The Devil as a Father – Chapter 24
The entire group with Lucifer was used to Lucifer's pop method to go from place to place. The people at the Ministry of Magic however were flat out astounded to see Lucifer, who had no wand, snap his fingers and disappear with his entire entourage. Madam Longbottom smiled and said, "Let's get ready for the lecture we are about to receive. It may save our way of life and help us survive."
The Morningstar group all popped in formation to the grounds of the school where comfortable chairs were arranged and tons of biscuits and tea services were scattered among the chairs. The lectern was plain and Lucifer smiled at seeing everything already set up. "Dobby" he called softly and the now happy and healthy appearing house-elf appeared and hugged his legs, and then hugged Draco and Narcissa who looked very happy.
"Did you do all this by yourself?" asked Narcissa, concerned. "Oh no, Master Morningstar gave me permission to get help from other elves who need work. There are many elves who be dying and need families. He thought this would be a good way to get them new families, maybe even with us.
She smiled, a full bloomed happy smile. Lord Morningstar was the kindest head of family she had ever met and yet the strongest. She was glad to be here with him and felt proud to know he was training her son and being so kind to him.
"Son, would you help me in giving a magical demonstration?" asked Lucifer. "Yes, Dad, that would be awesome." Harry was pleased to have made a new friend and was hoping Hermione didn't feel bad about being stuck with boys. They would have to be careful not to make her feel like she wasn't part of the group.
It was almost time for the lecture on magic. Harry giggled at the thought of his Dad as a professor. Lucifer showed them the area he had set aside for his family and retainers which had extra goodies. Harry noticed small treacle tarts. He sat next to his Mum with Maze on his other side. "This has been a pretty cool day," he whispered, "I had fun," said Maze, "But some of these people are losers and I want to beat them up."
He watched Lucifer smiling at his larger family with pleasure and Harry sat still. He loved listening to his Dad. He noticed Dad had his special wards all over the place. If anyone tried to hurt anyone with magic or guns or gosh, anything, they were going to be very sorry.
As soon as it was 3:00 p.m. everyone popped in front of the chairs that Lucifer had already planned for them. They all looked around in surprise, and found themselves with people they were allied with or their families. Madame Longbottom and Neville and Rose were in the front row, and there was an auror at the end of each aisle. Maze looked and nodded, "Good planning."
Now Lucifer spoke and his voice carried to each person as though he was right there with them.
"Today I want to talk to you about the gift of magic." He said, "Please help yourselves to the tea and sandwiches. I am Lucifer Morningstar and I created light, magic, music and the concept of the deal. But today I want to discuss why I created magic and how it was meant to be used. First of all, music was meant to be used with magic, and can be part of the spell casting process. Please use this."
Then he looked very stern and his eyes turned red, "I understand that some of your leaders, consider dark magic to be only evil and light magic to be only good. This is incredibly stupid. I can kill as many people with Wingardium Leviosa as I can with a dark spell. Dark magic and the affinity for dark magic is not evil. It can be used for evil and if it is used for evil, it will curse all participants and even their family lines. Light magic can be used for evil and having the affinity for light magic only means you are good at light magic and not that you are good. Now some of you have explained to me that no blood should be used in magic as it is dark and evil. I want you to know that willing shedding of blood for those you love is a very powerful and wonderful magic that blesses the earth and all its creatures, and can heal sicknesses and curses and bless babies and expectant mothers.
The third thing is that families with dark or light abilities should be partnering with the opposite families. Using light magic and dark magic together with the same intent and goal causes a synergy that gives incredible power to spells. I see that few of you are aware of that and are all under the impression that light and dark magic cannot be used that way. It can be difficult, but having similar intents and the need to fulfill a purpose will help.
He looked at the Minister of Magic. "I want you to know that my magic is light while my adopted and beloved son Harry's magic is dark. We often create spells together with the same intent and their power is incredible."
"Does anyone here have someone in their family who suffers from illness or old injuries?"
Madame Longbottom held out her hand, "Mad Eye Moody has a very painful spare leg. It doesn't keep him from being our best auror but it is painful."
Lucifer gave them all a grin that made some people nervous, some people sighed with physical attraction and some people were excited at what he was teaching them. "Auror Moody, would you consent to be our test subject?"
Harry felt excited, because he had told his Dad earlier in the day that Moody was always in pain from his leg stump.
"And to confirm to you that I bear you no ill intent, I Lucifer Morningstar give you my word I shall not harm you in this situation but only intend to heal you." Then he smiled and held up his hand and a stream of fire shot into the sky."
"I will accept your offer, Lord Morningstar," said Auror Moody.
Mad Eye Moody had not trusted the newly revealed Lucifer Morningstar until he found out that he himself had been potioned and magiced by Albus Dumbledore for loyalty. The spell was dark too. He had been endlessly frustrated to know he had this on him with no clue of Dumbledore's betrayal. He trusted that Lucifer wouldn't hurt him much.
Lucifer and Harry both asked him to lay on a table Lucifer wandlessly and silently transfigured and Lucifer removed the fake leg and rolled up the pant leg. He placed one hand on the leg and stared at it silently. Then he took his hand away and nodded at Harry. Harry put his little hand on Moody's leg and also stared at him carefully.
"He's been cursed. The original injury was a dark curse, but he's been cursed since so that it can't be undone."
"Ah, then," said Moody, with a sigh, "That's it then."
"No," said Harry, "We're just scanning."
The he took out a tiny silver knife and sliced his palm. He handed it to his father who cast a spell on it with a click of his fingers and then sliced his own hand. Then he pressed his bleeding hand to Harry's hand over what was left of the leg.
"Be at peace," said Lucifer softly, and Moody fell asleep. Everyone could see this and hear due to the spell Lucifer had used to make it so they all saw and heard everything as though it was in front of them.
"Children," said Lucifer, "You may want to close your eyes. This will be hard to watch."
Then the leg began to twitch and everyone could feel magic pouring off the stub of the auror's leg. Blood dripped and everywhere I touched, they all felt the little boy with dark magic's concern for the pain the auror was always in. They felt the leg begin to grow back as though it were their leg, but felt no pain. They felt strength and healing pour into the wound, and felt Harry Morningstar driving out two types of darkness that fought him. Then they felt Lucifer's magic touch Harry's and bond with it to fight the darkness, and it was driven away.
And Mad Eye Moody lay in a gentle trance with two whole legs. Harry and Lucifer continued to send strength and muscle tone into the new leg. Then Harry touched Moody's shoulder and his eyes opened and the man quickly sat up, ready for action. After all, "Constant Vigilance" was practically his theme song. He opened his mouth and then smiled as he saw himself with two legs. He lifted the leg, he swiveled. He then stood up and took a step. Many people watching began to weep, because this was a miracle of magic, done in moments, where current magic made it painful and took days, and of course, was impossible in Moody's case because of the two curses involved.
He looked up and smiled at the Devil and his son and smiled again. "No pain, no pain!" he danced a jig and Harry began to giggle while Lucifer smiled at this devoted officer who could have retired but still sought to protect.
"Did you all see and understand what a difference dark magic and light magic joined to good purpose made in this?"
While many had scoffed at this idea, it was now proven before their eyes, and the entire audience, filled with both the school and everyone from the Ministry of Magic, stood and began to light their wands in acclaim.
Lucifer smiled. So far this was going better than he anticipated. It was going to destroy some people and some of them would want to destroy him, so he raised a few special wards.
The last thing I want to teach you about magic, is that no-mags or muggles as you call them do not steal magic from us, nor do they suddenly develop it. All the squibs that were abandoned in the no-mag world, or sent to make their ways, all have magic within them, even if it doesn't show with a wand. These children married with muggles or no mags, and in a few generations, the magic would show true. I suggest that you test them for ancestry. You may be surprised.
I never intended that squibs be sent away or worse yet killed. They are your innocent children and should be cherished. They can all do potions and runes, and all have the seeds of magic. By sending them away, you destroy your own magic lines. I know many of you consider them a shame to your houses, but it is not true. It is a sign that the main line is weakened and giving it a few generations, you will find the children with magic that are born are very strong, and some of the lost specialties of families will come back through them.
Also your methods for determining squibs are foolish. You overlook those who were never meant to have wand magic, such as seers, mage singers, those with the ability to shadow walk and others. You have offended magic by doing this. Stop the practice immediately.
Lucifer knew that squibs were treated poorly if they were allowed to live, which filled him with anguish and hate.
He noticed that a lot of his audience were upset, and many, particularly women, were weeping. Had they had to give up a child? Had they not wanted to?
A woman stood up. "Lord Morningstar, thank you for share your wisdom with us. Can you tell us how to check for magic in children more efficiently?" Her voice trembled.
Lucifer looked at her and saw old sorrows. "I will make a list of spells with wand movements for determining magic in children. Please, cherish each child, do not throw them away, do not shame or reject them. They are your treasures." He looked at Harry and Neville and felt close to tears himself.
Now he fell silent and waited for one of the usual idiots.
A cruel voice spoke up, "Do you really expect us to believe you made magic? That you are some kind of immortal? And you go against the heritage we learned from our parents. Prove yourself, so called Lord."
He cast one more ward.
Then he did something he rarely did before anyone. He let his wings out, plenty of his family and retainers had seen that (Oh Dad, he loved it when Chloe and Harry preened his wings), but now he let out his light. Not all the way, they would go blind, and at full charge perhaps incinerate, but just enough to reveal things.
He looked at the speaker and realized it was the man in charge of destroying dangerous creatures, the new executioner for the Ministry of Magic. He had seen him from a distance before and his group hadn't toured that area. His name was Oliver Nott, and was related to the Nott family.
He walked to where the man stood defiantly, but now afraid.
"This proves nothing, anyone can do a spell of light or illusion." Harry in the audience shook his head, no one could do an illusion like this, and the man was foolish to have not tried to unmagic the so-called illusion.
Lucifer looked at Nott and said, "Let what is hidden be revealed".
Suddenly a vision appeared to all of children, squib children, in this man's house being tortured and misused.
Lucifer shielded it from the children present and his own child. Harry didn't need to see it.
"Magic judges you," he said to the man, and Oliver Nott screamed as his magic ripped from him, aging him, and showing his inner darkness as his features twisted to show an evil man.
Aurors leapt up and grabbed the man and put him under arrest.
"Someone must rescue the children," said Lucifer.
Amenadiel stood up, "Clear his houses protections and KynKyn and I shall help them."
Madame Pomphrey stood and said, "Then bring them to my offices, I am the healer for Hogwarts."
Lucifer stared at the crowd, looking for more idiots, but apparently, they could be taught, as no one else said anything.
"Do I have to prove myself further?" he asked, sounding mildly petulant.
Madame Longbottom stood up and said, "My Lord Morningstar, again you have revealed and protected us from evil. I propose to make a home for squibs that are not taken in by their families, and to make sure none of them are abused or in reduced circumstances. We will pass laws for their protection, but that is not enough. Please," she said looking at the audience, "Please I beg you all, to take those we have rejected back into your hearts for the good of magic. Otherwise, we are doomed to lose magic's gifts ourselves."
Lucifer was pleased with the woman.
"Does anyone have any more questions?" he asked, and let his magic wash over the audience.
Instead they all got up from their seats and bowed.
"Well, that's unexpected," he muttered and then sent out a blessing of pure magic on each person present.
Chloe stood up and went to him, "Amenadiel and KynKyn have the children in the school infirmary."
He nodded. "We are going to the infirmary. Harry, you can meet the children later, but I want you to stay with Maze at your side right now."
Then he popped himself and Chloe to the infirmary, where the smell told him the children had been uncared for while imprisoned and the tone of weeping told him that they had calmed down.
Chloe walked up to where Amenadiel had two little girls sitting on his lap, both were drinking potions, probably nutritional potions. "Amenadiel, what do you know?" she asked.
"The bad man is in prison now, Yes?" he asked her and she nodded solemnly.
"They were terrified at first," said Amenadiel, "but they decided to trust us. They like KynKyn," he pointed with his chin to KynKyn who held a little ragged boy in her arms."
"We don't have magic," said one of the small ones who was being fed potions by Madame Pomphrey, "So we don't count. You don't have to be nice."
"But Darlings, you do count," said Lucifer gently and held out his hand to the child. "Do you remember your family?"
"They gave me away to the bad man. I don't like them," said the child very softly.
Lucifer's face fell in disappointment at this travesty and he looked beseechingly at his wife. Chloe gave him a smile of sheer love.
"Children, do you want to come home with us? We have a boy who was hurt too, and we love him very much. I don't have much magic, but my husband does," she said kindly. "Would you like to come with us and maybe if you decide and feel good, be part of our family? We don't care whether you have magic or not. And you can decide later if you want someone different than us too."
Four little children rushed to Chloe Morningstar and she wrapped her arms around them and kissed their foreheads and snuggled them. Lucifer stuck two beds together and sat the whole bunch on the bed where they cried, sniffled, hugged and were hugged in return, were fed and finally fell asleep.
Chloe looked at Lucifer and mindspoke, "I may have to start working part time for the Police. These children need full time mothering. Social services has no clue dealing with children from magical communities, and I'm not letting the magicals take care of them."
She sniffed the air and realized Lucifer had cleaned everyone, and changed the pathetic rags into real clothing. They sat for a time, listening to the little bodies breath, and looking at one another.
One little boy woke up and looked at them. "My name is Octavian, but everyone calls me Octy," he said shyly. The rest of the children woke up and snuggled Chloe.
"I am Chloe Morningstar," Chloe said. "My husband is Lucifer Morningstar."
Two of the bigger children got big eyes and turned to stare at Lucifer.
"You made magic," one observed, "Did you take ours away?"
Lucifer was horrified. "Oh no, Darlings, you still have magic, just none of the idiots, er, grown-ups could tell."
They gave him trembling smiles of approval.
The other little boy said, "I'm Hercules after the constellation, but everyone calls me Lee.
Amenadiel came over, and smiled at the little girls, "This this one is Rose and this little one is Daffodil," he pointed to each urchin.
"Would you like to meet my son, Harry?"
"Yes," said a small chorus of tiny voices.
He called Harry, "Do you want to meet the children?" he asked
"YOU BET," said Harry. He popped Harry and Maze there.
Harry knelt next to bed so he wouldn't look too big and started to make friends with the children.
Chloe reached out a hand and touched Harry's cheek tenderly, "Harry, their families gave them to Nott." she mindspoke.
Harry stared, "Can we take care of them?" he mindspoke to both his parents desperately. He knew it was a lot to ask but he knew the need too.
"Yes, my son." said Lucifer.
"With all my heart," said Chloe, "I told them they can decide if they want to be part of our family or not, or another family, but first they can come home with us so they can start to be loved."
"Oh you guys are the best," said their son.
"I'm going to be your older brother." he announced to the small waifs. "I will take care of you and protect you."
"So will I," said Maze
KynKyn stood up and gave Lucifer 4 feathers.
"They have malnutrition and internal injuries," she said solemnly. "The healer did much, but this will finish off the healing with rest and good food."
Lucifer gazed at his new children and said, "Would you like to see some angel blessings?" he asked.
Their eyes widened and they clutched Chloe and Harry. "Does that mean we have to die?" asked Octy fearfully.
"Oh my Dad, no," said Lucifer which seemed to reassure them. He knelt next to Harry with the feathers. "You see, the nice people who rescued you, are my brother and sister, and they are really and for true angels. And KynKyn, who is the pretty girl angel, gave me these 4 feathers from her wings."
"Oooh," said the little ones.
"I am going to place one feather apiece over your hearts, and you will receive angel healing for all the owies," Lucifer said, "Will that be okay?" he asked and pouted at them, pathetically, as though they would break his heart if they said no.
They all started to giggle and nodded enthusiastically. He grinned at them. Then he put one feather apiece over their hearts and had them hold them in place.
The feathers lit up and each child smiled. Lucifer smiled too, and Chloe's eyes filled with tears.
"Do you have an owie?" asked the smallest girl, Daffodil. "You can have my feather."
"I'm crying because I'm happy you will feel better," explained Chloe.
"You are going to be a great mommy," observed the little cherub. "I love you already,"
Then Chloe really cried, while the children thanked Amenadiel and KynKyn for rescuing them. They also thanked Madame Pomphrey for healing them.
And Chloe Morningstar made plans for 4 little children, two boys, and two girls, for a new life where they were loved.
She also thought about Hermione Grainger and Neville Longbottom. She already had a full schedule, but money was no longer an object in her life, so she could reduce her hours or become a consultant and be called in upon need. Because she knew Harry and Trixie deserved love and her time. Draco needed love and so did his mother. Hermione and Neville needed love and those four pathetic waifs were not going to someone who thought they were lesser beings because they could turn each other into frogs.
Lucifer popped himself back to where Cletus and his family were waiting. "Cletus," he said, "You have been a good friend. I made you some rings like the ones my family uses for you to use with your family and other allies."
Cletus was stunned. "This is a gracious and valuable gift. It will become a treasure of my family," he said, taking the box engraved with precious stones. "What is going to be done with those children?" he asked, "They might be safer with my people and members of my family would love them."
Lucifer was even more pleased with Cletus, "That is wonderful, Cletus. You have a kind heart. However, Mrs. Morningstar is taking them home with us. We have experience with child abuse and a huge home, so we have plenty of room. However, we are leaving it open to the children to decide if they want us to adopt them or another, so please have your family visit us."
Cletus grinned, "And someone else has a kind heart, my Lord. It is always a pleasure to see you and learn from you. Remember we will be contacting you for your assistance with the dementors."
He looked solemn and Lucifer understood. Those things were real monsters.
Upon arranged signals, he popped Cletus' group home and then turned to Maze. "We're going to be hunting dementors, Maze. I'm sure you want a chance to play."
She nodded. "Yes, I want a turn."
The Lucifer looked over Hogwarts. Most of the people were gone but the aurors were still there with Madame Longbottom, her secretary and Neville.
He looked at the little boy, who had such courage, in a world where he had been made to feel worthless, and wanted to give him everything.
He looked up at the sky and realized that he had changed, he an immortal, the devil. He was not invested in his own pleasures anymore. He hadn't noticed because he was happy. He no longer wanted to have sex all the time, or rather, only with Chloe. He wanted to be with his family and take care of them and anyone else who needed help.
"Oh my Dad, I grew up." He muttered. He looked around, and suddenly laughed. He had never felt loved and had always felt alone. He was loved, he was needed and he was very happy. For the first time in eternity.