Nerida Riddle, daughter of the Dark Lord - REWRITING IN PROGRESS

Nerida Riddle, daughter of the Dark Lord - Chapter 7

"Well, I suppose that wraps things up then." I tucked my scroll that I had been making notes on throughout my meeting with Severus and the Carrows into my pocket. Standing up, I grabbed my cloak from the back of my chair.

"I'll see you all the same at the same time in a fortnight then?" Asked Severus.

"Sure. Thank you, Alecto and Amycus. I'll see you in, yes, about a fortnight. I'll send a message to Severus and he will let you know." The two Death Eaters, who were very much afraid of me, nodded and scuttled away.

"Severus, can we go around all the houses together. I think we need to have a little talk."

Twenty minutes later we had walked around the four houses, making comments on what trouble we could expect from which students. I copied their names down onto my scroll. Severus was most worried about Neville Longbottom.

"He knows how to get on the wrong side of someone. Stupid and clumsy. I'll be keeping an eye on him."

"And the young Weasely girl. She's pretty much our only link to the Order of the Phoenix now." We agree on a lot of things, Severus and I. At the end of the evening, he walked me to the edge of the grounds, where I could apparate out.

"Do you know what your father has planned for you, Nerida?"

"Not really." I shook my head. It was pitch black and I could only see Severus by the light coming form his wand.

"Promise me you'll be careful. Don't do anything silly, Nerida." He looked genuinely concerned for me.

"I'll be fine," I laughed. He just shook his head.

"Be careful around Draco and Nacissa, especially Narcissa. Don't trust Dolohov, and keep an eye out for Yaxley. He's not the brightest."

"I know that, Severus."

"The same goes for Wormtail." I laughed at that. But as I looked up at Severus in the flickering light, he bit his lip, as though he was stopping himself form saying something.

"What is it Severus?" He said nothing. "Go on. Spit it out." He hesitated, and then spoke.

"If you don't mind me asking, Nerida...what's your patronus?"

"An raven, of course." I thought of my first kiss, with a Slytherin in the year above me, my happiest memory, and waved my wand, thinking the words 'expecto patronum' over and over again. Severus nodded as my silver raven circled the air above us, eventually fading away.

"Why do you ask?" He immediately shyed away as soon as the words escaped my mouth.

"Its just...my patronus changed last year...its...it doesn't matter." And before I could reply, I heard him whisper 'nox', putting out the light, and he was gone. Left all alone in the darkness outside Hogwarts, I suddenly felt powerful. I spun around on my left heel, apparating back to the driveway of Malfoy Manor, striding down the long gravel path. The heavy black doors swung open before me, and I turned into the meeting room. My father had assembled the few Death Eaters who took up a permanent residence here along the table. There were only a few of them in there, Aunt Narcissa, Draco, my mother, Yaxley, my father, and Wormtail, but he didn't count. Nagini was draped around the arms of my father's chair.

"Nerida...bad news." My father was angry. I tensed up, unsure of what to expect.

"Rowle and Dolohov. Had their memories wiped by Potter and his stupid friend and that mudblood." My father spat the words out. "Dolohov was in charge of the counterfeit trace, and Rowle was helping him. But they blew it. IDIOTS!" I noticed the unconscious bodies of Rowle and Dolohov in the corner, lying just a few feet away from me, and I couldn't help but join my father in his rant.

"Idiots..." I agreed.

"Narcissa...Yaxley...Wormtail, out!" The named three hurried out of the room and upstairs. I took a seat next to Draco, sitting opposite my mother. My father took a seat.

"Anything important from Severus?"

"The Carrows have already been getting trouble from a Gryfinndor who was in my year, his name's Longbottom." My mother laughed, at my father smirked.

"Stupid boy...with even more stupid parents!" My father laughed, and then indicated that I should continue.

"Severus's patronus has changed...I'm nto sure what to...but anyway, it's changed."

"Find out." I nodded at my father's request. Then he walked out of the room, indicating that the meeting was over. My mother followed him out, and Draco and I were left alone. He smiled at me. I stood up, and left the room, ignoring him. I had better things to do. Running to my room, I sat down at my desk, scribbling a quick note to my friend Pansy, who was still at Hogwarts, asking her to steal some books from the library, and to keep me informed on any suspicious goings on at Hogwarts. I tied the note to my owl, and threw him out the window, and went to bed.