DISCLAIMER: HP belongs to JKR. The story line and all new characters, new character development, new developments are my intellectual property.

A/n thanks to all those who have kindly offer their support. I do listen. I don't want to be oversensitive, but it really has been a little much. One flame, two flames, three flames, even one hack, I can unterstand, but an ongoing attack, gets old quickly. Albeit I don't understand why people have to behave so poorly, I guess it is human nature. With all that said and done, I am going to keep a presence here, for the meantime.

I have an announcement, Nacf offered to help me Beta this story, thank you so much for her help.

Now, for those waiting to see what happened to the Pixies, here they are. Or better, here they are about to find them. Let's see what happens.

Now, the best I can do, the ffiction's editor reformats everything. Now you all have a list, sorted by first, of most all the character's thus far. Later, I'll have a short summary. As a reader pointed out, serials make it difficult to keep things in order.

Also many thanks for the invites to join different groups, at present I am very busy and it is with regret that I need to decline. I am honored. I hope to be able to do more in the future, thus I am keeping the invitations on file.

I am also behind on answering review comments, part of the same, no time. Even my old dog, 15 years in one week, a Lhasa has been ill. In case you haven't noticed I love animals, most anyway :) Dogs are a favorite, I do love cats as well, but my dogs hate them with a passion.

The wait -Dark Times-

Elly, Jeanie, Marguerite, Charlotte, Thalia and Narcissa were not doing well. The aunties were also mopping around the house. After one day and nearly two nights of futile searches around the Manor and no clues available, the tension was growing. The women were crying all day long, even as they helped to

Lucius' Veela was at the surface because he couldn't stand his mate's sadness. Neither could Serpens' Veela to see his mate in so much pain. And of course, Lucius had not forgotten Narcissa's upset over Rodolphus, which added to his current state of distress.

Serpens was baffled about Narcissa, "Son, not even a curse could override a Veela's mate magic. Well, not unless she isn't your real true mate, there are a few cases. All of them had to do with mates who could have been a mate, but there is something damaged inside of them. Don't worry about it right now; it is probably just too much going on." Lucius worried nonetheless, not for the first time. He had never told anyone about Molly. He had been untruthful with his father as well. Molly had been his first; he was barely 14 at the time, maybe it had been normal, who knew.

Serpens was also in a bad place. He could hardly help the research; his heart was torn. During his and Thalia's lifetime, they had seen their child and grandchild murdered by Voldemort, and they had the feeling that the monster was involved once again. Serpens, as a Veela, was granted a longer life than wizards, if he were able to avoid an accident or being murdered. He wanted to live to kill the monster. Oh yes! He wanted to.

With Severus back at Hogwarts, Sirius was turning on his charm on Maddy, and she was softening up. Sirius found that his new friendship with Maddy helped him to ease the stress.

The only thing that brightened everyone's day was at the end of the futile search when they discovered Sirius' Animagi nature. His secret was revealed after Padfoot entered the room, dressed in trousers and a jumper.

Maddy came to play with him right away; she liked him a lot. "Who is that handsome boy; you are so much prettier than your papa. I love the clothes you are wearing. I am taking you over the pond." She was talking as she approached him.

Severus returned right on time to see Sirius' dog persona. At Maddy's remark, he smirked and rolled his eyes. You couldn't leave that flirt alone for a second. Even as a dog, he still got all the pretty witches…okay, and wizards.

Before Maddy reached him, the black dog changed back into Sirius to the delight of the group, and Maddy's semi-annoyance. In the end, she needed a laugh as much as everyone else, and she punched his arm with gusto.

"Watch it, I am still convalescing, I liked it better when you scratched me behind the ears." He winked and noticed her blush. He decided to skip the licking business because he didn't want to embarrass her. Oh dear, he was in love. Why not? She was perfect and beautiful.

He turned around when he heard Snape. His smile was so bright that Severus insides turned into mush.

-Help

Early the next morning Dobby Floo from the Manor with two mysterious wizards, whose visit was requested by Lucius. Who, anticipating their arrival, had earlier asked Lord Granger, "We need to move the three young wizards out her. Perhaps to other guest houses part of the estate." It paid to be cautious.

Dobby also delivered an owl, it was Moody's. Lucius read it aloud.

I went by the Floo permissions' department. It was a lucky hunch since two unauthorized Floo reconnections, were being ready to send to my department to be investigated. Both were connections to the Malfoy Manor; but no longer a source of worry since I've taken care of them. Moody-

Narcissa thought that the two Aurors were due for teatime. Better remind Perdu to fix enough refreshments, considering that last time they'd eaten enough food to feed a couple of families..

Remus saw the wizards with the hoods, and he was sure they were Unspeakables. They brought all kinds of contraptions and were amazed with the roof construction. Lucius brought them via Floo, so they didn't know where they were.

The leader of the three spoke to Lucius.

"It would be very difficult to detect magic from this house. The only way possible is if you had an affinity to someone in here." They both looked impressed with the shielding.

"Lucius, we have measured several points in the house. We can detect four children and one dog. They aren't moving, but are alive and well, thus probably asleep. They are safe, yet they are being watched, there are other forces near them." The one speaking raised its hand, to stop Lucius' questions.

"No, we cannot determine where they are because the location coordinates change radically every few seconds, and they actually 'disappear,' or better said their coordinates stop registering every minute or less. As, if they were being cloaked by something. Hence, we think they are in relative safety.

"There must be something that we can do. They must be found." Lucius voice had a hit of desperation.

"Unfortunately all that can be done, is to keep on looking and to research the history of this home. There might be portals, not uncommon in very old houses. If you find one it must be closed properly. Bring us to help. Good luck." Dobby accompanied them to Malfoy Manor to Floo back to wherever.

The three guests were brought back after they left. Rodolphus was still reading an old book.

"Wait, I found something," he showed them a page with several moving pictures. They showed wizards performing rituals, meant to open gates into the underworld.

"The object was to contact creatures for different reasons, protection, power, riches and such. These rituals are now forbidden; by now it is commonly known that such portals are very dangerous, period." He pointed at a picture of a giant clawed hand coming out a portal.

"It says in here that Magical beings can contact the underworld to perform favors for them. What if Voldemort is alive somewhere and is using the portal to bring Harry to him? He needs something from him." He said looking grim.

He didn't want to be under Bella's hands once again. The idea of the young children trapped made him sick; but the thought of Voldemort alive and back, forcing him to be under his command, made him sicker.

"Have you found a way how to close the portals?" Severus asked.

"Yes, it does explain how. However, it requires a special potion to seal the edges."

Severus read it, "It is very easy to prepare, I think all the ingredients can be purchased at the Alley. Once we find it, we can seal it temporarily with the incantation, but it must be sealed before a fortnight. The potion only takes a few hours of preparation; but let's find the children first."

They separated in groups to start the search.

In minutes, all the Magical people took their wands out. Dobby offered. "I can look with Axel; there are places that you might not be able to see. Maybe we can find them"

A methodic examination of every room was conducted. The house-elves were faster than the humans were, but once again were having problems examining parts of the house, as if they were being blocked.

Sirius had sniffed all around the house and confirmed the children had not been outside. Their scent was all over the place. It was rather strange how their traces changed almost hourly. The wolf hounds were exhausted going around in circles, with nothing to show.

- The contact

It was early afternoon and everyone was growing despondent. Marguerite sat in quietly, twisting her hands in despair. Her grandchildren, her treasures, not again, she closed her eyes. A raspy voice called her in accented English, "My flower, my Marguerite, of all the flowers my favorite."

She thought that she was hallucinating; no, she wasn't. There, she heard it again, "Papa?"

The room was in complete silence all at once.

In the tower, the Dark Wizard was trembling; his emotions were too intense. His child after nearly forty years, alive; however, he controlled his emotions knowing that any big changes would alert his hated jailer, Albus Dumbledore.

"My baby, you are alive. I knew it that it was you." Marguerite was crying, not alert that her younger daughter had an eye on her. Her Maddy had her feelers out, she could hear a voice but not clearly enough. She was the only one.

The others in the room were just watching. Paul came to sit by her, on the chair's arm. He took her cold 5 in his.

"We will talk again, but for now, the children are in a lot of danger. You must build wards around the house, and close the open door to the underworld. They are in an abandoned part of the house, probably hidden from you. I have made a protection around them, but will not last long." He paused, he sounded exhausted.

"I am going to tell you all that I've seen, and when you get close to them, I will send you a sign. But you must be aware that I am getting weaker."

Marguerite started to get up, when her daughter Maddy ran to assist her. "Maddy. I might know where they are." Everyone listened to her explanations. She sat down and could not stop crying and smiling. She had heard her father. Her father! She knew that he had done a lot of harm, but he was her father, and she loved him.

- The search continues

A party went ahead, Grant, Paul, Lucius, Remus, Marguerite, Elly, Jeanie, Narcissa and Padfoot. The other waited for a short while and also followed her father's directions. Lucius made a note to bring the wolfhounds, they were with the elves, how he wished to find them.

Grant finally had a hold of the plans of the house, but he said they were not 100% accurate. Due to heating costs and other factors, many rooms and entire sections had been locked entirely.

Serpens had been looking through mountains of old archives and finally found them. During the last Muggle war, many items had been secured in tubes and covers, and nobody had bothered to put them back in place.

"This plan might not be totally accurate since it doesn't account for renovations, and many other small changes over the centuries. The place is over five hundred years old, at least the site is. During the persecution years false walls were built, as well as hidden stairways and passages between the walls. I think, that is possible they are behind the wall we keep hitting every time, they might have gotten around a stairway, a door, who knows." Paul explained.

"Love, we need to find them soon, I think that time is running out, I am not sure how to explain it, but I know there is a danger, something wants to get one of the children." Marguerite added. Whereas her father hadn't say so, she knew it. Elly and Maddy also knew it, just as they knew that all the children were in peril.

"I was afraid of that." Lucius said. "I don't see how but all is possible." He didn't want to go into Voldemort, not even to mention his name. Albeit he had known, he hadn't wanted to accept that Voldemort wasn't really dead. His father had told him that the demented wizard had built safeties to come back, even from the dead. He was now sure of it.

"Here, I think they went through here," Remus indicated. When he looked back, he noticed Maddy holding on to Severus' arm. He smiled, what was up? Wait, Sirius and Maddy, and Severus and Maddy? He quit smiling, and he growled. Padfoot bumped him and growled back.

Cut it out, Moody admonished him, concentrate on finding the pups, and then worry about our sex life.

Remus was showing the way through a dark stairway in a corner, and Grant was a little ahead explaining something.

"The stairway was part of the servants' stairways; they used them to come up and down unseen by the guests and the house residents. Many are quite old and dangerous. As you might have noticed, there are children locks on all of them." Grant sighed, "Unfortunately, Frankie is quite proficient at opening them. He is tall and his fingers are virtual screwdrivers. Yes, indeed, he can open just about everything."

Lucius had no idea what was a screwdriver but he imagined some kind of Muggle tool. He thought of Arthur Weasley, of how he would enjoy this. Too bad that Molly was such a bad apple.

"Well the gate is open," Lucius reported, and Padfoot smelled it.

Remus also bent and sniffed the gate. Grant had seen Remus doing this often; albeit that it seemed strange, he didn't comment. Perhaps, he was another kind of Animagus. He would ask later.

"They went through here."

Hope bloomed inside everyone.

a/n poor pixies. I feel terrible thinking of the parents. Hmm.