Pieces of My Soul
Chapter 3
February, 1997.
5 Figures in black, dressed like the ninja's of muggle movies, move stealthily along the dark street in muggle Manchester.
Approaching the Target, the leader gains entrance into a small shop using a silencing spell to make sure any occupant wouldn't hear the shutters roll up and down.
One of the Figures, obviously female, went behind the shop counter, and began removing money from the tills, while one of the males looked for the safe and the other 2 took watch at the door and one to cover the leader, as he made his way upstairs.
--
This was Harry's first mission leading his team. It was a 'black' mission, meaning they couldn't leave any trace of their activities other then the absence of what they were there to take. Wearing special boots for the occasion, designed to completely eliminate foot-noise, he stepped across the hallway, feeling but not hearing some loose floorboards. He and one of his men, who from the size of him made him aware that it was Gregory Goyle, approached the bedroom above the shop. Silencing the door, he opened it slowly, making sure to stay outside of the room until the door was completely open. There wasn't a sound coming from inside, which made him nervous.
He nodded once to Gregory, who immediately put an invisibility cloak around himself, and he stepped silently into the room to scout it out. He stepped out, and Harry joined him underneath. Thanks to silencing spells placed on the cloak as well, they could converse, but not above a whisper.
'There's 2 wizards in separate beds. They are both awake, but pretending to be asleep. I managed to avoid their spell traps that alert them to our presence, and so far it seems they just think that muggles are robbing the shop, and aren't bothered. Makes sense, considering the items muggles would take are conjured,'
'I agree. The moment items are taken through the front door, or the back, or the windows, they go through a 'finite' ward, making the items disappear. I read about that, and noticed the presence. Pansy is doing her thing to make the money into real money. Get both your wands pointed at each bed, and hit them with the spell we agreed on, yes?'
'ok.'
Harry got from underneath the cloak, and waited for the sounds of snoring. Not 5 minutes later it came, and Gregory got from underneath his cloak, and put it in his jetblack bag, and the 2 cleared the rooms, before going back downstairs.
Pansy looked at Harry, and gave him a questioning glance, which he gave a momentary thumbs up, before they finished their little job, and left with everything intact.
--
Daily Prophet
Early yesterday morning, a wizard company operating in muggle Manchester reported the theft of £10,000, and said that only wizards could have stolen that money without tripping any of their alarms.
Harry read that bit, then put the Daily Prophet down. Hermione looked at him questioningly. 'What?'
'Anything Interesting?'
'you mean, any DE activity?' Harry pointed out.
'well, anything?'
'Just a suspicious robbery in Manchester. 10 thousand pounds went missing and they suspect wizards did the job.'
She nodded then went back to bugging Ron about his grades.
--
Harry disappeared soon after lunch, and they assumed he was with Dumbledore again. He had been with Dumbledore quite a lot, apparently even leaving the school at some points. They didn't know that Dumbledore had been arranging those to coincide with his few missions every week or so.
Harry made his way to the Slytherin common room using his usual method, hidden passageways that Dumbledore set up for him to use, and him alone, since the entrances to these tunnels had been made to respond to Parseltongue only.
Harry remembered that meeting when he asked Dumbledore about being inconspicuous in his trips to the Slytherin common room…
--
Early December.
Harry finally gave in and said, 'Yes please' and Dumbledore opened the bag of lemon drops for him.
Harry held one, and did the wandless but not focusless magic he had been practising for weeks. The potion inside was removed via switching spell, into a vial in his pocket, and he grinned at Dumbledore who knew what Harry had done, as Harry popped it into his mouth and began sucking on it.
'So little faith in me, Harry?' Dumbledore asked knowingly, holding back a slight chuckle at the question.
'Not that. I'm sure Severus is your source.' Seeing Dumbledore's smile at the injoke, he grinned.
'Now, You requested our meeting Harry, what can I do for you?'
'I need a way to get to the Slytherin common room, without the hassle of looking for an empty classroom so I can get rid of my scar and make my hair and eyes slightly different. I know Neville is getting suspicious ever since he uhm…'
'ever since he observed your late night changeover with Tonks?'
'Yeh, that.'
'Very well. I shall begin the process of creating new passageways that you can use. They shall be linked to the corridor nearest the Gryffindor common room, the Slytherin common room, and also connect to the corridor outside the room of requirement and have another entrance near the great hall.'
'You can create passageways?'
'As headmaster, I can create, repair, or change or close them. Surely, you wondered how we created a passageway under the Whomping willow, which, when it was planted, would surely have destroyed it had that entrance existed before. No, the only passageways I can not change or close are the ones the founders intended to never change, although I could repair them should they ever be damaged.'
'So, how did the ones on the Marauders map come to be?'
Dumbledore smiled 'I created them at the request of students who needed due to lesson schedules, to have shortcuts between classes.'
'and perhaps, these are the same students who created a map of Hogwarts, because no one else except the Weasley twins know about these passageways?'
'I see you've been conversing with the map again.'
--
Harry reached the Slytherin Common Room Exit of his secret passageway, and made sure he looked like Dan. As he got into the Slytherin Common room, he made a show of NOT looking at Draco, who was sat in a compromising position with Daphne.
'Woah, Do that in her dorm Drake!' he shouted, holding his hands over his eyes. 'VIRGIN EYES!!!' He heard the 2 tumble around in surprise, and he laughed, before looking at the 2.
'Merlin, Dan, you trying to scare us half to death?' Draco asked as he quickly button up his pants.
'Hey, you're the one getting a blow job in the middle of the common room, when you knew I was gonna be here, so I'd think that's my line.'
Draco went beetroot red, and he and Daphne went to her dorm room amid several cat call whistles.
Harry didn't need to wait long before the 4 members of his team were present. They went upto the 6th year boys dorm, which was empty, and promptly changed into black garb, just like what they wore when they did their robbery mission. They put Hogwarts robes over, and put their hoods in their travel bags, and left the Slytherin dorm/common rooms.
--
Augustus was proud of his team. There remained one to be marked of the team, the team leader. The rest of the team were present in his home, to act as an honour guard of sorts.
'You all ready? You will be facing the Dark Lord himself. Daniel, you may have been marked with the temporary sign by myself, and the others had theirs made into full dark marks, but the Dark Lord wanted to personally Mark you.'
Harry couldn't help the grin, but thanked merlin he made it look Feral. 'I have worked hard for this. If you think I'm going to back out…'
'I'm just wondering if your ready. It… is a painful process.'
Harry nodded, 'But worth it.'
Augustus nodded, with a faint smile. 'Yes, worth it.' He shook himself then looking more chipper then he had a moment ago, he said, 'well, I can't wait to surprise the Dark Lord with you. Put your hood on.' When Harry had done so, he held out the portkey. 'grab on.'
--
They appeared in the middle of the inner circle, who had been waiting by the looks of things. Voldemort was stood near who was obviously Lucius Malfoy, talking to the man. Upon hearing the rather, crude, landing by one Daniel Radcliffe, he looked and grinned. Only Augustus and the team knew Daniel' looks. They had arrived wearing their hoods.
Augustus shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips. 'Team, Form up.'
Within a second, the 5 had gotten into formation, 2 at the back, 2 at the front, leaving a gap for Harry, who was in the middle, to see infront of them.
'Will Mr Radcliffe step forward please?' Voldemort asked.
Harry stepped forward, and stared Voldemort in the eye.
'Ah, someone willing to look me in the eye, Let's see if he is worthy of the strong he exumes, Legilimens!'
Harry just stared at the man, then after a few moments, chuckled.
Voldemort wasn't happy. 'You are a skilled Occlumens.'
Harry shook his head. 'No my lord, but I am a natural shield occlumens.'
Harry saw one of the death eaters behind Voldemort turn to stare at him upon hearing his voice. Voldemort smiled too.
'Mr Potter?'
Harry heard his team chuckle slightly, as well as Augustus. He turned to Augustus, and waited.
Augustus looked at Voldemort. 'Not quite, My lord. I doubt he would turn, so we just settle for second best in regards to that.'
Voldemort frowned. 'A polyjuiced student of Hogwarts is not what I want.'
Augustus chuckled. 'Who said he needs polyjuice?' his grin looked Feral, and he nodded to Harry.
Harry took his hood off, revealing his head to everyone. Voldemort looked closely, and looked for the scar.
'Ah, I see. You look almost like him, enough to fool the common person.'
Harry nodded, and said, 'And sound. I remove the changes where I can so that my real identity is kept secret. Obviously, with the ever present possibility of a spy in the ranks, I decided to use this name incase the spy finds out my cover name. Up until now, my team even believed I use a modified Polyjuice to look like Potter. A few months ago I said asmuch to a team member, which I regret because I did not know how loyal she was at the time, but I know she is quite loyal.'
'You show very good deductive reasoning Mr Radcliffe. A shame you stumble when using a Portkey.'
Harry nodded, and responded, 'I haven't used that many Portkeys in my life. It takes using a few often to get used to them.'
Voldemort stared at Harry, before nodding and began the Marking Ceremony. 'Team, join the Circle' he said the team.
They looked to Harry, and he nodded to them.
'They respond to you? Are they loyal to Me, or You?'
'Both. They have only heard of you before now, and answered to those who are loyal to you. They have known me for months, and naturally, they're Loyal to me, and I'm loyal to Augustus, who's loyal to you My Lord.'
'Very intelligent. You shall be a valuable member Mr Radcliffe.'
Harry smiled, and said, 'I'm honoured to serve, My lord.'
'Bow, and raise your left arm.'
Harry got down on his right knee, bowed his head and held his left arm out.
'My friends, We gather here today to mark a new member of the Inner Circle.'
Harry held his shock in. He expected to only be a mid-level in a few months. He listened intently.
'Those here who object to this new placement, Step forward.' None did. 'Everyone, get into your positions. Those who are not part of the Marking, please step to the back.' After a few moments, Harry knew he was surrounded by 9 Inner Circle members who were all involved in the marking.
Voldemort put his wand to Harry's left arm, the same way he had when he activated the mark on Pettigrew's arm. Harry felt a burning sensation creep into his arm. He vaguely noted the others were chanting something which made him think of loyal to people, to an idea… steadily, over what he thought was an hour, the burning sensation covered his entire left arm, and where the dark mark would be soon, a tingling feeling.
Voldemort Stood, his wand tip still touching Harry's arm, and said clearly, asif saying it in conversation, 'Mors Voldemort Mordre'
Harry watched as a moving Snake tattoo appeared and moved across his arm and took position, then a skull fading into view along with the rest of the Dark mark. It was an angry red, and his arm continued to feel like it was burning.
The others stopped chanting, and just stared at Daniel Radcliffe, who had been the quietest they had seen of any inner circle members' initiation.
As the burning feeling faded, Voldemort commanded, 'Rise, my newest servant.' On automatic Harry did so. 'As final Proof of your loyalty to our cause, our ideal, to us, You will take the life of the one you replace in our Circle.'
Voldemort pointed to Draco. Harry looked at Draco, and pulled his wand.
---
A/N
The mission at the start of the chapter is the mission mentioned in 'The new Recruit'. They would have done other missions inbetween, but that one was to test how well they could plan, and they planned it perfectly.
Also, the prologue, while set in Harry's 7th year, states that Harry was new then. Well think of it this way, since the inner circle had no knew members until Draco (according to this so far and from what I remember of the books) and Harry, since the fall, he could have been a inner circle member for 2 years and still be considered new since it is relatively speaking, when you consider the rest.
OO CLIFFIE! Evil, EVIL I tell you.
--
Pet Peeves
Not my own:
Why does everyone seem to know instinctively which year every single student is in?
Good point Seadrance. They'll know friends, like Harry would know the Weasley Twins, his Quidditch team mates and possibly the other Quidditch players, but unless he gets told, he wouldn't know the others unless he was there for their sorting. Other people are welcome to submit Pet Peeves, if enough are posted I'll add those in a pet peeve bit in other stories since I