Harry Potter and the Forest Glade

Chapter One – The Sundering

There had not been a gathering like this for years. Decades even. The large hall had remained sealed for that long, no one treading on the hallowed floors of the hall. For the hall was indeed a hallowed place, or at least it had once been. The halls had once upon a time been a meeting place for the senior leaders of the Catholic Church. Popes over hundreds of years had been given power in this room. For the last millennia though, other meetings had been held here. This is where The Brethren gathered when a full meeting was called. And this was the first full meeting in a very long time. You could hear the shuffling of cloaks, for some had travelled from far away to meet here this night. Of course they had, this was an important evening for The Brethren. Perhaps the most important any of them had even seen, despite the age of this group. And despite the long lives of these people there was no life in this hall.

The building was the sacred meeting hall of The Brethren, the leader of the Vampires. They were gathered here tonight to decide upon the future of their race. Ten leaders one for each of the vampire clans. A gathering of this sort was truly unheard of. Indeed the last time a meeting of this nature had been called it had been nigh on fifty years ago; called to discuss the rising of the dark lord Grindelwald. Millions and millions of souls had died during this war, due to Grindelwald's alliance with Hitler. And yet all ten clans recognised that the present threat was all the more dangerous, and that Grindelwald and all the power he commanded paled in comparison. The talks of The Brethren had quickly dissolved into arguments however and a decision on the current matter was proving hard to agree on.

"The dark lord Voldemort can offer our people power, more power than we have ever had, and would ever have by aligning with the light." Mechurae was keen to agree to an alliance with the dark lord, and he was not alone in his thoughts.

"It would allow us to rule over the mortals. For millennia our forefathers dreamed of this day. To through it away would be madness," mused one.

"Think Sathuran, just think of the possibilities."

Sathuran, in truth was seething. He alone out of the clans knew the danger of siding with Voldemort in the coming battles. He was not a wizard to be trifled with. Sathuran was a true ancient. Millenia old he had seen the world change in many ways. Unofficially he was the leader of the ten clans. Gifted with great power he understood the curse that this could be.

"You do not know of what you speak, to align ourselves with this dark wizard would mean the end of our kind. We are not animals, striving only for the kill. For centuries we have honed our skills, the evilest of creatures in this world fear our power. Not because we are evil. Not because we are murderers or terrorists. We do not stoop to this level. Leave that for the swine, the pigs. All of you are but children in the grand scheme of things, you do not understand the way of this world as I do. To align with Voldemort would be folly. We would be reduced to mere slaves whatever you think. Have you not heard how he marks his followers? With the image of a skull on their arms. To align with him would be to accept this branding. Which of you would be willing to accept that?"

"The dark lord has promised…"

"Voldemort is a liar. He holds no more respect for those that serve him than he does for those he strikes down. I myself have been present in many of the great events of the world. The fall of the Egyptian empire. The crucifixion. The parting of the ways. The discovery of the new world. More wars than you can imagine. Nothing I have seen or experienced compares to the atrocities that will be committed by this wizard." He looked around at them all. They had to understand should they make the wrong choice. They had to realise what their choice would mean. "My seers have been greatly disturbed since the last moon. They have foretold that many great and terrible things are on the way." He hesitated and decided that he would have to share what he knew to be the truth. He looked directly at Mechurae, urging him with his eyes to see reason. "The seers have seen the future. All the races of the light will join under one banner and fight. It will be the war to end all wars. We vampires…we ancients have spent too long in the background of this world. When the elves departed from this world did we do anything? No. When humans were cursed and the werewolf affliction started spreading did we do a thing to stop the spread? No. When the many light races of this world departed we did nothing. We have stood back and watched many die. Now we are required to make a choice."

There was no noise for the smallest of moments and then Sathuran delivered the killing blow. "Tonight will hail the sundering of the ancients. Each clan leader must choose his own path, and his clan will follow him. Myself, I will join with the light. I wish to see a hope for our race. Know this, Voldemort offers nothing but death. He will bring unmentionable evil into this world.

I urge you my brethren, make a choice…

To be continued…