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

218. Dire Warnings

"And you're sure?" Dumbledore asked tensely.

"Positive," Ellis replied. "Narcissa came to me about it. Apparently, she and Draco ran into her in Diagon Alley. She was with Harry and some other people, but she actually tried to attack Narcissa because she thought she was Lyra. When Narcissa tried to talk to Lyra, to ask her what she did to that girl, Lyra as good as said she was going to...well, I don't know what exactly, but she seemed to be implying that what happened at the Ministry was just the beginning. And the other day she was asking me if I thought what happened was enough to kill her or make her loose her sanity."

Dumbledore looked extremely grave in the flickering light of the flames burning in the hearth of their little hut.

"Dumbledore, please," Ellis said quietly. "I don't want that girl hurt, not after what she's already been through. You can protect her, can't you?" His voice growing harsher, he demanded, "Can't you?"

Dumbledore's eyes flickered up to him as though suddenly being reminded that he was even there.

"Yes, I can protect her," Dumbledore said finally. "Althea Black will not die as long as those who care about her stand."

"Then Lyra will make sure they never stand again," Ellis hissed. "That girl, Althea? She's Lyra's focus now, not even Sadie anymore. She doesn't just want her dead, Dumbledore, she wants to ruin her, the same way Bellatrix destroyed the Longbottoms."

"Thank you for telling me this," Dumbledore said quietly. "I will see to it that the necessary arrangements are made."

Ellis stared after him in mild shock and irritation as he turned and walked out the door.

.

"Thea," Mrs Weasley called, knocking on the door to Ginny's room as she came in, a basket of laundry balanced on her hip. She looked up from her potions book in surprise as Mrs Weasley said, "Dumbledore is here. He wants to see you."

Althea felt her heart drop. Was someone else dead? Surely not, not so soon. There couldn't be yet another thing for her to have to worry about.

"Where is he?" she asked finally.

"He said to meet him in the broom cupboard," Mrs Weasley explained, beginning to fold up laundry and lay it out in piles on Ginny's bed. "And when you're done, make sure to start packing. I want trunks packed tonight so we don't have the usual scramble."

Althea left without a word, descending the stairs and slipping into the yard before she found the broom cupboard, the same cupboard Dumbledore had spoken to Harry in all those weeks ago. To her surprise, however, instead of just Dumbledore waiting for her in the dark cupboard, her eyes instantly landed on Severus Snape, looking particularly batlike in the dark. She quickly looked away from him, painfully reminded of their last interaction in which she had snapped at him that he should have died instead of Amara. She regretted those words now, more than anything, but she had still said them. Snape, however, didn't seem to remember their last interaction.

"What's going on?" Althea asked nervously.

Dumbledore hesitated so long that Snape finally said, "Black, it seems that...after the events at the Ministry, Miss Malfoy has taken a particular interest in you."

Althea felt herself pale slightly.

"W-What do you mean?" she asked nervously. "Like s-she wants to kill me or something?"

"Not exactly," Dumbledore said quietly. "More like...she wants to...well..."

There was no need for him to finish his sentence. Althea knew what he could not bring himself to say.

With the faintest hint of a tremble in her voice, she said, "She wants to torture me until I'm nothing but a shell."

Neither Snape nor Dumbledore spoke.

"How do you know?" Althea asked softly.

Sharing hesitant looks with Snape, Dumbledore said, "One of my sources within Voldemort's ranks received word of it. It is quite certain."

"Okay," Althea said, crossing her arms over her chest as she tried to process what they were saying. Her voice softening to hardly more than a breath, she repeated, "Okay." Finally, she asked, "Have my parents been told?"

"Not yet," Dumbledore admitted quietly. "The only people outside this room who know are my informant and Lyra herself."

"As well as Narcissa Malfoy," Snape added.

"Which means Draco could easily know," Althea muttered to herself. She had begun pacing, her arms tightly clamped around her waist. Finally coming to a stop, she looked between them and asked, "Well...what can be done? What am I supposed to do with this information?"

"Don't do anything stupid," Snape said, his voice barely more than a sneer.

"Yes, I was planning on seeking out Death Eaters," Althea snapped back.

Snape raised his eyebrow slightly but said nothing as Dumbledore remarked quietly, "You must be aware of the danger you are in, Thea. Lyra Malfoy is not someone to be trifled with. She is proving as formidable as her aunt Bellatrix. She is the reason Sadie now resides with her cousins."

Her eyes widening, Althea gasped, "Lyra did that? She killed Sadie's family?"

"Yes," Dumbledore said gravely. "Which is why we're also warning Remus and Eliana to avoid unnecessary risks. She may easily use them to get to you. Everyone you love, everyone close to you is in danger if Lyra gets too desperate."

Althea suddenly understood why Harry always tried to take care of everything alone. She understood now why he always tried to take the weight of the world on his shoulders. The moment the words left Dumbledore's mouth, a crushing guilt tore through her, almost causing tears to spring to her eyes. She could not, however, bring herself to speak.

Snape finally remarked in a quiet voice, "No more danger than Moore-Weasley and Potter are already bringing them."

Her voice shaking slightly, Althea asked, "Is that all? Was there more you wished to speak with me about?"

"Not for a present moment," Dumbledore said. "You may go. I will tell your parents in due time."