After Hogwarts: A New Evil Emerges

MMIA
MEDBAY


\"You fucking bastard!\" Draco winced as he heard his wife cursing. \"How dare you just go straight into fucking battle?\"

\"Because there wasn\'t any choice. Would you rather it be Potter dead, and me alive?\" Draco asked codly. \"Besides Allesandra intervened just in time. I\'m alive.\"

\"Mom. Relax.\" Damien spoke up, flipping the pages of the book he was reading. Which Draco had no idea what it was about. He couldn\'t read the language.

\"What is that you\'re reading boy?\"

\"The Art of Speaking Draconic. I have to fine tune some words. I accidentally insulted one dragon.\"

Savannah paled at the thought and she turned to her son, her worries about her husband forgotten. Which was exactly what Draco wanted. The next few minutes passed in blessed silence, even with mother and son bickering about the pros and cons of speaking to dragons. The one con obviously being the possibility of having her son being roasted alive.

~~~~~~~~~
An Hour After The Portraits
10 Level of The MIIA
Secured Offices For Elite Agents


Harry closed the door to his office and turned to face his wife who sleeping on his couch. He was one of the few Elite Agents who had his own office. It was practically a living space really. Used when he wasn\'t able to go home during long assignments. Malicia had looked like she needed some sleep, so he sent her to his office when Hermione had taken him aside to inform him on the situation with Angel De Mercy.

He dropped into his chair. Another fucking thing to worry about. Angel, disappearing. Sascha. Malicia. Allesandra. Innocents. It was like a repeat of the Second War. Ever since the first attack, memories were beginning to plague his sleep. Malicia had told him to start drinking a dreamless potion because she wasn\'t going to put up with his kicking in bed.

Harry glanced at one of the pictures on his desk and caught the small one of Ginny. Ron had given him that one after Ginny\'s funeral. He never even had the chance to apologize to Ginny. Aplogize for what he said

**********

\"You don\'t understand Ginny.\"

\"I don\'t understand? Bullshit.\"

\"Ginny! How many people have died since Voldemort declared all out war? Especially the ones that I\'m friends with. I\'ve buried ten friends so far. I\'m not burying you as well.\"

\"Harry!\"

\"Face it Ginny. We\'re not getting back together. I\'m not going to risk your life just for a few moments of happiness. If word gets back to Voldemort that we\'re seeing each other, you\'re dead. Plain and simple. I\'m not going to have your death on my head.\"

\"You\'re being a bloody prat Harry Potter.\"

\"And you\'re being unreasonable. Stop being selfish for once and think of the consequences behind your thinking.\" And with that he stalked out the room, the glass that was thrown at him hitting shattering against the door as it hit him.

The Next Day


Harry skidded to a halt in the room. He was told that Ron had some news that wasn\'t good. He heard about Tonks and Moody. What else could be worse than that? He quickly took in stock of Molly and Arthur Weasley who were silently crying in one corner of the room, Fred and George asleep, Bill and Charlie outside somewhere. Ron... Ron was staring a chessboard, defeat and sadness echoing in his posture.

\"Ron?\"

\"She\'s dead.\" Ron choked out, not looking away. \"The Death Eaters and Dementors attacked the vampire village while V-V-Voldemort distracted us.\"

Harry paused. \"I heard about Tonks Ron. But...\"

\"Ginny.\"

Harry felt his stomach revolt. Ginny. Ginny was dead. Oh no....


2 Days Later


\"What are you doing here?\" Malicia snarled,trying to slam the door shut before Harry could get in. But he was faster and had slid in before the door caught him in the face.

Harry turned to face the rude questioner. Malicia. \"What? Can\'t bear to share the tower?\"

A glare. \"Fine. If you want to hide, then hide.\"

\"I\'m not hiding.\"he snarled.

A snort. \"Yes you are. The Boy-Who-Lived, hiding from his friends. And to think I thought you were brave.\"

Harry resisted the urge to hit something. Mainly Malicia. He had to remind himself she wasn\'t exactly used to people yet. Six months in the company of Voldemort could change someone. \"I am brave.\"

\"Right. But not brave enough to go to a funeral of your ex girlfriend. Can\'t bear to watch I take it? At least up close.\" Malicia moved past him and leaned against the outer guard rail.

They were in one of the abandoned towers that were built several hundred years ago. Malicia had basically shut herself in this one the day after a confession inducing, heartwrenching confrontation with her mother and rarely ventured out. It was good place to brood. To think. A place that Harry had lost to the foul mouther, foul tempered and impossible to have a civil conversation refugee of Voldemort\'s dangerous mind games.

\"You can see the...\"

\"The Fire Funeral from here?\"Malicia didn\'t turn back to look at him. \"Yes. Torches are already lit. I think they\'re about to beat the drums. It looks like my...mother-\"Malicia spat that word out like it was a poison, \"is going to sing the Rites. Have you seen a Fire Funeral Potter?\"

\"No.\" Harry moved slowly. He didn\'t want to startle her. Fast actions tended to get people flat on their backs. He rested against one corner, about a foot away from her. \"There\'s been several already. I just can\'t bring myself too...\"

\"Voldemort had a couple for his Death Eaters. Non sanctioned of course. He let me watch.\"

\"Don\'t tell me he sang the Rites.\"

A chuckle. \"No. I asked him if he was going to. He looked at me like I lost my mind. Angel did it. Not a bad voice.\" A pause. \"The Fire Funeral is...exhilarating. It\'s like your transported back into time and you get to see the way our kind was.\" Her glanced at him. \"It\'s one of many of ancient traditions. Only used during times of war.\"

\"Perfect place for it then.\"Harry said bitterly, kicking a stray stone.

\"You didn\'t avoid Tonks or Moody. Why hers?\" Malicia looked back out. \"Why do you avoid hers? Even when she was alive you avoided her. Why?\"

\"She wanted what I couldn\'t give.\"Harry answered quietly. \"She wanted us to go back to the way we were before Dumbledore died. I didn\'t. And I didn\'t get to apologize for what I said to her last.\"

\"Ah. Spurned love. Lost love. You and Voldemort truly do have many things in common.\"

\"Don\'t compare me to that...\"

\"I\'m not.\"

\"Good.\"

Silence. Then a sigh. Feet shuffled. A soft curse. \"Wake up Potter. Snap out of that little pity party of yours.\"

\"What pity party?\"

\"The one that deals with you blaming yourself for causing her death. So what? You two had a spat? You said some things that were mean, probably cruel. And then you didn\'t get a chance to apologize.\" Malicia scoffed. \"Apologies. Nothing but a weakness. That\'s life Potter. No one gets to do the things they wanted until something bad happens.\"

\"I didn\'t ask for this life.\"

\"No. No you didn\'t. But this is what Fate dealt you. This is what you got landed with. A scar, an enemy that can\'t live while you are alive, and a war at your feet. The fate of the wizarding world too. It\'s happened to many throughout history. You\'re just the latest. The newest \'Chosen\' out of long line of them.\"

\"Why thank you. I feel so much better.\"

Malicia shrugged. \"I\'m not here to make you feel better Potter. I\'m just stating the facts. So stop hiding, stop being so god damn maudlin and stop blaming everything on yourself. And if you came up here thinking you\'d get sympathy from me, then sorry. No sympathy. In fact I don\'t think I have anything to give at this moment except words that\'ll make people angry. Like you.\"

Harry shook his head. Out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of the torches and a faint beat of a drum. \"Looks like they\'re starting.\"

\"Yup. Oh here\'s another thing you might want to know.\"

\"What\'s that?\"

\"Voldemort went to Marisol\'s Fire Funeral.\"

Harry stayed silent.

\"He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. The Dark Lord went to his first love\'s tribute. But the Boy-Who-Lived....didn\'t go to his?\"

***************

Harry slapped Ginny\'s photo face down on the desk as he remembered his surroundings. That last comment of Malicia\'s that night spurred him to go to Ginny\'s tribute. He was not going to go through life having his actions compared to Voldemort\'s.

After Ginny\'s funeral he had found himself going up to Malicia\'s tower several times, constantly drawing the occupants ire. She snarled at him, hexed him, threw stuff at him. Even got a threat of Avada Kedavra from her. Malicia hadn\'t cared for Harry intruding in what she considered her tower. Even told him that Voldemort hadn\'t intruded as much as he did. That one stung.

But she put up with his presence. And soon became a new confidante to Harry. He had Ron and Hermione of course, but Allesandra and Malicia were different. Malicia snapped at him, goaded him, told him to stop pitying himself, to stop being such a martyr and stop being so fucking moody. She hit him a couple times.

They talked a lot though. A once hostile relationship that reminded him of the way he and Draco were like gradually evolved into friendship. Malicia rarely talked about what happened during her six month imprisonment. Never spoke about what happened to her arm. She did tell Harry about a few conversations she had with Voldemort and Angel. And then told him how she felt like killing herself when she found out about Voldemort being her father.

Harry had interuppted both attempts. Both attempts were made shortly after rousing and scatching fights with Ron who wouldn\'t keep his mouth shut. Ron didn\'t know it, but he had a way of making Malicia feel very...unclean. As if she had with dirty blood, a dirty gene pool. Ron never knew how much of an effect his cruel words had on her.

Both times Malicia had broken her reserve. Broke down crying in Harry\'s arms. Told him she didn\'t deserve to live. That Fate had dealt her a rotten deal, to have two parents that the world hated and reviled. That Ron was right about her. That she was rotten, and that she was no better than her parents. That she was a Dark Witch at heart, born into evil and would eventually become evil. Those two times were the only time that Harry and Ron had ever come to blows. Physical at least.

\"Harry?\"a sleepy voice murmured, jerking him out of his thoughts. He looked over at the long couch to see Malicia sitting up. \"How long have you been sitting there?\"

Harry glanced at the clock. \"Almost two hours now. I got lost in some memories.\"

\"That makes two of us.\"

Harry got up and crossed the room. He lifted her legs up, sat down and placed them over his lap. \"You look like you got something on your mind as well.\"

\"Just thinking about what Hermione said....can you rub my left ankle? My muscles are starting to cramp.\"

Harry moved his hands over the smooth skin and began to rub. \"Is it about the altering potion she was talking about? How she came to think about your looks are like now?\"

Mali nodded. \"I always thought it was my mother\'s magic. The results of using the Amulet effecting me in the long run. She never denied it. Never really confirmed it either. Should of told me right there.\"

\"Does it matter?\"

\"It\'s another thing she kept from me. I mean silver hair? Purple eyes? You have to admit you were afraid that James or Raven would get my....odd looks.\"

\"James has your hair color. But it\'s not as...there...as your\'s is. Besides it\'s not a major thing is it? It\'s just something your mother did to protect you in sense.\"

\"Or to protect her conscience.\"Mali murmured. She frowned. \"Crap. I can\'t confront her now. She\'s probably in Puerto Rico now.\"

Harry frowned. \"Why?\"

\"The Dark Cemetary. She goes there every year. On this day, so many years ago, she met an 18 year oldTom Marvole Riddle for the first time...and it left a lasting impact. On both parties. She\'s probably visiting that damn statue erected in his \'honor\'.\"

\"What kind of impact?\"

\"What? She never told you?\"

\"She told me that she offered an alliance to Voldemort. She told me he said no. But she never told me the specifics.\"

\"Ah. Well he did say no. He refused her flat out. She never took rejection well. So she decided to show him why no one walked away from her.\"

\"I\'m afraid to ask.\"

\"She introduced him firsthand to Extremus Cruciatus.\"

\"Uh...\"

\"Think of the original Cruciatus times twenty. Only the truly powerful can use it. If done wrong, it can kill in a matter of seconds. She casted it twice on him. \" Mali paused. \"She think it kind of warped him after that.\"

\"I just bet it did.\"