Sorry it's taken me so long to post this chapter. I've had it ready for quite awhile (I have the next chapter too), but I wasn't sure whether or not I liked where the plot was going. If you have any ideas for what you'd like to see happen next, by all means review and tell me! The ending is open for revision...
Anyhow, the usual disclaimer. The characters aren't mine, except Davis, and I don't want him anyway.
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Harry materialized a safe distance from the clearing. He performed the spells that would shroud his face and deepen his voice, then, for good measure, drank a bottle of wit-enhancing potion, laughing as he read the label: "Caution - may have side effects such as disappearance or levitation."
When he was ready, he Apparated into the center of the clearing, where the Dark Circle was already assembled.
"Good evening, everyone. Tonight is the night our plans come to fruition," he greeted them enthusiastically. "The fun part, of course, will take place tomorrow evening, but now is when we make our important arrangements, and decide how things will be once the Dark Order is implemented properly." He got approving nods from all around. "I, of course, will assassinate the Minister of Magic myself. There are, however, a number of other powerful targets. We must make sure that each wizard is assigned a mark he can handle. To that end, then, I want to arrange us all into some kind of order. Does anyone have any idea who ought to be my second in command?"
After a bit of prodding from the people next to him, a large figure hulked forward. "Yes, Goyle?"
"I think Lucius Malfoy ought to be your lieutenant. He's probably the most experienced of any of us." Others voiced their assent to this. One person, however protested.
"Oh, come on! What about me?" whined Davis. "I mean, sure, Malfoy is experienced, but I've trained with the best too! I've devoted my life to the Dark Arts. Me and my friends messed up our whole country! Thanks to the Discontentment Charms we spread, Muggle kids kill each other now!"
"What's the point of that?" scoffed someone else. "Why have them kill each other? I'll kill them all myself! Do you have any idea how many the Dark Lord let me take out? I killed almost thirty people!"
Davis tried to answer, but Harry cut him off. The noisy American wizard and his stupid henchmen were not Harry's prime targets... it was the old Death Eaters he was after. They'd already had their second chance, and were apparently willing to use it to kill more people. Harry turned the conversation back to Malfoy. "Ah, Lucius, that sounds like a challenge to me," he commented. "I've heard great things about you, you know... what do you think?"
Swift to defend his name, Malfoy answered, "Without insult intended to Mr. Davis, I must express my belief that I am a better choice for the position than he. I am powerful, knowledgable, and willing to back up my claims with action. Mr. Davis seems far more comfortable expressing himself through his words rather than through his behavior."
Others supported this at once. "Malfoy's the best we've got. I saw him take out a Muggle family of eight with one curse, then kill the Auror they sent after him!" "Yes, and his collection of Dark Arts things is better than they have at most museums!" "You-Know-Who said he had exceptional talent!"
Harry stifled a smile. They would all condemn each other! How perfect. Aloud he said, "Yes, Lucius seems to be our man. Very well. Now, as for the rest of you, I don't know you all quite so well... so we'll do this the orderly way. We'll get a hierarchy of some kind together… One at a time, tell me your name and your accomplishments. If you worked with the Dark Lord, be sure to mention it and I'll take it into consideration."
One by one, the wizards began to step forward and make their confessions.
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Gabrielle listened in shock. She was lying in the tall grass, inside the clearing where the Circle was gathered. "This is incredible," she muttered to herself. "They're admitting to everything! The Ministry will be delighted to hear this tomorrow. Even more delighted when I bring them the Black Center's dead body..."
Something began to tickle her then. A bug! Although she was pretty much out in the open, without the cover of trees or bushes, she was just outside the ring of torchlight...could she risk flicking the annoying insect off with nobody seeing?
She did it, then lay still again to hear more of what they were saying...
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As the first hiss of "C'est incroyable!" came through the camera, Julien sat bolt upright and gasped aloud. Unlike the far-away voices of the Dark Circle, this voice was blurry and loud. And even stranger... "Listen to that person. It's French," he whispered to Sophie.
"It's mom," she corrected instantly. "Don't you recognize her voice? But it sounds like she's really close to the microphone...which means..."
"...she's lying someplace inside the clearing! Next to the Dark Circle!" Julien hissed.
They exchanged wide-eyed, frightened glances. "I'll tell Professor Snape. He'll figure out what to do," Sophie whispered. Leaning up against the bushes that surrounded them, she hissed, "Pssstt... Professor?"
"Be quiet. I can hear you from six feet away," he snarled back softly.
"No, Professor, this is important," she argued softly. "Our mother's here, we see her through the camera and-" Sophie broke off abruptly, startled, as a jet of dull grayish light sizzled a hole through the bush in front of her. She could see a vague outline of Snape as he approached the hideout.
"Did you not hear me? I said to be silent."
At that moment, Sophie felt Julien tug on her robes. She turned around and he whispered, panicked, "Soph, mom's talking about killing the Center. She's creeping closer... Soon either they'll see her, or she'll kill dad. We've got to stop her!"
Flicking her dark braid over her shoulder, Sophie said stoutly, "Fine. If I haven't the time to explain to him, I'll just go myself." She wiggled out of the bushes, slipped past Snape silently, and began to make her way through the trees around the clearing.
She was quick and lithe and thin. By the time Snape realized she'd squeezed by him in the darkness, she was ten feet away and getting farther every second. Julien was shocked that she'd snuck off alone like that, and made as though to follow her. He was stopped by Snape's wand, which was poked threateningly into his chest.
"Get back in there and keep filming," Snape hissed. Agitation was making him visible, and he was alternately very red and very pale as he added, "I'll go after your sister."
He didn't catch up with Sophie until they were almost all the way around the clearing. She'd stopped uncertainly, not quite daring to leave the safety of the trees, but unable to get her mother's attention from where she stood.
"Miss Potter, I believe I specifically ordered you not to move," he breathed wrathfully. "Now, turn around and go back the way you came."
"But-"
"Did you or did you not promise to-"
"-to obey you unconditionally. Which means doing what you say when you say it. I know, I know," Sophie sighed impatiently, "But my mother's right here. Please, Professor, I have to say something to her."
"Do you want to survive this night or not? Because if dying appeals to you, then by all means continue to ignore my orders. Otherwise, if you want to live, turn around and go back to your brother!"
Sophie had never seen Snape looking so angry before. He's half-invisible and I can STILL see how mad he is, she thought. I'd better do what he says. She turned to go, but was stopped by an icy whisper from the trees off to her left...
"Don't move, Snape. Sophie, come over here. Now."
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So, what do you think so far? Tell me!!!
Thanks for reading.