COMPLIMENTS OF LORD VOLDEMORT

DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter and all related trademarks and insignia are the property of JKR or Warner Brothers or whoever else owns them... certainly not mine.

Thanks to supernova8610, Larka, Charlie, aihjah, Chubaca, Talamh, FallenFlower, Stefanie2, Debbie, Twiggy and Lady Taliesin for reviewing.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I wasn't planning to update so soon, but I had the chapter done sooner than I thought so I figured I might as well... enjoy!

CHAPTER 2: IN THE LAIR OF THE SERPENT

Bellatrix Lestrange, Lord Voldemort's most trusted Death Eater, walked swiftly through the corridors of Malfoy Manor, home of her sister and brother-in-law. The Malfoy family was old enough and important enough to be above things like raids and inspections, and was therefore a safe location for Death Eater meetings.

She pushed a door open without knocking and nodded curtly at the robed and hooded figure within.

"Wormtail! The Dark Lord wants to speak to you."

"To me!" Peter Pettigrew gasped. "But why?"

When the Dark Lord wanted to speak to you, it meant either that he was pleased and wished to reward for something, or that you had been found wanting and he wished to express his displeasure. Usually it was the latter.

"I don't know," she said, "but I would advise you not to dawdle."

Peter stumbled to his feet and hastened out of the room, an apology already on his lips. He spent most of his time these days in fear of his life. If anybody in the Order of the Phoenix found out that he was a Death Eater, that he was secretly plotting the murder of his friend's son, then Padfoot and Prongs and Moony would line up to kill him. And even Dumbledore wouldn't be far behind. As for Master... well, if Master even suspected him of so much as a rebellious thought, death would be the least of his punishments.

Suppressing a shudder, he knocked on the door to Voldemort's chambers.

"Come in," a cold voice said.

Peter opened the door, fell to his knees, and crawled to Voldemort.

"My lord," he said, "as always, it is an honour to answer your summons and to be permitted to serve the greatest –"

"That will do," Voldemort said. "I sent for you, Wormtail, because it seems to me that you are not putting enough effort into your appointed task."

"My lord, since the day I was given the honour of being chosen to do you a service, I have never ceased to strive towards –"

"Do not babble, Wormtail. Three months ago, I told you to bring me the boy, alive or dead. Three months, Wormtail. You and the werewolf are, after that traitor Black, Potter's most intimate friends. Surely it cannot be so difficult!"

"No, my lord, of course not –"

"Then why is the boy not here yet, Wormtail? My patience is wearing thin."

"My lord, Potter and Black are so besotted with the child that one or the other of them is always near him, and –"

"They were not near him this afternoon, were they? They left him with their House-Elf while they went to Dumbledore's pathetic meeting. Ah, you did not think I knew that, did you? Remember, Lord Voldemort always knows."

"Yes, my lord, but there are wards around the house. Potter and Dumbledore and Black devised them together, they are impassable –"

"Potter's wards are meant for Death Eaters, not for his old friend Peter Pettigrew."

"But my lord, my absence from the meeting would have been noticed, and Dumbledore would have suspected –"

"Fool! What can Dumbledore do to you once the boy is dead? He himself cannot destroy Lord Voldemort, and he knows it! No, Wormtail, there is no excuse. Crucio."

Several minutes later, Voldmort lowered his wand, and Peter, panting, struggled to his knees.

"Another time I would kill you for this," Voldemort said idly, "but you may yet redeem yourself. I recall that you said Potter and his family are coming to London at Christmastime."

"That is no longer the case, my lord," Wormtail said.

Voldemort frowned.

"I am waiting for an explanation, and you had better make it a good one."

"Dumbledore forbade Potter to leave Godric's Hollow unless absolutely necessary, my lord."

"Dumbledore," Voldemort said softly. "He is not such an old fool after all. So what is the new plan?"

"Black, Lupin and I shall go to Godric's Hollow for a fortnight."

"Very good. Abstract the boy then – when it is your turn to stand guard, or something of that nature."

Peter coloured.

"I am not normally left to stand guard alone, my lord. It is felt that I am... incapable."

"Inconvenient, but perfectly understandable," Voldemort said. "I cannot imagine myself trusting you to guard an old stocking. Very well, then, Wormtail, what we shall do is this: I will send some Death Eaters to create a diversion and draw the others away from the house. You will then bring the boy to me."

"Of course, my lord."

"And do not fail me again."

Peter bowed and went out of the room. Lord Voldemort smiled eerily at the fireplace.

Well? Tell me how you like it!