Chapter 2

Andromeda: The Sacrifice

Winter & Spring 1973

The Christmas holidays had passed and Narcissa was back at Hogwarts. She had enjoyed her time at home, despite not being able to see her sister. Andromeda had been banned from the house since she had allied herself to the Muggle-born, Tonks. Narcissa hoped it was just a passing fancy and that her sister would come to her senses soon; she really missed her. Bellatrix and her husband Rodolphus had spent Christmas day with Narcissa and her parents and on Boxing Day, Regulus and his parents had paid a visit. (Sirius' absence from the family gathering was not mentioned at all). Regulus was shaping up very nicely and his parents glowed with pride as Narcissa related how well he was doing in Ophiuchus. Bellatrix told them all how the Dark Lord's plans were faring and predicted the war would be won within the year. Narcissa loved her sister, but couldn't help but notice she was wilder than usual. She had always been impulsive and charismatic, but she had changed; she was almost manic and the look on her face when she spoke of her Master was tinged with lust. Narcissa glanced at Rodolphus from time to time, but even when she had eye contact, she read nothing but pride in his wife's place at the Dark Lord's side. Well, each to their own. Narcissa wrote to Lucius regularly over the festive period and attended the annual New Years' Eve party at Malfoy Manor, his ancestral home in Wiltshire. If anyone noticed they disappeared into Lucius' room for most of the evening, they did not comment on it.

Back at school in the New Year, she noticed at the first Ophiuchus meeting that Severus looked pallid and wan. He was still small for his age, and even though Narcissa had been encouraging him to eat and exercise more, his trip home seemed to have undone much of the work of the previous term physically speaking. Mentally however, it had done wonders. Being around his brutish Muggle father seemed to have ignited a fresh zeal in him, and two weeks into the new term, he demonstrated his new charm to the group: Muffliato. When cast, the ears of those nearby filled with a buzzing sound, allowing those inside the charm's immediate vicinity to speak freely, with no fear of being overheard. Bellatrix was delighted with the spell and undoubtedly their Master was too; her next parcel contained a gift for Severus. It was a brand-new, thick, luxurious cloak with silver fastenings. It must have cost a small fortune, as it was impervious, self-cleaning, resistant to minor hexes and jinxes and grew with the owner. Severus was almost overcome with joy as he put it on and swished around the room. Narcissa almost laughed; he looked like a small bat. The other boys, seeing the favour bestowed upon their peer, all began to work harder than ever. Doyle and Antonin began to teach the group duelling to great effect. Narcissa and Theodosia started to work on non-verbal spells with the three new recruits, whilst Lucius taught Brennan, Mallory and Valdis a range of highly specialised hexes and jinxes, which bypassed the defensive strategies taught in Defence Against the Dark Arts.

On Bellatrix's instruction, Narcissa and Lucius were to start training up Brennan Wilkes to take over the running of Ophiuchus after Easter. As a sixth-year, he would be the oldest member once Narcissa, Lucius, Theodosia, Antonin and Doyle had graduated. He would be assisted and later succeeded by Valdis Avery and Mallory Mulciber, who were currently in their fourth year. The boys were certainly competent and talented, but they lacked subtlety. Narcissa and Doyle had had to cover up a nasty incident involving a third-year Hufflepuff after the three had attacked her in a deserted corridor one lunch time. Fortunately, Doyle had been working hard on his Healing charms and had also wiped the girl's memory before Professor Sprout arrived on the scene.

"It is of utmost importance that we are not caught!" Lucius had lectured the boys later. "If you are going to attack a Mudblood, you have to make it look like an accident, at least until our Master is ready for us to move in the open. Obedience and restraint are just as important to him as restoring the natural order. Everything must be done in his time, according to his plan. Otherwise you risk the whole operation! You will be of no use to him expelled and wandless or in Azkaban!"

To keep the boys on track, Narcissa and Lucius gave the two groups a mission. Brennan, Mallory and Valdis were tasked with finding an opportunity to use a non-verbal hex or jinx on another student without being caught. Regulus, Severus and Evan were to investigate Healing charms and potions which could be used against harm caused by Dark magic.

Having never had a Potions proficient in Ophiuchus before, Narcissa pondered how best to support Severus' learning. He could read all the books he liked, but without access to the Potions classroom and ingredients, he would be unable to experiment and refine his technique. She took the plunge one day and sought permission from Professor Slughorn for Severus and Regulus to have use the classroom one evening a week. The man had been almost fanatical in his support of the idea, so Narcissa had been delighted - until he uttered the following words:

"Yes, Severus, Regulus and of course Lily Evans. Why, those three will be delighted at the chance to further their ability!"

"Lily Evans, Sir? Meaning no disrespect, but she's a Gryffindor."

"Now, now, Miss Black, there's no need to hold that against her! She is an exceptional student. It is a shame that she is Muggle-born - if she wasn't, I have no doubt she would be in our house!"

No Muggle's brat is coming anywhere near my Slytherin-Serpens. Narcissa thought savagely. Aloud, she said, "Yes, but... I'm not sure..." she trailed off, seeing in the Potions Master's eyes that her protests would do no good. And perhaps it would help... with a Gryffindor Muggle-born taking part in the study sessions, no-one can accuse Ophiuchus of getting up to no good... She swallowed then smiled prettily. "You're quite right, Sir. That sounds like an excellent idea."

And so Severus, Regulus and Lily began to meet on a Wednesday evening in the Potions classroom. Frustratingly, Slughorn supervised most of their sessions, meaning they had to be very careful. Once the boys had mastered a range of Healing potions, and Evan had demonstrated competency in the usual Healing charms, Narcissa launched the next stage of the plan and the boys were instructed to find potions and spells which would not respond to these types of healing. To the professors and other students, they were merely researching the limits of healing magic - "a noble and worthy cause in these troubling times," Slughorn commented cheerily - but each time they reported a new finding to Narcissa, she wrote to Bellatrix, who relayed the information back to the Death Eaters. The supporters of the Dark Lord were growing more and more powerful, more dangerous and more resistant to usual types of magic. By mid-February, Severus, Regulus and Evan were seen to sport new gloves and hats of expensive materials; their Master was pleased with them.

Professor Slughorn was also delighted at their progress and he invited the three to join his Slug Club. Narcissa and Lucius had been members of several years, and endured the company of the irritating man for the sake of the useful contacts he had. Lucius in particular had built up a very useful network, and even though he would never need to work (the Malfoy family fortune being more than enough for his lifetime, and that of several heirs to come) he wished to be in a position to influence the right people at the right time. Due to the ongoing conflict, Slughorn's Christmas party at the end of the previous term had not been up to its usual standard. There had been famous Quidditch players and wizarding authors, but there was a notable lack of Ministry officials and research specialists - they did not wish to be seen in public unless absolutely necessary, for fear of the Death Eaters. Narcissa had hoped that Slughorn would give up the club altogether in the New Year. She was already panicking slightly at the amount of work she had to put in for her N.E.W.T.s, Head Girl duties and beginning to train up the new leaders of Ophiuchus. She really could do without Slughorn's little supper parties taking time out of her precious evenings, but no such luck. So every few weeks, she had to dress up, plaster a smile on her face and attend yet another tedious gathering. Worse though than Slughorn's constant "If-I-were-forty-years-younger" remarks, was the fact that the club was being opened up to more and more of those of no blood status - such as Lily Evans.

"A Mudblood in the Slug Club, Narcissa! It's disgusting. She'll be lucky to marry a half-blood and spend her days as a housewife! She'll never have any influence in the world and when she dies, no-one will remember her name! How dare she think she's good enough to mix with people like us?" Lucius ranted at Narcissa in his dormitory one evening.

She giggled at his indignation "I know, but you can't deny it's quite ironic - Severus and Regulus have been getting through more work than I thought possible thanks to her help. Bella told me that even the Dark Lord is amused that a filthy Muggle-born is actively contributing to his cause and the downfall of her kind."

Lucius looked slightly mollified, sitting down beside her on his bed. He went on, "We need to keep an eye on her though, and Severus. If he still thinks of her as a friend, he might balk when he's asked to take more drastic action against her kind..."

Narcissa took his hand in hers. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it - and then she herself will burn it. Trust me, Luc, we don't need to do anything. I've been watching her and I can see it in her eyes; she's tolerating him - for now. But she'll turn on him and drive him away completely soon. Just wait and see."

At the end of February was the fourth match of the Quidditch season, Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff. Brennan, Mallory and Valdis chose this time to carry out their mission. Partway through the game, James Potter seemed to lose control of his broom. It began to jerk violently, attempting to throw him off. The boy looked startled and tried to land, but the broom carried him higher and higher. Narcissa glanced down the bench and saw three boys staring at the broom. None were blinking and they were mouthing silently. She was impressed; hexing a broom was very difficult and to do so silently was much harder. She nudged Lucius, who looked back at her. There was anger in his eyes as he muttered out the corner of his mouth "The idiots - they got the wrong player. They were supposed to go for the Mudblood, Maguire." He looked up and down the bench then continued, "If we see anyone look this way, we'll stop them. We mustn't be caught".

Narcissa nodded and began to keep watch. On the bench in front of her, Severus, Regulus and Evan were laughing openly. She poked them and whispered, "Keep it subtle." They tried to stifle their giggles as people began to cry out, pointing up as Potter appeared smaller and smaller as he travelled further into the distance. Madam Hooch called a time out. Biased cow - she would never have done that if a Slytherin were in trouble, Narcissa thought.The other players, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff alike, all zoomed up towards Potter, but before they could reach him, his broom gave an almighty lurch, throwing the boy off. He fell down, down, down and hit the pitch with a sickening thud.

James Potter survived, but Gryffindor lost the match. Once the stands were empty and they were alone, Lucius gave the Slytherin boys a roasting. It turned out that Severus and Regulus, both of whom loathed Potter and his gang, had persuaded the older boys to switch targets at the last minute. "This is not the time to pursue personal vendettas! You are working for your Master, the Dark Lord - don't ever forget that. He does not forgive easily." This sobered the boys up. "However," Lucius continued, "it was a very powerful hex, so kudos to you three for pulling it off. And the Potters lack proper wizarding pride - hair care products, I ask you - and they are looking suspiciously like blood traitors. They consort with the wrong sorts." At this he looked pointedly at Severus, who looked away quickly. Lucius continued smoothly, "So perhaps Potter was a worthy target after all."

The next day, Narcissa was studying in the courtyard when she heard footsteps approaching and two people talking heatedly on the other side of the fountain. She paused, recognising Severus' voice as he spoke disdainfully,

"And what do you mean by that, Lily?"

"You know exactly what I mean, Sev! Did your lot have anything to do with what happened to Potter?"Narcissa raised her eyebrows at the girl's words. She's perceptive, I'll give her that.

Severus sneered, "Look, I know you're bitter, but just because you're out of the running for the Quidditch Cup now, it doesn't mean you can blame us for one idiot falling off his broom. He was probably just showing off - as usual - and slipped -"

"He didn't slip, Sev, his broom was cursed!" Lily sounded very angry.

"If it makes you feel better to believe that..." Severus' tone was composed and offhand. Narcissa smiled. Good boy.

"Don't patronise me! It isn't a coincidence that it was Potter who got hurt, was it?"

"So, let me follow your pathetic attempt at logic here." Severus' voice was low, icy and loaded with venom. Narcissa tried not to giggle. She hadn't heard him speak like this before. "At a Quidditch match in which Slytherin weren't even playing, James Potter falls off his broom. Therefore, I must be responsible - this is bearing in mind that I don't give a toss who wins that infernal game, I was sitting with the Head Girl the whole time and - sadly - I am no way near powerful enough to hex a broom - they have anti-hexes built into them for Merlin's sake! But of course, I don't like Potter, so naturally it's all my fault."

Lily huffed. "There's no need to be rude, Sev."

"Oh I'm so sorry, Lily," Severus said sarcastically. "So I'm supposed to just take it lying down when you accuse me of trying to murder bloody Potter?"

"And there's no need to swear," she replied, primly.

"Technically speaking, I was using the word as an adjective. He was pretty bloody after he hit the ground," Severus drawled.

"That's not funny, Sev."

"I wasn't joking," he retorted evenly.

"Look!" Lily sounded exasperated "I wasn't accusing you, but I know the sort of people you hang around with in that gang - they're bad news, Sev!"

"Says who?"

"Sirius, for one."

"And you believe what Sirius says? Lily, he's a liar! Remember what he said about Regulus - you know Regulus - you said you liked him."

"I do... but..."

"So you should know that Sirius is a prat. Look, he argued with his family and now he says bad things about them to get back at them. He didn't even go home for Christmas! Regulus said his mother was really upset."

"Oh." Lily's voice was softer. "I didn't know that..."

"Look, I don't want to argue. I'm just saying, please don't judge my friends, Lily. Evan and Regulus are great. And we aren't in a gang. It's a study group. Ravenclaw have one too, and no-one accuses them of doing anything wrong. And I thought you'd approve - it's thanks to us we're allowed to do extra Potions, after all."

"I know, I'm sorry Sev. It's just... it was so scary, watching him fall like that..."

"Since when have you cared about Potter?" Severus' voice was suddenly sharp.

"I'd care about anyone who fell that far, Sev. He was lucky not to break his neck."

Narcissa had heard enough. She gathered her books into her bag and stepped out from behind the fountain. "Hello, Severus." She smiled her most charming smile at him. "I wanted to talk to you about a new book I think you'll like. Walk with me?"

Severus looked very proud to be singled out by the Head Girl. "See you later," he muttered quickly to Lily, as he fell into step beside Narcissa. Narcissa glanced back and saw that Lily looked angry and annoyed. Good. Mudbloods need to learn their place.

Soon, Severus was comfortably ensconced in an armchair by the roaring fire in the Slytherin common room, 'Powerful Poisons and Potions' open on his lap. Narcissa retired to her dormitory and was surprised to find Ursa perched on her bed. She clicked her beak, holding out her leg, to which a small scroll of parchment was attached. Narcissa felt anxious as she united the note. Bellatrix had written only two days ago; an extra missive was never good news.

Cissy,

Andromeda has married the Mudblood. I thought you should hear it from me before anyone else finds out. I will never speak her name again or have it mentioned in my presence. She is dead to me and if I ever see her again, I will take great delight in killing her myself.

Bella x

Narcissa read the note through three times, breathing shallowly. Andromeda... was gone. I'll never see my sister again. Never hear her laugh, never have warbling contests with her to Celestina Warbeck... Narcissa's eyes clouded with tears. I'll never go shopping with her again, never fight over who has the last ginger newt, never get to ask her advice... She felt a deep anger begin to flicker to life inside her belly. She left us. She betrayed us. She threw herself away for a worthless, useless Mudblood! The fury was building, making her limbs shake with rage. She didn't even realise she had drawn her wand until she had thrown her head back and screamed, "Incendio!" The hangings of her four poster burst into flame. Ursa squawked in fright, taking off and sailing through the open window. Narcissa didn't even notice. She entered a blind rage, shouting every destructive spell she could think of as the dormitory submitted to the onslaught: "Reducto, Confringo, Diffindo, Flipendo, Depulso, Bombarda, Expulso, Finestra!"

She stood, gasping in the smouldering wreckage of the dormitory, smoke and dust making her eyes water, when the door swung open. "Cissy!" It was Zillah and Sephy, each looking surprised. "What happened?"

"GET OUT!" Narcissa bellowed, pointing her wand at them. The girls squealed and fled. Theodosia was standing behind them, but she did not move. She raised her wand in return, and said,

"I'm more than willing to duel, Doyle's given me some pointers - but if you would prefer to talk..."

Narcissa's wand shook as she burst into tears. She then found herself engulfed in a hug from her friend, spilling out the story onto her shoulder. "Shhh... it's ok..."

"It isn't!" Narcissa wailed. "She's gone, Thea, she left me! Left us all!"

"I know, I know. She's chosen her path. You have to be strong, Cissy."

"But what will I do now? Luc... he won't want me anymore!"

"Want a bet?" Theodosia put her hands on Narcissa's shoulders, looking seriously into her eyes. "Cissy, that man is head over heels in love with you. I swear, if Dunstan loves me half as much as Lucius loves you, I'll be a very happy woman."

"It's changed now, Thea. Once he finds out..."

"I already know," came a voice from the doorway.

Theodosia spun on the spot and laughed. "How the hell did you manage that, Lucius? Boys aren't allowed up here!"

"I have my ways." He lounged elegantly on the doorframe.

"Spill!" Theodosia demanded.

"Ok fine, I had Doyle use a Hover charm to lift me up the stairs. They only turn into a slide if your feet touch them. So here I am. And I would like to speak to Narcissa alone, if it's all the same to you."

Theodosia nodded, squeezing her friend's arm. "You'll be fine, Cissy. Trust me." She stepped over the broken furniture and left the room, smiling at Lucius as she passed him. There was a moment of silence. Narcissa suddenly realised how she must look; dishevelled, covered in debris, hair all over the place, face red and puffy from crying, standing in the midst of a sea of wreckage. Lucius had never seen her look anything less than poised and perfect. She felt shame creep over her. No man would want me now, not after this. Lucius took her completely by surprise, therefore, as he approached her in two quick strides, gathered her in his arms, and kissed her urgently and passionately. She broke away, turning her face away from his.

"Luc, stop. I have to tell you something."

"Narcissa, I said I already know. I found out yesterday, actually."

"What?!"

"My mother. She always knows everything about everyone."

"She warned you off me..." Candace and Abraxas Malfoy were well known for their views on blood status; their family motto, 'Sanctimonia Vincet Semper', translated to 'Purity Will Always Conquer'.

"No!" Lucius cried. "She told me you would probably be very upset and to behave like a gentlemen and comfort you. I'm not sure this is quite what she had in mind..." He kissed her again. "...but it seems to be working."

Narcissa felt dazed and confused. "You still want me? But my sister... and all this." She gestured helplessly to the broken room.

"Yes! Narcissa, I love you. I've already told you, a thousand mad relatives couldn't stop me from loving you and as for this..." His eyes met hers, pupils dilated. "If there was one clear bit of space in this room, I swear I would have you right now. You are one formidable witch."

Even she couldn't help but laugh at that. "You really mean it, don't you?" She could see his answer in his eyes, but wanted him to say it out loud.

"Yes. Narcissa... I want to tell you something, but you have to promise you will never, ever tell anyone."

"I promise."

He glanced over his shoulder and lowered his voice. "Even if you were a Mudblood, I would marry you and thank my lucky stars every day that I had you." Narcissa gasped in shock at his statement. For Lucius Malfoy, pure-blood, elite member of the Sacred Twenty-Eight to say such a thing... She was still reeling as he spoke again, "Narcissa, will you marry me?"

Two hours later, Narcissa was attending her own engagement party. Lucius had summoned some school elves to repair her dormitory, then written to his parents to share the good news. "There'll probably be a piece about this in the Prophet tomorrow!" he enthused. Narcissa wrote to her family as well, hoping that her triumph would eclipse her sister's fall from grace. Theodosia, Doyle and Antonin then rounded up the rest of the Slytherins. Together, they decorated the common room, charmed the wireless to belt out the greatest hits of wizarding music, and ordered stacks of food and drink from the kitchens. (They also smuggled in some fire whisky from the Hogs Head. The barman there was a bit of an oddball, but could always be relied upon to sell his wares without asking any questions.) Even Slughorn put in an appearance, turning a blind eye to the booze, and heartily congratulating the happy couple. They bore it with good grace, even though he did use his "If-I-were-forty-years-younger" line again. Just after one o'clock in the morning, Narcissa found herself accosted by Severus, Regulus and Evan.

"We have a present for you, Narcissa!" Regulus beamed up at his cousin, handing her a piece of parchment.

"Whassis?" she asked, slurring. She had had quite a lot to drink already and the room was spinning. She unfolded it and read the word written in neat, cramped handwriting. "Langlock," she said. "Whassit do?"

"It stops people from speaking, literally sticks their tongue to the roof of their mouth," Severus explained. "I had the idea for it some time ago, but was having issues with the wand movement. Evan corrected it and Regulus found a way to extend the effects. Before it only lasted two minutes, tops. Now it can last up to twenty."

"That will be very useful boys, well done." Lucius re-joined Narcissa, putting an arm around her waist as she lurched sideways.

"Woops!" she giggled and spilt some fire whisky from her glass onto the floor. Evan giggled too and Regulus poked him.

"Severus, would you be so good as to rescue Narcissa's glass?" Severus stepped forward and gently took the tumbler from Narcissa's slack grip. Lucius nodded. "Thank you. You three should probably go to bed now. We will review your spell at our next meeting." The boys obediently said goodnight and headed for their dormitories.

"Do you have any idea how utterly adorable you are when you are drunk?" Lucius asked his fiancée, tucking her hair behind her ears.

"You think it's adorable, do you? Well when she's puking her guts out later, I'll call you to hold her hair out of the way, shall I?" Theodosia teased, coming up to them.

"I'm SOOO not drunk!" Narcissa insisted, eyes unfocused, pointing at Theodosia. "I'm jussa bit tipseyyyy." She laughed again, swaying as Lucius tightened his grip to stop her falling.

"I think it's time for bed, Cissy," Theodosia said, hands on her hips.

"Noooo way! S'time to partyyyyy!" And she broke away from Lucius, heading towards the dancing.

"I'd better go after her - if she falls there she'll get trampled!" Lucius followed Narcissa and managed to keep her upright. It was nearly five in the morning before the party stopped. Slughorn barrelled in and insisted they all go to bed before the House-elves began their usual rounds. The students filed off, some singing incoherently, others laughing at the most mundane things. Slughorn intervened to stop couples sloping off together, and, eventually, the common room was empty and quiet once more. Narcissa and the girls couldn't stop giggling as they tumbled into their beds. It really had been a fantastic party.

In the weeks that followed, the seventh-year members of Ophiuchus took a back seat within the group as their N.E.W.T studies ramped up another notch. Brennan, heavily encouraged by Mallory and Valdis, wished to mark his rise to leadership, and so instructed Severus and Regulus to challenge James Potter and Sirius Black to a duel. The rivalry between the four boys had died down whilst Potter was recovering from his Quidditch accident, but once he was out of the Hospital Wing, he reverted to his old habits of swaggering around the castle as if he owned the place, and hexing Slytherin first and second-years at every opportunity - especially Severus. Regulus received similar treatment from his older brother. Both Slytherins were keen to exact revenge, so Regulus challenged Sirius to a duel in the Charms classroom at midnight one Wednesday in early April. Severus and James were to serve as seconds. All of Ophiuchus waited up until Regulus and Severus returned. Regulus was buzzing with excitement as he burst through the door to the common room declaring, "We won!" Severus followed more sedately, face impassive, but his black eyes were glittering. Mallory waved them over to prime seats by the fire, where Regulus recounted the happenings of the night with relish,

"Potter and Sirius were already there when we arrived and we agreed on the terms. The first person to land a successful Stunner would be the winner. Then we sent Severus and Potter in to try to negotiate a truce -"

"What?!" Mallory interjected. "You tried to negotiate with blood traitors? What's wrong with you?"

Regulus looked stubbornly at him. "Real wizarding duels follow the rules, Mallory. It's about having proper wizarding pride."

Mallory opened his mouth to argue, but Lucius spoke first, "I quite agree, Regulus. We need to demonstrate the proper codes of conduct, and to duel badly is dishonourable. Please, continue, Regulus."

Regulus looked triumphantly at Mallory, then carried on with his narrative. "Anyway, the peace talk failed. Potter just decided to use it as an excuse for a slagging match, but Severus was great, he said... what was it again?"

Severus, who had been silent up until this moment shrugged. "Potter attempted to goad me into hexing him, just so he could take part in the duel as well. He was his usual inane self, but I merely asked how his mother was, and whether it was anything fatal. That shut him up."

"His mother?" Narcissa frowned at Severus. "What's that got to do with anything?"

"She quite ill and he's worried about her. He didn't understand how I could know about it, so he flounced back off to Sirius. That ended the negotiations."

And how did he know about it? Narcissa wondered as Regulus continued to speak, "And then we started duelling! Sirius cast a Stinging hex, but it missed and I sent back a Freezing charm, he tried to dodge but I just clipped him with it - but not his wand arm, worst luck. He tried to hit me with Tarantallegra, but I got a shield up in time. It bounced back and just missed Potter..."

"And Potter took that as an invitation to enter the fray," Severus intoned. "Naturally, I stepped in as well. I attempted to disarm him, but he got a shield up just in time. Then he sent back a Rictusempra. It hit, but only my cloak so had no effect. He was surprised by that. Then he tried to hit Regulus with the same spell, but I shielded him. I was able to hold the shield over Regulus and he sent an Incendio at them."

Doyle nodded. "Good. I'm glad to hear you were working together. Did Potter and Sirius?"

"No." Regulus smirked. "Gryffindors are arrogant and, honestly, I don't think it even occurred to them. Potter wanted to hurt Severus, and Sirius wanted to hurt me. They were duelling side by side, rather than as a team."

Doyle laughed. "And that will be their downfall. I hate Dumbledore, but I have to admit he's right when he says we're stronger together. What happened next?"

Regulus raised his arms in triumph. "Sirius' cloak caught fire, Potter stopped fighting to put it out using Aguamenti, Severus got him with a Tarantallegra and I got Sirius with a Stunner. We told Potter we wouldn't perform the counter-hex until he surrendered. He started swearing at us, so we used Langlock on him and left."

The group laughed at the thought of Potter mute and dancing, with Sirius out cold on the floor beside him. "I hope Filch gets them," Brennen said, rubbing his hands together. "That'll serve them right, little blood traitors. If they try to implicate you, we'll all say you were here all evening. Here -" he handed some parchment to both boys. "- just charm this to look like your handwriting. We've done your homework from Transfiguration today, just in case you need an alibi." Severus and Regulus gratefully took the parchment from Brennan. Next to him on the sofa, Valdis was looking put out.

"But why didn't you use any of the new spells Doyle and Ant taught you? I mean, it's great you won, but a Tickling charm and the Dancing Feet spell? It's a bit tame."

"Your ignorance sometimes astounds me, Valdis. As much fun as it would have been to blast them away using Confringo, or Bombada, or to remove their fingers, or reverse their knees, we aren't supposed to know those spells," Severus drawled. Regulus nodded and took over,

"Exactly. We only used magic we should know, so if Potter and Sirius report what happened tonight, the worst that'll happen is we get detention and a talking to from old Sluggy. If we had used hexes from well above our level, he might start to get suspicious, and the first place he would look is at Ophiuchus."

"And if we had used Dark magic," Severus continued, "we'd be expelled. And what use would we be to the Dark Lord on the Ministry's watch-list with our wands snapped and no qualifications?"

Lucius stood up and addressed the group, "Quite right. You did very well, boys. Remember, Brennan," Lucius fixed him with a piercing glaze, and went on, "This group needs to maintain its cover, or it will be useless to the Dark Lord. As leader, it is your responsibility to ensure we stay under the radar."

Brennan nodded and stood as well. "I think we should call it a night. Lucius is right, we need to keep it subtle." And with that, the group separated and they all headed for bed.

On Saturday, Narcissa sought out Severus and asked him to walk down to the lake with her. She needed to address a delicate issue with him and wished to do so away from prying eyes and listening ears. She waited until they were by the water's edge before she turned to him and asked, "Severus, what do you know about Legilimency and Occlumency?"

"Why do you ask?" His tone was not rude, but completely expressionless.

"Because you are a natural Occlumens, and I wondered if you were doing anything to improve your skills in this area?"

"I don't need to do anything else. People can't read me, that's all there is to it." Again, his voice was perfectly modulated and gave no clue as to his emotional state.

"Severus, there is a great deal more to it than that. People can't read you, but that won't always work to your advantage. The Dark Lord is the greatest Legilimens the world has ever seen, and when you meet him -" she broke off as the boy gave an involuntary start. "Yes, Severus - when. You have already impressed him greatly, and he likes to meet all his new followers personally. When you meet him, before he decides whether or not to mark you, he will read you, and if you block him... there will be severe consequences."

Severus nodded slowly. Narcissa continued, "And there are other people who will try it, too. Professor Dumbledore, for example. He's a very accomplished Legilimens - second only to the Dark Lord - and if he can't get a read off you, he might get suspicious."

"So...I need to give him something... but I can choose what it is?" Severus tilted his head slightly to one side as he looked up at her.

"I think so. It's not something I've had enough time to work on properly myself. Bella's going to teach me more once I graduate - she's a natural, too, and our Master has been training her ever since she first joined him. But I would strongly advise you read up on it and practice as much as you can whilst you are still at school. If you master it effectively, it can also help combat the effects of the Imperius curse and Veritaserum. Knowledge is power, Severus; don't give the wrong people power over you." He nodded again. She took a deep breath and continued, "And what about Legilimency? Can you read other people - is that how you knew about Potter's mother being ill?"

There was silence for a few moments. Narcissa was beginning to wonder if he was going to reply at all, when he softly spoke, "Yes. I get flashes if I look in their eyes. Sometimes it's just a feeling, or a colour, or a random word... it doesn't always make sense. I can't choose what I see; it just happens." Narcissa could see it took a great deal of courage for the boy to confess this to her. He was confiding in her, asking for her help - he trusted her. She felt her heart twist and mentally shook herself. I cannot care about this boy. He is a tool for the Dark Lord. He will be trained up and sent out to fight and I cannot care whether he lives or dies. She briefly closed her eyes, allowing the pain to subside, before she forced herself to smile down at the boy again.

"There's a spell you can use, it will allow you to enter another's thoughts and look through them at will. It takes a great deal of time and patience to master, and you must use it with great caution, or it can cause irrecoverable damage to the mind of the person in question. Those who hone the skill can use it wandlessly and non-verbally, which means you can do it without the target even realising."

He stooped and picked up a small stone before throwing it into the lake. The glass-like surface was distorted as the water rippled gently outwards from the point of impact. "I can already tell if people are lying if I have eye contact with them... but I can't see the truth. Would I be able to if I learned to perform Legilimency properly?"

"If you practice, you would be able to read people's thoughts... although Bella hates it when I use the term 'read'. It's a lot more complicated than that. The mind isn't like a book; it's intricate, layered, moving and rapidly changing... but essentially yes, you could see not only that they were lying, but why, and possibly what they were trying to conceal. But if you are looking for the truth... truth is very subjective, Severus. What one person believes to be true isn't necessarily what you would consider to be true."

He nodded, choosing another pebble from the bank. "And if I was in a duel, could I see which spell they were about to cast before they did it?"

Narcissa watched as he launched the stone into the water. This one was larger, and tiny waves lapped at the bank where they were stood. "The Dark Lord is able to. And Bella is now able to pre-empt the moves of all the other Death Eaters when they practice." Narcissa lowered her voice. "Although between you and me, she's going to have a nasty surprise when she meets Doyle and Ant. The current Death Eaters have a lot of muscle but not much in the way of brains. Don't tell them I said so, though!" The corner of Severus' mouth twitched at this. Narcissa smiled, this time it was genuine, as she continued, "I'm not the best person to explain it to you, but I have some books at home I can ask Bella to send in. And as it isn't Dark magic, there are plenty of books in the school library you can borrow on the subject, too. Just don't be too open about it. I take it you haven't shared this ability with anyone else?" He shook his head, pulling his cloak more tightly around him as a cool breeze fluttered towards them across the surface of the lake, which was smooth and glassy once more. Narcissa nodded her approval. "Keep it that way, for now. Obviously you can tell those in Ophiuchus, and I will be reporting this conversation to Bella. The Dark Lord needs people like us, Severus."

His dark, unfathomable eyes met hers. Then he spoke, and his voice was filled with a powerful conviction she had not heard before, "I'll do it, and one day, I'll be a better Occlumens and Legilimens than Dumbledore and the Dark Lord put together."

The rest of the term passed without any major incidents. The seventh-years took their final exams and left Hogwarts for the last time. Narcissa and her friends boarded the same little boats they had taken to the castle in their first year and were carried across the smooth water away from the place which had been their home for the last seven years. They disembarked and entered Hogsmead Station before they boarded the Hogwarts Express and were taken back to London. Narcissa's parents and Bellatrix met her on Platform 9¾ and took her home. Narcissa Black's life at Hogwarts had officially ended; now she was in the adult world, and due to meet and pledge her allegiance to the most powerful Dark wizard of all time, Lord Voldemort.