1st Wizarding War: Moments Chapter 5: Heaven on their Minds, a harry potter fanfic

Chapter 5: Heaven on Their Minds

Once he had gathered enough followers (though recruitment would never entirely cease, for the larger and army, the stronger it was, or so He believed), Voldemort began to plot his vision for a wizarding coup in earnest.

Though he knew some subtlety would still be required before the time was right to strike, there was no avoiding or attempting to obfuscate, at least in private, what He was designing: this was to be a coup. An overthrow of the current world order so as to implement His glorious vision.

Having never tired of hearing the sound of his own voice, Voldemort lectured his faithful often on how the glory of the wizarding world had faded over the course of centuries, ever since Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, and Rowena Ravenclaw had overruled Salazar Slytherin about the types of students who should be admitted to Hogwarts. In those ancient days, the question may have just been regarding school admittance, but it had resulted in very real magical world ramifications that had started as ripple effect and grown into a tsunami. It was, in a phrase, affirmative action of the worst order. Nay, a Great Replacement Theory that must be resisted and turned back by every possible measure, up to and including violence. By now, if current trends continued, all those with pure magical blood were in danger of becoming a minority in their own realm by at least the turn of the millennium. Lord Voldemort would not have this: a wizarding world populated, if not outright run by, half-breeds and - Salazar forbid! – Muggleborns was to him unfathomable and intolerable.

"I am greatly dissatisfied with the current state of our land, and with the current leadership in our Ministry," he would speak from the pulpit of his own design, holding court amidst his disciples, who would listen to him with rapture, while camped out in the wilderness. He held particular ire for outgoing Minister for Magic Nobby Leach, as well as his incoming successor, Eugenia Jenkins – a woman who would apparently be the first Minister for Magic ever who was born a half-blood. In other words, the first Minsiter for Magic who had – gasp! – Mudblood origins. "In order to truly create a world filled with peace and power and justice, the old regime needs to be torn down at any and all costs! If it takes violence to achieve that goal, then it is justified! Only those who share the purest blood, will and idealism should be allowed to live in this world of our making – the world we had centuries ago when only those who had magic in their blood wielded magic, and those who did not did not! Leach, Jenkins – they're cut from the same cloth of politician. They don't listen to us, the true people, the true patriots! The bigwigs in the Ministry and in the Wizengamot – bigwigs like Dumbledore, elites like Dipett at Hogwarts – they're already trying to groom the people to accept half-bloods ruling over us! Why, before long, Muggle filth will be installed – not elected, not by us! Installed – to rule as Minister over us! They'll lie, cheat and steal, even cast advanced magic on us if they have to, to get us to just lie down and take it! Will we do it?!"

"NO!" The purebloods would boo and hiss and roar at the elites who they believed were systematically taking their country away from them. More often as not, someone would then start up a furious chant of "LOCK THEM UP! LOCK THEM UP! LOCK THEM UP!" referring to the likes of the Dumbledores and the Dipetts and the Jenkinses, and Voldemort would bask in it. He was certain that if they only were strong enough now to have the power, they could march on the Ministry and storm it and his followers would install Him as Minister, if they could.

"We will, my brethren. We will. We will make them pay! But not so fast! We must act stealthily and wisely. We must have faith – I will not tolerate anything less than total fealty to our cause. Which is why I want you all to raise your hands and take an oath. Not to me, not to me! I wish for you to take an oath of fellowship, of allegiance to our noble work. One I, as current leader, will personally administer to each of you who are willing enough to take that next step! To give your last measure of devotion, so that reign by the purebloods, of the purebloods, for the purebloods shall not perish from the earth."

Every single hooded Death Eater in the crowd lifted a single finger to the sky, so that they might swear the oath. Beaming with pleasure, feeling the power thrum through His veins, Voldemort descended from the makeshift podium that had been erected and mingled through his faithful, many of whom parted before Him, as though he were a God, so he might deign to consort with His people, these mere mortals who would do anything to pledge to serve him.

"Repeat after me, giving your given name when appropriate: 'I….'"

"'I…." and then there was a chorus of given names.

"Do solemnly swear…."

"…. Do solemnly swear…"

"…. That I will faithfully serve the Dear Leader of the most noble bloodlines of Slytherin himself…"

""…. That I will faithfully serve the Dear Leader of the most noble bloodlines of Slytherin himself…"

"…. That I will faithfully execute my duties as an officer of the Pureblood Legion…"

"… That I will bear true witness, faith and allegiance to the same…."

"…. That I will protect the lineages of the Sacred Twenty-Eight…."

"…. Against all enemies, foreign and domestic…." His emphasis was intentional.

"…. Against all enemies, foreign and domestic…."

"…. And will to the best of my ability…"

"…. Preserve, protect and defend…."

"…. The Constitution of the Sacred Twenty Eight."

"…. The Constitution of the Scared Twenty Eight."

Voldemort beamed. "For where we go one, we go all!"

He had tacked on that little bit at the end, it had not been part of the oath, but many of his Death Eater faithful dutifully echoed him anyway.

"Very well, then, my children. You may all come up and receive your blessings from me!"

A line quickly congealed with much pushing and shoving. The first member – a rather promising man named Avery Sr. (he already had a baby son) eagerly rolled up his sleeve when prompted by the Dark Lord.

Pressing the tip of his wand into Avery's bare forearm, Voldemort intoned, "Imprintium….. Immendo!"

An image of ink and stitching began to etch into Avery's very skin and he let out a tiny whimper of pain, but bit down on his lip and held on while the Dark Lord designed the tattoo – though it was really more like a branding – to his specifications.

"There. That should do quite…. nicely." And even though Avery had not thought to, nor been directed to, kneel before him, Voldemort lifted his hand in an upward motion anyway. "Arise, Sir Avery Sr. Death Eater of the Pureblood Legion."

Every disciple who came after Avery deferentially knelt before their Master and accepted the taking of what Voldemort proclaimed to all would be their Dark Mark.

"Our symbol – the symbol of our revolution! Wherever you go and see this mark branded upon another's skin, you will know that you are amidst your brothers! Your pureblood brethren. Your family! We are you family, your flock, and I am to be its shepherd, its patriarch. Take this Mark in memory of and service to me, and you shall know when I call you."

Every single hooded figure present took this Dark Mark. When the task was done, Voldemort let out an elated cry of victory and raised his wand to the sky. A flash of green light emanated from the tip and within moments of explosion of light similar to the one that preceded fireworks lit up the countryside. Blazing into the nighttime sky, a symbol did indeed begin to take shape, able to be seen for miles around:

A skull, provocatively disgorging a snake from out of its mouth. In time, this insignia would symbolize all that was understood about pureblood supremacy.

And someday soon, if Voldemort had his way, it would be the symbol of a new birth of freedom, of purifying, and of glory.

It was time to return the Wizarding World to her former glory. It was time to Make Magic Great Again.