A/N: Welcome new readers! Welcome back old ones!
Once the boys were a little better, Narcissa had taken Lucius to their home in Germany to recover. It was time she met his special guest who had nearly gotten him and the rest of her family killed. Gookey popped up as soon as Narcissa arrived and escorted Lucius to his room. The overuse of the Cruciatus curse meant he was still twitching subconsciously from time to time. Once Narcissa had set him up comfortably she wanted to go meet their guest.
"Cissa it's not his fault…" Lucius insisted
"You sound like I'm about to go reprimand Draco for when you spoil him. You've done enough, now stay out of this…" She said as she walked out of the room and into the east wing
She walked straight up to his study and knocked on the door "Enter" came Grindelwald's voice
He was however not expecting Lady Malfoy "Ah, Lady Malfoy, to what do I owe this pleasure?"
"That is for both of us to discover. May I" She said taking a seat opposite him "Has your stay in our home been comfortable?"
"Yes, thank you for opening your doors to me…" Grindelwald said politely but he knew he was the one under scrutiny here "What can I do for you in turn?"
"You can tell me how Dumbledore thinks, you can also tell me what you know of him. I need to knew every little thing about him and no one knows him better, after all you were his best friend…" Narcissa said with such a nonchalant tone that one would think she's asked for a weather report
"I see… May I ask why the sudden interest?"
"You may not…" Narcissa gave Grindelwald he best cold Black look
"A Black through and through I see…" Grindelwald smiled "Very well, I suppose it's the least I can do for all the hospitality…I'll start at the beginning I suppose. I met Albus in the summer of 1899. I had been expelled from Durmstrang, I went to live with my great aunt Bathilda Bagshot, I assume you've heard of her…" Narcissa nodded and he continued
"Albus's family lived a few houses away from her in Godrics Hollow and I happened to meet him when my aunt asked me to drop a basket over at their house. There was an instant attraction. He was young and intellectually curious just like me. He was also suffocated at home with the expectations being set on him. We became close friends and then lovers. I had ideas about breaking the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy. I believed then that Wizards are better than muggles, more intelligent, more capable and so we should be allowed to rule over them. Albus agreed with me, we even made a blood pact to never fight each other. In my years of research and experiments I had come across the Tale of The Three Brothers and I devoted a lot of time to searching for the hallows. That search was what had let me to Godrics Hollow and in turn Albus, so I confided in him. He helped me and we found the cloak and the wand, but the resurrection stone, that was seeming impossible to find and yet that was the one we both wanted. We were powerful enough to vanish or duel but the stone, that was the answer to both our problems… …" He paused to take a drink of water and asked "What do you know about Albus's sister Ariana?"
"I've heard rumours that she was a squib…" Narcissa said
"Squib!" Grindelwald exclaimed and then laughed "Far from it my dear… she was an Obscurial and a very powerful one at that…" Narcissa's eyes widened
"yes… when she was a young girl of about 9 or 10 still having bouts of accidental magic, she was discovered by a few older muggle boys. They harassed her to do magic and when she didn't, they beat her and raped her and left her for dead. Albus and Aberfroth were both at Hogwarts. Their mother Kendra had gotten busy with one thing or another and Ariana had slipped out. When she found her the damage had already been done. Albus's father Percival attacked the 4 boys and was sentenced to Azkaban for life where he died.
Abrefroth had finished Hogwarts a year ahead of Albus, that was the year Airana had an episode and ended up killing her mother. When I met Albus he was expected to not return to school. Instead Aberfroth wanted him to stay home and care for his sister. Albus was the only one who could keep Ariana calm. That's why for him the stone was the solution. If he found it, he could revive his mother and be free to pursue his intellectual exploits with me. As for me, I was mistaken to believe that I could use it to raise an army of Inferi. We never found the stone in Godrics Hollow despite finding Cadmus Peverell's decedents. I wanted to leave and follow his trail, I wanted Albus to come along as well so did he, but Aberfroth was having none of it. A duel broke out in the house and one of us fired a curse that caused Ariana's Obscurous power to blow up. Albus blamed himself for it… Regardless everything else from this point on you can find in history books. His achievements as well as mine, our battle etc…"
Narcissa had heard him out and then raised her eyebrow as if still waiting for an answer
"Ariana's disappearance changed Albus. He believed that he could not share his heart with anyone. I think Abrefroth's rage and my betrayal later hurt him deeply. I don't think he searched for the stone after I left. He had the cloak and after defeating me, he took the wand. The Dumbledore I knew was a force to be reckoned with, but he's not that anymore. He's become a man who's realised that talking to or working with people won't change anything so he decides for them and keeps the plans to himself. It is dangerous but effective. The other thing you need to know, he's and excellent chess player but he can only play one opponent at a time and right now that opponent is the man who's taken over your household… Should he have another opponent, I doubt he'll see it coming. Also he can be a little proud and prejudiced towards his intellect at times… …" Grindelwald paused again taking a sip of water "Tell me Lady Malfoy… Does that help you?"
"Yes…" Narcissa said
"How is Lucius?"
"In the North wing, nearly dead because of your plan…" Narcissa said coldly
"I think it's time that old men stopped playing games with the lives of this generation… " Grindelwald said
"… So how does one end this game?" She asked
"By eliminating all the pieces…"
Narcissa thought or minute and then suddenly her eyes sparkled "You said disappearance… Ariana's disappearance, not death…"
"I thought you almost missed it…" Grindelwald smiled
"But you also said the Obscurial's power blew up…"
"There was no blood, there was no body… While everyone believes she simply vaporised… I believe she transformed…"
"Into what?"
"Have you ever seen one?"
"No…"
"An Obscurial's power is morphing into an Obscurus… which is largely an incorporeal, amorphous entity… they can't be killed in that form… from that form they have the ability to transfigure into any living creature, magical or otherwise…. They are the purest form of Dark magic… They can keep the foulest creatures alive if fed on… but for a powerful Obscurus to exist to feed you, you need an even more powerful dark spell to control it… It is like trying to put a collar on pure chaos…"
"So you're saying Ariana might be alive?"
"I'm saying I can feel traces of her magic coming off of you and Lucius… Now why is that lady Malfoy?" Grindelwald said narrowing his eyes at Narcissa who's were wide with shock
—
Draco and Blaise had made a short trip and gotten the Diary back. Draco almost smiled as they arrived at the Manor. He couldn't wait to write back to 'Mione little did he know he would come face to face with her in a matter of moments…
—
"Lunaaaa!" Xenophilius had crumpled on the ground
"Why did you Say his name?!" Sirius angrily
"What?!" Xenophilius asked aghast
"You said it! You said that raving lunatics name! It's a curse did you not know?!" Sirius snapped "Stay right here! I'm going to get help…" Sirius apparated back to headquarters
—
Luna and Hermione were taken straight to the west wing of Malfoy Manor but Voldemort was not there but Bellatrix was
"The crazy man who runs the quibbler, he took the Dark Lords name in vain…" Amycus Carrow said "We took his daughter and a friend hostage… what would you have us do with them?" He asked leering
"Get Draco!" She said, "He'll tell us exactly who these two are…"
Draco and Blaise had just returned from the Isle of Man with Diary when an elf popped up in front of them and bowed deeply
"Master Draco Miss Bellatrix is asking for you in the West Wing" once the message was delivered it popped away
Draco hid the Diary in his robes as the two of them headed for the west wing. When they were close they heard two girls screaming as Bellatrix and Amycus laughed. They knew these screams well. They were often of prisoners or muggles who'd been captured as fair game. Their footsteps slowed as they cleared their minds and put a practiced look of disinterest on their face, they looked at each other nodded and opened the door.
Nothing could have prepared them for lay there before them. On the ground writhing in pain were Hermione and Luna. It took all the self control they had for the boys to not flinch in the slightest
"Ah! There he is my dear nephew… Tell me, do you know these girls from Hogwarts…" Bellatrix asked "Come closer get a better look…" She urged
Draco came face to face with Hermione. They looked into each others eyes. She was pale and sweaty and he looked ashen like he'd been ill for days. There were dark circles under his eyes and he just looks stressed and tired. Hermione's heart stopped for a moment but knew she couldn't say anything so she just looked at him.
Blaise was looking at Luna and there was rage dancing in his eyes. He wanted to kill whoever did this do her. She had a busted lip and was heaving as the curse was lifted. She didn't look up at him instead she just rested her forehead against the cold stone floor to get some respite.
"I don't know who this is… " Draco said in a cold dead voice "There are a lot of girls in Hogwarts, you can't expect me to remember all of them…"
"Maybe if he took a look at her knickers he'd know…" Amycus sneered and Bellatrix cackled "yes, Draco Darling, would you like to examine her privates?" She leered…
Draco was thinking of a way to say no when Hermione groaned in pain and rolled to one side and a mobile phone she had kept to keep track of her parents in Australia fell out of it.
"What's that!" Alecto said reaching for it. She tapped on it and the screen came alive asking for a passcode. Bellatrix rounded on her to see it as did Amycus
Hermione was terrified and Draco just stood there looking at her but he could think of nothing.
"Draco! Come here…" Bellatix called "What is this?" She asked
"I…." Draco was terrified of admitting his lack of ignorance. At that moment Rodolphus Lestrange walked in
He took one look at the phone and said "Muggle Technology…"
Amycus threw it into the fire like his hand had been burned.
"No!" Hermione screamed!
"How can you be sure!" Draco asked suddenly
Rudolphus laughed as did Alecto and Amycus. Bella looked disgusted with her husbands presence.
"They are so easy to imperious for one's pleasure…" Rudolpus whispered to Blaise and Draco like an uncle telling them where the best candy in the house is hidden. Bella's couldn't control her rage at her husband and screamed "Mudblood Whore!" She grabbed Hermione by her hair and dragged her away
Draco was terrified, his heart was in his mouth but he managed to keep his face as bored as possible "If I'm no longer needed I'll take this one to the basement…" he said pointing at Luna
Rudolpus pulled Luna up and put his nose to her collarbone and breathed it in "Definitely pure…" He leered "Give her a room with a bed… Maybe we can get a marriage contract done for you with her…" He said to Blaise and pushed her at him
Blaise caught her and wordlessly led her downstairs with Draco in tow as Hermione's screams reverberated through the west wing. Once they were in the dungeons Blaise blasted a hole in the wall with his rage and Draco just collapsed on floor
"Blaise, calm down, can't you see Draco needs you…" Luna said in her calm dreamy voice
"How did they find you?" Blaise said holding her by her arms
"I'm fine… I will be fine, Draco isn't… Help him… I'll just go into one of these cells and wait for you to come up with a plan to save me.. Okay?" Luna kissed his cheek and walked into a cell as Blaise just stood there staring at the spot where she was
He snapped out of it as Luna shut the gate behind her. He saw Draco on the floor. He was in tears.
"Draco…" Blaise said "Draco!" He shook him but nothing Draco was just sitting there on the floor hugging his knees. Tears were streaming out of his eyes as he rocked back and forth mumbling "don't die… don't die.. please 'mione don't die…"
Blaise looked at him for a moment and then slapped Draco hard across his face "Snap out of it!" He yelled. That seemed to work Draco's eyes came back into focus and he looked at him
"We need to get them out…" He said standing up and wiping his face
"How?" Blaise said
Think think think think Draco come on think! He squeezed his eyes shut. He needed to get her out of here and take her to Potter, no he was still at his uncles, Wesley then, his mum would know what to do, but how. Someone needed to apparate her away, someone who wouldn't be held back by the wards, someone he could trust. Someone potter would trust… He opened his eyes and yelled "Dobby! Dobby please help! It's to save Hermione Granger!"
There was a crack and Dobby appeared "You is saying miss granger is in trouble…"
Blaise jumped out of his skin looking at the elf wearing all kinds of colourful clothes
"Ms. Granger is upstairs, you need to take her to Weasley's home okay and this.." He said gesturing to Luna "is a friend of Harry Potter also, you need to take her to the Weasleys also okay?" Draco said "I'll pay you! Here…" He said frantically emptying his pockets of any galleons, sickles and kunts he had and handing them to Dobby
Dobby blinked and looked at him seriously then in carck he was gone. He landed in the Dungeons with a faint Hermione who's right arm was bloody. Bellatrix's howl of rage could be heard all the way in the dungeons. Draco caught Hermione as she fell. "Don't you dare die on me 'mione…" He said and held her tightly and kissed her temple
Meanwhile Dobby snapped a finger and opened the cell Luna was in and she walked out
"Stay safe" Blaise said hugging her
"I will" she replied
"I love you… so you can't die…" Draco said as Hermione phased in and out of consciousness
Dobby held her hand as Draco let go. Luna pulled out her wand and jinxed they boys and put the body bind curse on both of them and in a crack Dobby was gone with both the girls.
Draco and Blaise lay there oozing and frozen, a sense of relief washed over them. The girls were safe.
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