A Creature's Justice

Chapter Three; Dang Veela

                                                                                ~Harry Potter~
I swayed on the spot as the ritual, called a cleansing, was finished. Grappleclaw hurried over, catching my arm to help me balance before I fell.
His voice was oddly soft and comforting as he said, "Let's get you back to my office, Mr. Potter."
Nearly asleep on my feet, I couldn't stop myself from saying, "Call me Harry. I'm only ever Mr. Potter if I'm in trouble. I'm not in trouble am I, Mr. Grappleclaw sir?"
Grappleclaw chuckled, leading me back to his office by the arm, and said, "No, Harry. You aren't in trouble. Do you want to nap in my office before we do any more paperwork? Your body needs to heal from the cleansing. Cleansings take a lot out of adult wizards, but they take even more from children."
I yawned, my vision blurring behind my old glasses, and said, "Sir, I'm not sure I'll make it to your office." Black spots were filling my field of vision, and my legs felt weak, almost like jelly.
Grappleclaw sounded worried when he said, "Harry, Harry! What's going on!"
My voice slurred as I said, "I think I'm passing out, sir."

                                                                                       ~Grappleclaw~
I watched worriedly as Harry said, "I think I'm passing out, sir." His voice was slurred over almost every word, and as he finished his legs went out from under him. He could have-would have fallen if Lucius Malfoy, another of my clients hadn't swept him up into his arms with a grace that showed his true nature. The Malfoy family was well-known for being Veela, and Lucius Malfoy was no different.
Lucius looked down at the boy in his arms and said, "What happened to him, Grappleclaw?"
I sighed, rubbing my temples, and said, "Accompany me to my office so you can lay him down, if you will, Lord Malfoy. If you'd like, I can explain there. However, I cannot say here, and I will need a vow of silence. Both you and Draco."
I looked over at Lucius' son, Draco, who had, had a scheduled appointment with me to test if he was a wizard or a creature, and if so, which creature. Draco nodded and said, "You'll have it from me. He has bruises. Bruises I can smell." He looked shocked at himself after he spoke, like he was confused as to why he knew that.
Lucius sighed and agreed, "Myself as well, Grappleclaw."
I nodded, and silence reigned among us as we walked the rest of the way back to my office. Once there, Lucius transfigured a chair into a bed, gently laying Harry on it. After a moment, he shrugged off his outer robe and draped it over the unconscious boy.
Afterwards, he leaned against the wall and said, "Why did an eleven year old boy, a sickly small eleven year old boy, need a cleansing, Grappleclaw?" When I gave him a look he sighed and said, "I, Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, promise that I will not reveal anything I am told or see in this room to anyone without the express permission of Harry Potter or Grappleclaw, upon my magic I do swear."
Draco cleared his throat and said, "I, Draco Lucius Malfoy, promise that I will not reveal anything I am told or see in this room to anyone without the express permission of Harry Potter or Grappleclaw, upon my magic I do swear."
Both times, the flare of magic was tangible as Mother Magic accepted their vows of silence.
After a moment I said, "He was the horcrux of Tom Riddle. Lord Voldemort, whichever name you prefer. My best guess is that his mother giving her life for him met the criteria of an old magic ritual, and so the killing curse rebounded and killed Voldemort, but his soul, used to being split, latched onto the only living thing in the area-Harry. It was a parasite, draining his life, his magic, his intelligence. It was sucking him dry. I believe that, with the mistreatment at the muggles home, is what is causing him to be so incredibly short. I have not finished looking at his information. I was doing a health check. I felt it prudent with his size and I'm glad I did. I get the feeling Dumbledore knew of this, or of something I would be worried over. He, as you know, tried to have Hagrid stop him from meeting with me."
Lucius had become enraged, his eyes blackening from their usual silvery gray, his fingernails lengthening into claws. Draco hurried over, pulling his father into a hug-something that usually would have calmed the enraged veela male. However, this time, it wasn't enough, and his wings, usually stopped before they ripped out of his back, pulled free, a bloody silver and more than twice the length of his ample height. He pulled Draco with him as he went towards Harry, crouching next to the transfigured bed and carefully pulling the unconscious boy into his arms, and pulling his son in afterwards, folding his wings around them.
It made me curious, I will admit, that a well-known pureblood Lord would become enraged on behalf of a child he had never met before. What exactly was Lord Malfoy to Harry Potter? I intended to find out.