Imagine: The List
Fic posted by members of Vo's Imaginings YahooGroup


Greg landed in front of the school and looked up at it, then took off running. If he had been called back from his safety, this was really serious. Serious enough to miss finals in his Master's programs. Serious enough to flush him into the open. He danced around a teacher on his way down the halls, waving over his shoulder. "Sev needed me," he called. He tapped on the door before walking into the classroom in the dungeon, looking around. "Not much changed. I'm not really impressed with your decorating, Severus." Snape glared at him. "Where do you need me?"

"We're on step seven and I'm barely keeping up with the chopping," Draco told him.

Greg washed his hands and came over to help, looking at the potion then at the instructions. "I haven't done this in years," he admitted. He got sucked in, getting to work.

Draco looked at the undignified jeans and loudly colored t-shirt, then sneered. "Who are you?"

"This is Gregory Sanders, Mr. Malfoy. He was a year behind me and was my apprentice until the Dark Lord made him leave for his own safety," Snape instructed. "He was also Head Boy in his year."

"Tied with Philip Callahan," Greg reminded him. He looked at Draco. "I was the head of Slytherin, Malfoy. You look a lot like your daddy." He went back to work. "You any good at this?" Draco nodded silently. "Then prepare the stuff for step ten and eighteen."

"I don't know how to deal with three of the ingredients."

"Then do what you can and we'll work on it together," Snape ordered. Draco nodded and got a clean knife to start on those things. The instructions said to use a clean silver blade. He looked at Gregory. "Last night, the ghoul of Voldemort was released from a ghoul vault in Gringotts," he said quietly. He noticed Draco glancing at him. "A finer mince, Mr. Malfoy."

"I'm going to go back and double chop, sir. That way I get a more even texture."

"Good." Greg looked at his former professor and friend. "How?"

"He was in the former defense teacher here. They were locked in." Greg shuddered at that. "He had a second head on the back of his head. It was voluntary." Greg winced and moved back away from him. "Potter's link came alive last night and made him collapse in the halls. The goblins instructed us how to break it."

"Good! Where's his Uncle? I heard he got moved into his uncle's house."

"Alex should be on his way," Draco said quietly. "He's very protective of Harry. He took a youthening potion to better protect him." He showed off his efforts. "Do we need smaller?"

"No, that's good. That's almost pulped," Snape noted. "None of this is repeated, Draco."

"I'm not sure who I'd repeat it to," he snorted, looking bitter. He looked at Sanders. "My father said it was a good thing he had been released."

Greg clapped him on the back. "I'm sorry your father's still a dick, Draco, but that doesn't mean you have to follow him. There's other ways and there's no other heirs." He got back to work, taking the next step to start preparing. "Who's doing defense?"

"Methos."

"Hmm. I've heard about him," Greg admitted. "Interesting man. How's the headmaster?"

"He didn't want it broken." Draco dropped his knife, staring at him with fury in his eyes. Snape nodded. "That's why his uncle is so protective of him, Draco."

"Then the wanker bloody well needs him to be," Draco told him firmly. "How dare he!"

"He does. Anything for the end result," Greg told him. "He tried to get me to make stuff for him and I ran instead of being exposed and harmed." He looked at Draco. "If you're any good I can teach you alchemy by correspondence when you're older. That is, if you don't end up being a bratty little dork like you could be."

Draco swallowed. "We'll see."

"Good." He got back to work. "I need the narwhal horn." Draco passed it and the grater over, watching how he did what he was doing. "We'll need the other stuff soon, Draco." He got back to work. "Do we have the three potions made or not?" he asked.

"I have two, the last one will require a day to brew."

Draco looked at it. "The invisibility one? I have six vials in my trunk that I made last year." Snape smirked at him so Draco went to retrieve one or two for him. After all, he could always make more.

***

Methos looked up from his reading as Snape walked in with a tiny vial of rainbow colored liquid. "We're ready?" He nodded. "Someone call Flitwick," he ordered the nurse. She went to do that and he stood up, getting out of the way. Once the teacher came in and took up his spot, the potion was poured down the boy's throat and then the curse was worked on. It finally snapped after a few hours worth of fighting it. The nurse helped them into a bed and got them something to drink and eat before going to check on the boy. Professor Snape was doing it for her. "He's fine," he announced. "His mind seems clear enough." He put away his wand. "We should let him awaken now."

"The present dose of sedative will wear out in two hours." She got him onto a bed and checked him over, then clucked her tongue and ordered a house elf to bring dinner to his office. "There, you go eat, Severus," she ordered. He nodded, going back down there. She fussed over her patients, shooing Ron Weasley out again, for the fourth time that day. Her doors once again flew open and this time she had to shoo Alex out. "He's fine. We've broken the link," she said, stopping him. "He'll be awake in a few hours. Go clean up first," she said, swatting him on the arm. "You smell like you were rolling in dragon dung." He glared at her. She slapped him this time. "Out and bathe!" He snorted and did a cleaning spell on himself before sitting beside his nephew, Ron next to him. "You still smell," she told him. The other teachers laughed at that. "Once he's awake you will bathe," she ordered. "Then you may come back."

"Fine. Whatever," Alex agreed. Ron nodded his agreement. The house elf brought food for the professors and she got to work fussing over them for a bit longer. By the time the headmaster came in, she was nearly ready to scream at the stinky being in her infirmary. Alex looked at him. "What happened?"

"We were hoping you knew," he admitted, coming closer. "Is he fine?"

Alex pulled him closer by the front of his robes. "Dumbledore, what happened?" he demanded coldly, staring into his eyes. "I know how he was let out. They blackmailed a young goblin by holding his wife hostage. What happened to my nephew?"

"The link activated when he was released. He called the goblins as you told him to," he said calmly. "They sent him up here with instructions while they checked on things. He almost collapsed in the halls and Mr. Filch carried him up the stairs. We did what we could while the potion was readied and then the link was broken just a bit ago."

"It took us hours, Alex," Flitwick noted. "It's a very strong link. Forged in blood and pain." He saluted him with his tea cup. "You'll need to teach him shielding before anything else."

"Nadia started to," he admitted. He ran a hand over Harry's head. "There's still a bit of the link there."

"We couldn't slice through it," Flitwick noted. "We opted for pinching it closed."

"Then we'll see what we can do through the goblins," Alex agreed. Dumbledore looked at him and Alex glared at him. "You hurt my nephew and raise my ire," he noted.

Ron tugged on his arm, getting the cold brown eyes focused on him. "Malfoy wasn't in class today. Either he was helping or he was partying."

Alex considered it. "Go get him, Ron."

"I can't. He's a Slytherin in Slytherin territory."

Methos coughed and looked at the nurse. "Call him up, Poppy. Please. I think he may have some more information than we do." She nodded and the boy came up a few minutes later, handing Alex a note. "You knew what we're going to ask?"

"It was fairly obvious I wasn't up here and I wasn't in classes. I've been thinking all day whether or not to give that to his uncle." He looked at Alex, the first person to earn his respect for treating him fairly. "I don't want to see him dead. I don't think it's right that he did this, even if the reason behind it is noble."

Alex looked him over, then read the letter. He passed it to Methos. "Handle that, Professor. I will lose my temper."

"Call insult?"

"Fine." He looked at Draco. "Your father admitted to helping blackmail a goblin through kidnaping so they could release evil spirits into this world, Draco Malfoy. You're young but not that young. You should have some sort of moral compass by this point. Do you support him or not?"

Draco shrugged. "He's my father. I believe in his cause of purity. I don't like this method of his working."

Alex nodded slowly. "And yet, there's many more powerful half-bloods. Why is that?" Draco looked confused so Alex pulled him closer, casting a small charm on his own hands. "Cast that on yours." He did so. He put the boy's hands on Harry's bare arm. "Feel him, Draco." He closed his eyes and felt, then stared at him. "Harry's a half blood. His father was pure, his mother was from a long line of squibs really. A might-as-well-be muggle." He grimaced. "Now, feel me." He let the boy test his strength. The boy turned and tested Ron Weasley, then Professor Methos, which made him look drugged. "He's a special case," he admitted as he pulled him away from the immortal. He looked at the boy. "Now, who was the more powerful?"

"You and Harry," he said quietly. "Why?"

"My blood's been mixed through the years. We've bred animals and didn't think to keep the family that pure. It just happened most of the time because most of us don't really like to travel. My line, and some of yours, founds the backbone of the line in Russia, Belgium, and parts of Egypt and the Mediterranean. We've never been shy about outbreeding now and then when the child wanted it. It made us stronger to incorporate more magic into the family from other sources. We have a whole branch that does wandless magic now." Draco looked awed at that. "But I could care less where the people I slept with got their magic if they have any. Harry's a half-blood. You and Ron are pure bloods. What difference was there between yours, his, and mine?"

"The outbreeding?" Ron suggested. Alex nodded, looking at Draco again. "You've got to admit, Malfoy, there's been a lot of crossing over in the families over the centuries."

Snape snorted from the doorway. "An understatement?" he asked sarcastically. He looked at the nurse, then got a pain potion from her stores, going back to his office. His protege had a headache.

Draco stared at him. "Why?"

"Because those without the bloodline draw power differently. With us it's something in our blood, something that forms us before we're born and sings to us from the womb. For them, it comes from a slightly different source and it's stronger if it breaks through. There have been muggles who break through at the age of eighty and forty and all across the scale. For them to break through in children means that they're stronger than the average who have the right stuff in their blood. With us, it's innate. With them, it's a special gift. Gathering gifts means you can add that gift into your bloodline." Draco shook his head, looking confused.

"Think of it this way. Think of a garden reception buffet. The same people, the same food, the same chatter. Then you add in a new person and things change. They bring dishes to the next event and new news and new gossip. That changes those that had been boring and sated before into those who needed new life. The muggle borns are like those new people into the garden party circuit. They add new flavors and new gossip into the chain. Otherwise, everything's the same and you slowly start going insane and weak."

"We're not weak."

"You are compared to Harry."

"Yes, but he's supposed to be *special*," he protested.

"I'm not. Even without experience, my generation was stronger. The weakest of my year was your strength." Draco frowned, looking at the professors, who both nodded. He looked at him again. "The old line magic can only spread so far, Draco. There's only so much to go around. With the new magic floating in and out of the pool, it thins the older magic out so it can reach more and activate more of the newer magic. The older magics were built on earth sensing. There were those who could claim Druid gifts up until about three generations before mine.

"One of my aunts was one. She's the one who helped start the curse breakers because she was innately drawn to the bad magic that could hurt the humans who didn't have a clue and the wizards and witches who couldn't handle it. She knew that the gifts were going to fade out. Her grandmother's generation had ten with Druid gifts of Earth Sensing. Hers only had four born and one who forced themselves to be." Draco shivered at that. "Yes, I know, dark magic," he said with a small smirk. "Your generation has none born, Draco. Mine had two born. I'm one of them. Harry's and your generation has none born. Your father's had none born."

"We had two born," Flitwick corrected. "A child of your line and one other in Russia. She was killed by Stalin's purges," he said sadly. "Your child lives yet, Alex, but it's unawakened."

Alex looked at him. "Does he know?" He shook his head. "I'll find the sources. Thank you, Finius." He looked at Draco again, then back at him. "Theirs?"

"All curse breakers have a touch but none have been noted with the true gift as you show, and yours was weaker," Methos told him. "I've visited the other schools and since the end of the war, none have shown it. Mr. Potter shows the weaker, curse breaker strain but not the pure gifts. I'm sorry."

"I'm not. I don't use mine because it about killed me with a few earthquakes." He looked at Draco again. "Do you understand now why it's not all good to be pureblood? Yes, it's something to be proud of, but the blood gets too diluted. You lose the special spark and it's down to the flatter specialness that can only exist but not create new sparks."

"So if there's a mudblood born with the gifts, it wouldn't surprise you?" Draco asked.

Alex nodded. "That's true. If there was one, I'd expect it from the non-blooded families." He smirked at him. "It doesn't dirty the blood, it cleans it and purifies it again so it's stronger and that spark comes back. If you look at the birth records of those tested at birth for gifts, the average score isn't that different among the three classes of wizards, but the few who stand out are most often not purebloods totally. Yeah, his daddy was one, but his momma's family hadn't had the spark in generations. Harry's got an aunt who's so hateful of magic that she's denounced those muggles who follow the ways without the powers. She doesn't even allow the mention of magic in muggle books in her house because she hates it so much." Draco sneered at that.

"Harry almost got raised by her," Ron noted.

Alex nodded. "I demanded to take him in when the headmaster came to me first. I wasn't going to let anything go live with her. She couldn't raise a rabbit." He stroked Draco's cheek. "You've been exposed to many ideas today, Malfoy. You need to think about this. Yes, I'm going to call insult on your father. Yes, he's going to try to get me for it. I could actually cry insult all the way to claiming you because he knew what he was doing to Harry." Draco paled at that and he smirked a bit. "Your father isn't the sort to take orders without a good reason, Draco. Why is he taking orders from that weakling Dark Lord?"

"He's weak?" Ron asked. "People are still scared of him, Alex. How can he be weak?"

"Easy, Ron. He didn't do most of what was attributed to him. That was his minions. He only took on special cases. Correct?" Ron nodded, that was pretty well known. "Yet, he couldn't beat an infant. A half- blooded infant."

"Harry said his mother's sacrifice...what the headmaster told him," Ron stumbled.

Alex shook his head. "Nope, sorry. Yes, Lily protected him with her death. That wouldn't have let him live like this and it wouldn't have caused him to become a ghoul. There's very few reasons why ghouls are born, Ron. Besides, I know for a fact that house elves are stronger than he is. They just don't fight back when you kick them. Some day, I'll explain advertising and PR to you guys. You'll like the subject. It's how you create a totally fake image and reputation using a few incidents and some media presentations."

"Tricks and glamours to make beauties out of brass," Draco said quietly.

Alex nodded. "Yup, that's PR and advertising, Draco. That's it exactly," he said with a small smirk. "Think about his PR campaign. He had people going out to do his dirty work for him and advertising it with the dark mark. He had them so scared that they reported and bragged to the press, which spread rumors and knowledge of him so he'd be more greatly feared. He hardly ever taught his death eaters anything. He hardly ever did anything on his own. He was supervising. Like a head house elf." Draco snickered at that. "Seriously. He's like a head house elf at a great estate, like yours or mine. He rules all the other house elves but there's always something more powerful that they want."

Draco smirked at him. "Is he really a house elf?"

"No, from what I hear he was a very charismatic and energetic young man who wanted power more than anything. People follow others like that because most people want others to make their decisions for them. Welllllll." He shrugged. "They let them make stupid decisions for them and then they pay the price." He stroked Draco's cheek again. "I'm not asking you to do more than think, Draco. You're a smart boy. You have that sort of magnetism yourself. Of course, if you become a dark lord, then Harry and Ron will have to whip your tail up and down the street," he offered dryly, making Draco chuckle. "Think. Talk to Snape. Talk to whoever you trust. All the while I'm going to making your daddy sorry he was ever born." Draco nodded, leaving them alone.

He looked at Ron. "House elf magic is *fascinating*. They can do nearly anything they want. Including apparating inside Hogwarts." Ron gaped. "Seriously. Plenty of the older time bastards used to seal their treasures with house elf magic and house elf blood. You'll get a quick class on house elf magic if you become a curse breaker. Bill hated those lessons, they bored him. That's why he's doing Ancient things. They didn't have as many house elves and used human blood bindings usually. People do terrible things so you don't learn their secrets. It's a law somewhere in our blood." He turned back to Harry, stroking over his forehead. "He's running a tiny bit of a fever," he announced. The nurse came over to help him.

***

Harry stumbled into his uncle's work area, giving him a hug. "Thank you," he told him.

"It's nothing, Harry." He snuggled him in tighter. "You're a good boy and you did the right thing. Now, let's get back to work."

Harry moaned. "Uncle Alex, please?" he begged. "Can I be a normal little boy for a while?"

Alex looked down at him and nodded. "Sure, Harry. You just want to play pranks and play quidditch and that stuff?" Harry beamed and nodded. "I did that myself," he offered with a grin. "As a matter of fact, I'm staying here until your next game so I can see you play. I'm very impressed with you, Harry. You're a very strong little boy."

"You make me sound like a baby water buffalo already out in the fields," he complained, but he was grinning.

"Of course you are. That's why you're going to breed many babies, so you can have stronger little water buffalo children and I can get more work out of you lot." Harry giggled at that, giving him another hug. "Speaking of.... anyone here spark that interested feeling I described?"

"Not yet. I do know I'm going to settle down and not sleep around like you did."

Alex smirked a bit. "I had fun."

"I bet," Harry said sarcastically, looking up at him. "Still having fun?"

"Yeah," he admitted, looking smug. "I love my life."

"Good. When I give you grandnephews, you can spoil them, within reason. They won't be going on any digs until they're at least fourteen. I still can't believe I caught Arens and his boy of the moment shagging at eight." He rolled his eyes. "And then they invited me to join in." Alex laughed at that. "Sure, you laugh now."

"No, I'm more laughing about how you screamed like a virgin spinster seeing sex. It was kinda funny. Embarrassed Arens to death. His toy of the moment wasn't greatly pleased either."

"I bet not. Especially since Arens about killed him for offering me a taste."

Alex grinned at him. "I don't care if you shag boys, Harry, as long as they're human boys and not house elf boys or camel boys or even horse or llama boys, I'm fine with you doing boys or girls." Harry blushed at that. "Should I take you out and have you broken in?"

"For some reason, I want more than a quick thing, Uncle. I don't want to be the school slut."

"Yeah, neither did I," he sighed, shaking his head. "I never said a thing about what I did but somehow they always knew. Then again, Hogwarts got an influx of foreign students because I was such a slut." He grinned at Harry. "Some of them were pretty nice. What did you think of the school in Saudi Arabia?"

"It was scarily quiet."

"It was," Alex agreed, grimacing a bit. "All the girls were really polite but you couldn't touch them. Four of them transferred in to try to woo me, did I ever tell you that?"

Harry gave him an odd look. "I'm not sure I want to know about you debauching four Saudi princesses, Uncle Alex. I've heard more than enough of those stories from Arens over the years. He told me a lot more than I needed to know about how you used to whore your way around the world. He's the one who showed me the phone book of lovers."

"At least I'm responsible enough to mark them down in case something happens," he noted dryly.

"Yeah, because if you didn't, you'd never remember them," Harry told him, patting him on the arm and getting free of him. "I love you, Uncle Alex, but I want a girl or a boy friend, maybe even a lover, but no less than that. I want some emotion to go with the sex. I want what you had with HER." Alex nodded, looking a bit more serious now. "Do you think I'll find it?"

"I think you will. I know you've already got some fans in Granger and Ron's little sister. Molly said she's got a horrible crush on you."

"I remember her at the station," Harry admitted. "She blushed and stuttered. She was cute but so little! I think I want a girl who's going to be able to keep up with me. One who likes to cuddle and kiss bruises. I'd rather not have someone who stares at me in awe, I want someone who wants to hold me and help me."

"That's a good idea," Alex assured him. "I'd rather see you with someone who could help you instead of wait at home on you like the aunts do." He grinned at him again. "How do you feel?"

"Crappy. I'm still tired. It's like something's being sucked out of me." Alex checked him and shook his head. "I know, we've already checked all that. It's part of the recovery. The energy's going to heal the headache I had." He grinned at Ron and Draco as they came in. "Came to make me feel better?"

"Not really," Draco told him. He handed over a letter. "I was instructed to hand this over without looking at it. What has my father done now?"

"Oh, he's threatened, bribed, and tried to kill me," Alex said dryly. He opened the letter, reading it and snorted. "And now he's offered me you to take over as the administrator of the family's assets and to head over my works." He handed over the letter and grinned at Ron. "We've been talking about boy and girl friends. What sort do you want?"

"A nice girl who'll not make my mum scream at me like that one witch Bill brought home from Egypt a few years back."

Alex snickered and nodded. "I can see that. She was a bit sweet and innocent, very fragile and quiet. Very much a devout Muslim woman. I doubt Molly would get along with someone so self-effacing."

Draco stared at him, waving the paper like a flag. "Did you read this!" he demanded in a high, screechy voice. "He's giving me to you like some house elf! He thinks I'm a house elf!"

Harry patted him on the back. "It'll be okay, Draco."

"Yeah, Alex said house elves are some of the strongest magical creatures in the world," Ron assured him.

Draco glared at them. Then he stomped out, going to talk to his mentor, Professor Snape. He stormed into the classroom, still waving the letter. "He's giving me away like a house elf!" he shrieked.

"Calm down, Mr. Malfoy."

"Bugger you! My father gave me to Alex Dumass like I'm some bloody little house elf and sex toy!"

Snape took the paper he was waving around, looking at it. Then at the boy. "You'd be rich, pampered, protected, and kept like a cherished harem slave." Draco let out a wordless shriek, looking very stressed out.

Alex walked in and hugged Draco. "Nothing said I have to accept, Draco. After all, I'm annoying him greatly just by existing," he said in his ear.

"He would be your pampered harem slave, correct?" Snape prompted.

"Yeah," Alex agreed with a grin. He gave Draco another hug. "It'll be fine, Draco." Draco pulled away and stared at him. "Really. I'm annoying him to no end with this, Draco."

"He said in the letter that it's either this or he's killing himself and naming you my guardian, which means you can't bugger me night and day for the rest of my tired life."

Alex took the letter back and read it over, then snorted. "Huh. Yes, I can." He looked at him. "You're too young and I'm all about choice, Draco. I would never force you to do that. I might let you handle the estate stuff since it bores me to sleep. You could even handle the money stuff, but I'd never sleep with you until you're of age and you wanted it. That is, if your family curse wouldn't kill you." Draco swallowed and nodded. "Again, I'm all about the choice in these situations. I've been offered many women and men in the past for various things. Loans, people wanting to trade for special artifacts to gain power, poker debts, because they wanted to share a special memory with their spouse.... All sorts of reasons."

Draco blinked at him. "How many people have you slept with?" he asked in awe.

Alex shrugged. "I quit counting after a hundred. I have books of them all."

"Please tell me you're kidding," Draco said in awe. Alex shook his head, grinning at him. "Estimate. How many?"

Alex considered it, his head moving back and forth, side to side. "Maybe a thousand?" He shrugged. "I have no real idea. Harry!" Snape shuddered. Harry stuck his head in. "How many people were in those books?"

"The slut phone book you keep? I don't know. Accio phonebook," he announced, getting it flying into his hand. He held it up to show Draco, who's mouth fell open. "That's from his school years." He tossed it to Draco.

Alex looked at the spine. "Six years. That was a few good years." He took it to look through, smiling at a few names. "That was a nice few years. Oooh, I remember her," he said happily at one name. "She was really fun."

Draco snatched the book back, looking at the name. Then he looked at Alex. "You slept with McGonagall!" he asked, looking shocked.

"We were yearmates," he said with a small grin. "She was a hot quim in her day."

"Ewww!" Harry said, shuddering in horror. "Oh, God! Ron!" he said, wandering off. "Take this mental image from me before I get stuck on it!"

Draco gave Alex a look like he was insane. "You slept with *her*!"

He nodded, pulling out his wallet and showing off an old picture from his school days. He pointed at her. "That was a teenage McGonagall. Blame me much, mate?" he asked with a wicked smirk.

Draco looked and blinked, then walked out to show Potter and Weasley, who stared at it. "That was her!"

"Man, she's let herself go," Ron said dryly. He shivered. "Can we slip her some of that youth potion you think?" Draco gave him an odd look. "It'd be nice to have one hot teacher to look at. Otherwise someone will have to start fantasizing about Snape, which is so very wrong."

"Thank you for taking that mental picture out of my head, Ron, but now I have a worse one," Harry moaned. He walked off, going to beat his head on the wall like a house elf.
Draco returned the picture, then walked off again shaking his head. He walked up to Transfiguration, closing the door behind him since she was alone in the office. "My father just offered me to Alex for his personal body slave. Based on your prior relationship with him, do you think it's worth it?"

She choked and spluttered. Then she burst out crying and ran to her office for a long cry.

"Sorry," he called after her. "I wanted first-hand information!" He went back to look at the directory of lovers. He finally looked at his head of house. "At least he never slept with Dumbledore."

"Thanks Merlin," Snape agreed. "Why is Mr. Weasley giving me funny looks?"

"He wanted to give McGonagall some of the youth potion so he could have a hot teacher to stare at before someone decided to start fantasizing about you. Dumass is off beating his head on a wall like a house elf."

Snape closed his eyes and slowly shook his head. "Go away, Mr. Malfoy, and think about your options at the moment. Write your mother or something." Draco left, taking the damnable book with him. Snape got up and closed his classroom door, locking it completely so no one, not even the headmaster could get in. Then he sat down and cackled for a good, long time.

***

Lucius stormed into the room where his son was waiting. "You do not have a choice."

Draco pointed his wand at him. "I can hex you and laugh. Alex has taught me some things that would make you very afraid." He sneered at him. "I'm not a piece of property, father. I'm your heir. If I go to him, there'll be no more Malfoys."

"He never keeps anyone," Malfoy sneered.

"Yes, but I'm still part veela, father, and there's a curse on the family. Either I'm monogamous or I'll die and so will the rest of the line. Mother was very candid about that. Either way, your precious line dies out." He glared at him. "Couldn't you not bend over and take it up the arse from the dark lord just that once, Father?" he asked bitterly. "Just once so that your family wasn't destroyed? Generations and centuries of Malfoys are looking down on you and sneering for your stupidity," he spat.

"You'll go to him and let him break you in, Draco. It is your duty if I say it is."

"Even if it is, he's refused to touch me until I'm of age and come into my powers," he said coldly. "If so, the Malfoy line is dead and therefore the will's apocalypse clause is now in effect." Lucius looked stunned. "Do you really want that, father? Because I'm sure we can combine with the greater wealth of the Dumass clan!" His father backed up a step. "You fucking bastard. You're going to pay for giving me away like a house elf. Remember, you used to drag me around *everywhere* with you, father. Owls are already on their way to the Ministry, the paper, and Mother." Lucius went pale at that.

"I suggest you commit suicide instead of going home!" He got up and faced his father down, his wand still clenched in his hand. "I loathe you. At least he sees me as a human being of worth. Unlike you, sperm donor." He walked past him, rudely shoving him out of the way. He called the bank, getting the goblin over his family's accounts. "My father has seen fit to give me away like a house elf to Alexander Dumass. Since I'm part veela and with the family's curse of monogamy on it, would that not create the situation for the apocalypse clause?" It nodded slowly. "Then enact it. Apparently I've been sold," he sneered.

"I know of Dumass. He is very fair and very generous," he said quietly. "He will not touch you until you are ready and of age. He will also not harm you. He's never been like that, Mr. Malfoy. If anything you'll be more spoiled than your mother ever has."

"With how he treats his nephew...."

"Harry is his heir and apprentice. He is being trained by him. His spouse is a different matter. You'd be expected to sit home and manage the collections and the library while he went out into the field. Personally I believe you could make him slow down again. He should slow down and enjoy his reyouthened life. After all he had been hiding behind that disguise spell since he had been hit with that youthening curse ten years ago." Draco looked stunned. "You thought that's what the potion was for?" He nodded silently. "It was to take off the disguise that Des had put on him. He was youthened down to a child when it went off. Fortunately a member of his family was still living and felt it.

"They came for him and helped him heal. Des revived most of the family to heal him and to protect his secret. Now that he's doing it openly.... I'm overjoyed that he's decided to be open with his age now. He's only seventeen at the moment. He should be enjoying life, not working for a living he doesn't need. His family is richer than yours ever was, even at the height of prosperity when you were near royalty." He grinned a bit. "Therefore you will be spoiled and doing the world a great favor if you make him take back up Quidditch for a living instead of curse breaking. Not that he'll ever truly give us up, but he should cut back."

Draco frowned a bit at that. "He can play?"

"He once had teams killing each other to recruit him while he was in school. They used to ship in women for him to play with so he would remain happy and healthy. Those were the bad days for venereal diseases you know."

"I hadn't, but it makes sense. You really think it's suitable?"

"I think it would be good for both of you. You would be spoiled but you'd also be cherished and valued, which would mean that the Malfoy sneer might disappear for good," he said a bit smugly. "He would get to relax and enjoy his youth again. It can only benefit all. The balance in that is the apocalypse clause in the family will. Is your father going to die?"

"I suggested it strongly. Owls are already heading home, the Ministry, and the paper." The goblin smirked a bit at that. "I'm sure he'll want to, but with the act of giving me to a man, there will be no further children with the family curse."

"True," he agreed. "Unless you decide to do a gender
reassignment potion?"

"Eww," Draco said with a shudder.

"Just suggesting it as an idea, Mr. Malfoy. Very well, are you accepting this?"

"Father ordered me to. He's already signed me over and filed the paperwork. Once you're notified, enact it. I won't have father betraying generations of Malfoys for his dick's pleasure."

"Very well. What did he do?"

"He was part of the reason the vaults were opened," he said quietly. The goblin gave him a harsh stare. "He wrote me a letter while it was going on. I got it the next morning. I'm the bribe since Alex called insult on him for intentionally harming Harry."

The goblin nodded. "Go with him, Draco. It would be better for you. I will start that clause immediately. Now that I know of it, I must report it by tonight at close of business." Draco nodded, understanding that. "I wish you well. You will be much cherished as a consort. Remember though that he does have a finite patience limit with whining, teasing, and bossy people. Those are usually the days he ends up in the field for three years straight." He signed off and ran a finger over that clause, starting the chain of events.

His bosses and a few of the board came in to see what was going on. Anything that required that massive of a move usually went through them. He replayed the conversation entirely for them. It got grave nods but they didn't stop the process. Lucius was a conspirator but his family would be protected by this while they charged him. There was still some money left out of that clause and they could easily seize that and the family manor if it wasn't included. The ancestral home of the Malfoys wasn't the present manor, and Draco could have the old place instead.

***

Draco mother stormed into the school two days later, finding her son and dragging him off by the hair. "How dare you ruin this family!"

"How dare you give me away like some house elf!" he shouted back, getting free and glaring at her, smoothing down his jumper. "You gave me away to a male, mother. You signed that paperwork with father. Of course the apocalypse clause was enacted. I am the last of the family. I won't be having children since you gave me to a man! That was the clause!" She flinched. "What's the matter, mother? Can't live on what's left?"

"The goblins seized it!" she hissed.

"Wonderful. Since father helped free the ghouls, they should!" he shouted. She looked stunned and started to cry. "Mother, don't start. I'm not giving you anything. Talk to the goblins if you want something of your own." He turned and walked off again. "Thank you for giving me away, mother. Apparently it was a decent thing for you to do before I turned into my paternal contributor." He opened the door to his classroom and glared at her. "I'd hate to be that stupid and ruin the family." He walked inside and slammed the door behind him. "My mother apologizes for her rudeness." He sat down and glowered.

Harry looked over at him. "You okay, Draco?" he asked quietly. Draco shook his head, glancing at him. "If you need to vent, I can be yelled at. It wouldn't be the first time. I can also tell you about all the aunties at the house and most of the unicorns."

"You've got unicorns?" he asked, looking at Potter. "Why?"

"There's a whole herd who lives on the land. I even get to help milk them now and then," he said with a slight grin. "Alex likes unicorn cream in his tea." Draco blinked a few times at that. "You'll like the house, Draco. It's very warm and inviting. Lots of little places to curl up and read. Lots of busybody aunts who feed you until you beg for mercy. You'll have your own room in Alex's suite. Just watch out for Mel. She's a berk and a bitch."

Draco nodded, relaxing a bit at that. "Do you have pictures?" he asked quietly.

"Six or seven," he admitted quietly. "I'll show you later." Draco nodded, turning to pay attention again. Harry relaxed and went back to taking notes. It would be okay now.

***

Alex walked into the house and cleared his throat. "Meeting!" he bellowed. The aunts all came running. "Who here remembers the Malfoys?" Nearly all the aunts raised a hand. Alex shut the door and leaned on it. "Mr. Lucius Malfoy was behind releasing the ghouls. He wrote a note to his son, Draco, about how proud he was of his actions. I called injury on him." His grandmother moaned from the stairs she was sitting on. "He's tried everything and even tried giving away his son. When I showed no signs of relenting, he signed over his son without my authorization.

"It was either take the boy in or else he'd be homeless and his family name in shame and shambles. The goblins enacted the apocalypse prophecy in the family will. It's about the same as ours," he noted bitterly. "He'll be coming home the next holiday and I expect everyone to be nice to the boy. He is a Malfoy, the only and last Malfoy, and even his mother signed him over. The goblins, upon hearing his reasons for enacting the apocalypse clause, then took the rest of the Malfoy estate not included in it away from the family and charged Lucius and Narcissa in front of the Ministry. Therefore we're shielding my new mate and he's a consort veela, half if I'm not mistaken." That got another moan from his grandmother.

"From the same line," he noted dryly, making her whimper a bit. At least it was a change. "He and Harry have learned how to get along. Draco's a smart little boy and I've already told him I'm not touching him until he's of age at least. I expect Harry's already shown him all the pictures he's got and warned him about Mel and Nadia's tempers. They'll be home in three days for the Easter holidays. I expect you to treat the boy like you do Harry and his friends.

"By the way, he's friends with a Weasley. Bill's little brother Ron. He's looking like a good one to train too." He looked around. "Any arguments and yelling, get it out now," he offered. "Draco doesn't need it and the goblins convinced him it was his only safety and for his own good, which I agree with. Which was why I warned them before now. I will *not* have any of you riding that boy for his misfortune of having those two as parents."

"We'd never do that, Alex," his grandmother said firmly.

He looked at her. "Yes, you will. You've done it to Harry once or twice too. Always in a heated moment but you have. Why do you think I took him with me?" She looked embarrassed. "We will go along with the assumption that Draco will be my mate when he's older. We do have complimentary magic. He is strong enough to sense power. He's a Slytherin like I was and he's every bit as charming as I was at that age." That got some sweeter smiles. "If he desires it when he's of age, I'll release him from his servitude. I've already assured him of that. So he'll need a room in my suite. Put him beside Harry in the spare bedroom."

"You don't want to do that. That means you can't bring a woman home," Aunt Cordy, the head aunt, noted bitterly.

"I can't do that now anyway and I've got a flat in London if I need it," he reminded her. "I'd never rub the kid's nose in it that way. Not with his gifts coming due in a few years." That got some sighs. "He's in Harry's class." That got some heated glares in the direction of the other manor house. "Grandma, I want you to go over what Draco has left and make sure it stays separate from our stuff, just in case he does want to flee when he's of age. I'll be acquainting him with the various collections within the family since they'd be his job when he gets older. That way he can start under me, you, and Nadia and slowly take over for us." She nodded, accepting that.

"Aunt Cordy, introduce him to the unicorns, dear. Help him find a spot that's safe and comfortable for him to hide in when he gets overwhelmed. Then leave it alone. Let him clean it if he wants." She nodded. "Be blunt about it because he's not going to understand why he'll need it." She nodded again, looking wise. "Mother!" She appeared in a flash of smoke. She was now a vengeance demon and she wasn't allowed to live in the house since she had changed over. "I got given a boy."

"I saw. He's strong, he'll be fine, Alex," she promised, kissing him on the cheek. "Even though it means no grandchildren I'll accept Draco. He's a very pretty boy."

"Who will not be taking a gender potion but he does have a good grasp of potions," he told them all. That got some smiles. They all needed someone who could do potions around the house. "Try to soften the blow if you come back, mother. I haven't told him anything about you yet and I'm not sure Harry knows."

"He does. I told him last year," she assured him calmly, smiling a bit. "It'll be fine, Alex. Just calm down. We'll protect the boy as if he were Harry. Now go fly. Harry didn't know you could play quidditch." He rolled his eyes. "Son, you're seventeen again. Go play." He sighed and grabbed his broom from the closet before going outside. She pulled up a book she had stolen from Draco's old home, handing it to Cordy. "Here. The boy's old family. They got the manor house but not the ancestral home. Any single portraits are going there and at least one copy of each family member's portrait as well. The will was pretty specific. He's going to get to keep most everything inside but the building." She faded out, then came back. "The goblins did warn him about gender potions. I wouldn't try it." She faded out again.

"I know cursebreakers get into trouble," Aunt Nadia noted, clenching her hands together. "This is a bit much however. For both him and Harry. I hope those two can continue to get along." She went to scream in the backyard, getting a few of the unicorn babies up to cuddle her.

Des looked at the other women in the family. "We'll protect the boy as well as we ever did Harry. We'll even lay off Harry for a bit. He probably just wants to be a normal boy after being with Alex for four years straight." They all nodded at that. "Cordy, start training Alex and Harry in how to date and be a proper boyfriend this summer. It's not too early to make sure they've got all the pertinent points down." She nodded, going to make notes on that. "Someone tell Nadia to check Harry's clothing. I want to see him in something other than Alex's clothes. Also, get her onto Alex's wardrobe again."

She stood up and came down the stairs, heading for the ten story library, going to look up information on the family. The boy's last picture was very cute. If he kept that pale coloring he'd look stunning next to Alex. He even looked a bit delicate. That would only help him later in the bedroom. Alex liked them a bit delicate now and then. She'd make sure Nadia got through to him about all that he could do as long as he talked Alex into it first. A good lover could work their lover into a frenzy and get anything they wanted if they played their cards right and she took that one for one who could.

***

Alex looked up as the door opened, smiling at Harry, Draco, and Ron. "Hey, Ron. Crowded house?"

"Mum said I could come over today. I can floo home later if it's okay."

"Like I care?" he said with a shrug. "Harry, Nadia's on another clothing kick." He grimaced and whimpered. "Also, expect to have the 'caring and nurturing a lover' talk with her, boys. She and Des decided it'd be a good idea so Harry wouldn't turn into me." He went back to his reading. "Draco, you've got the room next to mine. Today I want you to go up there, put up your things, then explore the house with Harry so you learn where everything is."

Draco walked over and kissed him gently on the cheek. "He's shown me a lot already," he assured him. "I'm not feeble."

"No, but this way you can get accustomed to things so we can start training you in how to handle stuff like the cursed artifacts lying around here this summer." Draco looked amused at that. "Seriously. We've got cursed stuff, embedded stuff, unholy stuff, and plain old dark stuff, lying around here and there. The library's full of books on curses, hexes, and transfiguration. I'll take you to the bookstore tomorrow so you can order whatever potions books you want." He grinned at him. "With Professor Snape's approval of course."

"Of course. I had wondered why he had said he'd see me tomorrow." He sat on the arm of is mate's chair, looking at the book he was looking at. "What's that about?"

"An artifact I'm working on freeing from some magical ice." He let him see it. "Basically I'm freeing it so they can sell it or it can be stolen and some other wizard will use it until it eats him too, and then some other curse breaker can figure out how to remove the souls from it and put it back into storage for a few more years." Draco looked amused at that. "See, curse breaking is a business, Draco. The stingy tightwad Goblins make money off storing things.

"So it may be a few centuries before that happens but some goblin will decide that the markings we put on this one will be nothing too bad and will decide that the spot could be more profitably taken up by something else that can earn them money. So they'll put it up at auction and then it'll be another curse breaker's fun to break the artifact after it's eaten half a town or so."

He shrugged. "They little bastards charge us a flat free for each artifact we have in storage with them each year. This is a commission piece from them so they have to pay for it, but anything I find in the course of business with them I have to pay to have stored. That takes about five percent of our salary a year.

"There's other exceptions but I don't want to be a Specialist or a breaker in the labs there. So anything I find, even if they give me the assignment, I can have the tight asses sell for me and they take ten percent, or I can store it with them and slightly up my yearly fees by a few galleons more. Or I can keep them here and learn from and about them."

Draco shook his head. "I didn't know you could do that."

"Most of the curse breakers don't care to. They're in it to break tombs, find gold because it pays them more to find gold than books, and hand it over to get their commissions. It's like training a dog. Now, the smart curse breakers learn from every little thing that they bring up. If it's a book, I have a scribe copy and translate it for me. If it's an artifact or a drawing, we study it, then decide to sell or send it on. I could do private auctions of anything that wasn't a direct ordered job from the little bastards, but that gets messy and they start questioning your loyalty so you get the bad jobs, which means more books and I'm a happy Alex."

"What did they do this time?" Harry asked tolerantly, grinning at him.

"They told me I couldn't work all the time and to go play professional Quidditch for a few years. Bastards."

Draco patted him on the head. "It's all right. We know you're mental and should be locked up," he offered with a bratty grin. "How much do you clear a year?"

"I usually do about seven or eight jobs for them a year, including finding lost and dead curse breakers. Those are flat fee jobs. Anything that I want to do I'm supposed to submit a request and then do it. Usually I file it as I'm going out the door and have already portkeyed or apparated off before they pick up the paper. That gets me around the formality. Ron's brother Bill works exclusively in the tomb raiding department now so he's basically straight on ordered jobs. Most of the stuff he finds will be for examination instead of storage.

"That means he doesn't have to pay for it, but he won't get that big of a commission either until it's sold. He'll get fair market value by weight for any gold and stuff like that instead." He grinned at Harry and Ron a bit, then at Draco. "Then again, I've also done some jobs on my own, ones that Gringotts forbids. If I do those and get hurt it's my own fault, but they can't truly stop me because I'm on straight commission instead of salary like Bill is. I basically work for more of my haul. Those on straight salary get twenty percent at the most. You start with two and work your way up. Guys like me, and someday Bill and Arens, work on commission.

"I get eighty percent value of whatever I find, upfront or right after an immediate auction. By my contract they have to either sell it within eighty days of when I hand it over, store it at their own cost if I hadn't asked for it to be stored, or give me fair market value if it's going for study. The downside is that the guys on salary get their crews and supplies paid for them and we have to pay our own. I'm basically a contractor for the bank. The others are employees. The only benefit I get is medical."

"Wow," Ron said. "Will Bill move to that?"

"Probably, if he's smart. He's in an area with a lot of work so it'll do his bank balance good once he's more skilled in the field and got a good name for himself. Most of the time goblins allow us to switch over to dent our ambitions. Contractors don't get the good jobs with the gold and statues. We get the libraries. Which I like more anyway. Guys like me also get to lay traps for future curse breakers who'll someday see the wreckage of this house and come find my stash and have to get through my traps. Because we not only curse break we also create curses and use them to protect our work areas and things. I've got a vault in the bank to work in that has the nastiest of the nasty stuff. If I wanted to I could mine the lawns and the lands around the house to be worse than any tomb ever seen on this planet. That would get the aunts mad at me however," he finished dryly. He patted Draco on the back. "As the ... spouse, you'll get to oversee the collections lying around, including the library. This summer you'll start lessons on what we have and don't have and how to take care of it. I think you'll enjoy that somewhat. The estate jewels are fabulous and we have an old dress collection too from all the maiden aunts." He grinned at Harry, who groaned. "The attic is really the place to play in if you're looking for old stuff." He stood up. "Come on, I'll show you up to your room, Draco. Harry, show Ron the kitchen?" Ron beamed at that and followed Harry that way.

Draco followed him, thinking about that. "So, how much do you pull in a year?"

"Last year I pulled in about seven thousand galleons from ordered jobs and about triple that from self- ordered jobs, plus the Sunnydale job. That's a forbidden area because it's so dangerous. Grandma Des, the kids are back," he yelled. "Harry needs to work on his staking and stuff so we can finish cleaning out Sunnydale!" He opened a door at the top of the stairs. "The other direction are the guest rooms." Draco smiled and followed him down the hallways. "These are mostly auntie rooms. They've got a sitting area and a bedroom. I've got a suite to myself since my father died during the plague and didn't come back. Since my mother's now in vengeance, I pretty much get the master suite to myself these days." He opened a door at the end of the hall, letting him into the suite. "That blue door is yours, Draco. Mine's the gray one. The bathroom is the green one." Draco nodded, going to put his bag on his bed and look around his room, then he came out and snooped around the main suite. Alex was once again sitting and reading. Alex coughed when he noticed Draco staring at a painting. "Long story, Draco."

"Who was she?"

"She was Valera. She was my mate when I was originally about this age." He looked over his shoulder at him. "She died because she stomped on the family's curse by wanting someone, not sleeping with them, but wanting them." Draco shuddered. "That's why you've got to be very sure, Draco. You've also got to be very pure or else you've already chosen." He closed his book and put it down, then walked him out of the suite and downstairs. "Aunt Nadia is on a clothes kick and she'll scream and kick at you if you don't let her do at least one velvet jacket for special dinners and one hunting outfit."

"She makes them?"

"Most of the time. She's good at it, but she's annoying," he shared quietly, getting a grin. "Okay, let's start in the most major collection and the one that ties others together." He opened the library doors and Draco gulped air. He grinned at him. "You thought I was kidding about having a scribe copy each book and having it translated?"

"No," he said weakly, looking around. "Hopefully there's a catalog?" Alex pointed at the shelves off to the right of where they were. "Does it tell you how to find it?"

"It's arranged by subject. You find what you want and run it over that blue velvet pad. The book flies down to the table and you read it. When you're done, you put it on the blue cart and a house elf shelves it." He winked at him. "You'll get your own corner for anything Potiony or your school books. This also holds records of all the other collections." He walked him to a waist-high shelf that held some enormously thick books. "The family jewelry. The family paintings. The artifacts, A-F, G-I, J-P, S, T, and U- Z." He pointed at those. "The shelf above them are my field journals. Harry's presently studying a few of them. The last thick book is household assets. Basically it's the 'other' category. The furniture, the tapestries, the rugs, that stuff." Draco nodded, still looking amazed. "The language stuff is next to your right hand. Alphabetically by language name." Draco looked at those, smiling a bit at the various titles. "We focus more on reading but some do have pronunciation guides. I usually start new curse breakers in either Greek or Egyptian, then move them onto Latin and then to modern or a more ancient base." Draco looked at him. "I've trained a few," he admitted with a goofy grin. He leaned closer. "Be thankful you didn't make the holiday ball this year," he whispered in his ear. "Merlin, the stuffy people wearing too much jewelry is annoying. I ran and hid in my work area."

"Can I see your work area?"

Alex shook his head. "Sorry. I've got some really nasty stuff out down there and I don't think you want to deal with demonic summoning and magic stuff. Harry's locked out right now too," he assured him, leading him off. "Now, this is the main house. There's three vacation homes and my flat in London. My flat in London is where I'll be taking any ...dates until you're of age and have made your decision. That way you don't have to get jealous or have to see it." Draco nodded, looking at him as they walked. "We've got ten house elves among the family homes. Six here. My flat doesn't have one but the vacation home in Jamaica has two." Draco nodded quicker at that, looking around as they walked. Alex pounded on a door before opening it, letting him into a narrow hallway. "This is the Hall of Portraits. I'm sure your family had one?"

"We still do. I've never seen the ancestral home but I'm told there's one there." He walked down the rows, looking at them. "Why are some blank?"

"Because I got cursed about ten years ago in a trap," he said quietly. An older male painting at the end of the row hissed at that. "Sorry, Granddad. He's the line's originator and the originator of the Snape line," he said with a small grin. "Family, this is Draco Malfoy. His father thoughtfully signed paperwork without either of our permission and gave him to me as a concubine."

The older male portrait looked at the boy, then nodded slowly, looking amused. "You'll do. You're pretty enough. You look smart so that means you can help Alex around the house and the like. Do you fly?"

"I love to fly," he offered with a grin.

The old man smiled. "Good. Make Alex buy a new broom. His last one nearly died on him last night."

"I haven't flown in years, Granddad," he complained. Draco gave him a horrified look. "I haven't had time to," he offered with a small shrug. He pointed at a painting. "This is the first cursebreaker, my great aunt." Draco bowed politely and she smiled. "She didn't talk much." He walked him out, taking him to the kitchen. "This the kitchen. The red cupboard has the unicorn food and supplies, including the solid silver combs and brushes if you ever need them." He stole a piece of potato being chopped and munched on it as he led his charge outside. "This is the back acres. The herd of cows and such are down at the pond at this time of day but...." He whistled and something came out of the brush, a house elf. "Me, where's the unicorn baby?"

"Baby unicorn is being brushed by Ron and Harry, Master Alexander." She grinned slyly at Draco. "Is him another student?"

"No, this is Draco Malfoy. Someone wanted him to be my consort. He'll be here whenever he's not in school." She nodded. "His is the blue room next to mine."

"Yes, Master Alexander. Me will take good care of Master Draco's things. Just like Me does Master Harry's things." She ducked back into the bush, going back to her pruning and degnoming.

Alex grinned at him and walked him on, taking him to where he could hear Ron babbling about the unicorn and how soft it was. "The house is a spare house for guests and special work projects," he said, pointing it out. Draco nodded and smiled at the unicorn. "I know, they make you wanna go 'awwww' and grin," he offered with a small nudge to the boy's shoulder. "Go ahead. She's a suck up for attention." Draco knelt beside the other boys, petting the gentle little baby unicorn. He looked around. "Did the momma abandon her or just wander off?"

"She headed to get a drink," Harry offered, cleaning off the comb and starting on another part of the soft pelt.

Alex grinned. "I'll leave you three here for now. Remember, no swearing or the mother will horn you up the backside." He walked off whistling, heading back in and stealing another bite of potato on his way past. He heard a thrown 'prat' from outside and then a yell as someone got horned but that was fine. They'd learn to get along or else the unicorns would get them. That would stop any petty arguments pretty fast. Alex found the book he wanted from long practice and sat down to reread one of his favorite novels. Draco came in and sat beside him, leaning against his side. "You're not old enough for that yet."

"I know. I never imagined how soft they were. My father said that they're just fancy horses."

"Your father needs horned up the backside too. Then again, he might enjoy it a lot," he said dryly.

"It'd probably burn him," Draco said sarcastically. He looked at the book. "What's that?"

"More adult than you are," he admitted, looking at him .

Draco gave him a patient stare. "I'm not that young. Well, correction, I am that young but I'm not that naive or innocent. I do know how people have carnal relations. My father drug me to the whorehouse and his mistresses houses many times in the past."

"Again, your father needs horned," he said, patting him on the back but letting him snuggle in. "Don't rush, Draco. You've got time and things to do before you get there. Learn to enjoy all the time you're spending instead of just the free times. Even class times can be split if you're attentive and creative enough." Draco nodded, reading over his arm. "Tell me when you're done with this set."

"Go ahead," he said a moment later. Alex turned the page. "Is this a magical book?"

"No. Totally muggle." Draco looked stunned and Alex grinned. "Some of the best artists are. Think about mythology and how much muggle creativity leant to that subject. Muggles are very good at creating a reality around them that pleases them. Some want magic but most see the world as magical enough for them because they believe in things like miracles. The only real difference is that we've got a special spark in our blood and we've been trained to see the magical in the world. Even those with the special spark don't always see the magical things around them. They take it for granted."

Draco nodded. "My mother was like that. She always acted like magic was her slave. She hated having to actually say a spell. It's like it was too much effort."

"Maybe she had weak magic," Alex offered with a small shrug. "The strongest creatures take magic for granted as just being 'there'. House elves never make a big deal out of magic but they're much stronger."

"They can travel and things by finger snap."

"Yup, they can. They can also apparate inside Hogwarts," Alex reminded him.

Draco looked thoughtful. "Can humans do wandless magic?"

"Some. It's not a strong gift and it takes a strong caster since it's all about will power. I can't do it much but I have been known to call my wand with it when I'm stuck or something." Draco looked up at him. "Sometimes the want and the need is enough. Sometimes it's not."

"I got that part. You get stuck?"

"Oh, yeah," he said with a soft grin. "A lot. Like every other curse breaker, I'm mortal and able to be trapped, hurt, and killed. I take more care than some of them do, but not always." Someone slammed the front door. "Arens?" A thin, wispy blond man with long hair stuck his head in, looking attentive. "Hey. Are you *finally* done?"

"Yup. Thanks for giving me your assignment, mate. It was a good find." He looked at Draco, then back at Alex. "Isn't he a bit young?"

"His father gave him to me," he noted patiently. "Right now we're just talking. He's got years before he makes that decision. Harry and Ron were brushing the unicorn colt out back."

"Actually it was a filly," Draco said quietly, staring at the man.

"Oh, a new one," he said, sounding happy. "Another mouth in the herd."

"All unicorn foals are blessings, Alex. That's why you've lived so long." He grinned at Draco. "I'm Arens Tolmere."

"Draco Malfoy." He got up and shook his hand. "Come, I can lead you."

"I've been here many times, young man. Alex and I are old buddies." He grinned at the boy. "Go back to your cuddle. Nothing makes a boy grow up right better'n cuddles." He ruffled his hair and walked out, stealing some food on his way through the kitchen, making the aunts shriek at him, but he only grinned back. "Harry, Ron!" he yelled. They came back carrying the specially treated paper covered in baby hair so he opened the door, letting them inside. Grandma Des smiled and took it, kissing them both on the cheek before shooing them off to play. "So, boys. What're you learning now?"

"Draco's going over gem and other things to identify," Harry said happily. "Plus Uncle Alex said we could finish cleaning out Sunnydale this summer."

"You're braver than I am," he teased, pinching him on the ear. "Come inside and tell me how school is." He walked the boys back into the library, watching as Alex hugged Harry but let him go sit with him and Ron. "You're cute together. When he's grown, he'll be a heartbreaker, Alex."

Alex smirked a bit. "I know." He grinned at Draco, who only smirked back and nodded. He went back to his book. "Tell him about the maze, boys."

"We found the most amazing maze under the school," Harry said happily, hugging his favorite uncle and camp mate. "It's got spells, minor trapping traps, and hidden walls. I did a lot of sensing work in there. I missed a whole week of class doing it," he admitted happily. "Professor Snape was not happy with me."

"Harry, you caused McGonagall to panic," Ron reminded him.

"Better than me, I made her cry," Draco offered. Everyone stared at him. "I asked her if she thought a relationship with Alex was worth it based on past experience."

Alex snickered, leaning down to kiss Draco on the head. "You're so evil sometimes. I wondered why she came up and gave me a spontaneous hug and said she had wished she had been the one I stayed with. I should find my old house picture and send it to her," he said fondly, grinning at Draco. He went back to reading. "How many more detentions do you have, Harry?"

"Ten." He looked at Arens. "It's *so* unfair," he said plainly. "I miss a week of school and got three week's detention with Filch. I already know *way* too much about the forest and the trophy room, plus how to mop." Arens laughed at that, giving him a hug. "Thanks, Uncle. It's not my fault I got so involved. I was really bored in most of the classes. I can't brew a potion to save anyone's life. I already know most of the defense stuff and the other classes. Care of Magical Creatures is a lot of petting right now and flobber worms now and then. Herbology is okay, I guess, but it's like potions. A lot of things I don't know why I'm learning about since I can't do a thing with them. I've already killed five plants."

"Six," Ron reminded him. "You had one die the day we started back."

"Oh, yeah. I murdered her rose bush by watering it," he said dryly, grimacing a bit. "I'm sure I'll have more detentions then." Draco snickered at that. "I will!"

"It'll be fine, Harry," Alex said patiently. "You're one of us. You can't do herbology or potions. It proves you're not a Snape." He looked at Draco before changing the page. Draco turned it back to get the last few words then turned it again. "Fine, you turn the page then," he offered with a grin.

"I had no idea muggles could write like this. When was this written?"

"About a century ago," Arens said dryly. "It's a classic. Some of them still write the most shiteful things in the world, but now and then a classic comes into being." Harry snickered at that. "It does. Anything's better than the books Mel reads."

"Point," Alex agreed dryly. "Speaking of, she wanted a shelf in the library." He looked around, then shrugged. "I guess she couldn't find one. Library!" he called. The house elf appeared, hands clasped in front of her, staring at him. "Draco is learning potions. He'll need a shelf for those books and for his school books."

"One or two, Master Alexander?" she asked quietly.

"Two, just in case. Keep Mel's trash novels off them."

"Mistress Mel keeps her books in her room so she can refer to them when she can't sleep," she said. "Mistress Mel is being very noisy and alone right now. Should Library find her a shelf?"

"No. She can continue to keep her crap up there."

"Yes, Master Alexander. Library will move some books around. There will be many potions books? Should Library start work on a new shelf in the other library?"

"That's a thought," Alex agreed. "Sure. Draco, you won't mind it being in the Dark Arts section, right? It's usually a locked room."

"That's fine," he agreed. "I've seen plenty of those books around my former house."

"Cool." He grinned at his elf. "That would be fine. Keep Mel out of there as well."

"Yes, Master Alexander." She went to clear him off a shelf by moving the song books out of the way. She wasn't sure why those silly bards kept writing songs about her master and his family, but they were amusing to sing at the holidays. That's when her master usually escaped for his work area.

***

Draco looked at Alex's broom after breakfast the next morning, grimacing in distaste. "This is a horrible broom."

"I know," he sighed. "I played on it when I was this age the first time."

"There had better not be a third time," Aunt Nadia called.

"I hope not either!" He grinned at Draco. "So you're saying I'm getting another broom as well as new clothes today since Aunt Nadia didn't want to sew this week?" He nodded, grimacing a bit. "Sure. We need to stop in my study."

"Fine," Draco agreed. "Can we go now?"

"We're taking the boys," he said patiently. Draco sighed. "Don't worry, they're going to the sweet shop and then going to the clothiers. I doubt they're going into the broom shop."

"Weasley is quidditch mad," Harry said as he came in. He sat down and a house elf popped around to give him breakfast. "Thanks, Me." He dug in. "I've got a new broom. Is that yours, Uncle Alex? Is that an antique?"

"Funny, kid. Really funny," Alex said patiently. He looked at Draco, then at Harry. "When is Ron coming?"

"Ten. His mum's about to cook all day and he didn't want to have to sit and watch her or do homework. His little sister is bugging him for pictures of me." He ate another bite and shook his head. "I'm not sure I can take that."

"There will always be girls like that," Alex noted dryly, grinning at him.

"Alex, if you had to reage, why didn't you have to go back to school?" Draco asked.

"Because I still had all my memories and training. My body deaged but I could still conjure hard charms when I was eight. The Ministry made an exception for Des, otherwise she was going to destroy them all."

"Ah. I thought she was a bit like that," Draco admitted, smiling at him. "She seems very fierce."

"She is, but she's also great in Defense. She *is* the herd mare around here." Draco snickered at that. "She is. She'll pinch you too if you forget it." Harry nodded hard at that. "Got a few already?"

"I didn't put on socks the first time I came out and my shirt was untucked." He ate a larger bite and chewed slowly. Then he swallowed and looked at them. "She's on a tear for some reason."

"Grandma Des, is there a problem?" Alex called. "Harry said you're being mean to him."

"No, dear. Not a thing. I just wanted him to show some manners today since you've already warped him so much."

"Okay, as long as you're sure. We're going to Diagon in a half-hour. We'll be gone most of the day."

"Fine!" Something clanged. "Bad, Library!"

Alex got up with a sigh and went to check on the elf. "What did she do?" he asked patiently.

"Dropped the toast holder," she said, frowning at him. "I'm not being mean."

"You're being grumpy, Grandma Des. Go find a man and date!" She swatted him and he shrugged. "It works on my bad moods. You haven't even gotten out of the house recently. Go yarn shopping or something." He kissed her on the cheek. "Just quit being so grumpy."

"Was that boy curled up with you last night?" she asked quietly.

"Only while we were reading. He was reading over my arm. We had a talk about that and he knows he's still underage. Don't worry about that," he said, staring her down. "I am famous and I know all, including how to count birthdays." He headed back to the dining room.

"You mean you're a famous know-it-all," she called after him. "Bit of a difference, grandson! I also will have great-grandbabies before I die."

"Sure, Grandma. As long as you raise 'em," he called back, taking the boys to his study. Harry stayed in the doorway and tried to stop Draco but he grinned. "It's safe." He pointed at a statue. "It's shielded, Harry. I always shield it when I'm not in here constantly." Harry came in and sat down while Draco looked around the reference works on the walls and the things in the glass cases. He frowned at something and Harry coughed, shaking his head. "That's remains of someone, Draco."

"Sorry, Alex. I didn't mean to pry." He walked over to look at his desk, seeing the forms he was looking at, gaping in awe. "You are worth more than us," he said, looking stunned. "Much more!"

"Of course I am," he agreed smugly. "I actually worked for the last sixty years, unlike your family." He pinched him on the arm and grinned. "It makes the money grow each time you put some into the bank."

"I know that." He pointed at one entry. "Why is this one red?"

"That one's red because that's the household accounts vault and someone overspent again," he noted dryly, grinning at him. "Probably Aunt Cordy. She handles most of that. We'll fix that today and get an updated list before we head down to get money from the vaults." Draco nodded, looking at the rest of the things on his desk.

"As long as I don't have to deal with the accounting, I'm good with knowing I have a trust vault," Harry offered.

"Your parents left you one, Harry. I've got the key but it's only gold. The pictures and things we had to rescue from the shell of the house." He looked at him. "You'll get them this summer. You're old enough to know what we know and see more of their lives." Harry nodded, relaxing again at that. Alex found his key ring and checked them over, taking two off that he'd been meaning to do recently. "I don't ever use those," he told Draco. He stuffed them into his front pocket and stood up. "Besides, I'm a curse breaker. Our vaults open at our touches, not with our keys. We just have keys to prove who we are." He walked the boys out. "We're going!" He took them through the floo, coming out the other side in the Leaky Cauldron. He had to go back to get his wand, but when he came back the boys were talking with Ron about something. He waved at the barkeeper and headed out with Harry, going through the portal into Diagon. "Ah, shopping. The bane of my existence some weeks. Bank, clothes, broom. Other crap," he ordered. "Boys, once we hit the bank and the clothiers, you can go to the sweet shop while I get a new broom."

"We can come," Ron offered.

"We're going to the bookstore after that, right?" Draco prompted. Alex nodded. "When is Professor Snape coming?"

"Noon. We're buying him lunch." He winked at him and walked the boys back to the bank, smiling at the goblin who hurried out to talk to him. "I'm not on assignment this week."

"I know. Where is Arens?"

"He went home last night to be with Steven. Why?"

"His house had a fire. We think it was an attack and we think they're heading for yours."

Alex headed into the office, going to call his grandmother. "Aren's house was possibly attacked, they think it's coming for us next. Hike the shields to the maximum level and be careful. We'll be home as soon as we're done." She nodded, going to do that immediately. He looked at the goblin. "Why do you think it's an attack?"

"Because Arens was working on The Book of Souls."

"Ah." Alex nodded. "I've got a translation of that at home. What did he need?"

"He has your original copy and the translation. He thinks some things were left out and you know he's got a feel for necromancy."

"Isn't that illegal?" Harry asked.

"Yes, but there's plenty of dead things and death in tombs, Harry. Remember all those traps that had dead things waiting to zombify and come back to eat us?" Harry moaned and nodded. "He's got a feeling for those. You've got a good feeling for that too." He looked at the goblin again. "Have we tried summoning him?"

"I didn't want to chance it in case he was injured or with his mate at the hospital. We haven't heard anything other than his house burned in a freak lightening storm."

"Someone tried that on my house a few years back," he noted dryly. "Pity about them frying for it." He shook his head. "Okay, let's do the errands faster, boys. That way we can go protect the house." That got some nods. "We're heading down."

"That's fine." He verified the keys. "The household one is empty," he noted, holding it up.

"Transfer this month's funds into it."

"You've already used three months worth."

Alex frowned and shook his head. "No we haven't."

"Yes, you have."

"No, we haven't. Des said we haven't even done the monthly shopping yet," Alex told him. "I also noticed my personal vault's inventory was shorter." The goblin looked stunned and hurried over to dig up the old inventories and compare them against the one he created. "Who's doing it?"

"One of the other curse breakers," he said, looking at him. "Go ahead and grab a good bagful. It'll take us a week to clean up this mess."

"Were they involved with my father's thing as well?" Draco asked quietly.

The goblin looked at him. "An underground movement was found because of that incident and I believe this is part of it. It will be fixed within a few weeks. Everything will be returned and all the artifacts will be checked."

"Thanks." He walked the boys back to the carts, holding up his ID necklace. The cart goblin huffed, he didn't make a commission on this ride. "Sorry, Tailgate. It's time to do clothes before Nadia drives us insane." He nodded, getting them into the cart and starting on the long ride down.

Draco smiled at him. "Is this a special part of the bank's vaults?" Alex nodded. "Curse breakers get their own area?"

"We do. We often store stuff we're working on in the vaults so it's safer. This is the heavy security area and it's to shield any leaking magic. I also have a vault I do work in down here." Draco nodded at that, smiling as they stopped. He looked at the door as they got out, finding the proper key. "Another perk of the job," he offered with a grin, opening the door and pulling out a large pillowcase from his pocket. This would definitely last him for a good, long time. Draco looked amused but he shrugged and pulled out a second one, letting the boys take the first one back to the cart and climb back in with it.

Alex uncovered a small box and smiled, opening it to look inside. His old journal and pen set. Plus his parents' wedding rings and the family's seal. He put them into his pocket and finished taking gold out, then looked around and got something off the shelf on the wall, stuffing it into the other pocket. He walked out and got back into the cart, smiling at Draco. "Boys, before we go back, we're going to stop at the ancient homeplace to look at something. I just realized I hadn't checked on it in a while." They grinned and nodded.

Des could handle the house and everyone knew he'd kill anyone who attacked his family. He had when they had tried the house after trying to kill him with that trapped cave. They came out and headed past the goblins, who came over with a bottomless bag, shaking his head at their antics. "Thanks." He patted him on the head. "I'll be available sometime next week." The goblin nodded and watched them walk off, going to make a note of that.

Alex walked the boys into Madam Malkins', making her smile. "Aunt Nadia's tired of sewing. She wants us in non-field attire this week."

"I can see why. Those pants are very loose on you, Alexander." She walked him to the first stool, looking at Draco. "I heard what your parents pulled, Mr. Malfoy. I'm sorry they were so rude to you. Did you need anything today?"

"Yes, put him in real clothes too. Summer's nearly here and he shouldn't grow too much. Plus he needs more pajamas like mine. He liked my velour jammies."

She smiled and got to work fitting all the boys, including Ron at Alex's insistence. They paid her and then walked down the alley, going to find Alex a new broom. The broom shop's bell jingled a friendly tone as they walked in and he looked at Draco. "Find me something, boys." They grinned and went to discuss the various brooms and the merits of each. He looked at the amused shop girl. "I'm flying a Comet 10. It nearly quit on me."

"Those are collector's items now," she noted dryly.

"I know. Which is why it nearly quit on me. Since I'm back to my proper age, I was ordered to start playing quidditch again."

"Did you play before?"

"Just a bit," he offered with a sexy grin. "I'm Alex Dumass." She blushed and started to sweat. "I need a good, long broom for my beater playing."

She walked over to where the boys were, pulling down one. "We like this one for beaters," she offered.

Draco frowned at her and shook his head. "That's too simple. He needs something faster and more smooth. Firebolt?" he suggested. She pulled one down so he could look at it and Ron drooled. "Not even in your wildest fantasies I bet," he said smartly, smirking at the poorer boy.

"At the time being. I can always make more money," he reminded him smugly. "Aren't yours locked?"

"Boys," Harry snapped. "No arguing. I will beat you both!" They sighed and he looked at the firebolt, then at his uncle. Then at the blushing saleswoman. "It's been at least four days since he's had anyone. Ask him when he checks out. For now, he needs something a bit more sturdy. He weighs more than I do."

"I can see that," she agreed, looking around and pulling down one. "Nimbus." She handed it to Draco, who weighed it and nodded slowly, smirking a bit. "For it's weight class it's very light and versatile. It's a good travel and a good play broom both. It's good on quick maneuvers and excellent on smooth flying."

"Can we try it?" Alex asked. "I like to try those that I like." She nodded and led them back to the trial area, watching him, one hand stroking her stomach without her consent.

Draco coughed and looked at the two staring boys, shaking his head. "We'll wait outside if you like that one, Alex," he called.

"Thanks, Draco. Call Severus, have him come sooner."

"Of course." He led the boys out, going to call from a public floo so Alex could have the shopgirl in the back room on the broom. Alex came out ten minutes later with the broom and a bright smile. "Better?"

"Much," he said happily, grinning at Severus as he joined them. "Books?"

"Sweets for us," Harry said, digging into the bag they were using. He came out with four galleons and held them up. "My allowance?"

"Is a bit more than that, Harry, but you can't annoy me to death with sugar over the holiday." He handed him a few more. "Behave, be safe, be good."

"Yes, sir." They took off for the sweets shop while Draco and the adults headed for the bookstore and the potions section.

Draco looked at all the books, picking out an encyclopedia and a 'thousand-and-one household spells' compendium. Snape changed that one for something slimmer but more useful. Draco looked at him. "I'll probably end up brewing household spells."

"Yes, but that has the most common. The only ones not in there are the beauty spells. I doubt you'll be doing those."

"Oh, I don't know, Mel could use a good beauty potion," Alex said dryly. "Get both. Money's not an object." Snape handed back the compendium and handed Draco four more books, then looked over the selection and went to have one ordered for him. Alex grinned at him. "That way you're not bored." He walked the boy back to the desk, letting him put down the stack. Draco headed off to check out some more books and bring them back, making Snape snort and shake his head. "He's a boy, let him read fun stuff," he chided with a bright grin. Alex went to get a few more practical books, including a good book on veela heritage and powers, putting it blatantly on top of Draco's choice of a gay sex manual. "We're getting a bit ahead of ourselves."

"I'd rather read now and ask questions until I'm ready," he noted patiently. He looked at the books and went to get some comics. He came back and put them on top, grinning at his teacher and his future spouse. "There, I'm done."

"You're cheaper than any girl I've ever dated," Alex teased, making Draco blush. The shopgirl gave them an odd look at the _Illustrated One-Thousand-and- One Arabian Nights_, which she knew very well had dirty pictures in it. The gay sex manual got a few odd looks too but Alex shrugged. "It was his choice."

"My father gave me to him as a concubine. I'd better learn my place before it's time to fulfill my duties, shan't I?" he teased.

She blushed bright red and nodded. "I'm sure you'll be very knowledgeable by the time you're of age, sir." She bagged up their purchases and took the gold, watching them go. Snape was keeping himself from laughing but Draco was smiling at his spouse. "I should show up somewhere in something horribly cheesy that looks like a harem costume."

Alex burst out laughing, hugging the boy. "Oh, I knew your sense of humor was as good as mine!" He grinned at Severus. "You think we can do that?"

"I don't think you should until he's of age."

"True. It'll have more impact then," he said, winking at Draco, who grinned and cackled. "Ron, Harry! Let's head!" he called. They ran out of the sweets shop with their bags and he nodded at Severus, grinning a bit. "We're going to the former homeplace. Want to come and then have lunch with us at home instead of at the Leaky? That way you can look in the libraries."

"I wouldn't mind," he agreed dryly. They headed through the floo to the main house and Alex had to check his pockets. Everything was still there. He put the box and the keys in the bag with the books and then led the way into the old manor house. Well, castle really but close enough. He walked them back to the main library section, going in and putting the books down. "Severus, there's two trunks underneath the blue couch. Pull them please so we can pull the potions section for Draco." He did so and then came over to help levitate the books into the bottomless trunk. The other one got books Alex and the boys wanted from the classics and charms sections then they were carried off by one of the house elves. Alex looked at the boys, then nodded.

"I'm going to show you something most don't get to see," he said quietly once they were alone again. They all nodded and he pulled out the thing he had gotten off the shelf. It was a ring that fit over his whole hand and had specific nubby points and dips in it. He walked them out of the library and to what was usually the Master's Study, going to a wall. The key was placed against a sconce's pipe and the wall opened. He took the torch and headed down, letting the boys and Snape follow him. The door closed behind them once they were all inside and he lit the other torches with the first one. They finally made it down to another door and he put the key in a few spots, his hand turned this way and that. The stone door slid open with a scraping groan of complaint and he walked in, lighting the nearest torch. A pipeline of gas ran around the room so each torch and the line was lit in turn. He looked at them and smiled, then got out of the way. "This is my treasure room. I've spent sixty years collecting what's in here. This is why you're learning gem identification more than anything at the moment."

Draco walked down into the sunken room, looking at everything in there. "Wow," he said, opening a trunk. He looked back at his spouse. "Is this included in those books?" Alex shook his head. "Why not?"

"No one realizes I pulled those out of tombs, Draco. Don't touch the white bone box. It's still cursed." Draco moved away from it and looked at another spot, letting the first trunk close. He pulled out an square cut emerald that was the perfect Slytherin color noticing it was on a chain. He held it up against his chest. "I'd need to be a big chested girl to wear this but it's beautiful." He carefully put it back and let that trunk close too, walking back to his mate's side, hugging him. "Thank you for showing us."

"You're welcome." He grinned at him, then at Harry. "There's another reason we're down here. Harry, Ron, stay here." He walked Draco off, taking him to the back of the space. There was a small silver casket and he opened it, pulling out the blade inside. He looked at it, then back at his son. Then he looked at his mate and pulled something out of a panel in the top of the trunk. He relocked it and walked them back, handing the dagger to Severus, hilt first. "You are an heir," he reminded him at the hesitation. Snape nodded and put it into his pocket. "I'll have a sheathe made for it." He looked at Draco, taking the other something out of the box it had been in. "This is traditionally worn by anyone in the family who's married into it or otherwise affiliated. Down to the mistresses really. So a concubine is clearly included." He handed him the small earring, watching as he looked at what was carved into the top of it. "That's the family seal, Draco."

"Wow." He looked at him, then down, then back at him. "You really want me to wear this?"

Alex nodded. "Yes, I do. It's only proper and it will keep you safer." Draco nodded and looked at it again. "We'll have Des do it later." He kissed him on the forehead. "When you're older we'll get out the more proper marking for you." Draco nodded and they headed back up the stairs, Alex stopping to shrink a small cask of jewels and tuck them into his pocket. He followed them up, making sure everyone was on the stairs before sealing the room again. The torches went out as they walked past each one and the last went out as they closed the study door. They flooed home once they had their packages and went to lunch while Alex got to work on that cask. Just in case the family needed it.

Nadia stuck her head in. "You didn't get hardly any formal clothes, Alex."

"It's not like I wear them a lot," he said dryly, looking at her. "The summer and then the winter holidays." She nodded, looking unimpressed. He picked up a ruby and tossed it at her. "Go find the cloth you want and have something made," he told her. She squealed and hugged him before running off. He grinned as he locked the rest into his desk drawer, getting up to find out why Ron was yelling about the mail birds this time. He found an owl with his name on it and opened the letter, sitting down suddenly and breaking out laughing. "Severus! Come here!" He came walking in, looking calm and unflustered. "They finally nailed the old fart for what he did to us," he said happily, handing over the letter. "For the curse he laid in that cave and all of it. Methos is now the new headmaster. I'm coming back to teach defense."

Severus passed out. No sane man could handle that news without doing so.

The End.
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