The Seers' Truth: Beyond the Darkness
By Lady Lestrange
Bunny and Basilisk
Chapter 4
Disclaimer: All Potterverse belongs to JK Rowlings. No infrigement is meant or implied. Thanks JK
Special thanks to my beta, ennui. Thanks for a great job.
Author's note follows story
==
Chapter 4
Maura burst into the room that Ginny was sharing with Beatrice. "I've got it," she said. "I know how you can get Beatrice out of here. Come on."
Ginny and Beatrice followed her through a series of tunnels and secret passages and ended up at the vent grating, listening to Voldemort talking.
"I want you to be more discrete this time, Alvin" said Voldemort, laying his hand on Alvin's shoulder and gently rubbing his hand along his back. His long white fingers looked like twigs against the black of Alvin's robe "And I don't want anyone to know that the dementors have been there," he continued. "For all we know that great Muggle-loving-git might read the Muggle papers, and then he might be able to guess where we will be next, by examining the dementor's feeding habits. I don't want the Muggle news to see a similarity between one feeding and another, and they will if the Muggles miss the victims. The Kiss is too—distinctive." Voldemort smiled a distant feral look in his eye. "But if no one misses the victims, you can kill as many as you want."
He stared directly up at the vent then, his tongue flicking wildly in the air, his slitted eyes unreadable. Ginny thought she would die of fright, but he turned and looked back at Nott. "Three days of feeding should make them more manageable for our future tasks," said Voldemort
"Yes, Master." Alvin licked his lips. "I can manage them, Master—"
"Of course you can," said Voldemort, "but they are hungry. I wouldn't want to be deliberately cruel. It serves no purpose to starve them." Voldemort smiled thinly and then continued. "After you get to Knockturn, go into Muggle London. It's only two streets over, but I don't want you to turn the dementors loose there—not yet. I want you to walk down toward the heart of Muggle London. You will know the street when you see it. You will see the Muggles, milling around like the vermin they are. You will see them: dirty, useless rats, living in the sewers. There are—homeless, vagrants and prostitutes—lowlife even for Muggle society. No one will mind if we take a few of these off of the streets and remove the burdens of society."
Voldemort smiled, his nostrils flaring as though he scented prey as he looked again at the vent. "They should thank us."
"Let's get out of here," Ginny whispered. She could barely get the words out; her heart seemed to close up her throat it was beating so fast.
They had no sooner turned around than the conference room door below them opened and Wormtail bowed into the room directly below them. Ginny froze, terrified to move lest they be heard.
"What is it?" Voldemort asked tersely.
Wormtail glanced at Alvin and hesitated. "Go on," Voldemort said to Alvin, "you know what you must do." And then in parseltongue, he spoke to Nagini. "{Open my chamber to him, Nagini, but if he touches anything except the floo, he is hisssus.}"
"{Hisssus!}" said Nagini.
An excited hiss came from the collar of Ginny's robe and a small tongue, followed by a small head. "{Hissuss! Where?}"
"{No where. Shhh,}" Ginny hissed softly, pushing the small head down. She absently started to stroke the serpent before turning back to Beatrice. Beatrice wriggled with anxiety, and Ginny reminded her at a whisper, "If you turn into a bunny, she will smell you."
Beatrice nodded, wide eyed. She looked like she was controlling the impulse with great difficulty, but she was controlling it, which said good things for McGonagall's animagus training thought Ginny.
"Come back to me when you return, Alvin. I'll want to know the details."
"Yes, Master." Alvin turned and hurried from the room, Nagini following along the floor in a swift serpentine motion, and Ginny felt Beatrice relax slightly beside her.
Ginny wondered if Alvin had any idea his life was entrusted to Nagini.
"All is ready for our Christmas surprise but Fudge is getting nervous," said Wormtail clasping his silver hand around his flesh one. "Narcissa thinks we should watch him."
"She's probably right," said Voldemort. "I'll take care of it. Do we know yet where the Muggle Lover is spending his holiday?"
"Not yet. Severus said he wanted to go to visit family, but he's probably going to stay at Hogwarts considering the crisis."
Voldemort chuckled, and unconventional, rasping sound. "Oh he thinks this is a crisis, does he?"
"Well, the prophecy is rather explicit about your gaining control of the prophecy child, Master. It's certainly enough to make him tremble with fear."
"I doubt that," said Voldemort. "Dumbledore doesn't have enough brains to be afraid, and I don't exactly have her anyway, do I? She's lost to both of us at the moment." Voldemort sank into a chair and pushed up the robe of his sleeve, revealing three basilisks and several angry red bite marks.
"I have faith in you," said Wormtail edging away. "You will find a way to bring her back from the Elementals.
While they watched, Voldemort unwound one of the basilisks from his arm and transferred it to the other arm, which was slightly less bitten. Only two basilisks resided on that arm.
Wormtail eyed them warily and shifted away again.
"Stop fidgeting, Wormtail," demanded Voldemort. "As long as you aren't thinking of turning into a rat, you're perfectly safe. Don't you think I have control of them?"
"Yes. Of course you do, Master."
Voldemort laid one of his basilisk encircled arms over Wormtail's shoulder. "Let's go see if we can add any more churches or synagogues to our Christmas Surprise, shall we?"
"Yes, Master," Wormtail squeaked as one of the basilisk's slithered down off of Voldemort's arm to examine Wormtail's silver hand.
Wormtail squeaked again sounding remarkably like a caught rat, and Voldemort laughed heartily. "They are attracted to the magic in your hand," Voldemort said with pride. "It contains stronger magic than the rest of you." Voldemort watched as a sweat broke out on Wormtail's brow and his nose began to twitch in much the same way as Beatrice did when she was fighting to not turn into a bunny and run.
"I'm surprised.They're more attracted to your magic than to your rat scent," observed Voldemort.
"I don't smell like a rat," said Wormtail worriedly as the second basilisk slithered down onto his hand, and then he seemed to break down entirely. "Get them off of me!" he begged, squeaking and crying, and yet holding quite still and not in any way hurting the basilisks. "Please, Master. Get them off. I can't stand it!"
Abruptly, Wormtail turned into a rat and darted for the nearest crack in the wall. Both basilisks reacted instantly turning towards the prey, one of them striking and narrowly missing Wormtail's retreating form.
"{Be still!}" Voldemort hissed and one of the basilisks stopped. The other slithered several feet after Wormtail before stopping. Voldemort retrieved the errant one and actually coaxed it into biting him again before replacing it on his arm. The one that stopped, he rewarded with a warming charm.
Maura tapped Ginny on the shoulder and motioned for her to follow. They crept out of the passageway. When they were a safe distance, Ginny asked, "What do you know about this Christmas Surprise thing he was talking about?"
"Very little," said Maura. "Some holiday Muggle hunting I think. Do you want to come? Only a few of the children are invited, those with superior powers. The Lestrange twins are being total prats about it because their mother and grandmother got them in, but I'm sure he would let you come too, if you asked him."
Ginny shook her head. "I just wondered where it was—"
"Oh, I don't think it is one spot," said Maura. "From what I gathered it was several attacks on some of the larger churches and synagogues. I don't know the places. I know he's only going as far east as France so none of us will be able to visit any of our relatives who—isn't here." Maura shifted from one foot to the other a little nervously. "He said it's better to concentrate on doing a job well—"
"Edward would know," whispered Beatrice.
"Yes," Ginny whispered back. "But would he tell me?"
Ginny glanced at Maura as they reached the common corridor and slipped out of the secret passage. She was worried about this new development and what it meant to the Muggles of the world, but the whole plan to get Beatrice out of the Snow Castle seemed to be workable. Ginny caught Maura's arm. "Thank you," she said with heartfelt gratitude.
"Do you want to see what Nott has to say about this?" asked Maura.
Ginny shook her head. She decided it was better if Nott didn't know. He would probably get nervous and blow the whole thing. "We are going to do this first thing tomorrow morning, before I have a chance to get nervous."
"I'm already nervous," Beatrice intoned.
"{Hissusss now?}" came a soft hiss from Ginny's neck and Beatrice jumped.
"Relax," said Ginny. "She won't hurt you. I've told her, under no circumstances is she to think of you as prey, but she is hungry."
"(Sissahauss,)" agreed the basilisk.
"I'm going to go to the kitchen and see if I can find her some meat. I'll meet you back at the room, alright?"
Beatrice nodded.
"Soon," Ginny promised. "I'll get you home soon."
She watched Beatrice go with a sense of anxiety. The sooner Beatrice was out of here the better. Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough for Ginny.
"For once, Ginny Love, I agree," said Tom. "She is a major liability."
"She's my friend," countered Ginny as she pushed open the kitchen door. There were about a dozen wizards and witches in the kitchen. An abundance of house elves greeted her. She couldn't even understand their chatter when they all talked at once.
"Silence," snapped an authoritative voice, and Ginny chuckled. "Hey Edward. Just the person I wanted to see."
Edward and Ethan were sitting at the table eating a variety of snacks with Gloria, Millicent and a couple Drumstang students.
"What did you want to see me about?" said Edward petulantly. "You've got your snake."
"Oh, jealousy rears its ugly head," observed Tom. "Just like Carman. I told you so."
"(Hisssuss now?)" asked the basilisk.
"(Yes. Almost,)" hissed Ginny, looking around for one of the house elves.
Edward made a disgusted sound.
"Oh, come on, Edward." coaxed Ginny. "You know I have to take care of his basilisk. You wouldn't want anything to happen to it, do you?"
"Course not," said Edward quickly.
"Oh just give him a kiss," said Tom. "It will put him a better mood, Ginny Love."
Perhaps Tom was right. Ginny leaned in toward Edward and he backed up so quickly he upset the chair behind him and spilled pumpkin juice in Gloria's lap.
"Bloody idiot!" Gloria spat, slamming her hand on the table and doing a cleaning charm. Whether she was talking to Edward or Ginny it was hard to tell, but the basilisk hissed in anger at the jarring movement.
Tom chortled with laughter.
"You did that on purpose, Tom."
"Yep." Tom's mirth started to spill over and Ginny felt a smile forming on her face.
She tried to suppress it and Edward growled "Quit your smirking. You think you're special to him. You're not. It's just your basilisk."
"I know," said Ginny meekly, pulling her basilisk from her neck and putting it on the floor. She asked the nearest house elf for some raw meat.
Immediately the house elf brought a small bowl of meat, and Ginny pulled her wand.
"It won't eat that," observed Millicent.
"Sure it will," said Ginny transfiguring a chunk of the meat into a mouse, and dropping it on the floor. The basilisk struck, the crunch of bones audible as it began to swallow the wiggling mass.
"You're obviously his favorite," said Ginny. "How many of you were invited to go with him on Christmas?"
"Oh I don't think He's going," said Gloria. "It's only Muggles."
"Still," said Ginny as she dropped another mouse on the floor. "Everyone knows he invited the Lestrange twins."
Edward smirked and a bit of sparks fell from Ethan's fingers.
"If you drip fire on my robe Ethan, I'll Avada you," spat Gloria.
"Better move over then," suggested one of the Drumstrang girls.
"Forget it," said Gloria.
"Yeah, we were invited," said Edward smoothly. "I think everything is set for Christmas, but if you want to go to the Hanukkah outing, I could probably arrange it with Carman."
"Really?" said Ginny. "I don't know. I hate being out so late."
"It won't be that late," said Edward.
"I thought it started at midnight," said Ginny.
"No. That's Christmas. Hanukkah starts at sundown. It will be over early."
It's not going to be as big as Christmas though, is it?"
"Oh yeah," interrupted Ethan, as he started to name synagogues and count them off on his fingers. Oh, bloody hell!" He dropped a spark of flame, which ignited the hem of Gloria's robe. Edward put it out, but Gloria left angrily and Ethan followed her.
Ginny turned another piece of meat into a mouse and dropped it on the ground. Ginny startled as a black streak shot past her and lunged for the mouse.
"Millicent!" she cried, losing the spell.
Millicent transformed back into a witch and spat the raw meat from her mouth. "Your basilisk didn't want it," said Millicent. "We can't let his kitchen become infested with mice."
Edward rolled his eyes. "You are disgusting, Millicent."
"Someday, I'll find someone who appreciates me," said Millicent.
"I appreciate you," said a pale thin Drumstrang boy with golden eyes.
Millicent seemed to see him for the first time. "Are you an animagus?" asked Millicent
"Hawk," he answered.
"Oh wicked!" said Millicent. "Want to go hunting? There's this great forest near where I go to school—"
The two of them drifted off leaving Edward and Ginny as the last Hogwarts students in the kitchen.
"I miss you, Virginia," said Edward softly, taking her hand, carefully eyeing the basilisk slithering on the floor. Magic crackled in his fingers and Ginny felt the warmth of it, smooth and pleasant. He leaned in to kiss her, and she felt the heat of his magic flowing over her, soothingly and then with more intensity, suddenly smothering. She pushed him away wishing she could convince him that she couldn't think of him as more than a friend.
"You wish?" questioned Tom. "You have no idea—""I saw Maura a while ago playing Quit," whispered Edward still gripping her arms.. "Your room is empty."
"I can't," said Ginny pulling out of his embrace and reaching for her basilisk. Edward immediately took a step back.
"(Come,)" she hissed. " (Time for us to go back to the room.)"
"(Sleepy,)" hissed the basilisk. "(Warm me?)"
"(Yes. I'll do a warming spell as soon as we get back to our room.)" She said while she let it wrap itself around her neck.
"It's because of that bloody snake," spat Edward.
"Yes," said Ginny. "I suppose it is."
++
Harry, Ron and Hermione stood on the doorstep of a modest two story house. They were dressed in Muggle clothing and had transfigured their outer robes into coats. The cement steps upon which they stood were already covered with a light coating of slush. Upon the small stoop, a welcome mat with the capital letter "D" had been placed, but Harry didn't think they would be very welcome at this house.
Hermione knocked anyway.
The door was opened by a boy a little older than they were. He was dressed in jeans and a purple sweat shirt. His feet were bare, and his dark hair was even messier than Harry's. "Yeah?" he said, holding the door open a crack.
"We're friends of Samara's," said Hermione. "From her school—" Harry was grateful that Hermione was handling the conversation. He wouldn't have known how to begin.
He looked at them for a moment, and then turned his head toward the inside of the house and bellowed, "Mum! MUM!"
"May we come in?" asked Hermione.
"Yeah. Sure," the boy said looking inside again and then opening the door wide. "So you're—um—magic folk—huh?" he said uncertainly.
"Yes," said Hermione. "I'm a witch and Harry and Ron are wizards."
His eyes narrowed, staring. "You know, you look normal—Not deranged or anything—"
Ron and Hermione exchanged glances. "We are normal," said Harry, "We just have magical talents."
"Sure," said the boy with a smirk.
The boy's mother entered the room and stared at them in the same way. Finally, she spoke. "They sent—a bird."
"An owl," said Hermione.
"They sent a bird to tell me my daughter is missing, and now they are sending children?" Her voice went up in disbelief.
"We weren't sent by anyone, Ma'am," said Ron.
She turned to glare at Ron, and then Harry. "Which of you is Draco?" she demanded.
"Neither," said Ron and Harry together, looking at each other in horror.
"You would think that school would be able to keep track of its students," she spat. "Especially—challenged students--For the amount of money they charge they should realize that teenagers can't be left to their own devices for a minute. I should know. I have four of them. One of them is always running off somewhere. Sneaking into trouble."
"Samara isn't like that," said Harry.
"I know my Sam," said the woman.
"Mum, Remember when we couldn't find her for four days? She was at the camp looking for sticks?" said the teenager.
"That was summer, Moron," interrupted another teenager. "She's not as stupid as you."
Harry glanced from one to the other. Obviously they were brothers, the older one looked like he dealt with the messy hair problem by cutting most of it off. He did have the straggly beginnings of a beard and mustache though. Harry wasn't sure if he was actually trying to grow a beard or he just hadn't bothered to shave. Harry would guess that he was the older of the two brothers although he was a good head shorter.
"Is Draco missing too?" asked the mother.
"Not that I know of—" said Hermione, exchanging glances with Harry.
"So, she hasn't returned from her excursion yet? I agree, two weeks is a little long, even for Sam, but once she gets something into her head, she's relentless—stubborn, like her Dad. She said she wanted a flying broom. No doubt she's off somewhere pretending to make that now."
"No," said Ron. "We saw her. She was taken by the Dark Lord."
The woman burst into laughter. "That's rich. Dark Lord—" The woman seemed to be laughing so hard that she couldn't get her breath—"She put you up to this, didn't she?"
"We don't know where she is," said Hermione, "and we were hoping that the bond of blood would allow us—Please!" she said exasperated that the woman continued to laugh.
"You're our only hope—"
"Help us Obi-wan-kenobi," intoned the younger teenager, "You're our only hope."
The Muggles dissolved into laughter.
Harry nudged Hermione. "Let's just go," he said. "This is hopeless."
They had turned to go when a male voice bellowed from the other room, "I'm trying to work here!" and the laughter immediately calmed.
The woman sniffed and wiped her eyes. "Go give the ogre a beer," she said to the smaller of her sons.
"The ogre doesn't want a beer," said a tall scowling man with jet black hair and greying side burns as he entered the room. "He wants quiet! What in the bloody hell is all the giggling about anyway? Elizabeth, you'd think you have more sense than to indulge them."
"I don't have any sense. I married you, didn't I?"
"Your flippancy," he said shaking his finger at her. "That's the whole problem with this family."
She whacked the finger out of her face, but he kept talking. "That's why Samara is missing." His green eyes narrowed to slits, "If you had ever been a mother to the girl—"
"You are not blaming this on me!"
"No wonder she's run away," he continued as if she hadn't spoken. "You know, she didn't want to come home for Christmas. Why wouldn't she want to come home? This is her home—"
"If your mother didn't put all those goofy ideas into her head!" she shouted.
"If you didn't let her get away with murder—""Keys," whispered the smaller boy to his brother. "Let's get out of here."
"You get them," said the older.
"Can't. Dad said, no car for a month, remember? Where are my shoes?" the boy wondered digging under the pillows of the sofa.
"Alright. Where we going?"
"How about Grandma Lori's," suggested Hermione.
They stepped out into the freezing drizzle as the younger boy shoved his bare feet into his shoes and threw a coat over his shoulders. He hurried after them, shoes still untied. "Do you know Grandma Lori?" he asked.
"Just from what Samara has told us," said Hermione, breathing a sigh of relief as they left the house.
"Draco," muttered Ron. "She thought one of us was Draco."
"Simon," said the older of the boys sticking out his hand to Harry. "And this is my little brother Garrett." Harry grinned since Garrett was a full head taller than his older brother.
"I don't suppose you came all this way to hear Mum and Dad argue," said Simon.
"No," Harry agreed. "We didn't—"
"So, what do you really do at this school?" asked Garrett.
The trio looked at each other. "Magic," said Hermione.
The boys exchanged glances and Harry thought it was probably best to save the demonstrations of magic until Simon was not behind the wheel of a car. Apparently, Hermione thought so too. She asked, "How far to Grandma Lori's house?"
"Not far," said Simon. "Connor's flat is closer, but he's at Grandma Lori's all the time anyway. She feeds him."
"That's your oldest brother?" Harry asked and Simon nodded.
"He moved out in October. He just couldn't stand being in the war zone anymore."
Harry was surprised when he met Grandma Lori. The boys, familiar with their grandmother's house, did not bother to knock but went right in the back door, calling, "Oy, Gram, it's us."
"Just a minute, Dear," she called back, and the trio followed the boys into an expansive, well lighted room filled with a conglomeration of antique furniture and a brand new television set. Grandma Lori was sitting before a computer and typing on a rickety keyboard, her typing speed belaying the arthritic knots that enlarged her knuckles. "Just let me get this up on ebay," she said, tucking an iron gray curl behind her ear.
"Don't lay anything down," Garrett warned. "Gram found some kind of new cyber garage sale on the net. She'll sell anything she can get her hands on."
Harry frowned, confused, but Ron pushed past him.
"Woah! Is that a computer?" said Ron moving forward to peer over her shoulder.
Garrett laughed.
"Yeah, we wonder that too," he joked.
"What is this antique, Gram? All
of 2.5 megabytes? It doesn't even have Windows."
"Yes it does," said Gram as she shut down the machine and hugged her grandsons. "It says right here 3.0. Anyway, I don't need a lot of fancy gadgets. So who are your friends?"
"Not our friends," said Simon. "Samara's."
Grandma Lori just looked at them for a moment, her intense black eyes surveying them with interest, and then she started for the kitchen. "I think I'll put on some tea," she said.
After the teapot was safely on the stove, Grandma Lori turned to the children. "What has happened to Samara?" she asked succinctly.
"It's complicated," said Hermione.
"I'm sorry," interrupted Grandma Lori. "Your name is—"
"Oh, Hermione Granger. I apologize," said Hermione blushing as she made the introductions.
"I thought maybe you were Beatrice," said Grandma Lori. "I know her other friend, Virginia, has red hair. That would be your sister, right?" she asked, looking at Ron.
"Grandma," interrupted Garrett. "Has Samara been writing to you?"
"Of course, dear. I've gotten a letter every week since that boy was kind enough to give her Agamemnon. The letters stopped two weeks ago…"
"That's when Voldemort took her," said Harry. "She's been gone two weeks today."
"In the regular community—what do you call us? Muggles right?"
Harry nodded.
"In the Muggle community, when a child is kidnapped, statistics say it is usually a family member."
Actually, that is exactly what happened here too, Harry thought. However, he didn't think his comment would be very constructive so he kept quiet.
"That's not what this is," interrupted Ron. "My sister was taken too. There was a prophecy—" Ron glanced at Hermione, but she nodded, and Ron continued telling the story of Samara's kidnapping. The trio was careful to reveal only what was necessary to Grandma Lori and Samara's brothers.
Finally, Hermione quoted part of the prophecy, explaining that Samara fit into all of the houses.
Fate put Gryffindor bravery in one heart
And Ravenclaw brains in one head
And Slytherin cunning, ambition and guile
Yet Hufflepuff's love is his dread.
"Once the Dark Lord knew who she was, it was only a matter of time until he took her."
"Mum can read the future by cards too—She takes one look at my report card and can tell exactly what will happen when Dad gets home," said Garrett.
Simon sniggered, and poked him. "Stop being a jerk."
"But she was sorted into Gryffindor, right?" said Grandma Lori with a frown.
"Yes," agreed Hermione without bothering to tell Grandma Lori about the problems they had with the Sorting Hat this year. With infinite finesse, Hermione introduced the idea of a potion, which would help them locate Samara and how they needed several drops of blood from a family member. "Your blood would work," said Hermione, "But I'd rather have the blood from one of her brothers. It would yield a better view because it is the most similar to Samara's blood."
"Alright," agreed Grandma Lori. "Garrett. Simon."
Both of them looked with trepidation at Hermione. "How much blood?" asked Simon.
"Just three drops," said Hermione.
Garrett stuck out his hand. "Go ahead," he said.
Hermione hesitated. "Um—We need a needle or something—"
"No magic?" inquired Garrett, smirking.
"No, we're not really allowed to use it outside of school. We're going to do this the Muggle way."
Simon came back with a needle and bottle of alcohol.
While Hermione was busy dripping drops of Garrett's blood into a small vial, Grandma Lori returned to the kitchen table with a large box labeled Ruggedwear finest boots. She pulled of the lid. The box was filled with papers and clippings. Some of the clipping spilled out.
Harry noticed one photocopied article, which said that a number of orphans at a local orphanage had tried to kill themselves in a rash of suicide attempts. Another had pictures of a wild, out of control fire. The headlines read, "Orphanage burns to the ground. Caretaker believed dead. Four children missing."
"While you are doing this Locator Potion," Grandma Lori asked, "is it possible to find someone else in the wizard world? The boys are not close relatives of his, only half great nephews, but I've been looking ever since I lost his brother in 1945. He has to be in the wizard world. He turned eleven, left the orphanage and never went back. All mention of him disappeared at that time, and there are strange gaps. I don't want that to happen to Samara."
Harry stared silently at the box of clippings, realizing who she wanted them to find.
"He was my husband's brother— " continued Grandma Lori.
"Your husband?" said Hermione.
"Was killed in 1945," Grandma Lori completed.
"I didn't think you married him," blurted Ron.
Grandma Lori raised an eyebrow, her dark eyes suddenly cold. "We were married in every way, but the law," she said. "And if he had not died, we would have been married the following week. I see Samara has been telling tales—"
"No, it's not like that at all," interrupted Hermione, trying to repair the damage.
While she was speaking a huge black eagle owl perched on the window sill, and Grandma Lori opened the window to let him in. "Hello Mabuz," she said, stroking him, but he ignored her, delivering his message to Harry Potter instead.
"That's Malfoy's owl," blurted Ron.
"Malfoy?" said Simon.
"Draco's last name," Lori said.
"Lemme see," said Garrett, moving to look over Harry's shoulder.
12-23-95
Dear HP;
Imperative we meet. He's found B. Tomorrow 2pm.
Borgin and Burkes. Confirm time and place.
DM
Harry handed the note to Hermione who gasped and let the note drop onto the kitchen table. "Maybe he has some idea of where they are," whispered Hermione.
"No!" said Ron. "We are not trusting Malfoy on this."
Garrett picked up the note and showed it to his brother and grandmother. While the threesome discussed options Grandma Lori and Samara's brothers were having their own discussion. "I'd like to know what Draco knows about all this," said Grandma Lori.
"I don't know that we have a choice anymore," said Harry.
"Maybe you should owl Dumbledore—" began Ron.
Harry snorted. "Ha!"
"Maybe Sirius?" said Hermione.
Harry nodded, deep in thought. A flutter of wings brought him back to earth as the owl lifted from the windowsill and soared upwards.
"Stupid bird," said Ron. "Wasn't he supposed to wait for a reply?"
"I gave him one," said Garrett
"You what!" shouted the Gryffindors together.
"I told Draco Malfoy that we would meet him at— Borgin and Burkes," Garrett continued.
"Borgin and Burkes! You don't even know where it is," said Ron. "Muggles can't see it."
"I'm assuming you knew where it was," said Simon
"I do, but we weren't going to meet Malfoy. Especially not there." Ron spat.
"Fine," said Garrett. "Then we'll meet him. Give us directions to this place."
"You can't go there," said Harry. "Someone will chop you up for potions ingredients."
"Hardly," said Garrett.
"We have every right to try to help our sister," said Simon. "Grandma said Draco is her friend.
"Look," said Harry. "I'm worried about taking Hermione there. Remember the hag that wanted your hair Hermione?" She nodded. "I'm not taking a bunch of Muggles."
"We can take care of ourselves," said Simon.
"Grandma said he was Samara's—um—friend." He looked at Grandma Lori as if for confirmation, but she said nothing. "If you really care about finding her, I'd expect you'd take whatever help was offered," said Garrett.
"You don't know Malfoy. He hates Muggles. He's not trustworthy," said Ron.
"I guess they'll have to figure that out for themselves," said Hermione.
"According to Samara's letters, her friends were Ginny, Beatrice and Draco," said Grandma Lori softly. "She didn't have a lot to say of you to recommend you."
"We tried to make her understand that Malfoy would betray her," said Hermione. "And that's exactly what happened."
"Are you blaming Draco for what happened?" asked Grandma Lori.
"Well no," said Hermione. "We'll think about speaking with Malfoy," she said.
"Think about it?" muttered Ron. "No we won't."
"Maybe we won't need Malfoy, if we figure out where that Manor in the snow is." Said Hermione.
"Come on," said Ron, "Let's go get something to eat and try to get something from this new potion. I hope you're right Hermione."
"Alright. Let's go," said Harry, pulling out the portkey that would return them to Hermione's home. Then, remembering that the Muggles were watching, he turned to Grandma Lori and said, "Thank you for all of your help and the blood, of course. We'll let you know if we find anything."
"Just a minute," said Garrett, as Hermione hustled them out of the door, and Harry shut it behind them.
"Home," pronounced Harry as they all touched the portkey. As he felt the tug behind his navel he also heard the shout of Samara's brothers expressing their irritation at being left behind.
++
"I can't believe you used Vincent Crabbe's owl," said Ginny. "Especially since you hate owls. You could have just waited to tell Dumbledore yourself. You are going to be home in a few hours, Beatrice."
"Oh, I'm not afraid of Hercules. He's a tiny thing like Pig, and he knows me from taking messages to Sally Anne." Beatrice shrugged. "It seemed like a good idea when the owl blew by your window. It needed to reorient itself in the snow storm, and it already had a message to Hogwarts."
"To Sally Anne?" surmised Ginny as she chose a black robe from the closet. It was the third in a group of new robes that made her feel particularly good, but at Tom's urging she had removed the cheering charm from it. She rather liked the fitting charm though and decided to keep it. Beside her was her friend Beatrice, the rabbit animagus now in human form, dressed in one of Maura's robes which was several inches too short. She flatly refused to take anything from Voldemort, even if it wasn't meant for her.
Beatrice nodded. "Yeah, to Sally Anne. I put a stealth charm on it too. Either Vincent doesn't know how to do that, or he didn't think of it."
Ginny grimaced. "He's going to get both himself and Sally Anne killed." She reached out and grasped Beatrice hand. "Do you remember what you need to do?"
"Probably both," surmised Tom.
Beatrice took a deep breath and nodded, "I think so," she said, but her eyes betrayed her nervousness. "I don't much like going to Knockturn Alley."
"Wish I could go," said Tom. "Much more exciting than hanging around here."
"It will be Ok," Ginny soothed her.
Ginny tried to be very quiet in her clandestine endeavor. She was in her bare feet, silently slipping along the corridor, her robe making only the faintest rustling sound against the cold stone floor
For the last time, Ginny was trying to explain why Beatrice needed to stay in Knockturn alley. "I know where you are going," she said. "You are only a few stores away from Darla's books store. She will help you. You can use her floo to go to Hogwarts and Dumbledore."
"But she's a vampire," whispered Beatrice furiously. "How can you trust her?"
"Are you sure, Tom?" wondered Ginny.
"I'm sure. She'll help."
"She's been in that book shop for a hundred years. If she wanted to harm someone, believe me, she could, but she won't. She'll help you. Just stay in your animagus form and run straight to her store before you transform. In Knockturn Alley, Muggleborn witches are—" Ginny stopped suddenly and raised her finger to her lips. "Shh-h" she hissed. "Someone's coming. {Be silent.}"
"{Yesss Misstresss.}"
That someone was Alvin Nott, Pandora's box held out in front of him as if it were a box of poisonous snakes. Indeed, it was much more deadly.
Beatrice transformed into her rabbit form.
Ginny stepped out in front of him. "What floo are you using?" asked Ginny.
Alvin looked at her curiously. "His," he answered shortly.
Ginny licked her lips. "I want you to help me," she said. "Actually, help Beatrice—"
Alvin started to shake his head, but Ginny grasped his arm. He continued to walk away from her and she clung to him like an adhere charm. "I can't," he said in a strangled voice, but Ginny felt the warmth of the bunny against her leg, moving toward Alvin.
"Then do nothing," Ginny urged. "Hurry right to the floo and don't look around you at all. Don't notice anyone or anything that goes with you."
A silent shadow fell across Ginny's line of vision. "{Plotting against me, my little hissuss?}" The words were spoken in parseltongue, and Ginny absolutely died. She felt her heart stop beating in her chest and no air would be drawn into her lungs. She was so frozen in terror that at first she thought he had performed a spell on her, but she realized a moment later when a soft feminine laughter filled her ears that he had done nothing to her yet.
"Let me, Master," begged Carman. "Let me kill her for you. After all, she's only a Weasley."
"Don't be so hasty, Carman. I still have need of her. Statio." Voldemort touched Ginny's face, drawing his hand down her cheek to her throat. He trailed fire in his touch, and Ginny would have pulled away, but his spell did not allow her to move. The scream began deep inside her, but his words stopped it. "Tell me," he said simply.
Ginny wanted to tell, needed to tell. The fires as hot as the fires of hell were beckoning her. The pain was at the threshold of her consciousness and she knew without a doubt if she refused, she would be cast into that pit of fire. She whimpered and began to fight the spell.
Immediately, the pain of the fire flared within her burning to the center of her being, opening her up for Voldemort's inspection, but he seemed unable to see. He thrust her from him with a growl of frustration and she smashed into the stone wall, her head hitting it with a resounding thunk and she slid to the floor unconscious.
Almost before she had settled onto the ground she felt herself awakened. She awakened to the pain of being Ennervated before her body was ready to deal with the initial assault. Her throat and heart and chest all felt raw and ravaged by his spell. She felt like she was moving in slow motion, unable to focus on what she wanted to do. Her fingers went to the back of her head where the tender lump was wet with blood.
With snake-like speed he grasped her by the neck and spoke in a low menacing voice. "I could use veritaserum, which I am told is severely unpleasant. I could use the Veritatis spell, which when used by a Legimens, in combination with legimency, will make you feel as if a river of fire has flowed through your veins and cleaned out everything you've ever hidden," growled Voldemort. "I presume that the diary—"
He suddenly broke off, his eyes darting to a movement under Nott's robes, but it wasn't his eyes that realized that Beatrice was there.
"{Hisssuss!}" Nagini spoke excitedly.
"{I smell it, Nagini,}" Voldemort returned, also in parseltongue. "Who's the animagus?" Voldemort asked in English.
"It's over, Ginny Love," said Tom.
"It can't be," thought Ginny frantically.
The words came from Ginny in a rush. Words that she was reluctant to say before now gushed unchecked from her. "She's my friend," Ginny begged. "She came accidentally. I just was just trying to get her home. Please—"
"And Nott was helping you?" Voldemort narrowed his eyes and raised his hand against Nott.
"NO!" "NO!" cried both Ginny and Nott together.
"Crucio!"
"He didn't know!" Ginny finished frantically.
Everything seemed to happen at once. Alvin and the box tumbled to the floor, but since the box was not magically opened, it remained shut. Alvin's screams filled the air. Beatrice, who had been under Alvin's robe, darted forward. She didn't have a chance.
Voldemort's hand darted out, almost as fast as a snake strike, and grasped the little brown bunny around the neck.
Beatrice squealed piteously and kicked her back legs wildly against his arm. Both basilisks on the arm tasted the air curiously. Voldemort looked at Ginny and then at Nott. "Now, who is the animagus?" he asked Nott.
Alvin rapidly turned a very sick shade of gray and then all the color drained from his face as he stood looking at Voldemort, gaping like a fish out of water.
"Carman," said Voldemort softly and tossed Beatrice at her. Carman's stunning spell caught Beatrice just as she hit the ground and Beatrice stopped in her tracks, looking for all the world like a rabbit caught, unprotected, in the center of a road awaiting doom.
Voldemort raised his hand, crackling magic and pushed Alvin against the wall.
"I tell you, Alvin didn't know!" shouted Ginny.
"I'll deal with you later, Virginia."
Voldemort turned his piercing stare on Alvin. "I hope you remember Rookwood, thinking that he was invulnerable because he was the Keeper of Pandora's box," Voldemort said.
The grayness in Alvin's face started to take on a definite bluish tinge and Ginny realized that Alvin couldn't breathe.
"He didn't do anything!" Ginny begged. "He didn't even know!" She glanced once at Beatrice wondering if there were anyway to salvage anything from this situation.
"Doubtful," said Tom.
"Don't make the same mistake as Rookwood," snarled Voldemort. "Crucio!" Alvin gasped once, but didn't scream. "Don't even breathe without my permission," growled Voldemort. When Voldemort took off the spell, Alvin immediately started gasping for breath.
"Crucio! Didn't you hear me!" Voldemort yelled at Alvin. "I said, Don't breath unless I tell you to. You are mine, and you will do exactly what I say."
After the third Crucio, Alvin scrambled forward on his knees and kissed the hem of Voldemort's robe, "Very well," said Voldemort. He waved his hand and removed the spell that caused Alvin to be suffocated. "You may breathe." After Alvin had kissed Voldemort's robes, he remained on his knees, taking deep gasping breaths and coughing and gaging until tears rolled down his cheeks.
"Now, go feed my dementors," said Voldemort, giving him a sharp kick in the ribs. "Carman. Go with him. Keep him out of trouble."
Once they had left, Voldemort turned to Beatrice who lay like a stone in her stunned state. Ginny remembered that McGonagall said you shouldn't do any spell on an animagus with them in their animal form. She remembered that any spell could make it difficult for the animagus to return to human form. That was why animagi were registered—That was—
"Ennervate," Voldemort said. "If you move, you die." Walking around the bunny, he studied its still, hunched form. "Now would be a good time to transform into the witch or wizard you are—"
Beatrice continued to look at him with her big brown eyes, but did nothing except twitch her nose. Ginny wondered if she understood the danger she was in. Was she thinking with her witch brain, or had she slipped into the bunny like she sometimes did?
Voldemort laid his hand between her bunny ears, and she scrunched within herself, but didn't attempt to run. He scowled, taking his hand from her and telling her once again to transform.
Ginny hurt so much from the earlier spell that he had done that she didn't know whether or not there was anything she could do. Her mind didn't want to take in the situation. It didn't seem to be working right. All she could think of was the pain she had experienced, and the fear of it kept her from reacting. Every movement felt like an effort, a movement through a deep unrelenting mire.
"Fine," spat Voldemort. "Stay a bunny."
"Crucio!"
"Stay an animal forever."
Beatrice squeaked once and then writhed silently on the ground, her bunny mouth opening and closing as she struggled for a breath that wasn't there.
"Well, maybe not for that long. {Are you hungry Nagini?}"
"{Hisssuss!}" said Nagini excitedly.
Ginny's basilisk popped its head out at the word "hissuss" and tasted the air. Turning the Nagini's direction, it hissed, "{Not hissusss. Misstress sayss.}"
"You can't! She's a person. She's my friend," shouted Ginny.
"Calm down, Ginny Love. You need your wits about you," warned Tom.
"If you say one more word, Virginia, I will kill her on the spot."
Ginny's mouth snapped shut, silent tears streaming down her face.
Voldemort left Beatrice on the ground and brought his hands to rest upon Ginny's face, his thumb rubbing away the tear tracks with his false gentleness.. "Good," he said. "I'm so glad you are seeing reason, Virginia. I really didn't want to kill her. The last time I tried to kill a child of prophecy, the spell had rather unforeseen consequences. She is a child of the prophecy, isn't she?"
Ginny nodded. She took a deep breath and tried to halt the tears. "A friend's flight. A friend's mad dash May halt the moment of doom," quoted Ginny.
"Well, I don't think she'll be terribly effective at halting anything in the belly of my Nagini," said Voldemort, trailing his fingers down Ginny's face. This time, pain accompanied the touch, hot searing pain, as he dug for an answer that she didn't have. "Do you have any idea where my emerald is?"
"No. I'm sorry. I swear." Ginny started to cry again, and he pushed her away, disgusted.
"Please don't hurt her," Ginny begged.
"Ginny," said Tom. "He's already hurt her. The proper words are don't kill her, but since the Crucio probably will seal her in her animal state-"
"Shut up, Tom," thought Ginny.
"Please," she begged. 'Please—Ma—Master—"
He paused, his slitted eyes regarding her and his lipless mouth moving into a half smile. It was the first time she had called him Master without his urging, and they were both aware of that, but he was not inclined to mercy. "You would think that spending a year with my diary would have taught you that tears do nothing to move me." He paced to the fireplace. "I was wondering how I was going to send you back to look for my emerald. Now I know that you will not betray me."
"I wouldn't," said Ginny. "Didn't I come of my own free will?"
"Many come of their own free will," he said. "But often they get squeamish when they realize what the job entails.You will return to Hogwarts, Virginia, and find my emerald."
Ginny stared at him blankly, unable to believe her luck. "Now?"
"No time like the present," said Voldemort.
Ginny's mind reeled with possibilities. If she could go to Hogwarts, maybe someone would help her. Dumbledore—Snape—McGonagall—but she couldn't. It was holiday.
"But it's holiday. I'm not supposed to be there."
"Too true."
"I could get caught—"
"I wouldn't advise it.
"The teachers are there—some of them anyway. Dumbledore may be popping in and out. He's busy with this Phoenix, so he probably won't have time for children playing in his school. I'd stay out of his way." Voldemort placed a finger under her chin and raised her eyes to look at him. "Don't do anything foolish, or your friend will suffer," said Voldemort.
"But what if he—"
Ginny struggled for the words she wanted to say, her thoughts feeling
confused and fuzzy. "What if someone
sees me?"
"Then you come back here. Put your wand to your Dark Mark and it will alert me that my anti-Apparition wards need to be removed momentarily for you."
"I don't know how to Apparate—"
Voldemort frowned. "That's terribly inconvenient," he said. "Very well, I'll give you three days to find the emerald and then I'll summon you."
"Summon?" squeaked Ginny, remembering Karkaroff arriving in the circle with his arm in flames.
"Yes, then I will handle your Apparition. Believe me you'll get here in one piece. I promise you."
"Couldn't I have a portkey?"
"And risk it falling into the wrong hands. I think not. You may use my floo now," said Voldemort. "{Come.}"
Picking up Bea bunny, he walked swiftly from the room without looking back, Nagini following in his wake, and Ginny hurried to keep up with them. Not following was not an option. He had already opened the wards on a door that she never knew existed in an obscure part of the castle. He dropped the bunny on a chair, in a binding spell and turned to light the fire. He said a spell. Ginny couldn't catch all of the words. It was in another language—not parseltongue, but Tom seemed to understand.
"{Hissuss!}" Nagini spoke, examining the prone bunny. Ginny snatched her friend from in front of Nagini and her basilisk hissed a warning at the much larger snake.
"{Perhaps, Nagini,}" Voldemort answered in parseltongue, "{but you must be patient.}"
"Where does this go?" asked Ginny. "I thought Pritch was to close the direct floo from Hogwarts to here."
"From the Slytherin common room to here," Voldemort corrected. "This will take you to your professor's office. You will say, 'Severus' Office' when you enter the flames."
"Then I can come back via floo," surmised Ginny.
"No, said Voldemort, dumping a pinch of floo powder into her hand. "Only I can open this particular fireplace and I am not sitting vigil at it. It is the only one within the castle with the capability to be hooked to the outside. Any other fire will simply deposit you in another portion of the castle, and it could be a place you like even less than where you were. Of course, none of my Death Eaters have ever left me—" said Voldemort softly, drawing his finger along her cheek. "Except through death."
The cold smile on his lips made Ginny shudder. While she watched, he picked up Beatrice and sat down in a nearby chair, settling her frozen form on his lap. The basilisks on his arm, hissing with curiosity, had snaked down to examine the bunny as he ran his fingers from the tip of her wriggling nose to between her bunny ears. He made no move to stop them, in fact he encouraged their inspection, hissing softly to them. He looked at Ginny, his malevolent red eyes intense. "Go!" he said.
Ginny threw the floo powder. "Severus Office," she said.
+++
Fonzie: Thanks. Hope you sign in next time you review. I'd like to read some of your stories.
Hueyy: Is that supposed to be Huey? I hope you sign in next time. I'd like to read some of your stories.
CMS: Thanks
Hermione Granger101986: So are there really 101,986 Hermione Grangers on fanfic. Lol Thanks for the kudos. More coming
Kayleigh: Thanks for the review.
Emma-Trelawny: More Ginny/Tom is coming honest. Some really fun stuff later in the book, but I have to set up the trio stuff first. Stay with me.
Sky: Good to see you again. More Ginny/Tom shortly.
Adaneth: I will consider the possibility of counting people who answer on Yahoo Group as a review, but I'm not sure if I can do that. Please see author's note below.
Trillium: Glad you liked the booby traps. Hope it whet your appetite for more.
WesleyPeppers: Garrett. I only intend to count your review once. That also includes your anonymous ones. It's the legimency. It even works over the computer, so behave yourself. Smirks. That said, thanks for your comments.
Jager: You miss Tom? Ahh. He'd be so pleased. I'll pass the word along.
Becky: OK, I met a girl named Becky at summer camp and thought maybe you were her, because she was reading the hard copy of SEERS TRUTH, but never reviewed online. I guess you're not her. Oh well. Thanks for your review. Thanks for noticing the "Imperio and the ebony." Enough action for you in this chapter?
Silverfox1: Loved your comment Oh dear! After just barely surviving an empty house, they think they can take on a house full of Muggles? And just imagine, how are they going to deal with the Snow Castle.
Kemenran: Always original
Ennui deMorte: I know, no Draco in the last chapter and no Draco in this chapter, but you can attest there is much more Draco coming. Your favorite. Lol. Thank you for a great job betaing, and for your insightful reviews.
Author's Note: I love your reviews. It makes me feel special and appreciated. For those of you who are asking me to update with only ten reviews and especially those who are "fudging the data" by putting in false anonymous reviews, please understand that when I wrote the first SEERS TRUTH book, THE BROKEN BEGINNING, I had a lead of 40 chapters before I put the first one up on fanfic. If you, the readers are caught up to me, then I have no time to proofread, not for spelling and grammar so much as for plot mistakes. Yes, I do occasionally make them. Not often, and ennui usually catches them, but nothing helps me to find them so easily than working forward a little and then going back to be sure all items were fore shadowed properly. For example, I wrote several chapters ahead in SEERS TRUTH: THE BROKEN BEGINNING and realized I hadn't given Ginny the portkey she needed at the end. Luckily the chapter in question was only up on fanfic for about a half hour and only two people had read it before I fixed the mistake. You do want the story to be up to my usual standards, don't you? Then be patient. I promise you won't have to wait as long as Salazar did for his heir. Lol.
While you are waiting, check out the group at Yahoo. It's a lot of fun.
w—groups.yahoo.com/group/The_Seers_Truth
Thanks for your patience,
Lady Lestrange