Lucius Malfoy was a man of outstanding pedigree; he could trace his ancestry back at least five centuries, and every member of his family shared one crucial thing: they were all Pureblooded.

Lucius was a fanatical believer in the purity of blood and that those who sullied their bloodlines by marrying Half-bloods, or even worse, Mudbloods, did not deserve a place in Magical society but should be removed altogether.

That was what drew Lucius to Voldemort's side during the first war; the Dark Lord had made such grandiose promises when he first began his rise, and Lucius was among the first to join his ranks when the time came. Such promises they were! Lord Voldemort and those who served him would usher in a new era, where Purebloods would reign supreme and those undeserving of magic would be put back in their rightful place.

But now, as Lucius lay in his bed, with his pillow held desperately over his ears in a vain attempt to drown out the screams that were echoing throughout his manor, Lucius would have given anything to go back and forget he ever heard the name, "Voldemort."

Another burst of agonized screaming made Lucius grit his teeth and pull the pillow tighter over his head, yet the screams bombarded him all the same; he desperately wanted to sleep, yet he dared not put up a silencing ward in case his lord might summon him for something, as was the case the last few weeks.

Something had changed in Lord Voldemort since his return to Malfoy Manor all those weeks ago, and it was the reason that Lucius had not gotten a good night's sleep since his lord's return.

After his "Punishment" was complete, Lucius immediately sent a letter to Narcissa telling her to extend her holiday in Italy for as long as possible; Lucius had even included a cipher that only he and his wife knew to ensure she was fully aware of what was happening and to stay away. She had thankfully understood because her following letter (which Voldemort made Lucius read aloud) had said she had met some old friends and had been invited to spend a few weeks with them in Germany, an offer she would accept.

For the next few weeks, Voldemort began making plans to free his top lieutenants locked away in Azkaban and interrogated Lucius on everything he knew about the state of England and the Ministry. Throughout these long weeks, and due to the close proximity that Voldemort kept Lucius, the Malfoy Patriarch began to notice that something seemed off about his lord; at times, Voldemort seemed like his old self, full of energy and power. But at other times, when Voldemort thought Lucius preoccupied, the Pureblood would catch Voldemort gasping for breath and sweating profusely.

Things had only gotten worse as the weeks progressed until Voldemort finally ordered Lucius to kidnap a Healer and have them brought before him to discover what was happening. After a terrifying examination, the Healer delivered horrifying news, which instantly caused Voldemort to kill her, leaving her lifeless corpse lying on Lucius' expensive Chinese rug.

The rituals and various arcane mysteries that Voldemort had sought out after losing his powers the first time appeared to have damaged his core entirely beyond repair, and absorbing the essence trapped in Harry Potter's scar seemed to have been the catalyst which broke his core completely. Never again would Lord Voldemort be able to sustain a continuous supply of magic from his core because his core was now shattered from Voldemort trying to repair it in the first place!

The irony made Voldemort apoplectic with rage, but he had quickly vented his anger upon a small Muggle hamlet, wiping out its entire population with a swift bout of Fiendfire that left nothing but ash in its wake; the Muggle press was claiming it was a massive gas leak.

Lucius had even dared to hope that he might actually soon be free from Voldemort; all he had to do was wait until his lord was weak and magicless, and then Lucius could finally end the threat to his family once and for all. But that hope had been smashed into fine powder when Voldemort found a way around his current predicament, as well as showing Lucius new levels of depravity that the Pureblood didn't know existed.

Voldemort's core was unable to contain magic and recycle his magic, that was true, but what if he didn't need to recycle it? What if he only needed to make sure his core was constantly full so he'd never have to worry about losing his power, just sustaining it!

That line of thought had led Voldemort to showing Lucius an ancient tome that Voldemort had discovered in Transylvania; as Voldemort spoke of some of the various spells and rituals inside, Lucius felt himself growing pale with horror as he heard some of the unspeakable things the tome was capable of…. For a price.

Lucius was no stranger to depravity and horror; the Malfoy library was filled with books on spells and rituals so dark that even Lucius feared to use them, and that wasn't even mentioning all the unspeakable things Lucius had done in service to Voldemort during the first war. But as Voldemort spoke of what he had planned to ensure he never ran out of magic, Lucius knew that all the darkness in the world paled in comparison to his master's inhumanity.

The ritual that Voldemort had in mind was created by a Transylvanian wizard in the fourth century who wanted to increase his powers and thereby increase his dominion; the ritual he created to do this was monstrous in its cruelty but had given him the desired results. A victim was laid flat upon an altar that had been bathed in the blood of three different innocents.

Then, special runes were cut into the victim's forehead, chest, and stomach. When that was done, the wizard would begin to recite the words, at which point the victim's core would be drained entirely and absorbed into the caster. Naturally, draining someone's entire core was an agonizing experience, and not one of Voldemort's victims had survived the process so far.

It had been Lucius, of course, who had been ordered to bring Voldemort fresh victims to drain, another humiliating job forced upon him by his lord. Night after night, week after week, Lucius was forced to listen as the Muggleborn girls that Lucius brought back to his manor screamed for help, for mercy, before finally settling on just screaming as Voldemort drained them like a sponge of every drop of magic in their bodies, leaving nothing behind but withered and broken bodies that soon disappeared down the gullet of Voldemort's pet snake.

As the screaming finally ended, Lucius let out a sigh of both relief and despair as he pulled the pillow off of his head and wiped away the sweat from his brow; this was the third girl that Lucius had kidnapped. A pretty blonde who was working late and made for easy prey, the ritual lasted less time with each new girl that Lucius brought. At this rate, Lucius would be forced to bring another innocent to satisfy his lord's appetite in a matter of days. With that horrifying thought ringing in his head, Lucius closed his eyes and finally fell into a nightmarish sleep.

XXXX

Harry wiped his nose for what seemed like the millionth time with the back of his hand before once again gripping his blanket in a death grip; he didn't bother trying to sleep; it was impossible with his parents screaming at each other downstairs, their voices echoing throughout the house.

"Why does it have to be YOU!" Lily's voice yelled angrily, "Why does it always have to be you who plays hero!"

"Is that what you think this is!" James' voice retorted loudly, making Harry whimper slightly, "You think I'm doing this to be some kind of hero?"

"I can't think of any other reason!" Lily shouted back, "You don't need to fight him! You could easily allow Sirius, or anyone for that matter, to fight as your proxy!"

"And have every member of the Wizengamot question my courage!" James demanded, "I am the one who agreed to be his opponent! If I back out now, I'll be labeled a coward until the end of my days!"

"That is such bullocks!" Lily shouted back, and Harry flinched as he heard something break, "You proved your courage when you faced a hundred werewolves! You proved it again when you tried to arrest Fudge! You have three slashes across your face that will ensure your courage will always be known! You're doing this for revenge!"

"You're damn right. I'm doing this for revenge!" James snarled back, and Harry flinched again and tried to burrow under his blanket as he heard something heavy being thrown across the room, "That bastard almost killed you! He almost killed our children! We almost lost Harry! Again! If anyone is going to make Fudge pay, it'll be me!"

"And if he kills you!" Lilly demanded, causing Harry to stifle a sob, "If our children grow up without a father because he chose to act like an idiot!"

A loud bang noise suddenly occurred, and a moment later, Harry heard a stranger's voice cry out,

"That's enough, you two! Not even bothering to put up silencing wards! I would think the two of you would know better!"

A moment later, the noise dropped away, and Harry was left alone to sniffle sadly in the darkness of his room; he thought for a moment about going to see if Rose would let him sleep with her tonight but quickly shook the idea away. No doubt his sister would tease him mercilessly for such a request, given his age.

Moments later though, his door slowly creaked open and Harry raised his head slowly to see who it was, only for his eyes to widen in surprise as he saw Rose softly come in, before slowly shutting the door behind her. Padding almost catlike to his bed, Rose whispered softly,

"Harry? You awake?"

"Rose…?" Harry asked softly, "What's going on?"

"I just thought that maybe we could sleep together tonight, Whaddaya think?"

"…. Yes, please," Harry whispered back softly as though she might change her mind.

Rose all but dove into the bed with Harry, and a moment later, both were snuggled next to each other under the blankets.

"You know Dad's going to be okay, right?" Rose whispered softly, "There's nothing to worry about. You know that, right, Harry?"

"How can you be sure?" Harry tearfully said, "You don't know what it's like, Rose. You've always had them, but I just got them back, and I don't want to lose them again!"

Harry began to openly sob at that, and Rose quickly enveloped her little brother in a fierce hug as he cried softly into her chest; more than anything, Rose wanted to go back and save Harry before he ever had to realize what it was like to grow up without a family. Still, all she could do was be there now.

"I have faith in our dad," Rose replied with tears in her eyes, "I believe that dad can win, so he will."

"But HOW do you know!" Harry cried, looking up at Rose with tear-stained cheeks,

"Because our dad has survived Lord Moldyshorts more times than almost anyone else in the world!" Rose growled back, "He's fought dark wizards and witches, werewolves, and who knows what else! And he's always come out on top! That's why I believe this time will be no different."

Rose's words seemed to penetrate the fog of fear and worry that Harry had become trapped in, for he soon began to relax in Rose's arms.

"Thanks, Rose…" Harry whispered back softly, already beginning to fall into Morpheus' arms.

"Always, little brother…" Rose whispered back as she wrapped her arms tighter around Harry, "Always…"

An hour later, once tempers had finally cooled, Lily and James made their way up to Harry's room to check on him before bed; there, they found their two children sleeping side-by-side, facing each other in a fierce embrace that looked as though none would be able to separate them. Seeing her children sleeping so, Lily tucked herself under her husband's arm and gently touched his face until he was facing her,

"If you die, James Potter, I will not rest until I have discovered the spell that allows me to bring you back to life so I can kill you again."

"I promise you, Lily Flower," James replied hoarsely, "I will come back to you."

Unseen by all, Lily and James then shared a deep and passionate kiss before retiring to their room; if this was to be James Potter's last night on earth, then the two of them would make it a memory worth keeping forever.

XXXX

Wizards and Witches liked to imagine themselves as an enlightened race, always inclined to listen to new ideas that could be used for the betterment of their society. Still, the reality was that wizards and witches were one thing, if nothing else: traditionalists.

That was why when Cornelius Fudge issued his "Trial by combat," the Arena set aside for such challenges was immediately ordered, cleaned, and prepared. This proved to be a bigger job than previously thought, as the last time the Arena had been used was during a duel between two brothers in sixteen-fourteen.

Built by the goblins before the fall of Rome for the ancient druids of Britania, the Arena sat where no one could ever reach it: the land of the Fae.

It could only be accessed through a special door, which required two locks to open. One was given to the Goblins, while the other was given to the 'Head Witch of Britania,' with express instructions that it should be given to her successor; nowadays, that meant the current Minister.

Tired of the constant rivers of blood that were being created as Goblin and Magical armies waged war on one another in greater and greater legions of number, the 'Head Witch' at the time had finally asked the Goblin King to meet with her for talks of peace. Desiring to show how serious she was about peace, Beatrix of High Falls even agreed to meet the Goblin King in the land of the Fae. After many months of threats, demands, accusations, and weary apologies, an accord was finally reached that would ensure that future bloodshed was avoided: The Arena.

Made of pure white marble with runes of protection against both time and the elements carved onto every stone, the Arena was a magnificent example of what could be accomplished when Goblins and Wizards worked together.

Upon using the keys to open the doorway, visitors would find themselves magically transported to the land 'Beyond the Hedge,' the ancestral homeland of the Goblins, and all Fae for that matter. Ordinarily, no witch or wizard in their right mind would agree to go beyond the hedge as it was the home of the Fae, and one could very easily become trapped in their realm; however, the Goblins had pledged their lives and honor that so long as the Magical World caused no trouble, they would find none for as long as the challenge continued.

The Arena sat alone, surrounded by miles of open grasslands. Nearby, a calm river sang merrily as it raced away, while a stone path led to the monstrous creation that was the Arena. Three hundred feet high, with cool marble benches that could comfortably seat close to five hundred spectators; the seats all revolved around a green stretch of field, measuring only a quarter of a mile from one end to the other, the original meeting place between the Goblin King, Raxus the proud, and Beatrix of High Falls.

While hundreds of doors dotted the Arena sporadically, only two were found on the ground floor leading to the field, both on opposite sides so that the opponents would have to meet in the center of the field. The Arena's purpose was simple, as was the idea between Raxus and Beatrix that had spawned it; instead of watching as hundreds of our people kill each other in the field, we will have our two best fighters meet here and fight for us. The idea had worked for two centuries, and the bloodshed between Goblins and Wizards had ebbed significantly.

Still, the Arena eventually fell out of favor as old grievances reared. The Arena had been abandoned entirely in the late 17th century as it was seen to be unwise to "Willingly walk into the enemy's homeland with only a small guarantee of safety."

XXXX

The day of the duel between Cornelius Fudge and James Potter had come at last, and the stands of the Arena were filled beyond capacity as a result; so many had come to see what they considered a "Once in a lifetime opportunity," that security had been doubled, then doubled again before the actual day came.

Desiring this fight to be honorable, James gained further respect from the Magical World by ordering the best Healers available to tend to Fudge to ensure he was as physically fit as he could be. The last thing James wanted was for some reporter or Voldemort flunky to accuse James of not giving Fudge a fighting chance. Lily was seated in the front row, with Sirius seated right next to her and holding her hand in a death grip; both looked equally pale despite the blazing sun overhead.

Harry and Rose sat side-by-side next to Lily, also holding hands and looking nervous; Lily had tried to leave them with the Longbottoms, but Rose had point blank refused to stay and had argued until Lily had at last given up. As the crowd around them screamed and cheered in equal measure, Lily felt her eyes drawn to the wooden door that her husband would exit soon.

XXXX

James Potter was many things, but throughout his long life, there was one thing he had never been accused of, and that was being a coward; even now, as the crowd roared above his head, sending bits of dust to rain down upon him, James felt not fear but justified anger.

"Mother magic," James whispered softly, "I don't know if you can even hear me, but I figure the land of the Fae is as close to home for you as a guy like me can get. I ask you now to grant me the power to deliver justice to my foe, and if it is fate for me to fall today, I ask that you allow me to do it with honor."

A loud bell suddenly tolled in the distance, causing the crowd to hush immediately, as well as causing James' head to snap up in sudden readiness; a moment later, the gate groaned open slowly, and James took one last deep breath before calmly stepping out into the sun.

XXXX

Author's Note:

I know! I know! Cliff hangers suck, I agree with you! The problem is that I messed up and didn't even realize it; writing four stories at the same time has kinda burnt me out, and I don't want to put out crappy chapters as a result. So, I write, delete, and write some more until the story is good enough to publish before I send it out. I'm already working on the next chapter, so please just be patient. Until next time, peace!