The Prince Returns

Chapter Ten

Braydon Prince was worried. Up until very recently, Braydon had never worried about anything. His entire life, he had had money, friends, looks, popularity, women, and a secure future. Suddenly, everything was questionable. His girlfriend did not approve of his new friends. She was staying with friends until Braydon made some decisions, like how important this war was to him. Braydon wasn't too worried about her. They had been dating for a few years and she enjoyed dating a Quidditch star. She would be back eventually. However, Braydon did not know how much longer he would be a Quidditch star. He wasn't getting much sleep. He wasn't working out as often as he used to. His body was starting to weaken. During practices, and the last game, his mind would wander and he would completely ruin the game. The team captain had noticed and had take Braydon aside for a lecture. His position on the team was threatened. Braydon doubted he would be on the team much longer. Paparazzi photos of the Quidditch star Braydon Prince were nothing new, but suddenly Braydon wasn't looking so good in those photos. Previously, he had been dressed well, looking fabulous, and had his gorgeous girlfriend on his arm. Lately, he looked almost ill, wearing wrinkled clothes, and his girlfriend was nowhere to be seen. Usually he was alone, or with his new friend Lucius Malfoy.

Braydon had yet to speak with Lord Voldemort. Instead, Lucius Malfoy visited his New York apartment often, giving him instructions. Braydon had only been with Voldemort since Christmas, but he still hadn't met the Dark Lord. The only Death Eater he had any contact with was Malfoy. Malfoy would give him instructions and money. Lots of money. And anything else Braydon needed. Women. Clothes. Food. Once, feeling particularly brave, Braydon asked for a celebrity. She wasn't anyone special, just a certain pop star who was constantly in the tabloids, wearing little clothing, hanging onto a new boyfriend. Braydon had always thought she was cute. Malfoy hadn't even faltered at the request. Two days later, she appeared on his doorstep. They had an amazing night together. She was gone when he woke up, leaving Braydon to wonder if she was real. However, she had left a signed picture on his nightstand.

Once, Braydon had gathered the courage to ask Malfoy where he got it all. Voldemort had been in hiding some time. How did he have so much money, so many resources. Malfoy simply said that Voldemort had many loyal followers. Later, Braydon thought it over and decided that many Voldemort supporters were like Malfoy-very wealthy.

Malfoy seemed to have an unhealthy obsession with Richard Prince. He was constantly asking questions about Braydon's father, suggesting Braydon write to him. It didn't take Braydon long to figure out that Voldemort was using him to get to his father. Braydon didn't seem to mind. Throughout his entire life, people had used him to get close to his father. At least now he was getting paid for it. However, Malfoy had seemed very disappointed to learn that Braydon wasn't very close to his father. That worried Braydon. He supposed that Voldemort had hoped his father would be more affected by Braydon's sudden change. Braydon did not want to anger Lord Voldemort. He hoped very much that Richard's attack on the Death Eaters would be enough to console Voldemort and insure Braydon's own survival. After all, Richard hadn't even questioned Braydon's information, even though he clearly knew Braydon was lying. For all Richard knew, it could have been a trap. Yet he still went, bringing along a few Order friends with him.

Braydon doubted Voldemort trusted him with such ease. Malfoy didn't tell Braydon much and he was sure that Voldemort had instructed Malfoy to do so. Braydon was told exactly what he had to do and that was it. Braydon wanted Voldemort to trust him. Braydon wanted to be close with the Dark Lord, he wanted to become a Death Eater, not like the losers in the bar, but like Lucius Malfoy and his circle, working right next to Lord Voldemort, directly killing Muggles and Mudbloods. Malfoy assured him that soon he would become a Death Eater, he just had to wait until the right time. At the moment, Voldemort was to busy to induct any new Death Eaters. Eventually, Braydon would get his turn

Braydon had always agreed with Voldemort's thinking. Purebloods were important. They insured the survival of wizards. As the number of purebloods decreased, Braydon worried about the future of wizard kind. He did not want to live in a world where Muggles reigned supreme, while wizards, with magic Muggles couldn't begin to comprehend, hiding from them. Braydon hoped to gain the trust of Voldmort. He would do anything to please his master, anything to gain his trust. He wanted to be a powerful wizard, a respected wizard, and Braydon believe that by joining Voldemort he would gain that power. All he had to do was prove himself, and Voldemort would give him the key to whatever he wanted.

****

Voldemort was anxious. He had waited nearly two decades for his chance to show the world what he was capable of. All those years ago, he was just getting started, just coming into his power, when it was all ruined by a little boy. However, Voldemort would be more careful this time. This time, he would watch out for Harry Potter.

Voldemort had been gathering his strength for years. He hated waiting, hiding out in the Malfoy dungeons. He wanted to be out in public, displaying his power. But Voldemort understood that timing was everything. Soon, there would be enough Death Eaters. Soon, they would be able to take over the wizard world. Voldemort could wait, but not much longer.

He was tired of the small attacks. He was tired of being teased by death. He was ready for destruction, ready for a true massacre. He wanted to hurt the wizarding world. He wanted them to suffer. Then, they would all understand just who Lord Voldemort was and just who they were dealing with. He knew just what to do. He knew just how to hurt them.

****

It was an April day like any other. Spring was in full bloom at Hogwarts. The sun was shining, elevating the mood of the entire school. No one had any idea what would happen later that day.

As expected, several parents had allowed their children to return to Hogwarts after Richard's heroic capture of twenty Death Eaters. The parents seemed to feel very safe with their students back at school. The Ministry also felt much better about themselves, despite the lack of information offered by the captured Death Eaters. They decreased the number of guards positioned at Hogwarts and allowed students back outside the castle. However, it was too late to reinstate the Quidditch season. Instead, many students were having informal games on the weekends.

Finals were only a few months away. The professors were increasing their work load. Suddenly, Ron and Harry found themselves spending hours an evening on homework, yet without making much of a dent in the increasing pile of work. They were beginning to worry about finishing the sixth year. That morning, they joined Regan and Hermione at the Gryffindor table, both boys looking very tired. However, the girls looked very awake.

"Why the long faces?" Regan asked, much too cheerful.

"Didn't get enough sleep last night," Ron grumbled.

"You were doing your homework, weren't you," Hermione demanded. "I told you not to let it pile it up. If you just try to keep up with your homework as you get it, just do a little bit each night, you would be fine. Instead, you wait until you have a huge pile and there's no way for you to get it all done."

"Yes. That's our strategy," Harry said, looking as if he might fall onto his plate at any moment. "We managed to do quite a bit last night. Finished Snape's hellebore essay last night."

"You just finished it! That was assigned days ago. What about the essay on wolfsbane he assigned yesterday?" Hermione demanded, looking very offended that the boys were not taking their work seriously enough.

"We haven't even started that yet," Ron said. He noticed that Regan was still eating her breakfast, silent, but the smug look on her face spoke volumes. "What are you so happy about? I guess you must have finished your work already?"

"Actually, Draco and I finished it last night. Snape's essay and everything," she said simply.

"It's Draco now?" Ron said, looking somewhat queasy.

"You say that now, but just wait. Pretty soon you'll be begging me to let you borrow my notes. Of course, as a good friend I'll be obliged to let you copy, but just remember, Draco wrote a lot of it."

"That will never happen," Ron said, grinning stupidly at Hermione. She shook her head.

"You are not going anywhere near my completed assignments, Ronald Weasley. As I've said before, I will be more than happy to look over your work once you're finished and proofread it."

"Right, right. Well, I suppose Harry and I will be spending our Saturday holed up in the common room, doing our homework," Ron said. Harry nodded gloomily.

"Well, I am going to spend as much time outside as possible," Regan said gleefully. "It's such a gorgeous day outside. I don't want to waste it. A few other students are planning a Quidditch game this afternoon. I can't wait. It feels like I haven't flown in ages. My poor broom is gathering dust." Harry and Ron looked at her with envy.

"I suppose one of those students is Malfoy," Ron said with disgust. "Oh, excuse me, Draco."

"I don't know," Regan said, ignoring Ron's tone. "It's whoever wants to come. It'll be fun though. Madam Hooch won't be there to referee so we don't have to play entirely by the rules. Sometimes, I think this school is way too strict on what it allows on the Quidditch pitch."

"You should have been a Slytherin," Ron said. Regan rolled her eyes at him.

"Have fun with your homework, Ronald," Regan said and left, finished with her breakfast.

"What are you doing today?" Harry asked Hermione.

"I don't know. It is a nice day outside. Maybe I'll watch the Quidditch game," she said, staring out the windows. Ron and Harry were shocked.

"You? But you don't like Quidditch," Ron said.

"It's not that I don't like, I'm just not obsessed like you are. I'll probably bring a book with me to read during the boring parts. It'll be nice to be outdoors again. Well, I'll be off now. The game is supposed to start immediately after breakfast," Hermione said and left.

"You know, Harry, we do have a very nice view of the Quidditch pitch," Ron said once they were alone.

"No Ron. We have to focus. We have to get our homework done if we want to pass the sixth year."

"I guess you're right," Ron mumbled, but he finished his breakfast slowly.

****
At the Prince house, the wizards and witches working there for the Order also decided it was a lovely day and should not be wasted indoors. Several people brought their paperwork outside to work in the sunlight. Others abandoned their work all together, quickly forming a Quidditch game. A few stayed inside and focused on their work. Among them, Richard and Remus, who stayed in the living room, going over the paperwork on the trials of the Death Eaters they had captured nearly a month ago. From the living room, there was a clear view of the backyard and Quidditch pitch. "Should they be doing this?" Remus asked. "They should be inside working."

"Let them enjoy themselves. They've worked hard lately," Richard said, turning back to his paperwork. "They know why they're here. Give them a few hours, then they'll go back to work. They just need a break."

"How can you be so calm?" Remus demanded.

"Voldemort could attack any minute. I don't see why we should hide, paranoid, frightened by any little discrepancy. Let them live their lives for a moment before they are forced back inside, backing to working day and night for the Order."

"Yes, Voldemort could attack any minute, but that wasn't what I was referring to."

"What exactly were you referring to?" Richard asked, looking up from his paperwork.

"Braydon."

"What about Braydon?"

"He's your son. You say his name like he was a stranger."

"I suppose that now he is a stranger. I feel like I no longer know him. Laura and I are saddened by his actions, but he is his own person. There is nothing I can do about it."

"No one has heard from him since he sent that letter to Regan."

"I know. If there was any family member Braydon would want to stay in contact with, it would be Regan. Certainly not his mother or I. But Regan never responded to his letter. She has no interest in joining Lord Voldemort. Braydon has chosen his path. His loyalties no longer lie with us. He is loyal only to Voldemort now."

"What will you do if he comes back, to you?"

"I honestly don't know, Remus. If he comes to Laura, she'll welcome him back with open arms."

"And you?"

"I don't know. I'll have to listen to his story, but I don't know that I would ever be able to trust him again. If Braydon comes back, he won't come to me. He'll come to Laura. After all this, Regan won't want anything to do with him. Her silence told him that. He knew that Regan would either join him or leave him. Apparently, she chose the latter."

"I'm so sorry about all this."

"Don't be. This is a war. Families will be torn apart, but it will be worth it. We will finally beat Voldemort. Then, we'll see what happens. Maybe then Braydon can come home," Richard said, his voice betraying no emotion. Remus looked very distraught. Suddenly, as if on cue, there was a loud knock on the door. For a safety precaution, the house-elves no longer answered the door. Instead, only Richard or another Richard-appointed Order member would allow anyone to enter the home. Therefore, Richard and Remus both went to the front door.

Richard pulled open the door to reveal Lucius Malfoy standing on the doorstep. He was wearing his Death Eater robes, with the hood down to show his face. Behind him, nearly fifty other Death Eaters, with their hoods up, faces covered, stood, waiting. Every single Death Eater, Malfoy included, had his wand raised. Remus and Richard had their wands securely hidden in the pockets, which suddenly seemed unreachable.

"Hello, Richard," Lucius said with a sinister smile. "Hope you don't mind the intrusion."

****

Regan made her way down to the Quidditch pitch alone. All the other Gryffindors planning on playing had already left. Hermione was upstairs, chastising Ron and Harry about their homework habits. Regan was almost to the locker rooms when she heard someone calling her name. She turned around to see Draco Malfoy hurrying towards her. He looked upset. She was taken aback. She had never seen Draco Malfoy upset before. In fact, she had never seen him display any emotion.

"What wrong?" she asked, worried.

"You have to go home," he said, catching up to her.

"What? Why?"

"There is going to be a Death Eater attack today and I think it's at your house."

"What!" she exclaimed. "How do you know?"

"You know who my father is," he said. Even is such circumstances, he sounded arrogant, as if a Death Eater was something to be proud about. "He told me ages ago that Voldemort was planning a big attack on some wizard center, but no specifics. I just received an owl from him. It's going to be today."

"How do you know it's at my house?"

"He wants to hurt the Order. He wants to hurt your father. Where else would he go?"

"Why should I trust you?" she demanded. She and Draco may be study partners, but they were a long way from friends.

"Why shouldn't you?" he returned, looking into her eyes. She knew he was telling the truth, though she couldn't decide how she knew. She just had a feeling that she should trust him.

"Okay. How do I get home?"

"Floo powder," he replied quickly. It was obvious he had already given it some thought.

"Where am I supposed to get Floor powder?"

"Slytherin common room. It's hidden underneath the third stone on the fireplace. You'll know it when you see it. It's a slightly different shade of gray. It's very easy to remove, and you can use the Slytherin fireplace. I've used it several times to leave the castle," he said, the arrogance again shining through, as if sneaking out of the castle was a true accomplishment.

"How am I supposed to get into the Slytherin common room?"

"The password is Hungarian Horntail. Potter and Weasley will know where the entrance is. I assume you'll be taking them with you. And that Mudblood, Granger."

"And the Slytherins will just let me waltz in and use their fireplace?" she continued, ignoring his rude comment about Hermione. She was too distracted to have noticed.

"There shouldn't be anyone in there. If there is, just show them this and tell them I sent you," he said, giving her his prefect's badge. She took it. "Anything else you need to know?"

"Nope. I think that covers it."

"Great. I've done my good deed for the day. Now I'm going to play some Quidditch," he said and started towards the locker rooms.

"Draco," Regan called. He turned back to her, looking slightly annoyed. "Thank you."

"Hurry," he said and entered the locker rooms. So she hurried up to the Gryffindor common room. Hermione was still bothering Harry and Ron about their homework. They all looked up to see her, alarmed at her uneasy appearance

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked. Regan chose to ignore her.

"We have to leave. Now. We have to get to the Slytherin common room now."

"What's going on?" Ron asked.

"I'll tell you on the way. Come ON!" she exclaimed. Ron and Harry got to their feet and headed for the portrait hole, Regan practically pushing them along. Hermione followed, perplexed. Once they were on their way at a decent speed, Regan told them what Malfoy had told her.

"We're listening him now and taking his advice," Ron asked, bewildered by the sudden turn of events.

"Why would he be lying about this?" Hermione asked.

"He wasn't lying?" Regan assured.

"He could be doing this to make us look stupid. I bet we go into that common room and he and his cronies are there waiting for us, laughing their asses off," Ron said.

"If he had done this to you, maybe," Hermione agreed. "But I don't think he would to Regan. Besides, it makes sense that the Death Eaters would attack the Prince house."

"We should go to Dumbledore first," Harry said.

"No," Regan said. "We don't have enough time. We have to hurry and warn the Order so that they can prepare themselves. Running to Dumbledore is just a waste of time. All he will do is warn them. You rely on Dumbledore too much. He doesn't have all the answers."

"You-Know-Who fears him. He's the only person You-Know-Who fears," Ron said defensively.

"Voldemort," Hermione hissed.

"Of course Voldemort fears him. Do you have any idea how many witches and wizards hang on Dumbledore's every word? The main reason he's so powerful is that he has the respect of so many wizards. Practically anyone will listen to him," Regan said. Ron shrugged and kept walking.

"We should still go," Harry said. "The worst thing that could happen is Malfoy and friends are there, waiting for us. The best thing, we help warn the Order and they're prepared for the attack."

"Maybe Malfoy wants us there so that we'll get killed," Ron said. "I bet that he's known for quite some time, just waiting to tell us now so that we'll be there for all the action."

"Ron, just shut-up!" Regan exclaimed. "Your parents and brothers are there, too. I would think you'd be grateful. Maybe this way we can warn them."

"Fine," he mumbled, stopping. They had come to the Slytherin common room. It was a stretch of blank stone wall. "Password? Or did Malfoy forget that?"

"Hungarian Horntail," Regan muttered, feeling slightly silly, despite her agitation towards Ron. A stone door suddenly emerged from the wall and opened. The four cautiously entered the Slytherin common room. Regan was stunned by the common room. It was so unlike the Gryffindor common room. While the Gryffindor looked warm and inviting, the Slytherin common room looked cold and forbidding. She was reluctant to step inside. Luckily, the common room appeared to be empty. Just in case, she held Draco's prefect badge tightly.

The four gathered around the common room fireplace, Hermione glancing about the room in wonder. Regan got the feeling that she was dying to explore. The boys looked uncomfortable. Regan recognized the stone quickly. She pushed it slightly to one side and it fell to floor. Sure enough, there was a bag of Floo Powder inside the small hidden compartment. She pulled the bag out and gave everyone a small amount of the green powder. Then, she put the bag up and placed the stone in its hole. She was the first to step into the fireplace, "Prince house."

The others soon followed. They all stood around the Prince fireplace one the other end of the Floo network. It was obvious that they were too late.