The Council of Balance: Chapter 2
-Building an Empire-
Place-The Moon
Time-August 25
Nihilus read the medical readouts for Luna, Fleur handling the scanning machine. "This feels weird...but in a good way." Luna smiled as the scanner moved over her body, Nihilus nodding but his mind was elsewhere. His medical scan showed that his force and magical levels were barely over Dumbledore levels and this was very odd, for him at least. After the scan, Fleur told him that his powers only grow by draining others of theirs. Made sense because he was Darth Nihilus' heir, Nihilus, himself, was a wound in the force. So Fleur, with the help of Luna, Narcissa and Revan, made a power level list.
1. Harry James Potter a.k.a Darth Nihilus
2. Fleur Isabelle Delacour
3. Merlin
4. Morgan Le Fey
5. Dumbledore
7. Lily Potter nee Evans
8. Minerva McGonagall
9. Severus Snape
10. Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody
Nihilus stayed at the top because his potential depended on his force drain. Nihilus was brought out of his thoughts when the scanner beeped, meaning it was done. "So, where is Luna on the power scale?" Fleur asked as she get up to help Luna, Nihilus smiled as he said "Luna may be the next Morgan Le Fey incarnate." Luna giggled when she heard that, Fleur rolled her eyes. "Besides, I think we should start on our new project…" Nihilus mused, more to himself than anything, but somehow Fleur heard him. "Project Balance? Nihilus we've been doing that this entire time." Fleur said, confused at why he would bring up something they were already doing.
"Yes, I mean we should start phase two." Nihilus said making Fleur's eyes widen in understanding. "But, where are we going to get the army that big?" Nihilus chuckled, low and evilly. "The werewolves, they would be willing because of the ministries treatment." Nodding and taking Luna's hand, Fleur lead the trio into the control center, Luna got into the seat next to Fleur. "Ok, Harry, lets get some werewolves." Luna smiled, her eyes twinkling. Nihilus nodded and shadow-ported to the largest werewolf colony. Nihilus took in his surroundings, letting the force guide him. He was in a dark forest, the moon was out but wasn't full. Shame, Nihilus walked further into the ever darkening forest.
A sharp howl cut through the quiet night, echoing over and over. Nihilus sensed a werewolf close by, female and powerful, watching him. "I know you're there, lycanite, come into the light and face me." Nihilus hissed, making the werewolf jump, she walked into the moonlight. She was a few inches smaller than him and looked to be around 23 or 24 years old. "How did you know I was there?" She asked, fire in her eye, Nihilus smirked "A trick of the trade, my dear. Now, who is your pack leader?" She took a step back before answering "Fenrir Greyback." "Tell him that I am coming for him. His days as alpha leader are coming to a close." She sprinted away to give the message, leaving Nihilus to walk at a more sedate pace. "You are one that won't do things half way, are you?" Fleur asked, to have Luna answer "Fleur, Harry never does anything half-way, you should know that because you are married to him." Nihilus chuckled but didn't deny it.
Walking quietly once more, Nihilus kept his senses at their peak. Feeling a disturbance in the force, Nihilus activated his lightsaber and cut the werewolf that tried to attack him from behind, in two. "Pure energy and silver, two things that kill werewolves…" Fleur said conversationally. Nihilus threw in free hand out and grabbed the next werewolf's face, force draining him. Tossing the dead body aside after he was finished, Nihilus shadow-ported right behind Fenrir. "So, your Fenrir…" The gathered werewolves jumped when he said this, Nihilus continued dryly "Sending your followers to die instead of coming yourself and facing me." Fenrir growled "You are dead, wizard!" Nihilus deactivated his lightsaber and lifted his right hand. "Scream, little wolf, I want to hear you beg for me to stop." Fenrir howled as he was hit full blast with force lightning.
Nihilus raise his other hand and blasted force lightning for it, turning Fenrir into a squealing mess on the floor. Over and over, Fenrir was blasted, full force, with force lightning. "Nothing from you, little wolf pup? You think you can outlast me?" Nihilus cackled as Fenrir's screams filled the massive cave. After an hour of torture, Nihilus walked over to the smoking, blacked, surprisingly still breathing body of Fenrir. Kneeling next to the werewolf, Nihilus whispered "Impressive, but you time ends here." And grabbing the throat of the werewolf, Nihilus lifted him and turned so his back was to the crowd. Raising his other hand, Nihilus drained the werewolf, Fenrir screaming as his entire being was painfully ripped out of his body. Nihilus devoured Fenrir and turning to the crowd, he lifted the once alpha werewolf by the back of his neck.
"Fenrir lost his chance to fight me and keep the title of alpha wolf as soon as he sent several of his most loyal followers to kill me," Nihilus boomed as the werewolves watched the blackened body of Fenrir swing from side to side slightly, in Nihilus' hand. "I am now your new alpha wolf!" Nihilus roared as he threw the corpse over the heads of the werewolves, where it landed with a cruch onto the stone floor. Silence followed this act then the female werewolf from before walked up and bowed, the others following in her wake. Putting his hand on the female werewolves shoulder, she stood up and looked at him. "What's your name, little one?" Nihilus asked, her eyes never wavering from his mask, "Ashley...I'm Ashley."
Place-Platform 9 3/4
Time-September 1
Nihilus stood in the shadows with his new apprentice, Ashley, on platform 9 and three quarters. After becoming the new alpha for the biggest werewolf pack in England, Nihilus with the help of Fleur, had the werewolves training on the moon to become the best army their would ever be. Nihilus had found that Ashley was a force sensitive and made her his apprentice. She was in reality 12 years old, her medical scan showed, Fenrir had attacked her and her family while they were working on a potion, Ashley's magic went haywire after she was bitten and she fell into the potion, which was an aging potion. Ashley was only 8 years old when this happened and after listening to her tale, Nihilus took Ashley under his wing and she saw him as her father and master. "Master, who are we waiting for?" Ashley asked softly, so no one near them could hear.
"Neville Longbottom, we are having Luna go undercover and 'study' him to find out if he is suited to be an heir or a host for Lord Scourge." Nihilus nodded his head at the aforementioned target, who walked through the magical gateway and was holding a cactus like plant. "Luna, it's your time to shine." Nihilus said to Luna through the force, smiling as he watched Luna walk up to Neville and strike up a conversation. Nihilus' comlink vibrated "Sir, the weasleys are approaching and are heading your way." Tellan, one of the undercover werewolves in the station, reported. "I see them, no worries." Nihilus stepped further into the shadows, Ashley at his side. He watched as Ron walked past, only a few inches from brushing him. Fred and George were joking and laughing about something and he could have sworn that the youngest, Ginny, locked eyes with him. He blinked and Ginny walked on, as though nothing had happened.
Grabbing his apprentices' arm, Nihilus shadow-ported onto the train. "New plan, people, Ginny Weasley may have just blown this entire plan out the window." Fleur's voice came over the comlink, "Nihilus, there was a power spike when you and Ginny locked eyes, like it was some kind of bond that let her know you were there." Nihilus let out the breath he was holding, "If we have some kind of bond and if someone reads her mind then this operation will be a bust. Ashley and I are going to," Nihilus growled out "Hogwarts" before speaking normally again "and make sure this problem is handled." Fleur agreed over the com before relaying it to Luna, who turned her com off so she wouldn't arouse suspicion. Nihilus and Ashley waited until the train started moving, so they could find the compartment that Luna and Neville were in.
"When we find Luna, I'm going to find Ginny, alone." Ashley nodded, knowing that Nihilus would tell her if she could come along but this was a personal matter. "Yes, master." She replied and they found Luna in a compartment with Hermione, Ron, and Neville. Nihilus nodded before moving on down further, until he found the compartment with Ginny. She was with Cho Chang, Daphne Greengrass and Tracey Davis, talking about his entrance last year. That was foolish and childish decision that he regretted, but what happened, happened. "The power, you felt it right? It was overwhelming." Tracey was saying, "And Fleur-" Daphne interrupted "Darth Nox, Tracey, not Fleur."
Nihilus listened to them until he knew that he had stalled enough. Using the force, he quickly opened the door and stepped inside, the door closing quickly behind him. Nihilus towered over the girls, the shadows curling out from under his cloak making him look more menacing. Casting a silencing charm on the entire compartment, Nihilus looked from one girl to the next until his gaze rested on Ginny's. "You saw me in the station, didn't you?" he hissed softly, making the youngest weasley jump. "Y-y-yes...I felt you more then I saw you." She whimpered, Nihilus lessing his glare a bit. "Felt me?" He asked, needing more information before he made a conclusion. "Yes, I could feel your umm...presence, standing in the shadows." Nihilus slowly nodded before hissing "If anyone of you tell anyone that I was here, I will look for you, I will find you and I will kill you…" And undid the silencing charm and left the compartment, making no sound as he went.
Place-Hogwarts
Time-1 hour after the welcoming feast
Professor Minerva McGonagall walked down an empty corridor in her animagus form, thinking over what she had seen during the feast. She had been standing waiting for the sorting hat to sort a young lady, when she noticed Miss Lovegood look up at the staff table and wink at the Headmaster before returning to the conversation she was having with a fellow Ravenclaw. This bothered her to no end and the fact that she could have sworn that there was a familiar figure standing in the shadows before vanishing a moment later. She stopped when her cat senses picked up something, then see saw it. A shadow moving at a sedate pace as if it was waiting for her to catch up.
"I know it is you, Professor." The shadow said, making her jump, how did it know? The black figure then started gliding rapidly down the hall, McGonagall sprinted after it. The shadow stopped in front of a door, one that was very familiar, "Remember the first year? The stone that you and several other professor's made challenges to guard it...the massive game of wizarding chess was yours. Only you would transfigure something like that." The wrath like shadow then sped away again and the transfiguration professor followed after it. They stopped in front of a girls bathroom, "Second year, the Chamber of Secrets fiasco and the year that one of your lions spoke the language of the serpents…"
Again, the shadow moved off and the feline Minerva followed until they stopped in front of the sleepy fat lady. "Third year, the escape of Sirius Black. He was blamed for destroying the fat lady's portrait, was he not, and trying to get to the same lion from last year…" They moved once more and they reached the DADA classroom taught by the fake Alastor Moody. "Finally, fourth year, the year that your lion left and began his own destiny. You know of who I speak, Minerva." McGonagall shifted from her animagus form and into her human form before speaking "Yes I do, that lion was Harry Potter."
"Correct…" The shadow's voice then came from all around the DADA classroom, Professor McGonagall froze and then asked "How do you know all of this?" and as she asked she turned around so she was facing the door. The door swung shut and locked itself and the shadow on the wall split itself and shadow like tentacles extended from both sides of the wall, wrapping together and forming a figure. The figure stood about 6 feet tall and then the gasp of recognition escaped from McGonagall's throat. "Nihilus?" She whispered in a hoarse voice before she was enveloped in a hug from her lion. "Miss me?" He asked as Minerva's tears fell freely. "I'll tell you everything but you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone, please." McGonagall nodded before making a chair appear for both of them and sat in her's.
McGonagall listened, never interrupting unless she didn't understand completely and after Nihilus finished telling her everything, Minerva was speechless. Nihilus waited until she found her voice and was surprised when she said "From what you've told me, you need an ally, is that correct?" Nihilus nodded "Yes, I have found that my destiny was beyond this solar system but I've run into a big snag. I have the abilities to leave but I need allies and commanders in my new order, you Professor have that edge in commanding that no one else I've seen has. If I just left myself then all is for not, so I ask you this...Will you join me, Professor?" Minerva thought it over in her mind before answering "I will join you, Nihilus, but I must ask this...Dumbledore believes that you have gone dark but after what you have told me, you have not. So, why are you asking me and not go to Dumbledore with what you have told me?" Nihilus sighed before he said "You are not losing your touch unlike Dumbledore...he is losing his touch with the world and believing that he should hold all the information, doing nothing but letting things happen, never helping people like werewolves. He could have stopped the bills that segregated bitten witches and wizards from non-bitten ones."
"Luna told me that if I hadn't heard Nihilus' voice then would have been Dumbledore's pawn for who-knows-how-long." Nihilus paused before nodded his head, "My apprentice, Ashley, was one of the witches bitten by Fenrir and see was segregated like the rest after the werewolf removal act was passed and she was only 9! I've lost my trust in Dumbledore as of last year." Nihilus finished as a shadow shaped door appeared and a woman in her early twenties stepped from the shadow portal. "This is my apprentice, Professor, she may look to be in her twenties but she is only 12 years old." Ashley smiled at the transfiguration teacher, who summoned another chair for her to sit in. "I will join you, Nihilus, you have convinced me and I will try to get others, as the saying goes, in the same boat. Standing up, Minerva smiled once more at Nihilus before changing into her animagus form and sprinting away into the night.