The Secret Prisoner
T H R E E
a flashback.
LUCIUS.
The air in the Hampstead Garden Suburb grew eerie when we—Death Eaters came into Granger's House to kill Henry Granger and let Jane Beaufort Granger watch his husband being killed. The weather suddenly goes dark and felt like the storm is coming, the wind blew hard outside of the street and the air is cold.
I open the door into her house, I almost half heartedly bail out of this mission. It was ten o’clock when we barge in silently into her house, I bet she’s already fast asleep in her bed with her dirty mudblood husband. So we went directly upstairs into the second door on the right where her bedroom is. I mutted a silent alohomora and the door opened up with a small creek and I found herself staring at me in horror. I can see her blue eyes darkened in terror.
Her mudblood husband, Henry abruptly woke up from their bed to fetch his glasses and in shock seeing us inside his bedroom. He’s getting out of bed followed by her and she decided snarl at us —me.
“What in the world are you think you’re doing in our house?!” She asked them half screaming, I watch Henry already moving from his side of the bed and try to get to her, to calm her down. I just watch this happened in front of my eyes.
We were wearing masks, but she can tell it’s me so I cast everyone else’s masks off their face, so she can see us clearly now. I brought my wife, Corban Yaxley, Bellatrix Lestrange & Antonin Dolohov. I bet she already heard the news given that she excluded herself from the magical world, that I am the major general in the Death Eater military forces, Corban Yaxley, Bellatrix Lestrange, and Antonin Dolohov are the Death Eater hangman, but Narcissa? She must have been in shocked seeing her best friend also joining this slaughter in her own house.
“Avada kedavra!” I repelled the spark of green light into Henry’s heart, followed by her screaming was echoing around the bedroom. Henry fall into his death in silence and collapse to his feet. She abruptly fell on her knees, crying and screaming in horror. I’m sorry, I said that to her in my mind.
JANE.
I felt like my whole world is falling apart, watching my husband died because of the magical world I decided to left behind. Because decision to abandoned my pure-blood family beliefs and marry a muggle healer, a doctor. I thought I was able to run away and built the life I’ve longed for but I was wrong, completely wrong. They found us in our suburban house, it doesn’t matter what ward I already put the on house but my mark is traceable still especially with the blood bound to the sacred twenty eight, and now my husband is dead, my daughter is in danger.
Hermione, I suddenly remembered my 3 years old daughter who was sleeping in her room next door. I was wondering if my one and only daughter is okay. I hoped they didn’t touch her or hurt her but I am not capable to do anything about it, not when I’m surrounded by Death Eaters and basically Magicless.
“Look at you Jane,” Lucius Malfoy’s voice break the silence. There is so much hatred and disappointment from his voice. “Disgrace of a wizard name, a blood traitor.”
I am still crying and still on my knees near Henry, my late husband body, mourning his death. My mind is frantic, I felt like my vision is blurry and my head and body is ready to succumbed.
“This is not fair.” I said, almost sounded like a mumble as my lips only move a little and my voice is choked on my throat. “This is not fair! It wasn’t Henry’s fault Lucius, it was me. It was my decision! You don’t get to decided the life I want to choose!”
“Enough!” Bellatrix meddle between her scream and their conversation, “You are pathetic Jane, you know too well that you shouldn't play house with a muggle! Remember where you came from! You supposed to be one of us, you supposed to be supporting your family! The sacred purification! Remember?!”
“You know the rule, Jane. You know the consequences.” Yaxley joining the conversation, a smear smirk is written all over his face. He may be satisfied that they already accomplished the task from the Dark Lord himself, my cousin.
“It’s just about time when we found you.” Dolohov closing the conversation as he lean on the door behind him, bored.
The room went quiet for a while. I couldn’t even begin to speak, my mind is blank and I tried to grasp and digest the whole things and the whole situation.
I am longer crying now but my eyes were so sore and so hurt from crying. Now that I cannot use my magic anymore because it has been taken away by Lucius Malfoy the moment the Death Eater ambushed my house, beside since I no longer practicing magic I am not that strong enough compared to these build to fight witches and wizards. I’ve no idea how to get out of this situation, but I have to save Hermione.
“We’re taking Hermione with us Jane,” Narcissa’s voice was so smooth and soothing yet so calm even though she just saw her husband killed a muggle, killed her best friend’s husband.
Just about what I think about, I thought. I was thinking about Hermione and of course that is the main topic why they get to ambushed my house and killed my husband.
“No.” I’m trying to get up on my feet, shaking my head and I can hear my voice is choked in my throat “You can’t take her Cissy, you can’t hurt her, no matter what I did to cause her life to be like this, you can’t take her away, please. She is the only one I have left” my voice leave my throat and grew smaller and smaller almost sounds like a whisper on my last words. I can’t even began to imagine my life without my daughter, now that I lost my husband and she is the only one I have left.
Then suddenly I heard a soft pop sound outside of the room with a blaze of light, and my bedroom door swung open. A man appears into the room and I am so shock with what I saw, it was The Dark Lord himself, my cousin Tom Marvolo Riddle. He is in his human appearance which is tall, handsomely looking with his jawline and his brown curly hair, green eyes and pale skin is so noticeable as a Slytherin Heir. I’m partially shock that he came all the way, but I remembered something. It must have been his idea for this ambushed and he already orchestrated everything, these Dark Eaters just tagging along the way.
“None will hurt her Jane,my dearest cousin” He smirk and move towards me and I step back to the corner of the room while the other Death Eaters bow their head down and fetching their gaze to their feet.
“T-om,” I called him, my voice is broken and my lips were trembling. I cannot begin to sense how I’m supposed to feel about seeing him, I don’t know if I feel angry for him orchestrated the whole murderer or guilty for making him bear this responsibility and turned him to be like this because I cannot come to my senses to be a leader to establish the purity of the wizarding world. I just don’t believe it that way.
“Jane. Beaufort. Gaunt.” now he is standing in front of me, maybe just half a meter apart, “I will take care of my dearest niece since you have failed to fulfill the family duty Jane, you’re just as weak as my mother, falling for a muggle, dirty muggle. Look where you put Hermione now Jane” His face is stiff and hard, I can feel his cold breath from his nose. I felt his stare tore down into my soul.
“Tom, please you can’t just raid my house, kill my husband, and take my daughter away from me, it’s not fair!” I feel the anger inside of me boiling. I guess I’d rather feel angry than guilty towards him. My voice is higher as I step closer to the Dark Lord.
The Dark Lord step closer, “Actually, I can” His hand already moving and gripping Jane’s wrist “Remember the family blood pact which stated that we are bound to keep it pure, Jane? You broke it just like my mother did and now I have to carry the deed to keep the wizarding world pure as it should be.” Then he step back and losen his grip from my wrist, followed by the other Death Eaters started to move closer to give a hold on myself. Every single one of them put their hands around me to arrest me and to make sure I didn’t escape, everyone except Narcissa Malfoy.
“I would raise her well Jane, don’t worry. All you have to do is just be quiet in your alienation for your whole life and let me take care of her from here.” the Dark Lord turned his back on me as I tried to put my hands to grab him. When I reached his wrist, he doesn’t even looking back at me as if I was profane.
“Please Tom, don’t do this. Have a mercy on me, on her” I begged him
“This is me being merciful to you, Jane. I let you life in your alienation instead of killing you, based on the law.” I felt like his cold back talking to me since he’s no longer want to face me. I felt my heart is breaking.“You know what to do,” Tom said as him apparating from the Granger’s followed by the Death Eaters who restrain me, taking me outside of my house. But Narcissa Malfoy stays.
I don’t even get the chance to say goodbye to her, I felt my tears runing down my cheeks as hollowness crept into my chest. I have this feelings that this would be my biggest regret in life too. I don’t want Hermione feels like I was abandoning her, she deserve to know the whole truth.
NARCISSA.
I paced my feet outside of Jane’s room into the second story of Granger’s house, moving into the chamber next to Jane’s. It’s Hermione’s room. I pushed the door open and there I saw a little girl, aged just three like my son, falling asleep in her farmhouse white framed bed, with her lacy blanket cover her whole body and leaving her long curly brown hair laying on the pillow. I steps carefully so I didn’t wake her up and tuck her with her blanket inside my chest.
“Oh you poor thing,” I whispers and she moved a slightly but still comfortably sleeping.
Hermione was barely moving because of the enchantment of deep asleep I just put on her. Now I have to raised Hermione as my own, I need to raised her as how the Dark Lord instructed her family.
I hug her as I am about to leave her house, I move down the stairs and before I reached for the front door I apparated away to Malfoy Manor. There was a loud pop I left behind.
When i arrived at the mannor, Lucius weren’t home yet from taking Jane to her alienation. It was already dawn when I arrived, Draco is still asleep in his room. So I hurried my feet and still hugging little Hermione to my chest. I carry her to the west wing of Malfoy Mannor where I already decided to put her room. It was at the end of the wing. I swing the door open and walk into all white and pastel pink room, Hermione’s room. I lay Hermione to the bed, the bed and her bedding were similar to the bed she have in the Granger’s house.
“Obliviate” I casts a spell on her and modified her memory about her childhood, and everything she might remember about Jane and Henry. I replace every single memory of them with Lucius, Draco and I.
“I hope I can be the mother you’re needed to be Hermione, I’m so sorry it had to be this way.” I kissed her forehead and leaving the room in silence.
“Topsy,” I called one of my trusty house elf and a pop sound followed her after.
“Yes mistress Malfoy, Topsy is here”
“From now on you have to keep your eyes on this little girl, you will have to take care of her”
“Alright mistress, Topsy understand, Topsy is taking care little misses from now on” Topsy nodded in obedience.
“Good, when she wakes up make sure to give her tonic nerve and soothing potion. You have to let me know when she’s awake.”
I decided to go to Draco’s room to check up on him, I open his door in the north wing of the house and saw him fast asleep so I closed back the door and decided to go back to my bedroom. I felt undeniably tired, both physically and mentally. I couldn’t just believe what event I just have to witness, what things I just gotten my family into. I am having a massive headache just to thinking about it. I mean, I have always wanted a daughter since magical pregnancy is so hard for every witches but having a daughter by kidnapping my best friend daughter seems pretty wrong to begin with. I guess I should start calling her Hermione Jane Malfoy now. It’s impossible having her inside of the manor and let her keep her muggle family name right? it wouldn’t be appropriate.
Lucius and I already spoke to Draco upon this matter. Well I have to tell Draco about him getting a sibling right? Draco is a good boy. He will understand what we told him and he would be glad having a sibling to play with. I am partially relieved that my hair is partly blonde and partly brunette. I have been thinking about it what if someday Hermione asked me why she is the only brunette in this house but her parents and brother is blond. I gave a small sigh to the thought.
The other thing that irritate me is that, we The Malfoys have to trained her so well in every aspect that she needed to be. The Dark Lord already explained the whole scenario for Hermione’s life, of course he has been thinking about it decently. It’s about the continuity of the wizarding folks and the sacred twenty eight. My head keeps pounding so I decided to go get some sleep. Maybe it will ease the pain, I almost wish this was just a dream. A bad dream.
That was the time where The Gaunt Family rule the wizarding world, continuing the beliefs of Grindelwald about purification of the wizarding folks. Tom Marvolo Riddle, a half-blood of the Gaunt bloodline believe to follow the rule even though himself is a half-blood because of his mother poor of choices. He is the next ruler after his uncle, Morfin Gaunt only have a daughter who cannot succeeded the family deed, who won’t succeeded, Jane Beaufort Gaunt.
The Dark Lord had been building his empire of purity and established it for a decade. During his leadership there are so many witches and wizards who opposed him of course since there are half-blood and muggle born witches and wizards, including his niece. Even though himself is a Half-Blood he will have to defend his legacy at the top of his beliefs because The Gaunt Family already make a blood pact that their whole generation will continue to follow the purification line along with the other sacred twenty eight family. Once someone broke the blood pact, there are consequences they have to face. In this case, Jane Beaufort Granger.
Jane did not share the same belief like her family and the other sacred twenty eight. She believe that love is love and love will win, that’s why she choose to run away from the magical world into the muggle world where she met Henry Granger, a muggle healer who taught her how to love and who accept her with all of her and her background. She told Henry about everything, and she learns how to live the way muggles live.
Of course after they got married none of the Gaunt Family is coming and of course after they got married Jane can no longer intact with the wizarding world. That’s why she choose Hampstead Garden Suburb and cast a multiple ward spell with all of the magic that is left of her and try her best to eliminate her trace from the Gaunt Family.
Her effort works for a while, but the things about family is they run into your blood so as long as you’re still alive and share the same blood line, the trace will always attached to you after her ward starting to break after she gave birth to Hermione, where part of her immune is low and causing the ward to failure. Being the only daughter of Morfin Gaunt is hard, especially when you are the next in line to rule the wizarding world and hold the purification but you don’t believe in it nor have the willingness to rule the wizarding world.
Due to Jane’s poor decision to disagree with her family causing Tom Marvolo Riddle, her cousin to hold the position and restore every wrongdoings by the family and other sacred twenty eights to keep the purity between them. He is an only son of her aunt Merope Gaunt who choose to marry a muggle and ended up being killed by her own father, Marvolo Gaunt because she tainted the Gaunt Family name with a cross breeding. Jane partially relieved that her father is deceased but the other problem is there will always be someone who wants to kill her.
The haunt for Jane Beaufort is on going for thirteen years years, until the ambushed of her house last night. It was hard for Tom to do so, but it is also his job and he has to set the parameter for other wizarding folks not to violate the blood pact. He loves Jane, they used to be so closed growing up. By rules, he have to kill Jane for her action tainting the Gaunt Family. Of course Tom couldn’t do that, she is the only cousin he have left. The only family he have left.
So he sent her away in a alienation away from all the wizarding folks and away from him and her daughter. He did what he did to keep her alive but estranged from the world she left behind. He make an unbreakable vow with those four Death Eaters to keep her location hidden and not to tell a soul, including Hermione for her own sake.
Before deciding to ambush Granger’s house, Tom gather up his trusty followers : Lestrange, Malfoy, Dolohov, and Yaxley. He ordered them to kill Henry and leave Jane alone, specifically he instructed Malfoy to raised his niece until she come of age and they have to trained her well so she can be the next leader of The Gaunt Family, to be the next successor. It was rather hard to raise the Dark Lord’s niece but it was something that the Malfoys would have to take simply to let the Dark Lord acknowledge their loyalty towards the blood pact and towards him.
present time.
LUCIUS.
I moved her from the castle because Hermione is there during her practice. I won’t let her find out about Jane, I won’t risk it. I move Jane into Malfoy’s Manor, I shall keep her safe in the guest room. It’s a miracle that Jane was able to live throughout her trauma, of course the Dark Lord send mind healers for her too and ask them to modify her memory but the thing about trauma it always came back and in Jane’s case the modification wouldn’t last longer than a week. So the mind healer would come very often to replicate it in her brain, that is why the truth about her hasn’t come out to the surface because to the Dark Lord, to us, she is not stable and she will tear up the whole operation —my relationship with Hermione will be screwed too if she ever finds out that I play the role to be her father figure but I was the one who killed her own father.
“Why you bring me into your house Lucius?”
“You can’t be in the castle now Jane, it’s safer here.” I guaranteed her
“Is… Is Hermione… Here?” She lost her voice when she asked me for her name
I shook my head lightly, “No, she’s not here” I paced myself to the door about to leave her in the room.
“Lucius?”
I stop myself before I reach the door, I waited.
“I need to see her,” Her voice is trembling. This is her routine episodes I have to face, but I can tell her a thousand times I get to do this. I will always answer her every single time. I turn my heel from the door and facing her.
“The mind healer will visit this afternoon Jane, you should be fine.” I give her a faint smile
“When can I see her?” She demanded, her eyes widen and her facial expression is way beyond defastating. I know that years of fabricated memories could lead into a confusion in the reality and physically drainage throughout the year. That’s why she usually linger around her bed.
“Later, when you get better okay?” I get back to her and gave her a vial from my inner pocket coat —draught of peace. “Here, drink it. You’ll feel better.”
I watched her sip the vial bottoms up and I can see her relief. “There you go. Try to get some sleep before the healer came. I’ll be in the library next door, please call me if you needed anything.” She nodding her head above the pillow, resting her body with her eyes shut.
Days always work like this, this is my job from the Dark Lord. To take care of his cousin, my first love. I shook my head to the thought —ha, first love. I thought I would’ve married her, I thought wrong. I know better that Jane never interested in the world of magic, with sacred twenty eight, with her family believes. She talked to me about it when we’re at Hogwarts, she was my best friends. She even had the guts to asked me to leave this world, to leave the Malfoy legacy behind even though she knew exactly I couldn’t do that even if I wanted to. And with the existence of the sacred twenty eight, I was bound to Malfoy family and my loyalty to support her family. Her cousin.
Sometimes I wish she never left. I wish she would’ve stayed, we could get married and have a kids together but instead she choose to abandoned her legacy and left it all behind her. She used all of her magic to run away, to erased her traces so nobody could ever find her. Little did she know that her wards from her magic becoming less and less after she gave birth, since her immunity is low so does the ward and she can’t renew the ward with the rest of herself because what’s left of her magic is to support her life.
With the war that’s going on the Dark Lord need his relatives, which means Jane and Hermione to fight for him on this war —on his side. So the shield of magic that sheltered him is firm and strong for the family fought for him. I gritted my teeth to the thought of letting Hermione know the truth. I hope she forgive me when she find out that I murdered her father in the order of her uncle.