Prelude and Fugue

Chapter 9: Prelude and Fugue

"I don't want to go prowling around a creepy old graveyard full of ancient curses."

"What kind of wizard are you?"

"The sensible kind."

"Do you know anyone brave enough to watch our backs?"

There was a silent pause.

"Narcissa," suggested Severus.

"Draupadi," suggested Lucius.

"What would happen if we asked them to go with us and hold our hands because of a creepy old graveyard?"

"We'd never hear the end of it."

"That means it's just us two intrepid warlocks."

"Yeah."

After his last session at the Parkinson residence, Lucius had felt quite refreshed. 'It's amazing what a little Arithmancy will do for you,' he thought. Once the number was factored, the code was easily cracked. Now, on a cold night in late January, the two of them were trudging towards a famous gravesite. They would recite the incantation and retrieve the Druidic jewel. Once again, they rehashed their reasons for destroying it.

"We're not going to give it to what's-his-name?"

"You've got to be kidding."

"We don't trust the other side either?"

Severus gathered his thoughts, "Potter was abused until he came to Hogwarts. His life there hasn't been easy. I haven't seen any signs of a catharsis. He's a plastered over fault line ready to crack...especially if his friends get killed."

Lucius had heard the Potter story.

"Weasley is the youngest son in a poor family. He has high-achieving brothers and a talented sister. He lives in the shadow of a famous friend and a brilliant witch. He could make a grab for money and power."

Lucius knew the Weasley family.

"Granger has been holding the group together, but she's realizing she's an isolated and lonely swot. If she cracks, there's no one to hold her together."

Lucius had experienced the Granger instability.

'I wasn't completely truthful about Hermione having no one,' thought Severus, 'but I can't tell anyone about us, not even Lucius.'

The closer the goal, the more obstacles appear. As they traversed their dark path, the two were questioning their mission. Suppose they were not able to destroy the artifact.

"All it takes is the ability to factor large numbers, and we can release all this power."

"The ancient Druids must have believed that when we became this technically advanced, we would be highly evolved. Evil would be non-existent or under control."

"You don't think they miscalculated things, do you?"

"Are you worried that we'll be blamed if we discover the stone a few years early and release its power into the world?"

There was a pause for deep thought.

"Hermione Granger is the one who wanted to explore Druid secret codes and Numerology."

"Then it's not our fault."

"We're good to go."

The pair trudged through the dark and endless night.

Lucius wrapped his cloak tighter. "It's colder than a witch's tit in a Nebraska blizzard."

Severus shook his head. "You and your fancy literary references."

More trepidation appeared as they approached their goal. Lucius and Severus had stopped to check out some open ground before crossing it. It gave them time for philosophical speculation.

"We're betraying both sides."

"It's like screwing your wife's best friend."

"It's natural. Your wife's best friend is compatible but different."

"It affirms our wife made a good choice for a friend. It's a compliment to both of them actually."

They nodded agreement. 'Wives and their best friends should be happier about it,' they thought.

Lucius and Severus were not the only ones on a mission that fateful night. Mr. Goyle, who had never trusted Malfoy, had followed the duo until their destination became clear and then notified the Death Eaters. Miss Tonks, who had never trusted Snape, tracked the pair to their rendezvous with destiny and then roused the Order of the Phoenix. Mr. Moody, who had never trusted either Malfoy or Snape, had alerted the Aurors, but he didn't trust the Aurors enough to tell them which wizards were involved or what he thought might be happening. The Aurors, who didn't trust Moody, sent him home before laying their ambush for the untrustworthy pair.

Even two wizards completely focused on their goal and totally obsessed about a creepy old graveyard had to notice that something was up.

Lucius and Severus looked at each other. "We're being followed," they whispered.

A voice ahead of them boomed out, "All right, whoever you are, surrender! ... Do it now and live! ... You can't be dumb enough to take on eight Aurors!"

"He doesn't know us very well," muttered Severus.

The two prepared their disguises.

"You take the two behind the column and the two behind the garden wall. I'll take the two in the alley and the two on the balcony."

There were two jumps and two flashes of light. There were another two jumps and another two flashes of light.

"I hope the Aurors Guild has good medical benefits," said Severus.

"I never thought I'd say it," said Lucius, "but I'm losing my taste for this."

They arrived at the correct spot in the creepy old graveyard.

"Have you noticed that it doesn't make any difference, but it's a full moon anyway?"

"That's the way these things happen," they agreed.

They recited the reappearance-incantation, and the artifact lay gleaming before them.

"Wow!" they said.

"Good thing we're not tempted by its power."

"It scares me shitless."

"Yeah, me too."

Before they could complete their mission, our two hardy souls noticed that, once again, they were not alone.

In the near distance, there was a rustling and a slithering. Dark forms moved toward them through the brambles. Over these skulking forms, a darker form appeared in the sky.

"Oh, look," said Severus. "They brought a dragon."

The forces of darkness who Hades awaits had sneakily brought Helmut the waste maker. Foul darkness was unleashed into the world when his splotched egg had broken.

"I think the other side has a ringer, too," said Lucius.

From over the rolling hills came the steadfast advance of the wizard world's finest. Above them, the brave shape of an eagle shone in the star light. It was Montcliff pride of feathered warriors. His hatching from a splendiferous egg had given new hope to the just.

Helmut breaker of butterbeer tables and Montcliff keeper of spirits had spotted each other.

Helmut whose soul knew only cruelty ascended into the cruel night doing Cuban figure eights and finishing with a hammerhead with full membrane spread. There was hooting and rude noises from the side that loved deceit.

Montcliff forever faithful soared into the moonlight and displayed an outside loop followed by a stoop that sent a sonic boom rolling across the country side. There was hearty applause from the side whose faith was clear.

Seeing the other was not going to withdraw, the aerial combatants screamed their fury. They were like to rend the world with their cries. And that is why Severus and Lucius whose stalwart natures had never before faltered did that which they did. It caused them to miss the historic battle for the Druid's jewel. And much happened that night upon the embattled surface of England our own fair jewel.

McNair the essence of foul play snuck behind the trio that brought hope to the world and flung a wicked weal-raiser that missed them by inches. May the gods always grant such clemency to those who fight for justice. Remus whose heart thumped for truth appeared behind him and aimed a perfect skin-peeler at McNair the misbegotten sneak.

But misbegotten fate deflected that harmonious blow. When he heard the audacious spell whiz past his ear, McNair that bastion of misdeeds blew such a blast from the bastion of his ass that it caused the righteous to grin from ear to ear.

"Well done," applauded Ginny connoisseur of cunning curses.

Elsewhere on the plain of strife, two champions wrought of stern stuff faced each other.

Bellatrix whose twisted tongue was forever harsh to the friends of good made her unkind greeting. "Well, well, it's the bushy-haired one."

Hermione whose sweet lips could pass no lie spoke with fair speech. "I don't like you."

Truly, no love was lost between them. Their crossed spells which would shrivel the courage of valiant men knocked Bellatrix whose foul plans had not yet come to fruition down the gully. We now know whose soul was the purer.

Hermione that upright pillar of fortitude spent a golden minute smoothing her auburn curls back into place. 'Now, where was I?' the child of faith thought when her fair locks were once again the springboard for romance.

Spotting Avery descendent of blackness, Ron whose soul could abide no falsity spun a splendid spell that raised blisters. Avery whose name was baseness was wont to complain. "It hurts like hell."

The denizens of the air had not been idle. Montcliff bred to bravery had out flown Helmut in whom evil flourished. The feathered friend of mankind had snatched the jewel.

Crabbe and Goyle that dastardly duo where dwelled no decent desire dealt a dolorous dispatch that dinged Montcliff darer of decorous deeds direct in the gizzard.

"The chicken burped up the stone," cried the two miscreants who would never be missed.

Luna whose being wept mercy found inspired vengeance and flung a double-barreled ball-buster. Foremost was she amongst wizard kind with that dexterous blow. The two who were never true lay clutching their bits and writhing in the dust.

"A right good stroke," said Harry that child of light.

With a shriek of triumph, Helmut whose heart was a stranger to courtesy dived for the shiny object of desire where it lay upon the flat rock.

The heroic trio whose spirits were united hurled a hefty hex. They nigh on cracked the firmament with their valorous whoop:

"VoldemortEatShit."

Helmut bringer of sorrow was knocked ass over teakettle. Back at the nest, many a tear would be shed and many a clutch of eggs would lay barren, for the mighty triad whose steadfastness had not wavered had blown the dick off that foe to civility.

Long may the poets sing of this majestic deed!

Screaming his agony, Helmut source of strife tumbled into the last remaining upright stone which fell and crushed the Druid's gift.

There was a flash all the colors of magic.

The orbit of the moon changed by a measurable fraction.

Enchanters braver than the narrator would have quailed before the release of such power. And that is saying something.

The stars were shining brighter, and the woods were becoming darker.

A few minutes later, Lucius and Severus peeked from their muddy ditch and surveyed the battle plain honored with the unconscious forms of those whose moral fibre had not deserted them. They looked at each other.

"By Jiminy."

"I think we saved the world."

"Yeah."

Lucius and Severus toured the landscape that had witnessed stirring deeds worthy of a bard. Would such an illustrious wordsmith soon grace our lives. They wiped everyone's memory of the recent events and sent them back in heaps to their respective safe places.

"Their Masters will be displeased."

"Voldemort will be unhappy. He will torture them, but their physical agony will be short."

"Yes, you're right. Dumbledore will be understanding and withhold information from them. Their mental and psychological anguish will linger."

They nodded agreement. "To each his own."

Severus remembered that he was supposed to meet Draupadi and attend a production of her favorite play: 'Peter Pan and Wendy.' He was late and they would miss the first act. If that wasn't bad enough, Draupadi would require extra attention, and he would not be in his office when Hermione finished her Prefect patrol and appeared for a cuddle and reassurance. 'Oh boy, am I in trouble,' he thought.

Lucius remembered that it was Saturday night and Narcissa had expected him to be home hours ago for a cocktail and some conjugal bliss before he went out to spend the rest of the evening with 'the boys.' And it was late enough that he would not make it to Natalie's home on time for supper as he had promised. Her soufflé would be overcooked, and she would be tapping the floor with her foot. 'Oh boy, am I in trouble,' he thought.

Much later, when the witching hour was over and they were asleep, a restless warlock knocked on the door of another restless warlock.

They placed the bottles on the table, poured the amber liquid, and raised their glasses.

"We screwed up everything in our screwed path."

"We screwed everything in our screwed-up path."

They nodded agreement.

~~ END ~~