The Other Lucius

24 July, 1990

A most unusual guest presented himself just outside the wrought iron gate that led to Malfoy Manor. He stood just a bit over 100cm and about 18KG, big for his kind. His thin and delicate look concealed his true strength. If he had to, he could easily match his relative, the badger, in ferocity. He could easily kill animals larger than himself, if not through superior strength, then through superior intelligence. He wore no clothing other than his thick, soft fur.

He watched as the abstract curly cues twisted and bent to form a frightening face: "What do you want?", it asked in a clanking, near robotic voice that carried not a trace of friendliness.

"I'm here to see Lucius Malfoy. It concerns the state of the Malfoy fortune in the vaults of Gringott's, among other things", he replied in an accent like no human.

He waited, and about five minutes later: "You may enter", as the gates swung open. The face returned to being just abstract decorations like those gracing many an iron gate.

The visitor dropped to all fours and trotted up the path towards the manor house. Albino peacocks scattered at the sight of the predator as he passed through the gardens. At the front door, he stood once again and knocked. He could hear approaching footfalls.

The front door opened, and Lucius Malfoy, pallid skin and light hair contrasted with his all-black outfit filled the entrance. He had the silver handled walking stick in hand, the handle of which concealed his wand.

"Mr Malfoy", he greeted, "may I come in? Have a word?"

"So you are an animagus? Drop the disguise".

"This is the real me. I'm not an animagus".

Malfoy whipped out his wand: "Revelio hominum"

Nothing happened. The spell he cast showed that this guest was what he appeared to be: a European fresh water otter.

"How is it that you speak? Why are you here?"

"I'll answer all your questions. May I?"

Lucius held the door open and led his unexpected guest down a hall with dark purple walls upon which hung family portraits. They settled into chairs beside the fireplace, now unused in the July heat.

"Go on", Lucius prompted.

"I am here on behalf of my master..."

"And who would that be?"

"I can't mention any names, as my master is a technomage, and a great Seer. As you are undoubtedly aware, as a follower of the Dark Lord..."

"That is a lie!"

"Don't bullshit me, Mr Malfoy. There's no need for that; I'm not connected to the Ministry in any way, shape, or form. The Dark Lord is becoming active again, and all his Death Eaters - including you - damn well know that, as does my master.

"As I was about to explain, he is a technomage".

"And what, exactly, is a technomage?"

"You know about the International Statute of Secrecy of 1692?", he didn't wait for an answer. "Do you know what else was going on in 1692?"

"If you have a point, get to it".

"It was also the dawn of what would become known among muggles as the Age of Enlightenment. Some magicals didn't agree with the Statute, and so defied it. They applied the muggles' new Scientific Method to magic, to understand magic in a more systematic, scientific manner. Later they began to combine magic with muggle technology. It's all very illegal, and the various Ministries of Magic are continually trying to stamp them out. You can appreciate why I can't reveal the name.

"When my master discovered that the Dark Lord is rising once again, he needed an agent. He created a talisman and sent it abroad to seek the one he could trust, the one with an incorruptible purity. He was led to my holt in Devon, the Land Between the Two Rivers: the Torridge and the Taw. You see, my master didn't specify that his new agent had to be a human".

"That still doesn't explain..."

"I was getting to that. He used his knowledge of both magic and genetic engineering to change my DNA, to add a bit more to my native intelligence. Once I agreed to his offer of apprenticeship, he used memory modification technology to infuse me with his understanding and abilities. I can't say more without revealing too much.

"I can do something for you, and you can do something for me".

"What will you do for me, and what is it going to cost me?"

"First of all, I can give you respectability, real respectability: the kind you can't buy with gold. You will never have to live with the constant fear that someone will discover the Dark Lord's Dark Mark on your arm. If you are asked if you were ever a Death Eater, you can answer in the negative, and no one will know the difference. Interested?"

"That's the most absurd thing I have ever heard. Didn't it occur to you that there wasn't a Death Eater left alive who didn't try to hide his Mark?"

"They couldn't but I can".

"What makes you think that I am not in complete agreement with the Dark Lord's aims?"

"You would have to be a fool to believe that, and you are no fool. The Dark Lord had his ass handed to him by a babe in a cradle. That happened because he went off, half cocked, after hearing a 'prophecy' second hand from a source he didn't even know. Did he seek to verify the claims of this prophecy? Did it not occur to him that acting on that prophecy just might make it self fulfilling? Did he not create his very own nemesis? How could a mere babe possibly threaten him? Even if he believed it so, why didn't he just strangle that utterly defenseless child after eliminating any possible threat from his parents? It was the use of the Killing Curse that was his undoing, isn't that true? Is this the kind of leader you wish to follow?

"Ten years ago, you were an idealistic youth filled with dreams of wealth, power, and the promise that magi could take their rightful place in the world. No more hiding in the shadows; they could work their magic without worrying about who might see. The promise that all the remaining pure bloodlines would be protected against the taint of muggles and mudbloods.

"Then you discovered the truth about the Dark Lord. You and all the other Death Eaters, even those well within the Dark Lord's inner circle, were little more than slaves to his every whim, all controlled by those Dark Marks. He would never accept co-rulers, never share with any of you that power you helped him acquire. Too late did you discover you were the useful idiots. You know what becomes of useful idiots once they have outlived their usefulness? How many of his faithful followers are still rotting in Azkaban? Did he provide any contingencies to keep those followers safe? Did he even care?

"Today, you are a family man with a lovely wife, and a son who can make you proud. You have fame and fortune. You have a high position among magi. Do you really want to risk all of that on another wild goose chase led by a proved silly goose? Your Dark Lord failed you once, do you really want to give him a second chance to drag you down with him?"

"Say I believed you, what do you think the Dark Lord will do to us? He doesn't tolerate failure very well, and I highly doubt he would be any more forgiving of outright betrayal".

"He won't do a thing. He will call his followers through the Dark Mark. Anyone failing to heed his call will be known to him. If you were rid of that curse, you would neither receive his call, nor would he know you didn't answer. I can assure you: he doesn't care anything about his followers. I doubt he would even remember who you are".

"How would you do that?"

"Let me see it".

Lucius rolled up his left sleeve to reveal that tatoo-like Dark Mark on his left forearm. The otter placed both hands on the Mark, and began a chant that was high pitched, and sounded like every "word" began with a 'Y'. Soon, he felt a warmness, instead of the prickliness and burning of the Mark as it grew stronger for the first time in a decade, as the Mark began to fade. As the otter's chant ended, the Mark was gone without a trace.

"How..."

"The original spell was cast in a beast tongue. Reversing that spell can not be done unless the counter spell is also beast tongue, so I said the incantation in Otterish. I also did a memory modification that guarantees your denials of ever being a Death Eater will be the truth".

"You mentioned finances".

"Be sure you write what I'm about to tell you so you don't forget".

Lucius went to gather parchment, an ink pot and quill.

"Go to Gringott's and tell the head teller you would like a meeting with Director Ragnok..."

"You don't just see..."

"Don't interrupt me again. Tell him that this concerns the contents of Vault Number 37. That will get his attention, and the Director will see you. Be sure you get this right, otherwise the goblins will separate you from your head. Tell the Director that the pass phrase is 'Magic is might'".

The otter unslung the pack from his back and began rummaging through it. It was one of those bottomless packs most magi carried. He pulled out something that looked not the least bit like a magical artifact.

"Use this to open the strong box that will be delivered to the Director's office. You operate it like this".

He demonstrated which button to press, and the device produced a guttural hissing sound.

"This will open the box, find the key with the Malfoy crest on it, and hand it to Ragnok with instructions that the account attached to that key is to be accessed by no one other than yourself or your wife. It is important that you also specify that you are rescinding any and all joint accounts. This will prevent anyone other than you or your wife from taking out funds".

Malfoy remembered: that was one of the signs of loyalty Voldemort demanded of anyone he considered worthy of being a follower - that all their gold and assets be given unlimited, joint access. Of course, the Dark Lord would need financing and lots of it to bring on his New Order.

"What do you want in return? I assume there's some catch".

"I require the use of the Malfoy wardstones".

"If you know what wardstones are, you also know how highly illegal it is to even posses them, let alone use them? The only reason we have them is they are ancient heirlooms, and as such, no sanction against having them as they weren't illegal when they first came into the family's possession. It is still illegal to actually use them. I don't see what good they will do you: as soon as you cross a warded place, you trigger any alarms that warn of intrusion".

"You are forgetting one thing: I am an animal. There will be no alarms. Do we have a deal?"

"We shall see. First, I will visit Gringott's, see if your story has any validity. If it is as you say, then you will get the stones".

"I understand, and I assure you, everything is as I said".

"When I deliver the stones, will that satisfy you?"

"For now, I can't promise I won't be needing future favours. Considering all I've done..."

"That's fair", Malfoy completed that thought, "if you save the Malfoy fortune".

"At least, the favours I request won't send you to Azkaban - or worse".

As his guest turned to go: "I didn't catch your name?"

"I go by Lucius Lutra"