.:Felix Felicis:.

Sunday, January 08, 2006

Chapter 20

Till Death Do Us Part

Harry had finally awoken and he found himself in a dark and wet dungeon. It took a while before Harry realised that he was shivering. They had stripped him of his wand; his clothes were now torn around the edges and they were damp from his sweat as well as the slippery wet floor of the dungeon itself. The last thing Harry remembered was Malfoy's words. 'Was there really something good inside of Malfoy?' Harry wondered as he looked around the dungeon to find a means of escape. But it was useless. There were no doors or windows or any small opening for that matter. He was stuck in a circular dungeon with nothing but the stony walls and his random thoughts to keep him company. Harry's mind wandered from how he got stuck in this dungeon, to the graveyard he had remembered seeing earlier. With no entrance or exit, it seemed physically impossible to be stuck in such a cell in the first place. But then, this was the wizarding world and no matter how Harry tried to dismiss such an impossible task, someone would manage to prove the laws of the great muggle scientists like Einstein and Newton, wrong. Harry felt disgusted with himself. How could he not have trusted his instincts? If he hadn't given Malfoy the benefit of the doubt none of this would have happened. But just as he was wallowing in his self-pity and contempt for the Malfoy boy, Harry heard a huge crackling sound and jumped in surprise. A huge door suddenly materialised on the wall in front of him and he was now face to face with Lord Voldermort himself. "Ah, Harry Potter. I was rather hoping I'd see you again." Voldermort smirked as he coolly walked towards Harry and placed a finger on his scar.

~-~

Lodina paced back and forth in the Potions Dungeon. While the rest of Hogwarts and the delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang were in the stands cheering for their champions, Lodina was trying her best to complete the potion in time. Draco had given her the book at great personal risk of being caught by his father. She couldn't disappoint him now. If there was anyone who could help him out of his predicament, it was her. For only her blood could save the boy that she so dearly loved. She knew Draco had given her the book for a different purpose, to make an anti-locator charm with ancient Drakon protection. Lodina had created the charm but modified it a little, so that the anti-locator charm would only work one way. This meant that she could still find Draco no matter where he was. But this potion was different from the charm she had made earlier. She loved Draco too much to let him slip away from her. She had figured out how to make the potion only upon receiving the Ancient Book of spells from Draco. She was greatly relieved when she learnt that she could help her Draco get over his father’s spell. She was ecstatic but when she brought this up to Draco’s attention, he vehemently protested against her doing the potion as it was extremely experimental magic. She closed her eyes briefly for a few moments as a sudden wave of nostalgia swept over her and she remembered what had happened the night before when she swore to stand by him for better or for worse...

"This is dangerous Lodina. Are you sure you are willing to pull through with this?" Draco asked her as he pulled her tightly into his muscular arms, cradling her shoulders as he whispered softly into her ears. Lodina smiled. Words had always failed her when she was staring deep into Draco's greenish grey eyes. "Yes. Now quit acting as if I'm a baby. I can take care of myself you know." Lodina spoke as she playfully nibbled at his ear lobe sending a bolt of pleasure through his veins. "Well, I'm underestimating you then. I'm sure you could take out a demented army of Banshees anyday." Draco smirked, but he slowly changed his tone to a more serious one. "But think of what you'll be risking love. There's no turning back once it has begun." his voice was ringing clearly in her mind. She was willing to give up everything she ever knew for him. Determined to make it work, Lodina pushed a few stray strands of silvery blonde hair off his face as she answered. "I'd do anything for you my love. Anything..." Lodina plunged into a deep and passionate kiss with Draco and she wished she could remain in his arms like this forever...

Lodina snapped back to reality as she heard a loud hissing sound from her cauldron. The potion was almost ready now. All she needed to do was to place a few drops of her blood, a Drakon’s blood. She pricked her finger and let a few drops of her blood trickle into the potion. The cauldron 'hissed' once more as it turned a deep shade of burgundy. It was finally ready. The potion to defeat Lucius Malfoy's curse on his own son was finally ready, and what’s more, the solution to all of their problems was hidden right underneath Lucius Malfoy’s nose…

~-~

Harry felt a searing hot pain pulsate through his temple. He writhed in pain as he tried to struggle free of Voldermort's torture. "Ah. I thought as much. I'm sure Lucius must have told you how the reversal of magic worked did he not?" Voldermort hissed into Harry's ears as he removed his finger from Harry's scar. "You see Harry. You stripped me of every power I had that night. You had even stripped me from my own body. I had to live off rats and other small creatures while I lay low waiting for the right moment to strike. When my faithful servant, Lucius, returned to me with my wand, I concocted a plan. A plan, Harry, that would bring me back better than ever before. Ever heard of the 'Reversal of Magic' Harry? That's what brought me back to full power. All I needed was Dumbledore's silly old song bird and the spell would be complete. I could have taken you down at anytime while you were in Hogwarts, Harry. But Dumbledore was smart, I don't deny it, for he placed several charms and spells on you that rendered you safe as long as you were in his castle. That fool! I would have gotten to you sooner or later. It was only a matter of time." Voldermort finished his short yet twisted speech and his mouth curled into what was unmistakeably a smile. Just then, Lucius stepped in through the entrance of the Dungeon and announced that it was time for the duel.

'What Duel?' Harry thought helplessly as his mind was searching for ways to escape Voldermort. All he needed was an opening. “Get up Harry Potter!” Voldermort bellowed. Harry could finally see the angst hidden beneath the Dark Lord’s black heart as he swiftly turned to exit the Dungeon. “Get ready for your duel. Your dueling partner should arrive any minute now. Lucius will show you to the Duelling Arena.” With that, Voldermort exited the Dungeon. “Voldermort isn’t dueling me? Why doesn’t he finish this?” Harry thought out loud, now mad with rage. He was no puppet to be controlled by Voldermort. Harry’s mind was set on getting out of this place alive. To see his Ginny once more. To be back with his best friends, Hermione and Ron, again. To spend more Christmas holidays and summer vacations in the House of Black with Sirius, Tonks and Lodina. “You insolent fool. Don’t you dare utter his name.” Lucius said, one of his arma tightly gripping Harry’s shirt as he pulled Harry out of the Dungeon and into the Duelling Arena.

~-~

Draco had very little time before his father would come back for him. Quickly, he pocketed Harry’s Drakon Seal of Trust in his robes and tried to warm himself up a bit as he sat closer to the fireplace in his room. Draco took Harry’s seal from his robes just after he had passed out. He was sure that Voldermort would have used it to his advantage had he found the Dragon’s Seal of Trust. Draco peeled his eyes from the fireplace and turned to look at the window. The Malfoy estate was huge and Draco had no idea that his father had ‘loaned’ one of his priced Malfoy estates, just south of Romania, to Voldermort to do his bidding. He had always hated staying in this place as his bedroom overlooked the Malfoy Graveyard. Just then, Draco heard a soft ‘pop’ from the fireplace. Instinctively, he pulled out his wand. “Show yourself!” he said as he tried to get a glimpse of the shadowy figure that stood in front of him. He cursed the dim lighting that the Malfoys had always traditionally put in their bedrooms as he stood without flinching. “Draco, it’s me.” To his surprise, Lodina stepped out from the darkness to greet him.

“What are you doing here Lodina! Didn’t I tell you to create that anti-locator charm? My father will not hesitate to kill if he saw you…” Draco was hushed by Lodina’s soft lips on his. She pulled away from the kiss just as fast as she plunged into it. “Draco, I’ve done it. I’ve got the potion. The potion that would defeat the spell your father put on you. Here, take this vial. Make sure all of the potion touches his skin.” Lodina said as she pulled him in for another quick kiss. She had to move out of there fast before Lucius caught her with Draco.

“Oh, look what the troll dragged in this morning! If it isn’t your lil’ Gryffindor whore, Draco. But I must say, your taste in girls have always been rather appeasing.” Lucius was standing at the door of Draco’s bedroom. In one fluid motion, Lucius grabbed Lodina and held her hands behind her back as he hissed softly into her ear. “You are just like your father. But too bad, he wouldn’t be able to see his daughter cry out for him in her last moments alive.” Lodina tried to reach for his arm. If only she could reach the Dark Mark! Lucius pointed his wand at Draco as if to silence him. As his mouth neared Lodina’s neck. ‘Just a little more.’ Lodina thought and as if her prayers were answered, Lucius Malfoy suddenly loosened his grip on her and started to yelp in pain as Lodina’s hand came in contact with the Dark Mark on his arm. “Now Draco!” Lodina yelled as she leapt to Draco’s side and watched him smash the vial in Lucius’ face. “That’s for all the times you’ve controlled mother and me, my dear father. Lets see how you like the taste of your own medicine.” Draco said as he moved back and clutched Lodina closer to him. Spasms of pain jolted through Lucius’ body. He was now curling up in pain. After a few seconds, the pain stopped and Lucius stopped struggling. His eyes were wide open and Draco could see the blankness in them. His soul had left his body and Draco was now responsible for his father’s unintentioned death. “The potion was only meant to make him more subdued! This wasn’t supposed to happen!” Lodina shrieked as she held Draco’s robes tightly, burying her face in his shoulders. Draco stared at his bedroom floor where his father lay, quieter than he had ever seen him. He was too shocked at first to answer her as his father’s death still hadn’t registered into his mind. His senses were numb and he felt a tear trickle down his cheek. He brushed it off brusquely and after what seemed like ten minutes, Draco started to speak softly. His voice creaked as the words escaped him. “It’s okay Lodina. It wsn’t your fault. Your touch and the potion must have been a lethal dose to anyone bearing the Dark Mark. No one blames you” Draco said as he stroked Lodina’s hair in a bid to come her down. But little did she know that Draco himself was trying to come to terms with his father’s abrupt death. His last words still lingered in his mind. He didn't blame Lodina for what had happened. Though he couldn't help but feel that this was all his fault. But he couldn't falter in his feelings. He had to show strength as he was a Malfoy and 'Malfoys do not give into any weaknesses'. Those were his father's exact same words and now he did feel a pang of guilt for now, his father had ceased to exist in the real world, he was only but a memory of Draco's hideous past. No matter how much he had loathed his father, he hadn’t mean for this to happen. Draco felt lost for the first time in his life as he stood there, with Lodina by his side, as he watched the light leave his father’s eyes.

**This post is dedicated to all the loyal FF fans. Believe in the power of love... always.

[Tonks was grooving to Billie Holliday's Gloomy Sunday | ~thoughtful]

~Nymphadora~

4:56 PM

Saturday, January 07, 2006

Chapter 19

The Curse of the Phoenix

"I told you, you'll need the luck." Malfoy drawled as he let out a smirk from the corner of his thin lips. Too stunned for words Harry shouted out the first words which came into his mind. "You're the most disgusting creature that ever walked the face of this earth, Malfoy. Don't you think for one bit that I don't know what you're up to. You think I couldn't tell? You think I didn't know that you had something to do with Lodina's disappearance right after the second task? I know you had something to do with it Malfoy. Out with it now!" Harry burst out in rage, his wand pointing directly at Draco's chest. "Now now Potter, didn't Dumbledore teach you any manners? Is that the way you thank the person who just saved your life? I'd be a tad bit more grateful if I were you, seeing that you were nearly 'chopped liver' where the Gryffin was concerned." Draco's eyes shifted coolly from Harry to the surroundings. "I don't know about you Potter. But from the way I see it, we can either stand here and argue till the dementors come home, or we could battle it out for the Tri-wizard cup with Fleur and Krum. It's your choice really. I'll be hexing you sooner or later so it's fine by me." Draco smirked as he waited for Harry to make his next move.

"Sod off Malfoy." Harry said as he pushed past Draco. He had other things to worry about right now. He decided that he would deal with Malfoy later. He had to overcome the rest of the challenges in the maze and if the Gryffin was a yardstick as to how potentially dangerous the challenges could get, Harry was sure that it would take a miracle to get through all of them. Harry ran through the maze, without looking back to see if Malfoy was closing in on his trail, till he saw a glittery mist in front of him. Harry could hear singing coming from inside the mist. It was calling out to him and it was one of the most beautiful songs he had ever heard. He stepped forward and almost instantly he was engulfed in water! Water was now bursting out of Harry's lungs as he struggled for air until he felt a hand pull him up from the mass of water below. He was now face to face with a beautiful Siren. For a moment Harry stood mesmerized by the Siren's beauty. He finally snapped back to reality when the Siren spoke to him in a sing-song fashion. "You handsome young lad, lean in closer so that I can take a better look at you." Harry obliged. How could he refuse such a pristine and beautiful creature? He was now so close that he could feel the Siren's eye lashes on his cheek. The Siren was pulling in for a kiss as she wrapped her cold fingers round Harry's neck. This sent a shiver down Harry's spine as he finally realised what was happening to him. He was falling into a trance. Harry had remembered Moody's lecture on the Siren's kiss. The kiss of the Siren would place anyone in a deep hypnotic trance. There was only one spell that would render the Siren powerless for a few minutes so that the witch or wizard could escape. Trying hard to fight the Siren's magnetic beauty, Harry lifted his wand and aimed at her chest as he said, "Transmorgia!" The Siren flinched at this and released her grip on Harry. Quickly, Harry got past the Siren and ran as fast as his legs could carry him. 'Thanks Professor Moody.' Harry muttered sarcastically as he checked his bearings and continued to run deeper into the maze.

~-~

Draco watched Harry disappear into the thick fog of the maze. He set out for the opposite direction as he did the four-point spell to check his bearings. He should be approaching Snape's challenge anytime now. Snape had told Draco how to get past his challenge of course. Snape, as much as the other Slytherins, had wanted a Slytherin victory for the Tri-wizard Tournament. 'It's amazing what the Malfoy charm and a lil' bit of Slytherin pride can get you.' Draco smirked once more as he came to a clearing in the maze. There was a table on top of which lay five vials containing different potions. There were six pixies gaurding the vials. Draco saw the blue flames which led to the fastest route to the Tri-wizard cup. He knew what he had to do but he had to endure the formalities of listening to the instructions by the pixies all the same. He heaved a deep sigh before he moved forwards to the table. "Young sir, behind us lies the route which is the quickest to the centre of the maze. But to get past the 'Flame of Fury' you have to drink the right potion which would bestow upon you the ability to pass through this flame without getting scorched to death. To aid you in your quest to find the correct vial, my five other companions will give u a clue as to what each of these vials contain. But be weary for you have a quarter of an hour to figure out the clues! You may begin!" the pixie finished and fluttered away. 'The second from your right.' Draco thought as he remembered Snape's instructions to him. Without wasting any further time, he motioned towards the pixie which was the second from his right. "If the Mirror of Erised should be of any clue to you, the Potion of Erif may be what you seek." the pixie said as Draco reached for the vial. 'The Potion of Erif eh?' Draco sniggered as he emptied the contents of the vial into his mouth and stepped through the Flame of Fury.

~-~

Harry was running so fast he couldn't think straight. After what seemed like twenty minutes, Harry finally came to a clearing. He couldn't believe his eyes. The cup was glistening in front of him. Harry thought it odd that he had only faced two challenges and yet reached this far so quickly. Brushing that thought aside, Harry moved slowly towards the Cup. Just then, a burst of blue flames exploded from beside the Tri-wizard cup. The flames started to form a sort of entrance. Harry shielded his eyes from the light of the scorching bright flames. To his surprise, a boy walked out of the flames. It was none other than Malfoy! "Surprised Potter?" Draco cocked his head as he sniggered in Harry's direction. Harry rushed forward as if to claim possession of the Cup before Malfoy could place his grubby hands on it. "Slow down Potter." Malfoy chuckled. Harry didn't like the way Malfoy was laughing about all of this. "Do you really think they'd let us have the cup this easily? Here, if you don't believe me, watch this." Draco picked up a twig and flung it at the Cup. Almost instantaneously was flung back and it missed Draco's head by only a few inches. Just then, red flames erupted out of the Tri-wizard Cup. Harry and Draco both stared in awe as they saw Dumbledore's pet Phoenix, Fawkes come out of the Cup. Harry had most definitely not expected this. Dumbledore himself had placed a challenge in the maze?

Phoenixes were extraordinary creatures which were immortal and Harry knew that they possessed a lot of ancient magic. 'But what could a phoenix possibly do to prevent them from getting to the cup?' Harry wondered but his doubt was quickly answered when the phoenix started to cry out loud. The sound was hideous at first and the pair of them, Draco and Harry and covered their ears tightly for fear of getting deaf. However, the cry of the phoenix quickly changed into a song. It was a riddle in fact and a most peculiar riddle it was.

"Come to me young ones and listen to what I have to say,
The end is near but i'm afraid u can't go through, oh nay,
Some of us cringe at the sight of it,
And yet, some of us embrace it,
Dementors fear it for they've no happiness,
But fear not for you won't be meeting them unless,
You chant the spell to rid us all,
Of the fear of fear which is their call."

Fawkes finished it's song as it let the last note quaiver. "Go on then Pothead, I'm sure you're itching to say the spell." Draco hissed at Harry. His eyes were now fixed upon Harry's and neither of them said anything to each other for a few moments. "No, we'll both do it. It'll be a Hogwarts victory all the same Malfoy, and as much as I hate sharing first place with you, I think you deserve it just as much as I do." Harry said as he broke free from Draco's piercing gaze. Draco felt a pang of guilt as he agreed to cast the Patronus Charm together with him. 'You have no choice Draco. You're doing what you have to do. Get a grip on yourself!' Draco thought. There was no stopping it now, everything was soon going to come to an end.

~-~

"Expecto Patronum!" Harry and Draco bellowed as their patronuses shot out from their wands towards the phoenix. Harry felt a strange jolt in his wand as he did this. Draco knew that it was time. Slowly, the world swirled in Harry's head and he passed out shortly after that, only to be awoken by none other than Draco Malfoy.

"Wake up Potter. He's here to see you." Draco said as he steadied Harry using his arm. There was something about the way Draco had said 'He' which made Harry's insides churn. Harry looked around him. He wasn't in the maze anymore. In fact, his surroundings very much resembled that of a graveyard. Just then, he caught sight of a cloaked man walking towards them. Harry couldn't make out who the cloaked man was at first, until the figure approached them both. "Well done Draco, my son. He has been expecting us." Lucius Malfoy spoke as he came out from beneath the shadows of the cloak. "You! It was you all along!" Harry spat at Draco as he wriggled and kicked his way out of Malfoy's grip. "You slithering git! I should have known all of this was part of your despicable plan to get on the good books of Voldermort!" Harry fumed. At the mention of the Dark Lord's name, Lucius cut in. "Don't you dare call the Dark Lord by his name Potter. But no matter, you'll pay for your insolence. I'm sure you must be dying to know how you got here..." Lucius was actually smiling when he said this. "The wand of the Dark Lord's and yours contains a feather taken from the same phoenix, Fawkes. When your spell hit Fawkes, the Dark Lord could automatically feel your prescence and thereby summon you to his side. It is true, the Dark Lord can't directly touch you or curse you for that matter. But when you cast that spell on Fawkes today, all that changed. It caused a total reversal of magic. This is ancient magic at it's deepest. The Dark Lord was able to summon you to his side. And now..." Lucius paused as he smirked at Harry. The same Malfoy smirk he'd seen on Draco's face countless number of times. "Now Harry, you'll suffer the wrath of the Dark Lord. For He has overcome all the ancient Love charms your foolish mudblood mother had managed to bestow upon you." He then turned to his son. "Draco, you know what to do." Lucius said as he walked off briskly leaving them alone. "I'm sorry Potter, but this is for your own good." Draco said as he turned his wand at him and whispered, "Stillatus!" Harry felt himself go numb. He couldn't move a single muscle in his body and now he was lying flat on the ground. Thoughts were swirling in his head as Draco's last words to him resonated inside of him. Draco didn't have that usual gleam of vengence in his eyes. In fact, when Harry looked at him, he saw a pair of eyes which had seen lots of sorrow. He could read the emotions in Draco's eyes for he had similarly suffered great losses as well. Harry grew very tired and he let everything slip away, as he passed out beside Draco Malfoy.

**This chapter was inspired by Cissy's enthusiasm for depth and beauty. This post is for you, my fellow Legilimens. ;)

[Tonks was grooving to Sum 41's The Hell Song |

~famished]

~Nymphadora~

8:35 PM

Friday, January 06, 2006

Chapter 18

The Third Task

Draco didn't know how to break the news to Lodina about his father's and the Dark Lord's plan for him. He couldn't bare to break her heart again. He quickly surveyed the letter once more. Oh how he hated his father for calling his one true love a whore. He would pay for this dearly, Draco was sure of it. But how could he have known about Lodina in the first place? Unless..."Pansy..." Draco thought out loud. "Pansy? She sent you that letter Draco? What is it?" Lodina pressed on, the need to know the truth was killing her inside. Draco looked at Lodina's face. She was beautiful especially when she gave that confused look as she was doing now. He smiled at her. However, his smile was short lived. Should he tell her the entire plan? As much as he trusted her with his life, Draco had second thoughts on telling her about his inevitable yet cruel fate. But he figured that if she wasn't going to find out the truth from him, she'd be even more hurt in the end. "Sit down, love. What I'm about to tell you may cause you great discomfort I'm afraid. But know this, I love you Lodina. And I'd never do anything to hurt you ever." Draco said as he sat down beside Lodina on his own bed. Lodina studied his face. His silvery blonde hair was covering his eyes and his expression was hard to read. She was sitting next to the one boy she loved soo dearly with all her heart and she half expected what she would hear from Draco. Still, she loved him dearly and had faith that he would never disappoint her. Lodina kissed his cheek gently and brushed his silvery hair off his face. Her eyes locked onto his greyish green ones as she spoke softly. "Draco, my love...I've come with shocking news as it is. Whatever it is you have to tell me, just know that I will stand by you always." Lodina said as she held Draco's hand...

~-~

The time to launch the plan into action was drawing near. He had to act fast. He only had the weekend to prepare himself for the third task. "Hmm. I need that book. I guess I'd have to floo myself to the Manor and sneak it out of the Malfoy Library" Draco thought as he put on his black Armani shirt and took a fist full of Floo Powder. He paused to look at himself at the mirror. "You are to die for, my Ice Prince." the mirror said with a wink, as Draco smirked at his own reflection. "Tell me something I don't know." Draco muttered as he floo-ed himself to Malfoy Manor.

Draco coughed as he stepped out of the fireplace in the Malfoy Library. "The house elves sure are doing their job around here." Draco scowled as he dusted off the dirt on his expensive shirt. "Draco? What are you doing here my son?" Narcissa Malfoy, Draco's mother, was now rushing forward to see her only son. It has been ages since she had seen or heard from him and she had grown very worried. She knew about the dangers that lay ahead of him but was determined not to fuss over her son. He was afterall a Malfoy and he could take care of himself. "Hi mother. My dearest father isn't here in the Manor right now, is he?" Draco sneered when he mentioned his father. "No he isn't my dear. He's been away for quite some time now in fact." Narcissa said as she dusted off the remaining soot on Draco's collar. "I figured as much." Draco said as he looked up at his mother. He could see the pain in her eyes as well. Neither of them spoke for a moment but everything was conveyed through their silence for they secretly knew what Lucius Malfoy was up to. "Do you want a drink Draco? Or perhaps some food as well? I'll ask the house elves to bring some of your favourite Gin with Dragon's Blood." Narcissa smiled at Draco. "Yes please. Thanks Mother. Just the Gin will do. And don't forget the green umbrella. I do love those umbrellas." Draco smirked as he watched his mother leave the library. Now where was that book? After what felt like half an hour, one of the house elves returned with his glass of Gin. Taking a sip from it slowly, Draco tried to think of where his father might have hidden that book of ancient magic. Just then, the portrait of his mother caught his eye. Memories started flooding back into his mind and Draco shut his eyes momentarily. He remembered the time where his father had told him that love was the deepest of all ancient magic and that no one in the Malfoy family could harness that magic except for his mother, Narcissa. Lucius used to laugh in a condescending manner whenever he said this. Draco knew his mother was different from his father. But he never knew why his father always thought lowly of her. Of course, he now knew the reason and he hated his father for it. Jolting back to reality and snapping his eyes open again, Draco finally knew where his father had hid the book of Ancient Spells. He motioned to his mother's portrait and undid the charms and hexes which bound it to the wall. Behind the portrait was a small hole. Draco reached inside the hole and found the book he needed. "Thanks Mother." he whispered as he placed the glass of Gin on the ledge of the fireplace, adjusted the portrait back to normal and floo-ed himself back into his dorm room.

~-~

"All right, the four of you gather around here please." Professor McGonagall said in a regal fashion as she rounded up the four Tri-wizard contestants. "The four of you will be entering a maze for your third task. Since Mr Malfoy and Mr Potter are tied at first place, they would have a head start of five minutes. Mr Krum will follow suit followed by Miss Delacour. You will have to get through a series of challenges in the maze. However, be weary, for if you come across a danger which you cannot defeat send red sparks into the air and the other teachers and I will come to your aid and get you out. Is that clear?" Professor McGonagall's voice resonated within Harry's head. He had successfully completed the previous tasks mostly on nerve and he wasn't quite sure that it might help this time. He looked at Malfoy. 'He seemed rather calm and collected.' Harry thought as he snapped back to reality when he heard McGonagall call out his name. "Potter, Malfoy... are you both ready? Good. Now the first person to reach the centre of the maze and find the Tri-wizard cup will be the winner of the tournament. With that, I wish all of you the best of luck." Professor McGonagall finished as she smiled back at them. McGonagall hardly had a warm smile on her face but it made Harry feel less nervous about the task that lay ahead. Fleur Delacour and Victor Krum strode out of the 'waiting-tent' first, followed by Draco and Harry. "All the best out there Potter. I daresay you'll need it more than I do." Draco hissed at Harry as he strode out of the tent. 'Malfoy seems peculiarly calm. I'll get to the bottom of this.' Harry thought as he clenched his fists and followed Malfoy into the Great Maze once Professor Dumbledore initiated the start of the third task.

~-~

The maze was dark and Harry felt like he could go on walking in it for hours! He had been walking for fifteen minutes now and still no sign of any magical creature or potential 'challenges' he had to face and overcome. "Looks like it's gonna be a boring walk to the finish" Harry thought out loud. But he spoke too soon. No sooner than he had said that, a large Gryffin blocked in his path. All the teachers had each constructed their very own challenge for the third task and somehow, Harry knew that the Gryffin was definitely Hagrid's challenge. Harry made a mental note to remind Hagrid of how his Gryffin had nearly killed him; that is, if he got past the creature in the first place. Before Harry could calculate his move, the Gryffin attacked using it's talon to slash him. Harry fell backwards and writhed in pain. The Gryffin had slashed Harry right across his chest. Thankfully, the gash wasn't deep but as Harry tried to steady himself he heard someone cry 'Stupefy!' at the back of him. The Gryffin backed away but before it could make it's next move, Harry pointed his wand at the creature and stunned the Gryffin once more. This time, the spell was strong enough to completely stun the Gryffin. As the Gryffin came crashing down on Harry, he felt someone's arm around his own and he was pulled to safety. Harry turned back to thank the person who helped him, but alas, words failed him when he saw who it was standing right behind him...

**This chapter is dedicated to McSandhyagal for her undying support and unwavering loyalty. Your support has indefintely inspired me. :)

[Tonks was grooving to Coolio's Gangster's Paradise |

~accomplished]

~Nymphadora~

7:17 PM

Thursday, January 05, 2006

Chapter 17

The Descendants of the Hogwarts Four

"...It was foretold that the Great Slytherin had angered the Dragons in his quest to use the Dragons against all those who weren't pureblood wizards..." 'Yes, I know this already', thought Lodina as she quickly glanced through the pages of the book in an irritated manner. There simply had to be something in there about her ancestory! She had a feeling of pure anxiety within her. Just then, a page in the book caught her eye. "The Hogwarts Founders..." Lodina read out softly so that only she could hear. "Salazaar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor were both Drakons and they were constantly at loggerheads. The other two of the Hogwarts Four, Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff were not Drakons by birth but were honoured with the Dragon's Seal of Trust which allowed them to communicate with the other Dragons of Drakonia. Eventhough this seal was passed down through their lineage, the descendants of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff could not be granted with the gift of being a Drakon as the descendant would have to possess true Drakon blood for him/her to become a fully-fledged Drakon..." Lodina paused. She remembered her father telling her that the Black family possessed a couple of these Dragon Seals of trust. 'A couple? What if the Blacks had married another descendant of the Hogwarts Four? No... It can't be... ' Lodina dismissed that thought as she continued to read on. She was determined to prove herself right. "Rowena Ravenclaw married into the Malfoy family which was a pureblood wizarding family. The Malfoys were cousins of Salazaar Slytherin himself. Helga Hufflepuff also married into another pureblood wizarding family, the Beauxbatons. The Beauxbatons later founded the wizarding school, Beauxbatons Academy of Magic...." Lodina didn't read on. Something on the next page drew her attention instead. It was the family trees of the Hogwarts Founders. The family trees ended five generations before the present. "Perigio" Lodina whispered. She had learnt this spell from her father. This 'updating spell' came in particularly useful especially when her notes for History of Magic were always out-dated. Lots of the books in the Hogwarts Library were old and Madame Pince herself had to use the spell to keep the records up to date. Almost instantly, the family trees started to expand; branching out into various directions. Lodina saw the Slytherin tree as it branched out to the Blacks. Salazaar Slytherin had married a Black and almost all of their descendants had kept to the same wizarding family to preserve their bloodline. Lodina paused for a bit as she saw the branch of Lambard Malfoy, Rowena's husband. Lambard had a brother, Aurelius Malfoy and it was one of Aurelius's daughters that had married into the Black family. "Aha! This is how the Malfoys are related to the Blacks..." Lodina thought out loud as she grinned to herself briefly. As she shifted her gaze downwards, she saw that Aurelius' daughter wasn't the only Malfoy to have married into the Black family. There was in fact another Malfoy; a decendant of Lambard's and Rowena's side of the family in fact. Lodina couldn't believe her eyes. Tears started flowing down her cheeks. She was feeling betrayed and yet relieved for some peculiar reason to see her mother's name, Verusia Adonia Malfoy, tie in together with her father's branch in the Slytherin family tree! Her mother was a Malfoy and she didn't know about it? Thoughts started flooding her mind. She was a direct descendant of both Slytherin and Ravenclaw?! Why did her father hid the truth? "Finite Incantatum" Lodina whispered as she jolted upright and slammed the book shut without looking at the rest of the family trees. What was she going to do? She longed to see Draco eventhough she had just parted with him. She wanted to know if he got back to the castle alright. She needed to see him. He was the only one who understood. Maybe he could make sense of it all, Lodina thought as she dried her eyes. Dressed in her pyjamas and armed with the book in one hand, Lodina made sure no one was in the Gryffindor Common Room before she left for the Slytherin Tower.

~-~

"Iman, you're really weak for an oversized brute." Draco hissed as he as good as carried Pansy all the way back to the Slytherin Common Room. Once there Draco laid Pansy down in an armchair and stood abreast from Iman. He was fuming now but didn't lose his cool nonetheless. "So...planning to backstab the family which has provided you shelter and food are you?" Draco said murderously as he twirled his wand dangerously. Iman sensed that he was going to get blasted by Draco and was trying to think up of a way to escape him. Being cornered by Draco wasn't exactly the best experience. He remembered how Draco had once set Goyle's pants ablaze and sent a few serpents after him just because Goyle sneaked up on him. Iman's mouth twitched at that thought. Just then, Pansy started to stir. "Dr-Draco? Is that you?" she said in a creaky voice. Draco's shifted his attention from Iman to Pansy. Using that opportunity, Iman quickly got out of the Slytherin common room and decided to go for a lil' midnight walk down the Hogwarts corridors.

'I'd rather be with the Dark Lord than be at Malfoy's side at the moment.' Iman thought as he put his hands in his robe pockets. Rounding the bend of the fourth floor corridor, Iman heard footsteps. For fear of being caught by a teacher, he desperately scurried and found a hiding place just behind the statue of the one-eyed witch. The second last place he'd wanted to be was Dumbledore's office serving his detention. As he hid, he caught a glimpse of the person walking by. Now Iman moved out of his hiding place and had a huge grin plastered on his face. "Well, well, well... if it isn't the Ravenclaw seeker herself..." he said as he promptly put his hand forward and blocked her way. "What is a pretty lass like yourself doing in a deserted corridor at this hour? And..." he gave her a quick but thorough survey and continued. "Very much alone..." Iman smirked as he now pushed the Ravenclaw seeker, Cho Chang to the wall beside the statue of the one-eyed witch. She yelped in pain as he tightened his grip. Iman was now starting to drool over Cho Chang. Revolted at his face, Cho spat at him and started to shout out for help, but to no avail. Iman was too quick and had moved one of his hands to cover her mouth. "No one can help you now my sweet. Not even your husky ol' Durmstrang lover boy. In fact, I think he wouldn't mind me having a go at his beauty. We at the Slytherin, we're the caring and sharing sort." Iman smirked once more as he moved his face down to hers and slowly removed his hand covering her mouth. He took one more look at her swollen red lips which made him groan with pleasure. He then thrusted himself onto her and grabbed her by the waist. Cho was stunned and didn't know what to do. She was trying to kick herself free but it was no use. Iman's strength was over-powering her. Iman pulled Cho closer and tilted her head upwards as he leaned forward to kiss her.

~-~

Ron didn't know about Harry, but he was feeling up for one of Madam Rosemerta's Butterbeers after all they had been through that night. He borrowed Harry's Invisibility Cloak and headed down to the statue of the one-eyed witch. Harry and Ron used to go over to Madam Rosemerta's a lot in their third year, and they used the passage behind the hump of the statue of the one-eyed witch which led into the cellars of Honeydukes. As he rounded the bend of the fourth floor corridor, Ron stopped short as the sight that greeted him nearly tore him apart. Iman was having a go at Cho Chang! And by the looks of it, she would have rather married a dead rat than to have Iman try to kiss her. Ron came out from under the cloak and shouted at Iman. "Get off her you filthy scum!" cursed Ron. He was pointing his wand at Iman, who was now very irritated at this 'interruption'. "Why if it isn't Weasel boy. Coming out from your lil' burrow at night to search for food, are you?" Iman eyed Ron, with a pompous air around him. He simply loved to hurl insults at Ron. Ron could take it no longer. How could that vile watchdog touch the one girl he loved so much? Iman pulled Cho beside him and she was now weeping by his side. Seeing his big stubby fingers gripping Cho's wrist infuriated Ron even more. "Petrificus Totalus!" Ron cried as he rushed to Cho's side without wasting any time. Iman fell over with a huge thud. Stepping over him, Ron cradled Cho Chang in his arms. How he had longed for this moment, though he had never thought it would be this wet from all the crying Cho was doing. "Oh Ron! I don't know what to say...If you hadn't come and saved me from this evil, loathsome piece of vermin... I don't know what would have happened!" Cho choked on her words as she put her arms around him and wept some more. Ron didn't know what to do. Cho did look really pretty even when she was crying. But after seeing how hurt she felt, he vowed that he never wanted to see her sad ever again. He simply patted her head, dried her tears and without thinking, pulled her head closer to his and engaged her in a passionate kiss. All his pent up emotions for her were now flowing into the kiss. After a while, Cho pulled out of the kiss and looked at Ron, surprised. "Erm, I'm sorry Cho. I didn't mean to...er.. well... we should be getting back to our Towers..." Ron said as he blushed heavily, not daring to look into her eyes. 'I'm such an idiot!' he thought to himself as he flushed even more. "Don't be, Ron. I'm eternally grateful for your help." with that Cho leaned forward once more and kissed Ron gently on the lips. Their kiss was disrupted by the stirring of Iman on the floor beside them. "We should get going, before he comes around...er Cho? Do you want me to walk you to your Tower?" Ron asked nervously as he held his hand out for Cho to steady herself. "Yea, I'd like that Ron. I'd like that very much." she smiled as she took his hand and held it tightly all the way to the Ravenclaw Tower.

~-~

Draco did a few healing charms on Pansy as she moaned in pain. He had learnt some healing charms from his mother and he always knew they would come in handy. Pansy stirred some more before Draco put her into dreamless sleep with the Draught of Peace potion he had brewed on his own. He carried her to her dorm room and turned to leave the Slytherin Tower. It certainly wasn't over between Iman Eanderthal and him, and he wasn't going to let Iman get away that easy. Just as he swung open the portrait hole of Viola the Vampiress, he saw Lodina pacing up and down the front of the portrait hole! "Lodina! What on earth are you doing here? And in nothing but your pyjamas and slippers?" Draco checked Lodina out and gave a sexy grin. "I see you have a book with you too. You weren't planning on having a little 'study-date' with me were you?" Draco eyed Lodina with lust as he pulled her closer to him and started kissing her neck. His hands slid into her pyjamas and she felt his warm hands on her back. It felt so good. But Lodina couldn't do this. Not right now. Not when she was potentially dangerous to him whenever she touched his arm. She couldn't risk it happening again for she loved Draco too damn much. She pulled away from him. "Not now Draco. We need to talk." Lodina said plainly. "Ouch! Don't tell me you've got a boyfriend already? Don't tell me it's Neville?! Oh Lodina!" Draco tried to act hurt but it wasn't amusing her. "Stop being a prat Draco. I'm serious. Don't you see? I can't even touch you anymore! Not after what happened just now. I can't risk your arm bleeding ever again. It might even be worse the next time..." Lodina broke off as she started tearing. Sensing the seriousness in her voice, Draco stepped forward and pushed her beautiful jet black hair out of her face. He kissed her tears away and pulled her close again. "You can't touch only my lower arm Lodina. The rest of me, fortunately, you can touch as much as you like." Draco teased and gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead. Lodina smiled meekly at this. "Can we sit down somewhere? Somewhere private? Is your common room safe?" Lodina asked, eager to tell Draco what she had learnt. "You can come into my room. One of the perks of being a Malfoy: you can sweet-talk your way into having your very own private room." Draco beamed as he showed Lodina into his bedroom. His room was comfy and was draped in Slytherin colours. Lodina motioned to sit on his bed but stopped short. She saw an unread letter neatly placed on his bed. She picked it up. "Draco, you have a letter on your bed. Did you know?" Lodina handed him the letter. Draco looked at the spiky handwriting which resembled his very own. He knew who had sent him this letter instantly. Without further adieu, he ripped open the envelope and started reading it quietly.

Dearest Son,

I hear the Dark Lord has been to see you this evening. I hope everything is going according to plan and that you're not attracting any unwanted attention to yourself. Yes, I know about your little crush on that Gryffindor whore and it would do you good to forget about your fling with her and concentrate on the task assigned to you. Believe me when I say that I have my means of finding out if you have been good or naughty. We don't want to suffer the wrath of the Dark Lord now do we? The plan will be set into motion very soon. Send my regards to your true love, Pansy.

L. Malfoy

**This chapter is dedicated to Cho. Your undaunting spirit and humor would give the Weasleys a run for their galleons any day. *winkz*

[Tonks was grooving to Fort Minor's Get it |

~euphoric]

~Nymphadora~

1:30 PM