Pilfered Progeny - Stolen Dreams

***AUTHOR'S NOTE: References to Harry Potter disguised by Polyjuice potion into Alerick will be noted by calling him Alerick/Potter***

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REVIEW:


I started reading this months ago, but then didn't get online for a long while and forgot about it. Now that I've found it agin, I'm re-reading it from the beginning. I'm on chapter 4 so far and really like it! I can't wait to find out what's been happening to Harry and Draco's babies and how they've been getting put in other tummies, lol. I hope they get them all back and and end up a huge happy family and I hope Hermione's not in on what's going on, but I suspect she is. I'm disappointed in her already. Anyway, I'll be back to read as much as I can (and review again) tomorrow night! I also see Ron ending up dating Blaise even tho Charlie is, but Charlie and Blaise not braking up over it and I'd like to know more about the Snape/Remus/Nymphadora love triangle thing. Is Remus dating them both? Are they all dating each other? Did Remus and Tonks break up and they're just good friends and sharing parenting duties now? Gah, I can't wait to see what's going on! But for now I have to sleep. I'll have more questions to pester you with tiomorrow, lol.
Astraea


AUTHOR RESPONSE:


Wow, lots of questions for sure! Thank you for asking and being so interested. By the time you reach this you'll have the answers to most of your questions. But by all means, keep asking! Some of the reviews we've received have helped us to refine the story; a couple of our reviewers have had their ideas inserted into the story as well. Keep reviewing!!


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Jerrod Warrington stood at the doorway of the house leading out to the expansive garden. Snow covered half the ground still, but the children had been bundled up and taken outside for their afternoon training. It was different for all of them. The little enchanter worked on her spells to bind and force others to her will. The guardians focused on offensive and defensive spells. The Dark Prince watched them and participated wherever and whenever he chose with his nanny and personal guardian for the time being always close behind him. Anton Karkaroff, bastard son of Igor Karkaroff, had moved in permanently as well and was seldom more than six feet away from the Dark Prince.



He turned from the scene and walked back inside, finding himself pacing again to the library and the fireplace that Malcolm Parkinson always used to get in. Of course, he wasn’t there. He had heard from the other members of the Secret Dark Circle that Malcolm had not only been found out; that their Consort had been taken as well.



That damned fool McNair hadn’t followed his orders, which were to just kill the boy so that their plan wouldn’t be found out. They could have created another one, even though Alerick had been extremely bright and promising and fit the planned profile with gratifying perfection. He had sent out the order immediately to bring all the children together in one safe house and now this place was overflowing… you could almost feel the power as nearly all the children were together.



The problem of the consort would solve itself if they did not relocate him and reunite him with the Dark Prince by his thirteenth year. The boy would simply die; it was a condition that Malcolm had insisted be incorporated into the bond. Nothing would be able to save him. They’d put too much effort into raising that blonde brat to lose him now.



The Daily Prophet had reported that the clinic had been shut down and that there was a huge scandal and the children that Pansy had created had been found and returned to the heads of family. Stupid madcap harpy that she was, she had created more trouble for them than she had ever imagined. Damn her and her greed… she’d ruined everything.



The trouble for Jerrod was he couldn’t depend on the Daily Prophet to be accurate about anything anymore. That paper had never recovered from the takeover over twenty years ago by those sympathetic to the Dark Lord. The fools only seemed to print trash anymore, or articles that were highly controversial. Nothing but a news rag anymore…



The paper and his contacts said nothing about the capture of either Pansy Parkinson or her father Malcolm, but that really didn’t mean anything. They could be keeping it quiet if they were after these kids. It had been four days since he last heard from Parkinson; he had no idea what to do right now but he was about to take matters into his own hands.



He was tired of waiting.



There were vast expanses of empty land in other countries… he had been considering taking them away and doing away with everyone here he knew had any knowledge of the children. Memory charms were nice, but every time he tried to Obliviate someone he usually did irreparable harm to their memories. The trouble with that was the harm that was done did not get done to the memories he wanted to destroy most of the time. He sighed. He would have to kill the lot of them.



He’d need to go to town soon; the children certainly weren’t suffering in their appetites. He would much rather go to the bar anyway… he moved to his own room and donned his winter cloak, bellowing for a house elf. He ordered the creature to go to town and resupply the house, deciding he needed some time away from the damned children and this house, no matter how huge it was.



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He took a moment to cast a disillusionment charm about himself before he left the house, apparating to an area just beyond the village. He bowed his head against the wind from the north that had just blown into the town. That meant it would be hitting the complex within the next hour. The children had better have been put back inside… damn it all. He wasn’t going to worry about it not for the next hour or two.



He scurried inside the shelter of the mud room, closing the south-facing door quickly to block out the bitter wind, taking a moment to shake the snow off his cape and cap. Another wave of snow-laden weather was coming, just when he had thought spring had finally arrived. Perhaps it was better that he needed to move the children; they would be safer where they would not suffer from frostbite simply by taking their lessons out-of-doors.



He turned inside, whispering a warming charm, and made his way to the bar as he glanced about at the other patrons. He felt his heart leap, then freeze. Alerick. Great Merlin… Alerick was here! And sitting beside him… oh fuck! The one person that Jerrod Warrington wanted nothing to do with more than any other wizard in the entire world: Lucius Malfoy.



He considered turning and running. He considered apparating directly back to the house and taking only the children and leaving… but Lucius was simply having a meal with the lad in a booth. He did not seem to be hunting for anything…



Warrington slipped into the entry way and scowled. Did Parkinson send him? Lucius had been in the thick of things with the Dark Lord but he’d never been in on any of this… was it simply luck that had brought him here? Or had Alerick used his bond to find this place? There was really only one way to find out.



He released the disillusionment charm and moved quietly to the bar. The barkeep looked at him, and then gave a bit of a nod, moving to get this usual drink.



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Lucius had positioned himself so that he had an eye on who came and went through the door. Severus had told him that this bar was one that was frequented by Warrington. Lucius himself would hardly know the wizard on sight, but Potter definitely would. He had gone to school with the boy and Potter and Draco had both told him that Warrington had been on that ‘Inquisitorial Squad’ that Dolores Umbridge had established in the fifth year. He glanced at his companion at the table. You would never know unless you had been there to watch the change that the delicate blonde little boy at his side was not Alerick, but truly was a polyjuiced Potter.



“That’s him.” Harry/Alerick murmured, pulling another of the hard candies out of his pocket and popping it into his mouth. Severus’ contribution, these candies… polyjuice in a hard candy form so Harry could maintain his disguise much longer than a polyjuice potion usually lasted. It was about half a dose of potion encased in a hard candy shell and their testing of it had shown it lasted about half an hour with each one.



“Remember to stay in character.” Lucius murmured a quiet reminder.



“Yes, Lord Father Malfoy.” Harry/Alerick answered with a bit of a smirk that he fought to quell.



Lucius laughed softly, lifting his glass to take a drink. “Behave yourself, Alerick.” He scolded with a smirk of his own.



“Of course, Lord Father Malfoy.” He said, openly watching Warrington. He felt completely safe in doing so as Alerick was a curious boy and watched everyone and everything anyway. “Are you sure I shouldn’t call you Granddad…?” he asked teasingly, keeping his voice soft.



“Lord Father Malfoy will suffice.” He answered, lips twitching a moment into a smile. “Eat your soup.”



“I think I’m finished.” He said, pushing the half-eaten plate back, letting his hands fall properly into his lap.



“It is rather tasteless and greasy, isn’t it?” Lucius said, pushing his own back as well. “Must be considered the best available here, as this place gets very busy at lunchtime and dinner…” he glanced toward Warrington out of the corner of his eye. The man was still at the bar, and was frequently stealing glances at the two of them. “I would prefer to do this my way.” He said quietly. He had told both Severus and Potter that he preferred to simply Imperious the fool and force him to take them into the protected house.



“He keeps looking over… I think he needs to drink himself a little courage before he comes to talk to us. He needed Draco to give him guidance in school, and he found another to follow now. Not to mention that you do cut a rather daunting figure, Lord Father Malfoy…” Harry/Alerick responded, picking up his drink to delicately sip at it, forcing the awful tasting candy down quickly. He wouldn’t have to have another one for half an hour… he glanced at his watch then continued his monitoring of Warrington.



“That is by design and plan, Alerick.” Lucius answered, seeming to completely ignore Warrington now. “Those who exude power and display that power for others to see are rarely those who are approached by fools.”







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Warrington put down his second empty glass and turned; he either had to get Alerick back or find out what the bloody hell that Malfoy wanted here. He didn’t come to the outskirts of some tiny town in Romania to have one of their bread bowls filled with greasy lamb stew no matter what it looked like. He took a deep breath to build his courage and moved toward the table. Alerick kept staring right at him as he approached; it was clear the child recognized him but said nothing.



“Good afternoon, Warrington. A mite early to be drinking, isn’t it?” Lucius asked quietly when he was nearly to the table, not even bothering to look about.



“Um… yeah. A little.” He said quietly, moving into the range of Lucius’ view. “Not exactly your area of the world here, is it Malfoy?” he asked quietly. His words were bold, but his tone was hesitant and unsure.



“No. I am here with my grandson here… you have something I want.” He turned his steel-grey eyes on Warrington. “And you will give me what I want.”



He shook his head. “I don’t have anything you could want…”



“Is this the man, Alerick?” Lucius asked, not taking his eyes off the man.



“Yes, Lord Father Malfoy.” Harry/Alerick answered in a confident, even tone.



“Sit down, Warrington. I’m not going to hex you right here in the middle of the bar, nor will I do such a thing in front of my grandson. Sit.” Lucius waved at the third seat at the table.



Warrington hesitated, fighting the impulse to immediately comply. After a few moments he moved to the chair and sank into it. “What is it you want?”



“Not what, Warrington. Whom.” Lucius corrected.



“Who…?” Warrington flushed. Damn it, he knew… his eyes shot to Alerick who sat looking at him with complete innocence.



“Parkinson hasn’t been in contact with you, has he?” Lucius asked, picking up his drink, studying the liquid through the clear glass as he asked his question.



“How would you know…?”



“He’s abandoned the project. I’ve already spoken with Rowle. I know about the Dark Circle. I know about the Prince.”



Warrington felt his heart skip a beat and his blood run cold. Malfoy was getting involved… this was what Parkinson had warned him against. Malcolm had been very adamant that Lucius Malfoy was never to find out even one iota of what was going on… McNair. It all came back to McNair… if he hadn’t been killed by the damned Aurors he’d hunt McNair down and kill him himself.



Lucius watched the emotions play across Jerrod’s face, his own face in a soft knowing smirk. This man had no training in restraining his own emotions and allowed himself to be read like a book. Parkinson had probably stated he did not want Malfoy involved… well no wonder. There were probably lots of things that Parkinson did not share with Warrington as well… it was time to play the next card.



“He betrayed me, Warrington. Are you aware of that?” Lucius asked in a bland tone.



“Who did?” Jerrod asked. Lucius wasn’t sure if the man was truly that stupid or just acting that way to try to cover up.



“Parkinson.” He set his glass down, sitting up in his chair, eyes locked on Jerrod’s. “He betrayed me. He told me he would not use my line for this. I was adamant on that subject when he began this project.”



“So you turned him in?” Jerrod asked, jumping to the first and most obvious conclusion.



Lucius snorted. “I would not have been kind enough to have simply turned him over to the Aurors. His fool of a daughter accomplished that.” He said, leaning on his elbows on the table. “Because he betrayed me, though, I will be taking over this project for myself.”



“Taking over…? But… you weren’t…”



“Do you really think that Parkinson came by a sudden fortune? How do you think he afforded to establish that clinic? Not all of his donors were publicly touted. Each piece of equipment in that clinic cost thousands of muggle dollars, and the work done there cost much more than that. Many of my ‘charities’ are very private and not advertised.” Lucius said scornfully.



“He never mentioned…”



“Of course he didn’t.” Lucius said, clearly losing patience with the inane statements. “There were many things he didn’t share with you, Warrington, because he did not plan to keep you around much longer.”



“I was going to be around for quite a while.” He countered. “I’m the one who came up with the idea of aging…”



Aging…? They were going to age the children? Lucius did not allow his surprise at the statement to show. “Are you? Or did he allow you to think you came up with it so that you felt important to the cause? You were nothing before, when the Dark Lord ruled. You were going to be nothing again when the Prince came to power.”



Warrington looked dumbstruck. “He couldn’t have dealt with them on his own.”



“Perhaps not. And that is why he had others with strength and power in the wings, waiting to step in.” Lucius said, clearly meaning himself. Warrington stared at him in silence for several long moments but said nothing. After a minute or so Lucius gestured to the barkeeper, who mixed another drink and brought it over to Warrington before bustling off again. Warrington took a deep drink. “Parkinson is gone. No one has heard from him in several days. He has been forced into fleeing, and forced into hiding. Both he and his daughter don’t dare show their faces in the wizarding world right now.” Lucius explained. “I happen to know that there are several wizards who have filed blood feud against the Parkinsons. They’re sure to be killed by one wizard or another fairly soon. Then where will you be? You will be the one left holding the bag, as it were. Four children with no family hanging upon you for money and food… and our Prince will not appreciate any sort of deprivation. I know Alerick prefers the best of everything.” He said, glancing at the childlike figure at his side.



“As it should be, Lord Father Malfoy.” Harry/Alerick agreed quietly.



“You don’t have the money to continue raising them as they should be raised, even if you take them to another country, do you?” He asked, eyeing the younger wizard, who flushed.



“I’ve done well enough…”



“With Parkinson’s constant contributions, yes you have.” Lucius agreed, working to get Warrington thinking along the lines he wished him to. “You may have done an excellent job up until now with what you have had. But these children will need proper wardrobes and proper instruction, as well as a much firmer hand to get them through their teenage years.” He said in a calm tone, passing Harry/Alerick a napkin and the blonde boy dutifully dabbed at his mouth before sitting quietly to listen once more. “Do you have the desire to continue, to be the only one responsible for their upbringing? I think you’re feeling rather overwhelmed right now, since all of them must be under one roof…”



“It is harder.” He grumbled. “I can’t stand little girls.” He said.



“Then take me to them. I can ease your burden; get them proper nannies and instructors that Parkinson could never have afforded. They must have the proper education else their teenage years will drive you insane. Even then they can try your every last nerve and I ought to know; I have raised one myself.”



Warrington again looked torn, turning his eyes to Alerick. “They have really special needs… and now that we have them together they refused to be separated. And I’m having a lot of problems with Eric…” he said, deciding. Let Lucius take command; he was much happier being a nobody within the framework, someone dependable to give continued support to the new Dark Prince.



“You have only to show me to where they are. I will get them all properly in line. No offense, Warrington, but you don’t have a very dominant personality. I have plenty of experience dealing with powerful personalities. Just show me where they are.”



Warrington took up the drink that Lucius had purchased for him and drank it down, coughing a bit at the strength but downing it nonetheless before he rose to his feet. “All right. Come on; I’ll take you myself.” He said quietly.



“Excellent choice.” Lucius said, rising as well. “Come, Alerick. It is time for you to see your Dark Prince once more…”



Harry/Alerick smiled, rising to his feet. He tried to copy the expression of joy that he had seen every time the Dark Prince had been mentioned around the boy, but said nothing.



“You’d best bundle that boy up; it’s quite a walk from here.” He said, moving to the door. Lucius followed, and Harry/Alerick found it a relief that the boy he was pretending to be would not have held the older wizard’s hand… it was weird enough having to call him ‘Lord Father Malfoy’ all the time.



The wind was bitter and laden with snow. Although it was not a hard blow yet it promised to get much worse by nightfall. Harry/Alerick stayed as close behind Lucius as he dared; the cloak that he had brought didn’t seem to be doing anything to stop the wind at all. He whispered a soft warming spell on the inside of his cloak as they trudged onward.



Jarred Warrington had not been exaggerating; the three were walking for nearly an hour down the hard-beaten dirt road before Warrington turned north toward a small sheltered valley. Harry had already ingested another of the polyjuice candies and knew he had about ten more minutes before he needed another one…



Warrington held out his hand to Lucius as they approached an empty field. Lucius wordlessly took the hand and took hold of Harry/Alerick’s hand with his other. Jarred led them onward and when they rounded a copse of trees, he released their hands. “There it is…”



At the heart of the valley, sheltered by surrounding high hills from the worst of the biting winds was a grand little manor and grounds. It was clearly lit and occupied, had an east and west wing and expansive gardens out back of the house. It was completely fenced in, and highly secure. “We didn’t want to take any chances with the Dark Prince… he started walking so we had to put in fences to keep him from toddling off…” he said, moving to the tall wrought-iron gates to unlock them. There were inscriptions of the Dark Mark on both of the gates, and representations of the mark on the fences surrounding the property.



Jerrod Warrington stepped square in front of the wrought-iron gate and sighed. He produced his wand and used a transfiguration charm to change the end of the wand into a sharp blade, which he used to slice a small cut in his thumb. He pressed his thumb into the lock and the blood released the lock on the gate. He pushed it open, then chanted a soft incantation to release the first ward then entered the grounds. “We have pretty good security here…” he said, though he did not sound overly enchanted by it all.



“So I see… how many wards are set over the grounds?” Lucius asked as he and Alerick/Harry followed Warrington through the gate.



Warrington turned to reseal the gates and reactivate the perimeter ward. “About twenty or so we’ll need to pass through before we get to the house. All the doors inside are warded too and you have to release them before you can go from one part of the house to another.”



The three moved on, with Jerrod magically assisting Lucius to pass through the multiple layers of wards as they crossed the grounds and made their way down the long graveled pathway that led to the main door of the mansion. Harry/Alerick was not sure if the wards were crafted to allow the boy he impersonated through, so he tried to make sure he was quite close to Lucius to ensure he was passed through the wards by Warrington as well. "They were outside practicing when I left, but I’m sure they took them inside when this damned storm hit. They could have put them in their rooms, but it is rather early. You'll be happy to know that I've ensured that we've stuck to the plan, even without Parkinson around to tell us how important it is that they get their education as quickly as possible.” he said conversationally as they walked. "Verden didn't think the children would pick up the lessons so quickly, but Parkinson said they would. So did that German bloke that they brought when the pregnant mothers would come to deliver the babies; he said they were engineered that way, whatever that means..."



Lucius made little thoughtful noises as Jerrod rattled on, learning more about what was going on in here by the moment. He was glad that Warrington had apparently just decided to give it all up as a bad job and hand it off to someone else. That made it so much easier; now he didn’t have to torture him for the information. That would have been a bit more satisfying, though…



Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out another candy, slipping the potion-laced candy drop into his mouth. He wasn't sure if he needed it, but he surely didn't want to change back just as they stepped through the door.



Warrington saw him with the candy and his lip curled. "Candy...? You'll spoil the brat, Lucius." he sneered. "We don't give them sweets here; it rots their teeth..."



"He is MY grandson, Warrington, and I will give him whatever I wish." Lucius growled at him, narrowing his eyes dangerously. "You overstep your boundaries."



"Am I...? Parkinson used to get just as pissed if I mentioned anything too..." he grumbled, scowling as he mounted the last stair that led to the front door.



The door was made of some sort of very dark ironwood, seasoned by years of exposure to the harsh elements here in the unforgiving northern country of Romania. Warrington used the still sharp end of his wand again, nicking the tip of his thumb before he slipped it up underneath the doorknocker, whispering "Recognitum." The door audibly clicked and he reached with his other hand to open it. "I hate that damned spell; my hands get the hell beat out of them when I have to leave." he grumbled as he led the two into the grand entryway.



This place was meant to be a palace; probably the only place the little Dark Prince was ever to see in his youth. The entryway had definitely been built to impress with marble floors, expensive artwork on display, and two curving staircases of marble arching off to the left and right from the center of the room. The deep blue upholstery on the furniture in the area stood out in stark contrast to the shining silver polish on the frames they were attached to. A huge mirror was affixed to the ceiling and when Harry gazed up he could see himself and the entire room reflected in that glass.



Warrington didn't pay any attention to it, letting them in and closing the door against the harsh northern wind to finally cut off the blast and assault by snow. "They're probably in the Great Room, if the nannies have chosen to continue the training inside..."



"Decided that nannies were vital, did he...?" Lucius asked, though he was truly fishing for information.



"Yeah... the teachers and 'father' figures were supposed to take care of them but they got really pissy when they were left with all that work..." he muttered as he re-sealed the door. "So he brought in nannies for each child, even one for each twin. Parkinson insisted that we have only squibs as nannies for them, so they wouldn't be tempted to try to twist the children in some way. Alerick's nanny was killed when he was taken away, along with McNair..." he answered, not really seeming to care if he caused shock or dismay to the child standing just behind him. "So he won't have one here."



"I see. And who did he finally choose to teach each skill?" Lucius prompted him.



Warrington glanced at him, a little suspicious. "He didn't tell you?"



"I told you, he was hiding certain things from me; he didn’t want me to know he was making my own family into a servant class for his Dark Prince." he returned with a scowl as they stood there in the entryway. "Is the name of one of the teachers going to anger me or is there another reason you aren’t telling me?" He queried.



"Oh, uh... well, I dunno." he shrugged, unsure. He hated that he had been left in charge! "For defense and offensive spells, mostly to teach the guardian, we have Woodall. For seductive spells, Cecilia Chen, she's a Chinese lady or something, and this weird woman from America, name of Christi Burke or something like that. I can't stand that woman. That's one thing that Alerick and I both agree on; she's a right prat. Where was I...? Oh yes. For charms we had to settle with Moran. I know he's almost useless but these are just kids right now. When they need a better teacher we'll move on from him. For Hexes and the like we have Vreshnick and Karkaroff. Verden teaches them how to use a wand and proper wand work..."



"Sound like a good start for a properly rounded education… Where are their wands?"



"They don't have 'em yet; we were gonna wait until... well, until we got them to eight or nine or so..."



"Fine. Go on...?"



"Oh, um... Oh, yeah. Baroness Grechim teaches them manners and deportment. This is her place, you know. Old friend or something of Bebel’s; grew up with him or something like that. I really can't stand either one of them."



"She, at least, has done a very good job teaching proper manners... I know Alerick has displayed many of the proper mannerisms for a young man of his stature."



"Taught 'em all to be uppity, that's what she's done. But we're keeping them in line." he agreed, starting them off again as he continued to list teachers. "McNair was teaching them about poisons, but he's dead. And I teach about herbs and some potions stuff but only Alerick there was old enough to even begin to train there... the twins are dead useless at potions but spot-on using all kinds of attack spells."



"Interesting." Lucius mused.



"We don't have anyone lined up to take on the next round of lessons; Parkinson was supposed to take care of that in the next couple of weeks. After the aging, we were going to start with Alerick's consort training. Verden and Moran have volunteered to start off his lessoning."



"They have, have they?" Lucius growled softly.



"Yeah... he has to learn that he's to be a proper submissive, and not to try to dominate those who have power over him." He gave the boy a bit of a glare, but did not linger with his gaze as he unlocked yet another door with his blood. "But that won't be for another month or so." He said, glancing at the boy again. "So, are you going to go ahead and kill off the girl?”



"Why would I do that? You just said she was intelligent and useful."



He shrugged. "Parkinson wanted to kill her when she was born. He only wanted the boy to be the guardian, not his sister. And they consider them a mistake... they aren't pure as the consort and Dark Prince are. I told them it would be idiotic to kill her off right then; just to be patient and wait, to let us see if these two have that weird 'twin' thing going on. And they do. They know what the other is thinking and sometimes even without a word can argue and settle things... it’s creepy sometimes, watching them."



Lucius considered the man thoughtfully. He was fairly useless but he had been bold enough to speak up to save the life of one of the children... "Interesting... no, I do not intend to kill any of them." he said honestly. He felt Harry tap his hand ever so gently and knew that they were just not the three of them in this antechamber anymore; someone had moved up behind them and was hoping to take them by surprise.



"Who have you brought amongst us, Jerrod...?" purred a silky voice with a very heavy Russian accent from behind them. Harry had been watching him approach; the man was not very tall, but his eyes were only on Harry/Alerick. "Is this your precious young Alerick, returned from that hell of the English Ministry...?" he asked, reaching out to stroke the lad's cheek in a manner that indicated more sensuality then fatherhood.



Harry/Alerick had no trouble recognizing the sexual desire in the man’s eyes and he shoved his hand away, completely disgusted. "Don't touch me!" he snapped.



The man snarled and drew back a hand, prepared to slap Harry/Alerick across the face but barely got his hand raised when a wand flashed out and a spell slammed into his chest, slapping him hard against the marble pillar with a sickening crack.



Lucius watched him slide to the ground, grasping at his ribs, moaning in pain. His head was bleeding from where it had struck as well. "NO ONE touches my family!" he snarled at the man, eyes narrow. "Who the bloody hell is this idiot, Warrington?!" he demanded.



"Verden." Jerrod murmured, shaken. "We don't have medical care here, Malfoy..." he started. "I should get him to..."



"He's not going anywhere; he’s earned his pain. His bleeding isn't too bad and he can wait to be tended." Lucius said coldly, watching the man get to shaky feet.



Harry/Alerick scowled. "Where is my Prince?!" he demanded, arms folded. "Take me to him now!"



Jerrod looked from the boy back to Lucius, shocked. This kind of behavior would have resulted in severe punishment from his handlers before; what had Lucius done to this boy? He'd only had him for a few days! "Alerick, the Prince might be in bed now..." he said quietly, unsure now of his own position in this and how he was going to survive.



"Regardless, you will take us to him immediately!" Lucius instructed.



"You ain't supposed to be giving orders...!" Verden snarled, drawing out his wand.



"Expelliarmus!" Harry/Alerick snapped, knocking down the injured man once more and sending his wand flying into the air, spinning wildly. He thrust out his hand and snatched the wand out of the air deftly. "You will not threaten either me or my grandfather any longer!" he snapped.



"What the fuck? Wandless?!" Warrington mumbled in disbelief.



Alerick/Harry innocently smiled as he offered the wand up to Lucius. "Here, Lord Father Malfoy..." he said.



"Very good, Alerick. Thank you." Lucius said, accepting the wand with a smile, not taking his cold steel eyes off of Verden. "You had better understand, Verden, that nothing around here is going to remain the same..." he began and held up the wand, threatening the man with his own wand. "Do show your intelligence and shut the hell up, Verden. I am taking over this operation. There is nothing you can say or do that will change it. Do you understand me...?"



Verden hesitated, and then nodded slightly to indicate his understanding.



"Take us to him." Lucius ordered, eyes flicking to Warrington for a moment.



"Yeah... yeah, sure..." he said, moving onward quickly. Lucius gestured for Verden to follow ahead of them, and then took up the rear with Alerick. He muttered "Silencio" and took away Verden's capability of speech and ability to continue to mutter and moan in pain as he limped ahead of them.



"Why do you not have the aging potion ready yet, Warrington?" Lucius probed.



"We want a particularly strong aging potion, one that’s permanent and that will age them a minimum of four years. I have one but the effects aren't permanent yet, I've nearly got down to the last details of how to perfect it. A few more tests..." he shrugged, leading them down an ornate hallway to the last door at the end. He opened this and it opened into a huge room that was clearly meant to be a sunroom or greenhouse.



The room was easily forty feet across and round, the walls all wrought iron and glass. Even the ceiling was made of glass, arching upward to create a dome in a very graceful curve. The snow slid off this shape, though it doggedly hung on to the joints of the metalwork wherever it touched. The furnishings in the room were basic and simple, yet elegant at the same time. Poufs, tables of solid materials, chairs of sturdy wood stood about the room in small clusters but the center of the room was completely cleared. One wall next to the door was dedicated to a small library of spell books with very few if any appropriate for children of the age they saw in the room.



Off to the north was a small dais and that is where the child who had to be the Dark Prince was located at the moment. He was dressed in a splendidly tailored miniature version of wizard’s robes that allowed him freedom to crawl and move about on his own. He seemed to be around a year old, with a shock of wild untamed black hair and startling green eyes that watched everyone and everything. Off to his left were the two guardians, practicing attack spells. They both were black-haired too, but the boy's was very curly and cropped close to his scalp. His twin had her hair back in a braid, wisps of dark hair framing her little pale face, reminding Lucius uncomfortably of a tiny Bellatrix. Off to his right was the other child, a girl with a cherubic face, wide blue eyes, and flaming curls that came down to the center of her back who seemed to be doing nothing more than play. All activity halted when they moved into the room.



"You see, Alerick? Your Dark Prince is fine and healthy." Warrington said in a slightly irritated tone.



"Yes, so we see." Lucius said, one hand resting upon Alerick/Harry's shoulder.



"Found the brat, did you?" Someone spoke off to the right. He was tall and very handsome, around twenty or so if you were to judge by his young features. But something about him made Lucius suspect that this man was no child. With his blonde wavy hair, careful style of dressing, stunning smile, and highly self-confident poise reminded Harry strongly of Professor Gilderoy Lockhart, but not at the same time. Had he had children? This man was more of a predator than Professor Lockhart would ever have considered being. "Good." he said with a toothy smile that was almost a leer. "I was rather peeved when I found that they'd taken you, Alerick... I've been waiting long enough. Your next phase of training will be starting soon... you are such a pretty little thing I'm going to REALLY enjoy it..." his leer became far clearer.



Harry/Alerick snarled and stomped his foot, pulling up a great amount of power and pointing his hand at the speaker. "Crucio!" he snapped. The blonde man fell backwards, howling and screaming in agony, struck by the full force of the spell and the power.



The other children stared, but the Dark Prince merely watched with a look of interest upon his round baby cheeks.



"Now, now, Alerick...!" Lucius smirked. "You must play nice."



"He's not a nice man, Lord Father Malfoy." He said innocently, watching as the man writhed and screamed. "And I am not meant for HIM."



"I take it that this fool is Moran?” Lucius asked, glancing at Warrington, who nodded his affirmation. “Let him go, son, and go join the other children." He said, giving Alerick/Harry a gentle nudge.



Alerick nodded, dropping his hand to his side. Moran lay gasping as a woman hurried over to him with wide fearful eyes, watching the little blonde boy make his way over to where the other children stood.



The smallest boy scowled and stepped back on his podium. "No!" he said clearly.



The other three looked at each other, then without another word they all moved toward the Dark Prince as Harry/Alerick halted, allowing the boy to set the scene.



A man who had been up on the dais with the baby stepped forward, his eyes lit almost fanatically as he gazed at the child. "What is it, My Prince...?" he asked as he knelt beside the child. It was clear that this man doted on every wish and whim of the little Prince. His face was long and gaunt, and he wore the same type of beard that his father had. Karkaroff. The child toddled unsteadily over to Karkaroff’s side, never taking his eyes off of Alerick/Harry, clear suspicion and complete lack of recognition on his face.



The curly-haired boy stepped between Alerick/Harry and planted his feet firmly. Harry could feel unmistakable power from the lad, doubled when his sister moved to his side and planted herself as well. The redhead moved to the baby, standing behind them both.



The man looked up and smiled; his teeth were easily as bad as his father’s had been when he had been hunted down and killed for abandoning the Dark Lord so many years ago. "Lucius Malfoy, if I am not mistaken... what is this creature you bring to us? My Prince is not pleased." He said.



Lucius turned the wand on Karkaroff. "I am coming for what is mine." He said calmly. "My money financed this operation and I claim it as mine. You can join me, or you can die."



"YOUR money financed...?" MY money financed this Dark Prince! I made it possible for him to exist! I chose the proper carrier for his seed! I tended that useless witch who bore him life! That little yellow-haired brat is yours, I give you that. But the Dark Prince is MINE!"



Harry/Alerick calmly glanced about the room, summing up the possible battle that he and his father-in-law would have to deal with. It was clear who the nannies were; they were all dressed in simple dresses of brown with little white aprons. They were squibs, Warrington had said, so he could ignore them. It was doubtful the children would participate in a fight unless their Prince was threatened, and Harry intended to make it plain he was defending the boy. Other than those groups, there were seven witches and wizards about the room. One was already injured and unarmed, one lay upon the floor recovering from his attack. He didn't think that Warrington would do anything unless he was cornered. That left five to be dealt with…



"My money paid for the equipment to create the boy." Lucius answered calmly.



"What would someone like you possibly want with them? We've raised them very well here! You have no use for my Dark Prince; he has his own destiny...!"



"I will not be parted with my grandson. And Alerick will not be parted from the others."



"You know the plan...?" His eyes were wide with suspicion and disbelief. "Malcolm said he would never tell you!" his face transformed into a scowl.



Lucius smirked. "Why would I not know? Do you truly believe that Parkinson had the intelligence to devise such a plan?"



"He was a few nuts short of a fruitcake, Karkaroff..." Warrington said in a completely agreeing tone.



"Of course it was all his plan! He planned this from the moment he escaped the clutches of those maniac healers in that so-called hospital!"



Lucius sighed in a regretful way. "And they said you were intelligent. Lamentable, really..."



Alerick/Harry studied the little Prince as the boy looked at Karkaroff, then up at Lucius, thinking hard. He scowled at Karkaroff, pointing at Lucius. "Mine?" he asked in his simple way.



"Yes, little Princeling, but..." Karkaroff began.



"Mine!" The boy repeated, scowl deepening.



"Have the house elves gather the possessions of the children." Lucius ordered calmly, eyes landing on one of the nannies.



"You just back off, Malfoy!" Karkaroff said, rising. "You'll not be taking my Prince!"



"No!" The Dark Prince said, stomping his foot. "Mine! Now!"



"He wants to take you away from me, my Prince! He wants us to never see each other! I belong to you too...!"



The toddler had clearly made up his mind; he pushed at Karkaroff. "No! Want mine!"



Karkaroff did not resist the baby, nor hold him; he allowed the child to push him away. He turned toward Lucius, cold fury in his eyes as he gazed at the object of his sudden rejection. He said not a word, but simply attacked with the cold fury of a fanatic who had just had the object of that fanaticism snatched from his grasp.



Harry saw a shield spring up about the children that did not include Harry inside, simply sheltering the twins, the Prince, and the redheaded girl. Satisfied that the children were at least protected, he surged forward, thankful that he had studied so hard and no longer needed to have his wand in his hand to wield his magic. He stunned and disarmed one wizard before he turned to assist Lucius.



Lucius was moving rapidly about the room, alternately pursuing and attacking and fleeing his attacker.



"Little freak!" A woman snarled and Harry found a killing curse flying his direction; he had time to dodge it and someone behind him screamed but was cut short when one of the nannies was put to death by the killing curse.



"Sectumsempra!" Harry snarled and watched as the gashes appeared all over the chest and stomach of the startled American woman. Christi Burke collapsed to the ground, wide-eyed and in shock. The injuries from that hex would have her bleeding too badly and in too much pain to fight any longer. "Hah! Two down!" He said in a satisfied tone, turning to find his next opponent.



Karkaroff fought with a skill that easily surpassed what his father had possessed even at the peak of his magical career, easily a match for Lucius. He was vicious and held nothing back, cold fury driving him. "He is MINE, Lucius!" he snarled finally.



"You are a fool! The Dark Prince has clearly chosen me!"



"Only because you look like the consort! Where have you taken Alerick? We want him back!!"



Harry's elation didn't last long as he felt the disorientation that meant the change was coming back over him. The damned potion had picked a hell of a time to wear off! He cursed and threw up a shield, transfiguring his robes to the proper size as his body returned to its natural size and shape. He felt the negative surge of energy as more than one curse smashed against his shields from two different directions.



"Holy Fuck! It's Potter!" a wizard who sounded British gasped, backing away, throwing up a protego charm. That had to be Woodall, which meant the others still standing were Vreshnik and Chen. The two wizards, realizing who they faced, tried to apparate away but were trapped within the multiple wards over the mansion. The oriental witch did the wisest thing and simply turned and fled the room.



Lucius snarled as a curse grazed his arm and it went numb. The Dark Prince babbled something and the boy with the curly dark hair looked at Karkaroff with a glare. He let the shield drop and ran forward, snatching up the wand from the fallen American witch. He turned and pointed it at Karkaroff. “Expelliarmus!” He yelled.



The wizard’s wand flew out of his hand, blasted away to spin wildly off across the room. His eyes went to the children, confused and shocked. “No, My Prince…!” he pleaded.



“Avada Kedavra!” Lucius snarled. There was a green flash and Karkaroff toppled like a felled tree to fall almost at the feet of the Dark Prince, his face still a mask of confusion and shock.



By this point, only Woodall and Vreshnick were left capable of fighting and Harry gave them no quarter, advancing on them and forcing the two to defend themselves. They split up which was a very smart move to prevent Harry from using area-covering spells to attack both of them. But Lucius turned and met Woodall head on, holding his wand in his left hand now, dueling one on one which left Vreshnick to Harry. The Russian man snarled as he threw up defensive spell after defensive spell, throwing in as many curses as he could but Harry’s experience with dueling was more extensive and the man began to wear down… finally he fell to a leg-locking curse and Harry used Petrificus Totalus to ensure the man moved no more. He turned to see if Lucius needed any assistance and he was straightening from the last attack he’d made; Woodall lay dead on the floor, the victim of a very effective Avada Kedavra.



The only sound now was the whimpering of the three nannies who had survived huddling together behind one of the stone benches and the soft moans of Burke as she lay bleeding. Moran was sitting up slightly, still dazed from the Crucio spell and Harry paused a moment to petrify him as well. Harry ignored the others for now, moving over to Lucius. “Are you hurt…?”



“It’s nothing.” He said, though it was clear that he was not in good shape. His right arm still hung limply at his side, seemingly completely lifeless. “A small injury at most and not important. The children are not harmed…?”



“The guardians are very well trained; they cast a very strong shield about all of them and it protected them quite well. I didn’t have to ensure their safety at all or you’d have been against seven all by yourself…” Harry assured him. “There’s nothing to worry about with them, but it’s pretty clear you need a healer. Let’s get the children and get the bloody hell out of here.”



“I agree.” Lucius said, glancing about thoughtfully. “We need to get the children out of here as quickly as possible.” He said, ignoring the bit about himself needing to be tended.



Harry turned toward the children and saw that although the shield had been allowed to dissipate, the dark-haired twins still stood as a physical barrier between the two men and the Dark Prince. The boy still held the wand gripped in his hand, holding it up and his stance indicated that he would not hesitate to attack if needed. Both the twins had identical expressions upon their faces, and that expression showed no fear whatsoever, only determination and aggression.



The dark-haired wizard smiled reassuringly at them, showing them empty hands. “Well I suppose I should introduce myself. I’m Harry Potter. This is Lucius Malfoy. We’ve come to take you home to your families…”



“The Dark Prince is all the family we require.” The twins responded in complete unison with no change in posture or facial expression. The red-haired girl did not add her own statement; rather she stared at Harry with eyes wide and frightened and her face pale. She moved further behind the Prince in silence.



The little boy in the regal robes stood still, considering Harry, ignoring the dead man who had died trying to keep him for his own.



“And you will all get to remain with him.” Lucius assured. “But you are missing one of the members of your Circle, are you not? Alerick is at my home and he needs to be with his prince as well; I wish to escort you all to him.” He answered reasonably.



That seemed to get through at least to the youngest. “Mine.” The Prince said, finally making the decision and toddling forward, reaching for Lucius. “My Ri!”



“He wants to be taken to Alerick.” The boy spoke up, glancing at his sister before he lowered the wand.



Lucius smiled and knelt, drawing the baby into his good arm, lifting him up carefully. “I will of course take you to him, my Prince.” He smiled. He felt almost drunk just holding the boy. The power that flowed outward from this little wisp of a boy was simply amazing; and intoxicating. “He will be quite pleased that you are safe, Little Lord.” The infant giggled, clearly pleased as he played contentedly with Lucius’ long blonde hair.



“What will we do with the nannies?” Harry asked, gesturing toward the cowering women. He did not need to ask what would be done with the wizards and witches who had attacked them. He knew their lives were forfeit.



“As far as I am concerned they are part and parcel of this entire scheme. They belong to the children; we take them.” Lucius said, turning.



“What… what do I do…?” Warrington spoke up. He had stayed completely out of the battle, back against the wall with his own Protego to keep himself from being hit by a stray spell. His voice was nervous and faint.



“Gather what you wish to take.” Lucius said, looking at the man with a sneer. “You will make a vow to serve me, if you wish to live.” The coward hadn’t even bothered to fight at all.



“I’m already bound to Parkinson.” He admitted with more than a little reluctance. “But I think you’d be a bit easier to serve than he was…”



“Parkinson will be dead soon.” Lucius said simply. “Harry, gather the children and take them outside; use the portkey to go home. I will tend to matters here.”



Harry nodded, gesturing to the nannies, who came out of hiding looking more than a little frightened. “You lot get the children, you know them better than I. We need to go quickly.” Harry said. The red-haired girl dodged the hand of the nanny and scurried over to Warrington, hiding behind him.



“He can’t. She won’t go with Potter.” Warrington said softly, clearly uncomfortable with the girl clinging to his leg and hiding her face against him.



“Why is this?” Lucius asked in a calm tone, looking toward him with a bit of a scowl.



“It’s got something to do with her conditioning. I didn’t work with the girls. I told you, I really don’t like girls, and I don’t work well with little girls.” he said reluctantly. You couldn’t tell that from the behavior of the girl; she was clinging to Warrington as if he were the only rock in a storm and she was staring at Harry as if dreading the moment she would be required to go anywhere near him. Jerrod glanced at the girl, then over at his fallen comrades. “I told you it was Moran and Verden who handled the special training aspects too. I didn’t want any part of that.” He pointed toward the wizard who had made the sexual statements toward Alerick. “That one that you’ve crippled and silenced was the one who did the special conditioning of the girls in particular.”



A cold fury lit Lucius’ eyes and he handed the baby to Harry. The Dark Prince scowled, not pleased with having been handed off so flippantly. “And tell me, Warrington. Was this ‘conditioning’ of a sexual nature…?” He asked, tone soft and cold.



“I don’t know; probably so. Parkinson said that sexual conditioning was an excellent way to gain control of them.” Jerrod answered with a bit of disgust. “I was only to teach them Herbology and potions. I really don’t know anything about what they used or how they did it to condition them.”



Lucius considered a moment, and then nodded. “Very well, then. She will remain with me until we return, then; I do not plan to tarry here for long.”



“Stay!” The little Prince demanded, reaching toward Lucius once more.



“Oh, my little Lord… Alerick is waiting for you at my mansion…” he stroked the boy’s tousled hair. “I promise you we will not linger here for long.” The baby pouted, but he did settle into Harry’s arm and quit squirming once more.



“All right, Lucius. Be careful, and hurry.” He said, turning to the nannies who had moved forward, still huddled close together. “Come on, no one is going to hurt you. You need to hurry and get us all outside so we can leave. We will be using a port key to get out of here…” he said as the nannies finally seemed to understand and they hurried to take the two dark-haired children’s hands and hurried out with Harry.



Warrington hesitated, unsure of what he was expected to do. “I can… um, I can pack for the kids…” he offered.



“You have fifteen minutes.” Lucius said. “Not one moment more. If you are not back here within that time, I shall destroy you along with everyone and everything that remains in this accursed place.” He told him in a very clear tone. Warrington needed no more prompting; he took off at a run leaving Lucius to deal with those he chose to with the borrowed wand.







------------------------------------------------------------------------------





Severus turned, wand drawn as the group appeared in the center of the garden. One of the nannies fell to the ground, the other two managed to land with some grace, both using their bodies to cushion the fall of the children they held. Harry landed with practiced skill, the baby in his arms squealing in delight, clearly having enjoyed the trip. “At least he likes Portkeys…” Harry said with a soft grin.



Severus lowered his wand, frowning slightly. “Where is Lucius? Why didn’t he return with you?” Severus demanded.



Harry moved toward him with the baby in his arms. “He decided to stay and do the clean-up.”



Severus glanced at the group Harry had brought back with him. “I see that you are one child shy… please don’t tell me you forgot to bring a child.”



Harry snorted, stifling laughter at the sarcastic comment. “Of course not; Lucius has her.”



That had Snape curious. “Why would he keep her with him?”



“I’m not certain, something about her conditioning. I’m sure he’ll know more when he comes.”



“Lovely. So what are their names? I can guess what their jobs are.” He said, eyeing the twins who glared at him in silence. “Those two are clearly the guardians.”



“I haven’t bothered to ask, actually. It’s been a bit of a hectic afternoon. Alerick will know, I’m certain.” Harry answered.



The baby gazed toward the door, waiting a moment while the adults were speaking. The movement in the direction he wished did not happen, though, and he began to push at Harry, squirming. “Down!” He demanded.



“My prince wishes to be put down.” The male twin said. “You will do as my Prince wishes or else!”



Harry looked at the child still holding the wand and found he quite believed the boy had the capability of backing up any threat he cared to utter. “I was going to take you to Alerick; it would have been much faster. But if you prefer to walk…” he bent and set the child down on his feet.



“So, this is the little Prince?” Snape studied the boy dressed in the regal robes. The similarities between this infant and the memory that Snape had of young Harry were astounding; if he had a scar he would have sworn that Harry Potter was standing right there staring up at him, regressed to the age of a year and a half.



The toddler frowned up at Snape. “Take! Ri!” He demanded.



“Oh yes, this is the little Prince all right.” Harry smirked.



“You must take us to Alerick. Now.” The scowling dark-haired boy translated in the same commanding tone as his Prince had used.



“Well, it seems he is quite used to getting every little wish his heart desires…” Snape mused, though he did turn toward the house and open the door. The baby toddled along after him as quickly as his baby legs would allow. The guardians moved up and took his hands, helping him keep his balance as they hurried along, the entire group following Snape through the house.



He moved to the ballroom and flung the doors open; the room had been converted to an indoor nursery for the children. All manner of toys and games were available for the children, as well as slides and a swing set and sandbox. The floor was covered a soft plush carpet of real grass, grown to protect the children from the hard marble of the ballroom floor. A path of cushiony foam stones wound its way around the room curving here and there, for the children to ride little scooting vehicles on or to run on. The room was brightly lit and was full of the laughter of children.



Alerick was running about the nursery with Angel in close pursuit, laughing as he was able to keep ahead of her. Her Kneazle kit romped along behind them, swatting playfully at the ties dangling off her dress.



The Dark Prince saw them running and scowled, angry. “No, Ri!” He snapped. “No!” He stomped his foot. “Mine!”



Alerick halted immediately and Angel bumped into him, nearly knocking him down but he barely seemed to notice at all. His face was suffused with joy when he saw the Dark Prince; he ran over as fast as he could. The baby’s scowl faded and he smiled happily, hands reaching for Alerick. “Mine!” He squealed happily. Alerick knelt to hug the prince and both Harry and Snape could feel the heady power of their bond rolling over them from the children.



“The bond is so powerful…” Snape murmured, amazed. “Its almost visible to those who can see.”



“Who are they, daddy?” Angel asked, moving up to him and slipping her small hand into his.



“They are your brothers and sister, my love.” Harry smiled at her.



“Really…?” she smiled up at him, cuddling close. “Oh, I hope they’ll all play with me too, we could have so much fun…”



Alerick looked up at Harry. “I was so worried for my Prince… thank you so much for bringing him home to me.” he smiled, then looked back at the child. “Are you all right?” he asked. The baby babbled happily and Snape smirked at the two interacting. It was almost comical how the older boy acted as if he actually understood the meaningless babble. Alerick then gazed back up at Harry again. “Thank you for bringing him to me. But how did you look like me?” he asked.



“How did you know I looked like you, Alerick?” Harry asked.



“My Prince told me. He said I shouldn’t trust you because you could look like people you weren’t. And you tried to pretend to be me, but he knew that you weren’t.”



“He’s very smart to be able to see through a polyjuice potion.” Harry ruffled the toddler’s hair.



“You just don’t feel like me…” Alerick clarified, shrugging.





-------------------------------------------------------------------------------





Warrington shouldered his bag and hurried back to the arboretum, hoping like hell he hadn’t taken too long running from room to room gathering up things that he knew the kids would need, things he knew that they treasured. He’d also grabbed two changes of clothing for each of them and then spent a few precious minutes of time gathering his own clothing and his most precious possessions. Fifteen minutes just wasn’t enough time to pack a life’s time of gathering precious materials for spells and books and… wait! He knew what he had to make sure he grabbed; Lucius would be sure to be pleased if he brought that oil. He hurried back into his potions room. He picked up two rather large beakers of clear oil from the shelf; slowing his pace considerably as to not shake the liquid as he tried to hurry back to rejoin Lucius.



Lucius flicked his borrowed wand with a satisfied smirk, turning from the second of the two men who had voiced an interest in sexual relations with the young boy safely ensconced in his home. “Ah, Warrington. Just in time. So, have you everything you need?”



“Everything I had time to find.” He agreed, moving to his side. “I thought these might be of use to you…” he started, holding up the two beakers to him. “These are Enrumpent Horn Oil…”



Lucius laughed, delighted. This man might not be a waste of space after all. “Oh, yes, that will do very nicely. To reward you for your thoughtfulness and intelligence, I will allow you an extra thirty minutes while I set this house to disappear. Take whatever trinkets you wish for yourself; this place won’t be here for anything to be missed, shortly.” He smiled, using the wand to make the two bottles levitate since his one hand still was useless.



“Thirty?” Warrington’s eyes lit up. That was a lot more than he had hoped for and much more than he needed. “Hell, Malfoy; I’ll meet you at the GATE in thirty minutes!” he said, hurrying off once more.



“Very good… come, child. We have much work to do and now we have a very effective way to do it…” Lucius said, turning away.



She followed him, glancing at the remains of the man who had tortured her for so long with little emotion. She hurried past him without a single glance backwards as she followed this blonde stranger into a future she hoped contained those she was bound to.



“So, child, what is your name?” Lucius asked as they moved through the halls at a fairly brisk pace. Any doors that required blood to open them received it from a small vial he had extracted from one of the dying wizards. He kept the bottles of oil floating along at a very smooth pace. The last thing he wanted was for them to impact against anything, much less each other.



“I am Alyssa, my Lord.” She murmured in a voice that was very pleasant and almost musical to hear.



Lucius smiled faintly. They had trained even her voice to be proper to seduce and attract, even at the age of three. “Alyssa. That is quite a lovely name for a very lovely little girl.” He commented, pausing by a room. “Wait here in the hall a moment, dear. I shall be but a moment.”



She halted obediently outside the door, looking quite nervous but not nearly as fearful as she had when she was looking at Harry. Lucius moved into the room’s center, using the borrowed wand to create a magical vial suspended from the ceiling. The container would be a limited time spell, and would lose strength in about an hour or so; more than enough time. He opened the first bottle of oil with a gesture from his wand and carefully filled the magical vial with the liquid, adding a spell to it to enhance its explosive properties. When this hit the floor, it would be about ten times the strength of a normal Bombarda explosion. This room would be reduced to dust, and most likely those surrounding it would be as well.



Alyssa watched him in silence, not speaking up until he had completed his work. “We’re never coming back here, are we, sir?” She asked softly.



“No, child. This place will no longer exist.”



“I’m glad; I didn’t like it here at all. I didn’t want to come except I would be with my Dark Prince. I had horrible dreams all the time here.” She said softly.



“I will do what I can to ease your dreams, once we get you home. Come; we still have several rooms to set before we can leave.” He said, leading her onward. She followed obediently, falling silent once more. Her feet barely made any noise upon the marble floor as she hurried after him.



Finally Lucius turned away from the final time bomb, satisfied and wearing a quite contented smile. “Pefect.” He said, turning to lead little Alyssa out. He wished that he would be able to stay and watch the house become a huge crater in the earth, but he needed to be where witnesses would vouch for him being elsewhere when the explosion occurred. Perhaps he would call his niece Nymphadora and chat with her a bit when it was due to occur; that would be an excellent alibi. He ensured that he left the wand inside the building, then exited, sealing the door behind him.



When he approached the fence he saw, true to his word, Warrington stood at the gates with only the simple bag on his shoulder. Lucius smirked as he drew nearer. Warrington must have that bag charmed for infinite space; there was no telling how much riches he had stripped from that building and crammed into that bag. Quite clever indeed.



The little redhead hurried along in his wake, managing to keep pace with him and trying not to show how cold she was. Lucius turned to her and transfigured the little light sweater she wore into a warm fur cloak. “Are you warm enough, my dear?” he asked her.



She looked up at him gratefully and smiled. “Yes, thank you, sir.” she said, snuggling down into the warm furs.



“We have to be outside the grounds to apparate.” Warrington said, glancing back at the house. He already had the gate opened.



“Then let us waste no more time.” Lucius said, taking Alyssa’s hand. Warrington nodded and led them out and sealed the thing behind them. “Take my arm, Warrington.” Lucius advised. “We will have to apparate many times to get to where we need to be.” He waited until Jerrod had a firm hold on his arm, then the three spun away to leave the house silent and waiting for its doom.