On Christmas afternoon, Snape had business outside.

Professor Snape had always insisted that Lucas not brew potions without supervision.

Before leaving, Snape assigned a large stack of reading tasks and told the young wizard, whose Ageing Potion had long since worn off — that he would check the reading progress when he returned.

Lucas agreed without hesitation. The moment Snape was gone, Lucas went to the study to find the reference books.

Lucas turned a page and reached out through the mental link to Argos.

The raven was busy.

Half of his attention was fixed on the Forbidden Forest, monitoring the movements of the spiders and keeping the Acromantula colony in check. Whenever a newly hatched spider entered its growth phase, Argos would quietly kill one of the adults.

This was the revenge Lucas had promised Argos. It was also the spider ranch Argos managed on Lucas's behalf.

The other half of his attention remained in Knockturn Alley, where a handful of old customers had sent Christmas greetings and asked when the shop would reopen.

A box behind the counter kept spitting out letters and cards. From before Christmas up until now, the ones that had fallen to the floor had accumulated into a shallow pile.

On the holiday itself, the box began producing beautifully wrapped gifts one after another. Once the Shrinking Charms wore off and everything restored to full size, the pile had finally grown large enough to block the aisle.

The box was one of a matched pair. The other was in Igor Karkaroff's possession.

Losing one's magic had an enormous impact on a wizard.

These past days, Karkaroff had been diligently working through every task Lucas assigned, eager to earn back that magic as quickly as possible.

Karkaroff had spent a week opening up a smuggling route for spirits and set up a private wine cabinet for Lucas. The rarer wines on the list were stocked a few bottles each — all that was needed was to move them down to the cellar to round out the collection.

There was also the task of offloading the potion ingredients.

Karkaroff had sold the batch at an illegal market in Germany, then compiled a report: each buyer's identifying information, the times the materials changed hands, the weaknesses Karkaroff judged exploitable.

Lucas reviewed the dossier. The goal was to identify a number of independently operating apothecaries.

After a careful search, Lucas pulled out a few pages, picked up a quill at the counter to jot a few brief notes, folded the pages, and tucked them back into the box.

Lucas needed capable assistants beyond Karkaroff, and screening these self-sufficient apothecaries was a solid start.

Then Lucas unwrapped the gifts. Nothing beyond the usual assortment of jewellery, though Karkaroff had also sent a quantity of refined precious metals, ready for Lucas to use directly when crafting small items.

Not bad at all, actually.

Lucas circled several names and sent word for Karkaroff to investigate them further.

Then Lucas moved on to tidying the shop shelves.

Lucas had no plans to reopen the Knockturn Alley shop anytime soon.

Snape hadn't said so outright, but going out on Christmas Day almost certainly meant a meeting with the Headmaster.

Walter's death had brought a number of useful outcomes.

For one, Walter was a suitable candidate to take the blame, putting that name forward was just the thing to pacify the anger and complaints from parents. In a few more years, people would once again say with easy confidence: Hogwarts is the safest place in the wizarding world.

After careful consideration, Lucas had decided to disclose the matter of Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes to the Headmaster.

Waiting until some years down the line, when the seal on the Albanian forest broke, before thinking about the threat, that was not an option.

The wizarding world needed to prepare in advance.

A Lord Voldemort who flickered in and out of presence could act as a catfish among a shoal of sardines.

And most importantly: after Walter's prophecy came to light, the Headmaster would likely move proactively to see the ritual completed.

Snape's progress preparing the ritual was too slow.

Two days ago, Lucas had dreamed that Snape threw Lucas out of the house after a string of failures brewing Felix Felicis.

Lucas hadn't felt this kind of pressure over studying in a very long time.

That cauldron of Felix Felicis truly lived up to its reputation as the threshold of a Potions Master's craft. Quite a few of Lucas's technical problems had been laid bare without mercy.

---

On the other side of the city, Snape had done exactly what Lucas anticipated: met with Dumbledore at a Muggle location.

The venue Dumbledore had chosen this time was a park. The snow on the bench had already been cleared away by the old wizard.

Snape sat down quickly.

The surroundings were wide open. On Christmas Day, no one would be standing in a park getting chilled by the wind, and the position made eavesdropping impossible.

After returning to school, Dumbledore had searched every place Walter had been known to linger.

In the end, the crystal ball Walter had hidden turned up inside the Room of Requirement.

Alongside it, Dumbledore found something else in the Room of Requirement: a dark magical disturbance that closely resembled what Lord Voldemort had produced that day. In the corner of the room used for hiding objects, a patch of very dark power still clung to the walls, most likely left behind by the long-term storage of dangerous items.

This allowed a sequence to be established for the whole affair.

Walter had hidden the prophecy orb in the Room of Requirement, which activated the Diadem. But vampires have a relatively strong resistance to magic, so Walter slipped free of its control.

Because the dormitory burned down and the Slytherin students were relocated, the older Slytherins fell under the Diadem's influence.

To sow confusion, the Diadem lured older Ravenclaw students into modifying house-elves, spreading chaos throughout the school.

Walter had allowed the Diadem to violate the terms of their contract, and as a result suffered the contract's backlash.

After being discharged from the hospital, Walter may have gone after the Diadem, or simply chose to take it and leave the school outright.

All of the above might have been a chain of interlocking accidents. Beyond that was Walter's motive: Walter had come for the bloodline of the devillote family.

After locating Lucas, Walter left the school and used the holiday period and a fabricated claim of kinship to lure Lucas to the manor.

Everything that had happened before, the moment Walter's involvement was factored in, appeared, at first glance, to fall neatly into order.

But the Headmaster kept returning to certain details through the Pensieve, again and again.

Dumbledore had been unable to find the origin of the dangerous alchemical instruments Walter had carried.

Who had given Walter the magical artefact capable of turning Snape into an animal? Was the knowledge of Ravenclaw truly what the Horcrux had taken away?

There were still more threads the Headmaster was aware of. With so many loose ends tangled together, Dumbledore could not yet piece it all into a coherent picture.

But one thing was already clear.

Dumbledore produced the crystal ball. Drawn from the warmth of the robes, it fogged over at once with a thin layer of condensation.

It didn't matter. Both Snape and the Headmaster listened to the prophecy in full.

Snape heard every word.

"You're willing to share a prophecy with me now?" Snape said, frowning, already dimly guessing why Dumbledore had called for this meeting.

"This is already the second prophecy we've heard this year, Severus. I consulted the centaurs for their view of the future — don't glare at me. Severus, the centaurs are genuinely the experts in such matters."

Dumbledore put the crystal ball away. After its brief exposure to the cold air outside, it went back inside the robes, and the chill of it made the Headmaster give a small shudder.

Equally chilling was the reply the centaurs had delivered.

"The centaurs are born masters of stargazing," Dumbledore said. "But they told me that the stars have never been in such disorder before."

➤ Next: Recommended Package

Chapter 241 - Recommended Package

Because the one sent to negotiate was the headmaster himself, one of the centaurs more sympathetic to wizards had galloped out from their territory specifically to meet him. The centaur told the headmaster: "If everything is in chaos, try to grasp a single loose thread — in the end, things will become clear."

"A single loose thread!" Snape's tone was scornful. He was certain now what Dumbledore was going to say.

"The apprenticeship tradition in the wizarding world has declined greatly. In my day, many students considered following a master an honor — but in recent years it has nearly vanished..."

"You believe Lucas is the apprentice in the prophecy." Snape said what Dumbledore was working toward. "I did promise Lucas I would complete the magical ritual within this academic year. I told you that in advance. So why are we standing out here freezing?"

"I am very glad you have been looking into the matter. Would you care to share how far along your preparations are?"

Snape shot the headmaster an unwilling glare, then described a fairly simple ritual: the mentor seeks out seeds of a rare plant, coaxes them to sprout, weaves the branches into a laurel wreath symbolizing wisdom for the student to wear, and the student presents the mentor with a personal object carried for many years as a token of gratitude.

Of all the strange and peculiar rituals out there, this was the most normal one.

To find something this normal, Snape had gone so far as to write letters to other Potions Masters of his acquaintance and consult them directly.

"You are still searching for seeds that symbolize wisdom, yes? I would like to recommend a different ritual." Dumbledore's blue eyes rested on Snape, and the suggestion carried a tone that made refusal difficult to contemplate.

Snape took the booklet Dumbledore held out.

The booklet recorded a far more laborious and demanding ritual.

Snape had not come across this one in all his research.

"The apprenticeship ritual is completed at sea... the process lasts one week. During the height of summer, along a specific magical sailing route guided by the stars, the apprentice attends to the mentor's needs throughout the voyage while the mentor teaches the apprentice a spell... When the journey reaches its end, the binding power of the contract is made infinitely firm beneath the force of the stars."

The danger level did not appear to be great. But it would cost considerable time and effort.

Snape grew wary. "What are the odds you would accept it if I refused this troublesome suggestion of yours?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "This is a very gentle ritual. Considering that Lucas is quite likely part of the prophecy, strengthening the bond between Lucas and our side is absolutely necessary."

Snape did not argue.

Having sat on the bench long enough, the warmth had slowly drained away.

Beyond the white expanse of open ground lay the Muggle city. Nothing around them was anything a wizard would recognize.

What Snape actually wanted to say was that a prophecy is the result of active choices. Like the Longbottom child, that child had also fit the prophecy, but Lord Voldemort had actively chosen Harry Potter.

By strengthening this ritual, they too were actively stepping into the prophecy.

He was already inside the game. There was nothing much to regret about that. But did Lucas have to walk this same path as well?

"I suppose I have no choice." Snape pulled his coat tighter. The scarf brought some warmth, but it was a drop in the bucket.

Dumbledore rose as well. Those eyes drifted to the scarf Snape was wearing, who had given it needed no explanation.

"We will not betray that child's trust, Severus. I will do everything in my power to ensure the safety."

That also meant this conversation was over.

--------

Before the new term began, Snape received a social invitation from the Malfoy family.

The Malfoys were always exceptionally well-informed.

They had first learned that Snape had filed the apprenticeship application for Lucas with the Ministry of Magic. Then, at the parties around Christmas, they heard that the half-blood had been lucky enough to inherit an estate.

In the wizarding world, stories of inheritance were often passed around, but they remained just that, stories. Wealthy wizards were few in number, and such extraordinary windfalls appeared only once every few generations. Even that was considered rare.

In their private conversations, the Malfoy couple agreed that this young wizard called Lucas Graham must have something exceptional about him.

Lucas had managed to get Snape sorted out with ease, and then an entire estate came crashing down from the sky.

So the post-holiday invitation had included Lucas as well.

The two wizards arrived in the carriage the Malfoys had provided.

Lucas put on the best robes and accompanied the mentor to the appointment as arranged.

The carriage rolled through the gates of Malfoy Manor. In the garden, several peacocks were strolling about at their leisure.

Even in winter, the flowers were blooming in full splendor.

Lucas looked out the window a moment longer, and right before those eyes, one of the peacocks spread its tail in a full display.

"Oh! It fanned out!" Lucas gave Snape's sleeve a small tug.

Snape's only impulse was to turn that head back around. Whatever happened here, the House-elves would report every last detail to Malfoy.

They stepped out of the carriage in front of the main house.

Lucius Malfoy received Snape at the door and made a point of greeting Lucas as well.

In the sitting room, Lucas noticed several objects floating in the air, and then something whooshed past an ear.

A small wizard wearing a bib was riding a child's toy broomstick, hovering at about chest height for an adult, grinning at them with cheerful curiosity.

"Draco!" Lucius gave what appeared to be an irritated reprimand.

A House-elf appeared at once, and at the master's instruction anxiously scooped Draco down from the broomstick and carried the child off to the room.

"That is my son Draco — you have met before." Lucius spoke with undisguised pride. "I bought every infant toy on the market, but the only thing Draco likes is Quidditch."

Neither Snape nor Lucas said anything in response.

But that did not stop Lucius from holding forth.

He made a bold declaration: "Believe me, Severus, by the time Draco enrolls, Slytherin's Quidditch team will be absolutely unbeatable."

Lucas had no way of evaluating that.

Taking a sip of the hot tea the House-elf had served, with the mentor present, all that was needed was to maintain a polite smile.

Snape patiently listened to Lucius boast about the exceptional qualities of his heir for some time.

Then the topic turned to Lucas. "How are Lucas's marks in Flying class?"

Lucas set down the teacup. "I pass all my Flying exams," came the polite reply.

Which meant no spot on the team, and flying ability no better than average.

Lucius had only used that as an opening. Smiling, the subject shifted. "A few days ago at a party I heard Lucas's name come up. Honestly, Severus, news this significant, and you did not share it with us."

Lucius steered the conversation around to the estate inheritance and began probing for details about Walter's crimes.

Snape relayed the official investigation results plainly. When asked how Lucas had come to inherit the estate, the answer was a single sentence: "The last of the bloodline."

"That is all?" Lucius's smile stiffened.

Snape could only say it once more: "The last of the bloodline. The family assets happened to be found and activated, and the portraits wept tears of joy and agreed."

What sort of tears of joy need not be elaborated upon.

Lucius was not satisfied. Straightening slightly and leaning closer to Snape, Lucius offered a warning. "I would advise you to go and confirm the degree of control you actually hold over that estate. Sometimes an estate appears to have opened itself, but there may be many inheritance traps within."

There was actually quite a great deal of room for maneuvering in all of this.

Snape took the advice to heart.

The two were consulting on the specifics of Ministry regulations, matters touching on concrete interests, where Lucius was willing to offer a few more pointers, and that willingness was itself already a kind of favor.

Lucas's attention drifted to the House-elf beside the sofa, respectfully refilling the water.

The little creature was draped in a tattered cloth. Both large ears bore burn marks. The hands wrapped in bandages were barely thicker than twigs.

The House-elf looked at Lucas with timid, uncertain eyes.

Lucius called out with displeasure: "Dobby. Sugar!"

Dobby gave a start and walked obediently to stand beside the master, using magic to drop two lumps of sugar into Lucius's cup.

"Once you come into your inheritance, you will have a few like this of your own." Lucius had noticed Lucas watching Dobby, and said with hauteur: "House-elves must be strictly managed."

Lucas nodded in agreement.

Looking around at Lucius's gleaming, resplendent manor, the thought came naturally, no wonder the Dark Lord had chosen to take up temporary residence here in the later days. The Malfoy estate was too magnificent. Its splendor drew one dark wizard after another to covet what lay within.

But Lucas had no desire for its wealth. What was wanted was far less.

Narcissa Malfoy came down from upstairs after settling the child. With a House-elf available to watch over Draco, the fact that Narcissa had gone personally meant the doting on that little platinum-haired bundle was considerable.

Narcissa walked to the sofa and, with easy naturalness, exchanged a light kiss with Lucius.

Snape endured it.

"Severus," Narcissa said, "Draco is looking at a Potions book. Shall I take you to the room? Lucius and I have a small difference of opinion over the early reading list."

Snape was by no means any sort of expert in child-rearing.

Lucas would have bet that if Draco latched onto those robes, something catastrophic would certainly follow.

Snape stood up with evident reluctance. As he passed, he gave Lucas a pat on the shoulder.

And then Lucas was left alone to face Lucius.

Lucas said nothing, simply drinking tea.

"Well then, Lucas, tell me something interesting that happened during the estate inheritance. Severus always glosses over everything. Surely something exciting must have occurred?"

Lucius was a smooth and polished man. Even when facing a minor, if the mood struck, the right angle could always be found.

Lucas was a little ill at ease at first.

"Severus and I have known each other for many years. Our family has always felt comfortable entrusting a child to him. Tell me your story, he will not blame you for it."

Lucius was in no hurry. A few amusing stories from Snape's student days were thrown in.

"Your professor was not exactly a quiet sort back then. Potions orders were taken on the side. I even helped resell Polyjuice Potion."

Lucius's strategy worked. Those wide, unusually large eyes fixed attentively forward, waiting earnestly for something new.

"When your professor was your age — let me think — homework was done for classmates and charged for it." Lucius had the satisfaction of undermining Snape. "Severus was very good at Gobstones, but brooms were another story entirely..."

The young wizard's eyes sparkled.

But the revelations ended there. Lucius waited for Lucas to offer something in return.

"Just the estate assessment — answering three questions, things like that." Lucas was guarded.

"That is too dull. Tell me about Walter, that vampire? I heard Walter died inside your estate."

The cups and saucers on the table gave a soft rattle. Both of them glanced over to find that Dobby had been listening too intently, too much water poured into the kettle, and it was spilling over the brim.

Lucius shot Dobby an irritated look.

Dobby vanished immediately.

But Lucas suspected Dobby was still listening, because what came next was the most thrilling part of the story.

Lucas hesitated a moment, then leaned in slightly. "You are very well-informed. It went like this, Walter initially intended to harm me, but there was also a very dangerous dark object in Walter's possession. That object was what cost Walter his life."

The hand Lucius had resting on the back of the sofa tightened. The tone eased, taking on the manner of a sympathetic elder. "What sort of dark object was it? What did it do to the vampire?"

"It was Ravenclaw's Diadem... it controlled Walter's actions, and drained Walter's..." Lucas could barely continue. Those eyes darted quickly in the direction Snape had gone.

"Boy!" Lucius feigned irritation. "Would Severus really blame you for saying this? Did he ever tell you not to speak of it to others?"

"Well, no..." But that was only because Snape trusted Lucas.

And Lucas had underestimated how dangerous Lucius could be.

A flicker of defiance rose at Lucius's words.

Young wizards of that age always did precisely what they were told not to, Slytherins no different. Eager to prove the point, Lucas blurted out: "Walter was drained dry. Walter shattered on the spot!"

Lucius's breathing went quiet. Those grey eyes glimmered, turning something over that remained unreadable.

A moment later, the question came fast: "And where is the Diadem now?"

"It was dealt with." Lucas was vague about it. "After that, the estate's defensive magic activated, and a lot of bad things were burned away."

Snape came down from upstairs just then, and looked with suspicion at Lucius and Lucas sitting nearly head to head.

"What are you two talking about?" Snape called out before reaching the bottom of the stairs.

Lucas jumped up.

Lucius was well-practiced in underhanded dealings and smoothed things over without missing a beat.

"Just telling the young one about those Potions orders you used to take in school. Lucas finds it all very interesting!"

Lucas shot Lucius an accusing look. With so many deflections available, that was the one chosen.

"Lunch is ready, shall we move to the dining room?" Lucius rose to his feet, giving no sign whatsoever of having just extracted key information. "How did you get on with Draco?"

That question successfully redirected Snape's attention.

"The next time you two have a disagreement about a preschool reading list, please do not come to me! I have absolutely no 'professional opinion' on whether children's book illustrations should be dark and gothic or sweet and charming!"

➤ Next: Learn to Keep Your Mouth Shut