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“What have you got, Lovegood?” Rodolphus Lestrange asked the cowering man, wand at the ready for another round of the cruciatus.
“Whatever you want… anything in my house, yours. I… I just want my sweet Luna back. Please. Anything!” Xenophilius Lovegood said, looking up through his dirty blonde bangs.
“Well, damn… anything, huh?” Rodolphus said, snickering softly. “Ransack it all, boys!” He called to his fellow death eaters, and they got right to it. Xeno was left whimpering, watching as his beloved home was torn to shreds, but he needed his Luna back. It was a good fifteen minutes before a book was brought towards Rodolphus.
“Hey, Rod, we found this.” Rabastan Lestrange said, showing a book bound in tight, almost oily leather.
“Damn, that is a nice looking book. Is that… holy Merlin, that is some finely bound leather, looks like… dragon-hide.” Rodolphus said, and Xeno perked up.
“NO!” Xeno said, standing up, trying to reach for the book. “You can’t have that! Anything else but that!” He said, snatching the book and elbowing both Lestrange’s in the gut, before he started running out of the house. He was hit by a cruciatus, but it seemed to… wash over him and into the book. He was hit by a bludgeoner, and that knocked him down, before the elder Lestrange brother came to him with a snarl.
“You’ll pay for that, Xeno. Maybe you’ll get to see us make your daughter into a broodmare from the afterlife!” Rabastan said, snarling and kicking the book, before snapping the killing curse at the man.
“Must be something special… let's bring it to our lord, I am sure he will appreciate this.” Rodolphus said, before getting a nod and apparating with his brother to Malfoy Manor.
~A~
“You said… the elder Lovegood had this, Rabastan?” The dark Lord Voldemort said, in his sibilant tones.
“Yes, my lord.” Rabastan said, from his kneeling position. “He took it and ran, but we got it from him quickly. He seemed adamant we not have it.” He said, and Voldemort smirked.
“The Lovegood’s have always dabbled in obscure magic… this will prove useful.” Voldemort said, before humming. “You have done well, Rabastan… go, have your pick of those in the muggle dungeons.” He said, before dismissing the now ecstatic death eater. He was thanked, and then left alone. He stroked the cover of the book and then moved to open it. He glared softly when it absolutely refused to open… and then he was snarling when after some rather advanced unsealing spells the book remained shut.
“Bellatrix!” Voldemort called out, and almost like she apparated, she was kneeling in front of him.
“Yes, my lord?” Bellatrix asked, head bowed, eager to please, getting a caress to her head in return.
“Always so prompt, you ease my anger slightly.” Voldemort said, before he growled. “Bring me Lovegood, unharmed, I have questions I need to ask her.” He said, and Bellatrix nodded. “Go.” He instructed, and she was off like a shot. It didn’t take long for the deranged witch to return, with the slightly loopy last Lovegood.
“Ah, Luna Lovegood.” Voldemort said, before he got her gaze on him, no trace of fear in her eyes. This… bothered him, but he would deal with that later. “I have a question for you, my dear.” He said, and she tilted her head. He brought out the book and her eyes latched onto it. “I want yo-”
“No.” Luna said, her airy tone gone, her voice lucid and serious. “If it’s not open already, that means daddy is dead. I will not open it for you.” She said, and Voldemort blinked. No one had said no to him in… in years.
“You DARE?” Bellatrix nearly snarled, slapping the girl to the floor. She was about to use a little magical persuasion when Voldemort put his hand up.
“Let me handle this, Bellatrix.” Voldemort said, Bellatrix nodding and bowing back a bit. He turned to Luna, who looked defiant, but not belligerently so. “Now, I am sure we can come to some sort of an agreement. You’re a pureblo-” He was interrupted, again.
“I said no, Voldemort.” Luna said, standing as straight as she could. Her reward was a snarl and a glare.
“Crucio!” Voldemort said, and she immediately dropped to her knees, screaming in untold agony. He held it for a good thirty seconds before he let go, making her whimper and pant, twitching with aftershocks of pain. “Are you still so reluctant, girl?” He asked, a snarl in his voice.
“Sod… sod off.” Luna said, before screaming again under the torture curse. It stopped again and she shuddered, before she inhaled, and spit blood at his feet. He hissed and then reveled in her screams, not stopping until she was barely coherent, almost as severely damaged as the Longbottoms.
“I am growing tired of your insolence, but your screams are a delight.” Voldemort said, wand in hand, circling her like a vulture.
“Do… do you really want the book opened?” Luna said, still as lucid as the last time she spoke, and he paused.
“Yes, I do… it is no doubt filled with all sorts of marvelous magic. Magic to better our world…” Voldemort said. He watched in slight surprise and a little bit of awe as she got up, shakily, to her knees.
“I need the book in my hands… to open it.” Luna said, and he hummed. She had no wand, and was not nearly old or powerful enough for wandless magic. He took the book and dropped it into her hands, and she huffed as it was a large tome.
“I need your name.” Luna said, looking up at him.
“You know his name! He is the dark Lord Voldemort!” Bellatrix screeched, and Luna blinked softly.
“His real name.” Luna said, keeping her eyes on his. He snarled softly and fired another Cruciatus at her, undisguised surprise on his face when he saw the spell sink into the book.
“Use my name, girl. I am Voldemort!” He said, snarling and she blinked again.
“I doubt your mother or father gave you that name at birth. I need your birth name.” She said, fearlessly. He snarled and glared at her, before he looked at Bellatrix.
“Leave us, Bellatrix.” He said, and his second in command looked at him.
“My lord?” Bellatrix asked, getting a glare from the man. She needed no more coercion, bowing and leaving, closing the door behind her.
“Tom Marvolo Riddle.” Voldemort said, snarling out the words as if they were piddle in his mouth.
“Very well.” Luna said, before she put her hands on the book. “I bind this book to Tom Marvolo Riddle. The Lovegoods pass it on. The Lovegoods leave their legacy to him, and only him.” She said, marking Tom raise an eyebrow. That was a ritual, he knew plenty of them. “May the magic within this book serve him as it has us.” She said, and then a wash of magic filled the room, and when the brightness of the ritual was done, she was slumped backwards, eyes lifeless, book open for him.
“Hmmm… a pity. She would have been wonderful breeding stock.” Voldemort said, picking up the book and starting to thumb through it. He flicked his wand lazily at the girl's body, vanishing it without a word, not knowing just how poor of an action that was.
~A~
“My Lord!” Came the fearful voice of Bellatrix, coming to his side and kneeling, trembling in absolute terror.
“What is it Bellatrix! I am rea-” He started, then paused, looking at her trembling. “What has you so fearful, Bellatrix?” He asked, and she shuddered.
“It is… it is difficult to explain, my lord. I must show you, if you will allow me to transport you.” Bellatrix said, and Voldemort’s eyes narrowed, she never asked that.
“Guide us, but my magic will take us.” Voldemort said, grasping her shoulder and then she concentrated, and with his magic, they were gone. When they arrived, Voldemort immediately knew they were on a beach. The crashing waves, the smells and sounds… well, the sounds were different. Screams filled the air, and gunfire. He heard sirens in the distance, and when he turned to the water he understood.
Standing miles out, from the depths of the waters, was a being that was so immeasurably old and powerful, that Voldemort was certain that he was hallucinating. The Great Old One, The Slumberer, The Cosmic Evil. He was walking slowly, the sky red and black, the waters taking on the same color. And then, and then he turned towards the shore. His eyes black as the night, and they centered on him. His eyes, they bored into Tom’s, and then… and then they narrowed.