(All is J.K Rowling's except my dear Lemercier.)
8. Favorites
The lightside met over the counteroffensive of retaking Moyglass where supposedly the Malfoy Manor laid yet an urgent fireplace message was passed into the room and Seamus Finnigan's head molded itself from the burning wood. Frantic he told them that a muggle village where he and his family were living in was under attack a fortnight ago. It was chaotic and now the village was being occupied by a gang of werewolves, rumour that Greyback was with them. The chidren were placed in man-made caves within the moors, but it wouldn't be long till they sniff for food. Charms could only hide them for some long, Seamus's head within the fireplace turn around quickly and then faced the group of men.
"How many men have you got Finnigan?" Moody asked, his magic eye swirling around the room, never stopping nor landing on anyone on particular. Harry sat in his chair eyeing the wizard map of the whole United Kingdom, red blinking dots were where the light side knew of dark side activity. Five villages. At that very moment they were tormenting five wizarding villages and now one muggle village, what were they playing at.
"They're all bloody muggles and scared Moody!" His Irish accent had gotten worse with the stress that was laid on his shoulders, the fire couldn't show the full detail but it showed enough that Seamus was not prepared, and fear had seeped into his soul.
"There's got to be a damn wizard in that village!"
"Me wife and I! I haven't got anyone here, and I can't hide the children for long nor fight off those damn beast at the same time! They're all at the village eating the dead that they managed to get. We're all down in the caves that was used for storing things for the winter, they're all scared and won't believe a word I'm saying Minister." His face turned a bit to look at the minister who himself was sitting in his chair rubbing his chin and his other around a goblet of wine. Unlike the rest of the men he wore the most elegant clothes and gold rings upon his fingers as if he was a king.
Everything was quiet for a moment, finally agreeing to his own answer the minister leaned forward and replied dryly, "You will take your family and come to the safe haven of Hogwarts." At once Potter got up to protest but Remus held him down by the shoulder. The damnable bastard, he was going to leave the muggles to fend for themselves. Turning to look at Seamus who's face contorted to confusion.
"Minister what of the-" Slamming his fist down on the table, Finnigan stopped while everyone else watched the Minister stand up before the fire.
"You will take your family Seamus Finnigan and yourself to Hogwarts do not question that order." Turning around he motioned for the fire to be extingished and at once a house elf came bearing a bucket of water and poured it on the astounded face of Finnigan. Harry not knowing that was the last time he was going to see Seamus alive, the uneasy tension filled the room as the minister took a drink and set his goblet down with a clunk. "Where were we?" At once there was talk as the men tried to rid themselves of what they saw and heard, only Potter's side of the circle remind quiet.
"Moyglass is where the Malfoy manor is," one said but also adding. "We would know if Potter's agent reported to us that it was." Glancing at him he went on talking about defense and how to appoarch the area. But the minister silenced him and set his gaze on Potter who returned the intense gaze, anger eating at him.
"Do you still need your agent Potter? She can find the Manor for us-"
"She only works for me Minister, and yes I still do need her." Silence again, whispering something to Percy who sat beside him, Percy grabbed his quill and held it ready over the parchment that laid on his lap.
"She is no longer needed, let us dispose of her." The Minister of Magic cried out as Percy by his elbow writing down notes as fast as his hand could allow. At once Potter growled under his breath as both Remus and Moody placed a hand on both of his shoulder to hold him back in his seat. Taking deep breaths he replied back to the Minister, with all the men listening keenly.
"The last horcrux is his snake Nagini, which stays with him throughout the day and night. If you dispose of my agent I-" The minister cut him with a clap of hands.
"Your agent? If you haven't noticed Potter we don't trust your agent as much. Your "X" has done nothing good for us, she never tells us when there would be a next battle, which village was going to be attacked, and supposedly she's one of you-know-who's closest death eaters in a supposedly inner circle. And that name! What in Merlin's name does "X" stand for eh? While you go around in your little adventures looking for these damn horcruxes, my men are out there dying and being killed in VAST numbers. And what do you really do? You've promised us an end to all this bloodshed years ago but nothing has been done! What are you playing at eh? Tell me Potter why I should forget about disposing your agent!" As a whole all the men turned their heads to Harry Potter who looked livid, no longer was he sitting but standing and leaning his hands against the wooden table his knuckles white.
"You don't know what you're bloody talking about Minister, she's the one thing that is standing between Voldemort and your death. And my little adventures have everything to do with the cause against the dark side, you know nothing! It's you that are killing our people. You wanted a war Minister well here it is! But don't you fucking dare blame anything wrong on both X and me! She is essential to our cause and whether you like it or not she's staying." The only sounds that could be heard in the vast room was the scratching of Percy's quill against his paper, writing friecely and still managing to give Potter a disgusted look. Staring at him with a degree of hate, the minister turned to Percy and addressed him.
"X if seen on the light side will be killed instantly or brought before the council alive. Awards will be given to those that do the deed. Post that everywhere." With that the Minister left through another set of doors, Percy behind him still writing and a few of the commanders hoping to get a word to him since they couldn't at the meeting.
"Stupid wanker," Harry muttered into cup of butterbeer, as he sat around a table with Hermione, Ron,and Ginny. They had just finished dinner, and Harry had just concluded the details to what had happening in the meeting. Moody was absent after Seamus's children arrived to Hogwarts their mother and father no where to be found, he gathered a few aurors and were on their way to the village to look for them.
"Maybe he's right..." Ron mumbled, turning to face his best friend Harry couldn't believe what he said, glancing up then at his hands he went on. "Harry we don't know Cassandra... She's a death eater... For Godric's sake she's a Lemercier! That should be suffice enough to not trust her."
"What does being a Lemer-"
"Her family... Do you not know of her past? The time you were with her, has she not told you of their sins?" Harry looked upon Hermione, and Ginny's faces all seem to have the same emotion as Ron. Understandment, as if they all knew something he didn't.
"No we were rather busy looking for the horcruxes," was his icily reply, he stubbornly scowled at Ginny as she reached for his hand and held it in hers, but didn't pull away. Hermione after giving Ron a small smile took over and spoke quietly to Harry.
"The Lemerciers are one of the oldest wizarding blood, which desends to Merlin himself. Powerful. Wealthy. Buried deep within old magic, that Mab herself practiced long ago." Hermione in vain tried to get Harry's gaze but did not win continuing, "Guston Lemercier. Cassandra's late grandfather, an alumni to Hogwarts, and Voldemort's late mentor... He taught him everything of the old and dark magic that frighten and overcame all of the world of both muggle and wizard." She stopped short when Potter raised his gaze and locked it with hers, as if a force overcame her felt something racking into her brain. Knowing too well that he was performing occulmency on her she waited patiently, she was telling the truth about his teacher. Feeling him retreat back she went on, "Guston showed him the power that came with dealing with the dark arts, but never the reprecussions. A part that Voldemort is, is a molding from Guston Lemercier and the Lemercier's history for violence. He loved and taught him as Tom Riddle was his own son. Which he did the same for Cassandra before he died... She is just like Voldemort."
"No!" Hermione stopped him from getting up by her hands as she held his thighs down to the seat of the chair, Ginny's grip tighten and unmistakable sniffle came from her direction.
"Harry in the end Cassandra will betray you.She will be like her family. She will lie and will do it with ease. She will spy and do it only for him. She will murder and do it without mercy." Pushing her off him a little too roughly, Hermione tumbled back into Ron's arms, walking to the window he looked out digesting what he had just learnt. Cassandra never talked about her past, she deemed it unimportant and just a waste of time for the both of them. Did she know that her grandfather taught Voldemort? Did Dumbledore? Why would she hide this information from him?The questions swimming through his head. Mumbling a hasty goodbye to his friends and wife, he went to the only room that Cassandra and himself knew of, that no one would ever go into. Dumbledore's office. Settling his mind to a degree where it could function without a headache.
"I didn't-" Hermione started but was cut off with a look of badly hidden distress from Ginny.
"Harry trust in Cassandra and reliance is too much... The information he learnt tonight could have been either taken in by him as an insult from Ron and yourself... Or as a warning... I hope he takes the latter." Concluding that the meal was over, the three left the room each to their private chambers worrying for Harry and his decision in dealing with Cassandra Lemercier.
Footnotes:
-As I have mentioned before Cassandra's grandfather, Guston, taught Tom Riddle the essentials of black magic. This is during the time when Tom disappeared and many years later returning as Lord Voldemort.
-Lemercier history lesson:
The family desends from Merlin, a bastard child was born between himself and Vivien. (Vivien was a woman born into death, sin, and hate and wished to seek revenge for her father's death against King Arthur. In doing damage she became a temptress or a harlot. She believed that lust could overcome everything even logic and reasoning, using it to her benefit in bringing down Camalot and King Arthur.) Merlin fell under her charm, and thus the first of the Lemercier was born. A baby boy name Lucifer, there he grew to hate. Hate his father and the man that he served, King Arthur a man who did not have the power that Lucifer held. There the hate for muggles grew.
Lucifer banished out from Britannia by his father, traveled Europe, seeking those like him and finding many situated in the growing republic of Rome. Using his magic he was able to become a noble man, in charge of inporting and exporting shipment for both the muggle and wizard world from his Isle "Merchant's Isle" and where he also came to the surname of "Lemercier". (Le The, Mercier Merchant). Abandoning the shipping industry before the fall of Rome (Predicted by his daugther), he left Italy with his children and wife, returning to Britannia.
From there the Lemercier established themselves with other pure bloods, inter-marriage was done for the sake of keeping 'dirty blood' from contaminating. Guston Lemercier born close to the 1910's, traveled bringing his eldest son (Cassandra's father) who was married into a very powerful wizard family (Cassandras mother's side.) in East Asia, combining the dark arts of both cultures.
-I portrayed the minister rather nastily. His allowance of leaving the muggles to fend for themselves was very un-light side-ish. But he wasn't going to send men he needed badly to battle the dark army to save just a few muggles. War means scarafices.
-I like that there are many people (Well more like six. But that's many considering.) are reading this story. I want to thank you again and hope that I haven't disappointed anyone. I like reviews, it reassures me that you all are reading and liking.