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"Quickly, Potter, there's little time to talk," Egremon said as he and Harry disappeared from view.
"What?" Harry hissed. "What's there to talk about? You sold Lucius out to the Dark Lord. I'm not going to trust you now."
"I had no idea Voldemort was not going to take his own form when he came back," Egremon said. "What did you expect me to do, not go through with it? He would
have killed me, and probably you as well. Now hurry up, I must bring the girl to him."
"You're going to give Hermione to that-that snake?" Harry growled.
"We must stick to the plan, lad, or the Dark Lord's return will succeed," the old man insisted. "You grab the girl, and explain what you can to her. Don't
remove her gag unless she promises to keep her mouth shut. The last thing we need is for her to ruin all."
"Egremon, what is taking so long?" called Voldemort in Lucius' voice.
"Nothing, my Lord," he called back. "The girl was refusing to walk, but I've cured her of her difficulty. She'll come along well enough, now."
"Try not to scar her too much," came Voldemort's reply. "I'd like to do that myself."
Hermione's spine went straight before she began to thrash around, trying to get out of Harry's grip. He pulled her head back and slapped her face, making her
stare at him. "Listen to me, Hermione, listen! We can't get him back if you don't cooperate. We've got to think of something, and the last thing I need is to
be so worried about you I can't do that. Got it?"
With a curt nod, Hermione stood up and limped into the larger chamber on her own. When she reached the side of the Dark Lord, she glared up at him, waiting.
"Are you going to promise to curb your tongue, woman?" he inquired as he held a hand over the ties to her gag. At her nod, he yanked on one of the strands,
taking quite a bit of her hair along with it.
"Ow!" she gasped as she shook her head. Voldemort released the ties at her hands with the flick of Lucius' wand, which he was using as if it belonged to him. She
felt a swell of rage as she glanced at the object, almost possessively. This thing had no right to touch it, she thought. Her sentiments were so clearly written
on her face that he laughed, twisting her chin up so she had to look at him.
"But my darling girl, I thought you liked this face," he sneered.
"Not if you're in there," she said with disgust.
Moving forward now, he pulled her to him and forced open her lips with his, ramming his tongue into her mouth. Hermione felt bile rising at the touch, and she
had to swallow hard to avoid retching. Seeing this, he pushed her away.
"I'll deal with you later, wench," he said. "Egremon, bring Potter and the girl. We have unfinished business to attend to."
"As you wish, my Lord," Egremon agreed with a slight bow. Voldemort, several Death Eaters, and the old man and his two charges Apparated, leaving the others
behind.
"Now, Potter, if you please, I'd like my wand," said the tall blond man formerly known as Lucius Malfoy.
"Are you really just going to kill me, Voldemort?" Potter sneered. "After everything that's gone between us over all these years? You truly don't want to
make me suffer? Duel with me, old man. You know you want to."
"Harry, don't!" Hermione wailed. "You're going to kill my husband if you fight."
"Don't worry, my darling," Voldemort sneered. "He's not going to harm one hair on this head. I'll be done with this entire mess shortly, and then we can be
together at last."
"You sick bastard!" she spat, cringing when he grabbed her by the hair and forced her lips to his. She wiped off her mouth with the back of her hand and glared
as he pushed her away.
"Very well, Potter, as your dying wish, I will do as you ask," Voldemort said, taking the wand that Harry held out to him.
"Outside," Harry suggested. "Away from the others. Things may get a bit rough. You don't need any casualties to mop up later."
"Yes, Potter, how right you are," he agreed.
Get out of my body, you demonic freak!
Voldemort shook his head in surprise. Was that Lucius in his head? How could that be? Wasn't this body his now? Shrugging off his surprise, he deemed that it
was unnecessary to concern himself with Lucius Malfoy's soul until Potter was dispatched.
The two wizards walked out into the street, and took fifteen paces from each other. Turning, they each got into a proper dueling stance, and then Voldemort
attacked. As he surged forward, he realized that his hand was not completely under his control. With a shout of surprise, the green light coming from his wand
missed its target by several meters, careening off the side of the building in which the Muggles watched their television.
"What is this?" he gasped, falling to his knees. "Get out of my head!"
It's my head, you bastard! You get out of it, and go back to hell where you belong!
"Lucius is in my head!" he shouted, holding onto his ears. "Egremon, what have you done?"
"What better way to prove he's renounced you, than to kill you once and for all, my Lord?" Egremon shouted gleefully as he held his wand threateningly at the
Death Eaters, who looked on with helpless bewilderment.
"I will live forever!" Voldemort shouted, his face contorting with rage and fear. "You cannot do this to me!"
"Kill me, Potter!" Lucius shouted. "It's the only way."
"No!" Hermione screamed, running forward to stop him. Harry caught her and held tight.
"Stop it, Hermione!" Harry told her. "I know what to do."
Hermione fell to her knees, racked with uncontrollable sobs, as Harry aimed his wand. The whole scene moved in slow motion as she watched the green light fly
straight to its target, striking Lucius' body right in the heart. It crumpled to the ground, still as death.
"What have you done?" she shrieked.
"You're going to have to wait, Hermione," Harry told her. "Wait and see who makes it back."
Lucius and Tom Riddle stood facing each other in a stark white garden outside Malfoy manor. Even the grass blades were white, as was Lucius' hair and
clothes. Tom, however, was as black as sin. Each of them held a wand, and the bent over, preparing to fight.
"You're a fool, Lucius," Tom told him. "I'll just kill your soul, and pretend I'm you. They'll never know the difference."
"No," Lucius said with deadly calm. "All my life I listened to you, Voldemort, believed in your lies. But it is you who are the fool. You and your blood purity
flim flam can get out of my head, and out of my world. It ends here and now."
As one, each man surged forward with a shout: "Avada Kedavra!"
Green light spilled forth, wrecking the pristine white, and one lone figure remained, arms stretched upward in triumph.
"I'm alive!" he shouted gleefully.
Lucius' body stirred just as a group of Aurors appeared, their wands all aimed in his direction. He blinked a few times, shaking his head to clear it. Feebly,
with a wry smile on the handsome lips, he whispered, "I'm alive."
Hermione surged forward, turning his face to look into his eyes.
"It's him," she breathed in relief. "It's Lucius."
"How do you-" Harry began to say, but then the man pulled Hermione to him and gave her a kiss that was unmistakable in its intensity.
"She knows, Potter," he told him in a raspy voice. "She knows."
"Well, now what?" asked Harry uncertainly as he looked up at Kingsley.
The dark man stepped over and hunched down beside Lucius' prone form, shaking his head as he grinned at him. "You know, Malfoy, when I said I wanted you to
prove you'd renounced the Dark Lord, I never thought you'd take it quite this far."
Winking at Hermione, he smirked as he replied, "So, can I have my old job back now?"
Laughing, Kingsley replied, "Sure. I'll expect you bright and early Monday morning."
With a wry wince, Lucius said, "Better make that next Monday, my friend. Being dead really takes a lot out of a man."
"Whatever you say, Lucius. Whatever you say."
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