Power

Chapter Ten

The boy lives! Seraphina thundered to Vivian. That child! How could he possibly live?! Tom's instructions were to kill the child and spare the parents! The stupid bastard can't obey a simple instruction!
"I thought you didn't kill childen." Vivian said without looking up from The Daily Prophet.
She was one of the few who weren't scared of Seraphina.
This child could have--The prophecy said that Harry Potter would end Voldemort, or Voldemort would kill Harry. And Harry Potter has killed Tom. A baby! Merlin's beard. I married a fucking idiot!
"He wasn't an idiot. He was brilliant. That's why you married him." Vivian put the paper aside and looked at Seraphina.
Vivian didn't know.
Seraphina knew.
Tom Riddle was dead.
Lord Voldemort was very much alive.
What was the point of having Horcruxes if you couldn't use them?

Then Sirius Black killed Peter Pettigrew and got sent to Azkaban.
Seraphina Nott was angry.

People expected Death Eater attacks to go away with the downfall of Lord Voldemort.
They did for a while, but then there was a mass attack on a group of Muggles.
Then several Blacks were killed, Walburga included.
Everybody was at a loss.
They didn't know what was happening.
They found out soon enough.
Several days after Sirius Black's arrest, there was a new Minister of Magic.
Millicent Bagnold was replaced with Jeremiah Avery.
Jeremiah Avery meant nothing to Seraphina Nott (she went back to her maiden name almost immediately after Tom's supposed death. She'd always hated the Muggle name). He was her best friend's husband, and he was her dummy.
Being her best friend's husband, he did whatever she said without question.
Vivian would have his head if he didn't.
Anybody who opposed was, to use a euphemism, silenced.
He was, of course, solely a figurehead in the government.
The real boss was Seraphina Nott.
Seraphina donned her favorite red dress, complete with a hoop-skirt, and went off to Azkaban with Bellatrix Lestrange and Lucius Malfoy as back up.
Athena stayed with Grandmummy Nott.
Seraphina marched into the prison like she owned the place.
And, in a sense, she did.
That woman could own the world if that's what she wanted.
And she did want that.
And she would do it.
Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange could not produce Patronuses, so the three had only Seraphina's lion to protect them.
Prisoners came to their bars, some quietly speaking lucidly, others raving loud nonsense.
Seraphina walked past them all without so much as flinching. She barely spared any of them a second glance.
She stopped outside Sirius Black's cell and looked in. Darling. She said.
Sirius was curled up in a corner, but he jumped up and ran to the bars. "Aunt Sera!" He fell against the iron, basking in the glow of the patronus.
Hello, darling.
"Has anybody ever told you that you're the most beautiful being on the planet?" He asked. He spared Bellatrix a glance. "You not so much."
His last comment had reassured his aunt of his sanity.
"James. James. Where is James? Is he okay? How is he?" Sirius demanded.
Sera's reassurance crumbled. W-What, my dear? She asked. It was the first time Sirius had heard her stutter.
"Not James. James is dead. I know. I'm sorry. I meant Harry. How is Harry? Is he still with Petunia?" He spat Harry's aunt's name out like it was dirt.
Yes, as far as I know.
"Is Remus okay? Remus Lupin?"
As far as I know.
"Thank you, Aunt Sera."
Do you want out, my dear? She asked, holding up her hand to demand silence from Bella and Lucius.
"No." Sirius said.
No? Seraphina sounded shocked, and not without good reason.
"I deserve this."
Deserve this?! Nobody deserves this!
"I do. I killed James and Lily."
Their boy lives still.
"I know. Is he okay? Where is he? Did Dumbledore bring him to his aunt and uncle like he promised?"
Yes. I'm going to get you out of here.
"Don't."
How do you deserve this, my child?
"I killed them."
How did you do that?
"I could have been the Secret Keeper."
That isn't your fault. She pointed her wand at the door and it unlocked without her even speaking. Step back.
Sirius stepped back.
Seraphina opened the door.
Sirius stumbled out and into her arms almost immediately, breaking down into tired, broken sobs.
Seraphina took him home.

Athena was accustomed to her father being gone often, but she wasn't accustomed to him being gone for long periods of time.
Generally when he left, he would write letters and come home within three to five days.
This time, it had been a week with no contact.
Seraphina rarely slept peacefully, but she was the night when her daughter ran and climbed into bed with her.
She awoke to the bounce of Athena's weight adding to the bed and to her cries.
She sat up stiffly, her heart pounding.
"Mummy." Athena sobbed.
What, my love? What's wrong?
"Daddy's not coming home." She cried, curling up against her mummy.
Why do you say that, darling?
"He hasn't wrote me! He always writes me! He's never coming home."
He shall return. It may, perhaps, be a while, but not long, dearest. I assure you.
"How do you know?"
I know your daddy. He wouldn't leave you. Seraphina wrapped her child in her arms as she laid back down.
The next day, Seraphina slaughtered a family of three in cold blood.