Memento Vivere

Chapter 4 - Loves me, loves me not

Harry had been in the library all day trying to find information about the wars between wizards and house-elves. He had asked Hermione if he could have a look at her essay and she had sent him straight to the library and told him not to come back until he'd read up on the subject himself. Only then would she help him. Harry had planned to have time left to do his other homework after he had finished this essay, but he realized that it was probably too late now. The only thing he would finish tonight was the essay and that would only be possible with Hermione's help.

He searched for her as he entered the common room, but he only saw Ron sitting alone in a corner chair. Harry went over to him. He wanted to sort this whole Malfoy business out before Ron heard about him and Hermione going to the ball together. Otherwise Ron would only get angry again.

"Hi."

Ron looked up. "Oh... it's you."

Harry decided he would try to apologize. "Look, Ron, I'm sorry. I'm not sure what I'm apologizing for, but I don't like fighting with you so... friends again?"

Ron gave him a long look. Then he sighed and said "We've always been friends, Harry. It's just that, my little sister is dating Malfoy and no one, but me sees how wrong it is!"

"They're not even dating. It might just blow over, but if it doesn't, isn't it better that Ginny is still talking to you so that you can be supportive? You know she won't listen to you if you're not able to try accepting the fact that she likes him."

"But it's Draco Malfoy!"

"Yes, I know. But Ginny isn't stupid. She won't do anything she doesn't want to and I don't think she trusts him blindly anyway."

"I hope you're right...."

Harry started walking towards the boys' dormitories.

"Me too!" Harry whispered to himself when he'd gotten far enough away so that Ron couldn't hear him.

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Draco was sitting in the library reading an article in Witch Weekly when Ginny walked up behind him.

"So what does your horoscope say?" she asked teasingly.

"'Focus on romance and forget about the little aggravations you are experiencing with family members. A change of scene or lifestyle may be in order. Someone in authority could be on your case about the way you look or the people you hang out with. Let the dust settle. Don't talk back. You'll only make things worse if you do,'" he answered, looking completely serious.

Ginny laughed. "So your father is going to find out about our date this week, then?"

"Looks that way. Anyway, it continues; 'There may be upsets or changes with people around you in the midweek, especially females. Be considerate.' That sounds like last week. 'The more involved you become in a project that interests you, the less time you will have to worry about the things you can't change right now. The limitations you've been experiencing are lifting, so focus on getting ahead. Flow into harmony with others as the weekend comes. Step out with your sweetie. Get excited with good friends. What do you really want, Gemini? Ask yourself on Sunday.'"

"Sunday... that's the Spring Ball. I hope your brain doesn't hurt too much with all those tough decisions that you won't be able to dance!"

"Yes, it's going to be hard work to decide what to wear." Ginny wasn't sure if he was kidding or not. "Anyway, what's your sign?"

"I'm a Lion; I'll turn sixteen in August."

"Do you want to hear what your horoscope says?"

"Go ahead and tell me."

"'Someone's keeping an eye on you so you'll have to watch your steps. There'll be a friend around on the weekend. You could be on your way into a new relationship or you could just be good friends! Whichever way things go, just enjoy the company. You might have to put off something that you really want to do. Money could be tight or a problem.'"

"Isn't it always?"

"It continues. 'Home life might impinge on your social life so be prepared for a change of arrangements. You might not think it's fair, but it will just have to be.'"

"So I guess my family will find out about us, too."

"Mmm... 'Your emotional life will be in focus during the next few weeks. Communication will be required if you want to get to the bottom of things. A little time put aside for fun will bring about a surprise. Let someone you care about know exactly how you feel. Be careful not to promise too much to too many. You will be emotional, uncertain and probably change your direction and your mind several times. Sort out your feelings. If you've got a problem, talk it over with someone you can confide in. There's someone you can trust who'll listen and advise you. Get a breath of fresh air on Sunday.'"

"Sounds like there'll be a lot going on at the Spring Ball."

"Yup." Draco suddenly looked a bit uncomfortable. "Listen, I have to go. I'm supposed to be meeting Blaise. But I'll see you around?"

Ginny nodded and he turned around and practically ran out of the library leaving Ginny feeling quite stupid. He had definitely noticed the hints about asking her to the Spring Ball, but his reaction hadn't been the one she'd hoped for. Why had he gotten so uncomfortable when she'd been trying to get him to ask her to the Spring Ball? Not that she minded going alone, or with someone else, it was just that she'd thought he was going to ask her to go with him. Ginny sighed. 'BOYS!!!' She'd never understand what they were thinking.

Ginny rose from the table and decided to go back to the Common Room. She still had time to do some of her homework.

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Blaise was waiting for Draco. He was late, even for him, and she didn't like waiting. She always arrived late and liked to keep people waiting for her, and so did Draco. It was one of the games they used to play, but he was later than usual. Finally she saw him walking lazily towards her.

When he reached her he smiled. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long, Blaise."

"No, not at all. I was late too," she said quickly. She wasn't going to let him think that she had been waiting for him. They walked towards Slytherin House and to Draco's bedroom. Everyone thought they knew what Draco and Blaise did in his rooms and even though they were wrong it was a good cover-up.

Blaise closed the door and they sat down on Draco's bed.

"We haven't had much time to talk lately," Blaise said. "How are things going with Potter?"

"Better than expected actually. But we have other things to worry about. I got another letter from my father. It's supposed to happen this Sunday, on the Spring Ball."

Blaise looked surprised. "So soon?"

"Apparently the Dark Lord doesn't want to wait. And you know how he gets when he's displeased with something, or someone. I don't think that my father wants to keep him waiting much longer."

"You're probably right. So, what exactly is supposed to happen at the Spring Ball?"

"I don't know. I'll get further instructions soon."

"Typical of them! To wait until the last minute with all the important instructions, I mean."

Draco took out his Transfiguration essay from his bag and started working on it. Blaise had only written three lines of her own essay. She had been too busy with arranging the ball to have time for her homework. And thinking about the ball... there was still one thing she hadn't done. She didn't have a date. She looked at Draco. He was concentrating on his assignment and only looking up to check things in a very heavy book he had borrowed from the library. She suddenly realized that she had been sitting there doing nothing other than watch him for nearly half an hour. 'This is ridiculous!' she thought to herself. She had always been proud of her independence. She wasn't like Pansy and the other girls who spent all their time wondering about something a boy had said to them. She had always been the one who had the power in her relationships.

Now she had fallen for Draco Malfoy. Of all people! He was the most complex person she had ever met. They'd been friends forever and she felt like he knew everything about her while she didn't understand him at all.

They had first met each other when they were five years old at a party at Malfoy Manor. All the children had been gathered in the garden, running around and playing. Blaise had been really bored and she had also been angry with her parents for forcing her to go to the stupid party. She was sitting on the grass eating cake when suddenly a boy came running towards her chased by another girl whose blonde hair was in pigtails. The boy had been Draco, of course, and the girl had been Pansy.

Suddenly Draco had stumbled on something and fallen right into Blaise's lap so that she had dropped her cake. At any other time she might have found it amusing, but she had already been in such a bad mood and the chocolate cake had been the only thing keeping her from having one of her 'infamous outbreaks', as her mother called them. She had started yelling at him for ruining her cake, and her dress, and her day... she had even accused him of ruining her life. Most people used to run away from Blaise even before she started yelling, but Draco had started yelling back, instead of running to his mother like the others would have. After yelling at each other for several minutes they had suddenly found the situation very amusing and they had started laughing. It was the best fight Blaise had ever had and they had been friends ever since.

"Finished!" Draco looked up from his essay. "Why are you smiling like that?"

"I was thinking about when we first met. At the party at Malfoy Manor...."

"Yes, I remember. It was my birthday."

"Really? I didn't remember that."

"It's the only one of my birthdays that I have good memories of," he said and smiled at her. Maybe he does have feelings for me, she thought hopefully. She tried to see what he was thinking by looking into his eyes, but as usual it was impossible to tell. Well, she would never know if she didn't ask him.

She took a deep breath.

"Have you ever wondered what it would be like if we were together?" She tried to sound as casual as possible, but she noticed that her hands were shaking.

"Sometimes." He was watching her attentively. She was sure that he had noticed the hopeful look in her eyes because he quickly added, "But I don't think that it'd be a good idea. We know each other too well."

"And if we didn't know each other at all? If we had only just met?"

"Then I'd say that we'd be perfect for each other." He shook his head. "What we have now is much better than anything we could have as a couple."

She nodded weakly. She didn't trust her voice.

"And besides, we could very well end up married one day so let's not take out all the fun out of it in advance!" He smiled mischievously.

"I thought your father had given up that thought years ago. Aren't you supposed to marry Pansy?"

"Well, yes. He wasn't very pleased with your father for a while, but I think they've sorted it out so you may be back on the list again. And if I have any choice in who I'm going to marry I'd much rather be married to you than to Pansy Parkinson."

"Well, thank you. I think." It was their inside joke. There were very few pureblood wizard families left in England and someone had told Blaise and Draco when they were about eight years old, that they would probably end up married to each other. Draco had created the list. He had told Blaise that Lucius probably had a list of all the un-married daughters in the pureblood families of England that would be suitable for his son to marry. Blaise was almost certain that a list like that didn't exist. They had never found one even though they had looked for it in Mr. Malfoy's office, but it wasn't very far from how all their parents were thinking.

"So... do you want to go to the Spring Ball with me? As friends, of course," she added quickly.

Draco sighed. "I should probably ask Weasley to the Ball. That way I'll be closer to, Potter and it'd be easier to do whatever I'm supposed to do."

"Sure, but do you really think that you can convince Ron to go with you?"

"Very funny!"

"Yes, I thought you would find it amusing." His explanation had almost sounded believable, but she knew that Draco had other reasons for wanting to go with Ginny than keeping an eye on scarhead.

"Look, Draco, I don't think that it's a good idea to go with Weasley to the ball. You shouldn't get too involved with her. There are other ways to keep an eye on Potter." She looked at him and she could see that he didn't agree with her at all. She tried to think of a way to get him not to go with that Weasley girl to the ball without sounding too jealous. "Fine, do it your way! Just keep in mind that you don't even know what your father is going to want done to Potter yet. I mean, it's very possible that she won't want to talk to you ever again after the ball."

"I already know that."

"Good, and if nothing else helps, try thinking about what your father will do to you if you mess this up!"

"I will."

"Well, I'm going to go to bed." She got up from the bed and opened the door to his room. "Good night."

"Good night."

Blaise hurried down the hallway that went from the boys' dormitories to the girls'. She opened the door to the room that she was sharing with Pansy and Millicent Bullstrode, checked that she was alone in the room and threw herself on the bed sobbing uncontrollably.

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Ginny tried to concentrate on her homework, but she was distracted. Some second years had been having a fight about a letter 'someone' had given to 'someone', who had told 'someone else' about the content of the letter and then 'someone else' had gotten very upset. She had a feeling that there had been more people involved, but she hadn't had the energy to keep track of all the turns that the fight took.

When the second years had calmed down some girls sitting next to her had started a loud discussion about who was going with whom to the Spring Ball. Ginny wished everyone would stop making such a big deal out of it. She understood that they were excited since they were fourth years and this was the first ball they'd ever participated in, but it was still only a ball. The first, second and third years would have to stay at the school while the rest of the students would go to the big party in Hogsmeade.

Ginny decided to go to bed. If she slept well tonight then maybe she could get some homework done in the morning.

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The next morning Harry woke up feeling rested and happy for the first time in a while. He was still smiling broadly as he went down to have breakfast with Ginny and Hermione; Ron had already gone down to have his breakfast without them. He clearly wasn't over the whole Malfoy business.

Harry wondered whom Hermione was planning to set Ron up with for the Spring Ball. He hoped it was someone that Ron could have fun with. That way Ron would have other things to think about than that he was angry with Harry and Hermione. Harry had tried to ask Hermione several times who it was, but she just gave him a cryptic smile and started talking about their Transifiguration assignment or what she was going to buy from Honeydukes on their next Hogsmeade weekend. Harry had tried to think of a sixth year girl that Hermione would think was good enough for Ron or one whom Ron would want to go with, but he had failed miserbly.

"Hermione will you pass the eggs, please?"

"Of course, Harry."

"Who are you going to set Ron up with?" He tried to trick her into answering.

"Like I'd fall for that. You'll just have to wait until the ball to find out."

"Not if I can get Ron to tell me." Hermione looked over at Ron who was sitting a bit further down the table reading the Daily Prophet demonstratively ignoring them.

"You can try, as long as you don't reveal to him that I set them up...."

"Of course I won't. Don't you trust me?"

"Yes, but..." She looked as if she was about to say something and then she apparently changed her mind. "Forget it. I have to go do something. See you later." She rose from the table and hurried out of the Great Hall.

Harry turned to Ginny. "Am I imagining things or is Hermione acting really strange?"

Ginny shrugged. "I don't know. She's probably just stressing about the tests, as usual. So whom are you going with to the Spring Ball? Because I thought we could go as friends if you're not going with anyone else."

"I'm going with Hermione."

"That's great, so you two are together now?" Ginny found that the idea didn't bother her at all and it felt great to finally being over Harry after so many years of hopeless unrequited love. "I'm just surprised she didn't tell me."

"No, we're just going as friends."

"Oh."

"Why? Has she said anything?"

"No, she hasn't," Ginny lied. She didn't like making Harry unhappy, but Hermione had confided in her and she wasn't the sort of person to spill others secrets. "But at least you're back to normal now, right?"

"Normal? Yeah, I guess so. That's where I like her and she couldn't care less about me, right?"

"You know that that isn't true. She cares about you a lot."

"Let's not talk about Hermione and me anymore. Instead you can tell me why you're not going with Malfoy to the Spring Ball."

Ginny shrugged. "It would be too weird. Besides, he hasn't even asked me. I'm not sure he will either. It's very possible that he'll go with Blaise instead."

"No, she's going with a seventh year Ravenclaw."

"Wow! When did Harry Potter start listening to gossip? You're usually the last to find out about things."

"That's not true!"

"Oh, yes it is. Even Hermione finds out before you do and that's pretty amazing since she's only hanging out with you and Ron."

"She shares her room with Parvati and Lavender, you can't compete with that! Hey, wait a minute...Lavender and Parvati. You don't think Hermione is setting Ron up with either of them, do you?"

"I don't know... but do you think either of them would be interested after the Yule Ball in your fourth year? From what I've heard he wasn't very nice to Padma."

"You never know. Didn't Parvati break up with that Ravenclaw she was dating? She might not have that many options. What do you think?"

"I think that girls like Parvati always have options. But I don't know, maybe she would like to go with Ron. Hermione can be pretty persuasive when she wants to. Now to the important question... Who the hell am I going to go with?"

"How about Dean? No, that's right he still doesn't want to talk to you." Harry studied Dean, who was sitting at the other end of the table, thoughtfully. "What happened between the two of you, anyway? It's over six months since you broke up with him."

"He just wanted more than I did."

"Like... sex?" Harry blushed.

Ron interrupted them by bursting into a loud coughing fit, which made him spurt pumpkin juice through his nose also revealing that he had been listening to their conversation. When Ron had stopped choking and managed to calm down a bit Ginny continued.

"No, sex wouldn't have been that big of a problem. He wanted to call me his girlfriend, buy me stuff, have a serious relationship...."

"I thought girls liked that!" said Harry.

"Only when it's coming from the right guy."

"I'll never understand what you girls are thinking! I guess that cuts Seamus out as well since they're best friends. How about Neville?"

"No, I'm not making that mistake again. He's really nice and all, but I couldn't walk properly for a week after the Yule Ball. What about the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws? Do you know anyone that would want to go with me?"

"I'm sure that almost every guy in the school would want to go with you to the ball, Ginny."

Ginny smiled at him. "You're just saying that to be nice, but thank you anyway."

"About that, sorry to interrupt, but I would like to talk to you, Weasley." They looked up and saw Draco standing there. "If you don't mind of course."

"No, not at all." Ginny gave Harry a puzzled look. "I'll see you later, Harry."

Harry smiled encouragingly at her. "Yeah, see you later. I have to go to class anyway."

"Bye, Potter" Draco said as he walked away with Ginny.

"Bye, Malfoy."

Harry watched them go. They really looked good together. Ginny was one of the most beautiful girls in the school with her long red hair and Draco could have been the most popular guy in school if he hadn't been an evil Slytherin. Harry hoped for Ginny's sake that he would turn out to be a not-so-evil Slytherin.

For some reason he didn't think that Malfoy wanted to hurt Ginny, but Harry still had a feeling that he was up to something. He'd just have to keep watching Malfoy closely. It wouldn't do any good if he freaked out, like Ron had, and even if he wasn't sure whether to trust Draco or not they had had a good time cleaning for Dumbledore, so maybe he had changed. Harry shrugged. Only time would tell. He started walking towards the Transfiguration classroom and started thinking about other things such as the upcoming ball, and how he was going to spend the whole night with Hermione without doing something stupid.

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Draco dragged Ginny through the corridors until they reached an empty corridor where they finally stopped. Then he turned around and just stood there looking at her. No one said anything for a couple of minutes. Then Ginny got tired of waiting for him to say something.

"Ok, what did you want to tell me? Or did you drag me here for nothing?"

He didn't answer. Instead he leant forward and kissed her. She kissed back and it was exactly like she'd remembered, he was a great kisser. She realized that she had wanted him to kiss her for quite a while. She felt like she could have stood there kissing him forever, but he apparently didn't feel the same way since he pulled back.

"Ok, this is the case. You know that there are times in your life when you just know what to do?"

"Yeah," she said uncertainly.

"Well, this isn't one. If my father finds out that we've been dating he's going to get really mad. And my father is dangerous when he's mad...."

"I'm not sure I'm following. What are you saying? You don't want us to see each other anymore? Because this is a funny way of breaking up with someone... Not that we've ever been together, but you know what I mean."

"No, I'm not dumping you. Unless that's what you want. Which I doubt, since I'm so irresistible."

"Of course..." Ginny sarcastically muttered.

"Well, what I wanted to ask you was if you'd want to go with me to the Spring Ball?"

"I thought you'd never ask! Of course I want go with you."

He smiled satisfiedly. "Good. I'll see you Sunday then. Bye, Ginny!"

She looked up suddenly.

"What?" Draco asked questionly.

"You called me Ginny."

"It's rather confusing to have two Weasleys around."

"Yes, because everyone will believe that you're dating Ron!"

"You never know. Well anyway, see you later!" He started walking towards the Great Hall.

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Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting together in class listening to McGonagall tell them about animaguses and the difficult and complicated ways to become one. They were doing research on animaguses and similar sorts of transfiguration. Harry and Hermione were going to do the work on Cameleont Transfiguration together. They were going to learn how to melt into surfaces. Then they had to write about how the spells worked and do research on which famous witches and wizards had used the cammouflaging spells to deguise themselves.

There was only three days left until the Spring Ball and Harry still hadn't found out whom Ron was going with. He hadn't been able to ask Ron without sounding like he knew something and he agreed with Hermione that it was best if Ron didn't know that they had set him up on a date. Harry had given up on trying to get Hermione to tell him. Every time he asked her she just gave him a mysterious smile and said that he'd have to wait until the ball.

"Harry! Are you coming? We're supposed to go to the library!"

"I'm coming... but I'm not missing dinner today because you think that it's important for me to be in the library."

"I already said that I was sorry about that! I just didn't realize that it was so late. If we do this fast we'll be ready long before dinnertime. I promise."

They walked in silence. After a while Hermione asked him, "You don't mind going to the ball with me, do you? I mean I heard that quite a few girls asked you to go with them and if you want to go with someone else I totally understand. What I mean is, if you want to go with someone as more than friends...."

Harry looked surprised by her question. "No, of course I want to go with you. If you still want us to go together. This isn't some way of trying to tell me that you've found someone else to go with, is it?" he asked suspiciously.

"No, of course not."

"Good."

They reached the library and started to collect books silently. Things hadn't been like they used to be between them since she had told him that she didn't love him, Hermione thought. There had been lots of awkward silences and she didn't know what to talk to him about anymore. It was really hard to try acting normally around him. Hermione suspected that Ron was avoiding them more because of those awkward moments than because of Ginny and Malfoy.

She caught Harry staring at her as if trying to tell what she was thinking about. She shrugged and reached out for the closest book to her and pretended to study it carefully.

Harry leaned forward to see what she was looking at. "Hermione, why are you reading 'How to get rid of your warts; a guide for every home on how to cure warts and 101 other embarrassing problems that you might have'? You don't have any warts, do you?"

Hermione blushed. "No, I just thought that there might be something here about camouflaging yourself, but apparently there isn't so I'm gonna move over to that bookcase over there."

"Right...."

Hermione turned around so he wouldn't see her red face. She pretended to examine some books at the other end of the bookcase. Why was it so hard to concentrate on anything around Harry? She was usually a very organized person and she liked to have everything under control. This whole business with Harry disturbed her patterns. She had to decide weather to move on or take a chance with Harry. She decided to make her decision at the ball. Satisfied with sorting at least that out, she went back to work.

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Ginny was sitting in the Gryffindor common room by herself. She didn't know where Harry and Hermione were and Ron was still avoiding her. She was thinking about the Spring Ball. It had come as quite a shock when she'd realized that it was only two days away and she didn't have a clue about what to wear. She owned one set of dressrobes, but they looked as if they were about to fall into pieces any moment. If they had only looked worn she might have been able to fix them, but they were also orange, not a colour that looked very flattering on her. She hadn't had the heart to ask her parents for another set of robes since they had so little money. Sometimes it really sucked to be poor.

She thought about going to Hogsmeade. There was a little second hand shop where she might be able to find something, but she didn't have much hope. Most of the clothes there were better suited for people about fifty years older than she was. Many of the girls she had talked to were going to wear muggle clothes to the ball. Muggle clothes were extremely popular among the young wizards and witches who had realized how much tighter and low cut Muggle clothes were compared to their robes. Even the Slytherins who otherwise had a very negative attitude against Muggles and Muggle things had noticed the advantages of 'their' clothing.

Ginny sighed. She loved her big family, but sometimes she wished she'd been an only child, in a very rich family. Since she was little she had liked to fantasize about how it would be to get all the toys she could possible imagine. Now that she was older her fantasy had changed, but the main idea was still the same. Not that she thought that money automatically made you happy. She wouldn't have wanted to trade her family for the Malfoys for all the money in the world.

Thinking about the Malfoys made her thoughts go back to Draco and the ball and the problem with her dress. She thought about asking one of her roommates if she could borrow something, but that would be kind of weird. She sighed deeply.

"What's the matter?" Harry asked walking towards her. "You don't sound very happy considering that the ball is this Sunday and you got the guy you wanted."

"That's exactly my problem. I don't have anything to wear! I thought that I would be able to use my dressrobes, but I didn't remember that their colour was so orange. And most of the girls are wearing muggle clothes anyway."

"I've said it before and I have a feeling that I'll say it again, but I don't understand girls. What's the big difference? You're always pretty, anyway."

"No, I'm not. And even if I was, I'd look even better in a decent dress." She smiled tiredly at him. "But this is not your problem and I don't think you can help me so I'll stop whining."

"I might not be able to help, but I'm sure that Hermione has something that you can borrow."

"I already thought about that, but it won't work. I'm much taller than her."

"I could give you some money for a dress. After all I bought Ron new dressrobes so it would only be fair if I bought you something too."

"No, I can't accept that, Harry. Although it's very nice of you to offer to do that."

Harry got a determined look on his face. "I won't accept 'no' on this one, Ginny. I'm buying you a dress whether you want me to or not. But if you agree to go shopping with me tomorrow you can choose the dress you want. Otherwise I'll have to find something myself and I don't know anything about clothes."

She smiled gratefully at him. "I'd love to go shopping with you tomorrow, but only if you let me pay you back. At least some of the money."

"Or we can consider it your birthday present. I refuse to let you pay me back. Buy me something nice for my birthday instead."

"Ok, deal." She was going to start saving money for Harry's present immediately. "So, Hogsmeade tomorrow then?"

"Yes. And now, let us play chess. I have to practise so I can beat Ron at it when he starts talking to me again."

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It was dark and the shadows were rising all around them. They were standing in a field outside an empty house. The house looked like it would fall to pieces at any time. Most of its windows were broken and occasionally some mortar would fall down with a thump. The two figures were just standing there watching the full moon that was reappearing behind a cloud. One of the two figures had long silver coloured hair. The other was almost entirely covered in a black hood, but if you watched closely, which no one ever did if they could avoid it, you could see two glowing red eyes in the dark.

Finally one of them spoke. "We'd better go inside my Lord. The others will be waiting."

"Let them wait. After all, that is what I have been doing for almost sixteen years now."

"Your waiting will be over soon my Lord. My son and I will take of it. And it will be worth the wait, my Lord."

"I do hope you're right, Lucius, for your own sake. Let us go inside to the others and tell them about our little plan. I'm almost glad we haven't killed the Potter boy earlier. This will be so much worse than death. You made sure that your son would follow the orders?"

"Of course, my Lord."

"And he doesn't know what will happen?"

"No, my Lord."

"Excellent. Sunday may very well be your lucky night, Lucius." And with that he started walking towards the house. The other man followed a small distance behind him. Then they both disappeared into the dark house.