Chapter 4: Mr. Lucius Malfoy
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“Afterward, the 700 people in the boats had nothing to do but wait…wait to die…wait to live…wait for an absolution…that would never come.”
--Titanic
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Lucius Malfoy apparated in front of The Three Broomsticks. Just as he was heading up towards the school an owl dropped a note from the Ministry. He read it and smiled. It was a note suspending Albus Dumbledore from Hogwarts pending the custody trial and a vote by the Wizarding World after the story broke.
He continued his way up to the school and found Harry Potter asking for the syrup, a copy of
The Daily Prophet clutched in his hand. Lucius Malfoy strode past and up to the head table, his robes billowing sinisterly (though how a robe could be sinister is impossible to tell).
He stopped in front of the head table and handed the missive to Dumbledore. Speaking load enough that the rest of the school could hear he said, “You have been suspended from duties as headmaster of Hogwart’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry until after the custody proceedings for one Harry James Potter, which is pending vote by the witches and wizards of the Wizarding world. You have also been given a No-contact restraining order. You are not allowed within a mile of Mr. Potter until the day of the trial. You are to leave Hogwarts within the hour and during that time you are not allowed to talk to Mr. Potter. After you leave you are not allowed to contact Mr. Potter in anyway until the trial begins.”
An angry look warped onto his face as he opened his mouth however Lucius beat him to it, “If you say anything right now it will be a violation of the order as Mr. Potter is currently within hearing distance. Should you choose to continue I’ll be forced to contact aurors to take you to Azkaban where you will stay until the trial.”
Dumbledore glared at an un-flinching Lucius Malfoy turned and quickly strode out of the Great Hall. Lucius smirked and then turned to Minerva McGonagall. “Madame McGonagall, you are also not allowed to contact Mister Dumbledore as he’s not allowed to contact you in any regard that is not to do with the school. Mr. Potter is a taboo topic of discussion and a Ministry representative must be present, I believe that’s Madame Umbridge. Also you are to take over the headmaster duties as headmistress.” He turned and headed back through the hall until he was next to Harry Potter who was having a lively discussion with Luna Lovegood.
Lucius stopped and said, “Excuse me, Miss Lovegood, Mr. Potter, Madame Bones asked me to pass on a message. Rumors have been surfacing that you were anything but happy at the home of your relatives and that your Magical Guardian, which in the absence of Mr. Black, was Mr. Dumbledore, left you there when he was perfectly capable of taking care of you himself.”
“WHAT?!” Harry shouted. “HE LEFT ME WITH THOSE…THOSE…THOSE MUDLES?!!!” Eyes widened at Harry’s term. Mudles was like Mudblood except that it was used to describe Muggles. Muggle-borns looked at Harry with disgust as did many halfbloods.
“MR. POTTER!” McGonagall shouted at the same time as Hermione shouted “HARRY!”
“Yes, he left you with those Mudles, to use your words,” Lucius said smoothly, ignoring the outburst. “That is why you are no longer being left in his custody. You are currently a ward of the Ministry until your custody trial. Many Wizarding families will be placing suits to try to gain custody of you, I know I have.”
As the first filer he would be the first to be ruled on. The court could well give him custody without hearing any of the other cases, though it could be a long drawn out trial. He hoped the court decided right away. He had the capabilities to raise the boy and it seemed that Miss Lovegood was very taken with him, plus he had a hatred of muggles that was growing with in him.
“Thank you, sir, for passing along this information,” Harry said.
“Good day, Mr. Potter, I look forward to the next time I see you,” with that Lucius Malfoy walked over to the Slytherin table to talk to his son.
Classes were cancelled that day due to the fact that McGonagall needed to find an adequate substitute teacher for her Transfiguration class and a staff meeting had to be held to make agreements between the teachers. Dumbledore, with only five minutes reluctantly gave a regular, daily, time for meetings between he and McGonagall and had already decided to pass along information through Snape, who had already decided that it would be a conflict of interest to do so, after all, he was a Slytherin and always choose to the winning side.
The days went on with Nymphadora Tonks coming from the Ministry to teach transfiguration as it was her best subject, tied with Defense Against the Dark Arts, while at Hogwarts. September passed in a flurry as everyone set on pins and needles wondering what would happen to Harry Potter. The latter had done lots of research with Luna Lovegood and Ginny Weasley, who he was hanging out with more and more since Ron and Hermione seemed to have alienated him after his confession about his family.
He found out that while he was still underage the Ministry could force him into the custody of any witch or wizard, but never muggles, but could not, without his consent, change his name. His new guardian could request such things as a “resorting,” a few days off from school “to get to know” his new family, and things like that. He found out that Warewolves, vampires, and other half-humans were ineligible as guardians for “safety reasons.” He also found out that the first filer had a decided advantage over the competition depending on the mood of the Wizengomt.
It was the last fact that made him form a truce with Draco Malfoy. Apparently his father had been the first filer, so it would be horrid if Draco were to be his enemy after they became “brothers.” It was this fact that ended his friendship officially with Ron and Hermione. They just didn’t want to be friends with a “Future-Death-Eater-In-Training” after all.
When October the first came around Luna and Ginny showed up in the Gryffindor fifth-year boy’s dormitory carrying a large supply of hygiene products and packed with wardrobe charms. Harry was woken up and pushed into the shower where he was told to wash with shampoo, conditioner, and body wash provided by the two girls. When he came out he was shoved into a chair, a towel the only bit of modesty he had. They split duty between his nails and hair working each with charms, product, and elbow grease. They then took his face, which they cleaned and then used some concealing on a few blemishes, though making sure the scar was not touched. They then had him dress in his finest robes, bought at Gladrags during a Hogsmede weekend. A few wardrobe charms to make everything neat and the three made their way to the Gate Hall for breakfast.
Classes had been cancelled that day do to the shear number of students that had to be absent that day. Every pure-blood family seemed to have filed for custody of the famed Boy-Who-Lived and that met the whole family (at least the immediately filing branch) had to be present at the trial. They were all taking port keys to the Platform 9 and ¾ where family and ministry vehicles would take them to the trial. At the station Harry bid goodbye to Luna and Ginny and got into the ministry car that would take him to the trials. The first would be whether or not Dumbledore should have legal rights over him.
The trial went quickly after their arrival. Despite what Dumbledore said he was quickly deemed unfit and dangerous to Harry.
The custody battles than began.
“…hereby hear the first custody case of one Lucius Daemon Malfoy, Narcissa Constellation Malfoy nee Black, and Draco Lucius Malfoy for the integration of one Harry James Potter into their family,” Cornelius Fudge said as Percy Weasley took notes.
“Mr. Lucius Malfoy, why do you think custody should be awarded?”
“I have the resources at my disposal to raise Mr. Potter. There is plenty of room at the manor and money in our vaults to take care of him. Mr. Potter needs a good family, that’s not too large and not too small, to help heal him after the events discussed in
Albus Wulfric Brian Dumbledore v. The Ministry of Magic of England earlier this morning.”
“Why have you come to this opinion?”
“Mr. Potter needs the devotion of his guardians to be focused on him while a child close to his age to engage in typical teenage activities such as friendly games of Quidditch. Larger families tend to divide their attention amongst their children, while a family without kids already would be unsure how to raise a teenager of fifteen or may not be ready for that responsibility. I believe my family is perfect because the ratio of children to adults is equal and our son is the same age as Mr. Potter,” Lucius concluded.
“What about the
rumors of your loyalties?”
“Minister Fudge,” Lucius said, “even if I were a death eater, I would have received permission from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named first. However, as the case was decided fourteen years ago, I believe to the date, in
Lucius Malfoy v. The Ministry of Magic of Britain I was under the influence of the Imperious curse and not even a supporter of You-Know-Who.”
Harry was impressed, not only was Lucius’s arguments true, but said in such a way that it left no room for counter argument. The minister turned to Harry, “Any to say against Mr. Malfoy?”
Harry thought and thought for about five minutes in silence before he shook his head in the negative.
“Very well, all those in favor of handing custody over to Mr. Malfoy,” the minister said raising his hand.