Excelsior

Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed on Chapter Three: Ankoku Dezaia, se0127, xXTwilight PrincessXx, 0Rosina0, Sakura Takanouchi, emmarick, Blue-Starlight92, Coco96, 3rdplanet, Iceon, Random.Gal930, Niclaire, and arrowgirl23.

Plenty of Rodolphus action in this chapter, which means it will get sort-of dark. Just a little warning. All those wanting the HG/TR fluff, I'm getting there!! xD

Enjoy.


Recap of Chapter Three:

"Then, how do you feel about a partnership?" Bellatrix asked. "I get my amulet, and you get your kill."

Rodolphus' eyes glittered with the promise.

"Agreed."

Chapter Four

Hermione woke up to the noise of someone moving around the campsite. She cracked open her eyes, noting in surprise that Tom had actually let her sleep past daybreak. She had assumed that he'd want to be on the run as fast as they could go, replenishing their supplies at Diagon Alley and hiding out there until they could form a plan of locating the Slytherin Lords and protecting the amulet.

She still couldn't guess his angle to all of this. He said his true loyalties were to the dead King, but that hardly corresponded with what she'd been told about the nature of Slytherins. They were capitalists at heart, selling their loyalties to the highest bidder if they weren't in a position to buy others loyalties or lead a region themselves.

Maybe he didn't think the seven Lords were capable at all of governing Slytherin—six, now, she reminded herself, remembering the one Lord that Tom had killed in cold blood.

She shivered; the footsteps stopped moving amongst the cover of the fallen leaves.

"I know you're awake." His voice was soft, yet strong. He knew the dangers out there possibly facing them, and he wouldn't even tell her anything! Didn't he trust her at all? She had already proven her own trust, coming along with him on this crazed journey to protect a kingdom that she had no allegiance to.

Hermione sat up slowly, noticing that the remains of their campfire had been scattered behind the fallen logs, and the saddlebags were packed with everything but the blanket Hermione clutched around her shoulders. Even with her own cloak and the blanket, nights were still cold in Gryffindor.

"Come on, it's a several hours' journey to Diagon Alley," Tom said, untying the horse's reins from the tree branch to keep him from wandering off.

Hermione was fully aware of how hungry she was. "No breakfast?" She asked weakly.

Tom shook his head. "We'd better move fast. A large magical presence entered this Kingdom early this morning, I could sense it."

Hermione frowned. And there he goes again. I have to wonder how his magic is so in tune with subtle changes like that. If his magic was so powerful, just what was he doing as a page for the court of Slytherin? Something just doesn't add up.

She grudgingly climbed back onto the horse behind Tom, who immediately pulled the horse into a trot, and then a gallop through the woods. Hermione settled for staring at the changing landscape around them, feeling the weight of the amulet thud against her chest.

She knew she could control more of the magic if she tried. The amulet was reluctant to release the magic for the spell when she had cast it, but she knew that was only the tip of the spells it was capable of. It was amazing, she felt, that something so small could hold so much magical potential.

An entire kingdom…

The weight of an entire kingdom rested on her mind as the two of them continued north towards Diagon Alley. She was strong enough to carry the amulet, sure, but was she strong enough to bear the weight of its magic?

She didn't know the answer to that one. And until the amulet judged her worthy enough to control more of its power, she didn't think she'd find out.


"Dear, stop pacing," Bellatrix's resonant voice filled the empty expanse around them; the two were standing on the flat rooftop of the Magical Menagerie, overlooking the busy streets of Diagon Alley.

"He is not here yet." Rodolphus confirmed harshly. He did not feel the need to add, 'and stop calling me dear,' for it had done no good the last time he had demanded it. She was intriguing, irritating, and darkly beautiful, a combination Rodolphus had always found to be the most dangerous in a woman.

They were very much alike, he reasoned. Once or twice he had entertained the thought of double-crossing her, killing her after his revenge was enacted to take the amulet for himself. He was sure she had similar thoughts, and so Rodolphus kept on guard for any sign of the witch's eminent betrayal. It was one of the things he liked about her, he supposed. At least she was honest about her capitalistic style of loyalty.

"Where are your—" Rodolphus' words were interrupted; the witch even seemed to be able to predict his very thoughts.

"My sisters?" Bellatrix's laugh was nearly cackling in nature. "Why, am I not enough for you, dear? Why concern yourself with them?"

Rodolphus shifted his stance, darkly eyeing the woman before him, who seemed even more amused by his behavior. He had seen the two other Black siblings only for an instant after Bellatrix had introduced their slight change in plans, and the two had been keeping a watch on the rooftop ever since.

The plan was simple: divide and conquer.

"Do not worry, they will do their part," Bellatrix waved away his unvoiced concerns. "They know what is at stake."

Rodolphus's eyebrows rose slightly, but he did not show his confusion in any other way. He knew that the sisters weren't interested in the parliamentary procedures corresponding to ruling a kingdom, so he had assumed that they wanted the amulet only to drain its magic. He did not know the situation behind their own recent loss of talisman, and he did not presume to ask for the information. It was their business, after all.

He at least hoped that his new 'acquaintance' would be relocating to Slytherin after her acquisition of the amulet. He hadn't had a woman in his life in ages.

He shot her a covert glance out of the corner of one eye. If he played his cards right, he could even use her support to rid the kingdom of the rest of Slytherin's still-living lords. Even without the amulet, he could still make a case for taking over the rule if the other contenders were dead. He had already made plans to take care of the eldest lord, sending the Malfoy patriarch on a wild-goose chase through the eastern part of Slytherin. He so far had been unable to put a spy inside Yaxley's service, but Rodolphus didn't consider the second lord to be much of a threat anyway.

He turned back to face the sprawling main street, his trained eyes focusing in on every traveler in turn, searching for the dark-haired seventh lord. Even if he was expecting an ambush like this, his arrogance would be his undoing.

Rodolphus' eyes practically glittered with anticipation when he saw the image of his target, the amulet bearer's back to the two on the roof as she walked away from him and into the pub on the same side of the street.

Bellatrix moved to Rodolphus' side. "The prince is here?"

If Rodolphus knew anything, it was the knowledge behind hunting, the experience in tracking a target and taking them out, be it a human being or one of the trolls or werewolves at the Northern border. This puzzled him; Tom's posture was expectant and wary as he moved away from the pub, striding up the street as his eyes sought out his surroundings much as Rodolphus himself had done in locating the seventh lord.

Ah, so the young lord is trying to draw us out, he concluded.

"He is by himself," Rodolphus stated, watching Bellatrix's dark grin with a measure of desire. He would use her to kill Tom, but his revenge would not be denied him. The woman beside him might be striking, but he would kill even her if she got in the way of his vengeance.

"The prince will die," Bellatrix said; Rodolphus glanced at her again. She was obviously not as adept at reading the signs as he was—Tom knew of their presence.

"And the amulet bearer?" Bellatrix asked, her eyes scanning the crowds.

"He sent her to the Leaky Cauldron," Rodolphus answered curtly, adjusting the scabbard that bound his knife by his side. He knew his particular talisman was looked upon with distaste by the other lords, but the roughness and duality it provided suited him well. He could even kill with it without using magic, and had indulged in that particular pleasure many times since acquiring it from a family member who suddenly found he had no need for it.

Rodolphus chucked darkly. Tom Riddle would meet the blade soon; the boy had always had a flair for the dramatic, but Rodolphus himself preferred a more direct approach.

"It is practically ours," Bellatrix hushed excitedly. Rodolphus grunted in assent, but whether she meant the amulet or Tom's death, or the 'ours' as her sisters or himself, he honestly didn't care. When he hunted, he had only one goal in mind, and he would stop at nothing until it was complete.

Revenge. Justice.

Death.


Hermione was overwhelmed at the sheer quantity of things clouding her vision as the two of them made their way through Diagon Alley, the exhausted horse stabled at the very outreaches of the city. There were thestrals stabled there as well; she shivered as she could see them now. She had never even been to Gryffindor before, and barely noticed the slight coldness of the climate as her senses were assaulted by the many different things vendors were selling, either from shops lining the busy streets or carts pulled up on the sidewalks.

Tom did not humor her curiosity, instead pulling her away from apothecaries and bookstores, ignoring her unwavering protests to just 'take a look' at the many wonderful things the commercial city offered.

Hermione was even in awe of the towering magical bank, Gringotts, but having no money of her own to store there paid it less attention, instead glancing wistfully at an ice-cream parlor, thinking that even that would be a welcome addition to her stomach, no matter the fact that ice cream for breakfast could hardly be healthy. She had her most recent paycheck with her, and knew that given the choice between food or books she would have to reluctantly choose the former.

Tom glanced up; Hermione wished she could tell what he was thinking. He'd been on edge ever since entering the city, and she had stopped pestering him about it, although the spite was still there. If he'd only just trust her!

"Go get some breakfast." Tom's soft order was spoken quickly and without warning.

She glanced up at him in concern, fears from his strange behavior throughout the morning coming back at her. "Why? What's wrong?"

He grinned wryly. "We're being followed."

Tom knew exactly who was following them; Rodolphus Lestrange had never been good at hiding his magical signature, and Tom had known the fifth lord well enough to recognize it instantly. It was clouded, but Tom attributed that to the elder Lestrange's undoubted feelings of anger.

He had, of course, just recently taken out his brother in his untenable pursuit of the medallion.

Tom smirked as he sensed Rodolphus' wrath, naturally directed at himself. He would use that anger to his advantage. People were never so easily influenced when they were emotional.

And Tom prided himself on the resolute control of his own.

Hermione was still worried. She remembered what he'd done to the one Slytherin Lord who had tried to take the amulet from her, and she knew that he was about to repeat the same process. It wasn't that she wanted to watch the repetition, but she also wanted to make sure that Tom was safe.

That's silly, she reprimanded herself. Tom can take care of himself.

"Alright," she told him reluctantly, turning to head towards the pub. He grabbed her arm before she was lost in the crowd, and she turned back to him, surprised.

"I'll find you once I've taken care of the problem." Tom's words were falsely cheerful, and Hermione shivered at the intent. She nodded, and he released her.

She broke the eye contact first, heading into the Leaky Cauldron with apprehension. Once inside, though, she found that the interior of the pub was in no way indicative of its name. It was crowded, yes, but cozy in a way that only years of establishment can provide.

She found a table quickly even amongst the bustle, and ordered a butterbeer and a sandwich before she could even think of doing anything else. They arrived quickly, and she was too engrossed in filling her stomach to concentrate on her surroundings.

She closed her eyes as she took a sip of the warming beverage, and did not notice the two women at the bar moving closer to her table, the brown-haired one taking the lead.

They exchanged a smile; their plan was working. The amulet would soon be theirs.


Tom watched her go, still uneasy about leaving her behind while he confronted the fifth lord of Slytherin himself. He knew that she would not be good help in any kind of fight, and that he might even lose her trust by protecting her if it led to Lestrange's death.

He frowned. He would have killed both Lestrange's eventually, but protecting that girl and the amulet was starting to become a genuine pain in the ass.

Seriously, he didn't think women had ever seemed this difficult before. He scratched his head with one hand, the heavy ring on his third finger brushing against his dark hair. He would have to keep the distance between them, he resolved. In a close fight, Rodolphus might have the advantage with his own particular brand of magic.

It's a good thing Tom Riddle never fought fair.

He hardly knew where the elder Lestrange was now; would he really be that stupid to instigate a fight in the middle of the street like a common thug?

Tom chuckled. The elder Lestrange never seemed to be as quick as the younger. Rabastan had recognized immediately that Tom himself would be the first to get to the amulet.

He smirked; if the lords kept coming at him one at a time, then this would be easy.

He kept walking, putting a couple blocks' distance between himself and the pub Hermione was in. One eyebrow rose; he could see Rodolphus leaning against the brick wall of one side of the Magical Menagerie, a smug look on his face.

That wasn't what puzzled Tom the most; on the contrary he had become used to the unbelievable overconfidence both Lestrange brothers possessed. Instead, his own poise was shaken slightly at seeing the woman practically on his arm.

Hmm. Maybe he should have brought Hermione after all.

He cursed inwardly; by the woman's stance, it was clear she not only had magical potential at her disposal, but she would have no problem using it against him. So, he thought, Rodolphus has found himself an ally. Maybe I don't give the oaf enough credit.

The woman was dressed all in dark colors, her hair a black mass of curls across her face. Even her eyes were mapped in the same color. She looked depressing, and slightly mad.

I suppose they are perfect together, he smirked.

"Lestrange." Tom was the first to speak, his voice cordial as always, only his eyes betraying the malice behind the name.

Rodolphus responded with a growl that Tom supposed had been his name, he really wasn't paying attention.

Rodolphus was drowning in fury. Moments before Tom had approached him, making sure to still have the busy street to his back, Bellatrix had leaned over, whispering in his ear, 'So that is the boy you have been so afraid of?' Rodolphus Lestrange was not afraid of anything, or anyone.

Within seconds his knife was in his hand, blade sharpened only that morning.

"My brother is dead by your hand. How would you like to die, Riddle?" Rodolphus' words were as menacing as he could make them, but Tom's unconcerned chuckle only made him angrier.

"What?" His laugh was darkly amused. "Am I supposed to be impressed by that? I suppose you also share your brother's death wish?" Tom delighted in the incensed expression on Rodolphus' face. He was so easy to manipulate.

The woman next to Rodolphus' eye's narrowed then snapped open widely as Rodolphus charged, swiping the long knife in an arc downward, an angle easily dodged by Tom as he twisted to his left, a slicing hex swiftly cutting through the air and piercing Rodolphus' unprotected left side. He was unable to deflect it, but it hit more of his cloak than his skin, a thin ribbon of red so dark it was almost black dotting in a sweep across the green material.

Rodolphus charged again, trying to use his slight height advantage as he tried to push his opponent closer to the alley behind him. Tom's banishing spell prevented the knife from reaching its intended target, although the magic of the talisman kept it from soaring out of Rodolphus' grasp like he'd hoped.

"Expulso!"

Tom instantly brought up a shield as the dark-haired witch joined the fight, surprised by the intensity of her spell. He grinned; things were finally getting interesting. Instead, the curse was deflected to the wall on his right, causing several of the old bricks to explode in a cloud of dust and debris.

"Bellatrix!" Rodolphus hissed, presumably angry that the woman had helped him.

Ah, she has a name, Tom thought idly. "I wonder what lies he's told you to get you to deplete your own magic against an opponent you do not know." He addressed his words to Bellatrix, whose eyes glinted in an almost protective manner as her stance changed to one of offense, not even registering any assent at Tom's correct assumption. By joining with Rodolphus, she was literally draining her magic reserves by using them here. Talismans were able to recharge themselves naturally by absorbing the slight magic in the air around them, but they could run dry if the strain on them was great enough.

"Lies, Riddle?" Rodolphus' booming laugh surprised Tom. What is he playing at?

"We know that the girl with the amulet is in league with you. But, I know you." Rodolphus' grin was starting to unnerve Tom.

"I don't think she knows just who you are, am I correct?"

Damn. He'd hit the nail on the head.

And Rodolphus knew it.

"You'd never stand a chance at the crown if she knew it." Rodolphus' satisfaction was glaringly evident.

Tom knew a threat when he heard one, despite how it was veiled or packaged.

Tom matched his cool grin with one of his own. "That hardly matters, as I have no intention of telling her."

Rodolphus changed his stance again, and Tom watched them both suspiciously. Two against one really was unequitable, especially if Rodolphus knew where Hermione was. Tom wouldn't take the chance that he wouldn't be able to slay the fifth lord down before his secret was released if Rodolphus decided to have the witch Bellatrix fight him while he went after Hermione and the amulet.

"You have no need to go after it, dear," Bellatrix told Rodolphus. "I told you, my sisters are taking care of it."

Tom felt the sweat break out on the back of his neck. Sisters?

He knew Hermione would never stand a chance.

He gritted his teeth, doing his best not to show how furious he was at Rodolphus. He had kept the minor exchange of spells out in the open so that Rodolphus couldn't pull a stunt like this, but the openness also prevented him from just up and killing the man. Diagon Alley wasn't a lawless town; Gryffindor Aurors would likely be on him within minutes depending on how many townspeople saw the telltale green light of the curse.

And suddenly, a very loud feminine scream jolted them all out their concentration. The milling townspeople swiftly began moving towards the sound, which Tom noted with mounting trepidation was in the general direction of the Leaky Cauldron pub.

Several other screams joined the first.

"Lestrange," Tom glowered. "We'll have to finish this later." Tom hated abandoning a battle, but he considered this as more of a postponement.

He had to check up on his amulet.

And caution to the others who thought they could take what was his.


Hermione savored the sensation of her drink, nearly choking on it to open her eyes and find the two strangely-dressed women in front of her.

"Hello," the brown-haired one said cheerfully. "Mind if we join you?"

Hermione was confused by their offer, but felt it rude to deny anyone the right to simply sit down and eat with her. She was further puzzled when she saw that they did not even have anything from the pub with them.

What's going on?

Hermione nodded her assent, and the two sat down.

"Are…you traveling as well?" Hermione found making conversation awkward; she was normally by herself for her meals, but felt the need to keep up her politeness.

The blonde nodded. "Oh, yes. Where do you come from?"

"Hogsmeade," Hermione responded shortly, growing slightly suspicious as the two exchanged a look. They seemed awfully pleased about something, and Hermione couldn't help the growing sense of apprehension in her stomach, and the fleeting thoughts that she wished Tom was there with her. She was in a foreign kingdom, in an unknown place, and she had no idea what to do.

"Oh, that's nice," the brown-haired one continued. "We're from Huffle—"

The blonde cut her off, snarling, "'Dromeda, I've had enough of this!" With a lunge, she grabbed Hermione by the collar of her cloak, pulling the girl up from her seated position at the table. Hermione screamed at the blonde's action, the other patrons in the pub quickly growing quiet as they watched the three.

Hermione's eyes widened as she quickly brought her arms up to try to get out of the woman's grip, knocking the bottle of butterbeer off of the table in the process.

The one the blonde called 'Dromeda' huffed. "Get on with it, Cissy."

Cissy's eyes glowed with anticipation as she pulled the neck of the cloak away from Hermione, her grin widening as she glimpsed the edge of the chain holding the amulet.

Hermione's legs and arms were shaking. Tom, where are you?

The amulet…the amulet…she gulped, hoping Salazar's information would save her. They could not take it from her.

The amulet came into view, dangling on the outside of her cloak against her throat. Cissy's hands closed around it, and Hermione held her breath.

Her earth-shattering scream ripped through the air, and Hermione found herself dropped to the floor, her leg catching under her painfully as she bumped into several wooden tables in an effort to get away quickly.

"Cissy!" her companion watched as the blonde's hands began to smoke, the flesh literally melting as boils appeared on the once-smooth surface, the skin tightening against the framework of her bones where she had grasped the medallion.

Hermione drew herself to her feet, and ignoring the pain in her leg, ran for the entrance of the pub. The blonde continued to shriek, and Hermione momentarily pitied her for the pain before remembering that they were also after the amulet, and if anything like the lords of Slytherin, would kill for it.

A thick crowd had assembled outside the pub, drawn by the noise, and Hermione pushed through it, wanting to get as far away as possible and wanting to stay close so Tom could find her.

Her plight evaporated, however, as she saw incredibly relieved face of Tom Riddle as he approached her from across the cobblestone street, not even registering that his eyes seemed to be fixed on the amulet freely dangling around her neck than on her own eyes.

He reached her quickly, eyes darting around the crowded square for any sign of his pursuers or hers. "We have to get off the street," he told her hurriedly.

Hermione understood. Being out in the open could be potentially dangerous for them both; they needed to regroup somewhere and let the situation from the Leaky Cauldron wind down.

Hermione's eyes lighted on the large sign of the store behind Tom. "I've got it," she reassured him, leading him through the crowd and to the front door of the suggested shop.

"A bookstore?" Tom asked, dubiously.

Hermione nodded, opening the door for them both. "I worked in the Hogsmeade location. I've met the other owner before."

Tom considered her quick thinking with grudging respect. This would be safe enough, for now.

Hermione went up to the counter, a huge smile plastered on her face, and after a small reintroduction to the owner, William Blotts, was chatting away about different books and other things; Tom really didn't care.

After a few minutes, Hermione returned. "We're welcome to use the staffroom in the back," she told him.

"Good," Tom nodded. "Now, tell me exactly what happened."


Lucius Malfoy, eldest lord of Slytherin, dismounted from his horse, scanning the horizon with a discontented grimace.

How could the runes possibly be right?

He had kept careful track of the progress of his competition; Dolohov and Rosier were dead before the very night was over, and the Lestrange brothers were very soon to follow, if they were not dead already. He had been unable to locate the youngest lord, but had simply been following the rash of murders left behind in his wake. The second lord, Yaxley, was still in Slytherin as far as he knew.

Lucius frowned. "Selwyn!" He barked, grimacing further as he approached the edge of the cliff, his talisman cane in his right hand. The runemaster had led him to the extreme Northeastern border of the kingdom, where the tall craggy mountains behind them made a sharply contrasting backdrop to the immense ocean before them, tall glaciers bobbing on the surface in the distance.

"My lord, the runes never lie," Selwyn said hastily, withdrawing the pouch from his pocket and pouring the bones into his palm, both hands shaking either from cold or nerves.

"But men do," Lucius rejoined shortly.

He had thought he was so clever, seeking out a Slytherin nobleman he knew to possess an extremely unique talisman. Selwyn possessed the runes: a collection of magically enchanted bones that when thrown could predict the answer to any yes or no question.

Selwyn had grown pale, clutching the bones in one hand.

"You said we should go east, and east we have traveled. Do you propose we start swimming to reach the medallion?" Lucius' words were mocking as the soothsayer trembled.

"I will…consult them again for you," Selwyn said carefully, about to toss the runes again.

"Wait," Lucius halted him. "Let me ask it the questions. Am I the first lord of Slytherin?"

Selwyn threw the runes and they fell back in his outstretched palms, all turned on the bone-white, undecorated side.

"And what does that mean?" Lucius drawled.

"It means 'yes,'" Selwyn said nervously.

"Ah. Good," Lucius continued. "Now, answer me this. Would I spare any mercy towards anyone standing in my way of possessing Slytherin's medallion?"

Again, Selwyn tossed the runes; they landed awkwardly, each turned away from the other, none showing the white of the bone.

"And what does that mean?"

Sweat had broken out on Selwyn's brow as he mumbled, "I-It means n-no."

"I have one more question." Lucius was getting tired of the cold. He hoped the real location of the amulet was somewhere warmer. "Toss them high."

Selwyn gulped, but did as Lucius commanded.

"Are you loyal to me?"

The runes seemed almost to hang in mid-air before plummeting down, Lucius' satisfied smirk growing deeper as he noticed the skewed positions of the runes; all turned to the darker side.

"Such a pity," Lucius said, the emeralds in the snake's eyes on the top of his cane glowing the same green as the spell he cast.

He realized he probably should've asked which of the other lords the traitorous soothsayer was working for, but Lucius hardly needed to. It was more Rodolphus' style to enlist the help of others; Tom would never trust anyone to do the work that he felt he could do better himself, and Yaxley would have used his unequalled skill with the Imperius Curse, and Selwyn's attempted duplicity had been his own choosing.

Lucius performed another simple spell, summoning the runes from the ground where they had fallen out of Selwyn's hands. He walked around the body, heading back towards his horse. He really was getting tired of the cold.

The cane was reattached at his side like a sword in its casing; he would need both his hands for this.

The smoothness of the runes felt warm in his hands. Lucius grinned.

"Now, I will know the location of the amulet."


A/N: So, I hope this extra-long chapter makes up for the past updating delays

This past section was probably the last of the Stardust references xD And the plot thickens! It is going to be getting much more exciting, now that so many villains are in on the chase.

Reviews are much loved. Leave one if you liked it, hated it, whatever!

--Kako