The Dark Conspiracy
DISCLAIMER: Just watched Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 for the 50th time (no kidding, I keep count) and sad to say, I still don't own it, no matter my devotion.
Chapter 24: Meanwhile
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Argen stood by a tall stained glass window. The thick curtains were partially drawn as the dim moonlight streamed through. His amber eyes mirrored the night sky as he looked on thoughtfully.
"Sire," a quiet but nervous voice stole his attention. He looked at the cause of his interruption.
"Kohl, rise my childe. What news do you bring?"
Kohl swallowed nervously as he handed a piece of rolled up parchment to his sire and hastily backed away. Argen snatched up the yellowing piece of paper and frowned.
"This is the missive I have sent Salvatore! Did he not get it?" The blond vampire asked angrily. Kohl let out a deep breath.
"He –he did, my lord,"
"Then –what is this –doing –here?" Argen bellowed. Kohl flinched at his master's tone but spoke on.
"Sire, I –I believe Salvatore has sent you a reply –that came by Wizarding owl post –"
"What?" Argen asked, surprised. He certainly did not expect that. He gave Kohl a glare and then proceeded to turn the parchment he was holding over. A short, untidy script was indeed written on the back:
Bring it on, you git.
Sincerely,
Harry Potter
A.k.a. Boy-Who-Lived, Man-Who-Conquered-The-Dark-Lord, Quibbler Correspondent (At Large, if I have something to say about it,) Lord of Potter Manor, The Chosen One, and apparently, according to you, Juven Salvatore…
P.S. I bow to no one. Especially not to an ugly old pervert like you.
P.P.S. Severus is mine. BACK. OFF.
Xxx
Argen crumpled the note angrily.
"Who does he think he is? How dare he disrespect me? He cannot disrespect me! This –this changes –everything!" Argen yelled, throwing the small crumpled paper at Kohl. "What does he mean Custos is his? Custos may have already warned him –turned against us –but that man only belongs to me and no one else!" The blonde's amber eyes were now a violent shade of red.
"Si –sire, if I may," Kohl volunteered. Argen eyed him with a feral look in his pale face.
"What –is –it –Kohl?"
Kohl took a deep breath. He really hated delivering the bad news. But being the most junior of Argen's children (except for Custos, who was his master's newest childe), he was stuck with the dreaded task. Maybe he can get lucky again and get away with it unscathed. He bowed his head.
"Sire, our source has confirmed –not only did Custos inform Salvatore of our plans –but he also seemed to have formed a –what wizards call –a true bond –"
"What?" Argen spat out. "This cannot be!" Argen grabbed a fistful of Kohl's robes. "Custos is mine! He is a vampire! He cannot form a bond with another wizard. I will not allow it!" He then tossed a whimpering Kohl aside.
"Ferum!"
"Yes, sire?" A calm redhead vampire entered the room.
"Find Salvatore –do not wait for the ministry function –I want him dead! He will be of no use to us if he is unyielding. I want Custos back here!"
"My sire, I –"
"You heard me, Ferum! Salvatore cannot have a bond with one of my own –especially Custos – he's mine!"
Ferum furrowed his brows.
"Not to be disrespectful my Lord, but you seem to favor Custos among us, all of a sudden –"
Argen gave him a smoldering gaze.
"You are not to question me, Ferum!" Argen paced around him dangerously. "You will get Salvatore before –before he strengthens his bond with Custos –I shall not lose hold on any one of my children!"
"But do we have to kill Salvatore, my sire?" Ferum asked, bowing his head. "What of our plans? Surely years of planning –"
"What –do you not understand –about killing Salvatore?" Argen eyed his second-in-command menacingly. "He is now a threat. Our plan changes. We attack the ministry directly. No matter if the serum Custos is making is finished or not."
Ferum's face registered surprise but he did not voice it out. Instead, he bowed his head lower and stepped back. "Kohl!" Ferum addressed the black-haired vampire who was still on the floor.
"Y-yes?" Kohl had just began to upright himself.
Ferum eyed him pointedly. Kohl nodded hastily and left the room. Ferum then turned to his sire.
"My lord," Ferum then approached the blond vampire. "Why do you seem to value Custos more than our plan now? Is there something that I must know?" He then proceeded to touch his sire's shoulder lightly. Argen eyed Ferum's hand warily then shrugged.
"Leave me alone, Ferum," Argen snarled impatiently. He turned his back on the redhead.
"Sire, if you need me now, I –"
"I have no need of you. It is Custos that I shall need for our plan to commence. If we cannot turn Salvatore… Custos shall take his place as my mate."
Ferum's eyes widened but he did not say a thing. Argen continued.
"I have waited long enough to find a worthy mate –hundreds of years –to meet a powerful being. After Salvatore, Custos is the most powerful magical being –I shall need his full loyalty. I should've done it before, if only I didn't think that Salvatore would be cooperative. But this development on their bond changes everything. I cannot let them consummate it or everything we have worked so hard for will all fall apart. If they realize the full potential of their Wizarding bond –they will become unstoppable. We cannot let that happen. We shall need to break them." Argen said with a tome of finality in his voice. He then sighed. "Just let me know if you have already managed to subdue Salvatore. I have plans for him before he is killed. That will teach him not to disrespect me and not to meddle with what is mine."
Ferum looked like he had wanted to protest but he kept his mouth shut.
"Very well, my lord, as you wish," he curtly nodded before he let himself out of the room, leaving Argen alone to his thoughts.
'I know what you're thinking, Salvatore,' Argen mused, resuming his place by the window. 'You are indeed wise. But the thing is, I will always be one step ahead of you… Too bad I will have to kill you, if not, then both you and Custos will be sharing my bed with me,' Argen smiled mischievously. 'Perhaps, that could be arranged before I dispose of you…'
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Draco Malfoy sat by the fire in the Malfoy Manor library. He has still yet to get a hold of his godfather. He sighed as he thought back to what that mud –muggle born Granger, well, Weasley, had said.
'What is Uncle Severus doing speaking with Potter?' he thought. 'He's been around and away for three years and now that he's back, he doesn't even come to visit. Now he's consorting with Potter? I thought they hated each other. Something does not quite add up…' True enough, Draco and Harry had declared a truce… even enough for them to be considered as 'friends'. But old habits die hard for Draco. He still called the raven-haired man 'Potter' no matter how much coaxing Harry did.
The blonde then stood up and approached an ornate-looking desk. After the war and upon his father's incarceration, the young Malfoy has taken the mantle of the Lord of the Manor (aside from his Seeker stint for the Arrows, of course; they were starting the season with a heavy line up and they were bound to crush the Cannons –those oranges were a big joke in his personal opinion, especially Weasley). Draco sat behind what used to be his father's desk. He rested his elbows on top of it as he stared off into space thoughtfully. All of a sudden, a soft pop was heard.
"Master Malfoy," a house elf bowed. "There is someone at the door to see you."
Draco frowned. He glanced at the antique clock by the mantelpiece. It was past dinnertime.
"Who is it?" he asked the house elf suspiciously. He did not receive guests –certainly not at this hour.
"Sir –I –" the house elf stammered. "He –he refuses to give his name. He –he says, he is but a concerned friend, sir,"
Draco sighed. If he had not been idle…
"Let him in,"
The house elf popped away. After a few minutes, Draco heard the door to the library open. He stood up from his seat to greet his uninvited guest.
"Good evening, you must already know that I am Draco Malfoy," he said snidely as he eyed the newcomer. The man had black hair and black eyes and a complexion even paler than Draco's. The man dressed elegantly but he still had that certain edge to his demeanor –and certainly, he was no 'friend' of Draco's or his family. It was the first time he has seen this guy. The stranger nodded.
"Yes, I have come to warn you. I –I have a message."
Draco raised his eyebrows.
"You claim to be a friend; you claim to warn me about –an impending danger, I assume?"
The stranger nodded.
"But not for you; for someone –someone you know –"
Draco held his hand up.
"What makes you think I would care about that person?" Surely, he was curious as to whom the person was and what danger is to come upon them, but Draco Malfoy was a Slytherin through and through. He did not involve himself in the problems of other people if he can avoid it. The stranger looked at him curiously.
"I know he matters to you. You need to warn him and his bonded –"
"Wait, who?" Draco asked. "Who are you talking about anyway?" This was already giving the young lord a headache.
"I am speaking about Custos –"
"Who? I do not know anybody named as such,"
"Of course," the stranger smiled, rather creepily. "You would not know of his vampire name –"
Draco's eyes widened.
"Who –who's a vampire?" He back away from the stranger nervously. 'Who are these people? What do they want? Vampires?'
The stranger bared his fangs.
"That, I am, Draco Malfoy," he then retracted them. "And so, is Severus Snape, your godfather."
Draco paled.
"Is that supposed to be a joke?" Draco had half a mind to garb his wand and blast this intruder out of his property; but for some reason, he couldn't move. 'Wait, did this guy just say that Uncle Sev is –is a vampire?' He glanced back at the black-haired stranger. There was certainly no hint of a smile now playing on the man's thin lips. Draco swallowed nervously.
"Who –who are you? And what did you do to my godfather?"
The stranger then smiled slightly.
"My name is not important, young Draco. You must warn your godfather. His and his bonded's life is in danger from the Sangres –"
"Sangres?" Draco asked curiously. "And –what –who are you talking about? My godfather is bonded? He is bound to no one –"
"Ah, but that is the truth." The stranger said meaningfully. Draco just continued to stare. The stranger then shrugged.
"He is bonded to Juven Salvatore –but of course, you know him by another name –"
"Who?" Draco demanded. "Who is he bonded to?"
The vampire shook his head.
"Wizards have forgotten the dead language –"
"Latin?" Draco inquired. "Then –then Juven Salvatore is a –Latin name?" He then racked his head for the English translation. "Young savior?"
The stranger's eyes brightened.
Draco's on the other hand, widened even more. He only knew of one person who went by that moniker.
"Ha –Harry Potter?" he gasped. "My godfather is bonded to Harry Potter? But –but –" he then eyed the vampire, who stood watching him, looking amused at his reaction. Draco had had enough. He then drew his wand once more and pointed it at the dark creature.
"Who really are you and what are you talking about? Who sent you? Why are you warning me? What –is your name?"
The vampire looked unthreatened by Draco. He pushed the blonde's wand away.
"We shall talk, but put that toy away,"
Draco looked as if he wanted to protest but he finally relented. He lowered the wand but continued to eye the vampire warily.
"Give me your name, vampire and just tell me what you want!"
The black haired stranger gave him a macabre smile.
"My name is Kohl. And I want to warn you."
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A/N: Now, Draco gets involved more in our conspiracy. And who would have thought Kohl would…? Anyway, next chapter, we'll know more about this development. And sorry no Snarry interaction on this one. I needed to break off the tension for a while and besides, this was a necessary interlude for our story to move forward. Snarry will resume next chapter. Still, I'm dying to know what you think, Please review! -Eastwoodgirl