Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Hermione got up early, not wanting to wake either of her dorm mates. She quietly dressed and slipped downstairs. Checking to make sure there was no one in the common room, she pulled out her wand and tried to levitate a piece of paper. When it wouldn't move, she nearly broke down into tears.

Over the last few days, she had found it harder to do magic, but she was blaming it on stress. Stress had caused her to have problems with it in the past, but she had never completely lost her ability before.

She tried reading until it was time for breakfast but found she couldn't really concentrate. For a few minutes, she contemplated going to see Professor McGonagall, but rationalized the Headmistress was far too busy for something as trivial as stress. Unfortunately, it was going to impact her class performance, especially in Charms. She had barely made it through the last lesson.

At breakfast, she nervously pushed her food around her plate. She still hadn't eaten much by the time Harry and Ron joined her.

"Hey, Hermione. Are you all right?" asked Harry.

"I'm fine. I was up early. I'm going to head up to the library and take advantage of my free period." She was scooping up her books when Professor McGonagall walked by.

"Miss Granger, come with me, please," McGonagall said curtly.

"See ya, Hermione," said Ron as she walked away.

"What's wrong, Professor?" she asked nervously, wondering if McGonagall knew about her problem.

"You'll see," McGonagall replied, leading Hermione to a nearby classroom.

Hermione was surprised to see Tonks waiting for them.

"Hiya, Hermione."

"What are you doing here?" Hermione asked.

Tonks was clearly uncomfortable. "I, er, well... Are you having any problem doing magic?" she finally asked.

"What? That's ridiculous. Why would you think that?" While she had been contemplating telling McGonagall, she was caught off guard and stuck with her denial. "I've been a little stressed lately, but it's nothing that hasn't happened before."

"So you are having problems, Miss Granger?" McGonagall asked.

"Well, a little, but nothing major," she replied while looking at the ground.

"Hermione, this is important. Is it a little or a lot?" Tonks asked gently.

"This morning I couldn't do anything," she admitted awkwardly. She looked up in time to see McGonagall frown. "What does it mean?"

"Sit down, Miss Granger," McGonagall said. "Tonks came to me this morning and told me that Mr. Malfoy is experiencing a similar lack of magic. When did your problem start?"

"Lucius has this problem, too?" she asked as she started to mull the possibilities.

"Miss Granger, we need some answers," McGonagall said impatiently.

"Sorry, Professor. I guess it was three or four days ago that I started noticing problems casting more difficult spells, but I've been under a lot of stress, and it's happened before."

"And today you couldn't do anything?" McGonagall asked for confirmation.

"No, Professor. It's gotten worse the last couple of days."

McGonagall took a deep breath and asked, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought it was just stress and didn't want to bother you with it. What is it?" Realizing her loss of magic wasn't stress, she was becoming more concerned, afraid that Voldemort had done something horrible to her to steal her magic.

"We aren't sure. I only learned about it this morning."

"And it's important that it's happening to both of us? I have to get to the library."

"Miss Granger."

Hermione apologized, "Sorry, Professor, it's a reflex. What does Lucius know?"

"Nothing, right now," said Tonks. "He was trying to formulate some theories last night, but he was waiting to hear if it was affecting you, too."

"So what do we do now?" Hermione asked.

"Tonks will take you back to headquarters, though you might miss some of your morning classes, but we can't risk Floo travel. As we suspect this is serious Dark Magic, Malfoy would be the best one to question you. We'll make a decision from there."

"Thank you, Professor."

"Leave your bag here. I'll see it's returned to your room."

**********

When Hermione and Tonks arrived at Grimmauld Place, they found a rather haggard looking Lucius pouring over the few texts on Dark Arts at the house.

He looked up when the two women entered the room. "So, it's affecting you, too?" he asked sadly.

She nodded. "I couldn't do anything this morning. It started a few days ago and has gotten worse."

"Let me see," he said.

She brandished her wand and pointed it at the book on the table. She watched in amazement as it slowly lifted from the table. In her shock, she lost control of the spell and dropped the book. "That didn't work this morning," she insisted.

Lucius was not the least bit upset, instead he looked pleased at this development. "Remus, may I have my wand?" He eagerly took his wand from Remus and likewise levitated the book; though he didn't let it fall, it still wavered in mid-air.

"What does it mean?" asked Hermione.

"I'm not entirely sure. I don't entirely understand all the magic that you have been subjected to. Even though I have used the one spell in the past, I never experienced anything like this. Of course, when the connection to the Dark Lord was broken..."

"It could have shifted to you," she finished. "And you said that none of the others... This is going to require some research. You still have the Maledictions de la Morte, don't you?" Her mind was racing from possibility to possibility, barely stopping long enough for her to articulate her thoughts.

"Of course. That's what I've been doing, searching through it for answers, but it has shed no light on a shifting of the connection."

"What about the other book?" she started pacing.

"I've only been able to reveal four pages, but the loss of magic has likely prevented me from revealing more. There is also the possibility that me not having my wand has made this task more difficult."

"He has to come back with me," Hermione insisted.

"Hermione, we need to discuss this with McGonagall and the others," said Tonks.

"We've already proven that we need to be near each other for our magic to work. I can't help with the search at Hogwarts, and he can't figure out that book without magic. There isn't any other option."

"She is correct. We need to be near each other," affirmed Lucius.

"How near?" Remus asked.

Lucius shrugged. "I have no idea. I've never heard of this sort of connection before."

"Hermione, come with me. We'll tell McGonagall what we've learned and make arrangements for him to come to Hogwarts."

"But..." she started to protest.

Lucius interrupted, "It's all right. I know this will have to be carefully orchestrated so that no one knows I'm there. I expect I'll be there late tonight. Besides, I have to pack since I'll be staying for a while."

"Right. Remus, I'll send a message when we are ready. Come on, Hermione," Tonks said.

***********

Once Lucius had packed up his few belongings, he returned to the drawing room and his books. He completely lost track of time until Remus set his wand down on the desk.

"It's time to go. I think you'll probably need this, and it seems silly to keep it here. So, do you have any ideas?"

"Very few. I can't recall ever having heard of this sort of magic. Hopefully, being at Hogwarts will help. There is a rather extensive library, and I'm hoping arrangements can be made for me to use the books."

"I'm sure Minerva will work something out. As time permits, I'll see what research I can get done at the central library. I'm sure that between you and Hermione you'll figure it out. She's quite bright."

"Thank you for your vote of confidence."

"What can I say, I like being optimistic. Shall we?"

Both men held their wands at the ready as they left the house.

Minerva met them at the Hogwarts gates. She gave Lucius a disapproving look. "Come with me, Mr. Malfoy."

Lucius shook hands with Remus. "Thank you very much."

"My pleasure. Good luck."

Once the gates were closed, Lucius could hear Remus Disapparating.

"You will, of course, have to remain concealed while you are here," Minerva said. "We have made arrangements for you to stay in the Room of Requirement. It is a hidden room that will conceal you from the student body. House-elves will deliver your meals."

"What of my research? Will I have access to the library?"

"Very limited access. We will work out the details of after-hours access for you. Of course, you will be allowed to take books out of the library. I assume you brought the book in question with you?"

"I did. Hopefully, being here will allow me to unlock the secrets of the book."

She didn't say anything else as she led him to the seventh floor. Once there, she stopped in front of a tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. "To get into the room, you will need to walk three times in front of this blank stretch of wall, concentrating on a place for you to remain hidden."

He watched her walk three times in front of the wall and a door appeared. She pushed open the door and revealed a simply furnished room. "As I have said, you will remain here unless someone comes for you." She gave him a sly grin. "Dobby has been assigned to look after you."

He turned to question that assignment, but she had closed the door. He knew that it was not coincidence that Dobby was being assigned to him. Well, if he wanted to prove to Potter and the others that he had changed, this was his best opportunity. He was sure to be spending a great deal of time with Potter and Weasley.

"Dobby," he called softly.

After a few seconds, the elf popped into the room. "You has called Dobby?" the elf asked suspiciously.

Lucius forced himself to smile. He couldn't believe that he was doing this. True, he had a much better relationship with his house-elves now, but he had never actually apologized to them, just modified his behavior. "Yes, there is something I wish to say to you. I treated you quite unfairly when you were in my service." He paused and swallowed. "I wish to apologize for how I treated you."

"Master is apologizing to Dobby?"

"Yes. I will take my meals at the normal times." He hoped this would be the last he had to hear of this.

Dobby eyed Lucius suspiciously and replied, "Dobby will bring breakfast at seven."

"That will be all. Good night." Once Dobby was gone, Lucius took a good look at his surroundings. The furnishings were better than those he had at Grimmauld Place, but still not what he was accustomed to. "If only I were back in my room," he muttered wistfully.

There was a sickening swirling sensation, and when it stopped, he could have sworn that he was in his room back at the manor. "Remarkable," he whispered. A quick investigation revealed that the only thing the room was missing was his clothes. Other than that, it was exactly as he remembered it. "Perhaps this won't be as bad as I thought." With a wave of his wand, he unpacked his belongings and settled in for the night.

***************

While neither Hermione nor Professor McGonagall had told Ron and Harry about Lucius being at Hogwarts, she knew she would have to bring it up. The two of them would be unable to search the Room of Requirements for the time being, and they would want to know why. She had spent most of the night trying to determine the best way to break the news to them.

At breakfast, she cornered them at the far end of the table. Since so many students had not returned to Hogwarts, it was easy to find a secluded spot. "There's something important I have to tell you," she said in a hushed whisper. "And you have to keep it secret."

"What is it?" whispered Ron.

She looked around the room, making sure no one was nearby. "You know how I've been having trouble with spells the last few days?"

"Yeah. We've been wondering what you've been stressed about. It's everything that's happened, right?" Harry asked.

"Not exactly." She licked her lips nervously. She had tried to find a way to make sure the Lucius looked innocent. "You see, there was a very powerful spell connecting me, the baby and Voldemort. When Lucius broke the link, he didn't understand the true nature of it. He severed the side that connected to Voldemort. The loose end of the link was looking for someone else. It chose him."

"And?" asked Harry.

"I don't understand it, but somehow our two magical abilities were connected with that new link. After several days apart, we both started having problems with magic. When I woke up yesterday, I found I couldn't do any magic at all. Before I could tell anyone, Tonks and Professor McGonagall told me that Lucius was having the same problem. He had already begun to theorize there might be some sort of link. To test this, Tonks took me to see him. Once we were near each other, we found that we regained the ability to do magic."

"Where is this going, Hermione?" Ron asked.

She took a deep breath. "Last night, Professor McGonagall brought Lucius to the castle. He's staying in the Room of Requirement so that we will be able to use magic. I need it to help you with the search of the castle, and he needs it to decode the book."

"Fine, he's here. But I don't want you going near him," Harry insisted.

"That's not going to be practical. In him we have an expert in the Dark Arts. He'll stay hidden, but I'm not going to pass the opportunity to use him as a resource. Besides, someone will have to see what he finds in that book, and seeing that neither of you can be civil around him, it's going to have to be me." She picked up her bag and stormed out of the Great Hall.

**************

Lucius was enjoying his tea and attempting to work on the book when there was a knock on his door. "Come in," he called politely, hoping it was Hermione. He was disappointed to see McGonagall's stern face. "Good morning, Professor," he said cheerfully.

She looked around the room, disapproval clear on her face. "What happened to the room?"

He gave her a charming smile, hoping to improve her mood. "Well, the room seemed to decide that this was how it should look."

She continued to scowl at the ostentatious display of opulence and placed a scroll on the table. "That is a list of books in the Restricted Section. I'll return at lunch to find out which books you need."

"I will have a list prepared for you, though it will be useful for me to actually peruse the library. I may not recognize a book by its title alone."

"That is still being arranged and will probably happen tomorrow evening." She swept out of the room without saying anything else.

Lucius couldn't help but laugh at how much the change of surroundings had thrown her off balance.

*************

Transfiguration was incredibly tense since Harry, Ron and Hermione shared a table. After class, Professor McGonagall held the three of them back. She had a stern look on her face as she addressed them. "I can understand that not all of you are pleased with recent events. There was no other choice."

"But, Professor, if he's working for Voldemort, we've just let him into the castle. The last time we had a Death Eater in the castle, he killed Dumbledore."

"That's enough, Potter!" chastised McGonagall. "Rest assured that Mr. Malfoy cannot leave his room. Over the past nine months, he has earned a measure of trust. After his work saving Miss Granger's life, I thought you would realize this. Now, Miss Granger, off to class with you."

As Hermione left the room, she could hear Professor McGonagall telling Harry and Ron they were not to bother Lucius, and that Dobby was keeping an eye on him.

************

Normally, Hermione loved Arithmancy, but today, she found that she could barely concentrate on class. As soon as class was over, she hurried up to the seventh floor corridor so she could see Lucius. When she opened the door, she found him sitting at a desk. She was surprised to see that he had recreated his room at his manor. He smiled at her, when he saw her. "How are you doing?"

"Quite well. And you?" he asked as he rose to greet her.

"Much better now, thank you." She collapsed into his arms, taking comfort from his embrace. She could see the book sitting on the desk. "Have you made any progress?"

He regained his seat, encouraging her to sit on his lap. "Some. I have managed to reveal another dozen or so pages. I will have to spend time studying those to reveal more."

She picked up the book and flipped through the pages. "Are all Dark Magic books this complicated?"

He laughed softly. "Only the most dangerous ones. So far, I have not revealed anything truly dangerous or useful."

He nuzzled against her neck and she pushed him away. When she tried to get up, he tightened his grip around her waist. "Lucius, please be serious." She noticed the book list on the desk. "Do you need me to get any of these for you?"

He stopped trying to kiss her and replied, "Professor McGonagall will stop by at lunch time to see which ones I require. Are you trying to get away from me? Do I bore you that much?"

"No, it's not that. It's just..."

"I know that it was a horrible experience for you. I'm here for you." He rubbed her back to reassure her that nothing would harm her.

She nodded and changed the subject. "I told Ron and Harry that you are here. They aren't pleased, but Professor McGonagall has told them to stay away from you. Do you really think we can find the answer? That we can sever this connection?"

"Of course I do," he replied confidently. He picked up the list of books. "I have seen several tomes here that might be useful. Probably more from an historical perspective than a practical one, but if I can find any other record of something like this having happened before, it might provide a clue as to how to sever this link."

She shifted nervously. "Lucius, are you still having problems with your magic?" When he gave her a confused look, she continued, "I mean, I can cast simple spells, but today in Transfiguration, I was having problem with a new spell. I never have problems, not even with the most difficult spells."

He frowned. "Honestly, I have only tried the simplest of spells. I know I am being watched and didn't want to draw too much attention." After she stood, he tried to think of a complex spell to perform. Human transfiguration was difficult, but he didn't want to risk injuring her. While it wasn't as difficult as a Vanishing Spell, Lucius decided to transfigure his footstool into a dog.

They were both disappointed when all that happened was the footstool grew a little furrier and now had a wagging tail. "Are you good at Transfiguration?" she asked tentatively.

"Quite good." He began pacing. "Clearly, there is something more to this spell. If we do not possess our magic in full, the remainder must be going somewhere. I have not heard of any sort of spell that will rob a witch or wizard of their power permanently."

"It wouldn't be going to our daughter, would it?"

"I don't believe so. Your connection to her was severed, or you would not be alive. Talk with Professor McGonagall. Tell her I need to get into the library tonight."

"Right." She kissed him and hurried out of the room. This whole situation was very complex and was showing no signs of becoming simpler. She hoped that the library would provide some much needed information.

A/N: Once again, thanks to Mimy for being my beta reader. It is so wonderful to have someone to bounce ideas off of. And thanks to those who have left reviews. I'm glad that so many are enjoying this story.