Ch 13-When One Door Closes A Window Opens

Artemis returned to his new flat and began searching for this Phineas Greene, as well as searching archives, newspapers, and so on to try and find some reference to the mystery Malfoy boy. However with no success, there didn't seem to be a reference anywhere concerning who he was, or even if he was a Malfoy, it could be that he's a friend of the family. He didn't look like the classic Malfoy though. He had a thinner face, and short hair; the Malfoys encouraged longer wavy, blonde hair. He was sad to see that in the picture Lucius had lost his familiar smile, and energy. No doubt being Abraxas son for 25 years does more than leave a bruise. He now had the same sinister and disgusted smile his father had. Being a magical painting, the figures moved in their space, this means that they not only show the expression they were showing at the time, but also what they were feeling, by their subtle expressions and movements. This means the painter has to be especially talented in order to capture those feelings in the portrait. He could see Adora, faking a smile, pretending to be happy, and then there was Abraxas showing his usual smirk and Lucius now with the same expression, but this mystery boy seemed like his mother; longing, sad, and tormented.

Finding Phineas Greene was considerably easier though, apparently one of the most skilled wizard artists of our time. Charges a pretty penny for his paintings though. Although he seems to travel for most of his portraits he has a studio just outside of Hogsmeade village. He sent out Amicus and began to make his way out. Winter was approaching and the snow had begun to fall these past few days. Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade were very beautiful when covered with a blanket of snow. Just outside the village there stood a circular cabin, like a giant octagon with a circular peaked roof. This reminded him of the gamekeepers hut at Hogwarts. He approached the front door and knocked with no answer, he tried again with no success. The door was unlocked, and Artemis unsheathed his wand and entered. The inside was extraordinary; paintings covering every inch of the walls, not a bare spot of wall anywhere. There were standing portraits and paintings on stands that cluttered the whole inside of the cabin. Tarps laid periodically throughout the hut and stands filled with brushes and paints and other magical objects were laid about. Artemis felt quite awkward due to the fact that all the people in the hundreds of paintings were staring at him and not all of them friendly stares either. One of them spoke to him, and he was unable to spot which painting it was at first.

"Who are you?" Came the raspy old voice of some old wizard from a painting just above eye level next to the door. Although he felt ridiculous, Artemis responded to the man in the painting.

"I'm looking for Phineas Greene, is he home?"

"What do you want with our Finny eh?" This voice was that of an elderly woman from behind him.

"I just want to speak to him about a portrait he did", another voice came from a painting of what looked like an English general standing tall and chest puffed out. Just below the old woman. His voice was deep and very proper.

"Well he's not home; I dare say we haven't seen him in awhile. Out shopping for paints and all that, artist you know."

"Do you know when he might be back?" A voice from another wall echoed out, this one of a professor standing behind a desk filled with vials and potions. He had he look of a mad scientist.

"What's eeh on bout now?"

"Wants to know where Finny's gone to." said the old woman.

"Not here is he now? Responded the professor. A little girl from a painting low to the ground spoke out now.

"I do miss him though, but he's gone for some supper." Artemis asked out of curiosity.

"But he said he was out getting paints?" The paintings were all shifting about now. The general spoke in.

"That's what she meant, slip of the tongue old chap. Only a little one you see." Artemis could see all the paintings shifting their eyes around to one another. He came across a painting of a man in a plaid suit, with a large polka dot bow tie and large bug-eyes glasses. He was shifting his eyes the most, even sweating. Artemis approached this painting and saw him shaking.

"How bout you, do you have any idea where he is?" Artemis asked with a smile. Another painting tried to stop him from answering.

"Oh he's...a...a mute! Cant say a word can you?"

"Nope I cant! Blast!" The other paintings were shifting around now and mumbling to one another. As Artemis focused in on him he became increasingly nervous and red.

"Any idea where he is?" said Artemis. With lips trembling the painting tried responding.

"Nnnnn...nnnnn...nnnnnnoooo?" Artemis saw his eyes shifting and they locked on to something. Artemis turned round to see a figure moving through the stands and paintings. The old woman screamed.

"He's on to ya Finny! Run!" A man pushed aside to paintings he was hiding behind and bolted for the door, running right past Artemis. All the paintings were yelling.

"Run old boy!"

"Get outta here mate!"

"Run Finny run!" The man nearly got to the door, when Artemis threw a charm at his feet causing him to stumble. Artemis walked over to the man he assumed to be Phineas Greene and picked him up by his collar and slammed him against a painting in which the occupant ran out of his frame. Phineas repeatedly protested.

"Look, I'm sorry. Tell Jordan I'll have his money by next week. I swear!"

"I'm not here for your money" said Artemis with a somewhat clearer understanding of why he was hiding.

"Oh", said Phineas, "Well then, how can I help you?" He flashed a big phony smile. Artemis dropped him and he crumbled onto the floor. He wasn't exceptionally tall, but he was thin and shifty looking. He had square glasses, and wore a horizontally striped long sleeve sweater. One stripe of dark green, the other light green, even his pants were green. Clearly he got too much of a kick out of his last name being a color. His hair was short brown and spiked at the front. He was a young man too, probably no more than twenty.

"So would you like a portrait done? I'm afraid I'm a little swamped at the moment, but if you come back another time I'm sure we could..."

"I want to know who this is", Artemis showed Phineas the miniature portrait of the Malfoys he had duplicated the other night. Artemis pointed at the face of the mystery boy.

"I don't know", said Phineas innocently. Artemis could see in his eyes he was lying. So Artemis grabbed him by the collar again and slammed him into the wall just as before.

"Tell me who he is, and I'll at least let you live." Phineas became very scared, but as if even more scared to tell the truth he lied once again.

"I dunno, I swear!" Artemis was starting to loose his patience and as a result he lifted Phineas by the collar he held onto and threw him into a collection of stands that littered the shack. Toppling several paintings and stands as his body was thrown into the mass of clutter. Artemis thrusted aside the things on the floor with his wand and approached Phineas again. He picked him up again.

"WHO IS HE?" As astonishing as it sounds Phineas lied yet again.

"I don't know." Artemis threw Phineas yet again, hitting the wall and slumping down to the floor.

"Perhaps the Cruciatus curse will jog your memory." Artemis pulled out his wand, and Phineas arm shot out in protest.

"Wait! Wait! Wait! I know who he is?" the young artist composed himself and came to a stand.

"Tell me", said Artemis.

"I can't", Artemis once again was getting very impatient. He rushed up to him and grabbed him and once again pointed his wand; pressing it into his cheek. "You don't understand they'll kill me."

"I'll kill you! Now tell me who he is!" There was a pause that lingered in the air as Phineas contemplated telling the truth.

"Alright, alright I'll tell you but you have to prote..." a green arc of light shot through the window above the sink and struck Phineas in the back. His eyes went up and he fell forward, his dead body flopped into Artemis' arms. Through the window Artemis could see a man, standing in the snow with his long flowing black robes contrasting the pure white outside. He saw him with a wand in his hand standing at a distance. Was it Tom? Artemis threw the body aside and climbed the sink and threw himself through the window and bolted for the man. Just before Artemis could raise his wand and stop him, the man spun his cloak round and disapparated and was gone.

Artemis turned over Greene's cabin all the while his paintings were shouting at him. He found nothing though. From what he was able to get out of some of the paintings Phineas was quite the gambler. It appears he painted the Malfoy's portrait in order to settle a gambling debt he had with Abraxas. There were a number of people who wanted him dead, but how curious that it should happen while Artemis had come to see him, and that he was killed just as he was about to tell him who the other person in the painting was. This couldn't be a coincidence, he needed answers and for now the trail had run cold. Nothing he could find led him to where Tom was hiding, or where Adora was. His answer did not come until later that night.

Artemis had returned to his flat defeated, not knowing where he would begin his search. He searched all his documents and records again for any reference to the Malfoy's or another child; nothing, at all. He found plenty of references to Abraxas, Adora, and Lucius; even Dobby was mentioned in an article about the hard lives of house elves. No mention at all to another child, or a cousin, or someone who came to live with them. Nothing! It was all so frustrating; Artemis sat at his desk rubbing his head. It was nearly one o' clock in the morning. As much as he wanted to keep working he needed rest. He made sure his flat was locked and secure, and laid down and went to sleep.

Artemis did something he hadn't really done in awhile. He dreamed, about Adora mostly. He was in the country, where Broderick had sent him after he took his powers. It was a bright and sunny day, and the gleam of the sunlight reflected off Adora's beautiful blonde hair. He was sitting with her on a swing on the porch of a beautiful white house. Lucius was still as he had remembered a young vibrant five year old playing in the yard. There were no words but Adora was sitting with him, her head rested on his chest, and she looked up at him into his eyes and he smiled, and she smiled back. Suddenly the sky grew dark and the sunlight disappeared. Artemis saw the clouds roll in and the thunder boomed and the lightening arched across the sky. He looked down and saw Lucius had changed; he was now as he had seen him in the picture. Fully grown and smiling sinisterly, he had in his hand Abraxas' snake cane, and pulled out his wand and pointed it straight at him. Artemis clutched Adora to protect her, but when he looked down at her she had changed. Held in his arms now was none other than Tom, Voldemort, smiling menacingly. Artemis awoke with a start and could feel Amicus pecking at his cheek.

At first he was irritated at this interruption, but then Amicus pointed his beak for the bedroom door. Under the door there came a faint light that was growing closer and closer. Artemis immediately rose himself out of bed, and grabbed his wand. He positioned himself next to his door, flat against the wall wand pointed for the door. The light under the door was growing brighter and brighter. Soon whoever this was would be upon him. He heard the footsteps climbing the stair and then just outside his door. The steps halted just outside his door, he expected something clever. Some kind of spell, but he simply opened the door and started walking through the door. The light at the end of his wand illuminated the room dimly, but in the dark of the night it was difficult to see who it was as he was facing away from him, but he was shorter than Artemis and he was thin. This couldn't be Tom, who was as tall as Artemis. This mystery intruder made his way for Artemis bed. Artemis pointed his wand right for the back of his head.

"Drop it." the person gave a terrified gasp, and muttered to himself.

"Oh God", he dropped his wand which landed with repeated clinks on the floor. "Please don't hurt me." he said in a horrified tone.

"Shut up", Artemis said forcefully as he grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him across the room. He began to whimper with fear, and he pulled him to the window. Artemis peered out from cover. The snow covered streets of Diagon Alley were deserted. He forced him down on his knees and pointed his wand right for his bowed head. His hands were raised in surrender, and he was trembling.

"Please don't kill me."

"Who sent you?"

"I...I can't tell you."

"Well, goodbye then."

"No! No wait! Voldemort sent me I'm a death eater." This boy pulled up his sleeve and revealed a tattoo on his forearm of a skull with a snake coming out of the mouth.

"So you work for Tom."

"Who's Tom?"

"Where is Tom? I mean where is Voldemort?"

"He's...he's at...his mansion in Little Hangleton, the Riddle Mansion."

"Thanks much, now goodbye."

"Wait, but I told you!"

"And now youre going to die."

"No Wait! I can help you! I know all about Voldemort's operation, all his partners, his supporters, his bases of operation everything! I can help you!"

Artemis prepared his wand, but stopped. He had a thought, he thought of himself years ago. He saw himself in him, he couldn't have been more than sixteen, and he was scrawny with short greased up hair. Why would Tom send this pathetic young boy to defeat him? He realized that he was just like him, a lamb led to slaughter, not expected to return. He lowered his wand. He had an idea. "If you're so willing to change sides why should I trust you?"

"Because you're gonna kill him aren't you. I like being on the winning side." Artemis smiled and looked down at the boy.

"I may have use for you. You will be my spy from within his organization." Artemis smiled and then looked back down at the boy. "What is your name?

"Hawksworth, Xavier Hawksworth." Artemis had heard of the Hawksworth family, a wealthy pure blood family.

"Your father is Dedalus Hawksworth yes?"

"Yeah" he said sullenly.

"He know about this little nightcap?"

"Yeah, he suggested it actually." Artemis felt compelled to tell him.

"You should know he sent you here to die."

"What? No he didn't", Xavier said with disbelief.

"What chance did you really have against me? I'm more powerful than you can ever imagine. He sent you here to die, believe me I know."

"He didn't send me to die, I volunteered. I wasn't ready."

"But I'll bet that didn't stop him from signing you up for this little assignment." Xavier just sat there, defeated. Facing the inevitable truth but in denial. Denial that his own father had sent him to his death, conspired together with Tom; just as Abraxas had done with Tom to send him to Broderick, knowing that he would be defeated. "It seems you have a vendetta, a score to settle just as I do. Join me and together we will make them pay. You find the targets, and ill take them out. We'll make hit Tom where it hurts. Are you in?" The boy seemed to contemplate the prospect of revenge, and then he grinned.

"Yes." Artemis returned a smile and then offered his hand and helped Xavier to his feet. They shook hands and then Artemis remembered something. He went to his desk and grabbed the small copy of the Malfoy portrait. He pointed to the mystery boy in the painting.

"Do you know who this is?"

"Amadeus? Yeah, that's Abraxas other boy, Lucius' younger brother."

"How much younger?"

"Bout five years." Artemis figured he was born about twenty years ago; just as he had left.

"Why can't I find any records of him?"

"Well Abraxas liked to keep him all under wraps, didn't like all those rumors about him not being a real Malfoy, probably the hair I guess; only Malfoy ever not to have bleached blonde hair. Voldemort keeps him pretty secret too, along with his mother." Artemis looked up from the picture wide eyed.

"Adora?"

"Yeah, moved into the Riddle Mansion with her two boys when Abraxas got sick."

"You're sure she' still there?"

"Yeah I'm sure", Artemis thought that once he had killed Abraxas Adora would be free from the obedience curse laid by her parents. Perhaps Tom kept her prisoner, or maybe she had finally been broken. This thought broke his heart that maybe her spirit had died. He couldn't be sure though. Xavier broke his train of thought. "So what should I do?"

"For now, go back, tell them you couldn't find me", he called for Amicus who flew to his arm. "Look for this raven with the purple eyes, and give this to Adora, but make sure you are not seen." Artemis fished through his bag and pulled out Adora's emerald heart necklace she had given him all those years ago. "Tell her I'm coming for her."

"Alright, I will", Artemis glared at Xavier and paced toward him leading him into the wall.

"Be warned, if you cross me, or tell Tom of my whereabouts, you will suffer more than you can possibly imagine. You will beg for the sweet release of death, and only then will I be merciful enough to grant it. Understand?" With this word Xavier's back hit the wall and he fearfully shook his head. "Good, now get out of here, and don't forget your wand." Xavier scrambled and picked up his wand and began to head out the door.

"Xavier, when you see the Raven, come to me, and don't be late." Xavier just shook his head and made his way out of the room and down the stairs. Out the window Artemis saw Xavier make his way down the lonely snowy road of the alley. "Well Amicus, it seems we have a third now. Only time will tell if he'll be worth keeping alive." Artemis pet Amicus soft feathers, then smiled and went back to bed.