The Dark Empire
Prologue
November 8th, 1987
In a very dark office in the Ministry of Magic, Barty Crouch Junior was working on his daily paperwork. It was on the distribution of slaves to the more powerful wizarding families around the world. It was vital that he got this work done fast because the Dark Lord and the Minister were waiting for the trade to be legalized and it couldn't be done until the proper paperwork was designed and signed by the Council. The legalization was assured, but everybody overestimated his skills with documents.
In his opinion, they were the absolute worst thing in the world. Except for the wrath of the Dark Lord, which was why he was actually doing it now.
The law was very simple. All people who rebelled against the New Order had their magic bound to someone they didn't know, and were sent to serve a powerful magical leader in a foreign country. Barty was hoping that they could extend the law to include slaves in Great Britain as well; Barty wouldn't mind having a slave.
He sighed. He would never be able to get his own slave if he never finished this paperwork.
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April 26th, 1988
Henri Bellamy was very excited. Today, his mama told him they were getting a new house mate all the way from London! Henri had heard that he was born somewhere in London, but he couldn't remember what it was like there. All of the books said it was rainy and cold all of the time. Henri hated being cold, so he would rather stay in France with his mama, papa, and little sister than go to London.
That didn't mean he didn't want to hear about it! Papa said it was important to remember where you come from when you become powerful, and that worried Henri because he couldn't remember! So Henri was going to hear about London and then he could become powerful like papa.
Henri snuck into his little sister's room with all of the sneakiness of a giraffe with weak legs. His sister immediately woke up.
"What is it Henri?" She yawned. "It's only dawn." She sat up slowly. Henri ran up to her and poked her on the nose.
"C'mon, Sophie! We gotta wake up now. The guest is comin', and I wanna be there when he gets here!"
"Don't talk like a street rat, Henri. Papa disapproves." His beloved little sister had been taught how to speak properly since she was a little girl and she always corrected Henri on his speaking skills. Even though she was a year younger than him.
"I'm not talkin' to papa, though. Let's go get breakfast."
"Fine. Let me get dressed first. You should get dressed too. You have to look presentable for our guest."
Henri nodded excitedly and sped off back to his room next door, carefully closing her door behind him. She hated having her door left open.
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Two hours later, after a delicious breakfast with Henri's favorite muffins and Sophie's favorite omelet, the two children sat in the parlor with their mama and papa.
Sophie looked a lot like mama; they both had soft brown hair and pretty brown eyes that sparkled when they laughed. She also had her fathers' excitable disposition.
Henri was not like either of his parents because he was adopted into the family when he was three. They chose him out of a lot of other orphan children, so Henri must always feel grateful towards them. They both treated him like a true member of the family. Henri must become the head of the Bellamy family when his Uncle passed away.
They were waiting for their uncle right now, actually. He was bringing the guest and the guests' escorts. Clovis, their papa, was going over the rules for their guest.
"You aren't to speak with him at all, my children, do you understand? He won't understand you-"
"Why not, papa?" Sophie interrupted. Mama was about to chastise her for speaking when papa was speaking, but papa answered her question before he could.
"Because he can't understand you anyway, dear. Now-"
"I meant, why can't we speak with him at all?" Sophie interrupted again. This time, papa would not take such disrespect lightly.
"Sophie, you aren't supposed to interrupt when your papa is talking. Or when anybody is talking. You can't speak with him because he is not here for pleasure. He is here to serve, and that is how he shall spend his stay."
Everybody in the room knew that, of course, but they preferred not to think of the true reason the guest was coming to stay with them. Henri had heard his mama fighting with papa about harboring a 'war criminal'.
The Bellamy family didn't approve of slavery, but to refuse such an offering from the new British Government would possibly offend them, and all of France was worried the Dark Lord might try to expand his empire in their direction first. The children didn't know this last part of the story, though.
Sophie became quiet. She knew her papa was serious when he actually snapped at her for improper manners.
Suddenly the maid, Maria, came in and said "Milord, they have arrived."
Clovis looked at her bowed head and said "Lead them here."
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Barty Crouch Junior did not like France. He felt it was too snotty and, well, neutral. The Dark Lord, however, felt that the French wizarding government could come in handy if there was ever an uprising, so Barty kept his opinions to himself. Right now he was in a carriage with some new recruit and the leader of the French Magical community. His name was Alexandre Bellamy, and he was a gray lord. They were heading to Bellamy's brothers' house to drop off some scum left over from the war. The family had requested him to be in one piece, so he was riding on the back of the carriage.
It was an awkward ride. Alexandre Bellamy, Barty could tell, was no weakling. Still, it was difficult for Barty to respect a man that couldn't pick a real side to magic. Gray magic was not really a side; it was an excuse for people to stay out of political business. How could the leader of France be neutral?
Of course, they were French.
Finally, after ages of riding through the French country side, they arrived at some large iron gates. They opened immediately, apparently suspecting them. The sun was shining over some large front gardens, and the carriage continued up to the front porch. The driver stopped the carriage and opened the doors for them, then hopped back onto the carriage and drove it around to the back of the house.
The new death eater immediately grabbed the prisoners' chains to keep him from running. Barty thought it rather pointless. All of the fight had left the man when his wife was killed during the raid on the secret hide out he had been in.
Alexandre approached the doors, and Barty followed. The Frenchman looked at him out of the corner of his eyes and said in rather flawless English, "My niece and nephew are likely waiting for us with my brother. I would appreciate it if the prisoner was kept outside until you have been introduced."
Barty felt like sneering, but he nodded his consent and signaled the man holding on to the traitors' chains. Most of these foreign political types seemed to feel it necessary to hide their children from the reality of the situation.
Alexandre didn't knock on the door, just waited, and eventually a girl who must've been in her early twenties opened the door and bowed. "Monsieur Alexandre…" she murmured and bowed at the waist.
Alexandre waved his and said something in French. The girl opened the door wider and let them in, with the prisoner and his keeper waiting outside. She then went into a side room that must have been a parlor of some sort. Soon, she came back out and led them inside.
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Maria came back in and stood to the side.
Henri and Sophie were both sitting on the ends of their chairs when their Uncle came in with a strange man with dark eyes.
Henri watched the man. He wondered if this was their guest. Most likely not, seeing as though he was wearing very nice looking robes. Henri didn't think a war prisoner would wear nice clothing.
The strange man bowed and introduced himself in a strange language. Henri didn't understand it, but he guessed it was English. He sat at his best posture as his papa introduced them all in the same weird way.
It was not nearly as interesting as Henri thought it would be, especially not when he couldn't follow the conversation. Still, Henri couldn't slack off. Henri would eventually be France's leader, and he must show proper mannerisms in all situations. That was what uncle said whenever he taught Henri about leading the country.
Eventually, his father and the stranger both nodded, and papa told Maria (in French!) to bring the prisoner in.
They both came back, Maria resuming her stance by the door with her hands behind her back and head bowed at the neck, and another stranger dragging a man in by a chain.
His mama was probably trying to hold in a gasp. The man was absolutely filthy, and without a shirt. He also had bright red hair and seemed to be balding prematurely. He was very thin, and his eyes seemed dead.
Papa didn't like seeing fellow men looking so mistreated, but he must've powered through, because he continued speaking to the dark eyed man and they seemed to reach an agreement. Uncle, the dark eyed man, and the man who had dragged the man in left, but the 'care-taker' gave the chain to Maria first.
Once they all left, they all sat in shock as they starred at their new servant. Papa spoke up first. "My family," he said solemnly, "this is our new servant. His name is Arthur and I expect you to treat him as he is meant to be treated."
Chapter End
AN: Hello readers. This is a brand new plot bunny turned story that literally hit me over the head last night. I don't really have aplan for it, but if enough people review I will sit down a write a new chapter. So please review and follow and favorite, because I am really not confident about this one at all.