Slytherin's Heir

Chapter Thirty-Six ~ Skeletons

A few weeks of boredom soon passed Percy by. True to his word, Voldemort did nothing to force Percy's hand into joining him. The wizard had allowed him freedom around the house - with the exception of a few places that Percy was certainly exploring when he got the chance, - invited him to join with dinner and made frequent small talk. Which yes, typically ended in some speech about joining his side.

There had been a couple of times when Voldemort looked close to attempting something nasty, and Percy wanted to test how much he could piss this wizard off before they got sick of him and left him an opportunity to leave.

Perhaps the freakiest experience Percy'd had during his stay was the one time he woke up to find Bellatrix perched at the end of his bed watching him. He didn't sleep properly after that.

This morning he woke at the crack of dawn, faint pink light only just beginning to paint the horizon. Percy slipped out of bed and crept down the hall. As far as he'd analysed, nobody was ever up at this time. Except maybe Voldemort, but his chambers were one of the places Percy was forbidden to venture near.

He'd spent a few days planning. There had to be more skeletons in Voldemort's closet than he was willing to share, and Percy was determined to find them. To prove that everything he preached was born of nothing good and would only lead down the road of misery. And of course, where did most bad guys hide their metaphorical or literal skeletons?

In the basement.

As far as Percy could tell, the basement was guarded by a spell and maybe one guard at night. He figured he could take down the guard easily enough - assuming he was quiet and got close enough before the guard noticed him. Obviously something was hidden in that basement. Why else would there be a guard?

By now Percy had the place pretty much mapped out. All the exits and hallways and rooms were burned into his memory. He'd walked those paths a hundred times to familiarise himself. Maybe something in that basement could cause a distraction long enough for Percy to escape, so he'd need to know his escape route.

Percy lightened his footsteps, taking more care with each step, avoiding the creaky floorboards. His breathing quietened, slowly inhaling and exhaling through his mouth. Clenched in his hand was Riptide, still in pen form but ready to be uncapped at his need. He weaved down the halls, staying close to the walls. His ears picked up on every sound and his body was taut with anticipation.

There.

Lazily leaning against the wall staring out into the darkness was the guard. He was a Death Eater Percy didn't recognise. They evidently weren't expecting company. After all, who would? What idiot would try disobey the Dark Lord or break into something on his territory.

In this case, Percy was glad for his grandfather's reputation. It allowed him to get close enough.

Shrouded in the dark Percy slid along against the wall, step by step until he was close enough to pounce, his arm slipping around the guard's head and clamping down on their mouth, drawing their head back into his chest. Riptide sprang to its full size and balanced lightly at the guard's throat.

The guard struggled, grasping uselessly for their wand. Percy quickly dissuaded them from such attempts by stomping heavily on the guard's foot. His yell was muffled by Percy's hand. However, the sight of gleaming metal at his throat was enough to quieten him.

"Shhh..." Percy hushed quietly, his voice barely a whisper. He raised the hilt of his sword and bashed it against the side of the guard's head. With his demigod strength, the guard crumped and Percy gently lay him on the ground, unconscious. Percy grabbed the torn strips of old clothing from the closet he'd tied around his waist and used them to tie up and gag the guard.