The Servants' News

The two men quarrelled quietly as they walked on the stone passage, lit by only torches of regular and eerie, greenish fire. Water dripped from over their heads; distant howls and barks could be heard from overhead.

Their eyes, a pale blue that was almost grey and a muddy brown, posed on their final destination; a platform made of reddish rock, where an onyx throne, shining with the reflection of a three-headed dog, stood. There were gold carvings on it, of gory battle scenes, and most dramatic deaths. Statues of women and men that the servants knew, somehow, were depictions of goddesses and gods, seemingly stared at them with blank, unknowing eyes.

Behind the throne and the statues, already so queer themselves, stood the men's mistress, staring at her reflection in a nearby underground pool. The men did not even so glance at it; they preferred their mistress's face hooded, to be frank – not that she wasn't good-looking, far from it; her eyes alone had an uncommon charisma, and her voice wielded more talent than it seemed. No, they were scared; scared that they would be punished most severely for it – she was an unstable woman who could be even deemed mad.

Once arrived, they kneeled, their eyes on the floor. The first man swallowed audibly; the second contented himself with holding his breath slightly.

"Where is the boy?"

The cold, yet sweet voice sounded. There was a tiny movement; her long-lashed dark eyes posed on her servants, especially on the brown-eyed, swallowing man. Twirling a lock of her hair, she curled her lip as sweat broke onto the man's forehead; she smiled, like a she-wolf viewing her prey.

"He escaped, my Lady," mumbled Argus Filch. "Longbottom was in the corridor, patrolling at the time. He has suspicions."

"Naturally," she yawned. "Who would not, Filch? He was formerly an Auror; he fought against the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters; you would have given too much away; was he making much noise, Yaxley?"

Yaxley's heart sank slightly. He had worked for a mad master before, and so he knew what to expect; the messenger always had the worst. He had been blasted several times for delivering messages, as his friend Dolohov had; two Death Eaters, newly recruited after the beginning of the second war, Hyde and Cameron, had even been killed in the Dark Lord's mad fury. However, Filch seemed to be fine; he was the first, and so the first to get punished if news got bad, he reasoned.

"He was cackling excitedly," Yaxley answered uncertainly. "He also took much time – his handcuffs were resting in his quarters – the boy was alone for a short while – many factors, my Lady."

"Your organisation skills are horrible," was the reply. "I should not have trusted you, Yaxley, Filch. Do you know how incompetent you two are?" She sneered; they saw her face for another second before she turned and stared at herself once more with a curl of her lip. "I should have sent Dolores – at least she can incapacitate children competently."

"She's morbidly obese," muttered Yaxley.

"Do you know what failure calls for?" she said softly, her voice sweet and deadly. "Punishment. Get up and face it like a man, Filch."

Argus Filch had no choice; with a tremble, he stood up, his hands shaking, his face white. Yaxley kept his head bowed; he had seen a fair share of comrades being tortured; he did not feel compassion anymore, he relished in others' pain; he just hoped he did not have to suffer a similar fate.

Then came the ever popular "Crucio!"

The poor, defenceless Squib writhed on the floor, screaming. She kept her wand pointed at her servant, a smile on her cruel face; Filch's screams echoed in the cave as Yaxley's forehead sweated. After a few minutes, she let go; Filch was on the floor, breathing in pants, like a small animal in distress.

"Have you learnt your lesson, Filch?"

"Yes! Yes!"

"Yes, my Lady!"

Another round of the Cruciatus that would have made any sane person sick-

"Please! Mercy! Mercy! Yes, my Lady!"

The Dark Lady turned from the man, pale and shaking hard, to the blunt-faced man beside him. "And what do you have to report, Yaxley, beside news of the failure at capturing the boy? Do you have anything to report on your children?"

"Yes, my Lady," Yaxley bowed. "My youngest daughter, Mathilda, has been adopted by the Muggle couple I've spoken of. My other daughter, Colleen, is still in the care of the state, from what I've heard most recently – she will be ten soon. My son-"

"Your daughters will be glad to join with us, to escape the morbid life among Muggles, and discover magic," she interrupted. "I am however concerned about your son, Yaxley. You do know that he will never join our cause, do you?"

"Pardon, my Lady?"

"I have heard that he is ashamed of his ancestry; ashamed of what his father and his Death Eaters had done, and Lord Voldemort also," she laughed. "Really, Yaxley, what were you thinking? Did you even think of her mother's blood traitor status, before you conceived your first child?"

"I had thought," Yaxley said cautiously, "that you did not care for blood's purity, only talent and usefulness, my Lady?"

"Are you trying to politely contradict me, Yaxley?"

"No, my Lady!"

"Your son's mother, she must have told him something, man, because he's ashamed. How old is he, again?"

"He is nine years old, my Lady. He will attend Hogwarts in two years."

"I can count, you idiotic servant," she sneered. "Very well; you'll continue watching him, and your daughters."

Yaxley nodded and fumbled with his robes, looking at the floor still. "Are you... Are you ready for the kidnapping, my Lady?"

He was not too sure if he was allowed a question. However, she did not get angry, as the Dark Lord would have done, and so he was relieved. He waited for her reply.

"Which one, Yaxley?"

"Of him."

"Not yet, I'm not. I think I'll go get her first – it'll be funny to see him run the school..." She snickered. "The bumbling idiot, like his parents before him... A pity, really." Her dark eyes posed on Filch. "Yaxley, leave me now; bring Filch back to the school, check that the curse's still working – make him write down the incantation of Protego reverso onto a sheet, and let him leave it in that pig's quarters. Hurry – Dolores will come to see me soon – she has news of her spying to report."

Yaxley bowed. "Yes, my Lady."

Hope this wasn't too confusing :P

So we have our villain. A Dark witch. Any guesses at her identity?

Next up is a few jumbled snapshots of the first week at Hogwarts - of Scorpius, Al, and Rose, of course. After that, it'll be a meeting with the Aurors. And then... the drama officially begins as someone is kidnapped.

By the way, thanks for the reviews and the like! :)

To Anonymous: Nico, unfortunately, will appear a bit later; close to Christmas, I'd say.