Chapter 4: Thoughts and Conversations

The first rays of early morning light streamed into the bedroom of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy revealing daughter Zara held closely by her mother. Lucius watched the sleeping pair thoughtfully. Narcissa and Zara had never been close in that fashion. Only when Zara was an infant did Narcissa have any desire to hold her or cuddle her. Most of the time affection of that sort was reserved for Draco. When Zara had grown out of infancy, the children had been unconsciously divided between them.

In the days when the couple had babies, each child had stayed here in this room for their first months of life. Draco proved to outgrow that fairly quickly, having moved into the nursery at four or five weeks of age because of his need for a wet nurse. Zara on the other hand stayed for five months before moving into her own nursery.

Looking back, the personalities of the Malfoy children had been present from birth. Draco was always very demanding, unsettled as an infant. He didn't sleep through the night until he was eight or nine months old. But Zara mastered that at the age of two months. And even before then she wasn't a fussy child. She was very cool and distant like her parents. Draco was still demanding and an attention seeker. But Zara was very cool and quiet most of the time.

Lucius rose from the bed quietly after kissing his wife and daughter. He put on a robe and went downstairs to his study. The cabinet to the right of his desk was open and a black box was sitting open in front of it. The top was laying to the right. On the floor in the corner of room near the window was the vial. It glinted in its clear glass home as thin rays of morning light hit it.

Narcissa must have told the house elves to leave the room undisturbed. He picked up the vial and examined it. He wondered how something encased in glass could hurt Zara and not anyone else. Lucius returned the vial to its home and returned the box to the cabinet before removing his wand and putting a sealing charm on the cabinet.

Then he crossed to his desk and saw the book that Draco had spoken of the previous night. Sitting down, Lucius put the book aside to give to Zara later. And then taking out a piece of parchment from a bottom drawer, he took out a quill and began to write.

Shortly after breakfast, a familiar face graced the halls of Malfoy Manor. A house elf showed the visitor into Lucius' study. Lucius stood up at the sight of his good friend but before he could speak Severus Snape silenced him with a hand.

"Where is Zara?"

"Upstairs."

"I need to see her."

Severus swept from the room with Lucius right behind him. A minute later, Lucius stood in the room and watched the other man examine Zara closely. Severus pulled out a small vial filled with a clear liquid.

"What you doing?" Lucius asked.

"Saving your daughter's life. You should really fire that healer, he doesn't know a powdered death draught from a hex," he said uncorking the vial and taking out a fine needle.

"Are you telling me that the healer kept something from us?"

"Not exactly, he just gave Zara a pick me up potion and a sedative thinking that everything would resolve itself. If you hadn't sent me an owl, Zara would have been paralyzed permanently 24 hours from now."

"I thought Zara had fainted?"

"She did. But she is exhibiting the symptoms of someone who ingested a non-lethal dose. She has a fever and she's temporarily paralyzed, but neither you nor Narcissa would know that because the healer gave Zara enough of a sleeping potion to keep her out for two days."

Then Severus turned and looked at his friend.

"I recommend that you leave, this is hard to watch."

"What are you going to do?"

"Put her through a reawakening."

"Is that really necessary?"

"Do you think I would put a child through this if it wasn't necessary?"

Lucius set his jaw, "I'll stay."

Severus nodded and Lucius went over to the bed and pulled back the covers. Together they removed the pillows and placed Zara in the center of the bed away from the head and foot boards.

Just when Severus was about to insert the needle, Zara opened her eyes.

"Zara?" said Severus quietly. She heard him call her, but he sounded so far away, "This is going to hurt a little. But it will allow you to move again."

Zara felt something prick the back of her hand. And then almost immediately a searing white hot pain started from her toes and worked its way rapidly up her spine. Her entire body jerked as if she was having a fit of some kind. She screamed but no sound came out.

Ten minutes passed before Zara regained consciousness. She was drenched in sweat, long strands of silvery blonde hair clung to her face and neck.

"Darling?" Lucius said softly. Zara became aware that she was being held.

"Daddy?

Lucius was relieved, "Yes Zara, I'm here. You had a reaction to that vial. But you're fine now. I promise."

Just outside of Sheffield, north of London, Albus Dumbledore and his companion played a game of chess on a bright and sunny morning one week later. But the nice August weather failed to lighten Minerva McGonagall's mood. She rose and went to the window looking out.

"I still don't know why you consented to seeing him," She said with a hint of exasperation in her voice as she turned toward her husband."

"You know perfectly well why Minerva," Albus Dumbledore replied looking at her with a twinkle in his eye.

"Yes, but Lucius Malfoy despises you."

"And he is a father desperate to protect his children."

"He treats his son like property."

"My dear lady you cannot judge someone without knowing what occurs behind closed doors. Surely you have learned that by now?"

Minerva sighed, "Yes Albus."

He rose from the now abandoned game of chess they had been playing and crossing to her, put his hands on her shoulders.

"I will meet with him in London."

"I hope he appreciates that you're taking time out of our vacation to meet with him."

"You may come with if you wish."

"And the topic of conversation is his daughter?"

"Yes, you remember her don't you? She made a brief appearance at the Governor's meeting in June."

"Yes, the blonde one."

"That would be Zara."

"What was the cause for the letter?

"Zara is very special apparently. She mastered elements of wandless magic by the age of eight. But there was also a very serious incident."

"An incident?"

"Yes, but he didn't go into detail about what transpired."

"Something dark no doubt."

"That can be neither confirmed nor denied. Will you come?"

"He expects you to come alone Albus."

"Yes, he does. But I think it would be best if you knew what was going on as well."

"Very well then I'll go. But after that, there won't be anymore interruptions."

"I give you my word."