The people of Badgerville still called it the Tund house despite the fact that it had been years since the Tund family had lived there. It stood on the hill overlooking the village although it wasn't much to look at. It was boarded up and dilapidated. You see around 50 years ago something happened that even now was a topic of discussion. It had been embroidered and picked apart so much that no one quite knows what the truth was anymore but they all started the same way. On a fine summer's morning fifty years ago the maid of the house came into the drawing room to find the three members of the family dead. The whole village heard her running down screaming that they had been murdered. Nobody wasted their breath pretending to be sad over the deaths, they had been quite unpopular. Mr and Mrs Tund had been rich, snobbish, and rude, and their grown-up son, Samual, had been, if anything, worse. The only thing anyone cared about was who killed them. The whole village packed in the pub to discuss who it was. Eventually the Tund's cook had ran in saying a human man called Larry had been arrested. Larry was the gardener for the Tund's house. He had come back from the war with a stiff leg and a great dislike for crowds so living alone in the cottage near the Tund house was a good job for him. No one was really quick to defend him, he was the only one with the key to the house and his isolated lifestyle made many distrust him. By the following morning there wasn't a single person who wasn't convinced that Larry had killed the Tunds. Larry himself was stubbornly repeating that he was innocent to the police in the station. He mentioned seeing a young teenage echidna approaching the house the night before the bodies were discovered. No one else had seen such a boy and the police were convinced that Larry had invented him. But then just as things were looking very serious for Larry the report on the bodies had come back.
The police had never seen such an odd report. A team of doctors had examined the bodies and had concluded that none of the Tunds had been poisoned, stabbed, shot, strangled, suffocated, or (as far as they could tell) harmed at all. In fact (the report continued, in a tone of unmistakable bewilderment), the Tunds all appeared to be in perfect health, apart from the fact that they were all dead, of course. The doctors did note (as though determined to find something wrong with the bodies) that each of the Tunds had a look of terror upon his or her face. But as the frustrated police said, whoever heard of three people being frightened to death? As there was no proof that the Tunds had been murdered at all, the police were forced to let Larry go. The Tunds were buried and their graves became objects of much curiosity. Larry meanwhile (Much to people's surprise and suspicion) returned to his cottage on the grounds of the Tund house. "'S far as I'm concerned, he killed them, and I don't care what the police say. And if he had any decency, he'd leave here, knowing as how we knows he did it" people would say about him. Larry didn't leave though, he continued to work as the gardener for the next residents of the house. None of these residents stayed for long, the house had a bad feeling about it which eventually led to it falling into disrepair. The wealthy man who owned the Tund House these days neither lived there nor put it to any use; they said in the village that he kept it for tax reasons though nobody was very clear what these might be. The wealthy owner continued to pay Larry to do the gardening, however. Larry was nearing his seventy-seventh birthday now, very deaf, his bad leg stiffer than ever, but could be seen pottering around the flower beds in fine weather, even though the weeds were starting to creep up on him, try as he might to suppress them. Weeds were not the only things Larry had to contend with either. Boys from the village made a habit of throwing stones through the windows of the Tund House. They rode their bicycles over the lawns Larry worked so hard to keep smooth. Once or twice, they broke into the old house for a dare. They knew that old Larry's devotion to the house and grounds amounted almost to an obsession, and it amused them to see him limping across the garden, brandishing his stick and yelling croakily at them. Larry, for his part, believed the boys tormented him because they, like their parents and grandparents, thought him a murderer. So in August when Frank awoke to find a light coming from the house he merely assumed that the boys were going even further to punish him.
Larry's leg had woken him, it was worse than ever these days but that didn't stop him. The light was flickering meaning the boys might have started a fire. Larry could have just called the police but he had a great distrust for them ever since being suspected of the murders. He got dressed and got the old rusty key from a hook on the wall. The using his walking stick for support he set off to confront the boys. It turned out he didn't need the key because the door was open but had no sign of force. He went inside and could hear the voices coming from upstairs. He as quietly as possible went up and at the end of the hall he could see the door half opened. He could hear voices inside "There's a little more in the bottle if you're still hungry, My Lord" a shaking voice said. "Later" another voice, this one sounded weak and in pain but there was undeniable authority behind it "Move me closer to the fire, Mordred". A sound like nails on a chalkboard could be heard which Larry assumed was a chair moving "Where is Ifrit?" "I don't know, My Lord. Maybe exploring the house" "You will milk her before we retire, Mordred. I will need feeding. Our journey has tired me". Larry could see Mordred nervously shaking through the door "My Lord, how long are we going to stay here?" "A week. Perhaps longer. The place is moderately comfortable, and the plan cannot proceed yet. It would be foolish to act before the Sky Chase World Cup is over". Larry thought he must have heard wrong, what the hell was Sky Chase? Mordred sounded just as confused "The World Cup? I don't understand, why should we wait till after that" "Because, fool, at this very moment wizards are pouring into the country from all over the world, and every meddler from the Ministry of Magic will be on duty, on the watch for signs of unusual activity, checking and double-checking identities. They will be obsessed with security, lest the Muggles notice anything. So we wait". Larry knew for sure he didn't hear wrong now. Wizards? Muggles? Ministry of Magic? These words must be codes and there's only two types of people who Larry would think would use codes, spies and criminals. Mordred paused and then "So you are still determined, My Lord?" "Of course I'm determined" "But… It could be done without Silver". Another pause, this one seemed intentionally extended "Without Silver the Hedgehog? I see…" "I do not say this out of concern for the boy. He means nothing to me. It's just if were to use another witch or wizard… Any witch or wizard, it could be done so much faster. If you allowed me to leave you for a short while. You know that I can disguise myself most effectively, I could be back here in as little as two days with a suitable person. It would be safer as well, Silver is most well protected".
Another pause, this one almost painfully long "And so you volunteer to go and fetch me a substitute? I wonder… perhaps the task of nursing me has become wearisome for you, Mordred? Could this suggestion of abandoning the plan be nothing more than an attempt to desert me?" "My Lord… I have no wish to leave you" "Do not lie to me, Mordred. I always know. You are regretting that you ever returned to me. I revolt you. I see you flinch when you look at me, feel you shudder when you touch me". Mordred sounded like he was starting to panic "N-No, My Lord. My devotion to you is-" "Your devotion to me is nothing but cowardice. You would not be here if you had anywhere else to go. How am I to survive without you, when I need feeding every few hours? Who is to milk Ifrit?". Mordred was clearly cowering from his master's anger "You-You seem so much stronger" "Liar! I am no stronger, and a few days alone would be enough to rob me of the little health I have regained under your clumsy care. Silence!". Mordred was sputtering uncontrollably and then fell silent. After a few moments the other voice continued "I have my reasons for using the boy as I have already explained to you, and I will use no other. I have waited thirteen years. A few more months will make no difference. As for the protection surrounding the boy, I believe my plan will be effective. All that is needed is a little courage from you, Mordred. I know that's much to ask from you but you will find it unless you wish to feel the full extent of Lord Finitevus' wrath". Mordred whimpered "But, My Lord, Agnes Hopkins disappearance won't go unnoticed. If we proceed… If I-" "If? If you follow the plan, Mordred, the Ministry need never know that anyone else has died. You will do it quietly and without fuss; I only wish that I could do it myself, but in my present condition… Come, Mordred, one more death and our path to Silver the Hedgehog is clear. I am not asking you to do it alone. By that time, my faithful servant will have rejoined us" "I am a faithful servant". Finitevus sounded impatient "Mordred, I need somebody with brains, somebody whose loyalty has never wavered, and you, unfortunately, fulfil neither requirement" "I found you, My Lord. I brought you Agnes Hopkins".
Finitevus considered "That is true. A stroke of brilliance I would not have thought possible from you, Mordred, though, if truth be told, you were not aware how useful she would be when you caught her, were you?". He let out a short laugh "Her information was definitely useful, though. Without it, I could never have formed our plan, and for that, you will have your reward, Mordred. I will allow you to perform an essential task for me, one that many of my followers would give their right hands to perform" "Really, My Lord… What?" "I don't want to spoil the surprise but". Modred gulped "I still don't understand why would have modified Agnes' memory" "Memory charms can be broken as I have proven. It would be an insult to send her back in the state I left her in. We must honour her memory by using the information she gave us". Larry was sweating now, these men have killed someone and were planning another. And one of them was talking about it with no remorse, but with amusement. He was dangerous, a madman. Larry had to get out and warn someone, this Hedgehog, Silver, was in danger. He had to go to the police but then when he turned to leave he saw something that made him freeze. He didn't know how to describe it. The closest approximation would be a cross between a bird and a scorpion made out of lava and it's head was at the top of what would be considered the tail of the scorpion. Larry would scream but he was to frightened for even that. He didn't know what to do, the only means of escape was the room with the two murderers. Before Larry could make the decision the creature scuttled past him and entered the room. Larry was still frozen, he could hear the cold voice speaking in a strange language. For an absurd moment Larry thought he was talking to the creature that just entered. Larry wanted to nothing more than to be back in his bed right now.
Then the voice spoke in English again "Ifrit has just told me some interesting news, Mordred" "Yes, My Lord?" "She tells me that an old Muggle man is standing just outside the door". Larry didn't have a chance to hide himself, the door was thrown open and Mordred was standing there trembling. There was a laugh "Invite him in, Mordred. Where are your manners?". Mordred beckoned Larry into the room. Still shaken but he gripped his walking stick and bravely entered the room. Ifrit was now resting on an old rug like it was some kind of twisted pet. Larry stared at the back of an armchair. The person on it must be really short as he couldn't see him "You heard us, Muggle?". Now that he was in the room Larry felt himself getting braver "What did you call me?" "I called you a Muggle. It means you are not a wizard" "I don't know what you mean by wizard. All I know is I've heard enough to interest the police tonight, I have. You've done murder and you're planning more!". Larry suddenly had an idea "And I'll tell you this too. My wife knows I'm up here, and if I don't come back-" "You have no wife. No one knows you're here. Don't lie to me, Muggle. Lord Finitevus always knows". Larry scoffed "Lord, is it? Well, I don't think much of your manners, My Lord. Turn 'round and face me like a man, why don't you?". There was a pause and then "But I am not a man, Muggle. I am much more than a man. However, why not? I will face you. Turn my chair around, Mordred". The snake gave a whimper, "You heard me, Mordred!". Mordred's face screwed up like he would rather do anything other than approach his master. He slowly turned the chair allowing Larry to see the person sitting on it. His walking stick fell to the floor, and he let out a blood curling scream. It was so loud that he didn't hear what the thing in the chair said as it raised it's gloved hand. There was a black shape, a whoosh and Larry was dead before he even hit the floor. Two hundred miles away the boy called Silver the Hedgehog awoke with a start.
