NOX° SIRIUS BLACK

Chapter Sixty-Six

"I will not tell Rhea's story publicly, but I will tell you. I want you to know who you are facing and what I know to be true in the hope that you will stop. You and your friends — Dumbledore — the army he's building," Calypso froze. Professor Zabini should not know about the Order of the Phoenix and the tone in which the woman spoke was filled with grave warning. Professor Zabini looked Calypso in the eyes, speaking with conviction. "This war you are fighting will end in blood. The loss will be unimaginable. You are still young and if you continue, you will stay young. Your entire family is already gone, Calypso. It is only a matter of time before you are next if you are not careful."

Calypso swallowed. It was not as though she did not fear dying. Death was always something that had been oddly fascinating to her as she wondered what awaited her on the other side. Then, she remembered the prophecy and knew she had to find a way no matter what.

"Tell me, Professor, tell me about my grandmother." Calypso said.

Professor Zabini sighed, shaking her head silently in disapproval. She knew Calypso would not listen, but she carried on.

"There was always something . . . different about Rhea even from the beginning. There were five of us and though we were not all true friends in the way you and your friends were, we were all bonded by the fact that we came from the oldest families in the wizarding world and were expected to follow a certain set of rules. In the beginning Rhea was kind. She was regarded as a nice, quiet girl who was a part of our group. She and I were always close, and sometimes I got the feeling that we were the only ones each other could stand,

"I'm not sure when Rhea met Tom or how they became involved. There are many secrets about their relationship which have never been known to anyone except for them and that is how they want it to be. She told us once that he liked her, but Rhea could never be with someone like Tom Riddle because he was a half-blood and she was pureblood. The Hel's would never have allowed it.

"But, I remember Rhea came to me after we graduated, a few weeks after her wedding to your great-grandfather. She was distraught and crying . . . I had never even seen her cry before. She confessed that she had made a mistake in marrying Atlas. She kept saying something about how she should have waited and I never understood what she meant. I don't think Rhea saw Tom for a long time, but after Atlas was killed, something in her changed completely.

"By that point, she had lost everyone except for the Krane's and her son. A few of us came back, but I was old enough to realize revenge was not going to bring her husband back. I left for a while and didn't come back for a long time. When I did, Rhea told me she no longer spoke to her son, but we never spoke of the Death Eaters or Riddle.

"Still, I have known Rhea was a member of Riddle's group for a long time. Rhea is not just a Death Eater, she is the one who is calling the shots. She is his partner. Nothing Riddle does is done without consulting her. He confides in her, he trusts her, he would die for her. She would do the same."

"They love each other," Calypso stated.

Persephone shrugged.

"In their own twisted way I suppose. The difference between the two of them is that Rhea is not concerned with immortality or blood purity. She did not become who she is because she was determined to create something of herself. Her motives are known only to her and that is what makes her dangerous."

"How could I defeat her?" Calypso asked. She hoped her impatience did not seep into her tone but Persephone had not told her everything. Calypso was not blind to the way Persephone shifted uncomfortably or seemed to dance around some hidden truth that she did not wish to reveal to Calypso. Calypso knew that her grandmother and Voldemort had a close relationship, but the wizarding world did not. Calypso needed someone to either tell her how she could defeat a wizard more powerful and smart than she was or to come forward and allow someone who was more qualified to do it for her.