Sirius's Son Harry Black

11

Harry Black

Blood Traitors and Spies

"FORGIVE ME, MASTER! AHHHHHH!"

From the circle of robed and masked figures, he watched, grateful it wasn't him on in the center with the Dark Lord, being tortured. But he knew his turn would come. He had given Bellatrix the information instead of going straight to the Dark Lord. His master's wrath would turn to him next, he just knew it. He shivered, silently, watching Bellatrix's torture, wishing that if he closed his eyes her screams would be blocked out too.

"Tell me, Bellatrix, if you are my faithful servant, who told you how to get close to Black?"

"It was-" Her voice was raw and scratchy, hard to hear. "It was him." She pointed.

He trembled even harder now, although he knew this was coming.

"Oh?" The Dark Lord's red, cat-like eyes fixed on him. "And why did you not come to me with this? Since when do you report to Bellatrix? Why should you not share in her fate?"

"Master, forgive me!" He fell to his knees, and kissed the hem of the Dark Lord's robes while speaking. "I told her, yes, my Lord, and I wanted to tell you. She said not to bother you. Said you were not concerned with capturing only one blood traitor. Master, please!"

The Dark Lord's laugh was like a hiss. He turned back to Bellatrix.

His knees and arms gave out. He was lying flat on the floor, crying as he listened to his master.

"Is this true, Bellatrix? You knew I wanted Sirius Black alive, or you would have killed him. And you also know time spent on the capture of one blood traitor is time wasted, when I will have them all once I defeat that Muggle-loving fool. You not only wasted your time with this pathetic attempt to capture Black, you wasted mine! And you failed! Crucio!"

Screaming.

"Never again, Bellatrix. Never again will you organize an attack without my permission. Stand."

"Yes, Master, thank you, Master." Bellatrix stood on shaky legs.

"Who made you the potion you used to paralyze Black?"

"I did, my Lord," another Death Eater said, falling to his knees. "You instructed me to test my creation. When I learned of Bellatrix's plan, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity. I did not know you did not authorize her actions."

"Rise, Severus, my faithful servant."

Snape stood.

"You have served me well over the years. Even now, when Bellatrix failed, your potion was a success. You will be rewarded for this, for Lord Voldemort rewards those who serve him well."

"Thank you, my Lord," Snape said, bowing his head.

"I am entrusting you with my most important mission, Severus. Choose three others to accompany you. The rest will leave."

"Yes, my Lord."

Without any thought, as though he had been expecting this, Snape chose Lucius, Bellatrix, and him, although he was still lying on the floor. He stood, though, when Snape picked him.

"The rest of you, get out!" the Dark Lord commanded. "You will tell no one what I am about to say," he said, when the room had cleared. "The Prophecy could not have referred to the Longbottom boy. I killed the boy. Had the Prophecy been fulfilled then, I would be unstoppable, yet Dumbledore continues to stand against me. There must another. You will find him. You will break into Hogwarts, find the book the Magical Quill writes in, and bring the names of all magical children born in 1980 to me."