Invisible String - Sebastian Sallow

Chapter Fourty-Two: The House of Gaunt

"Ah, Mister Gaunt, how good to see you."

"I'm not interested in hearing you grovel, Malfoy, so let us skip that unpleasantness."

Malfoy did not say anything as Thorfinn approached the table. He looked calm, but the edge to his voice told everyone in the room he was angry.

"Do you still have Professor Hecat under the Imperius Curse?" Thorfinn asked, his eyes on the dark haired boy at the table.

Looking up, startled at being addressed, the young face of Arcturus Black snapped up. "Y-Yes, Mister Gaunt, I do. Though she requires it to be strengthened every day. She fights."

Thorfinn made a sound of displeasure. "We can't have that. Marvolo, tomorrow night you will meet Arcturus and the Professor in the Hogs Head. You will take over control of her."

"You already have Malfoy disguised in the school as Professor Weasley. Surely it would be easier-"

"Are you contradicting me?" Thorfinn snapped, his voice raised.

"No, Father, no. Of course not. I beg pardon."

"Does anyone on staff suspect anything?" Thorfinn addressed Malfoy.

"Professor Sharp questioned a few weeks ago about why the Professor was teaching Unforgivable Curses. He was concerned about the affect it would have on Abigail, Sebastian and Ominis. I was able to calm the situation by assuring him I would speak with Professor Hecat."

Thorfinn nodded thoughtfully, still spinning the ring on his finger as he thought.

"Professor Weasley still remains locked in the cellar here," Thorfinn spoke, looking directly at Malfoy. "If I were you, I wouldn't worry about much else than keeping her... complacent."

Malfoy nodded curtly, but he did not move, ignoring the obvious dismissal by the Gaunt.

"The Sallow boy seemed to be aware the dreams were planted by Legilimency. All the books on the subject were checked out from the library."

Thorfinn laughed at this, an odd sound as it echoed through the empty space of his once grand home. "The boy is smarter than I give him credit for. Black, have you seen either of them reading such books?"

"No, sir. They tend to vanish from the school often though. I'll be unable to find them for hours."

The party of four sat in silence for a moment, all seeming to be waiting for someone else to speak next. Thorfinn seemed amused by something, but no one could quite determine what that was. His lips simply curled and a small ghost of a laugh escaped his nostrils.

"I must admit, Sebastian is much more ruthless than I anticipated. He is more fitting of the Gaunt family name than that cowardly son of mine."

A beat of silence followed these words, before Arcturus spoke, his voice shaking slightly.

"Sallow will do anything that Crane asks of him. He'll do anything if it involves her, or means protecting her."

"Yes," Thorfinn agreed softly, thoughtfully. "I gathered as much while he'd been here with Ominis over the summer. Witnessed it. A pity really, I always was impressed by Sweeting."

"Father, we could make short work of this," Marvolo said, gesturing to the pile of papers in front of him. "We could simply Imperius them both and move on."

"No."

"Father! See reason," Marvolo started, before he was cut off my Thorfinn's hands slamming onto the table.

"You see reason, idiot boy! Slytherin left specific instructions about someone with the same power as him. This ability she has to wield the ancient magic cannot be impeded. It has to be turned to darkness by her or it will not work!"

"The girl is a mudblood, is she not?" Malfoy demanded, his voice full of interest. "Are we certain she's who we need?"

"A mudblood who is in Slytherin house, just as Slytherin predicted. She's the one."

"Simply threaten the life of Sallow. She'll do anything for him, if I'm right," Arcturus grumbled, ignoring the last part of the conversation and crossing his arms. The boy had a note of jealousy to his tone that none of the other men in the room cared for.

"That's a large if, you idiots. The plan must continue as we have been. Her magic was already touched by darkness when we had her, it's working. We just need a little more of a push. Something to make her use these curses where everyone can watch."

Marvolo cleared his throat, and more timidly than before, addressed his father with a sense of conviction about him nonetheless. "If it's a public push she needs, I have an idea."

Thorfinn looked to his second eldest son, observed the thoughts flashing around in his head. The smile that spread across Thorfinn's face was twisted and vile, as though he had just been handed the best present in the world.

"You're quite sure?"

"He couldn't keep it out of his mind. I'm positive."

"Malfoy," he said slowly, not taking his eyes off of his son, "I need your contact at the Ministry of Magic. Auror office."

Malfoy, who had been watching this final exchange curiously, nodded abruptly and turned on his heel. The dragon hide boots echoed back across the marble to the front door and without waiting for another word from Thorfinn, left the manor house, his blonde hair gleaming in the dusty sun light as he went.