A/N: One year ago, I posted the very first chapter of A Weasley Named Malfoy! HUZZA!
I finally figured out how to finally bring this fic to a close... but not before one laste major event happens... And this fic. wouldn't be a fic. if it wasn't in it...
Not my best chapter...
Okay, I stop talking and let you read...
-x-
A Weasley Named Malfoy
Chapter 15: Consequences
He couldn't remember exactly when he had drifted back into conscience, but he knew it couldn't have been very long because his muscles were screaming in pain. Killian opened his eyes- or tried to. His sore, shackled hands reached up to touch his eyelids, noting they were cold to the touch.
"Frozen shut."
In his prison of blackness, Killian felt around and lifted himself into a sitting position against a wall.
"What do you want from me?" His throat was scratchy, as if he had been screaming for hours.
"Information… I'll get straight to the point. Have you ever been tortured before?"
Every muscle clenched in his body, remembering. Yes, he had.
"You have… alright then. I'll spare you and give you an easy way out then. Information… or slow, painful, never-ending torture. Hmm? Sound fair?"
"No."
"I also gave you a couple of drops of veritaserum, no- not enough to loose you completely… where's the fun in that?"
The captor gave him time to let this sink in.
"Who is the leader of the Death Eaters at Hogwarts School?"
Killian didn't resist, knowing henceforth, he had severed himself from the Arm. "Warren Ghostwitch."
"Underling to whom?"
"The Council of the Arm."
"Who is in this council?"
"Parkinson, Zabini, Greengrass, Baddock, Bulstrode, Montague, Nott, Pritchard…"
"I've heard rumors of a great attack being staged, is this true?"
At this question, Killian resisted, but it only sent pain straight to his brain. "I haven't been told," he gasped out.
"Are you sure?" The voice asked amusedly.
"No…" So quickly he broke… Killian was ashamed of himself. "I've heard rumors as well. I think that's what Ghostwitch was suppose to announce tonight."
"I suppose you mean two days ago…" The voice trailed from somewhere in front of him towards his right.
Killian took a long, painful breath, but was silent. He struggled vainly against his bonds.
"I do believe keeping you here is useful… From my reports, I've heard the Hogwarts Arm is a little panicked with one of their officer's missing… but I hear they've been trying to cover it up saying you've been sick." There was deep amusement in his voice. "I'm curious Powers… why did you join the Arm?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
"You tell me…"
"I believe I was just following the crowd. What else is there for a Slytherin to do?"
"You'd be surprised…" This voice sounded very entertained. "I don't suppose you know what the Order is up to?"
"Trying to destroy us… they're not having much luck though. I doubt they even know our name…"
"Hmm… that sounds about right... Considering your current position," The voice added sarcastically. "What is your relationship with Serena Potter?"
"Trying to figure out what she wants, and why she wants it. I do not understand her. But I know she's connected with the Order."
"No doubt…" Killian was getting annoyed by his captors mirth. "Perhaps we shall continue this later… I have a feeling things are slowly beginning to be unwound… Stupify!"
-x-
Malikye nudged Killian with his foot and checked his eyes. "He's out."
Malikye sighed in frustration. "He only told us what we already know… Uninformed for just in case something like this ever happened."
"Not totally uninformed." Serena, who had stayed quiet through the questioning, now spoke up. "We have names… And If I'm correct, our dear father will have kept in touch with at least some of his schoolmates." She looked at the blank walls. "He could be our greatest collaborate."
"Perhaps… but he is also the enemy!"
"Was the enemy…" Yet, even as she said this, she couldn't quite bring herself to believe it. She was still undecided on her feelings towards her father. Now that she had actually meet him, this threw her whole perspective of the situation.
Malikye stalked out of the room and Serena followed, closing and magically sealing the room. "I think you're just jealous because he's contacted me," she mused aloud.
At this Malikye whirled around, his teeth bared. "How dare you!" But as he said this, shock spread across his face. His face softened and he turned away, folding his arms, ashamed at himself. "I'm sorry."
"No- you have no reason to be. I shouldn't even have said it. You have to realize how tangled my situation is and how caught I am in the middle of it. Harry and Draco were enemies. This makes me stand out. Now, whether or not that's a good thing, I still have yet to figure out."
"Yes, please forgive me."
"Only if I am granted the same in return."
"Thank you, I forgive you. Now let us move on. Alael is waiting in the Retiring Room."
They walked on in silence and Serena was wrapped up in her thoughts. If she was correct, Alael would be in trouble for almost exposing them. Then again, she did deliver Killian to them…
The two Children guards bowed slightly as the approached and let them pass. Inside, she found the Inner Circle. Alael was standing next to the hearth, staring intently into the fire.
As they entered, the room quieted and people gave way the center of the room to the superior officers and Alael.
"Although I was able to keep track of events through the book, I would like to hear your side of the story Alael," Malikye started.
"Well, I was following Serena as per orders and stayed at the entrance of the passage way when they entered. At the moment we realized that it was never intended for Serena to attend the meeting, I went in after her thinking it was a trap and she might be in danger. I stayed hidden and saw Serena portkey away and then Killain laughing. So I knocked him out and brought him back here and left him with Gino and Ladonna before returning back to Hogwarts to keep my post."
"While we did extract information out of him, not only is the Arm on extreme alert but you could have exposed us!"
Alael argued back, "I took precautions! Don't think I was totally out of line! I was under invisibility cloak, and as we all were, I had taken a potion to heighten my senses. I knew what I was doing- and there's risk involved in every mission we do, so don't say I was totally out of line. And had I waited for back up, Killian would have been long gone. I did what I saw fit."
"Killian's capture wasn't necessary to our progress… Our intention was to keep an eye on the situation and find out what was the hells is going on." Alael's fury visibly subsided at these words. "Though no doubt your actions, as foolish as they were, proved useful, I've decided to suspend you from missions until further notice."
Alael bowed her head and didn't press the issue further, knowing her place.
"Now, let us to the meeting room so we can hear the testimonies of the Slytherin spies." The Children began filing out.
Alael hung back a bit. Serena went up to her and hugged her. "You actions were justified," she whispered. They both were last into the Meeting Room and took their seats.
One by one, the Slytherin Children came in and each gave their version of what happened.
-x-
"The time has come at last! We have received word from the Council of the launch of our campaign!"
I cheered with the loudest of them in the crowd of Slytherin kids all gathered around Warren Ghostwtich who stood on a raised circular platform in the center of the room. He was bedecked in Slytherin green and silver, and his arms were raised majestically addressing the congregation of students who lead normal lives by day and loyal Death Eaters by night. Not just Slytherins, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs as well, dressed in green… and not a Gryffindor in sight.
"Dumbledore and the Order has been our greatest threat since the Dark Lord rose to power. It is time to eliminate them and finish what our Lord has started!"
"Pure blood pride! Kill the Mudbloods!" I heard someone yell from amidst more yells and jubilation.
On my left, Blythe eyed me and I knew exactly what he was thinking though he continued to praise the Death Eaters.
-x-
On my right, Isiah looked to me and I could tell that he was wearisome behind his mask of vindictiveness.
"We will attack from the inside out and all will know where our loyalties truly lie. To bring down the Order, we have to bring down it's head. And to bring down Dumbledore, we must first bring down Hogwarts!"
If cheering could be measured by earthquakes, then surely the whole world would be shaking along with this room.
The cheering hadn't even stopped before he continued. Instead he yelled right along with them so that his words and jubilation matched theirs. "AND WHEN THE ORDER COMES TO SAVE THEM, WE SILL SLAUGHTER THEM! ALONG WITH THE REST OF THE MUDBLOODS!"
A few yards away from us, Liot, Mae and Jamison, were shouting and yelling along.
-x-
I wanted to retch, but instead I yelled along with them, punching my fist in the air. Mae and Jamison along side me were doing the same.
They were planning to kill us and they were cheering! I wasn't exactly sure of what I wanted to do to them- try to scream some sense into them- but for all I know, that would probably get me killed quicker.
After a while, Ghostwitch put up his arms to silence them. "And this will only be our first campaign… Next, the ministry and all others that stand in our way!" Cheering rose again, and with it, Ghostwitch yelled along with them. "ALL THE WIZARDING WORLD WILL BE PURGED OF IMPURITY! WE WILL ONCE AGAIN BE ABLE TO CALL OUR SELVES WIZARD KIND AND MEAN IT!"
"PURE BLOOD PRIDE!"
"WE ARE THE WIZARDS! THE REAL WIZARDS!"
"WIZARD PRIDE! KILL THE MUDBLOODS!"
"SLAUGHTER THEM! KILL THEM!"
"SNAKE PRIDE!" I continued to yell, for I couldn't bring my self to actually cheer along with them.
-x-
When at last the rallying ended, several initiations were given. It was a painful process, and only those who were able to go through with it unflinchingly were given ranks of power. The initiator stood in the middle of the circle while the initiates were on their knees around him. One by one he would press the magical brand, said to have been used by the Dark Lord himself- I scoffed at this- was to be pressed into their arms. Many screamed and fell to the floor, and because it was done one by one, the victim was to suffer his individual humiliation with all the Death Eater's watching.
But that was only the first part, once all had been branded black, they were to take their own wands and recite the incantation to finalize the process, which was even more painful than branding. The screams lasted for hours, for they were not aloud to take anything to subdue the pain. The rest of the congregation would watch in silence, not allowed to aide or make a single noise until the last scream had died.
It was said that this was the process where any impurities that might have crossed them were purged out and that their blood turned silver as it took place. But no one really knew for certain as it was against the laws of the initiation to even step onto the platform.
For hours it lasted, and we listened to their screams of pain. Perhaps this part was to try and build them up for the many hours of torture that those Death Eater's were going to endure and give.
On and on, scream after bloodcurdling scream. Nails on a chalkboard, endured unflinchingly and silently. Listening to pain, unending pain. And when it finally ended, it was for you to replay as you lay in bed, over and over again and forever haunt you…
That was the first time any of the spies had witnessed an initiation.
-x-
These stories were received in silence, as if just the telling of it was the screams of the initiates themselves. Malikye had his eyes closed and his head in his hands. He had gone through the initiation himself.
Everyone was too terrified to make the first sound until finally Malikye spoke up. "I think we have a pretty good idea about what is going to happen now… I think it'd be best of we all retired. I will send for you when next we meet. Goodnight." He stood up, the room silent except the scream of his chair as it slid back against the floor, and left the room.
For a while longer they sat in silence before it was Serena's turn to speak up, "Well, let's get back to our appropriate schools then. I think we all have a lot to think about. If need be, we can go to the potions room and get a relaxing drought because I'm definitely going to need one."
Serena carefully pulled back her chair and slid it back in and opened the door to the Main Room where several other Children had been waiting to hear what had been discussed. But they held back; by the solemnly way the Inner Circle filed out, they could tell it had been bad news. Serena administered a relaxing drought before they had taken portkeys to scattered places around the castle, or to separate schools, and returned to their dorms.
Serena trudged up the stairs with the rest of the Gryffindor Children under invisibility cloaks and opened the portrait hole. Serena stepped in and immediately saw Wolf's head whirl around from the couch to look at the portrait hole.
"Who's there?"
Behind her, Serena signaled with her hands for the rest of them to quickly go to their dorms. In their separate cloaks, they fled, the sounds of their footsteps pounding. Wolf sprang up over the coach and started trashing around, trying to grab one of them. He succeeded in grabbing Lance on his way up the spiral staircase.
"Stop!" Serena threw off her cloak and let it drop to the floor.
Wolf whirled around, "I suspected you were out again. I went up to the dorms and found the same group of kids gone."
"Right proud of yourself are you? Let him go."
"No, not this time." He turned to Lance, "Bring the other boy down." And then he turned to Serena, "And you can bring the girls down. We're going to discuss this right now." Lance disappeared up the staircase and Serena up the other and then they were trudging back down again.
"Sit." All five of the Gryffindor Children sat and Wolf, the angry prefect, stood in front of them.
"Gino, I want you to answer me. And Serena, I forbid you to talk." He emphasized his by holding up a hand in her direction. "Where have you been going to at nights?"
The seventh year stared around at the rest of the Children, not knowing what to say.
Serena spoke up anyways, "SUCA."
Wolf looked thoroughly pissed, and let out a slow breath, his hand bobbing to his words, but still not looking at her, "Serena, shut up or I'll take this to Dumbledore."
Serena leaned forward in her seat, her head in her hands trying to think. Yes, the needed to tell Dumbledore, but exposing the Children now would not be a good idea, so she kept quiet. She needed to tell someone from the Order the news and she had to tell them soon. But she had to talk to Malikye again first.
"Like she said, the SUCA."
"You've been going to the SUCA… SUCA meetings?"
"Yes…"
"So there's more of you in other houses?" He looked at all of them. "Because if it was only you five, then you wouldn't have to sneak out at nights would you? But if it was SUCA meetings, why couldn't these meetings take place during the day?"
"Because-" Serena tried to speak up.
"Silencio!"
Serena was thoroughly enraged. It had not been a good day… With her wand raised, the mouthed the words, Prior Incantato.
"How dare you!" She said when she was released of the spell. "I could have your prefect privileges revoked for that with your past history!"
Ah, sweet blackmail. Of course, now Wolf couldn't go to Dumbledore if he wished to keep his prefect privileges.
"To hell with being a prefect, it's extra work anyways…"
Well, she hadn't seen that coming.
"Let's go, all of you… we're going to Dumbledore's office right now because I can't get a damn thing out of-"
"Stupify!"
Wolf crumpled to the floor, Bernice's wand still drawn.
"Good thinking. I didn't think I would have lasted another meeting… Or having to explain myself." Serena walked over to Wolf, "Let's get him on the couch." Gino helped her set Wolf onto the couch.
"Wolf, sometimes, you can be a right pain the ass…" Serena said to his limp body before modifying his memory.
"All right, I'm about to fall asleep standing, so off to bed. We'll just let him wake up by himself."
A few minutes later, Serena finally dropped into her bed, unconscious before she hit the pillow. But her sleep wasn't restful…
-x-
AH! Okay, I admit, it was a bit short... blushes But it did reveal a lot...
And I'm sorry I had Wolf knocked out in the end... And don't worry, this fic. isn't going to end without a little bit more Serena/Wolf...
Thanks to all those who reviewed!
-patronus
