The Butler, In the Morning
September 4th, Greengrass Manor 08:00
"Rise and shine, young mistress.". Daphne groaned, and turned away from the source of the voice, pulling the covers over her head. "Now, now. Cocooning ourselves, young mistress?"
"Shut up. I'm comfortable."
"Be that as it may, you have many tasks to see to today.". Daphne sat up, pushing the covers off herself. Sebastian smirked as he handed her her tea. "Earl Grey, imported from India."
"Thank you. Did you complete those forms Tracey asked you to fill out?"
"Naturally." he nodded, though he was secretly trying to repress a shudder. How Soul Collectors filled those out on a daily basis he would never know. The amount of detail those forms went into was staggering. Then again, the Afterlife Archive was nothing if not meticulous. Daphne sipped at her tea.
"So? What 'tasks' do I have to complete today?"
"You have a report from your appointed headmaster at Hogwarts."
"Is that all?"
"Yes, however, I am rather worried about-" Sebastian began, but was cut off by a glare from Daphne.
"Stop right there, Sebastian. I appointed Drake Tuner on good authority." Daphne snapped. Sebastian merely stared at her. "You're getting to damned paranoid."
"I still feel that we should have at least met him, before you placed him in charge of the school."
"Bathilda Bagshot gave him her recommendation. She wrote half the bloody syllabus, Sebastian!"
"I'm aware of that, young mistress."
"Good, then drop it! Anything else on my schedule?"
"Yes, Tracey says that she has discovered something of relevance to the Nightmare Queen during her undercover mission. She's in the drawing room at the moment."
"Very well, let's go see what she has to say." Daphne sighed, placing her now empty teacup on the bedside table. "Black, today, Sebastian."
"Very well, young mistress." Sebastian nodded, moving over to the wardrobe.
After Daphne was dressed, the butler and mistress made their way to the drawing room. Like the rest of the estate, the drawing room was an elaborately decorated room. There was ornately designed furniture, intricate works of art and plush sofa's that looked never to have been used. The drawing room was traditionally used to entertain guests, and served one purpose in particular. To show the host's wealth. As they entered, they saw Tracey perched on the edge of one of the sofa's. She stood up as Daphne entered the room. "Young mistress, good morning."
"Good morning, Tracey. You have news for me?"
"Indeed I do, young mistress!" the housekeeper grinned.
"Well?" Daphne snapped impatiently. "What is it?"
"Nothing." Tracey grinned. Daphne and Sebastian stared at her, incredulously.
"What? Nothing?" Daphne frowned. "What the devil are you talking about."
"Nothing. Nothing. N-O-T-H-I-N-G. That's what the Mr. Butler I'm talking about. Oops, sorry, I meant devil. Freudian slip." she giggled. Sebastian merely sneered at her.
"You mean, there's not even a whisper in the Underworld as to what the Nightmare Queen is up to?"
"Not a peep." Tracey nodded. Daphne sat in her armchair, frowning. "This is worrying. If not a single idiotic Death Eater is letting slip, or even bragging about their scheme's, then it means one of two things. Either there isn't a plan, or they aren't needed."
"From what we've seen of the Nightmare Queen so far, she isn't the type not to have a plan." Sebastian mused.
"Exactly! Tracey, are you positive that no-one's mentioned anything?"
"Positive."
"Not even from the less intelligent Death Eaters? Avery?"
"Missing."
"Rookwood?"
"Azkaban. Again."
"Macnair?"
"Dead. Looks like the idiot was drunk and tried apparating. Splinched himself something fierce. Completely decapitated himself. At least, that's what I guess happened."
"Geez, then we can assume that the Nightmare Queen doesn't need the Death Eaters for whatever she's planning." Daphne sighed. "What the hell is she up to?"
"Young mistress? The report from Professor Tuner." said Sebastian, handing her an envelope, sealed with the Hogwarts crest. Daphne took it with a nod, tore it open, and began reading.
"Anything of interest?" asked Tracey.
"Nothing of any particular interest. Here, take a look."
Miss Greengrass,
Your concerns with the academic concerns appear to be well founded.
You were correct in your belief that the curriculum has become stagnated.
Overall, I feel that improvement may not take as long as feared.
Under my guidance, I promise to bring about a new age for Hogwarts.
Never fear, you shall be the first to see my handiwork!
Great things lie ahead for us all!
Leaving behind the stagnated curriculum shall be my first order of business.
After that, we should see significant improvements!
Don't worry about the school, I'll handle it.
Yours sincerely,
Drake Tuner
"What a weird letter." Tracey giggled. "It barely makes sense."
"Maybe I should've met Mr. Tuner before appointing him after all." Daphne muttered, then turned to Sebastian. "I know what you're thinking, don't say it." she warned the smirking butler.
"Of course not, young mistress."
"I wonder, what are his plans for Hogwarts?"
September 4th, ?, 08:00
"Next!" a voice called. The Death Eaters had been summoned to the Nightmare Queen's office. Apparently they were being given their new orders by the Dark Lord's daughter, and she had insisted that they be given on a one-to-one basis. The man cleared his throat nervously, and pushed open the door. "Ah, Adams, isn't it?" the young woman smiled at him.
"Yes, my lady." he nodded.
"Do you know why I've asked you to come here today?" she asked. The man fidgeted with the hem of his robe.
"You have orders for me, my lady?"
"I suppose you could say that." she shrugged. "You see, Adams, our organisation has reached a point where the services of most of our followers are now longer needed."
"My lady?"
"We're letting you go, Adams." she said, standing, and moving to stand in front of the man.
"But, I don't understand?"
"That's hardly surprising. You're hardly the brightest bolt, are you Adams?"
"What will you do without an army?"
"I didn't say we wouldn't have an army. Only that we no longer require Death Eaters."
"But-" Adams began. The Nightmare Queen rolled her eyes.
"Oh, do stop talking, and take your severance package."
"Severance package?" the man frowned. The Nightmare Queen laughed wildly as she plunged a knife into the man's throat. Adams instinctively raised a hand to the wound. Hermione laughed maniacally, and plunged the knife into his throat again. And again. And again. And again. Finally, the man stopped moving. Hermione stepped back panting, soaked in the man's blood, and a cruel grin on her face. She brushed a stray lock of hair out of her face. "I love my job." she grinned.
September 4th, Grimmauld Place, 08:00
The Order of the Phoenix was all but dead. Molly Weasley had appointed herself the leader after Dumbledore's death, which didn't sit well with most of the members. She sorely lacked the leadership skills that Dumbledore had. However, since the sinking of the Campania, no-one had heard from her. Nor had anyone heard from her two youngest children, Ron and Ginny. Most assumed that they had died aboard the doomed ship. A few optimists hoped that she had taken the children and fled the country. Currently, the only order members left were Sirius Black, Minerva McGonagall, Fleur Delacour and Emmeline Vance. The four were currently sat around the kitchen table in Grimmauld Place. "Sirius, are you certain that Molly is dead?" asked McGonagall.
"Yeah, at least, as certain as I can be." Sirius nodded. "Look, the fact is, the Order is dead. We're not an organisation anymore. We're just four people opposed to Voldemort."
"What do you suggest then?" asked Vance.
"My godson Harry… Sebastian. He's fighting against Voldemort. I know it. We can help him."
"You are certain that Voldemort is back?" asked Fleur.
"Yes. Positive. I can feel it in the air."
"And how do you suggest we help your godson, Sirius?" asked Vance.
"We need to talk to him." said Sirius. "Offer whatever help we can. Whatever's coming. It isn't going to be pretty. We're going to need as many people as possible."
September 4th, Greengrass Manor, 11:15
"Really, young mistress, you're going to dig a trench at this rate." Tracey giggled. Daphne had been pacing back and forth in the drawing room for almost twenty minutes now. Daphne stopped and glared at the girl.
"Not now, Tracey." she snapped. Tracey stopped her giggling, and looked at the girl sadly. Daphne's expression relaxed. "I'm sorry, Tracey. I didn't mean to snap at you. I've been so on edge lately with the Nightmare Queen out there plotting. It's driving me crazy.". Tracey got up, and walked over to her, wrapping her arms around the shorter girl.
"I understand, young mistress." she said, softly. "I know that capturing the Nightmare Queen-"
"Killing"
"I know that killing the Nightmare Queen is a personal matter for you. We'll find her. I promise you." Tracey murmured.
"I know." Daphne muttered, returning the hug. "Thank you, Tracey."
"I may be your housekeeper, but I was your best friend for five years before that."
"You still are my best friend. I've treated you unfairly. I'm sorry." Daphne whispered, looking the girl in the eyes, tears brimming in her own. "I ask too much of you all, and expect to give nothing in return, and-". Whatever else she was going to say was cut off by Tracey pressing her lips to Daphne's. "Young mistress. You have given us everything. Mr. Butler was dying, and you saved him. Bellatrix was marked for death at the hands of the Nightmare Queen, and you saved her. Neville was just a loser.". Daphne giggled at Tracey's bluntness. "Well, he was, but you agreed to take him as your gardener. Finally, there's me. I was lost and without purpose, and you gave me one." Tracey smiled at the girl. "If it weren't for you, young mistress, we would all be dead, or worse. Please, don't ever feel that you are asking too much off us. What you have given us, can never be repaid. We live to serve you.". Daphne smiled at the girl.
"Thank you, Tracey." she whispered, standing on tiptoes, to kiss the girl. Tracey pulled the girl closer, deepening the kiss.
"Why do we keep doing this, Tracey?" Daphne whispered, as the broke apart, her usually pale cheeks, flushed.
"I told you I was jealous of Mr. Butler." Tracey smirked. Daphne chuckled, and stared deep into Tracey's eyes.
"Tracey… We can't."
"Because I'm your servant?"
"Because the Nightmare Queen will kill you too, just to hurt me. I can't lose anyone else."
"If it helps, I'm almost immortal."
"That's still too great a risk. If we both survive this, we'll talk about it. Okay?"
"We will survive this, young mistress. I promise." Tracey grinned. Daphne smirked.
"Ever the optimist, huh Tracey?".
"Well, one of us has to be." Tracey giggled, and gave the blonde one last kiss. Daphne responded with equal enthusiasm. Their moment was interrupted by a tapping on the window. The two jumped apart and turned to look at the source of the noise. A grey owl was perched on the windowsill. Tracey crossed the room, and opened the window. The grey owl hopped into the room, and stuck its leg out. Tracey took the letter attached to its leg, and handed it to Daphne. "It's for Mr. Butler." she said, a note of surprise in her voice.
"Sebastian? Who's it from?"
"There's no address. It just says Sebastian, Greengrass Estate. How did it find us? What about the Fidelius Charm?" Tracey asked, eyeing the owl suspiciously.
"It must either be a ministry owl or it belongs to an old pureblood family." Daphne said, examining the handwriting on the envelope. It wasn't familiar to her.
"They can get through the Fidelius charm?" asked Tracey, not taking her eyes of the owl.
"Yes, ministry owls are unaffected for obvious legal reasons, and pureblood families tend not to ward their homes against other pureblood families. It's a show of goodwill."
"So, any idea who the letter is from?" Tracey asked. Daphne examined the letter one last time.
"There's no specific address on the letter, which suggests the sender only had a vague idea of where we are, which rules out the ministry. The have a compendium with information on every magical household in Britain. They would have had access to every scrap of information down to which room Sebastian was in. No, this came from a pureblood family. An old one if the calligraphy is anything to go by. Extremely impressive penmanship. There aren't many pureblood families out there that Sebastian would have any contact with. That leaves only three possibilities. The Malfoys, Weasleys or the Blacks. I know for a fact that this isn't the handwriting of Lucius, Narcissa, or Draco. It's far to elaborate. It can't be the Weasleys. I doubt that those of them left alive can even spell their own names, joined up writing is far too much of a stretch for them. Thus, this came from the Black's. His godfather, I presume. Sirius Black." Daphne said. Tracey turned to look at her.
"You got all of that from an envelope?"
"I'm very clever." Daphne smirked.
"What does Sirius Black want with Mr. Butler?"
"Either for him to go home, or to help us kill the Dark Lord and his oh so charming daughter." Daphne guessed. "Sebastian!". No sooner had she called for him, the man was entering the room.
"You called, young mistress?"
"A letter came for you." Daphne told him, handing him the envelope. "It's from Sirius Black. Confirm my theory, won't you?". Sebastian nodded, opened the letter, and quickly read it.
"You're correct, young mistress. Mr. Black wishes to meet with us to discuss a partnership in destroying the Dark Lord and his child."
"Send a note back with that owl, tell him to be at the manor at one-thirty this afternoon. Make sure you give him the address so he can floo here. Otherwise he'll be clinging to that owl to get here.". Sebastian quickly jotted down a response on a sheet of paper lying on the desk, sealed it and attached it to the owl's leg. The owl hooted and then flew away, through the window he had come through.
"It is done, young mistress. Is there anything I can fetch you?"
"No, thank you, Sebastian. Just make sure the manor is clean for Black's arrival."
"Yes, young mistress." he nodded. The butler turned, and made his way out of the room, and downstairs to the kitchens. Bellatrix and Neville were stood in the kitchen, talking. Neville seemed to have taken the news that his parents could not be cured rather well. He had been upset, but at no point had he lost his temper, broken down, or even blamed Bellatrix, all of which no-one would have blamed him for. The gardener and maid looked over to the butler as he entered.
"Sebastian, good morning." Neville grinned.
"Good morning, Sebastian."
"Good morning Neville, Bellatrix." he responded with a curt nod. "Though I fear it is closer to the afternoon. Now, please pay attention I have some very important tasks for the two of you today. Neville, please tend to the rose garden today. Bellatrix, please ensure the manor is neat and tidy, we shall be having company this afternoon."
"Right away, Sebastian!" Neville grinned, whereas Bellatrix merely nodded. The two made to leave, when Sebastian called after them.
"And make sure Tracey stays away from anything breakable, flammable, explosive, expensive or generally important.". The two nodded their understanding, and left to complete their tasks. Sebastian sighed. "That girl is the reason we can't have nice things."