The Vow and its Consequences

Chapter 33

Curious Questions

Severus skidded to a halt outside Harry's door before opening it, without too much force not wanting to scare Harry especially if he'd just been roused by a nightmare. He had been expecting this and worse for some time now, he was surprised it had taken so long if he was honest. He'd expected nightmares from the moment he was rescued, but Harry seemed quite a deep settled sleeper. Regaining his bearings, his face impassive, so not to scare Harry, he walked into the room. Harry was sitting up his entire body shaking as if he had the chills. Sitting himself next to Harry on the bed, facing him, he pressed his hand against that flushed skin, finding it not just sleep warm but abnormally warm. He had a fever, how could it have gotten so bad so quickly?

"Do you feel sick little one?" asked Severus, as Harry leaned in against his cold hands, he'd barely just gotten back before Harry had screamed. He was relieved he'd been here, Harry was getting used to Minerva, but enough to want her when he was sick.

"M'sorry," slurred Harry, his green eyes glinting with fear.

Severus frowned again, how long had Harry been sick? This was too advanced for him just to have gotten this way in a few hours. Which meant Harry had been hiding it, he would have to come up with some suitable words for the child, make sure he understood it was wrong to hide his illnesses or sickness. He would get there with him, it would take time and that was all he had these days. He could only imagine why Harry was apologizing, no doubt the Dursley's would have locked him away if he was sick.

"Sirius do not go in there." Severus heard Minerva say, in a rare possessive move, she sounded sterner than he'd ever heard her before.

"How is he?" asked Sirius, entering the room, ignoring Minerva's words altogether. The scream had made all the memories of the first few days in Azkaban come flashing back. Before his own had begun to mix in with everyone else's.

Harry whimpered, his shaking becoming even more pronounced as he tried to get to the other side of the bed. Severus wouldn't let him, he was sick enough without ending up falling on the cold floor. He was extremely irritated, why could the bloody man never do a single thing he was told. Harry didn't like or trust him yet, so why must he continuously push the boundaries?

"Leave, and if I have to tell you again it will not be just out of the room." threatened Severus, his voice deceptively soft, he did not want to scare Harry. Removing the covers causing Harry to begin shivering even more violently, he picked him up, placing a warming charm on his cloak he wrapped it around the sweat soaked child. He swiftly left the child's room and took Harry to his bedroom, and through the bathroom.

"Can I get you anything, Severus?" enquired Minerva, her voice uncommonly soft, as it always was when near her godson.

"Ask the House-Elves to get the junior potions bag, and will you retrieve one of Harry's onesies? His favourite is the bear one you got him and his purple dragon. Place everything on the bed I'll be back as soon as I have him cleaned up and settled." said Severus, glad that he had brewed potions for children specifically. Harry loved that purple dragon, Lucius knew that and was smug about that little fact. Then again what child didn't like dragons? Draco was absolutely fascinated by them, he had been named well…or perhaps it was because he was named after them that he was so spellbound.

"Of course," said Minerva, moving at once to do as Severus asked. Once she was in Harry's room she called for a House-Elf kindly asking them to retrieve their Master's junior Potions kit. Thank Merlin Severus was such a meticulous man, since there would be no delay in getting Harry well again. Opening drawers at random, trying to find his nightwear, but thankfully there wasn't many drawers and it didn't take long to find his pyjamas. She noticed Severus must have bought more onesies, since there was more than just the ones she had bought. Her lips twitched, a panda, a tiger, a cow designed perhaps she should get someone magical to make a few. Perhaps a dragon one, since Harry seemed to adore them so much. She had connections to both the magical and Muggle clothing industry, well tartan industry, through her family. She doubted Harry would care for tartan so perhaps something new was in order to expand the business.

"Lady Minerva, here is the potions kit." said the House-Elf handing it over, feeling bad for interrupting her thoughts but with little Master being ill he didn't want to delay. The news always spread quickly amongst the House-Elves, since nobody paid much attention to them it was quite easy to be overlooked.

"Thank you, Flippy," said Minerva taking the bag, the bear onesie clutched in her hand. She left Harry's bedroom, before backtracking and plucked the soft cuddly dragon from the bed. She wasn't surprised when she entered Severus' bedroom that they were still in the bathroom, steam would open up Harry's passages, if he was congested but she had no idea what was wrong, she would soon enough she imagined. Placing the requested items on the bed, she quietly left the room, and made her way back down the stairs and into the living room.

"Nightmare?" asked Lucius, the scream had brought back a lot of unpleasant memories from his youth, ones he didn't like dwelling on at all.

"Brought on by a fever, he's quite sick," said Minerva, continuing her conversation despite the fact Sirius and Remus had came back in.

"He was perfectly fine earlier wasn't he?" said Lucius genuinely surprised, Severus wouldn't have come out if Harry had been sick. Even if it was something as simple as a cold. Not even if it was something as important as the Horcruxes, he knew that, he had known Severus for a very long time. Sometimes he knew Severus better than the wizard knew himself. Just like he knew that Severus was the perfect candidate to raise Harry without him being shadowed in the whole 'Boy-Who-Lived' business. Yes it was part of who Harry was, but it wasn't all of him, and he shouldn't be raised as a hero, but a normal young boy. To think Severus had worried he wouldn't see Harry for looking at the ghost of his father? Perhaps if he'd been older, cheekier, but no, this was just a little boy, and nobody could possibly hate him.

"He seemed to be, I didn't notice anything." said Minerva, quite disappointed in herself, how could she have failed to notice Harry was sick? Unless it had come on very sudden, she found she would prefer it that way, than the thought she was failing as a godmother.

"He was fine, I didn't sense any fever." said Remus, sitting down putting his own two Knuts into the conversation.

"I have a question," said Sirius, out of the blue, and much more intensely than he expected.

Three sets of eyes landed on him, making Sirius fidget slightly, after so long in Azkaban he was still getting used to talking and being taken seriously.

"Well? Contrary to popular belief, its impossible to read minds when one refuses to look at you." sneered Lucius, unable to curb his natural habit when someone was wasting his time. "So why don't you ask the question that's so obviously plaguing your mind?"

"It's about the Horcruxes, how will you know when they are all gone? I mean there's no real way to stop him coming back is there?" said Sirius, his blue eyes showing his fears and worries.

"Actually we will know," said Lucius arching an eyebrow unimpressed, this was supposed to be an Auror? He evidently didn't use his brain often enough.

"How?" asked Sirius baffled, sitting forward as if to better hear what the blonde had to say.

"The mark," admitted Lucius tersely. "When all the Horcruxes are destroyed, there will be nothing holding his 'spirit' to the earth, it will perish along with the last Horcrux leaving us free for good this time."

"Are you sure about that?" asked Sirius thoughtfully.

"As sure as we can be about them, Black, since nobody has ever created so many of them." replied Lucius, they were all in uncharted waters, all hoping for the best. Since Severus and himself had gone over every possible angle, and read all the books they could on the subject, which admittedly wasn't much. They had come to this conclusion, and it was more than likely how it would go down. As soon as the final Horcrux was destroyed the Dark Lord's soul would likely wither up and die, taking with him the Dark Marks adorning their pale flesh. Without the Horcruxes he would no longer be immortal, nothing anchoring the remains of his soul to earth.

"How many do you think there are?" asked Sirius.

"Honestly? I don't know." Lucius added bitterly.

Back To Harry and Severus

Severus sat Harry in the warm water, his body was floppy and lethargic, and he wondered briefly what on earth was wrong. At least he was healed completely from what the Dursley's had done, and his magical core patched up, so whatever he had, would clear up without a problem. A few months ago he wouldn't have survived if he had ended up sick. He couldn't believe Harry was apologizing for being sick, children normally complained and whined when they were ill. Easing his body down, Severus efficiently washed Harry's hair, once the shampoo was rinsed out he lifted Harry from the bathwater and carried him through to his bedroom. Laying him out, he spelled Harry's hair and skin dry, and getting him into his onesie.

Non-verbally he spelled back his covers, and placed Harry in the middle of the bed. Moving to the side, he grabbed the small blue bag, and opened it up. The vials were smaller than the usual ones; filled with potions for children, measured to the exact amount they were allowed. If he didn't get better in a few days, he would ask Lucius to send his healer over; just to be sure it was nothing serious. Easing his hand around Harry's small neck, he poured a Fever reducer and a dreamless sleeping draught down his throat. Harry was, it seemed, to be at least marginally aware enough to swallow them. Not that he remained so for long, as the sleeping draught had him drifting off into Morpheus' arms.

Plucking the dragon from the end of his bed, he tucked it into Harry's arms before throwing the covers over him. Tucking him tightly in, so he remained warm. The shivering had stopped, he seemed very much at peace right now, and that could only be a good sign. Sighing softly in relief, he placed the potion kit in the desk drawer before reluctantly getting up and leaving the room. He couldn't prevent his worry even if he tried, yet he knew he would be well again in a few days.

Severus stalked down the stairs, aware that the others were probably worried about Harry. His ears picked up on the talk of the Horcruxes, as he entered the sitting room, all talk ceased. "How is he?" asked Lucius, concerned.

"He'll be fine, I've given him a fever reducing draught as well as something to help him sleep, hopefully that will take care of it." stated Severus sitting down, "What got you talking about Horcruxes?" he enquired further.

"You heard?" asked Minerva completely surprised.

Severus threw her a smug smirk, of course he heard as a spy he'd learned to eavesdrop and listen when he could. It was a trait that had served him well, made sure his position had remained uncompromised especially for compartmentalised information he shouldn't know about. It had also got him into trouble, he had overhead a prophecy, although he hadn't exactly needed to listen since Trelawney's voice had been hoarse and quite loud. It was something he wished he could take back with all of his being, unfortunately it wasn't possible. He would just have to live with what he did, and he prayed Harry didn't hate him when he was older for his actions that day. How was he supposed to know his report would cause the death of someone he held most dear? He hadn't otherwise he wouldn't have said a word; he would have Obliviated himself before allowing that to happen.

"Black wanted to know how we would be sure we had them all," stated Lucius.

"Our speculation is that without immortality the Dark Lord wouldn't be able to linger on the mortal plain." said Severus immediately, "He would die and with it any magic he cast would die with him, most assuredly the Dark Mark at any rate. It all but faded when he was defeated, and it has steadily gotten thinner and lighter with each Horcrux that is destroyed."

"Really?" Lucius muttered in surprised, his silver eyes wider than normal - that was news to him. Then again he didn't like looking at it any more than he had to. It was a mistake he had regretted deeply, especially when he became a father, he didn't think he could feel any different if his son was a squib. Draco was Draco, his son, his flesh and blood, although he was extremely happy that he was a wizard. Although he couldn't quite say that for sure, since Draco was a wizard and not a squib. It was easier to say one thing than live it.

"Yes," replied Severus wryly.

"Do you think Harry is ready to meet a child his own age?" enquired Lucius, from where he was perched on the chair.

"Bring Draco at the weekend, and we will find out." said Severus. "If it doesn't go well then we will leave it for another month at least."

"Draco is extremely excited, he told me that he would help make 'Harry all better' it was rather amusing." said Lucius, his lips twitching a fond look crossing his face. There could be no denying that Lucius Malfoy loved his son.

"How is Narcissa?" asked Sirius, she'd always been his second favourite cousin, his first definitely had to be Andromeda, even as children he hadn't been able to stand Bellatrix. Well that was a lie, she had been alright them they were both three or four years old, it was only as they grew older did they realize there was a screw missing somewhere in her head. The adults has as well, and kept her from the public, all the while drawing up contracts to have her married off to someone who could 'control' her as he'd overheard. They had chosen another respected pureblood, by their definition someone dark and appreciating of the Dark Arts. Thus that was how she'd came to be betrothed to Lestrange, Narcissa to Malfoy and Andy had refused a contract, and her parents had decided to let her choose. Not that they liked who she had chosen in the end, and stuck her from the family tree. His parents hadn't set up prospective marriages, it was the only decent thing they'd done.

"She's very well," Lucius replied, "At a loose end now with Draco being tutored during the day."

Severus smiled almost sadly, he put it all too well without revealing anything. Without someone to baby all day she was dwelling on the fact she couldn't have another child more often. Unfortunately Lucius wouldn't take his advice; the unknown was quite frankly terrifying for the proud purebloods. Muggle Doctors he was afraid was considered very unknown, they wouldn't consider it despite the fact it would get them what they dearly wished for. Perhaps he should try and come up with a spell equivalent and try it out, see what happened or a potion - it wouldn't be a quick one either. This project would take a great deal of time, since he didn't have much it may take longer.

Sirius nodded, not sure what else to say, feeling extremely awkward now.

"How do you think Harry will react to another child?" wondered Minerva.

"Not very well I'd imagine, the only other children he was around seemed to think it was alright to beat him." scowled Severus, just remembering the first time he'd glimpsed Harry. The poor child had been curled up in a ball, trying to fend off the blows, protect himself the best he was able with them being so much stronger than him. It would take a while for Harry to get used to Draco, that much he was positive about, he couldn't keep Harry completely secluded. Otherwise it would make everything much harder for him, but he would be letting Harry know about Draco and that he wouldn't hurt him.

"I just wished I had gone to see him, even just once to check on him." confessed Minerva, filled with deep bone aching regret.

"Don't we all?" muttered Severus darkly.

"What would Albus have done if the worst had happened?" Minerva spat bitterly. Merlin she hated the old fool, it took her every ounce of her composure to stop herself going after him. To make him feel even an ounce of what Harry had gone through for four years, and then let him see how if felt to live without his magic. "Do you think he wanted Harry to die there?"

"No, if he wanted Harry dead…he would have ensured he did that night it happened, blamed it on the Dark Lord insisting nobody had survived him." replied Lucius.

"He couldn't have even if he wanted to, I saw him right after the attack," Sirius pointed out.

"At that point your fate was sealed." snorted Severus, "He's right, Dumbledore had no intentions of letting Harry die, the fact he did just means he miscalculated in his mind not mine." he added solely for Minerva who had opened her mouth to protest heavily.

Sirius shuddered; he didn't even want to listen to what they were saying.

"I think we can all safely say we are grateful to you," said Remus, the words in the pensive ringing around his mind. Two weeks was how long Harry would have survived without intervention. If Severus hadn't come across him…Harry would already be dead, and that just left him feeling as though a ghost was continuously driven through him. To be honest, given the state Harry had been in, two weeks was probably not entirely accurate, it made him sick. Thank Merlin it was just a pensive memory, if he'd actually seen Harry that way…he definitely wouldn't have been able to control his stomach. Or the contents that would have rapidly make a reappearance.

"I didn't do it for you," said Severus, not being cold about it but nonetheless truthful. Lucius let out a small huff of laughter, and Minerva had to quickly suppress the smile - it was nice to see some things just didn't change.

Remus grinned bemused; he'd had a funny feeling the reply would be something like that.

"Speaking of sons, I really must depart, otherwise I will have a very unhappy son in the morning," said Lucius dryly, and that's exactly what Severus was a father, to a son.

"I'll see you at the weekend then," answered Severus, watching Lucius stand and make his way towards the fireplace.

"You most assuredly will," replied Lucius. "I'll Floo sometime tomorrow to see how he is."

Severus nodded grimly.

6 AM - The Wizengamot Meeting

Lucius sat stiffly in his chair, facing the crowd of Wizards and Witches, all Wizengamot members. Since there was no court in session, they didn't have on those hideous plum robes. He Wizengamot was higher up than the Minister, all ideas went through these people and either agreed or disagreed with. Most of them were really old, with grandchildren or great-grandkids attending Hogwarts. He was probably by far the youngest one here. The fact Dumbledore was still there, told Lucius that the Department of Law enforcement hadn't acted yet, and he wondered briefly if they were delaying it. He obviously hadn't been told yet, otherwise he wouldn't be at this meeting, and he would be making sure nothing could touch him. With so many connections, he was very surprised nobody had told him, but it was being kept very quiet.

"Are there any new motions anyone wishes to put forward…if not I suggest…" asked Albus Dumbledore, chief warlock of the Wizengamot. His eyes twinkling brightly, as he looked around at the seated members. His eyes bypassing certain members he did not like at all, those more inclined towards the Dark Arts, he wasn't too obvious about it but letting the people know he thought they were insignificant at the same time.

"If I may, I do have a proposal I would very much like to see pushed forth." interrupted Lucius silkily, after reading to his son he had stayed up for hours drawing up rough drafts to present to them. Not spending too much time on it, just in case they dismissed it entirely. If they did, he would wait a while, bribe a few pockets and put it forth again. He wasn't a wizard who liked the word denied or no being thrown his way.

"Of course," said Dumbledore, his smile becoming fixed and his eyes twinkling a little less, as he was forced to face Voldemort's right hand man.

"I would like to propose we build a children's home for children who have lost their parents, or the parents have been found to be…lacking parental instincts." suggested/demanded Lucius, his lip curling at the thought. "With it create a department in the Ministry that deals with it, all magical children should know about their world. They should be immediately removed from the Muggle orphanages and brought here. There are potions that would give them attributes of their adoptive parents; it will help the dying bloodlines as well. I know of several witches who cannot have children of their own and I think they would be willing to contribute to the endeavour along with my own input."

"It looks like you've really thought this through," said Cornelius looking through the pages that had been provided for them to read. Copied of course, and passed along the table, allowing fifty of the Wizengamot to read what Lucius had proposed.

"I did," confirmed Lucius smoothly. "I am prepared to continue this venture turning it private if the Wizengamot and Ministry are unwilling." which would mean more money donated elsewhere instead of at the Ministry, something they wouldn't be able to conceive. He knew what to say to get them to agree to whatever he was doing.

"There is no need for that," said Cornelius immediately, money signs flashing across his face. "I'm sure everyone here would like to look at the proposal properly and give an answer without being hasty."

"I personally think the idea isn't a very good one," said Albus, speaking up. What was Lucius Malfoy up to? There had to be a reason for this, he didn't do anything out of the goodness of his heart. Was he actually hoping Harry would end up in the orphanage so he could adopt him? Well he was in for a shock if he ever thought he would let that happen, never in a million years would he let Harry within touching distance of Lucius Malfoy. He refused to believe the boy was dead, not even for a second, he would shop up sooner or later - he had a destiny to complete after all. "So many magical children in one area is a bad move, it would get the Muggles in the area suspicious. There is nowhere it could go in the magical districts."

"The area I have in mind is perfectly secluded." stated Lucius, arching an eyebrow. He had been unsure how Dumbledore would respond to his proposal. On one hand he thought perhaps he would be furious that it had been him to propose it, or be furious with the idea on a whole since it was mostly Muggle-Borns that seemed to adore the ground he walked on. If they were in the magical world for years before Hogwarts, there would be less fawning at the fact he was who he said he was. Not that Dumbledore would be around then of course, he would get the last laugh.

Next chapter - Dumbledore is arrested will the proposal go through or fall flat and have Lucius build it regardless? using his connections to get it cheaper and pouring more money into investments so he doesn't lose out? will Dumbledore remain arrested or will he manage to get off scots free? will Harry always remain out of the spotlight or will the magical world realize their hero is once again amongst them? R&R please!