The Disgraced of the House of Black - A Multi-Character Fanfiction - Part Two

213. Stories of the Chilling Sort

"There have been a couple of dementor attacks," Remus announced as they sat eating Harry's birthday cake. "And they've found Igor Karkaroff's body in a shack up north. The Dark Mark had been set over it - well, frankly-"

"He survived that long?" Althea said in surprise.

"No one could find him," Sadie said, swallowing a big bite of cake. "My brother was looking for him before- He never heard much."

"Yes, well," Molly said disapprovingly. "Perhaps we should talk about something differ-"

"Did you hear about Florean Fortescue, Remus?" Bill asked. "The man who ran-"

"The ice cream place in Diagon Alley?" Harry interjected. "He used to give me free ice creams. What happened to him?"

"Dragged off by the look of the place," Bill explained.

"Why?" Ron asked.

"From my understanding, he stood in the way when they were trying to bully his son into joining them," Sadie explained sombrely. "He was a good man. Ollivander's gone too."

"The wandmaker?" Ginny said, startled.

"Yes," Sadie replied. "We can't figure out if he left on his own or if he was taken. For his sake and ours, I hope he left on his own."

Desperate to talk about happier things, Molly turned to Eliana and asked, "How's Minnie?"

"Good," Eliana said with a weary smile. "But I swear none of us have slept much since she got to the house."

"Yes, I remember that well," Molly said sympathetically. "I can take her for a few days if you need me too."

"No, no, it's all right," Eliana said. "I need to speak to Dumbledore when there's a chance though. I'll have to resign so I can-"

"WHAT?" Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Althea exclaimed.

"B-But," Harry stuttered. "You can't resign!"

"Yeah, don't resign," Ron said.

"Please," Hermione begged.

"Mum, I thought you said you were just going to part-time," Althea said.

With a small sigh, and a rather flattered smile, she said, "What with...one thing and another, it's the only option."

None of them missed how her eyes flickered to Remus who was determinedly avoiding her gaze.

"But Mum," Althea said so softly only she could hear her. "Do we have enough money for you to do that?"

"I have enough saved from what my father left me," Eliana replied in an equally quiet voice. "Between that and what Sirius left me, we'll be fine until we can figure something else out."

Althea said nothing for the rest of the meal, sharing miserable looks with her friends. The thought of not having her mother with her at Hogwarts was unthinkable.

.

Ellis appeared with a pop. Darkness covered the forest around him like a shroud as he set off toward the small hut just a few feet away. Coming to a stop, he knocked softly on the door, giving the same, rhythmic rap that had been agreed upon. The door instantly opened. Ellis slipped inside, glancing behind him cautiously before shutting the door with a soft snap.

It was black as pitch inside without even a window to show the faint moonlight streaming from above. The ground below his feet was nothing more than compacted dirt. Although he couldn't see them, he knew the hut was furnished only with two small, rickety chairs sitting by the dirty and empty hearth. His breathing was unsteady and beginning to grow harsh before the door behind him suddenly opened. Ellis jumped, instantly drawing his wand before a bright light flared in his face. Blinking, he realized he was facing Dumbledore.

"You're late," Ellis snapped, irritable after his fright.

"Is it true?" Dumbledore said darkly, ignoring him as he, with a flick of his wand, caused a ball of flame to burst to life in the hearth.

"Is what true?" Ellis asked, his brows furrowed.

"Did Lyra kill the Moore-Weasley family?" Dumbledore demanded, his voice harsher than Ellis had ever heard it.

Ellis swallowed, releasing a shaky breath before he nodded.

"I didn't know," he said softly, lowering down into one of the chairs. "If she'd told me, if I'd known..."

Dumbledore said nothing, studying his expression carefully, his eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"Perhaps you did," he said slowly. Ellis' head jerked up to look at him. "Perhaps you did know and you chose...to let them die."

Ellis scoffed, rising to his feet as he said, "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Dumbledore said softly. "Did you let them die, Ellis? Are you just another pawn in-"

"I would never!" Ellis cried, tears beginning to swim in his eyes. "I loved them, all of them. They were my family when I had none. I would never have let them die! Mr and Mrs Moore, Mr and Mrs Weasley...the four of them were the closest thing to real family I have ever had! If I'd known..."

He broke off, his eyes shining with sorrow as he attempted to regain control over his breathing.

"Did any of them survive?" he asked, his voice breaking as the first tears overflowed, dripping to slide down his cheeks.

"Sadie is alive," Dumbledore said quietly.

Ellis released a relieved breath, lowering back to sit as he buried his head in his hands.

"And Levi? Shauna?" he whispered, his voice slightly muffled.

"Dead," Dumbledore said sombrely. "Jefferson and Magery too."

Ellis said nothing, but Dumbledore could see that he was shaking. When he finally lowered his hands from his face, Dumbledore could see that his eyes were red and his cheeks were damp with tears. Sniffling, he wiped them away.

Closing his eyes, he whispered, his voice low and pleading, "Please, get me out of this, Dumbledore. Let me leave. I just want to go home. I want to go home. I can't- I can't do this anymore. I should be with Sadie. She needs-"

"The last thing she needs is you," Dumbledore said, his voice starkly cold in contrast to Ellis' trembling plea. "And the thing I need most is for you to stay. I promise, if it becomes too dangerous, I will get you out, you will be protected."

"And what is that line?" Ellis asked desperately as he met Dumbledore's gaze.

He had never looked smaller and more afraid.

"Until Voldemort begins to suspect, there is no reason to believe you are in any danger," Dumbledore said.

"So you intend to keep me trapped here until it's too late," Ellis said quietly, his tone resigned. Slowly, he rose to his feet, facing Dumbledore with a surprised, confused expression. "Be honest with me...do you care at all about the things you put people through? Are you so focused on beating him that you don't care about the damage you leave in your wake?"

"Everyone makes sacrifices in war, Ellis," Dumbledore said with a grim smile. "For some of us, that sacrifice is great and for others, it is smaller. We must all carry our burden, no matter how heavy."

"You're avoiding my question," Ellis said, his voice beginning to shake. "I will deal with it either way because frankly, I don't have much other choice, you're not giving me another choice, but tell me truthfully, Dumbledore...do you care at all?"

Dumbledore fixed his piercing blue eyes on him as he said, "You should be getting back."