Chapter Eight

I was a widowed mother with a commitment to a man who I followed in everyone of his footsteps. Now, all I wanted to do was avenge my husband's unjustified death. Voldemort has killed before, within our ranks, but they were deaths by betrayers and rats. The night after I sobbed a million tears for the father of my new daughter, I sat up trying to think of ways to remove my dark mark. Each idea would be too painful, and would be too obvious. Besides, Cassandra knocked me out of my thoughts, I suppose she was more important now than revenge upon my former boss. Yes. Former. He betrayed my trust. Went back on his word. You may be thinking to yourself, he is the Dark Lord; I say this, fuck you. Rodolphus was just as loyal as I was, and Voldemort guaranteed our safety as long as we were loyal and did everything we asked of him. If anything, you can blame Voldemort for removing my contraceptive charm that night. Cassandra pulled her fingers through my hair, I could tell she was at a loss without her father. I went downstairs and sat on the couch, giving her a pacifier and letting her suck.

And of course, I had to do anything to protect the welfare of my child.

Until one night...

When the rain was pouring down on the earth and my home like the old Wizards and Witches were sobbing their tears for wrongs in the world. It was the middle of the night when I heard the clomping footsteps of mud-caked boots make their way up the stairs of my porch. A fist pounding on the door, shoulder next, and the loud smash that followed once the successor forced the door from its locked wall. I came downstairs, ready to kill. But through the mud covered pants, rain soaked shirt, and hair messed over a pale, white face with familiar sunken features, I knew. I knew my Rodolphus had come back, but I was too afraid to move. I couldn't believe what I had seen right before my very eyes, the days I spent in pain made me angry. He knew he was alive, why couldn't he have come home sooner? But I was too amazed to be angry at him, I couldn't hurt him after what he went through. We took each other in embrace and I warmed him by the fire.

"He wanted to kill you because the daughter we had, isn't his. It's ours." I said while moving around in the kitchen. Cassandra was being fed by her daddy in her wooden high chair, passed down in the Black family for years. Rodolphus was just getting over a cold, and I forbade him from seeing our baby until he was better. Now he was going to keep her away from me. While he was sick I had no intention of making it worse by discussing the plans of our disgusting, selfish master. Cassandra babbled and grinned, trying to outsmart Rodolphus into giving her more than she needed.

"I had no idea the man was an auror. When I saw that woman from the window, I recognized her, and once I looked at him, I knew I was in danger. Did he really want me dead?" He saw through Cassie's endearing little smile and cleaned her face, lifting her and carrying her around.

"When he first posed the question to me, he told me if I took something from him, he'd do the same to me. He's ruthless."

"So, what do we do now? Go help Potter in his personal vendetta?"

"Like I'll help another half-blood do their dirty work." I grimaced and added a drop of scotch in my coffee. "Besides. He wouldn't listen to me. I killed his precious god-father." I had to laugh, I'm glad I finished off Sirius, worthless blood traitor.

"He hasn't seen me before. And we're wizards, you don't have to look like you."

"Ick, if you're suggesting Polyjuice Potion to turn into one of his little friends."

"You would look cute with bushy hair!"

"I wonder how you would look with no hair."

"...Okay. New plan."

We sat down in the living room, coming up with ways to work against the Dark Lord. We weren't going to hands-on help Harry, but lead him to the Lord, and let fate take its course.

"Harry, we've been walking for hours.." Ron whined from his locks of red hair scattered about his face. Hermione rolled her eyes and shoved him aside, walking forward to Harry. "Harry, come on. We don't have that much money left! We're far from Gringotts.. We're going to be out on the street if we don't stop now. "

"Damnit, Hermione. I'm not giving up now. We're too close." Harry said through gritted teeth. A glint of determination and craze in his eyes.

"We've been traveling since the end of our sixth year! If there were really a sign of Voldemort we would have gotten by now! We would have finished by now! I want to go home! I want to go back to Hogwarts! I want things to be normal!" Hermione whined and held onto Ron. Ron glared towards Harry.

"You're losing it, mate. You need to rest! We need to stop! "

Harry sighed, falling back against a wall in the empty street he and his friends walked. A large raven swooped down, releasing a scroll from its talons, letting it drop into Harry's lap, releasing a loud caw. He fell out of his daze and picked up the scroll removing its ribbon and opening it:

"Harry Potter.

Your quest is long. Your friends may lose hope. If you drive forward into

this blind task, you will lose your mind as well. To find what you

wish, you will have to go by our instruction.

Either you trust us, or lose your mind and quite possibly your life.

You know where to go.

It has been in your dreams. It has been in your nightmares.

Until that night, you haven't seen him in 13 years in such a form.

Go.

- R.B.L"

"Who was it from?" Hermione leaned over and took the letter from him.

"R.B.L. Whoever that is." Harry stood up, pulling his fingers through his messy hair.

"A place in your nightmares? ...13 Years.. "

"They're talking about the graveyard. In my fourth year. When that portkey took me to the graveyard! We have to go!"

"Harry, you're mad!" Ron broke out. " You don't know who that is! It could be a trap. The only ones who know we're going are my parents! "

"And the Dark Lord..." Hermione replied softly. "You know he knows. He's just waiting."

"Well, Voldemort wouldn't write a letter to me helping me get to him. He wants me to suffer. He's probably waiting for me to give up. I'm going to that graveyard. " Harry pocketed the letter.

"Do you even know where it is?" Hermione caught up with Harry as he began to walk away. Ron slowly followed after.

"It isn't hard to find a graveyard with a tombstone marked RIDDLE three times on it. And an Angel of Death towering above it. Come on." Harry pressed forward, his friends followed after.