Stillborn

A small family was grieving over their stillborn child. The would-have-been parents were Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy.

The child, had he lived, would have been Draco Malfoy.

Lucius suggested using the Dark Arts and convinced the woman of the upsides of his decision. They would have a son, an heir, to dot and love, but only if she agreed. Her elegant, yet frail body was just not good childbearing. This baby had been the first of three that had not miscarried during the pregnancy.

Eventually, the regal woman relented and gave in to Lucius’ coaxing. With swift wands, the Healer was obliviated and given the information that Narcissa had given birth to a healthy baby boy.

Called in was an old family friend of theirs, Severus Snape. They told Severus of their plans and swore him to secrecy. For once, he was surprised, but could only help them. He would have been the child’s godfather. In addition, if left on their own, they would somehow mess up the process.

Potions were not exactly Lucius forte and Narcissa was only adept at it.

Moreover, a difficult to make potion was required.

The ceremony required various illegal ingredients that were difficult to get. From Narcissa's private garden, they could acquire some of the said ingredients. She grew many of the potion ingredients that Severus used for his potions. Many of the ingredients were simply expensive. It would cost about four hundred thousand galleons.

After preparing for the ceremony, the even more difficult part came in the form of actually performing it. Bringing life into the dead was a risky deed, indeed. There were hundreds of chances of an error with the incantation. Not to mention, it was not entirely easy to trust a spell created centuries ago by one of their ancestors.

Moreover, depending on their luck, the dead could awaken with insanity, an extra limb or no magic at all. The chances of turning up normal were slim, but it was better than doing nothing. At least, that was what both Lucius and Narcissa believed.

In the span of a few days, with the baby’s body placed inside a cradle and kept from decay by a spell, they gathered the ingredients with as little notice as they could possibly maintain. Lucius and Narcissa withdrew a few diamonds worth a few galleons from their vault, along with various other items to keep from suspicion. Severus went to his usual stops to gather potion ingredients, but it was strange he ventured into Knockturn Alley.

The ritual took place at night, underneath the light of the full moon in the courtyard of one of the many Malfoy properties. They dressed warmly in thick furred coats whilst snow fell around them like fluttering leaves. A large barrier or veil kept the snow from disturbing the ceremony, but it also kept the moonlight in. It also seemed to keep the smoky clouds of incense from leaving as well.

Drawn at their feet, a large gouged out circle full of different runes could be seen. The baby’s body rested in the middle of the circle, wrapped in a white cloth.

As it became midnight, the three adults began to start in a chant they had all but memorized. They could not afford to utter a single mistake and prove just how dangerous the ceremony was. They could see their breaths in the frigid air in the form of white wisps. Pauses came from the gathering of air to form more words.

Soon the circle began to glow. The diamonds, now crushed into dust, and various other ingredients like a generations’ old dagger seemed to wither away. Snow continued to whirl around them, but now in a dizzying pattern instead of at random. Even the full moon seemed to glow just a little bit brighter.

Suddenly, silent darkness met with them as their magic seemed to fly out from within.

Their weakness only lasted a few seconds, broken by the sound of a baby’s loud cries. Narcissa came forward, breaking their shock. The circle beneath them had vanished with the incense entirely used up. Now, they would have to administer the potion.

“Narcissa,” Severus murmured, offering the vial from his sleeve.

“Thank you, Severus,” Narcissa replied, tilting the vial into the baby’s mouth. The baby was warm, full of life and ceased its tears. It gazed at her with pale eyes, a mixture of icy coldness and knowledge beyond the few minutes it had lived. “Draco…”

Lucius joined his wife in staring at the baby. A strange feeling of joy and awe filled him at the same time. The boy who died and now lived… albeit, they still did not know if there were side effects from the ceremony. At least, there were no physical traits of it.

Severus cast a warming charm on the baby’s wraps. “Let’s retire inside,” he said, waving a wand and clearing the area of the remains of the ritual. He also cleared the veil and ushered the fair-haired family through the large doors.

House elves popped to retrieve their cloaks, popping away afterwards.

“We must research a bit more about the ceremony,” Lucius murmured, tilting his head towards the baby as they moved deeper in the house. All seemed well with it, which somewhat unsettled him. Not to say that it was not a good thing, but there had been such fuss in the words they had all read a hundred times over.

“We can’t just take this as a good thing?” Narcissa asked with a soft sigh. After a moment, she shook her pale head, brushing back a wave of blond locks. “He seems perfect.”

“He’ll grow up well,” Severus said quietly to them, and then sat down on a seat near the fireplace as they entered the room. The house elves had lit it and had it up burning by the time they arrived. They had also placed a tray of steaming cups on the low table that sat before the fireplace. “And,” the dark-haired man murmured as an afterthought, “…powerful.”

“Indeed,” Lucius muttered, recalling the Dark Lord for the first time in the past few days. Their master would probably approve of Draco, being that he was of pureblood. He did not particularly believe that the Dark Lord cared what method came about to have Draco alive though.

“I don’t want him to be in the Dark Lord’s ranks,” Narcissa said unexpectedly. “It’s too dangerous… I can’t bear to loose him… or you, Lucius.” She looked up at her husband, blue eyes somewhat wet. The woman was not the type to cry, but the past few events had taken a toll on her nerves.

“We’ll see,” Lucius said with a soft sigh.

Severus remained silent, gazing at the fireplace as he thought of his allegiances. There were sometimes that he felt that he did not belong. He turned his attention towards the bundled child in Narcissa’s arms. He picked up a cup, cradling it carefully before he took a sip. “I doubt he will be too interested in Draco now.”

A few years slipped through their fingers like sand. Draco grew up, strong, healthy and energetic as a six-year old could be. It was perhaps their own fault that he showed so little expression, mimicking his guardians with their cold facades and haughty mannerism. He learned from his tutors with almost extraordinary speed, flying through lessons that ranged from piano to French.

He was a natural leader, shown when Lucius and Narcissa’s friends showed with their own young children for Draco to play with. Draco led them around like a true alpha, even if it often ended up in trouble. Although he was rather mature for his age, he did not have a large view of the world. His plots did not range farther than nicking fairy cakes before dinner.

“Godfather,” called the youth, disturbing the silence of the potions lab as Severus counted the stirs he had made in the dark cauldron. “After you’re finished with that potion, will you listen to me play the piano? I would be pleased if you would be my audience with Mother and Father.”

The tall, lanky man gazed at the shockingly blond boy with dark, unreadable eyes. “If you wish, I will be there in about ten minutes. I will be done with this potion by then.”

“Alright, thank you, godfather,” Draco murmured and swept out of the room. Despite his age, he had unforgettable presence. His eyes were also different from both Narcissa and Lucius, though he retained the same blonde hair as his father did. They were a cold slate-gray with a faint tinge of blue, like ice.

Whenever Draco was particularly incensed, it seemed his aura would turn the room freezing cold. It did not matter if it was in the middle of summer.

Severus finished stirring the potion and watched it simmer for a few minutes. When he was sure that leaving it alone to cool could not waste his work, he rinsed his hands under cool water before slipping out of the Malfoy’s potion lab.

He arrived in a large room where a single grand piano sat waiting. Tall windows allowed sunlight to stream in and showed a part of the vast gardens of Malfoy Manor. Draco was already playing a soft, drifting melody with his eyes closed. The boy had long since memorized this particular song, along with a majority of the ones he was learning.

“Ah, Severus, you’ve decided to join us,” Lucius called after Draco ended. The cool gray eyes of the Lord of Malfoy gazed quietly at him.

“You mustn’t keep yourself cooped up inside that laboratory, Severus,” Narcissa smiled faintly, sipping a glass of wine. “Draco, do play us another.”

“Alright,” Draco replied shortly, flipping the unnecessary pages. His small fingers surprisingly played the instrument well, even if it proved to be mildly difficult and fast paced. The music swirled about the room, pulling along their emotions in the harsh tempo of the current piece.

Almost as soon as it started, the music slowed to a stop on a softer note.

“Wonderful playing, Draco,” Severus murmured, accepting a glass of wine from Narcissa.

“Severus,” Narcissa began hesitantly, swirling the liquid in her glass. Draco’s icy gaze slipped towards the woman before turning towards the garden. “Draco has admitted some interest in Occlumency. Would you be willing to teach him?”

Severus raised a brow, turning his dark gaze from the woman to the boy in question. “Really, Draco?” he asked in a questioning tone. “You are far younger than most Occlumens. My methods in teaching are not particularly soft.”

“If you wouldn’t mind, godfather,” Draco replied softly, “I don’t care what methods it may be.”

Therefore, the lessons of Occlumency started.

“Remember to empty your mind, Draco.” Severus held back heavily.

After all, his student was a six-year old and even if he were an extraordinary child, invasion of the mind was hard to handle. He slipped in easily the first time, flooded with memories of other children playing in the snow. There was something odd about the memory though, made obvious by the strange mists that moved about the children. When he withdrew, he received a distant look from Draco who by now realized why Severus had instructed him to sit down.

“Do you still wish to continue, Draco?”

“Yes, godfather,” was his reply, ever polite.

Another invasion came, though now there were some attempts at resistance. Severus receded, but repeated once more, unconsciously putting his all and forgetting whom he was using legilimency on at that moment. The resistance snapped fragilely and Severus was suddenly welcoming a sudden darkness and slowly invading iciness.

There seemed nowhere to go, Severus thought with sudden nervousness. A regular person’s mind would have hundreds of memories, but this was not expected. Why was there such darkness? Another few seconds passed and light and snow blinded him.

“…Draco.”

Severus returned to the real world and regarded his unconscious godson curiously. He delved into the boy’s mind again, mending the fragile mindscape of Draco’s mind. Draco stirred, lifting cold eyes to meet his godfather’s own. “Sorry, godfather. I wasn’t expecting that.”

“It should be enough for now,” Severus replied coolly. “And don’t apologize, it was my own fault. I forgot myself. Your mind should be weak for a few hours, so do not stress yourself. Try to meditate in your own time before our next session, alright?”

“Yes, godfather,” Draco slipped off the seat, retiring to his room.

Draco learned Occlumency with Severus later in an off and on period of several months. As usual, he sped through the lessons and eventually mastered it enough to practice on his own. Severus could still slip in with minor difficulty.

He never did forget the darkness inside Draco’s mind, however. Not to mention, he would not forget those strange mists moving about in several of the boy’s memories. Later in another conversation, he would find that they were ghosts.

Were these the side effects of the ritual?