Disclaimer's Notice: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters featuring in the books or the films. They belong to J.K Rowling and her wonderful mind.
Chapter 1
It was dark; there was no moon in the cloudy night sky. It was a perfect night for Draco Malfoy, he liked the dark and the cover it provided for the work he did. His work for 'Miles militis et Argentum Manus', more commonly known as Lord Voldemort's 'Knights of the Silver Hand', demanded stealth and secrecy which a night like this was perfectly positioned to provide. Contrary to popular opinion, Lord Voldemort did not like public killings as much as people thought he did. Having said that, he did not object to the publicity when the people killed were what he called, insignificant members of the public but when it was people from his own circle or high profile individuals, he preferred it to be quick and quiet to avoid mistakes. That was where the 'Militis Argentum' came in, the Silver Knights were a group of men and women hand picked and personally trained by Lord Voldemort himself as the elite assassins of the magical world.
Although only 24, Draco Malfoy was a senior member, highly skilled and very good at what he did despite the job's unpleasant nature.
It had all started with the death of Albus Dumbledore, the late headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Lord Voldemort had commanded Draco Malfoy to end Dumbledore's life at the tender age of 16. After failing to complete his first mission, the Dark Lord punished Malfoy's failure severely. Enduring the kind of torture no one before him had endured Malfoy's resolve at the end of the experience was ironclad. He would not fail the Dark Lord again and so decided to enlist in training for membership to the Knights of the Silver Hand to prove his worth. Although he knew of the Order's existence, the name had puzzled Malfoy for years until he began his basic training. On his very first day, Malfoy's instructor had explained to the class what it meant to be Militis Argentum. To be in the service of the Dark Lord was not a trivial matter taken lightly and, as such, there was a price for being a member of such an elite group. Many had assumed the cost monetary but the truth was altogether more sinister. The Dark Lord wanted no financial payment for the services he received from his Knights, he wanted payment in blood. Once initiated into the Order, the newly ordained Knights had to cut off their right hands as a sign of loyalty, servitude and constant willingness to do the Dark Lord's bidding.
Malfoy had thought this absurd at first, how were Knights expected to kill with only one hand. The reality of the situation was revealed to Draco when his instructor removed the ever-present leather glove from his right hand. Beneath the leather glove the hand appeared to be made of pure silver with a small serpent twisted around a dagger engraved on the palm next to the thumb, a gift from the Dark Lord for the sacrifice his instructor had explained to them. If you were willing to cut off your hand then the Dark Lord deemed you worthy of a new, more powerful one that held within it strength and magic wielded by no mortal. It was indestructible and unaffected by any kind of environment; no magic could destroy it and no object could damage it. The hand truly was invincible which symbolised the Order itself, powerful and without weakness.
It also proved to be an effective method of control; if a Knight betrayed the Order or turned traitor the hand would vanish leaving a bleeding stump that no magic could cure. The traitor would then bleed to death; it was a slow and painful way to go, as there was no prevention of the inevitable once the hand disappeared. It was also a highly effective method of secrecy as if a Knight was captured in the line of duty the hand would crush its owner's throat of its own accord instantly killing them thereby preventing any form of interrogation. Although the methods of the order were brutal, they were highly effective which was why so few people had ever heard of them or seen them in action. Their creed was secrecy and as the Knight's hands were always gloved except for in other's company, very few outside of the organisation knew of the Order's members or even their existence until it was too late.
Draco Malfoy stood at the bank of the nearby river; the moonless night provided ample cover for his large frame but he still stood under a tree. It was not necessary though as Malfoy could effectively conceal himself even in broad daylight. His stealth was one of the reasons he had progressed through the Order's ranks so quickly. He was effective, silent and always discreet which made him the perfect predator, the perfect assassin. His prey never stood a chance once he was assigned to the hit and his kill rate reflected this precision. Despite his position within the Militis Argentum and the respect it accorded him, among the other Knights, Malfoy was always humble; many of them were much older than he was. A man of little words, his reputation preceded him on every occasion and even the Death Eaters closest to the Dark Lord gave him a wide berth.
He crouched down and placed his gloved right hand on the ground. He felt the vibrations of the earth through the leather and closed his eyes to concentrate. Footsteps echoed from the ground in his fingertips and although he could not hear them, his hand told him they were coming from the south. He turned his massive muscular shoulders to face the direction and opened his silver eyes. Sure enough, he could make out the silhouette of a man walking towards the nearby bridge. Malfoy straightened to his full height of a proud 6 feet 4 inches and allowed his left hand to fall on the pommel of his silver bladed broadsword slung at his hip. The Dark Lord refused to allow kills to be made with wands as it made them traceable and could sometimes be deflected resulting in unnecessary complications. A clean, silent, swift guaranteed kill could only be achieved with a sword and so this profession did not require wands; any magic that needed to be performed during the course of a mission would be channelled through a Knight's right hand. Despite this and unlike most of the other Knights, Malfoy kept his wand with him at all times. He was not known to take risks and again, unlike many of his colleagues was not over confidant no matter the advantages he had at his disposal.
The figure was approaching fast and Malfoy recognised the slight limp it walked with, this was his target. The person appeared to be in a hurry and seemed to be unaware their life was about to end. Malfoy allowed the adrenaline to fill his system as he rolled his shoulders in anticipation of the kill. The figure got closer as Malfoy scanned the surrounding area for any sign of a trap and the presence of other people. All was quiet and as it should be, this relaxed Malfoy a little. The figure was now in voice range and still heading straight for the place where Malfoy was waiting. As the figure passed within feet of Malfoy's position, it stopped nervously and looked around. Malfoy decided it was time, pulled his thick black cloak around him to conceal his body and stepped out of the cover of the tree revealing himself to the target; it did not matter that the man recognised him, in a matter of minutes, he would not be able to tell anyone anyway.
"Minister," growled Malfoy in a deep, heavy voice. "Good evening, sir."
The man started in surprise and his eyes darted around to find the owner of the voice. He found Draco and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Mr. Malfoy! You gave me quite a start. What are you doing here?"
At these words Malfoy removed the glove from his right hand beneath his cloak and placed it in an inside pocket. His left hand gripped the hilt of his sword and drew it out silently. The tip of the blade was barely visible beneath the cloak's hem but the Minister for Magic had not been head of the Auror's Office for no reason. His eyes widened as he saw it and he was suddenly very still.
"By the order of the Grand Master of the Militis Argentum, you are hereby condemned for crimes against The Dark Lord and are to be hereby executed," said Malfoy in a smooth expressionless voice. He raised his right hand from beneath the cloak and opened his hand so the palm was facing the Minister. The serpent glowed ice blue around the purple glowing dagger as Malfoy said, "Silencio!"
A blanket of silence enveloped the two men as Malfoy raised his sword, gracefully lunged forward and thrust its tip through the minister's throat. The man gurgled, an expression of shock frozen on his face and then collapsed onto the ground. Malfoy retraced his left arm and flicked the blood off the blade. The Minister choked for a few seconds and then sighed and went still. Malfoy sheathed his now clean sword and stepped toward the Minister's body. He used his left hand to close the man's eyes and then pressed the palm of his right hand onto the Minister's chest. He saw the purple and blue light once again glow beneath his hand before removing it to see a replica of the Order's symbol, a snake coiled around a dagger, seared into his victim's chest. He replaced the glove on his right hand, turned on the spot and with a muffled 'crack', he was gone.
Malfoy walked down the large marbled corridor, his shoes tapping on the stone as he made his way to the door at the end of the hall. He paused for a moment outside it, adjusted his sword, stroked the beard on his chin and then took a deep breath. He raised a fist and knocked twice.
"Enter," said a high, cold voice.
"Malfoy pushed the door open and strode purposefully into the room. Standing by the fireplace was the Grand Master of the Militis Argentum. Malfoy placed his right fist over his heart in a salute and bowed his head to the man. The Grand Master nodded at Malfoy as he straightened up and moved towards the desk at the far end of the room. Lord Voldemort was seated behind his with a large snake draped over his shoulder. He was scratching the stop of the snake's head with a long white finger absentmindedly as he looked up from the parchments cluttered around his desk.
"Draco, you have news?" asked the Dark Lord
Malfoy dropped to one knee as he swept his cloak back and pushed his scabbard out behind him. He bowed his head and spoke, "My Lord, it is done. The Minister is dead."
"Excellent. You have done well."
"Thank you my Lord."
"Leave us," said the cold high voice once more. "The Grand Master & I have matters to discuss. Remain here until I call for you again."
"As you command my Lord," replied Malfoy as he rose and walked back to the door. Leaving the room, he pulled the door gently shut behind him and began walking back up the corridor once again.
He did not feel guilt at what he had just done because it was his job, his calling. This was his life, he was a Knight of the Silver Hand and this was his place; there was no room for guilt or remorse in this world of assassins.
What Draco Malfoy did not know as he walked towards his comrades, his family was that his life was about to change so drastically that if he had been forewarned, he would not have believed it ever possible.
