Harry Potter and the Return of the Heirs By J
Harry Potter and the Return of the Heirs
By J.C. Vascardi
Disclaimer: All characters and places featured in this story that relate to Harry Potter are the property of J.K. Rowling, various publishers, and Warner Brothers. No money is being made on this story and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. The only things about this story that I own are the storylines, places and characters that are not featured in the books.
Author's Note: This story takes place during Harry Potter's sixth year at Hogwarts. I will be trying to follow the Order of the Phoenix canon as much as possible. I may however deviate from the canon occasionally if the story I am trying to tell would be better served by doing so. Even though this story takes place in Harry's sixth year, it is mostly AU because it was written before the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Now, I would also like to say that I'm an American, so while I will try to use some of the British terminology that I'm familiar with to make this story more real, there will likely be instances when the characters may sound a little more American then they would otherwise. For those of you who care about such things, I apologize in advance.
Feedback is very much appreciated. You may contact me by email at JCVascardi@yahoo.com or you can contact me at JCVascardi on Yahoo Messenger and AOL Instant Messenger. For updates on my writing progress, check out my writing journal at: http://www.greatestjournal.com/users/jcvascardi/. Also, feel free to check out my website at http://jcv.5u.com/all/jcstories/.
Chapter 3
Arriving in Hogsmeade, Ryan dusted himself off and thought to himself how extraordinarily happy he'd be once he reached seventeen and would be able to get his apparition license. A popping noise nearby announced the arrival of his Uncle Charles, who quickly pulled out his wand and cast a cleaning charm on him, instantly removing any trace of soot from his clothes.
Putting his wand back into a black dragon hide wand holder attached to his right arm, Charles motioned Ryan to follow him. Outside, Ryan caught his first glimpse of Hogwarts Castle up on the hill, overlooking the town and murmured, "Wow. That's the school?"
"Yes, it is," confirmed Charles. "Pretty impressive isn't it?"
"Yeah, definitely," Ryan responded as he followed his uncle through the streets.
"I'm sorry we don't have time to explore Hogsmeade, Ryan," Charles said, "but you will get your chance once school starts. All students from third year on up are allowed to come here on certain weekends throughout the school year."
"Yes, Matt mentioned that."
Charles just nodded as they continued walking. After another block or so, they came to the edge of town, where a large carriage stood waiting at the bottom of the road which led up the hill to the gates of Hogwarts. Two people, one who looked to be about Lucinda's age, the other, about Ryan's age, stood next to the carriage wearing emerald green cloaks.
"Hello," Charles called as they approached. "I'm Charles Cromwell, and this is my nephew, Ryan. You are?"
"Angelique Byrne," the older woman replied, "and this is my grandson, Nicolas Delaney. I take it your nephew is a new student as well?"
"Yes, I am," answered Ryan.
"Where did you go to school?" Nicolas asked as they got into the carriage.
"Asheville Academy of the Arcane."
"Not sure I've ever heard of that school," Nicolas said.
"It's one of the American wizarding schools," Ryan answered.
"So you're American?" Nicolas asked.
"No, I was born in Yorkshire," Ryan answered. "Lived there until I was ten, then my grandmother packed us up and we moved to Asheville, North Carolina. She died two weeks ago, so I had to move back."
"My condolences," Nicolas said.
"Thank you," Ryan replied as he smiled at Nicolas, who was certainly easy on the eyes. "What about you? Where did you go to school?"
"Beauxbatons Academy, in France."
"So what brought about your relocation to Hogwarts?"
"My grandmother is the new Care of Magical Creatures teacher here," Nicolas answered.
"Hmm, I wonder what happened to Hagrid," Charles commented.
"He got married and moved to France," Nicolas said.
"Is that so?" Charles asked.
"Yes, married Madame Maxime Olympe, the Headmistress of Beauxbatons," Professor Byrne responded. "Maxime and I were in school together, and have always been good friends. She knew that I wanted a change of scenery, so since magical creatures have always been my area of expertise, she owled Headmaster Dumbledore and told him that I'd be perfect to fill the position in her husband's absence. He later owled back saying the job was mine if I wanted it, so I'm now the Magical Creatures professor and Hogwarts gamekeeper."
The rest of the trip to the castle was spent in relative silence. After several minutes, the carriage stopped, signaling that they'd arrived. Charles opened the door and stepped out before helping Professor Byrne out of the carriage, followed by Ryan and Nicolas. A woman wearing emerald green robes standing on the front steps greeted them, and Charles smiled, instantly recognizing Professor McGonagall.
"Good Afternoon, Professor," Charles said as he stepped forward.
"Mr. Cromwell," Professor McGonagall replied with a nod and a hint of a smile.
"I hope you're well?" Charles asked.
"Yes, I am," answered McGonagall. "It's been awhile. My condolences regarding your mother, she will be dearly missed."
"Thank you," Charles murmured as he motioned Ryan to step forward, "I'd like you to meet my nephew. Ryan, this is Professor McGonagall, Transfiguration teacher, Head of Gryffindor House, and Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts. Professor, this is my nephew, Ryan Cromwell."
"A pleasure to meet you, Professor," Ryan said with a smile. "My cousin, Matthew, spoke very highly of you."
"Ah, yes, Matthew Cromwell," McGonagall commented. "Very talented, got an Outstanding in his Transfiguration N.E.W.T.s if I remember correctly."
"That he did," Charles confirmed with the smile of a proud parent. "Transfiguration was always one of his best subjects. Never very good at Potions though, which I must admit was rather disappointing, but oh, well, I guess a parent can't always expect their children to excel at the same things they do."
Turning to the others, McGonagall spoke to the woman, "Ah, you must be Professor Byrne."
"Yes, I am. It's a pleasure to meet you, Professor McGonagall. Allow me to present my grandson, Nicolas Delaney."
McGonagall nodded to Nicolas before continuing, "All right. Well, we mustn't keep the Headmaster waiting. He's a very busy man after all, so let's be off."
With that, McGonagall turned and headed into the castle, with Charles, Professor Byrne, Nicolas, and Ryan following close behind.
Just as Draco suspected, it wasn't long after Blaise entered his room at Malfoy Manor, that he began casting powerful locking and silencing charms on his room. Then, set his wand on the nightstand and looking over at Blaise. "Nice to be pure-blood sometimes isn't it?"
"Yes, it is," agreed Blaise. "Coming from an all-magic family, we do tend to be better informed on certain subjects."
Draco nodded.
"Yes, for example," Draco drawled. "The fact that while the Ministry can detect when magic is being used at a given location, they can't tell who is actually using it."
"Yeah, for all they know, it was your mother who just cast those silencing and locking charms. I guess we don't have to worry about being interrupted by a warning letter from the Ministry."
"Very true," Draco agreed. "Oh well, let's just fuck."
Reaching for his wand once more, Draco waved it over Blaise's abdomen and muttered the incantation for a cleaning charm that's use was suggested prior to anal intercourse in the book, `A Wizard's Guide to Sex with other Wizards.' Draco and Blaise were quite glad that they took the time to read it before their first time, because it offered many tips on what to do and want not to do that made the whole process a lot easier and less painful for both of them. Draco waved his wand again to cast a lubrication charm, before he returned his wand to the nightstand.
"Ready?"
"That's a stupid question."
"I'll take that as a yes," Draco said as he positioned himself and then pushed forward into the warm, tight confines of Blaise's ass.
"Damn Blaise," Draco moaned. "You'd think that with as many times as we've done this, you would have loosened up a little bit."
"I could say the same thing about you, Dray," Blaise said. "You're still as tight as the first time we did this last year."
"You ready to continue?" Draco asked, choosing to ignore the fact that Blaise called him Dray, a nickname that he did not particularly care for. Despite the fact that he didn't love Blaise in that way, and this was really only a means of helping each other keep their raging hormones under control, Draco still gave Blaise a chance to adjust to the invasion, since he didn't want to hurt the closest person he had to a friend.
Blaise just nodded, so Draco eased his way in further until he was buried to the hilt inside the boy beneath him. What followed was a collection of moans and groans as the two teenage boys satisfied their needs at a frenzied pace.
"Ah, welcome to Hogwarts," Dumbledore said as McGonagall walked into his office with Charles, Ryan, Professor Byrne, and Nicolas. "If you will all please have a seat, we'll get started." He paused, indicating the chairs before his desk, and they sat down. "Would anyone like some tea? Or perhaps a lemon drop?"
Charles, Ryan, and Nicolas accept Dumbledore's offer of tea, while McGonagall and Byrne politely declined. Dumbledore conjured three cups and then popped a lemon drop into his mouth while the others took their tea. For a few moments, nothing was said and then finally, Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling as always, spoke up. "Well, as you know, we are here today to get young Mr. Cromwell and Mr. Delaney sorted into houses. Normally, this would be done at the arrival feast in front of the whole school, but seeing as how the two of you are transferring into Hogwarts as sixth year students, I thought that you might feel a little awkward standing in front of the student body to be sorted with the incoming first years.
"Now, let me tell you a little bit about how Hogwarts works. In case you don't already know, the four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. While you're here, your house will be like your family. You will sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room. Normally, we would tell new students that they would also have classes with the rest of their house, which is true, since it will be very likely that you will have members of your house in at least some of your classes. However, as sixth-year students your O.W.L. results determine which advanced classes you are eligible to take. Since not every student excels in all areas, you will not necessarily be attending all of your classes with all of your housemates who are in the same year, as you would have done in years past."
Dumbledore paused to conjure himself a cup of tea and took a sip before continuing. "Now, let's get back to the subject of sorting. Each house has qualities that it holds in high regard, and the Sorting Hat will determine which house it thinks you belong in based on those qualities. For example, Gryffindor values bravery, so if the hat judges someone as being exceptionally brave, they will likely find themselves in Gryffindor. Ravenclaw values intelligence, Hufflepuff values loyalty, and Slytherin values cunning. Now, Minerva, if you would be so kind as to place the hat on Mr. Cromwell's head, we will begin."
"Of course, Albus," McGonagall replied as she picked up the hat and placed it on Ryan's head.
Ryan instantly felt the hat come to life, and heard it talking in his mind, just as his uncle and Matt had told him he would.
"Ah, Mr. Cromwell, you are a bit older than what I am used to," the Sorting Hat said. "Your mind is a bit harder to read than a first year's, but I think I can manage anyway. Now, let's see here, I see that you are very bright and that you enjoy reading quite a bit. I also see a certain amount of cunningness. Your intelligence would suggest Ravenclaw to be best, although you may also find Slytherin to be a good home."
"Well, most of my family has been in Ravenclaw for generations," Ryan thought. "So, I think I'd prefer to follow in that tradition if possible. While I'm sure that Slytherin is nice, and I'll be the first to admit that I can be cunning when I want to be, I've always thought of my intelligence as my best trait."
"Well, then, Mr. Cromwell, I shall put you in," the Sorting Hat said before shouting, "RAVENCLAW!"
Dumbledore and Charles applauded as McGonagall lifted the Sorting Hat from Ryan's head and then placed it on Nicolas' head.
"Hmm, Mr. Delaney, where shall I put you? You seem to possess many of the traits that all four houses value. You are intelligent, which would suggest Ravenclaw. You are also brave and loyal, which would suggest Gryffindor or Hufflepuff. I also see a certain amount of cunning in your personality, which would suggest Slytherin. Hmm, let's see here, you also appear to have quite a bit of ambition and that coupled with your cunning makes me think that you would do best in... SLYTHERIN!"
Dumbledore, Byrne, and Charles applaud and Ryan looked to Nicolas and said, "Well, I guess we won't be housemates, but I do hope that we can still be friends, Nicolas."
"I'd like that, Ryan," Nicolas replied with a smile as McGonagall lifted the Sorting Hat from his head. "Please call me Nick. That's what all of my friends in France used to call me."
"Okay, Nick," Ryan said and smiled. "You can call me, Ry."
"You do this school proud," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling madly. "If we are to survive this dark time, the members of all the houses must lay to rest all of the old rivalries and unite. I am pleased that the two of you have already begun that most vital of tasks. Now, I bid you all good day," and looking at Professor Byrne, Ryan, and Nicolas, he continued, "and I look forward to seeing you three back here on September the First."
McGonagall showed everyone out of the office, leaving Dumbledore to continue his work.
Draco fell asleep after Blaise left, and it wasn't long after that, unfortunately, that his subconscious began working, and forcing him to relive an event from his past...
Six-year-old Draco Malfoy was sitting alone in his bedroom. Unlike most children his age, he wasn't allowed to go outside and play. He rarely ever saw the outdoors. So when his father came in and told him they were going out for a while, Draco was overjoyed. Outside, Draco followed Lucius down one of the paths in the formal gardens, just happy to be outdoors rather than cooped up inside the Manor. It wasn't long however, before Draco's good mood slipped when he saw where his father was going: the Malfoy Family Mausoleum.
Looking up at the imposing edifice before him, Draco couldn't help but shudder. He had never liked coming to the mausoleum, but then what six-year-old would? Lucius walked up the stone steps and cast the necessary charm to unlock and open the massive stone doors. The torches lit by themselves as Lucius and Draco walked in, revealing a large and ornate room. Straight ahead, were two life-size, gold statues of Armand and Angelique Malfoy standing atop black marble pedestals, and at the foot, rested their matching gold sarcophaguses.
Armand and Angelique, who had lived and died about a thousand years ago, built the original Malfoy Manor and the family mausoleum. Most of the current house, known as Malfoy Manor, was not build by Armand and Angelique. The original house had been changed and added on to several times over the years. The only parts of the estate that remained the same as they were in Armand and Angelique's day, were the family mausoleum and a small section of the west wing of the mansion itself, which housed the library and Lucius' study.
On the walls surrounding the room, Draco could see the names of Armand and Angelique's children and grandchildren. Behind the statues was a large archway, which Draco knew led to the stairs that descended down into the depths of the tomb, and he couldn't help but shudder again when he realized that was where Lucius was taking him. As they descended further and further below ground, Draco began to shiver from both cold and a growing sense of dread, since he had never ventured this far into the tomb before. Reaching the bottom of the stairs after what seemed like hours, Draco found himself in a large room that was just as ornate as the room at the top. In the center of the room, were two more life-size, gold statues standing atop marble pedestals, except that these statues were of his mother and father.
Draco watched as Lucius walked over to his statue and muttered something he couldn't hear. The wall behind the statues soon slid open and Lucius said, "Wait here."
Draco knew better to argue with his father, even if he was scared out of his mind at the thought of being left alone in the family tomb. Lucius went through the opening in the wall, and returned a few moments later with a large black sack. Walking over to Draco, Lucius opened the sack and dumped its contents onto the ground.
"Puppies!" Draco cried gleefully as he knelt down to get a better look at the small black and white animals.
A grunt from his father caught Draco's attention and he looked up to see that his father's face had hardened into a cold sneer. Even at the tender age of six, Draco knew that look meant that Lucius was extremely displeased with him.
"What have I told you about showing emotions, boy?" Lucius asked in a low, cruel voice.
"Emotions are a sign of weakness, and Malfoy men must never be weak," Draco recited after a moment of thought.
"Yet, you still showed emotion when you saw these little beasts," Lucius said as he kicked the smallest of the puppies, which whimpered loudly at the contact.
Not thinking of the consequences, Draco cried out, "Daddy, please don't hurt the puppy!" He picked up the puppy that Lucius kicked, and cradled it lovingly in his arms.
"What have I told you about using that filthy name?" Lucius admonished. "I demand you show me the proper respect and call me 'Father'!"
"Father, please, don't hurt him," Draco cried again as he gently scratched behind one of the puppy's ears.
"I'm not going to hurt the puppy, Draco," Lucius said. "You're going to hurt the puppy. Actually, you're going to kill it."
"What? No! I won't kill it!" Draco cried. "Father, please don't make me kill it!"
"Draco, you will do as I say," Lucius said in a cold and unfeeling tone. "That runt is the weakest, and therefore must be exterminated. It's survival of the fittest. The same goes for us, Draco. It's our duty, as purebloods, to exterminate all those who are weaker than us. That means Muggles, Half-Bloods and Mudbloods."
"Father, no! I won't kill the puppy, and you can't make me!" Draco cried and tears began to roll down his cheeks as he continued to lovingly hug the small puppy as it licked his hand.
"That is where you are wrong, Draco," Lucius said as he pulled out his wand and pointed it at his son. "Imperio! Now, kill it!"
Draco hesitated for a moment as he desperately tried to fight against the spell, and not obey his father. It was an exercise in futility however, and tears were pouring from Draco's slate-grey eyes as he began to strangle the puppy. The small legs were kicking wildly as it tried to defend itself, but it couldn't since Draco was larger and stronger then it was. The small creature let out a strangled whimper and then stopped moving all together. Draco set the puppy on the ground and then burst into sobs when he realized what he had done.
Lucius glared at his son and yelled, "You're showing emotion again, you weak little bastard! Crucio!"
Draco awoke covered in a cold sweat, and let out a quiet scream as his father's words echoed in his mind. He began to pant, trying to calm himself when he realized where he was. Soon, tears began to roll down his cheeks over the memory of what his father had forced him to do on that summer morning, ten years ago. Draco pulled his legs up to his chest and buried his head as he continued to sob, eventually crying himself back to sleep.
Harry was sitting alone in the master suite of Grimmauld Place. Once Sirius' will had been read, Molly and Arthur had insisted that Harry move into the room, since he was now the owner of the house. Truth be told, while Harry did enjoy sharing a room with Ron, he was also happy to have his own at last. Harry was sitting on the bed, lost in his thoughts, when there was a knock on the door.
"Come in," Harry called as he snapped back to reality.
"Hey Harry."
"Hello," Harry said with a smile as his guest closed the door.
"What are you up to?"
"Just thinking."
"Anything in particular?"
"Before I answer that question," Harry said, a sly grin on his face, "Why don't you put your curse-breaking skills to good use, and make sure we aren't disturbed?"
"No problem, Harry," Bill replied with a grin, and proceeded to cast several highly complex locking and silencing charms on the room. "All finished."
"Thanks Bill," Harry said, and his smile got wider as he patted a place next to him on the bed. "Now, why don't you come over here and I'll tell you exactly what I was thinking about."
Bill grinned as he walked over and sat down beside Harry. "Who would of thought it? Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, having dirty thoughts about his best friend's older brother."
"Are you complaining?" Harry asked.
"Did I say that?" Bill countered as he leaned over and then placed a kiss on Harry's lips.
Before Bill had even managed to pull an inch away from the raven-haired teen, Harry pushed him onto his back and was soon lying on top of the older red-head, kissing him with the kind of passion that only a hormonal teenager can muster.
Starting shortly after Harry's fourth year, Bill and Harry began to exchange lots of owls, and the two became good friends. During fifth year, when Umbridge began monitoring all of the incoming mail, Harry and Bill hardly heard from each other since, by that time, the letters had begun to get quite personal, and neither wanted Umbridge to read about their personal thoughts and feelings.
After fifth year ended, Bill came over to the Dursleys' to check on Harry occasionally. It was then that they started their relationship, if you can call it that. Neither one of them thought of the other as anything more than a very good friend, even though their activities would lead some to think otherwise.
For a long time, Harry had been denying what he now knew to be true: that he was gay. He didn't want to admit it to himself because he knew that the majority of people frowned on such things. Uncle Vernon for example, had, as long as Harry could remember, preached on the evils of homosexuality and how he thought everyone who was homosexual should be locked away in an institution, far away from all of the decent, normal people.
Even though he knew that it was irrational for thinking such things, for a long time Harry felt as if he was the only person in the world experiencing the feelings that he was having. He felt so alone, and with nobody around to talk about it to, he figured that if he pushed it down far enough, he could be normal.
That was the reason his romance with Cho Chang turned disastrous. He had convinced himself that if he could just date her, then he'd be normal and the feelings he'd been having would some how, magically disappear as if they'd never existed. After the kiss he shared with Cho however, Harry began to realize that trying to deny his feelings was rather futile.
It was Bill, who helped Harry come to terms with them. Once their letters got personal, Bill felt that he should be totally honest with Harry, and told him that he was gay. Reading those words on the parchment was an experience that Harry would probably never forget, and he felt like a weight had somehow been lifted off of his shoulders. He no longer felt alone in the world, and it wasn't long, with Bill's help, that Harry accepted the fact that he was gay. It also wasn't long afterward, that Bill's visits to Privet Drive became more frequent. The Dursleys were none too pleased with Harry for having a frequent visitor, much less a wizard. However, despite any qualms they may have had about it, they were afraid that if they told the man Harry introduced as Bill, to leave and never come back, that they'd be getting a visit from that strange old man with the spinning eye.
None of them could forget the day they picked Harry up at King's Cross Station, and met Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody. The Dursleys were still terrified of the man, and if they had to deal with a wizard coming to check in on Harry, they agreed that they preferred Bill. Vernon didn't really approve of his long hair or his shark tooth earring, but he could deal with that as long as he didn't have to see that other man's spinning eyeball again. Not only did Bill keep Harry's relatives from bothering him too much for most of the summer, he also spent quite a bit of time with Harry in his bedroom. If it hadn't been for the locking and silencing charms that Bill cast on the room during those times, Vernon would have been extremely angry to know just what was going on in his house.
"Wake up, you miserable, ungrateful little toad!" Lucius Malfoy shouted as he barged into his son's bedroom the following morning.
Draco, who had been fast asleep, sat bolt upright in bed when he heard his father shouting. As his father crossed the room, Draco quickly climbed out of bed wearing only his favorite pair of green silk, silver snake embroidered boxers.
"Good morning, father," said Draco as he stood beside his bed.
"Don't 'good morning' me, you pathetic little wretch!" Lucius screamed. "You'll be starting back to school soon, and I'm warning you now, boy. This year had better be different. I had better not pick you up from school at the end of the year and find out, that once again, you've allowed that filthy mudblood to beat you academically!"
"Father, I did get Outstanding on all of my O.W.L.s," Draco whined.
"That fact is the only reason I haven't killed you yet!" Lucius exclaimed.
"However, for the last five years you have consistently been the second best student in your year. I might consider not being quite as angry if you were being beaten by a pureblood, but a filthy mudblood?!"
"Granger is just very smart. She really should have been in Ravenclaw instead of Gryffindor."
"Shut up, no excuses! You're a pureblood and she's a mudblood. You're superior to her, and it should be you who's the number one student in your year."
"I try, really I do."
"Obviously not hard enough," Lucius reprimanded, and he raised his wand, pointing it at his son. "Perhaps it's time for another reminder of just how displeased I am with you."
"No, father, please no!" Draco pleaded, but it was too late.
"Crucio!"
Draco's knees gave way, and he collapsed to the ground in immense pain. He tried for several minutes not to cry out, but as the pain coursing through his body continued to worsen, he just couldn't stand it anymore and began screaming in agony. Lucius laughed as Draco screamed and writhed around on the floor. Draco was screaming so loudly that Lucius didn't hear the sound of footsteps running up the stairs. Narcissa Malfoy ran into the room and took in the sight before her with a horrified expression on her face. Having come running the second she heard Draco cry out, she hadn't even grabbed her wand in her haste to come see what was wrong with her beloved son. Despite that, she couldn't allow this to continue, and was thankful for the time she had spent learning how to perform some spells without a wand. Striding forward, she pointed at Draco and said, "Finite Incantatem!"
"Narcissa, get out of here!" Lucius bellowed as he turned towards his wife, while Draco stopped screaming and curled up into the fetal position.
"No!" Narcissa said firmly, in defiance of her husband. "I will not stand here and let you torture my son!"
"Your son? He is MY son, Narcissa!" Lucius yelled. "You may have carried him, but I'll be damned if I will let you corrupt him. You're always pampering him and treating him like a little prince. Well, no more!"
"Don't you dare tell me how to raise my son!" Narcissa screamed, her anger making her forget that fighting with her armed, Death Eater-husband might not be the best idea, especially considering that she was unarmed and only capable of performing a handful of simple spells without her wand.
"You stupid, weak little bitch!" Lucius shouted again. "This is your last warning. Get out of here!"
Enraged that Lucius would use the Cruciatus Curse on her beloved son, and further angered that he would call her a bitch, Narcissa slapped Lucius across the face and said, "Go to the Hells!"
"Oh, you will regret that!" Lucius exclaimed as he raised his wand at Narcissa. "Avada Kedavra!"
Time seemed to slow down considerably as the jet of green light emitted from Lucius' wand, and shot forth toward Narcissa's heart.
"No!" Draco screamed, as the look of shock and horror on Narcissa's face became permanent as she dropped to the floor, dead. "No!" Draco shrieked again as he looked over at his mother's corpse.
"Shut up, boy," Lucius yelled. "Unless you want to join her!"
"Expelliarmus!"
Lucius' wand flew from his hand and he spun quickly on his heel to see who had disarmed him. Recognizing the lone man standing in the doorway of Draco's bedroom, he exclaimed, "You!"
"Yes, me, Lucius," shouted Charles Cromwell.
"What are you doing here?"
"I've come to collect Draco."
"You have no right to take him anywhere."
"On the contrary," Charles replied, "I have every right. I just witnessed you casting the killing curse on your own wife. You're off to Azkaban, Lucius, and I doubt you'll be able to escape again now that the Ministry has dragons guarding it!"
"Oh, I'm shaking," Lucius spat back. "Who's going to send me? You?"
"You forget yourself, Lucius," Charles said. "You never beat me once in a duel when we were in school, so even if you weren't unarmed, you couldn't stand against me."
Lucius raised his hand towards him and said, "Oh really, cousin Charles? Accio wand!"
Just as it was in their school days, Charles was quicker and cast a charm to deflect Lucius' summoning charm, before casting a charm of his own.
"Stupefy!"
A jet of red light shot forth from Charles' wand and hit Lucius, causing him to fall to the floor next to Narcissa's corpse, stunned. Charles then knelt beside Draco "It's okay, Draco. You're safe now."
"Who are you?" Draco asked, having never met Charles before.
"It's a long story," Charles said, "one that I will tell you later, but in a nutshell, I'm your father's cousin, Charles. You'll be living with me from now on."
"You won't hurt me, will you?" Draco asked, not wanting to feel the Cruciatus curse ever again.
"No, of course not," Charles said as he recognized the after effects of the Cruciatus curse, and ran a hand gently through Draco's hair, attempting to calm him down a bit. "I'm an Auror, so I certainly am not going to hurt you. Now, why don't you get dressed?"
Draco nodded as he stood up and began dressing. Charles noticed Draco's trunk sitting off to one side of the room. "Pack," he muttered with a wave of his wand, and Draco's schoolbooks, clothes, and other belongings began to pack themselves. It wasn't long before another person entered the room with their wand drawn.
"Ah, Kingsley, good to see you," Charles said. "If you'd be so kind, as to make sure that Lucius gets to Azkaban for torturing his son and killing his wife, I would appreciate it."
"Of course," Kingsley Shacklebolt replied, before pointing his wand at Lucius' still form, and said two spells in rapid succession.
"Mobilicorpus! Incarcerous!" Then, he left the room with Lucius' bound body floating along behind him.
"Let's go, Draco," Charles said. Then, he pointed his wand at Draco's now packed trunk and said, "Locomotor trunk!"
Draco's trunk lifted off the floor and Draco followed Charles from the room, the charmed trunk following behind them.
To be continued...