A Bend in Time - Chapter 44

In the darkness of a dungeon lair, Lord Voldemort's crimson eyes snap open as he sensed the marks of six Death Eater's go out. Lord Voldemort lets out a roar of anger and fury as Death Eaters instantly rush into the darkroom. "Milord, what is wrong?" A rather worried Bellatrix Lestrange asked.

"Who dared betray us!?" Lord Voldemort hissed in fury.

"Milord, no one would ever dare to," Bellatrix exclaimed.

"You dare question me?" Lord Voldemort dangerously said as his crimson eyes narrowed down to a point.

"No, Milord! I would never do so!" Bellatrix sincerely said as she knelt down before the Dark Lord.

"Find the traitor," Lord Voldemort icily ordered with no suggestion of failure allowed.



"Yes, Milord!" Bellatrix fervently said, before turning away with a chilling gaze.



"Now leave!" Lord Voldemort cried out as the rest of the Death Eater's hastily rush away leaving Lord Voldemort in solitude again. Lord Voldemort closed his crimson eyes as the feeling of that night appears in his mind. A traitor or spy? Regardless, they must be eliminated at all cost! Lord Voldemort leaned back into his seat as his crimson half-closed eyes seem to shine through the gloomy darkness. Woe be the fools who seek to block his for death only awaits them.

*

In one of Alastor Moody safe houses, the six of them arrived transporting the bound Death Eater. "How many safe houses do you even have?" Fabian asked in exasperation.

"Not enough," Alastor croaked as Fabian tightly presses his lips together and decides to not make a comment. With the door firmly locked behind them, Alastor lights a few candles in the room as Alphard tiredly slumps down into a seat.

"Are you alright?" Percius worriedly asked at seeing the pale sweating face of Alphard.

"No, he is not. Alphard needs to be treated, but we cannot risk taking him to St. Mungo's," Sara interjected. "St. Mungo's will find the traces of the Crucio curse on his body." Sara rolls up her wand and says, "Move over, Percius."

Percius quickly does so as Sara's wand tip begins to glow. "I'm not a professional by any means, but I've picked up one or two healing spells on the job."

Warm glowing sparks sprout from Sara's wand top and land gently onto Alphard. The glowing sparks ease some of the pain on Alphard's body as he lets out a soft sigh. The paleness of Alphard's face doesn't quite disappear, but the chilly sweat and the pain mostly fade away to a dull ache. "Thank you," Alphard gratefully murmured.

Sara nods briskly at Alphard before turning their gaze back to the terrified bound Death Eater on the rug. "The sooner we get this over and done with, the sooner we can all get some shuteye. Dawn is not far off and we all must be present at our usual posts as if nothing transpired," Sara matter-of-factly stated.

Alastor ungags the sniffing Death Eater says, "I'll tell you anything that you want to know just let me go!"

Alastor looks over at Percius, who takes a step forward. The jolly warmness of his round face is gone as only a rather a chilling façade is left behind. Percius holds out his wand and says, "I'm often quite underestimated and that serves me just fine. So, tells us who you are and who do you work for?"

"My name is Oswald Buford and I serve the Dark Lord," Oswald confessed as his dark eyes anxiously flicker right and left.

"I won't ask again, who do you serve?" Percius dangerously said as the tip of his wand began to glow in emphasis.

"Lord Voldemort," Oswald trembling said.

Alastor's eyes flash in memory and suddenly casts, a deafening spell onto Oswald making him unable to hear and only see their lips moving.

The two Auror's eyes gleam in understanding, while the other two Auror's and one unspeakable all turn int curiosity to gaze at Alastor Moody. "We must go now," Alastor Moody hastily said.

"Wait, why? We were just starting to get intelligence from him," Percius protested.

Alastor nods at Gideon, who bends down and ruthlessly rolls Oswald's robe sleeve up to reveal a skull eating a snake. The tattoo is dark as something poisonous is withering underneath. "It's a trap," Alastor flatly said. "By saying, their leader's name, Oswald's colleagues can track him."

Percius eyes narrow with anger as he cursed, "Bloody Bastard!"

"Then what do we do know>" Sara coldly said.

"We cast an unforgivable curse," Alastor emotionlessly stated. In turn, the Auror's go silent with the knowledge if they were caught, they would be sent to Azkaban.

"I'll do it," Alphard stiffly said as he rose to his feet. "As a valued member of the Department of Mystery, they won't touch me even if I'm discovered."

"Are you sure of this?" Fabian quietly asked.

"It's too late, I've already used the killing curse on Augustus," Alphard sadly replied. The room goes silent as they step back as Oswald sensed that something is very wrong as Alphard stepped closer.

"Aveda Kedavra," Alphard whispered as a green light shot out of his wand and fell onto the terrified Oswald. Oswald tried to speak but was unable to as the light and breath in his body were utterly extinguished. A heavy silence falls over the room as death's presence was keenly felt in the room beside them.

"We must go now," Fabian urgently said breaking the silence. Turning towards the fireplace the fire begins to burn as Fabian instantly steps through and vanishes. Each one of them quickly does the same with Alastor being the last to go through as the fire instantly goes out the second Alastor passes through.

Only minutes after, the door of the safe house is blasted open as a group of Death Eaters enters with glowing wands held high. The group is stunned to find the room is utterly empty and dark. The tall figure of Bellatrix steps forward and takes a single step until she notices the terrified face of Oswald Buford dead on the ground.

A thin Death Eater raises their wand high as a bright light emerges from the wand tip illuminating the room. Another more experienced Death Eater with a long nose leans over and studies the body and says, "There are no sign of obvious torture."

Bellatrix purses her lips and flatly says, "Could Oswald be the traitor?"

"Possibly," the experienced Death Eater croaked. "But what puzzles me is that this wasn't done by the Ministry of Magic."

"Excuse me?" Bellatrix said as her eyes fluttered in surprise.

"Auror's are unable to use killing curses unless they are authorized to do so under very specific circumstances. Our spies in the Ministry of Magic heard no word of a planned Ministry attack and the Ministry of Magic would never kill Oswald. For the Ministry of Magic would imprison Oswald and hold him for trial. No, this was done by another third party," The long-nosed Death Eater croaked.

Bellatrix bites her lips in concentration. "Nevertheless, could you say, that this was our traitor?"

"That is always a possibility," The long-nosed Death eater carefully answered. "But that still doesn't explain, who he was selling our Dark Lord out too."

"I believe it is another dark wizard," a burly figure Death Eater said. "Our Dark Lord has made quite a few enemies in his quest for power. And this kind of killing is in tune with them."

"Then that is what we shall report," Bellatrix said with satisfaction. "Bring the traitor's body back, we must let the Dark Lord see the traitor's body." The Death Eaters quickly depart with the body in tow as a fire is set behind them to burn the house down. By the time the ordinary muggle firemen arrive the majority of the house had burned down leaving nothing but smoky remnants behind.

However, back in the dark lair of Lord Voldemort, loyal Death Eaters stand before him. "Are you certain this is the traitor?" Lord Voldemort crisply asked leaving no room for error.

"Yes, Dark Lord," Bellatrix fervently answered.

"I want the treacherous traitor's accomplice found!" Lord Voldemort icily declared.

"Yes, Lord Voldemort," the Death Eaters said in unison. The Death Eaters depart in a fury of movements as they all swiftly apparate like winged bats from hell. An eerie silence once more reigns within the icy lair as Lord Voldemort thoughtfully ponders in silence dark malevolent plans.