Chapter 11

Lucius Malfoy entered his study and closed the door firmly behind him. Looking at the statue, he bowed his head and spoke reverently.

"Master, I have what you instructed me to obtain."

The statue's stone white formed glowed faintly. The stone took on the flushed tanned color of living skin. The statue's lower jaw dropped open. A low hissing voice spoke.

"You have done well Lucius," it whispered. "Do you have the ashes?"

Lucius drew a small cloth sack from his robes.

"Dementor ash," he said. "What do I need next?"

"The ash, the blood," the flesh, the bone, and the magic. We have a few more things we need. I need a unicorn hair and a phoenix feather."

"Master?" Lucius said. "Don't you have everything you need?"

"The unicorn hair symbolizes life. I already have the blood to symbolize life, but the unicorn hair will help increase my speed and durability."

"But the phoenix is supposed to be a creature of light. What purpose does that serve?"

"Two purposes," Voldemort explained. "The phoenix feather was the core of my wand. It will also lessen the effects of the dementor ash during my rebirth."

"But where will we get the magic?"

"I have a plan," Voldemort said.

Lucius swallowed. An icy chill ran down his spine. "Are you going to want mine?"

"Lucius," Voldemort said silkily. "You came for me when I fell. You searched for my spirit for years and when you found me, you created this statue to house my spirit. You, above all of my followers, have earned the place as my most loyal."

Lucius sighed in relief. "Thank you, Milord," he said shakily. "Then where…"

"Shh," Voldemort said. "Be patient my friend. There will be time for me to explain later. For now, tell me what you know about the death of the dementors?"

"All I know is that every dementor has been destroyed and All the souls of the kissed have been restored to their bodies."

Voldemort chuckled. "Yes, that's perfect. Tell me Lucius, do you still have the crystal?"

Lucius drew out a black crystal with green flecks in the stone. He held it up, showing it to the statue.

"Very good," Voldemort hissed. "Now then, that crystal will absorb magic of anyone that dies close to it. Here's what I want you to do."

**HPS**

"What?" Dumbledore snapped. "What do you mean you ordered their deaths?"

"Now see here Albus?" Fudge blustered. "I will not be spoken to like that. I am the minister of magic."

"The minister who ordered the execution of innocent people."

"Innocent?" Fudge barked. "We have no idea what that thing did when he killed the dementors. For all we know, those might not have been the people that were kissed."

"And their execution has nothing to do with the fact that a quarter of them were innocent?"

"Did Lilith tell you that?" Fudge said derisively. "Come now Albus, you warned me what she could do. Has she got to your mind? Perhaps you should allow a healer to examine your mind old boy."

Dumbledore leapt to his feet. "I have to stop this. Some of those people have done nothing wrong."

He spun to the door and was just quick enough to avoid the stunning spell that flew passed his head. He watched as the red light shattered the doorknob into metal fragments. He slowly turned to face Fudge, drawing his wand. "I hope you have a good reason for this, Cornelius."

"I can't let you stop the execution Albus," Fudge said. "I've already summoned the Aurors, just come to ST. Mungos and they can fix you right up. Things do not have to get unpleasant."

"How long have you been waiting to use that line," Dumbledore said. "You know some of them are innocent, don't you?"

Fudge shrugged. "Perhaps some are, perhaps they aren't. Either way, I can't let you begin the rumor that the ministry allowed innocent people to be kissed. No matter who was Minister of magic at the time, it could be quite embarrassing for me."

"And your reputation is more important than innocent lives?"

"Come now Albus, it's their lives. They got their souls back. The existence of the soul proves the existence of a hereafter. This is better than they were. Besides, most of them haven't awoken yet. A simple trip through the vail is humane and painless."

Dumbledore heard feet tramping towards the office. His heart beat frantically. There was no way he could escape. Once he was in St. Mungos, he was under no illusions that he would be allowed to leave. Fudge would keep him locked up until he could be sure he wouldn't do anything to oppose him.

"This is my fault," Dumbledore said. "I fostered the hate of Lilith. I aided you in locking Harry in Azkaban. Everything that you have done can be laid at my feet."

"Don't be so arrogant," Fudge said. "I am fully capable of making decisions without you."

"SO you are," Dumbledore said. There was a deafening bang and Fudge flew backward, crashing into the wall behind him. As the pudgy little man slid down the wall, his wand flew through the air and Dumbledore caught it neatly."

Pocketing his own wand, he looked down at the unconscious minister of magic, frowning deeply. He needed to find a way to get out of this.

"Need a hand," Sirius said appearing beside him.

"Sirius," Dumbledore nearly shouted. "How did you get in here?"

"I followed you," Sirius explained. "Lilith thought you might need some help. Now then, let's see what I can do."

He strode over to Fudge and knelt beside him. He touched the Minister's forehead. When Fudge's eyes flew open, Sirius caught the minister's gaze with his own. "Hello Cornelius," he said. "Here's what you are going to do."

**HPS**

As they left the minister's office, Dumbledore glanced at Sirius. "Won't the Auror's notice something?"

"No, this isn't like the imperius curse. When I hypnotize someone, there is no detectable sign that they are under my control."

"You can take away free will?"

"Yes," Sirius said.

Dumbledore frowned. "Every time I think I might be getting close to being able to accept Lilith; she does something that throws me back on my heals."

"When I chose to be Harry's father, I gave up my humanity to be with Lilith and my son. It wasn't hard. My own family was a bigger monster to me than Lilith ever has been. As usual, you're judging someone on what they are instead of who they are."

"I must think about this," Dumbledore said softly. I can't just accept everything you've said without considering this. I admit that I've made a lot of mistakes when it comes to Harry and Lilith, but I'm concerned at the power they have."

"Take your time," Sirius said. I don't age anymore."

Dumbledore chuckled. "True, but I still do."

**HPS**

"How many did we save?" Sirius asked.

"Only three," Lilith said. It was too late for the rest."

"I can't believe Fudge ordered them executed," Harry said.

"You don't know Fudge very well," Sirius said. He's a career politician and most of those lie. Specifically, regarding Fudge, he'll do whatever it takes to ensure the Ministry, and by proxy he, will not be blamed for anything."

"SO, what are we going to do?"

Lilith glanced at Harry who was staring at her, waiting for a response to his question. She ran her fingers through her hair, her orange eyes flashing in the light of the lamps on the wall.

"Do?" she asked. "There's only one thing we can do. I'll change the three people I was able to save into my creatures. Once that is done, we can deal with the Ministry."

"Deal with them?" Sirius asked. "What do you mean by that?"

"I don't know yet," Lilith said, "but I'm getting very tired of people judging me before I've done anything. If it keeps up, it may be time to take drastic action."

"What sort of drastic action?"

Lilith looked between Harry and Sirius. "Hostile takeover," she whispered.

**HPS**

"Potter," McGonagall said as Harry started to exit the room, "Please stay."

Harry looked at Daphne. Daphne smiled at him slightly.

"I'll wait outside."

Harry turned back to McGonagall. "Yes Professor?"

"Potter, as a Triwizard champion, you will have to open the dancing at the Yule Ball on Christmas day. DO you know how to dance?"

Harry nodded stiffly. "Yes, I can dance."

"Good," McGonagall said. "I trust you can find a date?"

"Yes," I shall find a date."

McGonagall gazed at Harry without speaking. She cleared her throat awkwardly. "Can you do it without manipulating anyone's mind?"

The temperature in the room dropped suddenly. Ice began forming on every surface. "Excuse me?" Harry said his voice as cold as an arctic breeze.

"Well, you have the ability to manipulate someone's mind, to make them think what you want them to."

Harry held up a hand. "Stop!" he barked. "That's enough baseless accusations. I cannot force someone to love me."

"But you are Lilith's child."

"And?" Harry snapped. "I can manipulate someone's mind, not their emotions. Furthermore, I would not do that even if I could. That would be the same as rape and my Mum did instill some values in me."

McGonagall leaned back in her chair, wiping ice of her spectacles. "I have offended you."

"You think?" Harry snapped.

"I apologize," McGonagall said. "I was wrong to even suggest you would do such a thing."

Harry waved a hand, letting out a harsh breath. "I should've known that this would happen. As much as I'd like to be angry, you don't know me. You've had four months to form an opinion and you just found out my Mothers secret."

"It was a shock," McGonagall said quietly.

"But she's still my Mother," Harry said. She's still the person you knew. Did you know she chose not to absorb the lives of her parents to return to her full strength? Mum chose to live as a mortal for twenty-one years. She chose to learn what it was like to be human."

"Your Mother is an exceptional person."

"She has been a great Mother."

"I can see that," McGonagall said softly. Perhaps I should get to know Lilith as she is. She seems to be the same. I guess there is just more of her."

Harry nodded. "I think she would appreciate that. She would like someone that didn't judge her for being an Old One."

McGonagall looked at Harry in silence. "You may go."

Harry turned and left the room almost running into Daphne.

"I can't believe she actually accused you of that," she said.

"You heard everything?"

"Yes," Daphne said.

"And you don't believe what she said?"

Daphne snorted. "Your Mother would rip you in half if she found out you mentally raped someone."

Harry nodded. "True," he said. He stared at Daphne without speaking. "I don't suppose you would go to the Ball with me?"

Daphne smiled, revealing slightly crooked teeth. "You would want to go to the Ball with the plainest girl in Hogwarts."

"You may be plain-faced to some people, but you are beautiful to me. You've been a loyal friend since I've been here and I couldn't ask for more than that."

Daphne leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you," she said. "And I'd love to go to the ball with you."

"How cute Potter," A bored drawling voice said. "I will allow you to go to the ball with my concubine, just don't get too comfortable with her. Remember, she is mine."

"Your Mother," Harry said.

"What about her?" Malfoy asked.

"Would she be happy with the way you've been talking about Daphne?"

"My Mother knows her place," Malfoy said.

"Does she?" Harry asked, his eyes flickering orange and then back to emerald green. "Perhaps someone should free her from your Father?"

"Free her?" Malfoy snarled. "What does that mean?"

"It means that I don't think she's happy in her arranged marriage to your Father. I think He just used her and tossed her aside."

Malfoy drew his wand; his knuckles were white on its handle. "Be careful Potter," he growled.

"You know what I think?" Harry continued as if he hadn't heard Malfoy. "I think your Father prefers men to women. He did spend all that time on his knees in front of Voldemort."

"Malfoys kneel to no one," Malfoy said automatically.

"And yet your Father knelt to Voldemort. What do you say to that?"

"The Dark Lord was the greatest sorcerer to ever walk the earth. My Father knew the only way he'd survive was to kneel to him. If he hadn't, he would've died."

"But your Father made the decision to go to him in the first place. He chose to serve Voldemort. Are you saying he was unwilling to serve him?"

Malfoy paused. He was trapped and he knew it. If he said his Father was forced, that could get back to the other followers of The Dark Lord and his Father could be in real danger when The Dark Lord returned. However, if he said he was loyal to Voldemort, that could also cause trouble for his Father. He sneered at Harry.

"I don't have time for this," he said coldly. "Take your debates to someone who cares." He turned to Daphne. "Don't embarrass me at the ball." With that, he stalked off.

Daphne glanced at Harry. "What was that all about?"

"I just challenged everything he believes in. I wanted to see how he thought of his Mother."

"And?" Daphne asked.

"It doesn't look like he thinks too highly of her."

"But what was the point in that?" Daphne asked.

"There is a way that my Mother and I can extend our influence. The fact we may be able to save a woman from a loveless marriage is an added bonus."

"You mean," Daphne began.

"Yep," Harry said. "We're going to turn Narcissa Malfoy."

A/N Sorry for the delay, I've been busy over the past few weeks. If everyone goes to plan, you'll get the next two chapters Wednesday and Thursday.