=== October 31 1995 ===
Halloween was not one of Harry's favorite days of the year for obvious reasons. So Harry knew things were not going well when Amanda and Draco came and sat by them at lunch.
"I'm sure you heard this by now, but Draco has detention with Professor Snape tonight." Amanda says, enacting their code phrase for a Death Eater meeting. "Do you two mind if I visit you two tonight?"
"Of course not," Hermione says.
#####
Sometime after the last class Amanda and Draco are in their room, laying in bed with only the blankets, Slytherin green, cover them.
"Promise me you'll be careful." Amanda says.
Draco nods. "I will." He kisses her then gets out of bed and starts dressing. "You'll be watching?"
"Of course." Amanda says as she watches her husband dress. "Harry and Hermione will be there in case…"
"We can't let it come to that." Draco says. "You haven't given me an heir yet."
"It's not for lack of trying." Amanda says, and then nearly whispers. "You think there's something wrong with one of us?"
"It's not impossible." Draco admits.
"Do you mind I'd I ask Hermione about it?" Amanda asks.
Draco nods. "If you're comfortable with that."
#####
Amanda enters the Gryffindor common room, she sees Hannah and Luna have been let in and are playing with the twins. Harry and Hermione sit on a nearby couch snuggled together watching them. Amanda comes up to the couple, "Hey cus, can we talk?"
'Feels like something is wrong.' Hermione sends to Harry.
'You think Draco is in trouble?' Harry asks.
'I hope not, I'll take her to our room so we can talk in private.'
'Keep me updated.' Harry replies.
Hermione gets up from the soda. "Come on," she takes Amanda into her and Harry's suite. "Everything okay?"
Amanda nods. "The meeting hasn't started just yet."
An obvious look of relief passes over Hermione's face. "Okay, what is the problem then?"
Amanda bites her lower lip nervously then takes a breath. "Is there a spell in your grimoire that'll tell you why I'm not pregnant yet?"
Hermione blinks a few times in confusion. "You're trying to get pregnant?"
Amanda nods. "Draco's the last Malfoy, and he's taking a big risk. So we decided we needed to try for an heir."
Hermione nods. "We'll start with the standard diagnostic spell." She pulls out her wand and casts the spell. "I see nothing wrong with you." She summons the grimoire to her hand, the pages of the book flip themselves to the desired spell. "I need blood for this."
"Okay." Amanda says as she cuts herself.
Hermione mutters an incantation and touches her wand to Amanda's cut. A line of blood draws from her. "I'm no specialist, but according to the spell you should have no problem getting pregnant."
"Good, now I have to convince Draco to have you check him." Amanda says.
#####
Draco wears his father's Death Eater mask as he enters the room. A large table dominates the room. Voldemort sits at the head of the table. Nagini slithers around him and the chair to his left. Peter sits in the chair to Voldemort's right. The rest of the table is occupied by masked Death Eaters.
"You've come at last." Voldemort says.
Draco kneels before Voldemort. "I apologize, my lord."
"You apologize by bringing my useful information on defeating the Potters!" Voldemort commands.
"They are getting stronger everyday." Draco admits, "They modified one of the Hogwarts Express cars to be the size and design of their common room."
"Did the mudblood do this?"
"Yes."
"Too much power for a mudblood to have!" Voldemort curses. "Anything else?" He asks with a tone saying he'd better have something.
Draco swallows, and gives up the only other bit of information he has. "They also told me Dumbledore told them the prophecy, all of it." Draco says.
"What do you mean ALL of it?" Voldemort asks with a growl.
"Apparently Dumbledore thinks you didn't hear the entire thing."
"I need to hear it!" Voldemort commands.
=== November 1 1995 ===
Early in the morning the Potters walk to the Headmaster's office, the gargoyle moving as they approach. They go on up the stairs and find Dumbledore working at his desk. "The Potters!" Dumbledore exclaims. "To what do I owe this early visit?"
"Our source tells us that Riddle wants to hear the full prophecy." Harry says. "Who all knows it?"
"Just us three." Dumbledore says. "But the prophecy orb exists in the Department of Mysteries."
"What exactly is a prophecy orb?" Hermione asks.
"Anytime a magical prophecy is made it creates a magical orb." Dumbledore explains.
"Then we just remove the orb." Harry says.
"I'm afraid it's not that easy." Dumbledore says. "Only the people the prophecy refers to can move the orb, and they can't remove it from the Room of Prophecies."
"Can it be destroyed?" Harry asks.
"They can, though it's not easy." Dumbledore says.
"Basilisk venom?" Harry asks, hopeful.
"No, the orbs are one of the very few things that basilisk venom can not destroy." Dumbledore says. "Dark magic is the only thing that can destroy one."
"So we just get an auror to hit it with the killing curse?" Harry asks.
"Not quite, the killing curse is an unforgivable curse, but not necessarily dark magic, it's all about intention." Dumbledore explains. "Besides it would have to be either you or Riddle destroying the orb."
Harry sighs. "I'd have to learn dark magic?"
"Not necessarily." Hermione says and they both look at her. "What about Malachi?"
"Missus Potter, I'm afraid you lost us both." Dumbledore says.
"Malachi cut off his arm with a weapon dark enough to make it where it couldn't be regrown." Hermione explains. "Something tells me he still has that weapon."
Dumbledore nods. "If he does, Harry could use that."
=== November 4 1995 ===
Malachi is just leaving the Great Hall after having breakfast when Harry catches up to him. "Professor," Harry says because other students are around. "I wonder if you might have a few minutes."
Malachi nods. "Follow me." He leads Harry to the Defense classroom. "Everything okay?"
Harry shakes his head. "Draco had to tell Riddle that there's more to the prophecy. Now Riddle is going to come after the orb. I need to destroy the orb before he does.'
"Logical, but what does this have to do with me?" Malachi asks.
"The orb can only be broken by dark magic." Harry answers looking at Malachi's left arm.
Malachi sighs. "Atrunant!" A scimitar appears in his left hand, the entire body of it so black it feels as if it's sucking the light out of the room.
Harry can feel the darkness radiating from the blade. "I need to borrow that, it has to be me."
"You'll need additional training and some runes before you can handle it." Malachi informs him. "When can you clear time?"
"Sundays Hermione and I take time to maintain our skills, and we have been training Neville and Hannah." Harry says.
"We start tomorrow then." Malachi says as he dismisses the blade and walks away.
=== November 5 1995 ===
Harry, Hermione, Neville, Hannah and Malachi are in the Room of Requirement. The room is configured to match the training space near Malachi's forge.
"Using a dark magic weapon is not like using any other weapon you'll ever find." Malachi says as he holds his left hand out and summons the black blade. The temperature in the room drops a couple degrees and all the teens shudder. "This is Atrunant, forged from a creature summoned from the Abyss itself. The process left part of the creature's consciousness in the blade."
"Why would you do such a thing?" Hermione asks, obviously repulsed by the very idea.
"Riddle wanted me to destroy the order." Malachi says. "I told him I needed an edge. He arranged the ceremony that summoned the dark creature, and I made it into this blade." He stares at the blade.
"Malachi, are you alright?" Harry asks after a moment.
Malachi shakes his head. "Sorry, I got lost in thought." He clears his throat. "The first thing to do is tattoo a few runes at the base of your neck, they'll stop Atrunant from taking over your mind."
"That's possible?" Harry asks.
"Yes, it could overpower you and force your consciousness into the sword while it used your body." Malachi says
Both Harry and Hermione pale at the very thought. "Definitely don't want that." Harry says
Malachi nods. "Shall we get started then?'
"Actually, I was hoping you might give Hannah and Neville tips first." Harry says.
"Of course," Malachi says. "Let me see what they got."
#####
"Neville, I must say Harry has done a great job training you." Malachi says.
"I still haven't managed to summon my sword though." Neville sats, dejected.
"Hey, it took me being seconds away from being eaten by a gigantic snake for me to summon mine." Harry says.
"Perhaps it takes a life or death moment for you to summon it the first time?" Hermione suggests.
"That's a reasonable hypothesis." Malachi says.
"If that's the case I hope I never summon it." Neville says. They all chuckle and nod.
Malachi looks at Hannah. "As for you, Hannah, I saw you grab every weapon the room could conjure and use it fairly effectively."
Hannah blushes. "I can't decide which one I like the best, so every week I grab something new and try it."
Malachi nods. "Interesting."