A Thief to Catch a Thief; a Death Eater to Catch a

Summary of previous: Hermione located 12 children in a locked underground pit; 4 were dead and 8 were deformed and incredibly badly treated.











Several hours later, the chief mediwizard found the team of aurors in a private room. Hermione (now back to her original appearance) was malnourished and would be kept in for a few hours on various vitamin potions; her colleagues intended on waiting with her.



“You aren’t the next of kin to these youngsters, but you’ll need this information for the wizangamot.” He began, sitting down on the egde of Hermione’s bed, flicking through a wedge of parchments on his clipboard.



“We can do very little for six of them; they have chronic brain damage that can’t be repaired, we discovered that they can walk with help though. I have no proof, but their condition is characteristic of a potion that was banned over three centuries ago. The potion was used to end unwanted pregnancies, but it was too easy to brew wrong or confuse similar ingredients… the abnormal potion does not abort a pregnancy, but does a lot of damage to the baby… the healing charms on the children are indicating the exact same problems – the same person brewed the potion given to all six.” The healer said, looking utterly disgusted.



“But they age between three and nine!” Harry said.



“That’s worrying – it suggests that the exact same mistake was made repeatedly.” Lucius said.



“There are seventy-five different errors that are documented with this potion, all have different problems… this one suggests – and as of yet I have no proof I’m right – that whoever brewed this was not adding enough of the most expensive ingredient – the pollen from the blue lightning flower.”



“The active ingredient.” Hermione muttered.



“You know of this potion?” the healer asked, horrified.



“I brewed a much stronger version many years ago. Before the search for horcruxes; the vial was charmed and hidden in my hair – it would kill me within three seconds of drinking should the war have not gone in our favour. I was not going to be tortured before being killed.” She whispered. “I destroyed it as soon as I could after the battle was over.”



“Oh… well, everyone is glad it didn’t come to that!” the healer said; “One of them, the eldest, was almost completely starved of oxygen at birth – a poor midwitch attended that delivery! We can keep him comfortable but that’s all. The healers have named him Devin – its from the name Damhán – which means’ fawn’. He’s got perfect doe eyes, and the mediwitches on the children’s permanent ward are half in love with him, he won’t let go of the Matron.” The healer smiled, the boy would be cared for now, as he should have been from an infant.



“The little girl” he continued, “Has nothing wrong with her mentally, other than the fact that she is unaware of language – she can talk, but doesn’t know any words. She was most likely born with the deformity to her legs and feet, and had she been brought into us when she was born then we could have healed it within an hour…”



“Why do I get the impression there is a ‘however’ in here.” Lucius said.



“Magically, there is nothing we can do for her legs – the only option if she is to walk again is a muggle thing called surgery.”



“What’s that?” Jess asked, sitting down.



“They’d cut open her leg, break the bones and then put some metal on them to hold them in place while they heal.” The mediwizard said, only to be cut off by Dave.



“That’s BARBARIC!” he cried.



“Oh, definitely, but she would be in a deep sleep. When compared to magical healing, it is frightening – but it is the only option if she is going to walk again… they can also replace her knee joints.”



“Replace them?” Lucius asked, shocked.



“Yeah, when muggles wear out or badly injure certain joints, they give them artificial ones.” Hermione explained. “But she’d grow – and the knee would need to be replaced more than once…”



“Yes…” the mediwizard said, looking awkward.



“What are you waiting for?” Lucius asked.



“We can’t get funding to treat her – the ministry only supports magical healing… it is going to cost ten thousand galleons to set up the operation, and then oblivarate all the muggle healers – they’re called doctors and nurses – afterward… we haven’t got the money.”



“I’ll pay then – it wouldn’t make a dent in my vault.” Lucius said, the other aurors nodding at the suggestion.



“You can’t, there is nothing tying you to her.” The healer said.



“I could give the hospital a ten-thousand donation…”



“Which would be used to fund something else before it pays for muggle treatment, not to mention the tax on a donation that large!” The healer said.



“What would tie me to her?” Lucius asked, not wanting her to suffer, the little girl had put up a fight when Hermione first entered, she was strong and just needed the proper start in life – albeit a bit late.



“Your name – adoption.” The healer whispered, knowing full well the child would never walk, it wasn’t fair, children should be running in the grass and chasing butterflies and faeries.



“Fine. Give me twenty minutes with the minister, and I’ll get you the money.” Lucius said, apparating directly to the minister’s house (regardless of it being four in the morning). As an auror he knew the location should he need protecting, though he couldn’t tell anyone.



And thus, the minister and his wife were woken by Lucius, their infant son sleeping straight through the fifteen minute argument and signing of paperwork; Lucius returned, as promised, nineteen minutes later as the little girl’s ‘Father’.



“She needs a name.” Hermione pointed out, incredibly woozy as another potion she drank provided side-effects.



“She’s a beautiful little girl, now she’s clean; she has bright gold-copper hair – like a new kettle catching the sun! And huge hazel eyes! She’s very frightened, but likes bubbles in the bath, and she truly dislikes the colour yellow – she tore off her yellow gown, but she liked the purple one, and picked it off the pile. She completely soaked the mediwitches popping the bubbles in the bath; I’ve never seen the ladies so drenched after bathing a patient!” The healer chuckled.



Lucius thought for a moment, remembering through his family history for a suitable name; when he was younger he had memorised his family tree at his Father’s insistence, Draco had done the same. She might not be biologically his, but she was now a Malfoy and would have a Malfoy name.



“Cressida Hæsel Malfoy.” Lucius said after ten minutes deep in thought before filling in the only blank space on the form.



“That’s a lovely name.” Jess said, nodding.



“What does it mean?” Hermione asked, closing her eyes as the room started to spin, she decided that next time she would refuse the vitamin and body replenishment potions and just let her body recover naturally.



“Cressida is from the Greek: ‘chrysos’, which means gold. It was my Great, Great, Great, Great, Great Grandmother’s name, she was the first blonde Malfoy. Hæsel is an old English form of Hazel.”



“Its also a character from Shakespeare, ‘Troilus and Cressida’” Hermione muttered, “Hermione was a character in one too… I think I’m going to be sick” She said, leaning over into a steel bucket placed by her bead and loosing whichever potions were remaining in her stomach.



“Lord Malfoy, would you like to meet your daughter while I set up the muggle healing and apply for obilvarations?” the healer said while tending to Hermione as best he could now her (florescent organge) stomach contents were in the bucket, “I think we should avoid giving you any more potions, Miss Granger, we’ll release you at lunch time, they’ll have worn off by then. You need to take a month off work to recover and build up your strength without potions – don’t eat too much too soon, little and often is the key.”



“The other staff were there longer than I was, they’ll need help too.” She whispered, groaning as another wave of nausea hit as she continued to dry heave. Only Harry and Jess remained in the room, the others having gone to get coffee to keep them awake.



“As soon as the other aurors let them out of questioning we’ll heal them too.” He reassured, laying a cool hand on her brow.



“This way, Lord Malfoy.” The healer said, leaving the room and walking away, Hermione Granger needed rest now, and the comfort of her friends.



Lucius gave Hermione a brief hug before following the healer, he had a daughter to be introduced to.