Harry Potter and the Lost Heir (A fan fiction)

Chapter 1: The Mysterious Murders

Harry Potter felt a cold sweat on his forehead as he stepped out of the fireplace into the Malfoy mansion. He had been here before, many years ago, when he had faced Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters in a fierce battle. But now, the mansion was eerily silent, except for the occasional creak of the floorboards and the whisper of the wind.

He was not alone. Behind him, his best friends and fellow Aurors, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, followed him with their wands at the ready. They had been assigned to investigate the murder of Lucius Malfoy, the former head of the Malfoy family and a notorious Death Eater. His body had been found in his study, with no signs of a struggle or a break-in. The only clue was a dark curse that had burned his flesh and bones, leaving nothing but ashes.

Harry had never seen such a curse before. Neither had Hermione, who was the brightest witch of their age and an expert on dark magic. Nor had Ron, who had a keen sense of danger and a knack for finding clues. They were all baffled by this mysterious case, which seemed to have no motive, no suspect, and no trace.

But Lucius Malfoy was not the only victim. In the past few weeks, several other former Death Eaters or their associates had met the same fate. All of them had been loyal to Voldemort, or had served him in some way. All of them had been killed by the same dark curse, which left no evidence behind. All of them had been found by their families or servants, who had no idea what had happened.

Harry had a nagging feeling that there was a pattern behind these murders. A vengeful force that was targeting Voldemort's followers, one by one. A force that was powerful, cunning, and ruthless. A force that Harry had to stop, before it claimed more lives.

But he had no idea where to start. The Ministry of Magic was clueless, the media was in a frenzy, and the public was in a panic. Harry felt the pressure of being the leader of the investigation, the one who everyone looked up to for answers. He felt the responsibility of being the Boy Who Lived, the one who had defeated Voldemort and saved the wizarding world. He felt the burden of being Harry Potter, the one who always had to face the darkest of evils.

He shook his head and tried to focus on the task at hand. He looked around the mansion, which was a stark contrast to the grim scene in the study. The mansion was lavish and luxurious, with ornate furniture, expensive paintings, and exotic artifacts. It was a testament to the wealth and power of the Malfoy family, who had been influential and aristocratic for generations.

But Harry also sensed a dark and sinister aura that permeated the mansion. A legacy of the Malfoy family, who had been involved in dark and dangerous affairs for generations. He remembered how Draco Malfoy, Lucius' son and Harry's former school rival, had been a Death Eater in his sixth year at Hogwarts. He remembered how Narcissa Malfoy, Lucius' wife and Draco's mother, had lied to Voldemort about Harry's death in the final battle. He remembered how the Malfoy family had escaped punishment after the war, thanks to their connections and influence.

He wondered where they were now. Draco Malfoy had not been seen since his father's death. He had not attended the funeral, nor had he contacted anyone. He had vanished without a trace, leaving behind a trail of rumors and speculations. Some said he had gone into hiding, fearing for his life. Some said he had fled the country, seeking a new identity. Some said he had joined a new dark organization, plotting a new uprising.

Harry did not know what to believe. He did not know if Draco was a victim, a suspect, or a bystander. He did not know if he should pity him, hate him, or ignore him. He did not know if he would ever see him again.

He decided to put Draco out of his mind for now. There were teams already out searching for him. He had to find out who had killed Lucius Malfoy, and why. He had to find out what the dark curse was, and how to counter it. He had to find out who was behind the mysterious murders, and how to stop them.

He turned to Ron and Hermione, who were waiting for his instructions. They had been his friends since their first year at Hogwarts, and they had been through everything with him. They had fought alongside him, learned with him, and grown with him. They had been his support, his guidance, and his family. They had been his partners, his confidants, and his lovers.

Yes, lovers. Harry and Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister, had been dating since their sixth year at Hogwarts. They had broken up briefly during the war, but had reunited after Voldemort's defeat. They had been happy and in love, until recently. Lately, Harry had felt a distance between them, a coldness that he could not explain. He had tried to talk to her, to find out what was wrong, but she had avoided him, or snapped at him, or shut him out. He did not know what to do, or how to fix it. He did not know if she still loved him, or if he still loved her.

He pushed the thought of Ginny away, too. He had no time for personal problems. He had to focus on his work, on his duty, on his mission. He had to be professional, objective, and rational. He had to be an Auror, a hero, a leader. He had been suffering from strange visions. This time the visions didn't feature Voldemort but Dumbledor. A scared, impatient Dumbledor, trying to suffocate Harry. He says something but the words echo multiple times creating a hollow sound which makes the sound difficult to understand. But it wasn't the time to worry about that.

He cleared his throat and spoke to Ron and Hermione.

"Let's split up and search the mansion. Maybe we'll find something that the others missed. Ron, you take the ground floor. Hermione, you take the upper floor. I'll take the basement. We'll meet back here in an hour. And be careful. We don't know what we're dealing with."

Ron and Hermione nodded and headed to their assigned areas. Harry watched them go, then made his way to the basement. He descended the stairs, which were dark and dusty, and entered a dimly lit corridor. He walked along the corridor, passing by several doors that were locked or sealed with magic. He wondered what secrets they hid, what horrors they contained.

He reached the end of the corridor, where he found a large metal door that was slightly ajar. He pushed it open and entered a spacious chamber that was filled with shelves, cabinets, and chests. He recognized it as the Malfoy family vault, where they stored their valuables and treasures.

He scanned the vault, looking for anything that might be relevant to the case. He saw gold, silver, jewels, and coins. He saw weapons, armor, and artifacts. He saw books, scrolls, and papers. He saw nothing that caught his eye, nothing that seemed out of place.

He was about to leave, when he noticed a faint glow in the corner of the vault. He walked towards it, curious and cautious. He reached the source of the glow, and gasped.

It was a symbol, carved into the wall. A symbol that he had never seen before, but that he instinctively knew was evil. A symbol that made his skin crawl, and his blood run cold.

It was a hydra, wrapped around a skull, glowing amidst the dark layers of the basement. Harry, without wasting a moment, lights the area with his wand. The sight was one filled with horror as if the devil himself created it. The symbol was made of blood, whose still unknown, but right below it's center lie a skull. 

On nearer inspection, he could see something faintly carved on the skull. A mysterious question that puzzled and horrified him to the core.

The carvings read "Remember Me?".