Flying Blind

Chapter 16 Searching

Ellenore and Blinky arrived on the front porch of the Spinners End house, where she had spent her summers with her father. She withdrew her wand and let down the wards that prevented anyone from entering the house when it wasn’t in use, and she unlocked the door and stepped inside. Unbeknownst to her, she was being watched by two small, black beady eyes. He waited for her to open the door and then ran inside as fast as his little feet would carry him. Unfortunately, his tail got slammed into the door as she closed it behind her.

Ellenore removed her cloak and hung it on an empty hook by the door.

She turned and glared at the pained and tortured squeaks coming from the door.

“Homenum Revelio.” called Ellenore as she waved her wand. She felt her wand vibrate in her hand as she moved it toward the sound of the squeaking rat that was trapped in the door.

“Petrificus Totalus.” she called as she aimed her wand at the squeaking and struggling rat. She knelt down and picked up the now silent animal as she opened the door to release his tail.

“Blinky, it would seem that we have an intruder in our home. Go down into the lab and get me an empty specimen jar.” she ordered as she plopped down onto the living room sofa, holding the rat in her hands.

“You disgusting, cowardly, sneaky son of a bitch. How dare you cross the threshold of my father’s home uninvited! Did you honestly think that I would not notice you?” she asked as she stroked wormtail’s patchy, moth-eaten fur absentmindedly. “I want an answer from you, rat.” she said as she tightened her grip around his little rat throat.

“Think your answers to me, Wormtail. I can understand your thoughts perfectly.” she said as Blinky came up from the lab with the required jar.

“Mistress, Blinky poked holes into the lid so that your visitor could breathe.” she said as she handed the jar to Ellenore.

“You should consider yourself lucky that my guide elf is such a kind-hearted being, Wormtail. If I had gotten the jar instead, you wouldn’t have such luck breathing.” she said as she dropped him into the jar before releasing him from the body bind and fitting the lid securely.

Wormtail shivered in fear as he realised that there was no escape. “P-please, D-dark Lady, I beg you to have mercy on me.” he thought as he looked out from his glass prison. “You are my Mistress now. I will serve you until I die.” he said as he lowered his head meekly. Ellenore narrowed her eyes in his direction and frowned.

“First off, Wormtail, I will never take the place of the evil man whom you served before his defeat. Second off, I want to know exactly what you are doing here.” she demanded giving the jar a violent shake.

“I told you, Mistress, I wish to serve you.” he thought as his head now spun with dizziness.

“You are a death eater. It is my duty as a reformed and free death eater to turn you over to the Auror office.” she said as she handed the jar to Blinky.

She walked into her father’s office, procured a blank piece of parchment and scrawled out a note. She then handed it to Blinky. “Blinky, take him to the Minister for Magic. Give him this note as well.” she said as she ran her hands over the arms of her father’s leather desk chair, feeling its cool texture under her touch. Blinky bowed after taking the note and the imprisoned Wormtail from her mistress and disapparated with a soft pop.

Ellenore arose from her father’s desk and went back to the front door of the house to replace the protective wards. After she was done, she started to walk through the house, slowly feeling everything as she went. The first thing that her hand brushed against was her father’s summer cloak that he always left by the door. She removed it from its place on the hook beside her own cloak and brought it to her nose, inhaling her father’s sent before throwing it around her shoulders. She saw, in her mind’s eye, her father walking along the streets of one of many places that he took her during the summer and wiped a tear from her cheek.