A mound of old stone and earth exploded in a fiery purple blast as Bella stormed through. She was outside of the keep, destroying whatever she could as release for her frustration.
"How did they KNOW?!" she screamed aloud, blowing a dead tree into a thousand pieces.
Maybe frustration was too gentle a word, but it didn't matter. What mattered was that those cursed brats had managed to trick her! The sheer gall of such an act sent fire running through her veins. A bunch of children tricked me!
A huge boulder disappeared in an explosion, which could only barely be heard over her rage filled scream. If she didn't need the numbers as badly, she would be to her ankles in blood by now, savouring every minute of it. Instead all she had were these lifeless bits of earth that didn't scream before they died, didn't show any terror.
As she destroyed another piece of what was once an ancient watchtower, she thought that she was going to have to find something living to ease her anger quickly.
Her eyes shot to where Morder was standing. He had followed her out here after they had returned, but hadn't said anything at all. Very wise of him. She toyed with the thought of killing him, but rejected it. He was still needed.
She finally stopped moving and looked out over the slew of rocks to where the angry ocean beat against the shoreline. She understood the feeling. Three dead, three more wounded, all by those brats. She felt her nails biting into her hands, and relished the searing pain that for a moment took her thoughts away.
How could they have possibly known? They didn't arrive at the Malfoy Mansion until after we had already left.
A thought dawned on her, and from the folds in her gown, she pulled out a silver watch, opened it, taped it with her wand while muttering an incantation under her breath. The reflective glass wavered for a moment, like water when a stone is thrown into it, and then it showed Taliesin's face in a darkened room.
It looked like he was sitting on a bed, and his eyes were filled with fear.
She wasted no time, and yelled, "How did they know we were coming, boy?! How did they know? Those filthy brats took away three of my servants, and I demand to know how it happened! Weren't you sent to tell me what was going on?!"
He was fumbling for an answer, and she shrieked "Answer me this minute, or I will end you right now, do you hear me?! I don't care how far away you are!"
Finally, he managed to get out, "I…I…I'm sorry, m…mistress. By the time I got here, they were already gone. There was nothing I could do."
He paused, and then said, "But I think know how they knew: when I got here Draco Malfoy was here too. Hermione said they found him at the Mansion the night it was destroyed."
So, my nephew is alive, is he? She should have looked more into his fate after the war. She had been the one to kill Lucius after he single-handedly destroyed the Dark Lord's plans at finding the Prophecy at the Ministry, and she knew someone had killed his mother, but she had forgotten about Draco with all that had been going on. Of course, he would want revenge against those who killed his family, even if he was betraying what his parents, and their bloodline, stood for.
She was about to yell at him some more, when she stopped and cursed. She had given the boy too much time to get back; she should have sent him away as soon as she had put the Imperius curse on him, but instead she had let him wait and…fed him.
Anger at her own oversight welled up in her, but it actually helped to calm her down. It was one mistake, she told herself evenly. One that I will remedy.
She turned her attention back to the boy staring nervously at her.
"I will forgive you this one time, Taliesin. Do you hear me? One time. The next time you lead to a failure of this magnitude you will die screaming, understood?" she said in a voice as cold and smooth as ice. She would not be making any more mistakes.
"Ye…yes, mistress," he replied.
Her thoughts now turned to what was to be done next. She had a natural impulse to ask Taliesin where he was, and take all her supporters and destroy the miserable children, but she pushed the thought aside. The brats knew how to handle themselves in a fight, and she didn't have enough information to make adequate battle plans.
As long as that wretch Potter was there leading them, she knew the group would hold firm. She had seen it do so in the War, and did not want to make the mistake of thinking it would be any different.
United under Potter, the DA was force enough to be a real irritant, but if she could break that unity apart…
"Listen, boy, is anyone hiding anything there? Do your people whisper about anyone's secrets?"
The boy looked at her dumbly for a minute, before answering, "I don't believe so. At least, if they do, I've not heard it."
"Well, then listen to me carefully. I want you to pay attention to what everyone is saying. I want to know everyone's secrets at that place, do you hear me? I want to know what people are hiding. You will report to me daily with what you have learned."
She waited for the boy to nod in understanding, then snapped the watch shut and walked over to where Morder stood. He eyed her apprehensively as she drew closer.
"Well?" she asked, curtly.
A look of surprise washed over his face. "Well, what, mistress?"
She rolled her eyes. "Don't take me for a fool. I know you could hear what I told the boy. I want your thoughts on it."
His silver eyes didn't leave hers, but his voice was a bit unsteady under her gaze. "I don't understand why we don't just get the boy to give us the location and attack, to wait seems…"
She silenced him and said, "Just as I thought. Not enough imagination. You saw what those wretches did tonight. We're going to wait until we can rot the DA from within, then we'll sweep it away."
"Yes, mistress," he said, bowing.
She lapsed into silence. At least she had the beginnings of a plan, but she didn't feel any better. There was nothing for it.
"Morder, bring me the most grievously injured from tonight," she said, drawing her wand. "Give him enough healing to last a little."
He nodded and walked briskly to the castle. As she waited for her sport to arrive, she thought, I will deal with them yet.
The sight of Morder returning accompanied by a limping figure gave her the first smile she'd had all night.
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