Life Begins Anew

Chapter 44 Plans Moving Forward

It has been a month since she had been made a member of the Inner Circle and Sara had not heard a word from the Dark Lord. She was eating dinner in the Great Hall when an owl flew over her and dropped a parchment to her. She watched the owl leave, noting it was Lord Malfoy’s owl. She opened the parchment and read:

Bring the Sword of Gryffindor when you are called.

She handed the parchment to her brother. He read it and wordlessly handed it back to her.

***Hermione! Close your Bond to me! I believe that I will be called shortly. *** He sent along the bond

Down at Gryffindor table Hermione looked up at the dour wizard. ***Be safe Severus! *** She sent back as she closed the trunk within her mind.

Severus felt the numbing immediately as he closed his as well. They had tried to shut down their bond when there was no need and found that they could not do it. They came to the conclusion that the bond sensed a true need and it could not be closed down if there was not a true need for it.

Hermione looked worried as she nibbled a bit of toast. She had been feeling strange for the last few days and passed it off as stress.

Harry looked to Hermione noticing her pale look. “Hermione! Are you okay?” He whispered to her.

“Yes Harry. Just under the weather a bit. Also, he is going to be called.” She said.

“Hey Hemione who is going to be called?” Seamus asked.

Hermione panicked for a moment before replying with the first thing that came to mind. “Seamus, since Ron has accused me of being a Seer I’ve been getting in touch with my Inner Eye. The person to be called is you Seamus!”

Hermione’s voice took on a strange tone. “A lion that has been seriously lacking in shield skills will be called upon by the Dark Witch of Hogwarts. He will be tested and found lacking once again!”

Seamus glowered as their fellow Gryffindors laughed out as Hermione’s voice changed once again with a passable impression of their defense professor.

“Mr. Finnigan” Hermione sneered at him. “Even a simple Protego eludes you. Maybe there is such a thing of a student that cannot be taught!”

Hermione noticed a shadow as the table became deathly quiet. She turned around and saw their Defense professor looking down at her.

“Well Professor Snape. I am glad that you notice certain observations with your students.” Sara dryly replied. “Perhaps I should make some personal observations of my own to you Head Girl!” She motioned that the student should follow her. She turned without a backward glance as Hermione got up to follow her.

Seamus could not help himself. “Good Luck Professor Snape!” He called out to Hermione. He laughed at Hermione’s glare, not noticing that a color changing hex was sent out by the real Professor Snape, changing his skin tone to yellow with purple polka dots.

Sara looked to the stricken student. “I still find your shield skills are lacking Mr. Finnigan!”

The students waited until the Head Girl and the professor left the Hall before the entire Gryffindor table erupted up with laughter.

Hermione followed her professor into an empty classroom.

“I probably do not even want to hear of an explanation for that, do I Hermione?” Sara asked the witch.

“No Sara, you would probably would not.” Relaxing at her professor’s informal address to her.

“I have watched you Hermione. You do not look well. What is the reason?”

“I’m not sure. I think it is just stress.” Hermione replied.

“Hermione you are so intelligent! But you miss simple things. Think again!” Sara told her.

The reason suddenly hit her. It was morning sickness. How could she miss the obvious?

Sara handed her some vials of anti-nausea potion. “Take a small sip of this when it hits you. It should help. Now your fellow students would be disappointed if I did not hand you a detention. So you will come to my chambers at 7 pm and keep my familiar company while I am away tonight. He can be interesting company.” She exited the room.

“Be safe Sara.” Hermione quietly told her professor watching her leave. Hermione waited a few minutes to ensure that it would have been long enough for a proper dressing down by a professor. She went back to the Great Hall

&&&&&&

Sara apparated into the Headmaster’s office, knowing that Albus was still at dinner. She saw the Sword of Gryffindor in a glass case and pulled it out, the assassin in her appreciating the balance of the weapon. She laid it on the Headmaster’s table and made an exact copy.

She hefted the copy and swung it a few times, satisfied in her handiwork. She placed the real sword back in the glass case. She looked up and noticed the portraits observing her.

“Portraits! You still keep silent about a Headmistress activity?” She coldly asked them.

The portraits looked disappointed. They had planned on telling Albus her activities. She looked to them. Maybe the Headmaster would know the reasoning of the Dark Lord’s request.

“Who am I to disappoint you? Go ahead and tell him. And tell Albus that I will probably meet with him tonight or tomorrow.” She felt her Mark burn.

She quickly apparated to her room to change as she told Hades about his visitor. Fully dressed in Death Eater robes, she then apparated to her brother’s chambers finding him changing.

He spun about wand pointed to her. “As the Dark Lord knows my ability I figure we should appear together.” She told him.

Severus simply nodded and poured themselves a drink and waited for the call. He observed her as he sipped at his drink. He really could not fathom her. There was so much to her.

Sara grasped her arm at the same time as her brother. He walked over to her and grabbed her waist as she pressed her wand to her mark.

They immediately appeared in front of the Dark Lord and kissed his hem. Sara laid the sword at the Dark Lord’s feet.

“Rise Brother Severus and take your place!” Voldemort commanded him. Severus immediately complied.

“Rise Sister Sara and approach me.”

She approached her Lord as he lifted the robes on her left arm and examined her Mark, running a long finger across it causing Sara to shiver.” “So Dark Sara! It pleases me that I chose you!”

Voldemort immediately accessed her mind and looked to her. “You have issues with Brother Lucius I see.”

“I do my Lord. But my brother has wisely counseled me against Vendetta my Lord!” She spat out in anger.

“Crucio!”

Sara went to the floor and grunted in pain as the Dark Lord held the curse for an undeterminable time before releasing it.

“Are your issues resolved now Sister?” The Dark Lord coldly asked, voice hard.

“Yes my Lord! I suddenly find that I have no issues with Brother Lucius.” She replied meekly, head bowed and not daring to look up.

“Good! Approach me!” He commanded Sara.

“My plans are going forward and I have a simple task for you two to complete. I need you to bring someone to me. He is being watched over by Yaxley” He handed Severus a parchment which had an address scrawled upon it.

“Your will My Lord!” Severus replied as he took the parchment and joined his sister, waiting for a dismissal.

Seeing the curt nod from their master, they turned and exited the throne room.

&&&&&&&&&&

The wizard was moaning in his sleep. Something was not right. He did not hate muggles and muggle-borns, but yet his dreams told him that he did. And his recent appointment. He knew that was not right as well as there were more with seniority above him. He tried to think upon that in his dream, but hate of muggles and all the was impure in the Wizarding world came back full force. He moaned again, his dreams swirling about him confusingly.

&&&&&&

Severus and Sara arrived at the address on the parchment and knocked on the door.

A voice called out suspiciously “Who’s there?”

“Friends Yaxley! Friends sent by the friend of friends” Severus growled back.

The door opened and they entered the residence and found a fellow Death Eater Yaxley in his night shirt, pointing his wand at the siblings.

“This one has been a hand full. He told me that someone would be coming soon.” The Death Eater lowered his wand, noting the mask and robes of the Inner Circle.

“Yes Yaxley.” Severus replied. “We are to take him to our Master.”

Yaxley stepped aside and pointed to the bedroom.

Severus and Sara walked into the bedroom and looked at the wizard, noting that he tossed and turned in his bed.

Severus grabbed the wizard up, noting that the wizard did not react at all. He indicated to Sara to help him. She grabbed a hold of the wizards body and held him still as her brother placed his wand to his Mark and they disappeared.

&&&&&&&&&&&&

They appeared back in the throne room of their Dark Lord, holding the wizard between them. Voldemort pointed his wand and the wizard came to.

“Wizard, do you know who I am” The Dark Lord asked.

“I do!” The wizard fearfully replied back.

There was silence in the room as the wizard between Severus and Sara started to tremble.

“Wizard, what do you think of muggle-borns?” Voldemort asked.

“They are beneath us My Lord! To be exterminated as they are not worthy!” The wizard spat out.

“Take him back, and tell Yaxley to meet with me.” He commanded “Then return to Hogwarts. Very soon, you both will not be needed there.”

They both nodded and apparated away.

&&&&&&&&&&

Back at Hogwarts Harry felt the Dark Lords satisfaction. And why was he thinking about Draco Malfoy?

&&&&&&&&&&&

Severus and Sara did as they were told, and Sara apparated them both to the Headmasters office, causing Albus to jump back.

“Sara, I must ask you to request a meeting through the normal means versus just appearing out of nowhere. It is very unsettling.” Albus told her calmly as he smoothed his robes and sat back down.

Severus told him about the events of the evening. Albus looked troubled. “Severus, did you recognize the wizard?” Albus inquired.

“No Headmaster that is why I am worried.” Severus replied.

“Legillimens or a pensive Severus? Your decision.” Albus told him.

Severus growled to the Headmaster. “Thank you for a choice!” He spat out as he pulled the memory from his mind and placed it into the penseive.

Albus dipped his head into the penseive and came back out about twenty minutes later.

“Sara, You can leave us. I have some things to discuss with your brother.” Albus told her.

“Of course Headmaster, as you obviously do not trust me!” Sara replied back coldly as she left the room.

Severus looked to the Headmaster. “You recognize the wizard Albus?” He asked.

“Yes Severus. He is the newly appointed Head of Magical Law Enforcement, Pius Thicknesse. Replacement for the Head of Magical Law Enforcement after Miss Bones was murdered. This does not bode well for us if the Dark Lord controls him. That is a powerful position” Albus replied.

&&&&&&&&&

Sara went back to her chambers and found Hades and Hermione deep in a discussion. She walked over to her familiar and rubbed his beak.

“Miss. Granger, you detention is over. What did Hades discuss with you?” She asked.

“Death!” Hermione replied. “His argument was most forceful! I still find myself wanting to avoid it!”

“Really?” Sara asked. “And how do you feel about it?”

“I do not fear my death, but I fear for my Bonded!” Hermione replied. “Harry made me realize that Severus will probably not survive. He told me that he would claim our child if Severus dies!”

“Mr. Potter seems to be very perceptive and a true friend to you. Keep your friends close Hermione! You will need them very soon, as they will need you!. As far as death is concerned you know my feelings. It would do you well to realize that you cannot control what will be. Severus set himself on a road long ago before you were bonded.” She told the young witch.

“Impressive Hermione! You worry about others death other than your own!” Sara replied as she opened her door for Hermione. “But you need to think about your own as well!”

Hermione left the Defense professor’s classroom concerned. Could she face her own death?