DaZlinDZ - Thanks for pointing out that a person under the imperius curse WOULD be able to think straight (chapter 5). All I can say, is that I needed Draco-baby to be his normal 'uppity know it all and never admit to a Weasley that he doesn't know what he's talking about' self. It didn't matter WHAT was said, only that I needed them to argue at that point, and it worked. ^_^
In other words - I took creative license.
NiMiBabe - Way back in Chapter 5, you were my 100th reviewer. THANKS! I would have said it last chapter, but I only now counted it. I promise, I'll be more 'on the ball' for now on, when it comes to my reviews!
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. That honor belongs to J.K.Rowling. I make no money from this fic.
Compulsion: Chapter 7
By Caliko
He rose his head, moaning, desperately trying to remember how he had turned up alone in the middle of nowhere. Tall, swampy grass lay to one side, pristine sand to the other, neither giving hint to how he had arrived, nor the answer to how he would leave.
There were no bags or camping equipment, so that wasn't it. Also, his pockets were devoid of wand or floo powder - not even a muggle cell phone. He couldn't apparate without his wand, and even if he had the powder, there was no connected fireplace anywhere nearby.
The man sat up, wincing as pain shot down his back and across his shoulders. He lifted his hand to his face, feeling dried, crusted blood under his fingertips. His eye was tender and swollen, signaling a black eye, and pain shot through his lower lip, telling it's own tale.
Little by little, he made it to his feet, trying to see if there were a path to walk back to civilization. It was then that it hit him.
He had no idea where home was. More to the point, he had no idea who HE was.
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Ginny waited anxiously for Ron to come back, praying that the manor, in the meantime, would remain Draco-free. The last thing any of them needed was for the imposter to interfere in her plan and forbid entry to their old headmaster.
Hopefully, Dumbledore would have an idea of what was going on. The Professor knew many of the secrets hiding in his students genealogy, after all. He just might remember someone attached to the Malfoy's who had owned such a crystal as the one Draco now held. If not, well.. She'd cross that bridge when she came to it.
A knock sounded on the door just before it opened. Simon came into the room, followed by her guests.
"Miss, your brother has returned with Professor Dumbledore." The butler announced, before bowing and leaving the room.
"Thank you, Simon." Ginny called after him, then turned to the Professor. "Please, Sir. Make yourself comfortable."
"Thank you, Miss Weasley. I must say, that you look beautiful. When is the boy due?"
She blinked, nonplussed at having her suspicions confirmed. The man really DID know everything!
"Three more weeks, Professor. Thank you." She poured a cup of tea, then handed it to him. "Did Ron explain the situation?"
"Yes, indeed he did." He replied, taking the cup and then adding four cubes of sugar. "I like it sweet." He explained, then, "I must say that I never expected that stone to turn up again. It was lost after Luther Malfoy killed himself in battle."
"Draco had a relative that committed suicide?" Ron gaped.
"No, dear boy. You misunderstand. Luthor didn't commit suicide - he killed himself."
"I'm getting confused." Ginny closed her eyes tight to fight off a sudden migraine. "How can a person kill himself, but not commit suicide?"
"I'm sorry, Miss Weasley. I had assumed that you knew the nature of the crystal. You see, it divides good from evil, making two from one. Luthor the Whole had been toying with a spell that would help judge prisoners more accurately, before sentencing them arbitrarily to Azkaban. It was both a success and a failure at the same time." He paused as the twins strolled into the room and sat down.
"Sorry we're late. Mum was ripping into us for not getting you out of here." Fred told Ginny.
"Go on, Professor." She warned them against interrupting again with a look, then shifted her attention back to the aging headmaster.
"Yes, of course. As I was saying, it was both a success and a failure" Dumbledore sipped from his cup, then continued. "He had experimented on himself, first. Luthor had invited a group of us to watch, and intervene if need be. No one knew quite what to expect, since it had never been done before. We certainly didn't expect him to separate physically. The goal had been to create two phantasms, one light, one dark, then judge which was stronger.
He began by picking up his athane, then slicing his palm. He said that the blood powered the spell, making it work even if the subject was unwilling. Then, he placed the crystal over the cut, and concentrated. A few moments of nothing, and then, a strange greenish yellow light surrounded Malfoy, followed by a blinding white flash. When we could open our eyes once more, two Luthor Malfoy's stood where only one had before. The stone had given birth to his identical twin."
"So, your saying that the same thing has happened to Draco?" Ginny was shocked.
"Yes, I believe so. I see no other explanation for the changes you sense in Mr. Malfoy."
"What about that weird power that he used against his father?" Ron asked.
"A side effect to the spell. Luthor had poured a great amount of raw magic into that crystal. If a person already divided handles it, the power would have no where else to go, and could be directed for lack of a better outlet. It would make a fantastic weapon, which is why Luthor the Bad tried to seize control, and Luthor the Good had been forced to kill his twin."
"So, what do we do now? If that is the bad Draco, where is his twin? And, how do we get the stone away from the Draco the Bad?"
"I don't know, Miss Weasley. Luthor the Good had waited for his evil side to use the crystal against someone else, then struck before the power could be redirected at him. He always regretted sacrificing the wizard who volunteered, but could see no other way of doing it. Winslow Fletcher had agreed to do it, proclaiming that it was better to sacrifice one for the whole than the whole for one. In the end, it had been a success, but at such a great cost. Fletcher had died slowly, his body fighting for breath as the power crushed him, and the stone itself was thought to have been destroyed in the magical backlash."
Dumbledore bowed his head in memory, then went on. "I'm afraid that you might have to repeat history, My Dear."
"There has to be another way, Sir." Ginny stated, determined. "I won't sacrifice anyone if I can help it."
"I agree, only keep this in mind as a last resort. Now, I could have sworn that I smelled blueberry scones. I love blueberry scones. They are sweet, yet filling."
The Weasleys smiled, amused despite the dire circumstances. The Headmaster would never change.
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When I was a young boy, my father would take me places so that he could introduce me to those people who could help me in my rise to power. Among them had been an Italian count with a fetish for the dark arts, a very high priced assasin, and Borgin from Knockturn Alley.
Knockturn Alley had always been my favorite. Compared to Diagon, it was worn and dingy, but it had a flavor to it that promised excitement. It was dangerous in this section of the wizarding world, and I, even in my youth, enjoyed walking through it, protected by my fathers height, and his reputation.
Now, in the heart of the Alley, Borgin held court. He owned and ran a little curiosity shop, stocked with all sorts of tools to aid one in the dark arts. My father visited often, either liquidating incriminating evidence or buying much needed tools for some dark wizardry.
For whatever reason, I learned to appreciate the eclectic selection and dark possibilities it offered. Mr. Borgin had been only too happy to answer question after question, whether to kiss up to Father, or out of real pride of his establishment, I didn't know.
Nor did I care. Today, Mr. Borgin would once again answer my questions, perhaps steer me in the proper direction. Today, I begin my conquest of the Wizarding World.
The bell over the doorway tinkled, warning the proprietor that a customer was waiting. Ignoring it, I walked confidently around the perimeter of the shop, noting the new items, and saying hello to the old.
"I'll be right there." Borgin called out, his voice coming through the curtain separating the storeroom from the sales floor.
"It's Malfoy." I said. The man will hurry faster, knowing who I was.
"Why, it is you, Sir! Welcome!" He strode through the curtain almost immediately, his stride still quick, his demeaner still.. Unpleasant. Still, he had his uses, and I had need of them.
"Thank you, Borgin. I was wondering - do you still have the chalice that my father once sold you?"
"Your father sold me many chalice's. There was the one that turned water into a love potion, wine into poison, even one that would grant one wish to the person who owned it. Which were you referring to?"
"The one that granted wishes, of course." I replied. The man should have realized. "I have the woman I want, and poison is a cowards tool."
"Quite, quite. So you want to make a wish, do you? Well, I can help you with that. That cup has been returned to me over and over, the buyer dissatisfied with his lot. Damned thing! You are aware of it's nature?"
"Perhaps you had better explain."
"The cup will only grant one wish to a person, and only the wish that the person deserves. If he has done nothing but evil in his life, and he wishes for gold, he will get straw colored a bright gold. If he had been kind, and wishes for gold, then he will receive it. Your father sold me the chalice when he realized that he would never receive what he wanted."
"He wanted power over Lord Voldemort."
"It's not for me to say, sir. Your father had never confided in me."
"Then, tell me. If the cup is not worth my time, what is? I'm sure that you must have other items that give wishes."
"Not at the moment, Young Malfoy. But my eyes are always open. You can be sure of that. Is there anything else I can help you with?"
Not yet, Borgin. But, if you find another wish, contact me. I am always interested."
Without another word, I left the store, tasting the bitter taste of defeat.
::::There has to be another way.:::
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The landscape changed slowly as the miles fell away under my feet. The sun beat down on my head, burning through my light hair, and doubtlessly turning my pale scalp a bright pink. I could feel blisters forming on my heels, and I began to wonder if I would ever escape this hell. Would I ever remember my name? Where home lay? Would I remember how I got here, or, how I would get home?
I still had no answers, and no where to turn to for help. All I could do, was hope that soon, I would find civilization, and with it, some chance that I would be known to the people there.
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"Professor…" Ron asked, tapping his finger on the arm of his chair. "Can you tell us if there is anyway to reverse the crystals magic? I mean, it IS a spell, isn't it? So there should be some way to make it as if it never happened!"
Dumbledore sat back, contemplating the question. Originally, when the stone first performed it's magic, there had been a similar question, but no one felt that there was a viable answer. After all, who knew what part of Luthor would gain control? Killing the bad half was so much more certain, and the route they had finally decided to take. He, himself, had never agreed with that decision, knowing that repairing was always better than simple killing.
"Hmmm… I don't know, Mr. Weasley. I suppose that there should be, but we never had the opportunity to actually study the stone and it's effects, much less learn how to reverse it."
"But, it MIGHT be possible, right?"
"Theoretically…. Yes. I believe so. But, where do we start, when we have no stone to begin with? I don't believe that Mr. Malfoy will be willing to part with it."
Up until this moment, Ginny had been quiet, deep in thought. However, with this latest suggestion, she began to think in that direction, trying to gain a possible understanding of the answer. Now, she spoke.
"What about with Luthor's notes? I'm sure that he had a workroom. If he worked as hard on the crystal as you say, then he must have pages of notes full of his trials and errors. I think.. That if we want to find out how to reverse the stone… then we first have to make another."
"Are you crazy? One is bad enough, and now you want to make a second?"
"Do we have any other choice?" She hissed, turning on Ron. "I want him back the way he was - good AND evil, normal in every way! I don't want Mr. Bad, nor do I want Mr. Perfect! I want Draco!"
"I should hope that you don't wish to risk any of us, either?" Fred smirked, just to razz her.
"That too." She admitted. "Going after the stone means risking someone. This is the only acceptable possibility right now."
"Alright, then. I can understand that." Ron finally agreed. "Questions are, 1 - where is Luthor's workroom. And 2 - if his notes DO exist, and we DO make another stone.. Who gets to be the guinea pig?"
"I think, dear boy, that we will have to cross that bridge when we come to it." Dumbledore answered, then smiled. "But for now, I really must get back to the school. Minerva is fretting over the Yule ball again."
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A/N - I have finally figured out the timeline of Ginny's pregnancy… hehehe.. Sorry. I was working with the abstract idea, not the definite facts. Ginny and Draco began their relationship in the middle of April.. I figure about April 20th. She got pregnant the first time (^_^ Oi.. Talk about luck of the draw!) which would make her Due date to be Dec. 25th. I had already stated in earlier chapters that Ginny was 8 months along when Draco found her, and I have narrowed it down more exactly in this chapter, when she tells Dumbledore that she has 3 weeks left. SOO.. That makes this story take place just in time for the holidays!
Chibi Bat Duo : And what do you want for Christmas, little girl? (said leeringly to the authoress)
Caliko: Why, Duo-kun! I want 2 Draco's, of course! Why do you think I split him!
Chibi Bat Duo: But.. What about me?? Aren't I sexy?
Caliko: You're a bat, and a chibi.. Your too strange and too young to be sexy! Go find Chibi Hilde!
Chibi Bat Duo: Hmph! She loves me more, anyway! **Sticks tongue out at Caliko, then walks away, calling out *** HILDE-Babe! Chibi Hilde-Babe! Where are you, Hilde?
Sorry.. Sometimes, I get a bit silly! /sigh/ now I have to add another disclaimer.. /sigh/
Duo and Hilde belong to Gundam Wing, and I make no money from their appearance as my muses.
Anyway, Some 'bad' news. I don't know when I'll be able to get the next chapter out. I start classes on Thursday, and I'm pulling a double major. I DO PROMISE TO TRY FOR A CHAPTER A MONTH, at LEAST, hopefully more.. But there you go. I don't know how hard this is going to be until I try, and I'm not sure how much time I will need to devote to my studies until I start.
So, wish me luck, and please be patient!
~Caliko~