Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter in any way, shape or form.
SapphireSmoke: You might get a little surprise here! And more questions than answers.
Andromeda's pulse picked up speed as pounding steps moved without hesitation through the house, obviously searching for its inhabitant. Wand stretched out before her and aimed at the half open door of her bedroom, she prepared for the battle to come. Whether it was a late attack of some still bitter Death Eaters or something worse, Andy was not one to back down in the face of a challenge.
The gray robes that swirled into view were the only thing she noticed in the doorway before a bright flash crowded her vision and turned everything black.
3977 paced in agitation up and down one wall of the small room, eyes moving intermittently between the only other occupant, knocked out on a small table, and the nondescript gray door. This was the very worst situation he could have imagined, but he feared it was only going to grow increasingly worse from here on. If only..
His job was supposed to be a simple one, if dangerous. He had only one charge, one.. thing to watch, or guard. He reported activity and on the whole it was a relatively easy task. While it might be a bit daunting, some might say terrifying, the man was no slouch in a pinch. Having handled more than one terribly dangerous situation, he was confident in his abilities to handle his one and only charge.
Unfortunately for him, the one charge he was given had begun to display certain behaviors, very out of the ordinary.
The department with no name was left in such a dark and secret place for many excellent reasons, one of them being 3977's job. In the shadows of the shadows, where no one would dare to even think of venturing, were hidden one of the wizarding world's best kept secrets.
When a witch or wizard dies, there is a point at which he or she may choose to return to the earth to wander forever as a ghost, allowing his or her soul to carry on passing knowledge to the next generation. Among those who choose to return, there is occasionally a soul with more magical potential than average, and in extraordinary circumstances there may be a slim possibility that the returned soul is very much more than a mere ghost. In all of wizarding history there are only four recorded cases of such a thing happening, and each..being..was less than pleased to call the dark department home.
Flinching at the thought of his disturbing charge, the most powerful returned soul under the care of the department, 3977 could not regret his acquisition of the witch Andromeda Tonks.
Dull walls that might once have been some shade of deep red hugged the thick air that now clogged Narcissa's lungs as she followed her sister, the witch creeping along the hall as if she expected Aurors to pop out from every corner. Glancing about, Narcissa was nearly as anxious as her sister, though for a far different reason. The comments that Bella had been nudging her with throughout the entire morning had led her to believe that she was going to bring them both directly to Andromeda's home. The message she had sent to the disowned Black had surely reached her and though Narcissa was grateful for the extra time to allow the woman to make a clean getaway, she could not suppress her racing pulse at the awful thrill of the unknown.
Bella was being extremely evasive, unusual for the woman who prided herself on her gloating abilities. Tapping a door finally with her wand, she seemed to reach her destination, walking with purpose towards a large wardrobe in a room that looked as if it had fallen into disuse long ago.
"If you refuse to tell me anything else, at least tell me what this place is." Narcissa spoke flatly, disguising her nerves. Bella did not look back at her as she rummaged through the wardrobe.
"The Dark Lord had many safe houses, Cissy", said the witch dismissively, making a small noise of victory as she found what she was searching for. Holding the vial before her with a triumphant grin, Bella held it up for her sister to see. The sludgy potion swirled like muck behind the glass, but it was recognizable enough.
"Polyjuice.." breathed Narcissa as Bella uncorked the vial. "You don't mean to disguise yourself forever, do you?"
Bella remained devious as she knocked back the potion in one swift gulp, then pulled a face that displayed clearly how awful the potion tasted. Bubbling like a pot left on the oven too long, Bella's skin shifted, her bones popping as they lengthened, hair lightening significantly and fading into a dull brown to match her new eyes. Grinning at her sister with a new face, Bella was unrecognizable. "Maybe the dirty blood that used to flow under the mudblood who used to wear this skin will keep me from being seen, hm?"
Andromeda glared with all the force she could muster, which was in reality quite a lot. The gray hooded figure had summoned two chairs and kept silent until the witch assented to sit opposite him at the small table on which she had awoken. Perched on the edge of her seat, Andy had her hands folded on the table before her.
"Tell me, Andromeda-", the figure began, his voice distorted by what must have been an enchantment on the hood pulled low over his face, only to be interrupted by one finger held up by the witch opposite him.
" I was brought here by force, against my will, and as far as I am concerned, you are an aggressive entity with whom I want no contact or conversation. Seeing as I am in a clinical setting", a hand waving to gesture towards the gray surroundings and matching table and chairs, "I assume I am in some sort of Ministry department, in which case I require a lawyer immediately. This is illegal detainment, and I will be writing to the Minister himself about this outrage."
3977 did not budge, his voice sounding no different as he informed Andromeda of her situation without pretense. "You have been brought here under no command by the Ministry, or the Minister. If you wish to leave, you will be Obliviated, however that will not be happening as of yet. You were brought here due to matters of life and death, and seeing as this place is above and entirely outside of the law, I am under no obligation to guarantee your safety, provide you with legal council or release you."
Andromeda tensed, inwardly if not visibly, and responded curtly, "Please address me as Mrs. Tonks. I do not know you, and I do not have any desire to speak with you beyond learning just what the face under that robe looks like. I do not take kindly to hooded figures." Amusement was the last reaction that the witch expected, but it was the one she received, a chuckle issuing from under the hood. Bristling at the humored sound, Andromeda drew herself up in her chair. "Do tell me what it is that I am here for." Demanding and not giving in an inch, her spine as straight as it could possibly be.
"Do you have any knowledge of the location of the body of the late Bellatrix Lestrange?" Asking with a far more serious tone than seconds before, 3977 leaned forward as if eager for the answer. Taken aback by the abruptness of the question and the lack of game playing, Andromeda sputtered for a short moment before answering, "What on earth do you need to know that for?"
"So you do know where her body is located?" the man asked quickly.
"Yes, of course, on the Black grounds like every other member of our family", Andromeda spoke in surprise, giving up the information without truly intending it. She was on full alert, watching the figure with intense interest and hating herself a bit for surrendering the information without meaning to. "Why? Tell me why you need this information."
Standing swiftly, 3977 gave Andromeda a nod of thanks and moved towards the door. "I thank you for your help and confirmation of this information, Mrs. Tonks. I will be sure to release you posthaste."
Andromeda jumped up from her chair and lamented the fact that she could not feel her wand anywhere on her person as she circled the table quickly to approach the hooded figure. "Tell me who you are and why you need Bella's body! Tell me!" The witch's need for answers collided with how threatened she already felt without her wand, compounding both emotions into a destructive force she had no trouble controlling on a day to day basis. Today was not a normal day.
Lashing out with unexpected speed, Andromeda reached for the hood and tugged it sharply. Though the man reacted fast, it wasn't fast enough, his hood torn away to reveal his identity. Freezing where she stood, mouth falling open, Andromeda couldn't find words to place to the surprise she felt at the realization of who exactly it was that had kidnapped her from her home.
"But.. this is impossible.."
3977 pulled up his hood to cover his face once more, though his identity was compromised, slipping through the door and leaving behind a speechless Andromeda.
