Thanks to everyone who took the time to review my story!
AN: Chapter betaed by the amazing Miette and dstone12 :)
AN2: This is the beginning of the end of the story. I estimate we have 13 chapters/interludes left plus the epilogues (don't listen to Miette's cackling, I'm almost sure of the number of chapters left now). The next chapter won't be posted before the last week of August as my access to the internet will be sporadic. However, this chapter doesn't end with a cliffhanger so the wait should be bearable ;) This is Miette's favourite chapter so far, I hope you will like it as much as she does!
The room was filled with tension. All the Death Eaters were early, eager to know if the group truly was responsible for Councillor Baxter's death and to decide their new course of actions now that the election was delayed.
Severus sat between Evan and Jonathan, using everything he had learnt with the Goblins not to show how unnerved and anxious he felt. They were silent, like most of the others. None dared comment on the news as they did not know whether it had been intentional or not, if Lord Voldemort had approved the intervention or not.
They all bowed as their leader finally entered the room. His face was grave as he walked to his seat. He had been put on a stage for the occasion, and Severus was strongly reminded of a king addressing his subjects. He shivered at the thought. Kings ruled until their death…
"Welcome, everyone. Thank you for coming on such short notice."
Lord Voldemort's voice was smooth as ever, calm and controlled.
"I believe all of us were surprised by the Minister's decision to postpone the election."
A murmur of agreement answered him.
"Most of you were also surprised to learn of our attack on Councillor Baxter's home as only those chosen for the raid knew of it."
Severus felt his stomach drop. He had ordered the raid.
A sudden surge of rage nearly overwhelmed him. Only his Occlumency shields and his Goblin mask prevented him from standing up and shouting at Lord Voldemort right now. Of all the stupid and irrational moves to make, why had the Lord chosen to have Minister Birkins' closest Councillor and best friend killed? And why had he taken this decision in secret?
The Lord raised his hand to silence the first protests at being kept in the dark about such an important matter.
"I know we had agreed to decrease the frequency of the raids these past months because we could not take the risk of getting caught so close to the election. The fact that the Ministry did the same allowed us to find the right balance in our strategy and win more and more followers until the polls showed that victory was on our side. However, the polls of the last two weeks showed that the voting intentions in my favour were dropping, putting me neck to neck with the current Minister. You remember that last week, we decided to publish every dirty secret we had found on Birkins. It did not change the polls."
Severus had the suspicion that a part of Birkins' electorate was more against Lord Voldemort than in favour of Birkins. And, if this was the case, the murder of Baxter would not improve this situation. What had he been thinking?
"I realised that we had lost more visibility than we thought with the decrease of the raids. As Rodolphus reminded me, the raids allowed us to remind the population of what we are fighting for. It reminded them that Birkins only cares about his vision of Muggles and Muggleborns. Without those raids, we lost an edge. I realised that we needed to send a strong signal."
Of course Lestrange was the one who had suggested this, no doubt at the request of his wife. He should have worked harder on undermining Bellatrix's influence. The Blacks corrupted everything they touched. They should never have been included in the group.
He knew this cursed House held too much power and influence to be ignored. But Lord Voldemort should have at least been more wary of them. Of course, if they were influencing him through the Marks, he may not even be aware of it.
Severus strengthened his potions' fumes, pushing his rage into a cauldron to clear his head. Lord Voldemort's explanation about sending a strong signal when the vote intentions were stalling made sense, even if Severus disagreed on using the raids to do so. But how had it led to murdering the Minister's closest Councillor?
"As Severus reminded us several times, we cannot take the risk of scaring Birkins so much that he gives up his place in favour of one of Dumbledore's puppets. We know that some voters would rather have anyone than Birkins as a new Minister, we must build upon this advantage. So I decided to target Councillor Baxter, Birkins' most faithful follower, who helped him build his program even before he became Minister of Magic. Baxter, who is a Muggleborn himself, was a fervent admirer of Dumbledore. He was the perfect symbol to send Birkins and his followers a warning and a reminder. I designated a group of five to raid his house and torture him enough to impress on him the error of his ways. Lestrange, Crabbe, Carrow, Dolohov and Macnair. They were to harm him enough to scare, and even incapacitate for a few days. Nothing more. His wife was to be locked up in their room during that time."
The Lord paused as he looked over the audience. The silence was deafening.
Severus felt his pulse pounding in his ears. How could the Lord have imagined that torturing the Minister's closest councillor would bring him new supporters?
While they had been careful to never give proof of the link between Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters, everybody knew the Death Eaters were followers of the Lord, though they used extreme means to show their support. The Daily Prophet had all but implied they were following Lord Voldemort's orders. To order the torture of the Minister's councillor could only diminish the Lord's public image. Merlin, the Lord had crucioed Bellatrix a a few years ago for torturing a Muggle. Severus suspected that the Lord did not care one way or another about Muggles, but he had been aware that torture was detrimental to their image. What had happened to give Lord Voldemort such a dangerous and ridiculous idea?
The Lord spoke again, the calm of his voice at odds with the events he was describing.
"Unfortunately, Baxter's daughter as well as his son-in-law and his grand-daughter arrived in the middle of the torture session. Our members tried to keep to the plan while preventing the child and her mother from witnessing the torture, but Baxter's son-in-law is an above average dueller. The Councillor tried to use the distraction to free himself and accidentally uncovered Rodolphus' face who had no other choice but to kill him."
Severus kept his face blank, though his rage threatened to bubble out of the cauldron. They could have used a memory spell. They could have applied a glamour to disguise their faces behind their masks before going on this very important raid. Except the participants of the raids were not the most brilliant at subtle Magic. He would also bet that Lestrange had panicked. Why had Lord Voldemort sent those five on that raid?
"After that, they subdued the son-in-law then left the house and reported to me. I anticipated a massive response by the Aurors but I must admit I did not expect the adjournment of the elections."
The Lord's eyes suddenly seemed to fire up.
"Don't let Birkins' grand speech fool you. His Councillor's death is only a pretext. They postponed the elections because they are afraid of us. Afraid they will lose the election. You know what the Prophecy foretold. Dumbledore is hoping to use his weapon to kill me before allowing the election to take place."
A growl of protest and alarm rose through the ranks. Lord Voldemort offered them a ferocious smile that made Severus shiver.
The Lord was offering them a target to distract them from the raid and its implication. From the reactions of the others, it was working.
"They think they are in control of the game now. They don't realise that we have managed to awaken our fellow Wizards, that they are less inclined to follow the Minister blindly than seven years ago," stated Lord Voldemort with a satisfied smirk. "We must keep on pushing until even Birkins' followers will pressure him into having the election."
Severus did not like the sound of this.
"First, we need to use this attack against our democracy to ignite protests, even riots if necessary. Wizards must show up in the street by hundreds to pressure Birkins in organising the election as close to the original date as possible. Of course," said the Lord, "I'm quite certain the Ministry will crush those protests like they did seven years ago. This will gather us more supporters. But it won't be enough, and we'll reach a stalemate if we don't use more drastic measures."
Severus really did not like the sound of this.
"We must make everyone understand that there are consequences to disrespecting the democratic process. We will begin by demonstrating that the Death Eaters are not a minority, no matter what the Daily Prophet and Birkins claim. I will remove the spell that hides our Marks so we can proudly show the world that we are not just a couple of paid thugs hiding under masks. We will increase the raids against the ministry and their supporters, and each time, we will claim responsibility for the raid and explain why we did it. And I will be present on the raids against very special targets. We must show them that Aurors can do nothing against us. I have no doubt that starting now, the Auror department is in uproar planning how they may catch us. We must show that we are stronger than the current ministry in every field."
Silence met the Lord's statement, followed by a sudden explosion of cheers.
Severus fought the impulse to shake his head in disbelief. What were they thinking? The Lord had just stated that he was going to put the marked Death Eaters in danger by giving the means to the Aurors to identify them. Even though you could argue that a tattoo could not be considered proof of belonging to the group, its similarity to the Morsmordre spell might be enough for some Judges to justify the administration of veritaserum.
Severus surreptitiously looked around him. Some almost looked like they were in a trance. Others looked less enthusiastic or maybe just unable to grasp the entirety of the situation.
After several minutes, the cheers calmed down.
Evan raised his hand.
"If I may, my Lord?"
"Yes, Rosier?" agreed Lord Voldemort, looking at Severus' friend with interest.
"Should you put yourself in the line of fire? You are irreplaceable."
The Lord laughed lightly.
"Thank you for your concern, but I can take care of myself. I must show that I'm not the coward that Birkins is, hiding behind his Aurors and Dumbledore."
This time, Severus decided he had to speak up. He was not the first one at least.
"So you want to be recognised, my Lord. Is it truly wise? Won't we abandon all hope of you getting elected and implementing Slytherins' rules if the electors have the proof that you belong to the Death Eaters?"
"I asked myself that question, Severus," admitted Lord Voldemort as he let his gaze roam over the gathered Death Eaters. "You see, you can get elected either on hope, or on fear. Until today, we were using hope to win voters over. But Minister Birkins has changed the rules. Which means I'm changing mine too. In the end, they will beg me to rule them, I promise you."
Another cheer rose from the members around Severus. He nodded to the Lord even as he felt dread coil in his stomach and transform into lead.
To Severus' surprise, his grandfather spoke up next.
"I believe both Severus and yourself have a point, my Lord. There will be no coming back from you showing up on a raid. Shouldn't we keep it as a last resort move?"
To Severus' relief, other Death Eaters supported Augustus' plea, Lucius among them. After what seemed like never-ending back and forth between the Death Eaters who wanted Lord Voldemort to declare himself the Death Eaters' leader right now, and those who wished to wait and see how the situation was going to evolve, Lord Voldemort gave his final decision.
"Thank you, all of you, for your dedication and faithfulness. I have listened to your arguments, and I agree not to let myself be seen on raids until it becomes imperative for our strategy."
Severus allowed himself to close his eyes in relief for a few seconds. One major disaster averted. It would give them time to work on the Horcruxes. They needed to get this done fast.
Severus felt Dhaal rear suddenly on his shoulder, ready to strike, when he had previously been dozing through the meeting unconcerned.
"What's wrong?" Sensed Severus.
"Can't you feel the abomination?" asked Dhaal, Sensing disgust, unease and hostility.
Severus had kept his shields tightly shut for this meeting, unwilling to be distracted by the wrongness of the Marks and Voldemort when he needed to focus on the meeting.
He carefully let his Sensing Shield loosen. The usual wrongness surrounded him, the result of all the marked Death Eaters around him, with one peak around Lord Voldemort. However, there was another peak of wrongness that was moving toward the Lord.
What was that? Should he warn Lord Voldemort? But the wrongness felt almost like him.
He felt his eyes widen as the Lord spoke.
"I now wish to introduce you to someone who should assuage your fears for my safety. She is most precious to me. Please, meet Nagini."
The new wrongness was a huge snake that slithered to Lord Voldemort. Her head looked like a viper but she was the size of a Python. Severus had never heard of a snake like her.
The snake wrapped herself around Lord Voldemort, clothing him with the armour of her coils, her head coming to his shoulder as she hissed at him. The Lord looked at her with a fond and slightly maniac smile. She hissed at him again and he answered in kind.
Severus felt a shiver run down his spine.
The rest of the Death Eaters seemed to hesitate between awe, fear and repulsion, though they masked the latter quite well.
"Nagini is my Familiar," stated Lord Voldemort. "Thank you Severus, for reminding me of my boyhood dream."
Severus bowed in acknowledgement while keeping a hand on Dhaal to prevent him from assaulting the snake.
"She's no Familiar," Sensed the Thestral, projecting intense fury through their bond. "She's… something that shouldn't exist!"
Severus hoped she was only a twisted Familiar. Though how the Lord had passed the Ritual with a core so twisted was a mystery. Severus remembered his own profound weakness after the Ritual. It should have killed the Lord.
At least, Severus now knew why the Lord had listened to Lestrange's ludicrous plan. The Death Eater had to have taken advantage of the Lord's weakened state after the Ritual to persuade him that the raid against Baxter was a good idea. The Blacks liked to prey on the weak and vulnerable. And now, the Lord could not disavow himself, especially since the consequences would be disastrous.
Lord Voldemort kept on speaking as Severus shushed his Familiar before he could launch himself into a rant and distract Severus from important information.
"Since Nagini has been at my side, I feel even closer to Magic," said the Lord, as he projected his Magic.
Severus almost retched there and then, and had to tighten his shields once more. The wrongness was overwhelming.
How could gaining a Familiar increase the Lord's wrongness to that point? Why had Nagini not warned Voldemort of the wrongness? Surely, Dhaal was not the only Familiar who could Sense it.
"She's not a Familiar," hissed Dhaal.
Severus shushed him. He could not simultaneously handle both his and Dhaal's anger.
But if Dhaal was right… She might be the mix of a Horcrux and a Familiar. He had no idea how to deal with a living Horcrux. None of their research had mentioned it was even possible.
"As you can see, I am well protected," continued Lord Voldemort.
One more obstacle in their quest to reunite the Lord with his Horcruxes.
"I'll get rid of the obstacle right now if you let me go," seethed Dhaal.
"Control yourself," Sensed Severus sharply. "We don't even know what she can do. I'm pretty sure she's venomous. And snakes don't have ears, your Scream may not affect her."
This had the merit of shutting Dhaal up for now.
"I must say, my Lord, that to see Nagini at your side is a beautiful sight," crowed Mulciber. "You are truly the heir of Slytherin in every possible way."
"Showing yourself with your Familiar could also bring voters to us," remarked Beltram. "Familiars are a cause for fascination and admiration now that so few Wizards pass the Ritual. An interview in the Wizard Times would be a great opportunity to deflect attention from Baxter's murder and bring the focus back on Slytherin's rules, while showing you are as strong as Dumbledore."
"I agree," added Lucius. "We cannot only rely on the Death Eaters' actions to sway the ministry."
"Very true," agreed Lord Rowles. "Minister Birkins cannot hope to postpone the election for more than a few months. We must keep working on the two fronts."
"Speaking of working on every front, shouldn't we take care of the Prophecy?" asked Bellatrix.
"What do you mean, Bella?" asked Euphemia Rowles, Lord Rowles' heiress, a quiet girl who seldom spoke up during meetings and who was Bellatrix's only female friend.
Bellatrix gave her a patient smile, a truly horrifying sight that made Severus' hairs rise on his arms.
"We know Birkins and Dumbledore are using Baxter's death as a pretext to give themselves time to use the Prophecy to defeat our Lord and eliminate the only opponent worthy of becoming Minister. I believe we should act before they find a way to use the Prophecy to their advantage."
"What do you think they could do?" asked Lady Greengrass, speaking for the first time this evening. "Haven't we established that the Prophecy is about the Potters' or the Longbottoms' baby? What could Dumbledore hope to achieve for at least fifteen years?"
"Yes, I thought we had the time to plan the kidnappings because Prophecies span over a long period of time and we did not need to worry right now?" added Regulus.
"I thought so too," answered Yaxley, a Death Eater who worked at the Ministry. "But rumours at the Ministry confirm that Birkins is confident he'll be able to hold the election before the end of the year. It means that Dumbledore has a strategy to counter our Lord's popularity. And it can only be the Prophecy."
"So what do you propose?" asked the Rowles heiress.
"We must crush any hope that Dumbledore possesses of defeating our Lord," stated Bellatrix, her voice caressing the words as if they were a subtle delicacy.
It was even more frightening than her patient smile.
"You think we should focus on kidnapping the kids?" asked Beltram. "Isn't it a big risk to take when the Aurors will be focused on our every move? And we haven't decided who would take them in or how we would cut their ties to their original House."
"This won't matter," answered Bellatrix. "I'm not saying that we should kidnap them. I'm saying that if we wish to completely crush any hope that Dumbledore possesses of defeating our Lord, we must destroy his ultimate weapon. We must kill the one designated by the Prophecy as his future killer."
Silence met her statement before the room exploded into chaos, everyone trying to speak over the other.
Everyone except Lord Voldemort. He did not speak. His face was impassive. Severus tried to decipher his expression but was unable to decide if the Lord agreed with Bellatrix or if he did not know how to condemn her.
She was as bad as her cousin, but far more dangerous. She would have made sure that the Werewolf got a good bite out of him and she would have laughed the whole time.
At least, the rest of the group would never follow her folly. They would never accept the murder of babies.
"How dare you propose murdering two innocent children!"
Lady Greengrass' outrage rang out above the brouhaha, bringing a sudden silence over the group. Everyone turned to look at her.
She was standing, her green eyes crackling with restrained anger as she looked at Bellatrix.
"Taking babies from their loving magical family already was a stretch of our morals and ethics, but to kill them because you think they might fit the Prophecy and maybe, in many years, kill Lord Voldemort is a line I refuse to cross. Children are our future! Have you forgotten what we are fighting for?"
Severus could not have said it better. Several of the others offered a chorus of agreement. However, Severus was dismayed to observe that part of the group remained silent.
He disliked Mulciber but he had not thought that he would lower himself to killing babies. He had only expected this from the Blacks and the Lestranges. More worrying, Evan was silent too, looking indecisive. In fact, many of the youngest Death Eaters looked torn between their desire to protect Lord Voldemort and the wrongness of killing babies.
Severus could have wept with relief when Lucius spoke up next.
"I agree with Lady Greengrass. Protecting the children is one of the foundations of our movement. They are at the core of Slytherin's rules. I agree that in theory, destroying the Gryffindors' prophesied saviours is the best strategic move. However, the price here is too high, especially when we're not assured that it will be enough to overthrow Minister Birkins."
"I do not propose this course of action lightly, Lucius," answered Bellatrix calmly. "As you said, children are the reason we were able to overlook our differences and build our group. So think about all the children we have already helped. All the children we have already saved. And all the children we almost lost. If we lose, the Ministry will hunt us until we are dismantled and unable to help any of them. They will keep on imposing their skewed views of Muggles. They will keep on diluting our traditions until only their shadow remains, too ethereal to scare poor ignorant Mudbloods."
Whispers of agreement followed her statement. Severus wanted to shake Lucius as his brother nodded reluctantly and did not offer a counter-argument.
"Sadly, I agree with Bellatrix's analysis," stated Lord Nott. "I even think that if we lose, Dumbledore will find a way to erase Slytherins from Hogwarts. They will erase Slytherin's rules. It pains me to say this, but I don't see any other choice but to sacrifice two innocents to save many others."
He could not be as disapproving as Lady Greengrass without putting the reuniting of the Horcruxes in danger, but he could not remain silent either.
"Soon, you're going to tell us that it's for the Greater Good," said Severus in his best unimpressed voice. "I remind you that Grindelwald lost with this kind of vision."
"Grindelwald was a fool who wanted to break the statute of Secrecy," replied Lord Black. "We want to protect our future and tradition, at the high but necessary cost of killing two magical children."
Lord Voldemort was still silent. But he nodded slowly.
Severus felt himself grow cold. He knew the decision they would reach in the end. The Marks would ensure it. He watched as Mulciber and Bellatrix took note of those who were reticent to follow on this path. He watched as one by one, those opposed to killing babies were convinced by the others, or at least appeared to align themselves with the main group as his grandfather did once it became clear there was no hope of making the other see the horror of what they wanted to do. He watched as only Lady Greengrass remained in the end, reminding them again and again of Slytherin's rules and his love for children. But those two babies were weapons, not flesh and bones to cherish. He wondered if he should have warned the Lady of the Marks' influence, to protect her. It was too late now. He hoped she had escape plans ready to put in motion to protect herself and her House. Now that the group was willing to kill babies, he had no illusion about the fate that perceived traitors would suffer.
Severus refrained a sigh as Lord Voldemort concluded the meeting.
"Today, we know that two babies fit the Prophecy. Neville Longbottom and Harry Potter. Both with Auror parents, from noble Houses, and members of the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore's not-so-secret fanclub. Dumbledore will try to make a beacon of them. He will try to make them a symbol for his supporters. I have no doubt that he has already warned his precious Gryffindors that their children were future heroes, and that they are thinking about how to best protect them. We need to destroy them as soon as we can. I will have two groups working on identifying the defences already in place to protect them while the rest of us will determine our future targets and plan our raids. We'll meet again in two days."
Severus shivered at the cold rationality of the Lord's final words. Crushing symbols to crush the enemy's hope was a sound war strategy, if you forgot that those symbols were defenceless babies.
It reminded Severus of that House meeting in fifth year, when a part of his House had wanted to avenge two of their snakelings by going after the lower years of the other House, despite Slytherins' rules. Had they already begun to lose their way then? Before everything had even begun?
Severus wanted to shake his head as he watched Lord Voldemort call for the Death Eaters who would work on the reconnaissance of the babies' home's defences.
He had not been fast enough. He had failed to stop the wrongness from spreading, lulled into a sense of security when his plan seemed to progress without a hitch. He should have remembered that when things seemed to go well, a tragedy happened. Like with Abraxas' death during his Apprenticeship.
Yes, he should have been more vigilant. He should not have stopped at one visit and a book, and hoped for the best. He should have visited Lord Voldemort more often, to gain his trust until he would accept to hear the danger of creating so many Horcruxes. Until he accepted the danger of taking Magic from the Death Eaters. He had been so concerned about spending time with his family and improving his situation that he had forgotten about what was essential. And he had not been able to accept that, for all his cleverness, Lord Voldemort could fail to realise that he was twisting himself more every day.
He could not afford to brood, thought Severus, scolding himself as he met Jonathan's eyes. They had plans to make.
In an unspoken agreement, they met at Caspian Manor. Augustus was the last to arrive, Regulus, Jonathan and Severus already sitting silently in the basement currently arranged as their meeting room. The older man had Kea cradled in his arms. For comfort or for protection, Severus could only guess.
"We have to kill him."
Regulus' voice was cold.
"Just like that?" asked Severus derisively.
"What is wrong with you?" exclaimed Regulus, standing up abruptly. "He wants to kill babies! Are you so arrogant that you'd rather get on with our almost doomed-to-fail plan than use the easiest solution?"
Severus felt the rage he had been containing since the Minister's announcement threatened to overwhelm him.
"He's not the one who first proposed to kill them, Regulus! Should we also kill Bellatrix and your father, and all those who agreed to murder those babies, then? Should we kill most of our group too, Evan and Lucius included?"
"Don't play dumb, Severus, it doesn't suit you," retorted Regulus furiously. "You know very well that without Lord Voldemort, the Marks will no longer influence the others and they will come back to their senses. Merlin, they won't even have a reason to kill those babies as they won't be a threat to their precious leader because he will already be dead!"
"You know the influence of the Marks can work both ways! How do we know he's not being influenced by a Lestrange, or a Black?" snapped back Severus, standing up to look Regulus right in the eyes.
"Even if he's the one being influenced, it's his own fault for playing with Dark Magic and tricking us in giving him our Magic!" retorted Regulus.
"You just want revenge because you trusted him and he tricked you and hurt your precious House Elf," stated Severus harshly. "You've been reticent from the beginning, admit it! You only want revenge."
"And what if I want revenge?" asked Regulus darkly. "He wants to kill babies!"
"In that case, why don't I go and kill your ex-brother because he tried to murder me when I was in Hogwarts?" answered Severus, shaking with anger.
"That's enough!" shouted Jonathan.
His friend sounded… scared.
Severus blinked as he realised that Regulus and him were almost chest to chest, both breathing heavily. He took a step back as he tried to control himself. He had not felt this raw since Abraxas' death.
He closed his eyes at Dhaal's steady presence against his back and relaxed into his Familiar's embrace. The Thestral blew softly in his hair while his wings came to envelop Severus. They remained immobile several minutes, Severus focusing only on the warmth of his Familiar, until he finally felt calm enough not to explode the moment he tried to speak.
He opened his eyes to find Regulus huddled against Augustus in one of the armchairs, Kea purring softly in his arms. Their eyes met and for one second, Severus thought the Black heir would shout again. Then, the younger man offered him a wry smile that Severus could only return.
"Alright," said Jonathan softly. "I know this afternoon was unexpected and complicated for all of us, but we can't let our tempers get the better of us. We are the only ones aware of the Horcruxes and Marks problems. We must take the time to discuss everything that happened with a clear head before making any decision."
The last minutes seemed to have aged Jonathan ten years, yet his friend was as reliable as ever.
Severus looked at his grandfather and was relieved to see that the man did not appear defeated.
"We're going to talk about our options as we usually do," kept on Jonathan as he set up a new board next to their Horcrux detailed plan. "So, our main goal still is to implement Slytherin's rules all over our world, and for this, we need a Minister who will support those rules. Meaning we need someone who supports those rules and for whom people will vote for. Lord Voldemort was the perfect candidate until we realised he had made Horcruxes which were slowly twisting his magical core, especially since he created the Marks that take Magic from us to give it to him. He's been making less than rational decisions lately, like wanting to kill babies, and he is following the most fanatic members of the group. We are now doubting his ability to be elected, and even if he is elected, we are not sure he would implement Slytherin's rules."
Augustus nodded.
"Accurate summary, Jonathan. Which leads us to our first option, reuniting Lord Voldemort with his Horcruxes so that we get our perfect candidate back before he acts rashly and loses his chance at winning the election."
Nodding, Jonathan wrote on the board:
Plan A: Get Lord Voldemort back
- Retrieve all the Horcruxes
- Reunite him with his Horcruxes
- Block the feelings coming from his Mark
- Make him pay his sacrifices back to Magic
"Now, with the adjournment of the elections, we have even less time than we thought to reunite him with his Horcruxes because our group wants to kill babies," said Jonathan. "Our plan to reunite Lord Voldemort with his Horcruxes is even more uncertain because of our lack of time, so we need to consider other options."
"Obviously, we need to find a candidate to replace Lord Voldemort," stated Regulus wryly.
Severus shook his head.
"To replace Lord Voldemort, you will need to convince the group that your candidate is better. I remind you that Lord Voldemort is the only reason all of us are united today. And even if perchance, you found the most charismatic incarnation of Slytherin, Lord Voldemort controls the Marks so most of the group will support him no matter the assets of your perfect candidate."
"Don't be defeatist Severus," admonished Regulus with a glare. "Get rid of the Marks and the problem is solved."
"Get rid of the Marks, right, why didn't I think of it?" mocked Severus. "You know I'd like nothing more than to free Lucius and Evan from it. Do you have any idea how complex they are? Your Magic and Lord Voldemort's are closely entwined within the Mark, to remove your Mark without hurting you, without any backlash would be extremely delicate, even more so when we're talking about removing the Marks from everyone. Not to forget that there are still layers of the Marks I have no idea how to remove."
"But you haven't focused on the Marks as much as on the Horcruxes," countered Regulus. "If you focus solely on removing the Marks—"
"Or blocking them," interrupted Jonathan. "Preventing Lord Voldemort from using the Marks would be enough."
"Too dangerous," countered Augustus. "To replace Lord Voldemort means that our new candidate will need to campaign for the election for several months. We cannot guarantee that we'll be able to block the Marks for such a long time."
"What if we found voters outside of the group?" proposed Jonathan.
"Not enough people," answered Regulus. "We'll never steal all of Birkins and Dumbledore's followers using the same program as Lord Voldemort's. And I have no doubt that the Death Eaters would hurt the candidate that dared try to usurp their Leader's place."
Jonathan grimaced.
"We're back to removing the Marks or incapacitating Lord Voldemort so that the bearers of the Marks will accept his replacement. Probably both, I don't imagine that the others would follow someone else if Lord Voldemort was still running for the election."
"Obviously, he will never give up on his position," stated Regulus. "Most of our group will never accept his disappearance, and putting him in a coma for several months without raising suspicion seems impossible."
"I agree. The last two proposals would certainly put us in danger, especially Severus if he failed to create a potion to heal Lord Voldemort from his coma," said Augustus.
"We also don't know exactly how the Magic he takes from the Marks may interfere with potions and spells cast on him," added Severus.
"As I said earlier, I don't see any other choices than killing him."
Severus forced himself not to react to Regulus' words. Everything in him rebelled against this solution, but he needed to think rationally.
"Can we afford to kill him?" asked Severus. "Even if we destroy his Horcruxes, as long as the Marks exist, his Magic may use them to fight any spell or potion we would use to end his life. It may drain your Magic from you in an attempt to save him from death."
Silence met his words.
"That's a disturbing possibility," finally answered Jonathan.
"That we can counter by finding a way to block or remove the Marks," said Regulus firmly.
"It applies to plan A as well," added Augustus pensively. "We had thought of blocking Lord Voldemort's feelings from influencing you through the Mark, but in the event Lord Voldemort agrees to pay Magic back, we must also ensure he won't try to use Magic from anyone else's Mark to do so, even unconsciously. No matter our decision, this is something we must research."
Plan B: replace Lord Voldemort by another candidate
- Retrieve all the Horcruxes
- Block or remove the Marks completely
- Destroy the Horcruxes
- Kill Lord Voldemort (make it look like an accident or natural death)
- Find another candidate
"Do we really think the others will rally behind someone other than Lord Voldemort?" asked Severus dubiously as he considered the board.
"Yes," answered Regulus seriously. "We just need the right person."
"And how do you suggest we find this right person when none was suitable before Lord Voldemort?" asked Severus, fighting to keep his tone even.
"We look into members of the group," answered Regulus.
Augustus nodded.
"They won't accept an outsider."
"Not Mulciber or anyone too extreme," added Jonathan thoughtfully. "Our most moderate won't follow him, us included."
"Not one of our elders either," said Regulus regretfully. "The youngest find them too boring."
"Mulciber certainly likes to paint us as rooted in our habits and incapable of doing what's necessary," agreed Augustus darkly.
None of the eldest Death Eaters had ever partook in the raids.
"We know our group is mostly divided into two factions," said Severus. "Lord Voldemort is the one who allows us to work together. I don't see anyone else who could do the same. Except Lucius, perhaps."
"I don't think he will take the risk to paint a target on his back with Draco so young," replied Augustus. "The one who will next succeed Lord Voldemort's leadership of the group will certainly need to be on his guard."
"Severus could be our candidate," proposed Regulus unexpectedly, stunning Severus. "The younger ones admire you, the older ones are impressed too. Only Bellatrix, Mulciber and a few others would object. And we could gain votes from outside the group, even from Muggleborns."
"This is ridiculous!" exclaimed Severus. "Why would they follow me?"
"You're a symbol of Slytherin's achievements when you follow his rules, even without any privileged background," answered Jonathan. "And you are more than able to watch your back."
"Absolutely not," protested Severus. "I have no desire to become a bureaucrat! And I'm too blunt! I just don't have what's needed to… butter up people!"
"It may be what we need," countered Regulus. "You already have quite a reputation, even outside of our group, for not putting up with fools. You appear too direct to lie, something that seldom applies to Slytherins. It could win us followers beyond the group."
Severus shook his head.
"No, I don't know how you got the idea in your head, but admiring me for creating my House is not the same as thinking I would make a good Minister."
"Believe me, it is," answered Regulus. "I don't understand why you're so set against this solution."
"I want to learn about Magic, not spend my days surrounded by idiots and sycophants who won't understand or care about the importance of the rules I'm trying to implement."
"Severus, you would be able to choose your staff," intervened Augustus. "Yes, you will need to negotiate with people you don't appreciate, but I believe this is already the case as a Head of House."
"This is not the same," protested Severus.
"I swear you're only being difficult because in truth, you don't want to kill Lord Voldemort," said Regulus frustrated. "Why can't you see that it would be the best solution?"
"Who are you to decide that a man must die?" snapped back Severus, equally frustrated.
Regulus stared at him.
"You're the one who killed Greyback."
"Because he attacked me," replied Severus.
Regulus rolled his eyes.
"You could have incapacitate him without taking his life, like you did with Beltram."
Severs shook his head.
"You must never underestimate a Werewolf. They are magical creatures, far less susceptible to our spells. This is especially true for Werewolves who have some control over their curse, like Greyback did. Yes, I killed him to assure my place in the group, and show that I could be ruthless even if I did not take part in the raids. Yes, I killed him because I suspected him of biting people to force his curse on them without their consent. But first and foremost, I killed Greyback because he was a danger to me and to the group."
"Lord Voldemort is dangerous for our cause too," answered Regulus softly. "And he's a danger to Jonathan and I. To Evan and Lucius. Are those not enough reasons to kill him?"
Regulus had a point, Severus knew it. He knew that Lord Voldemort had taken another step toward insanity when he had decided to kill babies. He was not the same man that Severus had met six years ago. Not even the same man he had visited three months ago. And yet. To kill Lord Voldemort. To kill Marvolo.
Marvolo who had given Severus hope. Who had been supported by Abraxas. Who had certainly been treated as badly as Severus by Dumbledore during his years in Hogwarts. Who had asked for Severus' help when he had still been sane. Who was a Halfblood like Severus. Who had never tried to kill Severus, unlike Regulus' so called light brother. Who had never harmed Severus, unlike Dumbledore or his father. Neither of those two had been punished.
It was not fair. He was supposed to help guard Lord Voldemort's from the threats of the likes of Bellatrix, and instead he was thinking of putting a knife into his back. To save his friends and his family from a Dark path they might never come back from.
"Are you in love with Lord Voldemort?"
What?
Severus blinked at Regulus' unexpected and incongruous question. To his relief, Augustus and Jonathan were staring at Regulus with an expression that reflected his own shock.
"Don't look at me like that," said Regulus defensively. "It would explain why Severus turned down all the girls that tried to win his interest during the parties he deigned to attend. Plus, I heard that Muggles are prejudiced against same-sex relationships. Severus being a Halfblood, he could have been reluctant to share with us that he likes men, when it doesn't matter in our world as long as you provide an heir. You also have many common points: your love for magic, your intelligence, your thirst for knowledge—"
"I admire him like I would a Mentor!" exclaimed Severus frustrated as he saw that Augustus and Jonathan were really considering Regulus' argument. "I assure you I have no romantic feelings for him. I don't have time for romantic feelings."
"Are you sure? It would also explain why you can be so blind to his faults," countered Regulus.
"I am not blind to his faults," seethed Severus. "I have many reasons to admire him, and I think he made honest mistakes that unknowingly led him to a Dark path."
He sighed, suddenly feeling very tired.
"I hear what you're saying about the threat Lord Voldemort poses to us and our families. I just… I'm pretty sure he had no idea that making so many Horcruxes would impact his sanity. It feels like such a waste."
"I know," agreed Augustus sadly.
It comforted Severus to see that his grandfather looked as saddened as himself felt.
"Which is why plan A must remain our first option," continued the older man. "However, as I reminded you several times before, we are Slytherins. We must plan for all contingencies."
"Alright," accepted Severus. "But you need to find someone else to replace Lord Voldemort."
Jonathan and Regulus nodded silently.
"Do we have a plan C?" asked Jonathan, trying to break the tense and morose atmosphere that seemed to weigh on them.
"I think plan C is waiting for the next election," answered Regulus. "In the end, it might be better to stop Lord Voldemort or another candidate from corrupting Slytherin's rules and making the other Houses disgusted with them now, to have a better chance next time."
"It's easy to say when you're not the one who will suffer," said Severus harshly. "Purebloods and Muggleborns who come from accepting families won't be harmed if we wait seven more years. They are not the ones who would benefit from our rules. Those who will suffer will be Halfbloods like myself, and Muggleborns despised by their families and ignored by the Wizarding World that doesn't care about them. And you know very well that going with plan C means there will be no Death Eaters to save them."
"Yet, we may not have the choice. Later is always better than never, Severus," replied his grandfather gently.
Severus shook his head.
"You can't say this. Think of all the children who may suffer during that time!"
"Severus, I know it seems like walking backward after everything we did these past years, but honestly, if plan A and B fail, what else can we do?" asked Jonathan with a soothing voice.
Severus wanted to knock some sense into their heads. The three others were Purebloods from old lines, of course they did not truly understand what it meant not to be a Pureblood with privileges and protection.
"You realise that Minister Birkins is on Dumbledore's side. If we give up on the election, Slytherins will be even more vilified than now as we will be the losers. It will justify Dumbledore's unfair treatments of his slytherin students."
"At least, this side does not kill babies," replied Regulus as he crossed his arms.
"True, they only close their eyes when the babies' family do," retorted back Severus. "You've heard how Minister Birkins is trying to take back control of the mentorship. His only concern is to gain back voters, as soon as he wins, he will forget all about children but he will still try to dismantle the mentorship to show that he's the one in control."
"I think you're being pessimistic, Severus. These past years, we have opened the eyes of our fellow Wizards on this issue and—"
"I am being pessimistic?" repeated Severus, cutting him off as his anger rose again at the way Regulus was trying to placate him. "I told you about my discussion with Lord Potter. He seems to be one of the fairest of Dumbledore's supporters, and yet he does not truly understand why the sponsorship is as vital as it is today. Even he would try to change it until it fits Gryffindors' ideals!"
"Don't you think you're overreacting, Severus?" asked Regulus, his tone showing his impatience against Severus' unwillingness to let the matter go.
Severus looked at the younger man coldly.
"I am beginning to wonder why you are being so calm about our potential failure to protect these children. In fact, I'm wondering if you ever really wished to belong to the Death Eaters, or if you only followed your parents dutifully. I am wondering if you only joined our group in the hope of freeing yourself from Lord Voldemort's influence."
"What are you implying, Severus?" countered Regulus icily.
"I am stating that you are and have always been on the Blacks' side, and that you've never cared about Slytherin's rules."
Regulus laughed harshly.
"And what if I am on the House of Black's side, as long as my interests coincide with yours? You're not the only child who has suffered. You don't need to harm a child physically to harm him. Teaching him how to cast the three unforgivables on his eighth birthday is another form of abuse, and no one from our group cares, not even your precious Lord Voldemort. No one cares that Sirius went half mad when Grandfather taught Bella how to cast Crucio by using him as her victim, and then that he had to learn to cast it on his beloved dog. No one cares that he rebelled against our parents so that I would not learn those spells from them. No one cares that he chose to teach me the Unforgivables so that I would not suffer like he did. No one cares, or they are too scared of the Noble House of Black."
Severus had no idea how to answer Regulus. The younger man did not need to convince him that the Blacks were crazy and should never have cared for children. It did not negate his own point, which was that Regulus was willing to let the Halfbloods and Muggleborns suffer for another seven years because it would be the easiest solution.
To his relief, Augustus spoke up.
"It may surprise you Regulus, but I can assure you that you are wrong about the fact that no one cares. A crime is a crime, and any crime committed against a child must be punished. If you had come to me, to Abraxas or many others with proof of what you are saying, we would have acted. Like the Potters would no doubt have, if Sirius had told them."
Regulus snorted.
"Nobody did anything when Sirius was disinherited magically and almost went mad."
Augustus looked at him gently.
"The Potters adopted him. Which means they were really the only ones in a position to act. Would they have if Sirius had asked them not to because he knew that his brother wanted to remain with his parents?"
Silence met the older man's questions. Regulus looked lost. Jonathan looked overwhelmed. Severus was trying very hard not to point out that Augustus had once abandoned him to his father after a three second observation, and overall felt like hiding under Dhaal's wings to wait for the world to right itself.
Augustus was the one to break the silence.
"Now, I believe we have strayed from our main concern. We were speaking of plan C."
He looked at Severus, the plea not to argue anymore clear in his eyes.
Severus looked away from him to focus on Regulus.
"One last question, Regulus. Would you be so keen to murder someone acting like Lord Voldemort is if this someone was Sirius Potter instead?"
"You can't compare the two of them," protested Regulus. "Sirius would never entertain the idea of killing babies."
"No, but he tried to kill me once," replied Severus calmly.
"It was an accident, he did not mean it."
"If you say so. But, when he realised it had been a possibility, his only concern was that Lupin could be convicted and sentenced to death for murdering a Wizard while in werewolf form."
"He was underage and foolish," said Regulus stubbornly.
"He was of age when he broke Sanctuary's rules to attack me."
"I just told you some of what our family did to him. He had trouble telling wrong from right sometimes. You know how Dumbledore encourages Gryffindors. You can understand how Sirius could be confused. But he's getting help from the Goblins as part of his training, and he's getting better," argued Regulus.
Severus nodded, looking him in the eyes.
"So tell me Regulus, why does your brother benefit from attenuating circumstances but Lord Voldemort does not?"
His question hung between the two of them, until Regulus looked away.
"I believe you've made your point, Severus," finally said Augustus with a sigh. "Now, can we go back to plan C?"
"Yes, I think we have had enough hurt between us for today," Sensed Dhaal, though he did not give Severus anything but feelings of love and reassurances through their Bond.
Severus nodded, taking a few steps back to once more rest his side against his Familiar's.
"You must promise that we'll keep protecting those children, even if it takes us a long time to do so."
"Of course Severus," answered his grandfather. "Lord Voldemort's death won't erase the past seven years. I truly believe that even with a Birkins' victory, we could push for changes for the care of muggleborn children. And as you said yourself, we'll be here, as a last resort."
Severus nodded wordlessly. He would remind them of their promise if they forgot.
Plan A: get Lord Voldemort back
- Retrieve all the Horcruxes
- Reunite him with his Horcruxes
- Block his Mark completely
- Make him pay his sacrifices back to Magic
Plan B: replace Lord Voldemort by another candidate
- Retrieve all the Horcruxes
- Block or remove the Marks completely
- Destroy the Horcruxes
- Kill Lord Voldemort (make it look like an accident or natural death)
- Find another candidate
Plan C: wait for the next election
- Retrieve all the Horcruxes
- Block or remove the Marks
- Destroy the Horcruxes
- Kill Lord Voldemort (make it look like an accident or natural death)
- Prevent the other Death Eaters from killing our chances of winning the next election
"I don't have any other ideas," said Jonathan as he looked at the board sadly.
"Neither do I," admitted Severus.
"I hope this is enough," added Jonathan.
"It will have to be," answered Regulus sombrely.
"Alright boys, enough of this brooding mood," said Augustus as he got up. "I know it's a difficult time, but at least we have options. We're still going with plan A, but if the situation goes out of control, we must be ready for plan B, or even plan C. I will keep looking into suitable candidates who could accept to replace Lord Voldemort."
His grandfather's brisk and no-nonsense manners was a breath of fresh air, and Severus felt himself perk up slightly. This was much more like their usual planning session.
"Now, no matter the plan, we must first retrieve all the Horcruxes. I think we should go for the ring Horcrux even if we still don't know what power is inside the ring. We must speed up if we want to succeed."
They all nodded in agreement, relieved to be back on safe topics.
"Apart from the unknown power, we're ready for all eventualities," said Regulus. "It will work."
"The plan is the same as before," Augustus reminded them." Severus and I will lift the curse while Regulus will be present to watch over us in case something goes astray. Jonathan, you will remain at Prince Manor, ready to help if you receive Regulus' Patronus."
"Fine with me," said Jonathan.
Severus knew the memory of his father appearing briefly still haunted him.
They decided to go to collect the ring three days from now, giving themselves two days to observe how the situation was evolving and add other precautions to their retrieval if necessary.
"You should check on the Horcruxes now, Severus," said Jonathan. "Just to be sure Lord Voldemort did not move them out of paranoia after the last events."
Severus nodded. He had been planning to even if his friend had not asked. Not just to confirm their position, but to know if Nagini was more than a twisted Familiar.
He could not help but smile as Jonathan gave him his arm with an elaborate port de bras while Regulus brought the maps and the pendulum. It was almost a comforting routine by now. Breathing deeply, Severus focused his Sense on the Mark. He took his time, following every thread. He heard them gasp when he did not stop after the fourth one.
As he had feared, a fifth thread now existed. It was difficult to distinguish from Lord Voldemort's presence, the two tangled so closely they were barely apart. But it existed.
"This is weird, Severus," said Regulus suddenly. "Your pendulum is moving above the Argyll forest, almost as if it was following someone walking."
"Maybe Lord Voldemort is moving his new Horcrux to its hiding place," suggested Jonathan.
"Or his new Horcrux can move on its own," said Augustus with a sigh.
Severus released his hold on the thread and the pendulum, and looked at his grandfather.
"You think Nagini is the Lord's new Horcrux."
"Don't you?" answered Augustus.
"I do," agreed Severus. "This new thread is a bit different from the others. It's… closely entwined with Lord Voldemort's main thread. It could be because the Horcrux is also his Familiar. Though Dhaal and I don't think she's a true Familiar. She's really twisted."
"It's just not our day," complained Regulus. "Severus, we'll need to check several times to confirm that Nagini truly is the new Horcrux. If it's confirmed, how do we deal with a living Horcrux?"
"We… need to do more research," answered Severus dryly.
"Great," muttered Regulus.
"There is another point we need to research more seriously," pointed out Augustus. "With the increase of raids from our group, I would not be surprised if some people from the other side decided that the solution to the problem is to kill Lord Voldemort. The ministry possesses a few competent hit men. We need to know what would happen if somebody killed Lord Voldemort today while he still possessed Horcruxes."
"But we have not found anything about the way Horcruxes work in our research, except that a Horcrux prevents death," answered Regulus frustrated. "There's nothing in the secret Black library, I have looked everywhere."
"I have not had much luck either," admitted Augustus, "but we must keep searching."
"It's complicated to ask Mother's side of the family without raising her suspicion, and if she learns I'm asking about Horcruxes…" trailed off Jonathan.
Severus grimaced.
"I may have a way I have not yet explored. I'll keep you apprised."
He was not looking forward to dealing with Vampires on this matter, but they were renowned for their Dark Lords. They would have answers for him, the only difficulty would be their costs. He hoped his Contract with Family Ressurs would be enough.
"Be careful Severus," cautioned his grandfather.
"I always am," answered Severus steadily.
Jonathan shook his head.
"We know your motto, my friend. It does not scream out prudence and caution."
"I know what I'm doing," answered Severus seriously. "And Dhaal will be with me."
"Always," Sensed his Familiar warmly.
"Fair enough," allowed Jonathan.
He paused, hesitating.
"Before we part ways, I wonder… I mean… Should we warn the Longbottoms and the Potters that their kids are under a death threat?"
"I don't think it's a good idea," answered Regulus alarmed. "If anyone notices a contact between them and us, everything is over. We can't risk it. They must be aware of the risk, Dumbledore must have told them the Prophecy."
"Come on Regulus, they are light. Can they imagine we would kill babies? Especially when we have spent the past years protecting children from their families!" countered Jonathan.
"I'll take care of it," intervened Severus. "If the group finds out, I'm the only one who may be able to explain my action and not be killed. Many of the group know of my past friendship with Lily Potter. I think they could… let my weakness pass, even if it would put me at the bottom of the totem pole."
Severus was certain Bellatrix would jump on the opportunity to hurt him. But he thought Marvolo might prevent her from killing him. And that would be enough, as long as his family and friends were safe.