DISCLAIMER: HP belongs to JKR. The storyline, all new characters, new character development, new developments are my intellectual property. Glorioux
A/n one or two more after this
Rescued and the Wedding Present
Cake Crumbs Trail
"Not my daughter, where is she?" Tom panicked.
"Daddy daddy," a wolf turned into his daughter in front of his eyes. His arms went around her.
"My child, you are well." He kissed her head, her cheeks. She had never called him Daddy before, he was elated. When he held her with trembling hands, everyone looked down not wanting to intrude in this private moment. Everyone had learned by now.
"Daddy, Millie was taken, Draco might be dead. Where are my dogs, Zip, Zap and Brutus. Where are they?"
He held her next to him, he didn't want her out of his sight until the threat was eliminated.
Nobody answered because Draco interrupted.
"Wait, about the cake crumbs, I read Millie the same story three times. It was a Muggle book about a witch that ate children. Hansel and Gretel, was the name, too scary for a little witch, but she liked it." Draco smiled sadly at the memory, "The girl dropped bread crumbs to find the way back home. Millie kept saying, "she was a good witch, and the nasty witch was a ba'wish, so sweet.""
Hermione ran to Draco and kissed his cheek, surprising everyone; particularly, one jealous wolf, Fenrir, who was by Draco in one leap and had him on the ground ready to kill him, his massive jaws opened.
A bigger wolf pushed Fenrir to the side, Lear. "Seconds, you need Seconds; perhaps, Prince Volkar, perhaps." He told Fenrir when they were back in human form, their cover blown with everyone, or not. Lear erased memories of the few who couldn't know. Volkar, a stuffy Austrian Prince, was the Prince Charming of wolves. Every female wolf wanted their wolves to be like him.
Fenrir just growled, jealousy was going to be his enemy, he could sense it now. Damn, this wasn't the time.
Hermione ignored him, no need to waste time, "Yes, she loves the story, just yesterday she left a trail of bacon crumbs for the pups, 'to find her,'" she also smiled at the memory.
Lucius smiled as well, "That is what she was doing? A superior Malfoy mind, I guess we need to follow the cake crumb trail." His concern not diminished; his entire body ached, worried for his little witch.
Several wolves were at it, but the trail stopped at one of the corners of the large room.
"Maybe she ran out cake?" Lucius asked.
Draco thought about it, "I doubt it," he smiled sheepishly, "I charmed the slices, she pocketed the tiny slices to last until I said so."
"Brilliant," Hermione declared, "but all that sugar, never mind. Glad you aren't 'deader.'" she was going to say something else but was interrupted.
Celeste's face was desolate until it brightened up when she saw her Uncle Rufus, he had just arrived. "Uncle, my baby and Adeline were taken."
"I heard, so where are they?"
Remus said, "The life forces cannot be pinpointed, they are around, but wherever they are, we cannot get to them. They must be using a powerful concealment charm."
"Sorry I was late. I was in Mungo's since yesterday. Mr Malfoy, you cannot keep them safe. You must know, long ago I was with Albus when your wife and her sister came to see Albus with important information, I overheard, it was related to my nieces' parents. They knew that Albus was of the Light and might be interested. That, he was, they died the same day as you might already know. I didn't remember until last night. Why? Because I went to Mungo's with a terrible headache, and I was told I had memory blocks they removed." His eyes looked haunted.
Tom was furious, "The Black sisters, I knew it, Lucius what are you going to do about it? How much more are you willing to let them do? Your wife has to pay for her sins. She has hurt my family over and over again, and now she has taken your daughter, a baby may I add."
Earlier- Inside the place where she was being held, Adeline looked around. She had been abducted that much was clear, but she wasn't hurt. It was very dark, but she had night vision, perfect. She wished her wolf was out. They were going to do it later today when the guests were gone, too bad. She wondered about her sisters, and hoped the three of them were safe. Juli had gone to bed early, something had made her stomach very sick. She hopped she was well, maybe she was poisoned.
She heard others and moved towards the voice, gods, they had Millie; she had been right. It stunk, where were they? She saw a big rat and swallowed a scream, Ugh, gross, she though. She heard the voices, "Peter, we need to figure out how to get the Mudblood here. I hope they don't find us first."
Aurora saw the rat transformed into a round looking human. "Everyone is looking, if not for my superior knowledge and my sources, we couldn't have hidden."
One of the females spoke like two different people, two distinct voices, "I want my body back. We just need her blood. Let's try again, she needs to die."
The other voice said, "Lucius' witch and the crying brat must die as well; Lucius is mine. We should have looked more and found her when we had the chance. Too bad that Draco developed a conscience. Now, he has chosen 'his sister' over me. When the brat Millie dies, Draco will be my son again."
Millie was crying, the witch with two voices said, "Shut the brat."
"No magic, it might be traced, I think." The rat-wizard observed.
"I want them dead, as soon as we get Hermione," that was the nasty voice. "They all must die, the bitch stole my Tom. I recognized the Mudblood's face when I saw that bloody Granger. They should have stayed dead."
Another cloaked figure spoke, "And when do I get my child?"
"Not now, this is more important."
"Aunt Cissy, you promised. Remus already has someone else, an older witch, the fool."
"Shut up, I already told you, damn Half-Blood," the meaner voice answered.
They heard voices near, close enough.
Peter told them, "We must go, I can take us out but not them, they are upon us."
"No, let's kill them first. We get the ex-Mudblood next time."
The Bad Witch
Right outside of the room's walls, Hermione called everyone's attention, "Wait, as I was about to tell Draco that I came because Millie appeared, so I was surprised to see him, Millie told me that all were deader." Everyone was alert, maybe there was hope.
Lucius ran to Hermione, "Thanks Merlin, where is she?"
"I don't know, wait, wait."
In front of them, they all saw Millie, she looked bad. Her face wet with tears, cake, mucus, and sweat. Lucius wanted to kill.
"Darling where are you?" Hermione asked, apparently the connection was with her, she was nearly whispering, "Ermi, come now, the ba'wish tolds them to make me deader like my brodder, come, I'm scaird. I'm afraid of the man-rat, I want my brodder."
"Where are you, look around darling," Hermione coaxed her.
"Dunno, it's stinky, no lights." At this she was gone.
Inside the holding place. Adeline knew it, they were going to kill them. She went to Millie and stepped in front of the little witch.
"Millie, my love are you okay?" Another voice asked. Adeline could hear clearly. Just like before.
Adeline whispered to Millie, "Love, that is Mommy."
Millie hugged her aunt, "Auntie Ade, you're here." She lowered her voice, "I left cake crumbs."
Adeline smiled, "Good little witch."
Narcissa was angry when she heard Millie, "We took the wrong witch. One second, let me think, she is the witch your husband was after; Rabastan wants her as well."
In the Floo room, Tom looked at McNair, he had told the truth. Now they knew who they were fighting. Jean was stuck to him, she was obviously afraid of McNair, but grateful for the information.
In the room Bella's voice ordered, "Kill them, Rodolphus is mine, we must go." They pulled out their wands and moved closer to their victims.
A loud voice spoke as a bubble made of light surrounded Adeline and Millie, they all heard the same, "Too bad we cannot kill humans, but you won't hurt hem. You wizard-rat give back the piece now, or you will be locked in a hell's hole."
The Rescue
Outside, Hermione said, "Good Millie, there, can you see?" She could see a thread of light into the Floo, let's go," she changed into a wolf and Tom liked it, several of the wolfs, guards, and Lucius followed.
"McNair, if you are telling the truth we will see, Remus have him held on a room with guards, and let's go."
The wolves all smelled carefully around the Floo. Jean exclaimed, "Wait, wait."
The blond wolf went back to the corner and scratched with his paw.
Tom asked, "Love, wait for what?"
"My parents told me to hide in the 'other side,' this fireplace is a replica of the one at my home, the one Mom said go my, not sure, something about thru...Don't know, Tom please see inside me."
Tom Riddle placed his hand on her forehead. His robes billowed around him. The scenes he was seeing angered him; he saw her parents, probably right before Dumbledore found them, "Go, remember the fireplace, don't be afraid, pull the hair. You are little, go open the door, go darling, hide." Then she was hiding inside a wardrobe seeing her parents being murdered by Dumbledore. The memories made him wish to go into the past. Maybe he would do it one day. Nobody would be the wiser. Yes, he would, same than with Cormac.
Hermione, the wolf, stood by the blond wolf, both whining and scratching at the wall. Tom Riddle went inside the large fireplace, "Move, give me some room."
"Does anyone see the hair?" He asked. He told them about his wife parents' command.
Draco saw it, there were figures carved on the frame, fairies, he guessed, some had long curly hair. "Wait," He rubbed his hand over the carved hair, "this one moves. Fees like real hair," when he 'pulled,' a very small door appeared next to Hermione's petite wolf and the blond wolf. Hermione heard a voice inside; she was the only one small enough to go thru. She looked at the others and went in.
She entered, saw a lever and put her paws over. It opened a bigger door with a lot of noise.
The bubble protecting Aurora and Millie dissolved, one of the figures ripped Millie from Aurora. But not for long, the large blond wolf downed her, sideways, and Millie fell on top of him.
The place was dank, hard to move around, full of boxes. Hermione, the wolf leaped on Peter, though the snatcher kicked her hard and Peter got away. However, he dropped a chess piece that was telling Peter how to escape.
They all saw how Narcissa and Peter jumped into a hole and disappeared.
Orders were being yelled, but the couple were no where to be found.
Tonks and the snatcher were brought out. Millie was carried out by the shifted wolf, non-other than Lucius' nemesis. He was murmuring soothing words and rubbing her back.
Millie held on to him for dear life, she was terrified.
Celeste cried, "My Millie come to mommy," Millie didn't listen, she hid her face on the stranger's chest.
He tried to pass the child to the mother, but Millie held on. "Hol'me the ba'witch is coming to make me deader, she wants to eat me. Yo're biggest."
"My dear go to your Mommy, you are safe." He kissed her head.
"No, no, she made my brodder deader." She held on.
Tom heard the child and was furious. He came by Lucius, "I will tear your wife apart, enough is enough."
"No, it is my job, but we need to find them."
Lear had retrieved the piece, it had fallen between the boxes. This wolf wasn't redeemable, she was still trying to damage his family. With great regret he threw the chess piece on the ground and crushed it. Only dust remained, a tear for one more wolf lost, streamed down his cheek.
Adeline ran to her uncle, he held her. "They wanted to kill us," she looked at her sister and those who listened, "they want to kill you and Millie because of her father." Then she looked at Jean, "You too, because you took Tom, they want Hermione and hoped to trade us for her. Let's get Millie home." She stopped talking, not wanting to say more around the child.
The blond was still holding Millie when she saw Draco, she grinned and wanted to get down. She ran to Draco who picked her up and kissed the dirty face. Her bottom was wet, but it mattered none. She was too precious. She put her hand in her pocket to get something. "You're okay, here, eat a piece." It was a piece of cake. Draco held her tight, "I am proud of you Millie Gretel."
Remus informed them, "They are still around, but we cannot find them." He looked at Dora disgusted. "what have you done? Plotting with your aunt and helping Bellatrix?"
She looked distraught, "I didn't know about Bellatrix, I thought my aunt wasn't well. I am sorry, I wouldn't have let them kill anyone. My aunt told me she wanted to scare the mother into leaving. I wanted my son."
Tom looked at her coldly, "Just because my wife abhors killing, I won't do it. I'll decide what to do with you. If anything happens to either my wife or daughter, you better pray. Take her away."
The snatcher refused to say anything, but Tom invaded his mind. He and others wanted Bellatrix back. They wanted her to be in charge. They didn't like his shared government, not the milder version of the Dark Lord. Otherwise, he had no idea what Peter had done. Tom laughed, "Let them try."
Hermione and Fenrir were looking into the boxes in the small windowless musty room.
"We had the same room in our home," Jean told Tom, "exactly, I think they were used to hide things, maybe people."
"Something in the room does not allow people to be clearly detected." Tom thought aloud, "maybe there are other spaces like this in the house."
Hermione and Fenrir were dragging the boxes out using levitations spells.
Many contain books unreadable, in a language not known to any and resisting translation spells.
Others contained a fortune in precious gems, jewelry, and coins, gold, but not Galleons, just like a pirates' treasure; old toys, clothes made out unknown fibers, and strange styles. There several picture albums, one showing photos of a happy family, some looked familiar.
It was obvious that there were great mysteries concerning her family, since not much was known about Jean's mother. With the found treasure, the sisters were even richer. But what was more interesting were the drawings to build rooms like the one they found, under the plaster there were plates and wires, shielding the rooms.
They would need to examine the house carefully. While they were looking, Jean surprised Tom. "Narcissa needs to be killed, my parents were murdered because of her. We also need make sure Bella is destroyed. The rat must also die. Otherwise, they will keep trying to kill us, and I cannot bear if Millie or Hermione are hurt. All those wanting to hurt them must go!"
He smiled, one of his half smiles, "Thanks for allowing it, is better this way, I was going to do it anyway. Nobody would be safe if anything happens to my two witches. But Lucius has to sanction it. He is my right hand, and I don't need more enemies."
Lucius stood by the door, "She wants to kill a Malfoy child. If I had loved her, I couldn't had made Celeste pregnant; it was not possible because I was married. The only exception is when you marry the wrong witch. Hence, it is easy to choose, I choose Millie and her mother."
Draco was back, he agreed, he was sad, "Mother scares me, she will kill Millie given the chance, and that cannot happen. She chose the evil sister, it was her doing. I don't want my aunt back, it must be prevented. Sometimes I think Mom only loves Bella."
"Peter must die as well. But we have a problem, the sisters are using Black Magic unknown to me. Who is to tell that we destroy the body but not Bellatrix? We need access to the Black library. Let's see Potter." Tom reasoned.
The Wedding Present
"I will be back, the surprise I had for the bride is still not well. Wait, call Mr. Potter, last I saw him he was flirting with a guest." Lucius looked at Tom who nodded.
Harry and Hermione stood by the Floo as requested by Lucius. Lucius asked to be allowed to enter. What they saw, was even a bigger surprise than Cedric.
He stepped out the fireplace with Sirius, thin, not really well, but alive.
"Is that really you? Harry and Hermione asked in unison. He nodded, and they ran to him, to his embrace, repeating his name, over and over again.
A nasty growl came from the giant wolf walking towards them. He was quickly subdued by his father and his friend. They morphed again to Sirius surprise. Lear was furious, Sebus as well.
"Who is that?" Sirius pointed at the formally attired Fenrir.
Hermione sighed, "My husband," she gave Fenrir a nasty look and a raised lip.
"That is Greyback? A vast improvement, but still an idiot. I love Harry and Hermione as my children, fool."
"How? You fell..." Hermione started.
"Yes, I did, but Lucius saved me from my demented cousin. He kept me alive but unconscious, not sure how."
"An old Malfoy secret, the problem is the retrieval, I had to research old books. I have known how to get him for a few weeks. Mr. Bill Weasley helped me. Sirius has been staying in a safe place, and as you can see, he is not well. He knows of Bellatrix and Narcissa. He thinks he knows how it was done," Lucius eyes turned hard.
"Yes, to make sure she is destroyed, she must be burned the moment she dies. For her to die, Narcissa has to die there is no choice. I recommend to send Draco and any others with Black blood to another house. They cannot be in close proximity, it goes for me as well." Sirius explained. "That type of magic is forbidden, uses necromancy and holding souls."
Tom asked, "How was it done?"
Lucius answered, "Narcissa was always ready to capture her sister's soul and vice versa. The Blacks have many dark artifacts, one is a soul catcher. For the first transfer it needs to be in a woman with child, the transfer kills the child and the preserved soul now inhabits the same body. I just hope that it wasn't my child." He saw Celeste cringe.
"She fed me lust potions, I didn't want anything with her, not for a long time, now I understand why."
Hermione still held Sirius' hand, she truly loved him, he was an adult she loved and respected, true enough, but Fenrir didn't believe it and was barely controlling himself. Sirius kept glancing at Voldemort, he was distrustful, and when he saw his welcoming eyes, and Hermione smiling at him, he accepted the change with reservations, after all Lucius had saved him. Maybe he had stepped into an alternate reality.
"Lucius told me they had escaped…, I think I know where they are. I will tell you, but let us leave the premises."
Tom asked, "You have my friendship. My daughter has missed you. Remus is her right hand, but she can use more like you. Think about it, but for now leave."
Lucius saw the blond from the house of Ulm. He went to him. "Thank you for helping, I think we will get along when the time comes."
"No need to thank me, the pup will be mine, and nobody hurts what is mine. I hope you can protect them until such time. Another incident, and I will challenge you. I have waited for over 90 years for her, and I will leave nothing to chance." He bowed his head turned around already a wolf and left the room.
Lucius shook his head, the wolf reminded him of someone, of himself, he smirked. Sirius explained to them in a low voice, "I don't know exactly where they are but I remember a trick of Pettigrew. Now, when we find them, I want to kill Peter myself."
Remus came in the room, he rubbed his eyes, "is that you? I guess it is," he sniffed the air. "Sorry old man, that pleasure goes to me, or we can share."