Violet Potter and the Basilisk Plague (Year Two)

Chapter Four: Enter Lucius Malfoy

While the Potters, the Weasleys, and their other friends from school were either busy getting photographed or purchasing their new school books (Harry and Violet were given their Lockhart written books free of charge) at Flourish and Blotts, there was an alley of another sort just turned west from Diagon Alley. This was Knockturn Alley, and it was precisely the kind of alley parents like Mr. and Mrs. Weasley strictly forbade their children from venturing down. The kind of grimy, grungy, and dingy place where only the shadiest of wizards and witches typically went about their buisness.

One such wizard who found himself doing more and more buisness as of recently in Knocturn Alley was none other than Lucius Malfoy. He stood tall and proud, with icy cold blue eyes, long hair that was silvery blond like his son's, and he allowed nothing but what he considered the very best around him and within the House of Malfoy, from the best wizard's clothes to the most pure-blooded and elite members of Wizarding Britain. And he was paying a visit to Borgin and Burkes, not to buy anything, but to sell to Mr. Borgin.

Following his father into this little shop of wizarding horrors, as one might aptly call it, was Draco Malfoy. Unlike the Potters or the Weasleys, Victoria, or Hermione, he was not at all happy at the moment. As a matter of fact, Draco was downright sulky. He had, like every other Hogwarts student, just recieved his full grade report from the last school year via owl post that very morning. Draco technically had almost no failing grades, and certainly nothing worse than P (poor) grades in Astronomy and Herbology (and who really cared about reading a few stupid stars in the midnight sky or stinking pus-filled plants anyway?). However, it was still not good enough, not for a pure-blood Malfoy. His mother had tried at least, to be a little more lenient.

Lucius however, had been thoroughly unimpressed. As the current Head Governor of the Magical School Board of Directors in the United Kingdom, he also would have known precisely how all the other Hogwarts students, most importantly, all those in any of his son's classes had been graded. Hermione Granger, a young witch from a non-magic family, a no-account thief of magic in Lucius Malfoy's prejudiced mind, had somehow not only beaten his Draco in every single first year subject, but she was also one of the most consistently highest graded students of her year! That in itself was an outrage.

Add to that the fact that Albus Dumbledore, that biased muggle-loving crackpot had so freely given well over a hundred last-minute points. Not to Slytherin, oh no sir, to Dumbledore's former house of Gryffindor and effectively robbed Slytherin House of what should have been yet another easily assured house victory...that even that ill-mannered and bratty troublemaker Violet Potter was given more accolade and recognition than one of his own blood---it deeply cut such a proud wizard as Lucius Malfoy to the quick.

It was insulting! It was several steps too far. Something had to be done about Dumbledore, and the muggle-born filth he had so easily accepted. And by the will of Lord Voldemort, Lucius would help in making sure it was done this school year. He knew he would also have to be much sneakier and cleverer about it even than originally planned. Ever since Pyrus Maynard so stupidly got himself arrested and sent to Azkaban, there were certain wizards working in Ministry Law Enforcement, who were waiting, even more than ever now, to catch Lucius in the act of something dubious indeed.

For now however, there were other errands that needed to be run. Lucius turned back to his son just as Draco was examining an eerily glowing ancient reliquary that would have stolen the life of any muggle who dared touch it, and said sternly, "Touch nothing Draco, and do not dawdle. I'd much prefer to be out of this shop before some undercover Aurors should discover this activity."

"Yes Father." Said Draco. "I still don't see why I can't simply go to look at the newest broomsticks out in Diagon Alley. If that batty Professor McGonagall can see to it that Famous Harry Potter can get a Nimbus 2000 and see him made Gryffindor seeker when he's not even that good, just because he's famous, then---"