Riddle Manor

Kalina Yulia Karkaroff shivered as she pulled the tattered remains of her powder blue robes around herself. Riddle Manor possessed a damp, poorly lit cellar with a dirt floor and low ceilings. There was only one staircase that led to the old servants' quarters, and it was sealed off by both a heavy wooden door and magic. The cellar served efficiently as her prison.

The only visitors she had in the last few days were Death Eaters fetching her on the Dark Lord's orders. She dreaded hearing the door creak as it opened and footsteps on the stairs that inevitably followed.

Her body was bruised, tender, and jittery. She had been offered food more than once but could not stomach it. There were countless bottles of vintage wine in storage but she had not tried to open one. She wanted her wits about her in case there was an opportunity to escape.

As the minutes ticked by, her resolve diminished. She was examining a dark-red port when she heard the awful, telltale scrape of the door. She dropped the glass bottle and it shattered at her feet.

Heavy footsteps tromped on the staircase as she tried to yank her robes around herself more tightly. "I'm sorry," she said shakily, "I didn't mean to break anything."

"It's no matter," said the Death Eater named Perseus Nott. He waved his wand and the bottle repaired itself. "We wouldn't stoop so low as to drink Muggle-made wine." Kalina nodded swiftly, lowering her gaze to the ground. She wondered if there was any hope in begging. "The Dark Lord wants you upstairs."

Kalina swallowed thickly as tears pricked at her green eyes. "I tutored Theodore. He is a good boy."

"I'd rather the niece of a traitor didn't teach my nephew," he sneered at her as he yanked her toward the stairs. She wanted to ask what was in store for her as they ascended. Her voice was momentarily nonexistent.

Perseus led her to the second floor and pushed her through an unfamiliar door. She stared into the poshly decorated washroom with its porcelain toilet and copper clawfoot tub.

"Bathe," the Death Eater snapped. He stepped further into the room and shut the door behind him.

Kalina stared at him. "Can't I have privacy? I won't do anything - "

"No."

She turned on the water and shakily disrobed as Perseus guarded the door. She refused to look at him as she slipped under the warm water, but she knew he was staring.

After hastily scrubbing clean, Kalina was handed a set of black robes. Grateful to have clothing that would cover her completely, she put them on. Then Perseus pulled her into the corridor.

The door that led to the master suite had become her nightmare fuel. Patterns of dahlias were carved into the corners and had it been any other situation, Kalina might have found it lovely. Her heart nearly stopped as Perseus turned the silver knob.

Lord Voldemort was preoccupied as they entered the room. He was seated in his favorite overstuffed chair near the fireplace and his black robes were spread open, displaying his ghostly white legs to the room. A young woman, naked except for a pair of white stockings that covered her feet and calves, lay bleeding at his feet.

Kalina saw the cuts on the woman's body and she clapped her hands to her mouth to stifle her gasp. Voldemort snapped his fingers and another slash appeared over the woman's breast. She cried out, the sound morphing into sobs as she rolled in her own blood on the floor.

"Nott," said Voldemort. Glee was apparent on his snake-like face as he watched the helpless woman. "Thank you for retrieving Karkaroff."

Perseus bowed. "My lord." He took his place by the door. Next to him, Victor Crabbe already stood guard. His face shined with sweat and gluttony as he continued to watch the scene. "Mind your manners," Perseus growled lowly. Barely able to control her movements, Kalina bowed as best as she could. The Dark Lord's eyes fell on her as he snapped his fingers again. The woman's skin opened on her thigh and blood sprayed on the floor.

"Kill me!" she cried.

Lord Voldemort chuckled darkly. "And why would I do that?"

"Mercy, mercy," the young woman moaned. She moved onto her hands and slowly crawled toward the Dark Lord. He looked down at her with obvious disgust.

"Cretinous Muggle," he hissed. "We have only been at this for a few hours...although I see no reason to listen to you whine any longer." His red eyes found Kalina again and bile rose to her throat. "What say you, Miss Karkaroff? Are you a fair trade for this weeping, bleeding Muggle?"

Was he offering her a choice? Would he leave her alone if this other girl remained alive? She couldn't possibly go through what she had already, not again -

Kalina shook her head violently. The wizards around her laughed. "I would like you to speak, Karkaroff," said Lord Voldemort.

"I - I can't..."

"You can't what?"

"C-can't...won't...t-take her place!"

The dark wizard rose from his chair. His large boot landed squarely on the Muggle woman's wrist and she screamed as the bone crunched beneath his weight. His eyes didn't leave Kalina's face as he moved closer to her.

"I admire your callousness," he said, his face inches from hers. "But it won't save you."

With a final snap of his long, bony fingers, the Muggle's throat was magically sliced open. Kalina sobbed as the woman gurgled on her own blood, her terror only intensified by the fact that Lord Voldemort was standing in front of her to drink in her reaction.

The Muggle became silent. The Dark Lord grabbed a fist full of blonde hair and yanked Kalina toward the chair. Her bare feet slipped in the pooled blood and she stumbled over the fresh corpse, remaining upright only because of Voldemort's hold on her. He sat, and she yelped as she was pulled forward even more.

"No," she whimpered, "No, no, no - "

"Kneel, Karkaroff."

"No, please," she whispered. He shoved her head between his legs. It was only then that she found her voice. "Please!"

He tapped his wand between her shoulder blades. She shrieked in pain as a shock ran through her like lightning. She knelt then, one leg settling on the floor while the other rested on the dead Muggle's calf. The Dark Lord's fist tightened as he controlled her movements and he wasted no time in shoving himself in her mouth. He only pulled her head up every now and then when she gagged.

The Death Eaters present were not strangers to this type of entertainment. The Dark Lord had not passed the Muggle woman around before she was killed, but it was not unheard of for him to share his prizes. Crabbe was particularly fond of blondes. He resisted palming himself over his trousers as wet, rhythmic squelching noises filled the room.

The Dark Lord hadn't planned on finishing this way, but her reddened eyes and loud sobs were too enticing. He could see the consciousness fade from her green eyes as he slammed himself further down her throat. Only when he had expelled every last drop of seed did he yank her from between his legs and throw her to the floor. A used, disgraced whore. That's all she was good for since Igor had betrayed him.

Voldemort cleaned his crotch off with a wave of his wand and pulled his black robes over himself. Crabbe and Nott looked expectant as if they deserved to fuck her for merely being present. He did not acknowledge their hopeful gazes or the fact that their robes were tented at their groins. Instead, he pushed the dead Muggle aside with an impatient kick and crouched over Karkaroff.

It was the third time looking through her mind. He had spent the most time searching through her memories of working beside Severus. Most of it was dull, dry dribble. Preparing ingredients, discussing theories, stirring bubbling liquids. He frequently saw his daughter in these sequences but she exchanged no useful information with the potions apprentice. Cassiopeia sensed reason to mistrust her.

Perhaps for plausible reasons. He was admittedly caught off guard when he saw Kalina and Severus fucking and then Cassiopeia catching them. This did not sit well with him. If what Severus had told him was true, that he spent every effort to gain his daughter's trust, then this was a critical mistake. It would be dealt with.

But what Lord Voldemort most wanted to figure out was a wispy, wavering, split second of a memory that he suspected was altered. It seemed in the first few months, Severus taught Kalina to brew Wolfsbane. It was likely that this was true. But something in the air shimmered the night they finished it.

"If you would like, I can retrieve her for you, Master Snape."

"There is no need. She will be returning to the dungeons as soon as her tutoring hours are finished."

Shortly after nine o'clock, Cassiopeia entered the potions office carrying a large bottle of white wine. Three goblets were floating beside her.

"Have you done it?" asked Cassiopeia.

Severus showed her the bottle of smoking Wolfsbane. Kalina watched on as Cassiopeia covered the Potions Master with kisses.

Lord Voldemort paused the assault on Kalina's mind. Her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath. "Who were you making the Wolfsbane for?"

His question did not seem to register in her terror-filled eyes. He hit her with a Cruciatus Curse in frustration. He let up on her, then asked, "Why was Cassiopeia so invested in its completion?" The blonde witch still did not have an answer. He used his wand to electrocute her, this time on her thigh. He turned to Nott as she whimpered at his feet.

"Bring me Cassiopeia," he commanded.

Nott found the Dark Lord's daughter in the middle of a chess game. She was seated on her bed as she studied the board. Her vampire guard sat next to her, his long legs dangling to the floor as he moved his white rook.

"You could knock," Cassiopeia grumbled.

"Our master waits for no one," Nott argued. "He requires your presence."

She exchanged a look with the vampire. The pair seemed to have developed an unspoken language in the last few days, something that made the Death Eaters uneasy. The Dark Lord assured them that it was a natural consequence of the vampire draining her blood, as it was necessary to keep her weak and subdued. Avery had expressed his uncertainty that the vampire could waver in his loyalty to the Dark Lord's cause.

The Dark Lord took it as an insult to his judgment. Avery was still recovering from the torture curses he had received.

"Come, Cassiopeia," the vampire said softly. "I will have my victory at a later time."

The young witch unfolded her legs and stood, stretching her arms above her head. "I'll remind you that I won the last game."

"That was a quirk of fate. I had only just awoken."

"Is that an excuse, Stellan? I thought a centuries-old vampire would have the upper hand, but perhaps you need more practice - "

"Silence, the both of you," Nott hissed. They had reached the Dark Lord's door. "Our master will not be in the mood for idle bantering."

"Your master," Cassiopeia said pointedly, "and when is he ever in the mood for such a thing? Let's get this over with." She pushed past Perseus and opened the door, her vampire guard a step behind her.

Cassie had seen countless atrocities under her father's reign. She was processing the fact that he was back in the flesh, but the violent, heartbreaking things she had seen as a child were as fresh in her mind now as they ever were. She wasn't startled by the naked, dead body lying at the foot of his chair. She was more surprised by Kalina's presence in his suite.

Instant, white-hot rage filled her soul. Something instinctual inside her broke and she lunged at Kalina, but she didn't make it far. Stellan caught her by the arms.

"Let go of me!" snarled Cassie.

"Calm down," the vampire murmured into her ear. She stopped struggling against his grip, but her blue eyes shot daggers at the blonde witch.

"I imagine you are eager to dole out vengeance for her slights against you," Lord Voldemort said, amused as he observed his daughter, "But that is not why you are here."

"Cassie," Kalina whimpered from the floor, "Please, please forgive me!"

"Shut up!" Cassie snapped. Kalina's face was covered in dried tears and snot. Fresh bruises had formed on her skin and her lips were raw and swollen. Cassie suddenly felt a surge of sympathy for the trembling blonde witch.

Voldemort jerked his head and Crabbe grabbed Kalina by the arm. As he dragged her to the door, her green eyes stayed glued on Cassie. "Help me, please!" she cried. Cassie remained silent. Did she not realize that she was in no position to help anyone?

Kalina's shrieks faded as Crabbe brought her to wherever she was being held. Voldemort stepped over the corpse as he approached Cassie. She tried to stand tall, hoping no one could tell that the room around her was spinning. Stellan had drank from her only hours ago.

"Severus brewed something with his apprentice. I want to know what it was."

Cassie cocked her head slightly. "Severus brewed countless potions with her."

"No. This one was intricate and time-consuming."

"As were most of the things he taught her. That's the point of an apprenticeship, you see."

Her back slammed into Stellan's torso as she was hit with the torture curse. Stellan wrapped his arms around her chest, much to the Dark Lord's displeasure. "Let her fall!" he snarled. The vampire hesitated for only a moment before letting Cassie hit the floor.

Voldemort stooped down, his crooked teeth bared as he glared at his offspring. "I will ask you once. What potion were you so delighted about?"

Cassie coughed on her saliva. Before she tried to speak, she met her father's eyes. "Wolfsbane."

"You think me stupid, Cassiopeia." She swallowed down the sarcastic comment that threatened to burst from her mouth like vomit. "Why would Wolfsbane garner such enthusiasm?"

She swallowed thickly. Her spit tasted of blood. She wondered if Stellan could smell it. "Kalina struggled with the recipe."

He didn't believe her. The skin crinkled around his missing nose and his skeletal fingers turned his wand over and over in his grip. She braced herself for another round of the Cruciatus Curse. "How peculiar. Did you also celebrate with goblets of wine when Master Snape fucked his apprentice?"

The anger Cassie had felt upon seeing Kalina was reignited. Getting to her feet was a struggle, but she managed. "Fuck you."

A singular, cruel laugh left Lord Voldemort's throat as he gripped her neck. Her rage still coursed through her as he entered her mind and she panicked as she tried to close off his advance.

He knew that toying with her emotions might make her vulnerable. She was an idiot for falling for it.

She nearly forgot to breathe as her father trampled through her psyche like a raging mountain troll. Where the previous assaults on her mind had been methodical and controlled, this time he crashed through months of her life in seconds. He was attempting to break through her barriers and see whatever her raw emotions might give up.

She cleared her mind and forced the rage to dissipate. She couldn't afford to show him anything but blank, black nothing.

Only seconds passed as Voldemort switched between using Legilimens and the Cruciatus Curse. Cassie's weakened body barely had the energy to writhe on the floor as her muscles spasmed in protest.

Anger-filled, scarlet eyes met hers and he was in her mind again. She could give him nothing. Blank, zero, empty. She could feel her father's frustration pulsing in her head. She thought she might pass out but a familiar sound, something low and inviting like warm molasses, was pulling her back.

Voldemort refused to detach himself from her. Cassie could sense his utter resolve. A fleeting, vacuous thought overtook her. She let a memory through, one of a dark forest filled with hooded, unidentifiable witches and wizards kneeling before her.

The connection was severed as abruptly as it had started. Cassie couldn't be sure if it was by choice or because he was caught off guard by the image of her followers. He stared down at his daughter with bewildered, glistening scarlet eyes, unaware that he was struggling to catch his breath as much as she was.

Nott and Crabbe, charged with corpse disposal, had charmed the dead Muggle to float toward the door. The Head of Slytherin House, who had just entered the room, stepped aside to avoid colliding with a stiffening, bloodied arm.

"Severus," said Voldemort, breaking his gaze away from Cassie, "You have excellent timing."

"My lord," the Potions Master replied with a deep bow, "as I was saying to the vampire, I had only learned that Cassiopeia was here - "

"And you came running to her side," Voldemort hissed, a mocking sneer spreading across his demonic face. "How very chivalrous." Severus risked one glance at his fiancee as she lay on the floor. Any longer and his resolve would weaken.

Cassie looked frail and sickly, but her expression exuded nothing but wrath. Rounds of torture at the Dark Lord's wand had not broken her. For a moment, Severus breathed easier.

"I thought you may need my assistance," Severus said evenly.

"Oh, I do," Voldemort stepped closer to his servant. Cassie stirred, wincing as she slowly moved from her back to her hands and knees. "You see, I've been trying to solve something for hours, Severus. It seems neither of the witches I have interrogated can help me."

"I am nothing if not at your disposal, my lord."

"Good. Then I'd like you to tell me what you've taught Kalina."

Severus didn't risk another glance at Cassie. He could feel her stare burning holes in him as he tried to meet the Dark Lord's unwavering, unblinking eyes. "I have been teaching her several advanced potions, my lord. Most of them are not taught at Hogwarts."

"I am inquiring about one in particular, Severus. One that Cassiopeia seemed rather invested in." It was a test of loyalty as much as it was a request for information. Voldemort had seen something, that much Severus could deduce. It was likely that he had noticed Kalina's altered memory. All he could do was hope that Cassie had given up nothing or at least answered the way he expected her to. If not, he was a dead man. Of course, if he had found out about the Antecessor potion, he was doomed anyway. "What was it?"

"Wolfsbane, my lord."

Voldemort grimaced. "What was my daughter's involvement?"

Severus's eyebrows knit together in confusion. "She did not have a hand in brewing it."

"No, Severus. Why did she care about its completion?" This time, Severus made a show of looking at Cassiopeia, turning his head to be sure that the Dark Lord saw it. The look of contempt she held as she stared back nearly made him lose his concentration. "Look at me, Severus. Did you alter Karkaroff's memory?"

"I did not, my lord."

The Dark Lord delivered a swift kick to his offspring's ribs. She grunted as she fell back to the floor, a natural reaction to her bones being cracked by her father's dragonhide boots. "Then you did," he sneered at Cassie. "I want to know why, Cassiopeia."

Cassie moaned before barking out a laugh. "You didn't see what you needed when you were tearing through my memories?" She expected the pain when it hit her. She cleared her mind as she did when she was performing Occlumency, trying to disassociate herself from the agony as it tore through her like fire. Her father wasn't just trying to punish her this time. He was at a breaking point.

She couldn't make out what Severus was saying as the curse lifted, but she could hear the plea in his voice. Fuck him. If she had the strength, she would have spat at him.

"You've sunk to the level of protecting beasts, now?" Voldemort jeered at her. "Don't worry, your dear fiance has clued me in." Cassie closed her eyes, relishing in the feeling of feigned darkness. How she wished to be somewhere, anywhere else at that moment. If she could not muster the strength to curse him, then she wanted to slip into the bliss of sweet oblivion. "Perhaps you were seeking to add to your list of barbarities to spite me, daughter. Blood traitors, half-bloods...did you mate with the wolf, too?"

The Dark Lord motioned to the vampire and Cassie was dragged to her feet. Red eyes were mere inches from her face, slit pupils dilated with the prospect of causing more pain. "I haven't, but I thank you for the suggestion, Father."

"Your own torture does not seem to temper your defiance. Shall I turn my wand on Severus instead?" the Dark Lord snarled.

Even with her hatred for Severus, Cassie could not bear the thought of him in pain. The small, mocking grin that had played on her lips disappeared at her father's threat. "You always did know how to inspire loyalty in your most devoted, Father," she hissed to him in Parseltongue.

"And I suppose you are now the expert in that subject, my daughter?" he hissed back. A wave of satisfaction ran through her. So he understood, at least partially, what he had seen. She hoped it scared him.

"I am learning very quickly," she hissed. "I had an entire childhood of witnessing bad examples, you see."

An aggravated growl left Voldemort's throat. "I will find the werewolf called Lupin and I will gift you his head, Cassiopeia. We will see how much cheek you'll have then."

The Dark Lord gave the order that she be returned to her room, commanding Severus to accompany Stellan and her on the journey. She shouldn't have been surprised. He wouldn't want to waste any opportunity to torture her.

"Cassie, you need to rest - " Severus started as soon as they entered the small quarters.

"Noted," Cassie snapped. She didn't miss that he was taken aback at her reply. She didn't care.

When Severus's voice returned to him, he asked, "Is there anything I can get for you?"

"Unless you can get me a large supply of blood-replenishing potions and the opportunity to drink them, you are of no use to me."

Severus's black eyes flitted to the large vampire who observed the tense scene with little reaction. Confusion was apparent in the Potions Master's expression, something that was easy for Cassie to recognize in all their moments of intimacy.

"We can manage from this point, Master Snape," Stellan said coolly. He guided the wizard out of the bedroom and closed the door.

Cassie collapsed onto the bed. She was physically exhausted, severely anemic, and needed nothing more than sleep. What kept her awake for the next hour was Severus. Seeing him caused the memory of Kalina and him fucking to play over and over in her mind. She was subjected to it until she fell into a restless slumber.

Severus, meanwhile, returned to the Dark Lord's side in the large drawing room. Lord Voldemort rarely allowed him to come and go as he pleased and tonight was no different.

Nagini was in the Dark Lord's lap. Severus waited until there was a natural pause in their hissing, hoping that he was not interrupting whatever conversation they were having, before speaking. "My lord," Severus began quietly.

"Severus," the Dark Lord replied, his skeletal hand slowly gliding over the serpent's scales. "Back so soon. I thought you and Cassiopeia would have more to discuss."

"She seems displeased by my presence, my lord," Severus said lowly. "Perhaps revealing her friendship with the werewolf has upset her."

"A likely theory," the Dark Lord said, turning in his chair to look at Severus. Whenever those red eyes found him, his stomach clenched in anticipation. "Or perhaps she is still upset about your misconduct."

"My...pardon me, my lord - "

Lord Voldemort laughed. It was jarring to hear the dark wizard make such a noise. As soon as it reached Severus's ears he knew danger was imminent. "Come now, Severus. Did you truly believe such transgressions could be concealed from me?"

"My lord - "

His master stood. Nagini wrapped her enormous body around his shoulders and he took one, two, slow steps toward Severus. "You reassured me that you have done everything in your power to ensure her trust in you, Severus." Footsteps padded across the threshold. Severus could not break eye contact with the Dark Lord to see who they belonged to. "And yet mere days later, I learned of your infidelity!"

"My lord, I do not know - "

"That you do not possess the discipline to ensure my daughter's faithfulness in you and therefore cannot hold her confidence. How do you expect to influence her toward me and my cause, Severus?"

"My lord, I assure you that I do not know of what you speak - "

"Silence!" snapped Voldemort. "I should have trusted my initial instincts. The moment I learned you fornicated with my heir I should have killed you!"

Severus waited for the final blow to come. That flash of green light, the magic that would finally snuff out his existence. The Dark Lord certainly looked ready to deliver the Killing Curse. A part of him accepted it.

The part of him that wanted to live, that yearned to feel Cassie in his arms and feel her warmth against his flesh again, noticed something. The wizard that had entered the room was Barty Crouch Junior. Severus had not spent a lot of time with Barty when he was not Polyjuiced as Moody, but he was still easy to read. He was shaking in the eagerness of Severus's untimely death. A greedy smirk was plastered on his pointed face, and yet something else stung at the back of Severus's mind.

"I was not unfaithful to Cassiopeia," Severus declared evenly, even as Lord Voldemort's wand was pointed at his chest. "My lord, if you have any sliver of belief in what I am telling you, then I implore you to use Legilimency - "

"I already have," the Dark Lord spat, "on Karkaroff."

"Not on her. On Crouch."

Barty spluttered his thinly veiled protests. It didn't matter. Soon, he was seated across from Lord Voldemort, subjected to the torment of him going through his memories like a poorly secured diary.

The younger wizard was a good enough Occlumens to hoodwink people who weren't actively trying to read his mind. He had managed to play his part undetected for months while at Hogwarts. It was easy for Severus to read his emotions while he wasn't trying to deceive anyone in the room.

His skills were severely outmatched by the Dark Lord. Within minutes, Lord Voldemort had seen enough to satisfy his curiosity. Barty had taken a single hair while raiding Severus's office one night. He infused it into a dose of Polyjuice Potion and then approached the Severus's apprentice.

"Tell me, Barty," Lord Voldemort said as he turned up his nose, "What did you hope to accomplish by seducing Karkaroff?"

Barty swallowed hard. Severus took satisfaction in the other wizard's predicament, but it did not quell his outrage. Because of him, Cassie had believed in his betrayal for days. That was enough for him to wish whatever befell upon him next.

"Master, I thought of only serving you while I carried out this plan. My loyalty is unwavering - "

"Enough. Answer me."

Barty's face reddened. "Dirtying her with his disgusting bloodline, touching her like he owns her!"

"I did not grant you permission to impersonate Severus, nor did I tell you to destroy his relationship with my daughter."

"Master, please understand that I had your interests in the forefront of my mind! He does not deserve her!"

"I suppose you think you do," Severus interjected coolly.

"More than a filthy, traitorous half-blood," Barty sneered, "Although I wouldn't touch her now. She's ruined."

Severus was not allowed to see Cassie again that night. Voldemort sent him back to Hogwarts to watch Dumbledore's correspondences with the ministry. As hard as it was to leave the house that his beloved was being held captive in, Severus was content to hear Barty's screams.

Lucius was summoned to Riddle Manor soon after Lord Voldemort was done disciplining his servant. Stellan had requested an audience with the Dark Lord, and Cassiopeia needed guarding. Barty, after enduring the Cruciatus Curse at his master's wand for the first time, was not up to the task.

Cassie stirred as Stellan left the room and her uncle took his place.

The Dark Lord and the ancient vampire sat in stony silence for a few moments. The fireplace crackled with a newly lit flame and Stellan didn't miss the fact that the wizard was gripping his wand.

"Tell me," Voldemort started softly, taking a sip of blood-red wine from an intricately carved goblet. "Have you grown weary of guarding Cassiopeia?"

"On the contrary. For a young witch, she tends to keep things interesting. The task has been far more riveting than I anticipated."

"She is indomitable at times. I will break her of it."

Stellan hummed. "And if you cannot?"

Voldemort narrowed his eyes at the vampire. "She will have no choice but to bow to me."

Stellan's expression did not change as he studied the wizard. Silent seconds passed before he spoke again. "You intend to overthrow your ministry, yes?"

"It is only a matter of time."

"Do you intend to reinstall the same privileges that vampires had the last time you were in power?"

"That will depend on how the coming weeks go."

"What will that depend on?"

"Your cooperation with my daughter's confinement," Voldemort said icily. He stood, goblet of wine in hand. Nagini, sensing his annoyance, raised her head from her spot near the fireplace to watch him. "The vampires were more than happy to fight under me during the last war."

"I was not my clan's leader during the last war."

"Are you saying you are considering aligning with Fudge?" Voldemort asked with an amused tweak of his lip. He waved his wand, pouring more wine.

"I am saying I have a lot of underlings that are my responsibility," Stellan replied.

Voldemort waved his hand dismissively. "If you do not do what I have asked, there will be nothing else to consider." The Dark Lord left the vampire alone with his thoughts.

It was almost two in the morning. Cassie would still be sleeping, but Stellan had every confidence in Lucius's abilities.

Without bothering to inform anyone, least of all the Dark Lord, Stellan left the Riddle Estate. He needed to move quickly if he wanted to reach Hogsmeade by sunrise.