Unusual Beginnings

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UNUSUAL BEGINNINGS 04- HARM DONE

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There is a castle on a cloud.

I like to go there in my sleep.

There aren't any floors for me to sweep,

Not in my castle on a cloud.

There is a room that's full of toys.

There a hundred boys and girls.

Nobody shouts or talks to loud,

Not in my castle on a cloud.

There is a lady all in white

Who holds me and sings a lullaby.

She's nice to see and she's soft to touch

She says, "Cosette, I love you very much!"

I know a place where no one's lost

I know a place where no one cries.

Crying at all is not allowed,

Not in my castle on a cloud.

...Please do not send me out alone.

Not in the darkness on my own.

N/A song: "Castle on A Cloud" from Les Miserables.

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Summer 1985 (The Next Day)

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Draco refused to eat the rest of his breakfast that morning although Lucius personally made sure it was his favorites: bacon, scrambled eggs, sausages and maple scones. All that Draco decided to munch on was the scones.

Draco's room was as elegantly furnished as Raine's. It was a bit bigger and more suited to a boy's taste but the color scheme was the same. Maple wooden furniture, green, silver and black everything else. Still, the room was elegantly furnished for any five-year-old.

The fathers decided to not to meet up nor go to work this day. With nothing else to do, Lucius dressed comfortably in his usual black tee and comfortable slacks. Although it was almost lunchtime, he let Draco wear his green and white pinstripe pajamas because he was still suffering from the counter-affects of the Poena Charms. Lucius stayed in Draco's room and watched the boy's reactions about the happenings of last night. Lucius presumed that Draco didn't remember much about the events of the night before because he did not show fear or anger towards him.

But Draco remembered every bit of what had happened. He didn't want to escape with his mother because he knew that his father would not approve of it. He only came because Raine and Riley made him and Tali go also. He knew that his father had done harm to him with the talisman. He just chose to be passive and not to say anything about it. He'd rather remain silent and just let it pass, just like he let everything else pass.

"Draco?" asked Lucius, his glare almost piercing the young boy's eyes.

"Yes, father?" the boy answered nervously, his eyes looking up to Lucius, his head down.

Lucius picked him up, sat himself on the recliner and snuggled Draco in his arms. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm just not hungry, father," he answered, although he had just leaned over to the breakfast tray and took another scone.

"Oh, alright then."

The silence that came after made Lucius uncomfortable. Draco was looking at his eyes, not angrily, but lovingly, as he continues to eat.

Under a muffled voice, Draco asked, "Did it hurt, Father?"

Lucius wondered what he meant by it. He raised an eyebrow before questioning his son's question. "Did what hurt?"

"Oh sorry, Father," said Draco as he accidentally dropped crumbs on his father's lap. He tapped off the crumbs then looked back at him. "What I meant was, 'did it hurt you got your Dark Mark from Master?'"

Lucius was overwhelmed with both joy and fear about Draco's remark.

Master? Lucius asked himself. Already, Draco called the Dark Lord his Master. Not even His real follower yet, and here comes Draco! What an excellent asset to the Death Eaters. Such loyalty, always obeying, no questions asked. And Tali! The same expected reliability as Draco but she can be trouble if she so chooses to. But she's easily bribed like Draco. They wouldn't be a problem.

Lucius then thought of the other two and his lips started to curl.

Riley, no doubt, is going to give his own father a heart-attack soon. Then Raine. She is another head-splitter, with her mischievous rambunctious nature. We're going to have to teach them double time. But at least the kids are under our control now, especially with the Poena Charms.

"I don't really remember if the Dark Mark hurt," said Lucius, as he patted Draco's hair. "It was a long time ago."

"How long?"

Lucius sighed before answering. "Before you were even born."

"You must be very old then."

Lucius laughed at Draco's unintended joke. "Yeah, well, that's one thing I have no control of." He touched Draco's still warm forehead and swiped off a couple of strands of his platinum blonde hair that were blinding his grey eyes.

Draco reached to touch Lucius left arm, the spot where Voldemort had left his Dark Mark on him. But Lucius doesn't push Draco's hands away. He was more interested what sparked Draco's curiosity. He knew Draco has seen the Dark Mark pretty much everyday, on him, his 'Uncles,' and of course, the other Death Eaters. Draco had called the other fathers 'uncles' although Ranco is the only real blood relative. He calls Benjamin Black and Redvin Raven his 'uncles' because the Malfoy family had been close since the two's entry to the Death Eater circle.

"If it hurt, you would've remembered, huh?" asked Draco as he poked on the Dark Mark. "I mean, why shouldn't you? If it hurt, you'd remember, right?"

Lucius shook his head in annoyance. Draco is starting to get as curious as Raine and Riley, he reminded himself. And that may pose a problem since those other two always question everything around them. Very smart, but maybe too smart. Not to mention hard-headed.

Lucius had long paid particular attention to the differences between Tali and Raine as there is with Draco and Riley in the past. Raine and Riley kept more to themselves, reading all the time, by themselves or with each other or in quiet solitude. Tali and Draco were more outgoing and playful. Raine and Riley were always the disobedient ones who questioned everything while Draco and Tali accepted things as told and never asked questions. If even one of them started to get rowdy, the rest of them would follow. Riley was the quiet type and he rarely started trouble. Tali often started the jokes and Draco would end them. Raine was the curious one and to her, everything was an endless debate. As individuals, they were controllable. But put the four together, all the elements come together: Trouble.

Lucius knew this from the day the four children realized their powers. This was happened around when they were about three-years-old. They didn't need wands to do anything. They just 'willed' what they wanted done and it got done. Raine and Riley gained the most control, being the oldest of the four. Raine could change her clothing right in front of everyone's eyes. Riley could send things flying around the house whenever he got annoyed. Their fathers were not able to control them so they followed their every whim and whine until the Poena Charms were created. Draco showed his powers for the first time when he turned his toy broom into a real one and hovered off the ground. Tali never really showed hers except during her fourth birthday when she blew up the cake because it was covered in pink icing and when she burned her new four poster bed because it was pink and had pink sheets. Her father learned never to forget that she hated anything in pink.

Lucius knew that his Master had enough powers to create the Charms but that was because He saved up all the remaining strength he had the four years He had not used it. Voldemort told him all about the children. He said they were all Mages, the strongest wizards the world would ever encounter. With powers like this, the children could do anything they pleased. If their wishes weren't fulfilled, they could blow up the whole city if they so pleased.

That was why Lucius and the other fathers agreed with creating the Poena Charms. The charms would suppress the children's powers and with powers gone, they could mold their children as they pleased- loyal to Voldemort of course- and then let them have their powers back once they were educated enough about their duty to Voldemort. As promised to their Master, Lucius and the other fathers would bring the children up to please and follow Him and only Him. And with their help, Lord Voldemort would rule the world, both the Wizarding and the Muggle world. And of course, Lucius would be on his right hand and that was all he wanted.

"You've been hanging around Raine and Riley again, haven't you?" asked Lucius.

Draco just nodded his head. Draco then poked Lucius' Dark Mark three times. "But you do, remember if it hurt, don't you father? You just don't want to tell me."

Lucius started to roll his eyes. He knew that Draco does have a point though. He should remember intense pain if it did exist. And it did.

Lucius got his Dark Mark when he learned of the rise of Lord Voldemort. He was one of the first wizards who supported Voldemort, who was still known as Tom Riddle then. He was one of the first, besides his older brother, Ranco, to get his Dark Mark. He remembered the intense, burning feeling he felt as Riddle's wand made contact with his inner left arm. It burned him, his sensations were shut down. Seconds later, he felt a rush: a rush of power. He gained the feeling of being unstoppable, omnipotent and being top of everyone else who wasn't a Death Eater. But he didn't want Draco to know the ups of being a Death Eater yet. Draco was still too young to understand.

"It was fast and it hurt for only a few seconds."

Draco nestled his head on Lucius' shoulder before yawning. "Okay, father." Draco continued to look at the Dark Mark until he rubbed his eyes. Lucius watched his son intently for a couple of minutes until Draco fell asleep in his arms. Minutes later, Lucius' older brother, Ranco, walked into the room, dressed casually, his face showing urgency on unknown matters.

"Good morning," half-whispered Lucius.

"It's almost noon, brother," answered Ranco as he looked over Lucius' sleeping son. "Come on."

"Come on where?"

Ranco sighed. "Didn't Red tell you? Emergency meeting right now."

"Hmm? Emergency meeting for what?"

"He's got a problem with the Poena Charm."

"Problem?"

"You'll see. We can take the children with us. They can play with Gregory and Vincent. Riley's already there."

"Let me change Draco."

"We'll be waiting for you there," said Ranco as he turned towards the door.

Lucius shook Draco a little, just enough to wake him up. "Draco, Draco."

"Hmm?" mumbled Draco, his eyes half-dazed.

"We're going to the Mansion. Greggie and Vince are there. So is your cousin and the girls if you want to come."

Draco's eyes lit up suddenly. "I'll go."

"Okay then, let's get you changed."

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Redvin Raven set up the middle of the Death Eater main room with a huge rectangular table and enough seats for the guests. He knew there wasn't going to be that many but he wanted to feel comfortable while he talked to them.

Once the Goyle and Crabbe Seniors and their wives arrived, he assigned them the seats on one side of the table and then an old woman at the head. He then seated the other fathers on one side of the table and left four seats empty before leading the children into the weapon room. He had turned into a toy/reading room to keep them out of their sight as he discussed his problem with the Death Eaters. He locked them in, just in case the children decided to spy on them.

"So, Red," asked Ben as Red positioned himself on the chair beside him. "What's the problem?"

Red moaned. "The Poena Charm, it's too strong."

"Strong?"

"Yes, strong," stressed Red. "I tried using it on making a protection charm on my closet."

"What were you keeping there, Red? Your other clothes?" commented Ben. The other fathers laughed on this remark.

Red started to curl his lips. "Do you twats have to always be sick-minded? I do not dress femininely. Besides, it wasn't a clothes closet."

"What kind of closet is it then?" joked Ben again. "What is it for? To keep certain other things?" The other men start to laugh harder while the women tittered under their breaths.

Red frowned at them, his eyes narrowing and nose starting to flare. "I was using it to hide Death Eater material!"

The other fathers looked at each other and went back to their usual serious composure.

"Enough. The rest of you!" ordered the old woman with her authoritative voice. (She was the same woman who talked to Tali the day the Charms were made.) She turned to Red and asked, "Then what is the problem, Redvin?"

"The spell was meant to protect a closet, Claire. It worked on my whole house."

"Whole house?" exclaimed Claire. Her mouth opened wide in surprise and suddenly turned it into a smile. "I should've known."

"Is there anything you forgot to tell us, Claire? You didn't warn us about certain things."

"I didn't know," said Claire. "I forgot. The Poena Charm was only meant for young wizards and witches, not Mages, Redvin. Mages have whole different rules when it comes to spells and enchantments if placed on them."

Crabbe Sr. was skeptical since he didn't really know who or what Claire is or what a Mage really is. "How would you know?"

Claire looked at the fathers, her lips forming a devious smirk, and waited for their approval. Lucius nodded his head. She then pointed her nose to the ceiling, keeping her eye on Crabbe, as she mumbled something under her breath. A few seconds later, Crabbe jumped onto the platform in front of the room and started to tap dance while singing "A hundred of bottles of beer..."

"Vincent!" exclaimed his wife, Valerie. "Control yourself!"

"... Ninety nine bottles of beer on the wall..." He sang and danced for another verse. Claire raised an eyebrow and a second later, Crabbe stopped and regained his senses.

Crabbe looked at her in fear. "What did you do to me? What are you?"

He started to run towards her but when she puts her hand out motioning him to stop, he was jerked backwards by an invisible force.

"For your information, Dear Vincent," teased Claire, "I placed you under a mild Imperius spell."

"Without a wand?" exclaimed Crabbe. "But only Mages can... And the children are the..."

"What better to know a Mage than a Mage herself?"

Crabbe's eyes popped as his lips started to sputter. "A mmm mmmaa... Mage?"

"Yes, Crabbe! All this time and you didn't know?"

Crabbe headed back to his seat, his eyes fixed on Claire. As he sat, he changed his focus towards the floor. Claire considered his actions as a form of defeat so she continued on about the Poena Charms to the fathers.

"Maybe Red's incident happened because the children's powers are stronger than you all expected. Stronger than we expected. There is no known precedence about Poena Charms on Mages so even I don't know about it. But don't you worry your pretty little heads because we can always alter the charm a bit so that we can distribute the powers to the other Death Eaters."

"Distribute?" questioned Ranco. "Why would we want to do that?"

"You can use it as a bribe, Ranco. I don't think you'll be needing all the power anyway. I can make about ten of those semi-talismans for each real talisman. It most certainly would not affect the children if anyone touches it like the Poena Charm does but it would definitely have the same effect. You can give it to your best and most loyal supporters. It wouldn't give them a lot of power but just enough where they can do simple spells without the use of wands."

"Not bad," commented Ben. "You know how to do this?"

"Of course! If I did not work for Grindelwald before, I wouldn't have known enough of my powers and all its mysteries. Thanks to the Grindelwald, I would not have known of my capabilities as a Mage. And I owe the same to our Master. I'll help you and I'll help your children know theirs once you teach them about Master. I will... what was that?"

Their little gathering stopped short when they hear indistinct screaming and shouting from inside the toy room.

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Although little Vincent and Gregory are a year older than the four, they became friends because all their parents were Death Eaters. They played with the girls once in a while but boys will be boys. They'd rather wrestle around and play pretend Quidditch with the Malfoy cousins while the girls stayed in the corner, playing chess. And that was what they were doing just at that instant.

"Checkmate, Raine," said Tali, her arms raised in the air as she grinned.

"Nah uh!" argued Raine. "I don't think so."

"Yeah huh!"

Looking at the chessboard again, Raine knew she was beaten by her cousin for the third time that day.

"Fine!" she screamed as she stood up. She then picked up the chessboard, kicked it, threw the chess pieces towards the boys. The boys stopped playing, hiding their faces from the chess pieces until Raine ran out of ammunition.

"You are such a bad sport, you know," condemned Tali, still sitting on the floor, as the boys inched away from them. "You're a really bad sport."

Raine walked right in front of her, her hands on her waist, almost stepping on Tali's knees. "I hate you!"

Tali finally stood up, she towered Raine since she was taller by about an inch. "Why? Because I won?"

"Because you always do!" A few seconds later, Raine started to look around the room as if she was looking for something. She gave a loud gasp as she shivered and hyperventilated.

"Raine what's wrong?" asked Tali, keeping a safe distance from her cousin. "Raine, what?"

Raine doesn't answer her but her head stared at the direction of the door. When she heard her father yelling 'Raine!' from outside the room, she ran to the door in panic, she turned the knob but it would not budge. She pounded on the door and she screamed but no one would open from the other side.

"Father! The door won't open."

*****

On the other side of the door, Red didn't hear her voice over the pounding so he continued to hold on to her talisman. "Raine get in here!"

*****

Raine turned and twisted the door knob but still the door refused to open. "It won't open! Father!"

Tali ran to the door, knowing that Raine was feeling the power of the talisman, and helped her but it still would not open. "Uncle!!! Uncle Redvin! It won't open!"

*****

"Raine! Get in here or..."

At that moment, Redvin accidentally scratched the charm with his nail. He then heard an ear--splitting shriek from behind the door. Red rushed to the door and opened it gently. Behind it was Tali, shielding Raine from being hit by the door. Raine was on her right side, curled into a ball, her teeth chattering as she bawled. Little did Red know that Raine's life was hanging on a very thin and fragile thread.

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A few minutes passed but Raine did not cease her crying. Claire and the men kept the other children inside the closed room while the women tried to calm Raine down.

"I'm sorry love. Shh..." comforted Red as he rubbed Raine's tiny back and walked with a rocking gait. He blew on her face, already drained of color, trying to give her some air. Her breathing had been distressed and her chest was heaving out of control and he was about a heartbeat away from panicking.

Valeria came back from the lavatory and handed Red a damp washcloth. Red sat down on the platform and laid Raine, resting her head on his lap, as he towels her face with the washcloth.

"It hurts father," sniveled the poor girl, her voice quivering. "It hurts. Make it stop!"

"Shh. It'll be alright. Shh."

Raine whimpered, biting into her lip and drawing blood, as she suddenly clawed into his arm.

"Raine?"

Her body arched as her legs stiffened and her eyes crawled to the back of her head. She then let go of her grasp as her head limped to one side.

"Raine!"

Raine's arms and legs started to move around uncontrollably and a few seconds later, the rest of her body jerked causing her head to bang back lightly into the platform.

Red lay her on the floor out of panic, not touching her due to fear that he might hurt her more. Raine continued to shake uncontrollably, hitting her limp arms and legs onto the floor for a few seconds.

Claire had just left the weapon room and, seeing the little girl's condition, walked over to Raine. She knelt beside her then fixing her eyes on the girl's. She held her down by her chest with one hand and touched the girl's forehead.

"Raine? You'll be fine, sweetie. Just calm down and let it go."

Raine's eyes suddenly focused on Claire's. A few seconds later, Raine stopped convulsing and regained her normal breathing. Her eyes gained focus again and she started to look around the room.

"Father?" she asked with her weak voice. "Where are you?" Red, hurriedly carried her in his arms, stood up and rubbed the nape of her neck.

"Raine. I'm sorry."

"Father..." Raine sobbed in a weak voice. Red mouthed a silent 'Thank you' to Claire and she in turn bowed to him as she walked closer. Claire smiled at him then rubbed Raine's back herself.

"Hi, Raine."

This made Raine turn her head to the direction of her healer.

"Hi."

"We ought to go," said Goyle Sr. trying to get out of the situation.

"We'll talk to all of you in another meeting," said Crabbe Sr. as he and Goyle Sr. take their wife and children out the Death Eater mansion.

Claire lead Red and Raine into the toy room. Tali bumped into them when she tried to get a look on her cousin. She then looked up at Red to see if Raine is all right. Claire took Tali aside and then carried her in her arms.

"Hi Tali."

Tali looked at her in wonder, her head tilted towards a shoulder.

"How did you know my name?"

"I am a friend of your father," Claire said in a friendly voice.

"Oh," said Tali, her eyes looking at Claire's green eyes. "So you're a Death Eater, right?"

"Mmm hmm." Claire smiled at her and then touched Tali's cheek. "Now, can you tell Draco and Riley to come here?" Tali nodded her head and went over to get the Malfoy boys after Claire had let her down. Claire had motioned the other children to come to her. She then took Raine from her father's arms.

"Can you stand Raine?" Raine nodded her head at her and stood beside Riley. Claire knelt in front of them, looking each of them in the eye. "Now I want you all to listen to me, alright? Oblivisci Presentia," she said as she waved her hand in their faces. She then stood up, bowed her head towards the fathers as the children stood still, their eyes fixed in emptiness, not noticing that she had suddenly disapparated.

A few seconds later, the children started to blink their eyes and looked at their fathers. Raine started to scratch her belly. "Let's go eat," she suggested, Riley and Draco seconded the motion.

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The fathers and their children had just finished eating lunch in Diagon Alley when the fathers decided to go to Knockturn Alley. The children found it boring there except for a couple of places that allowed them in such as Nelly's Bakery and the Dark Arts Bookstore.

"We're going to Knockturn now," said Ranco as he started to lead them to the direction of Knockturn Alley.

"It's boring there, father," whined Riley, his arms crossed as he leaned near the wall. Draco walked backwards away from the direction of Knockturn.

"Can't we just roam around Diagon, father?"

"Fine go ahead. And don't break anything!!!"

"Yay!" screamed the Malfoy boys as they dragged the girls to the nearest store. The nearest store was the toy store but Tali had accidentally dropped her money pouch while the others continued to run. They looked back at her as when they noticed her gone but they accidentally bump into a half-giant. They all fell, the Malfoy boys on top of Raine.

"Umm... I'm err sorry," said the half-giant as he tried to help them up. Riley and Draco refused his hand and helped Raine, who was already crying. She had scratches on her palms and her knees.

Tali saw what the giant did to her comrades so she decided to kick the half-giant. "You ugly git! Get out of here!"

Hagrid reached over to help Raine. "I'm sorry. Let me er help ya, little one." He had accidentally touched her scratched palms making her scream at the top of her lungs. Everybody in Diagon Alley looked at the both of them.

A Death Eater, Avery Elliot, saw what the half-giant had done from a few feet away and walked over to Raine, pushing the huge man away from her. He kneeled in front of Raine and looked at her palms.

"You alright, sweetie?" he asked as Raine showed him her scraped palm. "Good job, Hagrid. You've not only be a pain in the ass to look at, you're also a pain."

"Don't use the foul language in front of children, Avery," said Hagrid.

"Don't use your size to hurt them either."

"It was en accident. I didn't mean it."

"Go away you ugly half-blood!" Riley said as he picked up a rock and threw it at Hagrid's stomach. Before Riley could throw another rock, Avery stopped him.

"Come on, all of you, I'll take you back to your fathers, alright?"

"No need, Avery."

Red had just arrived at the scene. He knew Raine's scream from anywhere. He looked at Raine's hand and then carried her on his arms before continuing.

"Look at this man, Raine, children. Look at him hard. This man, if we can call him that, has a disgusting Mudblood mother..." The children started making faces at Hagrid. "... and his father is a giant. Disgusting, creatures. It's like you are born of a undomesticated animal. Uh! And to think they let you in Hogwarts. They seem to let everybody in nowadays. If only Durmstrang was not that far, I would send these children there."

"Maybe you should, Raven, since an apple never rots far from the tree," said Hagrid. "Might as well send them straight there." Redvin walked closer to Hagrid fearlessly, paying no attention to the man's height and that Hagrid could just pound him to the ground with one blow.

"If it weren't illegal to kill creatures like you, you'd be dead in a heartbeat. Don't go showing your face near Knockturn Alley if you know what's best for you."

Hagrid held back his tears as he walked away.

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The fathers and their children headed back to the Black mansion after their trip to the Alleys since it had already gotten dark. They went to the backyard, which was huge enough to entertain hundreds of guests, for a dinnertime barbecue. An open sided tent was set up, under it were the dining tables and chairs, still extravagantly set with golden utensils. The four mothers were already sitting by and cooking on the bonfire they had set earlier that day. Lena, Raine's mother, was turning the spit when she turned her head around and saw her daughter.

"Hey Raine. Do you want a piece of chicken? It's almost ready"

Raine turned to her father, making sure that her father gave her permission to go over to her mother. Red nodded his head.

"Go ahead, honey," she said. "Your mother won't bite."

Raine, and also the other children, walked over to their mother, and helped her cook for a while. Lena, who was smiling the whole time, rubbed the cheek that should have had a cut or a bruise from last night's brawl. But the fact of the matter is she never got a bruise or cut from last night. She wasn't even there.