Chapter 6
Secrets and Serpents
The room was surprisingly bright and well lit from the large fire burning in the corner. There in the center, facing the only entrance, on top of an old worn rug sat an even older looking arm chair, and in that “ a tall and thin man whose pale skin stood in stark contrast to his midnight colored robes. His long bony fingers grasped a Yew wand and his laterally slit pupils focused on the cowering figure prostrating itself before him as if expecting to be struck by a venomous serpent at any moment.
“Well?” hissed the high pitched voice, dark and snake-like.
The cloaked figure shivered as he continued to kneel with his head bowed, concealed in the darkness of his hood.
“Dumbledore does not trust me my Lord. I feel he suspects…” whimpered the voice.
“Silence!” yelled Lord Voldemort, “I did not ask you to report on what I already know.”
“Y-yes my Lord, o-of course not…”
“I did not expect the old fool to tell you where the boy lived. You are a master Legilimens are you not? I would have suspected that this bit of information would be easily found by the likes of you… how disappointing,” he sneered.
“B-but my Lord, the protections on the place…” the figure began.
Voldemort raised his wand and pointed it at the hapless person.
“Crucio!” he yelled.
The figure was immediately thrown backwards onto the wooden floor and began to roll about violently kicking up dust and arching his back in a most unnatural way. The final spasm resulted in a loud ‘cracking’ sound as one arm twisted so awkwardly that the bone broke.
“M-master… p-please!” it begged in half a scream.
“I told you not to tell me what I already know,” Voldemort reiterated as he pointed his wand up and away. “I know I cannot enter the house… but that does not mean that my most faithful cannot also…”
The figure drew ragged breathes and tried to return to a kneeling position but was doing so with great difficulty as he supported his one limp arm with the other.
“Y-yes my Lord, I have discovered the home of Potters’ blood relatives,” The voice came shaking, “A-and I have had the home watched, I can report on their habits so that you may choose the best time to strike.”
“Good - and his friends? What can you tell me about them?” questioned the Dark Lord as he mindlessly twirled his wand in-between long fingers.
“We know the locations of the five,” the figure breathed “and aside from the broadly defended home of the Weasleys’ fathers’, only one person seems to be heavily guarded and she is set to leave the country as we speak.”
“Yessss “ I know of this one. She is the red… she is an abomination and shall be dealt with accordingly,” Voldemort coldly declared as he narrowed his eyes in thought.
The ensuing silence became deathly uncomfortable for the figure and he spoke once more to break the stillness that had engulfed the room.
“M-master… t-the ‘red’?” he hesitantly asked.
The dark lord contemplated this question for a few moments before answering,
“Alchemy “ it is beyond your understanding for me to explain this to you.” Then, almost in a whisper and as if talking to himself he added, “Suffice it to say that when polar essences merge they tend to form a newer, more powerful body, and when meddled with become extraordinarily dangerous and volatile.”
Voldemorts’ vision abruptly returned to the cowering figure before him.
“Master, I have also discovered that Dumbledore has contacted an Unspeakable,” the figure added as it had just occurred to him; clearly not understanding the Dark Lords’ explanation and wishing to change the subject.
“An Unspeakable?” he asked - not the least bit surprised. “Curious indeed… This must mean that our young friend is undeniably progressing.”
“But Master… shouldn’t the Potter boy be killed before he gets much stronger?” the figure questioned, stunned that the Dark Lord would state such a fact and not be angry about it.
Voldemorts’ snake like pupils narrowed and focused upon the figure once more as he jerked his wand to the right in one swift motion and pointing it at the far wall.
The figure let out a yelp as if a troll had struck him with its club and was pulled forcibly from the floor and thrown up against the wall with a loud crash. And as the Dark Lord released his spell, the figure collapsed into a heap with the sickening sounds of more broken bones, moaning on the floor.
Voldemort realized immediately that he should not have lost his temper so. It will be difficult for his servant to explain away his injuries let alone perform the tasks that he had been asked of. But the Dark Lord couldn’t help the fact that his Death Eaters had failed miserably to obtain the key to Harry’s death. It wasn’t the “weapon” he knew, but it was definitely the key. That’s why Dumbledore went to such great lengths to protect it, and now half his faithful were locked away and heavily guarded in Azkaban; though for not much longer he mused.
‘Yes, the meddlesome old fool unquestionably knows what had been prophesized. He obviously failed to inform the boy; otherwise he surely would have suspected my intentions.’
He knew that Snape had been giving the boy Occlumency lessons and that he was not progressing well at all.
‘Well, I didn’t at first either.’ He briefly reflected. ‘Perhaps it’s time to send another message…a test.’
“Wormtail!”
The entrance door slowly opened and another hooded figure dressed in black robes and walking hesitantly into the room with a slightly hunched over gait; Pettigrew stopped within a few feet of his Master.
“Y-yes Master?” came Wormtails’ frightened and squeaky voice.
“You are certain that the homes defenses can be breached?” Voldemort threatened as he narrowed his eyes at the shaking coward in front of him.
“Yes my Lord! I have spent over ten years studying its weakness’!” Pettigrew responded as confidently as he dared.
“Good, then I have a task for you Wormtail… do you think you’re capable?”
“Yes of course my Lord!” Pettigrew responded quickly.
“You sound too happy… perhaps you wish to be away from me, for your own purposes?” Voldemort hissed.
“N-no Master!! I only wish to do as you ask!” he answered as if pleading for his life.
“I grow tired of your lies… never forget your loyalties Wormtail. There is nothing that I shall easily forget,” Voldemort paused to insure that Pettigrew had understood the threat completely before continuing. “However, even you can surprise me… You have done well this past year. If the information you have gathered proves to be accurate and of use, you will be amply rewarded…”
“T-thank you Master!” Pettigrew said as he bowed his head and shivered.
“Inform Lucius and the others that their Master has not forsaken them and they will be free in two days time. You may go.”
Pettigrew nodded and hurried to leave as Voldemort glanced to the side of the room where the broken heap of a figure lay silently sobbing and unable to move.
“And Peter…” the Dark Lord called as he rubbed his forehead with long pale fingers.
“Yes Master?” Pettigrew questioned, stopping half way to the door and turning to face Voldemort once again.
“Alert the potions master “ he has a patient.”
To which Pettigrew spun and ran as quickly out of the room as his little feet would carry him.