The Eastern Empire

Chapter6: Childhood

The next day was an important day for Katrina. Today she was to meet Lord Voldemort, the Dark Witch of England, a wizard whose reputation far exceeded the borders of his country. She spent the morning preparing for this interview, giving her two beloved students a few extra hours of freedom to walk around the garden that was reborn in early spring. Sirius had hired some gardeners who were gradually bringing the park back to life. The children had been delighted when they finally could explore a labyrinth of their own. Lord Black, who still remembered his games in the latter, had ordered that he be repaired as soon as possible. They lost themselves joyfully between the green hedges, while following the slab paths, to finally succeed in reaching its center: a small place decorated with a fountain representing a majestic sorcerer who held his wand raised, a bench sat here. They decided to make it their secret meeting place, from where they could foment their plans, their pranks, their secret projects and especially their discussions. They were convinced that no one would come looking for them there, while, of course, Bellatrix or Sirius never lost sight of them, let alone when they plunged into the labyrinth. But they had the illusion of being hidden, of having a place of their own, this place became their refuge, like the huts in the trees of muggle children.

In the afternoon, Katrina went to the meeting place. The Sureau café was the oldest in the neighborhood. However, he was away from the main shopping streets, accessed by a small dark alley. His wooden divide was cutting. At first glance, the visitor understood that it dated from a period prior to other buildings. Many locals were certain that the rest of the magical neighborhood had been built alongside it. When one entered it, one was seized by the atmosphere of the place, taken as in a time shift. Here, nothing seemed to have changed for centuries, everything was in wood, the customers had a lot of fun, a zone at the bottom on the right was reserved for the shows: storytellers, singers, musicians and specialists in the magic of representation succeeded each other . She greeted Joseph Petrov, the boss, a small chubby man in his forties, who installed him in a separate room, whose door was behind the bar, alongside access to the kitchen. She was cut off from the hustle and bustle that still dominated the establishment and was reserved for discreet customers. No one could access it without the permission of the owner, many alliances, agreements or exchanges had been sealed in this room. A simple table of about ten places sat in its center. She had no windows and only a few candlesticks brought the necessary light. The oak walls insulated noise and protected the dealings of all indiscreet ears. The decor was certainly poor, but it did not matter when you knew what was going on there. She sat down on one side of the table and calmly waited for his interlocutor.

At exactly fifteen o'clock, the door opened on Joseph, who let in Lucius Malfoy and a man whose face was concealed by a hood. The aristocrat nodded to him, he seemed tense and hesitant.

"Leave us Lucius," the hooded man said in a hissing voice.

The man obeyed and soon they were alone. Voldemort sat down in front of her and lowered his hood. They remained thus a few minutes, gauging themselves. Their mutual observation was broken by the intervention of Joseph who came himself to inquire about their orders: a Darjeeling tea for the Lord and a coffee for Katrina. He returned a few moments later and served them before finally leaving them alone.

Silence regained her rights, Katrina watched the deformed features of the dark wizard, unraveling the use of an old magic that she even refused to use out of respect for those she loved. Almost uncomfortable with the azure scrutinizing orbs, he spoke:

- I was surprised to hear about your family, for all, the Romanov no longer have their place on the chessboard of magic power.

Lord Voldemort was not a man to take gloves with other wizards.

- If it is so, it is because my plans are working. It is better sometimes to hide in the shadows in order to surprise his opponents more effectively.