Birthday Celebrations

Whilst the Junta was having breakfast Draco received and owl.

D: ‘I recognise that writing it’s from Father.’

H: ‘Scan it for hexes.’

D: ‘I already have done. There are none.’

Although Draco kept the writing private, Harry could see what Draco saw by closing his eyes.

H: ‘You should read it to our small group, we may need backup; I’d rather it was not one of the Order’s hotheads, like Mad-Eye.’

D: ‘I shall omit the personal bit though.’

H: ‘I’m more than happy with that.’

D: “This owl is from Father it reads: ‘Congratulations from escaping from Wormtail. I suspect he was looking for me rather than for you. I arrived earlier, but found all the usual entrances blocked. I tried all the unusual ones too, except one. I did not fancy swimming in sewage as I suspected you would have covered that entrance as well. I see you have teamed up with the one person my erstwhile leader fears the most. To have the snakes fighting for you only boosts my resolve to join your team if you can find a place for me. I will be in the vicinity of the hidden hollow today if you would like to meet me. Bring whatever backup you feel is necessary. I will surrender my wand to you or anyone you designate. Do not trust Dolores Umbridge with any information. Your hopeful Father: Lucius.’”
‘PS: I have heard of wandless magic. I’m not sure whether to call your joint performance wandless, or not?’

Harry struggled hard not to giggle. Not daring to look at Draco who was on the verge of open mirth.

“Are you sure it is from your Father?”

“Yes Uncle. Quite sure.”

“May I see it please?”

Draco looked at Harry and held on to the parchment. Then he noticed the PS beginning to fade. So Harry pretended to read the document until the embarrassing words were gone. Draco handed over the letter to Severus.

“Yes this is his handwriting. Now all we have to decide is whether the sentiments are true or a trap.”

“I think he would have stepped in to help Wormtail if he had been on the wrong side.” McGonagall expressed her support for a change of heart.

Blaise and Alan agreed: “Just to be doubly sure we’ll go out on a bubble patrol, it’s not far from here so we can be very thorough. I’ll steer and Blaise can check for any reinforcements, blasting him through the hole if necessary and then returning. If all is clear, we’ll tell you through the shell and then land concealed. Harry and Draco can then bubble out. Perhaps as an extra precaution Harry should be under his cloak.”

“I will go to the side gate; I already have a grey recogniser. If there’s any more trouble I’ll daffodil Minerva and she can call in the troops.”

“Thanks Uncle. Let’s do it.”

§§§§§§


There were no hidden enemies.

“All by yourself Son? That is trusting. Here is my wand.”

Harry uncovered himself.

“Ah I see! An unexpected partner, too. Truly a sly Slytherin. I approve! You seem to have augmented the protecting wards. I was quite bruised when I tried to Apparate in, and I became a little singed as well; nothing that a Reparo wouldn’t mend though.”

“Hello Father. Are you sure you wish to join us? We will have to hand you over to the Order you know.”

“I am sorry to tell you but you have a mole in the Order, not very high up, mind you, but close to Hogwarts. Maybe an inner circle could talk to me?”

H: ‘Let’s keep it within the Junta plus Mother, Mmm?’

D: ‘Good Idea.’ “Hey the Silvers, What do you think?”

Blaise and Alan appeared.

“So you had further back up. Well thought out. I surmise the next lot are at the nearest side gate.”

“Yes Father. Are you prepared to enter the dragon’s lair?”

“Yes Sir Dragon.”

Draco chuckled; so did Harry when he realized the Draco Latin pun.

Severus peered out suspiciously, wand in hand when the small party approached the gateway. Satisfied of no lurking dangers he allowed them in, closing the gate smartly behind them.

“Well Lucius. We meet in happier circumstances than when we parted.”

“I see you are keeping the protective bargain about which my wife told me?”

“The sealer of that bargain now lies in your crypt.”

“Oh really? Very good, who managed the deed?”

“Your two sons.”

“Eh? Draco I know, but who’s the other.”

“I am, Father. You see we are Duumviri in every sense of the word. Mother has adopted me unofficially.”

It said a lot for Malfoy calm. “Well Harry, will you shake my hand. I notice my trueborn son hasn’t yet deigned to do so.”

Harry extended his hand, and received a firm hand in return. Lucius held on to the hand and placed his other hand on Harry’s head.

“Receive a Father’s blessing Son, for what it’s worth.”

That action moved Draco to come and hug his Father. Harry had a big lump n his throat; after he had recovered the golden pair joined hands and included Lucius in a small family circle.

“YOU MUST COME AND MEET MOTHER. SHE KNOWS NOTHING OF THIS YET.”

“She is here? Wonderful! I had fears that the awful beast had imprisoned her.”

When they found her, Narcissa was busy constructing one of the new pair of cabinets.

“Lucius, is that really you? Are you under restraint? Can I touch him?”

In answer to the last question Harry and Draco took her hands and placed them in her husband’s. Narcissa looked into his eyes and, finding no barrier there, kissed him soundly. The pair stayed embraced for some time. In time, oblivious of the surrounding spectators, they held their hands out inviting their sons to join the close circle.

Talking from the safety of his family, Lucius said; “Thank you for the loving, trusting welcome. Perhaps your slightly less trusting colleagues should commence the grilling. One thing you ought to know is that the demon is planning something big around the end of the month, but I was helped to escape before I could find out what. I understand from the whispers going round prison, that the attacks in Ireland and other places were designed to draw you out of place. I hope they haven’t.”

“No Father. That little diversionary party retired damaged leaving two or three dead. We are on the alert. Please stay with the twins for a few minutes we need to confer.” Draco gave his father’s wand to George.

Round the retiring room table, the Junta plus Mother, sat.

“We should involve a few more of the order, but whom?”

“Not Mad-Eye, how about Tonks and Lupin?”

Everyone nodded.

“They’d better become extra members of our Junta, in the same way Mother is.”

“Headmistress, could you and they become the inquisitors please. Mother and Uncle might just be seen as biased.”

“Yes Harry. I think when we are in camera like this you should all call me Minerva. In school with others around, we’ll observe the proprieties. As we propose to add two new Order members I think we should add two Company members as well. Ronald and Hermione are officers and have been very close to all the action since the beginning. We should avoid alienating them. What do you think?”

Again everyone agreed. Then the meeting adjourned briefly until the four new members could be present. Gondolum arranged a slightly bigger table and four more chairs in preparation, serving coffee five minutes later when the new quartet arrived.

Some explanation was given to the newcomers about the inner cabinet, whose members they were being asked to become. Then the killing of Wormtail was discussed and from it another member was proposed. Sossogenese accepted. Now the thorny problem of Lucius came up. How much to trust him? How much freedom should he be offered? How much of his information could be trusted? Were the opposition aware of his defection? Were they aware of his whereabouts? Should they hide him from the Ministry? If so, would the protector wards hide him from the Dementors? Plus some other minor matters.

A restriction to the Manor was agreed upon and no recognisers to be activated. The three inquisitors to have regular sessions with him, noting his answers and having other Junta members check the facts. If everything checked out, the rest of the Company and Order were be told as soon as the mole had been isolated. The twins were to be sworn to secrecy for the time being. Lucius accepted the restrictions, thinking that they were slightly too generous, as he had expected to be confined to a suite of rooms. He was especially pleased to be allowed the use of his library, and understood the reason for the enclosing of the black art books. As a balance, he was dismayed at the state of his trophy room.

“Sorry Father; your new son and I made a big mess in the trophy room; partly in destroying Bellatrix and partly in destroying a malevolent charm hidden there. We really didn’t know where to begin to put it to rights. So we left the mess and locked the room. The elves wanted to work in there but we asked them not to.”

“Did I hear you right Son. You ASKED the elves?”

“Yes Father. Mother will back us up, but we have developed a new relationship with them. We found co-operation works much better than beating and ordering. I suspect they’ll be somewhat reticent towards you to begin with. Please be patient, we found it works wonders. There is another reason too, Hermione becomes very shrill when we mistreat the elves; Mother will side with her too.”

“Well now … I shall have to abide by the new regime, won’t I? … Any more alterations?”

“The snakes are free to roam the estate. They say they prefer live rats to dead ones.”

“I have no problem with that. That’s why they were brought here to begin with.”

“You speak Parseltongue, don’t you Father?”

“Yes Harry. So do you, if my intelligence is correct.”

“Perhaps you should meet Sossogenese; he is part of our cabinet.”

“I imagine he is the snake with the golden sheen, who was leading your rescuers.”

“Golden sheen? Yes I suppose he has. Very interesting, our auras are golden too, so is Uncle’s.”

“Do you say you can see auras too? Is that part of being a Duumvir?”

“No. But we have a Company member who does. It will be interesting to see what hue yours is, when we officially out you. Mmm?”

§§§§§§

Lucius and Narcissa ate their lunch privately, whilst the rest of the Junta used the retiring room to eat in. Much of the discussion was about what information should be gleaned from Lucius. The Inquisitors joked, looking at the list, that they would be still questioning him at Christmas. However they agreed on the basics that were needed for confirmation. The connecting cabinets were moved from the retiring room and put into a smaller room in order to preserve the Manor’ privacy. The bubble-port was also altered, a la Surgery, but onto an enclosed flat roof next-door to the room with the cabinets in it; thus rendering through traffic unobtrusive. Gondolum and the house-elves were apprised of the situation. They agreed not to divulge any new information to Lucius and if he started pressing them to call their Mistress, Harry or Draco.

The first result of the inquisition was about Aberforth Dumbledore, who was the barman at the Hog’s head. Some time ago he had been very indiscreet, and was being blackmailed into revealing the Order’s secrets and anything pertinent he overheard in the bar. Uncle thought that Albus had known about this, and had occasionally fed erroneous pieces of information to his brother. Now that he was known, he was to be fed some information about Dolores being a double agent and that she had left a coded message at Ollivander’s quite recently. Two days later she disappeared. Other items learnt, proved equally as interesting and were soon confirmed.

§§§§§§

On Friday Harry felt frightened when he woke. Draco put some strength into him and realised that a Dementor probe was being conducted outside their defences. Lucius was equally afraid; it was Ginny who helped out. She found she was able to weave a happiness shroud and, with the help of the Silver Boys, spread its filmy pink mist underneath the Manor’s wards. The two most effected people lost their feelings of dread, and the Dementors retired baffled. That same day the cabinets were fitted into the combined Weasley and Ollivander premises and three more Death Eater’s children were confirmed by the altered jinxes.

§§§§§§

The Junta’s meeting on Saturday discussed the Lucius situation. They thought that the newly arrived information of Dolores’s disappearance confirmed the inquisition’s findings of Lucius’s change of heart. Susan was brought into the Junta’s confidence and had a look at Lucius’s aura. She saw a mixture of the fighting witches’ yellow and the inventor’s aquamarine with a small knot of Indigo surrounded by pink. Later on in the day she said that the indigo had almost disappeared and the pink was firmer. Both sets of Duumviri thought that this was a good sign and asked Susan to do a final reading an hour or so before Sunday’s formal dinner.

That Saturday’s Junta agenda had included the protection of more rank and file Company members. Using a map to see if any logical sequence could be worked out; Alan’s laptop proved useful again. Two or three people were within range of the Lodge; then the Leeds and York areas produced another grouping too far to bubble directly.

“How about Colin and Dennis? You know, cover two people with one cabinet.”

“Don’t the Creevey’s live in a disused railway station somewhere near York?”

“Yeah, here; a little bit south of York.”

“Who’s the nearest cabinet holder?”

“Longbottom Lodge.”

“Augusta said she’d be willing to be a posting point.”

“The next set will be ready for Tuesday.”

“Thank you Mother. We can reach two more from here and another two from the Estate. That only leaves the Welsh contingent without a link. Let’s look at their dispositions.”

“One near Carmarthen two near Cardiff then there’s Aberystwyth too.”

“Dean’s parents live near Brecon. He mentioned something about a hidden valley. That’s about in the middle of them all.”

“Let’s go for him then.”

“We could go and strengthen the wards, and establish the bubble-ports before then. At least the members of each group could cooperate in mutual defence in an emergency.”

“If we two sets of Duumviri go to the two centres and stay for two days everything can be ready. We’ll connect the Manor to the Welsh one as it’s nearest across the Bristol Channel.”

“Dean is our dorm mate so I suggest we Golden ones go there. As the Thomas parents are Muggles. We’ll make a friend’s supporting friends appeal.”

“Okay Harry. I like photography, that’ll give us an in at the Creevey’s. Having done their group we’ll go to the Lodge and fit that trio in. Oh! and today we’ll aim at the two near our estate.”

“OK Blaise. We’ll fix our two today, then start on the Welsh connection on Monday. We need some time off, let’s have a Burrow day with picnic lunch; ending with the Formal dinner here.”

Both gold and silver sets of Duumviri set too, writing and sending owls to the various families concerned. They mentioned the new secure route and suggested that the families might like to put off their visit to Diagon Alley until the link was completed.

§§§§§§

Most of the youngsters luxuriated in bed on Sunday morning but by lunchtime [for many the first meal of the day] everyone was at the Burrow and round the stretched table stuffing themselves. The Twins had fixed the awning again and Percy had levelled the lawn after the tents and their occupants had left. On this a game of witches croquet got underway. Those adults not playing spent a lazy afternoon among friends trying to avoid chatting about work and failing dismally. After a suitable digestive pause the young ones went to the pool and indulged in the usual showing off and fooling around that goes with disorganised water sports.

Narcissa stayed home with Lucius, still catching up on events whilst they had been separated. She was worried about his seeming frailness. His will was still there, firm as ever, but the body supporting it seemed to have lost some of its vitality. Madam Pomfrey, when secretly asked, had advised lots of rest and gentle pursuits. Unfortunately Lucius’s yellow side wanted to be up-and-at-em. Occasionally his wife wished she could stun him into sitting down as he paced restlessly round whichever room they were in. The Junta were now satisfied that Lucius was bona fide and were wondering how to incorporate him into the scheme of things.

“Do sit down Lucius; you’ll wear a hole in the carpet.”

“I’ve been doing nothing in Azkaban for ages; now, when I’ve escaped, I seem to have condemned myself to doing nothing at home.”

“What about the trophy room?”

“I finished that off yesterday, at least, as much silverware as our two destructive sons didn’t melt completely. Some of that I had a go at too. Gondolum suggested that I incorporated the melted balls into glass replicas with the names engraved. He found me a patient elfin helper and he did wonders using what I could remember; inscribing the glass in a perfect hand. We still have six globules, which we are unable to resurrect, or I to remember what they were.”

“How about helping me and the twins make transportation cabinets? I usually only have one of them as the other one has to be at the shop. Next week is one of their busier weeks because the families come in to buy the necessaries for their offspring’s next year at school.”

“Is that what you were doing down there? I knew you kept dabbling and I hadn’t the heart to stop you, besides, you could play the perfect lady of the manor when needed, so there was no harm done, was there?”

“So you knew all along darling?”

“Yes dear. But then a loving husband makes allowances for his beautiful wife’s peccadilloes doesn’t he? He also hopes that his loving wife makes the same allowance for her husband too.”

“Oh Lucius; how you’ve changed; not that I am complaining one bit. This new Lucius is like the one I married, not the overbearing, cruel and vindictive man you became when that beast had you in its thrall.”

“Solitary confinement gives you plenty of time to think. I reviewed my life meticulously after I’d finish raging at everyone. I understood that change, and, in the end, hated that part of me which had come to the fore; hence me trying to help the authorities. It was Dolores who aided my escape you know. She said she was taking me to the interview room; then whispered that she wanted me to help the light working incognito. I am reasonably sure the Death Eaters put her up to it, so they could kill me for betraying them.”

“So that’s why that Pettigrew animal was hanging around. I see!”

Lucius went on to describe the real events surrounding Wormtail’s death. In the end they both giggled about their sons’ inventiveness.

Not too long afterwards the two just mentioned came to see their parents.

“The Junta is satisfied with your credentials Father.”

“Thank you Draco.”

“We would like to present you to the Company and Order tonight at the formal dinner. If you feel up to it.”

“Are you sure? Harry.”

“Yes Father. Susan says that the remaining bit of darkness has disappeared from your aura. And the inquisitors have authenticated your answers, as you knew they would.”

“What about the quisling?”

“We spiked his understanding, and a certain female, close to the Minister, has disappeared. Voldemort has his deserter’s death, but not the one he expected. He’ll be even more mortified when he finds out that she didn’t betray him.”

“She was a smarmy oily witch, Draco. My skin crawled every time she questioned me.”

“Don’t we know it; she tortured my beloved brother by making non healing cuts in the back of his hand before she got the sack from Hogwarts.”

“I’m all right now Father and would rather not recall it. Well … Can you face the next layer of people yet? We thought a ceremonial handing back of your wand would be an appropriate gesture. Great Grandfather’s old one has had some quite quirky results, hasn’t it?”

“So you knew all the time?”

“That’s my line darling.”

“Yes Father; and we’ve seen some of the restored still-kinked trophies too.”

“They’re a lot less kinked than the way you left them. I thought you had had a mini nuclear bomb in there.”

“Black fusion?”

“Not your best one, Draco.”

“Sorry Father, will you come to the formal dinner tonight, please?”

“Yes. I’ll have to face everyone sometime; if I brood on it I’ll develop cold feet.”

§§§§§§

So it was that all the members available from both organisations were present at the biggest dinner party the Manor had held for many years. The top table had six empty chairs. From a side door a small procession entered. Two Silvers leading, two adults next, followed by the Golden Boys. Most people had never seen Draco’s Father so were openly inquisitive, one or two knew him and had very sceptical expressions. The Junta kept neutral faces, watching covertly for any likely explosions. However, none came!

Once they were standing at the table, Blaise opened the proceedings.

“Fellow members I have the honour to present our latest applicant. Lucius Malfoy.”

There was a communal gasp and many more sour faces.

Minerva stood from a side table. “Three inquisitors have questioned Mr. Malfoy and are happy to aver that his change of heart is genuine.”

Susan stood. “I have seen the last vestiges of his evil aura swallowed up by the pink love aura we all know about.”

Harry and Draco stood. “UNLESS ANYONE HAS OBJECTION WE WOULD LIKE TO RETURN HIS WAND; WHICH HE FREELY GAVE INTO OUR POSSESSION; AS A SIGN OF HIS GOOD FAITH.”

Mad-Eye stood. “I have seen all the transcripts of his questioning, during which period he more than once took veritaserum voluntarily. From this questioning two more Death Eater sympathisers have been identified and one of them removed from circulation. Loath as I am to support a known Death Eater. I do feel that Draco’s Father is worthy of some trust.”

Mad-Eye’s commendation seemed to alter the atmosphere in the room from antagonism to one of careful trust. When the Golden Boys asked again there were nods of agreement.

“FATHER, WE RETURN YOUR WAND. IN FUTURE ONLY USE IT FOR GOOD.”

The wand was handed back.

Lucius immediately took up a spell position. Many people carefully drew their wands too.

“I, Lucius Amadeus Malfoy, declare my allegiance to the Golden Duumviri Draco Lucius Malfoy and Harry James Potter, my obedience to them in all matters, and my obedience to the Silver Duumviri Blaise and Alan. To this end I remove this mark”

His wand flared. “Incendio Insignias malus nigrus.”

There was a smell of burning flesh and a howling noise. Lucius fainted into his wife’s arms. Madam Pomfrey, who had been warned privately by Narcissa, immediately went and applied a healing spell. Before their Father recovered Draco and Harry drew their wands.

“WE MARK YOU WITH YOUR NEW SIGN OF ALLEGIANCE – ‘INSIGNIAM STELLAM AUREAM’.”

To replace the healing dark mark a golden circle with a golden star inside it appeared on Lucius’s arm. The howling noise amplified and then departed.

Some coaxing from his wife and a potion supplied by Uncle revived the sagging convert. There was a clamour from many of the Company members to have the same marks placed on their arms.

It was Blaise who restored order.

“Fellow Company and Order Members. What you saw today was necessary. The Dark Mark had to be replaced by another, in order to combat any evil influence that could be brought to bear from the Dark One. It is not a badge of office; your allegiance is well attested. You all know how every protector has been made stronger by us Duumviri. That mark is a personal protector for its slightly more vulnerable wearer.”

There were some disappointed faces among the more fervent but after talking with the moderate elements they accepted the explanation. However the elves were quick off the mark, by the time dessert was served their black formal gowns all sported large replicas of the emblem.

§§§§§§

Lucius was still shaken when he and his family retired to a side room for coffee.

“You never indicated you were going to mark me for life, Boys?”

D: “No Father. Neither did you indicate that you were going to remove the dark mark in such a spectacular and public way.”

H: “Hermione found out and warned us about the removal, which we knew you would have to make fairly soon. She said you had to be extra protected when that happened, because the Dark Lord would immediately try very hard to reclaim or kill you.”

D: “Your impromptu display prompted ours. Luckily we had given some thought about how to do it. The gold represents our aura, we have rings in our auras and our previous Duumviri had a golden star. Each of us placed one of the marks so that there is now a stronger double protection for you.”

H: “The Dark Mark implied some form of Imperio. So unfortunately do our two marks. We have no wish to invoke the hex, but we could see no other way to give you our joint protection.”

D: “You heard how frustrated the howler was when it was unable to repossess you: that was the result of the ring mark. Its having to flee was the result of the star mark. We would have explained all this to you before you made the decision. However we had to act quickly and in unanimity.”

“Okay Boys. I see that I brought it on myself, but it would have had to be done sooner or later. At least it impressed our audience; they can have no illusion now that I am not your man. We seem to have set the elves alive too; your kindness regime bounced back very quickly.”

“I think my men folk have set a precedent, the elves have followed it, I wonder how many circle-star badges the twins have made? I caught a whiff of their plans as they ran to the workshop.”

“We’d better go and stop them.”

“Harry dear, just you try. If they don’t do it then I will. It will stop the hotheads trying to maim themselves, and give the moderates something to show their pride in you both. Look; I have the first one already.”

Narcissa showed them a one inch diameter badge and pinned it on to her bodice.

“I shall have to find some diamonds for it; it’s just a little too plain for my taste.”

“Mistress?”

“Yes Gondolum?”

“We have the flag to show you”

“Let me see it then.”

On a green background was a silver dragon – the normal Malfoy flag, but this one had been altered. The dragon now held a shield in its claw with the golden circle-star emblem on a scarlet background. Out of its mouth came what looked like forked lightening. Harry realised uncomfortably that they were really multiple representations of his scar.

D: ‘Honours even, you get the scarlet and the scar, we get an altered Draco, and there’s our unity emblem, showing the House of Malfoy’s allegiance.’

H: ‘I’m not happy with it. We shouldn't be seen to be so gung-ho.’

D: ‘You're part of this family now, it is right to add your symbol to our crest. Perhaps you’d like a privet bush instead?’

H: ‘No way. I’ll not give that Dursley family any glory.’

“Well made Gondolum, just what I had in mind. Do you approve Lucius?”

“Father, please; no.”

“What? Cross your Mother, Harry? When we’ve just made it up, you must be joking? Anyway I agree with her. So, I expect, does Draco. You're outnumbered Harry, three to one, and I know you won’t invoke the golden Imperio on me. Accept this defeat gracefully; it may well make us more amenable next time. I think our allegiance has to be shown publicly. I wonder how many other old families will alter their crests. Gondolum please replace the old flag with the new one.

“Yes Master, right away.”

Harry was slightly disgruntled when he retired, so Draco took over the massage from Sempra and Dobby. Harry’s response was extremely gratifying, and took his mind well away from his peevishness.