A Picture at Malfoy Manor

"Plus he's nosy," said Draco. "Can't stand the idea of something going on that he doesn't know everything about. Forever poking in where he's not wanted."

-They Shook Hands, by Dethryl, Chapter Two

A Picture At Malfoy Manor

"Say, Elan, want to see something special?" Fritz Bathory asked in a secretive voice, his blue eyes glinting mischievously as the two boys sat outside in the luxurious Malfoy gardens. Six-year-old Elan Octavio Malfoy nodded eagerly, curious to see what his cousin had in his pocket. Spending time with Fritz was always quite enjoyable when they wasn't fighting; the boys had a knack for getting into trouble, especially when the adults weren't around. Mother and Cousin Elizabeth were inside in the parlor and had left the boys to amuse themselves. With flourish, the French boy pulled out a small dagger, to Elan's admiration.

"Be careful, it's real. It's charmed so that it will never have fingerprints or show blood," Fritz said, with a grin.

Elan nodded and gently caressed the hilt. "Where'd you find something like this?" he asked.

Fritz laughed. "It belonged to one of Papa's patients. After Papa cured him of his allergy to garlic, this vampire gave this to him as a mark of gratitude. Papa will never notice that it's missing. I'll return it tomorrow before anyone is the wiser."

Elan nodded dumbly, impressed by Fritz's bravery. "I'll bet your father has a lot of interesting things in his office," Fritz continued.

Elan shrugged. "I guess so," he said non-committally.

Fritz gave him a patronizing look. "Are you afraid to go in there?" he sneered.

Elan folded his arms. "No. I just don't want to go in there," he said haughtily.

"I wouldn't go near the kitchens, Elan, they might serve you for dinner, chicken," Fritz mocked snidely.

Though his cousin was a year older, Elan was taller, and in a moment he had tackled Fritz to the ground. "Take it back," he ordered angrily, getting ready to pummel Fritz into the garden and let the gnomes deal with him.

"Gerroff me," Fritz snapped, as he struggled against his cousin's weight.

"Then take it back. I am not looking to make my parents mad," Elan said shortly.

"I survived, can't you?" Fritz snickered.

Elan debated punching his cousin, but he knew he'd probably get in trouble if he did. Wrestling around was acceptable; fighting was not. He got off his cousin with a heavy sigh. "I want to go inside," he said sharply, greatly put off. Stupid cousins. Why did being related to someone mean you had to spend time with them?

The rest of the day passed slowly. Elan sat quietly in the sitting room, listening to Cousin Elizabeth and Mother chat amiably. It was mostly boring grown-up subjects like Elan's baby brother Draco, and Cousin Elizabeth's older daughters Lucile and Henrietta who were in their second and fourth years at Beauxbatons.

"Lucile is considering trying out for the Quidditch team this year, so she's been plaguing Stephan and me to buy her a new broom," Cousin Elizabeth was saying. Elan was listening with only half an ear. Fritz was looking bored as well, but Cousin Elizabeth had a hand on his shoulder so he had to stay put.

The subject turned to Mother's school years. "Come, Cissa, you must have some photographs," Cousin Elizabeth urged.

"It seems like yesterday I was still a firstie," Mother laughed as she used a Summoning Charm to get an album, opening it with a sigh. "I haven't looked at these pictures in years. Well, here I am at the big Quidditch game in our third year. We lost our voices from cheering so much so we couldn't talk for hours. I thought McGonagall would explode from rage, when none of the Slytherins could even rasp the incantations," she said, pointing to pictures of a beautiful light haired girl, who waved up with them, arms around various friends.

"Is the one next to you Rebecca Hart? So she really did charm a new nose for herself," Elizabeth asked with a giggle.

The two boys' eyes met and Elan stuck out his tongue at his cousin. He was brave! Braver then Fritz was any day, and much smarter. He'd show that French git who was a chicken! A plan had just occurred to him, a very good one, if he did say so himself. Oh, when were they leaving? He didn't want to hear about who married who, how many Beauty Charms did they use and how many house elves they had. Goodness, adults were quite boring! It seemed to take forever, but finally it happened.

"Well, Cissa dear, we simply must be going. Poor Stephan will be home any moment and will be wondering where we are. It's been an absolute delight. May I return the invitation for next Sunday? Please bring Elan along. Fritz can show him his new pet Kneazle," Cousin Elizabeth said cheerily.

Mother inclined her blonde head. "We'd love to. Wouldn't we Elan?" she answered.

Elan knew Cousin Elizabeth was one of the relatives Mother liked, so he didn't voice the opinion that he'd rather eat a spinach flavored Bertie Bottie's Every Flavor Bean. But by the time Sunday came around, he'd have something to make Fritz eat his words.

"Yes, Mother, I can't wait," Elan said with a grin on his pointy face as Cousin Elizabeth and Fritz stepped into the fireplace.

As soon as the guests had left, Mother turned to him, a smile on her face. "What happened between you and Fritz?" she asked lightly.

Elan shrugged, not wanting to tell Mother about his plan. It didn't take a genius to figure out she'd be furious with it. "I don't think being related to someone should mean you should like someone," he said frankly.

Mother laughed and kissed his forehead. "You are right, dear, it shouldn't. I didn't get along with all my relatives either," she said, and a strange shadow of sadness crossed her face.

Elan had never heard Mother mention any relatives besides Aunt Bella and Uncle Reggie. Her eyes seemed far away for a moment.

"You didn't get along with Aunt Bellatrix?" he asked.

Mother nodded absent-mindedly. "Bella and I were very different as children. Mother used to call us 'Night' and 'Day'. Bella is dark, much like your father, but with my blonde hair, I was a miniature image of Mother. And Bella should have been a boy. She was quite the rough and tumble type, the first female Beater that Slytherin House ever had. She was the fastest flyer in school. I could barely keep up when we raced. She wasn't a very good student, whereas I was a prefect. We didn't fight very much though. Bella was the brave one, the leader of our little group, and we just followed her," Mother said softly.

"Was that fun?" Elan asked. He wondered who the 'we' was. Mother only had one sibling. He supposed it meant Uncle Reggie as well. Mother broke out of her reverie and laughed, tapping Elan on the nose.

"If you can call getting lost in the woods all alone fun, then yes, we did. We were taking a trip to Sweden, and Bella wanted to see the wood nymphs and made us all come with her. We walked into the thick forest with only a single torch and Bella shouting out orders. Soon, we realized we were completely off course and had no idea where we were. I was sure we were never going to see our family again. We must have walked in circles for hours till Papa found us. I'll admit, I was in tears by then," she confided.

"I would have saved you," Elan said and received a hug from his mother.

"My hero. Now let's go see how your brother is doing. He should be up from his nap," she said brightly.

Elan groaned. He loved his baby brother, but at two years old, Draco had a habit of destroying anything he could toddle over to, a fact Elan had learned painfully. Baby brothers were best when they were sleeping.

"Mummy, do you still have your camera?" he asked as he followed her through the Manor.

"Yes, love. Let me guess, you want to borrow it?" she asked over her shoulder. Elan almost jumped out of his skin. Could Mother actually read his mind?

"How did you know?" he quietly asked, getting nervous. Mother turned around and grinned.

"Why else would you ask? And the answer is yes, if you promise to be careful. I'll help you develop the pictures when you are done. I always liked photography myself," she winked.

Elan grinned to himself. Perfect.

* * *

The week passed quickly. Elan was always on the lookout for a time when Father would not be in his office. Father did leave his office for most of the day, off to "manage the estates", as he called it. It might have been a good time, but Father could Floo in at anytime, so that wouldn't work. When Father was eating, he and Mother ate with him, so that wouldn't be a good time either. At this point, Elan was quite sure there would be no opportunity for him to get in and take the picture without being caught! He had taken to carrying around Mother's camera in his pocket, waiting for an occasion to achieve his goals.

It was Saturday, the day before Elan would have to go empty handed to Fritz. By this time, Elan had all but given up hope and was amusing his little brother with a game of tag. "I'm a big dragon and I am going to get you and then eat you!" he cried merrily to his little brother, who toddled around as fast as little legs could carry him, giggling.

"A monster!" Draco squealed in mock fright.

All right, so little brothers weren't bad all the time. At least chasing his brother around took his mind off Fritz's taunts. "There's nowhere you can hide!" Elan exclaimed.

The door opened, and Draco ran right into Mother. "Hello my darlings," Mother said as she picked up Draco and gave him a huge kiss.

"Mummy, the monster is going to get me!" Draco protested, squirming.

Mother laughed and patted Elan on the head. "I see. Well, as much as I hate to interrupt you two, your aunt and uncle are here for a visit. So off you go, Elan, back to your room. Your robes are waiting on your bed. And as for you, Mummy's precious little baby is going to look so very sweet in his new robes," she said, cuddling her squirming youngest son, who clearly wanted to keep playing.

"All right Mum," Elan said sadly, just as eager to remain in the nursery. Parents could be quite annoying at times. As he walked outside the nursery to his room, a thought occurred to him. Father would be having tea with the guests and would not be inside his office. This was the time! Instead of walking to the next room, Elan pulled mother's camera out of his pocket, crept up the stairs and down the hallway. He tried tomake as little noise as possible; his whole body was tense.

He was almost at the door to his father's office, a place strictly off-limits to him. He could see the enormous oak door at the end of the hallway. There was no turning back now. He knew he had to prove to Fritz he wasn't afraid to go in there. The problem with that was he was afraid of what would happen if he were caught! With trembling hands, he walked over to the door and gently opened it, entirely convinced that something terrible was going to happen.

Nothing. It was just a room with a gigantic desk, a large armchair, portraits on the wall, and lots of interesting things on the shelves: hundreds of books, portraits, masks, jewelry, vials of strange liquids, boxes, plants. One of the rings glinted in the sunlight. It was a plain gold ring with a blue stone at the center and strange letters written around it. They shined so, like the sun had specifically chosen to shine upon it. Elan suddenly wanted it; he wanted to put it on. There was nothing more in the world he wanted! He took another step forward, hands out to snatch it. He was so close to it.

Suddenly, the sounds of footsteps broke him out of his trance. Someone was coming! His gray eyes flitted to the door; he couldn't get out that way. He was trapped; Father was going to be so angry when he found him here. There had to be someplace he could hide! He finally ducked under another armchair; flattening himself as best he could against the floor. Not a moment later the door opened, and two pairs of feet walked in. One was a pair of black shoes, and the other was a pair of dragon skin boots. He knew the second pair -- Father!

"So, Bellatrix, to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?" Father drawled. So the other pair was Aunt Bella.

"The day we have been waiting for has come," Aunt Bella said triumphantly.

"You're pregnant?" Father asked in a bored tone. "How delightful. I hope you'll name the little monster after me."

"Don't be flippant with me, Lucius Malfoy. I am not here to make small talk. I said I had good news, didn't I? The Dark Lord will rise again, greater then ever." Aunt Bella answered, sounding like her every wish had come true. Elan had no idea what they were talking about, and he was quite sure he wasn't supposed to.

"If you know where he's buried, tell me, so I can make sure to be there when the boulder is rolled aside," Father commented.

"Can you be serious for once, Malfoy? The fate of the world is at stake!" Aunt Bella said, stamping her foot.

"I see. And the reason you need me for this foolish- I mean foolproof plan is?" Father asked, in that same bored tone.

"Why do you think? You have resources! Money, contacts, influence; you are of great use to the cause. The Longbottoms know where the Dark Lord is. A little persuasion," her voice trailed off. "This plan can't fail."

"Who gave you this information? That miserable wretch of a boy, Barty?" Father drawled.

"Who else do you think?" Aunt Bella snapped, sounding furious. Elan could see her pointy black shoes pacing back and forth before him.

"If you want to put your trust into the spineless spawn of one who would love to see us all thrown to Dementors, be my guest. He could be leading you into a trap for all you know," Father said in a cold tone.

"We have no better source of information at the present, and I trust him. I am the one who recruited him, and he has been a valuable spy. Don't you find the irony quite delicious?" Aunt Bella replied, sounding quite pleased with herself.

"If you insist. But at least take the brat along on your little mission to insure no double-crossing goes on. I still think it's the wrong time," Father said. Elan yearned to peek out to see more of the action, but remained still for fear of being spotted.

"It's your duty to come along as well," Aunt Bella reminded.

A shiver went down Elan's spine. This sounded dangerous! He didn't want his father in danger. He remembered last Halloween. Father had disappeared for a few days, and Mother had seemed so sad then. He had a feeling deep inside that that time and now was connected.

"Why would I want to use my resources to get myself thrown into prison? I'm not putting myself in the hands of a Crouch. Use that head of yours; we are of no use unless we remain free. Wake up, Bellatrix, before you end up like Dolohov and Rosier," Father hissed.

Elan quivered. Prison? Father could end up in prison? But prison was for bad people, and Father wasn't bad. A little strict, but he didn't want him going there. But how could he help his father? He couldn't beg him not to listen to Aunt Bella since he wasn't supposed to be here, yet he had to do something!

"The Dark lord transcends death. He will be back to reward those who follow him, so we must act now!" Aunt Bella yelled, almost hysterically.

"Do not raise your voice to me, Bellatrix. I am not your henpecked husband who cowers before you." Father said coldly. Elan knew things were about to get ugly, but at least it didn't seem like Father would go with her.

"You are no better then Regulus; he too was a coward. Will you allow your children to grow up in a world where they must hide their magic from the insect-like Muggles? Will your grandchildren be like that whore, Andromeda's?" Aunt Bella fired back, her voice dripping with hatred.

Uncle Reggie? Elan bit his lip to prevent a gasp. How could dying in a broomstick accident make anyone a coward?

Father's voice grew quieter. "If you wish to duel me, Bellatrix, I will teach you the meaning of bravery. I promise you, it would give me great pleasure to avenge an innocent naive little child who was used as a stepping stone for you to curry favor with the Dark Lord. So unless you wish to face me, don't defile Reg's memory in front of me," Father finished in a growl.

Someone took a deep breath. "And I really don't think you should duel me, considering what I used to do to you for my amusement. I'd really prefer more of a challenge. Interesting that you accuse me of being a traitor, but wasn't Andromeda your sister? And Sirius Black your cousin? Have you ever heard of projecting your fears? My family has not had a deviation in centuries. Perhaps it's you who's slipping from the proper mentality. You always were a rebel. You embarrassed your parents by your poor performance at every social occasion, being rejected by all those families as a match, being laughed at by all the other children, never achieving any honors at Hogwarts besides being a Beater, having a hurried marriage to that pathetic Lestrange. Is being a Death Eater the only way you can feel special? Maybe you are following the lesser part of your family's path," Father continued in a mocking tone.

"When the Dark Lord returns, I shall enjoy killing you personally," Aunt Bella whispered before stomping out of the room. The door slammed gloomily.

Elan, still under the chair, shuddered. A thousand questions filled his mind. Who was Andromeda? What happened to Uncle Reggie? Who was Sirius Black? Why was Aunt Bella threatening Father? What in Merlin's name was going on? He couldn't see what Father was doing. This was bad. How long was he supposed to stay here before Father left?

A strange voice spoke up in the room. "Lucius, I understand you have a lot on your mind, but I think there is something you should know." Elan bit his lip! The portraits! He had seen them when he had come in, but hadn't given a thought to them reporting on him.

Father laughed cynically. "Hopefully good news? I could use some, Grandfather," he said lightly. Elan squeezed his eyes shut, as his hands began to shake.

"Someone is here listening to you. He's under the chair by the fireplace. If I didn't know better, I would have thought it was you, the way I remembered you, always underfoot where you weren't supposed to be. One of yours?" came the voice. Elan's stomach dropped.

"It would seem so," Father said grimly. Elan tried to squeeze himself into a ball as footsteps came closer to him. He was soon aware of a black robe standing in front of his hiding place.

"Wingardium Leviosa," Father said calmly, and Elan found himself sans his cover at Father's feet, the chair floating above his head.

"On your feet, boy," Father ordered.

Elan quickly obeyed, his palms sweating. Father immediately took a hold of his chin and forced Elan to look up at him. Elan shivered, Father could be terrifying when he wanted to be. Elan tried to look away, not wanting to face his father's wintry glare.

"How long have you been in here?" Father asked coldly as he used his wand hand to put the chair back down.

"Only a few moments," Elan answered meekly.

"Well, in those few moments, you heard too far much, none of which was your concern. You will never repeat what you heard to anyone. Is that clear?" he asked icily, his knuckles white on his wand.

"I swear, I'll not tell a soul," Elan whispered.

"Good. Any mention of this would destroy this family. I hope you understand that. Now, why are you in here?"

Elan didn't answer. Silence was golden at these times.

"Well? Cat got your tongue, boy?" Father urged.

"I was just going to show Cousin Fritz I wasn't afraid to come in here. He wasn't afraid to go into his father's office," Elan whispered, knowing that was a bad answer, but too scared to try to lie.

"Your cousin Fritz is a spoiled, impulsive idiot who will come to a bad end someday unless someone finally takes a much-needed wand to him. But you are supposed to think, boy! What kind of Malfoy takes foolish dares like that?" Father retorted.

"Well- I didn't think that-"

"That's obvious," Father drawled, cutting him off mid-sentence. "I believe I gave you orders never to come into this room without permission. I believe those orders were clearly said to you on numerous occasions. And yet, I find you hiding in here. Care to explain?"

Elan racked his brains for something to say. "I..." he whispered, wishing he had something better to say.

"Do you know why I don't let you come in here? Do you think it's because I enjoy giving arbitrary orders just to make your life miserable?" Father pressed. Elan shook his head quickly.

"First of all, I am your father and must be obeyed without question, so that should have been a good enough explanation for you. But it's also because some of the things here are dangerous and could hurt you. Like this ring. I'm sure it caught your eye, didn't it? How fortunate for you that you didn't put it on, or you would have been in much danger. This is a ring of Solomon, made by Vladimir Malfoy, whose son Elan you are named for, though your actions today do not make you worthy of it. Do you see the symbols, boy? This ring will cut anything it touches, especially human flesh. Had you tried to wear it, you would have lost a finger, if not a hand. The only way to wear this ring is to know the incantation," Father snapped bitingly.

He muttered something under his breath and picked up the ring in one swift motion. With a careless gesture, Father allowed the stone to gently touch a cushion and lightly dragged it across its middle. Elan watched with wide eyes as the plush object cleaved cleanly in two. Elan didn't want to think of what would have happened if he had touched the ring. With a flash, Father repaired the cushion and turned back to him, scowling.

Elan bowed his chin to his chest, not sure what to say. Had he not been told that Malfoys don't cry, he would have been in tears by now. Father walked around him, reminding him of the shark-fish he had seen at the Zoo, and Elan knew he was in for it.

"So what should I do with you?" Father asked harshly, his tone frigid.

Elan kept his tongue still, not sure what to say.

"Well, speak up, boy," Father continued impatiently.

Elan stared at his shoes. "Thank you for saving me, Father," he whispered, trying to seem fragile and pitiful. Perhaps that would work; he could sometimes charm Mother into being less angry. Elan felt the tip of Father's wand under his chin, raising it so that he had no choice but to face his father's frigid stare. Father did not looked charmed.

"That doesn't work with me, boy. I am trying to think what should be done to a young man who should have the intelligence to listen, but doesn't," Father drawled, keeping Elan at wandpoint.

A long and tense moment followed. What was going to happen? Elan stared despairingly up at his father, waiting for the ax to fall. He almost wished something would be said. Waiting was horrible! He got his wish.

"Furunculus!" Father suddenly snapped, as a blinding hot white pain shot through Elan's backside. He couldn't help himself and let out a fierce yelp of distress.

"It's the least of what you deserve, but hopefully, it will be enough to insure this incident isn't repeated, correct?" Father drawled.

Elan was in so much pain that he was surprised he wasn't in tears, but he managed a nod. "Next time you disobey me, I'll make this hexing seem pleasant. You are dismissed," Father said, pointing to the door.

Elan fled out the door as quick as he could physically manage. It hurt to move, but at this point he didn't dare risk anything less then a sprint. He finally arrived at his room, where he threw himself face down on his bed. He didn't really want to think about what just happened. By Ares, his backside felt like it was on fire!

Elan reached a hand out and put in a music crystal into his Wizard Radio. Soon the sounds of Heinrich Teller reading a story filled the room. He really wasn't listening, but at least it was something to concentrate on, to distract him from the pain.

"Culwch journeyed to the Salmon of Lyn Lew, knowing that the most ancient of creatures might be the only one who could help him," came the voice.

He didn't know how much time passed, but the door opened with a creak. A soft hand touched the back of his head. "Mum?" Elan asked.

"Mhmm," Mother said quietly, turning off the story.

"Are you angry at me too?" Elan asked without looking up, knowing the answer.

"I can't say I am too pleased with you. Your father told me what you did. Now I see why you wanted my camera. I just can't believe how foolish you were. Don't you realize how badly you would have been hurt? You would have broken my heart if something had happened to you. Though I imagine it won't be happening again anytime soon. Father told me had a talk with you, and I do hope you learned your lesson," Mother informed him.

Elan sighed. "Can you heal me?" he pleaded. His backside was starting to feel hot enough to boil a cauldron on it.

Mother stroked his hair. "You know I can't, dear. When your father makes a decision, that's it. The best I can do is have an elf draw you a nice hot bath. That will make you feel a bit better, but you will be sore for a couple of days"

Elan pouted. "Can't you tell Father what to do?" he asked. Why couldn't Mother magically take away his pain? It wasn't fair!

Mother laughed. "I think your father would say I do that enough as it is. He's doing this for your best interest. He and I love you very much, you know," she said soothingly.

Elan decided he had nothing to lose. He looked up at her, his face serious. "Mum, what happened to Uncle Reggie?" he asked softly.

Mother's face turned pale, and her blue eyes filled with tears. She clutched a handful of her silk robes in one shaking hand as she smoothed back Elan's hair with the other. "I was hoping you wouldn't ask. Your father told me you heard all that ugliness. Reg died. That's all you need to know for now. No, it wasn't in a broomstick accident, but the details of his death aren't important now. What's important is he loved us all very much, and we loved him as well."

Mother sighed. "You really seemed to have learned a lot today. You'd best tell me all your questions, and I'll tell you what I can."

Elan bit his lip. "Who is Sirius? Is he your cousin?" he asked.

Mother's tearful eyes narrowed. "Yes, and no. While he was born to our noble and illustrious family, he is a blood traitor and a disgrace. He was a spoiled, arrogant, cruel brat who believed that because he was somewhat clever, he could trample on all that is sacred. He used to be my friend when were little children, but all that changed once we grew older. He broke his poor mother's heart when he got sorted into Gryffindor, and he proceeded to drag his family name through the dust during his time in school. He was disowned when he was a teen and went mad last year. He was sent to Azkaban Prison."

Elan shivered. Azkaban was the most horrible place in the world. No one escaped there, and people had killed themselves rather then go. He didn't know much about the prison, and he didn't want to!

"Oh," was all he could manage to say.

"As such, he is not considered a relation, and you shouldn't give him another thought. There is no connection; he has been severed from the family tree," Mother continued.

Elan pondered this for a moment. "What about Andromeda?" he asked.

Mother's jaw tightened. "My former sister, another blood traitor. She was always a strange one, always pottering in the garden, always wanting to be alone or with her partner in crime, Sirius. Andi was a Black. She could made something of herself, married a son from any of the finest Pure Blood families. She could have lived a life of honor and luxury, but she threw it all away, disgraced herself. She married a Muggleborn toad. She was disowned as well, and the same goes for her. They do not exist," Mother said sternly, her eyes cold. "That is why Father is being so hard on you. He won't allow you to turn out like those wastrels. But don't worry. You will make us proud, I know it. You'd best go bathe; it will make the boils feel better."

Elan allowed his mother to help him up. He was still in a lot of pain, and even though talking made him feel better in his heart, his bottom still ached.

"Do you feel better now that we've talked?" she asked softly.

Elan shrugged. "Why did Aunt Bella and Father fight?" he asked.

Mother laughed. "Auntie Bella didn't like Father very much, even as children in school. The feeling was definitely mutual with your father. They always bickered and fought! I never heard a civil word spoken between them, every since as he said he preferred belladonna, a poison, over spending time with Bellatrix.

"They would compete for everything, broom races, Gobstones, Exploding Snap, Wizard Chess, Quidditch; you name it, they fought over it. I have to admit, your father usually won. They also insulted each other at every occasion, and I can't deny that they had more then one duel. I remember once, your father lost his temper with Bella and turned her into a frog. He then proceeded to throw hexes at her, until a prefect made him stop.

"Let's see, what else did he do? He pushed her into the lake. He also set her hair on fire during first year. When the fire was put out, Bella's hair was striped bright pink and orange. Poor Professor Larkin had to prevent Bella from attacking your father with her dinner fork.

"He tied her up one time and left her in the halls when he was twelve. He petrified her and then posed her in the most ridiculous position. He hexed her so that she could only repeat what others said. In fact, every time they met, your father had some way of torturing my sister. Bella usually instigated the fights and tried to get revenge, but was no match for your dear father, who, I must say, was always very nice to me. I suppose those two just will never get along."

Elan laughed, relieved that Father and Aunt Bella always argued like that, and that nothing important had happened. "She did say she was going to kill him," he said.

Mother stopped short. She knelt down to his level. "Did she now? Tell me, what did they discuss?"

Elan opened his mouth, but then shut it. "Father said I wasn't to tell anyone," he said, clearly torn. He was supposed to mind his mother, but he didn't want to anger Father.

"Surely he didn't mean me, dear," Mother said coaxingly.

Elan sighed and repeated the conversation. Mother's face grew very pale. She snapped her fingers for a house elf. "Nibby, go draw a bath for Master Elan," she ordered, as she hurried out of the room.

Elan had a feeling something big was happening, but didn't dare ask. He figured he'd find out soon enough, whatever it was. A warm and soothing bath later, the incident seemed almost like a bad dream. He knew he'd have to be on his best behavior for a long while and hopefully Father would soon forget this.

But Elan would remember the day's events a week later when he found Mother looking blankly at the newspaper, Father with his arm around her. Uncle Rodulphus, Aunt Bellatrix, and two other people were in handcuffs on the front cover, in front of a house with the strangest smoke signal above it, a skull with a snake for a tongue. And he would remember that day when he saw a picture of the four again, being sent to Azkaban for life. In fact, Elan would remember that incident for a long time.