Gabrielle desperately wanted to be able to guarantee that no one else would have to suffer as she had suffered – that no one else would have to lose loved ones to the evils the Death Eaters had advocated. She had been working both days and nights these last few weeks, trying to discover the origins of this new group, the Dark Circle, so that they could be stopped.
So far, she'd had no luck. She and her husband had made lists of people they suspected were involved with the movement, but no one would talk. They had tried several times to follow somebody suspicious, hoping the person would lead them to a Dark Circle meeting, but every time they picked someone, he stayed at home all night. It was almost as if the Dark Circle knew of all their plans before they made them. Very strange…
"There must be a spy in the Ministry," Harry announced abruptly as he entered the room. He, too, looked disheveled and exhausted. "I've been thinking all day and it's the only thing I've come up with. Who else could have convinced the Ministry that these people are no big deal? Who else can tip them off every time there's some kind of plan in motion?"
Gabrielle rose and put her arms around him. "This is awful, Harry. It's just like before. Something has to be done…" she said. He could hear the tears in her voice, and knew she'd been thinking about her sister again. They stood in a comforting embrace for several minutes, breaking apart only when they smelled the dinner burning.
They sat down together and, as usual, their entire dinner conversation was centered on how the Dark Circle could possibly be combated.
And, as usual, they didn't come up with anything.
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This night, the moon was almost full. The light played eerie tricks on the floor of the old building...
This time the Dark Circle had chosen to assemble in an abandoned Muggle theatre. There were seats, and a stage, and it was a safe distance away from their last gathering place.
The American leader, who had identified himself as Nilrem Davis, stood on the stage. Despite all his talk of democracies among terrorists, he wanted to be in control. Davis's congregation this time was the largest he had amassed yet - nearly fifty wizards sat quietly in the seats, waiting for their leader to speak to them.
Attacking Muggles and the occasional weak wizard had made him confident. People now knew the name of the Dark Circle. The old fear was beginning again to spread back into the magical populace, although not yet with the ferocity of Voldemort's days, and this made Davis feel a little more powerful. He felt that he was rapidly moving up in the world, and certainly that he had control of his Circle.
Therefore, it seemed perfectly sensible to him that his prestige would increase if his followers would regard him with a healthy respect, even a little fear. To achieve this end, he started the meeting with a burst of fireworks from his wand.
"We have made progress!" he began. "We are becoming a force to be reckoned with. I am taking us to the heights I promised. However, I think that maybe you have all underestimated me." He looked around severely, then suddenly shouted, "Do you all recognize me for the power that I am? I want there to be no mistake about who is leading us! If any wizard here thinks he can best me in a formal duel, come forward now!"
He looked around arrogantly, obviously expecting no response.
Then, from the back of the auditorium, a deep raspy voice grated, "I can." Heads turned, to see who this upstart might be. The person stood. His - or her - face was shrouded in a magical misty veil, and the voice was so unnaturally metallic and harsh that at first it was impossible to tell its gender.
When the challenger began to walk up the aisle closer to the stage, however, the gait proved that it was a man. He stalked proudly forward and jumped onto the stage. "I will duel you for control of this Circle."
Davis did not like this turn of events. He turned to the audience hesitantly. "Um...Brothers, shall I accept this wizard's challenge?"
The raspy voice and darkened face gave the wizard a supernaturally evil air. He would certainly be a fit leader for such a group... the crowd found itself nodding approvingly, and Davis realized that he had no choice but to fight.
He stood awkwardly for a moment. "First we bow to each other," the newcomer explained with a mocking sort of encouragement. They both gave a small bow. "And now we duel."
They began to raise their wands in a ceremonious fashion, but Davis broke off the gesture halfway and shot off his curse prematurely. The split-second head start allowed him to cry "Expelliarmus!" before his adversary could ready himself.
There was one fraction of a second between the incantation and the jet of light hitting the deep-voiced man. In that instant, everybody in the audience knew he had already lost - there was no way he could possibly finish a counter-charm in time before he was hit with the spell.
He didn't have any intention of blocking the Disarming Charm, however. Instead, the moment he realized his enemy was cheating, he shouted "Serpensortia!" as fast as he could.
When the Disarming Charm hit, his wand flew into the air. The spell had been in time, though. As the wand was ripped from his grasp, a bright green snake issued from it and fell to the ground. Since the wand had been flying in Davis's direction, the snake found itself pointed in that direction as well. It hissed angrily and slithered forward.
The audience was shocked by the snake, and also shocked a few seconds later by the throaty roar of "Expelliarmus!" that disarmed their leader suddenly. He had been so busy making the snake disappear, that he hadn't even seen his enemy pick up his wand and come forward.
Now, the tables were turned. Davis tried to grope for his wand to make a comeback like his opponent had done, but the raspy-voiced man would have none of it. He cast the Cruciatus Curse, which left his enemy curled up in a ball, helpless.
He strode forward confidently and pointed his wand at the fallen wizard's chest. "Avada Ked-" he started, then stopped abruptly.
"Is there any wizard here," he demanded of the crowd, "who doubts the outcome of this duel?"
Heads quickly shook no. "Well, then, I see no reason to deprive you of one of your brothers." He gestured for the loser to get up and rejoin the other wizards. "Now, do you need another demonstration of my powers?"
There were more negative murmurs, but the harsh voice continued, "I think you'd better have one anyway." He whirled around to face the back of the stage.
Staring at his back, curious now, the wizards in the audience waited for whatever demonstration they would be getting. Suddenly, many of them gasped or cried out as if they'd been hurt. Several wizards jerked up the left sleeves of their robes, to see if anything was visible... but there was nothing. Only an awful searing pain, which continued until the wizard turned back to face his audience.
"He did it," people were murmuring. "He made the Dark Mark burn..."
All of a sudden, one wizard dashed forward and threw himself to his knees at the foot of the stage. "Master!" he cried, "You have returned to us!"
"Get up, Avery," the victor rasped with a little chuckle. "You always were one for overacting." Then, he raised his voice and addressed everyone. "No, I am not your old master Lord Voldemort. He is gone from this earth forever. But I am not without power of my own...or without his power either, for that matter." He paused for effect. "I have communed with the very spirit of the Dark Lord. He himself has helped me to formulate a plan which I feel sure will lead us finally to the Dark successes of which we have all dreamed."
Another murmur went up, but died when he raised his hands for silence. Seeing the awe in the former Death Eaters, the new leader knew for a certainty that he had them. He was secure in his power...the entire body of Dark wizards were now his, and his alone, to command.
And he most certainly had his plans for them...
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So, the Circle has a seriously creepy new leader. The good guys were already having trouble fighting them... now they'll really have their hands full, I guess...
The next chapter is done and it's my favorite one so far. I'll have it up tomorrow...read it!
And review this one for me, willya? Thanks.