A/N: This chapter is place immediately after Snape leaves Hogwarts in the 6th book. Snape, from this chapter forward, is to be seen as the enemy. Bad Snape. Bad. WARNING: HBP spoilers! If you haven't read it yet, go read it NOW! And if you don't cry for...erm...nevermind...If you don't cry, you're not human :tears up:. Oh, and after the first few paragraphs it switches to the beginning of September...if you couldn't figure that out yourself. : o It's gonna be a long 'un.; D
Chapter Two
It was done. Dumbledore was gone, dead. Draco felt as if a huge rock was planted firmly in his stomach. He felt hot tears sear their way into his eyes but did not allow them to escape. Thank Merlin for Snape, though. His emotionless had proved faultless. And now Draco's mother would be happy. He would not die, not tonight.
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"Summer is almost over, my lord. Hogwarts is going to reopen. What are you going to do? Do you have a plan?"
"Yes, you blubbering idiot. 'Do you have a plan'. Ha. Have I ever not had a plan? And it involves entertainment. For both myself and the Death Eaters. I get the feeling they are going to like my plan. I am perfecting it as we speak. Now leave me, Wormtail. I have no need of you."
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Harry woke up with his scar burning. This was not normal. Voldemort had cut the connection between the two. He should not be feeling anything in his scar. It made him worry. His scar hurting could not be anything good. He got up and went to the lantern nearby, stepping over a sleeping Ron, where parchment and a quill with ink were conjured. He sat down, staring at the empty space, quill in hand, thinking. He couldn't write Sirius. He couldn't write Dumbledore. Who was there? All of his most trusted mentors were fading out. He didn't want to concern anyone. He would tell Ron and Hermione in the morning before they packed up to go to the next location. He lay down on his bed and looked at the ceiling of the tent they were in, thinking about where they were going next. With thoughts in his mind of the next cave, forest clearing, or relatives house that may or may not hold the next clue to the location of the next horcrux, he went to sleep, not worried about his scar.
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Draco woke feeling miserable and not really remembering why...He paused a moment, thinking.
He remembered suddenly, a migrane making him groan in pain. It had been a late night. A horrible night. Fire, curses, deaths...and prisoners. Not just any prisoners...
The miserable boy pulled himself from the bed and pulled on a new robe. He pulled open the door and walked down the long staircase, wishing he had taken the time to find the migrane potion last night. They had hit him every night since Voldemort told them his plan. He would have been stupid not to see the connection.
Since the attack on Hogwarts at the end of the school year, Draco and his mother had been living in Voldemort's "lair", along with many other renowned Death Eaters. It wasn't safe to live in their old house anymore. Snape had come here as well, though he spent most of his time in his rooms, concocting potions for Voldemort at all times.
Draco lowered himself gingerly in a chair next to his mother. Snape sat on his other side. Apparently they were having a meeting this morning. He spotted several others who lived outside the lair and did not come unless called. snape handed Draco a small bottle.
"For that migrane," Snape murmered into his ear. Draco smiled weakly in thanks and uncorked the bottle, guzzling the foul concotion down with orange juice and toast. With great ceremony, the prisoners of last night's battle walked out, looking worn thin and frightened out of their minds. All but one. Draco felt sick as he looked at her. She had a dazed expression etched across her face, not a determined expression hiding fear, or a brave expression hiding cowardliness, but an unaware, marvelling expression. Luna. There were twelve girls, all of them pureblooded, but all of them blood traitors, tolerating company and even befriending mudbloods, half bloods, and sometimes even muggles. Among the girls were Susan Bones, Ginny Weasley, and the Patil twins. There were others, but Draco didn't know their names. Then, Voldemort walked in, looking like a feeble snake-man. Draco kept these thoughts securely behind the weak wall Snape had taught him to build in his mind over the summer. The Death Eaters all stood as Voldemort sat down. He waved his hand unceremoniously and they sat.
"Welcome, ladies. We're so glad you saw fit to visit," Lord Voldemort said, a few of the more malicious Death Eaters sniggering at his remark. "Actually, you are all here for the same reason. Can anyone tell me?" he said, gazing at each girl, making them squirm...well, most of them squirm. When Voldemort saw Luna was not responding to his intimidation, he looked at her with a bit more interest than the rest.
"Ms. Lovegood. Perhaps you would enlighten us?"
"Is it because we're all infested with Tenacious Timbletoms? Because I've been feeling funny lately and--"
"No, no, you silly girl. You know the answer, now say it."
"Oh, that. It's because we're all blood traitors...But I would still like to be checked for Tena--"
"Yes! You are all blood traitors. You are all young, female blood traitors. You are all from respected and well-known pureblood families that are openly against me. And you are all going to be punished for you so-called "good" ways. Take them out now, Nott, so we can get to business." The girls were pushed chidingly out the door by Nott. "Now, ladies and gentlemen, to business. I'm sure you've all put the pieces together by now. These girls will serve as pureblooded...harlots, I suppose you would call them, to produce pureblooded children, which will grow to follow in our esteemed footsteps. I hope you will be willing to use them. Now, to the wives, if you dislike this arrangement, take it up with your husbands, not me. I am merely providing the vessel for the continuation of the Pureblood race. Simply go through that door and you will gain access to one of the young women. That is all I have to say at this meeting. If any problems occur in this arrangement, you will be notified individually. You are dismissed," he finished, and with that, left the room.
"Well, he handled that well, didn't he," Snape said quietly. Draco sat there, stunned. Poor Luna. He had to force himself not to care. He watched several men file through the door, leering as they pulled out their masks and snapped them on. Draco would not be going there. Ever.
"This is disgusting," Narcissa said. "I have no say in the matter, of course, and I trust my lord's judgment, but it is cruel to put a pureblood through that, even a blood traitor. I would feel more comfortable with half bloods. Even a mudblood would be more appropriate, though I find the very idea disgusting. This is degrading."
"Narcissa, only a pureblood and a pureblood make a true pureblood. Our Lord is simply using logic. The girls will serve to increase our numbers and be given punishment at the same time. It will prove to be a good move in--" Snape was cut short by a cry coming from the doorway leading to the girls. There were two more cries after that one. The cries were male, most definitely. Snape raised an eyebrow, picked up his bag of healing potions, and walked through the door. He came out a few minutes later behind three limping, miserable men, each clutching his groin and wincing in pain with each step. He sat them down and began asking them quiet questions. At last he went silent, looking at the notes he had taken through the interviews.
"Nott," Snape said quietly. The tall man came over and they whispered for a moment, Nott getting a little red in the face, then he nodded and walked into the rooms and came back out with three girls. Draco saw Luna, looking, as always, dazed and uncaring, and the Patil twins, who looked as if they had been crying. Each of them was straightening their robes, proving that they had just put them on.
"Hold out your left hand," Snape said loudly. They did as he asked, eyes wide with fear. On each of the three hands was a ring. Luna's was a simple diamond on a silver band, and the Patils both had a large white diamond set between two stones, one with emeralds, one with saphires.
"Yes, it is just as I thought. Old magic, though still widely used on young witches," Snape said, more to himself than anyone. Draco wondered what he was talking about, but his mother seemed to know. She looked as if she wanted badly to laugh but was holding back. He saw the look reflected on his aunt Bellatrix and the other female Death Eaters.
Snape gave a futile tug on one of the rings, as if to further prove his suspicion. He nodded and whispered quickly to Nott, who placed a binding charm on the girls. Then Snape knocked on the door and was allowed entrance.
"I was wondering if something this could happen. I don't suppose any of the girls know what they have?" Voldemort said.
"No, my lord. the Patils were crying, which shows they were just as afraid as the other girls and Miss Lovegood...well, she was oblivious, I assume. If she does know, it means nothing to her," Snape answered, his head bowed respectfully.
"Now, what is this called again? I don't think I've ever heard of it, even with my extensive studies," Voldemort said.
"Well, my lord, it isn't exactly dark magic, but it isn't taught to men, unless they learn by experience. It's called a Chastity Ring. It's a charmed ring that doesn't allow a girl to participate in any sort of...sexual activity. It was created in medival times to protect both the girl's virtue and her capacity to earn weath for her family. These three girls still have thier... erm ...uh ... maidenheads... and they have an unbreakable charm that renders anything placed in...that area...useless for anywhere from a few hours to a few days. The charm can only be broken by legal marriage. The loophole, of sorts, is that it does not have to be a willing marriage, or a marriage of love. This, of course, we can trace to the charm's ancient roots. Most rich, pureblood girls are given thier rings when they turn five or six, usually very young, as a simple protective caution." Snape got redder and redder in the face, and he began to stutter with the slightest uncomfortable word. Voldemort was amused.
"It won't be difficult to get around this, then. Just marry them off to someone and put them back in the rooms."
"I'm afraid, my lord, it doesn't work that way. The girl is bound to her husband for life, and he to her. Which explains why most of the marriages in this very building are still intact. Many of the women here still have their rings, or have given them to daughters. My lord, I would think it would be easier to wipe thier memories and let them go," Snape finished, hoping he had not said too much.
"Severus, you of all people should know that memory wipes can be overcome. We can't do that. We either marry them off or put them away until they rot. I prefer to put them to use. No, we will not let them go, nor will we kill them. Their pure blood is too valuable. I will marry them off. Probably by the end of the week. Wormtail!"
"Yes, my master, my worship, my lord. What do you desire?"
"Oh, shut up! Get me a list of the unmarried men under my command. And quickly!" he said, sending a stinging hex straight to the frumpy mouse's bottom.
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A/N: What do my beloved readers think? I'm tingling with excitement, aren't you? Ooooh:shivers: And I'm sorry I left out all the things Snape said, but I just don't like dialogue.