Clemens watched Ellen as she flew her falcon in the garden, and smiled to
himself. He was impressed. He had known before he'd contacted her that she
would be powerful, but he'd had no idea exactly how powerful she'd prove to
be. She had even mastered the difficult Sauron's Eye charm within a few
weeks of her arrival. It had taken him the best part of three years!
Clemens closed his eyes and pulsed a message to Ellen, asking her to return. She looked up, smiled, and Disapparated, appearing in front of Clemens a second later.
"Voldemort's taken Donegal," she announced.
"Ah, you have been practising scrying?"
"Lady Jane told me." She stroked the bird on her arm. "I've been training her. She brings me information from all over the wizarding world."
"Good. What was Dumbledore's reaction?"
"Strict new safety measures for the students. And he's organised a committee of his best students to help in the war. The committee includes the Potter boy and Draco Malfoy."
"Draco Malfoy? That's a surprise. Well, well. Who do you think will win?" Ellen shrugged.
"Does it matter?"
"Do you not think that Voldemort is evil and should be stopped?" Ellen laughed.
"It's not about good and evil, it's about power, and who's got the guts to use it. Dumbledore had the power to stop Voldemort for good last time round. He just chooses not to use it out of what he chooses to call nobility but might also be easily called stupidity. The reason that Voldemort is so strong at the moment is because he's not afraid to use his power." Clemens permitted himself a small smile. He was training her well! Soon they would be able to make a move. But first, he wanted to know why Draco Malfoy had apparently switched sides. He sat down at the table, picked up his quill, and wrote a letter.
"Take this to Draco Malfoy. I want you to meet him in the Forbidden Forest tonight and find out what you can."
"Will he come?"
"He is a Slytherin, my dear. He will consider himself to be above the rules. When you've done that, come back here and wait for me."
"Where are you going?"
"I need to speak with the Elf Queen. She has some new information for me."
"Hey, no fair! You promised that the next time you went to see the Elves you'd take me!"
"Another time. This is far too important. Now go." Ellen shrugged, and drew a picture in the air with her finger. A shimmering image of the Forbidden Forest appeared. She took the letter as the image swelled to envelop her, and in an instant she was gone.
Clemens crossed the room and took the cover off of a large, ornate, silver mirror in the corner. He smiled at his reflection - tall, slim, and dangerously seductive. Then he whispered a command and the image shattered and faded to be replaced by one of a large hall lit by flaming torches. The Elf Queen was sat on a throne, looking into a silver pool. She looked up and smiled as Clemens stepped through the mirror.
"My Lord Steigleder. I trust you are well?"
"Very well, my Lady," replied Clemens, with a bow.
"And how is the apprentice?"
"She has surpassed all my expectations, my Lady. I thank you for guiding me to her." The Elf Queen dismissed the comment with a wave of her hand.
"I was bored, and it amused me to bring you two together. And with the recent developments in your mundane little world, your union will prove to be even more interesting."
The Queen invited Clemens to sit on an empty throne beside her and waved a hand over the pool, clouding it for a moment. A new image flickered into life. The Queen and Clemens watched the unfolding scenes in silence. Then the pool clouded once more and went dark.
"So," said Clemens, "that fool Lockheart still has a part to play?"
"Yes. He will meet the Traitor at sunrise at the Rufus Stone. I want you to meet them. Take them to your home. Gather information from them. It would be. . . amusing."
"As you wish, my Lady," replied Clemens, rising. The Elf Queen caught his hand.
"You remind me of the Archangel Lucifer, Lord Steigleder. You are both so beautiful, and you do bear more than a passing resemblance to him. He has given me a message for you. He wishes to meet you and your apprentice. I will be entertaining him a week today. I expect you both to be here at sunset."
"We will be, my Lady," replied Clemens, kissing her hand.
*
Ellen stepped into the Forbidden Forest as night fell. She tied the letter to the leg of Lady Jane, whispered "Find Draco Malfoy," and settled down to wait.
She shrank further back into the shadows as a troupe of centaurs passed by, and caught a snatch of their conversation.
"Venus is high in the sky tonight."
"A time of evil deeds is almost upon us. The Morningstar will appear, and the Outcast will return, riding on the winds of Trouble."
The centaurs passed deeper into the forest, and Ellen could hear no more. A werewolf howled in the distance. She shivered and pulled her cloak tighter about her shoulders.
Moments later Lady Jane reappeared and fluttered down onto Ellen's shoulder. A muttering close by indicated the arrival of Draco Malfoy, and she stepped out to meet him.
"A pleasant night," she greeted.
"Maybe for you, but there will be hell to pay if I get caught," muttered Malfoy. His eyes narrowed as he studied her face. "Here, I know you! You're Ellen Hawkes. You killed that McAllister boy."
"I didn't mean to!" she snapped.
"Whatever. What do you want?"
"I understand you were present at Dumbledore's tactics committee. Why?"
"How do you know that?"
"I have my sources."
"Why should I tell you? Who sent you?"
"My master."
"Who is your master?"
"You ask too many questions! Are you going to tell me or not?" Malfoy shrugged.
"What are you going to do about it? They kicked you out two years ago. You haven't even got any OWLs. You can't do shit. I don't have to tell you anything."
"For fuck's sake!" Ellen pointed a finger at a tree, which cracked and fell down behind Malfoy. "Now sit down, Draco Malfoy, and tell me everything, or so help me I'll banish you into your own personal hell, and I can think of some pretty rough ones, believe me!" Malfoy sat down on the fallen tree, his normally pale face even paler.
"Bloody hell," he muttered.
"Talk. I am not a patient woman."
"All right. I turn eighteen next month, and that's when I'll become a Death Eater. My father said I had to prove myself first. He told me to get close to Potter and Dumbledore, so I told Dumbledore I wanted to be a spy. I was also told to keep an eye on Snape, but he's gone to find Lockheart. I don't know why Voldemort wants Lockheart. Can I go now?"
"Not until you tell me why you've been feeding your father false information." Ellen laughed as Malfoy looked startled.
"Are you reading my mind?"
"Not exactly. I can if you want me to."
"No, I. . . ugh!" Malfoy clutched his head as he felt the invading presence of Ellen's mind. She laughed and let him go.
"Oh, this is brilliant! You've gone soft over the Potter boy! A word of advice, mate. Fuck him. All that sexual tension can't be healthy."
"You bitch!" whined Malfoy.
"Thank you. I think you'd better be getting back now. Hagrid's on his rounds. Don't get caught!" Ellen watched as Malfoy ran out of the forest and across the grounds. Then she clapped her hands and returned home to wait for Clemens.
Clemens closed his eyes and pulsed a message to Ellen, asking her to return. She looked up, smiled, and Disapparated, appearing in front of Clemens a second later.
"Voldemort's taken Donegal," she announced.
"Ah, you have been practising scrying?"
"Lady Jane told me." She stroked the bird on her arm. "I've been training her. She brings me information from all over the wizarding world."
"Good. What was Dumbledore's reaction?"
"Strict new safety measures for the students. And he's organised a committee of his best students to help in the war. The committee includes the Potter boy and Draco Malfoy."
"Draco Malfoy? That's a surprise. Well, well. Who do you think will win?" Ellen shrugged.
"Does it matter?"
"Do you not think that Voldemort is evil and should be stopped?" Ellen laughed.
"It's not about good and evil, it's about power, and who's got the guts to use it. Dumbledore had the power to stop Voldemort for good last time round. He just chooses not to use it out of what he chooses to call nobility but might also be easily called stupidity. The reason that Voldemort is so strong at the moment is because he's not afraid to use his power." Clemens permitted himself a small smile. He was training her well! Soon they would be able to make a move. But first, he wanted to know why Draco Malfoy had apparently switched sides. He sat down at the table, picked up his quill, and wrote a letter.
"Take this to Draco Malfoy. I want you to meet him in the Forbidden Forest tonight and find out what you can."
"Will he come?"
"He is a Slytherin, my dear. He will consider himself to be above the rules. When you've done that, come back here and wait for me."
"Where are you going?"
"I need to speak with the Elf Queen. She has some new information for me."
"Hey, no fair! You promised that the next time you went to see the Elves you'd take me!"
"Another time. This is far too important. Now go." Ellen shrugged, and drew a picture in the air with her finger. A shimmering image of the Forbidden Forest appeared. She took the letter as the image swelled to envelop her, and in an instant she was gone.
Clemens crossed the room and took the cover off of a large, ornate, silver mirror in the corner. He smiled at his reflection - tall, slim, and dangerously seductive. Then he whispered a command and the image shattered and faded to be replaced by one of a large hall lit by flaming torches. The Elf Queen was sat on a throne, looking into a silver pool. She looked up and smiled as Clemens stepped through the mirror.
"My Lord Steigleder. I trust you are well?"
"Very well, my Lady," replied Clemens, with a bow.
"And how is the apprentice?"
"She has surpassed all my expectations, my Lady. I thank you for guiding me to her." The Elf Queen dismissed the comment with a wave of her hand.
"I was bored, and it amused me to bring you two together. And with the recent developments in your mundane little world, your union will prove to be even more interesting."
The Queen invited Clemens to sit on an empty throne beside her and waved a hand over the pool, clouding it for a moment. A new image flickered into life. The Queen and Clemens watched the unfolding scenes in silence. Then the pool clouded once more and went dark.
"So," said Clemens, "that fool Lockheart still has a part to play?"
"Yes. He will meet the Traitor at sunrise at the Rufus Stone. I want you to meet them. Take them to your home. Gather information from them. It would be. . . amusing."
"As you wish, my Lady," replied Clemens, rising. The Elf Queen caught his hand.
"You remind me of the Archangel Lucifer, Lord Steigleder. You are both so beautiful, and you do bear more than a passing resemblance to him. He has given me a message for you. He wishes to meet you and your apprentice. I will be entertaining him a week today. I expect you both to be here at sunset."
"We will be, my Lady," replied Clemens, kissing her hand.
*
Ellen stepped into the Forbidden Forest as night fell. She tied the letter to the leg of Lady Jane, whispered "Find Draco Malfoy," and settled down to wait.
She shrank further back into the shadows as a troupe of centaurs passed by, and caught a snatch of their conversation.
"Venus is high in the sky tonight."
"A time of evil deeds is almost upon us. The Morningstar will appear, and the Outcast will return, riding on the winds of Trouble."
The centaurs passed deeper into the forest, and Ellen could hear no more. A werewolf howled in the distance. She shivered and pulled her cloak tighter about her shoulders.
Moments later Lady Jane reappeared and fluttered down onto Ellen's shoulder. A muttering close by indicated the arrival of Draco Malfoy, and she stepped out to meet him.
"A pleasant night," she greeted.
"Maybe for you, but there will be hell to pay if I get caught," muttered Malfoy. His eyes narrowed as he studied her face. "Here, I know you! You're Ellen Hawkes. You killed that McAllister boy."
"I didn't mean to!" she snapped.
"Whatever. What do you want?"
"I understand you were present at Dumbledore's tactics committee. Why?"
"How do you know that?"
"I have my sources."
"Why should I tell you? Who sent you?"
"My master."
"Who is your master?"
"You ask too many questions! Are you going to tell me or not?" Malfoy shrugged.
"What are you going to do about it? They kicked you out two years ago. You haven't even got any OWLs. You can't do shit. I don't have to tell you anything."
"For fuck's sake!" Ellen pointed a finger at a tree, which cracked and fell down behind Malfoy. "Now sit down, Draco Malfoy, and tell me everything, or so help me I'll banish you into your own personal hell, and I can think of some pretty rough ones, believe me!" Malfoy sat down on the fallen tree, his normally pale face even paler.
"Bloody hell," he muttered.
"Talk. I am not a patient woman."
"All right. I turn eighteen next month, and that's when I'll become a Death Eater. My father said I had to prove myself first. He told me to get close to Potter and Dumbledore, so I told Dumbledore I wanted to be a spy. I was also told to keep an eye on Snape, but he's gone to find Lockheart. I don't know why Voldemort wants Lockheart. Can I go now?"
"Not until you tell me why you've been feeding your father false information." Ellen laughed as Malfoy looked startled.
"Are you reading my mind?"
"Not exactly. I can if you want me to."
"No, I. . . ugh!" Malfoy clutched his head as he felt the invading presence of Ellen's mind. She laughed and let him go.
"Oh, this is brilliant! You've gone soft over the Potter boy! A word of advice, mate. Fuck him. All that sexual tension can't be healthy."
"You bitch!" whined Malfoy.
"Thank you. I think you'd better be getting back now. Hagrid's on his rounds. Don't get caught!" Ellen watched as Malfoy ran out of the forest and across the grounds. Then she clapped her hands and returned home to wait for Clemens.