The hall was musty with fear; it clung to the walls like a layer of impenetrable dust and bred in the dark, shadowy crevices between the cold, grey slabs.
The rope, freezing, rubbed against Sirius' wrists and he made and effort to not shiver at the tremors tracing his spine. They might think he shook out of fear, after all that was how Lily, bound and quivering alongside him, appeared.
A lone candle spluttered in the corner of the room. Its light stretched far, but the warmth was long gone. In the ghostly gleam, the man's face seemed more inhumane than ever.
It was pallid, waxy even, with smooth features and sunken eyes. His mouse brown hair hung limply to just past his ears and his pale pink lips were too broad compared to the rest of him. His figure slight, he didn't look to have the authority that his aura commanded. But it wasn't these that made him, a face and being so plain that memories of them smudged the moment you took your eyes from him. It was his eyes. The green was so faint that they seemed to blend into the whites, the pupils so small they gave him a pointed, weasel like look. And they were devoid of any emotion as he surveyed his two captives, there was no caring, no triumph no delight; no contempt or distaste, hatred or envy or sorrow; no anger. Not even indifference.
But it was not the practiced blankness of a well rehearsed poker face. It was something unearthly that Sirius didn't understand' and it scared him.
'These are the new recruits?' The voice, as dead and still as the rest of him, hummed in the air around him.
'Yes master.' The guard's voice, which had mocked and commanded in the days since the two of them had been man handled into the back of the truck, was full of rapture and reverence. He all but fell to his knees as he watched his 'master' with adoring eyes.
Disgust, pity and yet more fear yanked at Sirius' stomach and he swallowed to mask them. The sound was uncomftably loud in the new silence.
A twist of the lips, imitating a real smile, pulled at the empty man's face. He travelled slowly down two stairs and swept across the floor towards them. Though the ground was uncovered, the steel capped black leather of the man's business shoes mad no noise on the paving.
'Mr. Black.' The oily tone went right through him and it took all his effort to raise his eyes to meet the inhumane ones before him.
A satisfied smirk wept across the older man's face - the first emotion he had shown. Sirius felt a strange pleasure at being the one to evoke it.
Careful, Black, he thought to himself, they're manipulating you!
'You may address me as Sirius or Mr. Poderoso.' He continued in his monotone. Then he turned his attention to Lily.
'Miss Evans, the same applies.' Lily jerked when he addressed her and Sirius felt the urge to reach out and comfort her.
'The two of you will begin our special training at the bottom. How quickly you leave and join our working ranks depends on your dedication as a student. Either of you may flourish here - where your only hindrance will be your on mind and willpower.'
The entrance clattered loudly open and a beefy man jogged down the central aisle towards them. A gigantic moustache dominated is features and it shook in furious indignation as he bowed deeply and stepped forward to speak quietly to Mr. Poderoso. After a few minutes, Mr Poderoso nodded calmly and the angry man moved back.
'Mr Black, Miss Evans, meet Mr Intelli. He will be your Professor of Technology. Mr Intelli - our new recruits.'
The man, red faced with steely eyes, looked them over. 'Black and Evans.' He made a partly amused, mostly disgusted snort and left, stooping to kiss a ring on Mr Poderoso's gloved hand before he did so.
The headmaster returned his attention to the newest pupils.
'From this moment onwards, you are one of us. You have no past, and I am your future. You will work, eat, sleep and just about breathe our regime and if you fail the will be consequences. You have been chosen for your talent but never forget- there are thousands of other just as talented, more so even. You are not unique. You are replaceable. And I will not hesitate to do so should I believe you are causing morerouble than you're worth. Am I clear?' Sirius' throat clenched as he nodded. He didn't doubt Mr Poderoso's words. Apparently, neither did Lily.
'Very good. Now, if you'd wait a few moments, I and your guide have some business to settle before you settle in.' They were dismissed.
Sitting together at the side on two cold, plastic patio chairs which did not fit with the rest of the decor, Lily intertwined her shaking fingers with his and squeezed, giving and receiving comfort.
A boy walked in. He was about their age, perhaps younger. His face was open, trusting; his big blue eyes fixed on his master. But his hands shook so violently that it affected his walking pattern and his breathing stuttered in terror. It was a contradictory picture - the body, expectant and tortured, trying to break through to the loving mind. The boy probably didn't know he was crying.
'Mr Stuarts.' Mr Poderoso was sickly sweet to him, cupping his cheek into his palm and smiling. 'Do you know why you're here?'
The kid, Mr Stuarts, nodded, 'I'm not worthy.' He said it in a simple, factual, robotic tone.
'No, you're not.' Mr Poderoso agreed, nodding like it pained him to say it. 'And you know what we do to the unworthy ones, don't you?'
Stuarts nodded eyes on the floor, 'It won't happen again.' And he offered up his cheek. A fear and horror so intense he had to stop himself from gasping bubbled up inside Sirius and Lily's tiny fingers locked viciously around his as a nameless man appeared seemingly out of no-where alongside the duo. He offered a blade to the head, jeweled hilt first.
The knife sliced smoothly across the boy's unmarked cheek. He probably didn't even shave yet. A drop of ruby red blood dripped onto the carpet.
Stuarts took the knife from his torturer and wiped it clean on his crisp, white shirt sleeve. Red seeped across it, soaking into the fine material.
'Don't hand your homework in late.' Mr Poderoso smiled.
'Never again, master.' The child leant forwards and pressed his blood marked lips to the ring. Beads of blood ran down his neck and disappeared beneath his collar.
'Come on.' Stuarts beckoned Sirius and Lily over and they stood uncertainly, traipsing after the boy.
'What was that?' Sirius gasped the moment they were out of earshot.
'What?' The cool blue eyes were calm, unspoilt. 'I broke the rules - I deserved it!'
Lily and Sirius gaped after him as he drew ahead of them. Glancing back over his shoulder he smiled sadly, 'Welcome.'