March 2006, Malfoy Manor
Draco held up his Marked arm. Astoria could now see the Dark Mark clearly. It was now grey, almost black.
"Who's Summoning you?"
He shook his head. "The Dark Lord died at the hands of Potter," he said shakily. "Not even he... could come back from the dead. I've seen it with my own two eyes."
Suddenly, he grimaced again. "It feels like it's burning," he gasped.
"Surely not," Astoria said, and came over. The serpent was contorting, but after a second the movement stopped.
They looked at each other. "Probably... Someone else," said Draco. "Another Dark wizard or witch. Who else would have given the order to Greyback to maul Father?"
"Maybe the bloody werewolf himself?" she suggested.
"No, I knew him. He has passably no free will in these matters. Yes, he bites children at the full moon, but mauling requires much more energy in the human form. Someone is controlling him and the other escapees."
March 2006, Lestrange Manor Graveyard
Cassiopeia unscrewed the cap of the Butterbeer bottle and poured the entire contents in the hole she had dug. She knelt beside it and started chanting in Ancient Greek. The ghost beside her shifted uncomfortably. "My Lady –"
"Shut your trap, Bellerophoron," snapped Cassiopeia, giving him a glare so much that he shivered, his form rippling. "Unless you want me to summon you back into the Fields of Punishment?"
"N-no, my Lady," murmured the youth. "Of course not."
She restarted her ritual. Ghosts appeared, drinking out of the hole. "One at the time," she ordered. "The guy in front, come to your mistress."
The ghost that floated forward was that of a man with bloody robes and long black hair.
"Tell me, Snape," said Cassiopeia in an unctuous voice, "What is your attack plan against my army?"
He shook his head with difficulty. "I can't tell you."
"You're helpful," hissed the woman dangerously. "Fine, I won't need your help. My spies can do their job, then."
She pointed her wand at him, and his form shimmered, and then dissipated.
"You there," she gestured to the tall woman that greatly resembled her. "Bellatrix."
The ghost widened her heavily lidded eyes. "Yes, daughter," she murmured.
"Go to Malfoy Manor. I want you to capture the image and bring it back here, in the Lestrange Manor Graveyard. I want to see how bad Lucius is."
She nodded and disappeared. Cassiopeia gestured at the ghostly form of a portly man with fair hair.
"You, Mudblood, go to Dirigible Plum Bungalow. I need an image of Luna Lovegood, daughter of Athena."