A Secret Worth Keeping

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.


A Secret Worth Keeping

Chapter Forty-Three: A Traitor in the Midst

In the demon’s lair.

Ominous. That was the only word that described the cavernous chamber. It was neither opulent nor bare. Walls of stone, floors of stone, chairs of stone. Indeed, it was a most uncomfortable surrounding for those in attendance.

Torches dotted the walls, casting shadows to dance and just barely holding off the cold night air. Along the wall stood various cloaked bodies. Each one silently watched a central figure. Each cloaked figure knew the man present, and none cared. No one knew what the man had done to gain a summons from the Dark Lord, but none questioned their Master, either. Although the Master didn’t appear angry, none thought it wise to look directly at him to get a better inkling of his deranged ‘feelings’. Instead they kept their eyes on the subject at hand, and that subject was NOT their own pain and suffering. Just yet.

The man in question knelt down before the dark figure, who perched regally on his throne. Lord Voldemort sat with one hand on his thigh while the other one played with his wand. His red eyes stared thoughtfully at the tall man kowtowing to him. He had just finishing reading the man’s mind and of the event that occurred just hours earlier. An event that made him unconditionally happy.

"Rise." His voice hissed thickly, as he beckoned with his wand hand.

The man rose to his feet, yet kept his eyes firmly on the boots of his master.

"You have done well. I am quite satisfied with your progress to date. However, I expect the delivery by the end of the week. I trust you will not disappoint me."

The man quickly shook his head in the negative. His palms sweated profusely as he absently rubbed them against the blue cotton of his trousers.

"No, my lord. I will not disappoint you. I will have possession of the child within the week."

Voldemort leaned forward. "Make sure that you do. I want that child. I have plans for him. Big plans." His eyes narrowed as his thoughts concentrated on what he was planning. Oh, yes. He had plans for Potter’s boy. The infant’s blood would be strong against his own father. Once he drained the blood from the babe, then he would have his arsenal. Once and for all, he would be done with the scourge that was the Boy-Who-Refused-To-Die.

A thumping noise came from across the throne room and Voldemort cast his gaze in that direction. The construction of ‘The Room’ was coming along precisely according to his request and the secondary chamber was coming along nicely as well. The soon-to-be-plucked-from-his-mother's-arms child would reside nicely there until his plans could be carried out. And who knew, the chit of a mother could also be useful. Perhaps he should make extra room for her as well. It was something to think about at least. He hadn’t been between a pair of legs in a while.

Voldemort’s eyes glowed red at the thought of ridding himself of Potter and smearing his wife’s respectable reputation, before remembering the man kneeling before him. He raised a gloved hand and waved the man aside and indicated yet another one forward. "Lucius, you may approach me."

Lucius Malfoy limped obediently forward, his knees still bothering him from his earlier transgression with the Master. He wasn’t a young man anymore and took too much time to heal. "Yes, my lord?" He bowed as low as his knee would allow.

"I have not yet heard word of your son."

"Draco is still hard at work in Hogwarts, Master. He is studying hard in order to do you proud." Lucius remained in his bowed position as Voldemort hadn’t told him to rise. His knee was beginning to throb.

"I want him before me this weekend, Lucius. He is young and impressionable. Those at that school of his can be very convincing in their holier than thou attitude." Voldemort rose to his feet and walked over to Lucius, very slowly. "I want to see with mine own eyes the ‘schooling’ that your son is receiving. His mission on this Earth is to pay homage to me and only to me. You will remind him of that."

Lucius winced lightly but managed to speak. "Yes, my lord. I will give him the message."

"Good. You may leave." He looked around the secret underground room and suddenly didn’t feel like having anyone near him. "Leave me!" Voldemort yelled and watched as the group of Death Eaters scrambled to do his bidding. Once the room was cleared, he leaned back into the deep blood red cushions of the throne. His mind went back to the Potter babe. "Once I have that child, Potter will bow before me. Then I shall deliver Potter’s head by way of his own sword."

(0)

On a rocky side of a cliff an oversized boulder shook and, after a moment, it shimmered and disappeared. Nothing but the sounds of water pounding on land echoed in the tiny cove. If one took the time to look inside of the newly formed cavern, one wouldn’t have expected a man in blue trousers to emerge. Nor would one have expected to see the man stop and look up into the full moon hanging high above the water. He appeared disheveled, and a little bit out of sorts. His hand trembled as he ran it through his thick locks.

"What have I gotten myself into?" He whispered hoarsely into the night, rubbing at the skull shaped earring nestled in his right ear. His ear still burned from his unexpected summoning.

As the man took a step outside of the tunnel, the boulder reformed behind him, de-creating the caverns that had brought him there, leaving him standing in the puddle of a rising tide. His boots were beginning to get caked with sand and were filling fast with cool water. After a moment, the man looked down at his sopping feet, then looked about himself in confusion. He didn’t recognize the area. This wasn’t where he had originally entered. He must have taken a wrong turn in the labyrinth of caverns. He gazed up at the sheer cliff and frowned. There was no way in hell he was going to climb his way out of here and, judging by the water ring around the walls, the tide rose very high. He had to get out of here before the water rose too high. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind. It felt as if a fog had been wrapped around his brain all day and was only now just clearing away. He brushed his hand against his trousers again and looked back the way he’d come. There was nothing back there now but a sheer wall of rock. Oh well, he would just have to Apparate back home. At least there was privacy here for that. Pulling his cloak around him more firmly, he pictured the house he grew up in, rickety and old, and Apparated away.

(0)

"GINNY!"

The young woman jumped as her name was yelled across the expanse of the living room. She whipped her head around to see her mother thundering towards her. "Just what in blue blazes are you doing home? You aren’t supposed to be here. This is a school night."

Ginny sighed heavily and rolled her eyes, but not so that her mother would see. She turned to confront the impressive mountain that was her mum. "I know, but I left something behind last weekend and had to get it. I’m returning back to school as soon as I do. Don’t worry, I have extra floo powder so you wont have to waste any." She held up a small bag to show her mother. "See? And I do have permission to come, so I’m not playing hooky."

Molly huffed and set her hands on her ample hips. "Be it as it may, the point is that you snuck in here and didn’t bother to find me and say hello!" Her mother looked hurt at her only daughter’s action.

Immediately Ginny felt terrible and rushed to hug her mother. "I’m sorry Mum. I was going to come and see you before I left. I swear. I just wanted to get what I came for first."

Pacified, Molly Weasley smiled and patted the girl‘s shoulder affectionately. "Since you’re here, can you stay for lunch? I made a nice chicken cacciatore with penne. Just like you like it."

Ginny paused, already feeling her salivary glands starting up. But no, she couldn’t stay. Not now, not when…

*Bang!*

Both women looked towards the door as Fred and George walked in carrying a basket between them. They were arguing in low voices, sounding all the while like a single sentence being strung out word for word. Each brother was finishing the other’s sentence before starting on another and allowing his brother to finish, as was the way between the twins. They stopped in mid-stride when they saw their mother. Fred immediately swung the basket behind him ineffectively trying to hide it from the glowering matriarch.

"Oh. No. You. Don’t!" Molly cried out as she hurried towards the young men. "You are NOT bringing any more of your work home. It took me hours to clean up your last mess. I’ll have you know that those insects impregnated everything in this house. Do you realize how long it took me and your father to get rid of them all? Your father actually had to go into Muggle London and bring home something called Raid. It was dreadful, not to mention smelly."

"But Mum," George whined as he went to bended knee, folding his hands together in mock despair, his eyes feigning sorrow and pity. "We promise that that will never happen again. We just got too much burdock mixed in with the citronella. " He glanced at his sister then back at his mother. "We have the recipe down pat, now. No more gas passing and infestation of insects. We promise. All we need is to use the poltergeist in the attic. Just some of his tears."

"Why don’t you use the ghosts at Hogwarts?" Ginny asked. "I’m sure either Headless Nick or the Bloody Baron would contribute. Especially the Baron. He enjoys your trickery."

"Bah, one would have to be invited into the school to talk to them," Fred said with a casual wave of his hand. "Since that last swamp gag we did, we aren’t actually… uh… welcomed there."

"No wonder there," Ginny mumbled, causing Fred and George to both glare at her.

"Here now, what are you doing home anyway?" George frowned.

"None of your business," Ginny retorted and sauntered out of the room to let her mother take care of the ‘twins’. Immediately she shivered as she heard another loud bang. Somebody had either entered or exited the house.

Her mother’s high pitched screech echoed around the large kitchen. "What happened to you? Look at your new trousers and boots. They’re all muddy…take them off…NOW!"

Ginny giggled to herself as she listened to her mother give one of her brothers hell, just when she slipped into her brother’s room. She knew what she needed and, with careful steps and complete silence, she moved over to a chest and opened it. Yes, it was still there. She quickly reached in and pulled the object out, to place it inside of the bag that she'd brought with her. She closed the chest and sat still, listening to make sure that her family was still busy. When she heard her brother march through the hallway towards the kitchen, she knew she had a few more minutes. The boys could eat for as long as there was food before them. Knowing her mother, there would be plenty for them.

She sat back on her heels, remembering the first time she'd come across this particular dark object. It had been last week when she was home for a weekend visit. Her brother had asked her to go into his room and get his old boots, which had been in his closet. Since he was wrapped up to his armpits with pig dung, she'd obliged his wishes and run into his room to fling open the wardrobe’s door. She'd squealed as an object had fallen from above, conking her on the head. Cursing slightly, she'd picked up the heavy thing and stared at it. With a curious hand, she'd opened the black box and gasped at what it held. Inside had been several items of jewelry. Bold, silvery and completely creepy looking and all emblazoned with the initials T.M.R. Tom Marvolo Riddle. Ginny'd reached in and touched the items with careful trepidation, her eyes darting from one article to the other. There'd been a silver and black oblong pendant with the dark mark engraved on it, along with half of a pair of earrings in the shape of a grinning skull, one of which had been missing. She knew where that other earring was. She’d seen it on her brother’s ear. She'd paled at the implication that this discovery may have led her to. These items used to belong to Lord Voldemort.

Bringing herself back to the present, she quickly placed the box into her pack and shrunk it down so she could tuck it inside her robe. Making sure it was secure, she snuck back to the door and peered out. Seeing no one, she emerged and shut the door behind her. A quick look into the kitchen proved that her brothers were eagerly feeding their faces, while under the watchful eye of their mother. Her eyes swept over to the door and saw three sets of boots, one dripping with water that was spreading over the rug-covered wood floor. Obviously another brother had arrived and was somewhere in the house. She had to get out of there while the getting was good, before someone really questioned why she was there.

"I’m going now," Ginny called out and waved.

Her mother smiled and nodded back. "All right, Ginny dear. Be good now and don’t cause any of your teachers any trouble."

Ginny snorted and glanced back at her brothers with a scowl. "It’s not me you have to worry about."

She met the eyes of each twin before heading to the fireplace hearth. Just as she stepped into the living room and up to the hearth, she saw him enter and felt her stomach flutter. After what she had found, it made her ill to be in the same room with him. Before he could say anything, she called out Gryffindor common room’s location and stepped into the green flames, heading back to the school clutching the proof that she thought she would need in the future. As long as he didn’t figure out that she'd been the one to take it.