His Final Riddle

32. The return of the elves

"Surely they belong to Theo's brother?" I ask.

"Nope. He signed away all his rights before he left, left the binding blood contract on the dining table and fucked off to who knows where."

"So now all the house elves are just back here? Surely they're still at risk? The reason Draco freed them in the first place was because of my father and the Death Eaters."

Xavier sips on his tea "hmm it's a risk. I think Draco was hoping you'd ask your father to pardon them in a way. To order the Death Eater's not to hurt them."

"Oh really?" I shake my head "and what makes you all think I have the authority to do that?"

"Has your father ever actually said no to you?" Xavier asks with his eyebrows raised.

"Well no" I feel the portkey begin to shake in my hand and I take a step back from him.

"Exactly" he smiles at me "just ask him, it's all you can do."

"You guys don't get it." I shake my head annoyed as the portkey now vibrates violently in my hand "favours from him always have a debt attached to them."

Xavier frowns but before he can ask any other questions the portkey comes into full effect and I am suddenly whisked away and out of the manor.

I land heavily on the ground but manage to stay standing. I smile slightly at the fact I didn't land face down this time and look around.

My father is stood some distance away from me along with two other masked Death Eaters. They are all facing away from me and are instead facing a set of houses.

I feel my stomach drop as I realise now where I am, I turn around and look at the square of townhouses surrounding me. Grimauld Place.

"Daughter" my father beckons me over with his hand.

I walk over silently and nod my head in greeting to the Death Eaters.

"Father" I offer him a tight smile "you asked for me?"

"Yes" he dismisses the Death Eaters with a wave of his hand. They both bow deeply at him before turning and walking some distance away from us.

My father begins to walk slowly and I fall into step beside him.

"You recognise where we are, do you not?" He looks up at the houses around us.

"Yes. I know where we are."

"Hmm good." He stops walking as we stand directly in front of number eleven and number thirteen. "I need a favour of a sort from you."

I look at him silently as I wait for him to continue. His blue eyes meet mine "you once had access to the house which once belonged to the esteemed Black family?"

"I did."

"Hmm" he walks behind me and raises a long white finger at the town houses "try now. Try to gain entry to it now, whilst I am here."

I sigh and stare at the townhouse's determined, I picture it opening it up as it did for me before. I imagine the inside, the long and dark hallway with the troll leg umbrella stand. The winding staircase with the portraits lining the wallpapered walls, the large black curtain that hung in front of Sirius' mother's portrait. The dark and uncared for rooms, and my room. The room with R.A.B on the door, the single bed in the centre of the space, the Slytherin posters that lined the walls and the diagrams and maps that lined them. The pictures of a sea and a cave, pictures of stone walkways and large rocks.

A sharp pain stabs at the back of my head and I let out a pained gasp. I feel my father pushing his way through my thoughts, I feel him barging his way through my memories and the images of Grimauld Place that are coming up. He focuses on the images in my temporary bedroom before he tears the memories in my mind.