The Dark Lord's Daughter & Harry Potter

Chapter 35

It was later in the day at Malfoy Manor. Voldemort sat at the head of the table and only the closest Death Eaters sat in the drawing room with him. Others who just arrived waited outside for orders.

"Harry Potter has gotten away too many times," he started. "I have reason to believe he will attempt to get into Hogwarts tonight. I want all of my Death Eaters ready when he does. Trinity will take a group to Hogsmeade, but only she will go to Hogwarts. Severus and the Carrows have already been informed to heighten security. In the event Potter does foolishly go to Hogwarts, you will all wait for my signal to attack. Potter is mine to kill. If someone other than myself kills him, you will suffer the consequences."

Voldemort dismissed them and Trinity went out and gathered a group of Death Eaters. She ordered them to Apparate to Hogsmeade and they followed quickly after she went herself. She was the only one unmasked of the group as she told them to stay in the Three Broomsticks and wait for anything to happen.

Trinity Apparated herself to Hogsmeade Station to walk the rest of the way to the castle. Darkness now overwhelmed the tiny bit of sunlight peaking from the mountains. But through that light, she could make out the thousands of floating silhouettes of the dementors that patrolled the grounds and a feeling of dread rushed through her. A bone-chilling shriek came back from the center of the village. Someone had set off the Caterwauling Charm. She turned on the spot and was now back in front of The Three Broomsticks.

Dementors scattered away from Hog's Head Inn and then the yelling began. Trinity saw the barman of Hog's Head standing in the dim doorway shouting at the group of hooded Death Eaters. Trinity rushed down High Street to the group.

"I know what I saw and that was a stag Patronus! Potter is here somewhere!" the Death Eater at the front exclaimed.

Trinity came up behind them, unnoticed. She happened to glance up at the dirty window above and saw a hand appear and disappear again. "What's going on here?!" she hollered. "I didn't even step on the grounds when curfew was broken and when I came I saw dementors! Do you have Potter or not?!"

They hesitated to turn around, and when the one near the barman spoke, their voice was timid. "Well, um. We don't have Potter yet. But I saw his Patronus! The stag was down here! He's here!"

Trinity stepped forward and the others parted to let her through to the front.

"Harry Potter! Stag! You need your eyes checked, you dope! That was no stag! That was a goat!" the barman took out his wand and sent a goat Patronus thundering down the dark and empty street.

"But I saw a stag! Potter set off the Caterwauling Charm!"

"If my cat wants out, my cat will be let out! Damn your curfew! And if you send out dementors, I have a damn right to keep them the hell away from my inn and my cat!"

"A cat?! It was a cat that got you people all wound up?! Morons! You're lucky you didn't summon him!" roared Trinity. "Get back to your post! You've wasted my time! You better hope you didn't allow Potter to sneak through after all this trouble!"

The hooded figures scurried away back down High Street. The barman started to close the door, but Trinity held the door open.

"We're closed," he said bluntly.

"It's an inn."

"Renovations."

"Aberforth, just let me it before I force my way in. I'm using the passage."

"What passage?"

"I'm not going through those dementors at Hogwarts. You've seen me use it before. Just let me in."