Sanguis Mutare

Chapter I

Irrevocable Secrecy

The rain poured relentlessly upon the streets of Magical England. An expensive pair of designer shoes carefully maneuvered around the puddles of water, the leather splotched with condensation.

Grimacing as his eyes lowered to his footwear, Draco shook his head, before clutching tighter the umbrella in one hand and his briefcase in the other. He looked to the grey sky as lightning pierced it, the wind seeming to gain momentum in response.

He hated days like these.

Reaching the Ministry office, he brought his briefcase under his arm and placed a gloved hand against the cool and damp handle, making another face before pulling open the door and stepping into the warm interior.

People ran to and fro all around him and as he lowered his umbrella and retracted it, he placed it on a small rack to his left, the emerald embroidered DM on the handle signifying to others that it was his property.

Looking to his coat, Draco noticed in dismay that it had been drizzled on as well before drawing his wand and casting a spell to dry his clothing.

Smirking as he returned his wand to his pocket, The Malfoy heir ventured to the lifts where he was greeted by a few mumbled 'good mornings' and 'hellos.'

He merely nodded politely in response to their words of welcome.

Reaching one of the higher floors within the building, Draco stepped out and took the hall to his right, mind already beginning to focus on work.

He stopped, knocked on the minster's door and, after receiving affirmation, stepped into the rather stuffy office of Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"Good morning, Mr. Malfoy," the man greeted cordially before motioning to the seat in front of his desk.

Draco nodded to the man, "Fine morning to you as well, Kingsley."

The man always insisted that people call him by his first name yet still stubbornly addressed others by their last. Draco found himself unable to understand it.

"Tea or coffee?" Kingsley asked, motioning for his assistant to approach.

"Coffee, thank you," Draco nodded.

The woman nodded from beside him and, after Kingsley asked for a tea, she ventured off to prepare their requests.

A brief silence followed before Draco broke it, sitting forward only slightly as he set his satchel on the floor, carefully propping it against his chair. "So, I understand there has been a new development concerning a potential danger to the Ministry."

"Straight to the point," Kingsley nodded with a small smile, "I've always admired that about you."

Choosing not to respond to the compliment, Draco merely waited for the man to continue.

Kingsley sighed before answering, looking to the man before him attentively, "how long has it been since you last revisited Hogwarts?"

Draco furrowed his brows slightly at the sudden turn within the conversation, "Uhm." He sat up straighter, "right about 8 years, I think."

"So you haven't been back there since….?"

"No," Draco shook his head, eyes lowering briefly before he returned them to the minister.

"Well," the man shook his head, "that is of little consequence. However, this new situation stems from that school."

Draco raised a brow at hearing the new bit of information, "is that so?"

Kingsley nodded and opened his mouth to elaborate when his assistant returned with their drinks. He smiled gratefully up at her before taking a slow sip of his beverage.

Draco received his and nodded in thanks before the woman was dismissed.

Setting his mug down, the minister pulled out a letter from amidst his files before handing it to Draco.

Leaning forward, Draco grasped the thick parchment and allowed his eyes to scan the elegant text. "It's from the Headmistress."

The minister nodded, "yes. McGonagall was due to retire over the summer but chose to continue her service to the school until this dilemma is resolved."

Draco continued to examine the contents of the letter before returning it to the minister. He took a sip of coffee before slowly shaking his head as he settled into his seat. "So, she has been noticing some disturbing occurrences within the school?"

The Minister nodded, "yes. More specifically, signs of a student support group of the Dark Lord. It began as benign messages and whispers of loyalty until…"

Draco sighed, "Until someone got hurt."

"Precisely," the minister nodded, "and even more disturbing is the identity of the victim."

The man looked to Draco, a grave expression on his face. "It wasn't another student, but a teacher. The Muggle Studies instructor."

Draco shook his head as he retained what was being said to him, "and, has she been questioned?"

"Not yet," Kingsley replied, "she hasn't yet woken from the trauma inflicted over her. No one can seem to find any leads as to the guilty party and my fear is that it was a group effort."

"Is there any evidence of these students receiving outside help?"

Kingsley shook his head, "no, but I'm not going to go so far as to deny the possibility. Someone is encouraging this behavior, I am almost certain of that. However, I also don't want to simply underestimate the capabilities of the students themselves either. Tom Riddle was at that same point once, and his beliefs turned him into the greatest Dark Wizard to ever live."

Draco nodded in agreement, "it always starts somewhere."

"Precisely," the minister replied, "but this time we aren't just going to sit back and watch it happen again. We are going to stop it at the root."

Taking another sip of coffee, Draco closed his eyes to savor the taste a moment, while also collecting his thoughts before returning his attention to the man across from him.

"What do you have in mind?"

"Infiltration," the man responded simply.

Draco raised a brow but refrained from answering, just waited for Kingsley to elaborate.

"My plan is rather simple, but risky. I want to send an investigator to Hogwarts, under the guise of being another student. Only McGonagall herself will know of the plot. I believe it's safe to assume that the guilty participants reside within Slytherin and so I will need to send someone familiar and capable of being a part of that house. That individual will need to constantly observe and perceive the actions of everyone within. We need to identify the members of the group and somehow convince them to invite our investigator into the circle. We will then gain our evidence and move in to arrest all of those involved."

Draco at once recognized who the man was thinking of sending. He sighed and looked to his coffee, observing the mixture within and recollecting on his past. He had resolved never to return to that place, not after everything he had done.

However, he was an adult, and he was mature enough to see the severity of the situation. He also recognized the opportunity as one in which he would be able to gain some form of redemption.

"I understand," Draco looked to Kingsley.

The minister smiled, "you are my lead investigator, Malfoy, I know you will be able to pull this off."
He took a sip of tea, "you won't be going alone either, I intend to directly involve one another person within this mission."

"And who would that be?"

The man allowed another smile, "your father."

Draco's mouth parted slightly, "my-" he furrowed his brows, "why would you think of sending him?"

Kingsley turned in his seat and looked to window, upon which the rain was violently thrust.

"He knows better than anyone what to look for. He was there, in the beginning and one of the first supporters to the Dark Lord." He looked to Draco, "he's the only one we have left who hasn't been imprisoned within Azkaban. He will be filling the role of a temporary Muggle Studies instructor."

Draco raised a brow and couldn't help but smirk at the irony, "father will be thrilled to hear that."

Kingsley smiled also before his face returned to its collected demeanor, "he will be alright with it. He has been one of my primary financial supporters in my movement for equal rights between Muggles and Wizards."

Draco nodded, "yes, I suppose you're right. Though, he's never openly proclaimed his support."

Kingsley shrugged, "he's never been open about his opinions or views on anything. He prefers to remain anonymous. He's always been like that. I know he's been looking for an opportunity to regain his integrity as a member of this community though."

Nodding once more, Draco sighed, "When do you plan to put this into motion?"

"After the mid-autumn break."

"That soon, eh?" Draco replied.

"The sooner the better, not sure how much time we actually have."

"Have the Aurors been informed?"

"They have," Kingsley nodded, "and your father being one of them, only reaffirms my decision to send him along. It would be especially beneficial should someone discover you or attempt an attack on him as the new Muggle Studies instructor. I wouldn't dream of sending a civilian to fulfill that position."

"And rightly so," Draco replied, "will we be under surveillance during this time? Do we have a specific meet point both within Hogwarts to exchange information? It would be too much of a risk to attempt anything within the dungeons."

"You will have a small, concealed transmitting device to carry with you at all times," Kingsley nodded, "and we plan to meet every so often within McGonagall's office. You and your father will always meet with us on different days so that neither of you might be suspected of a partnership."

"How will he and I exchange information?"

Kingsley brought a hand to his face then in thought, "that is what I've been trying to determine. It's by far the riskiest part of the plan, though may serve as being beneficial to us somehow. The only way I can see it working is if your marks in that class are poor and you are required to stay for tutoring. As the subject is no longer an elective but a requirement for all 7th year students, it will not seem strange for others to see you taking it. If you fail within that class it will also give the impression that you have no desire to learn anything of Muggles. We could probably play it that way."

Draco nodded, "I don't see any other way that it would work. He and I can discuss our findings every week during our study sessions."

"Precisely," Kingsley nodded, "let's plan on that then."

Draco inhaled deeply and released a long exhale as he mentally analyzed his new assignment. He had been wanting a big case and now was his opportunity to really conduct something meaningful within his line of work.

"Does Potter know?" he felt compelled to ask.

Kingsley nodded, "yes, I informed him yesterday evening. He is still on leave while his wife recovers from having her baby, but he should return to help us during this mission."

Draco nodded, "that will be good. We will definitely need his guidance on this one."

Sighing, Kingsley looked to his hands, "Weasely will be leading on the Auror side of things, and we will need to notify him immediately should anything go wrong."

"I understand," Draco replied, though he didn't like the idea of corresponding with Ron. Harry, he had accepted over the years and the two now shared some sort of camaraderie. However, though they were able to cooperate fine when it came to work, Weasely was someone he was never going to meet eye to eye with.

"I have already created both you and your father's backgrounds, and have assigned your aliases as well as determined your appearances."

Draco nodded, "sounds as if everything is just about in order then."

Kingsley smiled, "just about. I will brief you both in the morning and we will have a trial run of sorts with the potion that was acquired for the purpose of concealing your identity."

"Have you determined a reason for our absence as Malfoy's? I assume that you don't want everyone in the ministry to know of this plan."

"Correct," Kingsley nodded, "I will assign a false mission for both you and your father as Ministry financial ambassadors overseas. All the arrangements have been made should anyone look into its validity."

"Good," Draco nodded, allowing his response to mingle within the stoic silence.

Kingsley briefly looked over his notes before returning his gaze to Draco, "that is all for today, I believe. Thank you for coming up here so promptly."

Draco nodded and rose to shake the minister's hand as it was subsequently offered.

"It was no problem at all. I thank you for entrusting this case to both me and my father."

Kingsley smiled and reclaimed his seat, "I wouldn't think of bestowing it upon anyone else. You are both very capable and I have absolute faith in you."

Draco nodded and returned the smile before grabbing his briefcase. "See you tomorrow morning."

"Yes," the minister nodded.

Turning and leaving the office, Draco walked down the hall and towards the lifts, his mind still trying to process everything he had been told.

Several women around him incessantly chattered within the confines of the elevator and he tried to ignore their voices as he focused on what was to come.

Someone out there was trying to resurrect the ambitions of Voldemort, and destroy all progress that had been made over the past several years following his demise.

A group of ignorant students, who had never even set eyes on the Dark Lord or seen firsthand what had happened during the attack on Hogwarts, were trying to revive something both foul and despicable. They hadn't seen their friends die. They hadn't been forced to choose sides as a result of family background.

They were just heedlessly following a cause better left within the depths of the fading past.

Stepping into the foyer, Draco finessed around the throngs of workers as they continued to make their way about in an unorganized and contemptible rhythm.

He stopped and grabbed his umbrella as he looked beyond the glass to see that the rain had not let up.

With a sigh, he lifted the device over his head and thrust open the doors to greet the gust of wind and chilling bite of rain needles.

He could not apparate until he was beyond the Ministry property, which was something else he would never understand.

Once again maneuvering around countless puddles and pulling his coat tighter over his torso, Draco's eyes set on the thin gleam of light between the clusters of darkened clouds.

He found himself mildly fascinated with its emergence before it disappeared once more, leaving naught but shadow in its wake.

Draco lowered his gaze and, drawing his wand, apparated as soon as he breached the barrier.

Appearing within the foyer of his high-rise flat, Draco cast another drying spell over himself, before placing his umbrella and coat within the closet and setting his briefcase on the table across.

He had moved out of the Manor soon after beginning his position as lead investigator with the Ministry, resolving only to reclaim the estate when his father decided to pass full ownership to him.

He ventured into the seating area and stood in front of the large window that overlooked downtown Wizarding England. He observed the raging tempest beyond and closed his eyes.

For the most part, he lived a solitary life outside of work, rarely keeping company at his residence other than the occasional visit from his parents.

He preferred it that way though, and found marriage and heirs to be an endeavor that he would not pursue for several more years.

Opening his eyes, Draco slowly undid his tie and untucked his shirt before moving to the kitchen and summoning the only elf he had brought from home. "Some tea, Dante."

"Yes, sir," Dante bowed his head before running over to prepare the beverage.

As Draco sat upon a stool at the bar, he lifted a newspaper and scanned it for any news he hadn't yet read.

Nothing particularly interesting greeted his eye and so he simply let it fall from his hand as he instead absently observed his elf as the creature quickly rushed to and fro. He smirked and when Dante had finished the preparation, received the beverage and nodded to dismiss the elf.

Dante bowed before disappearing with a soft pop.

Draco took a sip of tea and then simply allowed the warmth of the ceramic to circulate through his fingers as he lifted both hands around the cup.

Looking about his apartment he realized that he would soon have to make preparations for his absence.

He would need to inform Dante as well.

Draco knew that the task at hand was going to take a lot of patience. It wasn't going to be easy to infiltrate the circle of Voldemort's supporters, especially if it wasn't just mere students involved.

Rising, tea in hand, Draco ventured to his bedroom where he stepped into the closet and sifted through some older garments near the back. He stopped as he rested his hand upon a familiar and nostalgic set of robes.

His school uniform.

Tracing the Slytherin emblem on the front and observing the contrast of green against black, Draco found himself recalling the many memories associated with Hogwarts.

He remembered what it felt like to fly with the Quidditch team, and pictured all the trouble he, Crabbe and Goyle used to get themselves into. As he thought of Crabbe, however, he at once revisited the darker images he generally suppressed. He saw Dumbledore's face, as death greeted him, and also the fire that had consumed his friend. He saw Voldemort kill, in front of all his subordinates, the teacher, whom had ironically been the previous Muggle studies professor. He saw his aunt, Bellatrix Lestrange, mercilessly slay countless students within the final battle and also pictured the ruined and decayed rubble that had once been Hogwarts.

They had reconstructed the castle since then, but Draco had yet to see the improvements with his own eyes.

With a resigned sigh, Draco lowered his hand and, after gazing upon his robes a moment longer, left the closet and walked into his room.

Lifting the tea to his lips, he felt his resolve deepening. Such a catastrophe should never be allowed to repeat itself. He wouldn't let anyone bring back the past. Not now, not ever.

As Draco made his way to the minister's office the following morning, he continued to go over the mission within his head, making sure that no details were left uncovered.

Knocking first and then proceeding to enter, Draco nodded to Kingsley before lifting his eyes to greet Lucius Malfoy.

"Father," Draco nodded to him as well.

"Draco," came the smooth and calculated voice of the elder Malfoy.

Kingsley smiled before motioning for both father and son to sit. After they complied, the minister folded his hands under his chin and then looked to Draco. "I have briefed your father of everything he will be required to do and he fully accepts his position within this case."

"Good," Draco replied after sending the briefest of glances to the man beside him. He then tilted his head as he observed Kingsley, "I suggest that we conduct a full background on all currently enrolled students and professors."

The minister nodded, "yes, I have already sent the request to both the judicial staff and education board for permission. We can expect the affirmative in a matter of days. It will take some time to compile afterwards but I will notify you both of the results."

Draco and Lucius both nodded.

"Now then," Kingsley continued, handing each of them a confidential file. "These are overviews of both your new identities. Under no circumstances are you to reveal to anyone your true names, or purpose in being there. Do not let slip any information at all as to details of this mission or that there is any suspicion of a support group. McGonagall is the only one there who knows about this and you are to only speak with her within the privacy of her office on days you are summoned. If there is an emergency, notify us through your transmitters."

After receiving another nod from both Malfoy's, Kingsley sat back in his chair, "I would suggest refraining from discussing this as much as possible. Only those with an above top secret clearance are permitted to know of the true nature of our mission and they are all sworn to confidentiality, even within their own families. We need to make absolutely certain that no information at all is leaked as this is probably our best chance at halting these developments for good."

"I understand," Draco replied, "and I will uphold the confidentiality agreement."

"I will as well," Lucius replied simply.

"Great," Kingsley replied, before indicating for them to sign the forms on his desk, "your signature will make this entire process legal."

Lucius did not hesitate as he lifted the quill and fluidly and elegantly signed his name in black, the magic within the agreement binding him irrevocably to secrecy until the success of the mission.

Draco faltered only briefly, knowing that there wouldn't be any turning back once his signature was submitted.

He slowly lifted the quill and, after inhaling deeply, wrote his own name in a set of flourishes to match his father's eloquent script. He then watched as it became eternally engraved upon the parchment.

"Wonderful," Kingsley replied, before taking the documents and placing them into a file within his lockbox. Afterwards, he handed them each a vile of potion.

"These are going to change your appearance, the mixture being a much more advanced form of Polyjuice. The effects will not be reversed until you consume the counter mixture."

Draco eyed the cerulean liquid and wondered at its contents. The value of the brew was most definitely astronomical.

"Not many know of the existence of this little concoction," Kingsley explained, "it's fairly new, only a century or two old. It has been recently discovered and perfected by our finest potion masters and will most assuredly aid in many undercover missions in the future. It has been christened, Sanguis Mutare."

"Most impressive," Draco replied.

Lucius said nothing, simply gazed down at his own vial absently.

"Indeed," Kingsley replied before smiling. "Why don't you both take a sip? I have the reverse potion here as well. I want to make absolutely certain we've got the right ones."

Draco nodded before uncorking the bottle and inhaling the surprisingly sweet scent. Lucius followed suit before both ingested but a drop of its contents.

Draco felt a warmth that lingered upon the threshold of burning as it made its way down his chest and through his veins, seeming to mingle within his very blood. The effects were nothing he had ever before experienced and the mixture was actually entirely tasteless.

Opening his eyes, he looked to his left and nearly jumped in his seat as he observed the new appearance of his father.

His hair was quite a bit shorter and of the very darkest shade of black. His eyes had turned a striking shade of blue and his skin had grown impossibly paler.

Draco blinked before standing and walking over to the grand mirror on the wall opposite. He lifted a hand to his brunette hair and stared into his own amber colored eyes. The most startling difference, however, was the age in which he would now be perceived. It had never before struck him how much older he had grown since leaving Hogwarts but, upon seeing a set of younger features, the realization was almost debilitating.

Looking to Kingsley he allowed a small smile, "appears to have worked."

"Indeed," the minister replied, "this is my first time seeing its effects. Very remarkable."

As Draco reclaimed his seat, Kingsley leaned forward, "the potion is so thorough that it has made even your blood assume its new identity so as to prevent any spell from detecting the difference." He smiled, "and you are both so skilled in occlumency and leglimency that you won't be faced with any complications on that end either."

Draco smiled and Lucius merely nodded.

"Lastly," Kingsley began, "if you'll look through those files and study them over the next few days that will help severely when it comes to answering any inquiries revolving around your backgrounds. Everything in there will show up within any extensive search of active Magical members."

Draco nodded before gently opening his file, eyes first landing on his identification picture before resting to the left and upon his new alias.

"Decimus Marquis," he announced aloud.

Kingsley smiled before indicating Lucius, "and here we have Salvador Valerian."

Lucius did not respond, only continued to analyze the cover information within his file.

There came a knock then and Draco looked to the door in slight alarm, as they had yet to revert to their true appearance.

Looking to his left, Kingsley verified who it was on the monitor before announcing that the individual should enter.

As Ronald Weasely stepped into the room, Kingsley smiled and indicated the Malfoy's, "well? What do you think?"

The ginger-haired man paused and his mouth parted slightly as he looked to Draco and Lucius, "it's even more incredible than I had imagined."

"Yes, it's really something," Kingsley replied, before motioning for him to come forward.

Ron stepped to his desk and handed him a set of documents, "these are all the signed forms regarding this case from those qualified members of my department."

"Very good," Kingsley replied, "everything is falling smoothly into place."

Draco looked to Ron and nodded in greeting, who stiffly returned the gesture before offering the same courtesy to the older Malfoy.

Kingsley then retrieved the counter potion and both he and Ron watched as Draco and Lucius reclaimed their true identities.

The effect of the reverse brew was entirely opposite to that of the former, Draco discovered as his entire body was instantly chilled to the bone as he felt each particle from the first mixture being extracted from his blood.

"Weird," he muttered before looking to the minister.

"Well done," the man nodded before rising from his seat, "Ron and I are going to continue discussing the Auror's role in this ordeal and so you two are welcome to leave."

"I will stay," Lucius then stated, "as an Auror myself I would like to know what I can expect on the outside as far as assistance."

"That is an excellent point," Kingsley agreed before looking to Draco, "see you tomorrow?"

Draco nodded and shook the offered hand, "until tomorrow."

He then looked to Ron and awkwardly shook his hand as well before finally turning his attention upon his father. "It was good to see you."

Lucius nodded and shook his son's hand, "you too."

"Say hello to mom for me," Draco smiled before gathering his belongings and leaving the room, his disposition more collected and assured than yesterday. Things seemed to be going well and it was comforting to know his father would be there with him.

As he entered the lift, he was relieved to find that there were no other occupants within.

Hand clutching his file tighter and mind recounting his new appearance Draco decided that the experience would be both unique and somewhat rejuvenating. He had recently fallen into a monotonous routine and it would be nice to break away from that for a little while.

His feet met the marble of the foyer and as he made his way to the exit, he saw the sky and was pleased to find that it was still clear and bright, devoid of all the gloominess yesterday had comprised.