Mumblethumb popped in with a rather deeper tone that other house elves. Likewise, his livery was very much the spitting image of a Roman senator's toga praetexta. He should have looked ridiculous, but Mumblethumb was the head House Elf of House Longbottom, bearing the deep scars left him by his near death at the hands of the LeStrange. His loyalty to House Longbottom made it impossible for Neville to mock him. Even though hearing a House Elf that magically gave himself the voice of the Muggle movie Darth Vader did tempt him to laugh, his words did not.
"Master Algernon has returned from his work in the Unspeakables at the Ministry and intends to call upon Lady Augusta about House Matters before the Wizagamot." Mumblethumb explained.
Neville was in one of the restricted greenhouses, doing some cuttings for new plantings for enhanced House Security. Nevilles command of plants was no longer something he took for granted. It was time that it was incorporated into the defense of his hall and his family.
Neville sighed. It was time. He was not a frightened little squib Neville Longbottom, the boy who could never be his father Frank. Never be what Gran wanted, and needed, so she could let his tormented parents go.
"Mumblethumb, Uncle Algie is not to be permitted into the Main House anymore. If he takes one step into the Main House, you will apparate him here." Neville ordered quietly, working hard with his knife to make the delicate cutting, and using his magic to seal both plant's wounds. No parasites or diseases would find wounds on a Longbottom cutting!
"Master Algernon was quite emphatic about his need to speak to Mistress Longbottom." Mumblethumb said, looking troubled.
Neville looked at Mumblethumb, and pulled off his gloves. He held up his right hand.
"What is this on my hand?" Neville asked softly.
"The Heir ring of House Longbottom." Mumblethumb said proudly.
"If the Heir gives a command by his name and will, who has the right to counter it?" Neville asked softly.
"Only the Lord." Whispered Mumblethumb.
"If that boot licking, child murdering. line stealing, faithless, honourless, and cowardly usurper sets one foot in the mansion after I have ordered him here, I will give you clothes and burn the manor to the ground.
Now. Bring him here." Neville said, still softly, but with a hint of iron in his gentle tones.
He should have looked ridiculous, on his knees, covered in dirt, and a plant cutting waving hello from his hand. A young boy, not even in his second year at Hogwarts threatening a grown wizard, and not just any wizard, but an Unspeakable of the Ministry of Magic!
"At once Lord Longbottom!" Mumblethumb said, snapping to attention and giving a Roman salute that Neville hoped he would never give in public. His taking Roman traditions was an oddity of his Elf line, but that particular salute triggered a whole lot of Gran's age range who survived the Grindelwald war.
Mumblethumb popped into existence with a crack that absolutely had to be amplified simply for drama.
He tossed Unspeakable Algernon Longbottom face down before Neville as he carefully packed the soil down around his repotted plant. Uncle Algies face was transforming from the usual smiling mask to the rage that Neville had always been terrified lurked was behind it.
"You jumped up little Squib. It is about time I stop fooling around!" Algernon roared, his wand snapping into his hand with a wordless summons.
Neville simply smiled as thorn filled whips wrapped around all four limbs and pulled so tight he could feel his joint's failing. As he opened his mouth to verbalize a wandless attack, he saw Neville make a pinching motion and two spearlike branches from nearby rows in the greenhouse lanced into his cheeks, piercing them from left to right, and right to left. Thorns grew to pierce his tongue in place, even as he felt other thorns wrap around his throat.
Neville looked as his Uncle Algernon, and tears were in his eyes.
"On some level I always knew. Gran needed me to be strong like my father so she could stop being afraid, and that wasn't me. That was never going to be me. You knew that, she knew that, and even I knew that." Neville said, and gestured, as if pulling something up from the ground.
A spear of wood grew from the ground, a root that poised between the spread legs of Algernon Longbottom, and promised execution by impalement.
Neville looked at his Uncle Algie, and tears were rolling down his face.
"That wasn't enough though, was it? It wasn't enough I could never be the hero Gran needed, because I would still be Lord Longbottom once my parents finally died. You decided that since my father who was rightful lord and always better than you was gone, why not steal the title?
You tried to kill me. You tried to kill me at least a dozen times I can remember, and everyone let you do it, because you pretended you were 'just trying to help me manifest my magic'. Magic you stole from me, like you wanted to steal my title and land, when you gave me that Suppressor Toad as a pet. Told me to handle it every day for bonding. I should have been a complete squib by the time you dropped me out the fifth floor window on my head, I bet you were so angry when I didn't die."
Neville said standing up and facing his Uncle and would be murderer.
"On some level, I knew, but didn't want to accept. Mom and Dad are tied to a bed writhing in agony, unable to even recognize when I am there, and they are going to stay that way until they finally die. Gran is terrified to care, because then I will be taken away just like my Mom and Dad, and every friend she lost in the last two wars.
You were all the family I had. If I stopped pretending not to notice you hated me, then I was alone. A weak scared little boy with no family, no magic and no future.
Well. I got strong Uncle Algie. And I'm not alone anymore. I am going to leave you here Uncle Algie, and then I am going to kill two people that I love more than anything. When I am done, I will either come here and take out all my feelings on you, or I will run to my friends and try to be a worthier son to parents who deserved better."
Algernon was screaming, but the Night Thorn plants that were impaling and binding him were a highly restricted plant for a reason. They were very magic resistant, and they secreted a poison that inhibited the active use of magic in those they had captured. These plants were grown by House Longbottom under license by the Ministry to defend key facilities, and certain Most Ancient and Noble Houses whose treaty rights predated the Ministry restrictions of their use.
Neville turned and faced Mumblethumb. "I need two House Elves in here to keep Uncle Algie from being freed."
Mumblethumb snapped his fingers, and two young and surprised looking House Elves looked from the bleeding and whimpering Algernon to Neville and Mumblethumb. The Head House Elf sniffed and gestured in the finest rhetorical tradition with his toga laiden left arm.
"It is the Heir's command that the Line Usurper remain bound in this place until his further orders. Until he or I tell you otherwise, the Line Thief remains bound." Mumblethumb said, as if pronouncing the sack of Carthage or the ascension of Caesar. Two confused House Elves looked from Neville to the twitching and screaming older Longbottom uncle and blinked several times in confusion before nodding.
Neville stepped to Mumblethumb. "Take me to St Mungo's, then fetch Gran. It is time."
Neville hated St Mungo's with all the hatred he never dared aim at Uncle Algie, or even his Gran. He knew he could never be a hero like Dad and Mom. Never be Frank Longbottom, Prefect, Head Boy, Auror, War Hero. Tortured beyond salvation by a full squad of Voldemorts personal Death Eaters, and never broke. Alice Longbottom had married in, just as his gran Augusta Longbottom, but they had the same fierceness, because Alice Longbottom never broke either.
He walked between them, their bodies locked in a rictus of pain, a spasm that was only kept from shattering bones and tearing muscles by the constant stream of potions pouring into them. Trapped in a forgotten battle from a war the Ministry was trying hard to ignore was still going on. Forgotten soldiers in a war we quit fighting.
Neville heard the CRACK as Mumblethumb apparated in with Augusta Longbottom.
"Neville, what is the meaning of this, where is Algernon?" Augusta began. She trailed off as Neville undid his shirt, pulling it off. His runes shone bare and barbaric in the light. When had Neville stopped being the round and soft boy? Who was this rugged boy, and where did he get all those scars.
"Mom, dad, I'm sorry I'm never going to be the son you wanted. I am never going to be an Auror like you. I love Herbology, and plants, and living things. I love the old magic, the wild magic, the life magic. I may even become a healer."
Neville's voice grew hard and shaky. "But I'm not weak anymore mum. I am not a coward any more dad. I know why Gran couldn't let you go. She was so terrified of being alone, of only having me left, and me never going to be enough."
"That's not your fault. You fought Dumbledore's stupid war. You used stunners when your enemies killed, you sent them to prison, while they tortured you until the only memory I have of my own mom and dad is being terrified to be dragged in to see you again."
Neville looked up at Augusta Longbottom and his eyes were filled with such rage she was actually scared of her grandson.
"Well I'm not that weak little boy anymore. I won't be Dumbledore's little hero. I'm too much of a coward to ever let my enemies live. I have friends now. They taught me there are things in this life worth defending, and taught me that I am enough to stand beside them.
It's not your war anymore mom. You can stop now dad. It's my turn. It's my war, and you can rest."
Looking Augusta Longbottom in the eye, he placed one hand on each resting figure. He took a deep breath and drew in. All the light in the room faded until only the two figures on the bed shone in bright silver; two lying figures and the crossed crescent rune of Jera, the rune of Harvest the rune of Reaping.
"Rest now, your watch is done, and mine begun. Jera." Neville said quietly, and the two figures went slack, the tension of the unending spasm of Crucio fled as the two tormented spirits were at last free.
Neville turned to face his Gran. "Uncle Algie has been trying to kill me my whole life. I loved my parents very much, and I just killed them. If I ever see Uncle Algie, he will die screaming."
Neville's voice was cold, almost inhuman. Augusta Longbottom saw a weariness in it she remembered from her husband, back from the war, or from Frank, back from one more atrocity they couldn't stop. How had her grandson gotten so traumatized on her watch?
"Master!" Shouted Mumblethumb, causing Neville to turn. There was a ring rising from Lord Frank Longbottom's hand, it flew through the air and towards his hand. The Heir ring fell from his finger as the Lord's Ring slid into its place.
There were alarms ringing, and people charging in with wands raised, the feel of death magic in St Mungo's triggered so many alarms, that the duty Aurors were already charging down the hall.
Augusta shook herself, smiled at Neville and gripped his shoulder as she walked to block the door to the ward.
"This is House Longbottom business. Lord Longbottom has passed. Long live the Lord." Augusta said, slamming her best Protego Maxima to block the doorway.
Mumblethumb turned and knelt before Neville, in a voice that remained a perfect copy of Darth Vader from the muggle movie Hermione showed them, Mumblethumb asked in all seriousness. "What is thy bidding, my master."
Neville really wanted to know if Hermione was corrupting his House Elves with Roman period drama and Star Wars, but with Aurors banging on his Gran's defensive shields with questions about death magic in hospitals on their minds, it was probably a "later" conversation.
"To Gringotts Mumblethumb. I think I need to stay over with Harry."
Meanwhile in Muggleland:
"Hermione Granger must not go back to Hogwarts." Dobby shrieked.
Hermione increased her jog, no matter how magical, his stubby little legs were little better than a gnome's and honestly whatever dark family he worked for didn't feed him. He can't have that much stamina.
"Sod off Legolas!" Hermione shouted, as she ran from the renegade elf.
"It's Dobby Mistress, and please stop! Dobby must save you!" Dobby said, popping ahead of her and transfiguring a garden hedge into a lion to chase her.
Hermione reached behind her and grabbed a squirt bottle, squeezing the contents onto the roaring lion then jumping aside as it attempted to swipe her with its leonine yet vegetative claws.
Taking out a zippo lighter, she flicked it at the hedge she just soaked, and it went up in flames. Dobby looked shocked.
"Mistress has used magic! Mistress can't go to Hogwarts!" Dobby danced his happy dance until Hermione kicked him where elves would keep their junk if elves had junk.
"Kiss my Kebler, elf. I AM GOING TO HOGWARTS!" Hermione shouted as she continued to kick the whimpering elf until it apparated away.
She stayed on scene as sure enough, a ministry Owl darted down. She already had her treats ready, gave one to the bird, tucking it neatly under her arm, and writing on the DMLE disciplinary note for detected underage magic with her wand.
"Per Ministerial regulations Decree 13 on the Reasonable Restriction on Underage Magic, Paragraph 4, subsection c, I hereby demand an Auror verify that the wand of the accused Hermione Granger has not cast any magic since departure from Hogwarts, and have written confirmation of the removal of the automatic violation notice. A magically animated bush is currently burning to death in potential sight of muggles. I am unable to use my wand to put out the fire, conceal the magically animated bush, nor oblivate the muggles so your PROMPT action would be appreciated."
Hermione waited as the fire department showed up first. She had been using her fire magic quietly to make sure nothing else caught fire, and led the animated burning bush into the middle of the motorway so that no buildings or pedestrians were in danger of burning.
Honestly, if a muggle was dim enough to drive his private car into a burning lion pracing about the motor way, that was between him and his insurance. Hermione had done her best.
The fire department put out the fire, but then had to break out their axes when the not quite extinguished bush attempted to attack them. When the Auror's arrived she pointed to the firemen battling a three quarters consumed bush with axes and water hoses.
"Well, do something. There are muggles in the crowd with cameras. This is something you people are supposed to do something about. By law I CAN'T!" Hermione stressed, again.
Two Aurors held her at wand point, while another cast a powerful Finite at the poor mostly burned attack bush.
"Hand over your wand, criminal." The old female Auoror commanded.
"Please citizen, may I inspect your wand for prior incantations and evidence of suspected use of underage magic, in light of a clearly magical occurrence in your immediate vicinity?" Hermione cooed.
"Is that more what you wanted to say? If you want a criminal's wand, go ask Dawlish. How that corrupt little thug avoided Azkaban I don't know." Hermione said.
"Listen Granger, this is the tenth time we have been called out to deal with your underage magic. Give me the damned wand!" The female Auror snarled.
Hermione crossed her arms and refused. "I will not be surrendering my wand at all, ever. You may perform the priory incantum charm in front of me to assure the ministry and myself that I have in fact not performed any magic in front of muggles."
"Fine." The female Auror snarled. "Let me inspect it."
Hermione extended her wand. "Name and badge number, for my harassment suit against the ministry. This is ten times in one month you know."
"Auror Bemish. 1328" The Auror muttered as she cast the "Priory Incantum" and noted that the wand had not produced any magic in the last two months.
"Troll dung!" Called the Auror who had just oblivated four firemen and fried a perfectly innocent video camera. "You were observed lighting this bush on fire." He shouted, which was not terribly discrete for a clean up crew, but government workers and all that.
"The transfigured and animated bush that the House Elf Dobby made IN PUBLIC to attack me in yet another attempt to get the Ministry of Morons to do his dirty work and prevent me returning to Hogwarts. I did light it on fire, I did not use magic." Hermione said, her automatic deference to authority not having survived a summer of persecution.
Auror Bemish smirked, "If not magic, what did you use to light the bush? Caustic wit?"
Hermione walked over to the discarded water bottle. "Jellied gasoline thickened with aluminum salts. Muggles call it napalm and developed it to burn each other to death in war, but they also use it on buildings and vehicles."
Walking a bit farther over, she recovered her zippo lighter with a badger on the side, flicked it open to show the flame, then flicked it closed.
"Zippo lighter, refillable, stylish and less than fifteen quid at the local cigar store." Hermione said happily.
For the tenth time this summer, the Auror team sent to deal with one Hermione Granger went away unhappy, but unable to prove any magic except House Elf used in her vicinity.
Hermione decided she needed to go for a run to burn off some stress. She was being hunted by a House Elf who didn't seem to have any idea how dangerous his stunts were. Several could have killed people, sometimes her, sometimes others, and Hermione's ability to stop them without magic was being pushed to the limit. She wasn't Batman, she didn't have a utility belt. She had a fanny-pack! Purebloods didn't have this problem, they sat behind their wards and played with their wands until they all got carpal tunnel or went blind. It wasn't fair.
She was two kilometers into her run when a BMW raced past her, cut across and blocked her. A second pulled in behind and blocked the road behind her. Tina swung out with a rough looking grownup. Two more got out of the BMW in front.
"Bad luck Granger. You could have had a lot of fun with my last group of friends. They really know how to show a dirty little commoner like you a good time. These lads though, they are just going to break your arms and legs, and cut up your face a little bit so you understand your place." Tina said happily.
Hermione realized that something had fundamentally shifted inside her. The wizarding world was full of wonders and magic, but largely it was constantly filled with kill-or-be-killed dangers on all sides. Her mental health professional was a long black rune marked talking magical murder serpent, whose wisdom and tools for emotionally processing trauma were both useful and probably corrupting.
This thought process occurred to her as she calmly drew her Walther PPK from her back holster and began shooting. Wands are like pistols, they naturally point to where your eye is locked. Without bothering with sights, she fired three quick .380 rounds into Tina's leg, shattering her left knee.
Turning to the second boy who was closing, she just double tapped the right side of his chest and shoulder and watched as he staggered in confusion.
Between the Notice Me Not charms and the Silencing charms, the poor muggles could neither see nor hear the pistol, but the inexplicable bullet impacts were terribly noticable.
Hermione turned to face the second set of men and pointed backwards at the shot girl and thug, and screamed loudly.
"OH MY GOD, SOMEBODY SHOT THEM!" Hermione yelled.
The two thugs froze, they came for a beat down. They were right proper road men, thugs and gangsters, but they didn't come strapped. They came with fists and brass knuckles, and now someone shot two of the other crew.
"Sod this. That bitch Tina didn't tell us the little slag was connected with another crew!" The lead of the second pair of thugs shouted, as he decided, since Hermione clearly had no gun, that she had some sort of other criminal gang snipers, somehow randomly in place at the block they chose to jump her.
They got back into their BMW and tore off. Hermione walked back to Tina and knelt down beside her.
"God that looks painful. Too bad phones don't work around me, or I could totally call you an ambulance. It is a damned shame that just for the minor offence of trying to cripple and maim me for life some hoodlum shot out your kneecap. There is no justice in this city, no safety at all. Why you never even saw who shot you! It could be anyone, anywhere. It really must suck to be you. You must be terrified to even leave the house!" Hermione said, then patted Tina softly on the cheek.
Tina didn't quite understand what Hermione was saying when she sauntered out of sight. She could have sworn it was something like, "Going to have to make a chocolate flavored mouse for Noodle."
Hermione raised her wand, and infused it with enough power to trigger the Night Bus summons, but not enough to cause a full Lumous and set off yet another Auror investigation.
The Knight Bus howled up, and Stanley the driver smiled down at her. "Where to miss?"
"Gringotts bank please, and don't stop for Aurors." Hermione said, and Stan laughed, under the false assumption she was joking.
In a somewhat less Muggle neighborhood, in a somewhat better defended home, a family council was being held.
"There are Aurors out front." Dad said, and Milicent turned and pointed to him.
"There are Aurors in here." Milicent pointed out.
"They can stay out there. A guest raised hand and wand to a daughter of the House of Bulstrode. All Milicent did was kill him. It was honestly a measured response for his rudeness." Aunt Lydia sniffed, and Milicent was suffering whiplash from the change in her aunt's attitude.
"Still, if we let them in with Millie here, there could be impulsive over reactions." Her mom said, leaving the subtext unspoken.
Lord Lancaster Bulstrode sighed. "Especially if they have been paid in advance for a regrettable incident. Sorry Avery, I know not all your coworkers are for sale."
Her dad winced. He was an honest Auror, in a force that was as often a tool for political thuggery as law enforcement since the post war raprochement era began. He nodded his understanding.
Lord Lancaster put his hand on Milicent's shoulder. "How about you pop round to that friend of yours at Gringotts. You know the Aurors can't go after you there. I will see what I can do about calming them down before you have to go to school again."
Her dad smiled and winked at her. "While you are there, apply for House Selwyn. He challenged you to combat, and died to your wand. By ancient right of conquest, the House and its assets are yours. If you are Lady Selwyn, we can't arrest you."
Axe Lord One Thumb took Harry to his duty post. He was doing a work guard shift in the front hall of Gringotts. One Thumb was still complaining that all his time among witches and wizards was going to make him soft and weak.
"I don't like all the time you spend among those friends of yours. Pure bloods and their fancy manners and trading veiled threats over canapes. Not an honest warrior in the lot. Don't get me started on the Muggleborn. Probably thinks you can hug it out with the Death Eaters. You are going to get soft boy!" Axe Lord One Thumb said as he watched Harry take his post and snap to attention.
This moment of honest goblin kvelching was ruined by a halberd wielding goblin running in with a Rock Viper slithering fast afterward.
"Axe Lord, I have a wizard and two witches claiming right of sanctuary with Clan Hematite, what do I do?" The goblin called looking nervous.
"Why is this worth you running from your post?" Demanded Axe Lord One Thumb coldly.
"Well it is because of the few dozen Aurors who are out front, arguing about who gets to arrest who for what."
"$ Mouse Giver says I am not allowed to bite them. They have been harassing her. They are harassing Water Witch, and they even harass Root Singer, but he at least didn't tell me I couldn't bite them. He said I shouldn't bite them, but if I must, I must. $"
Noodle hissed happily, climbing up his Speaker, ready to pass dealing with angry monkeys to his designated speaking monkey.
"$ I am pleased with Root Singer's growing reasonableness. $" Noodle said smugly, and Harry's eyes got wide.
"Axe lord, I need to deal with this. You know the soft one you kept saying was too weak to object to someone cutting his throat, he is now the one advising it might be okay to start killing Aurors on the steps to Gringotts." Harry said, and with a grunt, One Thumb gestured him forward.
Harry gestured them in, and Axe Lord One Thumb walked through them to the steps to sneer at the Aurors.
"Gringotts is part of the Goblin Nation. By treaty, if you enter and use magic at all, we will feed you to our dragons and return you to your families by the shovel full." One Thumb said, fingering the edge on his axe, and looking down on the Aurors on his front steps.
Harry turned to face a nervous Hermione. "Is that going to be a problem for you Harry.
One Thumb answered for him as he came back in and gripped her shoulder with is free hand.
"I would pay good gold for the chance to do that again. Never can have enough chances to send those worthless wand wavers off with their broom between their legs. Where are all the good ones gone? There would be blood on the walls if I told Mad Eye to sod off, but these ones just take it and run. I fear for the next generation." One Thumb said, then gave a squint to the three bedraggled looking and oddly dressed witches and wizards.
A witch in a black ball gown, a boy in gardening wear with an open shirt, and a witch dressed in muggle jogging gear. There was a story here, or he was a garden gnome!
"Right, so, what has you running for Gringotts with Aurors on your tails?"
Neville sighed. "I killed two people at St Mungos. Well, maybe three. I never did tell them to let Uncle Algie go, so he might be plant food by now." He sounded sad, but One Thumb had to admit, that was a sort of gobliny reason to show up looking for sanctuary.
Milicent squeezed Nevilles shoulder, and Hermione gave him a long hug. There it is, thought One Thumb. They are hugging again. Witches are going to turn the boy weak!
Milicent blushed and spread her arms as if to imply it was no where near as serious as it sounds, but then she spoke and it kind of was.
"Lord Selwyn attacked me with magic at dinner in front of my family and a half dozen Death Eaters, and I kind of killed him a little bit." Milicent said.
Hermione, always one for clarity, asked the question no one else was tactless enough to.
"By killed him a little bit, what state did you leave him in." Hermione asked, purely for clarity.
Milicent shrugged. "Burned him down to a fine sifting of black ash. House elves stuck him in a second hand urn, stuck a cork in the top and owl posted him home."
This time Neville gripped her shoulder, and looking her in the eye he said softly.
"He tried to hurt you, he dies. If you do it, or I do it, Noodle, Harry, or Hermione, he was dead when he tried to hurt you." Neville said, and Milicent stated crying quietly.
One Thumb was trying to process this, finally he turned to Hermione and asked.
"What are you in for, hugging without a licence?" He sneered, sure at least the little squirrel girl lived down to the weak witch stereotype.
"I am the most peaceful and reasonable of witches. I may have lit a lion on fire, or a bush, depending on how you look at it. Kicked the tar out of a house elf, oh, and I shot a couple of Muggles but there is very good reason to think they lived. May not walk again, but that is so not my issue." Hermione said, lifting the back of her sweatshirt to show the back holster of the rune engraved Walther PPK.
Axe Lord One Thumb burst out laughing. He laughed long and hard, eventually having to use Hermione's shoulder to hold himself up.
"Harry Potter, you are relieved. Go settle these warriors in your clan cave. I will summon another guard for your post."
They made it half way to the living quarters below Gringotts when a goblin shaped missile hit them. It was Harry's sister Glitterbright.
"Sleepover!' Glitterbright said, grabbing Hermione and Milicent each by an arm, and dragging them towards the cave.
"Mom! Harry bought girls home, we are having a sleepover!" She called in gobbledygook, which by this point both Hermione and Milicent could understand, and speak somewhat.
Harry and Neville shared a weak smile. "Mental. They're all mental." Harry said, and the two boys shared a smile that said that things were going to be alright. Maybe not now, but soon. It was a start.
The bad summer was over. There was time to get a little good summer in before school started.
In Malfoy Manor, Lucius looked upon the book in his gloved hands. His master had given it to him with orders to guard it safely. He knew how dangerous this book was, and what it could unleash.
The Dark Lord's plans had been shattered by that Potter brat and his friends. The attempts at damage control had shattered again by that Bulstrode chit and Potter's blasted snake. No. The Dark Lord's return could not be guaranteed as long as Dumbledore sat in his pretty castle, training dangerous little pawns like Potter, Longbottom, Bulstrode and Granger to become more dangerous pieces upon the board of the great game.
Dumbledore needed to be ousted from that castle, and those dangerous little pieces needed removing from the board before they got promoted into actual threats. Malfoy eyed the book and smiled. Castles can be taken, and how better than from within. Perhaps it is time that Lucius Malfoy shows why it is the subtle players not the magical brutes that will assure the return and victory of the Dark Lord.
It was time the Chamber of Secrets reopened. The only question, is who to sacrifice. Malfoy smiled. These were the most delicious choices. He had weeks before school started. He may as well savour every moment before he struck.