Marigold Potter was surprised that it was Kingsley Shacklebolt who approached her first. It was the first time she had seen him in his auror robes - he had been dressed as a muggle security guard when they met in September at King's Cross Station. Now, the auror tiredly sat himself down in the waiting area of the hospital wing, putting his boots up on the small table.
Lord Hillyer was seated in Madam Pomfrey's office, being interviewed by another auror. He had already offered memories of the incident, and his position as a member of the Wizengamot and a sworn ally of Marigold's house made this a simple case - even when the 'victim' was also a member of the Wizengamot.
Truly, nothing involving Lucius Malfoy would ever be a simple case. Amelia Bones wanted this run by the book, especially since her goddaughter was involved. Minister Fudge had not yet put in an appearance, but it was certain that he would at some point.
All in all, it was a rubbish Sunday afternoon. Not at all how she had expected the day to go.
"So," began Shacklebolt. "Want to tell me your side of the story?"
oOoOoOoOo
The five had debated what to do about Lucius Malfoy for weeks now.
Spellforged had spent much of that time poring over his journal, comparing the list of what he knew about Malfoy's actions in each world with those of the others. Seeker had mentioned Daphne's earlier insight, and it had guided their thinking - "Who Benefits?"
In that light, and knowing what they knew, some questions could be answered.
The worry, of course, was whether those questions had the same answers in all five worlds. It was discussions like this one that gave Chaser a headache, and he said as much. No one could disagree.
In all five worlds, Ginny Weasley had begun writing in the diary shortly after the shopping trip to Diagon Alley. Thus, they felt comfortable saying that she must have received the diary during that trip. Rose had seen Malfoy place a book in Ginny's cauldron, and though the others recalled Malfoy making a snide remark about the Weasleys, none actually saw the same drop that Rose had. Still, it was about the only chance he would have had to make the pass.
In all five worlds, Lord Malfoy had had something of an altercation with Arthur Weasley, though some fights played out differently than others. In Chaser's world, for example, James Potter had been the one to hold Arthur Weasley's right arm back, rather than Percy. James may have delayed for a few seconds, giving Arthur just enough time to get a solid punch in on his opponent.
Each altercation lacked any measurable amount of subtlety and guile - as Rose had observed in her world, it was about the least Slytherin approach Malfoy could have taken. All five had done the same, which said quite a bit about Lord Malfoy, and not much for the virtues of Rose's house.
Then, there was Dobby. In each world, he was a Malfoy elf, and in each world he gave the same warnings. The attempts at preventing them from boarding the train, the bludger attack, even the hidden letters and presents over the summer - all had happened in much the same way. That Rose had gotten Malfoy to admit ownership of the diary, or at the very least to not dispute it, was as good as an admission of guilt as far as she had been concerned, but would not hold up at an inquiry.
It was enough, though, to convince the other four to have copies of the diary made. The goblins were still studying the dark artifact, and had been tight-lipped about what they were discovering. To his surprise, even Spellforged had not gotten an answer out of Director Ragnok. Fortunately, Lord Hillyer was able to talk the goblins into providing the duplicate, citing the need to track down the diary's origin.
Marigold questioned the need to confront each Malfoy. After all, she reasoned, Dobby's involvement proved that Lord Malfoy had been responsible for the diary, didn't it? Chaser responded that they still needed to be able to say that Malfoy had accepted the diary as his property, so that they could prove his involvement later. It wasn't enough to know it, they had to have proof from each world.
Rose could tell that Marigold was nervous about the possible danger - and if her own encounter was any indication, there would indeed be some risk. Once she managed to free Dobby, the elf would make sure she was safe - but that was less than reassuring to the gryffindor. Marigold had joked that it might help her confidence to carry the Shield of Gryffindor, but that might cause talk. Rose chuckled at the thought, before reminding her sister that she had been carrying the Blade of Slytherin, and it hadn't intimidated Lord Malfoy in the least.
"He probably didn't know what it was," remarked Marigold. That got another laugh from the slytherin.
The next meeting of the Hogwarts' Board of Governors was on March fourteenth. Seeker, Chaser, and Spellforged wanted to speak with Malfoy and offer him the diary, hopefully freeing Dobby and revealing that Malfoy's secret plan had not been as secret as he thought. If they could goad the man into an attack, perhaps in front of witnesses? So much the better.
"If he thinks he got away with this, he might try something more dangerous," Spellforged said.
Marigold was still hesitant, but went along with the plan - though she added a wrinkle of her own.
oOoOoOoOo
"Lord Malfoy, sir?"
Lucius Malfoy turned, and saw Harry Potter walking down the corridor. He leaned on his cane, waiting for the gryffindor to catch up. The boy's wand was not out, nor were there professors in sight. Malfoy had to wonder exactly what Potter was up to.
"Yes, Mister Potter?"
Seeker smiled up at him, doing his best to act like a second year gryffindor. "I was told that this was yours, sir." In his hand was the diary.
Malfoy took the leather book, looking it over briefly. Whatever magic had been present before, it was gone now - this diary was inert. But there, on the cover, was his master's name. What went wrong? He wondered to himself.
"Dobby!" he called, keeping his eyes on Harry. With a soft pop, the elf appeared.
"Dobby serves his Master?" asked the elf.
"Take this to my study." Malfoy said, handing the book over to the elf. His eyes remained on Harry, and so he did not see Dobby notice the sock sticking out of the pages of the diary.
"Master has given Dobby clothes?" Dobby looked up, his large eyes watering. "Dobby is free?"
oOoOoOoOo
Chaser watched the anger play itself across Malfoy's face at the elf's joyous shouting. "You've cost me my servant, boy!" He went for his wand, and started to speak the killing curse.
When he compared notes later with the link that night, it seemed that Chaser's Dobby was much quicker than the others. Malfoy had barely gotten through "Avada" before Dobby had him sliding down the corridor, arse over teakettle. When Malfoy sat up and glared at the elf, he saw the ashen remains of his cane smoldering on the floor.
Dobby's large eyes blinked once at his former master. "No."
Having no other option, Malfoy stood and brushed himself off. "Your father will hear of this, Potter." spat Malfoy.
"I'm sure he will," replied Chaser. "As will my godmother." He tapped his temple with one finger. "Auntie Amelia just got a new pensieve, you see, and she'd just love to test it out on these memories."
He had not believed it possible, but Malfoy seemed to grow even paler at that. Without a word, he turned and walked away as fast as he could without running.
Later, Seeker grumped that he had been unable to threaten Malfoy with the DMLE. Chaser replied that he hadn't had to do much - his Dobby was a bloodthirsty little elf.
oOoOoOoOo
At the sound of his name, Lord Malfoy turned, and saw Harry Spellforged walking toward him. He leaned on his cane, waiting for the ravenclaw to catch up. The boy's wand was not out, nor were there professors in sight. Malfoy had to wonder exactly what Potter was up to.
Spellforged, for his part, wanted very badly to try out the interdictus charm on the esteemed Lord Malfoy, and see how well he managed his political allies with no vaults. Without cause or authority, though, he couldn't take such a step. As far as Gringotts was concerned, Harry Spellforged was an apprentice - a good one, a respected one, but just an apprentice.
Even the son of the Director did not get to invoke his authority without cause.
Spellforged stopped at arm's length from Malfoy, and stood with an easy confidence that unnerved the man. "You misplaced this, I believe," he said. In his hand was the diary.
Malfoy took the leather book, looking it over briefly. Whatever magic had been present before, it was gone now - this diary was inert. But there, on the cover, was his master's name. What went wrong? He wondered to himself. And what did Potter know about it?
"Dobby!" he called, keeping his eyes on Harry. With a soft pop, the elf appeared.
"Dobby serves his Master?" asked the elf.
"Take this to my study." Malfoy said, handing the book over to the elf. He kept his eyes on the boy in front of him, and did not see the glove in Dobby's hand.
When Dobby finally reacted, the shock clear in his voice, Malfoy's rage made itself known. Just as with his gryffindor brothers, Dobby blasted Malfoy down the corridor. Before Malfoy could get up, the head of his cane was pressed into his throat, and an angry Harry Spellforged was standing over him.
"Attacking a member of the Nation, Lord Malfoy?" Harry asked. "Not very cunning of you."
Lord Malfoy could do little more than sputter. His cane was not choking him, yet - but it would not take much more force to do the job. This boy had him entirely at his mercy, and he knew it.
Spellforged leaned closer, bringing his voice down to barely a whisper. He could not keep the grin off of his face as uttered what might be the Malfoy family motto, after Draco got done with it.
"Just wait until my father hears about this."
Malfoy paled, as his eyes grew wide.
Chuckling at the reaction his words had gotten, Spellforged stepped back, twirling the cane in his hand. Malfoy got to his feet, forcing himself not to put a hand on his undoubtedly bruised neck. He wanted to taunt the boy, perhaps with a comment about how his family members kept dying. But his eyes were not on his cane - they were on Potter's other hand, which had gone to his belt, and the knife visible there.
He'll learn his place, thought Malfoy. "My cane, Mister Potter."
To his surprise, Potter tossed it to him. Instead of catching it, Malfoy ducked, and the wooden cane clattered down the stone corridor. Turning his glare at the boy, Malfoy saw him grinning right back.
"My apologies," Spellforged said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Next time you try to curse a goblin, Lord Malfoy, it will cost you much more than an elf."
oOoOoOoOo
"Miss Potter," said Lord Malfoy. "I don't believe we've had the pleasure."
Marigold looked up, trying hard to keep her features neutral. "No, sir, we have not." She reached out with the diary, just as they had planned. "I was told that this was yours, Lord Malfoy."
Malfoy took the leather book from her hand, and she watched as he looked it over. His eyes narrowed slightly as he read the name imprinted in the cover - just enough of a reaction to prove to her that he knew exactly what that name meant, and to whom it had belonged.
As with his counterparts, he did not notice the thin sock tucked into the cover. When summoned, however, that sock was the first thing that Dobby found.
"Master has given Dobby clothes?" The elf said, shock evident in his tone.
Malfoy's anger was obvious. "You've cost me my servant!" His wand hand went to the handle of his cane, only to be caught in the grip of Lord Hillyer. Surprised, Malfoy looked at the shorter man - he hadn't even noticed his approach.
Marigold Potter had been nervous about confronting Malfoy - and so, had decided to bring backup. Hillyer's arrival at Rose's side, just after her Malfoy had stormed off, gave her the idea. One owl later, and she had the Potter Proxy on hand "to consult on house business."
"Enough, Lucius," said Lord Hillyer, his gloved hand tightening on Malfoy's.
"Let me go." said Malfoy, his tone promising violence. Marigold saw him wince as Hillyer's grip tightened even further.
"Are you going to walk away?" Hillyer asked, calmly.
"You think I would walk away before dealing with you?" Malfoy sneered. "You'll pay for this."
Hillyer looked at him evenly, his hand moving not one bit. Despite his best efforts, Malfoy seemed to be unable to shift the man's grip in the slightest.
"I rather think not," he answered. "Unless you'd like to explain how a dark artifact you own made its way into Hogwarts."
"Let go, and I'll show you." The bravado in Malfoy's voice was still there, despite the clear worry on his face. The Potter girl finding out, that was nothing - she was harmless, despite what she had done to steal his elf. Lord Hillyer, on the other hand, could cause trouble in any number of ways.
His bravado quickly drained away when Marigold heard a sickening crack. With a cry of pain, Malfoy dropped to his knees - and still, Lord Hillyer kept a hold of the man's hand.
Leaning closer, Hillyer said something that Marigold didn't quite hear. Whatever it was, though, it caused the former death eater to nod vigorously.
"Good," said Lord Hillyer, releasing Malfoy. With a whimper, the injured man cradled his hand to his chest.
"You broke my hand!" spat Malfoy.
"My word," was Hillyer's reply. "I should hope so, after that." He flexed his right hand, the one that had grabbed the hand of Lord Malfoy. "You should probably get that looked at."
oOoOoOoOo
Shacklebolt found himself shaking his head in disbelief. He did not know what worried him the most - that Lord Malfoy had actually been prepared to attack a second year, or that Lord Hillyer had stopped him, or that the girl-who-lived had felt the need to stand up to one of the more powerful members of the Wizengamot.
Madam Pomfrey had given him the details on Malfoy's injuries, off the record. His hand had nearly been crushed, the bones broken to such a degree that the medi witch had initially not believed Malfoy's accusations. Then Lord Hillyer confirmed that yes, he had prevented his esteemed colleague from making a mistake and attacking a student, and that he may have been overzealous in his defense of a daughter of the house to which he was sworn.
When asked why he had taken such a drastic step against Malfoy, Hillyer only smiled and said that he had some history with the former death eater, and that he would not apologize for taking the threat against the girl-who-lived seriously. "After all," he had reasoned, "What if Lord Malfoy were under the imperius?"
Marigold's account matched her proxy's, leaving Malfoy with little more to do than grumble. The Headmaster, mindful of Minister Fudge's close ties with the 'victim', had actually summoned Director Bones, in an effort to head off any premature reactions - and the Director had brought him in. His only mandate was to document everything - which he had.
As Marigold Potter left to return to her dormitory, Shacklebolt looked over at Lord Hillyer, who was just walking out of Madam Pomfrey's office. The man was intensely private, rarely appearing outside of the Wizengamot - though he had recently begun to spend time in The Netherlands, working on some ICW project. He had not fought in the last war, preferring to work with the Potters behind the scenes.
To the best of Kingsley's knowledge, this was the first time a confrontation with Lord Hillyer had gotten physical.
He looked down at the injury report, and shook his head before putting it in the file. One thing was for certain - Kingsley would not knowingly make an enemy of Joseph Hillyer.
A/N:This chapter and the next don't seem to want to come together properly. Add to that a very busy schedule on both my end and my beta, and the result is a much-delayed and shorter-than-I'd-like chapter. With the basilisks, diaries, and Lockharts all out of play, things seem to be settling down - but we do still have some time before the end of term, and an exciting summer after that.
Many works attempt to deconstruct Lucius Malfoy's motivations, and his portrayals in fanfiction run the gamut from irredeemable psychopath to misunderstood Lord in over his head, and everything in between. There might be a time for some nuance from the elder Malfoy - but this moment wasn't it. (Besides, I want to see each of the five and how they deal with Dobby.) We'll certainly see more of the man as we go forward, and I particularly look forward to his future interactions with Spellforged (who rather enjoyed turning Draco's line around on his father). The plain fact, though, is that all five deployed the diary, and all five got roughed up and lost Dobby as a result.
As with many things we learn about Lord Hillyer, his history with Lucius Malfoy will play out in later chapters. He has plenty of reasons to dislike Lucius, suffice to say.
Next chapter: Justice for Astoria.
Feedback, as always, is welcome.
