Unraveled
Chapter Forty-One: Meeting Voldemort
Fiona walked down the corridor with Vivian. She was fighting the urge to turn and run. But where could she run? Vivian could smell the fear coming from her. Fiona's scent was like her mother's. Fiona was walking slower as they got closer to the room. She seemed to be able to sense where she was headed. Vivian slowed down to keep up with Fiona.
They paused at a set of double doors. They automatically opened, revealing a dimly lit room. Fiona was in front of Vivian. She could hear the sound of someone playing the piano. It sounded familiar, but Fiona couldn't place where she heard it before. The doors slammed shut, causing her to flinch.
Fiona kept her eyes forward the entire time, but she slowly surveyed her surroundings. She turned and saw Voldemort. He was the one playing the piano. He had his eyes closed as he played. She looked at him. He didn't look remotely human. His skin was so pale it was translucent. He didn't have a hair on his head. His eyes were like slits, but Fiona didn't know his eye color because his eyes were closed. His hands were like claws and his body was beyond a healthy slim. Fiona felt her stomach clench because he looked like a snake.
The music suddenly stopped. He looked at her. "I taught your mother how to play that piece when she was barely four years old," said Voldemort as he stood up. He walked up to her. Fiona stood her ground and kept her head up. She wanted to curl up into a little ball and disappear. Voldemort swept around her. He inspected her. "You have inherited a great deal from my family," he concluded.
Fiona couldn't say anything. The man was more terrifying than she had ever imagined. She stared him down. Voldemort stopped in front of her. He looked at the chain hanging around her neck. "May I see the crystal?" asked Voldemort.
"No," replied Fiona in a quick, firm voice. She glared at him.
"I did not ask for it, Fiona. I only asked to see it," said Voldemort. The child was so much like his daughter. He found himself holding his patience for her. She was his heir. "I wrote that piece to teach to my daughter."
"You bought that education with people's lives," whispered Fiona. "You bastard."
Voldemort laughed. "You are braver than your mother. I will give you that much. Truly, you were worth the wait."
"You are a murdered. You deserve to die."
"You say that and you are loyal to your grandmother?"
"You destroy everything you touch. She was just another one of your victims."
"How foolish of you. I would have expected your mother to teach you to look beyond the surface. Then again, your mother lied to you. I have never lied to my child. I told her the truth about the world. I showed her all that she needed to know. The world is a place where the strong are meant to rule, Fiona."
She froze as she heard him speak. He sounded almost benevolent. It was sickening. "Why did you murder my mother?" she whispered.
"She betrayed me," responded Voldemort simply.
Something inside Fiona snapped entirely. "That's it!" spat Fiona. "That's why you killed her!" She was breathing hard. She glared at him. Suddenly, the glass in the window completely shattered. She was trembling with anger.
Voldemort looked undisturbed. He merely looked at windows. Snow was blowing into the room. There was glass everywhere. "Very impressive. Even your grandmother could not do that in my castle before," he said musingly. "It is true: Avalonian magic gets stronger as it is passes down a family line. It seems that you cannot control your powers, can you?" He leaned into her and took her by the chin. Fiona's eyes widened in fear. She closed them.
"You will have dinner in your chambers tonight. I will talk to you again in the morning," said Voldemort as he let her chin go and pulled away. Up close, Fiona could see that he had fangs like a real snake. They were more prominent than Vivian's fangs.
The doors opened again, and Vivian stood waiting. Fiona slowly turned around and walked out of the room. The doors slammed shut behind her again. "Your dinner is waiting for you in your chambers. After that you shall have a bath, then it is time for bed," said Vivian.
Fiona didn't say anything. She was too afraid to. She had a clearer picture now of who her mother was because she had seen it first hand. No wonder her mother seemed so docile and quiet. That was the only way she could survive under Voldemort's tyrannical rule.
Betrayal. That was his answer. He actually gave her an answer. He killed his own daughter because she betrayed him. What did she do that was so horrible? Fiona couldn't understand. Nor did she want to try to understand the inner workings of a sociopath like her grandfather. Fiona realized that he was allowing her the illusion of freedom in the house.
Her godfather, Severus, was right. The house was like a gilded cage. Voldemort gave an illusion of freedom, but it was still a prison. Vivian didn't look that horrible. Fiona didn't expect her guard to be a governess. She looked at the vampire as they walked.
"You're a vampire, aren't you?" asked Fiona out loud, not fearing Vivian.
"Yes. I am quite young, child," replied Vivian. Fiona wanted to ask Vivian's age, but for some reason she didn't want to be rude. "I am only fifty."
"What do you have to gain by being loyal to Voldemort?" asked Fiona, knowing the answer wasn't as simple as power.
"The Ministries of Magic all over the world prohibit the vampires from going after our natural food source, the Muggles. Wizards' blood has a different taste. Very bitter. Most vampires, including myself, could not tolerate the taste. Instead, we are forced to drink the blood of animals or to take potions to suppress the cravings all together," explained Vivian, unabashed by Fiona's direct questions.
"So, if Voldemort wins, the vampires get to attack the Muggles," concluded Fiona as she thought of all the Muggles she knew personally. That made her feel sick.
"Do you eat meat, child?" asked Vivian, sensing Fiona's disgust.
"Yes," replied Fiona. "I suppose you see the Muggles the same way I see chicken and fish."
"Your mother taught you much tolerance, child," observed Vivian.
"She had to live in this Hell. She learned tolerance, so she passed it along," said Fiona, only stopping because she was at the room. The house elves had already laid out a dinner in the room. There were two places set. One had a regular dinner set up on it, while the other was just a clear wine goblet filled with red blood.
They walked up to the table and took their seats. Fiona used her usual dinner etiquette. Both of them put their napkins on their laps before eating. Fiona poked at the food cautiously. She had no idea if it really was what it looked like.
"What is this?" asked Fiona.
"It is halibut with some potatoes and salad. Your drink is simply cranberry juice. The house elves are used to making it for your mother, so they assumed you would like it as well," said Vivian, who still hadn't taken a sip of her blood.
"I see," said Fiona. She was starting to get the feeling that she was just a replacement for her mother. She dug into the potatoes and slowly ate her meal. She noticed that Vivian didn't drink any blood when Fiona was watching her.
When dinner was over, the table was cleared. Vivian ushered Fiona to the bathroom. Fiona found a large marble tub filled with water. It was probably the biggest bathroom she had ever seen in her entire life. The water had the soft scent of lilac. Fiona decided to take a bath. She was a mess anyway.
She got into the tub. She took everything off, but the crystal. She felt safer with it on. Her bow and arrows were taken when she was brought in along with her wand. She still didn't know why they weren't able to take the crystal from her. They kept asking her to give it to them. Fiona figured that the crystal had to be given to them willingly in order not to cause them any harm. Time in the tub was enough to make her think: what happened to Harry? She had been afraid to ask Voldemort. She pulled her knees up to her chest. She felt alone and scared.
The entire time she was in the forest, Fiona felt safe. Harry was with her. She was wondering what had happened to him. There were tears coming down her cheeks as she sat in the water. Despite the warmth, she felt cold. "Please don't be dead, Harry," she whispered.
*
Harry was still crawling through the passageway with only his wand for light. Finally, he came out the other side. The castle was warm. Harry had a feeling that the part of the castle he was in was warmed just for Nagini. He shed his cloak because it was too warm. He noticed it was getting warmer as he approached the area when he was in the passageway.
He exchanged his normal cloak with his cloak of invisibility. He slipped into it as he walked along the hall. To his surprise, there were normal, Muggle paintings. If Harry had studied art, he would have known that some of the paintings were famous ones that were missing or stolen from their original owners. Harry thought that Voldemort hated Muggles. Snape did say that Voldemort was an avid lover of the arts.
Harry wondered where the other teams where. He didn't want to be alone in Voldemort's castle. He closed his eyes. Lady Desdemona said that there were forces out there that were stronger than Avalon that bound Harry and Fiona as together. No wonder Harry felt an empty feeling in his chest. His better half was missing. He didn't feel whole. He had almost forgotten that feeling he had before Fiona ever came into his life.
Harry's resolve strengthened. There was no way he was going through the rest of his life like this. Voldemort wasn't going to take what was left of his life. Harry was going to find Fiona. Their hearts and their souls were connected, even if their minds weren't. He didn't work this hard just to lose her now.
He kept his eyes and ears open. The castle was just as much a maze as the labyrinth outside. He stopped when he saw a team of Death Eaters walking by. He vaguely recognized some of the Death Eaters. They were the ones he had seen the last time he had encountered Voldemort. Harry gritted his teeth as he remembered Wormtail cutting into his flesh to draw blood out of him. He kept his temper in check. He had to listen to them. He spotted Crabbe and Goyle, the fathers of the boys in Slytherin who used to hang around Draco Malfoy. It looked like they had moved up in rank now that Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape were gone from their midst.
"Do you think it is safe to be here with that girl around?" asked Goyle out loud.
"I don't know. Intelligence from the London Ministry of Magic said that she was the one who got Malfoy. That child is dangerous, but as long as the Dark Lord is here, then no harm can come to us," replied Crabbe.
They looked as stupid as their sons, but they sounded pretty smart to Harry. This made Harry wonder if the Crabbe and Goyle, he knew, were really stupid or were concealing it beneath dumb exteriors. At least Harry knew that Fiona was alive.
"We must secure the castle. The Dark Lord has said that the barrier has been broken down. He said that Harry Potter did it with Excalibur," said Goyle worriedly.
"That means that he could be lurking around here. There are other attackers on their way. I can't wait to get Snape," said Crabbe.
Harry felt his insides freeze for a moment. He didn't really care that they were looking for him. He could take them out with a single swipe of his sword, not that Harry wanted to kill anyone. He also didn't want to risk getting caught before he could have a chance to find Fiona. He kept listening to him.
"There is a group of invaders coming from the sea. They're getting close to the castle. Snape and the other invaders are still in the labyrinth. All we have to do is wait for the Dark Lord's traps to get them. We may not have to do anything at all," said Goyle. He sounded almost hopeful. Then, Harry remembered Snape's skills as a wizard dualist. Goyle had reason to be afraid of Snape.
Harry was glad to know that Sirius and Remus' team was getting closer to the castle. The plan was that the other teams would serve as both a distraction and as backup for Harry and Fiona, but their plans were in ruins. Harry cursed himself for losing Fiona and for getting poisoned. To top it off, either the Death Eaters didn't know exactly where Fiona was or they just weren't saying anything. He gritted his teeth to prevent himself from rushing them and getting them to give him an answer.
"We must find the boy. He's in the castle. Let's go to the entrance to closest to the woods," said Crabbe.
"Yes," agreed Goyle.
Harry smiled because he knew that they were wrong. He decided it was best to stick with them for the time being. Even if they didn't say where Fiona was, he still had to know where Voldemort was.
*
Fiona sat in the water for almost an hour before Vivian knocked at the door. "I'm coming," said Fiona as she got out of the water and grabbed one of the plush towels. She dried herself off before putting on a robe and wrapping up her hair. She finally walked out of the bathroom.
Vivian handed her a light cotton nightgown and some underwear. Fiona went behind the screen and changed into them. Vivian ushered her back to the vanity and this time really worked on her hair. "Your hair is like silk. Different from your mother's. It wasn't as thick or as straight as yours," observed Vivian.
"I got my father's hair," said Fiona. It seemed like Voldemort and his cohorts were willing to forget who her father was. She thought it was better to remind Vivian that she wasn't a real Riddle or whatever it was that Voldemort called himself.
"Yes, of course. It is to be expect that you would inherit something from him. You would not be a full blood otherwise, child," said Vivian. "At least, your mother was able to follow one of your grandfather's lessons. She may have married into an Auror family, but at least your father's family is upper class."
"First of all, my parents married each other because they loved each other. It wasn't just to follow Voldemort's stupid "pure blood is better" rhetoric. Second, what family does my father have other than me? The Death Eaters killed my grandparents and uncle," said Fiona angrily. Things started to vibrate on the table again.
"Now, let us not break any more things today, young mistress. You have done enough of that," chided Vivian, making Fiona feel childish.
Fiona looked around the room. "This was my mother's room, wasn't it?" she asked.
"Yes, this was first a nursery then it was changed each time your mother reached a milestone in her life. Some of the things in this room are very valuable, even by Muggle standards, child. So, please refrain from breaking anything else," replied Vivian as she finished braiding Fiona's hair.
Fiona stood up and went to bed. She had no idea what time it was. Was this what it was like for her mother? She wanted to bury herself underneath the sheets so she wouldn't have to face this world. It was cold, horrible, and lifeless. So far, she was surrounded by nothing but things that terrified her. Snakes and Voldemort.
Fiona was no longer as afraid of snakes. She was now afraid of her grandfather. She was afraid of ending up like Vivian and him, soulless. Despite the comforting welcome Vivian gave her, Fiona knew what was missing from her. A soul. The castle was a prison that sucked the souls anything that got caught within its walls.
She remembered the castle in Avalon. Her grandmother's castle. It was different. Fiona could feel magic and life wherever she went. It was the opposite of where she was now. She curled into a ball in the bed.
Vivian walked up and tucked her in. "Pleasant dreams, child," she said as she finally left the room.
Fiona was breathing deeply. She couldn't sleep. How could she have pleasant dreams when she was already in a nightmare? She didn't know where anyone was. She felt alone. There was no one who could help her. She kept her eyes open under the sheets.
A soft voice came to her. The only voice in the world that could bring her any comfort. "Sleep. Nothing will happen to you as long as I am here," whispered her mother's voice. Fiona closed her eyes and rested.
*
Harry couldn't get any rest at all. The last time he had slept was more than twelve hours ago. However, he didn't feel tired. He should have felt hungry, but he didn't. The castle was huge. All Harry had to do was find a place to hide out for the night and he would be safe enough. He crept into one of the rooms that appeared to be regular sitting room. Harry thought how ridiculous it was that Voldemort would have such a large castle filled with art and other valuables. It was rather hypocritical of Voldemort. He had more of an appreciation for art than life. Harry knew that Voldemort probably practiced and developed more techniques in magic. He would have been a very respected wizard if he had done that. Harry thought Voldemort was like some kind of mad scientist.
He thought about how long ago it seemed to him that Fiona was sleeping in his arms under the sunshine at Hogwarts. He looked for a place that was quiet enough for him to rest in. There was nothing he could do. Even though he didn't feel tired, he still needed his rest. He couldn't face Voldemort like this.
Harry felt alone. He wasn't scared for himself. He was scared for Fiona. However, he realized something as he touched his scar. It didn't even twinge the slightest bit. Voldemort was close by, but he wasn't doing anything strong enough to make Harry's scar hurt. He took this a good sign. Wherever Fiona was, she was safe for the time being.
He ended up having a strange dream. He dreamt he was alone in the castle. There were no Death Eaters. However, the castle lay in ruins. He saw himself standing alone on the rubble holding the sword. The entire castle was razed to the ground. Harry didn't know what had happened, but something told him that he didn't do the damage. Something stronger did. He turned with the sword and it came up to someone's throat: it was Fiona.
Harry woke up. He had no idea how long he had slept or even what time it was. He got up and looked around. He could see that the sun was out again. He walked up to a window and saw the great labyrinth outside. He could see parts of it were on fire. It was larger than he could have ever imagined. Snape had knowingly walked into it along with six knights from the Illuminati. Harry didn't want anyone to lose their lives on this mission. He could do a good estimate of where Snape's team was in the maze based on the fires. They were about halfway through the maze. There would be no way that Snape could get there in time to help Harry and Fiona.
Harry's thoughts now traveled to Sirius and Remus. They were probably closer to the castle. It would have been better if they all came as a large group. Harry realized why Snape was so insistent on taking the labyrinth. He was running interference. That was the purpose of the two other teams to keep the Death Eaters busy while Harry and Fiona fought against Voldemort. Harry shook his head at the thought of how badly all their planning had turned out. He blamed himself for it.
Harry kept Excalibur in its sheath and his wand in his hand. He still had his pack with him. He went back to his corner and ate some food and downed some water. He decided to get out of the room and return to where he had seen the Death Eaters. Harry wasn't sure if he could find his way back or not.
The whole castle was like a prison. Harry had a bad feeling for Fiona. The longer she stayed here, the more danger she was in. He didn't want to think about what Voldemort was doing to Fiona. Now that morning had come, Harry's fears had returned.
*
Fiona woke up the next morning when Vivian pulled the curtains open. "Time for breakfast, child," announced Vivian.
"You don't sleep like a normal person, do you?" asked Fiona.
"No, I do not. I drink a serum that allows me to walk in the daylight without my powers being weakened. It was developed by your grandfather. He is a brilliant alchemist," said Vivian.
"Brilliant. Only he would come up with a serum so that vampires could attack Muggles day and night. Good for you. Kudos to him," said Fiona, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
To her surprise, Vivian laughed. "You are an amusing child. It has been too long since there has been one in this house."
Fiona bit her tongue to keep from retorting, "I'm so happy for you. I'm glad I amuse you." She glared at the vampire instead.
"Come, let us have some breakfast," said Vivian as she gestured for Fiona to sit down at the same table they had dinner on.
Fiona saw it was simply toast with some butter and a cup of cocoa. She took a sip. Her grandfather wasn't going to starve her to death. That was a surprise. She was being paranoid. If there weren't any poisons in her food and drink, then there might be other mind controlling potions in them. Fiona remembered that breakfast she had made in San Francisco for her father, Aunt Nell, Ryu Ran, and Draco.
Draco. He was safe on Avalon, causing her one less worry. She remembered her promise to him. She looked at Vivian then out the window. She had every intention of keeping that promise. She also told her grandmother that she would return to Avalon one day, which made Fiona think about something.
"Did you know my grandmother?" she asked.
"Yes, I did. I was one of her ladies-in-waiting when she was here," replied Vivian. This time there was no blood in front of her. She only needed to eat once a day and that was usually during dinner time.
"She was only a child when she came here," said Fiona, disgusted at her grandfather's molestation and rape of her grandmother.
"True, but it is not unusual for arranged marriages to have the groom much older than the bride," said Vivian.
Fiona wrinkled her nose in revulsion. Her father was only a year older than her mother. Harry was only a year older than her. Her grandfather was more than twenty years older than her grandmother. That was just disgusting to her. It gave her an icky feeling.
"You know that Voldemort is half Muggle right?" asked Fiona out loud.
"Yes, I know. But he is a wizard through and through," said Vivian.
"I still have a better pedigree on my father's side. All pure bloods. Voldemort must have been elated when he found out that my mother married into a family of pure bloods and Aurors," said Fiona.
"You are as much a member of your father's family as you are a member of your mother's child. Do not forget your heritage. In your veins runs the blood of the most brilliant wizard of all time, Salazar Slytherin. You should be proud of that, child," said Vivian.
"What? Be proud of a bigot? I don't think so. I have tolerance for a lot of things, but not that," spat Fiona.
"I would have never thought that your mother would raise you to have such fire in you," said Vivian with a shake of her head. "Now, let's get ready to meet your grandfather this morning."
Fiona froze up. She didn't want to see him. The scent of her fear was in the air. "He has so much to give to you. So much to leave behind to you, young mistress," said Vivian.
Fiona didn't say another word as she got ready to meet her grandfather again. Perhaps seeing him in the daylight wouldn't be as scary as seeing him at night. Fiona was ever optimistic. She followed Vivian to a different room than last night. It was the library.
Voldemort was poring over manuscripts when he saw them walk in. The room had some light in it, pouring in from the windows. He looked at them and nodded. Vivian curtseyed and left after shutting the door behind her.
"I was just looking at some of our ancestor's original writings," said Voldemort.
"Salazar Slytherin?" asked Fiona.
"He is older than Merlin himself. He would have never approved of Merlin's cause. It is because of him that so many more Muggles become wizards," said Voldemort.
"How could he do that?" asked Fiona.
"It has to do with life energy, my dear child. Merlin wanted to make sure that mankind is able to access its full potential," replied Voldemort.
"Prometheus bring fire to the humans," whispered Fiona.
"This is the same room where your mother had most of her lessons in. There is still much for you to learn," said Voldemort.
"What do you have to teach me?" asked Fiona.
"You are my heir. The world belongs to you. As my heir, you must continue the work of our noble ancestor," replied Voldemort. "We must rid this world of such foul and weak creatures."
"The Final Solution," said Fiona coldly. She always wondered why her mother made sure that Fiona understood what happened during World War II to the Jews and so many other groups that were almost wiped out. "I think it's a little hypocritical of you. You are half Muggle after all," she bravely reminded him.
Fiona had made a horrible mistake. She knew it the moment she finished her sentence. Voldemort's face mingled from a calm façade to a look of absolute fury. He struck her with the back of his hand. Fiona nearly fell, but she caught herself in time. She looked up at him.
"Never speak of that again," he told her coldly. Fiona held her cheek tightly as she glared up at him. The fire didn't ebb from her eyes. If he wanted a battle of wills, then he had one. For all the times, Fiona had angered someone, she had never been hit before, especially by her mother. Her father would have been appalled by what just happened.
Fiona felt something bitter and thick in her mouth. It was blood. Voldemort had struck her so hard that she was bleeding. The room started to tremble again. Books feel off the shelves as she glared at him harder. For a brief moment, the crystal glowed. There was no way she was going to let him take her soul. There was no way she was going to die here.
*
Harry wandered around the castle and he hadn't seen anyone for a while. He saw more and more paintings and other valuables. Suddenly, Harry felt his scar twinge. That meant that Voldemort was nearby. Or something had happened that caused that pain.
He spun around and saw someone. It was a very pale woman dressed in a simple lavender dress. She was looking straight at him. Harry stood still. He was sure that she could see him. He saw the fangs in her mouth.
"I smelled you," said the woman. "I don't know exactly if you're standing in front of me or not, but I can smell you."
Harry whipped out his wand. He really didn't want to damage his cloak, but if it meant being able to get past her, then it was worth it. The woman lunged forward at him, catching him by surprise. Harry could see her fangs grow larger. She's a vampire, thought Harry in alarm.
She pulled off his hood. She had super human strength and pinned him against the wall. The rest of his cloak slipped to the floor. Harry's wand fell on the ground as he looked at her. She was baring her fangs at him as she gripped his throat. She moved her index finger along his jugular. A shiver went down his spine as his eyes widened in fear. His breathing became shallow. She looked like she was ready to strike.
"Welcome to the castle. King of the Wizards," said the vampire.
AN: Ooh. Not a very good cliffhanger, but I'll stop here. I threw in a vampire because I thought that Voldemort would hire one to take care of his daughter. Vivian got more and more complex as I wrote about her. Harry's literally up against the wall. And isn't a Voldemort such a bastard for hitting his own granddaughter like that?
What's up with everyone else? Um…let's just say they're having an easier time than our heroes are at this point.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I am poor. Very poor. ^^