"Yes, I knew Mr. Roach when he was working for the ministry. They're a pure blood family closely related to the Lovegoods. Mr. Roach was fired for breaking an entry into a ministry official s office. But he was probably just lost, thought it was his own office. Odd coincidence they both hide the spare keys under the potted plants next to their doors." It was obvious Lucius disliked this Mr. Roach. "I didn't know much about his wife. Just that she was always calling him home early to help her with magic that had gone wrong. I'm pretty sure their daughter doesn't go to school. But she must have been studying magic at home. I remember people talking about her when she registered as an Animagus, one of the youngest in a century. She might even be younger than you."
"Do you think you-know-who wants her to join the death eaters than?"
"No doubt he does. And probably with her parents now done away with she'll be staying here."
"What? Why does everyone have to stay here?" Draco hissed
"Well, our manner is quite large... it makes a good spot for headquarters and there are some people the dark lord would like to keep close." He lied also keeping down his voice. "Besides I'm sure Miss Roach is a very nice girl." He added reassuringly.
"She better be I don't want anymore" he lowered his voice further "ugly half-breeds, under this roof" His father obviously agreed but instead asked him not to speak so rudely of their guests and sent him out of his study. He didn't want to admit it but he was actually very eager to meet this young Miss Roach. Girls weren't often the first thing on his mind but today he spent a lot of time wondering what she would look like. Despite Voldemort s reassurance that she would be arriving soon, She wasn t brought to the Manner until later that evening
"We've got the girl!" Greyback could be heard yelling in the hall. "There s a bit of a problem though!" Draco crept down the stairs and saw Greyback attempting to remove Wormtail from the grasp of a great white python.
"That must be her he thought. He tried to imagine what she might look like considering that Wormtail who was a rat Animagus resembled a rat so much.
"Bring her in Wormtail." Voldemort's snake like whisper echoed through the hall. "At all costs he added. Fenrir Greyback gave up on saving Wormtail from the snake and ended up just pushing the pair of them through the hall. Once they were both out of sight Draco followed them sneakily to the door of Voldemort s quarters. The hall was dark except for the light shining through the crack in the door. Draco peered through and saw that Wormtail and the Python had been separated and the snake was now hanging from the chandelier. "She'd be easier to handle in human form, wouldn t you agree?"
"We tried to force her back but she's a tough one answered Fenrir.
"Well, did you try asking her?" Fenrir looked puzzled. "Perhaps I can persuade her to come to dinner with us, you may go now Greyback. I know you have rather eclectic tastes."
Fenrir bowed and turned towards the door. His eyes met Draco s. The boy panicked and turned around to escape but the werewolf reached out and caught him by the collar of his jacket. He pulled the trembling teenager into Voldemort s view and asked "hey, can I have him for dinner?" Draco was somehow paler than normal. He tried not to shake or make eye contact with the werewolf whose face was now so close to his he could smell his breath.
"No you may not Greyback." He demanded "as much as he deserves it for eavesdropping Fenrir let go of the boy s jacket reluctantly "Please make sure he goes straight to the dining room Greyback." The werewolf went to the top of the steps with Draco staring at him all the way with hungry eyes. Draco was still shaking with fear. At the top of the steps his family was waiting for him. He took a seat in-between his mother and her sister Bellatrix Lestrange.
"Where were you Draco?" His mother demanded.
"I was..."
"Shhh..." His Aunt issued. "The dark lord has arrived She seemed unpleasantly happy. Voldemort entered with the snake now obediently following behind him. It was obvious that she was under the imperius curse. Voldemort took the seat at the head of the table as usual.
"We have an important guest today" He gestured at the Python now slithering onto the table. He smiled and whispered something in parseltongue. The snake immediately turned into a young girl wearing a thin white night gown. She was rather thin and tall. She had platinum blonde hair down to her waist styled with a short fringe cut high above her eyebrows. She looked very dreamy with her eyes closed holding out her wand and placing it gently into Voldemort s hand. "Thank you dear" he added politely. She whispered something incomprehensible to him. Draco swore he was hearing parseltongue but couldn't be sure it wasn't an effect of the imperius curse. Suddenly a grin flushed across Voldemort s face and the curse was dropped. She opened her eyes and searched around the room in confusion. For a second she looked straight at Draco and he noticed she was slightly cross-eyed. He was reminded that she was closely related to the Lovegoods.
"Where am I?" She asked continuing to glance around the room. Her eyes finally met Voldemort s and she scattered over the table. She was about to make a run for it before Bellatrix stood up and pointed her wand at her.
"And WHERE do you think you re going!" She laughed. "Trying to run away, were you? Stupid girl, can t you see you re..." But she was cut off. Voldemort had stood and smiled at the frightened snake-like girl.
"It s quite understandable of course." His smile widened and Bellatrix lowered her wand "Is it true, are you really a parselmouth?" The girl stared at him with wide eyes for a moment and then nodded. Quiet gasps filled the room
"But, how did you..."
"You never mind that. Do you know, nearly all Parselmouths are decedents of Salazar Slytherin?" She was about to respond but before she could speak he added "Me included." Her mouth gaped open and her eyes widened. "I believe you may be distantly related to me."
"But aren t most pureblood wizards distantly related!" Bellatrix added sounding transparently jealous.
"Thank you Bellatrix" Voldemort was obviously waiting for this question. "Yes, most pureblood wizards are distantly related. But there are almost no known relatives of Slytherin. I m convinced that Miss Amelia Roach is one of them."
"And you killed her parents this morning..." Again she was cut off.
"Don t interrupt me Bellatrix He hissed. "As I was saying, I doubt she gets it from her father s side. He was in the ministry so we have information on him. However, very little is known about Mrs. Roach. This includes her maiden name. Her Mother was a squib" Voldemort smiled at Bellatrix and was pleased to see she was stumped. "Roach" Amelia, who seemed rather distant from the discussion despite being the topic of it, jolted upright on the table and stared at Voldemort. "You may take a seat." Her face suddenly flushed red. She had only noticed know that she was sitting on the table. And even worse, the only spare seat was near the head of the table a rather uncomfortable distance from Voldemort.
