Loyal | Tom Riddle

9: Pitch Black

"Lumos," Arabella whispered as she climbed out of the portrait hole and into the hallway.

Nearly every painting complained loudly at the light generated by her wand, urging her to go back to sleep. She ignored them all and took the stairs two at a time, pushing herself to get across the school grounds before her brother could return to the dungeons.

The doors leading towards Ogg's hut were almost in reach -- she was so very close...

"Just where do you think you're going?" a sharp voice demanded.

Arabella's heart hammered in her chest, leaving her mouth dry as she stammered for an answer. "I-I heard a disturbance and came to see what it was."

Professor Eaton's face puckered unpleasantly. She taught Ancient Runes, a class that Arabella excelled in. "I can take care of it, dear. Go back to sleep or I'll have to dock points from Gryffindor."

It was all Arabella could do not to swear as she headed back up the stairs, hiding herself behind a column as she waited for the sound of her teacher's echoing boots to fade away. Once nothing but silence met her ears, she set back out for the doors leading outside without encountering any obstacles.

The cold night air greeted her face as if she were an old friend, encouraging her to venture further and explore its forbidden domain. Out in the moonlight, she had no use for Lumos, so she muttered, "Nox."

Setting off on a run, Arabella headed in the direction she thought the lake was in. In her mind, she plotted out all the ways she could put a stop to Nikolai's usual Dark shenanigans.

Once she'd reached the cover of the towering trees, several voices drifted towards her. She could identify many of them, but some left her puzzled.

"How will we get to you when you need us?" one asked.

Yaxley, Arabella thought with a scowl. Of course he'd be with my brother.

"You will find a way," came the smooth reply -- in a voice that definitely did not belong to Nikolai.

Arabella crept forward to get a better view, but once she found the perfect location, she was only confused even more. There were about a dozen people milling about the beach, all dressed in long black cloaks with hoods. An emerald fire was fighting the wind in the middle of it all, sending sparks cascading earthwards.

"Can we contact each other through these?" Ulysses Lestrange inquired.

The charismatic voice let out a sigh. "No, only I have the power to summon you."

There was something about his tone, something about the timbre of his voice, that Arabella just couldn't put her finger on. It drove her mad that she couldn't figure out his identity, especially with his back turned to her, but she was preparing to muffle a groan for when she did discover who he was.

Letting her eyes take over the scene before her once again, she noticed the lone figure standing closest to the water. He was tall, and his dark robes hung heavily on his lanky frame.

Nikolai, she thought with disdain, just what have you got yourself into?

Suddenly, the boy in charge's head snapped up, looking from side to side.

"What is it, my Lord?" Abraxas Malfoy asked.

"Someone's eavesdropping," the familiar voice replied. "We must leave."

Within a minute, the lakefront was deserted and all that was left of the twelve hooded figures was a smouldering pile of green coals.