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Next-Generation HPRP, part the eleventh
Eleventh rhymes with...
Eleventh rhymes with seventh, haha.
Anyway, the next thread for our next-generation HP roleplay. Er, fanfiction, really, to tell the truth. It stopped being a roleplay when all the Hogwarts people left (read: got exasperated with the Bella-Voldy-Wolfbar-Belinda fanfiction Mary W. and I were writing...)
Right. So. MW said she was having problems loading the last one. Plus, the number was wrong on the last one. Shouldn've been tenth.
Carry on!
submitted by TNÖ, age 16, Deep Space
(July 15, 2009 - 3:11 pm)
(July 15, 2009 - 3:11 pm)
((@ Lena: It's Terry Boot.))
(August 31, 2009 - 9:14 am)
((It's Felicitas, actually... Also,
SQUEE! ALBUS LEFT! OMGSQUEE!!!))
//Bellatrix//
The day after Christmas Bellatrix spent two hours prowling the halls and tearing down every decoration she laid eyes on. Belinda helped, and Rabastan trailed after them to chat- or rather, to make a nuisance of himself.
They finished around noon and Belinda vanished away to the kitchen for lunch. After exchanging snide remarks and a handful of threats with Bellatrix, Rabastan followed suit.
Bellatrix went to the library, where she was rather surprised to see a fresh article on her wall, detailing (yet another) escape from Hogwarts. She tore it down and scanned through it quickly, a thin smile forming on her face.
Albus Potter... Famous Harry Potter's son... Quoted Grindewald, rambled about the dark forces growing stronger, quoted the Dark Lord (pretentious little brat, wasn't he? Bellatrix thought)... Flew out of the the Great Hall window and left exploding firecrackers in his wake (at least he has the decency to be a pyromaniac)... Shot a Dark Mark into the sky, striking terror into the hearts of everyone who saw it (Bellatrix smirked upon reading that. Arrogant little whelp he might be, but the accompanying picture of the Dark Mark shimmering in the air over the Great Hall was worth a thousand Christmas presents)...
It was suspected that Albus had been responsible for the rather brutal attack on one Jim Thrope, whose memory had been wiped almost completely for nearly two and a half years, and who was currently in St. Mungo's recovering from severe mental trauma.
Apparently the eleven-year-old had been studying Dark magic under the noses of both the Hogwarts staff and (most entertainingly) his father. Harry himself was "at a loss" and made a plea for Albus to come home if he were reading this (but since when had that worked? Most likely little Albus Potter wouldn't ever see his father again)... The Ministry had issued a statement saying that they would put every effort into finding the budding Dark wizard before he caused any damage...
The Ministry also intended to double the search efforts for Bellatrix and Rabastan Lestrange, as the Dark Mark had led them to believe that Albus' departure had to do with a strange Death Eater revival of some sort.
Bellatrix smirked again. They were probably hoping Potter's dear little boy would turn out to be Imperiused or something...
The library door swung open and the Dark Lord strode in, Daily Prophet in hand and open to the article about Albus' escape.
"Have you seen-" he began. Bellatrix grinned.
"Exciting, isn't it, my lord?" she said dryly. "Where d'you think he'll go?"
The Dark Lord sighed. "Probably north. He quoted Grindelwald- he might head toward Nurmengard... Or the surrounding area. Then again, he's eleven and the entire Ministry- at least, all the Ministry that isn't devoted to hunting you and Rabastan down- is after him, so who knows where he'll be going?"
"He quoted you, too, my lord," Bellatrix pointed out. "He might try to find you."
"It took you nineteen years to find me, Bella," the Dark Lord replied dryly. "I rather doubt he'd know where to start looking. Although... he does seem to have a sizable interest in the Death Eaters... He might show up here."
"And if he does, my lord?"
The Dark Lord considered for a moment, then smirked. "Show him in."
(August 31, 2009 - 11:46 am)
((Ah, that was great... I couldn't stop grinning...))
//Scorpius//
Scorpius surveyed the remains of yesterday's festivities, scattered on his bed. A half a box of Sirius Black's old machbox cards and a book with only minimal dark sections. Not bad, really, all things considered.
//Albus//
It'd taken Albus awhile to figure out where to go. He'd wanted to act on the rumours he'd heard, head straight to wherever Death Eaters might be, but upon reading his sixth biography of the Dark Lord he'd reconsidered. There might, he thought, be some potential in staying at Borgan and Burke's awhile.
He'd passed the shop a few times, on the family's annual trips to Diagon Alley for school supplies and whatnot, but never, of course, entered it. Now he was standing outside the threshold. But to anyone happening to glance over, it would appear than Nathaniel Rew, one of Albus' ex roommates, was the one standing in front of the shop selling Dark artifacts. He'd stolen the ingredients to make Polyjuice potion.
Hesitating a minute, he pushed open the door. A musty smell rushed up to greet him, and for a split second he felt a tad lightheaded. Then, looking around, bag and broomstick clutched in respective hands, he spotted an elderly man in the corner. He cleared his throat, and the shopowner looked up. "Yes?"
"I was wondering-" Albus ran his tongue across his lpis- "I was wondering if I might get a job?"
(August 31, 2009 - 4:34 pm)
((And now I have mental images of an eleven year old Albus paying social visits to old ladies and stealing their prized possessions...
Thank you, Mary. Thank you *very* *much*. *sticks out tongue*
On a slightly unrelated note, being that I start school tomorrow it's probably not the best idea to be on here... but I don't care. I can't sleep anyway, so...
I apologize if this borders on incoherency))
//Felicitas//
By some miracle the two girls managed to find their way out of the house and into the surrounding countryside without being caught, tortured, and thrown back into the dungeon.
Felicitas only regretted that they hadn't been able to save the older boy who had been imprisoned as well. They'd tried but the door had refused to unlock despite their best efforts, and anyway he didn't look like he was in a state to go anywhere anytime soon.
//Bellatrix//
After giving the girls a five minute head start, Bellatrix headed down into the dungeons. Oliver was curled in a ball in his cell, but he raised his head defiantly when the Death Eater approached.
Bellatrix had to admire his courage. Of course, she had also admired the Longbottom's courage, but only for a little while...
"They've gone," Oliver managed weakly, a triumphant smile flitting across his face before he dissolved into a coughing fit. A moment later he recovered enough to add, "They'll alert the Ministry and-"
"I know, you idiot boy," Bellatrix said cheerfully. "I was the one to leave the wand for the little one to find. But don't you worry yourself about that, dumpling." She smirked at his look of shock and leaned toward the cell door, curling her fingers around one of the bars. "This place is surrounded by every protective enchantment in the book- and several that aren't. The Ministry won't be able to come within a kilometer of this place without getting all lost and confused." She smirked again. "Poor things."
"But..." Oliver's face contorted in confusion. "Why would you help them... escape...?"
Bellatrix sighed. "Come now, dear, surely you're cleverer than that? The aurors mount an attack on my house... They hit the curse that Rab and I have just spent the better part of a half hour reactivating... With their minds fogged up by the curse they'll be easy pickings..." The Death Eater sighed, unable to stop grinning. "It'll be like hexing a caged owl," she added happily.
Oliver, if possible, grew even paler. He was looking a bit sickly, Bellatrix noted idly. "You're sick, you know that?" he whispered, and coughed again.
"Oh, I know, dearie," Bellatrix replied sweetly. "I know. Crucio!"
Oliver screamed; Bellatrix laughed.
(September 1, 2009 - 1:03 am)
((Well... not yet. But maybe eventually... XD
That wasn't bad, actually... certainly not as incoherent as my early-morning attempts at writing... in fact Bellatrix's POV was quite good.))
//Wolfbar//
Wolfbar scowled. The screams had started up again. Bellatrix probably had no appreciation of how hard it was to read Shakespeare's tragedies when there was the constant backdrop of screaming.
//Ginny//
While Harry Potter had been gallivanting around trying to save everyone, his wife had caught a brief cold. Ginny had been bedridden a few days before she was recovered enough to walk around, and had missed some of the current events without Harry to keep her updated.
Considering her fragile state, it was definitely not a good thing that she happened across the Daily Prophet article detailing her youngest son's escapades. It was also inconvenient that there were no chairs in the immediate vicinity for Ginny to collapse into. She collapsed on the floor instead.
//Albus//
Albus held his breath. The old man seemed to be considering, and Albus thought he might have a chance. Until, that is, the man replied in a definite tone, "No."
His helpless, "Why not...?" was cut off by the appearance of a younger man, probably in his thirties. "Go away, Borgan," scowled the young man. He turned to Albus. "I'm sorry, sir, he's been a bit... difficult... of late, how can I help you?"
"Could I possibly have a job?" Albus said, a bit weakly.
(September 1, 2009 - 10:59 am)
//Belinda//
Even from the top of the house the screaming was clearly audible. Belinda was beginning to wonder if Lestrange manor had been built specifically to conduct the sounds of screams through the rest of the house.
It wouldn't have surprised her, really.
//Voldy//
The Dark Lord paused for a moment in his pacing when the screaming started once more. After a pause he sighed and Disapperated. It wasn't that the screaming disturbed him, it was just... distracting.
He appeared in front of Borgin and Burkes with a faint pop. A bleary-eyed old man stumbled and blinked up at him owlishly. The Dark Lord let out a soft hiss of irritation and cast a disillusionment charm over himself.
Borgin and Burkes was quite possibly, after Hogwarts, his favourite magical location. His employment there, after all, had essentially jumpstarted his career, as it would have been rather difficult to find and collect all the trinkets which had later become Horcruxes if he hadn't been Borgin's little go-for boy.
So it was with a certain amount of fondness that he slipped invisibly into the shop and began to examine the wares.
He waited until the young, slightly nervous-looking boy had been the admittedly rather dangerous job of dusting all the shelves ("for a start, and if you survive that we'll see what we can do, eh lad?") before following the latest in the long line of Borgins into the back room.
As the door swung shut behind him, the Dark Lord dropped the disillusionment charm, very much to the surprise of the two shopkeepers; the elderly Mr. Burke groaned and clutched at his chest before collapsing into a handy armchair, while Mr. Borgin merely yelped.
"Afternoon," the Dark Lord said cheerfully. "Mr. Burke. And Mr. Borgin, I presume?"
Mr. Borgin made a series of choked sounds which the Dark Lord decided to take for a yes.
"Do forgive my intrusion," he added a trifle sarcastically.
"Oh- o-o-of course, my lord," Mr. Burke managed, apparently recovering from his heart trouble.
"My- lord?" squeaked Borgin jerkily.
The Dark Lord smirked in spite of himself. "Ah, yes, you haven't actually met me yet, have you?"
Borgin's eye twitched very slightly, and he squeaked once more.
"Well, then, Mr. Borgin," the Dark Lord said briskly, "I am the Dark Lord- and no, before you ask," he added quickly as the question began to form in Borgin's mind, "I am not dead. I was- after a fashion- but I, very clearly, am quite alive at present." Before either of the shopkeepers could respond continued, "Now. That boy," he gestured back towards the front of the shop, "Give him a job, room and board, let him study whatever he wishes to study and keep him well-supplied with whatever potion ingredients he happens to ask for."
If he was right- and being the Dark Lord he was scarcely ever wrong- the boy was Albus Potter, being a bit cleverer than either he or Bellatrix had given him credit for. In which case, of course, the Dark Lord naturally didn't want the budding Dark wizard detained by the Ministry before he could be recruited and trained properly in the Dark arts.
"But-" began Mr. Burke, in a distinctly whiny tone.
"If I find that you have not followed my instructions," the Dark Lord interrupted smoothly, "and you can be sure I will hear of it if you don't..." He glared ferociously at the two shopkeepers, who shrank back under his gaze. "Well, I won't go into all the gory little details but you have my word that you will both die painfully." Preferably slowly, too, although with Bellatrix one could never be to sure. "Do I make myself clear?"
"C-crystal clear, my lord," Borgin managed.
"Good." The Dark Lord turned on his heel and Disapperated once more.
(September 1, 2009 - 6:13 pm)
((Yay...!))
//Draco//
Three days later, Aurors had indeed arrived. Draco watched from the window, Pansy standing next to him and occasionally peering out fearfully. Draco had heard something of how the girls had "escaped" and why Bellatrix had let them from Rabastan, and as he watched the half-dozen Ministry officials approach the house and promptly begin looking bewildered, he had to give his aunt some credit. Her plan seemed to have worked.
Pansy stopped watching when Bellatrix strode out. Much screaming ensued.
//Albus//
Albus had expected the shopkeepers to be lukewarm at best towards him, if that. Certainly he had not guessed it would be so easy to get a job, much less a small but somewhat comfortable room to stay in. He'd thought that he would have to steal whatever ingredients he needed to keep up the appearance of Nathaniel Rew, and if he wanted to read any of the frighteningly dark tomes kept in the store it would be at night, by the light of his wand. Above all, he had never supposed he might enjoy himself at Borgin and Burke's.
And yet after the first day it had been easy, almost so easy that Albus felt wary. The younger one, Burke, had amiably given him employment, shown him where potion ingredients and provisions were kept, even suggested the small rate of five Knuts a week if Albus would keep the shop presentable and do whatever odd jobs might come his way. It was an ideal situation- out of the way of the Ministry, Dark artifacts and books galore, scores of spiders to practice spells on, room and board. And Albus really couldn't remember a time that he'd been more content.
(September 2, 2009 - 10:01 am)
((Wee!))
//Bellatrix//
"I can't believe it!" Bellatrix whirled on her heel and stalked back towards the other end of the room while Rabastan looked on with quiet amusement. "Six- Six!" Her hand moved jerkily and green sparks arched through the room.
"Six is quite a lot," Rabastan said quietly.
"But it's *me*!" she snarled, reaching the far wall and turning back towards her brother-in-law. "I'm the most wanted criminal in England since they still don't know the Dark Lord's back and- they- only- sent- six!" More sparks exploded from the tip of her wand.
Rabastan smirked. "Relax, Bella..." Bellatrix glared at him so ferociously that he hastily corrected himself, "Bellatrix. Those girls were ill, malnourished, probably less than coherent- you have been torturing them for a month or so, after all- the Ministry probably wasn't sure how lucid they were. They would have been cautious... I'm sure they'll send more when the six don't come ba-"
"Six!" she exploded. "It's slipshod, that's what it is. Bloody complacency, laziness, arrogance- it'll only be their fault when we win, and-"
"But surely, Bella, surely you would rather have a lazy and arrogant enemy than a well-oiled defensive machine?" The Dark Lord's voice came out of the shadows.
Both Lestranges jumped and Bellatrix sank into a bow. "I suppose, my lord, when you put it that way, but..." she trailed off.
Rabastan inclined his head slightly in the Dark Lord's direction and added with a smirk, "But you're insulted that the Ministry would send so few aurors to capture you."
"In their defense," the Dark Lord said cooly, "if two virtually unarmed children can escape your clutches so easily, it would naturally follow that your admittedly formidable talents are... shall we say... slipping?"
Bellatrix arched an eyebrow, her lips twisting into a grimace.
"It is merely the logical conclusion, Bella," the Dark Lord said dryly. "The Ministry would, of course, have no way of knowing that you provided the girls with the tool they needed to escape because you wanted to commit mass murder and get rid of some aurors in the process."
"I... suppose..." Bellatrix said grudgingly, though she resented the idea that the Ministry might consider her anything less than a dreadful threat second only to the Dark Lord himself.
Oh, well. Hopefully the six dead aurors currently lying in one of the less frequented Ministry corridors would convince them otherwise. If it didn't she could always kill some more...
The thought brought a thin smile to her face.
(September 2, 2009 - 5:24 pm)
//Wolfbar//
Wolfbar cringed. Bellatrix's fury was no quieter than the screams of her victims. Though he had to admit it was infinitely more satisfying.
//Harry//
"What is it now?" Harry said irritably. "Don, my wife is sick, my son is God knows where, I don't-"
"Yes, yes," said Don Magicker quickly. "I'm sorry, Mr. Potter, but six aurors were just found- murdered- in the one of hallways off of the Department of Prevention of Underage Wizardry, some of our most proficient-"
"What do you want me to do, Don?" Harry said tiredly. "I can't raise people from the dead." His face darkened and he muttered, "Unlike it would appear some can."
//Albus//
The dust of the past few days had settled into a rather comfortable routine. Albus would get up at six and work in the shop for twelve hours, at the end of which time he was free to do whatever he wished- study the less plentiful than Hogwarts' but also more advanced texts kept in the shop, tinker about a bit with potion ingredients, practice spells on the insect population of the place, and suchlike. The Polyjuice was keeping up well, and he'd told Burke that his name was Alverus Rew.
All was well.
(September 3, 2009 - 10:45 am)
((Nice Dark Reprise of the final sentence of the series. Me likes.))
//Harry//
The six aurors hadn't been allowed to die in peace. Harry wasn't entirely surprised by this (it was /Bellatrix/ after all), but even so the terrified and pained expressions on their faces sent a shiver of fear down his spine.
And Albus was out, alone, in that world.
Harry licked his lips and gave the order to send an elite force of aurors- at least a dozen of them- back to Lestrange manor. He had an awful, sinking feeling that this was exactly what Bellatrix had been hoping for, but what choice did he have? The alternative was letting a crazed Death Eater run loose in the British countryside.
Between his fears for Ginny's health, Albus' safety, and Bellatrix, Harry had found himself operating on barely an hour or two of sleep per day, and recently Ron had pointed out a smattering of grey hairs through Harry's unruly black hair.
On top of that Harry was beginning to wonder if, somehow, Voldemort had returned again. Bellatrix's sudden reemergence, Malfoy's disappearance, the Azkaban breakout... The dead Death Eaters who had surrendered when their master had been killed... It was a long-standing fear, that Dumbledore had somehow been mistaken, that Voldemort hadn't truly been killed.
If not Voldemort the sudden resurgence of Dark magic throughout England would appear to indicate the rise of another "Dark Lord" for the former Death Eaters to rally around.
Either way, it was terror-inspiring.
//Voldy//
It would be soon, the Dark Lord was certain of that. Potter might be many things, but he was intelligent enough to know that the Dark forces once again had a leader to follow. In all likelihood Potter would be inclined to believe that the Dark Lord had risen again.
It wasn't much of a leap, really. Most of Dumbledore's "revelations" concerning the Dark Lord's past had been sheer guesswork and speculation. The idea that he might have been incorrect about the number of Horcruxes... well, it would be an easy mistake to make.
A thrill of excitement trailed down the Dark Lord's spine in anticipation of the Ministry's declaration that the most feared wizard in the world was back once more. Soon, very soon, Potter would guess and then...
The Dark Lord smirked. Then the real fun could begin.
(September 3, 2009 - 4:55 pm)
(("Soon he'll guess / And then, oh yes / The real fun can begin..."))
//Draco//
"You want a /what/?" Draco nearly choked.
"A Vanishing Cabinet, darling," said Draco's aunt sweetly. "Surely you of all people know, a magical object that can transport-"
"I know what a Vanishing Cabinet is," snapped Draco. "Should I even ask why you need it?"
"They're just handy to have around, darling," said Bellatrix with a smirk. "You wouldn't mind terribly, would you, putting a bit of a disguse on and running out to get your dear aunt one?"
"I don't-" Draco began, but Bellatrix cut in smoothly, "Thank you darling, don't let yourself be recognized, and I'll be waiting right here with your dear little family until you get back, all right?" She fingered her wand. "Have fun now!"
Draco grimaced and donned his coat.
//Albus//
There had been the occasional customer since Albus arrived, but no one terribly notable purchasing anything special. Usually Burke conducted the transactions, and today was no exception.
Albus couldn't see the stranger's face, but there had been numerous vistors like that the past few days, and he didn't think much of it. In fact he just proceeded dusting the shelves- as Burke had mentioned, this was not a job to be taken lightly- until he heard Burke clear his throat. "Rew, help me move this, would you?"
Albus ghosted over to his employer and helped him lift the rather bulky purchase the man was making. As the customer handed Burke an extremely sizable amount of money, his sleeve slipped back and Albus glimpsed a dark tattoo. He caught his breath.
(September 4, 2009 - 11:28 am)
((So let the clock run out/Their time is almost up/And once they're trapped/I'll have them wrapped around my suction cup/With my tentacles around them/I'll at last be back on track/And headed for good times/Deliciously good times/Two days and the good times.../They're coming ba-a-ack.../
If you ignore the tentacles and the two day time limit, it fits Voldy remarkably well. And the singing, of course, you'd have to ignore the singing.))
//Bellatrix//
They deposited the Vanishing Cabinet in the basement, a floor above the dungeons. Bellatrix wasn't entirely certain what the Dark Lord had wanted it for- as he had been in a rather foul mood when he told her to get a Vanishing Cabinet, Bellatrix had known better than to question.
He seemed more cheery now, though, and Bellatrix judged it relatively safe to ask him just what he wanted a Vanishing Cabinet for. As he examined it she ventured quietly, "May I ask, my lord, why it was so imperative that Draco purchase that?"
"Transport," the Dark Lord said, in the tone of one who is stating the obvious. "Borgin and Burkes. They had the pair- bought the other one from Hogwarts a few years ago- and now..."
Bellatrix had figured as much. "But why? Why Borgin and Burkes, that is."
Her master chuckled darkly. "I am reasonably certain that that is where little Albus Potter is hiding out- under the guise of one Alverus Rew. When he is inevitably discovered- the Polyjuice Potion he'll have been brewing will be a dead giveaway to anyone who finds it- his natural course of action will be to slip into the Vanishing Cabinet..."
"Risky sort of thing to do, though, my lord," Bellatrix pointed out before she could stop herself. "Jumping into a Vanishing Cabinet without knowing where its companion is."
"True, and a very good point except that he saw Draco's Dark Mark." The Dark Lord sighed. "He'll know precisely the sort of people he's being transported to if not the exact location."
"Ah." Bellatrix smirked. "And then we have him."
"Yes, indeed," The Dark Lord replied, smiling thinly. "You will of course be filling in any gaps in his knowledge of the Dark Arts."
The Death Eater grimaced at the prospect but bowed briefly and said, "As you wish, my lord."
(September 4, 2009 - 5:28 pm)
((...and she hits an incredible note on "back."
What, you can't see Voldy singing? *smirk*
While we're on the subject of obsessions, though... the Princess Bride fangirl part of me is screaming the quote, "What Buttercup didn't know was that every time Wesley said 'As you wish,' he was really saying 'I love you.' "
*cough* Sorry, I'm guessing I'm the only one who'd even draw that connection.))
//Albus//
Albus paced around his room that night, thinking hard. Passages from books were whirling around in his head. Technoevil: Successful Villainy in a Modern World had discussed the simple but brilliant way that the Death Eaters communicated, judging by the darkness of the Dark Marks tattoed on their arms. Of Horcruxes and Other Dark Magicks, of course, had explained the idea of Horcruxes, how one could split one's soul to become unkillable. Lord Voldemort had had Horcruxes, but Albus' father had destroyed all of them. Albus frowned. Interloper...
But had he destroyed them all? Albus found himself wondering. The Dark Mark had been unmistakable, and a very deep black colour. As far as Albus knew from his reading, the only reason that Harry and Albus Dumbledore- the one Albus himself had been named after- had supposed there were seven was because that was the Dark Lord's favourite number. Albus had to smirk. 'Favourite number'? They based their entire quest on a 'favourite number.'
Albus shook his head. But that would mean that the Dark Lord was back. And that- that simply wasn't possible. Bellatrix Lestrange, perhaps. But not Voldemort himself. People would know. Wouldn't they?
A thrill ran up Albus' spine. Anything was possible.
(September 5, 2009 - 7:25 pm)
((Re: IWtGTB(r): Oh, goodness, yes. Definitely. And on Poor Unfortunate Souls (which has a really unfortunate acronym), when she sings "souls" for the last time...
Re: Princess Bride: But that's just the point, m'dear.))
(September 5, 2009 - 10:10 pm)
((The waiting is killing me, by the way. Can we have, I dunno, a Ministry inspection of B&B soon?))
//Rabastan//
The Dark Lord had never been fond of waiting, and even Bellatrix acknowledged that it was safer to keep out of his way if he stopped speaking to anyone and started pacing incessantly (of course, since Bellatrix valued being in the Dark Lord's presence rather higher than her own safety, this point was moot in her case).
Rabastan had, at first, been more than a little surprised when he learned that the Dark Lord was waiting for the arrival of an eleven-year-old boy. His confusion was mostly cleared up when he learned that the Dark Lord planned to make his presence known to the wizarding world after the boy showed up. Of course, Rabastan still had no idea what the boy had to do with anything, but when he asked Bellatrix she just shot him a withering look and went back to her book.
The rate of murders the Dark Lord had been ordering had increased, too, much to Bellatrix's delight. Almost once a night she would be sent to one town or another to kill some Ministry official or a former Order member. Rabastan, too, was sent on missions almost nightly, though his assignments tended to be significantly less violent; usually he stole or spied on the less important Ministry officials. Once or twice he was sent to recruit.
When she wasn't killing people, Bellatrix mainly read or continued to teach Belinda, who was growing almost unsettlingly cold. The girl seemed to have entirely forgotten her friend, who was currently dying of pneumonia and starvation in the dungeons. Occasionally his screams would echo through the mansion, and Rabastan was almost certain that it wasn't just Bellatrix who was torturing him.
Draco, with the exception of the Vanishing Cabinet, was allowed to remain at Lestrange manor, though whether this was because the Dark Lord didn't want to risk him defecting or because he was giving Draco a bit of a reprieve, Rabastan wasn't sure. He and his family were slowly relaxing into their new life, though Pansy still had a tendency to jump at sudden noises.
Wolfbar had taken to locking himself in his room and reading all day, though once or twice Rabastan had managed to coax him out to play a game of chess or two (they were equally terrible, so their games generally lasted for an hour or two).
The overall atmosphere was tense and impatient, and Rabastan was certain that it wouldn't be long until something snapped.
He hoped fervently that Albus arrived before that happened.
(September 5, 2009 - 10:43 pm)