. She hated the baby's golden eyes…they were Hermione's eyes. Reaching into the cot, she pinched the baby hard and he choked on his milk. Pansy smiled as the child screamed. Draco would be hers yet.

            Draco marched through the dank hallways of the castle, his eyes filling with tears. Finally, he reached the dead-end of a corridor and with a yell, punched the stone wall so hard his knuckles split. Draco watched his own blood run down his arm.

When he had pressed Pansy to him, he had felt a ridiculous feeling…that he was betraying Hermione Granger. Noel had started crying and he had had a rush of memory so strong he felt he was living it. He was kissing Hermione by the Great Lake, in Hogsmeade, laughing with her in the Prefects' common room, holding her after she had given birth to their son…then to his horror, he swore he could see her watching him behind Pansy! There she stood, in a white nurses' uniform smiling at him. Noel's pitiful cries echoed around the room. Was he going mad? What was wrong with him?

            He had to find his father and Voldemort. Once he was back with the Death Eaters, his past ceased to matter.

            In another part of the castle, Lucius and Voldemort watched as Severus Snape mechanically mixed ingredients into a gently simmering cauldron. Severus' eyes were ringed darkly…as if he had not slept for many days. His black robes hung off his thin shoulders much too large for his emaciated frame, a line of drool dripped delicately down his chin. His left arm hung weakly by his side, dislocated or damaged in some way.

            "Hurry, Snape" said Voldemort, pacing the room.

            Lucius kicked the Potions Master on the ankle but aside from wincing slightly, Snape showed no slacking off in concentration from what he was doing.

            "Disgusting" said Lucius, moving away from the rank smell of faeces and urine that clung to the man.

            Voldemort smirked behind his white skull mask. "It's one of the most powerful Imperius curses I have ever used…it's very effective isn't it? I've always wanted a chance to test it out."

            Lucius agreed simperingly with the Dark Lord. Voldemort impatiently stared at the cauldron, the red cinnabar was turning crystal clear…but it was not quite time yet. Just a few more hours…

            "No one can withstand the power of this Imperius curse, it would take more will-power than ten men possessed to reclaim one's individual will, " boasted the Dark Lord. "Observe- Snape, drink the blood".

            Snape's hand shook but he lifted the vile black fluid of baby dragon's blood to his lips and drank it down. The poisonous liquid burned his throat and he screamed and choked. Smoke rose from his blistered lips and a trickle of blood ran down his tongue, but he swallowed it all.

            "I find it rather amusing" said the Dark Lord. "Snape resisted all the other levels of the Imperius rather well… but since placing this one on him, he has been very well behaved, haven't you Severus? Co-operating with us to deceive Draco, helping us find the Granger girl, perfecting the final stage of the stone, …How sad that once the stone is ready, your usefulness will be over…"

            Severus Snape dully continued mixing the potion.

            Lucius smirked. "What then, my Lord?"

            Voldemort laughed, "I have instructed him not to eat or drink anything since last week, I think he will starve himself to death soon…what a painful and horrid way to die, Severus, pity you weren't loyal."

            Lucius kicked Severus behind the knees and his knees buckled. The weakened man staggered and took a few moments to regain his balance. Lucius laughed. "One of the most amazing Imperius curses I have ever seen, My Lord. Truly you are great."

            Voldemort snickered and led Lucius away from cauldron. His plans were nearly complete. The child was here. Draco would perform the sacrifice. Nothing could go wrong.

            Somewhere, as if from under a choking blanket of smog, Severus Snape remembered using his last ounce of free will to give Hermione his wand. The effort had been so great that his left arm muscles were damaged. Gritting his teeth against the pain and humiliation, Severus continued perfecting the cinnabar. He had no more will power.

***********************************

            "How much further?" said Luna yelled over her shoulder to Emmeline Vance. The Thestrals flew steadily onwards in the sky, as they had been doing for the past two hours. At Thestral speed, that meants that they would have had to have traveled thousands of miles already.

            "About half an hour" said Emmeline, shouting against the wind.

            Luna clutched onto her Thestral and felt Emmeline cling tighter to her waist. They were flying at a really fast speed now. She was just vaguely aware of the other Aurors mounted on Thestrals around her, two Aurors shared a Thestral. Colin had mounted one of the black horses with Dedalus, Dumbledore rode with Sirius, Lupin with Figg, and, in the centre of all of them were Ginny and Hermione.

            Hermione was leaning more and more heavily on her friend and Ginny was beginning to think that it wasn't such a good idea for her to have come along after all.

            "All right, Mione?" Ginny called over her shoulder. "I think we'll be there soon, only half an hour more."

            "I'm okay" said Hermione, "It's just that it's kind of scary flying on something you can't see."

            "Well, just hang on to me!" said Ginny, trying to comfort her friend. Ginny hadn't been able to see the horses in her fourth year, but now she could- a definite result of Auror duties. She remembered what it had been like flying on something she couldn't see back in her fourth year and understood how odd Hermione must feel.

            As they flew, Ginny reviewed Dumbeldore's battle strategy in her mind. It was not to be an open battle- the last open confrontation had resulted in the death of many of the old Order of the Phoenix. This was to be an operation of stealth.

            They couldn't fly straight into the castle, too obvious- they would have to land nearby and make their way there slowly. Hagrid and Grawp were already stationed there, spying on the other giants' movements and communicating with Sturgis and Justin who were lying low in position about when to launch the Ridgeback attack. That would clear a way to the castle for the Aurors.

            Hopefully, Harry would be there with the Fireballs as well. If they didn't succeed in making it through the forest and to the castle walls, they stood very little chance of getting in at all.

            Intelligence had relayed that the castle was heavily charmed and protected. It would be very difficult to enter… but the Aurors were skilled at overcoming such charms. They would be able to enter.

            Once in the castle, they would split up- Dumbledore, Sirius and hopefully, Harry would go for Voldemort and his inner circle. Hermione, Ginny and Remus would look for Noel. All the other Aurors were to stand guard around the castle. Dumbledore wanted it swift and deadly.

            Ginny hoped that Dumbledore had done the right thing in letting Hermione come along. The other Aurors had been doubtful about her usefulness- she was emotional and pale. But Dumbledore seemed to see past all that, insisting that Hermione Granger came along. A few sips of Molly Weasley's Angelica Root Potion had soon put Hermione into better strength and now, here she was, clinging onto Ginny's waist as they flew over Eastern Europe on a Thestral.

            Hermione hadn't said much during the journey, so Ginny was surprised when Hermione suddenly said to her, "I still love him, you know."

            "What?" yelled Ginny. The wind was rushing loudly past her ears.

            "I still love Draco" Hermione repeated, louder this time.

            "Oh!" said Ginny doubtfully. After what Dumbledore had told them about Draco's inexplicable change of heart, many of the Aurors including herself believed that Draco's childhood conditioning had finally caught up with him. Once a Death Eaters son, always a Death Eater's son.

            Hermione and Ginny were silent for the rest of the journey. They felt the thestrals begin to descend. There was no need for talking. They were nearly there.

            The Thestrals touched down in a clearing in a forest, the ten Aurors got gratefully to their feet, all were stiff after the long ride. Dedalus Diggle whipped out his wand.

            "Wands at the ready" the Aurors all whipped out their wands. Only Dumbledore calmly offered a small pack of sherbert lemons to everyone before taking out his wand.

            "We know there are werewolves and dementors in these forests, and there is the line of giants, so please stay alert. We want to take out everything quietly and quickly. No fuss, no muss…savvy?"

            All around him nodded.

            Sucking on the sour sweet, Hermione realized that it really did take the edge of the discomfort and queasiness of flying. Once again, Dumbledore amazed her.

            "Stick close to me, Hermione" said Sirius, moving protectively closer to her.

            "I'll be okay" said Hermione, brandishing her new wand bravely. Gold sparks flew out of the end, Ollivander had sent a replacement wand at once on Dumbledore's urgent request.

            "Our best chance is to meet up with Hagrid, Grawp, Justin, Sturgis and Harry. With the dragons bringing down the giants, we can easily get past the rest of them. Colin, Luna, are you listening to me?" said Figg gruffly

            The the two teenagers stood talking quietly. Luna looked like the flight was as easy as a walk in the park, there was a bloom on her cheeks and she wasn't the least bit wobbly. Colin looked a little pale, but was obviously trying not to show how queasy he really felt. He sucked furiously at his sherbert lemon and hurriedly stuffed another into his mouth.

            "Yes, got that" said Luna brightly, waving her wand around. Figg sighed. Luna was undoubtedly one of the best Aurors he had trained from Hogwarts- when she bothered to concentrate… but that girl still failed to inspire much confidence in him.

            There was a roar in the distance and everyone jumped.

            "Giants!" hissed Lupin, turning pale, "Everyone on guard!"

            "Oh my god, I know that sound" said Hermione suddenly.

            "What is it?" said Ginny, worriedly.

            Hermione smiled, "It's Grawp!"