Broomsticks and The Wizards Gauntlet

Broomsticks and The Wizards Gauntlet

Chapter 10

Dinner went well. Draco and Harry exchanged crafty insults towards one another and Hermione and Ginny made up for missing time. The subject of the gauntlet came up immediately and Harry handled it so Hermione didn’t have to implicate herself to Draco. It was all rather convoluted, because Draco knew Hermione was involved, but Harry just went along with Hermione’s wishes out of respect for his longtime friend. Luna was discussed. Particularly getting Luna and her children out of the country. Draco wanted to plan it all out and he himself wanted to be involved, but Harry categorically told him no. Hermione piped in and pointed out how important it was that Draco win the election, because The Gauntlet wouldn’t last forever. Ultimately, he was the key to overturning the law, so Hermione insisted that his attentions be cornered in that arena.

Draco and Hermione left the restaurant and decided to take a leisurely walk through the park.

“Do you remember this bench, Draco? You threw up just over there after we got married,” Hermione giggled.

“No. I almost threw up, theres a difference. So… I guess this is our bench?” Hermione stopped and put her head on his Draco’s shoulder.

“Draco,I’m sorry.”

“Alright. Don’t start crying.” Draco took his wife in his arms and kissed her. When he pulled away he saw the same wizard with the elephant skin boots, looking at him. He approached him this time, intent on finding out what his problem was, but the man apparrated just as Draco reached him.Draco stormed back towards and grabbed her hand.

“We have to go. I have a very bad feeling. I just remembered where I know that guy from. Let’s go home.”

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Luna was frantic and Blaise was comforting her. The kids were crying wet tears, huddled on the floor together when Draco and Hermione got back to Serenity.

“What happened!” Draco shouted. His question was answered though, when he picked up Jessie and looked at her forehead. In glowing letters was the word SQUIB tattooed to the little girls forehead. Draco rubbed it with his shirt sleeve, but the glowing goop wouldn’t come off. He hugged Jessie to his heart.

“I did what you said, Uncle Draco. I ran frommed da strange man with the funny boots.”

“You’re a very good girl, Jessie. Uncle Draco will make that bad man pay too.”

“It won’t come off! I don’t have my wand and I’ve tried everything to get it off,” Luna cried into Blaise’s chest, her boys hugging her legs.

“I tried too mate, I can’t get it off. I tried every spell I could think of.”

POP

Lucius and Narcissa popped in, with urgent looks upon their faces.

“Draco, I just cruicio-ed a strange man that was lurking through the Manor. I caught him skulking around the garden,” Lucius exclaimed. “I hope I won’t have to go to Azkaban. He was breaking and entering after all. I just held my wand out and the words flew off my tongue. I ‘spose I’ve been itching to use cruiciatus on someone, for a long time. Best we don’t mention that to the Aurors though.”

“No time right now Father. Look I need your help. I need you to go to Paris and find out who the silent partner of Jean Paul LaRoche was. I think I might know what’s going on with all the squib births.”

“Jean Paul never told me who his partner was Draco. They don’t have records,” Luna interjected.

“That’s why I need somebody that’s a little twisted, in order to extract certain information from certain people that might otherwise not be compelled to speak. That’s why I need you Father.”

Lucius smiled and ran a hand through his long hair, his pride bursting forth. Luna’s jaw was on the floor and Hermione was racing up the stairs to check on baby Jillian. It was a chaotic house. Serenity was anything but serene. Draco touched the glowing goop on Jessie’s head with his fingers, trying to figure out just what substance it was, in order to devise a way to get the letters off the little girl’s head, when everything suddenly went dark.

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Luke wanted to tell Lily everything that went down but he felt some renewed allegiance to Drew. He didn’t think it was his place to divulge family secrets, especially with Stratton showing up to school today. He told himself, that if his plan worked out, he would tell Lily everything and would officially ask her “out” on a date.

“Luke, did you see him?” Drew whispered to Luke. Luke had spotted Lily and was eager to see her, talk to her, maybe even kiss her again. She smiled at him as she passed by. Luke watched his chance slip away as he stood outside the Transfiguration classroom with Drew.

“I haven’t yet. I bet we see him at lunch.”

“What should I do? What should I say? I mean how do you tell a guy that you’re single and you had his baby?”

“Well, for one you don’t blurt it out like that. Just let things happen naturally Drew. Lately you’ve been so obsessed with controlling things.”

“I have?” Drew said in a friendly voice.

“Yeah. Just let things happen. I’ll help though. But I think I may owe him an apology.”

“Well, not really Luke. He did sleep with your girlfriend.” Luke thought about that for a moment.

“Yeah, you’re right! He did do that. Fuck him.” Luke said and Drew looked worried before he broke a smile.

“ Are you sure you like him of all people? He’s so arrogant.”

“So is Scorpius.”

“Oh shit, I forgot I have to meet Scorpius. I’ll see you at lunch Drew!” Luke was pleased that things were going swimmingly with Drew. Now if he could just make Stratton fall back in love with Drew, and if he could just get Lily to fall in love with him, then he could be happy and guilt free!

He rounded the corner with the potion tucked into his robes, when he saw Scorpius handing one of the seventh year Slytherin’s a bag of what looked like gold galleons, as noted by the Gringott’s pouch they were held in. The boy slipped a vial of potion into Scorpius’s hands and when the Slytherin left, Scorpius took a big swig. Luke narrowed his eyes on his brother and swaggered up to him.

“You’re drugging up!”

“Luukkkkkke…”

“Scorpius? Are you okay?” Luke shook his brother. Scorpius eyes were rolling back in his head. He had to move quickly. He knew what was happening. He had just overdosed on the potion he was illegally taking. Luke wrapped Scorpius’s arm around his shoulder’s and dragged him as quickly as he could down the hall to the Potions room. Luke set the quidditch player down on one of the tables and then set to work. He was plucking ingredients from the potions pantry in blitzkrieg fashion. He looked at his brother briefly, in between mixing ingredients into the cauldron, to see that he was growing paler by the minute. He stirred the potion then dipped the ladle in and raised Scorpius’s head so that he could drink. He parted his lips and let the liquid pour down his throat. Almost immediately, Scorpius was gasping and coughing, his color returning to him once again. Luke let out a collective sigh.

“Where are we?” Scorpius said, his head feeling woozy.

“In the potions room. You just overdosed on that potion you bought in the corridor from that dumbass fucking prick, Colten. I had to give you an antidote.

“You’re overreacting Luke. I’m late for my next class. See ya.” Scorpius got up and began to leave. Luke grabbed him by the back of the shirt and shoved him up against a wall.

“You should be dead right now! If I hadn’t found you when I did...Well I shudder to think about it Sorpius! Do you think the mediwitch knows how to brew a difficult potion to counteract the ingredients in that shit you’re polluting your body with? Because I’m quite she doesn’t! I saved your life and I want something in return.” Luke had Scorpius in height by an inch or more, but Scorpius was a jock, and he was much more muscular then Luke was. He shoved Luke backwards, pushing him twice, hard in the chest and Luke fell backwards.

“You should remember who the older bother is Luke. So how much do ya want this time for saving my life, as you put it?”

“Money? You think I want money? This isn’t a joke Scorps. I want you to stop drinking that poison!”

“And what if I don’t? What are you going to do about it? Tell Mum and Dad?”

“Will that make you stop? That is POISON you are putting into your body. Do you want to ruin your quidditch chances, your music, and your marriage even? You will die Scorpius! Do you think I like seeing my brother’s eyes rolled back into his head and barely breathing?” Luke started to cry at that and Scorpius finally understood the magnitude of Luke’s pleas.

“I’m sorry little brother okay? I didn’t mean to hurt you or scare you. Hell, it’s all I seem to do anymore. I was just upset that Sapphire left me and went back to America. I took too much of the stuff, that’s all. I won’t do it again. I’ll stop okay?” Scorpius wrapped an arm around Luke and promised not to take the potion anymore.

“I mean it. If I see you taking it again, I will tell Mum and Dad. You scared me so bad. Tell Persephone you quit, but mean it. I’m sure she will come back. She loves you.” Luke didn’t quite believe Scorpius was going to stop taking the potion. So just in case, he bottled what was left of the antidote, just in case…

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“Where am I?” Draco awoke in a dank cell. It was dark and gloomy, like a dungeon. He felt for his wand but he didn’t have it. It was then that he heard muffled cries coming from a dark corner in the room. He moved towards the cries and called out.

“Hello? Who’s there?”

A small and meek voice answered him.

“Scorpius, is that you?” Before Draco had the chance to answer the voice that he immediately recognized, the girl had launched herself into his arms. She was kissing his neck and hugging onto him for dear life.

“It’s not Scorpius. It’s me, Draco, Mr. Malfoy. You’re gonna be okay. How did you...where are we?”

“Mr. Malfoy?” Persephone pulled back. He felt so much like Scorpius and his voice was nearly identical to Scorpius’s. She just kissed Mr. Malfoy! She tried to recover. She had truly never been happier to see anyone in her whole life, even if it was her husband’s father. “I was taken at the train station. I was going to see my Mum and sister in America. I was brought here by a man who calls himself Rasputin. He’s demented.”

“You mean Raspodin?”

“No, I mean Rasputin. He told me to call him Dimitri and he said that if you agreed to his demands that he would let me go. Did you agree to his demands? Are you here to take me out of here?”

“Shhh, just calm down. We will get through this. No, I just appeared here. I was wiping this goop off of Jessie’s forehead and…That’s it! That’s how he brought me here. It was sticky and goopy like a potion. This is starting to make sense. Persephone, did he hurt you?”

“No. I mean besides me being frightened and cold and wet from this rain in here. I made a dreadful mistake leaving Scorpius. Just because he’s on drugs, doesn’t give me the right to leave him when he needs help. No matter how mean he was to me.”

“Whoa, what are you talking about? My son is on drugs?”

“Getting acquainted I see. Good. I was worried for a moment that Goron had taken the wrong girl. I thought surely your son Scorpius would not have married this little waif of a bookish looking girl. But then, his Father didn’t choose wisely either. No accounting for taste with some wizards. Tell me little girl, are you a pureblood or a mudblood?”

“Don’t answer that. It has no relevance to anything,” Draco said.

The man stood at the bars of Draco and Persephone’s cage and then he heard a familiar female voice in the background.

“Let us out, Raspodin. I know it’s you. Worried about the recent polls that show me on top of the race for Minister?”

“Not at all, not at all. Please though, call me by my given name, Rasputin.”

“See, I told ya,” Persephone chimed in.

“Rasputin…sounds familiar. Oh yes, Rasputin who was said to be a healer and a psychic with supreme magical powers. He brought down the entire Romanov royal family in Russia. Outcast in high society as I recall. Strange nutter type. What a pleasure.”

“Obviously you are far better at history, then you are at being Minister of Magic. So, now that we have conversed politely, let’s get down to the real reason you’re here. I’m sure you’re wondering, yes?”

“Oh no, not at all. My daughter in-law and I, simply adore being here in your prison. Get to the fucking point already!”

“I want you to withdraw from the race. Tell them you are retiring from the Ministry.”

“Not a chance.”

“I thought you might say that. That’s why I’ve procured a few safeguards. One being, your plain American daughter in-law. I’d hate for something to happen to your wife and baby daughter. Or what about those juvenile delinquent son’s of yours? You have single handedly ruined the entire wizarding world, Malfoy! It’s because of your policies that we now have an infestation of squibs! Admit it!”

“No! I can’t explain why so many squibs are being born, but I assure I will find out.”

“Not if the entire wizarding world believes that you ran off with your much younger daughter in law. What would all the good witches and wizards that support you now, think of a man who runs off with his son’s wife? Tsk tsk. So, either drop out, or prepare to spend your Easter holidays right here, caged like an animal. I’ll give you time to think about it. Come Pansy, I need you to take a letter. I sense that the Daily Prophet will be most happy to get this scoop!”

“Yes, sir,” Pansy Parkinson-Longbottom said. As soon as the wizard left the room Draco cried out.

“Pansy, let us out!”

“I’m sorry Draco. Just retire and it’ll all be over. I don’t fancy your pretty arse in here any more then you like being in here. Do the right thing and retire. My employer is serious Draco, and he’s right you know. You did do this to our society. Encouraging mudbloods and purebloods to intermingle. You set an example by marrying Granger. There’s a reason our blood isn’t supposed to mix. Look, I care about you. I always have. I don’t want to see you come to any harm, but you have to retire Draco. You had your time in office and you made a mess of it. Just retire and we will let you out.”

“Bite me Pansy. You’re delusional if you believe any of this man’s propaganda. He’s insane! He calls himself Rasputin!”

“He is the grandson of Rasputin!”

“Rasputin was not well liked Pansy. Okay, so he’s slightly better then the Dark Lord himself, but not by much! We fought a war to end this type of hate and racism. Have you forgotten?”

“I haven’t forgotten….but you’ve forgotten which side of that war we were on!” She slammed the door.

“She’s a nut!” Persephone said sitting on the floor next to Draco.

“Yeah, I can’t believe I ever dated her.”

“You dated her?”

“I’m not proud of it.”

“Mr. Malfoy…about that press release. I’m sorry.”

“What? Why are you sorry? You have done nothing wrong here. These are my adversaries trying to intimidate me into giving up my seat as Minister. It’s not going to work. I’m going to get us out of here as soon as I come up with a plan.”

“No, you don’t understand.”

“You’re shaking. Come here.” Persephone raised an eyebrow but scooted into Draco. She had been here for two days shivering in the cold, damp dungeon. Her hair was drenched and her clothes were moist with a moldy like water, that smelled of chemicals. He wrapped an arm around her to comfort her. Night was falling and it was sure to get colder in their prison. “Are you warmer now?” Draco asked the trembling girl.

“Yes, Thank you. Though I’m not sure you are going to want me sitting this close to you, once I confess what I feel I must confess to you.”

“Look, if it’s about the other day, just forget about it. I really don’t want to think about that awkward moment right now,” Draco said, feeling his body become rigid with nerves. Sitting in a dark room cuddled up next to his son’s teenage wife was not on Draco’s “to do” list.

“It wasn’t just then. I saw you getting a blowjob from Mrs. Malfoy and then I started having unclean thoughts about you.”

“Persephone, you’re a nice girl. Maybe too nice. I adore that my son adores you, but sometimes you don’t have to tell the whole truth.” Draco blushed hard and covered his eyes with his hand.

“There’s more. I need to get this out because I feel dirty thinking about you doing things to me that even Scorpius hasn’t done to me…yet anyways,” Persephone continued, and Draco was sure he was going to have a coronary. Whatever happened to bottling feelings up and repressing desires? This new generation of kids were too free spirited, Draco thought to himself. He was screaming Hermione’s name in his head.

Review!?

Thanks to all the reviewers!! I will answer some reviews in the next chapter. I am just too tired tonight. Keep them up! Going to the beach tomorrow for the day! Yay! I am so pale and I desperately need a tan.