The Broken Children
-Cassiopeia-
"Mummy loves you," she whispers, pressing her lips to her son's brow before placing him in her mother's arms. He gurgles at her, fat fists reaching up to try and pull at her hair, causing her to smile wanly as she relinquishes her grasp on him.
"If I don't come back," she begins, but is interrupted by her mother.
"Do not speak of such things," says Astoria, frowning at her daughter as she bounces baby Leo upon her lap.
Cassiopeia nods once in understanding before disappearing with a crack, holding her breath to avoid the suffocating blackness of apparition. When she finally opens her eyes, she's outside St. Mungo's hospital and she thanks Merlin that the sidewalk is deserted. Time is of the essence, but breaking the Statue of Secrecy at this point in time will cause her more harm than good.
Tugging her coat around her, she enters the hospital, carrying herself with a grace that only a pureblood can possess, her eyes flicking this way and that as she takes note of the security wizards. Ignoring the heated glares of the patients and healers, she steps into the lift and begins the short journey to the fifth floor.
When the metallic doors slide open, the first thing to fly out is a jet of green light, striking the security wizard stationed upon that floor in the chest and causing him to crumple. A chorus of shrieks tear the air, but she's already slashing her wand a second time, hurling a blasting curse at the ceiling.
She wonders if the Ministry had ever suspected her of being her husband's most faithful follower . . . or if they like the rest of the world simply viewed her as another victim of his supposed madness.
The distraction is enough, and she hurries back into the lifts, hearing it creak as she descends to the third floor. She can hear the echoing thud of footsteps upon the stairwells on either side of the elevator shaft, the security wizards rushing to the floors above her in their zeal.
A soft chime and the doors slide open, but this floor is sterile and silent. She doesn't let this fool her though; she has little time as no doubt the aurors are already on their way.
Walking brusquely through the deserted corridors, she pauses only long enough to blast a door open, or kill a man who gets in her way. This night, Death itself has come to St. Mungo's wearing her skin, and she leaves a path of destruction in her wake.
Finally, she comes upon a heavily warded door and without hesitating; she tears the enchantments to pieces with the darkest of spells.
Once again she wondered if the world ever realised that half of the curses her husband had been famed for had in fact been learned from her.
She is the great-niece of Bellatrix Lestrange, and the darkness flows through her veins with more fervency that it ever did within her great-aunt. She isn't evil for the sake of being dark though, and nor does she desire power.
No, Cassiopeia Potter simply seeks a way of ascertaining that her son will not face the same trials and tribulations that she has, that his father has.
Finally the door comes crashing down and the inhabitant looks up from a roll of parchment, bright blue eyes dead and emotionless. She's come here to free this woman, one of her husband's most powerful and ruthless lieutenants . . . and she hopes that she hasn't come too late.
"Cassiopeia," intones the girl with scarlet hair, her voice dead and lacking any trace of human depth.
"Rose," she replies, "It is time to take our leave of this place."
"I see," Rose rises from her seat, "I will need a wand."
"I took the liberty of retrieving Great-Grandmother Walburga's from the vaults," Cassiopeia says as she tosses the wand through the air. Like a cat Rose catches it, before striding towards her, barefoot and clad in a hospital gown that barely reaches her knees.
"It is good to see you again, sister," Rose tells her, though Cassiopeia knows this to be a lie. Her half-sister cannot feel emotion, her mind is brilliant . . . but her logic is unbalanced by a lack of human feeling. She has never seen Rose cry, or laugh, or even smile in all her life.
It makes her one of the most vicious of their dark circle.
"Come, sister," Cassiopeia reaches out a hand, "We must rescue Albus before they know you are free."