Black Dragon

He was good-looking. There was no denying that. Amazingly good-looking in fact. He sneered to his reflection in the mirror. It was a reflection of a slim, tallish fifteen-year-old boy. The very amazingly handsome reflection sneered him back with that very particularly glittering sneer. That smile really accentuated his pale cheeks and aristocratically straight nose. He touched lightly his silverblond hair of which he was very proud of. Yes, very handsome indeed. He straightened his velvet black robes one more time. Fitted perfectly, like everything else.

His eyes wandered to the decorated M on top the mirror. A silver M with black lilies around it. The family arms he was raised to respect. Well, he did respect it, only not in the way his father wanted. He didn't care about the family Honour. It was the power of Malfoy name that meant so much for him.

Draco Malfoy walked away from the mirror, through the massive oak double doors and to the corridor outside. As he walked along, his footsteps were deadened by the black carpet with silver embroideries. Pale faces of the Malfoy Family looked down on him from their frames, without saying a word. The whole place was dead quiet.

He reached the underground hall. The walls were covered with shadows that climbed up to the high ceiling that you couldn't see. Some Undarkens were placed on the floor to form a circle and their dim light made the air look like silvery dust. It took a moment until Draco could notice the hooded people standing just outside the reach of Undarkens. He took a deep breath and walked to the centre of the circle. He couldn't help thinking how great he had to look in that light.

One shadowy figure stepped forward and nailed the stare of his red eyes to Draco who had to use every bit of his will to stay still. Remember the power, he repeated to himself over and over again. This was what he had been aiming to for years.

"So young, so weak", whispered the Dark Lord.

"I'm not weak! ...My Lord", Draco added, forcing himself to look straight to those snakelike eyes. Lord Voldemort twisted his mouth to something that could be called a smile.

"Then you must be stupid enough to deny it." Draco was wise enough to keep quiet this time.

"Ah, but it seems that you can learn to be stronger", Voldemort held a pause, "Young Malfoy, do you think you are ready for this?"

A simple yes wasn't the right answer here. If he said the wrong thing now he wouldn't get an other chance. He'd be dead. His father couldn't do anything about it. Draco felt weaker than ever before in his whole life, but he had to say something.

"I'm ready to learn to be strong, my Lord" Voldemort nodded to accept his answer. Draco allowed himself to breathe again.

That was all the talk needed. With a look of determination Draco pulled up his left sleeve and offered the hand to Lord Voldemort. The Dark Lord took it to his grip and touched its pale skin with the tip of his wand.

Solid pain rushed through Draco's body. He fell on his knees. Only thing that kept him from curling pathetically on the floor was the strong grip of Voldemort's fingers. All space was a blur of silvery dust and gleaming red eyes. And then, all was black.

One of the Death Eaters intended to move towards the limp body of Draco Malfoy. But then he hesitated. The Dark Lord would take care of the boy. Or else his son wasn't worth it.

"He will survive, Lucius", Voldemort said coldly. And yes, after a while the body began to move and slowly Draco Malfoy rose back to his knees. His eyes caught the sight of a tattoo on his left arm. The Dark Mark. But it wasn't the same Mark that he'd seen on his father's arm so many times. This was an emerald snake curled around a black silhouette of a dragon. Hissing voice of the Dark Lord, his Master, whispering drew his attention away of the Mark.

"You are binded to me like no other Death Eater, my dragon. Do not let me down." Draco nodded silently.

Suddenly the doors flung open and let light to the hall. Draco stirred his eyes and saw a small figure running towards the Death Eaters though it was obvious that the little creature was throughout scared.

"Nabby! You are not allowed to barge in here! You'll have to punish yourself for this!" shouted Lucius furiously. The house-elf whimpered. It hesitated a moment but then it blurred out:

"Mister Malfoy, Madame ordered Nabby to tell you that... that..." house-elf stuttered. Lucius grabbed it by its ears and lifted it to his eye level. Nabby tried to curl up under the furious gaze of its master but Lucius shook it so that it thought that its ears were going to come off.

"What did Narcissa want you to tell me?!" Lucius blustered. The high walls repeated his words over and over again. The house-elf didn't have time to answer as Narcissa Malfoy herself rushed into the hall, her face even paler than usual. Draco noticed immediately that something was definitely wrong. His mother couldn't be easily shaken.

Narcissa ran to her husband without even looking at the other men inside the hall. Lord Voldemort narrowed his eyes.

"Lucius, the Aurors are here!" Panic could be heard from her pitched voice. The Death Eaters startled. Draco was quite shocked too. After all those millions that his father had donated to the Ministry... It can't be that coward Fudge's work, Draco thought.

Lucius ripped off his mask and threw it and the house-elf to a corner. His impression was something between astonishment and anger. It didn't ease Narcissa at all.

"Aurors? Here? What the hell are they up to..." Lucius muttered. The Dark Lord stepped forward and pulled Narcissa in front of him, forcing her to look into his red eyes. Woman was now as white as a sheet.

"How close are they?" Narcissa tried to force out a word. Voldemort leaned a bit closer to her. "Tell me, woman! Or do you wish to die?"

"They... they were out by the wall. They are entering the yard any moment now", she whispered. Voldemort let go of her and turned to Lucius and other Death Eaters. "Evacuate immediately. Except of course for you Lucius. They might not have any evidence so it would seem suspicious if you fled now." Lucius nodded. There were silent pops everywhere as the Death Eaters Disapparated. In a moment there were only the Malfoys and Lord Voldemort left.

"I will meet you in the Riddle House when this is over, Lucius. And Draco", he added. Lucius felt pride for his son. At last Draco was living up to the Honour. Voldemort Disapparated and they were now alone in the hall.

"Nabby! Collect the Undarkens and take them to the storeroom!" Lucius shouted orders to the house-elf while taking off his black robe. Under that he had an other one made of green velvet. He pushed the black robe to Narcissa who hurried off with it. Nabby had somehow managed to pick up all the Undarkens and left the hall her arms full of the gleaming spheres.

"And Draco, go to your room immediately", Lucius ordered Draco. Draco hated the way his father talked to him as if he was some kind of servant but he obeyed. As he ran along the corridors he heard the paintings whispering to each other.

"They have broken the stone wall!"

"Never before..."

"Are they going to break into the Manor itself?"

Draco ignored them. There wasn't the time. The moment he entered his room he ran to the closet. He had to search for it for a while but then he found it. It was a present his parents had given him on his thirteenth birthday. It looked like a simple little mirror but through it Draco could see any place he had ever visited. Didn't work for Hogwarts, though, as the castle was shielded from Scoupirrors. Now, when Draco stared at its surface he could see his father walking through the Entrance Hall.

Lucius straightened his robes and opened the massive doors of the Entrance Hall with a swish of his wand. Fresh night time air blew through his hair but he didn't pay attention to it. His pale blue eyes tried to spot the Aurors from the darkness but he couldn't see anything but the shadows of their trimmed bushes. The yard seemed empty but Lucius knew they were there.

"This is private area! You have no right to break in here!" he shouted. He looked for any move in the yard but everything was still. That was because the moving happened behind his back. A black figure separated from the shadows and knocked Lucius to the ground. He felt giant paws on his back pressing him to the gravel road. Stones broke his skin and he smelled blood. A hand snapped his wand away and he was roughly pulled up. Ropes from thin air tightened around him so that he couldn't move his arms even a bit.

"You're wrong. We have every right", said a low voice behind him. A sinister-looking blackhaired man stepped into his view. His black eyes nailed to Lucius who saw no sympathy in them.

"Sirius is correct", said an other man whom Lucius noticed just now. This one had brown hair, tired face and Lucius' wand in his hand. Sirius turned away from them and stepped to the light of the Entrance Hall. Other Aurors followed him dragging Lucius with them. The doors banged and shut them inside the Mansion.

"Now, Lucius, it would be better for you if you told us where the rest of you went", said the tired man calmly. Lucius didn't have to fake the puzzled face.

"He'll never tell you that, Lupin. Not for loyalty, no, but because of the fear of his master. Isn't that right, Lucius?" asked an other man in black robes. A man Lucius knew. Snape. This was looking bad.

"I have no idea what you are talking about and I command you to release me immediately and leave my grounds!" Lucius shouted. In one smooth chain of quick moves Sirius had grabbed him by his collar and drew him closer than he would have minded.

"We're talking about the other Death Eaters", growled Sirius, "The ones who Disapparated just seconds before we put up the shield." Lucius saw his options drift away. Aurors knew about the meeting. This Remus had his wand. And even if he still had it he couldn't Disapparate because of the shield. Neither could Narcissa or Draco, Lucius realised. We will all be sent to Azkaban...

Narcissa Malfoy had concealed to the shadows just outside the doorway to the Hall. There had been no time to fetch the Invisibility cloak. She saw her husband being interrogated by the Aurors. She saw Lucius' confidence shatter to pieces. She saw the wicked smiles on the faces of Aurors. Hate boiled inside her body and burned the fear to ashes. She clasped the wand in her hand. There was not going to be a battlecry. She'd been a wife of a Death Eater too long. Never give a victim a forewarning. How many times Lucius had repeated that to Draco... Well, Narcissa wasn't deaf either. From the shadows she pointed her wand towards the Aurors.

"Durusflabra!", she whispered. A strong whirl of wind nudged everyone in the Hall to the floor. The ones nearest to her were unconscious.

"Mobilicorpus!" The body of Lucius Malfoy shot out of the Hall. She grabbed his arm and forced him to run.

"After them!" The mere cornyness of the yell was close to make Narcissa laugh hysterically.

The Malfoys had a clear advantage in their own grounds. The Mansion had almost as many secret passageways and false walls as Hogwarts. There were seven exits but all of them lead to the Manor grounds which Aurors would be securing. Their only choice was to hide until they would be able to escape.

***

Sirius Black sweared under his breath. This should have been such an easy task. Break into Manor, unarme Lucius and lock him to Hogwarts. But they hadn't been aware of Narcissa. Everyone had just assumed her to be Lucius' snobby trophy who would rather faint at their presence than attack. They had, of course, been wrong. She's a great actress, though, Sirius had to admit.

"Have you any idea where you're going to?" asked a slimy voice behind him. Sirius hated Snape. Nothing would ever change that. But Snape was the one who had taken the Polyjuice and pretended to be Crabbe in the Death Eater meetings. Thanks to him they had had this opportunity. But Sirius would keep on hating him, no matter what.

"You lead then as you seem to know this bloody place so well." Snape was able to hold back the sneer. He just instructed the Aurors to follow and lead them to the zigzagging corridors. Every now and then he split the group to search different parts of the mansion.

***

"Wait! Draco! We have to get him too!" Lucius shouted heaving. Narcissa's spell had been quite efficient. His wife turned to look at him, shocked.

"Yes. Where is he?"

"I told him... to go to his room!" They paced up. Few moments later they crashed into Draco. The Scoupirror which Draco had been holding fell to the floor and shattered to little pieces. Draco let out a frustrated yell.

"Watch where you're going! I saw you coming from the mirror-"

"But didn't look too closely to dodge?" Lucius cutted.

"Shut up!" Narcissa yelled. A silence fell. The other two were astonished. Draco never could have guessed he'd hear his mother say such a thing. Never. Lucius recovered first.

"We've got to go. We head for the underground dungeons. They'll never find us." But will we ever come out?

***

Sirius didn't like taking orders from anyone, except maybe from Dumbledore, but this time he followed them without questioning. That was a great relief for Remus Lupin who had been really worried about it. They had separated from the main group earlier on but if they had followed Snape's instructions correctly they would soon rejoin them.

Remus was so concentrated thinking about it and Sirius and Snape that he almost bumped into his friend when he suddenly had stopped. Sirius showed Remus to keep quiet and follow him around the next corner Remus found himself shivering slightly. He wasn't the hero-type. Never had been. Those had been Sirius and... James.

Nevertheless he was right beside Sirius as they jumped around the corner to face the fugitives. The Malfoys were startled being found.

"Stupefy" Sirius and Remus shouted together. Narcissa and Draco lost conciousness immediately. Lucius' counterattack didn't take long. He snatched Narcissa's wand from the floor and shouted:

"Serpensortia!" A huge black snake slithered from his wand and straight at the two Aurors. Sirius couldn't move a muscle. Snakes were the only thing he hated more than Snape and feared more than Dementors.

Remus saw that Sirius couldn't do anything but stare the snake. He was helpless. The snake attacked at its petrified victim. Remus moved with instinct. He pushed Sirius aside getting into the snake's aim himself. Fangs bit tightly to his body. He felt himself fainting.

"Remus!" Sirius saw his dearest friend fall to the floor, limp. Dead. He's body still strangled by the snake. Lucius' snake. Shit with peaceful captures.

"Crucio!" The hex shot from his wand but Lucius dodged. It hit the stunned body of Narcissa. She began to shake uncontrollably. Sirius was too shocked to end the hex. Suddenly her eyes opened. Only the whites were showing.

"Finite Incantatum!" Snape had heard the shouts and come to help. The snake around Remus vanished. Narcissa twitched a couple of times more until she didn't move at all. Draco felt his conciousness coming back again. Sirius kneeled beside Remus, feeling warm tears on his cheeks. Lucius just stared at his wife.

Draco felt strong fingers gripping his arm. Snape pulled him a little way from the others.

"Draco, I know what happened today in the meeting. I was there. But you can still turn your back to all that. You don't have to follow your family's wishes, Draco." Draco couldn't believe his ears. Was Snape assuming that he'd been forced to join the Death Eaters? Or did he think Draco would want to betray the Dark Lord because Aurors had managed to get them? Either way professor whom Draco had once admired was playing to his own advantage.

"What can I do, professor? They think I support the Dark Lord. They'll throw me into Azkaban!" Draco whispered putting on his best panicked face. Snape bought it.

"They won't. Run, now! I'll keep Black occupied and the rest of us are wandering around the mansion. I know you can trick them."

"I'll try, professor." That idiot.

"Go now, Draco." And Draco did just that. Snape approached Sirius whose cheeks were striped with tears but who was smiling faintly. Closer Snape could see Lupin's chest rising. He was alive. Snape was quite relieved about that. Sirius would have blamed him for it.

Snape changed his attention to Narcissa Malfoy. He put his hand on her lips and felt no breathing. He checked for pulse. Nothing.

"She's dead."

"No." Snape had almost forgot Lucius who had been standing petrified. Snape's announcement broke off the spell. Fighting back the grief Lucius searched his memory for next spell. He could cry later. Preferably never.

"Expelliarmus!" Snape had got first. For the second time Lucius was separated from his wand.

***

Draco had been heading to the west wing for some time. Every now and then he had to take an other route when the paintings warned him about closing Aurors. And he was getting frustrated. And angry.

Finally he got to where he wanted to: the house-elf quarters. His old Comet 160 had been stored there for Nabby to repair since he had once gotten the idea of trying some Quidditch tricks with the old broom just for nostalgia. The Comet hadn't, of course, turned as smoothly as Nimbus 2001. But now it would be more useful to Draco.

He searched for the broom for some time from the storage room until his hand took a grip on the familiar wooden handle. He took the broom out to the light. It really wasn't in its best shape. But it had to do. Draco left the west wing to find a room with windows. As every door was guarded he had had to think of an other exit.

***

Sirius helped Remus to rise up. The other Aurors were joining them as well, some guarding Lucius, some acting helplessly around Narcissa.

"We're ready here. Let's go and take Malfoy to Dumbledore", Snape suggested. Remus hesitated.

"What about the boy, Draco? He's still somewhere around here." Snape sighed. He'd feared for this. Although he knew that Draco was innocent to everything, these people didn't think so.

"Obliviate!" The spell made a confused look on everybody's faces.

"Don't you remember that Draco Malfoy isn't here. He's visiting his relatives." Everyone nodded. Snape could breathe freely.

***

Draco opened the massive window carefully not to make any sound. He kicked off with his Comet already in the room and hovered slowly outside. He pushed the window shut. He sped up and flew above the Manor grounds. When he reached the nearby forest he lowered his altitude so that they wouldn't notice him as a shadow against the sparkling night sky.

Master was waiting for him. The last Malfoy. The Black Dragon.