Here's the next chapter. Hope you all like it.
Severus looked at the area he had found himself in with the other Death Eaters. It looked like a clearing in the forests from the looks of it, besides him were Death Eaters who each were wearing masks like him and were in black robes.
Many among them were his classmates. Many had their father's in inner circle, but for now each of them were on the same level as him. It was the Dark Lord's decision alone about who will be included in his personal choice of Inner Circle Members.
The Dark Lord was not there from the looks of it as Severus didn't saw the figure of Dark Lord among the members present there. There was a man who was near six feet tall and had his entire face covered. Only black eyes could be seen from the mask and even then he did not knew that if it was the real eye colour of the man or he had applied some eye colour changing charm into his mask.
"Grab the portkeys present here", the man commented as he looked at the members present there.
Each of the members present there simply grabbed the portkeys without opening their mouths knowing fully well that it was not something they could refute.
He felt a person behind him who was also grabbing the portkey. Infront of him was the inner circle member who was there delivering the portkey to their group of 8 people.
Severus placed his hand on the portkey as they all were whisked away suddenly to another place.
They landed on another clearing of a forest, this one however was a very sparse one as trees were lightly distributed around the area. There were mud roads which indicated that this area was a village area or a little town.
"There lies a village on the path going here. The Ministry had decided to imprison more of our friends so we are going to teach them a lesson. The village there is the home to two Magical families, we will torture them along with the various members of the village", the man who had been the de-facto leader from earlier spoke up again this time as his voice was carried over to all the members who were there. The message about causalties remaining unsaid, the hidden meaning - that show us your cruelty, as far as you can go; so we can gauge you and your strength.
The members nodded and Severus eyed all of them discreetly at that moment. For some reason he felt that during an act like this; someone from among them would be a wizard who will also be responsible for gauging them and their actions from the base level or from among them.
Regardless he did found one member, there was something in his posture which said that he was not afraid of anything. There was a confidence in him that he found strange, there was always a difference between confidence and cockiness and this man radiating the former greatly as if he would not be affected by the least.
So he is the mole; Severus thought as he marked the man for his own purpose.
"You all will go and be there covering the village from all sides when a small red light flare in the sky will be your signal to start", the man explained as he looked at the group of people present there.
Severus sighed inwardly, the whole process was too bothersome and he cursed his previous self who had gotten him in the mess.
Alastor Moody was in his office when suddenly he saw Fabian Prewett entering into his office.
"Sir, we are needed at Rofarson Village. The Death Eaters are attacking the village", Fabian spoke up seriously looking at the seniormost member present infront of him.
"Order?", he asked instantly looking at the more serious member of the Prewett twins.
"On their way, there is a leak that this is an initiation of them", Fabian spoke up looking at his senior officer.
"Gather everyone instantly", Moody thundered aloud as he got up instantly on his legs. The time for action had come and he would seriously be pissed if they didn't managed to grab one of their senior ones.
Severus looked at the red flare in the night sky as they all received the signal. It was just his damned luck that he was next aside to the mole who was looking at everything with an impassive gaze.
The members started to hurry to the houses eager to prove their worth and enjoy the action.
Severus looked as everyone started to hurry up, he meanwhile walked lazily to the scene not bothering to hurry up. If he remained a lowly Death Eater then it was all for better for him, he would not have much importance and attention of Voldemort.
"You are going to miss the action", a smooth voice spoke up from besides him as he looked at the same masked man from before or more importantly the mole from before.
"Nahh, atmost I would be simply running late but I will still arrive at the action", he replied in a bored tone looking at the mole who was clear by now.
"You don't believe in the cause, do you", the masked man asked him. He was probably two or three inches greater than him in height. Severus knew that he would surpass him in height with his recent regime based on potions and rituals.
"Hardly, it has always been in the nature of Purebloods to simply find their superiority regarding anything. The cause gives them reason to believe themselves superior to everyone in the wizarding world", Severus replied back as he walked at a leisure pace.
"So you believe blood does not matter", the man asked curiously to him, his smooth voice sounding amused.
"It is foolish to judge someone because of their appearances. In the same way it is also unwise to judge a person's skill on his blood alone", Severus replied calmly as he started to hear screams of people.
"Regardless, won't you go and join our fellow Death Eaters? I am sure you will have fun there. Or are you a coward when it comes to have action?", the man asked amusedly to him.
"There is much to life and fun than simply torturing men and women and shedding their blood. I find these type of acts a little bothersome, you can call me a coward for all you like but I prefer to be called a little civil. Going around torturing and killing simple muggles is no fun. I honestly wonder why I have signed in this considering what we were told and what I am seeing", Severus mused aloud at the sight of the aflame village and the villagers present there.
"So why did you signed in this?", the man asked curiously.
"We were told that we will be helping in the betterment of the Wizarding World. However this killing and bothering is much different. Besides I hardly want the guilt of genocide in my conscience", Severus replied back as he walked to the path of the village. He knew he was playing a difficult game but this needed to be done carefully.
"I see but you can hardly leave this now", the man commented softly in a strange way.
"I know but do you honestly think that everyone here will be loyal to the cause. Many here are simply doing this because they know now that they don't have anywhere to go. The Ministry will hunt them down if they are caught and the other Death Eaters will make an example of them. They are stuck in between two hard places", Severus commented as at the precise moment he heard several pops of apparition.
The next thing he knew, there was suddenly a wave of magic and he immediately understood that the anti apparition jinx was set up.
The man next to him immediately became alert too and his white wand came to his hand instantly the same like Severus whose new ebony wand came into his own. His spare ready waiting to be put in action.
"Dumbledore", the man stated calmly with a venomous hiss as he looked at the figure of a white bearded man at the distance. If Severus had any doubts about the identity of the man it was now all gone as his suspicions were finally confirmed that the man he had been talking was indeed Lord Voldemort.
Severus saw an auror aiming his wand coming towards them firing a stunning spell.
The spell was deflected by him easily as in the next second the man was sent flying 30 metres back with a wave of his wand.
"All the Death Eaters Retreat", the man spoke up from besides him as he put his wand to his mouth amplifying his voice. The voice going on throughout the battlefield.
"Most of them will still be not able to make it", Severus commented as he shot a stupefying charm nonverbally at the auror who was dealing with another Death Eater. The spell struck the auror as he was too busy with the other Death Eater.
"Still most of them will be able to get out", the man whom by now he realised to be the Dark Lord commented as another of Severus's spell struck an auror at a distance who was helping the people, flunging him into the wall of house. The man surely would have broke a collar bone or some other bones at that.