antebellum [t. riddle]

liii.

january 1945

carlo andonova was a sick, sick man.

it only took minutes for him to burst through the bathroom door clutching at his stomach. she removed the disillusionment charm from herself before setting several locking charms and wards on the bathroom door. 

she leaned against the sink and waited for several moments as he finished relieving himself. 

"memorias obstructionum," she casted the moment the stall swung open, as well as a quick. "expelliarmus."

his delight at seeing her followed quickly by confusion and subsequently anger happened only in a matter of seconds. for the small amount of time, before she placed the imperus curse on him, he attempted to physically attack her, seeing as he was without a wand.

she finally placed the spell on him (the curse was an odd sensation for the caster, giving them a rush of power that she had to fight to suppress), and the information started pouring out. 

tell the truth, she commanded through the curse. "who are you?"

"carlo elijah andonova."

"are you an auror?"

"yes."

"are you a follower of gellert grindelwald?"

"yes."

sicaria smiled. perfect. this would be enough to get eileen to leave her alone at least for a few days.

sicaria's joy was quickly diminished.

andonova was the holder of commissioner sherridan's imperius curse. he had been using sherridan for months to manipulate his decisions and gain information. very basically, any classified information that had gone through sherridan or his office was compromised. andonova had access to everything.

sicaria began to feel sick as andonova continued the story, but she couldn't stop asking questions. 

he told her how he had been living in sherridan's house. 

"what about his wife? has she not questioned-"

"she is dead. i killed her in october."

even under the blanket of the imperus curse, he was able to act as he normally would. he noticed how she stilled, and he smiled, baring his teeth at her. 

"i killed his kids too."

sherridan's kids and wife were known to be down with spattergroit. at least, that was the story that imperused-sherridan had been telling.

sicaria was horrified with the manner that andonova discussed his brutality. it wasn't nonchalant- it was sadistic. he took pleasure in the crimes, and seemed to also enjoy her horrified reactions. 

"sherridan was immobilized. i used the cruciatus on the son 'til he couldn't scream anymore. it's no fun then. i drew the wife's out for a few days. you know of wideye potion, don't you? made sherridan and the daughter stay awake the whole time."

the attestations of the house-elves on their health status were given because sherridan, as master of the house, could command them to lie. no healers ever visited nor did the sherridan family ever visit the hospital. spattergroit could last for up to a year, and as andonova said:

"there was plenty of time to get what i needed from him. that was the plan. my plan."

she wanted to know. she needed to know.