Harry spent the next three days trying to convince Hermione to come back and help them with the Astoria case but she was adamant that they could manage without her. He had asked Ron repeatedly what had happened that had made her so mad but his response always came in the form of a shoulder shrug or an abrupt change of subject. Harry surmised that they had had some form of argument, as they always did, but without knowing what had been said he was unsure how to go about fixing it, and so it seemed he and Ron were on their own once more.

As per Harry's request, Draco had brought his mother into work with him the day after their search of Malfoy Manor so that he and Ron could ask about her movements on the day Astoria was kidnapped. She told them she had been shopping and then for dinner but both Harry and Ron suspected she was keeping something from them. She told them with absolute clarity that she had told no-one how to get past the wards protecting the manor and Harry was sure this was the only thing she had been completely truthful about during their chat. Once she had left, Draco with her, Harry and Ron discussed what would be their next steps.

"I think we need to speak with Lucius," Harry suggested.

"Why?"

"Think about it, only four people knew how to lower those wards. Draco and his mum have both told us that they didn't tell anyone, and I believe them, and Astoria isn't exactly available for questioning. That leaves us with Lucius. What if someone wrote to him or visited him in Azkaban and he told them?"

"Good point. We'll have to run it by Gawain, first I reckon," Ron replied and Harry nodded in agreement. "I'll go ask him now."

Ron was back within a few minutes bearing the news that their boss had approved the visit to Azkaban, providing he could accompany them and assist with the interview. Harry then wrote to the wizarding prison to inform them that they would be arriving early tomorrow morning to speak with Lucius Malfoy.

Since the war, and much to Harry's relief, the prison was now run by burly security wizards as opposed to Dementors. It was one of the first changes Kingsly Shacklebolt had made as the new Minister for Magic after they had proved their disloyalty during the war. Harry didn't know what had happened to the Dementors after their dismissal and he never wanted to find out, he was just glad that they were no longer at Azkaban as his job called for frequent visits there.

Harry and Ron spent the rest of the day compiling a list of questions to ask Lucius and so, when the following day arrived, they were more than prepared for it. Malfoy had point blank refused to go with the group, telling Harry he had not seen his father since his trial and intended to keep it that way. Getting to Azkaban wasn't easy due to its heavy magical protection; one couldn't simply apparate straight to the front door. First they had to use the Ministry's designated apparition point to travel to the wizarding town, Flaggherty Loch, which was by the sea in which the prison was situated. They then had to walk to the dock which was manned every hour of the day by one of the security guards from the prison, who would verify they were who they said they were by checking their wands. A local boatman would then transport wizards and witches one at a time to the cliff face, where they were escorted by another security wizard into a lift that had been built there, up to the prison gates and into the entrance where their wands were checked once more.

The whole process had taken the best part of an hour to get all three men across the sea and past the security checks. Finally, they were escorted into a small white room containing a table and four chairs. Harry and Ron sat at the table and Gawain moved his chair by the door, wanting to simply observe at first.

A short time later, the door opened again and Lucius Malfoy was ushered into the room by a seven foot tall wizard with a shaven head and no neck. He had his wand pressed into Lucius' back and guided him to the table.

"Sit!" he barked in a deep voice.

Lucius did as he was instructed and Harry took his first proper look at him. Azkaban had changed him entirely. His once immaculate presentation was gone without a trace, his hair was lank and dirty, the ends ragged and uncared for. His skin was even paler than it had been, it was now an unnatural shade of almost grey, his lifeless blue eyes looked lost in their sockets as they stared at Harry. He was a pitiful excuse of a man and there wasn't even an echo of his former arrogance left.

"Good luck gettin' him to talk mind," the guard warned. "This one hasn't said a word since he got here four years ago."

"Thanks," Ron said sarcastically and the guard grunted.

"Mister Malfoy," Harry said slowly, "do you know who I am?"

Lucius looked at Harry but said nothing.

"Lucius? Do you remember me?" Harry asked a little louder.

Still no reply came. Gawain stood up and walked over to the desk.

"Lucius," he said, looking straight at the man, "this is important. Your son's fiancée has been kidnapped. Draco's fiancée? We think it could be down to the Knights of Walpurgis, we need to know what you know about them."

At the mention of the mysterious group, Lucius twitched.

"Mister Malfoy?" Gawain said a little more forcefully. "Do you know something about the Knights of Walpurgis?"

Lucius looked at Gawain and quickly shook his head, his lips pressed into a hard line as if to reinforce his silence.

Ron sighed. "Looks like this was a waste of time. Bet he would have spoken if Malfoy were here."

Even the mention of his son's name didn't invoke a reaction from Lucius.

"Gawain, Ron, can I speak to you both outside please?" Harry asked.

The two nodded and they all stepped outside into the deserted corridor and closed the door behind them.

"What are we going to do? He won't say a word." Harry looked at the other two for answers.

"We could force it out of him," Ron suggested. "Give him some veritaserum?"

"I'm not sure," Gawain said slowly.

"Come on, why not? It's obvious he knows something about those Knights and it's even more obvious he's not going to say anything without some persuasion."

"Ron's right," Harry agreed.

"Alright boys, this is your case so I'll allow it. Be warned that this is a very rare case and that is the only reason I'm agreeing to this, under no circumstances are you to use veritaserum without my permission, do you understand?"

"Yes," Harry and Ron said in unison.

"Good. You two wait here, I'll head back to the ministry and get it. There's no point in all three of us going, it takes so bloody long to get here."

He went back into the room and told the guard that Lucius could be returned to his cell for now, said goodbye to Harry and Ron and then left. The pair went back into the interview room to wait for his return and were brought coffee by one of the guards.

"So," said Ron, "do you reckon he knows something?"

"Without a doubt, did you see how he twitched when Gawain mentioned that group? He knows something for sure. I just hope it's something that helps us find Astoria, I'd hate to have wasted this whole day for nothing."

"Me too. Plus we haven't really got anything else to go on have we? There was nothing in the house other than a load of mess."

Harry agreed and sipped his coffee. "I bet Hermione would have found something by now…" he mumbled quietly.

"Drop it Harry. She's not helping us and that's that. I don't even know why you asked her in the first place, she isn't an Auror and didn't want to be, remember?"

"She had agreed to help," Harry argued.

"Yeah, but only because her boss told her to," he countered. "Why did she tell her to anyway?"

"Because I asked her to…"

"And?"

"And what?"

"Harry, we've been best mates since we were eleven, I know when you're lying because you're a rubbish liar. What did you do?"

"I may have let her take a photo of me with her kids because they're deluded and think I'm some sort of hero," Harry said quickly.

"Hah! Well then it serves you right that it backfired then."

Harry ignored his taunts and stared into his coffee cup which was now almost empty. He hoped that Gawain would be back soon, he was eager to find out what Lucius Malfoy was hiding. Fortunately, his wishes were granted when Gawain entered the room far sooner than expected after just one more cup of coffee.

"Did you get it?" Ron asked keenly.

Gawain held up a small vial of clear liquid in an unspoken response to Ron's question.

"Excellent!" he exclaimed, rubbing his hands together.

"Let's get him back in then," Harry said, leaving the room to speak to the guard.

When Lucius had resumed his seat opposite Harry and Ron, Gawain stepped forward to administer the veritaserum and Lucius finally spoke.

"No! NO! Please! PLEASE, NO!" he screamed and thrashed around in his chair as the startles guard tried to restrain him to no avail.

"Petrificus Totalus!" Ron finally yelled and Lucius was still, thankfully mid-scream so his mouth was open.

"Good thinking, Ron," Gawain praised. "Right, two drops should do it."

He tipped the tiny bottle until a couple of drops fell into Lucius' mouth. Ron cast the reversal charm for the freezing spell and harry conjured ropes to wrap themselves around Lucius arms, waist and legs so that he was tied to the chair.

"Right, shall I start?" Harry asked the other two men who nodded. "You are Lucius Abraxas Malfoy?"

"No," Lucius replied.

"What? Is your name Lucius Malfoy?" Harry asked again, more slowly.

"No," he repeated.

Harry looked at Ron and Gawain, confused.

"Then what is your name?"

"Stanley David Shunpike."