Summary: Harry starts his search for the Horcruxes after the disastrous events of his sixth year but when the truth comes to light, will Harry be able to cope? New friends, new enemies and strange new powers…
Disclaimers: I do not own Harry Potter, nor anything to do with J.K's world of imagination. The only profit I make from these stories is the ability to enjoy playing with what is not mine. ; I could never be the genius that Rowling is.
"speech" :'thoughts' : dreams and writing : "mind speech" ::parseltounge::
A.N.: Thank you so much for all of your reviews!
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Chapter 3: Enter: The Missing
Jinx Rue Lestrange's eyes opened wide as she viewed the ceiling above her. She was alive and she couldn't have been more surprised. Not only that but she remembered almost everything that happened to her, despite the fact she'd been hit by her Lucius's memory charm.
-Flashback-
Jinx Rue backed away from the doors, not believing what she'd heard. Her breath was coming out in short quick gasps. She needed to run, to clear her mind. She shook her head and turned, only to slam right into the chest of one Lucius Malfoy. His eyes narrowed and grasped her shoulder tightly and she cursed mentally. Jinx struggled against the grip although she knew it was futile and only succeeded in getting a foot or so away from the door. He dragged her back to the doors and she whimpered at what was coming. She did not want those in the room to know she had been eavesdropping.
Jinx kicked backward with a bare foot, feeling it connect with Lucius's leg. The smirk that had been on his face was replaced with a snarl but he did not release her. He waved his wand at the doors, opening them and alerting the occupants of the room to their presence.
Lucius shoved her forward, causing Jinx to fall to the floor. Her knees made a loud clunk sound and she bit her lip to stop from crying out. She heard Lucius kneel behind her. "M'lord."
"What is this Lucius?" The voice was cold as a snake's blood and its owner was obviously angry. Jinx shivered and kept her eyes down.
"I apologize my lord. She was eavesdropping outside." A low growl was heard for only a short moment before her mother's shriek filled the room.
"Beastly Child! You dare to spy on the Dark Lord?! You disgust me!" Jinx blanched but met her mother's glare with her own. She'd been hearing this for all sixteen years of her life, after all. As minutes passed, Jinx's glare faded to a look of absolute boredom. Her mother had a tendency to go on an on unless someone stopped her. Truly, it amazed her that someone could say how much they hated someone in so many different ways. Briefly, Jinx wondered if her mother had digested a thesaurus in her youth.
"Enough Bella." The cruel voice of the Dark Lord broke through Jinx's thoughts.
"Yes, my lord," replied Bellatrix Lestrange with a bow. Mentally Jinx scoffed at her. She was taught that, as a pureblood, you bowed to no one. Yet, here was the matron of one of the most powerful wizarding families alive, bowing to a half-blood! Yes, Jinx knew the Dark Lord's secret. This hadn't been the first time she had eavesdropped on a meeting between her parents and the Dark Lord.
The Last time had been a couple of months ago, after the ministry fiasco. She had used one of the house elf passages to get into their room. Normally, Jinx wasn't stupid but she really wanted to hear what happened. After all, her father hadn't come back. Her mother seemed to be the only survivor. The Dark Lord had pulled out a pensieve and they had viewed Bellatrix's memory. While Bella may not have seen everything, she certainly heard it. Luckily for the light, the prophecy's voice was overpowered by the fighting.
Unwillingly, Jinx's eyes strayed to the Dark Lord's face and she gasped. Although he had kept up residence in her family's manor for a while, this was the first time she had actually seen him. His face was inhuman, flat and nearly nose-less. His skin had a sheen to it that reminded her strongly of scales and it was a sickly color, like that of a corpse. Jinx found herself more disgusted by the man…thing then she was afraid of him. She was afraid of what he would do to her, of course. She knew how ruthless this monster of darkness could be and she wasn't stupid not to fear him. Just looking at him wanted to make her laugh though. For someone who spouted off nonsense about blood purity, his appearance made her think his mother had some mix-up between her husband and a serpent.
As if knowing what she was thinking, the Dark Lord's eyes flashed angrily. Turning to his mother he snarled. "Wipe her memory and kill her." It was so sudden, calm, and Jinx wasn't suspecting it all. It registered quickly in her mind, exactly what position she wasn't good. All humorous thoughts were gone now as she looked at her mother with wide eyes. She wouldn't…
Bellatrix Lestrange wasted no time. A smirk spread quickly over her face and both she and Lucius raised their wands. Jinx bolted. Somehow she made it out of the room, and she heard the Dark Lord shouting over a loud pounding. They were following her. She heard Lucius scream something and she closed her eyes, knowing this would be her last breath. A force slammed into her arm and she screamed mentally. The last thing she knew was the bright multi-colored light that filled her eyelids.
-End Flashback-
"Glad to see you're finally awake."
Jinx's eyes flew towards the voice and she nearly leaped out of the bed in fright. Bloody Hell! I didn't even hear the door open. The man that stood in the doorway had light blonde hair that was speckled with grays, although he didn't look that old. His steel gray eyes were sparkling with some thing akin to mirth, with a wide smile to match. For some reason, this man's happiness made her angry and she glared at him. This only made him smile wider.
"Stop smiling you bloody dolt!" He just chuckled and stepped further into the room. It was then Jinx noticed what he was carrying. It was a tray heaping with bacon, eggs and kippers.
"Now, now. Is that anyway to treat the man who brought you breakfast?" He set it down on a nightstand and looked at her, one bushy brow raised. He was still smiling.
"I'm not hungry." She looked away and tried to block the scent from her nose. Her stomach betrayed her with a loud growl and she glared at it before slowly turning to look at her…savior? Captor?
All of a sudden Jinx felt very foolish. This man had been nothing but polite to her, even ringing her breakfast and she was getting angry at him. Why? His chuckle brought her out of her thoughts. Sometime in her confusion the man had set a chair next to her bed and placed the tray in her lap.
"Go ahead, eat. You were severely drained of magical energy when I found you and this will help you get your strength back." Jinx observed the food cautiously and once more he chuckled. He seemed to do that a lot. "Go on. It's not poisoned, I swear." Finally, figuring she had nothing to loose by not eating the food, she began to eat as fast as she could while still keeping her dignity.
After Jinx's hunger began to satiate, the man's smile began to fade. While he didn't know any details, he knew this girl in front of him was in trouble. Teenagers didn't appear in his glade unconscious, barefoot and wearing pajamas everyday, after all. In fact, the last time he had any sort of visitor was nearly twenty years ago. When he glanced back at her, he noticed that she had stopped eating and her eyes had lost their liveliness. Whatever she was thinking about depressed her.
"Do you want to talk about it?" He startled her again, judging by her flinch.
"No." He sighed lightly and nodded. She was starting hard at the empty plate in front of her and he knew not to push.
"Very well. Though they may not fit, you're welcome to wear any of the clothes in the room. I'll be in the living room if you need me. You are free to explore the house if you'd like." She gave no response but he didn't expect her to. He just took the tray off her lap and left. At the door he paused and looked back. She was still staring. He sighed again and closed the door behind him.
Jinx's eyes raised as the door closed and a smirk spread slowly across her face. Sure, she was saddened by the fact her mother would so willingly kill her but she wasn't surprised and she certainly wasn't going to mope over it. Now that she was sure that whatever-his-name-was wasn't coming back, she took time to observe the room she was in.
It was rather small compared to her room at the Lestrange manor. The colors were bland and other than the bed, a nightstand and a small wardrobe, the room held no other decorations. Throwing off the beige comforter and swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she got up and walked to the dresser. A quick search and a blushing face later, she found that it contained only socks, undershirts and male underwear. Moving to the wardrobe she found a much more acceptable choice of clothing. Dark robes hung from hangers, telling her that this man was indeed a wizard. Robes also littered the bottom of the closet. All looked too big for her but they were better than the rather revealing pajamas she had on. She took a navy blue one out and slipped it over her head. Looking around she found a leather belt and tied it around her waist. 'I've seen worse,' she thought.
Feeling a little more comfortable, she inched open the door and peered outside. The only thing she could see was a door that looked remarkably similar to her own. Sticking her head farther out, she found that her room was placed at the end of a bare hallway. The only thing to her left there was a small window. Looking out she saw that the house was next to woods, if not surrounded by them. The trees of which were taller than anything she had ever seen, which was saying something, considering the Lestrange Manor was hidden deep within the Black Forest of Germany. The little bit of sky she could see told her it was some time in the early evening.
A soft sound from behind her caught her attention and pulled her away from the window. It was music. As silently as she could, Jinx made her way down the hall, checking doors as she went. The door right of hers was a bathroom; small and simple. The room next to it was a bedroom; identical to the one Jinx woke up in. Across from that was a locked door which piqued her curiosity, but she didn't linger too long at it. As she walked past this room, she found another, shorter, hallway. Only one door lay in this hallway and by the view given by its fogged windows, it led outside. A sudden temptation to leave this house and run surged through her body. Her heart pounding, she took a step forward…and stopped.
Breathing slowly, she calmed herself. She was in an unknown place with an unknown amount of people and creatures. Plus, her host had been nothing but polite to her. With no immediate threat, running could end up being the more hazardous choice. Childish urges finished, Jinx stepped back and continued to the end of the first hall.
To her right, a set of sliding doors were open, revealing a kitchen as equally small and bar as the rest of the house seemed to be. To her left, another set of doors stood open. It was here that the music was coming from. It was some type of classical tune that Jinx had never heard before. The wordless song seemed to contain only a piano, a violin and a flute. It was very beautiful and Jinx smiled unconsciously. As she listened, a deep hum joined the music.
Peeking around the corner she found that the baritone hum belonged to the man from earlier. 'Of course it is. Who else would it be?' He was sitting in a comfy-looking chair at the far end of the room. A book was propped open on his leg and he was holding a glass of brandy in his hand. He turned a page. Then, without looking up, he grinned. "No need to lurk in doorways, child. Come in." It made him oddly glad to see her out of the room.
Jinx jumped back, startled. Quickly, she stepped into the room and tried to make herself look innocent. 'First I'm caught by Lucius, and now this guy. My skills must be waning.'
"Well, don't just sit there. Have a seat." Shaking herself from her thoughts, she glared at him, but sat down in a loveseat opposite him. And that's how they sat for awhile; Jinx growing more and more impatient as each moment ticked by. Then, right as she was about to speak up, he closed his book and smiled up at her.
"So, what can I help you with child?" She growled mentally at being called a child again. She was seventeen after all, hardly a child. She kept herself silent and instead asked what else was on her mind.
"Who are you? Where are we? How did I get here? Wh…"
"Whoa now, one question at a time! First of all, let me apologize for not introducing myself earlier. I am Caradoc Dearborn." He paused as if he had just made some great announcement. Jinx just raised her brow at him. His name only vaguely sounded familiar. 'I wonder where I've heard it.' His expression, which had looked disappointed at her lack of response, now showed eager expectation. After a moment, she realized that he was waiting for her to introduce herself. A smirk made its way across her face.
"Jinx Rue Lestrange." He reacted just as she predicted. After all, everyone knew of her parents. They were the most feared dark wizards after the Dark Lord. She chuckled mentally as she watched him nearly drop his brandy and his eyes widened so much that his bushy brows were hidden beneath his bangs.
"I don't suppose you'd be related to Rodolphus and Bellatrix Lestrange?" She smirked again.
"My parents." All of a sudden Caradoc's eyes turned cold and Jinx leaned back unconsciously. All traces of his earlier friendly demeanor were gone, replaced with a battle wary killer. That's when it hit her, where she had heard his name before. He had been an Auror during the first war. This was the man who killed her father's death eater parents. According to her parents, he had also been a member of Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix. It had been a huge scandal when he disappeared. Suddenly she was afraid. It was like she was facing the Dark Lord once more. This man could kill her with no remorse, she was sure of it and he certainly didn't have a reason not to, with what her parents had done. When he spoke, it chilled her to the bone.
"Tell me child, whom do you serve?" Struck speechless by his sudden coldness, she didn't respond, just watched with wide eyes. His glare only turned icier. "TELL ME! WHO IS YOUR MASTER?!" His yell broke her from her trance and she was immediately insulted by what he had insinuated. A low snarl escaped her and she stood slowly, leaning of the coffee table that separated them. Her voice had taken an equally cold edge and considering how small she was, she managed to look intimidating quite well.
"My only master is myself. Voldemort and my parents can go to Hell." A small smile spread slowly over Caradoc's face, surprising Jinx into sitting down.
"That's good. I would've hated to have to kill you." His eyes board into hers as he said that and she kept his gaze unwillingly. The next moment the look was gone, replaced with his earlier mischievousness. This man's duplicity was seriously irritating her. "So, what would you like for dinner?"
