Pansy couldn't sleep for the third night in a row. When snow began falling she got up from her four-post bed and, sick of doing nothing. Just then, there was a knock on her door. She turned to see her uncle poke his head through the crack.
"It's time, Love." He said.
She nodded silently and he slipped out of her room, leaving her to trade her night gown for a pure white robe with a silver wolf embroidered on it. She opened her door and followed her uncle to the Ashwin Manor cellar. Across from an entire wall of wine racks on the right side of the large room was a beautifully intricate set of green and silver tapestries. The Parkinson family house elves pulled back the tapestries like curtains, revealing a massive hand carved door. It was Nordic in design; covered in knot-work and scroll designs. Two Norse wolves wove into a magnificent Celtic tree of life.
Pansy had never seen this part of her ancestral home before. In fact the only thing Pansy knew of what was happening was that she was to take part in an ancient ritual to receive some inheritance or other from her parents' passing. She had no idea what she was really in for.
Her uncle, Reed Ashwin, had helped with the construction on this particular part of the manor. He steered Pansy through the door and down a set of stone steps, from the top of which the bottom could not even be seen. She was nearly tired enough for sleep by the time she reached the bottom. She made a mental note to make a trip down these stairs the next time sleep eluded her. The house elves, Perry and Birdi led the long march to the bottom with lanterns to light the way.
It took a while, but they did finally reach the landing. Pansy's breath caught at what she saw. There were eleven people standing in white robes just like hers. They were coupled off, each couple standing in front of an ornately carved pillar which gave the center of the enormous cavern a wide birth. Pansy's uncle left her side to stand with his wife in front of the nearest pillar on Pansy's right.
"What is this?" Pansy asked as her voice shook. Her uncle spoke up first.
"This is your family. Your legacy."
"I don't understand." She said.
"I know, Love, and I am so sorry that this job fell to me rather than your father and mother. Your parents founded this pack."
"Pack?" Pansy echoed.
"We are a family, set with the task of protecting the helpless."
"Wait-" She demanded as she found her voice. "Protecting people? Is that what you tell yourselves? That you're protecting people in that monster's name?!"
"You misunderstand, Darling." Pansy's aunt spoke up. "It's true that a number of us; your parents included, took the dark mark together, but for our own purposes. We needed a way to get the information that those people were privy to. We all have our part, and if you except your role as our leader, we can tell you everything."
"What might that entail, exactly?" Pansy asked.
"You would have to be a leader in every sense of the word. You would have to make tactical preparations, and make hard decisions that could potentially change many lives."
"Uncle," she shook her head, "I've never been trusted with anything. I don't want to disappoint you. I'm not meant for this!"
"Love, you could never disappoint us; any of us. Your parents did want this for you. They spoke of it to us many times. They prepared this night for you for when you came of age. The only part of this night that wasn't meant to be is that your mother and father are not here to lead you through it. They always meant for you to lead. We are here to help you the entire way. I know you are capable of this!"
"What if I fail? What if I get someone killed?"
"As I said, we all have our part, but the one duty we all shared, including your mother and father, is to watch over and protect, and advise each other. We will not let you fail. And if failure happens it will only be if there is no other way no matter what decision you make. We all have faith in you."
Pansy closed her eyes and lowered her head. "What do I have to do?" She whispered.
Everyone in the cavernous room wore a look of relief; the complete opposite of how Pansy felt, then her aunt answered, "You have to bleed."
