Tracked

Back in the Burrow, they had started the device that showed the position of the Trackers. Ron, Harry, Ginny, Molly, and Arthur were all staring at it.

"They all seem to be in that location there, at the east coast of Scotland. There! A third Tracker was activated. Could that be Rose?" Ron asked.

"It is either Scorpius or Rose. The three are staying together, so it is unlikely to be Hermione," Molly answered.

"Why would Rose stay together with Al and Scorpius?" Ron asked, puzzled.

"Most likely, one of them is now in charge of her. I noticed Al was fairly vague on that point, but I didn't feel like pressing him on it," Molly elaborated.

Ron wasn't sure he liked that idea. And why wouldn't Albus mention that? He thought Albus had told them everything, why had he kept something back?

The Trackers suddenly disappeared. They searched the map to find them again, and they turned up at a familiar location.

***

"This place looks familiar." Scorpius said, as soon as they arrived at the place Voldemort had summoned them to. There was a familiar, yet dark aura around it.

"Welcome Malfoy," Voldemort said. "To your heritage."

***

"That is Malfoy Manor!" Harry exclaimed.

"I thought that was abandoned," Ron asked.

"It is," Harry said "Or it was. The Death Eaters have returned to their last hideout in the war."

"Well, that's not good. That house is like a fortress. Why didn't you just tear it down?" Ginny asked Harry.

"It is not that simple! When we pardoned the Malfoys, all their property was returned to them. Including the manor. Draco doesn't live there, so after Lucius died it has only been sitting there."

"So, the house is Draco's?" Arthur Weasley asked.

"Maybe," Harry replied.

"Maybe?"

"There is another, minor branch of the Malfoy house who claim the manor. They say that Draco betrayed his family, and thus has no right to it. The case is going through the Wizengamot, but it is slow going. It isn't really a priority, and Draco doesn't seem to be very interested in ending the case. Anyway, until the case is concluded, no one really has a specific right to the Manor. That may explain why the Death Eaters chose it as their secure hideout. And the house has a history of dark deeds done in it."

***

"Malfoy Manor? I have never actually been inside here, my Lord!" Scorpius said with awe. He had heard stories about all the horrible deeds done in this place, and he didn't really like the idea of staying here with so many Dark Wizards, but he couldn't deny that the building and the garden were magnificent. His grandfather had lived here, but Scorpius had never visited them here. On the few occasions they had met, they had always come to London where his father lived.

"Well, I am glad that I can be here to show you your birthright," Voldemort said. "But all of that can be sorted out later. Come. Our host awaits."

They walked over the grounds and approached the main house. Rose walked quietly behind Scorpius, still chained, but glad to have been temporarily forgotten by Voldemort. She was not sure she liked this new development. She had heard the stories about this place too, and what had occurred here during the last Wizarding War. Neither her parents nor Uncle Harry really liked to talk about what had happened to them in this place.

"There you are, Brutus," Voldemort said, approaching a man standing in the entrance to the Manor.

"Welcome, my Lord, to Malfoy Manor," Brutus Malfoy said, bowing to Voldemort.

A few hours later, Albus, Scorpius, and Rose were up in Scorpius' new room. The rooms here were larger and more luxurious than the previous ones had been. Albus and Scorpius had once again managed to get rooms right next to each other, and even managed to get rooms that did not have any other occupied rooms close by, affording more privacy. Albus had been pleasantly surprised when he saw that his owl was waiting for him in his new room. That owl always did have a way of knowing when he needed him.

Rose had at first been chained hands and feet as Voldemort had ordered, but Scorpius had removed the chains on the hands as soon as they were alone. They didn't dare take the foot chain off, in case someone came with a message and saw her. Scorpius sat down on the floor with Rose. She held on to him tightly, as a steadying presence. She seemed to believe their story now.

"So, who's Brutus?" Albus asked after they had settled down and closed the door.

"He is a relative of my grandfather. He has tried to claim this manor because he feels my father is not worthy of it. I have not really cared about it. My father and I don't want to live in this house anyway. Too many evil deeds have been done here over the years. But we want the area around. We could tear this place down and build a nicer house," Scorpius explained.

"So, this is a family conflict, at its essence?"

"Yes, and now Brutus has allied himself with the Dark Lord and invited him here. This way, he will have top security and a much better chance at keeping the manor."

"And now you have arrived, in company with him. What does Brutus think about that?"

"I have no idea. But it could be yet another problem we don't need."

"Well, I think we have more immediate problems to deal with," Rose interrupted. "Like for instance how we are going to be able to release my mother from the dungeon downstairs."

"Yes, but what can we do about that?" Scorpius said. "These dungeons are slightly better protected than the one you and James were in. We may be able to get down and see her, and maybe talk to her for a short time alone, but what good will that do?"

"Besides," Albus added "I highly doubt they will keep her there for long."

"What do you mean?" Rose asked.

Albus didn't answer her. He regretted saying anything at all, as he didn't want to say the rest of his thoughts out loud. Especially since Rose was already blaming herself for her mother being captured. Voldemort would want to kill her. He was sure of it. They needed to find a way to rescue her, and soon. But how?

Before he had the chance of saying any of this, there was a knock on the door. Scorpius quickly rose from the floor, Albus retreated to the other side of the room, facing Rose. They both looked more menacing. Rose curled down in her corner, playing the cowed, scared prisoner. Albus hated seeing that look on Rose's face. She had always seemed so strong. But their situation was worse than anything they had ever faced before, and her situation was probably the worst. The feeling of helplessness they all felt threatened to overwhelm them at times, but Rose was visibly restrained by it, with chains.

"Enter," Scorpius said. A Death Eater guard came in. He leered at Rose, who whimpered and tried to hide behind Scorpius. Her fear was not entirely fake. This was the same guard that she had bitten last night.

"Master wants you," the guard said, looking at Scorpius with a grin.

"Very well. I'll be right down," Scorpius replied. "I'll just secure my prisoner. Wait outside, please."

"I was told to bring you down. I'm not leaving without you."

"Fine. Severus, will you make sure she is secure?"

"Don't worry," Albus replied. "She isn't going anywhere. She knows who her master is now. And she has nowhere else to go."

They left. Albus drew a relieved breath. Rose straightened a little but stayed on the floor. She looked over at Albus.

"That is scary, you know. How you just suddenly change your whole persona like that. It's like you are two completely different people," Rose said. "That is what made me so uncertain about which side you are on."

"Well, in a way, we are different people. We put on a persona, and in some way, it is us, and yet it is not. Albus and Severus are two different versions of who I could be. Sadly, Severus has now learned more Dark Magic than Albus ever wanted to know," Albus said.

"Well, I much prefer Albus," Rose replied. "Please don't lose him." She got on her feet and gave him a hug. It was the first time she had shown any affection towards him since they had left Hogwarts and Albus held on tightly in appreciation.

"I won't. I much prefer him too. I prefer the good version of Scorpius too."

"It's strange. I never realised just how good a person he is. I have to let him know that. When I heard him declare loyalty to Voldemort, I couldn't believe it. He is one of the last people I could imagine would do such a thing," Rose was relieved to finally understand the truth about what Albus and Scorpius had done, but their situation was still troublesome.

"I need to go," Albus said. "I can't be seen lingering in this room for too long. It will look suspicious."

"No, please don't leave me here alone. It would be just like the dungeons again," Rose pleaded, holding on to him.

"I'll be in the next room. I've made a small hole in the wall; we can talk through that. That is why the peg to the chain is on that side of the room," Albus reassured her.

"Well, that is something at least," Rose said. She let go of Albus, a little embarrassed at her spontaneous reaction.

"I'll probably be called down eventually though, so don't be alarmed if I stop responding," Albus warned her. He sighed as he put the end of Rose's chain on a peg on the wall. It didn't really limit her movement inside the room, but she couldn't reach the door. He wished he didn't have to put the chain on at all, but the guard had heard Scorpius asking him to do it, so it had to stay there for now.