††††† Chapter One †††††
Harry Potter had arrived at the Dursley Residence three days ago and had, as of yet, been in a near comatose state in the second bedroom. Voldemort had been sending false visions to him for half of the last school year and the last one that he had seen had spurred him into action. Sirius was being tortured in the Department of Mysteries. Harry, along with several of his friends, had rushed headlong to rescue him. Sirius hadn't been there, but they were met by a deadly team of Death Eaters: Lucius Malfoy, the three Lestranges, Antonin Dolohov, Macnair, Mulciber, and Nott.
He let his thoughts centre on that night. Deadliness of the situation that they found themselves in and yet, he still had found what was needed. The Prophesy that Voldemort was after. He had heard the words, had understood their meaning, but it wasn't until later in the following days that he fully grasped what it had said. The key phrase kept bouncing in his head: either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives. He knew what had to be done, but he didn't think he was capable of it. At least not if it was deliberate, his list of accidental deaths was lengthy. First Quirrell, then the basilisk-memory of Voldemort incident, he didn't really kill anyone during his third year, Cedric, and then we come to the newest names to the list: Rabastan Lestrange and Antonin Dolohov—by his own actions both Death Eaters died and although not an accident it hadn't been deliberate either.
If you added in those that were seriously harmed in correlation to one of his actions that list grew. Hermione, Ron, Neville, Luna, Ginny, Sirius, Tonks…These were just the people who had been injured recently. Hermione had almost died by Dolohov's hand when my overpowered Expelliarmus hit him and he flew backward into the wall. According to Kingsley, his skull had shattered on impact. She was in St. Mungo's for four days. Ron was cut up by Macnair and needed two days recovery. Neville and Luna had been tortured by Bellatrix and Rodolphus. They each were out of bed the next day. Ginny had been attempting to duel Malfoy Sr. and although she lived, she was taken to St. Mungo's for three days. Sirius and Tonks.
Tonks had been dueling Mulciber and Sirius was assisting Harry against Rabastan and Nott. Nott was disabled by Sirius and before he could turn his attention fully on Rabastan, Tonks called out for help. A slashing hex had hit her wand arm and she had dropped it in pain. Sirius quickly went to her aid and left Harry to fend against Rabastan. In the moments to fallow, Harry couldn't tell what had happened, but Tonks had been stunned and Sirius had done the same to Mulciber. Sirius returned to Harry's side and Rabastan had cast fiendfyre towards Sirius, who responded with an exceptionally powerful shield. Instead of killing Sirius instantly, like the fyre should have, Sirius was burned—in many places down to the bone. He had passed out from the pain. Harry had responded with a wild Diffindo that ended up slicing the jugular connecting Rabastan's shoulder and neck. Rabastan died before the Aurors could stop it.
Harry looked down at his hands, could see that those two men deserved their deaths, but none of the pain Sirius and Tonks were still going through. Tonks would be in St. Mungo's for a week. Sirius was being treated at St. Mungo's as well; however, his was stipulated for trial as soon as he was able to leave the Sever Treatment Ward. Harry knew that Albus wasn't worried about Sirius' safety in conjunction to the trail. Albus already had testified under Veritaserum that Sirius Black was innocent of all charges, save escape from Azkaban, and with that known—escape would be disregarded because no innocent should be housed in that dark hell.
Things had also become progressively worse. The Dursley's had been arguing for two days straight. Harry couldn't tell what Vernon said, as he was unintelligible most days anyway, but Petunia had said something about Grunnings, so Harry assumed Vernon was having problems at work. He listened to the high-pitched tones as he fell asleep, uncaring of everything that was happening around him.
†††
Harry awoke to an ear-piercing scream from down stairs. He was up, with his wand in hand, and halfway down to the kitchen when he realized that it may not be an intelligent venture. After he rounded the corner, wand raised, Harry blinked in surprise at the scene that had unfolded as he entered the room.
There was Petunia, her body crashed into the table and her cheek bloody. Standing over her was Vernon, his fists raised and his eyes wild—but focused—on a figure that Harry didn't recognize. The woman was in black skin tight cloths, perhaps leather, pants with a long-sleeved shirt of the same material. Her hair was long, black and braided. Her face was shrouded by a hood that was attached to the cloak hanging from her back. There were two daggers on her, one still strapped to her thigh, the other in her left hand. An ash wand was in her right. Both weapons were leveled at Vernon.
His uncle, for his part, was unmoving. From his viewpoint, Harry could see the bottle of whiskey that was empty and tipped on its side on the kitchen counter. He heard a sound from behind him and turned slightly to see Dudley standing in the doorway behind him, eyes wide and red with a shine of fear held within them. Not that Harry blamed them, there were two freaks threatening their family, one who lived in the house. He turned to look at the mysterious woman again. "Who are you?" Harry inquired softly, wand trained on her as he spoke.
"Who I am, means little, Master Potter. This man is a threat to you and his wife." She relaxed her stance a bit and turned to look at Harry. He blinked when he saw the hazel eyes before he hardened his own gaze. "I was hired to protect you from any harm, Master Potter. I arrived yesterday and have just been getting to know the area. I am known as Silencer." She had a small smile as she finished speaking, as if it was amusing to her, but no one in the room understood what it could refer to.
Harry watched her, taking in the fact that she looked the dangerous warrior. "How do I know you're not a Death Eater?"
She tilted her head for a moment and then sighed. "Teachings from Mad Eye, that's for sure. Every Death Eater was captured by the Aurors at the Department of Mysteries. Ask me anything that the Order would know."
Harry pondered the query for a moment before smiling. "The location of the majority of the fight was never released. Where were we and which route did we take?"
"You took the path from the Hall of Prophesy to the Death Chamber. The majority of your battles personally took place right beside the veil." Harry looked into her eyes and then nodded. He let his gaze move over to Vernon, who was still in a frozen stupor, and a single eyebrow rose. "His company is having a hard term and he is blaming it on you. He threatened to kill you to end the problem and she told him no. That's when he backhanded her and she landed where she is and he began to go after her, I've seen his ilk before. He'd have killed her before passing out."
Harry sighed. "Just knock him out." The woman cast a stunner on him. "Thank you. If you can, can you heal Aunt Petunia before you head back outside? Dudley, help me drag him up to the bedroom." Dudley nodded and moved towards his dad as Harry put his wand into his back pocket. "By the way, Silencer," Harry's voice sounded as the three bodies moved to the stairs, "didn't the Order decide not to send watchers that I didn't know?"
Harry didn't receive a reply. When he and Dudley had Vernon on the bed they both came down to the kitchen to see Petunia standing over the sink crying. "Mum?" Dudley's voice called out as he moved into the room to stand at her side. "Mum, what's wrong?"
"Did she hurt you when I left, Aunt Petunia?" Harry's voice was hard as he began to scan the outside through the windows.
"I'm fine, dears," she responded softly, "no, she didn't hurt me Harry. She healed me and then left, she said that she'd be watching us." She continued to sob quietly. Harry stepped to her side, opposite Dudley, and put a hand on her shoulder lightly. She turned to look at her nephew. "She left something for you on the table after she fixed it."
Harry nodded and moved to see a small package. He opened it and saw a small dagger, much like the one she owned, but with a belt clasp. Harry let his hand hover over it, knowing darkly enchanted objects just felt wrong to him. It felt safe, protected and he pulled it out and swiftly placed it on his belt so that it was easy accessed should Vernon lose control again.
†††††
"Why are you here, Alta?"
She cringed at the darkness in his voice. "Forgive me, my Listener, but I need ask a question. What should I do about the Muggle relatives, should they pose threat to him?"
Areick's anger bleed away and he stopped his pacing to turn and look at his Silencer. "What has happened, Alta?"
"His Muggle uncle became drunk and attacked his aunt when she told him he couldn't kill Potter. He had broken the bones in her cheek and jaw with the force. It also had forced the bone through her cheek. All wounds I healed before I left. Potter had me stun his uncle, and I left him one of the Blades of Protection."
"Good." he added, "I have received information about his trip into the Department, and it seems many things occurred while he was there. Nonsiel and Lazar have noticed that the Riddle line was Muggle. Lazar has left to find out the Muggle's line information; Nonsiel left this morning to see what clues the Riddle Manor can give us." There was a comfortable silence that passed between then for a few minutes. "Return to your charge, learn everything you can about the Order's watchdogs."
She nodded and moved towards the door, "Then I will take my leave, my Listener."
†††††
Eheird sighed as they reached the deepest tunnel in Gringotts. Risael stood to the side of his Speaker. No one in the Wizarding World would think that the London Alter of Sithis was within the oldest vault of the goblin controlled bank. The goblin that was driving the cart looked uncomfortable. "Thank you, Rtuzek. We can take it from here." The goblin nodded and as soon as they exited the cart swiftly returned it to the bank proper.
"Speaker," Risael began softly, "do you think we can find the wayward son soon?"
Eheird smiled. "Sithis willing, my Silencer, Sithis willing." The two men entered the cave-like entrance and followed the long winding passageway to the cavern that the Alter and Statue were set. Eheird stepped out to the dark pathway into the red-light that permeated the cavern. "Come forward, Risael."
He stepped up to the altar, and waved his dark wand and the black candles lit with blue flames. A black smoke rose from the candles and formed into a serpent. Risael continued with the works of darkness, setting the calling so that the work would be done. "Speaker, it is done."
Eheird stepped into the center of the smoky circle and knelt. "Sithis, Dread Father, I have come by the words of my Listener. We seek a wayward son of the Night Mother."
A gravelly voice called from the black void hovering over the alter. "I know to whom you seek, my child. He is the last of Vivine's bloodline. At the turning of the day to his sixteenth birthday, the Ouroboros will appear on his right shoulder and within it will be an image of Sufferthorn, your Unholy Matron's preferred blade."
"Thank you, Dread Father, you have aided us greatly. To what price does this information warrant?"
There were several minutes of silence before Sithis responded. "When it is time for me to collect the price, you will know, my child. You and your brethren will know. Now leave, your Silencer and I will speak."
"I hear your words my father, with your leave, Risael I will speak to you after you close the alter." Eheird smiled and then left the cavern.
"Come forward, Silencer." Risael moved into the smoky circle and bowed deeply. "Things are set in motion, young Silencer, which will cause many trials for the Black Hand. I ask of you to stay strong and to not lose sight of keeping the Dark Brotherhood going safely. Speak of this warning to no one. If it comes to it, let the Speakers fall." Sithis receeded back into his viod and all the candles went out.
Risael went out of the cavern and all the way to the cart before he reunited with his Speaker. "Tell me, Risael, what Sithis said."
"Forgive me, Speaker, but I cannot." Eheird blinked and looked at his Silencer. He nodded his head slowly, accepting the inability.
"Sithis will be done." The two moved slowly on their way back to the Dragon's Breath. Their Listener would be pleased with the information their Dread Father had bestowed upon them.
†††
Areick was sitting at a back table when the two members of the Black Hand arrived. He rose and moved to their sides. "What news from Father?" The Listener's voice hinted at anxious.
"Father has said many things, my brother. Come; let us speak of them in private." It took only a short trip to enter the Sanctuary of the Black Hand and with it came a dark sight. Lazar was being treated by Sial while Arilena stood by and watched. "What has happened?" Eheird's voice was not its regular calm tone.
Areick cringed. "We know not how, but Nonsiel was killed while looking into the Riddle Manor. It was our only lead. Lazar found the Orphanage that the last known Riddle went to, there were no records. He was attacked by Death Eaters on his return, they are dead. Do you have any news, Eheird?"
The Speaker nodded. "The wayward son is the last blooded member of Vivine Le Fae lines. He is nearing his sixteenth birthday, and their combined mark shall appear on his right shoulder on that day. I know that according to Wizards' records Vivine has no living children but one is, perhaps the goblins or better yet, the Fairy Folk will know where the line is now."
Risael took in a deep breath, his eyes never leaving Lazar's form. "To get information from either could take months as neither kin are in good ways right now."
Areick gulped. "Yes, this war is pulling the kindred-kinds apart. We will do what we can in the meantime. Risael, will you travel and speak to the Goblin King? I'd rather ask Lazar to tend the Fairy Folk but Sial will you do so in his place?"
The two Silencers bowed. Both went to leave on their task when Lazar's voice halted them both. "Honored Listener, I ask that you allow me to do my job and speak to the Folk. As I am blood-kind they are likely to help me in the search more than for Sial."
"I would, but you need time to mourn Nonsiel's passage."
"My former Speaker would wish me to do my work and as one of the Folk, my mourning is different than that of others of the kindred-kinds. Additionally, Sial knows Nonsiel's Sanctuaries. He can watch over them until a new Speaker comes."
Areick looked over to Sial who was nodding at Lazar's words. "Very well, Silencer, but take care and keep us posted. The quicker this is done the better." The three Silencers left the room, two towards the Kindred Keeps and one to the main Sanctuary in Wales. Areick glanced at the two present Speakers and nodded to them both before retiring to his chambers. They had lost a good man this day.
TBC
