14. Fire Flies and Empty Skies
The remaining months of sixth year seemed to pass in a haze, as classes became increasingly intense for the N.E.W.T students, and final exams began to approach. The miserable mix of sleet and rain that accompanied February and March became a long, drawn-out deluge throughout April. When May finally arrived, bringing with it fantastically blue skies and warm, spirit-lifting sun, the sixth years had become permanently confined to the library and their common rooms. Many could not be seen behind the stacks of books and parchment that towered around them. The Great Hall was unnaturally silent at mealtimes, as students quickly stuffed food into their mouths, took leftovers for later, and rushed back out to continue studying. Severus had been forced to drop Isadora's tutoring sessions to twice a month instead of once a week due to the dramatic increase of homework they were both receiving. While they continued to spend time together, they rarely spoke. Half the time, Isadora couldn't even see Severus over the wall of books he had built around himself.
It was no surprise to Isadora when Severus returned to the common room one rainy April afternoon, his robes soaked through but his face a little brighter than usual – he had passed his Apparition test on the first go. Although he couldn't show off his skill inside the castle grounds, he had promised to make as many impromptu visits to Isadora's house over the summer as he could manage without being Splinched.
June arrived faster than anticipated. Isadora wasn't sure if the Easter holidays had even happened, or when classes had officially stopped meeting to begin the hellish week that was exam time. She saw Regulus as often as possible, but as he was in the midst of studying for his O.W.L's, their meetings were usually brief. Isadora watched as, between study breaks, Regulus would bury his nose in the Daily Prophet, scouring the newspaper for any sign of Lord Voldemort's recent activity. Her boyfriend had begun to create a scrapbook of sorts, clipping out any article related to the Dark Lord and treating it as though it were gold. He was becoming more obsessed than most of the sixth and seventh years.
After several days of endless pleading, Severus had finally consented to a last-minute study session with Isadora the night before their Potions exam. She knew she would have no trouble on the written section of the exam; her knowledge of the theory was solid. It was the practical side of the exam she was terrified of. Even after three hours of practicing with one of the best Potions students Hogwarts had seen in a decade, Isadora felt she was nowhere near prepared. She would have preferred to stay longer; however, Severus had threatened to Body-Bind her if she demanded he teach her anything more that night.
Miraculously, her cauldron did not explode the next morning, when she added the final ingredient to her Draught of Living Death. She had given up on keeping her hair in its usual bun after ten minutes; when Professor Slughorn came around to check her potion, several thick strands were hanging down across her shoulders. Her fringe was sticking to her forehead, which was coated in a thin layer of sweat from standing over a steaming cauldron for over an hour. After Slughorn had jotted down a few notes, he gave her a wink and told her she was allowed to leave. Isadora rushed out of the humid dungeon, up the stairs to the entrance hall, and out into the courtyard, where a gentle breeze was toying with the remaining leaves from last fall. Severus was lurking in a corner, which she quickly joined.
It seemed impossible when she woke up to her packed trunk, her exam results still lying on the floor where they had fallen out of her hand the night before. She had passed everything, including Potions, with flying colors. An odd sort of relief fell over her as she made her way down to the Hogwarts Express with her fellow Slytherins, on their way back home after another year of school had finally ended. This time, though, she sat with Severus and Regulus instead of Scarlett and Callum; the two boys in her compartment discussed the Dark Arts for the majority of the ride back to London, until Avery came looking for Severus, who excused himself and did not reappear for the remainder of the trip. Isadora didn't mind his absence too much, for it gave her some much-needed alone time with Regulus.
A feeling of absolute freedom washed over Isadora when she woke on the morning of July first: she was finally seventeen, finally of age, and finally allowed to do magic outside of Hogwarts. She found herself wishing she already had her Apparition license – it seemed like such a long walk from her bedroom to the kitchen. She snatched up her wand and used a Summoning Charm to bring her jumper over from the closet; she was so excited, the force of the spell made the jumper smack her in the face.
"Happy birthday, darling!" Adelaide cried when Isadora finally descended the stairs to the first floor. Several presents were laid out on the kitchen table, which Isadora immediately began to tear into as her tea went cold. She received a beautiful set of gold earrings from her mother; a dark mahogany wand case from her grandparents in Scotland; a silver ring with a black stone embedded in it from Regulus; a small globe that hovered in midair and turned of its own accord from Severus; and a set of ornately embroidered black robes from her father. When Isadora glanced at Zachary with confusion upon opening his gift, he smiled knowingly and returned to reading his paper.
Adelaide made a quick call through the Floo Network to the Apparition Office at the Ministry to find out when the next available test date was. Isadora immediately signed up for July twelfth, confident she would pass on the first go. She had taken extra lessons in Hogsmeade throughout April and May.
"Isadora, could you come here for a moment?" her father called from his study after she had gotten dressed.
She gently pushed the door open and glided into the brightly-lit room beyond. Books lined the walls and several candles floated freely above the desk she approached, similar to the candles that constantly illuminated the Great Hall at Hogwarts. Zachary Starbuck was seated on the opposite side of the desk, a letter clutched in his hand. "Yes?" Isadora asked, taking a seat in one of the soft leather chairs. Her father smiled and passed the letter across the desk to her. After a quick read, the warmth drained from her face, and she felt sick. "Today?" she whispered, her voice quivering.
"He wants to meet you as soon as possible," Zachary answered. "You obviously won't be taking the Mark today, as you're still under the eye of Dumbledore while you're at school. But you will need to be blindfolded," he held up a strip of black fabric, "as the Dark Lord does not want anyone knowing the location of his hideout."
Isadora could feel her hands shaking as she gripped the arms of the chair. "What – what do I say? How am I supposed to act?" she asked, her voice barely making it out of her throat.
Zachary moved from behind the desk and took his daughter's hand, pulling her out of the chair and forcing her to stand. "You must bow. Do not speak until he addresses you," he explained as he draped the blindfold over her eyes. "He appreciates it when you kiss his robes. In fact, I insist that you do this. Do not break his gaze; he considers it weak if you cannot hold eye contact with him. And you must not lie."
Isadora could feel the grave importance of her father's words as he tightened the knot holding the fabric over her eyes. She felt him kiss her gently on the forehead, and clutch her hand tightly in his. "Are we Apparating?" she asked, but before the words had fully escaped her mouth, she felt the uncomfortable tightness in her chest, forcing the air out of her lungs as they traveled through nothing to some unknown location.
When she could breathe again, she heard the echo of dozens of other voices chatting away. Several greeted Zachary as he removed Isadora's blindfold. When her sight refocused, she realized she was standing in a large hall, surrounded by Death Eaters. They were all clad in black robes, each with a unique design embroidered into the fabric. Her father's gift suddenly made sense: he had given her the robes she would wear once she was in the service of the Dark Lord.
Zachary pinched Isadora's arm as a hush fell over the room. Seemingly from nowhere, a hooded figure appeared. By the way the Death Eaters immediately lowered their heads in respect, Isadora knew Lord Voldemort had just entered the hall. She dropped her head and stared at the floor, her heart pounding.
"Miss Starbuck," a snake-like voice said quietly from under the hood. "At last, we meet."
Isadora instinctively dropped to her knees and kissed the hem of the Dark Lord's robes. She noticed out of the corner of her eye that her father did the same. "It is an honor, my Lord," she whispered, forcing her voice to remain strong. She had thought endlessly about this moment, discussed it in detail with both Severus and Regulus, but she had never been able to imagine just how thrilled – and terrified – she would truly feel when the time came to meet the Dark Lord.
"Please," he said, and she felt his ice-cold fingertips lift her chin and pull her back onto her feet. He patted her gently on the shoulder.
A shudder ran down her spine as Isadora continued to stare at the floor, unsure of where else to look. Her face was flushed, even though the rest of her body was freezing.
"I have heard many things about you, Isadora," Lord Voldemort started, pacing slowly in a circle. "Your skills at cartography have been a subject of much conversation between myself and your father."
"Thank you, my Lord," Isadora said, trying to sound much braver than she felt.
"I have asked your father to bring you here today so I may offer you a place among our ranks, one you have graduated," the Dark Lord explained, his voice seeming to never rising above a whisper.
"I – I plan on accepting your offer, my Lord," Isadora stammered. She felt her father's warm hand on her shoulder.
"Excellent!" Voldemort clapped his hands together, which seemed to startle several Death Eaters. Isadora was so shocked by this exclamation that her head snapped up, and for a moment she and the Dark Lord locked eyes, fey violet gazing fearfully into snake-like red. "I look forward to seeing you again soon," he said smoothly.
And like that, it was over. The Dark Lord swept silently from the hall, disappearing as quickly as he had appeared. After several anxious moments, the Death Eaters resumed their talking, as if the most powerful Dark wizard they had ever seen hadn't just been in the room. Isadora watched as her father spoke to some of the Death Eaters nearest them. She couldn't shake the fear still pumping through her veins, nor the shiver that seemed to have nestled in her spine. She found herself desperate to escape the hall and return home, to the comfort of her bed.
Without warning, her father came up from behind her and replaced the blindfold over her eyes. A yelp caught in her throat as he whispered, "You did wonderfully," and grasped her hand in his. After a few uncomfortable, breathless seconds, they were standing in the garden, and Isadora welcomed the warmth of the sun on her face more than she ever had before.