Disclaimer: The words are mine, the characters and concepts are Rowlings'.
Hopefully the lawyers are satisfied...oh, and the readers, too!
Author's note: This is my first fic. Reviews are encouraged, especially ones that correct any canon mistakes I have made, or that correct my American English into British English.
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Facades: Prologue - Slythering Whispers
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"Lucius Malfoy"
"My Lord?" Lucius stepped closer to the abomination that he called master, hiding his distaste for the creature with a demeanor of unctuous subservience. He controlled his ever-present urge to sneer and instead knelt with head bowed before Lord Voldemort.
"How are our strikes against the families of the Ministry progressing?" Voldemort toyed idly with his wand, the threat of a Crucio curse implicit if he did not like the Malfoy's report. Lucius tamped down his disdain for the predictability of this threat. Predictable they might be, but that didn't mean that the Dark Lord's curses hurt any less. He let the memory of that pain flit across his features as he gave his report.
"Not...not as well as we might have expected. Since our exposure at the Ministry of Magic, many people have begun to take the threat of your return more seriously," there, that should please the vain old git, "they're shoring up their defenses, and many of those who were unsure as to their allegiances are now wholeheartedly throwing their lot in with Dumbledore and Potter." Lucius Malfoy trembled in suppressed rage at this, hoping Voldemort would misinterpret it as fear.
Ruined. Years of planning, playing politics and subtly pulling strings behind the scenes was ruined because this...this plebian old fool, this two- dimensional, moustache-twirling, stage villain before him didn't have enough brains or patience to leave Potter the hell alone. The Ministry had been theirs. Hogwarts had been theirs. Most of the Wizarding World had been docilely falling in line exactly the way that Lucius had planned. The Order of the Phoenix had been diminished, discredited and on the run, and then this jumped-up peasant with too much power and not enough sense had to go and ruin everything.
Voldemort raised his want menacingly, and Lucius realized he had been silent too long.
"My apologies, my Lord. It angers me that they are so boldly presumptuous as to stand against you."
"It should not, Lucius," a ghastly grimace that might once have passed for a smile split the Dark Lord's thin lips. His eyes glowed red in unholy glee, "the more they oppose us, the more terror and suffering we will bring to them, and the more the world will bow to us when we take the power that is rightfully ours."
Venal prat, "Of course, my Lord."
"Now, tell me, what is your estimation of our enemies' weaknesses?"
Lucius Malfoy shifted his weight slightly as the cold damp of the stone floor began to seep through his clothes. He ignored the shadows that seemed to shift and chitter darkly with the Dark Lord's words. There was something so passé and vaguely contrived about all the clichés that Voldemort loved to cloak himself in.
"Hogwarts remains impenetrable. All of our agents there are under close scrutiny because so many are known to be related to your Death Eaters. In spite of this, Dumbledore insists that they have as much right to be at Hogwarts as anyone else. Obviously he hopes to subvert some of them to his side, but this seems unlikely. Snape continues to insist that he can do little more to aid our agents than what he is already doing. He bears close watching. I don't trust him."
"Do not concern yourself with Snape. What about Potter?" Lucius swallowed his instinctive objection. It was ridiculous to ignore questionable factors like Severus Snape and his potential treachery. It was as dangerous to their long-term plans as the Dark Lord's continued obsession with Harry Potter and that damned prophesy. His silver eyes fixing on Voldemort's twitching wand, the pale-haired wizard grit his teeth and continued.
"As to Potter, his friends would seem to be the primary target, if we could only get to them. He has little love for his Muggle family, and as you know, they are protected by Old Blood magic, as is Potter when he is with them. Granger and Weasley are as protected as he is--"
"Yes, yes, you are giving me all the useless information. Is there anything useful?"
"Potter doesn't appear to have any romantic attachments anymore," Lucius ended abruptly, as if he'd been about to say more, and waited for the Dark Lord to take the bait.
"Go on Lucius. What were you about to say?"
"There is Virginia Weasley. The youngest Weasley. There are some rumors that Potter might have an attachment to her.
"Weasley...?" The Dark Lord looked blank.
"The girl who was given yo--ah, Tom Riddle's diary. The one who opened the Chamber of Secrets."
"Ah yes. A loose end. We should do away with her. She knows that old self too well. Such knowledge could be a liability. My enemies could easily use it against me."
Lucius mentally sighed. It was like pulling teeth, getting anything done through this imbecile, "Yes, my Lord. Of course. But if Potter does have an attachment, couldn't she be used to get to him?"
Voldemort seemed to consider this, then began chuckling quietly to himself.
"Yesss," the shadows echoed the Dark Lord's sibilant hiss, chittering and laughing with a slight edge of madness.
Lucius nodded and rose, "very well, my Lord," he said briskly, "I shall see to it at once. My son Draco could--"
"No, Lucius," the Dark Lord leaned forward and transfixed the aristocrat's silver eyes with his own unblinking crimson gaze, "I will see to the youngest Weasley." Lucius gulped and nodded, slightly unnerved by the joy that Voldemort exhibited in the prospect. For Lucius Malfoy, Virginia Weasley was just a means to an end. For Voldemort, she would now be victim and plaything. Lucius stood and began to back from the room, knowing that his report was over, and uneasy with the raw evil of the thing before him.
"Oh, and Lucius," the pale man paused as Voldemort raised his wand, "I am neither a fool, an imbecile, or a git. You may lie to yourself as to why you serve me, but please do not forget that I own you. I find your pathetic rationalizations to be as predictable and tiring as you apparently find me. Please attempt to keep your thoughts more shielded in the future. Crucio."
Lucius Malfoy's screams drowned out the chittering laughter of the shadows.
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Author's note: This is my first fic. Reviews are encouraged, especially ones that correct any canon mistakes I have made, or that correct my American English into British English.
*************
Facades: Prologue - Slythering Whispers
*************
"Lucius Malfoy"
"My Lord?" Lucius stepped closer to the abomination that he called master, hiding his distaste for the creature with a demeanor of unctuous subservience. He controlled his ever-present urge to sneer and instead knelt with head bowed before Lord Voldemort.
"How are our strikes against the families of the Ministry progressing?" Voldemort toyed idly with his wand, the threat of a Crucio curse implicit if he did not like the Malfoy's report. Lucius tamped down his disdain for the predictability of this threat. Predictable they might be, but that didn't mean that the Dark Lord's curses hurt any less. He let the memory of that pain flit across his features as he gave his report.
"Not...not as well as we might have expected. Since our exposure at the Ministry of Magic, many people have begun to take the threat of your return more seriously," there, that should please the vain old git, "they're shoring up their defenses, and many of those who were unsure as to their allegiances are now wholeheartedly throwing their lot in with Dumbledore and Potter." Lucius Malfoy trembled in suppressed rage at this, hoping Voldemort would misinterpret it as fear.
Ruined. Years of planning, playing politics and subtly pulling strings behind the scenes was ruined because this...this plebian old fool, this two- dimensional, moustache-twirling, stage villain before him didn't have enough brains or patience to leave Potter the hell alone. The Ministry had been theirs. Hogwarts had been theirs. Most of the Wizarding World had been docilely falling in line exactly the way that Lucius had planned. The Order of the Phoenix had been diminished, discredited and on the run, and then this jumped-up peasant with too much power and not enough sense had to go and ruin everything.
Voldemort raised his want menacingly, and Lucius realized he had been silent too long.
"My apologies, my Lord. It angers me that they are so boldly presumptuous as to stand against you."
"It should not, Lucius," a ghastly grimace that might once have passed for a smile split the Dark Lord's thin lips. His eyes glowed red in unholy glee, "the more they oppose us, the more terror and suffering we will bring to them, and the more the world will bow to us when we take the power that is rightfully ours."
Venal prat, "Of course, my Lord."
"Now, tell me, what is your estimation of our enemies' weaknesses?"
Lucius Malfoy shifted his weight slightly as the cold damp of the stone floor began to seep through his clothes. He ignored the shadows that seemed to shift and chitter darkly with the Dark Lord's words. There was something so passé and vaguely contrived about all the clichés that Voldemort loved to cloak himself in.
"Hogwarts remains impenetrable. All of our agents there are under close scrutiny because so many are known to be related to your Death Eaters. In spite of this, Dumbledore insists that they have as much right to be at Hogwarts as anyone else. Obviously he hopes to subvert some of them to his side, but this seems unlikely. Snape continues to insist that he can do little more to aid our agents than what he is already doing. He bears close watching. I don't trust him."
"Do not concern yourself with Snape. What about Potter?" Lucius swallowed his instinctive objection. It was ridiculous to ignore questionable factors like Severus Snape and his potential treachery. It was as dangerous to their long-term plans as the Dark Lord's continued obsession with Harry Potter and that damned prophesy. His silver eyes fixing on Voldemort's twitching wand, the pale-haired wizard grit his teeth and continued.
"As to Potter, his friends would seem to be the primary target, if we could only get to them. He has little love for his Muggle family, and as you know, they are protected by Old Blood magic, as is Potter when he is with them. Granger and Weasley are as protected as he is--"
"Yes, yes, you are giving me all the useless information. Is there anything useful?"
"Potter doesn't appear to have any romantic attachments anymore," Lucius ended abruptly, as if he'd been about to say more, and waited for the Dark Lord to take the bait.
"Go on Lucius. What were you about to say?"
"There is Virginia Weasley. The youngest Weasley. There are some rumors that Potter might have an attachment to her.
"Weasley...?" The Dark Lord looked blank.
"The girl who was given yo--ah, Tom Riddle's diary. The one who opened the Chamber of Secrets."
"Ah yes. A loose end. We should do away with her. She knows that old self too well. Such knowledge could be a liability. My enemies could easily use it against me."
Lucius mentally sighed. It was like pulling teeth, getting anything done through this imbecile, "Yes, my Lord. Of course. But if Potter does have an attachment, couldn't she be used to get to him?"
Voldemort seemed to consider this, then began chuckling quietly to himself.
"Yesss," the shadows echoed the Dark Lord's sibilant hiss, chittering and laughing with a slight edge of madness.
Lucius nodded and rose, "very well, my Lord," he said briskly, "I shall see to it at once. My son Draco could--"
"No, Lucius," the Dark Lord leaned forward and transfixed the aristocrat's silver eyes with his own unblinking crimson gaze, "I will see to the youngest Weasley." Lucius gulped and nodded, slightly unnerved by the joy that Voldemort exhibited in the prospect. For Lucius Malfoy, Virginia Weasley was just a means to an end. For Voldemort, she would now be victim and plaything. Lucius stood and began to back from the room, knowing that his report was over, and uneasy with the raw evil of the thing before him.
"Oh, and Lucius," the pale man paused as Voldemort raised his wand, "I am neither a fool, an imbecile, or a git. You may lie to yourself as to why you serve me, but please do not forget that I own you. I find your pathetic rationalizations to be as predictable and tiring as you apparently find me. Please attempt to keep your thoughts more shielded in the future. Crucio."
Lucius Malfoy's screams drowned out the chittering laughter of the shadows.
*****