Chapter 36: Gang Aft Agley
Riddle Manor did not live up to its name. It smelled almost as bad as it looked, moldy and decrepit and falling down around them. Attempts had been made to make it livable, but Shay wasn't sure the structure had ever deserved the title "manor." If anyone had bothered to ask him he would've said it was a rather large shack, but "Riddle Shack" just didn't have the same ring to it - not to mention the Dark Lord's predilection for pretention.
Shay joined the group of black-cloaked figures making their way down from the ridge toward the crumbling ruins. Apparently he had chosen the right time to drop by; one of the downsides of refusing the Dark Mark was that he didn't always know what the Dark Lord was up to. When Voldemort wanted to speak with him, he was informed through alternate channels. He was rarely summoned for normal meetings, which suited him just fine. He liked the implied status of being one of the Dark Lord's few allies rather than one of his many minions, even if it meant less access to information.
He eyed the masked men without much interest. They were most likely here for the same reason he was: Harry Potter had been spotted, and no one was willing to be accused of not rushing to the Dark Lord with the information. As they reached the door there was a moment of tension as to who should go in first. It was a dangerous position – the first person through a door was the most likely to be singled out – but also one which conveyed status. Shay glared at the Death Eaters, refusing to compete for a position he considered his by right. After a moment of hesitation, the others stepped back. He sneered and preceded them through the hall, ignoring their continued jockeying.
The throne room was already partly filled with whispering Death Eaters. Shay sought out the members of the inner circle and walked over to join them near the empty throne. They exchanged nods and Bella stepped aside slightly to make room for him, incidentally positioning herself closer to the throne.
"News travels fast," Lucius commented. Shay wondered if he was referring to the growing crowd or to his own presence.
"Gossip," agreed Shay. "It's an amazing phenomenon, is it not?"
"The Dark Lord has been informed that we've begun gathering," said Bella. "He knows why." She sounded smug, which Shay assumed meant that she'd been the one to tell him. She didn't have any children, though, so he wasn't entirely sure how she'd found out. Either she had a source within Hogwarts, he decided, or someone with a child had sought her favor.
"Do you think he will join us?" he inquired, flattering her with the implication that she would know the Dark Lord's whims.
"How could he not?" snapped another Death Eater whose voice Shay did not recognize. Shay's eyebrows shot up as Bella snarled in response.
Lucius tsked softly. "Watch yourself," he murmured. "The Dark Lord's actions are not for the likes of us to question."
"I-" began the questioner.
"Would be wise to consider your next words very carefully," Lucius advised, caressing the serpent head on his cane.
Bella was glaring at the questioner with a ferocity that none of their fellows could rival. The man raised his hands slightly in surrender and fell silent.
A moment later the room fell silent as the Dark Lord swept through the side door. Shay immediately dropped to one knee, bowing his head. But not before he recognized the woman following the Dark Lord. Inwardly he cursed. What was Lilith Rousseau doing at the Dark Lord's side? That woman had no business in England, had never shown any interest in the Dark Lord's little war before now. It took all his power to keep his expression calm and unruffled. For the first time ever he regretted not wearing a mask.
"I have heard that Harry Potter has been seen at Hogwarts," Voldemort hissed with an audible sneer. "Report."
Immediately Shay heard the rustling of robed figures crawling forward. Beside him Lucius shuffled forward with the rest. Shay held back, interested in what the others had to share. Soft calls of "my lord" echoed through the hall as Death Eaters hoped for the honor of being chosen to share their information first.
"Nott," Voldemort commanded.
"My Lord, my son reports that Potter is heavily scarred but appears fit and athletic. He seemed to know and trust the Headmaster. He appeared to be in some kind of distress."
"I see." There was the sound of bodies shuffling again as those who had no new information scrambled backward to escape the horror of repeating what had already been said. Another name was called.
"My Lord, my daughter noticed that the Headmaster appeared shocked at the boy's arrival." The man hesitated, then added, "she was fairly certain the Headmaster had never seen the boy before."
There was a moment of tense silence. Voldemort hated when his followers speculated during reports and frequently rewarded their unasked for thoughts with torture. It was a risk to add anything other than facts. Tonight the Death Eater was rewarded.
"Your daughter sounds like an insightful child," Voldemort praised. "I am sure she will make someone a fine wife. Malfoy, report."
"My Lord, Draco encountered the boy in the halls. He says when he found Potter the boy was wearing an ill fitting Hogwarts uniform with a Gryffindor tie and at first seemed scared of Draco. He was shocked to be recognized. The boy seemed to know his way around Hogwarts and stopped in a bathroom where he altered his clothing to fit better. Afterward he asked to see the Headmaster but did not seem to need help finding the Great Hall."
There was more shuffling as the kneeling figures melted back into the ranks. No one seemed to have anything to add that wasn't purely speculation.
"M'lord," said Lilith, shattering the silence. "Ma fille. She believe it was not really Potter. She say that it must be a potion."
Shay felt his heart speed up. So it had been Rousseau. Did she know? Or was it purely by chance that she had conjured up the image of his nephew's True Face? He could hear the rustling around him and knew that the Death Eaters were wondering who this woman was who dared to speak out of turn. She was obviously French and she obviously had the Dark Lord's favor as instead of torturing her for impudence, he chuckled indulgently. Shay gritted his teeth in frustration. Nowhere in his plans did he account for the interference of Lilith Rousseau. Things had just become more complicated.
Severus scowled as he rushed toward the Riddle Manor. He hadn't felt the Dark Mark burning, but he knew that wasn't an excuse at a time like this. He knew that the Slytherin children were fighting to get word out to their parents first, and the other houses were probably just as excited. Every Death Eater who had even one friend with a child at Hogwarts was going to be rushing as fast as they could to reach the Dark Lord with the news. And here he was, late again.
He reached the door to the throne room and didn't even bother trying to sneak in. His absence had already been noted, he was sure, and there was nothing he could do about it. As soon as he made it inside, he dropped to his knees and bowed his head, waiting to be acknowledged.
A female voice was informing Voldemort that the boy was a potion-induced imposter, and Severus gritted his teeth. That was supposed to be his big piece of news, the thing that would keep the Dark Lord from torturing him tonight. Without knowing what the other Death Eaters had already reported, he was likely to repeat something which would most likely result in a trip to the Infirmary.
He wondered briefly who the woman was. He could see her kneeling beside the Dark Lord's throne, face unmasked and upturned. She was new. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Akshay mal Théa snarling silently at the ground, and Severus found himself suddenly liking the unknown woman, despite her stealing his thunder.
"Severus," the Dark Lord hissed, voice cold. "So good of you to join us."
Severus immediately crept forward, apologizing as he came near. "My Lord, I beg your indulgence. I stayed at Hogwarts only long enough to learn what I could from the old coot."
"Report."
"The boy was not Harry Potter. A student was coerced into drinking a potion by an unknown entity. Based on the description, the potion was either Polyjuice or a Glamour Draught. Dumbledore has no idea who drugged the boy or why. I," he hesitated, then plunged ahead, "suggested that it was probably Polyjuice and that the responsible party may choose to send a ransom notice of some kind. The suggestion caused him great distress."
"What a lovely thought," said Voldemort with delight. "I just might have to arrange that."
"M'lord?" murmured the bare faced woman.
"Speak," he replied.
"Was the potion golden and spicy?"
"Yes," said Severus, surprised that she had known.
"M'lord, ma fille found that potion and tricked another student into drinking it. She said it was forgotten in a hallway."
Severus frowned behind his mask. The way the Headmaster had described the incident, whoever had given Creevey the potion had been fairly skilled at mental manipulation. The idea of it being a fellow student, while not exactly surprising, was still worrisome.
"Find out how it arrived there," Voldemort instructed. Severus bowed further, accepting the instructions whether or not they were strictly intended for him. "I want to know who knows where Potter really is."
Things were progressing too quickly for Albus's taste. After Hr. Sinclaire had swept through his office, she had removed Gabriel from the infirmary. They had left through the Floo, using the International Medical Connection. Poppy had been surprisingly open to the arrangement, despite his subtle hints that the other Healer was being disrespectful by stealing her patient. Last time the infirmary had been invaded Poppy's feathers had been appropriately ruffled, and she had been noticeably grumpy for several hours. This time she was calm and had gone so far as to reassure him that the arrangement really was the best thing for everyone.
Albus was now filling out redundant paperwork to file with the British and French Ministries, detailing the unexpected removal of the exchange student from Hogwarts. There were more important things he could be doing, and the added paperwork was doing nothing to improve his mood. He would much rather be working his way through the Harry Potter debacle; a situation that actually needed damage control and careful attention to details. Yet another reason to dislike the mal Théa family.
There would be an Order meeting that night, and he wanted enough leads in hand to adequately dispatch his forces to locate either the real Harry Potter or figure out how to replicate the trick that had been played on the Creevey boy. Severus was working on crafting a constructed image potion based on the template they had been provided. Regardless of whether they had seen the "real face" of Harry Potter, it would probably be best to work with what they had. Reimagining the boy entirely would cause even more questions.
Albus sighed and set down his quill, too distracted to keep filling out the papers. Where was Harry Potter? How had the prank been pulled? Why wasn't anyone stepping forward to claim responsibility? And why hadn't Voldemort responded yet?
Ever since Hr. Sinclaire had come and spirited Gabriel away, Neville had been waiting for the other shoe to drop. The real identity of Harry Potter burned in the pit of his stomach like an ulcer. He couldn't believe that no one noticed. He was sure it must be obvious, must be written across his forehead for the world to see: Gabriel mal Théa is Harry Bloody Potter, ask me how I know. To add to his already frazzled nerves, Defayne had started watching him suspiciously. Even the less intrusive concern of his Housemates was sending him closer to the edge.
Neville Longbottom was one "what's wrong" away from snapping.
"Hey Neville!" said Ginny as she sat down next to him in the common room. "What's up?"
He grimaced. "Not feeling so hot," he replied, reluctantly returning her hug. She pulled back slightly and reached up to feel his forehead.
"You seem a little warm," she said, "but not feverish. Do you want to head to the Infirmary just in case?"
"No thanks," he shook his head slightly. He doubted Madam Pomfrey had a draught for what was ailing him. "I'll probably just go lie down for a bit."
"Oh, okay. Well, listen, if you're not feeling better by the weekend, we can do our own little Valentine's Day some other time, alright?"
"Thanks Ginny," he smiled at her gratefully and reached over to squeeze her hand. "I don't deserve you."
"Damn straight," she agreed with a bright smile. "And don't you forget it."
He watched her settle down to start her homework before picking up his own bag and heading up to his room. He'd probably have better luck concentrating behind the safety of his bed's curtains where no one could divine his new knowledge from watching him. He wished for the umpteenth time that he could hide away from the world until the whole war was over and his knowledge wouldn't mean anything anymore. Once You-Know-Who was gone, no one would care that Neville knew the True Name of Gabriel mal Théa. Right?
Shay walked into the living room to find the rather unusual sight of his wife, his mother, his sisters, his daughter, and his niece drinking tea together in perfect silence. The women all turned to stare at him as he stood uncertainly in the doorway. He straightened his back and glared at them all, refusing to be intimidated by his own womenfolk
"Ladies," he greeted, bowing politely. "Mother," he added, his bow deepening slightly before he stood and walked over to join them. "I assume this is a council called to discuss Brie's current predicament?"
"How did the meeting go last night?" asked Ami, ignoring his question.
"Not as well as I'd hoped," he admitted. "Lilith Rousseau has gotten involved with the Dark Lord, and it was apparently her daughter who administered the potion."
"No!" cried Fae, sitting up straighter and staring. "Meli? There's no way she knows."
"I agree," said Shay, with a dismissive wave of his hand. "But someone else must. She found Polyjuice – with Brie's hair already added – just sitting out in the hallway."
"I shall speak with Levi," said Miriam. "Tell him to keep an eye out for anyone who seems to know more than they should."
"Good," said Shay. "Now, how is my nephew?" The women exchanged glances.
"Not well," said Geni with a small sigh. "This solution is not going to be viable in the long run. We could keep him drugged indefinitely, but he's not going to like it and he won't be able to end this."
"Other options?" he prompted.
"Keep him in America," said Rai. "He's doing a lot better already; the distance isn't a perfect shield, but it's better than nothing. Add to that the shifted sleep schedule and you have another short term option."
"Not good enough," Shay dismissed. "We need him here."
"You need him here," mumbled Fae, glaring at him over her teacup. He frowned at her but let it slide, knowing that she spoke as Brie's wife rather than as Shay's daughter.
"We could allow the Dark Lord to find out," said Mother. Shay opened his mouth to protest, but kept silent when she raised her hand. "Genevieve says his thoughts can be locked in any language he knows. If we lock them in Hindi the Dark Lord may know we are connected, but he won't be able to learn any details from Gabriel. He will be safe enough."
Shay was tempted to dismiss it out of hand, but the more he thought about it, the more merit it had. He would be forced to give up his own position next to Voldemort, but they were almost ready to make their move anyways. It would almost be worth it. With enough forethought, he might even be able to make it work in his favor.
"We could also work on finding a new method of shielding his thoughts," said Geni after a moment of silent contemplation. "Something less intrusive. If we can figure out how to provide him regularly with full nights of sleep, he can do the rest on his own."
"That'll take time, though," said Rai. "And it may not be possible. You've had years to work on this problem, and we're currently using the only solution you've come up with."
"The only for sure solution," argued Geni. "I have plenty of possibilities that may work much better. It isn't as though I've been able to test them."
"What happens if we try one and it fails?" asked Fae. "The Dark Lord may figure out who Brie is."
"Or he may not," said Ami. "He had plenty of time to figure it out before Aunt Geni's potions. Brie got sick, but he didn't leak information. By the time we're ready to try something new, he'll have had at least a week to sleep and recover his strength."
"And we still haven't decided that giving the Dark Lord some information is the worst thing in the world," said Mother.
Shay sighed and leaned forward, rubbing his temples. "Alright," he said, "Ami has a point. We still have a few more days to think about this. He's safe for now. Geni, I want a list of possible solutions and what each one will require. Assume that I'm not going to let him stay in America. I'll start working on what a revelation of his identity will do to our position."
He felt a headache coming on.