Broomsticks and The Wizards Gauntlet

Broomsticks and The Wizards Gauntlet

Chapter 19

8:45 AM….

Lucius spun on his heels when he heard a scratching in the walls. He raised and eyebrow and tapped lightly on the wall with his cane. Just rats, he thought to himself. Paris was overrun with them. Still, Luna’s former home was extravagant, equaling The Manor in a sick display of wealth and eclectic tastes. He set the penseive down and carefully poured the memory that the high-class whore witch had given him into the swirling magical bowl. He had to coax it out of her quite literally. After several bottles of elf made wine though, her lips became loose. Sheer drunkenness alone wasn’t enough to make her spill her guts though. The French aurors had been sniffing around, she said. She was afraid that she would be implicated, and Lucius, being the Slytherin that he was, proclaimed his undying devotion to the whore as a mean of gaining her trust. Inside he felt like throwing up. He didn’t drink. In fact, he abhorred those that did. Over indulgence on the bottle was a weakness in Lucius’s mind. He merely pretended to drink with the witch. He had to keep his wits about him, afterall, being in a hotel room with a whore was not quite what Lucius had in mind, when Draco asked him to take this complicated assignment. He knew Narcissa trusted him…she had placed a curse on him the last time she felt he might be cheating on her. If Lucius even got an erection in the presence of another woman, then Narcissa’s wand would glow orange. Therefore, Lucius kept his ministrations to a minimum. In the end, she gave him this memory and Lucius knocked her out with a simple sleeping spell.

He knelt, and held his flowing hair back to the side as he dipped his distinguished face into the swirling silver bowl. He was thrust into the past with a jolt. He found himself standing in Jean Paul’s library.

“Is she a squib?” Jean Paul shouted at a timid Luna.

“Yes. I don’t understand…Magic runs strong in my family. My father…”

“Your father was a Death Eater.”

“My father owned a newspaper, Jean Paul.”

“No, stupid girl. Your father is Lucius Malfoy, Death Eater! I have the proof in my safe. Go on then, Pierre is the password, just use your wand.” Luna hesitated but walked to the safe. Suddenly a popping sound could be heard. Raspodin was standing in the library.

“Well, what’s the word? Is your filthy daughter a squib or not?” Raspodin said with a cold aloofness.

“She is. I fail to see why you are so anxious though.” Raspodin wrapped an arm around Jean Paul and Jean Paul shrugged away, and out of his clutches.

“Luna, did you take all of Ancient’s baby line products?”

“Yes I did…but…Jean Paul who is this man? Is this your silent partner? Wait, I recognize you! You were in the Wizard’s Inquisitor paper, next to the article about the endangered swoopback owl. Some holy healer healed your impotency problem and then he made some prophecy. Rasputin! That was his name. I don’t remember what the prophecy was, because I was more interested in the swoopback owl. They’re purple you know? Very rare.”

“Stupid girl. I’m Rasputin and once I am in power everyone will know it! This healer is a fake. He threatened me too when I refused to pay him. Said I wouldn’t get away with it. Insane I tell you. Then he said that a child’s magic, would be my undoing. But we solved that problem with the baby line products. Your child is the first of many Luna dear, to be made into a squib. No point taking any chances.” Jean Paul’s face became angry, as Luna watched on in confusion.

“ If the healer was a fake then why take such drastic measures? You did this to my only daughter? The potions! You had my wife be your pet rat while you experimented on her! Luna, pack your bags and gather the children. We are turning my partner in.” Jean Paul began scribbling something down on a piece of parchment frantically. Raspodin snatched the parchment from of his hand and when he read it his eyes grew cold.

“How dare you! We will not pull this line. Did you hear me? I’m rising to power. I will be Minister soon.”

“You won’t be Minister! I know where you came from. You aren’t a descendant of Rasputin. Your mother was a mudblood witch in Bulgaria. Your father was a guard in the Ministry. You lied to me, and now this!” Jean Paul picked up a wand on the desk, which happened to be Luna’s wand and pointed it at Raspodin.

“Now, now, just calm down Jean Paul. You always get like this, but I always sooth your worries. You didn’t seem to mind my halfblood status when you were in my bed. Did you?”

“I knew about the witch hooker, but men too?” Luna said with tear stained eyes.

“I didn’t know he was a liar and a crook. Luna, he made Jessie the way she is, and the baby line products will produce a whole society of squibs! “ Lucius was in shock as he listened. He wanted to reach out and hold Luna, but he knew he couldn’t, for this was only a memory of the whores. Where was the whore though? Lucius began to scan the room. Nowhere. She wasn’t here, yet this was her memory. Then it dawned on him, just as he saw Raspodin disarm Jean Paul. Luna ran for the staircase as green lightning shot across the room, hitting Jean Paul in the chest. Raspodin, turned and shot a curse at Luna, who stumbled on the stairs and scampered up the them on all fours. She ran into a room and locked the door behind her. Lucius took chase too, following Raspodin. Lucius walked through the doorway into what looked like the children’s playroom. Luna was holding all three of her kids. There came banging on the door and Luna pushed her children, one by one, under the daybed.

“Alohomora!” The wizard shouted and the door popped open. He bent low, his sinister voice calling the children to come out.

“I have yummy tarts with whip cream filling for you. Come out little children. Lollipops and lemon drops. Come out little ones and let us enjoy these magnificent sweets.” Lucius could feel his heart beating in his chest. These were his grandchildren and this man was tempting them with sweets, a sinister smile on his face, as he squatted in front of the bed.

“Jessie, no!” Luna’s voice came and then Jessie crawled out of from under the bed. Luna was right behind her as she frantically grasped for her daughter.

“Good little squib girl. Come and get the lollies, my sweet.” Jessie approached the wizard and Lucius wanted to shout at the girl to get back.

“Obliviate!” Raspodin hit Luna with the spell and she teetered on her feet, in a daze.

“You a bad man,” Jessie said biting down on Raspodin’s finger as hard as she could. The wizard yelped and held his wand on the little girl. Suddenly popping sounds were heard in the library.

“Aurors..Got to go,” Raspodin whimpered. “I’ll get you for this you little squib!”

Lucius was suddenly sucked back into the present. He conjured a damp cloth and wiped his face. The whore was Raspodin. That explained the impotence problem, that he saw the holy healer about. The whore was a well known hooker around Paris, sleeping with at least half of the Ministry wizards. That must have been how he got all of his insider knowledge, as well as servicing his own need to be with men. He was gay. He killed Jean Paul because he threatened to expose his illegal line of potions. Lucius went to the safe and whispered the spell.

“Pierre,” Lucius said and the safe popped open.

Thick stacks of documents were bunched in the safe. Lucius began to sift through the stack. He was shocked when he came across bank statements from Gringott’s with his name on them. It was his Last Will and Testament, where in it, he claims Luna as his daughter. How did Jean Paul did get this? No doubt Raspodin was sleeping with someone at Gringott’s too. Lucius was piecing it all together as he sifted though the documents. She had only been visiting Jean Paul that day. Their marriage had long been over with, before his untimely death. For its difficult to make a marriage work, when there is a third party in it, that being Jean Paul’s lover and partner. Jean Paul must have ordered Luna to have Jessie tested to see if she was a squib and Luna was forced to comply, judging by the pages and pages of court documents he found in the safe. He wouldn’t be shedding any tears for Jean Paul, that’s for sure. The words, whacky and kooky, and flakey were allover his documented testimony. He could only imagine his sweet Luna having to sit there and be insulted like that, in a public French court. She deserved so much better. Finally, at the bottom of the stack, he found what he came for. He stuffed the contents of the safe into a cigar box that lay on Jean Paul’s desk and then he tucked the penseive under his arm. He felt exhilarated. Now, he just had to get back to England, without being captured by the French Ministry. He knew once the polyjuice potion wore off and Raspodin woke up with a hangover, he would remember that he gave his memory to Lucius. Lucius spat at the thought of touching the whores hair like he did. He had managed not to kiss her, but he had stroked her long dark hair lasciviously, intent on making her believe he wanted her. Lucius was mortified that he had spent all those hours with a man.

“I’m sure he’s here! Are you calling me a liar? I woke up and saw him rifling through my things,” Raspodin lied to the French Auror.

“Missur, it’s just that there were no signs of forced entry, and these reports, you make them quite often. Perhaps you are just paranoid. Elections can make a candidate overreact.”

“You bloody idiot! I’ll have you replaced. You’ll lose your esteemed job!”

“Nonsense! You have no power here anymore. Go back to England, Raspodin. We ‘ave been watching your goings on here in Paris, and the Ministry thinks it best that you leave the country. Now, I will search for this phantom wizard, but after that, you must go. We don’t want your kind in our city anymore.” Lucius had ducked behind a lavish set of drapes. His heart beat rapidly as the Auror searched the room. When he was satisfied that nobody was there, he turned to leave. Lucius let out a sigh. He peeked out the window and he could see Raspodin, arguing vehemently with the French Auror.

POP

Lucius apparrated to the French countryside. Just a few more apparritions and he would be safely back in England. He had the evidence, tying Raspodin to Ancient’s Apothecary.

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11:00 AM…

Nathaniel surveyed the Squib Shop. He had entered under the disguise of a certain French poet and had ordered a squib. He didn’t make any bones about it. He told the gruff and burly man behind the counter, that he wanted a teen squib girl and that he intended to chain her to his bed post and rape her repeatedly. The manager pulled him aside and chastised him for speaking so publicly about such things. He warned him, that such actions have been publicly condemned, but that privately, he could help him. Nathaniel was taken to the back room, where two squibs sat tied on the floor, their bodies draped in lingerie, that left very little to the imagination. The manager asked him to choose a girl. Nathaniel made his choice and then the manager left to gather the proper documents. Nathaniel was shocked at how quick and easy the process was. As soon as the manger was out of the room, Nathaniel spoke.

“Are you the only ones in the building?” The girls looked frightened, but the one he chose as his slave, nodded.

“Good then. I’m freeing you. We must hurry!” Nathaniel led them out the backdoor and stashed the girls behind a large dumpster, before turning back to the Squib Shop on Knockturn Alley. Nathaniel turned his wand on the building, just as the manager ran out the door of the Squib Shop, hollering at the top of his lungs. A bolt of orange hot light shot out from Nathaniel’s wand, just barely missing the manager. The white light, hit the building and spread out, climbing the brick walls of the shop, until the entire shop was bathed in orange light. Nathaniel covered his ears and the mangers eyes went wide when he realized what was about to happen.

BOOM

The entire shop imploded. Nathaniel brushed his hands off and smiled, gazing up at his work. The shop was entirely gone, only grey and white smoke lingered, in the place the shop used to be. The manager was lying on the ground gasping for air. Nathaniel gracefully stepped over him and made his way back to the dumpster where the frightened girls were crouched. He flicked his wand again and the skimpy clothes they were wearing turned into gorgeous frocks.

“Go. You’re free. I’d like to stay and chat but I have more work to do.” The girls ran away from Nathaniel without hesitancy.

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12:30 PM…

“M’am if I could just talk to you! I’m your neighbor and I just wanted to know if you’d seen any…ummm…The Loch Ness monster?” Harry said, feeling stupid. He reminded himself that he was talking to a witch, not a muggle and that nobody would think he was crazy.

“You affiliated with that squib hating Ministry official? “Cause if you are, I’ll tell you the same thing I told him. Come on my property again and you’re risking your head!” The old woman snapped.

“So this Ministry man, he was skulking about on your property?”

“He was,” the woman eyed Harry Potter, noticing the lightning bolt scar on his head.

“Harry Potter?” Harry nodded. “Why didn’t you say so? You went to school with my son! He fought with you in the war against You Know Who. I’m Seamus Finnegan’s Mum.” Harry remembered a few things about his Mum, particularly, that for a time in his fifth year, she thought Harry was a liar.

“Good to see you Mrs. Finnegan. Can you possibly point me in the direction that this man was mulling about on your property?” Harry asked.

“It was a year or so ago now, but he was down by the loch, where the water becomes black and the shadows lurk. I don’t go down that way. It’s creepy.” Harry thanked the woman and then proceeded towards the water. He saw the area she was talking about. The trees loomed, and Harry felt cold spots throughout the woods as he trudged though the vines and prickly bushes, towards the waters edge. When he reached the loch, he stared into the black waters and shivered. There on the muddy banks of the loch was the carcass of a great beast. Most of the flesh was either eaten away by animals or decomposed. Flies buzzed around the carcass and Harry covered his nose. He pulled out his muggle camera and took a picture of the great sea monster and then cut a slice of the rotting flesh with his wand and conjured a baggie to store it in, in hopes that maybe Luke could use it to discover an antidote for the squibs.

“Hermione, I hope you appreciate this, because I am going to be sick,” Harry said before vomiting. As he leaned over, and spewed his lunch, he saw something move in the waters below. A small ripple at first and then the ripple grew bigger and spread out in concentric circles across the entire south end of the lake. He quickly ran, not wanting to know what kind of an enormous beast must have caused those ripples.

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1:25 PM…..

“Were you in the yellow room?” Narcissa asked Hermione as she sipped her tea. Hermione’s jaw dropped.

“Yes, how did you know?”

“Lucius spent some time in Azkaban too, as you remember. You aren’t the only Malfoy woman has had to plead her case to the Ministry. I too, was allowed visitation. “Springs still bad on the shabby little cot?” Now Hermione spit her tea allover her business robes. She had an appointment at the Ministry this afternoon.“So, did you perform your wifely duties for my son?”

“Cissy, I’d rather not discuss my lovelife, with my mother in-law.”

“It’s a legitimate question. The things I did for Lucius, are what got him through his sentence.”

“Yes, okay. I performed, Draco performed, it was mind blowing. Satisfied?” Hermione said and Narcissa smiled.

“Thank you.”

“You’re thanking me for screwing Draco?”

“Yes, I guess I am. It’s hard for a mother to think of her son in that wretched place. To know that he received the highest form of pleasure, gives me comfort.” Hermione leaned down and hugged Narcissa.

“I know how you feel. I hated leaving him last night. By the way, have you seen Nathaniel?”

“Mmhmm,” Narcissa sipped her tea down. “He left quite early this morning. A blessing that boy has been.”

“He’s hardly a boy Narcissa, but I agree. On that note, I shall leave. I have an appointment I mustn’t be late for. See you back here in a couple hours to get ready for the benefit? I can’t bear to go alone, and had hoped you would join me.”

“Of course dear. Wish I’d hear from Lucius soon. I’m not used to being away from him for so long.”

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2:16 PM…

BOOM.

Nathaniel slipped his wand back into his pocket as a crowd began to gather. Aurors popped in this time, and Nathaniel apparrated away just in time.

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2:33 PM

“Have you seen the paper today?” One Auror said to the other.

“Yeah, pretty impressive shot that reporter took. Malfoy’s sure to get the quidditch fans on his side with that maneuver. Check it out.” He tossed the open page to the other Auror and he stared. Someone at The Gauntlet had managed to get the shot of Draco flying upside down, his body fully extended along the broom and The Daily Prophet ran the story about just what The Gauntlet was, who had won and who was rumored to have been there. It was all out, and when people found out about he noble cause and the lengths Draco and others had gone to get squibs out of the country, the auror’s office became mighty unpopular. Owls kept coming, and public opinion was at an all time low. They were feeling pressure from all sides to release Draco, and to stop persecuting those that harbor squibs.

“What are you two doing hanging around the water cooler, gossiping like a couple of school girls! Have you seen the mob outside the Ministry. The crowd of witches and wizards out there are launching rotten fruit at Ministry employees as they enter the building. They have signs, two stories high, saying free the squibs, free Malfoy. Get out there!” As the two aurors exited the office, they could hear their boss screaming at the top of his lungs about another Squib Shop being blown up. It was mass chaos at the Ministry.

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Hermione made her way from the floo network, towards the Wizengamot chambers. She had requested a meeting with the Chairman and was hurriedly trying to make her way through the rowdy crowd. She turned and thanked all of Draco’s supporters and they erupted with applause and allowed her safe passage through.

“Call the benefit off!” Hermione found herself face to face with an angry Raspodin.

“Get out of my way!” Hermione tried to shove by him. When he wouldn’t move, she pulled her wand on him.

“I said call it off, or you will regret it.”

“I won’t and even if I could, I wouldn’t. You don’t scare me!” Hermione stood her ground.

“I wonder if Draco would say the same…” Raspodin said, as he left Hermione standing stock still, worry written allover her face. She literally ran down the halls of the Ministry, intent on telling the Chairman about Raspodin’s threats and presenting the evidence Luke had found.

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3:02 PM…

“Why are you helping me? You have nothing to gain by your kindness.”

“Because you are Malfoy…Protector of squibs. Yes?”

“I don’t deserve that name. I’ve hardly done anything at all and now that I’m in here…well…I’m not much help to anyone,” Draco said, leaning his back against the cold, hard rock of their cell. “Thank you anyway, Roman. If I can ever repay the favor for all you have done for me in here.”

“But you did! I have not eaten so well in a year!” Draco had sneaked some food back to his cellmates. One man tried to take it all and Draco, with his strength restored after spending a few hours with Hermione, eating and making love, slammed the man against the bars of the cell and fought him off the other cellmates, when he took one of the weaker prisoners food. Roman had handed him the jagged rock that he had formed into a shank, but Draco cast it away. He didn’t know how long he could fend the guy off though, before he was forced to take matters into his own hands and become a murderer himself. Roman, had told Draco that the man’s name was Goron and that he was thrown in the cell shortly before Draco was. Apparently, he had attacked a couple of aurors on the coast and was taken straight to Azkaban. Draco was well aware of who Goron was and as he stared down at his elephant skin boots, he decided that he would kill him if it came to it.

He played with the chain around his neck, careful not to touch the dragon charm on the end of it. He didn’t want to alarm Hermione and he knew if he decided to use it to escape into her world, she would imagine the worst,so as eager as he was to see his wife, he resisted the urge to rub it.

Suddenly, Goron roused and made his way to the bars. He began to scream out as he banged his head against the bars crying to be let out.

“Shut your mouth! You will call the dementors to us!” Roman shouted, but the man ignored him.

“You know, I am the reason for the squibs. It’s all my fault that so many children are being born.” Draco craned his neck to face the dirty and bearded man.

“What? You’re not thinking straight my friend. It’s not your fault, trust me.”

“But it is…I am the grandson of Rasputin. I …see things. I told the man you know as Raspodin that a child’s magic, would be his undoing. That is why he is turning the babies into squibs. He fears my prophecy.”

“You’re the grandson of Rasputin? You are the second person who has told me that this month.”

“Raspodin is just a wizard. When I looked inside him, I saw terrible things. I healed his impotence, but I could not heal his mind. I saw his childhood Terrible things were done to him. He is afraid of his sexuality…and he is afraid of being poor again. This is why he seeks power.” Roman paused and then said with conviction, “I will kill him for what he has done to the children, and I will feel no malice. For evil like that, must be destroyed.”

“Your name really isn’t Roman is it?” Draco asked.

“Wise for such a young man. No, I am not. For history’s sake though, it is better that I remain dead in the river, like it is believed. Shut up!” Roman yelled at Goron, who continued banging on the bars and screaming out. Draco could see the distress he was causing the other prisoners, so he bounded to his feet and grabbed Goron about the shoulder, spinning him around to face him. With wicked eyes, he plunged the shank into Draco’s stomach. Draco’s eyes went wide as he stumbled backwards, his hands wrapping themselves around the sharp shank that pierced his torso, driving deep inside his body. He fell backwards and collapsed on the dirty ground of the cell. His face grew pale as Roman hovered over his weakened body, his blood spilling out of him and pooling at his sides.

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Review!?

So, I had to break this chapter up into two chapters because it ran so long. I have the next chapter written, but I still need to revise it. Hopefully I will get it up later today or tonight, perhaps. One more chapter and a Epilogue. Scorpius’s big concert is coming up in next chapter. There was just too much to tie up, that I couldn’t do it in one chapter like I had hoped, and I don’t want to rush the story. Let me know! Sorry for leaving on a cliffy. Shouldn’t be a long wait though. I LOVE the reviews everyone is giving me on this story and other stories of mine as well! I can’t answer some of the questions presented because it will ruin the story. I can say though, that Jillian will be nothing like Isis from Dark Fire lol The only thing that is for sure is that Draco, will treat Jillian much the same as he did Isis…Daddy’s little Princess.