The Few

Part 1: The First War

Chapter 1 - Monty and Tom

Darkness fell upon the streets of Hogmeade at an unusually early hour this bitter cold September night. Within a few minutes there was total darkness. Then someone uttered the word lumos and then a light came from out of nowhere. Footsteps could be heard almost casually walking across the cobblestone road of Hogsmeade High Street. A man spoke out in a strong voice without any fear in his speech, "Hello? Who's there?"

Another man that could now be seen in the light that had come out of nowhere. He was a tall man with brown hair and with brown eyes and a piercing stare. The man wore a black robe and held a wand in his hand. "You know perfectly well who it is," uttered the man in a calm and clear voice.

"You shouldn't have come here Tom. What you are doing is wrong. You will be stopped. If I don't succeed than Albus will most certainly take care of you," said the other man defiantly as he slowly entered the light also with a wand in his hand. This other man was slightly shorter but a sturdy and strong figure with grey hair, but still some spots of black hair. He wore tattered and shabby black robes that had a patch with a lion on it.

"Oh Monty…you truly have no idea how powerful I am, do you?" retorted Tom with a smug attitude.

Responding, Monty spoke defiantly and said, "But you do know the power that I have and you hate, and I am not afraid to use it."

"You are a fool Benedict, you know that don't you?"

Tom backed away slowly still holding his wand tightly in his hand, and then without even changing any expression on his face he yelled Avada Kedavra and a great green stream of light came out of the end of his wand straight towards Monty Benedict. Quickly, Monty conjured a bright shining shield out of thin air with a swish of his wand and he was able to deflect the green stream of light. Monty waved his wand stiffly and then a great electric blue stream of light came flashing of his wand towards Tom. Almost effortlessly, Tom waved his wand and the blue stream deflected and came racing back towards Monty and hit him with a loud bang that shook the ground with the force of an earthquake. "Hahaha…you see Monty, you were never as good as me. You should have joined me when you had the chance," screamed Tom with a wicked delight in his tone.

"I would rather die than join you and your group of thugs who think they are pure bloods but are truly the same as the rest of us."

Annoyed and angry, Tom raised his wand high and aimed it at the crippled Monty laying on the floor at this point and he yelled, "Vary well then you ungrateful swine, you shall have your wish!"

Tom flicked his wand and a thin red line shot out of his wand, but before it reached Monty, Monty had disappeared into thin air.

Out of nowhere Monty's voice echoed into the surrounding area bellowing, "You will not take me down without a fight!"

"Than show yourself you coward!"

Monty's voice echoed again, "How do you call me a coward, when you are the one killing off wizards with impure blood because you are afraid one of them will become more powerful than you or even Dumbledore!"

"You fool! Show yourself! How dare you mock me!"

Monty reappeared right behind Tom with his wand high. Both men had angry looks on their faces and stares that emitted pure hatred. They both jumped backwards and with several flicks of their wands lights where flashing around everywhere and great swords and shields where being conjured out of thin air to aid the two men. Monty made a swishing motion with his wand and suddenly all of the cobblestones flung up into the air, each one emitting a yellow light, and then they went flying towards Tom with a ear shattering force. Just before the enchanted cobblestones hit Tom, he flicked his wand. A great cloud of smoke had appeared around the two men and it was impossible to see anything. All that could be heard silence. Slowly the smoke cleared and both men were lying on the ground several feet apart. Tom began to regain his strength quicker than Monty. Just as Monty was about to raise his wand and hex Tom, Tom flick his wand and uttered an incantation and Monty fell to the floor as though the life had been sucked out of him. Tom stood up looking assured that he had beaten Monty.

Slowly, Tom began to inch backwards. Just as he was about to disappear out of sight Monty uttered quietly under his dying breath, "In the end…you will never succeed…your goal is impossible…"

Tom's face went red with anger and annoyance as he yelled, "My goal is righteous and it will be accomplished no matter what! Nothing can stop me!" and with a flick of his wand Monty was dead and Tom had disappeared.

Light slowly returns to the town and then after a few moments of silence voices could be heard all around with questions about Monty's death and what had happened. Soon several people started to walk up to Monty's limp body to see if he was dead or alive. When their eyes met his body they knew that he was dead.

One man bent down and closed Monty's eyelids and placed a knut on each eyelid so they wouldn't open abruptly. The man tried to speak but nothing came out when he opened his mouth. Then another man walked up to him and put his hand on his shoulder and breathed out, "It seems that we now have a war on our hands. Someone must inform Albus Dumbledore. Quickly Dorothy, send him an owl and tell him all that has happened."

"I think that it is best if we not mention Tom Voldemort's name again," uttered another small looking man in a scared voice. The people around him all shaked in fear when they heard the name Tom Voldemort.

The rest of the townspeople nodded in agreement, all with apprehensive looks on their faces and shaking with shock at what had just happened.

"Dumbledore will be able to handle it. Don't you worry, he will take care of everything, trust me."

"I don't know, so far many muggles have died, and now even a wizard has been murdered. Who knows who will be next. Who knows."

A few townspeople lifted Monty up and carried him away towards the graveyard. The mood was, of course, sombre and sad. As Monty was being carried away, a tall thin man, with a long white beard and half moon spectacles that sat just at the end of his nose appeared out of thin air. His face was expressionless and straight as he walked slowly towards Monty.

"Dumbledore!" exclaimed one of the townspeople carrying Monty, "What are we going to do Albus?"

Albus Dumbledore stood long in the middle of the street with a solemn look on his face now and then he took a deep breath and quietly, yet clearly explained, "It seems that Tom Voldemort wants to fight his own kind. Quite sad really that such a young and talented wizard is fighting for something that he isn't even part of."

At the mention of Tom's name the townspeople all shuddered and fear was on all of their faces. Dumbledore understood what was happening now. He knew that Tom was becoming so feared by wizarding kind that they became scared even at the slightest mention of his name. At first Dumbledore moved to say something reassuring, but he thought it best to leave it as it is. If the people were so afraid of Tom that they could not even stand to hear his name, then there was surely nothing that could reassure them now.

"What can we do? There must be something we can do?" exclaimed a man with a hint of urgency and worry in his voice.

Dumbledore responded quickly, "Contact your auror friends by owl and tell them to meet me immediately at Godric's Hollow."

"Yes, of course. I'll do it right away."

Dumbledore uttered an incantation under his breath and then with a slight movement of his wand Monty's body was now floating in the air. He moved slowly towards the graveyard and then left Monty with the townspeople so that he would be buried. For a few seconds Dumbledore stood tall and looked around at the cobblestones scattered around the area and looked as though he was deep in thought. Monty Benedict had been one of his good friends but he could not let his emotions make him angry or upset because he knew in the end that the righteous cause always prevails. Darkness, he knew, could not survive when there was even a hint of light left. Dumbledore took one more look around and then he disappeared into thin air.

Slowly and without speaking the townspeople buried Monty and then returned slowly to their houses. Most of wizarding kind were now scared dumb by Lord Tom Voldemort, especially the wizards born to muggle parents. Surely something would be able to stop this menace thought everyone to themselves, but there were few people that truly believed that he could be stopped. The war had begun and the first casualty was Monty Benedict. Who knows how many more would die.