A/N: Just a brief explanation, folks, if you care, as to where I've been the past several weeks. You see, my computer suffered a slight break down, it's power supply causing the poor thing to shut down every time I turned it on. Well, you also have to understand my computer is about 10-15 years old. Built out of spare parts and wherever else I've added over the years, she is quite unique, I assure you. However, due to her age, when something breaks down, getting parts is not always easy and can take some time

But I love her. She is my baby and I would never consider replacing her. .

I was, however, informed by the people who fixed her up this time, that they appreciated the opportunity. Said working on her took them back to the good old days.

I hit them.

Also, if you have the chance to go see the movie 'The Prestige', do so.

And as always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Go back and read the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before this one.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE: REPORT

"Will you stay in that bed!" The statement was everything but a request.

"No! I've been in this stupid bed long enough. I am sick of white walls. Not one bloody portrait in this place has led what can even be remotely discerned as an interesting life, and if I don't get back on my feet soon, my legs are going to forget what they're there for!"

"You're being ridiculous. Get back in that bed!"

"No!"

Katlin firmly crossed her arms over her chest as she stood blocking her husband's escape route. "You are acting like a spoiled child who isn't getting his own way." She declared in exasperation.

"That's because I am and I'm not!" Orion shot back.

"You would willingly admit to that?"

"My parents do. You want I should call my own parents liars?"

"And what is so important you have to leave? Late for an appointment?" She ask with a long sarcastic draw.

"As a matter of fact, I am."

Katlin gave him a skeptical look. "With who?"

"Orin."

Katlin's expression remained. "And what do you have an appointment with Orin Bale about that's more important than your health?"

Orion gave her a small, sly smile. "That's 'business'."

"Well, if that's your excuse, it's a bad one. Orin's coming by to see you today anyway, so you can get right back in that bed, mister."

Orion's expression verged on surprise. "Orin's coming here today? When did he tell you this?"

Katlin sighed loudly at the question. Obstinance was not something she favored in people. And currently her husband was having a barn sale on it. "When he woke up this morning! When do you think?"

Orion frowned at the explanation.

"He's been very worried about you." Katlin amended with a tired but affectionate smile. "You're more than his best agent, Orion. You're his friend. He's called nearly every day asking how you are."

Orion's caution raised to new levels at the news. "And you've been telling him what?"

"That if you were a better patient, listen to your doctor, followed orders, and took all your medicine, you'd be a lot further along."

Orion cast a despairing glare at the line of bottles next to his bed. "The green one tastes funny. I think they put mint in it."

"It's probably just to cover the taste of the poison." Katlin offered helpfully.

Orion was just about to offer up his opinion on the comment when a fire roared to life in the corner of his room. A few seconds later Orin Bale stepped out of the flames, which immediately dissipated behind him.

Katlin gave him a small smile, looking him over once. "Oh good!" she declared. "You found your pants in the hallway."

Bale considered the woman standing before him for a moment, then turned a questioning stare to his agent.

Orion waved the question off. "Ignore her. My wife's attempt at humor."

Bale shrugged the situation off as he directed his mind to more immediate matters. "Why are you out of bed?"

Orion considered his position, which was currently with one leg hanging over the side of a rail while his wife dutifully remained blocking his way.

"You consider this 'out of bed'?" He questioned. "There's more of me in than out!"

Before Bale could respond, the door to the room opened and a man of about fifty stepped in holding a half rolled up sheet of parchment in his hands which he was giving his undivided attention to at the moment. "Mr. Black," the new comer stated empirically, "how are we fee..." The man stopped in mid-word as he glanced up from the parchment, a deep frown etching itself quickly across his face. "What are you doing out of bed?"

Orion scowled at the man, but nonetheless yanked his errant leg back into the bed.

Satisfied, the man turned back to his parchment. "Now that all our body parts are where they are suppose to be," he went on, "perhaps you can further explain why there are two more people in this room than there should be?"

Orion gave the man a less than sincere smile. "Feel free to take the pretty redhead to lunch. I know for a fact she hasn't eaten since last night."

The man glanced up, giving a passing notice to the two other occupants in the room besides himself and his patient before turning back to his parchment once again. "Visiting hours do not start for another thirty minutes. I have several tests to run on Mr. Black until then, and I am not selling tickets. Please vacate the room."

Orin cast his agent a questioning glance that Orion picked up on immediately.

"Orin," he answered with a sigh, "this is my doctor, Mr. Hyde."

The man glanced up over the rim of his glasses. "Once again, Mr. Black, you have managed to reaffirm for me all the reasons I became a doctor."

"To help humanity?"

"To torture people like you." The doctor turned a brief glance to Orin. "Dr. Meddleson. Mr. Black's unfortunate physician. If you wouldn't mind waiting outside, I shouldn't be long."

Stepping over to the door, Orin held it open as Katlin, with a brief worried glance at her husband, stepped past him. With a brief nod to the man in the bed, he followed her.

Out in the hallway, Katlin had already staked off her territory, prowling a small stretch of corridor with her attention firmly fixed on the floor.

Watching her for all of sixty seconds, Orin finally cut in front of her path and took her by the arm, turning her about and heading off in the opposite direction.

Katlin tried digging in her heels to no avail as she glanced anxiously back at the door. "What are you doing?!" She demanded.

"What that idiot doctor was to stupid to take your husband up on. I'm taking the pretty redhead to lunch."

Katlin pulled back again. "I don't want lunch."

Orin pulled to an abrupt stop, turning her to him. "When did you last eat?"

Katlin said nothing.

"So, I take it Orion was telling the truth? Nothing since dinner yesterday?" Taking her arm again, Orin headed off with her down the corridor. "You need to eat something, Katlin. And you know as well as I do that it'll do Orion more good than any medicine in the world if you go back in that room and tell him what you had for lunch. So, let's go."

Sighing to herself, Katlin gave up any resistance. One thing she had learned about Orin Bale was that he was just as stubborn as her husband. It was a true wonder to her how two men, both willing to fight to the death for their individual points of view, could be such long time friends. But there was no one she would trust more with her husband's life than the man walking beside her.

The day Bale had found out about her actual relationship to his top agent, Katlin felt it was the end of her happy little slice of the world. The way she saw things, Bale would try to manipulate the situation to his departments advantage, she would refuse, and Orion would be caught between them.

But the man had surprised her. Bale had made not one single demand. Not so much as even a suggestion of how her position could help his department. He had, in fact, said little at all. The only term she could give his reaction was 'silent acceptance'. The deed was done, he had once told her. There was little more to be said about it.

And that had been that.

Sitting opposite her in the dining hall, Orin waited until she settled into her food before breaking the silence.

"So, has there been any change?" He ask as she took a bite of her food.

Katlin seemed to route her sullen mood as she turned to him with what he could only discribe as the most forced smile he had ever seen. "You mean since yesterday when you called?" She replied, the smile never leaving her lips. "Honestly, Orin, you know as much as anyone about his condition."

"And this would be that wonderful doctor you've been going on about?"

"Dr. Meddleson came very highly recommended. He's the top of his field with poisonings."

"The patient would seem to disagree."

Katlin frowned. "That is because the patient is an obnoxious three year old who won't do what the doctor tells him to."

"I see. And his prognosis then?"

Katlin's demeanor seemed to brighten even more, if that was possible. Anyone else would likely have seen nothing more than a woman happy about her husband's apparent recovery prospects.

But Orin Bale wasn't just 'anyone'. He knew a performance when he saw one, and he was about to be treated to a class A award winning one right now. He'd bet his life on it. Whatever she was up to, it was at least going to be entertaining to watch.

"It's actually much better than we originally thought." She replied past that well placed smile. "Dr. Meddleson has managed to negate most of the after-effects of the poison. The seizures will likely be permanent, but not as bad as we first thought. He may have one once in a while, but he'll have plenty of warning and they'll be easier to control than we were first told. In fact," she pressed on, "they should only last a few minutes at best, and Dr. Meddleson feels they shouldn't effect his daily living hardly at all."

Orin spared her a glance before turning back to his stew. "I see." The enigmatic Mrs. Black was up to something. He would just have to sit back and wait to find out what.

"He's getting better, Orin." Katlin added after a few minutes of silence.

"Ummm-hmmmmm." was the only answer he gave her. And with it he could feel the anxiety level in her rise several degrees.

When Orin had first found out about what he forever termed his agents 'rash and impetuous if not just plain down right stupid' act, he debated with himself for nearly a fortnight of how to deal with the situation. His top agent...married to a Deatheater. And an Elite no less. Well, at least Black had aimed high.

Bale considered everything from a love spell to an Imperious curse as the cause for Orion's rash act. But in the end he had to concede the man was truly, blissfully, blindingly in love with the woman.

And so began a very uneasy relationship. Thankfully, Bale rarely had to deal with his agent's blushing new bride, though he seriously doubted Katlin Griss had had one honest blush in her whole life. But occasional calls to the house were now answered by her instead of Tets, and their paths did tend to meet more than they normally would have if things had remained sane in the world and Orion was still single. Under such circumstances, Bale was cordial. Katlin equally so. If anyone had taken note of their exchanges in public they would have considered the two passing acquaintances.

But in private things were quite another story. Bale was often a guest at the Black household. If Orion ever left the room, Bale immediately steeled himself for what he knew was coming. Katlin would rail on him at the first opportunity. Everything from Orion's last mission to future ones was fair game as far as she was concerned. Every assignment he gave the man she had an opinion on after-the-fact. They were entirely too dangerous, too long, or too poorly planned. Orion was a married man, she was fond of pointing out. He was a husband, and recently, a father. He had obligations and responsibilities now. He could not go off on every hair-brained mission that struck someone's fancy.

Bale usually listened to it all with as stoic an expression as he could muster, all the while fervently praying Orion would return to the room before the woman really got a head of steam going and went for her wand. All in all he likened her to a tigress protecting her injured mate. Although until recently he failed to notice exactly what injury Black needed protecting due to.

But currently the injury was all too well known, and he was interested to see what new tirade he was in for.

But if he was truthful with himself, he had actually grown to like the woman. She was a handful to be sure. And she was an Elite Deatheater. But she was also protective, loyal, and forthright with her beliefs, making no apologies for how she lived her life. All in all, he doubted he could have picked a better wife for Black. He had actually found himself over the past several years adopting an idea Orion himself stated he used to maintain peace in his relationship to his wife. There were two sides to the relationship. Business and personal. And you simply never let the two mix.

And on that foundation, Katlin and Orin had settled into a cautious friendship. Neither let their guard down completely, but Orion was the first to point out the most entertaining evenings he had were when the two spared off against each other over anything from tactical elements to the current state of the country. He firmly swore it would be a pre-apocalyptic sign when the two ever agreed on anything.

And of course, he was always assured of a long evening whenever a conversation contained the phrase, 'But of course, that's not the way the Deatheaters would have done it'.

Orion often said one had to hand it to Orin Bale when dealing with people. You could insult the man, question his paternity, or out-rightly insult him and never get a rise out of him. But one could absolutely never, ever call into question his departmental strategies. Half the time Orion felt Katlin did it just to bait him. But once the statement was made, Orion simply poured himself a large drink and settled back into his favorite chair to watch the show.

Katlin studied the man for several minutes. "What are you going to do?" She ask finally.

Orin looked up again. "Do? About what?"

"About Orion?"

Orin placed his spoon down before resting his chin on folded hands. "I am going to hope my agent recovers from a very near fatal attack. What else should I be doing, Katlin?"

Sighing in exasperation, Katlin all but glared at the man across from her. Sometimes she wasn't sure of the man was just playing her for a reaction or was seriously dense.

"Even though Dr. Meddleson feels the resulting impact of the attack on Orion's health will be minimal, I know how the Ministry works. Orion's been injured. He isn't fully the man he was before the attack. He has limita... "

Orin quickly held up a finger, effectively cutting her off. "Ah! Now I see. I was beginning to wonder what spurred that little recital you gave of the positive aspects of Orion's current health standing. Normally you've been so reticent about it, I felt honored if you spared me ten words on his condition. Now all of the sudden your playing it down to practically nothing at all."

"It isn't as bad as we were told!" Katlin protested quickly.

Orin fixed a firm stare on her. "It's bad enough, Katlin. Orion needs to watch out for himself. And he likely won't be able to do things the way he was used to before."

"He can still do his job." Katlin stated, something very close to hysteria creeping into her tone. "You can't retire him because of this Orin. You can't. It would absolutely kill him. You know that."

"Retire him?" Bale looked duly shocked. "Where in magic's name did you get the idea I was going to retire him? Black's one of the best agents I have. Nothing has changed there to my knowledge."

Katlin sighed as she stared down at her plate, absently pushing a bit of food around. "Orion's been very worried about it lately, Orin." She said finally in a quiet, subdued tone. "It's almost all he talks about. Who you'll be replacing him with? What will happen to Charly? What he'll be doing when all of this is over?"

"Then you can tell him I'm not replacing him with anything, nothing is going to happen to Misser, and when this is over his locker will still be smelling just as bad as when he left it." Orin picked up the last bite of his lunch. "In fact, I'll tell him myself when we get back. Man's a bloody fool to think he's free of the department this easy."

Katlin favored him with a small smile. "Thank you, Orin. That'll mean a lot to him."

Bale returned the smile. "I just like to keep my enemies guessing."

"I hope I'm not included in that list?" It was a common question between them.

Bale gave her a careful study before answering. "When Black first mentioned you to me all those years ago, I described you back to him as the Deatheater I would most like to spend the night with. That hasn't changed if you're ever interested." he added, giving her a quick wink.

Katlin gave him a more relaxed smile. "You'll be sure to mention that again to my husband when you talk to him, won't you, Mr. Bale?"

Bale again returned her smile. "Count on it."

(Scene Change.)

"Wonderful." a voice cut into Orion's nap. "I can barely get work out of you half the time as it is, now your off to bed for practically a fortnight."

Orion opened his eyes to find Orin standing beside his bed. "Bugger off, Orin." he stated in a rasped voice. "Mum already said I didn't have to go to school today."

Orin took a seat in the chair by the bed. "Be that as it may," he replied, "you still have an assignment due. Care to hand it over?"

Orion sighed as he rolled over onto his side. "Katlin catches you in here interrogating me, she's going to give you a good what for, you know that."

"I've just come from a very pleasant lunch with your charming wife. She ask that I request how you would feel about me spending the night with her."

Orion gave slight sneer at the question. "My wife doesn't like sleeping with dogs."

"Pity." Orin replied. "But that doesn't explain how she's put up with you all these years."

"What do you want, Orin?" Orion ask. "I was having a lovely dream about all the things I'd like to be doing with my wife right now. Things, mind you, that you will forever only dream about."

"I told you." Orin repeated. "You have a report due. I'd like to hear it."

Orion sighed again as he readjusted himself. "Ask away."

"What's the current situation?"

"Stable. But my guess is he's going to make his move very soon."

"How so?"

"He's been making all the anticipated moves. He's worried about his position. So he's been trying to establish himself within the group as an ally. As someone to be trusted."

"And?"

"Figg is no fool. Nor is the boy. Arabella considers him something of an irritation at this point. Harry is still cautious. He isn't sure what to make of things right now, so he's looking to others around him for guidance on how to act. But for now Arabella controls Harry. He'll do whatever she tells him to."

"And in your opinion that would be?"

"Arabella hasn't tried to out-rightly dissuade Harry from helping Voldemort, but nor is she encouraging it. She sees him as a threat, but she sees this other wizard as a bigger one. But she's choosing to err on the side of caution in all her decisions these days. Currently I would say she could go either way."

"What is the situation between Arabella and Voldemort? How is she responding to him?"

"It's not so much her responding as he is."

"Meaning?"

"Voldemort is growing very...fond...of Arabella it would seem." Orion replied with a small, pleased smile. "The harder she pushes him away, the harder he tries to accommodate her. Much more and I would say there was little Voldemort wouldn't do to try and please her."

"Is Arabella aware of the potential of the situation?"

"Arabella Figg wouldn't be aware of a cloudy day if it was raining." A voice offered from behind.

Both men turned to met Katlin's hard stare.

"You should be more careful, Love." Orin replied. "Statements like that could give people the impression you don't care for the woman."

Katlin approached them with her arms folded tightly across her chest. "And only the ones that have been under a rock for the past few decades would find that news." She answered, turning her attention solely to the man in the chair. "I thought you were going to have a nice chat with my husband, Orin, not interrogate him."

Orion gave the man sitting next to his bed a superior smile. "Told ya'!" he quibbed.

Katlin approached the bed like a fighter entering a ring. "What are you up to, Orin?"

Bale sat up in the chair and set a firm stare on the woman across the bed. "I'm not accustomed to discussing my plans with Deatheaters, Ms. Griss."

Katlin seated herself on the edge of the bed. "Well, you'd best start discussing them with this one. Because that last statement held so little truth it was laughable."

Orion turned over his shoulder to look at her. "You actually like Arabella?"

Katlin lightly slapped his shoulder. "Hush."

"If you see something I don't, Katlin..." Orin began.

"I see many things you don't." Katlin effectively cut him off. "What I don't see is this outrageous crush your agent seems to feel Voldemort has for Arabella Figg."

Orion turned over his shoulder again. "I never used the word 'crush'."

Katlin and Orin both ignored him.

"Then how exactly would you describe the relationship?" Orin ask.

"I don't." she replied resolutely. "I prefer instead to concentrate on what matters in a situation. Not gossip like a bunch of teenage girls in a school yard over who likes who."

"You would have to agree though," Orin stated, "that Voldemort has hardly been acting characteristically."

"Voldemort hasn't been acting characteristically since the killing curse." She replied without an ounce of inflection. She had long ago stopped deluding herself that the man had come out of the ordeal unscathed. He had, in fact, in her opinion, undergone a radical personality change. Whatever humanity had been left was completely burned out of him. What was left was a man who seemed to have no conscience, no remorse, and no caring for anything save his own ambitions. In short, the man she had known, who had raised her, taught her, and loved her, was gone. Left in his place was a man who only saw her now as a tool to further his own goals.

It was that realization that had brought Katlin to the point she was today. Almost overnight she had had to decide her future and reinvent herself in order to accomplish her own goals. She no longer followed Voldemort with the same blind loyalty she used to. More to the truth, she had made herself his self-appointed keeper. She had told Orion she could do more good watching him than breaking from him completely. And over the years she had managed to divert some of his more dangerous schemes. Ones in which a great many people would have likely died. But more and more she saw even that fragile hold she had over him weaken until she had had to admit she needed help.

And that was the day she had gone to Orin Bale. Had gone to his office with her husband and told the man what he was really up against in intimate detail.

She wasn't a traitor, she had told herself over and over again. She wasn't betraying anyone. She wasn't showing disloyalty to her beliefs or the man who installed them in her. She was doing what was in his best interest. Because continuing on his radical path unchecked, he would one day be killed.

To sooth her conscience, Katlin never agreed to hand Voldemort over to the Unspeakables. She maintained his freedom would remain his. But effectively she put him in a gilded cage. Any plans he made she relayed to Orion, who in turn passed the information on to Bale. And over the years, with her help, the Unspeakables had stayed on top in the war between themselves and the Deatheaters.

But Voldemort had not been a fool. He had come to believe the Unspeakables had a spy in his midst and he became not only a man without a conscience, but a paranoid one to boot. Katlin had had to step back considerably to maintain what little trust he had left in her. In anyone, at that point. But she still managed to curtail enough of the more serious attacks to keep things from exploding into a full out war.

"I think you'll find Voldemort's attentions to Ms. Figg to be little more than a ploy to derive sympathy out of her." Katlin added as emotionlessly as she had made her last statement. "Once he has her's he'll move on to someone else. He is solidifying his forces. He knows better than anyone what we are all up against with this wizard."

"What do you know about this wizard?" Bale asked her.

"Not nearly as much as Voldemort. The Deatheaters were only his spies sent to gather information on the man. What little we could gather from the ones that returned Voldemort has been studying for months. If he tells you the man is dangerous, you can believe it. Quite frankly, if I were you, I would give him what he wants and let him deal with the man. He's the best prepared to do so."

Orion turned back to face her. "Well, unfortunately, Love, what he wants is Harry. And I, for one, am not inclined to hand the boy over to his greatest enemy for a romp across the countryside."

"Nor am I." Bale agreed. "Which is why I've come up with the following solution to that problem."

Katlin and Orion both turned back to the man.

"From everything we can tell, Voldemort and Harry should be leaving on this journey in a few days." Bale turned his attention to focus on his agent. "When they leave, Black, I want you with them."

Q&A

FAMILY RELATIONS

MasterLupin:

Well I would say that the conversiation that Harry had will placate him for a week at most, then he will become paranoid again about bella and voldemort. So far besides occasional mention and Harry's training, we haven't seen this wizard in the north. When will voldermort make his move? The longer he waits to attack the more vulnerable he becomes to attack.
Also on a psycological standpoint, Harry is reaching a percarius age, where a male rollmodle is usualy required for social/mental devlopment. Harry dosn't seem to have one at this point; his father/male figure Sirius unable to play that roll for Harry. Will Arabella notice this and seek out someone, like Remus or some other male figure to play this roll in Harry's life while Sirius can't? A thought also occures to me while I type this, Harry is reaching an age where he will have to learn to shave, could be an amusing sceen in a later chapter.

I would love to move the story along to the bits with the wizard in the north, Dear. Truly I would. But first some ground rules have to be established. Mostly, those governing the relationships involved in this story. Because without that, you guys would be seriously lost. After all, the driving force of this story is the relationships between the characters. So be patient. Voldemort is very close to making his move, as it were.

And the longer he waits to attack the more vulnerable he becomes? Not at all. There is no so great a fool as one who enters a battle unprepared. And Voldemort is by no means ready to face the wizard in the north.

No male role model? I think Orion would take serious exception to that. Granted, he isn't exactly always in the picture, but he is, after all, the father of five children. I think when he puts his mind to it, and some time, he's a fine role model. Also, Remus isn't exactly hiding in the corner. And lets not forget the first runner up n the 'best character slated for redemption in a fanfic' category, Voldemort. I think Harry has quite a few role models to look to for guidance. Granted, Voldemort is probably right there at the bottom of that list, but things have been known to change.

Now, let me just make a quick point here as well to the general populace.

Folks, do you honestly believe Voldemort is going through all of this with a happy, innocent smile on his face thinking 'Oh, I wonder what's going to happen next?'?

If so, you are seriously gullible.

The man has planned this from the start. All of it. Remember way back in Family Life? All planned, folks. And all by our favorite dark wizard. With the exception of a few random variables, he is still following a very meticulously laid out plan of action. How far it will carry him has yet to be seen, but he so far still very much in control of what he is doing.

Another scene, Dear? How long exactly do you want this story to be? It is already rivaling Family Life and Enemies for length.

Skahducky:

Well, Harry's fears are assuaged, I guess. I think this chapter was a nice reprieve from some of the action, and it focused more on Harry, which is good. Please update soon!

Yes, things have slowed down a little. But that's just a brief reprieve at best. Things are going to heat up very soon, very fast.

Silverfox:

I wonder what the birds-and-bees-talk looked like for Orion's children. ;)
(Katlin next time she runs into Arabella: "Oh, by the way, dear. If you have a moment, you might want to sit Harry down and explain the difference between conversation and intercourse.")
Sorry for being difficult, but I was getting worried about Bo's secret. Incitentally, if Voldemort doesn't know about Bo's special powers, yet, what does he think is responsible for his sudden appearance before Orion? I can't imaging he'd take unexpectantly being plucked away from wherever he was and appearing in a different place too well. I know I wouldn't and I'm a generally meek and friendly person.

I really loved your suggestion of Katlin's comment to Arabella. It was just so darned cute.

However, you do realize, of course, that intercourse can also be used as a word meaning conversation, as in 'social intercourse'.

But aside from that, as this chapter showed, Arabella and Katlin rarely sit down to afternoon tea.

As for the 'birds and the bees' talk to the kids, I believe with Orion it would start with 'Go ask your mother'.

You're never difficult, Dear.

Bo's secret? Bo has a secret? Well, isn't he just the clever boggart!

Good question! Wish I had a good answer.

Actually, I do. I never said Voldemort doesn't know about Bo's special powers. In fact, I don't I ever mentioned anything of the sort. All I have ever eluded to was that Voldemort knows that Bo is not your average boggart. First of all, he's more of a household pet to the Black family than a boggart. Secondly, he can do rather advanced magic for a boggart. Third, he obviously thinks and acts on his own volition on a slightly higher level than your average boggart. and lastly, he isn't solely bent on trying to frighten people. So, not your average boggart.

What does Voldemort think of being plucked from where he was and suddenly summoned before Orion and who does he think is responsible? You had to read a little between the lines on that scene, Dear. And it is important to the rest of the story and what happens later. Again, Voldemort knows Bo is not your average, run-of-the-mill boggart. Just what he is, Voldemort isn't completely sure, but he is compiling a list. The incident aforementioned is simply another piece he has added to that puzzle. Eventually he feels he'll gather enough pieces to make a completed picture. If you read that scene again, you'll note that at first Voldemort is rather surprised to find himself in a different place without warning, and he takes a quick survey of his surroundings, then masks any further reaction behind that oh-so-carefully constructed mask of indifferent annoyance he's so fond of. What he has actually done is taken another piece to his puzzle and fitted it into place.

Also, if you'll notice, Voldemort is quite fond of 'the puzzle' analogy, and uses it often to describe most problems he encounters. Things are, to him, little more than puzzles to be solved. And solving them is merely a process of finding all the right pieces and fitting them together in the right pattern.

All reviews are as of 11/12/2006.

And remember;

You're free today because someone else sacrificed their life for that freedom. Remember your veterans and honor them, as they deserve.