In The Absence of Light
by Inkblot-Crisis
.-.
-Chapter Two-
.-.
"The reports are in, Commander." A witch said as she stood erect in her elegant black Uniform "It is confirmed that there are quite a few Nations opposing to the New Order, deeming it too alike an Empire."
"And do they know any better?" Malfoy drawled as he looked at the said report in his hand. America was, of course, against them, as was the rest of the free Europe and Asia. In truth he had anticipated the entire Wizarding World to fight back against such an entity that forced change upon an entire Wizarding Country, it would give him an excuse to go into battle again should any delegate declare New Wizarding London a Hostile.
"No, Sire." the witch answered.
"Then send a request to the High Council Elders to minimize the raids and retrain the Soldiers and Officers whose names are on that list I gave you." he ordered "The Council has to realize to stop acting like an Empire in order for the world to stop thinking that it is."
"Understood, Sire." with a bow she turns and marches off.
Draco Malfoy slumped back into his chair as soon as the door clicked close. He heaves a burdened sigh and looks at the grandfather clock that was on right wall of his spacious office. Nine forty-five, fifteen more minutes until his overtime hours were done. When he wasn't helping train new Serpents he was stuck in his office with mounds of paperwork, a dull comparison to actual fighting.
"So this is what I fought for..." he thought whimsically "...a desk-job and a quarter-a-million Galleon salary."
"Well...it is better than Truth, Justice and the Gryffindor way." he muttered, "Just what I bloody need...now I'm talking to myself."
"Too many blows to the head?"
"No." he answered.
Realizing that it wasn't his thoughts or his own voice that asked the question, his hand quickly reached for his main wand-breaker, which was leaned against his right leg. He unsheathed it and had the intruder by the throat in what seemed to be a blink of an eye.
"Jumpy tonight aren't we?" Pansy Parkinson said with a wink "Now, if you wouldn't mind, Draconis..." she traced her finger along the dull edge of the sword "...don't raise that 'thing' at Me." she said as she looked at the weapon in revulsion "Wands are phallic as it is."
Draco lets out a chuckle and sheathes his sword, he gave a mock bow to Pansy and motioned for her to sit "And to whom do I owe this visit from the High Council's Junior Minister of Intelligence?"
Pansy elegantly sat down on the seat Draco offered and crossed her legs "That would be Theodore Nott, Commander-in-Chief of the Officers you...scolded...at Area 12 of the Slums." she gave a small girlish giggle at her own terminology.
"I see." Draco smirked as he sat back down in his own seat "And what is our friend Teddy complaining about really?"
"That you were meddling with Official Justice Department business and to give you a warning." she gave a small laugh "Can you imagine that? Nott giving you a warning?" she restrained herself from laughing out loud with the back of her hand.
"As amusing at it is, give him what he wants to shut him up, obviously his 'Daddy Dearest' isn't funding his little 'Problem' anymore and needs to find the finances elsewhere." Draco said, both criticizing and analyzing the situation with utmost care "Find out where he spends his money, discreetly, I might add, and if any of them correspond to the recent rise in the drug-trade: have him brought to my office for questioning."
"And if Teddy Bear makes a deal?" she asks, always the Slytherin.
"No deal." he stated with a wave of his hand.
"Understood." she nodded as she stood up "And off the record, Draco..." she said with her wry smile "...are we still on for tonight?"
Draco gave her his trademark smirk "Have I ever let you down?" he then shakes his head "On second thought, don't answer that."
"I'll see you at eleven." she smiled and waltzed her way out of the door making sure Draco was looking at her figure-flattering robe as she did.
Draco Malfoy lets himself smile. He doesn't do it often, smile that is. There was little to smile about these days, the rest of the Wizarding World's suspicions were beginning to elevate every passing month. And with the state of recruitment in decline in numbers as well as quality, he should be frowning.
And so he does, but not because of these thoughts...no, but because of an all too familiar dark feathered owl with a white chest that was making its presence felt from the window of his office.
"Baal." he muttered as he opens the window to let the owl in.
The owl gave a sharp nip at his fingers before allowing the wizard to retrieve the letter tied to its leg, Draco could swear the bird was smirking at him all the while. After Draco took the letter it have a shrill call and left.
"Bloody bird." he cursed under his breath and took a look at the letter's seal as to have an idea as to whom from the House of Zabini had written to him at this hour.
It was from little Grace, Blaise's younger sister.
Curious as to why the little princess had written to her, he unsealed the letter and began reading the perfect script of the only remaining female of the Zabini Family since the Countess passed away.
Dear Dragon,
He allowed the little girl to call him by a nickname, since Blaise called him by this moniker as well.
You might be wondering as to why I am writing to you at such an hour.
True, shouldn't it have been her bedtime a few hours ago? he thought.
I'm writing because I'm worried about my brother, he hasn't been home in three days. Father is worried sick about him, though he wouldn't admit it. He already sent Lorrian to find him, but I'm guessing by the way thing are that my other brother isn't too worried about Blaise as Father is.
I know he isn't gallivanting around, as Lorrian suggested, it isn't like Blaise to just get up and leave like he did.
Too true, Draco commented, Blaise was too much of a stiff to take it easy when they were allowed to.
So, here I am, writing a letter to his closest-friend, hoping that you would have at least a slight idea where my brother is. Lorrian said he had already searched every Hall of the Institute and the Training Facilities, he even went to the Red Light Districts in the Slums, but I am guessing he did that last part for his own enjoyment.
At this Draco lets out a small laugh. Even if she was young, Grace always had an intellect comparable to an adult.
Please, do respond if you have any thoughts as to where he is. Father is even thinking about hiring a few outsiders to help, which I think is not a good idea considering the family's current status.
The letter was signed G. Zabini.
Draco was dumbfounded as he put down the letter. Blaise is missing? The Death Serpent Captain who could strategize an elaborate and successful plan of attack even while under the influence of heavy alcohol was no where to be found? Preposterous.
With ideas forming in his head, some likely and even some even more ridiculous than the other, he mulled it over. Even if it was an hour past his off-hour, he thought and thought.
"What was Blaise working on again?" Draco thought as he tried to remember their last conversation "Something about the War and the strategic points where we attacked." he recalled.
He walked towards his file cabinet and searched for the pieces of parchments that he thought would help him. He worked well into morning, completely forgetting about his little date with Pansy...again.
.-.
"Where are you, you little..." Draco muttered as he looked at his handiwork strewn across his desk. Notes and footnotes were haphazardly stuck by pins at maps and detailed reports of the War, all of which he could recall vividly.
The Delta Squad of the Death Serpent Corps hit the Ministry first, taking down the authorities and throwing the populace into a panic. Beta and Omega faced most of the warfare under the command of Commander and Captain Malfoy. They were armed with the first prototypes of the Wand-breakers, they weren't as effective as their now standard and custom issues but they did their job. Centaurs, Mer-people, Veelas and even Giants fell before the might of the Death Serpent Corps in a matter of hours.
He remembered that he was still a Captain at that time, and Draco could still hear his Father's angered roar as Lucius plucked out three Centaurian arrows from his chest and continued fighting. He had seen his Father battle for the first time that day, and it was also the last. He shook his head free of the thought and continued his little project.
His eyes narrowed at a spot on the map that was just adjacent to Hogwarts but wasn't written in the reports as patrolled or ether-mined by either party.
With a triumphant smirk he takes the letter-opener he was twirling around animatedly and stabs the map, embedding the little dagger quite a good measure past the dark mahogany desk's black lacquer coatings. He then stood up and took his cloak off the pegs at the wall beside his window.
"He must be investigating that area." he surmised "But why now? Why after two years?" he thought in question.
The Janitorial Wizard in charge of his office was startled to a near heart-attack as Commander Malfoy went out of the door just as he was about to enter. He knew better than to ask whether the Commander was in his office all night...but he was curious as to why the Commander's letter-opener was stabbed at a map of Kent, right next to Hogwarts.
The letter-opener was stabbed right under the small black letters spelling two words:
Forbidden Forest.
.-.
The village of Hogsmeade was a half a day's travel from the Capital. With the Hogwart's Express in scraps and pieces somewhere, there was only one mode of transport to the town other than by Broom (which was considered very gauche nowadays) and by Mass Transport Spheres (which were too bothersome to buy if you were only using it for yourself)...was on horseback, or in cases such as these, a Threstal.
"Ah, Good day Commander Malfoy, what brings you to Hogsmeade?" The Perimeter Guard of the town nearest to the ruins of Hogwarts asked with a very prideful smile, it wasn't everyday that a War Hero was in town, make that ever.
"Good day as well, Corporal." Malfoy returned, he saw the marks at the side of the Guard armor, clearly stating that he was a Corporal under the Twenty-third Regiment "I am heading to some of the old battle-grounds." he informed.
The Guard nods "I see, reliving the fighting days, eh sire?"
"No, I am on an investigation of the utmost importance." Draco said in his commanding tone, which in this case meant 'Get get out of my way...now.'
"Oh, terribly sorry, Sire." the Guard apologized, with a sharp whistle he calls to the Guards manning the Drawbridge.
It was the only way into the still (but not entirely) intact village of Hogsmeade. Anti-levitation and Anti-flight Wards, not to mention Riders-First Class on armored Threstals, surrounded the area. To enter the village without proper clearance was prohibited and as with most Laws of the New Order, is punishable by execution.
And though it did allow tourists to enter the town, strict screenings had to be performed as to keep Security at the highest level of performance. That of which, reminded him to pull his hood back up and gather the hems of his robes, wishing not to be gawked at by the Witches and Wizards who were looking around and buying all sorts of souvenirs from the shops that were open.
He made his way towards the gate where the path led to Hogwarts.
"Halt, no one is allowed to pass here without clearance." The Guard said in a stern voice, his hand on the hilt of the standard-issue wand-breaker at his side. He didn't sound like an ordinary sentinel, Draco thought, perhaps he used to be military.
Malfoy pulls down his hood, knowing that his appearance was good enough for clearance should the Guard had served during the War.
"Commander." The Guard goes into a salute "An honor, Sire."
"I'm here on investigative purposes." Draco declared.
"I see, Sire, should I send a message to Captain Zabini of your presence?"
Draco's eyebrow rose at this "The Captain is here?" he asked in disbelief that his findings were true.
The Guard nods "Has been for two days now, Sire, he is currently camped at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Though it is nearing the night of the Full-moon, I am certain that Captain Zabini doesn't require the assistance of us Perimeter Guards in terms of combat."
Draco nods and moves towards the now open gate, he looks back "Did you ever serve in the Serpent Corps during the War?" he asked the Guard.
The Guard lets out a chuckle "Aye Sire, but I was just a mere Grunt back then, The Commander wouldn't remember me. I chose to transfer to this station after the War for...sentimental reasons." he took a moment "How did you know, Sire?"
"You speak like a soldier, and your tone of voice is strong." Draco stated "And nobody salutes to military unless they are military themselves, or in your case were."
The ex-Serpent Guard nodded and salutes in perfect form.
Draco returned it out of courtesy and went on with his little mission.
"So this is where he has been?" Draco thought more to himself "This is not a good place for you to be reliving pieces of the past, Blaise old boy." he thought as he walked along the path leading to the Forbidden Forest's edge.
"I certainly wouldn't." he grimaced slightly as his vision caused his mind to recall where the bodies were piled and where most of his regiment had been wounded and waiting for death. He shook his head again and pulled his hood up, it was beginning to snow again.
.-.
"...the newly discovered tunnel leading to Hogwarts showed that it was situated underneath a very old and very spacious hall, almost as large as the Great Hall itself. Upon the first investigation, the ceiling was found to be dripping wet with what smelt like tainted water. Remind to send a vial to the Research Enclave..." Blaise's voice filled his tent as he dictated to an animated quill he charmed to write whatever he was speaking. He had been pacing back and forth for little more than a day now, after exploring the vast series of tunnels underneath Hogwarts the day before.
"...What is most intriguing about this particular tunnel is that most of the tunnels were made during the time of the Founders, but this one seemed to date as far back as to the original castle..." he paused for a while as he pondered "...if this is true then the every History Archives would be deemed mistaken by this bizarre find: That the original castle didn't seem to belong to the Ancestors of Go..." he stopped in mid-sentence as the sounds of footsteps were heard from the outside "...end session." he said to the quill, which splattered itself dry on a piece of scratch-paper and then rested on the table.
Blaise drew out the wand-breaker that was resting on his bed. A fine blade made of tempered silver alloy encasing a rather large amethyst with his eleven inch yew/unicorn-hair wand in the middle of it all, it was only second to one other blade in the entire Death Serpent Corps in terms of Spell-casting, and he knew that the owner of it was far from this area.
With a small huff he blows out the candle, enveloping the inside of the tent in darkness.
He awaited the intruder. Whoever it was didn't announce his presence from the outside. Either it was a tourist who had fooled the Guard at the gate or perhaps...perhaps his suspicions were true.
The intruder walked into the dark tent with Blaise lying in wait. He raised his wand-breaker and smote the intruder.
Clang!
The sound of metal against metal meant that either he hit another wand-breaker or the intruder's armor. Whoever it was, the intruder grasped the blade and tried to wrestle it free from Blaise's hands. They wrestled with each other until finally the intruder was swept off his feet by the blunt side of Blaise's wand-breaker. In fury, Blaise strode the intruder's body with his sword hand raised, aimed at the head while the other kept the intruder from getting up.
"Who sent you?!" Blaise yelled.
For a second, nothing answered. "Have I killed the intruder?" Blaise thought, "Impossible, I made no motion that would deliver a solid blow to any vital part." he deduced. He was surprised as the intruder finally answered...by...laughing?
Upon hearing the almost catching laugh, Blaise points the sword at the candle "Light." he muttered.
Underneath him was his Commander and friend, Draconis Lucifer Malfoy, out of breath and chuckling "Why Blaise, haven't I already told you? I'm not interested in this sort of thing." he slyly smiled.
Realizing their compromising position Blaise stood up and helped his Superior Officer up afterwards. Draco was still chuckling as Blaise gave him a slap at the side of his arm "That's for teasing me." he scolded before he sat down on his bed and crossed his legs. He looked inside his pockets to find a cigarette pack and a Muggle lighter (being of rank had it perks when it came to certain Muggle items deemed contraband in the Military), he lit one and took a short drag.
"You're still very touchy about that?" Draco said with a wink. He liked to tease Blaise now-and-then, Blaise actually would rather have him mock-ridicule him than just outright feel extremely awkward whenever the two were alone.
"Oh please, you'd be SO the last man I'd touch." Blaise rolled his eyes as he tossed his long raven locks to one side "So, what made you come here and give me a case of Paranoia?" he asked.
"The reason as to why you are so paranoid in the first place." Draco merely answered in a deadpan voice as he walked over to the bench and looked over the notes. It was tidy, all placed in uniform lengths in order of important and facts arranged alphabetically. It was a saint's job compared to his haphazard style; the two differed greatly, not just in certain orientations.
Blaise looked at Draco with wide amethyst eyes. He seemed catatonic for a moment before shaking himself out of it "So you know?" he pried.
Draco shook his head "No." he simply stated "But you're going to tell me."
Blaise flicked the remaining half of the cigarette towards the ash-tray, where numerous other used cigarettes littered inside it and out "Why the concern all of a sudden?" he asked. True, they were friends, but when it came to business, that was a while different matter.
Draco reached into the pocket of his robe and produced the letter Grace had written the night before. He gave the letter to Blaise as he looked around the tent. It was neat and tidy...spacious as well. Their little scuffle did little to change the place, except maybe for the dry patch of dirt the tent had for a floor, Blaise's footprints were nowhere to be seen now.
Blaise buried his head in his hands after reading the letter "Merlin..." he muttered "...have I been gone that long?" he asked as if he was unsure about the time himself.
Draco nods "So what is this little investigation that has got you all worked up that you'd leave the Zabini Estates without even a proper goodbye to little Grace."
Blaise understood Draco's concern for his little sister. He knew his Commander never had any siblings of his own, what with Narcissa Malfoy's condition after her first and only child-birth. Draco always wanted younger siblings as growing up alone in such a grand and massive place as Malfoy Manor was very damaging to anyone's psyche. Blaise would often ask for Lucius' permission to let Draco visit Zabini Manor as often as he could and play with Grace and Himself, even Lorrian got out of his playroom at times for a game of Exploding Snaps once in a while.
"I'm sorry Dragon, it's just that there are some things that would worsen if I didn't act now..." Blaise said with his head downcast "...and if I don't act now, then the New Order will be for naught!"
"What do you mean? Blaise, if you don't explain yourself I'd have to send you to the loony-bin." Draco said in good-humor, hoping to make the seemingly perpetually cheerful young man sitting in front of him smile again.
"I am serious about this, Dragon, more serious than all the victory the Dark Lord achieved with my strategies."
Draco was taken aback. The prestige Blaise received from the Dark Lord after the War had him almost equaled to Salazar Slytherin himself, if it weren't for his plans, if it weren't for his last minute change in plans rather, then the Light would have won and the entire Death Serpent Corps would have been sent to Azkaban where they'd receive the 'Dementor's Kiss' without even a trial.
"I will tell you when I am entirely sure about this." Blaise said as he stood "But for now, do not speak of this to anyone." he said a tone most grim.
Draco nodded and rearranged his cloak "I'll tell Grace not to worry, I'll make up a story for them." Draco sees the look on Blaise's face as he said that and rolled his eyes upward "Which doesn't include a three day weekend vacation in the Caribbean's and daily sessions with a masseur named Sven, or a trip to wherever gay people gather." he said in a monotone "Honestly Blaise, I can't lie properly if you leave all the good ones out." he said with a smirk.
"That'll send Father to his Death-bed!" Blaise takes a second "Well...on the other hand, it is about time I inherited the Estates."
Draco lets out a laugh "Good to have you back in good spirits." he moved to the tent's flap "I'll tell them you're off in one of your little research expeditions concerning some ancient civilization's battle strategies." with that he gets out of the tent.
"That was fairly true." Blaise stated as soon as Draco was out of earshot.
.-.
It was night. Blaise was headed back to the village now; he had gathered all the data he could about the new tunnel and was now headed to the Inn. There was something nagging at the back of his mind telling him that this was something earth-shattering about that old tunnel, his instincts had always been correct and his intuition never failed him, so why bother doubting now?
"Draco is probably in his office now..." Blaise thought "...going through the day's backlog of paperwork." He knew the Commander would keep his oath and write to his Father and perhaps to Grace as well. Blaise reminded himself to write his own letter to the two...and maybe even to Lorrian as well.
"Light." he called out as he entered his private room. None came. "Strange..." he placed his findings on the floor and took a step inside the room headed towards where the light bulb was.
"Good eveniiiing, Mah-ster Blaiiiise." a voice, sneering and very nasal, said from the shadowed portion of his room in the Inn. It sounded like a cross between a cat's moaning meow and the voice of a deranged old man.
Blaise quickly reached for his wand-breaker but didn't have time to draw as the attacker had some sort of a dagger against his throat. As to how the attacker could have moved that quickly was beyond him.
"You are meddliiiing in somethiiiing that does not concern you, Mah-ster Blaiiiise." the voice said into his ear in a chilling whisper.
"Who are you? And why are you here?" Blaise asked as he flinched, the cold metal was slightly making a cut on his throat.
"Askiiiing questions to answers you already know, Mah-ster Blaiiiise."
Blaise eyes widen as the connections were becoming clear now "So, 'He' is still here then?" he said in a more confident tone "Before you kill me, I would like to ask you a question, a final request if you would..."
The assassin hummed as if it were thinking "That can be arrrrranged, Mah-ster Blaiiiise."
"Why?"
The assassin lets out a chuckle "You assk the eaaaasiest to ahn-swer, Mah-ster Blaiiiise..." he commented "...He is stiiiill neeeeded."
"Needed?" he asked.
"Up-pup-pup...that was only good for one quessstion, Mah-ster Blaiiiise...any last words I could scraaaawl on your tombstone?" The assassin asked as he readied to run his knife along the Death Serpent Captain's throat.
Blaise smiled "I have indeed..." his eyes glowed a deep hue of amethyst, as did his hands and the sheathed wand-breaker in them "...I'm taking you with me."
.-.
Outside of the Inn, the entire Guard force stationed at Hogsmeade ran to where an explosion had rocked what had been another peaceful and serene night.
"Inside..." the Inn's owner said to one of the Guards helping a few tourists out of the burning Inn "...the Captain...inside..." he managed to speak before he was taken over by a bout of hard coughing.
The Guard shook his head "It came from his room, there is no possible way he could have survived that sort of explosion."
"You haven't seen a true Serpent until you've seen him seemingly rise from the dead." the ex-Serpent who was stationed at the gate said to the other Guard.
And just as certain as his words, there was a silhouette of a cloaked individual at the burning window. The figure jumped down and lands on the street, coughing and hacking as it did.
The Guards moved towards the figure "Captain, are you..."
"STOP!" Blaise's voice stated from the figure "DON'T COME ANY CLOSER!" he started convulsing "Hrr-rrr-rrraaaaaghh!!!!"
"Captain Zabini!" the ex-Serpent called as he made towards the Captain.
Blaise stopped convulsing and knelt down, he was panting now.
"Captain Zabini, are you alri-" the ex-Serpent couldn't finish his sentence as a standard issue wand-breaker was plunged well past the armor and into flesh like it was nothing "Cap...tain..."
"Oh-hoho...hahaha!!" Blaise laughed maniacally as he raised his head, making sure the rest of the regiment present had a good look at his dark red eyes "...I'm perrrrrfectly fiiiiiine." he said as he pushed the dead Guard away and stood up. He looked at himself, as if admiring his visage for the first time "This is perrrfect." he said in a wicked smile as he clenched and unclenched his hands. He turns to the burning Inn and raised a hand.
From the second floor a belt, holding half a dozen wand-breakers, jumped out of the fire and into the deranged Captain's hand. He tied it around his waist and grinned wickedly at the regiment "Who'sss neeeext?" he cackled as he drew out the first pair of swords at his belt.
The wicked laughter didn't die...
...until all the others did.
.-.
That night, the entire village of Hogsmeade had witnessed its second massacre. Tales of the cursed village would be told future generations. The grotesque images still vividly recalled as the Daily Prophet showed pictures taken during the investigation. The pictures seemed like a Muggle camera took them...everything laid still, not a single thing moving was seen. The pictures were only in three colors, the black of the burned shops, houses and the armor of the dead, the white of falling ashes against the still much more white ashen-pallor of corpses...
...And red, the glorious deep red of flowing blood.
.-.
-Chapter Two End-
-The 2nd Shade of Darkness-
.-.
-/-.-/-.-/-
AN
-/-.-/-.-/-
A very violent chapter indeed. For the curious few: The standard issue Wand-breaker's form is that of a medieval sword with most of the inner parts of it made of crystal, and within the crystal is the wielder's wand.
Read, Review, Write as you please.