Chapter Thirty-five: Vengeances
"Maybe I know something you don't."
Voldemort's serpentine eyes stared deep into the fireplace, his mind turning over the boy's words over and over again. He did not trust in the boy's confidence and he remembered with slight unease the odd tone to his Mage's voice when she spoke his ancestor's name.
"My lord?"
He glanced at the doorway to see Wormtail cowering there. The small man twisted his hand nervously. "My lord, there's no sign of her yet."
"It's still early," Voldemort murmured. "She'll come. For him, if not for the others."
"W-what would you like me to do, my lord?"
"Check with Gavin, Rowle, and Rodolphus. Make sure that all three of the prisoners are secure. Then find Bellatrix. I want her to take Ollivander to her sister's Manor. I'll not take the chance of him escaping in the midst of all of this."
Wormtail bowed lowed. "Yes, my lord."
As the Death Eater scuttled from the room, Voldemort glanced at the darkened windows. "I doubt she'll be long now."
Raven stepped out of the woods that surrounded Slytherin Manor and gazed upon the half-ruined building with new eyes. Gathering the shadows around her, she continued down the path. Fury that had once burned beneath her skin suddenly seemed to melt the tension from her bones. A dark purpose filled her and gave strength to the seething madness within her.
But beneath the madness, she remembered her original purpose. She stopped on her path to the front doors of the Manor and instead walked around the side of the once great house. Before she was forced to her final resort, she had to enter the Rose Maze one last time.
The blackened roses were naught but shadow in the darkness, the only light cast onto the grounds came from the few lighted windows within the Manor. Raven found the entrance to the maze, not hesitating a moment to enter.
She walked slowly through the twisted paths, trusting in only instinct to guide her. With each step Raven felt herself come closer to her once lost memories. The feeling edged into Raven's thoughts, blinding her with snippets of memory, all seeming to whisper: There's something here. Something hidden. She tried to sort through them, for she knew she didn't have long. The longer she remained in the maze, the more chance she took at Voldemort sensing her presence.
Finally, she stopped dead in her tracks. She turned to gaze down what looked like a dead end. Despite what she saw, she slowly started down the path, drawn by something that put a chill in her bones.
When she reached the end, she realized what had drawn her. Amid the dead and blackened roses, there was one that was still a vibrant red. Raven blinked at it, her tired mind unsure of what to make of it. She lifted trembling fingers to the blood red petals.
"My god," she whispered. For when she touched the rose, the wall before her suddenly began to shimmer like heat waves. Struck by simple inspiration, Raven stepped into them. It was like walking through smoke.
She had stepped into a circular clearing, with no visible exit in sight. In the center stood a dark statue that seemed to be only slightly taller than her. Raven edged closer, wanting a better look.
The statue was black as pitch, a hooded and winged female form. The only trace of color were the roses crawling up from the base of the statue and the single rose the woman clasped between two praying hands.
Raven dared a Mage light and stepped closer still. The statue had no face.
She knelt at the base of the statue to read words that had been carved there.
Jesalis Amaranth Rosendrath
A rose to match all flowers
A woman to match a man
"Jesalis," Raven murmured, standing again. "So this is where he placed you. This is where you lay. This is where I was found." She let out a breath and stepped back from the suddenly foreboding monument to her death.
Pushing past her discomfort of the statue, she knelt again, pressing her palm to the ground at the base. Using only a small edge of power, she allowed her awareness to creep into the ground beneath her, seeking out the bones and dust her body had become. She closed her eyes as she went deeper into the cold earth, searching.
And she found nothing.
Her eyes snapped opened. She swore vehemently and stood, spinning away from the dark statue. He took them—of course he took them, damn it all. He has them hidden away somewhere he only knows.
"Fine then," she snapped. "You want to push me into a corner, Dark Lord? Then I shall hold nothing back against you and yours." She reached into the pocket of her robes and pulled one mirror out. She inhaled sharply, drawing in the whole of the power within it. The mirror cracked violently in her hand and she felt the fire of power course through her.
I have nothing—and everything—to lose.
She let the mirror drop to the ground and smiled darkly.
"Alright, Voldemort," she murmured, "…let's play."
Bellatrix stood at the window of what had been Raven's sitting room. Glancing over her shoulder, she gave her husband a small smile and nod. Their prisoner was sitting on the couch, crying silently and staring at the wall. Her golden curls were mussed and she bore a fresh bruise upon her cheek where Bella had struck her. The foolish child had attempted to escape Rodolphus's hold and Bella had quickly put a stop to it. Truthfully, Bellatrix was rather surprised and impressed by the fight in the three teenagers. It made their capture all the sweeter, really.
A hesitant knock came to the door of the room. Rodolphus turned and opened it a crack, giving the small man who stood behind it an icy stare. Wormtail cowered beneath the glare, but edged into the room nonetheless. He glanced at Alexis, who had also turned her red-rimmed eyes towards him. He opened his mouth to speak, but then seemed to change his mind. He looked to Bellatrix, who like her husband was glaring contemptuous daggers at him. "The Dark Lord has given orders for you to take the wandmaker to the dungeons at Malfoy Manor."
Bellatrix raised an eyebrow, but she looked prideful all the same. "I am happy to whatever our lord bids." She gave her husband another smile as she abandoned her post at the window. As she passed Wormtail to the door, she swung out a lazy hand to hit him on the back of the head. He flinched, but she hadn't put enough force into it for it to actually hurt. She had just done it because she could. He was far too used to it to even comment.
After Bella had disappeared through the door, Rodolphus looked to Wormtail. "Has there been any sign of her?"
"Not yet," Wormtail told him, his eyes flickering towards Alexis again. "But the Dark Lord expects her soon."
"Good," the other Death Eater said. "I hate this waiting."
Wormtail made a noncommittal noise and headed for the door. He felt Alexis's eyes following him, but he dared not look at her again. Rodolphus shut and locked the door behind his back.
Aly used the sleeve of her robes to wipe the tears from her face. She glanced at her guard, who stood at the door. She could see the tip of her wand sticking out of his pocket, but had no idea how she'd be able to get it away from him. Her cheek still ached from where the dark-haired woman had struck her.
I wish I had Clara here with me, she thought dimly. What if I never see her again? What if they kill us once they have Raven?
…What if Raven doesn't come?
She felt a wave of despair wash over her and she choked back a sob.
But then she saw something from the corner of her eye that shook the despair from her. Eyes narrowed, she slowly stood. When her guard did not stop her, she walked towards the window.
The glass, which had been clear a moment before, was suddenly fogging over. Tiny ice crystals were forming on the outside of it and when Aly grew close to it, she saw her breath fog before her. She lifted a hand to press against the window, and felt a sting of hope course through her even as the glass chilled her hand to the bone.
Up in the tower room where Edwin paced, the single barred window there had frozen over as well. Edwin saw the stricken, confused expression on his uncle's face and turned to gaze at the window himself.
And he smiled.
"She's here," he whispered.
Voldemort touched the tip of his wand against the frozen glass of the window and murmured a charm to melt it away. As the ice and fog cleared away, the Dark Lord gazed out into the darkness, his eyes searching.
The grounds of the Manor were covered in an unnatural and thick fog, muting even the dim light cast by the windows of the house. Voldemort's eyes fell upon the Rose Maze, drawn by a point of blue light.
Raven held the blue flames in her hand, allowing the light to clearly illuminate her face. She looked up and met Voldemort's eyes…
…and smirked.
Lifting her chin proudly, she beckoned to him with her free hand and then turned on her heel, disappearing inside the Maze.
"My lord?"
The Death Eaters in the room with him all looked wary at the sudden anger in their lord's face. Voldemort turned to them.
"You two," he said, gesturing to the closest two, "enter the maze and find her. Wormtail."
Wormtail cowered near one of the windows, his eyes following the pale light that was drifting through the maze. He flinched when Voldemort said his name and quickly turned. "M-my lord?"
"Get Gavin—tell him to release the Dementors against the girl." His mind flashed back to the first day he'd questioned the strange, pale child. "She's vulnerable to them."
"Yes, my lord," Wormtail said, bowing low before he scampered out of the room with the other two.
Voldemort turned back to the window, scowling. "You challenge me, child. A challenge must be answered accordingly."
Raven heard the two Death Eaters bumbling in the darkness around the Rose Maze before they muttered the charm to light their wands. She could tell from the sound of their footsteps that they were hesitating at the entrance.
Come on now, children. Don't be afraid.
Finally, they entered the maze, obviously following the light they could see through the leaves. Raven smiled darkly and sent the light she held away from herself, down a dead end. The Death Eaters followed it blindly. Using their foolishness, Raven slipped through the maze and out onto the grounds. With a wave of her hand, she closed off the entrance to the maze, leaving them to wander hopelessly within.
Two less to worry about.
She took one step towards the side door of the Manor before she realized noticed the chill in her bones. A chill that had nothing to do with the freezing fog she'd cast upon the grounds…
"Little bird, little bird, why do you cry?"
She groaned and dug her hands into her hair. In her mind, the voices of her tormentors—both Voldemort and Slytherin—seemed to blur together, murmuring in the same cruel and mocking tone.
She turned quickly and saw two Dementors gliding towards her through the fog. She scowled, her rage seething once more. "Oh no," she murmured, slowly stepping to the side, keeping her eyes locked upon them, "I left you lot behind at Azkaban. You'll not have me back…not now." She lifted a hand, calling to her power and bending the raw force to her will around the dark creatures.
Gavin hurried down the main hall of the Manor, his back to the front doors where he'd given new orders to the Dementors he'd 'borrowed' from Azkaban. He had no desire to remain close to those doors where the child might appear at any moment. No, he was going to return to the dungeons to guard the foolish Bauman girl.
Halfway down the hall, he stopped at the sound of a door creaking open behind him. Slowly, he looked over his shoulder. It was one of the many doors in the hall and he heaved a sigh of relief that it hadn't been the front door he'd heard. As he frowned at the open door, a shadowed figure emerged, turning a shrouded face towards him. Gavin opened his mouth to speak, but then he saw the flash of crystal blue eyes beneath the shadows and his heart stopped.
Raven lifted pale hands to pull back the hood of her cloak. "Good evening, Dominic."
He swallowed and backed up a pace. "R-Raven."
She smiled; an echo of the mad smile she'd worn when she had nearly killed him. Gavin felt a shiver run down his spine.
"I think it's time we had another talk," she told him.
He immediately turned and started to run down the hall. Raven smirked and lifted her hand towards him. A shocking force of power knocked Gavin in the center of his back, sending him sprawling to the floor. Unwilling to give up, he scrambled back onto his feet. But before he could take a step, her power grasped him like a giant fist, holding him in place. Twirling her finger in a casual manner, the force that gripped him spun him around to face her. Still smiling, she crossed her arms and considered him.
"What's the matter, Gavin?" she asked him lightly. "I thought you liked looking at me?" Quick as a snake, she struck an arm out, taking hold of his throat. "Do you still feel proud of me, Gavin?"
"I think you're magnificent," he gasped out, a laugh escaping him with the last word.
Raven tilted her head to the side. "How sweet," she murmured.
She let go of his throat and flicked her hand out. Gavin was sent flying down the hall until his back slammed against the far wall. He let out a hoarse oomph as he hit and slid down to the floor. Raven lifted her hand, bringing him up again, and brought him flying back. She stopped him right in front of where she stood and let him fall to the ground. He lay in a heap at her feet, taking in ragged breaths.
"Do you want to know a secret?"
Gavin coughed and lifted his head to look at her in confusion. "…What kind of secret?"
Raven stepped back as he slowly got to his feet. "About Christine."
"What could you possibly know about Christine?" Gavin spat out, his fear making him shake. "You practically a baby when I killed her."
"True," Raven said, smiling again. "But you'll never guess at what I found at our cottage."
"What?"
"Memories," Raven told him. "Christine left me her memories. I know how you met—how you proposed—the little chapel where you got married—I even saw the night that you betrayed her to Voldemort. And," she added, "I know why your first attempt to create me failed."
For a moment, his fear of her waned in the wake of his curiosity. "What was it?" he asked her, his voice low. "We did everything the same the second time—you're proof we did it right. I could never understand why that first child died…"
"I know why," she said rather musically. The madness was in full force in her broken eyes as she grinned at him.
"W-why?"
Raven suddenly reached out and grabbed him by the back of neck, pulling him closer. She put her lips right neck to his ear and whispered, "Christine… was already pregnant."
Gavin pulled back immediately, a fresh horror in his eyes.
Meeting his eyes, she saw the dawning comprehension on his face. His breath had turned ragged again and Raven could almost hear the baby's cries echoing in his head. Raven's smile faltered as she too remembered those terrible cries—and the way they'd so suddenly stopped.
"No," Gavin whispered.
"You understand what that means," Raven said. When he remained silent, her eyes narrowed. "You, Gavin…you killed your own son."
"No!" Gavin shouted, turning away.
Raven scowled and her rage escaped her a moment as pure power slammed Gavin to the side and into the wall. Taking him again, she threw her hand to the other side, throwing him from one wall to the other before he had a chance to recover.
"I saw you, Gavin," she told him darkly. "I heard your son's cries. I saw Christine's face when they were silenced. And you were a fool to never realize."
Gavin managed to sit up, his back against the wall. He stared up at her with dull shock in his eyes. Raven stood over him, her hand lashing out to grab him by the collar of his robes. For a long moment, Gavin was certain he was about to die.
"You're the one that put me in Azkaban."
Gavin blinked at her. "I did," he said, not bothering to lie.
"You took my childhood from me," she told him, bringing his face close to hers. "You killed my mother. You tormented me in the dungeons of this very Manor. I should kill you."
Gavin stared at her, unable to break her hold of his robes. "Are you going to kill me?" he asked softly, fear and acceptance threading his voice.
Raven looked down at him. "No. I'm going to do much worse." With that she took a thread of power and shoved him into the darkened room she'd emerged from, shutting the door behind him.
Gavin landed hard on the floor, but was immediately on his feet and pounding at the door. It only took him a moment to realize he wasn't alone in the room. Slowly, as terror circulated through his bones, he turned. His mouth fell open when he saw the Dementor gliding towards him, its dead hands reaching up to lower its hood…
Raven stood right outside the door and listened with an impassive face as Gavin screamed her name…and then fell silent.
"So much worse," Raven murmured when all was still. "…I'm going to let you live." She pressed her hand against the door before turning and walking away. "Goodbye, Dominic."