Part Five.

Chapter 1. James Potter.

He abstractedly looked over the parlour – this stage for a strange play that was looking more and more like a tragedy. With human sacrifices.

Xenia seemed to be sleeping, but her slumber seemed too deep, scary. Everything that happened with her since he saw her here scared him. Where did she come from? How? What is happening with her?

Where is Lily?!

Next to him stood Theo – this shadow, impassive and calm; a modicum of that calm transmitted to James, despite his feeling that time had stopped and his blood froze in his veins – with terror.

Liana. She stood between Gregory and Malfoy, a tad bewildered, a tad frightened. She arrived with Xenia and Scorpius. Where did they find James' wife? At Parkinson's, where MacLaggen had planned to go first? Or was it someone else? Everything in James' head was topsy-turvy: time, year, actions…

Malfoy. He was eerily pale, even more so than usual; the circles under his icy eyes grew more ominous. He looked as though he had frozen over – and he wouldn't look at Xenia. His fists opened and closed by turns. And for the first time in all the years of their acquaintance, Malfoy looked helpless – because of those fists.

Dong was still pressing himself against Scorpius' knees. He appeared to have found a stain on his master's trousers, because he was trying his best to wipe it off. Silly elf! Risen from the ashes, like a phoenix. That's a good sign… Xenia is here, too…

Where are you, Lily?!

Helene. Potter briefly glanced at her. How deftly she escaped, with Dad's wand pointed at her, and even managed to take pull along James. Smart, and scared. So, this was Scorpius' first woman, of whom he was so tight-lipped. Here is the key to everything, and she will speak, because they will force her, if necessary. Although, she appears to be a victim, too – otherwise, what has happened to her memory, what with Malfoy no longer part of it, erased?

Something troubling flashed through James' mind, but he failed to catch it. There was something much more important at stake now than Scorpius erased from Helene's memories…

Potter looked at Gregory. All those present (save for the sleeping Xenia and trousers-preoccupied Dong) were staring at him.

"Don't move!" Malfoy warned Helene sharply, pointing the wand at her. "Speak, Gregory! What do you know? And why have not said something sooner, hippogriff take you?"

James never heard Scorpius raise his voice like that. Maybe once, when he brought the unconscious, bleeding Lily into the Malfoy Manor dining room, where his parents were having a repast.

Xenia shuddered in her sleep, and James – simultaneously with Theo – leaned over her.

"Everything, is fine; you are home," Potter said, squeezing her hand. She would not wake up, but Theo clearly was not panicking, so it is to be expected. The James turned toward Greg: "If you know something, then tell us!"

"I know this young woman," Gregory said calmly, nodding at Helene, motionless at the point of Malfoy's wand. "She is the wife of Marcus Devereaux, the new advisor to the Minister on the development of magical transportation. I saw her at a party thrown by her father-in-law, Earl of Devereaux.

"Earl?" Liana glanced at Helene, a bit accusingly. The other girl remained silent, trying to appear unperturbed.

Malfoy seemed to try to remember something.

"That ball, where we… met, was at Devereaux's," Scorpius said, looking at Helene. "You were seventeen then."

Helene didn't reply.

"Take us to your house, right now," Malfoy's glance was like an icy flash, but Helene glanced back in kind. "Otherwise, I will make you."

"Scorpius, wait," Liana's placed a restraining hand on his arm. James was ready to cut MacLaggen off – they don't have time to wait! He felt that if Malfoy did not force this Devereaux woman to speak, then he would. He was close to it… Like never before.

James Potter wanted to cause pain that would match the pain that was gnawing on him from the inside. He needed an outlet. And if this Marcus Devereaux happened to be here now, James would prove to be no less cruel than Malfoy.

For Xenia. For Lily. For Scorpius. For himself.

"She is only a victim," Liana said quietly, holding Malfoy's arm. "Can't you see that?"

"I don't care," Scorpius said through his teeth. The muscles in his jaw were flexing – so unusual for him – as though he was struggling… with himself. Merlin, Malfoy's hand was shaking… It looked like another moment – and words would be useless, for he would do what his dark soul demanded. He would make Helene talk, by any methods necessary. And all those present were very well aware of Scorpius' methods. "He has my wife, and I – his…"

"Malfoy, now is not the time for games!" Liana said angrily. "Nor is it the time to become like this Marcus Devereaux."

"It's not him!"

The outcry gave everyone pause. Helene's cheeks were flaming, the icy eyes glistened.

"It's not him… He couldn't…"

"Once we find him, we'll see whether he could or couldn't," Malfoy said quietly, through his teeth. Dong broke away from him, alarmed. He glanced at his master and headed for the kitchen, probably to make everyone some soothing tea. So like Dong…

"Helene," Liana, ignoring the elf's departure, placed herself between Malfoy and Devereaux. "Listen, I know you can't believe it, but let's consider this, calmly and rationally."

"Leave it, MacLaggen!" Scorpius barked, but Liana stopped him with a look. At least someone was still able to hold Malfoy back. James no longer had the strength… Or the desire.

And then it occurred to him what Liana's goal was: she was trying to make Helene Devereaux their ally. It would make everything simpler, and raise their chances to save Lily, to find her faster.

"Helene, Malfoy's kidnapped house elf was found at your house," James spoke, nodding at Liana. "Plus, the abducted Albus was brought there as well, remember?"

"You ought to remember Malfoy, but someone erased him from your memories," Liana said gently. "Don't you want to learn the truth about why this was done?"

"He wasn't the one who did it, because I was not present at that Masque! He didn't erase my memories! No one did!"

"You are mistaken," Theo's voice drew everyone's attention to him. "Your memories were disrupted once, and very adeptly."

"You just want…"

"That's it, we are done!" Malfoy tossed Liana's hand aside. "We are going to just go and learn everything directly from this Marcus Devereaux. I hope you own a mourning cloak," Scorpius smirked scathingly. Potter waited for the wand to wave, for something cruel to happen, but Malfoy just stood there, like a statue, afraid to move or to do something wrong. Wrong for whom? "I think one goes to the Ministry, to locate an advisor to the Minister. If not, the Aurors will find him easily enough. Plus, a couple of vials of Veritaserum will loosen your tongue…"

MacLaggen seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. She thought that Malfoy would torture Helene right before their eyes. Yes, James expected that, too, but the fact that it didn't happen, made him easier somehow.

And James knew, why. He believed that the past ten years had not gone in vain for his friend. Malfoy could no longer fling an Unforgivable Curse – at least at an innocent person. And Helene's Devereaux's only fault was that she had married this Marcus bloke…

Potter could no longer decide what they ought to do – to act like that maniac, who had captured Lily, or try to move ahead slowly, cautiously, and without casualties. Casualties, that someone will want to avenge one day – again…

"Why would your husband hate Malfoy so?" James asked suddenly, when Scorpius was already nudging Helene towards the fireplace. "For that night that you no longer remember?"

"Night?" Helene glanced at Scorpius, who shrugged noncommittally.

"Let's find him and find out," Malfoy looked at the sleeping Xenia and nodded at James: "Stay with her."

Potter wanted nothing more than to go with his friend, because it was his war, too, but leaving his wife, especially in her present state, wasn't something he could do.

"You are needed here," Malfoy said categorically, ending the conversation.

"Let us know if you learn anything new," James asked. "We shall be at Rose's."

Scorpius nodded and nudged Helene towards the fireplace. She looked back at James, and her eyes flashed with fear. She seemed to want to say something, but hesitated.

"I hope you are not bothered by the tight quarters," Malfoy remarked sardonically, walking into the fireplace behind Helene. "Any parting words?"

"My husband is a Metamorphmagus," Helene said, looking James straight in the eye. Like a warning, just in case.

Potter nodded, almost gratefully. Scorpius and Helene vanished amid green flames.

"We need to move Xenia to my house," Theo looked at James. "I will Apparate with her."

"I will…"

"You are too weak," Theodic said unequivocally, picking up the sleeping girl. "You are better off using the fireplace."

Potter nodded, too drained to argue. Liana covered Xenia with a tartan, said her goodbyes, and headed for the kitchen, to check on Dong.

James watched from the porch as Theo and Xenia vanished into thin air, and then hurried back into the house to follow them – via the fireplace.

Upon entering the parlour, however, he froze in his tracks – in the center of the room, his wand to Liana's head, stood a strange man. Greg had just tossed his own weapon at the intruder's feet.

"Let me introduce myself: Marcus Devereaux, in the flesh. And at your service."

Despair seized the heart.

11/16/2009