Darkness Beckoning

Chapter One

When the Light Fails

"Crucio!"

Danyelle Potter dodged the Unforgivable with ease and shot a curse at the Death Eater who had thrown it. She looked around for the people who had been in the shop when she'd entered this battle and saw her partner ushering them out the back. Now the fight could begin in earnest. Another Unforgivable was thrown at her and a vague thought about a lack of imagination flashed through her mind. With a smile on her face she faced the Death Eater, but this was now on her terms, not Voldemort's.

"Feleia! Protego!" Her shield charm protected her from the debris of the collapsing wall behind the Death Eater. He tried to get his own shield in place, but the wall hit him first. "Expelliarmus!" The Death Eater's wand flew into her hand and she walked over to the collapsed wall. "Priori Feleia," she muttered and the wall replaced itself, of rather seemed to as the wall hadn't really fallen. Sometimes it was enough to scare an enemy into thinking they were going to die.

"Stupefy," she added, before turning him over with her foot. She knelt down, wand at his throat and removed the mask. "Well, hello, Rookwood."

"You got Rookwood?" a voice said from behind her. She stood and stepped away from the Death Eater. "And here I thought only Alastor was that crazy."

"There is a difference in the degrees of insanity, brother mine," Dany answered. "But, yes, I got him and I want him transported to my department for questioning."

"Why?"

"I have it on good authority that Augustus here," she kicked the unconscious body, "is one of the Inner Circle. I'm sure we can get quite a bit of information before we put him away in Azkaban."

"And since your methods vary in degrees of legality, you can get all the information you want."

"Of course," she said.

James Potter laughed. "And here I thought you were one of the good guys."

"Not really," she answered. "Hello, Sirius. What does it look like out there?"

Sirius looked around. "We found Maitland, Vickes, and Mulciber and a few we haven't identified yet. The rest appear to have left."

"Of course. I know Malfoy, Nott, and Avery were here. I didn't have enough time to identify the others. I think this was Initiation Night." Dany sighed and pulled her black hair back from her face. "Just get Rookwood down to DOM and I'll question him tomorrow."

"What about the rest?" James asked while Sirius called for a transport unit to take the downed Death Eater.

"I'll leave them to you. Remember Mulciber's specialty."

"Are you okay?" he asked her, taking her arm and guiding her out of the shop.

"I'm fine. I was just exhausted before this battle which is why I'm not dealing with this tonight. I'll go bask to my apartment, get some sleep, and question Rookwood when I get to work in the morning."

"Maybe you should..."

"Don't start James. Yes, you are my big brother, but I do outrank you here. Just do your job and have a report on my desk in the morning."

"Yes, ma'am," he answered with a mock salute. She shook her head and Disapparated, leaving her brother in charge of the cleanup of the village. The wards surrounding her apartment allowed only certain people to Apparate or use magic of any form inside it. The spells were touchy and some were even considered Dark Magic by Ministry standards, but she didn't answer to the Ministry, only to her superiors with the department and the Minister himself.

"You were out late," a man's voice said after she oriented herself with the bright lights he had ignited in her home.

"So were you."

The man grinned and Dany was reminded of his brother. "Was that what I think it was?" she asked him.

"Initiation, yes. I would have warned you but there wasn't time. I'm guessing you took Rookwood?"

She shrugged and unclasped her cloak and robe. "Shouldn't you be off explaining to Voldemort what went wrong?"

"Lucius didn't think my presence would be needed and I figured you'd want a progress report on our project."

"Come by my office in the morning. If I don't get to bed, I'm going to fall over."

"Want some company, Dany?"

"Not tonight, love. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Oh well, I have to go. Lucius was wrong."

Dany nodded. He Disapparated. She watched the area he'd stood in for several long moments before she made her way to her bed and fell asleep.

~~~

The black robed figures stood, separate yet together in cause as their lord gave them their instructions.

"My loyal servants. This task is one of vital importance to our cause. There are many who stand against us and many who inspire hope in the rebellion. They all rely on the Ministry to protect them and so we must take out those areas of the Ministry which provide this support."

"Which sections would those be?" Severus Snape's silky voice asked to the Dark Lord's right said. He was one of the Inner Circle, being one of the best potions masters in all of Europe.

"The Department of Magical Law Enforcement and the Department of Mysteries. Your task is to kill or disable any person serving either of those departments. I care not how it is done, be it discreet or a public spectacle."

A chorus of "Yes, my lord" rang out. Severus bowed with the rest of Voldemort's followers. All but those in the Inner Circle Disapparated at once. Severus found himself with the few members of the circle left.

"I have a more important task for you. One of my spies informs me that the Potters are going into hiding. Your task is to find out when and where. Whichever of you receives this information, and I do not care how you get it, will be rewarded greatly."

Severus bowed again and left with the others. James and Lily Potter were going into hiding from the Dark Lord. It didn't surprise Severus. He had always known Potter would anger the Dark Lord too much to last long in the war.

But Severus had his task and he had an idea of how to accomplish it. Potter's sister, Danyelle. She and her brother were still close and she would know what he was planning to do. Getting to her, now that was the problem. He didn't know where she worked or what she was doing now. He didn't think it would be difficult to find out, Albus Dumbledore would know.

Severus smirked. He would sleep, then make a trip to Hogwarts.

~~~

Eight o'clock the next morning found Dany Potter sitting at her desk in the most feared place in the entire Ministry; the Department of Mysteries. She had come into DOM almost the day she left Hogwarts. The director of the Unspeakables at the time, Greg Briggs, had wanted to get her before Alastor Moody at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement could. Briggs had taken Dany on as his protégé and taught her what she needed to know to survive. Few women had ever been chosen to join the elite group and most couldn't handle it for more then a few months.

Now, three years later, despite the objections of her remaining family, including the friends who had been adopted into the Potters, she was one of the top witches in the Ministry. She controlled a team of ten Unspeakables and it was rumored she would become the next director of the division.

"Hard at work, I see," Sirius Black said, walking into the office. She looked up and smiled. Sirius was a good and loyal friend and like another big brother to her. They hadn't gotten along when they were younger because of that fact, but also because they were so different. Sirius represented everything a Gryffindor should be; loyal, courageous, protective, and foolish. He had been preplaced in Slytherin by his parents. Dany, however, had been preplaced in Gryffindor by her family when she had far too many true Slytherin traits to make it in the noble house.

Her Slytherin placement at Hogwarts had cause many problems between herself and James who had been in his fourth year and had hated Slytherins with a passion since he had first walked through the doors. Dany hadn't really cared, she learned many things by befriending her housemates. Many of those lessons she still utilized now. She didn't believe in fate, but if there had been one reason she'd been placed in Slytherin, she thought it was to learn about her future enemies. Many of the current Death Eaters had been in her house and she had known all of them. She knew their nuances, their movements, and their reactions. She knew enough to capture many of them and she had, giving Dany an arrest record to rival Alastor Moody.

"Always," she answered Sirius. "Is that the report?"

"Yes," he said with a sigh, tossing it on her desk before sitting down across from her. "James questioned Vickes but he didn't get anything. I got the same from Mulciber and Maitland."

"I didn't think you'd get anything from them."

"Rookwood?"

She shrugged. "When I checked earlier he was refusing to talk."

"Do I want to know?"

She smiled. "We don't do legal in your sense, Sirius. I just hope Rookwood ate a big dinner last night."

Sirius laughed. "Starvation? Too bad DMLE doesn't allow that. Ours get a five course meal."

"Am I interrupting something?"

Sirius turned to look at the newcomer and Dany just sat back and smiled.

"No, I was just informing your brother about a few of our interrogation tactics. What are you supposed to be doing, Regulus?"

Regulus Black entered the office. "Sirius."

"Regulus," Sirius answered in a cold tone. "I'm going back up to DMLE if you need anything else." She nodded and he left.

"Did you get what I asked for?" Dany asked the younger Black. He took the seat his brother had vacated and sealed the door with a privacy spell.

Regulus handed her a roll of magically sealed parchment. "All I have for now. I have a feeling the Princess could get more." Dany glared at him.

They had been in the same year at Hogwarts and she had been called the Untouchable Princess because many of the elder Slytherins had expressed an interest in her protection. In her fifth year, she discovered the reason; they had been trying to recruit her into the Death Eaters. Even after she denied interest in such vehement tones, including throwing Severus Snape across the common room in a duel, they tried and failed. She became the Untouchable Princess for another reason and that was because she couldn't be persuaded by either side of the war.

Even when she'd joined DOM, she only fought those she was told to or those who attacked first until Voldemort made the war personal for her by killing her mother. That had been in her second year with the Unspeakables and only a few months after she'd recruited Regulus into the department to work for her. Over one year later, they had a perfect working relationship and a solid friendship.

"I'm not in the mood to move any closer to the top of Voldemort's hit list today," she grinned. "Maybe tomorrow. Rookwood?"

"He still refuses to talk. He has started name calling, though."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. He's not happy at the moment. He might be willing to talk in a few hours. Why was Sirius here?"

"Dropping off DMLE's report about last night," she answered. "Did you pick up what I did from him?"

"An affair? Yes. He still thinks I'm a Death Eater and he's worried I'll give you over to Voldemort."

"Hell, the way this is going, I'm almost willing to give myself over if it would do anything to help us find these things."

"It wouldn't and right now you're needed far too much here. What do you want to do about my brother's suspicions?"

"He'll tell James and I don't want to deal with him any more than usual right now."

"Well, I'd say let it go for now. Sirius doesn't know anything for sure although I may have to start hiding from your brother if he gets it in his head to prove I'm a Death Eater."

"We will deal with that when the time comes. Now, love, who do you think might turn?"

~~~

Sirius Black waited outside Dany's apartment later that night waiting for her to come home. He was worried about her and thought she was getting far too involved in her work. He knew she loved what she did and the sense of power that came with the title Unspeakable, but the power was far too much like a Death Eater's sense of power. It was one of the reasons he had tried to get her to reconsider the job when it had been offered to her, but she rebelled and didn't talk to any of her family for months.

Now Sirius was worried about her relationship with his own brother. He knew Regulus was a Death Eater even if he couldn't prove it. He also suspected Dany knew what Regulus was. She'd told him many times about her large network of spies. As a member of the Order of the Phoenix he knew spies were important in the war, but they could also be a danger and Sirius didn't want to see his best friend's little sister hurt. He knew it would kill James if anything happened to Dany.

He was starting to wonder what kind of hours she really kept when he heard her laughter inside. He stood up using the wall as support and stretched before knocking on the door. He didn't know what he expected but when Regulus answered the door, he knew it wasn't him.

"Sirius," his brother said, motioning for him to enter.

"Regulus, Dany."

"Hey, Siri," Dany said. She had discarded her cloak and tossed it onto the floor. "So are we ready now, Regulus?"

Regulus turned towards her. "Impatience is not a virtue."

"What are you talking about?" Sirius asked.

Dany and Regulus looked at each other. Sirius didn't miss the significance of the look passing between them. He wasn't sure what kind of mind magic Unspeakables used, but he heard rumors about them being able to speak without talking. Telepathy, mind reading, something. They were able to penetrate prisoners' minds to get information and Sirius remembered most, if not all, Unspeakables were Legilimens.

"A bit of work," Dany answered. "We're investigating the deaths of Gideon and Fabian Prewett at Dumbledore's request."

"Why would he want you to investigate that?" Sirius asked. It didn't make any sense. The Prewetts had been killed in a heroic battle with Death Eaters.

"We have evidence connecting three high ranking Death Eaters to the deaths," Regulus answered him. "Dumbledore asked us to look into it and build a solid case. He thinks the loss of three more members of the Inner Circle will weaken Voldemort."

"DMLE is supposed to do that."

Dany stepped forward. "Sirius, DMLE is full of spies for Voldemort. I know the full loyalty of the people working under me."

If she knew that, she had to know Regulus was a Death Eater too, Sirius thought. Unless Regulus was somehow keeping it from her but if Dany was a Legilimens, she'd have to know.

"Damn," Regulus said. "I have to go. I forgot I had a meeting with our contacts tonight."

Dany nodded and another look passed between the two Unspeakables. "Then I'll see you tomorrow."

"Dany, Sirius," he said, then Disapparated.

Sirius looked at his best friend's sister. "What is really going on here?"

"Our work is secret, Sirius, accept that." She sighed and walked to the kitchen. "Have you had dinner yet?"

"Don't change the subject."

"I'm not changing the subject. I haven't eaten anything since this morning and I'm starving." She was standing at the counter when he walked into the kitchen. She had a bottle of firewhiskey out.

"Are you and Regulus sleeping together?"