(A/N: Everybody should read Gormenghast)
Chapter 2: Queerpike?
"Hello!!" said Lucius Malfoy, sallying into the room where the Death Eaters were congregated. "I should like to introduce you to someone." Indeed, standing behind him, and following him into the room, was a smallish, thin boy with sandy hair and an odd, slightly bent-over way of walking. He bowed lightly to the circle of ominous figures, leaning on his cane and gazing up at them with eyes that, if one looked carefully, were a very dark shade of red.
"This," Lucius Malfoy said, smiling smugly, "is Steerpike." The boy gazed around, his concentrated, close-set eyes taking in every feature of the group of wizards. "Now I know what you are thinking," Lucius continued, putting a fatherly hand on Steerpike's high shoulder, causing a slight, pained twitch in the latter's face, "you think; "He's a mere muggle, what's he going to do?", but I assure you that young Steerpike here is rather remarkable. I shall leave you all to get acquainted, and then I shall return with the Dark Lord, so we can await his judgement."
Lucius looked around in a sprightly manner, whirled through the door, and went to fetch Lord Voldemort, who was putting the finishing touches on his outfit. When he returned, talking highly of young Steerpike to his Lord, and swung open the door, he stopped dead in the doorway. "What in green and silver blazes......" he mumbled.
For in the room, previously filled with Death Eaters, there were now only two people left; on one side of the room was Steerpike, looking just as he had before, gazing steadily at the other person and slowly swinging his cane the way a cat swings its tail before it attacks, and on the other side of the room was Snape, gazing at the youth suspiciously.
"What happened to everybody?" Lucius said, stumbling into the room in amazement, followed closely by Voldemort.
"Well, let's see," said Snape sarcastically, "He convinced Crabbe that Goyle was trying to move in on his place, and Goyle that Crabbe was moving in on his, so they strangled each other. Rosier went insane, Nott set fire to himself, Pettigrew jumped out of the window, Rudolphus drowned, I still don't see how, because there's no water here, Bellatrix now thinks she is an otter......need I go on?"
Throughout all this, Steerpike had kept his eyes fixed firmly on Snape, who was looking back at him with narrowed eyes. "And I am quite convinced that he is trying to get rid of me too," finished Snape, making a few stealthy, quick paces towards Steerpike, who stepped away from him with an equal amount of nimbleness and speed.
Lucius surveyed the scene with his eyes wide and his mouth open. Then he turned to Voldemort. "I told you he was efficient!" he declared proudly.