The Order of Draconis
Chapter Six: Risky Business
Yoshi had taken the lead. The corridors leading down to the storage section of the Ministry Headquarters were becoming increasingly bleak and forbidding – the extravagant décor of the floors of the upper corridors now seemed like a distant memory compared to the bare stone walls and cold tiled surfaces of their current position. The high ceilings shrouded in shadows and the sharp, dark corners seemed to hide still more danger - which only served to make his demeanour worse. Twice, he had snapped at Remus Lupin for making more noise than was considered strictly necessary, even though he himself admitted later that Lupin had done nothing wrong.
I'm getting
paranoid already, aren't I…?
The mere presence of the Dark Lord always made him like this. It always had done, right from the start. It put him on alert,
put him on his guard and with it unleashed the hideous paranoia that made him shudder and his skin crawl with fear. The Dark Lord could crush him like the traitorous parasite that he was.
If I'm lucky…
Yes. Knowing the things he had done, the Dark Lord would be nowhere near as lenient.
He was truly the typical Slytherin in more ways than one – including some of the worse qualities you could reserve for that particular house. When he was afraid – he got angry. When he got angry – the object of his anger usually came off the worse for wear from a bout of well-placed hexes. That quality alone had gotten him into quite a lot of trouble in his days at Hogwarts, and even more precarious situations in his days as a Death Eater…
A clatter from behind snapped him out of his torpor. He whipped around - ready to unleash some of that pent-up fear – and faced Remus Lupin, who winced slightly under his cold glare…
"Lupin, if you are unable to keep your hands and arms to yourself, I think…"
But he was cut off mid-reprimand by a suffocating glare from Minerva McGonagall, who had been following behind Remus Lupin. Minerva looked about ready to start on him, and he readied himself for another bickering match with the Head of Gryffindor house, when he felt a hand rest upon his shoulder and a soft whisper in his ear.
"We're here. No arguing, Snape. We're going in on all fours, you know – invisible table style? Coin and the others are taking the vents. Four vents stationed at the four compass points of the room – you're with me - and John and Will are standing guard. Stunning charms for this one because we're going to take them alive for questioning later. Show no mercy. Oh, by the way, you wouldn't have any Veritaserum on hand, would you, Sev?"
What!? This is too much…
"Yoshi, I…"
"Do you have the Veritaserum?"
"Y-yes, I keep some on hand, but…"
"Good," he said brightly. "Then we've got nothing to worry about, right?"
Christ, what am I
getting myself into…?
"Right," he sighed resignedly, pinching the bridge of his nose lightly in exasperation.
"Good". "Oh, and," Yoshi added with a wolfish grin, " get down on your knees and crawl, bitch".
Cheeky git…
"Don't push it," he snapped hotly as he started to crawl stealthily on all fours towards the bolted dread-portal door where his friend's stolen property was being held.
Yoshi merely grinned and whispered a few last words to the others before reciting the proper incantations to open the door. It opened noiselessly – sliding back slickly on it's well oiled hinges – which was a blessing in disguise, as he could hear the distant voices of his old companions and see the flickering torchlight which illuminated the dusty storeroom, and cast an eerie green light over the whole scene – rendering it quite unearthly".
This is not the
time for paranoia - this is the real thing. Don't back out now, Snape…
"Ready?" Yoshi's voice seemed to come from a long way off – as if he were speaking from via a tin can. Severus merely managed a short nod in acknowledgement, intent on trying to keep his composure.
"Good".
*****************************************************
The outside officials had come, Fudge had acted superbly, there was no interference and everything was going wonderfully according to the Lord's plan. But why he had sent them down here to the stores was still a mystery. The place was freezing, and he had gotten dirt all over his new Malkin designer robes – not to mention having to baby-sit some of the "new recruits". The said recruits were standing shivering in a corner, looking as if they would wet themselves as if he so much looked their way. He smirked inwardly. Well, that was the way it was supposed to be – after all, the Malfoys had been dealing in the Dark Arts for centuries now. His family were born to be respected and feared.
Now elated in his thoughts of obscene power, he stood up from where he had been sitting for the past couple of minutes and dusted his silken black robes fastidiously – making one of the babies flinch uncomfortably.
I should be
taking some charge here…
He started to bark out another order so as the babies could make themselves useful.
Then the room was plunged into darkness.
What…!?
A suffocating panic grasped at his insides, choking him. He tried to shout out another order, but it came out as a feeble splutter – soundless. The next moment, rapid footsteps coming from all directions pounded across the flagstone floor (surely not). But as if in answer to his silent enquiry, a stunning curse seared past the side of his face – boiling heat whipping up tendrils of his icy hair – crackling and spitting ferociously. In an instant, his coward's instinct kicked in - and he turned to run, but tripped clumsily over an unseen obstacle – hitting the hard floor – hearing the muffled yells of other unfortunates being brought down – the sharp pain and the sense of breathlessness from the fall – the obstacle, not inanimate, but to his horror, alive - grabbed for him roughly, shaking him to the ground…
…come on…
…he kicked out, and felt himself somehow break away from the merciless grip of the attacker – running blindly in the all-consuming darkness - breaking away from all the shouts and screams – the curses flying thick and fast – the pain in his side unrelenting…
…yes…
He had reached the door of the room, seeking an end to the chaos. He had to call on the Lord. He felt the surface of the door cool to the touch and pulled it back as roughly as he could manage, running all the way…into another unseen obstacle.
No…
A large pair of hands grabbed him wildly, quenching his hope of escape. He felt the huge arms clench tightly against his neck, pulling him ever closer – he could feel the stranger's hot breath against his cool, sweaty skin and the stubble rasping against his smooth face. The stranger's voice was low and menacing and came out in a familiar, throaty rasp…
"Whazzup, Malfoy?"
And the world before him was snuffed in an instant.
**************************************************************
"You know, the invisible table trick is probably my favourite indoor strategy," Willam stood musing.
"Yeah, it's so simple it's scary," agreed Leon.
"So what's your favourite outdoor strategy then ?" Lupin asked conversationally. Seeming quite a bit more friendly towards the others now that he had seen them in action.
"Landmines," William grinned evilly. "You can't track them down, like spells. They never know what hits them…"
"KABOOM !!!" Leon gesticulated dramatically.
There was a short burst of laughter accompanying Leon's comment. That was fine with him – they all needed to unwind a little – get rid of the adrenaline rush that had come with the raid. He pointed his wand at the face of Lucius Malfoy and spoke:
"Enervate".
The potion had been administered. Three drops precisely into a glass of water, shortly (forcibly) taken by Lucius Malfoy. As luck would have it, after the slimy worm had escaped from his grip, he had run square into John, and Ada had come tearing after him and stunned him there and then. Malfoy was staring straight at him, but unseeing. The vacuous gaze that signified the Veritaserum had taken effect made him slightly uneasy.
That's just because
you fear what dark little secrets would come pouring out of your mouth…
Severus shook his head irritably and turned round to the rest and nodded. Yoshi glided forward to where Malfoy was sitting and crouched down in front of him.
Yoshi had taken back his katana quietly and without ceremony. He picked the lock "muggle-style" and had muttered a few words of thanks before returning the blade to its sheath as if it had never been gone. They had rounded up the stunned Death Eaters (six in total,) and Lupin had bound the others and deposited them in a heap in the opposite corner of the room. Amongst their ranks were Crabbe and Goyle (destined forever to be the sidekicks of the Malfoys, he had thought scathingly,) and some others that he didn't recognise.
Probably new recruits. It makes perfect sense. The Lord will be looking to increase his power base…
While he was lost in his thoughts, the interrogation had started.
"How many of you are there?" Yoshi had asked – his voice filled with barely suppressed vehemence.
Malfoy's heavy, dark lids flickered open and shut – then he answered in an emotionless monotone – barely resembling his plumy, aristocratic sneer;
"About thirty of us. Fifteen in two teams".
"Who is in charge of this mission?"
"Wormtail is in the first team. But Nott is in the second team. The Lord is watching over us".
Yoshi's eyes narrowed at the latter comment – but he carried on, regardless. "Have you taken any hostages?"
"Yes. There were people…staff…around the main offices".
There was collective a hiss of indrawn breath as Malfoy spoke. He felt Minerva start beside him.
"Where are they, and are any of them hurt?"
Malfoy's eyes fluttered slightly and he swallowed dispassionately. "They are on the floor below Fudge's office – the Lord…killed some of them…as an example…" Malfoy grinned stupidly, his head lolling on his shoulders. "Memory charms are then to be cast upon the remaining staff, and later disposed of in a manner which would appear to be purely accidental".
"Bastard," he heard William whisper behind him.
"And where is Voldemort?" Yoshi asked hollowly.
Malfoy's head lifted from his chest and his eyes suddenly focused. He grinned again and spoke in a mere whisper.
"He's behind you…"
Authour's Note:
How about that
for a cliffhanger, eh? No, really. The
next chapter (if I could call it a chapter,) will be a brief interlude which I'm
not sure if I will include as of yet. I
know that this chapter was quite a bit shorter than the last, but I am
trying. Chapter eight will be out
sometime in the near future and maybe we will actually see the beginnings of a
plot, if you are lucky.
Thanks to
everyone who reviewed last time.
Creative
criticisms welcome.
- Ada Kensington.