Amelia felt a headache coming on, but there was still so much to do. There was one other thing that needed to be done very quickly. That final battle showed another dangerous foe, one that could not be ignored. The Acromantula colony that Dumbledore had allowed to grow unchecked near his castle. She called for her receptionist.
"Yes, ma'am?" The receptionist said a few seconds later.
"Have the head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures report to me immediately and have him bring someone who's familiar with Acromantulas."
"Yes ma'am."
When the door closed, Amelia sighed. She reached into a drawer and removed a headache potion. After quickly downing it, she picked up another report from her desk and started reading. The investigation into Yaxley had resulted in several other people being arrested and many others who never returned to work like young Mr. Flint. The suggestion to make the Unforgivables taboo had been started, but it'd be another week before it was fully implemented. It'd been Tonks who'd suggested making 'Morsmordre' taboo as well as several other darker spells that were often used by Death Eaters. Scrimgeour was working on the response plan they would use. The inherent risks to the response teams had to be considered. If Voldemort caught on to what they were doing, he could arrange ambushes against the teams, but Amelia felt it was worth the risk.
That brought her mind to the other issue that had come out of Harry and Hermione's future revelation, the Goblins' ability to disarm polyjuice potions and Imperius curses. She'd tried to approach the goblins directly but had been refuted. They'd claimed to not know anything about such defenses. "Damn, I hate trying to deal with the Goblins," She thought. "If there is no gain for them, they have no desire to cooperate and in this war, they're refusing to take a side."
....
Voldemort was pacing the floor of the room he considered his throne room, deep in concern. The attack by the giants had started out as planned, but they'd quickly been overwhelmed by a responding Ministry force. It was if they'd known giants were coming but not exactly where or when. "It's probably not Potter then," He thought. "The Ministry would have been waiting if he'd seen the plans through our connection. It's just the Ministry is proving to be a formidable enemy," The loss of Yaxley had been critical Voldemort knew. His ability to tell of the Aurors' plans and defenses was something Voldemort had come to depend on, but now that advantage was gone. Voldemort was especially disappointed in the lost opportunity to eliminate the head of the DMLE which would have sent the department into confusion and allowed further penetration of his agents.
"It will take time, but I'll rebuild my connections and control of that department," The Dark Lord thought. But for now, he had another issue he must deal with. He sat down and with a wave of his wand the door at the end of the hall opened. After a couple of seconds a person entered and walked defiantly toward the throne. When he neared, he bowed and went to a knee where he stared at the floor just as he'd been instructed to do.
Voldemort sat staring at the blond-haired boy who knelt before him for several long seconds. He was the son of a man who had been loyal and clever until his failings at the Ministry. "What do you wish young Draco? Why did you ask for this audience?" He asked in his high-pitched hissing voice. He was annoyed by the defiant manner the boy had strutted up to his thrown and the slight hesitation he'd seen before the boy had knelt.
Draco had been instructed not to look up. He stared at the floor and could just see the robes of the Dark Lord in front of him. He'd entered the chamber with confidence and purpose, but as he knelt before the Dark Lord himself, beads of sweat formed on his brow and one of them slipped down his cheek. Still he'd asked for this audience and he was determined for the revenge that burned in his heart. He'd practiced what he wanted to say and now the words came just as he'd recited them to himself a multitude of times. "M'lord, I want to serve. As my father before me, I want to serve. I want to avenge my father and reclaim the honor that is the Malfoy name."
"Eloquently said," Voldemort replied softly. "But what does a sixteen year old child offer that I can use?"
Draco wasn't prepared for such a question. He'd expected the Dark Lord to accept him immediately. The Malfoy name in itself was evident to what he offered. He frantically started searching for a response, one that would be of use, only one came to mind. "Potter."
"Potter?" The Dark Lord asked. "Harry Potter? Are you suggesting that you can do something my other servants can not?"
"I...I know him sir," Draco replied, still staring at the floor. "I know his weaknesses."
"You know his weaknesses do you? Tell me young Malfoy, what do you think his weakness is?"
"His friends my Lord," Draco replied without hesitation. "Especially the mudblood; the way to Potter is through her."
"Tell me about her?" Voldemort commanded.
"She's nothing sir, just a mudblood as I said," Draco replied. "She's a teacher's favorite, always trying to prove she's better than everyone else. Professor Snape calls her a know-it-all. Potter is dating her now, though I don't know why he'd lower himself to such filth."
Voldemort rose from his chair and started another thoughtful pace while ignoring the kneeling boy. Finally he sat back down and commanded. "Look at me young Draco," As the young man's eyes rose to meet his, he continued. "Yes, I think you are deserving of your father's place. After you take the mark, I have just the plan for you."
"Yes M'lord," Draco said. "I will do whatever you command."
"That was never in question, at least if you wish to live," Voldemort declared softly. "You will be the cornerstone of my plan. You will find a way to capture this mudblood of Potter and bring her to me. I want you to do it from Hogwarts, under the very nose of Albus Dumbledore," Voldemort knew doing that would drive Potter away from Dumbledore so that even if he couldn't be coaxed away to save his precious mudblood, he'd be easier to capture and kill away from the Headmaster of Hogwarts.
Draco's grey eyes reflected the confidence he felt. This was truly a way to reclaim the name of Malfoy in the eyes of the Dark Lord. "Yes M'Lord. I am thankful of the confidence you place in me."
....
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