Master Of Puppets

[Cordelia Doyle]

One starry night Cordelia, aged sixteen, had met Lolita Silverback on Bleak Street in New Zealand. The meeting had changed her life from that moment; no longer did she try to please her mother, but instead she finally chose an alliance more suited to the darker side. She wanted to be a Death Eater, and act which conflicted with her sister Eileen's desires to become an Auror. On that momentous night Lolita spoke with her as if she were truly meant to follow along that path, and being the gullible and knowledge seeking teen, Cordelia listened intently. She loved the dark evil that accompanied her chosen path, the gripping fear in another human life as she slowly crushed them with her sharply filed nails, and gnashed them with her teeth was enough to keep her pleased in the long run. She refused to have a conscience in any humanistic area, and only wished to do away with good intentions and muggle lovers. It was why, ten years after following Lolita with true loyalty, she responded quickly to being summoned to Takarokaro Park.

Cordelia apparated into the dismal park. The sun was beginning to set and the families that usually hung around during the day were cleared out or in the process of leaving. The sounds of family irritated her to no end, and she held herself back from striking out at the noisy small talk they made towards one another. Soon...soon... She would remember their faces and after the meetings perhaps she would find them and make a little small talk of her own. With that thought, Cordelia grinned.

 

[Lolita Silverback]

Lolita began walking into the park as Luthor ran off to do what he always did, it was good for the young child to get fresh air even if it would most likely lead to some small animal's grizzly end. Lolita didn't care however, she knew that studying the anatomy of living creatures was something that would aide Luthor in the future. Lolita however had bigger plans than just spending some time with her nephew as she walked closer towards the person she came to meet. Cordelia was just one of the many people that Lolita had met over the years and simply another student eager to learn about the true nature of the Dark Magic that coursed through their veins. Lolita had not yet revealed this apprentice to the others and had no intentions of doing so, there was simply no need. Lolita however did have to act since the reborn Luxen was already acting too much on his own and therefore things would have to be taken if everything was to work out as she planned.

"Good evening Cordelia" Lolita said with a curt smile as she approached the young woman, there really wasn't any need for pleasantries as Lolita took a look towards Luthor and then turned back to Cordelia. "I summoned you here because I have a mission for you" Lolita said knowing already that she would be eager to take up whatever challenge awaited her. "I have brought Luxen Silverback back from the dead" Lolita said knowing full well that it wasn't completely true however there was no need to say anything more than what needed to be said. "He has assigned one of the acolytes a mission, however I do not think that she is ready to handle something of such vital importance on her own" Lolita began. Her smiled was instantly removed from her face at the thought since she had been training Leah Winters for a long time and had grown dissapointed with her lack of progress. "I need you to aide her on her endeavor however it must not be known that you are helping her" Lolita said with a smirk.

 

[Cordelia Doyle]

Cordelia looked up as Lolita approached her. Off in the distance she could see a vague outline of a small child running off, alone into the darkly grown trees. She assumed that this must be the child Luthor, that Lolita had spoken of a few times. They were never properly introduced, but Cordelia despised children, so it really didn't matter much to her. The Silverbacks were completely sure that he could possibly be the next Dark Lord, but the young woman knew that she would be the one to fill that place eventually, and sometime soon The Silverbacks, Styx', Zhefarovich's, and the rest of the dark families in this world would bow down to her. But for right now, she would aid Lolita in whatever she wanted because it was one step closer to gaining their loyalty.

"Lolita, Lolita, Lolita. How wonderful it is to see you." She swooped down and gave the woman a lingering curtsy. Rising up, she met the woman's eyes and smiled wickedly. "A mission? You know how much fun I have with these tasks that you rarely bequeath me." The task at hand seemed to be a relatively simple one. Watch the girl, and makes sure everything goes as planned. "If she needs her hand to be held, then why don't you or your little Luthor just kill her already?" It was obvious that the girl wasn't up to par, and Cordelia knew several ways to fix this problem. "Or I could do it. No one would ever know." Although Cordelia spoke of killing like it was so simple, she knew when to hold back in a situation. It may be why Lolita trusted her. She didn't act rash and strike out, in fact she preferred to target a deserving soul and strike in complete privacy, ensuring that none knew of what had happened.

 

[Lolita Silverback]

"Now now child" Lolita said as though she were speaking to Luthor, she did not look angry or worried only amused at the girl as though what she was talking about was simply a joke understood between them. "Simply Killing is so blaze, sometimes things need to be drawn out" Lolita said with a smile. "The girl is being tested by Luxen and therefore you will be tested by me, think of it as, which one is better" Lolita said as she took another step forwards "She has been sent to bring Luxen the Potters, James and Kiera to be exact" Lolita said disdainfully as she looked at Cordelia up and down. "I want you to get to them first before she does however you are not allowed to kill them, simply subdue them and leave" Lolita said with a smile knowing already what challenge she was presenting to the young woman. "Show her that you beat her to the punch and then let her have the victory" Lolita said as her smile grew even more darker and menacing if that were possible.

Cordelia was someone that Lolita had known for over a decade however Lolita knew that she was not a liable candidate to take her place as Dark Teacher, she did however have her uses and that was why Lolita kept her around. "If you do this than I and of course Luxen will have to acknowledge your skills as a master of the Dark Arts and then..." she did not finish her sentence, it was better to leave the lingering thought of the reward Cordelia wanted most of all on the tip of one's tongue. She knew what Cordelia wanted though Lolita had no intentions of ever truly giving it too her, "You've worked so hard, I'd hate for it to be all nothing more than a mockery without any real talent" Lolita chided however she kept her kind tone so as not to make the young girl too angry, only a little dissapointed. "I want you to prove to everyone that you are strong and capable, so do this for me" Lolita said with another dark smile.

 

[Cordelia Doyle]

"Child?" The comment didn't bother Cordelia because Lolita had called her that on many occasions. She enjoyed that Lolita believed her to beneath the family, because they were more susceptible to manipulation. "I do sort of agree with you. Slowly, as you've deemed appropriate in this situation will be fitting, of course. But most of the time, ending it quickly and brutally is the more...Cordelia option." The mission sounded like a sort of subdued one, and she felt a little disappointed that she would not be finishing up the mission herself. However, the fact that she could do all the dirty work and irritate the oblivious and seemingly worthless protegee did mollify her. "Now, you know I am up for that. I will strike and that...girl can take the glory." Lolita knew what she was doing, obviously, and Cordelia knew that she would be given a due reward.

Her sharp teeth bared into a grin as the thought of receiving a title of master of the Dark Arts came into her mind. "I do hope that you aren't waving it in my face, only to take it away. I will believe you, though, otherwise...no fun to be had." Her thirst for power and personal gain clouded her judgment although a tiny part of her mind screamed, She's lying! She's lying! "Yes, I have worked very hard for you in the past ten years. It's all been worth it, to me." Cordelia nodded. "You know you can trust in me."

 

[Lolita Silverback]

"Would it matter if I didn't give you a reward?" Lolita asked as she raised an eyebrow "The Dark Deeds we commit are there own rewards" Lolita said simply enough "I surely have taught you that much?" Lolita said once again speaking as a teacher to a student. "Remember Cordelia that you are what you are because you have talent and because I have given you my faith in your abilities, that is something none of the other acolytes could even hope to ask for" Lolita said as she took another step towards the young girl however she began to continue walking slowly around her. "I would hate for all of my hard work in grooming you and your abilities to simply have turned you into a spoiled brat of an overachiever" Lolita said feigning shock as though she was really disspointed in her star pupil. "These tests that I give you are not for your enjoyment but for your benefit so that one day you may wield the untold power that the darkness grants each of us" Lolita said as she made a full circle around the girl.

She stopped in front of her and looked her in the eyes smiling "I understand" Lolita said once again speaking to Cordelia like a teacher speaking with her favorite student "You simply spoke out of turn" Lolita said nodding slowly, "It's okay, even I can be rash sometimes with my words" Lolita said with a confident smile since she knew full well that she never spoke without knowing exactly what she was going to say and how she would say it. "Remember however that we should always be in control of what we do and what we say lest we poke the Lion that has sharper teeth than we do" Lolita said ending her sentence with a grim frown on her face that showed exactly what she meant. Even though she was much older than Cordelia, Lolita like many in the Silverback family was very well accomplished at the dark spells that came with dueling. She also knew of Cordelia's weakness and flaws and how to manipulate them so that should the two of them duel she was confident that Cordelia would end up falling to Lolita's feet.

 

[Cordelia Doyle]

"No, it wouldn't. I enjoy the things you ask of me to do." Cordelia met Lolita's eyes and smiled reassuringly. "You've taught me many things, and I, like many of my age, love to receive a reward for a job well done, but I do not expect one because the task that I complete is my prize." She was beginning to enjoy the compliments and kind words emitting from her teachers mouth. I do have talent... More talent than any of her other students, anyway. She couldn't help but chuckle a little at that thought. She would always be the Dark Teacher's favorite pupil, and none others would compete. Why else would she have asked Cordelia to guide the other girl? "I'm an overachiever, but I wouldn't say spoiled." Of course, with all the compliments and pretty words, tonight she was beginning to become a little spoiled. "But, I cannot help but enjoy the tests you give me. Is that wrong?"

Cordelia nodded, abashed. "I apologize. I shall control my words better."She could not help but speak what was on her mind, but it was becoming a larger problem if Lolita commented on it, and she would need to tone it down a bit. "

 

[Luthor Silverback]

Luthor began slowly walking forwards as his familiar Sigourney removed the remains away from where other's might find them. Wiping the bird's blood off his hand with his pants Luthor was both amused and bored as the new bone rattled inside his pocket. He simply had too many birds and was getting bored with collecting them even if he hadn't had a robin's bone added to his collection before. Silently however he walked up to his Aunt and looked up at her and the girl that she was talking too. He was quiet as he began taking in every detail of the girl, as he did so he noticed something familiar. It was in the small details that could easily be overlooked however Luthor was always precise in what he was looking at almost to a point. He looked up ignoring his Aunt as she smiled and introduced the girl to him. He didn't care for her name because it didn't matter.

"You look like Leah Winters" Luthor said simply enough as he continued to study her features "Why do you look like her?" Luthor asked as he took a step forwards "Are you related to her?" Luthor asked more precisely as Sigourney slowly began to slither towards him "Luthor there is no need to ask pointless questions' Sigourney hissed as she slowly moved up his leg and began making her way towards his shoulder. "It's not pointless" Luthor said feeling no real obligation to support his question however doing it anyways. "Leah Winters is weak and if this girl is related to her than she might be weak as well and therefore we should just kill her" Luthor said casually as he looked up at his Aunt "Unless you think she can be trained to be strong like Leah" Luthor said almost pointedly. He knew that these were not the words of an ordinary child but then again Luthor Silverback was far from an ordinary child.

 

[Cordelia Doyle]

Everything seemed to be settled down until the little boy that Cordelia had seen prior to Lolita approaching her, ran up and began to listen to the conversation. She ignored him for a little while, as children did annoy her, but then he spoke. "Who the hell is Leah Winters?" She asked somewhat curiously, and with a little hostility. She didn't like the sound of this woman, and didn't wish to have her good name soiled with whoever Leah happened to be. "No, it isn't pointless. So, someone looks like me..." She gazed down at the boy, and attempted a friendly smile. It came out menacingly, she assumed and so she dropped the smile and focused on her next question. "Who is she?" Could it be the girl that Lolita wished for her to protect? "I do not know my real family, but no. I doubt I am related to this woman."

She felt a little irritation when Luthor asked if she were weak. "I am not weak. I've done many things that are very gory...and scary. Things you may enjoy, judging by the blood on your clothes." Cordelia felt secure in Lolita's care, and figured that the boy was simply pondering out loud. They wouldn't kill her after investing ten years worth of magic and dark arts into her.

 

[Lolita Silverback]

"Hush now Luthor" Lolita said with a smile as she brushed Luthor to her side even though she knew he didn't like it. "Your business is not with him or with Leah Winters" Lolita said to Cordelia with a curt tone that said very well that she should pay the child no mind and instead focus on what Lolita had to say. "I've spoken with a contact of mine that works at the Prophet" Lolita said turning back to the business at hand "He's a little... different" Lolita said meaning of course that even though Acelin Delmar was a Death Eater he was definitely not the usual type. "He has informed me that the Potters have more than one house and so finding them might not be easy" Lolita said with a bit of coldness at the thought. "Your going to have to find out where they are and strike at a time when they are both present, James of course is a Quidditch Player and therefore won't be home as often as his wife might" Lolita said simply enough.

Lolita allowed Luthor to break free as she was tired of trying to hold him at bay though she didn't need to say or do anything as he seemed content on simply listening to what was going on. "I'm sure that none of this will be a problem for you and that you will remember everything I've told you" Lolita said as she quickly added "Without fail, you are simply to subdue them not to harm them" Lolita said remembering very well that Luxen himself had wanted to kill the Potters for the part they played in killing him. Lolita could tell that Luthor was getting bored with the conversation since it didn't offer him anything and she knew that she would have to offer him something if she was to keep him quiet and free from saying anything else that might lead to unsettling questions. "I also want you to find Luthor a present while you are away" Lolita added with a smile "Something that he might enjoy" Lolita said as Luthor looked up without saying a word.

 

[Cordelia Doyle]

Cordelia nodded as if she accepted what Lolita commanded her to do. She didn't like the sound of this Leah woman, and the fact that she may resemble her in appearance sent an uncomfortable feeling down her spine. "Is Leah the girl I am supposed to help?" It was a curious question, one that she would find out regardless if she were told tonight or not. Perhaps she would wait around in the Potters house for the woman and question her until she received a name, or she could just find out before then by asking Luthor a few more questions. "It'll be no problem. I already have an idea..." She answered, referring to finding the Potters.

It would be simple to pretend to be an avid fan and gain contact information. James Potter was well known in the wizarding world for several things, and she would find out where he was located some how or another. "You can trust me. They will remain unharmed." She gazed down at the small child, taking in every detail, wishing to know everything about this demonic little boy. "He will have his present, and I shall enjoy watching him play with it."