OOO

The kids decided to spend the night in the Gryffindor tower after a less than fruitful visit with their friends. They were all pretty groggy and events were still recent enough, and frightening enough, that they didn't get any pleasure out of retelling the story. So they had all retreated back to the tower and tried to rest like their friends in the infirmary.

Sirius left Draco's side for once and stepped into the bed with Theo. He cuddled up to the boy, seeing him shift in his sleep, and licked his face. Even in sleep he looked intent, as if he were still thinking, still trying to figure things out and make plans and go over matters in his mind.

Remus was right, he thought, Remus and Ginny both. Theo hadn't been ready for it; the legilimency had brought up awful memories and ended up putting him through who knew what suffering. He should have waited. He shouldn't have agreed to a request from a boy to young to understand what he was asking.

But... he sat his head on his paws and sniffed. It wasn't that easy, especially now. Now they knew what the threat was; now they knew how to fight it. Wouldn't it be irresponsible not to teach them how to defend themselves?

But Harry had to have difficult memories too and Draco… perhaps not as bad as Theo's or Harry's, but he wasn't the kind of boy who would take easily to occlumency, Sirius thought. He was too open, too frank with his emotions to have an easy time suppressing them to block out a spell. He would have difficulty. Which was perhaps all the more of a reason to try and teach him.

They were wandering into dangerous territory and sure, he and James and Remus had all been young when they'd fought their battles, but not that young. But being young wasn't an excuse, wouldn't protect them from Voldemort or any of his followers. They weren't going to be merciful because of age. If they were wrong, though, the unnecessary training would only tax them, even hurt them, for absolutely no reason.

And because he was a free agent, because he had always played the role of the friend rather than the parent, he was the one they went to when the parents made a decision they disliked or they didn't want parents to know. And then the decision was left up to him and he had to make it without letting parents know, without finding out what they might want, without having the chance to talk it over with anybody besides Remus.

It wasn't easy, he thought, trying to raise children, trying to decide what was right and wrong for them, trying to know how to protect them from a world that demanded they grow up too fast. Not making a decision wasn't an option; even deciding not to decide, even doing nothing was a choice of sorts and he would have to live with the results of that decision.

He cared about the kids and he was responsible for them. And that was, to him, a terribly frightening thought.

OOO

"Well pardon me." Molly Weasley bristled when she bumped into the man stepping out of the Gryffindor portrait hole.

Lucius Malfoy looked at her and his lip curled into a reflexive sneer. "Here to gather your passel of brats?"

Her jaw clenched and she straightened up. "I'm here for my children as well as Harry and Theodore, to remove them as quickly as possible from those with bad influences."

"Harry is a guest at my manor," Malfoy responded icily, trying not to allow his expression to drop. "I would see no reason why he wouldn't come home with Draco and myself for the holidays."

"Really?" Her lips formed a thin line. "Because I could think of several."

The door swung open and Theo stood at the entrance looking between the two of them with a sudden, ill expression.

"Sorry to interrupt," he blurted. "I was just going to the infirmary. Again." He bolted and went down the hallway, rounding the corner as soon as he could.

The rest of the group stood in the doorway, shifting. The twins stepped up beside their mother while Ginny glanced at her momentarily before running down the hall as well.

"I'll make sure he's alright!"

Still remaining stony, Lucius looked at the rest.

"Harry?" He asked in a faint tone that bore a hint of hope mingled with arrogance.

Harry looked at him levelly and Lucius nearly felt his throat close up. If they talked about the diary, about Theodore in front of Mrs. Weasley, he could see all manner of unintended repercussions resulting. He might lose his place on the school board, there would be aspersions cast over all of his behavior since the war had ended over a decade ago, everything could be undone…

"I guess," he whispered. "Wouldn't want Draco to spend the holidays alone. I know what that feels like." He pushed past the two adults and followed Ginny's path down the hall with Mrs. Weasley following.

Only Draco and Luna were left then, with Draco staring at his father with a look that tried to be angry but settled for hurt. Luna touched his shoulder and he turned to her. "Could I have a moment alone with my dad?" He asked her and she nodded, vanishing down the hall with a glance at Draco and another at Mr. Malfoy.

The elder Malfoy looked into her semi-vacant, semi-bemused gaze and he felt his stomach lurch. She looked like she pitied him and he wasn't sure he could handle that, not from somebody like her.

"Can't you see this isn't going to change?" Draco whispered as soon as she was gone. "That me being your son, that everybody else being my friends, that is all does nothing to keep us safe? You're never going to be anything to him, or anybody who supports him. They don't love you, they'll use you, trick you. Look what happened to Theo!" His voice trembled.

"We are not having this conversation," Lucius snapped and tried turning away, but Draco grabbed his arm.

"I know you didn't mean… I know Mr. Nott took that book. But it could have killed any of us. He didn't care."

"We've had this conversation." He looked at the walls, the floor, anywhere but at his son and his disappointment.

"And you still aren't listening!" Draco pled. "We could die, any of us could! Doesn't that mean anything to you?" His voice was quiet and hurt.

"And what do you expect me to do Draco?" He rounded on him. "Turn myself in to Dumbledore or the Ministry? Send myself to Azkaban? You know that I can't do that. And if you believe, genuinely believe, that he is out there and intending on returning then you must know why I can't do what you're asking. If I did, I would be first to die. We all would."

"My friends and I might not live that long to start with!" He protested. "There's got to be a way, some way…"

"Go see your friends in the infirmary," he interrupted. "Hopefully they'll be feeling better than they were yesterday."

"Dad…"

"Please, Draco." He looked at him. "I will be waiting downstairs outside of your dormitory when you're ready."

"You could come in and visit with me," he offered.

"I have the common sense to know that I'm one of the last people that they want to see. I will respectfully keep my distance and try to avoid making you more uncomfortable. And don't argue the point," he said when Draco opened his mouth to protest. "I saw how Harry looked at me. I know I am a source of discomfort to you and I won't foist myself upon your little clique further."

Draco nodded and started to walk away, then stopped. "Dad?" He looked at his father, trying to read his expression, his stance. "Are you disappointed in me?"

"I'm afraid for you Draco," he admitted.

There was silence between them and Draco left before it grew worse. With a heavy sigh, Lucius made his way down to the lower levels where the Hufflepuff rooms were. He sank down onto the cold floor, unable to forget the look in Draco's eyes. It happened time and time again and each time it grew worse, each time it frightened him more.

"You're going soft, you idiot," he growled to himself, hoping that no portraits or wandering ghosts heard him.

It was a dangerous game he was going to have to play, he realized. Help just enough to hope that Voldemort didn't return but not enough to be blamed if he did, try to offer support but not too obviously so that other people could tell and rat him out, try to protect his son but not go against any of the forces that endangered Draco, forces Draco and Harry and the rest seemed determined on running into and baiting.

Good thing his hair was already silver, Lucius thought with twisted humor. Otherwise it would undoubtedly be going grey.

OOO

"There's an empty bed," Ginny observed the moment she walked in the room. "Who left?"

"Guess." Ernie rolled his eyes and munched on a chocolate frog.

"Zach's dad came and got him first thing this morning," Cedric explained. "Though not without making sure to say something about Draco and his choice of friends."

"We told him off, though," Ernie assured Draco seeing the look on his face.

"What happened, anyway?" Cedric looked at them. "I remember the eyes and people are saying it was a basilisk. But how was it getting out?"

The five looked at one another; as far as most people knew, Theo had simply been dragged down to the Chamber. They weren't aware about the diary or the fact that he was the one releasing the creature.

"There was this weird ghost-thing," Ginny began; but Theo interrupted her.

"Stop." He muttered. "I did it." He looked from person to person, his gaze settling on Hermione last. "I'm sorry."

"You were?" Justin paled.

"There were conditions!" Ginny protested. "He was possessed by this weird… weird diary thing."

"Possessed?" Cedric looked at Theo. "Well if you were possessed, then it wasn't your fault."

"That's what they tell me," he mumbled.

"Where would you find a diary like that anyway?" Hermione asked. "Something so malicious would be very restricted wouldn't it?"

There was silence for a brief moment and Draco felt his hands grow clammy.

"My father," Theo whispered. "He slipped it to me."

"Well that's terrible!" Hermione gasped. "Your own father? How could he even consider doing such a thing?"

"I suspect it gave him very little trouble," Theo said shortly. "But I should have been on my guard better."

"And it wasn't just a possessed diary," Harry spoke up. "It was something quite dark. Theo believes…" He looked at the other boy who hesitated but nodded. "Theo thinks it was a Horcrux. More than that, he thinks, not sure but thinks, that Voldemort might have made more of them."

Ernie flinched at the name Voldemore while Cedric's face grew grave.

"A Horcrux? What's that?"

"Skipping the messy details, it's a piece of your soul that you put into something else," Theo explained. "That way, even if your body dies, part of you is still alive to find another... vessel would be the word I guess." He fidgeted. "They're very dark. You couldn't make them without doing something horrible and you wouldn't even know about them unless... you'd have to be well acquainted with the darker arts to even know about them." He finished, a hint of guilt in his voice at his own knowledge.

"And you think there are more? What makes you think that?"

"Nothing other than the fact that it would make sense. Maybe he didn't. But it's possible." Theo looked morose. "Hard to say what they would be or how many he managed to make, though."

"We should tell Dumbledore," Ernie spoke up immediately. "If there are things like these that could get into people's hands, he's going to need to know about it."

"Agreed," Hermione chimed in. "He'll know what to do."

"You mean like he did with the Chamber?" Ginny snapped. "Waiting until Theo got dragged down there and even then only deciding to evacuate the school? If it hadn't been for my brothers and Harry and Draco, he might have been left to his fate! That's what good Dumbledore is."

"Well what do you think should be done? We should form a little posse and go hunting them ourselves?" Hermione demanded.

"Why not?! We've come through before!"

"Don't be ridiculous," she scoffed. "These objects are probably all cursed, you wouldn't know how to find them, you would probably have to break dozens of rules in order to seek them out – maybe even break the law!"

"So tell me," Ginny huffed, "how exactly did you get into Gryffindor again?"

"Fighting isn't going to help!" Harry interrupted loudly. "I don't know what we're supposed to do, but we shouldn't be blind. Maybe we don't have to go looking for trouble but we should be cautious and be aware that things like these are out there." He looked down. "I'm sorry, you must all still be tired."

"No, I think it's a good point, Harry." Cedric nodded. "I wanted to know what happened to me. And even if you don't feel like telling us the whole story, at least not right away, I'm glad you were honest." He looked at Theo. "I can't imagine what you must have gone through, but don't think for a moment that I or anybody else blames you. And if anybody says anything, you ignore them."

"But I…"

"If it was Voldemort you're, what, twelve? Full-grow wizards had a hard time standing against him. Use the common sense that I know you have. Not your fault." He looked at Draco. "And tell me you didn't try to adopt the basilisk or anything."

Draco shook his head. "I had to kill her. I had to," he murmured.

Cedric nodded soberly. "I understand."

"It was… I didn't enjoy it. And I got poisoned." He figured he could tell him about the bow when they were in a more private setting, without Justin or Hermione to hear and pry. "But Fawkes was there and managed to save me."

"Dumbledore's pet?" Cedric asked and they nodded affirmatively. "You got really lucky then."

"I know." He smiled at the girls. "But Fawkes wouldn't have been there if not for Ginny and Luna."

Ginny blushed and Luna smiled. "It was just common sense to bring him," said Ginny with a shrug. "When are you guys going home?"

"Hopefully soon," said Cedric. "My father is coming by this afternoon."

"Mine should be here too," Justin added.

"Shortly," said Hermione. "Mother and father are doing the drive up so it might take a while."

We'll probably get going then," Ginny said. "Mum and the twins have probably got everything packed and are waiting for me."

"And my dad is probably down by the Hufflepuff dorm by now," said Draco. "I'm sure he wants to leave. Harry?"

"You guys rest up," said Harry. "And lets go."

On their way out, Theo pulled Harry aside. "Harry, I want you to… Harry be careful."

"Well sure. But any reason why?"

"He was obsessed with you," Theo murmured. "Completely. Wanted to know everything about you. You're… I'm sure this doesn't surprise you, but after everything, you're first on his list. Watch your back."

Harry nodded. "I understand." He left with Draco while Ginny waited on Theo, Luna having gone on ahead.

"You didn't buy into that, did you?" She asked.

"Buy into what?"

"That we should tell Dumbledore and wait for him to do something."

He shrugged. "We've gotten lucky so far. But this is all getting really dangerous. Maybe she is right and we should leave it up to adults. We're lucky none of us has gotten killed yet." He looked at her with a somewhat blank expression. "And if one of us died, I wouldn't want to be responsible for encouraging the behavior that led to that."

Ginny said nothing in reply, only followed him back to the Common Room where Luna and her family was waiting with their bags, armed with floo powder and ready to go back to the Burrow.

OOO

"What's the matter with the boys?" Narcissa asked later that evening. "I know they've been through an ordeal but I was hoping this would be a somewhat happy occasion. But they barely said two words to me all evening and seemed jumpy. What happened? Did anything go wrong?"

"They know I'm at fault," Lucius muttered.

"Oh dear, that's…"

"It's the truth!" He looked at her with a pained expression. "Yes, Gaius took the diary, but if I didn't have it in my possession, it wouldn't have been there for him to take to begin with. If the events that lead up to it being… never mind." He sighed. "Narcissa? I think it might be time for Draco to establish his own vault in Gringotts."

"But why can't he simple use… Lucius!" She drew closer to him. "You can't be…"

"I don't know what's going to happen, Narcissa. But better to be safe than sorry. And better if you do it than I. It will look less… you were never so close to the more disturbing aspects of what we did and you are his mother. And I am sorry."

"It was that bad?" She finally whispered.

"I don't know what to do anymore, Narcissa," he admitted. "And I am increasingly afraid of what I might have to do in order to protect us all. It feels so useless, but all I can do is offer my sincere regret for whatever might transpire."

Narcissa sat on the arm of the plush chair in which Lucius was slumped. "Lucius." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "I understood what burden I would be accepting when I married you. I never lost faith in you then and I will not now. All I ask, all I have ever wanted of your and of me is that we stay together. We have one another and, so long as we can preserve that, I will not question the course you take."

"I love you," he murmured, looking up at her. "You know that."

"Of course, darling." She smiled. "How could you not?" Leaning down, she kissed him. "Whatever we must do, family first," she whispered into his ear.

"Family first," he agreed.

OOO

It is dead! There can be no doubt now.

Then the choice was well made. He deserved all that was granted to him.

When will…

That is not up to us.

I felt it, that evening. I felt it!

What must we do now?

All that we can.

OOO