Glory and Gore
00
PROLOGUE
07.07.1976 Carew Castle, Pembrokeshire, Wales
He had assumed that his birthday would be different. It wouldn't be at Carew Castle and his companions would not lay perfectly still around him. No wounds are to be seen and still... Still, none of them will ever be out laughing as he remembers it. None of them will talk about their experiences anymore, they will never revive the things that they have done together.
Amongst most of them, he entered the Great Hall for the first time, he had lessons with them for the first time, he even visited the first Quidditch game of 1943 with them as well. They achieved their O.W.L.'s and N.E.W.T.'s simultaneously and enrolled in the ministry's service together.
"Blood traitor," he hears one of the three, roughly outlined forms responsible for the outcome of his birthday, say, "Hardly a loss for the world, they couldn't even defend themselves properly."
The person in the black, floor-length robe and with snow-white long hair takes a few steps towards him, allowing him to see his face.
Abraxas Malfoy, he knew him from school, not because of memories similar to the ones with his friends. No, they weren't pleasant. He only recognizes him from the moments he harassed friends of his who were not of pure-blood. He didn't even spare the innocent first graders.
"No, no, no. Your wand will no longer help you," Abraxas Malfoy says in a joking tone as the man attempts to point his wand at him, "3 against 1, how quickly the cards have turned after all."
Bellatrix Lestrange, the person with black curly hair next to him grins. Her eyes light up while she says: "My dear, dear blood traitor. If it were up to me, you wouldn't be alive either."
She walks towards him with slow, firm moves. Arriving in front of him, she leans in closer, so there is barely any distance separating their faces. Her wand pushes painfully against his abdomen and her warm breath hits him straight in the face.
His features excruciate angrily as the realization strikes him.
"An ambush" he hisses out between his tightly pressed jaw, "You have lured us into an ambush, you pathetic-"
"I don't recommend finishing this sentence," Bellatrix whispers to him, "I have a very enthusiastic temper, what may happen if I cannot keep it in line?"
A false innocent smile creeps on her face and she laughs madly.
"Bella, the orders," says the third person who has amazingly many resemblances to Abraxas Malfoy. Younger, but otherwise like father and son. Lucius Malfoy.
"I know, I know, can't one ever have fun?" she asks and turns around smiling insanely.
"You just had your fun," Abraxas Malfoy says with a sick look at the four corpses around them. "And after the fun, the duty follows."
Bellatrix takes a step back and Abraxas stands right in front of him.
"We see no reason to keep you alive, blood traitor," he spits in his face, "but the Dark Lord sees a purpose in you. It really took a long time to track you down... Some of your friends," he motions to the corpses around them, "unfortunately had to be killed on the journey."
"I am no servant of your lord, I am a servant of the ministry," he finally responds after a short break.
Bellatrix seethes, "Didn't you just listen to me?" She turns her hair around her fingers.
"What did I say about my temper again?" Her face is again only a few inches away from him and he can literally see the madness in her eyes. "One single thing bothers me the most... That is disrespect to the Dark Lord who will revolutionize, reshape, improve our world" the last word is of sheer conviction.
The man in front of her pulls a small grimace of disgust.
"I think we should kill you," she takes a few steps back and points her wand swiftly straight towards his heart, he instinctively raises his wand too. He won't go down without a fight, he has a family after all. And he wants to come back to them. Abraxas and his son Lucius immediately take a defensive stance as well.
„Bellatrix," Abraxas says in a stern voice, Bellatrix turns to him. "We leave now, the Dark Lord will take care of him on his own. Here, it is not in our power to decide over his life. Or do you want the Dark Lord to rethink yours again?"
Bellatrix turns back to the man and looks at him with such a hateful look that he nearly feels as if she is disobeying the order but her fierce loyalty to the Dark Lord, apparently, wins. And then, in only a fraction of a second, they all disappear into dark smoke.