Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I'm just playing with them.
Betad by Priapus, Malcolm Tent, Marethyu, Beans
The Celestial Professor
Chapter 06: Malfoy Manor
– Robin Scamander –
My plan to infiltrate Malfoy Manor ran into a problem the moment I turned into my Nezumi form. Nezumi are short, and my now-oversized clothes don't have space for the rat-like tail. Thankfully, I did pay attention to McGonagall's lectures on Transfiguration back in school, so altering some old clothes to suit my needs was no real trouble.
I know where the Malfoy manor is. Lucius has thrown countless parties there to show off his wealth, and I've been dragged into some of them over the years. The Scamander family is relatively small on the political side of things, which is the way we all prefer it, but Dad's inability to stop sticking his nose into other people's business has garnered him plenty of attention over the years. He's always been a busybody. The entire mess with Grindelwald was just him not being able to mind his own business.
…I say, getting ready to stick my nose into someone else's business. Guess it runs in the family.
Now, it's no exaggeration to say that Malfoy Manor has the best wards money can buy. Gringotts' best, some frankly dangerous dark wards made to make sure intruders don't get to go home, and some I don't even recognise.
I'm no wardbreaker, but you get to see all kinds as a Hitwizard. Most of the people we wanted had a reason to be hiding behind wards.
Ordinarily, an assault or infiltration of a place this defended would involve getting a team of powerful Wardbreakers, but for me? My eyes allow me to see the wards, a shimmering bubble over the grounds of the Malfoy Estate, and as I approach the bubble, I pause for a moment as I reach into my top and pull out the Skeleton Key, hanging from the amulet I've transfigured for it.
Pressing the key against the ward, I feel its power thrum in my hands. I could break the wards entirely. I can feel it. Nocturnal is looking upon Malfoy's famous wards, and she's laughing at the idea that they could keep her out. Instead, I make an opening, a backdoor, and slip inside.
I considered bringing my [Cloaking Sphere], but too many people have seen me with that, and I don't want to leave anything to link this to me. Instead, I call upon the [Path of the White Fox] to hide myself with my new illusions.
Nobody is out on the grounds beyond some peacocks, but I don't want to take chances of anyone spotting me from the large manor house. The Path of the White Fox uses a form of energy that is utterly different from magic as this world knows it, and it should help me stay unnoticed from any magic-detection spells as I move across the surprisingly unkempt grounds.
Malfoy has so much pride in his gardens, but they look untended. What are his house elves doing? I assume it's his house elves because the idea of Lucius Malfoy rolling up his sleeves and doing some gardening doesn't exactly sound realistic.
But what do I know? Bellatrix used to collect stuffed animals. Maybe she still did while she was running around murdering and torturing. Everyone needs a hobby.
100cp granted, 100cp total.
As tempted as I am to use my new points immediately, old habits stop me. You don't add unknown variables to an ongoing operation. I could roll literally anything, and who knows how noticeable it could be.
Slipping through the garden, I examine the manor for a moment. I can see movement inside, even with most of the curtains drawn. There are cracks in the curtains, and within, I can see figures moving around. They don't exactly look like Malfoy's extended family, often poorly dressed and unkempt. No masks, but why mask up in their so-well-defended fortress?
Finding a door that isn't guarded is not difficult because complacency is a deadly killer. Why would they be watching the back door when they're under such powerful wards? A tap of the Skeleton Key unlocks an unguarded door and I'm in before anyone can notice the door opening.
I was never really an infiltration specialist, though we had some of those in the Hit Wizard squads. My speciality was duelling, not sneaking around. That said, slipping through the overly grandiose halls of Malfoy Manor comes all too easily. They aren't expecting trouble, but there's something off about the men and women I see around the place.
Many of them have an almost blank expression, unmoving, staring at walls. It's like the lights are on, but nobody is home. Something is very wrong here. Lucius Malfoy is a narcissist who is very proud of his home. He holds countless balls here, showing off his wealth and collection of acquired pieces of art. This place is a mess, with expensive vases broken on the ground and trash everywhere.
What in Merlin's name is going on here?
As I'm considering falling back, a door opens in front of me. I freeze, but nobody leaves it and the door even seems to… wiggle at me. I should leave. My plan to grab Lucius has gone swiftly downhill.
I very much should get myself out of here. I don't have any evidence of illegal activites here, despite the chaos, but I could probably convince Dumbledore if I want to expose my ability to bypass wards.
And yet, as one of the men walks past and the door goes still, I sigh. As the man leaves, the door begins to wiggle at me again, clearly trying to get my attention. Someone, something, knows I am here. And yet, it's trying to direct me instead of alerting people to my presence…
Damn it all, I really do take after my father too much. I can't just leave well enough alone.
– Narcissa Malfoy –
She did not doubt that most believed that Lucius had been furious when Voldemort had been defeated, but realistically, Potter's accidental defeat of the Dark Lord had saved their lives. Few believed that he had truly been under the Imperius, but they had still escaped the war with their life and wealth intact.
The Dark Lord and his followers had gone from fighting for Pureblood rights to just fighting, as they became increasingly brutal and extremist. But once you've joined such a group, you don't get to step back and say, 'This is getting too much', and both she and Lucius had joined during their school days. There was no leaving the Death Eaters, or the Knights of Walpurgis as they had called themselves, when she and Lucius had joined up to fight to keep their rights. A far more dignified name, in her humble opinion.
It wasn't that she didn't believe in the cause that Voldemort claimed to champion, but she had quickly grown disillusioned by the once-charismatic figure. Every passing week saw him delving deeper into insanity, killing his own men at the slightest sign of anything but complete obedience. Some had tried to back out, and they'd all disappeared right afterwards. Voldemort would make examples of them in front of his followers, and it had worked. Neither she nor Lucius dared try to leave, but then he died, and they had been free.
Or so it had seemed.
Chained up in her own basement, Narcissa cursed her younger self for ever falling for the Dark Lord's rhetoric. She was a daughter of the Black family, she should have known better. The scent of decay made her gag, trying not to look toward the corpse that was sharing the small cage with her.
Voldemort was back and worse than ever. She didn't know what had truly happened at the end of the Triwizard tournament, but she couldn't deny the grim truth. The Dark Lord had bested death itself, returning to the land of the living.
When she'd first seen him, she'd had been terrified by his malformed, noseless face and chalky pale skin, but it hadn't taken him long to take on a new look, much closer to the handsome, charismatic bastard who had swayed so many to his cause.
But the rage and brutality were still within that monster, no matter how handsome he looked now. He'd been all smiles and charm right up until he found out that Lucius had misplaced the diary that he'd been tasked with protecting.
She didn't know what was so special about the diary, but the moment Lucius had been forced to confess that it had been destroyed, the charm had faded to fury on a scale she had never seen before.
Movement made her freeze up, having quickly learnt not to attract the attention of the thugs that now resided in the home she'd been so proud of. She didn't know where Voldemort himself had gone, but his followers were using the manor as one of their bases.
She heard the door to the cellar open and then close, but then… nothing. Or so it seemed at first, as she watched from outside of her cell carefully. Dust was being moved. It was a minor thing, but with the cellar being so still, it drew her attention. She had always been proud of her eyes, Bella had once joked that she should give up politics and try to become a Seeker.
An invisible figure?
She didn't say anything, well aware of the grim state she was in. Her exorbitantly expensive robes were in tatters, and her perfectly styled hair was hanging over her face in a grimy mess. She had been in here since late July, and while she wasn't entirely sure, she was fairly certain that it had been at least a month by now. She was hardly in a condition to be greeting guests to her humble prison. In truth, there was only one reason that she was still alive, and it was one that left her feeling very mixed about things.
"Hello?" Narcissa tried, her voice tired and hoarse. She'd been tortured several times, but they'd quickly lost interest in her. She knew they didn't want to risk killing her since they could still use her to access the Malfoy bank accounts and the manor wards. "Is someone there?"
She kept her voice quiet, not wanting to alert her captors if someone was truly sneaking around and she wasn't just losing her mind. The dust stilled, but she was fairly certain that someone had walked to the front of her cage.
Despite rumours, the Malfoy Manor didn't have dungeons under it for the torture of muggles and blood traitors. This was her wine cellar, and she'd been stuffed into a cage meant for magical beasts. It had meant she got a first-hand view of the thugs raiding her wine collection. They probably didn't even appreciate the vintage they were downing.
She was just glad that the cage remained locked and that the thugs didn't have the key. Her robes had ended up tattered by them reaching through the bars to paw at her, but they couldn't take it any further.
Despite her cell being securely locked and warded, it popped open as her eyes widened in surprise. The air shimmered, and standing in front of her, the oddest creature she'd ever seen appeared. At around four feet tall, the ratlike person looked like someone who'd had an accident with Polyjuice. He (and she was just assuming it was a he), was wearing a hooded cloak that had a hole in it to let the long tail slip through and the outline of the pointed ears coming from his head against the hood. His elongated nose sniffed the air, and his beady eyes looked around the cell.
Her arms were still shackled to the cage as the creature moved forward. A month or so ago, she'd have recoiled at the creature, but now? She was happy to see anyone who wasn't a Death Eater.
"Narcissa Malfoy?" the rat asked, a squeaky but clearly masculine voice confirming her suspicions. His tone had some disbelief in it like he knew her (or had heard of her) and couldn't quite believe what he was seeing.
"I'd welcome you to Malfoy Manor, but it's not quite in a state for guests right now," Narcissa confirmed, head held high. "Care to tell me what you're doing here?"
"In truth? I was here to kidnap your husband," the rat admitted with an almost embarrassed shrug. "I hoped to interrogate him over Voldemort's actions."
"Well, here's right there," Narcissa retorted with a jerk off his head. "You're a little late, he stopped answering questions around a month ago when Voldemort killed him."
The figure went silent, but she could see the deep thinking going on.
"I met your husband, less than a month ago," the rat said, and she just snorted.
"No, I assure you that you didn't. He's been keeping me company. You met whoever is wearing his skin. Maybe they even think they are him, but they aren't," Narcissa swore, seeing him nod. "As tantalising as this conversation is, I don't suppose we could have it somewhere else?"
The rat moved forward again, pulling out a strange black key and pressing it against her shackles. Despite the magic keeping them shut, the shackles opened instantly, and she let out a sigh of relief.
"Who are you?" Narcissa asked, making the ratman smirk slightly.
"Later. Were you the one that led me down here?" he asked, getting a shake of her head.
"No, but I know who did," Narcissa admitted. "Dobby!"
The pop made the rat jump, spinning around to face the house elf that had appeared in the cell.
"This is Dobby; he used to be my house elf. We never took him off the wards, and after they left me down here to starve, I called for him in desperation. He's been sneaking me food and drink, and pain relief potions when I… have need of them," Narcissa explained.
"Dobby couldn't unlock the cage, but Dobby is good at going unnoticed," Dobby said, nodding rapidly. "Dobby was going to try to find help, but the spells…"
"We bound him to prevent him from accidentally telling anyone anything that happened in Malfoy Manor during his service to us," Narcissa picked up with a tired sigh. "I suppose we should have been more specific, shouldn't we? Do you have a safe place we can go? The Dark Lord isn't usually in the manor, but he returns occasionally."
"I do. Dobby, can you get Lady Malfoy to the gardens?" he asked, making Dobby nod rapidly.
"Easily, mister rat," Dobby agreed.
"Meet me by the fountain. The hedges will hide us from view, and I can get us out of the wards. After that, I'll apparate us to safety," the rat man promised, making her heart soar. Saved by a house elf and a rat. It was a bizarre day but right now, all she wanted was to get out of the house she'd called home for so long.
The rat slipped away, and Dobby was seemingly focused on something as she stretched her legs for the first time in weeks. Her heart was pounding, every second dragging on as she expected someone to burst in and recapture her.
Soon enough, Dobby grabbed her hand and, without a word, popped them both out of the house. She breathed in the night air for the first time in far too long, but not for long as the still-unnamed rat gestured for them to follow him. She wanted out of here as soon as possible, hobbling after him as he paused at what she knew was the ward boundary and once more used that strange key. She had no idea what it did, but he gestured for them to follow them out into the woods surrounding the house.
Grabbing them both, the rat man apparated them away with a certain level of confidence. He wasn't new to magic. Apparating multiple people was not easy at the best of times, but he did it with such grace.
Appearing in front of an entirely different manor, she looked upon the large, luxurious manor house for a moment and felt something tingle in the back of her head. She knew this place; she was sure she did. It was larger than Malfoy Manor and older as well if she wasn't mistaken. Its grounds were less elegant than her own, being simpler in design, but it was still a sprawling estate.
"Come on, we can talk inside," the rat said, gesturing for them to enter and as she stepped inside the classy entrance hall, something in her head clicked.
"This is Robin Scamander's mansion, isn't it?" Narcissa asked, seeing the rat freeze with a look of bafflement. "I've been here before as a young girl. Lady Velwythe used to hold balls, and it was a rather large controversy when she gave the house to a Magizooligist instead of her extended family. The Parkinsons never did get over not inheriting their distant aunt's wealth, all because a Magizoologist happened to save a Kneazle. Do you work for him? I don't know what species you are, but the Scamanders have always loved their magical creatures, sapient or otherwise."
She could see the thought on the rat's face, but he gestured for her to follow him into the lounge and took a seat.
"And what are you going to do with that information?" the rat asked, his tone grim as she snorted.
"Nothing. I just want to know who I owe my life to," Narcissa said, watching as the rat extended its clawed hand and a large golden sword. Before she could speak, he moved and stabbed it toward her. For a moment, she let out a surprised shout but the blade went into her skin without a hint of pain.
"Again, you don't plan to use that information against Robin?" the rat asked, making her shake her head. She could feel a certain pressure in her mind, but she pushed past it.
"If Robin is the one to thank for facilitating my rescue, I have no desire to harm him," Narcissa repeated. "But I'm right, aren't I?"
The rat paused for a moment, sitting down as his body shifted and grew. Her eyes widened as the hair retracted, and he grew to over six foot tall with a tired sigh. Reaching into his cloak, Robin pulled out his glasses and placed them back on his face.
"Hello again, Narcissa. I do wish we were meeting in better conditions than this," Robin said, straightening up.
"The last time we spoke, you'd just broken up with Bellatrix. She tried to set you on fire," Narcissa pointed out, her mind racing. "Your history with us Black girls hasn't been the best."
"I wouldn't say that. I always got along with Andromeda," Robin replied with a small smile.
"Maybe a little too well, given the rumours I heard," Narcissa replied with a smirk before she shook her head and straightened up herself, getting serious. "You said you came to kidnap Lucius. Why?"
"Because I need information, and Lucius was by the Minister's side when Fudge suddenly decided to take an interest in Hogwarts. I wasn't lying, I did see Lucius recently. We were never close, but the act was good enough to fool me," Robin admitted. "Rookwood recently attempted to kidnap a group of students from Beauxbatons for some kind of ritual, and after we captured him, Bellatrix appeared and killed him before we could learn anything. I don't know what's going on, but I can tell that war is coming again. My plan was to use Gram to interrogate Lucius for whatever he knew."
As he spoke, he pulled the sword out of her and she watched it in curiosity.
"Some kind of truth blade? Well, as I said, Lucius has been dead for a long time. They left his body in my cage so I could watch him rot away," Narcissa explained, her voice catching slightly.
"What about your daughter? I've seen her at Hogwarts, and she seems awfully composed for someone who has lost her beloved father," Robin pointed out, making her eyes widen.
"You've seen Lyra?" Narcissa asked insistently, her full attention upon him. "I- Voldemort took her away, he claimed he had plans for her to make up for Lucius' failure."
"I don't know when you were captured, but I've become the new Care of Magical Creatures professor. Lyra is in my class. A bit of a brat, maybe, and often squabbling with Rose Potter, but she seems fine," Robin confirmed with a grim look. She already knew what he was thinking. Was it really Lyra or had Voldemort sent in an infiltrator?
"And why is a professor running around trying to kidnap people for information?" Narcissa asked, making him chuckle darkly.
"Because I can't leave well enough alone. I've seen one war, and I hated it. If Voldemort is back, I'm not going to sit around and wait for him to be ready to start his war in earnest," Robin replied with stone-cold conviction in his tone. She hadn't forgotten what he did before he became a Magizooligist.
"You're not going to give up, are you?" Narcissa asked, making him shake his head. "Let me help."
Robin paused, surprise on his face as he saw that she was being serious.
"Narcissa, I don't mean to be rude, but you're not exactly a fighter-" Robin started, making her laugh. It was not a pleasant laugh. It was cold, dark and furious as she nodded in agreement.
"I'm not a duellist. What I am is a Black, and Voldemort has imprisoned me in my own house, tortured me, murdered my husband and has my daughter. You know better than most. We Blacks always get our revenge in the end," Narcissa growled. "Or were you planning to wage a one rat crusade against the Dark Lord and all his forces?"
"A fair point, but we can talk about this later. You're safe here; this place is heavily warded, and nobody is getting in without my permission. I'm sure you'd like a bath, if nothing else," Robin pointed out, making her laugh again. That one was a genuine laugh, because he was very much correct. She'd kill for a bath.
Though as she was feeling now, she'd kill for far less as well if she got the chance. Voldemort and his followers had wronged her, and she intended to remind them of just why the Black family had been so feared throughout the ages.
But first, a long bath.
– Robin Scamander –
Feat Achieved: Free Narcissa Malfoy (200cp), 300cp total.
As I leave Narcissa to get some much needed 'me-time', I collapse onto the couch with a frown.
"Master Scamander seems worried," Dobby says, making me nod.
"That's one word for it. Dobby, was it? Not many would risk their lives for their former master, especially since I doubt they treated you particularly well," I point out, making him shrug.
"Dobby just did what he thinks the great and wonderful mistress Potter would do," Dobby says, nodding his head in a way not dissimilar to those funny bobblehead toys muggles have.
"Even still, you're a good man. What do you plan to do now?" I ask, making him pause as he wrings his hands.
"Hogwarts is in danger?" Dobby asks. I simply nod. I don't know the details yet, but whatever Voldemort is doing, Hogwarts will be involved in some way. "Can Dobby help? Dobby works in the kitchens when he isn't sneaking away…" Dobby continues in a conspiratorial whisper.
"Can you keep an eye on Lyra Malfoy?" I ask, making him happily bob his head again. His giant ears flop amusingly, distracting me from my worries for a moment. "Something is wrong with her, and I still don't know what. I'd also prefer you keep what you've heard today to yourself for now."
"Dobby can do that, nobody pays attention to what the elves are doing," Dobby agrees with a secretive smile. "And Dobby would never lie, but if nobody asks him, then it isn't lying."
Feat Achieved: Recruit Dobby (100cp), 400cp total.
"Much appreciated," I say, rubbing my forehead. I didn't expect tonight to go smoothly, but this isn't exactly what I had in mind.
The truth is, Narcissa is right. As much as I like the idea of ending this whole mess myself, I can't deny that there's more going on than I can handle alone. I got these powers for a reason, and I'm starting to think that the approaching threat is that reason. Even still, I can't do this alone, can I?
[Covenant Leader] - 400cp, 0cp remaining
You are no mere conscript, another undead looking for meaning in this bleak world, but a true leader of your covenant. You can offer others an invitation to join your covenant, granting them weaker versions of your perks as they advance in rank. You may also summon them to your side for a time, be it for aid in combat or more peaceful tasks before they return to their own world or prior location.
Oh, haha. Very funny. I can take a hint.
As an owl arrives, I take the letter and groan to myself as I see the sender. Amelia Bones. Looking for information and likely an ally for the coming troubles.
Sometimes, I think my power thinks it is far funnier than it actually is.
— Bonus Scene — Luna Lovegood
Getting a letter from her father, she read the contents with a cheerful smile as she cuddled against Alice. She wasn't technically Snorkack-sitting right now, but Alice came and went where she wanted, and Luna got the feeling that Theseus preferred it when the Snorkack wasn't around. Robin had said it was fine. Alice seemed to like spending time with her after all.
Naturally, they'd already published an emergency issue with the proof that Crumple Horned Snorkacks were real, but it was only a short one. The true mega-issue would be the most important issue of the Quibbler that had ever been printed and perhaps the most important one that it would ever print.
Alice licked her face, making her giggle as she decoded the letter from her father. He liked to keep her on her toes by sending all their letters in code, but this was one he'd used before. He was obviously too busy with the preparations to make a new code.
Finishing the letter, she put it down and grabbed her quill, starting her response. Daddy was going to be so thrilled that Robin was open to an interview. He was a true hero of Magizoology, not letting silly things like common knowledge stop him from making grand discoveries!
Pausing briefly to try and pull out the half-chewed letter from Alice's mouth, she sighed as she realised that her father had likely used a sugar quill as a real quill again, which would explain the splodgy hand-writing. Alice had a sweet tooth, and having found the traces of sugar, decided the letter was edible and no power in the world could extract the drool-covered letter from her mouth.
She'd be worried about Alice eating the ink, but Robin had come to the conclusion that Snorkacks had iron bellies, given the list of unattended things Alice had deemed edible, including his keys, a scarf, an empty potion vial and the cauldron handle.
Plus, Robin had taught her some basic Magizoology spells so she could check that it didn't give Alice an upset stomach. She didn't know the spell needed to help Alice if the ink was dangerous to her since she was only a rookie, but she'd keep a close eye on the hungry Snorkack.
Finishing her reply, she paused as she turned back to her bed, watching Alice chew on the bed canopy. Some negotiating later had her bedsheets spared as Alice happily chewed on some Honeydew toffee instead, making Luna giggle as she took more pictures.