Harry potter and the breeding darkness

Chapter 27

At 5:30, Tom and Harry were finished with meetings for the day and about to head to 'their' wing of the abbey for the night to relax before Harry had to return to school. Just as they were standing to make their way that direction, the wards signaled that someone had just Apparated in. Knowing that this meant there was something emergent that he probably either needed to know about or had to deal with in some way, Voldemort signaled Evan to seat himself once more then he, himself, slipped back into his chair and waited, drumming his long fingers on the desk impatiently. He disliked being disturbed when he wanted some time alone with Harry but disliked even more not knowing what might be coming, so he waited.

Quickly, there was a knock on the door to which Voldemort hissed an enter. An older man, one Harry recognized as an Unspeakable from the Department of Mysteries named Claybourne Hennishaw, came in and bowed to Voldemort then took a seat in front to the desk where he was gestured.

Knowing he needed to get to the point so that his Lord wouldn't grow irritated, Claybourne said, "My Lord, I have news to deliver about possible activities of the Order of the Phoenix."

Curiosity piqued, Tom glanced at Harry then made a motion with his hand for the Unspeakable to continue on.

"Over the last week there has been some murmurings about people down by the Hall of Prophecy at night. Though they don't seem to be doing anything untold, they are there, almost as if they are guarding it. I heard today that Sturgis Podmore, a known member of the Order from the first war, was arrested last night trying to break in. During that incident, he was said to have been injured and is now at St. Mungos. Rumor has it that he was under the Imperius at the time."

This was, most certainly, news that Voldemort wanted to hear. After taking a few moments to process what was said then glancing at 'Evan' he asked, "You ssssay that there have been people down that way at night? Guarding ssssomething?"



"That seems to be the consensus, my Lord. There has been talk among the ranks that they feel it's members of the Order as they recognized some of them, such as Arthur Weasley. From what I'm hearing, they don't do anything, just sit there, as though they are keeping an eye on the entrance."

Nodding thoughtfully, Voldemort said, "I want you to keep an eye and ear out to ssssee what you can disssscover. Anything at all would be most helpful to our causssse. Beyond that, hassss there been any talk about what they might want to be guarding?" Though he already assumed that it had to do with the prophecy that he and Harry already knew about, he wasn't going to make a rash judgment only to have it turn out wrong.

"No, my Lord. There are, of course, rumors as to what it would be but they are so varied that one can't be sure which is just a poke in the dark and which it might be. The predominant one seems to be about a prophecy concerning you and Harry Potter. But, as the ones that work in the Hall of Prophecy are very tight-lipped about what's there, I can't confirm that such a thing even exists. Nor, even if I was able to get in there, would I be able to hear what it says. Only those that the prophecy relates to can remove it from the shelf. I don't believe there is an actual record of it anywhere either."

As he already knew all he wanted to about that end of things, Voldemort waved a dismissive hand at that then said, "Keep an eye out then report back to me on any activity you hear or ssssee." With the tone of finality he used, he was making it clear that the meeting was at an end.

Nodding, Claybourne replied, "Of course, my Lord." Then he stood, bowed then quickly exited.

After he left, Tom sat there staring at the door, drumming his fingers on the desk as he did. This was something he found...intriguing, for lack of a better word. Already, his mind was working over the various things that this could mean.