A/N: Thanks to all who reviewed, I really appreciate it. Now I'm going
to skip to the end of fourth year. When Voldemort comes back. The
second and third year are irrelevant except one part in the beginning
of the third book which I will include.
A smirking head of a snake appeared in the fireplace, causing the young girl standing in there doing dishes to start a little. "My dear Raven, my favorite servant shouldn't be doing her own dishes now should she?"
"This is how I live Voldemort, you don't like it, tough shit." Was the reply…instantly she cried out in pain as the wizard behind her, sent specially to watch her and punish her, shouted out himself, his wand drawn.
"CRUCIO! CRUCIO! CRUCIO!" she dropped the cup she was washing into the sink and held on to the edge of the counter to steady herself.
"What information do you have for me my dear? That's the only reason you can summon me you know."
She hesitated, then, seeing the wizard behind her raise his wand, she whispered. "Sirius Black has broken out of Azkaban. He's headed to Hogwarts."
"BRILLIANT!" roared the snake head. "That's no reason to summon me though."
"N-no sir…the Weasley boy's rat…has only four toes on it's right front paw…" she saw his eyes light up.
"Thank you Raven…you may go now" came the hiss and she shuddered as the maniacal laughter faded away.
The Next Year…right after the Triwizard Tournament.
Several witches and wizards all grouped around the wizard, Harry Potter as he told his story. Raven paled and turned to Professor Dumbledore. "Is this true? Is he back?" she whispered…he could inflict the pain himself now…this was not good. Fortunately for her, there was a cure for the Raveno Merno Curse…the binding curse. When he nodded she whispered softly, "He has me under Raveno Merno to him…I'll spy for you! I'll do anything…just…don't make me return when I'm under that curse!"
Dumbledore and the other people in the room looked shocked…especially Ron and Hermione. Harry, on the other hand, laid his hand on her shoulder and smiled. "Raven…Voldemort told me…" he paused and pulled her to him in a hug, "Don't worry…we'll not let you go back to him under that horrible curse." She wept into his shoulder. Behind them, Sirius Black walked forward and hugged them both. He had met the quartet of friends the previous year. Revealing to them that Peter Pettigrew had been the one to betray James and Lily Potter, claiming to be Harry's godfather. Now he was good and talked to Harry via owl post.
"Raven," Professor Dumbledore said, "Raveno Pero!" she felt the compel to obey Volemort leave and she smiled and threw her arms around Dumbledore's neck. "Now, you must spy for us…I'm guessing that you should just act like you do when you are around Voldemort…have Joker bring your mail to you…I'm assuming that Hunter will stay here?"
She nodded, the kitten had been a present from Harry, Ron, and Hermione for Christmas, She whispered. Dumbledore looked positively delighted.
"Wonderful! You can bring letters yourself if you aren't missed. We'll act as if we don't know and everything will be fine…but Miss Stryke…you must NOT let on in school that the curse is gone…obey Voldemort enough to erase suspicion but not enough to hurt anyone ok?" she nodded. "Good."
He proceeded to give the rest of the group instructions, but Raven turned to Harry, along with Ron and Hermione. "Harry I'm so sorry…I wish I could have done something to stop it…but with Crouch here…" he cut her off.
"Raven, had you have done something you'd have been killed. I'm glad that you're on our side now, even if it was only because of a curse that you weren't." she grinned, she had been the top in all of her classes for all four of their years there…not only that but she was pretty, kind, sweet, and gentle. Nobody equaled her in Harry's view…he blushed as he thought of this.
"Alright…time for you to rest." Raven smiled down at him and gave him a motherly/sisterly kiss on the forehead, blushing just a bit as she did. "You just concentrate on letting Madam Pomfry heal your wounds…" she turned as Dumbledore was asking Snape to spy for them as a deatheater once again…stiffening as he looked at her, she attempted a smile and nodded, "I'm ready sir…"
"Good…Severus…you will take young Stryke with you…use floo powder. Now…go…and be careful you two." They nodded and left.
As she walked down the hall behind Snape she whispered to him, "What if we're caught?"
He glanced back at her and realized with a jolt that she was truly just a girl, despite the fact that she was highly advanced at spells and potions…she was just a child. "We won't be." He said confidently, knowing that she knew the consequences of being caught.
When they arrived at Voldemort he snarled at Snape and Raven "You two are late!"
Raven met his gaze without flinching and walked to her place at his right side, where he stroked her hair slowly as if she was a dog. She looked down, sighing softly to herself and hoping that Harry was ok. "Potter returned to the school, My Lord…" Snape said, "It was impossible for me to get away before then, and even then we had to floo to a nearby house, as young Raven doesn't know how to apparate."
"Is this true, Raven my pet?" she nodded without a word.
"Alright then, you are forgiven for this time. Are you willing to spy on Dumbledore? Both of you?"
Snape dropped to a kneel and kissed Voldemort's feet, "Yes Master, of course Master."
Raven glared up at Voldemort defiantly, as she would have whether or not she was under the Binding Spell, "And If I'm not willing?"
He smirked, "CRUCIO CRUCIO CRUCIO CRUCIO!!!!" each of them cut into her and she barely flinched, she DID, however, look down again and say in a dull voice.
"I'll do it Master…" Snape nearly winced at the young girl's dull tone, luckily for both of them he kept his face emotionless.
"That's a good girl, now you two will return to Hogwarts immediately. Snape, you will bring her to me at the end of the year and help me teach her to apparate. This way you will not be late again."
"Yes Master…" was the reply, and the two walked off, both of them resigned to their fates, and into the wizard's house to floo back to the school. When they stepped out of the fireplace, it was dawn and Snape led Raven back to the Gryffindor Tower. "Remember, Raven…if anyone suspects…our cover is blown…" he made his voice harsh so that if any Slytherin dared be listening in, they thought he was speaking about their connection to Voldemort.
"Yes sir…" she whispered as she walked into the common room where Ron and Hermione were waiting. In response to their questioning looks she replied, "I'm in as deep as I can get." They smiled and all three went up to bed.
When Raven woke up, Harry was in there watching her sleep. Seeing her awake he blushed slightly and smiled, "Dumbledore told me to wake you for breakfast." She smiled up at him. Wondering why she could never seem to think of anything to say around him.
"Alright, thanks Harry." She got up and they walked down to breakfast together, sitting with Ron and Hermione who were involved in deep conversation. Looking up, Raven noticed that Draco Malfoy was watching her…when he saw her meet his gaze, he smirked and held up a piece of parchment…obviously a note from his father. She nodded when he pointed to her and then his left forearm to signal Voldemort. Turning back to Harry, she smiled and they all continued with their chatter.
Raven finished her last Final in a blur and all too soon she was on the train heading home. If you could call the beat up old mansion that Voldemort had purchased for the deatheaters home. She smiled over at Harry and called out, "I'll see you all after break!" then, waving, she made her way to where Lucius Malfoy was waiting with Draco. He coolly studied her and led her off without a word, Draco smirking the whole way.
A smirking head of a snake appeared in the fireplace, causing the young girl standing in there doing dishes to start a little. "My dear Raven, my favorite servant shouldn't be doing her own dishes now should she?"
"This is how I live Voldemort, you don't like it, tough shit." Was the reply…instantly she cried out in pain as the wizard behind her, sent specially to watch her and punish her, shouted out himself, his wand drawn.
"CRUCIO! CRUCIO! CRUCIO!" she dropped the cup she was washing into the sink and held on to the edge of the counter to steady herself.
"What information do you have for me my dear? That's the only reason you can summon me you know."
She hesitated, then, seeing the wizard behind her raise his wand, she whispered. "Sirius Black has broken out of Azkaban. He's headed to Hogwarts."
"BRILLIANT!" roared the snake head. "That's no reason to summon me though."
"N-no sir…the Weasley boy's rat…has only four toes on it's right front paw…" she saw his eyes light up.
"Thank you Raven…you may go now" came the hiss and she shuddered as the maniacal laughter faded away.
The Next Year…right after the Triwizard Tournament.
Several witches and wizards all grouped around the wizard, Harry Potter as he told his story. Raven paled and turned to Professor Dumbledore. "Is this true? Is he back?" she whispered…he could inflict the pain himself now…this was not good. Fortunately for her, there was a cure for the Raveno Merno Curse…the binding curse. When he nodded she whispered softly, "He has me under Raveno Merno to him…I'll spy for you! I'll do anything…just…don't make me return when I'm under that curse!"
Dumbledore and the other people in the room looked shocked…especially Ron and Hermione. Harry, on the other hand, laid his hand on her shoulder and smiled. "Raven…Voldemort told me…" he paused and pulled her to him in a hug, "Don't worry…we'll not let you go back to him under that horrible curse." She wept into his shoulder. Behind them, Sirius Black walked forward and hugged them both. He had met the quartet of friends the previous year. Revealing to them that Peter Pettigrew had been the one to betray James and Lily Potter, claiming to be Harry's godfather. Now he was good and talked to Harry via owl post.
"Raven," Professor Dumbledore said, "Raveno Pero!" she felt the compel to obey Volemort leave and she smiled and threw her arms around Dumbledore's neck. "Now, you must spy for us…I'm guessing that you should just act like you do when you are around Voldemort…have Joker bring your mail to you…I'm assuming that Hunter will stay here?"
She nodded, the kitten had been a present from Harry, Ron, and Hermione for Christmas, She whispered. Dumbledore looked positively delighted.
"Wonderful! You can bring letters yourself if you aren't missed. We'll act as if we don't know and everything will be fine…but Miss Stryke…you must NOT let on in school that the curse is gone…obey Voldemort enough to erase suspicion but not enough to hurt anyone ok?" she nodded. "Good."
He proceeded to give the rest of the group instructions, but Raven turned to Harry, along with Ron and Hermione. "Harry I'm so sorry…I wish I could have done something to stop it…but with Crouch here…" he cut her off.
"Raven, had you have done something you'd have been killed. I'm glad that you're on our side now, even if it was only because of a curse that you weren't." she grinned, she had been the top in all of her classes for all four of their years there…not only that but she was pretty, kind, sweet, and gentle. Nobody equaled her in Harry's view…he blushed as he thought of this.
"Alright…time for you to rest." Raven smiled down at him and gave him a motherly/sisterly kiss on the forehead, blushing just a bit as she did. "You just concentrate on letting Madam Pomfry heal your wounds…" she turned as Dumbledore was asking Snape to spy for them as a deatheater once again…stiffening as he looked at her, she attempted a smile and nodded, "I'm ready sir…"
"Good…Severus…you will take young Stryke with you…use floo powder. Now…go…and be careful you two." They nodded and left.
As she walked down the hall behind Snape she whispered to him, "What if we're caught?"
He glanced back at her and realized with a jolt that she was truly just a girl, despite the fact that she was highly advanced at spells and potions…she was just a child. "We won't be." He said confidently, knowing that she knew the consequences of being caught.
When they arrived at Voldemort he snarled at Snape and Raven "You two are late!"
Raven met his gaze without flinching and walked to her place at his right side, where he stroked her hair slowly as if she was a dog. She looked down, sighing softly to herself and hoping that Harry was ok. "Potter returned to the school, My Lord…" Snape said, "It was impossible for me to get away before then, and even then we had to floo to a nearby house, as young Raven doesn't know how to apparate."
"Is this true, Raven my pet?" she nodded without a word.
"Alright then, you are forgiven for this time. Are you willing to spy on Dumbledore? Both of you?"
Snape dropped to a kneel and kissed Voldemort's feet, "Yes Master, of course Master."
Raven glared up at Voldemort defiantly, as she would have whether or not she was under the Binding Spell, "And If I'm not willing?"
He smirked, "CRUCIO CRUCIO CRUCIO CRUCIO!!!!" each of them cut into her and she barely flinched, she DID, however, look down again and say in a dull voice.
"I'll do it Master…" Snape nearly winced at the young girl's dull tone, luckily for both of them he kept his face emotionless.
"That's a good girl, now you two will return to Hogwarts immediately. Snape, you will bring her to me at the end of the year and help me teach her to apparate. This way you will not be late again."
"Yes Master…" was the reply, and the two walked off, both of them resigned to their fates, and into the wizard's house to floo back to the school. When they stepped out of the fireplace, it was dawn and Snape led Raven back to the Gryffindor Tower. "Remember, Raven…if anyone suspects…our cover is blown…" he made his voice harsh so that if any Slytherin dared be listening in, they thought he was speaking about their connection to Voldemort.
"Yes sir…" she whispered as she walked into the common room where Ron and Hermione were waiting. In response to their questioning looks she replied, "I'm in as deep as I can get." They smiled and all three went up to bed.
When Raven woke up, Harry was in there watching her sleep. Seeing her awake he blushed slightly and smiled, "Dumbledore told me to wake you for breakfast." She smiled up at him. Wondering why she could never seem to think of anything to say around him.
"Alright, thanks Harry." She got up and they walked down to breakfast together, sitting with Ron and Hermione who were involved in deep conversation. Looking up, Raven noticed that Draco Malfoy was watching her…when he saw her meet his gaze, he smirked and held up a piece of parchment…obviously a note from his father. She nodded when he pointed to her and then his left forearm to signal Voldemort. Turning back to Harry, she smiled and they all continued with their chatter.
Raven finished her last Final in a blur and all too soon she was on the train heading home. If you could call the beat up old mansion that Voldemort had purchased for the deatheaters home. She smiled over at Harry and called out, "I'll see you all after break!" then, waving, she made her way to where Lucius Malfoy was waiting with Draco. He coolly studied her and led her off without a word, Draco smirking the whole way.