A/N: Slow week. Not much to say, except there's two chapters again this week. Part A and part B. I'm either going to have to make my chapters shorter or FFN is going to have to scale up their download size.
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 the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before this one.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE A: A NEW OFFER
Working their way through the corridors of the castle the group soon found was like trying to find your way in a maze. Corridors that they would start out in would suddenly take a sharp turn, and then another, and then another, until the group wasn't sure what direction they were headed in anymore. Only in passing the occasional window were they able to at least ascertain their direction by the position of the sun.
The other problem they encountered was more of a group leadership one. Voldemort was all for getting them out of the castle as soon as possible. Orion constantly bulked at the idea, saying that leaving before Katlin could catch up to them was not a good idea.
"It's not going to be a problem." Voldemort has stated more than once. "No matter where we go, I can summon her to us as long as I have a wand."
"And if you'll remember," Orion countered, "that wand you have is the only one we have. We need all our wands back if we're to stand a chance of defending ourselves, and that is what your Elite is suppose to be doing for us."
"And she will. But there is no need for us to stand around waiting for her. Once she has them I will summon her."
"And that wand you have isn't yours." Orion pointed out. "How do you know that once outside this castle you'll be able to use it to summon her? The last time you did it was from inside the castle."
"It'll make no difference." The dark lord stated with certainty.
"And what if the castle isn't there anymore?"
Voldemort stopped and turned to him. "Why shouldn't it be?"
Orion gave a small smile at the man's lack of memory on the subject. "As you'll recall," he answered helpfully, "this castle appeared out of nowhere, solely for our entertainment. Or more so, for the wizard's. My guess is as soon as we make our way free of it, it'll disappear again, taking your Elite with it."
Voldemort had no immediate response to the Unspeakable's belief, but from his expression it was clear he didn't like it.
"So we wait." Orion added quickly, his tone broaching no room for argument.
Voldemort frowned, but offered no opposition this time. "And what would you suggest we do in the meantime, Mr. Black?"
Almost in answer to his question, a small flash of light appeared in front of them. In it's aftermath stood a now all too familiar figure.
Orion's hands positively ached to wrap themselves around the girl's neck. But logic won out as he reminded himself that they needed her if they were ever to find this wizard and stop him. More and more, every question he posed to himself about their mysterious adversary came back to his servant. And if they were ever to find him, Orion was becoming more and more certain that the key to that task was standing before them now.
"Why are you persisting?" Becca asked in her usual louder than normal voice, spoken as though she were talking to someone truly dimwitted. "Has my master not been...?"
"More than generous." Orion finished for her. "Yes, yes. We've heard that a hundred times, Becca. Or at least once for every time you've graced us with your presence." OK. He needed her help to find the wizard. But a little sarcasm went a long way towards easing an ache.
"If your master is so generous," Voldemort quickly took over the exchange, "why did he see fit to lock us in a cage?"
Becca looked around. "You are in no cage." She stated simply. "And if you are referring to this castle, you may leave it at any time."
Voldemort jumped on the offer. "Fine. Then we wish..."
Orion grabbed the man by the arm and literally pulled him out of the way, effectively cutting off a wish Orion was sure would spell disaster for one missing member of their group.
"Becca," he ask, "why did you think we meant this castle when we said we were in a cage?"
The girl gave him a strange, confused look, then gestured around them. "Because you are not in any other cage." She replied.
"But we were." He answered her. "Your master captured us and put us there."
Becca looked at him as though she though he believed her the dimwitted one. "You are not in a cage." She stated firmly, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Not anymore." Orion replied. "We escaped."
Becca huffed at the notion. "How very fortunate for you." She stated in a tone of utter disbelief.
"But we were." A new voice spoke up from behind the two men.
Harry quickly pushed his way between Orion and Voldemort, standing finally to face the girl standing a few feet still down the corridor. "As soon as we came into the castle your master's people attacked us. We were captured and put in a cage. Why don't you believe us?"
Becca seemed at a loss for an immediate answer to the teenager's question. Instead she simply stood there for a few minutes, staring at him as though he were the most interesting thing in the whole world to her. But finally she shook herself from her trance and turned back to the group.
"My master has come to the end of his patience with you. You have continued to refuse his generous offers. I see no other answer for this situation than the one he has come up with."
Orion quickly grabbed a Harry by the shoulders and pulled him back behind him and Voldemort, directing the teenager back to the protection of Lupin and Arabella. He didn't like the sound of Becca's pronouncement one bit, and was fairly certain he knew what her master's 'answer for this situation' was. However, before he could ask Becca any further questions , Voldemort again directed to girl's attention to him.
"What is it exactly your master wants?" He ask.
Becca appeared startled by the question. But her features quickly took on a deep frown. "For you to leave. He wishes only to be left in peace."
"For what?" Orion quickly ask.
Becca stopped at the question, again taking up to simply staring back at them.
Voldemort, never being one for inaction, took a step towards her, the stolen wand prominently displayed in his hand as he glared back at her. "If your master wants peace, I can promise him that should he continue on his present course of actions, that is the last thing he will have. He has come into my land, tried to establish himself as some upstart to my rule, killed my people, and he states he wants peace? Well, I have a message for your master, girl. You tell him the one who needs to leave is him. If he leaves, I can promise no further harm will come to him."
The girl regarded the dark lord's speech with at best a bored expression. "My master has no interest in you or your 'rule', Voldemort, Lord of the Deatheaters. Such things are beneath him. However, he does respect you. And he respects your power. Therefore, and since you feel he has wronged you, he is willing to make a bargain with you."
Orion wasn't sure he liked this new direction that things were going in, but he had to admit he was interested enough to stay silent for the moment and see what direction Voldemort would move in.
"What bargain?" Voldemort ask in a flat, hard voice.
"My master has no interest in you or in your rule, Lord Voldemort. He says that you may leave now. Go back to where you came from with no further harm to you. He will leave you in the peace you desire. All he asks in return is that you leave the boy here."
Voldemort paused as though actually considering the offer. "And the others?" He ask finally.
Becca paused for a moment, but then in one even movement raised her wand, pointing it in an unquestionably straight line at the woman standing behind him. "They are to be killed."
"No!"
Without a seconds hesitation, Voldemort turned and grabbed Arabella around the waist, pulling her down as the spell cut by her shoulder. Pulling quickly back around, Voldemort now faced the girl with absolute fury in his eyes.
"Worthless filth!" He sneered at her, bringing the wand he held back up. "You try that again...try harming anyone here again, and you will feel the vengeance of Lord Voldemort! Now," he stated fiercely, pointing the wand at her, "you go back to your master, and you tell him that Voldemort, Lord of the Deatheaters, will not be bargained with. If he wants a bargain, I will give him one. He may surrender to me now, with his nest of rats, and I will see that they all are given a swift and painless death. Otherwise, he may rest assured that I have started on my course and I intend to finish it. And when I come to him, he will know my displeasure. And I will take a great deal of delight in seeing just how long it takes him to die."
"Do you honestly ever listen to yourself?" Orion put in briefly before Becca answered Voldemort's challenge.
The stare the girl leveled on Voldemort was the coldest she could muster. "My master does not fear you, Lord Voldemort." She hissed back at him. "And he will defend what is his. Do not underestimate him, nor overestimate yourself. Stop this now, while you still can, while my master is still of a generous mood." She quickly turned her attention back to the group as a whole. "Leave the boy and you may all return to your homes safely. No further harm will come to you."
Arabella quickly drew Harry back to her as Voldemort once again addressed the girl.
"Does your master think it is that easy? Separate me from his Secretkeeper and it ends there?" He took several more steps towards the girl. "Well, I have news for him, and for you, little witch. I don't need the boy any longer to find your master. The path is clear enough that a child could follow it. For every time we get closer, he sends you out to try and dissuade us from going on. He has fought his best, it seems, to make this quest as easy for us as he can."
Becca stood her ground. "Then give us the boy." She stated.
"No." came the instant reply.
Becca smiled at the answer. "You still need him."
"No." Voldemort answered calmly. "But you can not have him just the same."
"Because you still need him." She answered smugly.
Voldemort fixed a cold stare on the girl. "Because he is mine." He answered quietly. "And I protect what is mine."
Becca seemed to consider his statement for a moment before turning her attention back to them all. "So be it," was all she said before she disappeared.
The group stood in silence for a moment. But finally it was Harry who spoke up.
"I don't get it." He said, causing Voldemort to turn his attention back to him. "What's he trying to prove?"
Voldemort turned to the teenager, arching one eyebrow as he stared down at him. "Prove?"
Harry turned his attention to the older wizard. "This man is suppose to be some great, powerful wizard." He stated. "So why doesn't he just..."
"Get it over with?" Voldemort supplied as Harry searched for the right word.
Harry nodded. "It's like we're just rats in his maze and he's playing with us."
"Or testing us." Voldemort stated.
"Testing?"
"What better way to defeat your enemy than to know his strengths going into battle?"
"So what strength was he trying to prove here?"
"Loyalty." Orion answered. "He's trying to sort out where our group is weak and that's where he'll likely attack."
Voldemort turned to the Unspeakable. "Astute, Mr. Black." He stated. "Truly, your powers of observation never cease to amaze me."
"My question," Orion answered the older wizard, "is why did you give him what you did?"
"He's looking for a leader." Voldemort replied. "I gave him one."
"Which means he's all the more likely to focus his attacks on you from now on."
Voldemort gave the man a mirthless smile. "Worried for my safety, Mr. Black?"
"Try my brother's." Orion answered. "Whatever happens to you, happens to Sirius. Getting yourself killed will only effective kill him as well."
The man's smile vanished, replaced by a cold hard line. "Touching." He replied.
"It wasn't meant to be." Orion pointed out. "But on that note, I want to talk to my brother."
Voldemort looked slightly affronted. "For what reason?"
"First off, to simply know he is all right."
"He is" Came the short reply.
"I'd like to hear it from him. And secondly, I want to hear his take on all of this."
"All of this?"
"Sirius is a master strategist, Voldemort. I want his take on what this wizard has done so far. So if you'd be so kind..."
Again the older wizard looked totally affronted. "You think I know nothing about strategy?" He snapped back. "I have been leading the Deatheaters for years. I built my power up from nothing but a child's dreams. That, Mr. Black, took planning and intelligence, the likes of which I am sure your brother has yet to match in his scant few years as opposed to my experience."
"So sure of that, are you?" Orion replied flatly.
Voldemort fixed his gaze on the younger man. "Fine. I hope it affords you at least something for the effort this costs me."
"Trust me, it will." Orion answered as he watched the exchange take place.