married Louisa Hufflepuff. I'm afraid that through my mother I gain the blood of both Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff."
"You are then descended from three great witching houses, not just two!"
The Minister of Magic exclaimed, "That would explain your heightened powers and that of your brother, James."
"Indeed, that blood still lives in Harry. However, because of Lily's great sacrifice and the Protectus Charm I used on Harry before I left..."
Dumbledore exclaimed, "Ah, now it makes sense...Gryffindor's Protectus, a powerful charm that is...the only defense against the Killing Curse."
Viviane looked at Dumbledore, "Yes, it is."
"You used it on Harry," Minerva said softly, "That is why Harry lived and Voldemorte died. The Protectus Charm though..."
"Has an added effect, it tied Voldemorte to young Harry. The combination of the two the Charm and his mother's sacrifice caused part of Voldemorte to mingled in Harry...thusly causing him to have the same abilities as himself...perhaps more than he would like."
Minerva gasped. It all made sense now...
The Minister's face held one of great concern.
Severus just shook his head slowly.
"You see, Harry and Laetitia are the future, because of Voldemorte's desire to destroy all those who were a threat or even a possible future threat he gave to Harry the one thing he needed, his blood...by so doing, all four Wizard Houses live in Harry, and Laetitia. The only ones in which it does. I wonder if Voldemorte had he known what the outcome would have been, if he still would have tried to kill Harry. He's a thoughtless Beast, a ravenous, stupid, beast who doesn't realize that his actions can have very serious consequences indeed."
"But Harry isn't the one the prophecy speaks of...it's really Laetitia." the Minister commented.
"I agree," Severus said softly, he walked over to Viviane and stood just a foot or so in front of her, "You must perform the ceremony, the moment the conditions are right." Viviane looked into Severus' eyes and smiled softly at what she saw.
"Thank you, Severus," she said, "I knew you would see what has to be done."
He just nodded then turned away.
"There are times I wonder if I hadn't made a mistake. This time I know I had." He looked back at her and smiled slightly.
It seemed to all go over the Minister's head. "We must focus on the problem, Viviane you cannot go through with this plan! It is far too dangerous!"
"Lord Voldemorte is far too dangerous to let live! Hasn't the business with the Goblet of Fire taught you anything!"
The Minister looked down suddenly and turned away.
"Lord Voldemorte is back and we have to get rid of him, this time permenantly. I won't have him destroying my family. He stole my brother from me, a woman who was a like a sister to me, my own father, my uncle Edwy Potter, and the years I might have spent with young Harry. He wants to murder my nephew, and when he is done he will come to murder my own sons, James and Jonathan. I will not have it, gentlemen, I will not. Do what you must do, but DO NOT try and stop me. I will end this once and for all. I have the knowledge and the power. Stand with me or get out of my way. That's your choice!"
Viviane turned suddenly then and walked to the large double doors, she turned briefly as she stood within the doorway. "Think of this, if WE are successful of the peace we will have in this world. He threatens not just a few individuals but our whole way of life. If there is a war, and there will be if he is not stopped and soon, then think of the innocents, all the muggles and the wizards which will die because of the ensuing battles. Our world, our life will be exposed and the Ministry will be absolutely powerless to stop it. There will soon come a time when they will not be able to "cover our tracks" and our lifestyle will be laid bare for all to see. Think about this, but don't take to long, time is quickly running out."
She left then and the large doors closed behind her. Dumbledore walked over and stood looking out the window. Minerva MacGonghil just stood there, "Well," she said softly, "she is right. The Battus Magicus has taught us that. IF this battle occurs there will be no stopping the consequences. Perhaps, her way, though dangerous is the right way to go."
Albus Dumbledore turned around, "I think, we all know that is the right path. It is hard to travel down it, for as you have said, there is great danger. We cannot dwell here safely and believe our world will remain hidden much longer. For the sake of our way of life, I am very much afraid that Viviane is right."
The Minister of Magic just shook his head, "It can't be the only way. There must be another way."
"Unfortunately, Minister," Severus replied, "There is no other way. Viviane is a brilliant and talented witch. She a princess amongst us, few can equal her, in her runs the royal blood of pure wizards. We have to do this, because the end result is too horrible for us NOT to do it. If our world is exposed fully to the outside, we will lose all that we have gained over the past thousand years. Can we afford to lose everything?"
"That's it then, we must try Viviane's way." Minerva said, "We must give her all the help she needs. Now is the time when we must stand together."
Viviane waited for the fallout, it would come and soon, she wanted to be the one to tell Lucius. She saw Lucius walking along the hallway and stepeed in front of him. He just looked at her, for a brief moment there was flicker of something softer in his eyes.
"Viviane, I was just about to see Dumbledore..."
"I know Lucius, look," she moved closer and said softly, "can we talk? I have something to say that I think you really need to hear."
Slowly, reluctantly he agreed. He gestured towards the green grounds of Hogwart's which was empty of students as the bell had already rung for class.
"Don't you have a class that you should be teaching?"
"I do, but this is important Lucius."
They walked outside and when a good distance from the school, Lucius Malfoy turned to her.
"What is it Viviane?"
"I know what you are Lucius," she said softly, "I've known for years. I should have exposed you, but for the sake of Laetitia, I did not."
She knew he was a Deatheater. This was very alarming, and more so came the knowledge that Laetitia was indeed his daughter. He had always suspected as much, but suspecting a thing and truly knowing are very different. "Laetitia is my daughter."
Viviane nodded, "She is. I loved you terribly Lucius, as I know you once loved me, before this whole thing with You Know Who divided us. We were good for each other at that time. You changed when I married Aashton. I'd had no choice. James wouldn't let me marry you, and then when I discovered I was pregnant...I had to marry and quickly. I would have at the time preferred you, but that was not to be. Instead I married your second cousin, Aashton Malphrus. He has always known that she was yours. It is why he would not touch me until after Laetitia was born. By this time I had fallen very much in love with him, but there was a part of my heart, and I think there always will be, that regrets and thinks "what if". We could have been a powerful couple Lucius..."
Lucius Malfoy thought over what she said. Indeed, he had loved her deeply then, that was seventeen years ago. She had meant so much to him then, her refusal to marry him had broken his heart. A chill had entered his heart then, after the pain had left and he had been cold every since. Narcissa was his wife because of her fine breeding, born of a pure blood wizarding family she was a fit mate for him. She'd given him a son, Draco. Looking at Viviane now he realized what he had lost. He would not mourn it though, for he could do nothing about it. He always had a softness for Viviane. Her dark eyes could see through him, they pierced what soul he had left, whatever part had not been touched by Lord Voldemorte.
"Laetitia is my daughter, I had always wondered if she was. Knowing is quite different."
"Our daughter has a very special destiny, Lucius. She is a most powerful witch. If you think she's something now, wait a few more years...that is unless You Know Who has his way. You know he'll try to kill her, she's too much of threat..."
Lucius looked at Viviane oddly, "What do you mean, a threat?"
"You know that I am wizarding royalty, I can trace my descent from Gryffindor through my father's line and Ravenclaw through my mother...there is however something you do not know...I did not know it myself until several months ago, I was going back throught he genealogies and discovered that through my mother I am also descended from the House of Hufflepuff."
Lucius' eyes widened. "This cannot be." it couldn't be true, if it were then Viviane and her brother had the most royal of bloods, and Harry...not to mention her own children by Aashton...it simply couldn't be.
"Through her father," Viviane said softly, "she has the blood of Slytherin. Through her the prophecy comes true. Four Houses in one."
Lucius thought about it, several times the Malfoy's married into the Malphrus line, and they were descended from the blood of Slytherin, the realization hit Lucius like a sledgehammer. Laetitia his daughter, and if Lord Voldemort knew he'd...Lucius looked over at Viviane.
"No one must know Viviane, this is one secret which must be kept."
"It cannot, I have had to tell them Lucius. They needed to know the truth."
Lucius raised his hand to his forehead, no, not Laetitia, not Viviane, if he finds out Lord Voldemort will kill them, or try to, and Lucius knew deep down he couldn't let that happen. Laetitia was his blood, his and Viviane's, he would not let Lord Voldemort have her, he couldn't. For the first time in his life, he was truly torn in two, he was anxious and confused, not sure which way to turn.
Viviane watched the uncertainty and the horror of the situation hit Lucius. It would be hard for him to take. She looked around and realized that any students looking out the windows could see and she intoned, "Obscurius Octus" A deep mist slowly rose up around them keeping anyone nearby from seeing them.
"I'm sorry Lucius, I had to tell you. Firstly, you are her father and have the right to know the truth after almost twenty years. Secondly, I still have have feelings for you though I deeply love my husband, Aashton, and thirdly, what I am going to do will affect everyone, especially you and Laetitia. I had to tell them, I couldn't hide it any more."
"Who, who knows!" he demanded.
"Dumbledore, Severus, Minerva, and the Minister of Magic."
Lucius fell back against a tree, he closed his eyes and seemed as if he were in pain. "Then they know, soon HE will know...Viviane, oh, Viviane my darkest beauty, what have you done to ME!"
She reached out and gently laid a hand upon his shoulder, "what I have had to do, Lucius. Forgive me, please. You are one of the regrets I have in my life. I did mean to cause you such pain. Now is the time when we have to choose sides, choose carefully Lucius, because the penalty of NOT choosing the right side is far too great. For the love we once had, and for the daughter our love of all those years ago brought forth, I wanted you warn you and give you the chance to make the RIGHT choice."
Lucius opened his eyes and looked at Viviane. He was never cold toward Viviane, he didn't think he could be. Narcissa was beautiful but her beauty could never compare to Viviane's. It was a cold, heartless beauty what he had wanted for the cold and heartless man he'd become. Viviane's beauty was as fiery as she was passionate, dark, anything but cold.
"Our daughter is in danger, does she know?"
"Yes, she knows everything. When she was thirteen we told her the truth about her father. She has known for years that you were her true father. She has kept all kinds of pictures, newspaper clippings about you in a special scrape book that she keeps. She knows that she is special, she has always known that."
Lucius nodded, it was all to much, but he couldn't stop his mind thinking. What he was thinking of now was a very dangerous thing. He looked down at his left hand, and slowly, he unbuttoned the cuff of his shirt and pulled it back. Viviane saw the mark of Voldemort.
"How do I rid myself of this? He knows every move we make, he watches us closely. I cannot be certain he hasn't seen us here, now!"
"I can rid you of it, Lucius, but you realize that once it is done, he will know. He kills traitors, Lucius."
Lucius laughed, "I know what he would do to me, to my family. What you want, what you ask of me will mean my ruin." he shook his head then leaned back against the tree.
Viviane did something she had not done in years, she reached up and gently touch a strand of his silvery hair. He looked at her then, she was close, too close. "I always used to love your hair, so silky, and soft, and it used to smell like sandalwood and camomile."
Lucius smiled softly, "I remember how you used to love running your fingers through it. Yours was always like soft black silk, and the scent of roses and violets with just a touch of frankincense. Your skin was the softest velvet..."
Viviane blushed and looked down. "I missed you so much...it is a pity my brother would not allow us to marry. I would have been a good influence on you."
Lucius closed his eyes and raised his face towards the sky. "I missed you so very much Viviane. If you had married me, I would never have followed HIM...I would have been true to you, Viv." he looked down at her, "we can't have it back, and our lives are more complicated now. So, they know that Laetitia is my daughter, and yet...why her? Why not your other children? Aashton is also of the blood of Slytherin."
"The prophecy said the firstborn of the Four Houses in One," she slowly placed the strand of hair back onto his shoulder, "Laetitia is the firstborn. She is the eldest as it is and the firstborn is always given special blessings, you know that."
Lucius nodded, "I do." slowly, Lucius was rebuilding himself, he fixed his sleeve, and straightened his jacket. He regained his composure. "You have done what you wanted to do. You are not finished yet, there is more. Go and do it."
She looked at him, a bit worriedly, "Lucius...when I do this thing, if you don't choose properly I've have to..."
He nodded, "I know what you'll have to do. Let me take care of that, Viviane."
she felt the weight of his gaze and knew somehow he wouldn't fail her. Oddly enough she felt as if he'd already chosen sides, and he chose her.
"As you wish, Lucius."
He smiled at her meek response, he looked at her, "An obscurement spell," he shook his head, "clearitus octus" he intoned. The misty barrier which had hid them from any watching eyes quickly dissipated. Viviane just smiled.
"You always did like the Obscuring Sight spell, it seems everytime we got romantic you'd use it."
"Well if James had seen us together like that, what do you think he'd have done?"
Lucius just laughed as they walked back towards Hogwart's.
Draco looked out the window and saw his father walking up to the school arm and arm with Harry's aunt. He scowled when he noticed how friendly they seemed to be. "Damn Potters!" he couldn't touch his aunt, but he'd make life hell for Harry.
"Hey Potter!" Draco called when he saw Harry leaving the classroom. Harry turned and looked at Draco.
"Leave me alone Draco, I'm not in a mood to trade insults just now."
"Don't you turn your back on me, Potter!"
Just then Draco took out his wand and was about to cast a spell when from behind him came the "Expelliamus" and Draco found himself sliding down the hallway, he stopped just short of the stairs. He looked up and saw Laetitia standing there.
"Don't you EVER threaten anyway and try to curse them while their back is turned. Only cowards only do that! Are you a coward Draco?"
Draco just scowled and slowly stood. "Your my cousin, Laetitia."
"I'm also Harry's, don't make me choose Draco Malfoy, you may not like what my choice would be."
"Riksempra!" he intoned.
"Protectus Magicus" Laetitia said and held up her hands. Draco's spell bounced off the magic shield and hit Draco with twice the force. He fell backwards again and again almost tumbled off down the stairs.
"I'm two years ahead of you Draco, you're a fool to duel with me."
"I can't believe we share the same blood," he cried out.
Lucius and Viviane had been walking quietly together, they came up the stairs to see what the commotion was.
"Your a Potter, just like him!" he pointed to Harry, "We know what to do with you Potters!"
"Draco!" Lucius said somewhat forcefully, coldly, Draco turned to his father. "Watch your tongue! Apologize to Laetitia, then go to your next class. Professor Snape prefers promptness."
Draco eyed Harry's aunt with open hostility. He didn't say a word as he turned around to look at Laetitia. He just shook his head, then looking at his own father with a coldness that felt like winter, he brushed passed them and went down the stairs, Crabbe and Goyle following behind him.