Chapter Seven
The Darkest Art
At the beginning of the month of October, Remus excused himself on a blustery Tuesday morning informing his friends that his mother had been taken ill once more and his father feared the worst. His absence this time was much more conspicuous and Professor Tollenworth almost gave Sirius and James detention when they couldn't tell her where he was.
He ambled back into the Common Room the following Saturday saying that a Healer had given her the all clear. James, Sirius and Peter shared a collective sigh of relief.
"That Snape kid was being a nosey git whilst you were away," said James.
"Then again, it's hard not to be when your honker's that big!" cut in Sirius, who roared with laughter at his own joke.
The others joined in. After a little while James whipped his eyes of tears only to notice the red-haired Lily Evans standing next to his chair, hands on her slightly pudgy hips.
"You four should be ashamed of yourselves."
Sirius rolled his eyes. "I thought this was a private conversation amongst friends," he said scathingly.
Lily pursed her lips. "Not when it involves mine!" Remus flushed and Peter shifted in his chair.
"Look, Evans," said James calmly. "Just drop it, please?"
"No, Potter," she hissed. "The lot of you are just a bunch of bullies! If you keep it up, I'll report you to a Prefect."
Sirius' head fell into his hands as Lily spun on her heel and stormed away.
"She sure showed us!" shouted Sirius, and they all dissolved into laughter once more.
oOo
As Sirius and James headed down to dinner the next evening, a little later than usual due to a rather furious game of Wizard Chess, they noticed Lily Evans in fervent conversation with Severus Snape, just outside the great hall.
When he saw the two Gryffindor's, Snape began to march forwards towards them.
"That little cow!" Sirius muttered under his breath, outraged, just as Snape drew near.
"If you're going to say something about me, don't involve Lily!"
"We didn't involve her," said James.
"Whatever, Potter," Snape spat, pulling his wand from the pocket of his robes. "Just leave her alone from now on."
"And why should we listen to you?" asked Sirius, pulling his own wand from his back pocket.
James looked between the wands and then over at Lily Evans. She was still stood in the doorway of the Great Hall, a look of horror plastered on her face.
"You are so pathetic!"
"Oh go run home to your mummy," spat Sirius. "Caed-"
But Snape cut across him with a shouted of, "Morseus!"
Sirius was thrown backwards into a suit of armour, his wand skidding across the floor to Remus' feet. Lily shrieked from the doorway and students came flying out of the Great Hall.
Without thinking, James drew his right hand back and punched Snape right in the jaw. He staggered backwards, tears streaming. "You filthy bastard!" screamed James, drawing his hand back yet again.
But he couldn't move.
He had frozen from the neck down.
The Headmaster was striding towards them, his wand pointing at James and Severus.
Students were still pouring out of the Great Hall, making a ring around the scene. "Professor McGonnagal, Professor Slughorn?" called Dumbledore and the two teachers jumped forwards at once. "Would you please kindly escort Misters Potter and Snape to my office and await for me there?"
James and Severus were marched from the Hall, up the marble staircase and from view of the crowd. Dumbledore cast a look around the milling students until his eyes fell upon a pretty girl with a sheet of silver blonde hair.
"Ah, Narcissa," he said calmly, beckoning her forwards. "Kindly take your cousin to the Hospital Wing, please? Get Madam Promfery to fix him up and then bring him along to my Office as well. We'll let the two of you in."
And with that he turned on his heel and headed towards the Seventh Floor.
oOo
When James pushed open the portrait hole he looked mutinous. Sirius staggered along behind him, clutching at his right side.
Peter and Remus waved them over to their little alcove in the Common Room. Heads turned in their direction as they milled through the tables and chairs.
"We snuck food out from dinner," said Peter, as James and Sirius sat down.
Remus pulled his back pack up and took out some rolls and a few chicken drumsticks, wrapped up in napkins. "It's not much but it's all we thought we could get away with taking. Plus we didn't have much time," said Remus, pushing the food across the table.
James snatched up a roll and started tearing chunks off. "You guys," he said.
"Don't. It was nothing," said Remus, waving an airy hand. "How are you feeling anyway, Sirius?" he asked, turning towards the other dark haired boy.
He shrugged his shoulders. "Hurts to do much of anything," he grunted, biting savagely at a chicken drumstick.
James looked darkly towards Sirius. "Where'd you reckon he learned that kinda magic?"
"Dunno. Snape's not exactly a Pureblood name although the spell would indicate that he was."
Remus sat forwards in his chair. "What do you mean? What kind of magic are you on about."
Peter squeaked. "That Snape boy was using the Dark arts in the middle of the Entrance Hall, Remus! Surely you've heard about that spell before?"
"Grindlewald liked to use it apparently. My parents thought it made him weak. Apparently he didn't much like using the Unforgivable's so he messed around with other curses and the such. Dunno what a weed like Snape is using it for."
"At least he got more detentions than we did. Dumbledore was fuming," said James.
"Don't tell me you got punished," breathed Peter, scandalised.
"Oh yeah," said James nodding. "What was it for, Sirius? 'Brawling like a Muggle' or something stupid." He let out a howl of laughter. "Just the one detention though. Snape got five!"
"Serves the slimy git right," said Sirius through a mouthful of bread. "Just wait til I get my hands on that cowardly piece of slime. No one messes with a Black."
oOo
A sharp wind was sweeping the hills as the sun began to set in blots of red, through the inky clouds. With simultaneous whip-cracks, two men appeared out of thin air. The tallest surveyed their surroundings, withdrawing his wand and shooting spells in a large circle around them.
"Hold out your arm," he said softly, to the man that had accompanied him.
Obediently, the man held out his left arm, allowing the other man's white hands to clutch his wrist and pull back the long sleeves of his robes.
On his forearm was a crude tattoo, burnt black to the skin. It was of a snake protruding from the mouth of a skull. One long finger was pressed to the tattoo and it almost appeared to writhe.
Instantaneously, loud cracks were echoing around the clearing, as more began to answer the summons.
Before the newest arrivals could so much as blink, he began to speak. "I have brought you all together on this most sacred Hallows Eve, to welcome our youngest recruits to our cause.
"Come," he said, beckoning them all forwards.
There were eight people in the clearing. Three men and a woman stood, holding their wands to the others who were bound and on their knees. Cloth bags were thrown over their heads.
"Never will they say that I am impolite," said the Dark Lord softly. "It shall be ladies first to this demonstration and so, young Bellatrix Black, prove yourself." The woman froze. She was thin and pale with a shock of long black hair trailing down her back. "A little encouragement, perhaps?
"This man here," he said, placing a hand onto the bagged head of Bellatrix's victim. "This filthy excuse for a man is a Mudblood. And not only is he filthy enough to pollute Hogwarts and the Ministry with his slime, he has married a Pure Blood witch and sired children with her." He paused here, ever so briefly, his eyes fixed upon the witch before him. "Similar to your sister, no?"
Bellatrix's wand shook in her hand.
"Torture him," the Dark Lord hissed.
"CRUCIO!" she bellowed and the man fell to the floor face first, writhing.
"More! Channel your hatred, channel your anger. Imagine this man is the piece of worthless scum that has ensnared your sister and shamed your family. Pour that into the curse, use it and you will grow stronger."
Her features set into an ugly grimace and she raised her wand once more, "Crucio," she whispered and the man began to jerk violently on the floor, thrashing around in unmistakeable pain.
"Good! Good!" he said delightedly.
She retracted her wand, the body stopped twitching. The Dark Lord swept down and pulled the bagged figure back to his knees. He pulled the cloth bag from the man's head.
He was slightly chubby in the face but a rough strip of cotton had been used to gag him. His eyes were bugging in fright and his face was pink and shining in tears.
"Kill him."
She raised her wand once more. Her victim struggled against his bonds shaking his head. The Dark Lord began to laugh, a cold, high pitched laugh as Bellatrix screamed, "Avada Kedavra!" into the night.
