Author's Note: Damn it, people, Review! I've had one whole review since Chapter 2! Summary: Draco goes to a Death Eater's conclave, and gets his first homework assignment.
Disclaimer: If I were skilled enough to write as well as JK Rowling, I would have retired already. Needless to say, I haven't.
Born Under A Bad Sun
Chapter 5: Death's Homework
By Peeler
"This thing all things devours; birds rocks trees, flowers; gnaws iron, bites steel, grinds hard stones to meal; slays kings, ruins towns and beats high mountains down." – Gollum, The Hobbit
The Conclave of the Death Eaters was like nothing I'd ever seen before. There were hundreds, perhaps a thousand figures, wearing black robes with silver masks. The air seemed to boil with power. The representatives of dark creatures stood together in one section of the great bowl-shaped forum. The roof crackled with magical lightning. Voldemort stood on a pedestal constructed of bone, which floated in the center of the room. More conclave members were still trickling in, until finally the conclave forum was full. Voldemort raised his arms, and a sound like a great bell rang out, followed by an anguished-sounding wail. "This conclave is begun!" shouted the Dark Lord, his voice magically modified to fill the forum. "It is my great pleasure to announce that our numbers will soon be sufficient for us to leave this place. Our time of preparation is over! We will tear through the land like a cleansing fire, ridding our disillusioned brethren of the abominations they have taken on as equals. The great work begun thousands of years ago by Salazar Slytherin shall be finished in our time. Victory…victory over the muggles…" He said the word like he had just swallowed an acid pop. "The muggles will hold from us our right to live as we wish no more! All wizards will see the truth that we only can see, the truth that muggles lord it over us, with the help of our own impotent, corrupt Ministry! They will be the first to fall. Now! To business. Amanita! Bring Draco forward." A tall witch, wearing the same rune-hemmed robes as Voldemort, apparated into the empty space in front of me. She did not have a mask, and her night-black hair cascaded down her back. The muscles of her face were stretched tight, and her eyes looked hollow, with all the emotion of a poisoned blade. A jagged white scar ran from the corner of her mouth to the opposite temple. She held out her arm and said simply, "Come." The moment I touched her arm, I found myself on Voldemort's platform. The Dark Lord shouted to the assembled Death Eaters "I present to you Draco Erynn Malfoy, son of Lucius Malfoy, dead in my service. Draco, hold up your arm." I raised my left arm above my head as Morris had told me to, and shouted "Morsmordre!" An enormous and green Dark Mark blossomed into the air, filling the chamber. I bowed before Lord Voldemort. The snake in my Dark Mark moved its head toward the platform, where it nuzzled its head into the Dark Lord's shoulder. A ripple of nervous laughter spread through the hall. "Rise, Draco," said Voldemort, ignoring the snake now wrapped around his shoulders. "You are a Death Eater of the ancient order. May you and all your line become great among the new order that is to come, and may you serve faithfully until you pass from among us. You may take your seat." Amanita LeStrange took my arm again, and I was led to my seat. The rest of the meeting was a discussion of tactics, how we could use our informants in the Ministry, the muggle Parliament, and the muggle Military, to strike quickly and insidiously. Voldemort explained at great length how we would have to move together if we were to cripple all of our enemies at once, and how this plan was necessary if we were to succeed. Finally, after many hours, we were released, with Voldemort encouraging us to "Mingle, allowing our newest members to make acquaintances." With a wave of his hand, the Dark Lord vanished, and the forum's bowl shape began to disintegrate, becoming a flat surface. Voldemort's voice boomed one last time, crying "Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we may die!" Long tables appeared, covered with food and drink, and the hall became a massive hall, crowded with people talking about the Dark Lord's address, our strategy, and the work they were doing for the cause. I joined them, wanting to meet some of those I would be working with. A man with short-cropped graying hair shook my hand. "Draco Malfoy, eh? I used to work for your father. My name's Jacob Steveston. Have you tried these giant pretzels? They're excellent." He handed me one. "So, Amanita says you might be joining our squad? The young ones usually work with the vampires, you'll be getting lucky." I responded that I hadn't been assigned to a particular group yet, and that the Dark Lord was thinking about it. "That's odd, Amanita LeStrange, our Lord's Lieutenant, you know, she usually does the strategic and military stuff. I guess Voldemort thinks you're that important. Here, have some of this spumoni." He handed me an ice cream dish. "Oh, that's my buddy Gord Camells. I've gotta go talk to him. Pleasure meeting you, young Draco." I went and got some punch, where I came face to face with the most stunningly beautiful woman I'd ever seen. "Hello, young mortal. Malfoy, is it? I think I've heard of your family, they had a castle near Copenhagen in the 1600's, didn't they?" "Er…I think so, yes," I said, a little unnerved at being called 'young mortal'. I introduced myself. "Ah, yes, the dark one seemed to like you a lot. I hope you can live up to his expectations…" she said the last with some menace in her voice. "My name is Jenavira Bladegrass. I'm the ambassador to the Death Eaters for my people." "And those would be?" "Dark elves and banshees. I myself have lived for 903 years, and when I die I may, should I wish, return and continue to serve this noble cause and further the interests of my comrades. A pleasure to meet you, Draco Malfoy of the mortals. May we meet again." And she left. I continued through the party, meeting with Death Eaters and the various liaisons of dark creatures. Ailyus Sprinsten, the leader of the Dark Force Intelligence Services, said he would try to get me a place in his agency. I met with Aramis Garnis, leader of a rebel band of giants hiding in the hills nearby. Jeorg Parny, a werewolf pack leader seeking protection and amnesty for a mass-muggle killing. Vilay Shinsta, a former flying-carpet dealer with a hankering for revenge. Antony 'Baby-Face' Vittorio, a wizarding mob henchman. Leaders of various terrorist organizations. Even one member of the muggle IRA, who kept glancing around fervently, and confided in me that he felt 'unwelcome'. Finally, as I was headed back to my quarters with a half-empty teapot, I walked right into an imposing figure standing in the shadows around the corner of the main entrance. I dropped the teapot, and the hot tea scalded my feet. The man I had collided with seemed unruffled. Standing a foot and a half taller than me, with night black hair, he presented an imposing figure. However, it was when he opened his mouth and smiled at me that I got a real shock. Two vicious-looking fangs protruded from his mouth. He looked hard into my eyes. "I told you we would meet again. I believe you will have a most…interesting time among us." And he vanished.
When I awoke the next morning, it was to the sound of an announcement echoing throughout the castle. "All members of the advance task force will report to the forum. Draco Malfoy, Arrienne Herynna and the leaders of Dark Creatures divisions 1 through 6 report to the war room." With a small amount of trepidation, I found the war room on the directions of a very sulky female werewolf. Voldemort, with Amanita LeStrange at his side, was standing in front of a wall which contained a 3-D map of Britain and Ireland, and the shifting weather patterns above. Arrienne, an attractive young brunette who looked about 20, and the various dark creature liaisons, were already seated. "Ah. Mr. Malfoy. So good of you to show up. Our Lord has decided to assign you and Ms. Herynna to the 3rd mixed division. This division is made up of mostly younger humans and dark elves, as well as 10 banshees and a number of younger vampires. You will meet your division in the outer region of the barracks before you depart. But first, our Lord will give you a brief discussion of the tactics." LeStrange gave a sharp bow to Voldemort and left. The Dark Lord waved his hand, and the map zoomed in. "London," he said. "More specifically, Diagon Alley. This is where you will wait." He pointed to a house, highlighted with a dark mark. "When you receive the signal, you will apparate instantly to this location: the promenade outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. Across the street is the Ministry of Magic headquarters. Intelligence indicates that Minister Fudge is currently away on an international aid trip to Turkey. This serves our purposes, as the bumbler will retain the illusion of power he loves so dearly. If all goes well with the rest of the operation, and I am sure it will, the muggles will be unaware of any attack on the Ministry, and with proper co-ordination, we can cripple both the magical and muggle world's defenses against us in one blow. Go, and may Slytherin's shade watch over you." We turned, and exited.
When I reached the barracks, I found my division already forming up for apparition into London. The division captains were handing out amulets to conceal us from the Ministry's sensors, and to bestow apparition capabilities on those who were unable to manage on their own. A vampire, who had graying hair but spoke with a vibrant timbre to his voice, instructed me that I would be leading a squad of ten when we went into battle. "Get to know your squad," he instructed me "We won't have time when we're in London."
My squad were Jonathen Alana, Jenna Coronei, Richard VanGrett, Simeon Pennai, and Trisha Vetlavski, all humans, Silvana Beechcraft, Gavin Starmass, Eric Firetree, Galen Darkwater, and Elric Brightstaff, all dark elves, plus Erica Sonossi, a 178-year-old vampire from Florence. She had been born a muggle and could not use magic. After we had been introduced and traded some personal information, the order to form ranks was given. A bright flash of purple light from Commander Levtaski, our Division leader, gave the signal to apparate. We proceeded as ordered, squad by squad, at ten minute intervals. Finally, it was our turn. The world seemed to spin before me, until I could see the room in which we were. Levtaski's voice boomed through the safe-house. "All squads have arrived safely, and undetected. Stay alert! We don't have much time until our Lord's signal comes!" My squad talked, getting to know each other a little better before we went into battle. Jenna kept winking at me, and I told her to get serious. "But I might die today," she said "I wouldn't want to die without a bit of flirting first!" Her comment hit home. These people were under my command. If they died, it was my responsibility. For the first time, my point of view moved away from myself. I was just a cog in a great machine, a machine of war. And should I die today, it would not be seen as the great tragedy I always thought my death would be. I wasn't special here; I was just another Death Eater.
"All squads; may I have your attention!" boomed Levtaski's voice. We have received the signal from Lord Voldemort. At attention; apparition should begin on my mark: 2, 1, MARK!" The world swam before me again.
It was the end of the beginning, and the beginning of the end.
SORRY ABOUT THE CLIFFHANGER! I'll try to get the next part up ASAP. But PLEASE REVIEW! I'm sick and tired of writing for three hours to get maybe one review. This is very important! If you are a writer, you should know how important reviews are, and I could sure do with some.