The Family Name: Year Four

By Elbereth in April

Chapter 13

At 1:25 PM the day after Christmas, the Fowl family sat around the dining table finishing a late lunch, when a voice came through from their son's brooch. "Artemis, help me."

Artemis was on his feet before he realized he'd moved.

"Arty, what…"

"That was Draco." The name fell from his lips also without conscious thought. "He sounds—like he's in pain."

"Who's Draco?"

"My friend. I have to go."

"Wait—what—who is this person? What's wrong with him? How does he expect you to help?"

"I don't know what's wrong. I have to go find out."

But where?"

"His house—Malfoy Manor. I'll take Butler." Artemis stood up.

"It could be dangerous," Fowl Sr. said. "Maybe I should come, too."

"Best not," Artemis said gently. "Trust me."

Artemis Sr. regarded him. "Your chance to be a hero."

Artemis nodded. Butler entered the room, having heard the message, as well. He had Artemis's fairy laptop. Artemis took it, then checked to make sure he had his wand.

"Be careful." Angeline still looked worried. Fowl Sr. reached over and took her hand.

Getting there was simple enough, only because they'd been there before. Artemis had early on set up a Fowl fireplace to the Floo network—using special security passwords. It wasn't as secure as an Unplottable address, but close.

Last time they had been unable to Floo directly to the Manor itself, but had had to go into the town nearby. That was because Draco had not been inside the Manor, and had needed to take down the wards from the outside in order to invite them in. However, with Draco already inside, and the wards down, they could Floo into the house (They hadn't known if Draco had managed to take the wards down until they'd tried Floo'ing. If he hadn't, they simply wouldn't have gone anywhere, and would have then gone through the town instead). So, the wards were down, and Artemis and Butler had been previously invited, so they were able to enter the Manor—the drawing room fireplace, to be specific.

Artemis consulted the brooch. Malfoy had not responded when he'd hailed him, so he'd invoked the tracking device. "I believe it's leading to the study." They followed its lead.

When they opened the door, they found Draco lying on the rug, covered in blood, with two very worried looking house-elves standing over him.

They squeaked when Artemis and Butler entered, Artemis with his wand out and Butler with a gun pointed at them. "What happened?" Artemis demanded in a dangerous voice. "Tell me now."

"You is intruders! Leave!" one yelled back.

"What happened to your master?"

"Draco wouldn't be their foremost master," Butler cut in. "Lucius would."

"You have a loyalty, a responsibility to the whole family, do you not? Artemis stepped forward further. "He's hurt. Are you going to help him?"

The elves wrung their hands. The second one groaned. "Can't, we can't, Master Lucius forbid it!"

"Tassie! Shut your mouth! Is Malfoy business!"

Tassie began to hit herself in the head. "Master Draco is hurt bad, can't you see? Master Lucius left him for dead. We is not to heal him."

The male elf tried to cover her mouth but she shoved him off. Artemis took a deep breath and looked at Draco more closely. Butler fell to his knees to inspect Draco's injuries.

"Master Lucius got urgent call from Ministry, left us to dispose of the body before Mistress Narcissa comes home from France," Tassie continued.

"Why?" Artemis's voice cracked. "Why would his father—?"

"Master Lucius said Master Draco had broken with Malfoy ways, ruined the family name and wasn't to wear it anymore. Said had new heir now to replace him."

"They're right, Draco—I don't think he'll make it," Butler told him very quietly.

"We're taking him to St. Mungo's," Artemis said decisively.

"Can't! Can't!"

"Murky! Master Draco has always treated you kind—better than Master Lucius." Tassie was weeping, still hitting herself in the head. "Oh, mustn't talk bad about Master, but—but—oh, Murky, let them take him."

"You is disloyal! Bad Tassie!" Murky was shaking, rocking back and forth.

Butler picked up Draco's limp body. He moaned and whimpered, but his eyes opened.

"I getting Master Lucius!" Murky announced.

Artemis leapt forward. Draco wasn't wearing shoes. He peeled off Draco's socks. "Your Master Draco is giving these to you; you're free now." He turned to Draco desperately. "Just nod!"

Draco didn't look like he knew what was going on, but he nodded obediently. "For you," he gasped out.

Murky began to wail. "No, no, not clothes!"

Tassie spun around and waved her hand. "Quiet!" Murky's eyes widened in betrayal for one moment, then he slumped to the floor, stunned by Tassie's magic.

"Take him now! Go!" she cried.

"Come with us." Artemis waved Butler toward the study's fireplace as Draco passed back out from the pain of being carried and moved.

Tassie nodded. Artemis grabbed her by the hand and pulled her along. He snatched up the Floo powder and sent them all off. "Saint Mungo's!"

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"We can keep him suspended like this," the nurse told Artemis and Butler a time later. "We've stopped him from getting any worse, but we've healed him as much as we can."

"You're saying he's still dying," Artemis said with false calm.

"Yes." The nurse's look was full of sorrow. "He's been savagely beaten, bones broken, internal injuries, possible brain damage. Plus the Cruciatus Curse was applied repeatedly. You really believe it was his father?"

"We have this house elf's testimony."

"I don't think that will carry much weight against the word of Lucius Malfoy," Butler sighed.

The nurse made a confirming noise. "If he becomes conscious again before—before the end, we can get his statement."

Rage and grief rose in Artemis, from the toes upward, burning holes in his gut and sticking thickly in his throat.

"So what now?" Butler asked.

"We make him comfortable. Contact his mother. Say goodbye," she answered.

"If you'll excuse me, I'll go call your parents and tell them what's going on," Butler said, pulling out his cell phone.

The nurse was called to another patient. Artemis sat in the waiting room, staring into space. Then he took out his own cell phone.

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By the time Holly Short arrived at St. Mungo's, Artemis had summoned an Auror and a wizarding lawyer to oversee Draco's case. They were holed up in another room with Butler and the house elf. Draco's heavily pregnant mother, who he had questioned closely, had been mezmered into sleep as Holly unshielded. "What's the situation, Artemis?" she demanded. "What happened to your friend?"

"His father happened to him," Artemis answered bitterly. "Can you heal him?"

"I can try," she said.

And heal him she did.

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When Holly was done, she smoothed back the blonde hair and regarded the Malfoy boy thoughtfully. "I can't believe his own father tried to kill him."

"I was supposed to be watching out for him," Artemis said so quietly Holly had to strain to hear. "I let him down."

"So did his mother, apparently." The LEP officer indicated the sleeping woman. "Where's his father now, Artemis?"

"They arrested him—at the Ministry, no less. My lawyer's fighting his lawyer over holding him on the word of a house elf. He's claiming he had nothing to do with it, of course. His wife can't believe he'd do it, either. When Draco awakens, he can confirm Tassie's story. Then they'll have grounds to question Lucius under Veritaserum. Then we can see him thrown in Azkaban."

"Is that what Draco would want? It is his father."

Artemis sighed. "I don't know. It's what would be best for him. He did break with his father before the holidays—I can't believe I didn't see something like this coming."

"It's not your fault, Artemis."

"It is!" They were both surprised by the underlying anguish in his voice. He swallowed and said more calmly, "I stopped being friends with him last year after—an incident that wasn't even that big a deal, really, at least I don't think so now—so I haven't been paying attention—I haven't been paying attention to anything except…" He trailed off. "Well, gold. Acquiring gold."

Holly gave a soft sigh. She left the bedside and stood in front of his chair. "Artemis. It really wasn't your fault. Take this chance to be friends again and do what you can from here."

He stared into her eyes for a long moment, then nodded. "Right. Of course."

She smiled and broke eye contact, trying not to make him too uncomfortable. He cleared his throat. "What have you been up to, Captain Short?"

"Cleaning up goblins." She shrugged. "I hear your school is having some kind of big magic Tournament." At his raised eyebrow, she grinned. "Foaly may not be monitoring you anymore, but he still likes to update himself on you from time to time. I listen to him gossip."

"The Tri-Wizard Tournament, yes," he said, filing this information away. "I don't have much to do with it personally."

Holly gathered up her helmet and weapons. "Well, anyway, glad I could help out. Good luck getting his dad behind bars," she offered with another smile, just before she disappeared.

"Now to surprise Mrs. Malfoy with her son's miraculous recovery." Artemis moved to wake her.

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Draco opened his eyes soon after. The first thing he saw was his mother sitting by his bedside, then Butler guarding his door, then Fowl sitting over by the window, using his computer.

"Draco!" Narcissa exclaimed, and hugged him tightly before he could move or speak.

He realized he felt remarkably fine, and was pretty sure this shouldn't be the case. His hands came up and squeezed her forearms in a sort of hug, then he pushed her away. "What happened?"

"Your little friend and his bodyguard came to visit the Manor and found you hurt," she replied still a little frantically. "Then the house elf, who you freed for some unfathomable reason, told them that Lucius did it! But the ungrateful creature is obviously lying! Tell us who really hurt you, Draco."

Draco blinked, swallowed, then glanced over at Artemis, then at Butler. "Um…"

"It's all right, Draco," Butler said. "Just tell her the truth."

A deep breath, another glance at Artemis, who also looked at him encouragingly. "It'll be all right."

"The elf didn't lie, Mum. Father said now he had a new Heir in the works, he could get rid of me. I'm a disappointment and a disgrace to the name Malfoy."

For a moment Narcissa was absolutely still, then she went pale with fury. "He dared—he dared to lay hands on you, my son, my first born! He must pay! We'll see him in Azkaban for this, darling, just you wait!"

Artemis tilted his head, observing the woman. It was a better reaction than he had hoped for. Apparently she really did love Draco.

"He made me magically swear when we were married that I would not interfere in how he chose to raise the Malfoy heir, but this—this is—I shall leave him. We shall none of us be Malfoy's any longer. That should get around the Oath." She gave Draco a look of righteous determination.

'This must be where the term avenging angel came from,' Draco thought, a bit dazed.

"Now then, how are you feeling, sweetie?"

Even more confused by her abrupt change to kind and gentle, Draco answered vaguely, "Not bad."

"It's a miracle, the nurses say," Narcissa informed him with a radiant smile.

Draco suspected Fowl. "Really."

"I'm going to alert them you're awake and get the Auror and the lawyer in here." She stood up and went to the door. "Do you need anything?"

"Some water?"

There was some by the bed. "I'll get it," Artemis volunteered.

Narcissa smiled at him. "Such a polite boy." Then she left.

Artemis approached the bed and poured the water.

"A miracle?"

Artemis smirked. "Holly-lujah."

Draco nodded, studying Fowl as he handed over the glass of water. "You came when I called," he said softly, wonder on his face.

"Yes."

Draco nodded again and took the water, drank. "Thank you."

"I'm sorry I ever ended our friendship."

Draco took another sip of water. "I don't need pity."

"You honestly think I would?"

Draco's face twisted with an odd, pained smile. "I suppose not."

Artemis tried to puzzle out that expression and couldn't. "I was hoping you'd let us start over, be friends again."

Draco looked down at the glass, slid a finger up and down the side. "I could hardly refuse after you saved my life."

Artemis's throat tightened. "You could. You're not obligated."

"Somehow being mad at you for being mad at me just seems kind of stupid after all this." He smiled crookedly and met Artemis's eyes. "I want to be friends again, Artemis."

Warmth blossomed and spread. Artemis had a strange vision of having hot apple pie filling all through his veins instead of blood. He returned a smile of gratified relief. He felt like his world was finally righting itself—first his father, now his friend.

He tried not to regret Hermione. In all honesty, it was better not to date anyone again until he was better prepared to deal with it. He didn't make a very good boyfriend right now.

"I freed a house elf?"

Artemis laughed. "Two of them. Don't know what happened to Murky. Tassie's with the Auror."

"The Auror."

"Kingsley Shacklebolt—known to be loyal to Dumbledore, so I figured we could trust him not to be in league with your father. And I brought you a wizarding lawyer over to represent your interests. I recently did some study of wizarding law and picked a lawyer to take care of that side of things for the Fowls, so I knew she could be trusted, as well."

"Who did you choose?"

"Irius Gossamer."

"Very good choice," Draco conceded. Artemis had done his homework, as always.

"Do you want Butler to arrange a bodyguard for you?"

"Oh, um, that shouldn't be necessary as long as Father… you know… is locked away."

At that moment the door opened and the people they had been discussing entered. Narcissa reclaimed her chair, Tassie hovered between mother and son, and Shacklebolt and Gossamer stood at the foot of the bed.

"Can you give an account of what occurred?" Shacklebolt asked.

"Would you prefer to go over it with me in private first?" Gossamer asked.

"No. I'm only telling it once." His emotions were in a turmoiled tangle, but distant, as if they belonged to someone else. He could get through one telling, but he was afraid too many would make those feelings real. He suspected he was still in shock, and wanted to take advantage of it.

"Do you want me and Butler to leave?" Artemis felt he had to offer.

"You already know the gist of it—might as well stay."

Narcissa looked a little uncomfortable but didn't object.

"Father's had people spying on me at school," Draco reported, voice slightly shaky but resolved to get it all told. "He knew that lately I've been voicing opinions and acting in ways he feels are wrong. I've been consorting with pro-Muggle wizards like the Weasleys, reading Muggle books, and worst crime of all, I asked a Muggle-born witch to the Yule Ball. Before he would just punish me to force me to change my ways, but now that he has a new son due in one week—which no, no one had told me about—he figured he could finally be rid of me and start over. Get an Heir who wasn't a blight on the family name. So… he tried to kill me and almost succeeded. If he hadn't been summoned to an emergency consultation with the Minister he would have made sure the job was finished before calling in the house elves to dispose of me. I don't know what he was planning on telling people had happened to me."

"We was supposed to drop you off in Knockturn Alley," Tassie put in meekly. "But Mister Fowl sir came in and took Master Draco to St. Mungo's."

"Yes, it was fortunate that I decided to visit just then," Artemis said, not about to reveal the brooch.

Shacklebolt took all this down. So did the lawyer.

"Very well. Now I need to know what Lucius did in his attempt to kill you. I know he used an Unforgiveable. What else?"

Draco described how his father had beaten him and used Cruciatus and other hexes. The adults were all quite angry by the time he was done. Artemis was angry and queasy.

Finally they wrapped everything up and the professionals left to deal with Lucius. Gossamer also had Narcissa's divorce papers to arrange, and Draco's new name papers. Eventually, if Lucius was imprisoned, he could be cast out of the Family, and then Draco could retake the name Malfoy as the Head of the Line, if he so chose. If he was Head instead of Heir, Narcissa would still not be affected by the Oath.

A short time later, an Auror who turned out to be Draco's cousin arrived. "I'm your protection until after the Wizengamut meets and sentences Lucius. That'll be two days from now," the lady, Tonks, reported. "And it's a pleasure to meet you, Artemis Fowl. I've heard of you." She grinned.

Shortly after that, Artemis and Butler returned home, with promises for Draco to visit and tell them how the trial went.

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