Possession
Chapter XXXIV - Expectations
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Harry looked down at the wand that sat on the desk in front of him. It was eleven and a half inches of holly that he never thought he would see again. Dumbledore had given it back to him a few days ago with twinkling eyes and a smile that said quite clearly that the Headmaster thought that everything would be okay now.

Harry wasn't so sure. If he hadn't been attacked, maybe everything would have been all right but everything had changed with that. Something inside had changed, and it was more than the ability to suppress his emotions when necessary, and it was more than the fact he now had two bonds with other people, it was something more fundamental.

He almost felt as if he didn't need his wand. But all wizards needed a wand to do magic.

-What about the magic you did as a child?- The shadows both questioned and reminded him.

-That was just childhood stuff when stressed,- Harry responded with the line they had been taught in first year.

-Stressed or not, childhood or not, you performed magic without a wand then, why should you suddenly lose the ability?-

Harry frowned. Why should you lose the ability? It was a very good question. There was no reason at all.

Ah... Harry nodded slowly as he considered it. It was almost too simple. You lost nothing but you gained control and with control came focus and the seeming dependence on wands.

Control and focus meant that you learnt to use the wand. After all it made performing charms easier and after a while you got so used to having a wand that most people just forgot about the ability to do magic without one. Well, maybe forgot was too strong a word, it was more like the ability was out of one's mind since childhood magic wasn't that precise or reliable.

Even so he still felt as if there was something wrong. He didn't need the wand. Every time he used it, there was an itch inside him, something was out of balance. He hadn't actually tried any charms without a wand. For the past few weeks he'd been using Ron's in class and he'd just assumed that the odd sense was due to the fact that the wand wasn't his. But this was his wand and it still felt wrong.

With a sigh, Harry picked up the wand and pocketed it. Whether he needed it or not was not the question at the moment. There were too many people watching for him to experiment now. Later, he would have to do it later and for now, he had to focus on the class even if he was jumpy about using his own wand.

---

The Dark Lord Voldemort examined with calculating eyes the map that lay in front of him. It showed the layout of streets in central London and all the buildings stood, rising out of the parchment as small illusions. Small red dots showed where his forces would strike and small blue dots showed where the Ministry's response was expected to be strongest.

He smiled thinly. This would be the opening strike, although they wouldn't know that until too late. A lightning attack on a small unguarded cluster of Muggle Official Buildings would be the start before the attack widened and with one swoop he would isolate Diagon Alley. Then the Ministry would have no choice but to strike. They couldn't afford to lose the Alley and Gringotts. And once they struck his forces everywhere would move.

It was slightly out of character, he had to admit. He hadn't given any warning of this strike. He hadn't been slowly escalating his attacks. Tomorrow, when the first strike came there would be nothing to say that this wasn't like any of hundreds of strikes he'd been co-ordinating recently. There would be no hint of anything until it was too late. By the end of the day, Diagon Alley, Knockturn Alley, Gringotts, St Mungo's, and the main Ministry Offices would be his. He had forces lined up to strike at the Daily Prophet but they were primed to destroy only. The paper would be necessary in the future but he could forego it making wild accusations for the moment.

His attacks would Leave Hogwarts and Hogsmead as the only two focal points of Wizarding in Britain. And once they fell...

His smile widened at the thought but he controlled himself quickly. Despite its separation from the mainland, Britain was the focal point for Magic and once he controlled it, it was a simple step to conquer the whole European Continent no matter how hard the Vampires resisted his rule.

The Vampires...

Voldemort's features became cold. They should have learnt from Xeoaph but it appeared they had taken exception to his demands and were intent on teaching him a lesson. He'd never been too popular with non-human dark creatures, mostly because he knew the truth, that any wizard who wasn't afraid of the dark could defeat them. They were only so powerful and feared because the light let them be. If you were willing to use all your power creatures like Vampires and werewolves were easily controlled.

The Shadows were the only dark creatures that a prepared wizard could not hope to defeat but they were pure dark and even they bowed to their human master.

No... The Vampires would regret their choice. He had no more use for them so perhaps he would endear himself to the Muggles by destroying them utterly.

It was them behind the uprising in his followers. He was sure of it. But at the moment, since the ringleaders hadn't come forth there wasn't a lot he could do about them. He knew they were there and he knew they were being backed by the Vampires.

Severus had warned him of the dissidents but had been unable to give him anything more than a vague idea of what they were protesting against. Something about the purity of blood and the fact that he had betrayed them. The Dark Lord gave a soft sigh which sounded more like a growl as he suppressed the urge to itch at his skin. The power surges hadn't stopped. He supposed the dissidents had a minor point.

He had always insisted upon the purity of blood but at heart he had always believed in the purity of power. Blood meant nothing without power and the will to use it. It was just that those of the blood usually had more power and they had the will of lifetime's knowledge. Their beliefs weren't tainted by any Muggle upbringing.

But those of the blood without power were worthless. And he had always maintained that. Many of his followers had killed their squib relatives to reassure him of their loyalty and devotion but he had never demanded that his followers kill their Mudblood relatives. It was only the Mudblood and Muggle relatives of those who refused to follow him that he destroyed.

Some of his followers had noticed this but it appeared some remained stubbornly shortsighted. His red eyes narrowed. Those who were foolish enough to strike against him would pay the price. He would annihilate them, expunge their existence from the world. Wives, husbands, sisters, brothers, sons, daughters, cousins, fathers, mothers. There would be nothing left of their lines once he was through. No one who dared to raise their power against him would survive.

No one.

---

Lucius looked at the vial before him. Despite all his plans he was still trembling. This was the moment, the moment everything had been leading up to. Once he swallowed the contents of the vial he could not turn back. Once he swallowed it, everything was set in motion and he couldn't afford delays for by the time the sun set on the morrow, it would be setting on one Dark Lord's rule and the night which rose would be the inauguration of his rule.

He had checked and rechecked his plans. Tomorrow the Dark Lord was making his assault on all targets except Hogwarts and Hogsmead. He planned to regather his strength before taking on the premier magic school in the world. At least that's what he'd told his followers but Lucius knew he was trying to keep Potter safe until he could abduct him. "Foolishness!" He snarled. Potter was nothing. He was an obstacle that shouldn't have been allowed to exist. He was a weak minded pathetic individual whose only redeeming feature was the fact he was a pure blood.

"Sacrifices must be made," Lucius said. And Potter was an acceptable sacrifice. It wasn't necessarily the boy's fault. Lucius was mature enough to admit that but he couldn't be allowed to live any longer. By himself he was simply an above average wizard but it was the symbol he presented to the wizarding world that was too dangerous to be allowed to continue.

Potter offered them hope. Hope that the darkness was not all encompassing. And that it could be fought. It was that hope that couldn't be allowed to continue and if the Dark Lord wasn't going to destroy that hope then he would.

And so it had to be tomorrow. When the Dark Lord struck, he too would strike. Not at Hogwarts. Despite his desire to remove the Potter pest he was wise enough to realise that the school was far to well protected. Once he was in control of the rest of the magic world he could starve them out. Hogwarts would not be attacked by his forces tomorrow but for a completely different reason than the Dark Lords.

He picked up the vial, remembering Ikhan's words. When you strike, call us and we will come. The promise of an elder...

And he remembered the other words... You are powerful Lucius Malfoy but as you are you could never defeat Lord Voldemort. His power is far more than you understand but this will allow you to stand equal for a time so you must make the best of it and crush him while you can.

"I will stand equal to him," Lucius said the words but there was a small tremble in his voice as he brought the vial to his lips. "I will stand equal to him," he repeated as he swallowed the blood.

The vial was heavy. It had always been heavy but the blood that slicked its way down his throat settled heavily in his stomach. He gasped and clutched at his midrift, struggling to breathe as he felt the power roll outwards.

It was pain greater than anything he had felt, even the Cruitias curse didn't hurt like this. It was as if every cell in his body was dying. The blood power traced its way outwards and he could feel it pulsing forwards. As it moved up his throat he choked and clawed at his skin, digging in his nails as he primitively sought to open his wind pipe. The pain continued unabated and he couldn't even scream.

It was nothing but pain. But beneath it all he could feel the power singing to him. It had sung to him in the vial but now... Even while it killed his cells it sung to him, a sweet lullaby and he felt warm.

"A little longer..."

Blood-shot grey eyes snapped open at the voice and Lucius was confronted by calculating blue eyes that were watching his pain with abstract interest.

"It's nearly over," the being said softly.

Almost as soon as Lucius comprehended the words through the pain, it vanished and everything returned to normal, except that now he could feel everything. His blood rushed through his body and he could feel the cells bumping into each other and everything as they circulated through him. He could hear the wet rushing noise as his blood surged through him. And he could feel, in every cell of his being the power. He raised his hand and wasn't surprised to see small flickers of energy dancing between his fingers. He looked back at the being who now sat opposite him.

"My name is Xeoaph," the vampire introduced himself.

"Ah," Lucius nodded.

"You needn't worry. The deal is still on. I just wanted to meet the man who will betray his master."

"He betrayed us first."

"Indeed," Xeoaph sighed. "But you still do not understand why."

"Potter."

"Yes, Harry Potter. The one being whose will the Dark Lord will bow to."

"He would go that far?"

"He doesn't really have a choice."

"What is the boy?"

Xeoaph smiled. "That is the question," he murmured. "I am here because I wish to confirm something."

"Oh?"

"Harry Potter. What are your intentions towards him?"

Lucius smiled coldly. "Right after I thank him for distracting the Dark Lord long enough for me to do this, I intend to gut him like a butchered hog. After that, I'll cut off his head and crucify his body before I present it to those who still have hope."

"Ah..." Xeoaph's eyes narrowed. "You can only do that if you disrupt his power. You don't understand the reason your Lord will bow to him."

"And I don't want to!"

The vampire rose. "There is still time. You must strike quickly though, for if you allow too much time to elapse, your Lord will call upon his personal reinforcement and not even my power can help you stand against that power. If the Shadows know life, you have lost Lucius."

With those final words Xeoaph vanished after giving Lucius one last penetrating look.

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