Harry Potter and the Peverell Legacy
Book Two of the Heritage Series
Chapter Forty-Nine
The Interrogator of the Sect
The School year was over earlier than normal, the students were put aboard the Express by the professors and a small army of aurors were patrolling the station and the train and it began to leave Hogsmeade Station trailing a long plume of steam behind it as it picked up speed.
Once more Harry was tired having not slept well due to the connection he shared with Voldemort he had felt his delight and happiness and it had prevented him from sleeping despite the connection being closed with occlumency but it stopped him from getting into his mind.
Laying his head against the glass of the window, Harry didn't even try to listen to his friends. His head ached and all he wanted to do was get home to where the sense of family made him feel safe and secure and far from Voldemort.
Voldemort may have failed to have Sirius killed as he had wanted, but he had also planned for the death of Amelia Bones. The strongest adversary against his agenda in the Ministry had been killed in a cleverly laid trap.
It had been thought that the Death Eaters had left some of the people in the Hospital alive but injured, instead what they had done was place them under compulsion charms and the Imperius Curse to assassinate Madam Bones who would visit the hospital in the aftermath and would want to see the patients.
Harry admitted it had been a very well thought out plan, Voldemort was no fool even if you thought you had beaten him he was still a move ahead of you and had planned something else to catch you off guard.
With Madam Bones dead, the Ministry was in chaos which had only been made worse when Sirius had arrived and made the Minister fly into a rage and was almost arrested. Up until the moment Sirius had entered the room, Scrimgeour had been responding well to the chaos but Sirius's presence had undone all of that.
When the news had arrived at the school Harry sat silent, numb from the shock and when questioned by his friends he had answered honestly. "He has almost won."
The ministry was weak now, weaker than it had been in decades, the school term was ended earlier by Sirius has parents had arrived by their dozens to pull their students from the school and to go into hiding. Whole families were hiding, numerous members of the Wizengamot had not been heard of since the attack, Voldemort had people running scared.
One student who was not running scared and was staying resolute in her decision was Susan Bones. Her best friend Hannah Abbott's parents had arrived to take Hannah from school and had tried to remove Susan. However, she was much like her aunt, she refused to go even while Mrs Abbott cried.
When Sirius had arrived back at the school he had immediately found Susan and taken her aside to break the news to her and she had disappeared for two hours before walking determinedly into the Great Hall at lunch and refused to allow it to disturb her life.
Harry had admiration for her in that moment, she was the last member of her House now and she was not going to be seen as weak.
The Express was oddly quiet as they left Scotland, students had locked themselves into their compartments and talked quietly as if afraid to speak loudly. Many students sat with their wands in their hands or in easy reach despite the auror presence on the train.
Harry was gently woken by Hermione when they reached Kings Cross.
"Harry?" She said gently shaking him "We are just getting to the station."
"When did I fall asleep?" He asked stretching and clicking his neck where he had sat still for too long.
"Hours ago." Ron said, "We put a silencing charm around you so we didn't disturb you, I know you didn't sleep much last night so I thought it best. Hermione fell asleep too, fell right of her seat and onto your feet but you didn't notice."
Harry gave Ron a look of gratitude, He often knew more than he ever let on but he was his best friend.
"You need to sleep Harry, you've been out of it since that night." Ron scolded him it wasn't the first time his friend had told him off for not sleeping.
Harry nodded, he wasn't wrong he just couldn't always sleep due to his homicidal enemy in his own head. He stood up with his friends and stretched, his neck ached from his nap but he ignored it and they walked out onto the very busy platform.
The atmosphere here was worse than on the train. The moment parents found their children they marched them out of the platform and out into the main station so they could leave, the adults barely spoke to each other even though a lot of them were probably friends and colleagues.
g"People are scared." Neville said as they watched some parents all but run with their children out of the platform while others just took them by side long apparation, "You can't blame them really."
"No, you can't" Hermione replied and she spotted Arthur and Molly Weasley, and the Twins standing waiting for them. "Hey Ron, there's your parents."
"There's Daddy!" Luna said happily, "I better go, we have an appointment in Ireland to discuss a lead on a nest of Regelia."
Their blonde Ravenclaw friend skipped away as they said goodbye unaware of the confused looks she was given, none of them had ever heard of that creature and it probably didn't exist but they didn't comment on that, they were so used to Luna.
"Neville!" Called an old man waving happily.
"Uncle Algie?" Neville said aloud, "I better go guys, I have no idea why he is here and if he gets talking you won't stop him for hours."
They said their goodbyes and Harry, Hermione, Ginny, and Ron walked over to the Weasleys and were quickly enveloped in a massive hug each by Mrs Weasley.
"Mum you only saw us two days ago." Ron protested as his mother hugged him and he went bright red.
"Shall we get going?" Arthur said looking around anxiously, "we really shouldn't linger."
They managed to get through the barrier easily and they found Hermione's parents who were waiting close to it and it was clear that they too were nervous and they didn't stay long and rushed Hermione out of the station, she waved goodbye and said she would seen them very soon.
"Where is Sirius?" Arthur said.
"I haven't seen him." Fred said looking around.
"He must be running late." Molly said trying to sound calm but from the way her eyes darted around the muggle station she was anxious to leave.
Harry frowned, Sirius had said he would meet him on the platform but he supposed if he was delayed there was no reason to hold everyone up. Black House was only a short walk away after all.
Using his communication mirror, Harry tried to call Sirius but didn't get any response which Harry took to mean he was doing urgent business.
"It's alright, I will walk back to the House from here." Harry told them, the house was not very far and he could walk there easily.
Of course, that idea did not go over well with the Weasley parents but Harry waived off their concerns.
It took five more minutes for Harry to get the Weasleys to agree and it was only because he told them that if they recognised him as he left the toilet then he wouldn't go alone. He went to the toilet and changed his clothes and altered his face completely and he sneaked out and managed to walk straight by them without them batting an eye.
Once out of the station he took a brisk walk and was soon out of sight of Kings Cross and he felt himself oddly relaxed out in the open in the muggle world and he felt a great distance from the hidden magical community, the muggles had no idea what was happening out of their sight and he envied their ignorance.
The walk to Grimmauld Place gave him time to think about what he would be doing this summer and everything that he would need to do. Everything would be changing and it now was the only time he had to prepare before the country was in Voldemort's hands.
One of the best things about walking through London was that nobody seemed to care. Everyone he passed barely even looked at him and he felt invisible which was freedom for Harry who normally was stared at where ever he went, everyone had their own busy lives and the bustle of London made him feel secure.
But the secure feeling began to leave him as he turned away from the busier streets towards the house, the streets were quieter and less people walked the pavements and less cars drove by. Something nagged at him that he was being followed but he couldn't see any sign of it, but he ducked into an alleyway to make sure.
With his wand drawn he waited to see if anyone followed, and even cast a detection ward in case they were invisible but no one followed him, shaking his head at his frayed nerves Harry but took the moment to alter his appearance one more and transfigured his clothes before he left the alley and continued to walk.
The feeling hadn't gone away as he walked and after a few more minutes he decided enough was enough, he would just apparate home.
He turned down another street, it was less busy and the only person was some muggle tramp who was muttering to himself, Harry hurried down the pavement angling towards a secluded spot he had noticed when the tramp fell into him
"Sorry." Harry muttered.
"Not a problem Mr Black-Potter." The tramp said and then threw something in Harry's face before he could even draw his wand everything went black.
o-HP-o
Sirius's plan to meet Harry at Kings Cross had gone awry the moment he had got to the Ministry of Magic for his meeting with the Department of Magical Education. He had gone there to confirm that he would be staying on as Headmaster and to ensure that the school would be remaining open and to make sure that the Ministry didn't try to shut it.
Normally it wouldn't have taken long but when he arrived in Madam Vastra's office and had just started to discuss the issues the Minister of Magic stormed into her office and it suddenly turned into a deposition of his entire time in office.
He had tried to get a small break send a message to Remus at the House to tell him to get Harry but the Minister had refused to allow it and hadn't cared about Harry. Normally he would have just called Remus using the mirror but even that wasn't possible as he had left it in his office.
An hour later than Sirius had planned he was walking through the ministry Atrium towards the fire places so he could get home and see Harry but as he stepped out of the green flames in the house he immediately knew something was wrong.
Harry wasn't in the house.
"Remus!" Sirius called urgently.
He heard the hurried feet on the stairs and his best friend appeared, "Sirius! Where have you been we have been frantic. Where is Harry?"
"I was stuck at the Ministry." Sirius said frowning and he felt himself starting to panic, "I have only just been able to leave, is he not here?"
"No, no one has been here for hours." Remus said alarmed, "Where is he?"
Sirius practically ran back to the fire and in his haste, threw almost all of the Floo powder into the fire. "The Burrow!" He said as the fire turned green and he stepped into the flames.
When he fell out the other end in a wave of soot he found himself at wand point.
"Sirius!" Mrs Weasley said clutching her heard and lowering her wand. "You gave us a fright."
"Where is he?" Sirius said ignoring her, panic was starting to spread through him.
"He walked back to the House." Ron said quickly, "I saw him leave the station."
"Didn't he get home?" Fred asked.
Sirius frowned, "He walked alone?"
"Didn't give us much choice." George complained, "We tried to bring him here or offered to take him to Black House but he said it wasn't needed. Proved he was concealed and everything."
Sirius ground his teeth, that was so like Harry he didn't want to be babysat. However, if he had concealed himself he should have been safe, Sirius had taught him most of those charms himself and they were auror standard and should have been more than enough to make him incognito in London."
"Did you see his disguise?" Sirius asked, "Was it good."
"We didn't see him leave" Mrs Weasley said "I tried but after five minutes he didn't walk passed, where could he be?"
"His charms were fine." Ron answered, "Harry walked straight passed."
"Do you mean to say you recognised him Ronald but didn't say anything." Mrs Weasley shrieked.
Ron shrugged, "He is my best mate, I would notice him. Besides I didn't recognise his face, it was the brown leather coat he wore and I noticed large rings on his hand as he walked passed."
Sirius nodded, it was easy to see someone you knew so well if you knew what to look for. He closed his eyes while gripping his ring and concentrated on the magic that bound them together as family, he felt a spark in the magic that was Harry but he had no idea where he was. Not a single sense of location came to him which was odd.
"He is alive, I can feel it but I don't know where he is." Sirius growled, he had to find Harry, he couldn't lose him. Pulling out the necklace he wore that bore a Phoenix pendant he activated it, "I am calling a meeting of the Order, we need to find Harry."
The Weasley's all nodded and they floo'd back to Black House with Sirius.
Once Sirius was back at the house he dashed upstairs quickly as a though occurred to him and he entered Harry's room and saw Dobby was unpacking his trunk.
"Master Sirius." Dobby said bowing to him when he saw him.
"When did this get here Dobby?" Sirius asked, a small spark of hope appearing.
"Master Black-Potter was calling Dobby from the train station at Hogsmeade sir." Dobby said, "he wanted his things brought straight home. Master even unlocked the trunk for Dobby, Dobby be late in his unpacking Masters things as Kreacher was needed Dobby to work"
"Can you sense him?" Sirius asked urgently ignoring the small elf's explanation.
"Sense Master?" Dobby asked his ears moving as he sensed Sirius's emotions and he hesitated for a moment and then his eyes watered, "No Sir, Dobby isn't able. Is Master being in trouble?"
What the hell was going on, Sirius asked himself, how could they not find Harry with either Family Magic or Elf Magic, to block that magic was beyond anything Sirius had ever thought possible.
"I don't know where Harry is, but if you sense him. Even for a moment you are to tell me immediately." Sirius said to the elf.
"Yes, Master Sirius." Dobby said eagerly and tears began to fall from his face.
Sirius paused awkwardly not knowing how to console the elf that was so devoted to Harry, but no matter what he thought of it wouldn't help.
"I will do everything I can to find Harry." Sirius promised the elf but it was just as much for himself as the elf, it made him at least feel better.
That was impossible, Sirius thought to himself as he slumped down on a chair for support, what magic could hide Harry so thoroughly from both the family magic and the bond between master and elf?
o-HP-o
Harry came to and felt his arms and legs were constricted and he immediately began to try and fight to get himself free but became aware that he wasn't held by people but by metal. His vision was blurred as he wasn't wearing his glasses, so he tried to transform them into that of the direwolf so he could see.
But failed.
Without his glasses, he struggled to see much. He knew that time had passed as he was bound to a wall with metal manacles but as there was no clock or windows he had no idea how much time.
Pulling on the restraints Harry tested their strength but it was useless as the moment he struggled a series of runes glowed amber and he could feel the powerful magic in them. The power of the magic was almost tangible such was the power of it, he could see the glow of runes moving across the metal that surrounded his limbs, but also every link of the chains and the hooks they were connected to in the walls.
Such powerful magic was unlike anything that Harry had ever seen used, he couldn't read any of the runes without his glasses but could feel the intent behind them from the feel of the magic. The runes were for containment and entrapment, binding, and restraint.
The very depth and comprehension of the magic imbued into the restraints shocked him. Even in Durmstrang he hasn't seen such runic magic, this was the work of a Runemaster but it was a masterpiece of magic.
With that realisation, he knew that made breaking out of the metal bindings with his own magic impossible, so Harry had to try and think of another way to get free.
His first thought was the family magic that could had inside him, but somehow the tramp or whoever he was had managed to remove his rings so he couldn't use that. His wand was nowhere to be seen neither was his wrist cuff so that counted out his own magic.
Briefly he thought he could use his animagus transformation to escape to slip through the metal restraints but further study of the runes on the metal made him count that out as well. He thought he could feel runes for changing and adaption and deduced they would only change as he did.
The room itself that he was in was barren, he was suspended on a wall by the restraints, and other than them the room was empty except some type of grate in the wall. The room was made of grey stone held with a black mortar, both of which radiated power, and he guessed that they also contained magic to further keep him imprisoned.
Thinking back on the moments before he woke up in the room, Harry cursed himself for being so arrogant regarding his safety and knew he should have just illegally apparated himself home.
But the means which they had captured him was odd, they had not attacked him or surprised him with contemporary magic, that tramp had used some type of powder.
There were plants and herbs that could be used in many sleeping potions, he figured it could be a simple enough to create some type of powder from them which could have been used as that tramp had done.
It was so simple yet so unexpected and unlike any magic Harry had ever encountered, not unlike that which bound him in place right now. It irked him that he had been at the mercy of some unknown person or persons, and the fact that he had been stripped of his clothing apart from his trousers made him feel more vulnerable and twice as angry.
A small voice in the back of his mind whispered that this might be some type of test of Sirius's devising but the larger and much more rational part of Harry knew that this was not the case, Sirius was too busy and he had promised he would not do such a thing after Bulgaria, but he had also been weak since their time at the cave and the battle.
"Let me out of here!" Harry shouted as he had no other way of escape, and the only avenue he saw was to confront his abductors, "I demand to know who you are!"
No one came, no door appeared and Harry was left alone.
But a low chuckle came through the small grate in the wall.
"Who is that?" Harry growled, not liking that he was being laughed at even if it was his own imagination. "What is funny."
"Your energy would be better applied elsewhere. They will come and when they do you will need your strength I am afraid to say," said a small croaking voice through the vent.
"Who are you? Where am I?" Harry asked, wondering if this was some ploy from his captives but also wanted answers.
Silence was all that he received, and no matter what questions he asked the voice did not return.
Harry was beginning to get even more frantic now, he didn't think he was a prisoner of the Death Eaters or by extension Voldemort. He would have been killed by now or at the very least tortured but he hadn't been as far as he could tell.
That in itself was odd, why would someone take him from London and just chain him up, it didn't make sense.
He didn't know how long he hung there but he tried everything he could think of to escape but his mind betrayed him, there was nothing he could think of that would get him out of his restraints.
A section of the wall glowed with runes and they formed a long rectangle of glowing script before a doorway appeared and a man stepped in but Harry couldn't see him as it was too dark but he knew he was being watched.
"After so long I finally get to speak with you. The answers I seek are right here in front of me after so long." The man said in almost perfect English but Harry noticed a slight trace of a foreign accent.
Something hit Harry in the face and he assumed the man had used magic to put his glasses on his face as he was now looking through their lenses and with clear vision he was disappointed to find his blurry observations were not wrong at all.
"Who are you." Harry demanded glaring at the man, "What do you want from me!"
"Who am I?" The man laughed, "that is not important here, who you are, now that is very important to me. What I want from you is answers. Answers to some very old questions that we have long been denied. You could say you are but the next step on our long journey to the answers that we seek."
Harry glared at the offending man and he felt his temper throb and he wanted to thrash out but the runes glowed ominously as if they knew what his intentions had been.
"Straighten your tongue and face me like a man you coward." Harry spat rashly, hoping to bait this man for the answers he so desperately needed.
"I know your family, we have studied you. I imagine you must know the origin…. although it might be an old story I suppose, it has been so long after all." The man said pleasantly as if he had just asked him his opinion on the weather, "You will wish to resist of course, they all do when we start but I should warn you that even if you try and prevent me learning your secrets I will discover them, the real question is how much pain your willing to suffer before you tell me all I wish to know."
How did this man know him Harry wondered, he was acting like they were familiars but to Harry's knowledge from what little he had seen they had never met. But the threat made him shiver, he could only imagine how he could try and extract the truth.
The man stepped into the cell and the dim light reached him, he had brown hair and the left side of his face was scarred and his left eye was pale white and unseeing.
Harry recognised him instantly, "Makos." He said shocked, he had not heard anything about this man for month, "So you have finally come out of hiding, Voldemort will be pleased he has been looking for you."
Makos blinked but otherwise his expression did not change, "So you know of me." He said, "Good. That means you may know what it is that I can do. Before we start I will give you the option of doing this the easy way."
Not one to take things easy Harry just smirked dangerously, while throwing up every mental barrier he could muster in preparation for an attack.
"Stubborn boy." Makos commented shaking his head, "Arrogance of youth? Or perhaps confidence? No matter, I warn you that the more you resist the more creative I will get and the longer you make me wait the worse it will get."
Harry laughed, what was it was this dark wizards and their ego's.
"Do you worst."
"What do you know of the Deathly Hallows." Makos questioned.
Harry just glared at him, behind his mental barriers he has stilled his mind and his face was a mask, he would not give anything away even if was just to say he didn't know what it was.
"I asked you what you knew of the three Hallows." Makos repeated sternly, he wand rising. "I will not ask you nicely a third time."
"I won't tell you a thing." Harry said determinedly.
"I think you know that speech is not necessary." Makos said darkly pointing his wand directly between Harrys eyes.
No spell was spoken, but he felt the magic hit him like a ton of bricks and had it not been for his restraints he might have been thrown across the room. The spell was not physical however, it was a mental hammer and it was hammering his mental defences to a degree he had never felt before.
Harry screamed out in pain, or he felt like he had as had no concept of his physical body all he could feel was the spike of pain as his occlumency defences were assaulted. Withdrawing in on himself he buried his sense of self behind layers and layers of defences but he didn't know if he could hold out.
For every moment, an hour passed, every minute held under the spell felt like an eternity.
Severus Snape might be a master of Occlumency, and had skill in Legilimency but it paled in comparison to the skill Makos possessed. He lessons had always been to retreat to gather your strength to throw off your attacker and force them from your mind but Harry did not have the strength to do that, he was barely keeping him out of his actual memories.
His concentration suddenly slipped and his mind exploded with white hot fire, and Makos tried to use the distraction to burrow his way in but Harry stopped him. He shut out the pain focused only on keeping the metal pressure at bay.
Suddenly the pressure on his mind abated and Harry felt himself given what felt like whiplash from its absence. He was gasping to catch his breath, his chest was cut open and bleeding as were his hands where his nails had cut into them.
Makos looked at him in wonder.
"I had not known you were so proficient in occlumency, and for one so young you have mastered its principles well." Makos said almost sounding impressed as he studied him, "I know you did not have the conventional upbringing of one of your lineage and your school most certainly doesn't teach the art. It is not often I am caught by surprise."
Harry could only glare at him, he grit his teeth as his body spike with pain and his head belt like it had actually been hit with a sledge hammer.
"No matter. I will break your defences and then I shall walk through your mind and find the answered I need." Makos said his eyed glinting dangerously, "You might wonder why I do not use a truth serum?"
He didn't receive any response so he continued.
"We discovered long ago that truth serums are only as good as the questions that are asked." He said, "the potion elicits the truths only as you believe them to be. So, what you might think to be true and what you suspect or believe are two very different things and mind breaking allows for much better answers."
The room blurred dangerously and Harry thought he was about to fall unconscious but Makos shot cold water at him and cast a healing spell.
"We have only just begun boy, you do not get to sleep yet, not when there are answers to be had." He said and he levelled his wand at Harry again, "Tell me, what do you know of the Deathly Hallows, where are they right now? What do you know of their origins!"
Harry managed to look up at him and looked him straight in the eye.
"What are you talking about." He managed to say.
"You are the last of your bloodline, you know of that which I speak" Makos accused.
"I can honestly say I have never heard of the deadly hollow or whatever it was you said." Harry snapped, "You have brought me here and are going to torture me for something I have no clue about!"
"Perhaps." Makos contemplated and then he sent a piercing curse at Harry which only just missed and it hit the wall which glowed with runes but did no damage. "Or maybe I am just not asking the right question yet."
"Well how about we sit here with a cup of tea and speak as gentlemen." Harry said bracingly, using false bravado.
Makos didn't react, his face was impassive as he watched him he brought up his wand again and he began to draw something in the air that hung in fiery red lines.
A line, within a circle, enclosed in a triangle.
Harry had recognised the mark after the circle had been drawn, it had been bugging him for months and here it was again.
"I can see you know this symbol." Makos said watching his face closely, "You recognised it before I had even finished drawing it. Tell me what do you know of it."
"It is the mark of Gellert Grindelwald." Harry said repeating what he had learnt in Durmstrang.
"Is it now?" Makos said and he actually sounded amused, "Well now that is interesting. Do you know what it means?"
"No." Harry said tensely, he knew his reprieve from the enhanced interrogation was not going to last.
"I don't believe you." Makos said again, "Your lying, I will have to get the answers the hard way."
The metal assault began again, and so came the questions once more, he was hit with all manner of curses, charms and other such magics but Harry gave only the same few answers and blocked his mind off from it all.
Eventually Makos stopped and Harry hung covered in sweat and blood and his body screamed in pain but even through that he managed to speak
"My father will be looking for me by now, and when he does you had better run as he will kill you." Harry told Markos.
"Lord Black will not find you here boy, your trapped by powerful magic, even that Celtic power you possess will not help you." Makos said smirking and he wand raised again and a metal probe hit Harry at the same time as his hand exploded as the bones all broke and causing him to cry out and bite his tongue.
o-HP-o
The Malfoy Manor was no stranger to its questionable visitors, in fact it often hosted those of questionable reputations and even darker persuasion. Tonight, it was the location of a meeting of the inner circle of the Death Eaters.
"My Lord." Said Rabastan, "My sources from the continent have told me that Makos has been seen once again, most recently in France but before that he was in Bulgaria and Germany."
A dangerous gleam entered the dark lord's eyes, this angered him.
"I told you I wanted the last of the so-called Army of Restoration found and eradicated." Voldemort said quietly, "I even attacked the prison that the old fool trapped Grindelwald in to break them, but you are telling me you have failed to find this one man."
"My Lord." Rodolophus said coming to his brother's defence, "Makos is a snake my Lord, he knows how to lay low."
"So, who is he?" Voldemort demanded, "Have you at least found that out?"
"He is the son of an old General of the Army, some say he had been Grindelwalds right hand man." Alecto said, her face was covered in cuts and she was pale after the torture she had undergone at Voldemort's hand.
Right hand man, what a stupid notion. Grindelwald was a fool, a powerful one perhaps but still a fool. You did not have a right-hand man, you did you share your secrets with anyone.
"What say you Severus?" Voldemort asked.
Snape sat to his right, it was a something he allowed merely to elicit jealousy among his ranks, he trusted him barely any more than the lowest of Death Eaters.
"Why do you think Makos has now resurfaced?"
"The timing might just be a coincidence." Snape drawled carefully, "but I think it odd he now comes back, at a time when I know that the Order of the Phoenix is scrambling around."
"When aren't they?" One of the newer members laughed, "They're always a step behind."
"You think that Makos and the fools group are connected?" Voldemort asked fingering the arm of his chair thinking.
"The timing is too similar." Snape elaborated, "I am no longer privy to their meetings my Lord so I cannot say more."
"I am aware of your new predicament Severus." Voldemort said and he turned his gaze towards the newest member at the table. "Pity the plan to kill Black failed, but you kept Draco here from being apprehended and you have spared the Malfoy family further ridicule…. for now."
Draco sat there deathly pale, he was seated next to his mother and didn't look at anyone, his eyed fixed straight on the polished wood of the table. Narcissa did the same while holding her stomach protectively, but her other hand was hidden under the table.
"Severus, you will need to clean up Draco's mess." Voldemort said not taking his eyes of the boy, he would suffer severely for his incompetence, "but if you fail this time more than one of you will suffer my displeasure."
"It will not happen again." Snape said, "we underestimated him last time, he had more than one wand which you know is against the law."
"I want to kill my cousin." Bellatrix said excitedly, "Let me be the one and it will be done you can be sure of that my Lord."
"No." Voldemort said sternly, "You are to remain here in the manor for now, I have other uses for you."
"It will be done." Snape said, "if you will excuse me my Lord I must prepare for what is to be done."
"Go." Voldemort said flicking his fingers at him dismissing him, "Rebastan, Rodolophus, take Alecto with you, I have no need of her after the failure of the attack on the school. Take Greyback too, go to the continent and track down Makos and bring him to me."
"My Lord what of those of number who are in Azkaban?" Yaxley asked, "When will we get them out?"
"When I allow it." Voldemort said and he watched with amusement as Nagini suddenly reared up next to him and all but sat on him before slithering up onto the table, they were all scared of her. Rightly so, he thought as he considered her carefully, she was a part of him after all.
"Wormtail." Voldemort said turning to the end of the table where the small man sat almost invisible to everyone. "If you do not complete your task by the end of the month I will kill you, failure is not an option, the Ministry will be ours by summers end."
"Ye-Yes M-My Lord." Wormtail stammered looking terrified.
o-HP-o
Harry had woken with a jerk and his body rebelled against the movement and screamed at him with the feeling of a thousand stinging hexes over his entire body. He was still restrained but had been lowered to the floor in a heap.
All of his injuries had been healed, no sign of the physical damage remained but he could feel the pain of them, he assumed it was the effect of some lingering spell.
Now able to move he tried to get up by his body refused to respond through his pain, he didn't have the strength to stand. He looked round the room but it was unchanged since he first had seen it.
He managed to crawl towards the grate that the man had spoken through.
"Where am I." Harry croaked.
"So, your still alive." Said the voice, it still made Harry think it was unused to be used, "I was not sure you would wake up after he was done. You would not be the first to die from the first stage of that form of interrogation."
Harry grunted, he wasn't sure if it was a good thing to have lived, especially given it was going to happen again and probably soon.
"I don't have the answers he wants." He said quietly, it had been said more to himself than this out of sight man.
"It is not me you must convince." He told him, "they will continue to try and break you, they will not stop until they have whatever answers you do have."
"Why are the Army of Restoration so interested in these Hallows anyway." Harry asked.
"The army?" The voice said sounding surprised, "That was destroyed decades ago. Those that hold you – those that hold the two of us – they are far older, part of a long-forgotten doctrine. One that is said to have infiltrated the army for their own aims towards the end."
"So, they are not actually followers of Grindelwald?" Harry asked shocked himself, he had thought that Makos was Grindelwalds right hand man or at least his son.
"No." The voice told him, "they have gone by many names, the Black Hand, Dark Sect and Brotherhood of the Black. They are, it is said, descended from an ancient order, or coven of powerful priests and priestesses who followed the Old Ways and were beholden to a powerful witch or deity. The sect only seek power in which ever form it takes, be it raw magical power, dark objects, spells and potions or magical artefacts."
"To what end?" Harry felt compelled to ask.
"That I do not know." He told him sounding said, "They are a most secret order, their numbers are equally as mysterious. Many believe they have infiltrated all levels of European governments and are poised to strike, I had always thought them an old story used to scare children, but I wonder if there is truth to those stories now."
"Is Makos their leader?" Harry wondered aloud.
"I do not think so, but then I don't know much about them."
"But he was once a part of the Army of Restoration, part of Grindelwalds gang of fanatics. He has been gaining the support of the old generals and spreading the symbols and old propaganda."
There was a sound like grinding stones suddenly and Harry wondered what it could be but realised that it was the man in the next cell laughing.
"He was no member of the army. It was his father who was the interrogator of the Army and they share a name and passion for those skills that made for such a good interrogator." The man croaked, "I doubt Makos's father was every loyal to Grindelwald or the Army. The sect is hiding behind the old trappings of Grindelwald and his army, but the black banner baring a red oak tree is their true symbol, should you see it then you know they have achieved what their aims."
"So why do they have you imprisoned here." Harry asked, he was being curious as it distracted him from his pain, "Do you know of these Hallows that Makos keeps asking me about."
"They believe so." The man said, "He has tried repeatedly to break my mind for over a month without success. I may be in chains and have had my freedom taken away from me but my mind is free of restraint and while I still live it is my only freedom that I will not give up, something I have an old friend to thank for."
"If you have been here that long, then do you know where we are? Is there a way to escape?" Harry asked desperately, he clutched at his leg binding but the runes just glowed with their magic knowing that he was trying to remove them, "I have to get home!"
"These cells are impervious to almost all magic; every inch of the structure was imbued with magic for the containment of witches and wizards. Only Makos could release you, it was his magic that activated your restraints when you arrived." The man told him and he sounded resigned to his life imprisoned which Harry found horrifying. "The restraints that bind your wrists not only kept you retrained but they are block the use of magic. I know their magic well, they have kept me contained here for so long that I have given up trying to escape their magic is unbreakable."
Harry growled with frustration, he was trapped and there was so much that he still needed to do, he called out to his friends, to Hermione and Ron. They would be trying to find him. He reached out to Sirius trying to find the magic that linked them but he felt only emptiness.
