Chapter Three- A Time When Our Names Meant Greatness…
After the sorting and meal the Slytherin students made their way to their common room. Kadina, Bellatrix, Lucius, and Narcissa seated themselves around the small table and watched the flames in the fire place in silence. It was several minutes before anyone spoke. "Another whole lot of mudblood's and half-bloods this year." Lucius commented with contempt. Kadina looked up at him and nodded in agreement,
"Not even many old names this year. There were no more than five that I counted." Lucius shook his head and sighed, "Who ever would have thought that it would have come to this? Where purebloods are the minority?" Kadina shrugged,
"People lost their pride decades ago and began interbreeding. Now the difference between a magic born and a muggle are very limited. They and we are even beginning to look similar… No, not us, the others. We still hold the traits that wizards and witches have so long prided themselves upon. We look like purebloods." Lucius looked at her strangely but nodded in agreement none-the-less.
"The world has changed greatly… Our families used to have power, and I do not mean the type of power my father has- I mean REAL power.
I was talking to my great-grandmother the other day and she began telling me some of the stories of how the Malfoy's have become so financially prosperous. There where times when our families were warriors, when our families fought against the muggles for wizard and witch rights! Then people like Dumbledore, that stupid professor, came along and made us magic folk swear not to attack the muggles anymore. You know what happened then? Those damned witch trials where people were burnt at the stake! Did not do a great deal, it is not hard to apparate away but still, there was a time when we magic and muggles lived in co-existence, knowing that the other was there! We were the lords and they our serfs. They were allowed to continue living on in their stupid petty ways and we held power over the world! Now, what are we? Nothing more than cowards hiding away in our secret places so that the muggles are not harmed or frightened…
It is disgusting, what has happened to the state of the wizarding world. It would not surprise me to find that the magical abilities are becoming less and less prone in our blood! Sooner or later we will die out and the muggles will not even know what a horrendous loss has occurred."
Lucius had the attention of the entire room, though he was only talking directly to his specific group of friends.
"Lucius, I am surprised, I never realised that you had more than half a brain." Kadina teased lightly before smiling, "No, you are right. I remember that the Burke's used to own a place much like Hogwarts where many wizards and witches were trained to defend themselves against muggles and the opposing wizarding kind. There was a time when our family names used to strike fear in the heart of many! Now what are we? No more than ragged houses long bereft of lordship…"
Bellatrix listened intently to what her friends were saying and glanced around the room in a nervous manner that did not go unnoticed by her friends.
"Bella, what is it?" Narcissa demanded of her older sister. Bellatrix leant forward, a hint of excitement and fear glinting in her eyes.
"Rodolphus, well…" she paused and it was obvious that she was wary of speaking aloud in such a situation. Kadina put a bubble of silence around the group and urged Bellatrix to continue. "along with his job at the ministry, he is part of a great movement. Lead by a former Slytherin, I'm not sure who he is but he calls himself Lord Voldemort. A little pretentious and odd I agree, but you see he is gathering followers to his cause, this social upheaval to rid the magical world of mudblood's and half-blood's and the like. Too many non-magical folk now have power in our world- that is what he says.
He also talks about the times when the wizarding folk lead huge armies against mortal man, and how we fought against dragons and trolls and protected our own people from the devastations of this world.
Centaurs, werewolves, goblins, they all hid away in the wild not ever daring to confront a wizard and tell them that they want equal rights. No, they used to serve us much like the house-elves do today.
This, Lord Voldemort, he wants to take the structure of the world back to that time. He seeks supporters so that he can overthrow the minister of magic and take his place…" The three other Slytherin's stared at Bella in shock.
"Why have you not mentioned this before? Where does he meet? How can we join?" Lucius asked, standing upright with eagerness to join the fight. Bella smiled coyly,
"In time my dear Lucius, in time. I am going along with Rod in a few weeks. I'll see how it goes and see if this guy is the real thing. If he is, I'll find out how to get you all involved. Just know that if this guy is the real thing, which he probably is, he means war." The last word fell hard on the ears of those in the bubble who all fell silent in its wake.
"War…" Kadina murmured, intrigued at how the word rolled of her lips and landed heavily. "It has been many years since any great war." She noted, unsure about what her statement meant or what she intended to say afterwards. She was about to speak again when Professor Slughorn entered the common room,
"OFF TO BED ALL OF YOU!" He shouted at the milling Slytherin's in the common room, his eyes landed on the four Slytherin's in the corner and he motioned to them to leave. They obeyed but he could not help but feel that they were planning something strange. He shook away his thoughts and waddled off to bed.