Sighting

In the midst of a dank, oppressing forest strides a man familiar with the nature of darkness. Throughout his life he had offered complete obedience to the cause, never wavering in his loyalty. So much so that the name he had forgotten long ago was irrelevant; following the Dark Lord was all the identity he needed. It gave him great pride to belong to the select group of Death Eaters known as 'The Elite'. They were the most trusted and powerful of Voldemort's servants. They were also the most deadly.

His current assignment was one of the most secretive he had received in his long history. Even he felt the rare tug of curiosity. The mission lay tightly in his arms, bundled in thick black velvet, safe from prying eyes. Even if the human side of him was tempted to pull back the cloth, the death eater in him would automatically dismiss it. He was servant to Voldemort and forever would he be so. Free will was burned away with the branding of the mark.

The forest was deathly silent, even his footsteps on the fallen leaves passed without as much as a rustle. On he walked his pace gradually slowing down, until he reached a particularly tall and twisted tree. Delicately placing down the precious cargo on the forest floor, he raised one hand in the air. He began moving it, in seemingly random motions. All of a sudden a great hissing sound reverberated around the forest, almost as if a great swarm of snakes had filled the air. In an instance the noise halted and the object it had heralded, appeared. It was a solid block of energy, rippling and crackling with sparks of electricity. Picking up the bundle, the death eater moved forwards and without hesitation, stepped through the enchanted door.

The sight which awaited him was far removed from the dank but unremarkable forest. A large, once-majestic castle loomed behind a moat of murky water. Snarling stone gargoyles stood guard, not shielding from evil but welcoming it. The gothic brickwork of the castle was tainted a strange colour; it seemed to bleed. The death eater walked calmly over the drawbridge, gestured to the throng of patrolling guards and moved through the castle, heading towards the innermost chamber.

"Have you got it?" asked Lord Voldemort eagerly.

"Yes my lord" responded his servant, placing the bundle in the grasping hands of his master. Despite his many years service, the grotesque sight of Voldemort had yet to lose its full impact. Swallowing the bile rising in his throat, the death eater asked, somewhat hesitantly, "What is it, my lord?"

Voldemort, who had been carefully unwrapping the many layers of velvet, took a long, speculative look at the man before deciding to answer.

"It is one of a kind; both beautiful and horrific. It once belonged to a great and powerful sorceress, pitiless and deadly; a woman after my own heart."

He held up the coveted object. At first glance it appeared to be a large circular, crystal but on closer inspection it was revealed to be something else entirely. There seemed to be many scenes swirling around in the centre of it, yet none were clear. Like a film on fast forward, the images were there but it made no sense. Almost subconsciously the man took a step forward, his eyes drawn to the object. He could just begin to make out a few faces in the mist. A boy, no, a man with jet black hair and another with...

Voldemort placed his hand over the crystal, blocking the view. The death eater quickly swallowed a protest and controlled himself. The dark lord gave a patronising smile and sneered, "That's enough of that I think...wouldn't want you to get distracted now, would we?"

"What is that?" the man asked before he could stop himself.

"It is called a sighting stone" Voldemort began "Not the most original of names, but it serves its purpose"

"It shows the future?"

A bemused look crossed Voldemort's deformed features "Shows the future?" he scoffed mockingly, "You think I would go to all this trouble for an overrated crystal ball? No, this is a far less pedestrian object. But you're naïve assumption does hold some truth, I'll give you that"

The Dark Lord peeled his fingers off the crystal and brought it closer to his red eyes; Focusing deeply into its misty depths for a few seconds, before once again enveloping it with his bony digits.

"The images you saw in the stone did show a glimpse of the future, or at least the future that could be, if I had my way"

Confused, the Death Eater asked "What do you mean, my lord?"

"How shall I put this so you'll understand...? Ah yes, the stone acts as an indicator. I feed my thoughts into it; I pose a question or an idea to which it responds. It whispers inside my mind, whispers great secrets which only it knows. These secrets will offer great advantages in the upcoming days, oh yes...great advantages." Voldemort paused, his eyes gleaming unnervingly and his leeching smile widened, exposing his broken and mouldy teeth. He looked as if he held the whole world in his hands.

"The scenes that it exposes are the outcomes of my plans. If I have my way they will become as real as you or I soon enough"

"What plans?" the death eater asked without thinking. Curiosity was a new feeling for him, one he couldn't yet control. A sudden searing pain that crippled his spine and bent his bones, was the only answer he received.

"You should know better!" his master smirked, enjoying watching his servant squirming in pain. "But I understand the power that the stone exacts on a person. If they have weak will, like you obviously do, it can become a dangerous object. As soon as a person gets just one look into its depths, they are forever joined with it. Unable to use it, but obsessed with what it might show."

The death eater, who was kneeling and trying desperately to push past the pain, was moved to agree. Even now, the stone's hold on him was unbreakable.

Voldemort removed his fingers from around the stone, for several minutes he stared directly into it, communicating with his mind. Finally he looked away and said in a supposedly kind voice, "You may have noticed my good mood today? Yes it's remarkable what welcome news can do to improve a man's frame of mind. Anyway, today is your lucky day, my servant. It just so happens that I will show you more of what you desire." The dark lord held the crystal towards the eager death eater, playfully toying with the man's obvious craving.

"I'll show you a private desire of mine, not essential to the downfall of good but very, very vital all the same. Enjoy" Voldemort said before passing the stone into the hands of the fervent man.

Vision

The mist cleared. A figure could be seen, crouching on a forest floor. It was a woman, no more than eighteen years old. Short hair the colour of autumn leaves was sheared close to the skull. She looked up, her image filling the crystal. The gaunt face was deathly pale. Angry eyes were lit with a deep intensity; unforgiving, harsh and proud. She wore a black cloak; its edges were burnt and frayed. Standing up tall, her full physique could be seen. She was thin, too thin. Her hands were covered with burns, not red blisters but charred black skin. She blinked and for a second she looked innocent, like a child. Then her eyes opened and her true nature was revealed.

The crystal went black for an instance, before returning to a new scene.

A great cliff could be seen in the distance. Waves crashed violently against it, attempting to no avail, to wash it away. A shape could be seen on the very edge on the cliff. The image zoomed forward stopping just a few meters from the shape. It was a man, still in his teenage years. His eyes were red rimmed and heavily circled with purple bruises. Fresh tears started to escape, joining those already dried onto his ashen face. A mop of thick black hair lay plastered onto to his forehead, heavy with sweat and grime. He stood facing the moaning, awaiting water. It seemed to call out to him, a deadly invitation. Suddenly he was viciously spun around to face way from the edge.

Levitating, at least four feet in the air, a man shaped being glided towards the young man. His demonic red eyes were filled with happiness; an unnatural contradiction. Although no sound could be heard, the being seemed to be laughing, great, heaving laughter. The red-eyed man bowed his head in mock curtsey towards the boy. He took one last gloating look before he spun in the air, beckoning something towards him.

Abruptly, a second figure materialized on the cliff. Its face was hooded and shadowed. Without a second thought it held its hands up, sending bolts of energy towards the powerless boy. Shock mingled with horrified realisation marred his features. He said his last, breathless word, before being bombarded with the agonising bolts.

He hit the rocks hard. Every bone in his body broken. No longer the boy who lived.

The mist rolled over the image, blocking the scene for long seconds before returning in a rapid burst.

The floating creature was ecstatic. He glided down to the ground, placing one hand on the shoulder of the shadowed figure. The hood slid down. Voldemort and his favourite red headed pet beamed at each other.

Victory.

"This will happen?" The death eater asked breathlessly.

His master smiled; the smile that could turn a man's heart to stone.

"Oh yes" he replied "Soon"

"Soon"