Chapter Two

*Unknown Location at Midnight August 26th*

I wrapped my cloak around me to better shield myself from the fierce wind that blew through the trees. "I know the cave entrance is here somewhere." I said out loud searching the area with the light emanating from the tip of my wand.

Suddenly a shadow loomed over me. I whipped around and shot a stunning curse at it. The shadow blocked the spell easily. "Crucio" it said in a silky voice and I fell immediately to the ground in agony. The shadow laughed at me as I writhed in pain, but after a moment or two the pain ceased. Pitch stuck his hand out to me to help me up.

"I am awfully sorry. That was just punishment for firing at your friends." He said after he helped me to my feet. I bowed to him as soon as I could manage.

"Thank you for the lesson." I muttered.

"Anytime, friend." He said. I hoped that my bowed head blocked my face enough so that he didn't see me wince. "Shall we go?" he asked.

I just nodded and he glided through the secret cave entrance. I followed and concentrated on keeping my head down. I was one of the newest members to this circle and hoped that I could blend in.

The big table was filled with people. Some of those in attendance were a big surprise to me; others were not. Pitch took the seat at the head of the table and I just scurried to the only other empty one.

"Alright," Pitch began, "first order of business, Hogwarts will be back in session in only a few days. Those of you who are stationed there know what to do, correct?"

"Yes. We recruit as many students as possible to join us" Someone answered, "then we take care of any possible threats that could rise from there."

"Correct. Everyone understand?" Pitch asked.

"Yes, sir." We said. I felt bad about possibly having to kill students for Pitch Black, but it would be a necessary cost for the cause.

"Now, what is going on at the ministry?" He asked.

A tall man spoke up. "They still are denying our possible existence. Everything is going smoothly. The Minister Pendragon will be very surprised to find out how many of his employees are planning his demise."

The whole room gave an awful chuckle. It sent a chill up my spine. "Well, then it's settled. Oh, and by the way. We have a new member. Some of you know him pretty well. I didn't think he would join, but here he is. Let us give him the usual welcome."

All the faces looked at me and they all stood at the same time. I knew something bad was about to happen to me then.

Before I could fully get out of my seat they were on me. A few of them held my leg and my arms. The woman who rolled up my left sleeve grinned at me. She was pretty and young with dark curly hair. I had never seen her before till now. She was replaced by Pitch, who stood over me with his wand. My breath hitched as I saw his menacing glare over me.

"The Dark Lord is going to be sad she missed this, but she had a prior engagement. Now it is time to swear in. This is so you never forget who you belong to. Now, repeat after me. 'I' state your name."

He whispered I curse that I couldn't catch and the tip of his wand glowed green so hot that I could feel the heat from two feet away. "Please." I begged, "don't."

"We all have one. Now start. 'I' state your name."

"I, Robert Callaghan…" I said shaking.

"Hereby swear."

"Hereby swear." The heat that I compared to an open flame hovered over my arm just below the crook of my elbow.

"That I am forever a servant and slave to the Dark Lord."

"That I am forever a servant and slave to the Dark Lord." I was sweating and stuttering as the wand inched closer and closer to my skin. I could feel my skin burn just from the proximity. I couldn't move from it though I struggled to.

"And I will follow her." The wand pressed into my skin and green flames wove themselves around my arm and licked ferociously at my flesh. The searing pain burned from the inside out. I screamed in agony. The room busted out giggling. They were laughing at my torture.

"Say it!" Pitch commanded silencing my screams by grabbing onto my face with his long fingers.

"And I will follow her." I whimpered through the tears. The emerald fire pulsated and grew and twisted farther up my arm and tearing through my robes. This brought another wave of shrieks from my mouth

He pressed his sharp finger nails into the skin on my face. "Even to the point of death." He coaxed.

"Even to the point of death." I repeated gasping for any kind of relief. The flames twined even farther across my body consuming my neck, chest, shoulders, and other arm. The excruciating agony was growing to be too much. I most certainly will be dead soon enough.

"And if I betray her." His voice was cheerful and melodious.

"And if I betray her." I panted when I could. The flames traveled past my belly growing hotter.

"I will watch every person I ever loved burn for my punishment and I will gladly accept my death." His nail kept digging into my flesh.

This part didn't matter to me now. The only person I loved was already gone. That was the reason I was here in the first place. I was doing this for her. "I will watch every person I ever loved burn for my punishment and I will gladly accept my death." My voice sounded weak and far away.

I felt the fire pulse once more with a last good taste of me before receding back towards my arm. Pitch removed his wand. A mark of some sort glowed green on my arm now. My vision was too blurry from tears to see what it was though. The crowd let go of me. "The spell is complete. He is one of us. You, take care of him!" he commanded the curly headed woman from before, "Heal his face and give him fresh robes. We don't want him to get on the train in the morning looking like that."

She nodded and helped me up. I noticed that my clothes were torn to shreds around my body and I was very exposed to everyone. No one seemed to notice as we headed towards a door in the opposite direction of the exit. I faded into unconsciousness before I even got there.

When I opened my eyes again I was in an unfamiliar room with no idea how much time had passed. I had expected to feel sore and slow, but oddly enough I felt great. I felt as if I had taken liquid luck last night rather than held down and tortured.

The sudden memory shot me out of the strange bed faster than I thought possible. I looked around and saw a mirror next to a heavy wooden door on the far side of the room. My appearance wasn't all that bad. Though I had felt as if I would surely be scarred forever after last; there was no visible scarring anywhere except for the iridescent green glow just below the crook of my elbow. Upon closer analysis I could see that it was in the shape of a raven with its wing outstretched as if in midflight.

The clothes I was wearing was in shreds. The green fire had torn through my robes, but when I looked around I found a fresh pair of robes at the foot of the bed I had been sleeping in. I dressed quickly because the Hogwarts Express would be leaving today with all the teachers.

I went to leave but the door would not budge. I searched around for my wand and found it sitting on a table beside the bed. I aimed my wand at the lock. "Alohomora." I whispered and the door clicked open.

This wasn't the way out. It was another bedroom. It was considerably smaller and the stone walls where painted with beautiful murals of all kinds of things. On the bed there was a young woman curled up. Though I couldn't see her face, I recognized her because of her extremely long blond hair. She was one of my students. I also noticed the thick chain that was attached to her ankle.

Gothel was suddenly there pulling me out of the room and shutting the door. "What are you doing?" she questioned.

"I was trying to leave. Why is Rapunzel here?"

"She's my daughter. She lives here."

"In chains?"

Her own wand was at my throat then. "Breathe one word of this and you will have to answer to me."

I nodded. She gave me one last glare before grabbing onto me and apparating us out the cave. We were on my doorstep. Then she shoved me away before popping out of existence again.

I thought about what had just happened as I unlocked my front door, but shrugged it away as soon as I crossed the threshold.

It wasn't my problem and I had a train to catch.