Chapter 9: Shadows

Stan Shunpike was not a bitter man by nature.

But when you've led an unremarkable life highlighted by a job being the conductor of a mode of magical transport that was hardly ever used these days, there was bound to be some resentment.

So of course, when the first invitation to make something of his thus far humdrum life came, he quickly seized the opportunity.

They were called Death Eaters who, according to the papers were terrorists. But his friend had convinced him that the Death Eaters were a misunderstood bunch who were about to start a pureblood revolution for people like him.

And they wanted HIM, Stan Shunpike, to join their glorious ranks.

It was something which Stan had longed for all his life. It was a chance to be part of something historical. A chance to make a real difference.

And for his first official task as a Death Eater, he was assigned to guard the ruins of their founder's ancestral home in Little Hangleton with another new recruit.

Too bad it was not a particularly good night for either of them to be a Death Eater.

Before he knew it, Stan found himself being forcefully pulled into a shadow and slammed against a wall with what he vaguely recognized as a muggle gun under his chin by a surprisingly strong strawberry blonde female wearing an all-black, military outfit.

"Not a peep outta you buddy if you don't want me to put a bullet in that tiny little brain of yours." The female hissed threateningly.

Stan nods his head frantically, being more knowledgeable then the average wizard of the effects a muggle bullet can have on his head.

"Good." The woman said, ignoring the scream from the background which Stan recognized to be his partner's. "Now then. You're going to tell me everything I want to know about this place because if you don't, I won't even bother wasting a bullet on you and just feed you to my hungry little friend here."

Before Stan could ask what she meant by her words, a soft but steady growl can be heard. Moments later, a rather large black dog pads out from the darkness with its muzzle seemingly red with blood that was not its own and slowly starts walking towards Stan snarling all the way.

The ex-conductor was terrified. He signed up to be a revolutionary and certainly not a beast tamer. He'd do anything to get away from this dangerous beast. Even if it meant quitting the Death Eaters and going back to his old, boring job on the Knight Bus.

Needless to say, Stan spilled what he knew of his assignment immediately.

Seras than knocks out the fledging Death Eaters by clocking them both with the butt of her gun as the black dog transforms back to Sirius who wipes his mouth clean of the tomato paste he used to simulate blood with a handkerchief and joins the vampiress in critically studying the pair.

"Well that was no challenge at all." Sirius remarks. "The Death Eaters I grew up with were much tougher to break then that. I guess they don't really make them like they used to."

"Can you blame them? YOU try staring down the barrel of a gun AND a huge rabid dog at the same time." Seras said. "So what do we do with these guys?"

"Leave them here." Sirius said dismissively. "I've already tagged them for the aurors to pick up so we best do what we came here to do quickly before they arrive. I'm still a wanted man after all."

The pair moves off silently towards the remains of the shack that was the ancestral home of the Riddles. Dumbledore had asked them to investigate the place after receiving a troubling report. Their mission was to find and retrieve a certain dark item that was supposedly being kept there.

They arrive in the ruins of the home and were instantly on alert. If the item was as important as Dumbledore hinted it to be, then it also had to be well protected. But as they entered the house itself, nothing happened which made them even more suspicious.

"What a dump. You'd think they'd hide something like what we're looking for in a better secured place." Seras comments, looking around the ruined home. "I don't like it though because it all seems too easy. Let's just do what we're supposed to do and get the hell out of here. Come to think of it, what exactly are we looking for?"

"Any object that reeks of darkness I'd imagine." Sirius said dryly. "Dumbledore says that we'll know it when we see it."

"In a creepy ass place like this, that could be anything here." Seras grumbled, but kept looking around. "Did he give any specifics?"

"He believes that item could be relatively small and something personal." Sirius answers. "Perhaps a piece of jewelry."

"You mean something like this?" Seras asks, breaking off part of the floorboard to reveal a small jewelry box. She had been drawn by something to that particular part of the ruins though exactly what it was, she didn't know.

"Yes…. That's probably it." Sirius said as he carefully lifts out the jewelry box and opens it, finding a gold ring with a black gem inside. But as soon as he opens the box, the draw that Seras felt earlier intensifies proving that its source seems to be the ring itself. Though she was somehow able to resist it, the vampiress could tell by the glazed look in Sirius's eyes that he was not as fortunate.

But as he reaches for the ring, a slim hand grabs his wrist in a vice-like grip. Turning to the culprit, Sirius finds himself staring into the glowing red eyes of Seras which clears the haze clouding his mind.

"W-Wha..? Seras? What was I doing?" Sirius asks in confusion.

"Handing me the jewelry box." Seras said, grabbing the box from Sirius and studying the ring inside before nodding in understanding. "Good thing I managed to snap you out of it. The reason why those two idiots outside were the only security for this ring is because it somehow draws people to it. And I bet you that if someone touches this, there's all sorts of nasty surprise waiting for the poor sap."

Before Sirius could stop, Seras picks up the ring with her left hand and examines the ring closely.

"What the bloody hell Seras!" Sirius exclaims, gaping at the vampiress. "You just said that there might be all sorts of nasty surprises for anybody who touches that. WHY are YOU touching it?"

"I DID say that and I was right. This ring seems to be cursed." Seras said, sounding unconcerned as she gives the ring one last look before putting it back into the jewelry box. "As for WHY I'm handling the ring, all I can say is you can't curse something that's already been cursed in the first place." She then removes the glove on her left hand and shows Sirius a pitch black hand that seems to be burning.

"Merlin's beard…." Sirius mutters softly as he stares at the hand. "What happened to your hand?"

Seras's expression grows momentarily somber at this but she quickly diverts the conversation back to the situation at hand. "That's a story for another time Sirius. Right now, don't we need to get this back to Dumbledore right away?"

Sirius snaps out of his shock and nods grimly. "Yes, yes…. You're right. Dumbledore called it right when he said we'd find it here and if it's what I think it is, you need to get it to him as soon as possible as I still can't be seen in public since I'm still wanted."

"Don't worry. I'll get this to Dumbledore immediately. Just take care of yourself on your way back to your house, ok?" Seras said. Sirius nods briskly and transforms back to his canine animagus form and bounds off. Seras watches Sirius disappear into the night before she herself melts into the shadows.

...

"So I was right. A Horcrux WAS hidden in the ruins of the Gaunt residence." Dumbledore mutters as he studies the ring inside the jewelry box. Seras wasted no time returning to Hogwarts and had immediately proceeded to the Headmaster's office with her find.

"Is that what it's supposed to be? What does it do exactly? Sirius seemed pretty spooked about it." Seras stated.

"He has good reason to be frightened by it." Dumbledore said sagely. "A Horcrux is anything which anchor's your life to the mortal plane by imparting it with a portion of your own soul."

"So as long as you've got this Horcrux, you're supposed to be immortal?" Seras asks.

"Essentially correct. There is nothing really wrong with the desire to live long lives per se but I would object if it was done at the expense of others." Dumbledore said.

Seras frowns at this. "What do you mean sir?"

Dumbledore sits back in his chair with a sorrowful look. "The rite which creates the Horcrux requires a human life."

..

As Seras walks back to her quarters, she thought back to her discussion with Dumbledore. This Dark Lord she was investigating was apparently a bigger threat then she had originally thought.

Not only was Voldemort supposed to be a powerful wizard, he also apparently had two or more of those Horcrux things which were keeping him alive indefinitely unless they were found and destroyed. And nobody had any idea what those items were apart from the ring that was already in Dumbledore's possession.

And don't get her started on the lives it took to make those Horcruxes.

But as she pondered on her latest difficulty, she could see a group of students gathering on the announcement wall where Filtch was putting up a new sign. Looking closer, she could see that it was an announcement from the Ministry Of Magic that they were assigning a High Inquisitor to Hogwarts.

"High Inquisitor? Who is that supposed to be?" Seras wondered aloud.

"That would be me, Miss Victoria." A familiar, sickly sweet voice answered. With growing dread, Seras slowly turns around and sees Dolores Umbridge smiling her hake, malicious smile at her.

Author's Notes: That's it for this chapter. As usual, R&R please