The forests of Albania held many secrets. For thirteen years, they had been the home of Lord Voldemort after he fell for the first time, living as little more than a petty scavenger. A millennia prior, it had been the place where Helena Ravenclaw had died, a victim of petty jealously and rage. The forest had also served as the custodian of the revered Diadem of Ravenclaw for centuries, until Voldemort had taken it and turned it into one of his horcruxes, long since destroyed. Given its vast history, it had seemed to be the perfect place for the Pure Order to establish a base, build their numbers and construct their greatest weapon, far from the prying eyes of any magical governments.
Currently, a blanket of snow covered the forest, creating a stark contrast to the fleet of armored blimps that floated above the white world. Spectacular and isolated, the forest had been altered significantly since the Order's arrival: the ground tunneled into, creating a vast network of tunnels and chambers, with miles upon miles of power cables planted into the ground, all engineered for a single purpose. To fuel the most powerful magical weapon ever created in Wizarding history, one that made the Elder Wand look like a toy wand. From overhead, at first look, it looked like a massive meteor crater, a hole that dropped into a black void. But, it was far more than that.
Those who had remade it had dubbed it: Pheonix Base. Rather ironic, given that Albus Dumbledore, the legendary hero who had stood as a symbol against Voldemort and his Death Eaters, had owned a phoenix.
As additional measures of security, this particular region had been rendered unplottable, as well as Fidelius Charm that had been cast over the entire region, with only members of the Pure Order serving as Secret-Keepers. No outside contacts were allowed to attend. With extreme loyalty from the Enforcers, there was no chance of any magical government learning the location.
Hollowed out of one snow-covered mountain was a central control facility, which served as the main garrison for Pheonix Base. Visually, it was an impressive sight: the main entrance was draped in Pure Order banners on opposite sides, draped in black, with an orange phoenix with its wings spread and clutching a trident in the center of the banner. This base was essentially the heart of the Pure Order. Where the Collectors brought new acquisitions, where Enforcers trained to become the best. Technicians and workers bustled throughout the complex, hard at work to ensure final preparations went smoothly.
However, entire workstations fell silent at the sight of Lord Caldrin and General Parkinson as they passed, focused on reaching their destination. The tension between the two was so high that anyone could see it. Neither man spoke to the other, the only sound coming from the echo of their footsteps.
"Hem, hem!"Both men stopped at the sight of the woman standing in front of them.
"High Inquisitor." General Parkinson stated calmly.
Dressed in a slim fitting black uniform, Dolores Umbridge had barely changed since the end of the Second Wizarding War. In personality at least. She was still quite repulsive to look at, resembling a large pale toad. Her mousy brown hair had long since greyed, which starkly contrasted against the pink bow in her hair. That was just one of the many effects left on her after her stay in Azkaban, where she had been sentenced after the fall of Voldemort for her crimes. As far as the Wizarding World was concerned, she had died there fifteen years ago, and lay buried at sea. In truth, however, she had been freed by the Pure Order, faking her death with an imperiused decoy, who had been forced to take Polyjuice potion until he died soon after, ironically copying the same idea used decades prior to free Barty Crouch Jr from Azkaban. In order to avoid detection, several guards had been bribed to cremate the body before it could be inspected. Not that anyone had claimed it, of course.
But the most disturbing part of her, by far, was her smile, which looked like one a predator would have right before consuming its prey. That was one of the very few things both Caldrin and Parksinson would agree on, though neither would say it to the other.
"He is waiting for you." She pivoted and walked down a narrow hallway, smiling the whole way, her hands folded in front of her. Parkinson and Lord Caldrin followed, until they reached a large door, protected by two Elite Enforcers, clad in a specialized white-coated metal armor, as well as bearing several weapons strapped to their waists. In perfect synchronization, they stepped aside, allowing the door to swing open. The room inside was… grand, to say the least, reaching up at least a story. A large throne sat in the center of the room, flanked by two more Pure Order banners. More of the white-clad guards stood around the room, silent and unmoving. The entire east side of the wall was a massive window that served as an observation deck, overlooking the entire base. At the center of this window was where he stood, silent, as he observed the base and the small figures of the workers and patrols below. Supreme Leader Salazar. Leader of the Pure Order and it's armies.
"Thank you, High Inquisitor. You may go." Umbridge gave a small bow and left, leaving Parkinson and Caldrin alone with Supreme Leader Salazar. From the back, they could only see the back of his head and robe, but it was still intimidating. Standing in shadow, the tall, slender man seemingly loomed over the other two men, despite only being taller than them by a few inches.
"My disappointment in you both cannot be overstated." His voice cut into them worse than blades. Parkinson flinched.
"The owl will soon be in the hands of the Resistance," Salazar declaimed, his voice deep, soothing, and very much that of someone in complete control, "giving the enemy the means to locate Harry Potter and bring to their cause a most powerful ally."
Caldrin stood impassive, neither commenting nor visibly betraying his thoughts.
Parkinson dipped his head by way of apology and took a step toward the dais. "Supreme Leader, I take full responsibility for th—" He suddenly choked off, gasping as he clutched at his throat. Salazar turned, bringing his face into full view. What surprised many about Supreme Leader Salazar was that he was actually quite… normal in appearance. He looked like a man in his early 60s, although no one knew his true age. His face had a certain ruggedness to it, and surprisingly no scars, wounds or deformities His hair was short and in spikes, thoroughly grey. His eyes were bright blue, and seemed to be able to pierce into anyone they fell upon, thoroughly analyzing them. Those same eyes looked into Parkinson, an expression of annoyance on his face as he twirled his wand between his fingers. Parkinson gestured desperately.
"S-S-Su-" Salazar sighed as he flicked his wand, causing Parkinson to let out a loud gasp as he fell to his knees, taking in deep breaths. He rolled his eyes. "Your apologies are not a strategy, General. We are here now. It is what happens next that matters. Consider yourself fortunate that I am not Voldemort. He would not have been so forgiving." Parkinson grunted as he climbed to his feet.
Aware that he had just been spared an unknown but certainly unpleasant fate, the officer spoke up immediately. "I do have a proposition, Supreme Leader. The weapon. We have it. It is ready. I believe the time has come to use it." Salazar looked intrigued.
"Against?"
"The Ministry of Magic. Their center of government. We will shatter the Vow of Secrecy and at long last reveal ourselves." Salazar nodded.
"Go on…" Parkinson, looking uplifted, continued.
"Our spies have reported that The International Confederation of Wizards will be converging in London in two days, to debate the current standing of the British wizarding community. The president of MACUSA himself will be there, a symbol of goodwill. With one strike, we can destroy both the Ministry of Magic and the International Confederation, and decapitate the entire system. In the chaos that will follow such a cataclysmic event, the Resistance will have no choice but to investigate an attack of such devastating scale. General Granger will not ignore it, she's too noble that way. That bravado Gryffindor spirit. They will throw all their resources into trying to discover its source. So they have no choice but to investigate fully, and in so doing…"
"Reveal themselves." Salazar was clearly pleased.
"And if they don't…we've destroyed them. It would make sense, after all. Granger doesn't seem the type to work far from her comfort zone. Furthermore, much of the Resistance hierarchy consists of British wizards, thus it's highly likely that many of their loved ones will die in the aftermath. Even if the Resistance isn't destroyed, we can destroy their spirit and their will to fight. When the rest of the wizarding world sees our true power, they will submit. And then, nothing will stand between us and the muggles."
"Yes, yes, yes!" Salazar said in satisfaction. "Extreme. Ambitious. I agree that the time for such measures has come, the time of subtlety is long since past. Go, General. Oversee the necessary preparations."
"Yes, Supreme Leader." Bowing stiffly, Parkinson turned and exited the chamber. He took long strides, walking briskly, clearly pleased with himself.
Caldrin and Salazar silently watched the general go.
"I see why the Sorting Hat placed him in Slytherin. Truly ambitious, that one. Cunning and calculating. Takes after his mother." Salazar paused as he looked at Caldrin.
"I've waited so long for this. Thirty years… thirty years of building, planning, secrecy, manipulation, bribing, scuttling like rats. But of course, I had long dreamed of the Order before then. Restoring order to the Wizarding world, through both magical and technological superiority. I had hoped to start laying the foundations far earlier. However, the Dark Lord and I had… differing opinions, in simple words. Dark wizards were far more inclined to follow his ideals than mine. But, when Voldemort fell that night, it also created opportunity. With the dark lord gone, his men fled, shattered and divided, utterly broken. I brought what was left together. And thus, my dreams at long-last became reality."
When next Salazar spoke there was an intimacy in his voice, a familiarity that stood in sharp contrast to the commanding tone he had used with Parkinson.
"I have never had a student with such promise—before you."
Caldrin straightened. "It is your teachings that make me strong, Supreme Leader. More powerful than everyone else."
Salazar demurred. "It is far more than that. It is where you are from. What you are made of. The finest sculptor cannot fashion a masterpiece from poor materials. He must have something pure, something strong, something unbreakable, with which to work. I have—you. My greatest triumph." He paused, reminiscing.
"Lord Caldrin, I have personally seen two Dark Lords rise and fall: Grindelwald and Lord Voldemort. The grand plans. The attacks and terror they wrought. The gullible prattle on about the triumph of pureblood over muggle blood, of individualism and free will. As if such things were solid and real instead of simple subjective judgments. The historians have it all wrong. Do you know what the true reasons were for their downfalls?"
Caldrin nodded once. "Sentiment. And arrogance."
"Yes. Such foolish mistakes. At least Grindelwald's were minor. Ultimately, his fall came from being overpowered in a duel with a skilled equal. Voldemort's were staggering, to say the least. His decisions regarding his horcruxes were one of the most idiotic I've ever seen. Choosing such recognizable historic objects and placing them in locations connected to his past… had he not been so arrogant and simply chosen commonplace objects and hidden them in unreachable locations, the war would have ended very differently. And then, there was his obsession with the Elder Wand. Too addicted to the lure of its power. Fool should have kept using his original wand the moment he learned that Potter's wand had been destroyed. Then there was his underestimation of other magical creatures, such as house elves. He failed to understand their magic. Yet, his biggest mistake, by far, was his failure to understand love, as well as its effect on others. Nowhere was this more apparent than with Severus Snape. Had Lord Voldemort realized the effect Lily Evans had on Severus Snape… mistake upon mistake upon mistake… " He paused as he looked at his apprentice. Caldrin nodded. He had heard all this before.
"Do you understand what I'm telling you?" He nodded.
"No one thing led to the Dark Lord's fall. It was an accumulation of mistakes. All of which we've learned from. Do not underestimate our enemies, under any circumstances." Salazar nodded, clearly pleased. Caldrin assured him confidently. "By the grace of your training, I will not be seduced. My resolve will not falter." Salazar nodded.
"There has been an awakening. Have you noticed it?"
Caldrin nodded. "Yes."
"The pieces are coming together on the board, Lord Caldrin. Soon, the game will begin. That is what war is, a game. Each move must be calculated, precise. One wrong move, if you hesitate or falter…"
"There is no need for concern." Despite the Supreme Leader's cautioning, Caldrin's assurance remained unbounded. "Together we will destroy the Resistance—and the last Potter."
"Perhaps," Salazar conceded. Then, he turned, looking straight into Caldrin's mask.
"There's something more. One of our agents came through, at long last. The owl has resurfaced." Caldrin perked up. Now, was his chance to redeem himself.
"Where?" Salazar smiled.
"Apparently, the owl is in the hands of your uncle… Ronald Weasley." Caldrin froze, shock and surprise taking him over for the briefest of moments before he regained himself.
"He means nothing to me." Salazar cocked his head by the smallest of margins, regarding Caldrin with a curious expression.
"Furthermore, it seems he is in the company of his son, Hugo Weasley, as well as the half-giant known as Hagrid." Knowing full well that Salazar was testing him, Caldrin remained firm.
"Irrelevent. They mean nothing to me." Salazar looked at him with intrigue.
"Even you, master of the Knights of Slytherin, have never faced such a test. Your first trial was a bit of a… fluke to say the least." Caldrin remained firm.
"I will not fail you. My allegiance is with you. No one will stand in our way."
Salazar nodded, looking back out at Phoenix Base. "We shall see. We shall see…"