Author's note: Sorry about the 13 ½ years delay in updating this story. I know that Razor flip-phone and MySpace were all the rage the late time I updated. But 13 years is a blink of the eye when you consider all of human existence.

Disclaimer: J.K Rowling owns Harry Potter and CO. I own nothing.

Power of The Quill. Chapter 23. Threats.

Lucius Malfoy hates to travel by broom. Thankfully, its a moonless, starry night with clear skies as he crosses the English canal. Portkey, apparation or horse drawn carriage are much more his style. But the Ministry sometimes tracks a person's apparations or portkey trails. Lucius would not put it passed old Fudge to put a magical tail on him. Even though he fed Goyle's name to the Minister, Fudge has become more paranoid since the dark mark attacks. It did not help that Goyle was out of the country when aurors raided his brothel and home. No small thanks to Lucius warning him in advance. Goyle now believes he owes Lucius a debt for using his ministry contacts to find out about raids on suspected Deatheaters in advance to warn his friend before hand. He has no idea Lucius is playing both sides of the fence. Sadly it appears Fudge's usefulness is coming to an end as it becomes more apparent that he will not hold onto his job much longer.

Lucius pulls his wand out of his coat as he approaches the French coast. He takes the broom down to just ten feet over the water. Its almost three in the morning, there is no one on the shore. From the tip of his wand he shoots a small spark of green flame into the air. Ten seconds later a similar flame appears on shore half a mile to the north, he banks left and heads for it. The signal is coming from a large artificial cave on the rocky shoreline. A small squat figure stands on a concrete platform just above the mouth of the cave. The bile in Lucius' stomach turns as he recognizes the low some creature. He swings his broom in sideways to throw as much dirt and dust as he can into the small wizards face. "Pettigrew," he says with a sneer as he dismounts his broom.

"You were expected hours ago, Malfoy," he scolds.

"Unavoidable," he firmly states. He feels no need to explain himself to such a despicable person.

"Let's hope our lord agrees," Pettigrew says as he leads Lucius down a set of rusty iron stairs leading into the cave. The stairs lead to a large twelve foot wide concrete shelf that runs the length of the cave on the right side. The left side is filled with a canal full of seawater slowly lapping with the tide. A three foot high railing separates the two.

"What is this place?" Lucius asks as they pass the rusty remains of a gantry crane.

"It's an old secret Nazi submarine pen," Wormtail answers.

As they move deeper into the cave the air becomes thick and hot. The darkness is almost complete. A tiny blue light is visible at the far end of the cave they are moving towards. Barely able to make out Pettigrew in the blackness Lucius pulls out his wand and say, "Lumos." The tip of his wand ignites showering the cave with light. Lucius can now see they are heading for a steel door about a hundred yards away with the small blue light above it. A loud speaker is mounted next to the light. In the canal just in front of him a large black shape floats nearby. He wonders if the germens left an old sub behind when they abandoned this place.

"Put that out!" Pettigrew says in a harsh whisper as he uses his silver hand to extinguish Lucius' light. He is just about to complain when a low grumbling sound fills the cave. The concrete vibrates under his feet.

"SHHH, don't move a muscle," Pettigrew whispers as he lowers himself to his knees, his voice full of terror. He gives a quick yank on Lucius' sleaze indicating he should do the same. Lucius lowers himself as a loud growl makes his ears hurt. Two streams of fire shoot forward into the canal 50 feet in front of them. A wave of heat rushes backwards, making his eyes tear. The water in the canal rushes back toward the opening of the cave as if the sea is sucking it back out.

In the almost darkness he senses something enormous moving in the water. He can barely make out the huge triangle shaped head rising over the railing in front of him. The creature has purple and yellow eyes that glow in the dark, they are trained on the two wizards kneeling before it. It takes a quick intake of air with it's nostrils, a small sniff. Lucius swallows nervously as he see the creature curl back its black lips revealing rolls of dagger length teeth. He does a quick calculation in his head. If the monster strikes he can throw Pettigrew into its jaws perhaps buying him time to escape.

"Harreshshsh ssheraanassss," a voice hisses out of the loud speaker from the far end of the cave. The monster turns its head briefly that way. Then it turns back and snorts a puff of flame at them, sending both crashing back on their arses until they hit the wall behind them. The creature turns the other way moving toward the cave opening. In just a few seconds it is gone out to sea. The air smell of sulfur and burnt hair as Lucius gets to his feet. "That was a dragon," he states as he pats down his clothes making sure he isn't on fire.

"Yes," Peter answers as he rises. "And a very mean one at that."

"Our lord has upgraded his pets I see. I didn't know he could speak Dragon," Lucius says as he rubs his forearm where hair use to be.

"That old dragon is nobodies pet. Its been a permanent resident of this base for decades. Fortunately the old beast speaks a little parseltongue. Our lord made a deal to keep it fed as long as it keeps out intruders and doesn't eat us," Wormtail informs him.

"Sounds like a risky proposition," Lucius tell him as he stare back at the end of the cave to see if the dragon is going to return.

"It is. It keeps demand more food all the time. A week ago it ate a fine young French wizard I recruited myself. What a waste," he states. Lucius doubts anyone Wormtail would recruit was a big loss. "Lucky for us I fed him two fat American tourist earlier this evening." They continues toward the door at the end of the tunnel. Pettigrew grabs a wheel on the door and spins it to the left. He then pulls it open. The door doesn't make a sound. Lucius guesses it must be well oiled or has a silencing charm on it. It closes just as quietly behind them.

The inner rooms is not what he expects. No candle light or gothic treatment. It looks like an old set of muggle offices with a simple lounge using muggle electric lights. Sitting on a couch in the lounge is a very attractive young Asian witch in a military uniform. She seems to be moving words form an ancient scroll to book with her wand. The words change from the Asian script to English as they move through the air. Pettigrew leads him down a narrow hallway with offices on each side. Lucius looks into one of the offices as he passes by. Inside are two wizards in black cloaks he doesn't recognize sitting in chairs. They were both typing on what looks like a small muggle TV attached to a typewriter. They were both concentrating heavily on the screens as they typed. This was very peculiar. Lucius has been to a few of the dark lord's lairs, nothing this bizarre.

The last office at the end of the hall had two polished oak doors. Pettigrew open one and motioned for Lucius to enter. He did, with the small wizard following behind him. Inside is a large conference room with a twelve seat table in the middle of the room. Portraits of German navels officers lined the walls. A model of a submarine is under glass at the back of the room. The chairs have royal blue valet backs with gold anchors embroidered on them. There is a small consol with three black and white TV screens in it in the far corner. It has switches and knobs on the right side with an old fashion muggle microphone sitting on top. On one of the screens is a picture of the shoreline to the north and another has the one to the south. The last one is a picture of the cave from a view that must be close to the blue light. 'This is how the Dark Lord call off the dragon' Lucius thinks.

Bent over the table staring at a map of Europe is Voldemort. His appearance is surprising. He wears a muggle style grey tweed suit with a vest and tie without his typical dark cloak. If it wasn't for the grotesque snake like facial features, the dark wizard would be no different from another bureaucrat at the ministry. Standing next to him is a short middle aged Asian man in a military uniform. It matches the witch's in the lounge. The dark lord looks up from the map and stairs into Lucius' eyes. Even in the tweed suit the evil wizard hasn't lost his ability to strike fear with a single glance. Lucius nervously bows and says, "My lord."

"I sent for you two days ago, Lucius?" it is more of a statement than a question.

"Apologies, My lord. The ministry watches me very closely these days. I had to take a muggle train to the coast then cross the sea by broom to guarantee I wasn't followed. I came as fast as possible."

Voldemort stares at him a few more seconds then looks back at the map in front of him. "Very well then, Lucius. To my left here is General Hito Yotaga of the Japanese Majikku defense force. That is Japan's military wing of their Wizard government." The small Asian man gave him a quick bow, Lucius did not return it. "The General here and a small splinter group of like minded witches and wizards have agreed to help us in our endeavors here against the British Ministry. Many in their country still feel betrayed by the Ministry helping the English muggles in the war against Japan. They feel honor has never been restored and can't be until the Ministry pays for it's crimes."

Lucius feels revulsion in his very bones. The idea of British wizards needing outside help from foreigners is preposterous. The fact that they were from a mongrel nation halfway around the world is even more disgusting. Lucius wonders how weak the dark wizard must be to do something this desperate?

Voldemort rolls up the map then hands it to Yotaga while saying something in Japanese. The General bows then heads for the door. Lucius follows him with suspicious eyes as he leaves the room. He looks back at the dark lord who is reading a copy of the Dailey Prophet. "You disapprove of our new allies, Malfoy?" he asks without looking up.

"I wouldn't never question your wisdom, my lord. I have just found all my experiences with Asian wizards to be lacking. One never knows were their true loyalties lie," he answers in his most respectful tone.

"True loyalty does seem in short supply these days. Perhaps you can explain this?" Voldemort says as he waves a hand over the copy of the Prophet. It propels itself across the table towards him. Lucius grabs it before it falls on the floor in front of him. It is last Monday's copy of the Prophet. The headline story is the two deatheater attacks the night before. "I remember only ordering a single attack on the witch we suspected of being in league with Dumbledore. Yet a second attack in somehow attributed to me?" Voldemort asks with an accusatory tone.

"I beg your forgiveness, my lord. I sent my son to take care of a family matter. I felt it was something he needed to do to prove he is ready and willing to do whatever necessary to protect our way of life. In his enthusiasm he placed you mark on his attack. Something I would never have him do without your blessing," he clarifies.

"He was there, to kill the Parkinson girl?" Voldemort asks.

"Yes, my lord," he answers.

"Why?"

"She was a witness to a crime my son committed in Hogwarts. Her silence wasn't guaranteed once she was betrothed to the Weasley boy. I felt this issue is of Draco's own making and this was a opportunity for him to show he had the maturity to resolve it." Lucius knew he was throwing his own son under the bus as it were, but It couldn't be helped. The dark lord obviously know more about curtain even than Lucius thought.

"What crime did young Draco committed that requires the permanent removal of the Parkinson girl?"

"Rape and attempted murder of a mudblood witch," he answers. If he has to betray his son to the dark lord might as well do it all the way.

"Potter's Granger friend?"

"No, my lord. It was Parkinson herself."

"More than just a witness then?"

"Yes, my lord. With the exception of mistaking using your mark, Draco acquitted himself very well. His mission was successful."

''Apparently not." Voldemort says as he picks up a scroll from the table in front of him. "Do you know what this is?" he asks as he unrolls it.

"No, my lord."

"It's a copy of the marriage contract between Weasley and Parkinson. I have copies of all the contracts. This one is still pending. If the mudblood was dead or unable to fulfill the contract, it would have cancel itself. The girl must still be alive and healthy," he enlightens.

Rage boils in Lucius' blood. He gave his idiot son one simple task and he has mucked it up causing Lucius to make a fool of himself in front of the dark lord. If he survives this meeting he will blind the boy as soon as he returns, at least in one eye.

"I see this news upsets you, Lucius. It should not for I wish most of these contracts to be fulfilled including this one."

Lucius give him a questioning look. "I don't understand, my lord?"

"I had a vision, Lucius," Voldemort answers. "A very strange vision. Not of the future, but an alternated version of our reality. It was very enlightening. Unfortunately this vision was most likely share with that traitorous, Potter." Lucius has heard rumor of some physic connection Potter and Voldemort share and this proves it. "While some of the vision is very different our reality most of it is the same. Including a secret I thought buried long ago. If Potter knows, then Dumbledore will soon follow. This is something they may be able to exploit in the future." Lucius desperately wants to asks what the secret is, but he knows better. He will find out another way.

''Fortune has smiled upon me in the from of this new blood marriage law. Not only will these marriages make the knowledge Potter might know irrelevant, it will grant me power not seen in the world since Merlin's day," Voldemort tells him with a sinister smile.

"The Parkinson girl has something to do with this?"

"She an six others. For my plan to work I will need seven magical babes of no more than a year in age. They must also be of mixed blood as I am. These marriages will give me everything I need. I want only the best. Parkinson, Weasley and Snape, Granger's children are on the top of my list."

"I suppose you will want the Potter, Black child as well?" Lucius asks.

"NO!" Voldemort shouts as he slams his hands down on the table. Lucius instinctively takes a step back.

"This is the reason I summand you, Lucius. The Potter child must die before it ever has a chance to be born. The mother must die as well." Finally some good news. This brought a smile to Lucius' face. He will now have a powerful ally in his attempts to rid himself of Narcissa.

''I have been working on this very thing my lord for the past week," He tells his lord.

"I assumed you had, Lucius. This is something that need to be done with the utmost haste. The Potter contract shows the marriage is not just consummated but bares fruit as well."

"She is already with child?" Lucius asks as he scratches his forehead. The dragon breath made his skin itchy.

"Indeed she is, my friend. She has barricaded herself behind the wards of Black manor. I have eyes on it at all times yet we have never caught her leaving. We have only seen Potter and his friends come and go. We did discover the witch Vance was helping them. She has been dealt with. Your ex must have a secret way out. I need your help finding it . Or to find us a way in."

"I have been exploring that without success, my Lord. I've been thinking that maybe Bellatrix might be able to help us defeat the wards. She is a Black after all and once lived in the manor," he suggests.

"Bella is certainly unavailable. She can not be disturbed in the task she is performing," Voldemort tells him.

'Bella?' Lucius notes. He has never heard the dark lord refer to Lestrange in such and informal way. If Bellatrix has fortified her place by the dark lord's side this could be trouble. "Perhaps we can just ask if the manor has a secret entrance?" he puts forward.

"I do not wish Bella be involved in any way, Malfoy. While her loyalties to me are unquestionable I would prefer she not know about her sister's demise until its over."

Lucius is very disturbed by how Voldemort speaks of Bellatrix. He wonders if their relationship has grown beyond that of master and servant. It seem impossible the dark lord would take a mate. Lucius has know the evil wizard for decades. Never has he shown the slightest interest in women or men for that matter.

"Then may I suggest an ambush outside the manor, my lord? Narcissa is far from destitute but she is currently without means. My sources tell me she is trying to secure investments in Diagon Alley. Not easy with her current reputation. I have made it known that anyone doing business with her will make an enemy of myself. If the right business opportunity is dangled in front of her it should be easy to lure her into a trap.''

"Whatever works, Lucius. The how doesn't concern me. Only that it is done as soon as possible. The existence of a possible heir to Potter is intolerable. It must be stamped out at once," Voldemort orders.

"It will be done, my lord. I will set things in motion as soon as I return home."

"Very well, Lucius. You will let me know if your plan require any help from this end. And you will keep me inform of the progress you make. Is that clear?" he demands.

"Yes, my lord."

"Lucius you and your offspring will also reframe from interfering in these blood marriages unless I specifically request it," Voldemort order as he unroll another map on the long table.

"Of course," he answers.

"Then go, Wormtail will escort you out," the dark wizards says as he begins to study the map. Wormtail who hasn't said a word or moved an inch since they entered heads for the door. Just as Lucius is about to leave Voldemort says without looking up from the map, "Fail me at this, Malfoy and I will have a dementor eat your soul."

...

It is late in the afternoon on Friday when the headmaster summons Severus to the infirmary. He had only gotten halfway through grading essays when the call came. In a growing foul mood he entered the infirmary. Dumbledore is there next to Madam Pomfrey as she examines a student lying on one of the small beds. Standing not far way is Head girl Cho Chang with a worried look on her face. Once he gets closer its apparent the student in the bed is another Ravenclaw, Michael Corner. He's stiff as a board with his right arm outstretched pointing a finger at the ceiling. "Petrified?" he asks.

"Yes," Pomfrey answers. "I've seen this before. Four years ago, when that damn monster terrified the school."

"It wasn't a Basilisk," Cho informs them.

"Care to elaborate, Miss Chang?" Dumbledore asks.

"Michael and I were arguing in the common room. He was going on about how the Redfield wizard's code is so great when I informed him it was originally written by a witch in the 1700's as a joke. Then he called me a name and fell over stiff."

"What did he call you?" Severus asks.

"The C-word," she replies. "It shouldn't have happened. We weren't even talking about..." Cho stops talking and quickly puts a hand over her mouth.

This causes Severus to raise a suspicious eyebrow. "You didn't hex him in anyway?" he asks. Cho shakes her head no. He considers what he knows about Corner and Chang. What secret they both might share.

"Miss Chang, would this be a similar situation to the predicament Miss Edgecombe found herself in last spring?" Dumbledore asks. He apparently came to the same conclusion as Severus. Cho move her head slowly up and down to confirm their suspicions.

"A loyalty pledge of some kind?" Severus asks. She nods again.

"A charm or a potion?" Pomfrey asks.

Instead of saying anything Cho looks from Pomfrey to Severus. "A Loyalty potion, then?" he asks. She nods again. "Do you know how this potion was made?" She shakes her head no. "May we assume that talking about this potion might trigger it's effects?" she nods once more. Severus knows of only one student in Hogwarts that has the know how and the foolishness to try such a potion. He looks over at the headmaster and says, "I think I need to have a frank discussion with my new wife."

"Apparently so," Dumbledore agrees.

"I don't understand why this happened?" Cho finally says out loud. "Michael was just being a bloody arseho…" Cho froze in mid word. She teeters on her feet for a second then falls forward. Dumbledore catches her before she hits the ground. This disappoints Severus. He is curious to what would happen if she hit the floor. "Oh dear," Pomfrey warily says as she points at the bed next to Corner's. The headmaster lies Cho on the bed making sure she is face up so she can so she will be able to breath once unfrozen.

It's obvious this potion is not working as attended. His evening plans were to have a nice quiet meal in his office while he finishes grading essays. Later he would once again preform his husbandly duty with the wife before a well-deserved night sleep. But this situation demands a remedy right away before the school is littered with frozen students. He is going to have to work through the night, and he will require the help of Granger to find an antidote to whatever concoction she made.

….

Severus enter his chambers with a scowl on his face. Granger is sitting at his former desk with her textbooks stacked on one side and muggle parenting books on the other. She is reading a book by someone call Dr. Spock at the moment.

He marches up to the desk place his hands far apart on the opposite side from her as he leans in. She glances over the top of the book at him and asks, "What's crawled up your backside this evening?"

He brings his index finger up to his month and says, "Granger I need you to not says a word. Not a single peep. Just nod yes or no, do you understand?"

She tilts her head with annoyance and asks, "What's this about?"

"Shshshshshsh," he says as he brings his finger back to his mouth. "This, my dear wife is about petrified students we are collecting in the infirmary at present." A stunned but not totally surprised look appears on her face. She indeed is the culprit behind this potion. "However you intended this oath potion to work it obviously isn't. It seem to be triggered by foul language or maybe just hurtful thoughts. So our normal favor of intercourse is off the table for now, do I make myself clear?"

"I didn't take it," she tells him.

"What?"

"The potion. I didn't take it," she states. This surprises Severus. It's what he would have done, he just didn't think Granger is Slytherin enough to think of it.

"But you know who did?" he asks.

"Yes, but I can't tell you who they are."

"This is serious, Granger. I will need to know which students have been affected. I will also need to know what formula you used for the potion and every ingredient in it if I'm to make an antidote," he heated tells her.

"I didn't take the oath potion, but I'm still bound by it. I can tell you we will need twenty-seven doses of an antidote. Harry, Ron and I didn't take it. I can take the antidote secretly to those affected so as to not expose anyone," she tells him.

"And the potion?" he asks.

"It's an old version of the Temper's Knight oath potion I adapted."

Severus rubs his had across his brow with frustration and asks, "You used a faith-based potion on your fellow students?"

"Of course. The last one I used only punished someone after they blabbed our secrets. A faith based one would stop them before they had a chance to betray anybody. I honestly don't see what could have gone wrong?" she says as she stands.

"Mudblood whore," he promptly says to her without emotion. She takes a set back at this. He sees the hurt and rage building in her eyes. "Do you feel betrayed, Granger?" he asks.

"Of course I do, you dick biscuit!" she shouts.

"And that's where you went wrong," he tells her. "Faith is and emotion, Granger. I knew you would feel betrayed by those words. If I had taken your potion I would be still as stone now. The subject matter is not as important as the emotion of betrayal. Anyone who drank your potion that feels they have hurt or betrayed someone they shouldn't, will fall victim to it."

"You still shouldn't have said that," she tells him as she stomps past heading for the bed chamber.

"Apologies, Granger. I was just answering your question as to how you fail," he tells her.

"YOU DIDIN'T HAVE TO BE SUCH A BUTTHEAD ABOUT IT!" she yells from the other room. Severus thought he heard a sub in her words. He forgets she is still just a teenage girl with far too many emotions of her own. He hears her shuffling thing around in the bed chamber.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" he yells back.

"I'M LOOKING FOR MY OATH POTION RECIPE," she answers. A few seconds later she reenters the room with a scroll and what looks a small tusk of some kind. "Here!" she says as she slams them down on the desk next to him.

"What's this?" Severus asks as he picks up the tusk to examine it.

"A Basilisk tooth," she tells him.

"Mother of Merlin," Severus says he drops the tooth back on the desk. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that thing is?"

"Of course I do!" she states as she picks it up. "I boiled it as soon as I got it. There no poison left in it. I just needed a few bone scapings for my potion."

Severus unrolls the scroll. He quickly read thought the ingredients. "You used worm flower to affect the length of the petrification?"

"Worm Flower only bloom for a week. I thought a week should be good enough encouragement to keep their month closed," she answers. Severus has to admit it was a genius solution. He would have used a three ingredients combo where she had only to used one.

"I don't see anything that would affect frequency," he tells her as he continues to study the formula.

"Why would I need that?" she asks.

"Granger, is it your intent these students would be under the threat of being turn solid as stone for the rest of their lives?"

"Well, maybe not forever, but at least until 'You Know Who', isn't a threat anymore," she sheepishly answers.

"Come with me," he tells her as he picks up the tooth and heads for the door that leads to the dungeons.

"Where are we going?" she asks as she grabs her school robe off the back of the desk chair before following him.

"To my lab, dear wife," he answers. "Together we will try to make a remedy for this foolish concoction of yours before someone else falls victim to it."

"Our first potion as husband and wife. This should be delightful," she says with sarcasm.

…..

Marcus Flint is having a good day. In fact he has been having a great year. He'd been signed to a pro quidditch team. He is a shoe in for rookie of the year and best of all he didn't have to marry that kraut slurping cow from Hamburg. While he didn't get to choose who he did marry, Marietta was a pretty good choice, or Martie as he calls her. She may not have model good looks but she is very cute in that virginal, young witch next door kind of way, a decent slim figure as well. She is very nerd-smart like most Ravenclaws as well as shy and a little naive. The perfect match for him. She will make a great mother for their son.

'His son.' It warms him inside every time he thinks of it. Pomfrey had let them know the good news just a couple hours ago. He already owled his mother the good news tell her to expect a new grandson next summer. His parents were still upset about the marriage but they can't disown him for a marriage he was forced into by law. They are still upset at how fast he seals the contract. He tried to explained that it was his quidditch schedule that force him to marry so quickly. The truth is he wouldn't put it pass his father to try some underhanded scheme to get him out of it. The man put a lot of effort into the Hamburg marriage. It meant a lot to his father's business there, he is still very upset about the whole thing.

Marcus' mother is a dutiful wife and always backed her husband, but secretly she had owled Marcus right away to find out about her new daughter in-law. Hopefully the news of a grandson will soften his dad opinion on his new bride, she is only mixed blood after all.

To celebrate the good news he has decide to take Martie into Hogsmeade to buy her a new dress she can wear to Tornados' home games she attends. He will push for something that show off her figure better than the drab grey and blue dresses she normally wears. Ultimately he will let her decide. That will be the main deference between his marriage verses his parents'. He never like how his father always controls his mother. He treated her like a glorified house elf most of the time. Rarely did she get to have an opinion of her own. That isn't the kind of husband he wants to be, and he never wants his son see him treat his mother that way. He hated seeing his dad do it. One of the many reasons they have never been close.

There was an early evening rain which made the air cool and brisk with the smells of rain and trees still in the air. The wet cobblestone streets reflexes the shop lights as darkness sets in. Martie moves in closer to him to steal some of his body heat. He smiles putting an arm around her.

"Where are we going to live this summer?" she asks with a slight shiver in her voice. "Please don't tell me it's with your parents."

"Merlin's Bread no!" Marcus states firmly as he shakes his head. "I have spent long enough under the same roof as my father. Never again." Martie gives him a look of relief.

"I don't think we can stay with my mum. She still isn't talking to me after the whole Ministry mess last spring."

"Don't worry about it, Love. At the end of the season I get my bonus and we will get a nice flat in London near Diagon Alley," he tells her. Her face lights up at the suggestion. "We might even spend the holidays in Paris. I have a friend there with a huge flat. He said I'm welcomed there anytime. He's a half muggle like you so he understand my parents are complete Muppets."

''Dumbledore want me to stay at Hogwarts over the holiday break," she tells him.

"Martie we are adults now. We don't have to listen to crodgity old wizards anymore. Beside as your husband its my job to keep you safe. Not old Dumble-farts or Harry Pothead or Snapehead Slitherfoot or anyone else for that matter." This makes her giggle and lean into him more. He gives her a reassuring hug. The fresh night air becomes suddenly foul. Just ahead of them there is an over turned cart in the middle of the road with manure spilled out all over the street and sidewalk. They cut down an alley to avoid the mess. The shop she wants to visit is on another block anyway.

"At the end of the month I'm suppose to go with Cho and Hermione Granger to Weasley and Parkinson wedding. Do you want to joint me?"

"Heaven's no," he says with a shutter. "I never cared much for Weasley but to be betrothed to that nasty little viper, blimey! If I ended up with her on my contract I might have given the German another look," he jokes.

"I don't think she the same person," she says while looking down at her feet. There is something in her tone. A mix of sadness and fear. Marcus decides not to ask. He doesn't want anything to spoil his good mood tonight. "If your going to a wedding It's my duty as your knight in shining armor to escort you, even if it a mountain trolls wedding." this brings the smile back to her face which brings his back as well.

His smile fades quickly as two cloaked figures appear in the alley a head of them. Their heads are down so he can't see their faces. One is big like him and the other is little smaller. Marcus thinks back about the overturned dung cart. There wasn't a driver or horse anywhere in sight. They hadn't chosen this route. Maybe they had been lead here. Hogsmeade isn't known for street thugs or robbery, but that doesn't mean it can't happen. He takes his arm from around Martie and pulls his wand out of his pocket. Martie has picked up on his wariness and eyes the pair suspiciously. He holds the wand next to his leg so they can't see it. They seem to be minding their own business staying to their side of the alley. But Marcus will not be fooled. He will keep a close eye on the two even after they pass by.

As they get closer the smaller of the two raises his head enough to expose the skull like mask on his face. "Deatheaters!" Marcus shouts as he raises his wand. "Stupefy" someone shouts form his left and behind them. The hex hits him in the left arm and shoulder. He is thrown sideway into Martie, they crash into the alley wall together sending a set rubbish bins flying. His wand flies out of his hand disappearing into the darkness.

He is stunned but not too bad. The hex was not much worse than taking a hard bundger to the side, something he does in every match. He regains his feet quickly spinning on his unseen attacker. There stood a third Deatheater, this one tall and thin, his wand trained not on Marcus but on Martie as she tries to stand. Marcus is just about to charge when the other two crash into him pinning him to the wall. The bigger of the two pins his right arm to the alley wall with his right hand and jams his left elbow into Marcus' throat cutting off his air. Through the corner of his eye he can see the dark mark on the big man's left forearm. The other man has his left arm trapped in a vice like two handed grip. He looks to his left to see the tall one approach Martie. She is very unsteady on her feet as she tries to reach into her robe for her wand but fumbles with her pocket. "STAY AWAY FOR HER YOU BLOODY BAST…," he tries to scream but the big man jams his elbow harder into his throat cutting him off.

Martie finally gets her wand out of her pocket just to have tall man tear it out of her hand and fling it down the alley. To his horror he watches as the tall Deatheater grabs Martie by her neck forcing her against the wall. He puts away his wand then pulls out a long blue dagger. She screams as he plunges it hard three times into her lower belly. He lets her go as she crumples at his feet holding her midsection with her hands.

"NOOOOO!" Marcus screams. Rage and terror explode in him. With all the strength his crazed brain Marcus can muster he forces himself and the two holding him off the wall. Just enough for him to get him left foot behind the smaller ones legs. Using his weight and leverage he flips the man over until he lands on his back hard on the wet cobblestones. Marcus wastes no time in kicking him hard in the side of the head with his boot. The man's skull mask flies across the alley. The bigger man tries to force him back to the wall. He gets a hard quick headbutt to the nose for his trouble. The mask is made of something thin like leather so he really felt it making him to release Marcus and take a step back. He quickly pulls his own dagger from beneath his cloak. It's a big one, more hunting knife than dagger. The Deatheater slashes forward with it just catching him across the right collarbone as he dives backward. The big man raises the knife over his head about to charge. Marcus grabs for the only thing in reach, a tin bin lid. He raises it as a shield just as the big man charges. A loud clang fills the alley as the knife hits the metal lid. The big Deatheater pulls back for another swing. Before he can Marcus smash the bin lid into his face. Then with all his force he has Marcus kicks the man solid in the chest with his right foot. The kick sends him stumbling back until he falls backwards over another set of bins. Marcus is about to advance on the big man when the smaller one grabs hold of his ankle with his left hand. In his right is another dagger. He is still lying on the ground without a mask. He is a middle-aged balding blond man. Even with his face contorted in rage Marcus recognizes him.

Marcus slams the bin lid edge hard down on the man's back causing him to let out a hard grunt as the wind left his body. Marcus then slams it down again on the back of the mans head causing him to let go of both the dagger and his ankle. He grabs the dagger quickly and buries it into the back of the man's neck right through his spine.

Marcus looks up to where Martie and the third Deatheater are. He has pulled Martie off the ground by the hair placing the dagger across her throat. Before he could make the killing stroke Marcus flings the bin lid as hard as he can hitting the tall man between the shoulder blades, making him fall over, his dagger clanging on the stones as it disappears under some rubbish. Tall man spins towards Marcus, his wand already in his hand. Marcus grabs another bin lid and wrenches the dagger out of the dead man's neck. The tall Deatheater starts throwing hex after hex at him. They bang loudly against the bin lid with force. Marcus knows soon the wizard will throw a hex the bin lid cannot stop. He decides to take a chance and throws the dagger at the man. He is hoping it will bury itself deep in the man's chest, but Marcus is no knife thrower. Instead it sticks in the man's left leg just above the knee. "Shizer!" the tall man screams in pain. He turns away, before Marcus can react there is a loud crack and the tall man is gone.

Marcus spins to look for the big man. There no sign of him in the alley. He must have fled as well. He looks down at the dead man quickly half expecting him to come back to life and strike again. The man's left arm lies in the center gutter of the alley, water trickles over it. The Dark mark on his forearm is half washed away leaving trails of black ink down his arm. With no time to contemplate the meaning of this Marcus drops the bin lid and rushes over to Martie. She is curled up with her hands pressed against her abdomen. Blood is seeping through her fingers. Marcus violently pulls on his right coat sleeve tearing it off at the shoulder. He places the thick material over her hands and presses to stop the bleeding. She screams, "God it burns!" Marcus then notices the burning sensation in the wound across his collarbone.

"I think they had poisoned daggers," he tells her. Marcus glance around. He spots the blue handle of the tall man dagger sticking out of the trash near by. He grabs it putting it in his coat pocket.

"We.. we need to… get back to…back to Hogwarts," she tells him through short breaths with pain twisting her face.

"I can't stop the bleeding," he tells her as the coat sleeve become drenched in her blood. "You will bleed out if I move you," he warns.

"I…I can… I can stop the bleeding," she tells him.

"Neither of us have a wand. I don't see them anywhere," he says as desperation fills his voice. A sense of hopelessness begins to tear at his soul.

"Trust me," she says trying to smile through the pain. She can see him coming apart and is trying to comfort him with her last breaths. "I just need… need you to pick me up… take me back…to Hogwarts." As gentle as he can he lifts her into his arms. She bares her teeth with the pain of being moved. The blood continues to soak the coat sleeve. "Marc… Marcus, I'mm… going to try something."

"What?" he asks as he makes his way back down the alley.

"Something that… that will make me look dead, but I won't be. The bleeding… should stop. Find Herm… find Hermine Granger. She will…will know what to do."

"Okay, whatever. Just do it now, you are losing a lot of blood," he warns.

"I love you, Marcus," she tells him with tears pouring from her eyes. Marcus feel his own begin to flow.

"I love you too," he replies. He hadn't thought about telling her that before this moment. Now he knows its true with every part of his soul.

She closes her eyes, take a breath and says "Marcus, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger are the heads of the D.A…" In mid word she freezes solid. Her mouth still trying to speak the words. At first, he thinks she really did die. He almost falls to his knees with grief right then. But her stiffness isn't natural. It's more like a statue's. 'This is some kind of spell,' he thinks. Mercifully, the blood stopped pouring from her belly. Marcus rounded the corner where the alley met the street. The cart still lay on its side with no one in sight. He half expects the two surviving Deatheaters to pop out from behind the cart and attack once again. He pulls Martie in as tight as he can then sprints towards Hogwarts.

…

The next chapter will be coming soon. I have it all laid out.

Let me what you think. How does every like Voldemort's new look?