There were just a couple days till the Malfoy's Gala. This time it was held to support St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries with the lavish donations from the attendees of the Gala.
Honourable Ladies of different houses all flocked to Paris Magical District to equip themselves with latest fashionable dresses. Hydra on the other side locked herself in the library surrounded with newly purchased books from Russia. She needed just Imperio for their Gala endeavour however the books were a trove of knowledge she could not resist. While taking a break from reading she thought about her recent trip to purchase the said books.
She travelled to Russia since Dark Arts were a norm there and the magical district there could provide her with all the needed books. While Saint Petersburg was her home city she never was in the magical part of it.
After acquiring the portkey from Gringotts she was quickly on her way. Exiting the Flow reception room she was met with pouring rain and gloomy grey skies. At least nothing new there.
When she glanced at the street she found herself in, she was quickly flooded with nostalgia. The houses were so similar to the historic centre of Saint Petersburg it made her heart clench. She missed the 19th century architecture of the city. She wandered a bit looking at the people and window shopping.
After some time she stumbled upon a very intriguing shop. There was no sign but a big window offered a view of row upon row of very fine dresses. What caught her attention was the mannequin in the corner of the window. It was clad in an elaborate black dress. The sleeves were made of fine lace and there was a corset present. Same lace was used to make stockings that were peking through slits of the skirts. The top under the corset looked like a turtleneck but the collar was stiff and made of different material that seemed close to leather but not quite. The dress was provocative but elegant at the same time and Hydra never wore anything like that before. Her style was jeans with a hoodie preferably oversized. She stood there for quite a while talking herself into going and trying on the dress. It all ended with her buying the black dress and similar ones in blue and green. The English Wizarding public was in for a shock considering western fashion was much more subdued. She was not that different from other ladies after all.
After that she went straight to the bookshop that was often frequented by the Blacks. Without any problems she found what she was looking for and was off back to England. Her trip took a couple of hours overall and she marvelled at the wonders of magic.
After her trip Hydra was immersed in her training and days flew by for her. One day was especially memorable. It was her first time duelling with an audience in the form of one and only Lord Black himself. She was progressing fast and already mastered some spells that can inflict considerable damage to the opponent.
That day found all participants including Gareth Greengrass in the main duelling chamber. Gareth sported a wide grin ready to show off why exactly he was a sought after duelling master.
"Today Lord Black you will witness exactly what Miss Black and I have been doing here all those long hours. We will not disappoint, hopefully." His gaze was locked on Hydra while he said it. Lord Black refrained from answering calmly sipping his drink. Taking the last sip he stood up and got ready to referee the duel.
"Please, assume your position."
"Bow. Wands at the ready. On the count of three the duel will commence. One. Two. Three!"
With lightning speed Gareth fired three spells in concession. Different colours illuminated the room. Hydra was able only to jump aside. And the next spell was already hurtling towards her.
"Protego!" Her casting was surprisingly strong and the curse fizzled out. She answered with Confringo. It hit a wall near Gareth which exploded and a piece of stone clipped Gareth cheek with blood quickly pouring out of the cut. Hydra sported a bloodthirsty grin and moved quickly in anticipation of something more serious than merely a stunner from Gareth.
"Reducto! Clavus! Oppugno!" Reducto was even more powerful than Confringo and needed Protego Maxima to block it. Which Hydra despite her power levels was yet to try. She dodge it as well as conjured nails that were speeding towards her after the blasting curse.
"Aguamenti!" Hydra was quite angry. Those blasted nails could have seriously injured her. She was quite close to trying Sectumsempra on him.
They danced around each other for a bit more. Hydra was breathing heavily and each one of her spells was less powerful than the previous one. Finally, a red stunner hit her and she knew no more.
She was quickly reanimated and was faced with two smiling men looking down upon her. Sweat covered her face and burned her eyes.
"Spectacular show! Hydra you did well. Congratulations." Arcturus clapped her on her back and swiftly left the room. That left her one on one with Gareth who was still smiling.
"I agree wholeheartedly with Lord Black. That was a very good duelling from you. However, we still need to work on your breathing." He threw a towel towards her to whip off her sweat.
That evening she had one more task to do. She needed to fine tune her Parsel pronunciation. Since she could not for the life of her find that lonely snake from the gardens she conjured one. Surprisingly the snake had very little to say and was quickly banished with Vipera Evanesca. She could only hope her Parseltounge was good enough. What she needed now was a bigger animal to train Imperio on. She went to the stables where were a number of different animals. She practised on horses first and hippogriffs later. It worked like a charm which gave her a bit of confidence that will be able to Imperious Lord Lestrange and Lord Malfoy. She and Lord Black still debated if she must use Imperio on both of them. Lord Black thought he could Imperio Lucius.
The day of the Gala was upon the residents of the Black castle. Orion with both his sons were preparing in their own rooms while Hydra was in Lord Black study going through their plan once more.
" When I introduce you to Lord Lestrange you need to position yourself with your back turned to the guests. You need to be quick and unobtrusive." Arcturus was grimm and his heavy gaze was drilling into Hydra's eyes.
"I practised on animals so I am confident I can do it. I will command him to retrieve the cup the next day and bring it to Black castle. It is possible on the other hand to get the diary then and there. All I need to do is make Lucius take us on a private stroll through the manor." Hydra was itching with anticipation. She wanted to finally put Tom back together.
"Yes, that is surprisingly a sound idea." He nodded along and his thoughtful gaze was sliding from one shelf to another.
"It is decided then. We are ready."
In the evening the Blacks and Hydra apparated to the Malfoy's gardens where apparition point was set. They were met with house elf that escorted them through the garden towards the ornate white doors. While on their way they witnessed white peacocks prancing around the immaculate garden. Malfoy manor was as white as their entrance door. It was made of stone that was almost glowing in the evening light. People trickled inside and into the ballroom. There were ministry employees, high ranking officials, prominent families of the wizarding England, a couple of ambassadors and of course each and every socialite of their country. People gave Lord and Lady Blacks with Orion in tow a wide berth. They were feared and rightly so. Even among darkest families no one wanted to mess with the Blacks. Hydra followed Arcturus and Melania but was introduced at the entrance as Lady Peverell. A slight whisper rolled around the room after her introduction.
While Arcturus and Melania slid towards their friends to greet them, Hydra and Orion stayed in the corner of the room to observe everyone and wait for Lord and Lady Black.
Hydra was trying to hide her anxiety however Orion noticed.
"Hydra dont worry so much. There are protocols for such gatherings. Noone can just ambush you here and ask a lot of questions. They need to be introduced to you first by your acquaintance. Since you don't really know anyone here except for my parents no one will dare to approach you." Orion was relaxed and in his element here and of course Hydra was not.
"Thanks Orion. It calmed me somewhat."
"Anytime. I know we started on the wrong foot but I actually really admire your strength. And you helped us a lot." They could not really speak freely here but Hydra understood the gist of it.
Hydra sipped on her drink listening to Orion who told her latest gossip about the attendees.
Finally it was time. Arcturus, Melania and Lord Lestrange were moving towards them. Hydra slowly positioned herself with her back turned to the room. Her heart was beating a bit faster than she would have preferred. She was ready to call her wand from an arm holster any minute. She looked up and was met with the yellow eyes of Lord Lestrange who was in the middle of bowing to her. She did not hear what was happening around her because of the adrenaline pumping in her veins. She was blocked from all sides so she pointed her wand at him and hissed her commands. When his head rose up from the bow there was slight change in his pupils which were slightly dilated and unfocused. Hydra was holding her breath and listened intently for any outcry from the public. Nothing came. She could not believe it but everything went according to plan. After a short talk Corvus Lestrange departed towards Alexander Rosier and his wife.
"Say nothing, it's too early to congratulate yourself. We will talk at home." Came an authoritative command from Arcturus.
"Arcturus, dear friend, what made you so stern so early in the party?" Arcturus turned around and saw Lucius himself approaching them. Luck was on their side today.
"Oh nothing, just family squabbles. Pardon me my friend. This is not the place or the time."
"Family? Surely Lady Peverel here is not considered one." There was a half smile on his face so sweet it was undoubtedly fake.
"Oh pardon me. Lady Peverell, this is Lucius Malfoy." After the introductions Lucius circled back to his original question. Hydra could not lose her face now so she decided to play dirty.
"Lord Malfoy I simply helped Lord and Lady Black to connect with long gone ancestors. Surely you heard about Peverell gifts.."
"Necromancy, surely not?" Lucius looked at her aghast.
"I satisfied your curiosity. Now maybe you can satisfy mine? You have a beautiful manor, Lord Mafoy. I am more than curious about your library. I am an avid reader, you see. You can maybe give us a tour?" Hydra patted herself on the back because it was nicely played, she hoped.
"Our library indeed is one of the best libraries in England. Maybe in the world. Will it be agreeable to depart right now?" Lucius was of course pompous while talking about his library.
"Please show the way" Lord Black followed Lucius to the exit from the ballroom with everyone else in their party following after him. They were met with numerous parlours and rooms on their way to the library. Everything was in pastel tones and different shades of white. The size of the manor was mind blowing. It took five minutes to finally get to the library. While Lucius was still ahead Hydra cast and gave him immediate commands to retrieve the diary. He went to the far corner of the room, fideled with wards and returned to them with the said diary. It was very anticlimactic. There was no way to cast proximity wards because manor wards would have recorded it. So they just stood there and prayed to Lady Hecate not to be discovered.
"Okay, give him the last command to walk back with us to the main hall and forget our walk to the library." Said Mallania quite urgently.
"Done"
They all walked to the entrance where Lucius left them. The Blacks and Hydra said a couple of goodbyes and departed very quickly after that.
Upon arriving they quickly deposited acquired horcruxes behind the strongest wards. Everyone was exhausted from all the excitement at the Malfoy's so it was no surprise all of them departed to their rooms quite quickly.
When alone in her room hydra called Death. They did not talk for a long time and she was in need of guidance. Death appeared sitting in a plush armchair which bounced off the walls a couple of times. Death was cackling on top of his lungs and grinning like a fool. Hydra thought Death was clearly insane however she secretly enjoyed it.
"Ah Mistress, you forgot about me, your poor servant! Look what has become of me with your absence!"
Hydra had absolutely nothing to say because she was trying not to laugh herself. Death was so entertaining.
"So what is it you require tonight? I feel Tom's torn soul. So you collected all the pieces?"
"Yes. We have them all. Coincidentally tomorrow is the full moon, the ritual will be most potent."
"Good job Hydra. What about the ritual?"
"I am confident I will manage to do it correctly."
Death crooned at Hydra like a proud parent at their toddler. It was very unsettling to be frank.
"Remember it all depends on you." Death whispered and was gone.
No wonder Hydra spent a couple of hours going through all the notes she made during her research. She went back to Necromancy books and checked them too. Finally completely dead on her feet she went to sleep.
At the breakfast table the next morning Hydra was joined only by Arturus. Hydra did not find it particularly strange. Residents of the Castle come and go as they please after all.
She wondered though if it meant something.
"Do not be so loud with your thoughts, Hydra. You need to work on your occlumency and your shields. Melania and the boys are at Grimmauld townhouse. I sent them away in the early hours of the morning. We do not know how the ritual will turn out. Black townhouse is protected almost as well as this castle."
"I hope after today I will be able to concentrate on my education and spellwork more. I will miss Black castle dearly." There was a sincere smile on her face as she cast her gaze around her and looked upon all the tapestries in the room.
"Do you really believe that you will never come here again? Our family was too haste in disinheriting our own for the smallest mistakes. I am ready to embrace the change. You are family so you are always welcomed here."
"Thank you."
"You said you need to train and study. Surely you are not thinking of moving into that castle of yours. From your description it is straight out of the thirteenth century. With some modifications of course. It needs more work and you know it. You can stay here while renovating it. As a matter of fact I demand it."
"It is much appreciated Lord Black. Your generosity will not be forgotten."
"Enough of that. Are you ready for tonight?"
"I am prepared. I checked all of my notes. We will succeed."
After that they surprisingly continued talking about this and that. Breakfast was no longer a silent affair.
Some time during the day Lord Lestrange apparated to the castle gates with Helga Hufflepuff's cup in his pocket. He eagerly handed it to the house elf and was gone with a loud pop.
Quickly the evening was upon them. The ritual room was lit by a few torches and light bounced off water that gathered in the small crevices on the rough stone walls. Hydra on her knees was drawing runes watched closely by Arturus. She started by placing Berkana for protection of their home. Raidho followed next and Hydra hoped it would help her to avoid any accidents during the ritual. She finished the first circle of runes that were quite spread out with Ehwas for general safety and wellbeing. Next circle followed soon after that. Uruz, Sowilo and Tiwaz were now glowing on the floor. Last three runes will help guide soul sheds to Tom and make sure they will reach their destination. Act of drawing and powering runes with magic made Hydra lethargic and sweaty which was not ideal. She sat down in the middle of the circle surrounded by unlit candles and just stared into the darkness of the cave.
"Hydra, are you okay? Do you need anything?" Arcturus was there to help her in case of an emergency.
"I am fine really. Just need a couple of minutes to recharge. These runes took a lot out of me."
After some minutes horcruxes were placed in front of her and candles sprung to life. It was time. Now or never was circling in Hydra's head. With that she stopped cloaking her magic and let it fill the room.
"Et liberam dimittere."
With screeching noise soul shards fell out of their containers and started to bounce off the protective shield that was created by the outer circle of runes. The noise was deafening, Hydra barely heard her own thoughts. Wind grew inside the circle and flames started to flicker. Hydra realised she need to hurry up.
"Mitto te ad dominum tuum. Adiuva illas pervenire dominum." With a gust of wind that knocked them over, shards disappeared from the ritual room. In complete darkness it was only one person that got up from the floor. Hydra was blissfully unaware of her surroundings because she simply passed out.
She woke up early the next morning a bit sore but otherwise unharmed. When memories of the previous night flooded her mind she bolted from her bed and ran straight towards Arturus' study. She knocked of course, anything else would be so very very rude.
"Arturus! What happened? Is there any news?" There was fear and desperation in her voice.
"Calm yourself. As far as I can tell everything went according to plan." Arcturus was reading near the fire that was of course already lit in the room. Hydra was starting to think that it will continue all the way through the summer.
She flopped down to the sofa and breathed out a sigh of relief.
"All that is left for us now is to wait for the news from Bellatrix. No doubt she will inform us."