Bellatrix Lestrange, the Dark Lord's most loyal, quickly catches the wand tossed into her hand by a raven haired teenager with bright green eyes, joining in the skirmish with the aurors defending Azkaban.
"Rab!" She hears her husband, Rodolphus's voice, hurrying over to him as Rabastan, her brother-in-law manages to dodge a cutting curse in time.
"Come on! We have to get out of here!" The green eyed teen shouts above the chaos, and the escaped prisoners quickly follow his advice and the pull of the dark mark.
The escaped Death Eaters look around as they all arrive inside the familiar meeting room of Riddle Manor, the home of Lord Voldemort's late muggle father, Tom Riddle.
"Welcome back, my loyal. I am so pleased to see your return to freedom." A high, cold voice drawls, a faint hiss in his tone.
The Dark Lord's followers bow as the green eyed teen makes his way to the throne like chair Lord Voldemort is standing in front of.
"Ah, Harry. My most loyal, my heir," the Dark Lord greets, placing a long fingered, pale hand on the boy's shoulder, "my faithful, it is with pleasure that I introduce to you Harry Potter, my heir, my only equal. The wizard that deflected my killing curse when he was only a toddler. His orders are my orders. You will obey him as you would me."
To say that the escaped convicts are in shock would be an understatement. Their lord isn't the type to so easily share power. Nevertheless, when the Dark Lord speaks, his words are never ignored, and this time is no exception. If he believes the boy to be worthy to be his heir, not one of them would dare to argue.
"Now, on to business." The Dark Lord says, taking a seat, Nagini, his large anaconda familiar, coiling around his shoulders as he looks around at all of his gathered followers, seeming to look each and every one in the eye.
Harry sits through the meeting, bored, tired from leading the raid on Azkaban. He listens as the Dark Lord speaks, but daydreams of his bed. The teen jumps a bit when he hears his name spoken, and turns his full attention to his mentor.
"Changes will be made this year at Hogwarts, where Harry and his soon to be properly initiated inner circle will begin their fifth year. This year Albus Dumbledore will die, and Regulus Black will take his place as Headmaster. I'd have placed you in that position, Severus, but we both know that you barely tolerate children of your own house, let alone any of the others."
Severus Snape, potions master and head of Slytherin house inclines his head in silent agreement. It's true, he has little tolerance for the foolishness of children. Besides, he's content in his dungeons, with his potions.
It had taken years for Severus to decide where his true loyalty lies. He hated James Potter, of course, but he had held anger toward his lord for the death of his childhood friend, Lily Potter, nee Evans. For Lily he'd vowed to protect her son, expecting to hate the boy.
Then, a small, too thin green eyed boy had come to Hogwarts, and to everyone's surprise he'd been sorted into Slytherin, and had befriended Severus's godson. The potions master had watched the boy grow, and saw very little of James Potter in the child besides physical similarities, and had decided that perhaps following the young teen isn't really so bad. So, when Harry had taken the resurrected Lord Voldemort's offer of power and protection, Severus had given his allegiance to the boy, and by extension, back to the Dark Lord.
Regulus, who'd accompanied Harry, Severus, and a few others to the Azkaban raid, knows that he'd made a wise decision to ignore the way the Dark Lord used his house elf, Kreatcher, to place his horcrux in a cave filled with infiri and protected by blood magic and a foul potion. If he'd interfered, he's sure he'd be dead now, instead of the soon to be Headmaster of Hogwarts. Lucius Malfoy has the political clout and a powerful enough spot on the board of governors to insure that the Dark Lord's command be carried out, so there's no worry there.
Regulus feels sorry for his older brother, Sirius. The older Black brother had been cleared of all charges last year, after Harry had handed over Peter Pettigrew to the escaped convict and had Lucius arrange a trial for him, but now the former Gryffindor seems to do nothing but wander the world, waiting for his godson to realize the error of his ways and join the light side.
All of the Death Eaters who'd zoned out during the long, tedious meeting snap to attention when the Dark Lord makes his final, very welcome announcement.
"I see that many of you are too exhausted to pay proper attention. That's understandable, under these circumstances, therefore I shall dismiss you, and leave you to allow the house elves to show you to your rooms, where you may enjoy a full night's sleep. Rest well, for soon we will begin to set our plans for next year into motion. You are dismissed."
Slowly the group files out of the room, following the various elves to the second floor and their assigned quarters, some too exhausted to even bother to bathe away the stench of Azkaban until morning. Being imprisoned for years is rather draining, after all. One raven haired teen, however, stays up for hours more, laying out plans with the Dark Lord.
"Milord, isn't it dangerous to mark Hogwarts students? What of the Ministry and the professors?" Bellatrix asks, softly.
"Dear, by Yule I plan to have taken over the Ministry." Lord Voldemort explains.
"The professors are nothing to worry about. They wouldn't recognize a Death Eater if we stood on the Slytherin table, dancing in our underwear, dark mark in plain view." Harry adds, causing a few people to chuckle at the mental image.
"Harry, I forbid you to order anyone to do that." The Dark Lord drawls, causing Harry to give him his best 'Who? Me?' look.
"Potter, you may be the Dark Lord's heir, but even that wouldn't stop me from having you scrub cauldrons well into your twenties." Severus threatens.
"But what if-"
"You heard me, Harry. Now, back to the matter at hand. We need Harry's followers at Hogwarts, and they need a mark to communicate quickly and silently." The Dark Lord says.
"I don't think their forearms should be marked though, Sir." Harry replies.
"Oh? What do you suggest?"
"Perhaps the lower back would be appropriate? It's still easily reachable. And it could be used as a portkey here like the original dark mark, but could also be used to send my orders into their minds." Harry suggests.
"The idea has merit. But perhaps it shouldn't be too much like the dark mark. That way if it's seen, it won't be recognized as easily." Severus adds.
"What about a snake wrapped around a dagger, instead of a skull?" Bellatrix tosses her opinion in.
The Dark Lord gives her a thoughtful look before nodding in agreement, and looking to Harry for approval.
"I like the idea. I'll sketch the design, and get back to you by the end of the day." The young heir promises.
"Wonderful. Lucius, elections for the next Minister of Magic end in January. I am hoping that you plan to run."
"If that is your desire, Milord." The Lord Malfoy demures.
"It is. See that you win, Lucius. You will not fail me."
That is an order, not a vote of confidence, Lucius knows. The blonde involuntarily shudders at the thought of failure, and the wrath he'd face were that to happen.
Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, Angelo Avery, Theodore Nott, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle and Daphne Greengrass stand in the meeting room, Death Eaters behind them, the Dark Lord and his heir before them. One by one they are all marked by the heir.
"Rise." Harry commands, after the last is marked.
"You are all the inner circle of my heir. Your task is to serve him, and by extension, me. You have all, at some point, sworn an unbreakable vow to fulfill this duty to the best of your ability." Lord Voldemort reminds them, "I shall take three followers on a raid tomorrow. Harry, you will bring three of your inner circle."
"Yes sir." His second in command replies respectfully.
The next morning at four, Harry, Draco, Avery and Nott meet in the dining room, where Lord Voldemort, Bellatrix and the Lestrange brothers are waiting. The teens sit down to breakfast, and everyone eats while the Dark Lord debriefs them.
"Amelia Bones is Lucius's main contender for Minister of Magic. She has a strong support base among the light sided purebloods and halfbloods and muggleborns. I've decided that she's a threat to our takeover that must be eliminated. Bones lives with her niece, Susan, a Hufflepuff in your year. Bones Manor is heavily warded. I will break through the wards and you three will dispatch Auror Bones," Lord Voldemort nods to the Lestranges, "you four will see through the Bones heiress, and bring back any important information you can find from their personal effects." He adds, nodding to the Dark Prince and his group.