Chapter 15: What's In A Name?
Ministry of Magic Offices, Wizarding World...
Harry James Potter had been interrogating the few strange black robed wizards left over from previous had been the wizard that attacked Ginny and Albus Severus before they ran into Regulus it had not been for Snape's son Harry could not have imagined what would have become of them given how this mysterious group of masked wizards' capacity for destruction escalated the previous night.
The harsh brown eyes of the now unmasked wizard glared murderously at the former recognized boy who lived.
"Tell me why you are going after my friends and family!?" demanded Harry irate.
The assailant simply smirked.
"You actually believe that you have a right to demand anything from me boy?" he asked in a gruff tone.
Stripped of his thick black robes that made up the bulk of his size, the assailant wasn't so intimidating...Just old and clearly embittered about something.
Harry could see the strange letters carved into his left forearm.
"Did...Did you harm yourself?" he asked stunned by the degree of fanaticism this wizard had been inflicted by. "S.B.D...What does that mean?"
The assailant smirked.
"So you wish to know of the brotherhood." He said pleased. "About time...we wondered when you would finally take us seriously...too bad for the minister of Magic and that Granger chit eh Potter?"
"You are not to say anything about my friends!" said Harry showing a ferocity not seen since the days of Voldemort.
The assailant continued to smirk evidently amused by this.
"So be it." He said. "Arcturus will see to their end in due time."
Harry blinked for a moment.
"Arcturus?" he asked stunned. "Is he your leader?"
The assailant chuckled.
"Still slow on the up-take?" he said"And you are the supposed hero of the wizarding world...soon all will be made clear to you."
Harry didn't know what this meant but he wasn't about to play "riddle games" when fanatics were attaching people he cared about. It was only a matter of time before they killed someone.
The green eyed wizard drew his wand and sent the assailant flying into a nearby wall and bound him with vicious magic.
"You are you people and why are you coming after me and my family!?" he asked in an aggressive growl.
The assailant was silent as he struggled to get free of the binds.
"Tell me the names of those other wizards!" The green eyed wizard demanded.
"W-we are the S.B.D." He said painstakingly. "That's all you'll get from me."
As much as Harry wished he could get more information it was indeed all he could get out of this assailant as the gruff wizard slipped into unconsciousness.
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Room 201, St. Mungo's Hospital, Muggle World...
Rage filled the heavily tested auror as he tried to piece together why all of this had been happening. He had gone to see Hermione, hoping she could shed some light into this strange situation.
The amber eyed witch had been puzzled trying to piece together the details of this case as well.
"What else did he say to you?" She asked feeling as if there was some detail missing.
"That was it...Mione." said Harry stuck in a mental rut. "Just that the leader's name was Arcturus and they were all called S.B.D."
"S.B.D?" asked Hermione just as confused as he had been. "Well that doesn't tell us much."
"I know." agreed Harry. "But we have to keep trying...What if they kill someone next time?"
Hermione thought for a moment.
"Well, we know their leader is called Arcturus and they often unleash a double headed serpent into the sky when they prepare to attack." said the amber eyed witch seemingly in deep concentration. "What are they called again?"
"S.B.D." replied Harry.
"S most likely stands for...Serpent given the snake sigil." said Hermione doing some figuring.
Harry's green eyes widened.
"I think you may be onto something...Mione." He said. "B...B stands for Brotherhood or something like that...at least that's what that freak told me before he lost consciousness."
"Not brotherhood...you're thinking Voldemort's era...this is something new...something modern...yet simple." said the brilliant witch as she continued to do her figuring.
"Brothers." said Harry the word sounded simple enough.
"What do they do?" asked Hermione still figuring."As a whole I mean...what's their groups sole mission?"
The green eyed auror sighed.
"I don't know...come after me I guess?" he asked.
"It's more than that." said Hermione. "It's like they need to make a statement judging by the damage they did..."
"That's it!" shouted Harry in understanding.
"S.B.D...Serpent Brothers Of Destruction." said Hermione feeling it click as well.
"Serpent Brothers Of Destruction." said Harry suddenly feeling himself fall away as Hermione and the hospital got further away.
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Unknown Location, Unknown World...
A Seventeen year old Severus Snape stood at the cliff side watching the angry sea crash against the rocks below.
The teenage wizard's lengthy raven hair and ebony clad attire blowing in the wake of the blowing winds. It had been cold out but he paid it no mind.
He had pressing business to attend to.
Moments later, a twenty-eight year old handsome wizard with piercing gray eyes and a winning smile stepped from a cloud of thick black smoke.
"Well, it looks like you've been here a while, little brother." said the wizard known as Lucius Abraxas Malfoy.
Snape smirked in amusement.
"Obviously." He said in a dry tone. "So...has he arrived yet or did you barely arrive as well?"
"Calm down old man." replied Snape with a smirk. "I'm sure Reg will be along in a bit."
"I got your old, sodding brat." said Lucius with narrowed gray eyes.
Severus and Lucius had been delighted to see the arrival of none other than Regulus Black as he dusted off his elegant suit and moved toward his fellow death eaters.
"Severus, Lucius...good to see you mates." he said evidently pleased despite the serious expression that had been on his face when he initially arrived.
"Don't you good to see you me, what's the meaning of this so called gathering?" asked Lucius bitterly.
"Lay off the boy Lucius." said Severus walking over to his younger friend and putting his arm around the younger wizard's neck. "Go on tell us, little brother what's so urgent that we had to meet in private?"
Regulus Black sighed.
"I-I don't know how to say this to you gents, except to say it." he began. "The dark lord is not at all the leader we thought he'd be...the truth is, Tom is fast becoming something of a tyrant...he doesn't give a damn about us or the cause...he's just in it for self-gratification and power."
"Well I know that." said Lucius bitterly. "I've known since the beginning actually."
Severus narrowed his eyes at Lucius.
"And this is the first time I am hearing about this because?" he asked.
"I did not know when would be the right time to enlighten the two of you." said the gray eyed wizard. "The dark lord...is as big a problem as Regulus believes and more."
"Lucius?" said Severus confused by this new information.
The handsome blond wizard sighed and met the eyes of his fellow death eaters.
"I chose you." he began. "Both of you, so that I may one day enlist your help against the despot threatening this world...he is as twisted as he is merciless and will stop at nothing until he gets what he wants."
"Total Annihilation of both worlds." said Regulus with a saddened expression.
"Do the both of you hear yourselves?" asked Severus not wishing to believe that Tom would become a monster.
"It's true Severus." said Regulus attempting to get through to his friend. "The dark lord doesn't care about you or any of us."
"He will destroy you Severus." said Lucius sadly. "And anything else in his path."
The raven haired wizard didn't know what to think as both his dearest friends told him the truth that he know doubt come to find on his own.
"I do not believe Tom is capable of becoming a monster." said Severus in denial of the situation.
"Sev...believe me when I tell you that you are fortunate not to see the monster for what he is." said Regulus in a deathly serious tone. "But I have and it appears that Lucius has as well."
Severus sighed.
"While I do not believe any of this about Tom, we made a pact to look after each other while in his service." he said. "If you say he is a threat...then it must be so."
Regulus smiled and hugged Severus affectionately.
"You are making the right decision brother." he said.
"And what decision is that?" asked Lucius with an exhausted expression.
"To fight this despot before he has a chance to truly become dangerous." said Regulus determined.
"And if we fail?" asked Lucius.
"We won't." replied Regulus. "But I propose we make a vow to finish this if any of us should fall to the despot while the others remain."
Severus didn't seem all that interested in what was shared between the three of them as far as turning his back on Tom but Regulus needed him and the young death eater had been like a brother to him despite being the kin of Sirius Black.
"Alright." said Lucius in agreement.
"As you wish." said Severus in support of Regulus.
The younger death eater smiled.
"Thank you my brothers." he said pleased as he drew his wand.
Lucius and Severus held out their hands as Regulus began the binding charm.
"I, Regulus Arcturus Black vow to end the reign of the despot Tom Riddle or die trying." he said in a serious tone. ""And should my brothers fail, I will continue my mission in their place. "
"I, Lucius Abraxas Malfoy vow to end the reign of the despot Tom Riddle or die trying." said the gray eyed wizard. "And should my brothers fail, I will continue my mission in their place. "
Severus looked into the eyes of his brothers knowing all too well that he would indeed die for them no matter what he would have to endure given they had been the only family he had ever known. Despite his attachment to Tom Riddle, his devotion to them won out.
"I, Severus Sebastian Snape vow to end the reign of the despot Tom Riddle or die trying." he said meeting the gaze of his mutual brothers. "And should my brothers fail, I will continue my mission in their place."
"On this day, The serpent brothers of destruction rise against Tom Riddle, the despot whom intends to ruin this world." said Regulus.
"Serpent Brothers Of Destruction. said Lucius.
"Serpent Brothers Of Destruction." repeated Severus.
The younger wizard completed the vow as all three of them were branded with Regulus Black's magical symbol to remind them of their promise and the vow they made to each other.
A tattoo of a double headed serpent with the letters S.B.D. initialed below it.
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St. Mungo's Hospital, Muggle World...
Harry Potter blinked as the vision ended. Hermione had been trying to get through to him for near on ten minutes.
"Harry are you alright?" she asked concerned.
The green eyed wizard blinked for a moment trying to make sense of the dream.
"Lucius Malfoy." he said.
"What?" asked Hermione confused as to what Malfoy Senior had to do with anything.
"Serpent Brother's of Destruction, it was a group of three then, death eaters...Regulus Black, Severus Snape and Lucius Malfoy." explained Harry. "Regulus Black was R.A.B., the wizard killed trying to destroy Voldemort's locket, Snape was killed during the final battle at Hogwarts...so the only one left is..."
"Lucius Malfoy." said Hermione getting it. "Harry..."
"This has to mean that Malfoy is behind all of this and he is going to pay for what he did to my family and Kingsley." said Harry getting to his feet.
"But that doesn't make any sense." said the amber eyed witch. "Lucius Malfoy hasn't left Malfoy Manor in years."
"This is his doing." said Harry convinced. "He's the only one left of the three of them who would have an agenda concerning Snape and the wizarding world."
Before Hermione could stop him, Harry had been out the door in search of his former nemesis Lucius Abraxas Malfoy.