While Severus Snape uttered the deadly words on the Tower of Astronomy, a strange guest knocked at the massive door of Malfoy's mansion. Beautiful, cunning and ambitious, is this visitor what Voldemort needs to win the war?
Voldemort seemed to have...
I don't own the characters or anything from HP universe. All belong to J. K. Rowling
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It was almost the end of May and yet still young, the spring started to get nutty. Carefree and innocent, she'd spilled drops of color all over the silky grass and, as if it hadn't been enough, she tickled the layer of the water with her frisky fingers. Only the mountains stood tall and mighty like two sentinels, too serious and cold for the display of life and energy that filled the air.
Had it not been for the stone citadel, just opposite one of the mountains, none would have guessed that someone had ever gone as far as the eastern bank of the lake. Sheltered by water and guarded by its looming height, the citadel looked as imposing as the bulky giant on whose shoulders it had been built.
It was early in the morning and the sun hadn't shown its face yet. If one were to follow the path that led up to the top of the mountain, they would come to face the massive wooden door of the citadel. It would have taken them a long time to get there and they would have been exhausted, but their journey would have finally come to an end only to start again when climbing the flight of stairs that went up to the last floor. It had a lot of floors, apart from the underground ones, where no visitor was allowed to go. In fact, there were few who knew where the entrance was.
This entrance would permit access to another flight of stairs. With every step, one would go closer to hell and farther from the light of day. Only by magic could the prisoners taste some of the joy that came from the sun on their faces and fresh air in their lungs, innocent pleasures they hadn't felt for decades. To be specific - for five decades.
So little compared to the time they are going to spend after they will have met me. But this isn't the time. I'm not here for them.
I've been to this place before. Long ago it was nothing but a flat valley and there was snow everywhere and it was so cold. I took lots of frozen creatures under my wings as they seemed so pitiful and they were suffering horribly. I waited long before deciding to intervene, hoping that someone or something else would offer them comfort and warmth, but eventually, I had to. They were happy with me for a while. Then they left. All of them leave one day.
It was lovely to wander on white frozen lands, but it looks better now. I remember the day I saw the first blaze of grass. I was so excited, just like a small child. Then the entire place changed. The ice melted, the mountains grew higher and higher and birds settled in the trees that grew around this place. My favorites are bees. I adore listening to their calm buzzing while they fly from one flower to another.
What was I telling you about? I can keep jabbering away for hours. After all, I know this place pretty well.
Oh yeah, I was telling you about the castle. A castle I used to visit frequently more than five decades ago.
This place is Nurmengard Castle and the date when I decided to pay a visit to Fräulein Eissee was May 21st, 1997. You may wonder who Fräulein Eissee is or why I decided to visit her. Of course, you do. She is an old friend, but I didn't come to do what I usually do. No, with Fräulein Eissee things are very different. So very different.
So, as you suppose - I'm sure you are very bright and you've already connected the dots - the current prisoners of the citadel were Grindelwald's followers. But Grindelwald himself wasn't there. The top-most cell was reserved for him. His cell had a narrow window – a security measure to prevent someone from entering or escaping the place - and almost no furniture, except for a hard bed and a table. I've never visited him, but I'm intending to offer my services to him pretty soon.
Now Nurmengard Castle is the headquarters of OZD (Osterreichischezaubereidienstleistungen) the place where Austrian Aurors had their offices and their meetings. After the defeat of Grindelwald, the Austrian Aurors gained autonomy and cut ties with the Ministry. The two institutions still collaborated, but OZD was away from any form of Ministry interference. So, when the Minister of Magic had to decide on matters of security and the defense of both the Muggle and Magical worlds, he would need the approval of the Head of OZD.
Why they demanded autonomy and how the institution was functioning are questions that would require a lot of time to be answered and we don't want to get tangled in irksome and bureaucratic details that won't help this story. What you need to know is that the Ministry had always been more preoccupied with its political fights and too corrupted to move their fat asses when the world needed them. That, and the fact that the Aurors were sick of being used for the Ministry's political agenda.
What could be found beneath the first floor has always been one of the best-guarded secrets of Nurmengard. Some said there were dragons and griffins as well as different types of magical beasts such as giant dogs with three heads, birds whose claws were stronger than steel, sphinxes, and mermaids. Though the only creatures that roam around Nurmengard are a very playful Egyptian cat, a mischievous Labradoodle puppy, and a noisy Bowtruckle as well as the owls that inherited the citadel's owlery from their ancestors and they kept thriving since then.
From time to time, Sturm, the cat, pays a visit to the owls or runs after them when they attempt to deliver the daily letters. Yet, the birds got used to the antics of their furry friend while the cat vowed to always be as friendly as she could with her feathered companions.
This other part of the citadel is the opposite of everything that lay behind that door. You are following me, aren't you? I know you must be tired of climbing so many steps, and you may feel a bit envious as I flew all the way up to here, but I'll promise you won't regret it.
So, this part of the castle was dedicated to the Aurors' offices, the departments of International Cooperation, Internal Affairs and Interinstitutional Cooperation, the Department of Security and Law Enforcement, the Library, the training quarters, the Potion Lab, the Medical Centre, the financial quarters, the Department of Reparations and Internal accidents and, of course, the canteen.
Wow, I can't believe I memorized all those names. I might have skipped a department or two but I have to admit I'm not interested in such staff. I learned those names just because an old Auror had insisted to tell me everything he knew about this place.
Visitors are only allowed on the first floor. This floor was designed to host important meetings, lunches, and dinners and to provide accommodation for the foreign officials. (The international conferences usually last for quite a few days and it is too exhausting for the visitors to travel from one country to another each time. Austrian officials could stay overnight as well if they want (though, during the time, they rarely wanted to).
I'm not very good at telling stories. Words don't come easily to me. I'm not a writer, you know (although, many people have told me I should try to write down the things I saw during my trips). Maybe, I'll try. One day.
