HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD: A REWRITE

DEPARTMENT OF MYSTERIES, 2 MAY 1998

It was as common an occurrence for Rodolphus Lestrange to be seen inside the Ministry of Magic as it was for him to be holding a baby. It was fitting, therefore, that the sight of him briskly walking towards the elevator holding a blanket-swathed infant would have drawn many odd looks from various employees. But both Rodolphus and the infant were shrouded by a Disillusionment Charm, invisible to the unsuspecting Ministry workers. It would not do, Rodolphus thought, for anyone to know that he had visited the Ministry or, far more crucially, that he had been carrying a baby with him. This was not a regular Ministry visit. And this was, indisputably, not a regular child.

The child was asleep, though Rodolphus had taken the preventive measure of placing a Silencing Charm upon her. There was no room for error: Rodolphus had gotten his orders from the Dark Lord personally, who sat miles away in the Shrieking Shack, observing the battle taking place on the grounds of Hogwarts.

"Move the child from Malfoy Manor immediately," the Dark Lord commanded. "It is no longer safe with Lucius."

Though his master had not specified where to take the child, Rodolphus assumed that the Dark Lord had meant for him to take it to the house of one of their allies - Crabbe or Goyle's house would have been suitable. Yet, just as he was about to leave with the child, he was contacted by Rookwood, who suggested moving the child to a very particular location within the Ministry. Though Rodolphus had protested, arguing that it would have been more prudent to keep the child in one of their own strongholds, Rookwood had been persistent. Eventually, however, he agreed to the strange request, though his mind had worked frantically during his journey to the Ministry. If the child was not safe at Malfoy Manor, it could only mean that Lucius had betrayed them, or at least, the Dark Lord suspected Lucius. In any case, Rodolphus remained staunchly faithful to his master - and since Rookwood had suggested the location for keeping the child, Rodolphus knew that he would not be blamed in the case of any unfortunate situation.

Now, he stood in front of a large golden elevator, waiting for everyone inside to leave. As the last wizard shuffled out, Rodolphus silently slipped through the closing grills. He jabbed at a button, holding the baby tighter as the elevator lurched and sank rapidly.

"Department of Mysteries," said a cool female voice.

Rodolphus quickly exited the elevator and walked through the corridor. Unlike the rest of the Ministry, the walls were bare - there were no windows or doors, except for a plain black one at the very end of the corridor. Holding the sleeping child with one hand, he reached for the handle and twisted it. The door swung open and Rodolphus wasted no time in stepping through the threshold.

He was now standing in a large, circular room. It was completely black, illuminated only by the blue candles that revealed identical, unmarked doors spread equally around the walls. He quietly shut the door behind him and closed his eyes. He felt a great rumbling noise and knew that the walls around him were spinning, trying to prevent him from recognizing the exit. Once the rumbling had ceased, he opened his eyes.

"Hall of Prophecy," he said.

Instantly, the door closest to his left flew open. He drew his wand and lit it before stepping through the door. The room seemed endlessly high and glowed eerily from cold glass orbs on shelves. After two years, the room felt vaguely familiar since the last time he had stood here. But this time, his final destination was not the Hall of Prophecy, but the door that stood at the very end of the seemingly endless rows of shelves. It would certainly have been easier to Apparate there, but he did not want to risk the child being accidentally Splinched - he shuddered at the thought of the Dark Lord discovering any harm befalling upon this particular infant. He thus strode quickly and purposefully.

As the minutes dragged endlessly in silence, he felt the blankets stirring. The child had woken up and began to cry. Though Rodolphus had magically silenced her, she nevertheless continued to flail inside the blankets. At last, however, they had arrived. Carefully, so as not to drop the wiggling child, he undid the Disillusionment Charms upon them, opened the door and walked through. He now stood inside a room not unlike the others he encountered within the building. It was black and was lit by branches of candles that burned blue flames. But unlike every other room he had encountered, it was occupied by several cloaked wizards. As Rodolphus walked inside, they looked up and immediately drew their wands.

"I seek an audience with Euphemia Rowle." Rodolphus said.

The wizards neither spoke nor lowered their wands. Rodolphus resisted his natural urge to curse them - Rookwood been very clear when they told him to treat the Unspeakables with the respect their profession's status granted them. But moments later, a hooded figure approached him. She did not hold a wand, but nevertheless, she regarded him silently before speaking.

"Rodolphus Lestrange," she spoke in a withering voice. "We have been expecting you."

"You... you have?" Rodolphus asked, taken aback.

"Oh, yes," Rowle smiled thinly. "There are no mysteries we are unaware of in this place."

"Then you know why I have come here," Rodolphus said. "I come before you as a messenger of the Dark Lord. He requests- "

"Oh, come, Rodolphus, let us drop the pretense," she said. "You may have come here to act on the Dark Lord's orders, but he most certainly did not order you here."

A thought crossed Rodolphus' mind. "I presume Rookwood let you know that I was coming here. He's still in contact with his old colleagues, then?"

A flicker of irritation crossed Rowle's face, then vanished almost instantly. "If you are wondering whether he told you to come at my request, you are mistaken. Rookwood has not been in contact with the Unspeakables since right after his escape from Azkaban two years ago."

"Ah yes, I remember now," Rodolphus said. "It was you who told Rookwood about the security around the prophecy records here, wasn't it?"

"It was," Rowle said shortly. "But enough with that. Tell me, why have you come before us?"

"On the Dark Lord's behalf, I request that the Unspeakables provide asylum to this child." Rodolphus said.

His words had an immediate effect. Whispers carried through their ranks. Euphemia Rowle herself raised an eyebrow.

"And why," she asked. "Would the Dark Lord require asylum to be given to a child?"

"This child is no ordinary infant." Rodolphus said, eager now that his words had carried such a strong impact. "She is the daughter of the Dark Lord himself."

This revelation send ripples of excitement amongst the Unspeakables. The whispers had elevated to conversations, though Rodolphus could not distinctly make out anything. Rowle gave a significant look at one of the hooded Unspeakables before turning to Rodolphus.

"Who is the mother?" Rowle asked.

"My wife, Bellatrix Lestrange." Rodolphus replied quickly.

"Then why is the child not at Malfoy Manor?" Rowle asked, her eyes now glinting in the dim light. "I believe that is where she lives with her sister's family, is it not?"

"The Dark Lord has ordered the child to be moved. He believes it... imprudent to leave the child with Lucius any longer."

"And why does Rookwood believe that we will grant her asylum?" she asked.

"I don't know," Rodolphus admitted. "I believe it was because he presumed that she would be safest with the Unspeakables."

To his bewilderment, his words now raised a bout of laughter. Euphemia Rowle smirked before raising a hand to quell the laughter.

"An obvious statement. I admit, even the Dark Lord would find it difficult to break through the magical wards we have placed around us." Rowle said. "The only reason you still stand here is because we have been expecting you. Otherwise, you would have found it impossible to take another step once you put a finger on the doorknob."

"Then will you take her?" Rodolphus asked. "I admit that the security placed around this room is stronger than almost any other magical dwelling. I only ask that she remain until the Dark Lord deals with the Malfoys."

"And when will that be?" Rowle asked him.

"It shouldn't take more than a few hours," Rodolphus said, eager that they were making progress. "He is currently overseeing a battle taking place at Hogwarts. Once he deals with that, he will quickly attend to the Malfoys."

"A battle, you say?" Rowle asked in a silky voice, not unlike the one Snape used. Rodolphus was beginning to feel uncomfortable. "And both the Dark Lord and your wife are taking part in it?"

"Yes," Rodolphus affirmed. "But as I said, it's only a minor insurr-"

"What will we do with the child should she become orphaned?" Rowle asked.

"Or-orphaned?" Rodolphus asked, unsure whether he heard her correctly. Surely these people, though living underground, knew about the Dark Lord's immortality?

"Yes, Rodolphus, orphaned," Rowle repeated. "I presume you will return to collect her?"

"I- er..." Rodolphus began. "Why are we considering the impossible?"

"Humor me."

"What would you have done?" Rodolphus challenged.

"Allow us to keep the child," Rowle said. "We will raise her ourselves, teach her our ways and wisdom."

"Keep- keep the child?" he asked incredulously. "Why in Merlin's name would I ever agree to that?"

"You admit, then, that there exists a possibility of your master's defeat?" Rowle challenged. "That the great Lord Voldemort could be destroyed by a mere boy who you call the 'Chosen One'?"

"No - of course not!" Rodolphus said at once. He was growing agitated. Her condition were ridiculous - and yet the prospect of them coming to fruition was more ridiculous still.

"Then, Rodolphus Lestrange, you agree to these terms?" she asked, a satisfied smile growing on her face.

"Yes, I do." he said finally. "I accept these terms."

"Very well," Rowle said. "We shall grant your request, Rodolphus Lestrange, at the behest of your master. Bring forward your arm."

Rodolphus brought forward his arm and clasped Rowle's hand, expecting to shake it. Instead, he found his hand trapped in her vice-like grasp.

"No deal with the Unspeakables commences without the Unbreakable Vow," Rowle explained sinisterly. She pointed at a hooded Unspeakable with her free hand. "Professor Croaker - perhaps you would consent to be our Bonder?"

"Of course, Madam Rowle." he said, approaching the two. He took out his wand and held it above their conjoined hands.

"Will you, Rodolphus Lestrange, allow the child of Lord Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange to reside in the Department of Mysteries with the Unspeakables?"

"I will."

The blue-fire candles around them went out, just as a tongue of flame shot from the hooded wizard's wand, wrapping around their hands

"And will you, in the event of her orphanage, allow the Unspeakables to mark her as one of our own?"

"I will." (A second tongue of flame wrapped around them).

"And will you, should she be marked as one of ours, consent to never return to this place again?"

Rodolphus hesitated - this was, after all, not part of the agreement they had reached. But then he smiled internally, reassuring himself that a child of the immortal, invulnerable Lord Voldemort would never become an orphan.

"I will."

A third tongue of flame shot out of the wand, wrapping around their clasped hands like a fiery serpent. But as the red flames died down, and the blue fire around them burned once again, Rodolphus missed the triumphant, knowing look that crossed Euphemia Rowle's face.