Ch. 4-A Snake In The Grass

Not many people in this world can actually sense when they're shaking hands with the Devil, and Artemis is no acception. This meeting with the stranger known as Tom would forever change his fate and lead him down a path that Broderick had worked so many years to prevent. But every step Broderick had taken to protect Artemis inevitably led to this one moment , the moment Artemis would meet the most dangerous and evil sorcerer of all time, and he didn't even know it.

"Shall we begin", Tom said.

"What?" Artemis replied.

"Your training, I said I would teach you, teach you everything that Broderick denied you for so long. Are you ready to experience your full potential and fell absolute power?"

"Yes", Artemis said with excitement and wonder to this man who had promised him the moon and the stars, "But what about Broderick?"

"What about him? The filthy mud-blood gets what he deserves, let him burn."

"Yeah", Artemis said with a smug smile.

"Then let us begin", Tom held out this hand and Artemis took hold, than they instantly were gone, apparating. Once again when their whirl had resided Artemis felt his stomach turn inside out and he vomited again as before. When he picked up his head he found himself outside a magnificent mansion, a large fence ran around it and hedges made a tall corridor to the front gate and encircled the grounds. The large mansion was dark beige with black shingles and shutters and Artemis thought that a very wealthy man must live here. In the dark of the night the building looked terribly evil, but Artemis couldn't help but feel comfortable with this setting, as if he'd been looking for his home for years and finally had found one. The mansion had large dark columns bordering the front entrance and was at least three floors, with a grand front entrance and hundreds of windows. Large towers pierced the sky with dark shingles and in a room on the ground floor a light could be seen, flickering in the night, with smoke arising from the chimney, it must be a fireplace. Tom led Artemis to the front gate on which a large "M" in cursive lettering was casted onto the front gate. With a wave of his wand, Tom opened the front gate and walked with Artemis in tow. As they entered Artemis saw two large staircases rounding out the room leading up to a large balcony overlooking the foyer. The floor was black and white tile and marble walls encased the room in traditional Aristocracy. A deep booming voice came from the room to the right.

"Tom, glad to see you", Artemis looked to the right and saw a man standing in front of a grand fireplace in a grand main room, with Victorian furniture and all of it as dismal and dark as the outside of the mansion. A roaring fire behind the man gave him a tall shadow across the floor and made his face hard to see, but he could see that he stood like a bear, large broad shoulders and a mighty chest. Tom led Artemis to the front room and he saw more of the room. Suits of armor standing at the entrance, portraits on the wall all of which moved as if alive, Artemis recalls seeing paintings like these at Hogwarts. Bookshelves lined the other side of the room and a grand archway between the bookcases led to another room, too dark to see inside. Above the fireplace two large swords hung on the wall with a large shield covering it. The shield has a crest on it with a large "M" in the middle; Artemis wonders again what the significance of this "M" is. The shield is green, black, and gray with dragons on either side. A banner under it inscribes "sanctimonia vincet semper". As Artemis mouths the words the man from whom the greeting came from, spoke.

"It means purity always conquers, how do you do my name is Abraxas Malfoy, welcome to Malfoy Manor. " He extended his hand.

"Thank you Mr. Malfoy", Artemis said humbly. Artemis stood in amazement at the stature of this man, as his silhouette depicted he had very broad shoulders. His face was weathered, but smooth and he had a pronounced chiseled jaw which matched his face. He had a mustache and a beard not long but trimmed; all his hair was white blonde and his hair was short with a part. He had on a black suit with pronounced white pinstripes a black shirt and an emerald green ascot tie with a large silver stick pin shining brightly in the center, His green pocket square had the same emblem on the shield the "M". He stood as a general in his prime and had a mighty hand shake

"It's a pleasure to meet you Artemis; we are very excited to have you with us." Just than a little boy no more than five with bleach blonde hair rushed into the room and ran to Abraxas' and hugged his leg.

"Will you read me a story papa" said the little boy looking up at his father.

"Be gone with you boy, we have company, and I have business to attend to."

"Just one papa, I can't go to sleep without a story."

"Then I'm afraid it's going to be a long night for you, now be gone!"

"Please, papa", his father cuts him off booming his voice into the other room calling for someone.

"Adora!" A few moments later a woman came into the room, she was beautiful, absolutely stunning; the world seemed to stop and stare as she entered the wore a long black dress with a green band under her bust. She hadlong radiant blonde hair and bright green eyes, but she was young, perhaps the nanny, although a little overdressed

"Yes dear?" Dear? These two are husband and wife?

"Adora meet Artemis Gridlock our newest friend and ally", said Abraxas with a certain sense of pride. "Artemis, meet my wife Adora Malfoy."

"How do you do Artemis, how wonderful for you to join our cause, welcome to our home."

"Thank you", Artemis said politely. Artemis could sense the timidness in her voice as if she was afraid to talk out of turn; it almost felt as though her greeting was scripted

"Adora take Lucius upstairs and put him to bed, I can't have him bothering me while conducting business."

"Yes dear", she said with assurance, as she scooped up little Lucius and took him out of the room. Artemis couldn't believe that this young beautiful creature could be the wife of a large older man. Abraxas had to be at least twice her age.

"Please Mr. Gridlock have a seat." Abraxas motioned to a high back chair and Artemis sat down. Abraxas took a seat in the chair opposite him and Tom remained standing pacing across the room and gazing at the fireplace. "I bet your wondering exactly what you have the chance to be a part of here."

"You called me your ally", Artemis said with puzzlement.

"Yes, and hopefully we'll be able to become great colleagues." Tom glanced at Artemis, he had a smirk than he glanced back into the fire. Abraxas took a moment to use his wand to pour himself a drink, it all came together like a puzzle, the decanter floated over the glass as three ice cubes came into the glass than the glass gently hovered over to Abraxas. "What do you know about half-bloods?"

"Not much, just that one or both of their parents are muggles." Artemis said innocently.

"Did you know what an abomination they are?" Abraxas said with impending fury.

"I don't understand."

"Artemis mud-bloods are polluting everything that great wizards have worked so hard to perfect and purify."

"What do you mean?"

"Would you say that magical beings like us are superior to muggles?" Artemis thought about this for a second. The thought had never really crossed his mind. He knew that he was never supposed to do magic in front of a muggle, but never thought he was superior to them, he found reassurance in this thought.

"Yes, yes we are."

"Than by that standard, does it not seem an abomination for a witch or wizard to mate with a muggle and spread their inferior DNA among our kind?" Artemis thought less about this thought."

"A complete abomination sir, but what does this have to do with me?"

"More and more witches and wizards are mating with muggles, there polluting our society and our way of life, soon powerful wizards like us and our proud families will be no more." A pause hovers in the room. Tom walked to behind Mr. Malfoy's chair and put his hands on both sides. "What we want you to do Artemis; is to join our noble cause, and help us stop half-bloods from destroying what we deserve." Tom chimed in.

"You are indeed a very powerful wizard Artemis, we could use your enormous power in destroying every mud-blood pretender what calls himself wizard or witch." Abraxas added.

"Striking fear into all those who seek to infect all our ancestors created with their filth."

"And why stop there", Tom said. "Why not go on to wipe out muggles all together."

"Populate the earth with pure-blood wizards and witches like us, make the world pure." Than Abraxas raised his glass and together he and Tom shouted, "Purity always conquers!" Artemis smiled and nodded his head in agreement, as he rose Abraxas said, "Say it Artemis."

"Purity always conquers, Artemis said.

"Again"

"Purity always conquers."

"Yes, yes again"

"Purity Always Conquers", than all three of them chimed in.

"Purity always conquers!" With a laugh Abraxas drank the rest of his drink and said, "Half-bloods are nothing but muggles with sticks."

"Indeed Abraxas", said Tom.

"When do we begin?" said Artemis.

"It's late you'll need some rest for tomorrow, for tomorrow you start your training. Tom will be your new teacher, and you'll use the grounds here to practice." Then he called as before, "Adora!" Adora entered once more.

"Yes Abraxas", she said.

"Show Mr. Gridlock to his room", Abraxas said.

"Yes darling, come with me Artemis." Adora led Artemis out to the foyer and climbed up the stair and ascended to the top floor. Tom and Abraxas were now alone. Adora took Artemis to a tall tower opening the door she said.

"This is where you will be staying, Dobby!" A small house elf dressed in rags came through the door. He was a pathetic small creature who entered with shyness and fear as if any moment he may be punished for something.

"Yes mum?" Dobby said.

"Make sure Artemis here is comfortable and cater to his needs."

"Of course mum." Dobby exits the room with timid silence.

"You'll find everything you'll need in here", Artemis looked around and saw a large bed and a dresser,he had a large window overlooking the grounds, even his own fireplace. Next to the fireplace was a large shelf filled to the ceiling with parchment. Adora explained.

"That's music Artemis, all we could get our hands on, and you'll find we brought all your clothes over and even got you some new ones. We had to guess your sizes but were pretty sure we got it right"

"Thank you very much Mrs. Malfoy."

"Call me Adora."

"Thank you Adora." There was a brief silence. Artemis caught Adora looking down than up surveying all of him.

"Is there anything else I can do for you, anything at all?" As she said this she ran her hand across his chest and down his side. She spoke with such seduction in her voice tempting Artemis like a siren of the sea,

"Well…uh…no…no I think I'm ok" Artemis said nervously

"Well I'm just down the hall, call if you need me", She placed her hand on his cheek and ran her finger down his neck than back up to his chin and exited with a wink. Artemis didn't want to think too much about what had just happened. Although it almost seemed unreal that a gorgeous woman like her would take an interest in him. He surveyed his room again and as before had this sense of belonging and purpose rush through him and he felt home."

Downstairs Abraxas and Tom were still talking.

"Is everything in place?" Abraxas said.

"Yes, sir it is. I brought him this far didn't I", Tom replied.

"We'll have to be careful; Muldoon will no doubt come for him, or report this to the ministry."

"I wouldn't worry too much."

"Tom the last thing we need here is a group of auras invading my home."

"Muldoon has no idea where we even are."

"The ministry has ways of finding out, and with all the magic that boy must be radiating he must be like a blimp on a bloody map. Be cautious during his lessons, and don't reveal too much about my plans to him we don't want to scare him off."

"We've already introduced the idea of genocide to him, if that doesn't scare him off what will?"

"You know what he must do in the end."

"Yes sir I do, and believe me he will not succeed."

"What makes you so sure?"

"I have some ideas; do not worry yourself sir, all is going according to plan.