Dog Tooth ━━ harry potter

01. death lurks in one shadows

       Selene Dumont can feel death lurking in her shadows. The way the hairs on her neck stand when its presence makes itself known. She can feel it moving closer every day. And on the nights or mornings, when her nightmares are deeply troubling, death looms over the girl. Those days are the worst as though the devil had risen and decided to give her a sneak peek of eternal damnation. But when death stood at the edge of Selene's bed and tormented her mind, body, and soul, there were no flames for her to be burned in, it was simply all within.

       But perhaps, that is what hell is. It is not as muggles describe it, there are no demons waiting to torture you. Burn your flesh until you are nothing but ash and then repeat the cycle again. Perhaps hell is something worse, a feeling. The never-ending feeling of longing for something better. A small hope that there is something or someone who can take you away from the misery within you. But, nobody comes to your rescue like a knight in shining armor. Instead, the feeling stays and it grows. It starts as a whisper in your mind and then it spreads into your heart, and lastly your soul. Seeping its teeth into you and its venom making a home beneath your flesh.

     That night was different, death caressed Selene's cheek and left her with a shivering spine, and in the early morning of dawn, she could still feel its troubling kisses.

♱

       "Morning," her father's deep and tired voice said aloud, he never greeted her with a 'Good Morning,' that would mean he cared about how her day was going and Cronus Dumont was not a caring man. Selene's mother, on the other hand, Hera Dumont, despite her traditionally heinous ways, loved her daughter. Hera did not like her daughter, no, never that, but she did love her. And so, her mother greets her with a 'Morning,' and gives her a cup of tea to start the day off. It's the small things her family does that Selene pays grave attention to.

     "Good Morning, Father, Mother," she whispered her response and began to eat her breakfast. The so-called family ate in silence per usual, until her Father spoke up.

     "There is something important you must do today, Selene," her father began with a cough and a deep breath, "I have offered you up to the Dark Lord, to help him in the cause," Selene's eyebrows rose sky high at the mention of the newly returned Dark Wizard. "He says that he has a task for you, an important one. You will be meeting with him today," Cronus Dumont finally finished with a huff and hastily opened the daily prophet.

      "You must look your absolute best dear. We cannot afford any more mistakes with the Dark Lord," Hera gave her daughter a strained smile and quickly stood up from her seat, dragging Selene off with her.

♱

       "Why must I do this?" Selene questioned her mother, referring to the "task," as one of their house elves pampered her. No amount of make-up would be able to hide the monster beneath, therefore making all the brushing and applying to her face, useless but she endured it.

    "Because we have been hot water with the Dark Lord ever since our negligence to help him in his return," Hera Dumont snapped and guided the elf to fix another flaw on her daughter's face. "And if you do his bidding, we shall be in good graces. Do you understand?"

That question lingered in Selene's head in the minutes, upon hours she waited for the Dark Lord's presence. She understood very well that she had no choice in the matter, but she also understood why it was so important to her parent's that she followed through with their demands. Anyone brave enough to cross the Dark Lord had a death wish.

Selene's parents had not told her where exactly she was going to see the Dark Wizard, they simply apparated to a cold, dark, desolate forest and left her there. Where the Dark Lord resided was unknown to the girl and so the secluded place they were meeting in felt, fitting.

She felt him before she heard him.

       "Selene Dumont," his voice was low, raspy, it almost resembled the hiss of a snake. And then, his voice grew louder, more clear until she saw the man himself standing before her. Cloaked in dark robes, pale-grayish skin, and a lack of a nose, Lord Voldemort was alive and well. Selene felt her lungs no longer capturing oxygen, she could feel her heart pound faster and trepidation clouding her senses.

      "My Lord," she said with a trembling voice and bowed lowly. Her hands were pooling with sweat due to the immense fear flooding into her body. Despite it being months since Voldemort's return, Selene had not seen the man for herself until now and reality seemed to be settling in for the Dumont heiress.

      "You may rise," he began, followed by Selene quickly obeying. "Your father has been so gracious as to present you at my hands and perform a task, very dear to me," "In doing so, your family will be gifted with things beyond your imagination." Voldemort walked in circles around Selene as he spoke of his plans for her. "The task, I believe will not be very difficult, you simply must get close to Harry Potter," "Close enough for him to spill all his secrets to you which you will then report back to me," Lord Voldemort grinned.

     "You wish for me to be a spy?" Selene blurted out and quickly began to lecture herself internally for speaking out of place.

       "I do not wish, for you to do as I say, you will do what I ask of you," Lord Voldemort reprimanded the girl for her words, "But, in other words, yes, you will be my spy," he narrowed his snake-like eyes in on the girl and moved closer. His hand was cold, as though he was inhabiting a corpse and puppeteering around in its body. He slowly lifted her head upwards, forcing her to meet his eyes before speaking,

       "You will do well to not fail me."

And then he was gone.