Subject: Myths and Legends

Task: Write a story featuring either a cult (Satanic or otherwise) or a (potential) UFO sighting.

Event: Gymnastics – Vault 1

Prompt: Write about some sort of ritual. (Not a wedding)

Chocolate Frog: Bonus - Rufus Scrimgeour - Challenge - Write about a murder committed for the Greater Good

Gringotts: CSI: S1E1 – (Action) Walking, (Colour) Black; CSI: S1E2 – (Colour) Red; NCIS: S1E1 – (Object) A body, (Action) Smiling, (Action) Collapsing; Code Breaker: S1E1 – (Object) A book, (Action) Cheering; Dark Matter: S1E1 – (Action) Kicking someone, (Dialogue) "Who are you?"; Hunchback of Notre Dame – (Word) Master, (Word) Stone, (Word) Beautiful, (Plot/Action) Being tied up; Bambi – (Colour) Red, (Word) Respect, (Plot/Action) A gathering; Black Butler: S1E1 – (Characteristic) Glowing red eyes, (Word) Master, (word) My Lord, (Action) Snapping your fingers; Black Butler: S1E2 – (Atmosphere) Dark, (Emotion) Helpless; Galavant: S1E1 – (Action) Falling down; Galavant: S1E2 – (Colour) Red, (Plot/Action) Being laughed at; Dr Horrible's Sing Along Blog – (Plot/Action) Killing someone, (Feeling/Emotion) Evil, (Colour) Red; Charmed: S1E1 – (Action) Reading an incantation from a book; Charmed: S1E4 – (Word) Amulet; Charmed: S1E6 – (Object) Dagger; Charmed: S1E7 – (Action) Chanting; Charmed: S1E9 – (Word) Summon; Charmed: S1E11 – (Word) Snake; Charmed: S1E15 – (Word) Pentagram; Charmed: S1E16 – (Colour) Black; Miranda: S1E1 – (Action) Pushing someone; Secret Diaries of a Call Girl: S1E1 – (Word) Powerful; Secret Diaries of a Call girl: S1E2 – (Word) Pleasure [40]

Word Count: 1598

The Summoning

Tom Riddle walked into the centre of the chalk circle that had been drawn on the floor; his followers chanted in unison as he ascended the steps towards the sacred altar that was surrounded by black candles.

On the altar rested a book that contained everything that Tom needed to know about the ritual they were about to perform, but he knew he wouldn't need it, he had been researching this for months and knew it like the back of his hand.

"You know why we have gathered here this evening," he said in an ominous voice, lowering the hood of his cloak, and looking at each and every one of his followers. "We are here to worship the great and powerful Leviathan, the Serpent of Old, and prove ourselves to be his loyal servants. We will celebrate him, and summon him back from the underworld to wreak havoc on this earth and the disgusting mortals that walk it."

The circle of followers surrounding Tom cheered as he reached into his cloak and removed a small, jewel encrusted dagger and lifted it high above his head.

"With this dagger, I shall draw blood from your loyal followers; it will give you strength and power," Tom whispered, bringing the dagger back down in front of him. "I ask the supreme powers that be to bless this dagger, and imbue it with the ability to raise our Master from his cage in Hell."

A cool breeze swept around Tom's ankles, blowing his cloak, and he smiled to himself as he felt power surge through his veins.

Tom took the serpent amulet around his neck into his hands and kissed it reverently

"Who will be first to prove their loyalty and dedication to our Master?" Tom mused, as he turned around to collect the sacred bowl.

"I will, My Lord," Barty Crouch said solemnly, bowing his head and taking a few paces towards the centre of the circle.

Bellatrix narrowed her eyes at the over-confident young man, and grabbed the back of his cloak as he swept past her.

"Oh no you don't," she hissed at him, before ascending the two stone steps that led to the altar and taking her position in front of Tom.

Bellatrix thrust her arm out proudly in front of her, and pulled back the sleeve of her cloak.

Tom smiled to himself at the sight; it pleased him to see her so ready and willing. He knew that it would serve as the perfect example to the rest of the small, but dedicated followers.

"Do you, Bellatrix Black, accept the Devil into your heart?" Tom whispered as he dragged the dagger down her forearm. "Will you do as he commands when he walks this earth again?"

"I will," she muttered, wincing slightly as the dagger broke through her skin.

Tom's eyes lit up as he watched the blood trickle from her fresh wound. He placed the sacred bowl, which bore the markings of the twisted serpent, and turned Bellatrix's arm over so that her blood could drip inside. He pressed his fingertips into her skin to make her crimson river flow quicker from her arm, eager to get as much as he could for the offering.

Once he felt he had enough blood, Tom released Bellatrix's arm from his grasp and allowed her to rejoin the circle, before calling forth the next of his followers - Barty Crouch Jr.

In Tom's view the bloodletting ceremony was going swimmingly as he called forward the final member of the circle.

"Lucius Malfoy."

Tom tapped his foot in irritation as the blonde man slowly walked from his place in the circle to the altar; he didn't miss the glances that Lucius took towards the exit.

"Hold out your arm, and draw up your sleeve," Tom commanded.

"Y-yes My Lord," he answered, shakily doing as he had been instructed.

"Do you, Lucius Malfoy, accept the Devil into your heart?" Tom whispered, dragging the dagger down the length of the shaking man's arm. "Will you do as he commands when he walks this earth again?"

"I will," he responded uncertainly.

Tom dug the dagger deep into Lucius' skin and dragged it forcefully along his forearm. The blonde man cried out loud in pain and agony, weeping as the blood began to trickle from his arm.

"Look at your offering Lucius," Tom instructed.

He watched on as Lucius nodded his head and slowly shifted the focus of his eyes from the wall behind him to the cut on his arm. He observed as Lucius became unsteady on his feet and started to sway from side to side, before collapsing into a heap on the floor.

His onlooking followers laughed and jeered at Lucius.

"Someone get this snivelling, weak excuse for a servant of the serpent out of my sight," Tom seethed, kicking the crumpled form of Lucius Malfoy. "I will not allow a delicate, little girl such as him in the presence of Leviathan, when he comes."

"I will do it My Lord," offered Barty.

"No, I will," Bellatrix said, pushing him to one side.

Tom glared at the two squabbling figures.

"That is enough," he whispered. "Rosier, would you do the honours of bringing forth our gift."

"Yes, My Lord," Rosier answered, bowing his head reverently.

"And you two," Tom said, turning his gaze back towards the fighting servants, "you can get this sorry lump out of here. And when you return I expect you to show our Master the respect he deserves. You are ruining the atmosphere."

Whilst he waited for the sacrifice to be brought forth, Tom added his own blood to the bowl, and began to mix it with his finger, relishing in the knowledge that this would be the blood that would soon flow through the veins of the resurrected Serpent of Old, and that it would be he who had made it happen.

After all, without his blood the ritual would be a failure. Without the blood of a true serpent, the best anyone could hope for would be to not get an infection.

The side door through which his follower had exited moments earlier opened, and through it came a blindfolded, young woman who was swaying from side to side, closely followed by Rosier.

Tom waited at the top of the altar as Rosier guided her towards him.

"She will make the most beautiful sacrifice," he mused to himself, kissing her on the forehead. "Shackle her to the altar."

Rosier nodded his head curtly and followed his order to the letter, before resuming his place in the circle.

Tom stalked towards the altar table which now held their offering.

He used the dagger to cut away her binding clothes, and he took great pleasure in hearing her feeble sobs.

"Who are you? Why are you doing this?" she whimpered as Tom placed a gag in her mouth.

"Hush now," he muttered to the bound woman. "You have the great honour of giving your life for the greater good of our kind."

He dipped his forefinger into the sacred bowl collecting as much blood as he could before withdrawing in, and beginning to draw the symbol of the serpent – a pentagram with a snake running through the centre of it - on the woman's exposed chest.

His eyes flickered briefly to the book next to him as he double checked the incantation he knew so well.

"With this blood, the blood of the loyal, I mark thee as a gift for our Master," Tom muttered, smearing a circle on her chest. "He will break free from his cage by our sacrifice."

"He will break free from his cage by our sacrifice," chanted the circle.

"I call upon your servants to bless this dagger," Tom called, picking up the dagger in front of him. "It shall transfer her life force unto you, oh Leviathan."

With those words, Tom plunged the dagger deep into the centre of the bound woman's chest.

"Leviathan, I call you forth. As the life drains from our gift may it give you the strength and power to return from your fiery cell, and walk amongst us once again," Tom cried loudly.

"Leviathan, we call you forth," Tom's followers chanted. "May you walk amongst us once again."

A rush of wind swept throughout the room, and the candles surrounding the altar flickered out.

The air surrounding the circle turned cold, and Tom felt a surge of power as the dagger began to vibrate in his hands.

This is it, he thought to himself. The time of Leviathan has come again.

Tom twisted the dagger inside the woman and pulled it out.

A cloud of black smoke burst from the ground beneath him and entered Tom's chest. The strength of the smog-like substance sent him buckling to his knees.

"My Lord," whispered Bellatrix and Barty simultaneously, taking a step forward from their position in the circle.

Tom's head snapped up, and unearthly, glowing red eyes met the devoted duos. He clicked his fingers, relighting the black candles that surrounded him.

"Your Lord is not here anymore," a hypnotising voice said. "I am your Master, Leviathan, and together we shall wreak havoc on this earth. We will make these ghastly mortals pay for sending me to the underworld. Together, under my rule, we shall bring the world to it's knees."

The cloaked men and women in the circle cheered as they felt the power of Leviathan's words touch their souls.

"Go forth my loyal followers, and spread the good news," he commanded, "the dawn of Leviathan has begun."