"Clouds do not always indicate rain,
but smoke is always a sign of fire."
"The mark has been getting clearer all year." Snape said, leaning back pressed against the back of his chair. "Karkaroff's scared."
"And you?" Dumbledore asked.
Snape rubbed his eyes. "I'm terrified."
"What do you think it means?"
"I could say it was perhaps Lucius Malfoy or Walden Macnair making a bid for the throne but I'd be lying." Professor Snape rose from his chair and paced. It was a habit Dumbledore could remember Snape having for as long as he had been a teacher at Hogwarts. It wasn't true pacing either; it was a simple path of eight steps in one direction, turning and then another eight steps. Eight steps, no more or less, as if he was trapped in a cramped room.
"Do you have any idea what this could mean, Severus?" Albus prodded, his ever-twinkling eyes focused on the younger man.
"My best guess would be a Death Eater is disobeying the Dark Prince's order."
"And what order was that?"
"For the Death Eaters to go underground, and bide their time until there was proof that the Dark Lord was alive. If there was such proof, he said he would personally see to it that he was returned to power. This wasn't liked by some of Voldemort's more zealous followers," Snape's eyes were downcast and darting back and forth. "When Lord Voldemort fell, there was a schism in the ranks- those who believed someone should take Voldemort's place and continue the war, or those who felt that the war would be too costly without the Dark Lord's guidance."
"What happened to the Dark Prince? Could he behind this?"
"I don't think the Prince would do this unless he felt someone was trying to start another war. He himself would do no such thing; he liked the war but never sought to lead. He cared only for the chaos he could cause."
"But it was naturally assumed that if anything happened Voldemort, the Prince would take his place and now that we know it wasn't Sirius who was the Prince…how do we know he hasn't changed his mind?"
"The Prince wouldn't. He was a creature of habit."
"You seem to know an awful lot about the Dark Prince, Severus." Albus said, his eyes staring contently at Severus. "How did you come by all this?"
"I was your spy, Albus." Snape shrugged. "I made it my business to know and don't look at me like that because no, I never saw the Prince without his mask. Hell, no one outside the inner circle ever saw his true face, and even then it was said he used decoys. He could have been anywhere when Voldemort fell but, mark this, when Voldemort fell, it's almost certain that the Prince's power fell with him."
"Why do you say that?"
"Towards the end," Severus began, he sounded uncomfortable with the words and chose them with great care. "It was believed that his power among the court had faltered in the latter years. Those were those who believed that he had gone soft, that his resolve had faltered. Before Voldemort disappeared, one of his top lieutenants, a man named Eoin Malone openly challenged the Prince."
"You sound troubled, Severus. Why?"
"Because Voldemort had his kingdom built on the backs of separate Orders, his alliances with Dark Art cults or vampire nests are common knowledge but there were sects inside the Death Eaters as well." Severus was getting a sinking feeling. "And none of them were caught after Voldemort fell, if Eoin is behind this, then he probably getting their support…" Severus faltered. "He'd go after the strongest of them too…"
"Which are?"
Severus stood, not acknowledging the Headmaster's gentle question. He pulled his coat from the back of the chair and exhaled. "Contact Gideon, Headmaster. Tell him I want to see Kaiya this evening. She's to be waiting for me at Akel Dama tonight."
"Are you ordering her, Severus?" Albus asked.
"It's a strong suggestion." He shrugged. "Just have her waiting for waiting for me. I'll be back soon."
"You have a class this afternoon!"
"Find a sub."
"Where are you going?"
"Out."
Albus Dumbledore watched the man sweep out of view and all he could do was sit and wait. He wished he could give Severus better support but right now he had his own problems.
There was change in the air, a dread that was tangible and overpowering. Darkness surrounded Hogwarts like a dragon poised to strike and Dumbledore was powerless to stop it. All he could do was wait.
And pray he discovered the source of the evil before lives were lost.
"Headmaster?" It was Minerva McGonagall's voice that interrupted his musing. All the better too, he considered, such thoughts like that made a man depressed. He mustered his best smile and asked why she was here. The deputy Headmistress gave him a sly teasing smile. "The first task is about to begin, Albus. Karkaroff and Maxine are waiting for you outside."
"I'll be right there."
"Aurors at attention!" Gideon Mallory's voice rang clear against the warm Hecate summer. "My name is Gideon Mallory, Master at Arms and deputy Headmaster of this beautiful bitch we like to call Hecate Compound. Now for most people I am Professor Mallory but for you I am God. I will be your sun, moon and stars for as long as you fools think your tough enough to Aurors."
He stared at the room of first year Auror Cadets and sighed. This was one of the things he hated about being an Auror- the training of a new generation. It always reminded him of the Auror's cardinal rule: Never get attached. He had was as good the next man in following that rule but found himself wondering which among these recruits would live pass their first year on active duty. "Look to the left, look to the right because pretty soon one of them won't be standing there in a year. Two thirds of each graduating class from Hecate's Auror Academy do not live to see their five year reunion; you've survived basic training- good for you now get ready for hell."
Behind him, Auberon Fay stood as placid and emotionless as always. Gideon drew in another sharp breath and continued his speech. "In a moment, you will receive your assignments from Mr. Fay and his Kaga Companions. You will be allowed a one-hour break to have lunch, converse and panic before you go to meet your superior officer and the commander of your squad. Your squad was determined by your drill instructors to best utilize your skills and downplay your weaknesses. Aliases are to be used and this rule is enforced. Those of you going to a mixed squad, both Auror and Kaga, are to treat the Companions as a superior."
He took his place in front of the two roles and looked over them once more. He allowed his voice to become softer, and thoughtful. "You are all Aurors now. It's not an easy life, in fact, it's hell, and you're going to have more bad dreams and ugly memories before you're 30 then anyone should have during their entire life. Remember this, your squad is your family and before you know it, you're going to have the curse." He smiled. "Dismissed and good luck."
Tommy Tercel, whom others called Jay Byrd, leaned over to the woman beside him and smiled nervously. "Who or what are the Kaga Companions?"
Kaiya Snape allowed herself a smug grin. This is where those who had grown up in Hecate and those who came from schools across the world differed. She had been born and raised at Hecate and to her, the Kagas were just another facet of the immortal Hecate Compound. It was really was a world contained and something 'outsiders' could never understand, never fully. "Their our resident shadows."
"Pardon?"
"Alchemy?" Choice Blade interrupted. He smiled at them both but went straight to Kaiya. He took her into his arms and spun her around, holding her close to him. "What are you teasing Jay Byrd about hmm?"
"He was asking about the Kagas."
"Oh, they're Doppelgangers." Choice said calmly, as if describing a unicorn or griffin to a Muggle. His voice was scientific and only slightly amused at his friend's ignorance. "They are used to replace officials or Aurors that had the bad taste to die before the Powers-That-Be wanted them too. Don't question the morality of the issue because morality doesn't exist for them."
"Who are they?"
"Hecate orphans, trained in everything from music to dragon breeding and everything in between, but don't consider them human because they'll take it as it an insult. Besides, they also work side by side with you Aurors."
"Doing what?"
"Anything and everything. They're guards for government officials, high-ranking Aurors, and even escorts for visiting dignitaries. I also hear they make the perfect lovers." Choice shrugged. "No strings attached."
"That's disgusting." Tercel exclaimed. "And evil."
"A needed evil." Choice corrected. "They have saved more lives with their work then Aurors could ever try too."
"And you all accept this?"
"Why wouldn't we?" Kaiya asked, leaning into Choice's arms. "The Kagas are just another part of Hecate and hate it or love it, it's still Hecate."
Choice filled in the words. "It's the curse."
"Gideon mentioned that." Tercel frowned as he took his assignment from a stoned face Companion and followed Kaiya and Choice to the cafeteria. "What are you people talking about?"
"The Hecate curse." Kaiya said, smiling. She sat down in an oversized chair and made herself comfortable. "It's when you begin to hate this place more then you thought a person could ever hate anything in their lives but you find that you need this place. You need it more then you need air. This place is funny like that. First you hate it, then you get use to it's coldness, it's ugliness, it's white walls that won't allow you to remember things and after enough time passes, you come to depend on it and as much as it kills you, you wake up one day and find that you've fallen in love with this place. You are a Hecate soul, and can't exist outside it because it's part of you."
"Thank God, none of us are affected eh?" Choice piped up, handing Jay a drink.
Jay pulled himself away from the dream world Kaiya had created with her words and took the drink with a shaking hand. "Where…where…did you get that from?"
"My father told it to me." She said, dismissively. "He's a Hecate Prodigal, someone who use to live here but who left." She smirked. "There's another breed of Hecate souls: the lifers, the aliens, and of course-the prodigals. You can leave Hecate easy enough, but staying away is the hardest you'll ever do."
"Apprentice Akemi Hecate?" Called the voice of one of Hecate's heralds. She handed Kaiya the letter and bowed out of the room as quickly as she had appeared. Kaiya read the letter and frowned, showing it to Choice who nodded thoughtfully.
Tercel looked up. "So, have you ever met a Prodigal who made it? I mean made a life for himself outside Hecate."
"No," She said. "Not one."
Eoin Malone felt someone grab him, then the familiar but very painful sensation of back meeting wall. Also, as if for good measure, he felt a sharp punch dislocate his jaw. The hands released him and slowly he positioned his jaw back in place then looked up innocently. "Ah, hello Severus. Something wrong?"
Severus tried to make another grab at him but Eoin had had enough of the Potions Master's chosen form of greeting. Eoin grabbed his arm and led him into a twist, spinning and pinning the man's arm behind his back. Severus snarled and swung about, pulling his arm out and biting down the pain that caused. He followed through with two well place jabs only to have each blocked and countered. Snape was a master dueler, and could hold his own in hand-to-hand combat but by no means was the latter his strongest point.
Eoin, on the other hand, excelled in such rudimentary martial arts and currently he was using all his skill, knowing that the man would expect no less. Finally tiring of this game, he turned to subduing him and doing so by pinning Snape's arms to his chest.
"Now," Eoin smiled, leaning forward and tapping Snape's chin. "Why don't we talk like civilized men?"
"Release me." Snape whispered.
The man smirked. "Your wish is my command, dear Pri…oh that's right. We're not supposed to talk about that, are we?" He released Snape and turned away. "Now, come inside and have a drink with me."
Snape pulled his robe back over his shoulders, straightened and followed the man into his house. Eoin and Severus hated each other, partially because both of them shared a history regarding one woman that neither cared to recall at the moment and added fuel to an already passionate fire, Eoin also claimed Hecate as his proving grounds before joining Voldemort. Both men were deadly in their own right but Eoin had one rather annoying flaw: he was utterly devoted to Voldemort.
He had survived the Dark Times with less wear and tear then Severus had, and certainty looked younger then he really was. It was annoying habit of his, Snape noticed; the man was always suave. About Severus' height, he had dark hair and arresting gray eyes that seemed like something out of a dream. He wore a smirk constantly and extended every courtesy to his guests. He had something Snape could never say he possessed.
Eoin Malone was always a gentleman, especially when killing someone.
Hecate Academy had taught him well in that regard.
Snape made it his business to remember that behind that innocent façade was a dangerous man. Eoin could kill without ever letting his smile flicker.
"I think I know why you're here." Eoin announced, placing drinks on the table between them. He sat down across from him and took a sip of one, then offered it to Snape, as if to prove and jest there was no poison in it. Snape gave him a wry smile and took the other glass. Snape hated to admit it but he liked Eoin; they would have made great allies if they weren't trying to kill each other.
"Well?"
"You know you're not the first one whose come here, Snape." Eoin choose to ignore the comment. "Raine and Eames were here earlier this month and I have heard even McKenna has come out of hiding."
"Old gangs getting back together eh?"
"Annoying habit of scared foxes eh?" He said, sipping his drink. "We begin to flock together as if there's safety in numbers."
"You're not behind it?"
"Me? Oh course not…I swore my loyalty to you a long time ago."
"If I recall, it was somewhat forced."
"Be that as it may, my word is my honor. Besides, you have my family's lives in your hands. That's not something I'm willing to risk."
"I always knew you were a smart man." Snape volunteered. "Now what do you know?"
"Well, you already know that Voldemort's personal rat-no pun intended-was discovered. Peter came here and but I wouldn't offer him haven so rumors had it he joined some lesser Death Eaters and went looking for the Dark Lord."
"Peter Pettigrew was Voldemort's herald?" Snape asked, genuinely surprised. He shifted in his seat but said nothing more about it. He'd deal with that rat soon enough, he had other things to worry about. "So what do you know?"
"I know that nobody from the Throne is involved."
Snape suppressed a shiver. The Throne of Souls, Voldemort's select fighters, and everyone from the Dark Prince to a layman felt a chill when their name was whispered. Their talent flowed like blood and power adorned them like crowns. At the height of their power, they had been ten in number but the Lestranges and Eoin's brother, Kiernan, were imprisoned in Azkaban. Two were dead. Erskine Raine, Galen McKenna, Eoin Malone, Jacqueline Eames and the Dark Prince made up the survivors of the Throne but each one of them had disappeared into their own private corners to wait out this time of peace.
The Throne of Souls would soon be among those dragons awakening by the turning of the tide. Their revival would bring the others out- the Valkyries, the Coven and those lesser mortals that bore the name Death Eater. With their return, a new war would be brewing. It was only a matter of time before the day the Dark Prince would return.
And Snape feared that day above all else.
The Dark Prince had not been seen in nearly fourteen years, since Voldemort fell. Usually a man of pride, the Prince had acted as a coward when he allowed Sirius Black to claim his glory and go to prison in his stead. He had disappeared without a trace, like his master, and on the day he disappeared Heaven and Hell fell silent.
"Why are you worried about the Throne, Severus?" Eoin's ever knowing eyes pierced into his soul. "You know they couldn't touch you, even with the rumors you had become a spy."
"They know about the Coven. If word like that leaks out…"
"It will be dealt with, like it was
before. Remember?"
"Last time it was 'dealt' with, Voldemort was bested by a child."
"Then I say we make sure it doesn't happen this time." Eoin's voice was sinister again. "Eh, Potions Master?"
