Disclaimer: The characters in tis story do not belong to us, save for Mairead and Eleanor.

Many thanks to our two reviewers, zuvalupa and sassy-diva2004.


"Hold on!" she requested. "Malfoy? As in Draco Malfoy?"

There were confused nods all round, except from Mairead, who had some idea where this was going.

Eleanor fished the photo album out from under the table and plucked a photo out behind the plastic cover.

"As in this Draco Malfoy?" she questioned, slapping the photograph down onto the table in front of her.


Everyone peered at it. It was a wizarding photograph, surprisingly enough, as even her parents thought that she had only found out about the Wizarding World a few months ago. But even more remarkably, the photo showed an 11- year-old Draco dancing in an uncharacteristically jaunty manner with a pretty red head, who was obviously a 10-year-old Eleanor. Everyone watched in astonishment as the boy collapsed into helpless fits of giggles, quickly followed by the girl. When they had recovered form their laughter they looked up and waved at their audience, large grins fixed on their faces.

Eleanor looked up at them, searching each one for a sign that they knew her childhood friend. Evidently, they did, if the looks of shock on their faces were any guide.

"Can I see him?" she asked, excited.

The despairing look all of her companions gave put a damper on her joy.

"He's not dead is he? Please tell me he's not dead!"

Silence reigned as she peered intently at each face; no one wanting to tell the girl that her friend had become someone who hated people like her.

It was Sirius who eventually got up the courage to dispel her dreams.

"No, no he's not dead" he said slowly.

"What then?" she demanded. "What?"

"He's a Death Eater," her father blurted out. "I'm sorry Ellie"

Her face blanched and she sat down quickly, muttering that she couldn't believe it under her breath.

Silence reigned.

Dumbledore was the one to break it. He smiled encouragingly at Eleanor, and continued speaking.

"This is something we will need to explore further later, but for now, we need to know about the raid on Malfoy Manor. Kingsley, if you would?"

Kingsley accepted his cue, and rose to his feet.

"As you all know, we have been planning a raid on Malfoy Manor for several months. You'll be pleased to know that it went off without a hitch yesterday evening..."

FLASHBACK

The front door of 12 Grimmauld Place clicked shut behind them just as the grandfather clock chimed out 10 o'clock. The invisible party that had just left was made up 10 members of the Order: Moody, Tonks, Percy Weasley (who had become an Auror after Fudge had resigned), Kingsley Shackbolt, and three other Aurors. Severus Snape, who knew where the secret passages were in Malfoy Manor, and how to disable the Wards was there too. Remus (who had developed the invisibility charm they were using for the first time in a combat situation) was the tenth "Phoenix".

Seconds later, the road was empty of human life.

The group re-appeared at Stonehenge, chosen as a meeting spot for its distinctiveness and its closeness to the Malfoys'. Remus took the Charm off himself so that the expected group of elite Aurors could see him when they aperated in. Their presence would ensure that the raid was legal, and anything found there would count against the Malfoys in court.

When the group had appeared, been greeted and the Charm had been performed on them, the aperated to the outskirts Malfoy Manor.

Many complex spells and enchantments protected the Manor. If anyone cast one glance at the manor, all they would see is the country air and the green grass, unless they knew the spell to disable the wards. This is why Severus Snape was present. He put an invisible hand into his invisible pocket and drew out his invisible wand. The whispered incantation broke the still silence of the night, and Malfoy Manor shimmered into view.

It was easier than they expected. Lucius and Draco were in the dinning room, and were so absorbed in conversation about their latest bout of muggle torture that they did not notice that anything was amiss until they lay, stunned and bound on the floor.

END FLASHBACK

"We have enough evidence from the house to send both Draco and Lucius to Azkaban, including Prior Incantato, which when performed on their wands revealed that several Unforgivable and other Dark curses have been performed by them in the recent past. The Malfoys will find it very difficult to buy their way out of this one," Kingsley finished.

"And Narcissa?" someone asked.

"She was found locked in a seven foot square room at the top of the house, kept under the imperious curse, in a very bad condition. She is currently at St Mungos" Dumbledore answered. "When she is a little better she will come back here to recover."

There was a mass outcry at his words, as everyone in the room expressed their surprise and reservations simultaneously. The Headmaster held up his hand for silence.

"We have no evidence against her; her wand has not been found, and she does not bear the Dark Mark," he explained patiently.

Sirius snorted sceptically.

"'Cissa?" he questioned. "Not have the Dark Mark? What alternate universe have I woken up in?"

There was a moment of silence. Then Phillip Fielding spoke up. Phillip was the head of the Auror Division of the Department for Magical Law Enforcement, and had joined the Order shortly after the events at the Ministry of Magic at the end of Harry's fifth year. Although he trusted Dumbledore, he was, as yet, not completely convinced of Sirius' innocence.

"'Cissa?" he mocked. "And may I ask, Mr. Black, if you weren't a Death Eater, where did you get to know Mrs. Malfoy so well that you call her by a nickname? And how do you know whether she has the Mark or not?"

Sirius paled with fury and rose to his feet. His family was still a sore spot for him. He did try to avoid calling his cousins by their old nicknames, but sometimes they just slipped out. It annoyed him when people drew attention to his slip-ups.

"Were you aware, Mr Fielding, that Narcissa Malfoy was my cousin? No?" he asked, mocking in turn. Phillip shook his head.

"Of course I called her by a nickname. I grew up with her. I loved her. And as for me knowing whether she has the Mark, did I ever tell you why I left home?"

Again, the Head Auror shook his head.

"I was sixteen, and 'Cissa and 'Trix, or Narcissa and Bellatrix, if that makes you feel better, came for tea. They showed my parents their Dark Marks and told them about what they had been doing the previous night. Do you know what it was that they were so proud about?"

Another shake of his head, no.

"They went to a Muggle Orphanage, and tortured and killed every single child there. And my parents were delighted. Kept saying how they wished I was more like them. Even my twelve-year-old brother, Reg, was fascinated. Do you know what I did?"

A similar shake followed.

"I threw up. And then I told them that they were disgusting. And I left, went to the Potters' place. The only thing I ever did wrong was to love the whole disgusting family in the first place."

And with that, Sirius pushed his chair back with a creak and left the room, slamming the door behind him.


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