AN: sorry everyone for the previous chapter's briefness. This one's quite short as well, but I swear things get very interesting after this, so please don't give up on me!
Chapter seventeen: Evil scheme.
It was the coldest night in years for being March. Three figures, clad in long black robes were standing in the pressing silence of Malfoy Manor's woods.
" Why have you contacted us?" Asked the first man.
" I needed to know whether or not you are still loyal to our Dark Lord," was the hushed answer.
At that, the third man snapped. " How can you ask such question? Of course we are, but we cannot go around looking for him..."
A wry laugh interrupted him. " I will not risk my neck, Avery, that I can assure you. But, then, you do believe he is bound to return."
" Absolutely."
" Your certitude comforts me, MacNair. Very well, you are here for I am aware of certain... developments that could be faithful to our cause. Just because our Lord is away does not mean we have to merely stand cross-armed."
" Then speak, Malfoy."
After a pause in which the air filled with tension, Lucius spoke, " Are you familiar with Shekhsmet's Phoenix?"
Avery shot him a perplexed look. " Only by name… it was supposed to be the true incarnation of fire and an extremely powerful creature guarded by the Order of Shekhsmet."
Lucius nodded. " That is correct. The Order of Shekhsmet had instructions to find a different receptacle for the Phoenix's spirit every generation. They did a good job in hiding it for hundreds of years, mostly in muggle babies, who would grow up and die without knowing the power that rested inside of them. But last time, the Phoenix refused to be imprisoned once again and they could barely hold it back; they managed to do so and placed the Phoenix life-force inside a child, whose identity was unknown," he explained.
MacNair shifted from one foot to another, impatiently waiting for him to finish. " So, how is this any of our interest?" He asked.
" That the muggle's identity is Kyra Gardner, a student at Hogwarts. It makes perfect sense… even though the girl comes from a straight line of muggles, she carries inside a mystical wizarding creature."
The other two men's eyes widened at that piece of information. " How did you find out?" They asked in unison.
" I have contacts," was all Lucius said.
" And I believe you have found an use for that… person," hinted Avery.
A gust of chilly wind forced Malfoy to fasten his robes before going on, " Certainly. Since it was locked against its will, it has been believed that once the recipient reached adulthood and, with the proper stimulus, the Phoenix could take over."
" What's her age?" Asked MacNair with an avid look in his cold eyes.
" 18. Soon, very soon the Phoenix will rise from its ashes. And, being so powerful, can be the most elemental weapon for our Lord's war."
" Impressive, Malfoy. But I have heard that the Phoenix is originally a pristine force and that it is made of that pure energy our Lord hates so much," Avery pointed out.
Lucius smiled, as if he had expected that. " What would happen, then, if we corrupted, tainted, that energy...?"
" It shall help us win the war," concluded MacNair. " Then we must start working on this matter at once."
" Yes, I will. The power within her is… like nothing the world has ever seen before. Too bad the girl's got such a temper. She will not be easy to control," commented Lucius, shaking his head.
Avery snorted. " Torture her, cast a spell on her, I don't care. Just force her to pledge allegiance to the Dark Lord."
" We could, but we would never be able to… have power over her entirely. We need to break her first and then leave her no choice but to turn to us."
" And how will we do that? You said she's too strong-willed."
" She has become very close to Severus Snape, MacNair. Maybe we could use that."
Avery's lips turned into a smirk. " Close? How close?"
Lucius smiled placidly. " Not to the point of having an affair, I believe. But what if everybody thought they were?"
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