Marked • Tom Riddle

His Estate

   The Dark Lord's Mansion never ceased to amaze me. It was a dark and seemingly never-ending labyrinth of hallways and rooms each bigger and grander than the last. One could easily become lost in this maze if not careful. However, sitting here in one of the many rooms of his estate, all I could do is stare nervously out the stormy window watching the howling wind blow twigs and leaves through the air as I played with Grandmother's locket, waiting for something to happen.

   Since the incident at the shop, I had been escorted here to the Dark Lord's estate almost immediately by Gareth Greengrass who stood by the door, awaiting further instructions. It wasn't like I had no idea what was going on. I could hear the loud bickering of the other Death Eaters, including what sounded like Grandfather's voice, echoing off the mansion's walls and into the room I was being held in. Although I couldn't quite make out their words, it didn't take a Ravenclaw to figure out what this was about.

   Someone had tried to harm me, and the reason why was obvious as well. I just didn't want to believe it.

   "You're being summoned," Gareth Greengrass announced, turning his back on me to lead me to where I assumed to be the source of the bickering.

   My suspicions were deemed correct because the bickering only grew louder as we approached two large mahogany doors. I was right about Grandfather's voice too, it was much clearer now, except I'd never heard him speak in such a ferocious tone. He didn't sound like himself, he didn't sound like the Grandfather I knew.

   The doors opened before me and I quickly made my way inside before they shut behind me. It was mayhem inside the room. Grandfather had gone completely red in the face as he pressed on about failed security measures to a line of sitting Death Eaters at a long table. Father stood beside Grandfather, holding his head down in shame while Mother was pressed for questions across the room by Druella Black who wanted the inside scoop before anyone else. Death Eaters were quietly listening to Grandfather's angry words, while others were running in and out of a second room that emanated painful whimpers and dampened screams. They were questioning the shop's workers, the woman for information and reason. Meanwhile, the Dark Lord sat alone at one end of the long table, his body turned away from me, a half-empty glass of fire whiskey before him as he carefully watched and listened to everything around him. It was only when I stepped further into the room that Grandfather glanced over at me and waved me over with the strong movement of his hand.

   As I stepped towards Grandfather, a soundless wave washed over the room until only the helpless whimpers and cries of help from the second room could be heard. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the Dark Lord glance at me and all the other eyes in the room followed suit. It was then I felt grateful for the leather gloves Mother had given me, for if it was not for them, my ringless finger would be on display for the Dark Lord to see. 

   "Explain what occurred, Karina," Grandfather said.

   Public speaking was never a strong suit of mine, but standing in a room full of Death Eaters and the Dark Lord, it was clear I did not have much of a choice. So, I gathered up my nerves and explained what had happened. Most of the information was useless until I got to the lady with the chestnut coat. 

   "She approached me when Mother was distracted by a worker. She seemed off," I explained. 

   "Off how?" Grandfather questioned.

   "She was too nervous to be an employee."

   Grandfather nodded, "Go on."

   "After a bit of pointless small talk, she offered me tea. That was when I noticed something was wrong. She must have used some sort of cloaking spell to conceal us when she approached me because Mother couldn't see me, even though I was practically in front of her."

   Grandfather's eyes were hard when he asked me this next question, "Did you drink the tea?"

   I shook my head, "No. I figured there must have been something in it. Otherwise, why offer me tea? She would have just gone straight for her wand."

   "Has Horace come back with the results?!" Grandfather questioned.

   "I've got them right here," Horace Slughorn announced, rushing into the room with a small vile of green liquid in his hand. 

   "Well?!"

   "Our suspicions were correct," Horace informed. "If Karina were to drink the tea, I'm afraid her ability to produce heirs would have been lost." 

   Although that didn't come as a surprise to me, as it was what I had been suspecting all this time, a part of me couldn't help but wish I had drunk the tea. Yes, I would've lost the ability to produce children, but I would have been free. Glancing over at the Dark Lord, I noticed he was looking directly at me. 

   Had he read my mind? I hadn't even felt him invade it or search through it. But what did it matter? I knew no actions would ever stem from these thoughts, and if I knew that then so did he. I didn't care if he knew I didn't want his children, he would have found out soon enough.

   "We can not allow this to happen again!" Grandfather bellowed. "She must be protected until we find whoever planned this attack. Have we extracted any information from the woman?!"

   "No," Abraxes Malfoy said from across the room, a slight pant to his voice as he wiped sweat from his brow. He had been hard at work in the second room and the reason for the continuous cries of help. His specialty was interrogation by torture and boy was he proud of it. "She refuses to speak."

   Suddenly, the bottom legs of the Dark Lord's chair screeched against the floor as he pushed it back to stand. All eyes immediately turned towards him as he took a large swing from his Fire Whiskey before slamming his empty glass on the table. With his other hand, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his wand, causing a sense of uneasiness to fall over the people in the room. The sight of the Dark Lord's wand rarely meant anything besides death. 

   "I'll make her talk," he said, walking through the deadly silent room and into the second one. The screams would begin soon, we were all sure of it. So, before the estate could be filled with the sound of endless misery, Grandfather announced something that almost sent me running for the door.

   "Until we find the witches and wizards behind this attack, Karina, you will remain here at the Dark Lord's estate."