Chapter 3: The Birth of Dementors most Foul
The group of nine wizards were the only living beings on the hidden island in the middle of the north sea.
"You're talking about summoning demons, Man," Merdock Malfoy said, shock widening his eyes as distaste turned down the corners of his mouth.
The wizard's tone was that of a shout, but his voice came out of a suddenly constricted throat a tight whisper. The whites of his eyes were showing like a fearful stallion.
"I'm talking about winning a war without more of our loved ones being killed! I'm talking about preserving our magical society. I am talking about preserving the legacy of pureblood wizards," Ekrizdis Carrow thundered, his own eyes blazing with an inner fire that only strong affirmative action leading to victory would come close to quenching. His powerful determined voice belied his small round stature. "These demons will provide us with a means to kill all the humans in Britannia that love goblin and elf ways enough to endanger our own," he continued in a softer more reasonable tone. "Not only that, unlike the battles we have been losing, this will save our own people. Wizarding Rome will be great once again with the fall of elves, goblins, and the British wizarding king. There will finally be a fitting end to those goblins and elves that said king is allowing to dominate us!"
"But demons do be powerful enough to kill them and us too," a monkish wizard named Flint squeaked.
"Not if we're careful," Ekrizdis said dismissively. "And we shall be very careful. I've researched it all. Step by step. I have the means to summon the demons, to bind them to our will, to command them, then to send them back to hell once they have served our purpose."
"You'll command them to kill everyone but us," Malfoy asked, expression slowly settling itself down from raw panic to mild concern.
Ekrizdis gave a low chuckle as he slowly shook his head. If the other wizards saw that flicker of madness beginning to bud behind his eyes, their choices were too limited for them to pay mind. At least that was what they would've said were anyone to ask them. "Oh no, my dear fellow. It's much too late for something so kind. They've killed enough of our loved ones in this war, and those Goblins have taken enough of our gold. No. The goblins will be made to surrender, for they truly have nothing we need. The humans will die or swear fealty to Rome and its holy wizarding Emperor. We will hold Britannia as our own. But the elves..."
Ekrizdis gave a low chuckle as he rubbed his hands together. "The elves will be our slaves. Better than that, they will forget much of what they know unless using it to serve us. Instead their heart's desire shall be to clean our houses until they shine like gold and to cook us the best meals we've ever eaten in our lives! Their mighty power will never threaten us again! Instead it shall serve us for eternity down the generations. Their children's children will serve our children's children!" Ekrizdis gave a mad chuckle.
"And what happens when they rebel? Because they will," Malfoy spoke up.
"Oh no they shall not," Ekrizdis said, laughing again. "For that is the best part! If the elves attempt to disobey...even if they consider it in their little heart of hearts, the elf in question shall have to bang its stupid big eared head into the nearest floor or wall until it is so sorry it will never challenge its master again! Do you see the beauty of how we shall make them pay for what they have done?"
The other eight wizards may have been concerned over the concept of tampering with such dark magic, but they all nodded nonetheless. The prospect of bending greater power than their own to their will and service in such a way was just too tempting. None of them wished to see the wizarding king of Britannia having the power of goblins and elves at his wand tip while they had nothing. They all felt threatened by Britain's growing commerce and wealth of magical welfare that Rome and Italy proper did not possess. It was high time to turn the tide. And yes, demonically if necessary.
"If there are no further objections or fearful blubbering, we begin," Ekrizdis said. When there were no objections, he cast around them a circle of salt. To each wizard, himself included, he passed a summoning scroll on which was written the name of a particular demon and instructions on how to call it forth. And so it began.
Each spoke the name of a demon which they summoned with arcane words that wrapped themselves around the name both before and after.
The circle began with Ekrizdis and ended with Malfoy. The words had to be spoken with power and command so each wizard or witch's voice practically thundered through the island's fortress.
When all the names were spoken amongst the words of power and summoning, Ekrizdis chanted the closing of the spell. A sound akin to apparation except far louder resounded through the entire fortress. So great was the resounding that the stones of the floor shuddered as though a slight earthquake shook them and perhaps it did.
Shadowy wraith like figures appeared before the wizards just outside of the circle of salt. The demons did not have horns nor did they spew fire. They were merely shadowy beings, seemingly comprised of shadow itself, roughly humanoid in shape but at least a meter taller. They spoke as one in what sounded not quite like a whisper but unlike anything else. Their expressions were wistful and hungry as they pressed themselves against the circle, obviously unable to cross the line of salt but not for lack of trying. "Who dares to summon us from the dank cold?"
Ekrizdis, the designated spoke's wizard, forced himself to straighten his shoulders and open his mouth. He had, of course planned what he would say, but standing in the room with these beings was a bit more disturbing than even he'd counted on. Somehow their mere presence made him feel at once tired and depressed, yet with the dream like urge to act regardless. Reminding himself that this course had been taken for very good reason he spoke. "We summon you so that you might solve a problem for us. As your summoners the magical law says that we may command you and we command you first to lay such a curse on all of elf kind so that they shall never use their greater magic again!"
Now that he'd begun speaking, he felt better and more confident. It was easier to shake off his earlier strange feelings, and he experienced, instead, a rush of excitement. They were finally going to have their victory. No more would they have to fear the elves or sneaky little goblins and no more would they be subject to the whims of creatures with more power than they should have over wizards. And it was all thanks to his very own brilliant planning! Perhaps when this was all over, he would even take over from the emperor! He deserved it more, after all. Emperor Ekrizdis sounded bloody good to him. He would never return to Britannia though make it suffer he would.
"For all you ask there is a price," the shadowy demons hiss whispered as one. The 9 wizards and witches were now able to feel the eagerness and desperation seeping off the towering yet insubstantial beings.
"There is no price," Ekrizdis insisted. "We have summoned you and bound you to our service, and serve us you shall," the small wizard thundered. "You will follow my order now and my order is that the elves shall be enslaved, one elf to a wizarding family and that elf will wish nothing more from life than to serve that family in every mundane way it can. It shall use its magic to darn our stockings and wash our dishes and cook our meals. It shall live compelled to do so and if it fails to comply or even allows a rebellious thought into its big-eared head, it shall have to bang that head into the nearest floor or wall until it is so sorry it will never think such again. This is your order. Make it so!"
"Your spell scroll is in error," one of the shadows whispered, hissing a laugh that had no true substance to it. It sounded like water hissing on cinders with no true vocal notes to it what so ever. It was as inhuman as inhuman could get.
"You have only summoned us and that circle of salt protects you from our hunger. This, however is no true binding. That would've taken far more power and different words." Somehow the demonic whisper managed to sound smug even without having a direct tone to it. Ekrizdis felt his stomach sinking as his plans began to crumble around him. "However, there is still a way," the demon added almost soothingly.
"What do you mean," Wizard Malfoy demanded of the shadowy demon.
"If we make a trade, then we might agree to give you what you ask," the being hissed.
Though it lacked tone, Malfoy felt an eager excitement rolling off it and its brethren in waves. An excitement that was contagious for he found himself taking a step forward. "Explain," he demanded.
"If nine agree to give us flesh, we might live here on this plain forever. We might share power and ability and thus become one. Man and demon become one. Magic and nonmagic combine to form a new power. We thrive on the misery we cause together and we begin with the elves just as you want."
The nine witches and wizards exchanged glances. They were unwilling to give of their own flesh, and seeing this the demon quickly continued.
"If you do not, the wizarding world as you know it will perish. This we can see. It will fall to elves and goblins and those wizard lick spittles who thrive with them rather than being bold enough to force them into the servitude they so deserve. If you do not agree to this you shall die regardless, though not by our hand. Elves and goblins will kill you along with those wizards who call them friend."
All of the wizards and witches shuddered in fear and disgust.
"Leonis needs to pay," Malfoy growled.
"We agree to your terms," Ekrizdis said without bothering to look at the others for their approval. Still they nodded, like him seeing no choice.
"It is agreed," the hissing voice demanded. They all nodded again. "You must say the words," the demon hissed and the nine spoke as one.
"WE AGREE," resounded through the island fortress.
And so were the dementors born. Demon melded into wizard, the body grew, nine times, and nine hooded figures stood, hovering just off the ground where previously 9 demons and 9 wizards had stood facing one another only moments before. The nine were no longer the wizards nor the demons they had been, and they were hungry. Very hungry.
Souls and magic was the sustenance they craved with delightful happy feelings and pleasant memories for dessert. As one they traveled toward Britain to feast and to defeat their enemies. The elves would pay with their own free will as the cost and any who supported them would pay with their very essences to feed the hunger of the dementors.