Nicciomimi96: This is the shortest chapter but I hope it will still be enjoyable, I tried to make it longer but then would have been rambling about things that I didn't think had a place in this FanFiction
Chapter Six: The Meeting
Harry followed Voldemort through the dark halls, how he knew it was dark with his new eyesight was that he could feel the cold the shadows had which was an interesting feeling, he found himself shying away from the shadows. Voldemort seemed to be done talking as he didn't say a word as they walked through the halls, Harry wondered why, was he waiting for Harry to try and make his escape? What was going through the Dark Lord's head?
"I'm sure as you have guessed, your silence is all I need in this meeting, you are not to say a word, no matter what comes to light." Voldemort's voice suddenly broke the silence and carried back to him, he felt the snakes on his head hiss in nervousness. No matter what came to light? Was he joking? Of course Harry would react but maybe that's what he was waiting for, maybe that was why Voldemort was taking him to this meeting to see how far he could push Harry before he snapped.
Voldemort stopped as he came to double doors at the end of the hallway, he opened the doors with a wave of his wand before entering into a dark room and over to a throne standing on a raised platform, Harry followed. He felt like a lost puppy, he didn't like that feeling and the snakes on his head near his face licked his cheeks which he found strangely comforting, he watched as Voldemort sat down on the thrown and he frowned not sure what to do.
He stood there for a moment before Voldemort gestured to his right side, Harry grit his teeth and walked over before stopping and turning to the hall before them, he had to do this, he had to be submissive for now. Earn his trust and don't do anything stupid he told himself, with a wave of his wand Voldemort opened the double doors at the other end of the hall and people in black cloaks poured in, there was so many that for a moment Harry felt a thrill of fear run through him.
Once everyone had found their place Harry noticed something , the ones with the white masks were front and centre, the ones with the black masks were behind them and the ones without masks at all were at the very back. He was brought out of his realization when Voldemort spoke, "My followersss, as you can see, Harry Potter has completed hisss transformation, he will no longer be a threat to usss and our goals, everything hasss been set into motion and I have a task for you, step forward if you feel up to thisss."
Harry steeled himself for whatever the task would be, he knew it was going to be bad, that it was not only going to be carried out but also as a test for him, Voldemort was playing his cards carefully but Harry didn't know what was coming. He thought about all the things that Voldemort could say before there was a long pause before Voldemort spoke again, "I need assassinsss, onesss who are confident in their power, the taskk, to infiltrate Hogwartsss and kill Albusss Dumbledore."
The words sent cold down Harry's spine, the snakes on his head froze in their movement, No, god no, not Dumbledore, he was the greatest hope the light had, he was their leader, if he died everything would fall apart but Harry guessed that was the idea. He thought for a moment, was there any way he could make Voldemort think this was a bad idea? No…but he had to do something, he would have to come up with a plan to stop this.
"Of course with spiesss on the inside thisss will be an easier task than once thought but still a challenge, if you are ready for this challenge step up, bow and proclaim your devotion to thisss task." Voldemort said, his red eyes glancing over to Harry for a moment. Harry's stomach dropped, he didn't know if Voldemort had read his mind or if he was just watching Harry to see if he would have any reaction to what was being said.
Several people started to come forward, three white masks, four black and seven without, he couldn't name them, he didn't know who any one of them was seeming as the most likely ones he would have known had their faces covered. Even if he was able to figure out a plan he would have to know who was being sent on the mission, he would have to name names, he looked to Voldemort as he rose from the throne and said, "Proclaim."
"We devote ourselves to this task, no matter the consequence, if we are captured we will never submit and die willingly, if we die so be it, when we succeed we will rise the Dark Mark into the sky in your honor for this task shall be in your name and when in your name there is no such thing as failure." The group said in passionate voices, Harry felt like he was watching Knights before their King and in a way he guessed it was, that must big up Voldemort's ego, to think himself a King.
"Rise." Voldemort hissed before standing, "Thisss task is a dangerousss one and when you return victoriousss you will receive my praise, my pride and a gift of coming into my favor, our spy within isss by thisss time getting the castle ready to receive you, when the time comesss I will call you, you will answer and the spy will let you through, kill only when necessary, for magical blood is too preciousss to be spilled and you never know if they are pure or mud at first glance."
Harry felt anger course through him at the words 'mud' and 'pure', the snakes on his head hissed and swayed causing some eyes to go to him, he took a deep breath and comforting himself in the thought that no one other then Dumbledore would be killed unless something bad happened. It was then that he noticed one of the white masked people remove their mask, he felt rage inside him at the woman who was revealed causing the snakes on his head to hiss louder.
Bellatrix Lestrange.
She looked to Voldemort with her eyes full of adoration and awe, so much so that he felt sick to his stomach and noticed Voldemort nod his head towards her and saw her eyes light up at the attention, Harry felt disgust. She stepped forward and bent down low before looking up into Voldemort's eyes and her face was glowing when Voldemort looked back, she asked, "My Lord, we are wondering, what is to be done with the boy now he is under your control?"
If anyone else had asked Harry was sure they would have been tortured on the spot but instead a look of almost fondness came across Voldemort's face which was interesting to see, Harry knew that Bellatrix had been his student so guessed that is where the fondness came from. Harry waited for the man to speak but there was silence for a long time and everyone shifted around in nervousness, it seemed silence from Voldemort usually wasn't a good sign and Harry filed that away for later.
"You wish to know what will become of the boy?" Voldemort asked to the room and all the white masked Death Eaters nodded and some of the others shifted in interest, this seemed to amuse Voldemort to no end. Harry watched Voldemort carefully and saw those red eyes flash towards him again, Bellatrix looked to him out the corner of her eyes and scowled, Voldemort said, "He will become something which only I can control, something preciousss and to be protected, you should all keep that in mind but…"
Voldemort stopped speaking and turned his head towards Harry before looking into his eyes with a promise sparkling in the red, Harry felt a thrill of fear once again go through him, "He shall also be watched, for nothing can change in a night, he is to be protected and yet feared, should he ever come out of my control he will never see the light of day again, if he triesss to help those we fight against the punishment will be severe."
Those words struck a chord in Harry, could Voldemort have been listening to his thoughts? It was the most likely thing to have happened but his attention was taken away when Voldemort spoke again, "His name is to become taboo, anyone who speaksss it shall receive pain unlike any other, he is to be kept by my side until I deem him trustworthy, everything about him isss now mind and should anyone harm him without cause…"
"They will be killed." Voldemort finished as he turned back to his followers, looking at Bellatrix for longer than anyone else, Bellatrix bowed her head in understanding but her face was displeased, Harry watched her carefully. She was the one who was most likely going to be causing him trouble and he had to be prepared to be pushed, she would make him angry and then cause him to lash out, he knew that, that is what she was thinking at that moment as she smirked slightly.
"Now, news, I wish to know what isss going on in the world." Voldemort returned to his throne next to Harry and Bellatrix moved back into the crowd of white but didn't put her mask back on, Harry breathed a sigh of relief. The Death Eaters who chose the task stepped back into line as well and waited for the first person to speak, a follower with a white mask stepped forward and Lucius Malfoy's voice came from behind the mask.
"My Lord, things are going well for us in the Ministry, even with Fudge gone the Minster position is in favor for two of our spies inside, whichever one is the winner we still have control, also, the Ministry know nothing of Potter's disappearance yet, it seems Dumbledore had not seeked help." Lucius said then stepped back into line and Harry wondered what on earth Dumbledore was thinking, was he trying to hide everything so things would be easier in the war?
"My Lord." The shock of a familiar voice went through his core, Severus Snape, donning a black mask stepped forward, Harry looked to him with intensity and knew he had been right all along about the Potions Master, no one had believed him but here was the proof in front of him. Snape didn't look at him as he spoke, "Dumbledore searches for Potter, he is scouring every place he knew that I have told him you have been, he had called the Order who are circling the school in hopes of better protection."
"They have sent Lupin to the werewolves once more in hope of their help but of course as you know they are on your side and nothing will come of this, our other spy inside has made great achievements in fixing what is needed and it will likely be ready within the next week." Snape finished and Harry saw a little tilt in his head so that Harry would be more visible to him, Voldemort seemed to notice this as well as his eyes narrowed and he waved his hand for Snape to step down.
He stepped back inside the line and Harry then noticed a pattern as some nameless one began to speak, the white masked ones were the elite, they were Voldemort's most trusted and powerful followers and so were at the front. The black masked ones were the spy's, there were many of them from all different places and if anything to go by the accent of the next one who stepped forward they came from all placed were everywhere in the world.
The mask less ones were new or unimportant followers, it was interesting to see the difference between them, the Elite held themselves tall, you could feel the pride and power oozing of them which was almost annoying to the senses. The spy's held themselves hunched, as if they could slip into the shadows as soon as you looked away, the unmasked ones held themselves with worry, fear and yearning, you could tell they would do anything to be bumped up the hierarchy.
They were from everywhere, the thought came to him, Voldemort didn't just want to conquer Britain, he wanted the whole magical world, it was frightening to think of Voldemort would maybe one day be the ruler of all magical kind and this was his starting point. Harry envisioned Death Eaters everywhere, the destruction they would cause and the death toll that would surely follow, most of the dead being Muggles and Muggleborns.
He heard a pleased hiss come from Voldemort and knew the man was in his head, it seemed he had seen what Harry's mind had come up with, a nameless follower in front of them seemed to sweat at the sound but continued saying, "Gringotts has been updating their protections, it seems they are not just willing to fight us but also the Ministry to keep their kind safe from the war, the inside talk is that they are waiting to see who wins and then decide who to follow."
Voldemort nodded, seemingly in thought before he smiled, it was a cruel smile but a smile all the same, he nodded and gestured for the next one to come forward, it seemed like this was a pattern, one would step forward, share their news and when done another would take their place. Harry wondered if Voldemort ever thought about his followers as something more than just bodies which he would put in front of himself to win the war.
Nicciomimi96: What is Dumbledore thinking? I have no idea hehe