--don't own don't sue thanks!

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No.4 Privet Drive

Harry reluctantly returned to the Dursleys as soon as the funeral was over and went straight to his room to think. He would not betray Dumbledore's memory by leaving the house before its protection spell was depleted. He would continue the search for the Horcruxes, with or without Hermione and Ron…he would get his revenge…and on the hour of his 17th Birthday, he would start his quest. All he had to do was wait.

He spent the next day in his room mourning, coming downstairs only to feed himself. Lupin had written a note to the Dursley's informing them of Dumbledore's murder, and Petunia seemed more than on edge.

Harry had avoided Uncle Vernon quite easily, for the man had been at work, and was too tired to bully him when he got home.

Dudley had been out with his gang all day, after tricking his mother into thinking he was at a reading group. Petunia had demanded he return before dark. She was paranoid that Voldemort would target Dudley to lure Harry out from his hiding place.

Harry knew better than to tell her that if Dudley was kidnapped, he probably wouldn't notice. Instead he made himself a jam sandwich and was about to retreat back upstairs when there was a sharp knock at the door.

Harry opened it, expecting to see his cousin's chubby face smiling back at him, ready to attack him with another onslaught of abusive words. His expectations were quelled, when he found himself staring at a man in rags. He looked up at the face, and his heart stopped in panic at the cold, grey eyes that glared from behind matted locks of white blonde hair. The full blonde beard was not quite thick enough to hide the sneer of Lucius Malfoy's face.

"Expelliar…" Harry pulled out his wand at great speed but Lucius swiped it away with one arm and grabbed Harry by the throat with the other.

"Boy what on earth are you doing?" Aunt Petunia's sharp voice trilled as she burst through the kitchen door. She stared at them in silence before letting out an ear splitting scream. "VERNON!" She cried.

Lucius snarled and wrestled the wand from Harry's hand. Harry was struggling to breathe from the grip on his throat. "Aunt Petunia RUN!" he shouted.

Malfoy was too fast. As she turned to flee from the back of the house he let fly a bolt of red light and hit her squarely in the back. Uncle Vernon appeared from the kitchen and caught her as she collapsed in his arms. "Potter?" he angrily looked up at Harry, thinking he was to blame for her condition. Lucius pulled Harry in front of him as a shield and pointed his wand at Uncle Vernon.

"Move and I swear I will kill you all!" he hissed.

Vernon gulped and held onto Petunia's limp frame. "You're…you're Lord Voldythingy aren't you?" He stuttered.

"Muggles!" Lucius scoffed and rolled his eyes. "In there!" he motioned toward the living room. Vernon dragged Petunia to the sofa, and stood in front of her, in probably the bravest face he could put on at the time.

Harry fought against Lucius' grip but he was held fast. "Mr. Malfoy! You don't have to do this! I can help you!" Harry croaked as he was dragged in after his aunt and uncle.

"Shut up Potter!" Lucius barked. "If you had just given me the prophecy all those years ago, we would not be in this situation! Dumbledore would still be here! My son would be safe! MY WIFE…" He calmed himself and threw Harry onto the sofa next to his aunt. "…Narcissa would still be alive." He finished. "Sit DOWN!" he snarled at Vernon, who looked as if he were about to wet himself, before perching on a nearby armchair.

Harry saw madness in his eyes, but after two years in Azkaban, his son becoming a wanted, murdering, accomplice, and the death of his wife, that wasn't unexpected. "Mr. Malfoy…let them go, I'll do whatever you want!" Harry was calm and serious. All he could think of was keeping his aunt and uncle safe. They may have not been very nice people, but they were the only family he had left.

"Are you deaf Potter?" Malfoy sneered "Did I not just tell you to keep your mouth shut?" he pointed the wand threateningly.

Clearly Malfoy had no plan. Harry didn't even know he had escaped from Azkaban. He had received no news from Ron or Hermione, he was completely dumbfounded.

"Who are you?" Uncle Vernon piped up.

"Potter is your Uncle familiar with the cruciatus curse?" Lucius' mouth twitched. He wanted Harry to suffer, like he had suffered…for two years in the darkness of Azkaban. The thought of torturing his family gave him a mild sense of pleasure.

Harry glanced at his uncle in terror. "Please NO!" Harry shouted, as Lucius pointed the wand at Vernon.

He smiled as the large muggle erupted into a twitching fit of screams, and after a couple of seconds he lowered Harry's wand and watched the man recover. He was gasping for breath and covered in sweat, staring at Lucius as if he were the devil himself.

"…I was once one of the most prominent wizards in Britain!" he sneered at Vernon, answering his question. "…Your nephew…Potter…" he slapped Harry across the face, causing the teenager to fall onto the floor in a heap. "…took that away from me…he locked me away…two years of torture and darkness…" his eyes glazed as he recalled the horrors of Azkaban.

Harry tried to sneak up on him but the blonde wizard was too fast. He whirled around, wand aimed at Harry. "No you don't!" he warned him, and motioned to Harry to take his seat.

"Malfoy!" Harry got to his feet. "Killing us won't bring back the past!"

Lucius shoved him back down onto the sofa angrily. Aunt Petunia began to stir. He looked at Vernon. "If you don't want your wife to have a similar experience I suggest you refrain her from screaming."

Vernon crawled to Petunia's side and shushed her as she opened her eyes. Lucius turned back to Harry. "I'm not doing this for me." He aimed his wand at Harry's heart. His grip tightened and he swallowed hard.

"Draco?" Harry asked, seeing the tears forming in Malfoy's eyes. "You're trying to save him aren't you?"

"The Dark Lord will forgive me…and then he will be safe." Lucius was sweating uncontrollably, his heart pounding in his head.

"Voldemort NEVER forgives!" Harry shouted. "Failure is unacceptable! You failed him Malfoy! You are nothing to him! So is Draco!"

"Shut up!" Lucius snapped. Aunt Petunia let out a whimper and huddled with uncle Vernon.

"Malfoy listen!" Harry was standing again. He saw weakness in Lucius' eyes, saw that he couldn't bring himself to do it, there was doubt in his mind. "Even if you kill me, what then? You rejoin them, a wanted murderer, your son will be with you but that just puts you both in danger." Harry raised his hands in surrender. "Voldemort has to be destroyed…only then can we be safe…all of us."

"You can't kill him…with Dumbledore gone…he's too powerful!" Lucius shook his head pathetically and grimaced. "I have to be with my son!"

"Horcruxes!" Harry blurted out. He had no intention of sharing this knowledge with a deatheater, but he realised that if Lucius could not be turned, then he was as good as dead anyway.

Malfoy could have dropped the wand in shock. "How do y…?" he gawped.

"Dumbledore told me before he died." Harry said, hands still raised. He was surprised to find out Malfoy knew what they were. "You know what they are don't you?" Harry gazed back in wonder.

"I was entrusted with…" Lucius went quiet. The hairs on his neck stood on end as he realised he was betraying his master.

"Riddle's Diary!" Harry finished his sentence, hoping Malfoy would spill the beans.

Lucius lowered the wand, his eyes as large as saucers. "That was a Horcrux? I thought it was a weapon!" he gawped. He had no idea. Had he known it was a piece of Voldemort's soul he probably would never have slipped it into Ginny Weasley's cauldron so hastily.

Harry realised that Malfoy was talking of something else. "You had more than one in your possession?" He gasped.

Vernon and Petunia looked at each other. They had absolutely no idea what the two wizards were talking about, but they thought it best not to interrupt.

Malfoy coughed and didn't answer. The doorbell ringing caused him to raise the wand in alarm. "What is that noise?!" He hissed.

"Dudley!" Petunia put her hands to her mouth in horror.

Harry held out his arms in defence. "It's just the door…it's my cousin…he's another stupid muggle!"

Malfoy merely glared, "Well then…either get rid of him or invite him in!" he grabbed Harry by the jumper and led him to the main door. "You try to run Potter, I'll turn your uncle into a flobberworm and force your aunt to eat him! Understand?" he retreated back into the living room, where Vernon and Petunia sat trembling in his presence.

Harry straightened out his clothes and opened the door. To his surprise and horror, Dudley was nowhere to be seen. The man before him was non other than Remus Lupin.

"Harry! Thank goodness you're here! I just called at the Burrow. I have news. Lucius Malfoy has escaped from Azkaban!" he panted, as if he had been running a while. "We don't think he's coming after you! He'll probably return to the Dark Lord immediately, or go into hid…Harry?" Lupin looked at Harry's face and realised it was very pale indeed, and frozen with a look of complete horror. It took him a few seconds before his senses alerted him to a familiar presence.

"Hello Remus." Lucius placed an arm on Harry's shoulder, his wand pointed at Lupin's face. "Come…join us!" he sneered and stepped aside, beckoning Lupin to enter. "Don't forget to wipe your feet." He mocked.

Harry and Lupin were forced back into the living room. Aunt Petunia eyed the new visitor, obviously another wizard, with the same fearful expression she gave Lucius.

"Malfoy?" Lupin wasn't sure what to say. Hi how are you? Why are you here? Why haven't you killed them yet?

"Your wand please Lupin…slowly." Lucius stood behind Harry and pointed the wand at the boy's head, even if Lupin did manage to disarm him, he would risk losing his precious Potter first.

Lupin obeyed, and withdrew his wand from his pocket, he held it by the tip and offered the handle to Malfoy, who released Harry and snatched it away. Harry felt sick. Now he had brought Lupin into the mould, and he could not bear the thought of losing him too, not after Sirius. Lupin was his only link to his parents now. He had to get Malfoy on their side.

"Malfoy…the Horcruxes!" he reminded Lucius, who had seemed to forget the conversation that Lupin had interrupted.

"It's useless Potter! You can't possibly find them all!"

"Horcruxes?" Lupin asked, confused. "What Horcruxes! Voldemort's?"

"I will find them!" Harry stared at Malfoy. "I will find them all, and I will kill him!"

Malfoy lowered his wand a fraction, and Lupin noticed he had loosened his grip. Harry hadn't spotted his reaction, and merely glared at the cold eyes, hoping they would fold.

"You know where they are." Lupin said softly, his face a mixture of hope and fear.

Lucius glanced at Lupin, then back at Harry.

"We can save him!" Harry spoke calmly. "We can save you both, but I'll need your help!" he reached out to shake Malfoy's hand.

Lucius hesitated. "I…I can't…if he finds out I'm helping you… my son is dead!"

"Lucius…as long as Voldemort lives…Draco will always be in danger!" Lupin interrupted.

He ran a hand through his long blonde hair nervously and paced the room. Lupin and Harry exchanged nervous looks whilst Petunia whimpered and clung to Uncle Vernon.

Lucius was muttering to himself like a madman, appearing to be arguing with his conscience. "He's right there he's right there!" he snarled and pointed the wand at Harry.

Harry closed his eyes, expecting the green light to envelop him as he died. Lucius grimaced and grabbed his hair, turning away once more he saw his reflection in a mirror. He looked like one dead. His eyes had sunken, his cheeks were bony, and his hair was matted into long dreadlocks, as was his beard. He had lost everything, except Draco, and to keep him safe he knew in the end Dark Lord had to die.

Harry opened his eyes and to his surprise saw his wand. Lucius held the handle toward him with one hand, and Lupin's wand with the other. "One condition…" He said, "If we succeed, and the Dark Lord is destroyed…you let Draco walk away…if I see ministry officials lay a finger on him, I will kill everything and everybody you love!"

Harry nodded and took back his wand. "Agreed." He did not hesitate. He didn't even look at Lupin for reassurance. He shook Malfoy's hand hard.

Malfoy turned to Lupin. "Agreed?" he asked.

"You know I can't promise that Lucius." Lupin nodded his head negatively.

"You know people. They respect you. I'm sure you can convince them…Weasley, Moody, Shacklebot…all the members of 'the order'" Lucius smiled. He wasn't going to let Lupin have a wand without insurance.

"I'm a man of my word…I promise I shall do my best to help you and your son." Lupin nodded.

"I suppose that will have to do." Malfoy sneered and let go of Lupin's wand. He half expected the were-wolf to leap to his feet and kill him instantly, but Lupin casually tucked his wand into his robes and stood up.

"You cannot stay here." Lupin made ready to leave. "You will have to hide until I can explain our intentions to the order, even then I do not know how they will react." Lupin looked uncomfortable.

"Where do you suggest I go Lupin?" Malfoy sneered angrily, "As you are well aware Malfoy Manor is crawling with Ministry officials! I can't even go to see my wife's grave!" he hissed.

"Grimmauld Palace!" Harry piped up. "Sirius' home."

"No" Lupin nodded. "The order knows where it is, and now so do the deatheaters, thanks to Snape."

"That's exactly my point!" Harry laughed. "The order have abandoned it because the Deatheaters know where it is, Snape knows you have abandoned it, meaning that deatheaters have no reason to go there! It's the last place anyone would want to hide! It's perfect!"

"The boy is absolutely out of his mind." Lucius raised an eyebrow, and stared at Lupin.

Lupin merely shrugged. "All right Harry…I trust you!" He said.

Lucius glared at them both…then admitted defeat. "Take me there then…and don't try anything." He had not revealed Wormtail's wand to them, and had no intention of doing so, unless he had no choice. That wand was his life now.

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