Thanks for the comments everyone

"What kind of following?" I asked as I took another bite of my eggs.

Dumbledore, who had some yolk dripping in to his beard hastily wiped it away with his napkin before giving me an apologetic look. "We will be following the death eater that I believe your mother has been communicating with."

"Oh," I said, not sure how to respond.

"His name is Yaxley, and he is quite brutal, but I believe he is towards the top of Voldemort's chain of command."

"Yaxley..," I mumbled, knowing that I had heard that name somewhere before. "Weren't there pictures of him in the Daily Prophet?" I asked.

"Wouldn't be surprised. He's well know for his activities in the dark arts."

"Great," I said more to myself than anything else. Sometimes all it took was one crazy evil guy to draw out all the rest into clear view. "So, when do we start?"

"As soon as we are done with our breakfast," said Dumbledore with a gentle smile.

Dumbledore and I finished our breakfasts, offering to clean off our plates but Mrs. Weasley hearing nothing of it, before heading towards the door.

"Now, unfortunately I do not have the invisibility cloak so we will have to be extra careful. Or perhaps..."

Dumbledore turned to face me. I watched him curiously as he waved his right down the middle of my face. He took a step back to admire me, although I hadn't felt anything change, before nodding.

"That should do. Let us be on our way!"

I turned to look at the mirror near me and tried not to panic when I saw my hair was now a bleach blonde color instead of my normal dark brown. Oh dear heavens I certainly hoped this would not be permanent. I looked like a barbie doll...

I followed Dumbledore outside and onto the doorstep where he motioned that I should take hold his arm. I did before I felt myself being pulled into his turn. It was very difficult to breathe as we moved through what felt like a tight rubber tube, and I was very glad when our feet made contact with the pavement. I let out a couple of coughs while trying to manage some more air into my lungs.

"It does take a bit of getting used to," Dumbledore said to me, giving me a little pat on the shoulder. Somehow this apparating had been much worse than the apparating I had done with him before.

"Why was that so different?" I asked him.

"Because you are an animagi that can transform now. It makes your senses and feelings more sensitive than they were before."

Of course...I was beginning to feel like this whole being able to transform thing was going to be more of a hindrance than I help.

I followed Dumbledore down a cobble stone path, looking at the sketchy woods on either side of us, hearing twigs cracking and birds making strange noises.

"Where are we Professor?" I asked.

"The town of Endsberg," said Dumbledore quietly. "I do believe our friend Yaxley is taking up headquarters here, and if I am correct with my information your mother will be here with him."

I felt my heart skip a beat. "My mom?" I said weakly.

"Don't worry Abby. I will be with you the whole time."

I gave him a little nod before he motioned we should lower ourselves. The small house in front of us was the size of a cottage only much more menacing looking. The shutters had been painted a swirl of the silver and green color of the Slytherin house colors, and everything around it was dark and ominous.

Dumbledore and I crept up to one of the windows and bent down, looking over it so nothing could be seen but our eyes. My heart skipped another beat as I saw my mother standing in what I assumed was the living room talking to another man who I gathered was Yaxley.

My mother did not look well. Her face was sunken and her skin was paler than usual. She had a kind of stone like attribute to her stance, and I was beginning to wonder if she was under the imperious curse.

Yaxley on the other hand looked sharp as a tack, and completely ready for whatever was to come. His silver blonde hair with tints of red in it was pulled back into a long braid, and his green eyes were looking around the room curiously.

"I want you to track down where your little girl is hiding, do you understand? She will be safer in our custody than theirs," Yaxley said, his irish accent rather heavy.

"Alright," my mother said with a little nod of the head. "What will we do then?"

"Don't you worry your pretty little head about that. The dark lord has great plans for your daughter Ms. Carson. And I'd go so far as to say she has a very important role."

My mother's eyes looked at him with concern, but I could feel that she wasn't all that concerned. There was a kind of emptiness to her overall state of mind and emotion. What in the world had they done to her? I reached out into Yaxley's mind, trying to get a glimpse of what big plans he had in mind when I felt Dumbledore's hand dig into my sharply.

I turned to look at him but only for a moment because my first thought was to duck.

We had been seen.