Chapter 03
The Rising Dark Lord
23rd December 1975
Tom Marvolo Riddle, lay in the worst possible state. The ritual he had been attempting had succeeded in its intended purpose, but had gone wrong in retaining the performers' body. His body was red and blistered all over. His eyes had lost their healthy almond shape and became snake-like beads. The hazel orbs were ignited into red burning balls of hatred and rage. The nose that he had lost in a battle against a certain teenager had not re-grown, but became flat leaving two snake-like slits. The ritual which was to be performed without trace of emotion attached had been performed with bouts of fury and hatred, and the result was the now unpleasant state of Voldemort.
He was in pain; which was an enigma to him. It was not that he had not felt pain before. He had been through the torture that was the orphanage; he had been assaulted physically, mentally before Hogwarts. He had felt the stab of pain that shot through him every time he was hit. He had felt the pain of sadness when he came to know about his family's history. Yet pain was mystery to him; an unsolved riddle. He had always discarded pain as illusion. His lust for power wouldn't let him get along with the emotions that brought him pain. He never really understood what it was and yet it was the impetus; Impetus for his lust for power. He inflicted it; his subconscious hoping it would suppress the others; for fear of pain was worse than fear of death.
He wanted Rookwood and Herbert to show up fast. He needed that device to avoid this debacle, and before that he needed potions to recover.
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9th January 1976
A little too soon for Lily it was time to go back to Hogwarts. She really did like Hogwarts, but there were two little bugs called Potter and Black in her perfect idea of Castle. Then there were those vile Slytherins. Marauders were puny problems compared to these Slytherins; as these slytherins had every intention of hurting her and every other muggleborns they had around in castle. Severus, her dear friend was not always part of the gang, but she had caught him quite a few times cornering some poor First Year with his gang of cronies. Incidentally, it always had been Marauders who had caused the ruckus to attract her attention.
Ever since she had received her prefect badge at the start of this same semester these incidents had increased. She had started to wonder whether she was too biased on judging Snape's goodness because he was her friend. Remus had always warned her about him, but him being the first magical friend she had, she was not going to back down on his defence. Finally Petunia's scream was what it took to break down her reverie.
"No, I completely forbid bringing her with you. For all you know she might show her freakish nature there and ruin all my chances with him. You know how normal he is and he likes nothing but normal people."
Petunia was obviously talking about Vernon Dursley and his big event he had invited her family to. His father too was a normality freak like himself, from what Lily had known about the family.
'Thank God I won't have to bear with that hairless bear and his family,' Lily thought to herself. Suddenly the Marauders and Severus' group of cronies were looking more inviting.
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11th January 1976
This last week's transformation had been very harsh on young Remus. He had sorely missed the company of rest of Marauders. Ever since the start of their exploits last semester's end, he had been kind of looking forward to full moons. It was like getting high, then without-a-worry-in-world-stroll with his best mates and wake up in morning with no memory of last night. Only proof of moony night exploits were marks and scars on his body. His only fear was him accidentally biting someone, but Prongs and Padfoot would never let something that bad happen. Hence whenever this wolf came out on full moon and found himself locked up, he would hurt himself. He would howl the worst and leave Remus with very sore body. Really he had missed his besties dearly and was looking forward to see them on Express again.
It was when he was reading past week's Daily Prophet and saw news about another household attacked by Werewolves. Though it was being dismissed as accidental Remus found it really suspicious. Just then his father came to sit by him. He paled suddenly at the sight of article and he left abruptly. Remus, intrigued, decided to follow. He heard the bedroom door close. He then heard his father sobbing. His mother was trying to comfort him. Something about some Greyback and how he should've joined ranks just so his son would have been spared.
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11th January 1976
Seriously Bellatrix took that hideous mark!? And Andromeda jumped in with that Tonks Guy?! Narcissa, if anything, was more than confused. She had witnessed two of the most antagonizing events of her short life or was it when Lucius had ridiculed Sirius for being a Black and then admired her for being the same? She really couldn't tell. Her geniuses really didn't help with her obsession with Lucius Malfoy. She still didn't get how in the holy hell the device worked. She had used it to extent that there were three Narcissa's in her room, but it had stopped working when she had tried to go to same timeline again to make them four. Thank god it was only for few minutes. Or her house would have freaked. She really needed to figure it out.
Meanwhile, just downstairs, Walburga and Orion were having a disagreement on whether or not to help a certain charming young lad.
"I refuse to empty our coffers to help some crackpot who thinks we can get rid of those filthy bloods in our world."
"But dear he has all the right ideas..."
"No Walburga, he is just playing with our heads pitting olds and ancients against each other. He is ambitious, I appraise him, but he is more cunning. He even might be in cahoots with that Dumbledore..."
Orion was really cautious with emergence of this new character and Dumbledore being made the Supreme Mugwump.
"Dear have you truly lost your sight? The agenda he is propagating is complete antithesis of what Dumbledore is champion of. How do you justify that he might be in with Dumbledore?" Druella Black chimed in.
"I agree with Brother, dear. What we have perceived is not all that there is. Dumbledore is as cunning as fox. To publicize one's agenda there must alwaysbe a comparison as to how the agenda is superior. Dumbledore might've created this ulterior so he can truly show the evils of Pureblood supremacy to muggle lovers and gain their trust and votes."
It still was beyond the Ladies of Black who were blinded by better Magical realm where blood supremacy will prevail.
Much to their ignorance, their conversation was being directly relayed to the subject of their conversation, who was getting frustrated with every word.
After all, the Dark mark was not only a mark of recognition.
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Nobody had believed Peter when he had told them he came from a pureblood family. For a good reason too. Nobody knew wizards by the name of Pettigrew. They lived in small village near Cheshire and their occupation was farming. Did wizards even do that? Pureblood younglings would ask this question when they didn't have a clue about how and where their food came from. Both Mr. and Mrs. Pettigrew had weaker magic. They had been really surprised to realise that Peter had strongest magic in last 3 generations and were overjoyed. Peter, who was always pampered at home,felt out of place at Hogwarts. He used to follow their Landlord's son around. Yes, his family didn't own the farm. They had lost it all as a debt to a Muggle who had cheated using papers. Peter's grandfather, a near squib, had been ruled by muggle authority and lost it all. One of the workers was now a landlord and once a landlord was now a used to brood over this whenever he went home. His grandmother had long since accepted fate, but Peter was more than what met eyes. He was Slytherin in pride of lions. He would follow worthy and strong hoping to gain power himself. That was the reason he stuck around the heirs of the two most extreme families, one dark and one light. Whatever he may think, he knew they saw him as a friend and an elite member of their coolest maximus group called Marauders.
He just hoped he didn't become like his animagus form, a rat.
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12th January 1976
"Oh no, it's already 10! James where are my pants?!"
Sirius shrieked as he was panicking to pack his last minute luggage. He and James were always doted over by James', no, his mum. He still could not believe he was accepted into Potter family and Potters insisted on him calling them his parents. As usual he was packed with sweets of all kinds.
"Hurry up James, Sirius or we'll have to escort you two to Hogwarts."Mr. Potter said with a hint of threat in his voice. Knowing the boys, he knew they would take it as the worst kind of punishment. To be seen with over-doting mother in front of their friends; he could already feel his lips twitching at the imaginary faces of James and Sirius with horrified looks. If that was not enough, they really could not afford to miss the company of their friends and pranks to be pulled at welcome back feast would be ruined.
Then his eyes fixed on a particularly interesting piece of news shadowed by a whole page reporting Dumbledore and his accomplishments. It said a gathering of vagabonds was broken last night in Knockturn Alley; all of them seemed to be making a ruckus over an inscription that turned to snake when Aurors tried to remove it. It was dismissed as nothing serious by Thornfinn Rowle, an auror in training who happened to be the one answering the call.
Charles really needed to talk to this Rowle.
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In a dingy little bar of little Hangleton, a stranger ordered a bottle of Fire-whiskey. He was staring at an old man, more like at his limp leg and the paper in his hand. It was speaking of some old elder retiring and a new one replacing him, though not speaking of any organisation or department in particular. Below was a picture eerily similar to behind shot of Albus Dumbledore's head which could be seen shaking Prime Ministers hands. Secret sources of 'The Evening' paper had hinted this was a secret organisation keeping tabs on America's and Russia's every moment as the Cold War was heating up. Speculations were that the appointment was a necessary precaution taken to prevent another war from breaking out. The stranger almost snorted, but held himself. Really people would fabricate anything to suit their belief not knowing how right they are in the wrong sense. Then the news of gathering and unexplained fireworks caught his eyes. It was seen by a cop who was called on the scene by a nearby family, who claim to have done no such thing. 'They were shouting non sense phrases in Latin and after every phrase, there was a firework emerging from their hand held sticks. It was like they were having some kind of fight,' he reported. The cops have dismissed his report and promised the sergeant a free stay in best mental asylum.
The stranger swirled his whiskey and swigged it, rethinking about the fireworks. He once again went over what he had read more specifically the location, St. James Park, near Westminster.
"It is about time Professor; I was hoping for you to move sooner. Guess I was right after all, you really are too old for another war." A shadow mused with bottle of Fire whiskey.
Author's Notes:
I hope You Guys are excited for Next Chapter that will come next Monday. Till then fuck fear, have beer.
Statutory Warning: Drinking alcohol is injurious to your pocket. It costs a lot and if you come home wasted you may lose your pocket money.
*If anyone successfully gets the identity Mystery fire-whiskey guy PM me please! I would love to hear about your speculations.