Chapter 13: Rituals
It had been three days since Sirius had fed him. James had been on auror duty for close to three months. Dalen pushed himself off from the wall farthest from his cell door. The chains rattled as the links moved. The heavy metals grated against the stone floors. Raised voices could be heard just above the stairs to his dark home.
"The ritual cannot take place tonight. It is a blood moon, not a new moon. You know the ritual was very specific" It was Master Black. His loud baritone unmistakable.
"Yes Siri. But what about Lilly? You know she suspects something. So much Obliviation is unhealthy and dangerous to the mind."
"I will not waste this one chance to live the life that we were meant to. Dumbledore is a fool James. He surrendered. He gave up."
"Our numbers were decimated! We were almost killed, if it weren't for our blood we'd be dead." Loud cursing and pacing was heard. Then silence.
"Fine then. We wait. But if anything goes wrong, on your head be it." Immediately after the faint sound of a door slamming reached Dalens ears. He scrambled back as the familiar sound of Auror's boots descended the rickety wooden stairs.
Dalen whimpered as Master Black stomped down the stairs. His loud, angry breathing made him shudder.
'Have I done something wrong?' The dark haired boy asked himself. He couldn't recall doing anything particularly bad last night or that morning.
'Maybe Master Black was missing Master Potter even more than usual'. He grimaced at the thought of what that would mean for him.
"You useless piece of shit! You can't even bleed correctly. Monsters have filthy blood! Filthy, monstrous, black blood!" Alcohol caught Dalen's nose. Master Black was drunk, again.
"How may I serve you Master Black?" He asked quietly, kneeling in the corner of his old cell.
"Tonight you will serve me and pay your debt to humanity for letting your diseased soul on the earth. I will bleed you dry, Dalen Riddle!" Dalen flinched.
"Yes master."
~~~A Light is Born~~~
Narcissa faced Marvolo quietly. Her breathing still eratic from running to his chambers. She watched as he contemplated what she had just told him.
"You are sure this is what Severus said?"
"Very, my lord. Despite his rasping breath he was very clear." She could see the naked fear in his eyes. The fear a father holds for his child when endangered.
"Very well. we must locate him tonight."
"Tonight? My lord?" Lucius interjected, confused. Marvolo simply nodded absently. He stared blankly at the reports in front of him. Lucius leaned back in his chair. He understood. Marvolo would not waste a moment.
"Where could he have gone then. His usual haunts have been reported as empty from The Wolf." Lucius reported. Despite Toms desperation to find his son, no magic on earth could point out a wizard that didn't want to be found. Suddenly Tom jerked forwards. A realization dawning upon his face.
"He wouldn't, would he? That would be a stupid move. How could it not be? We should have seen this coming."
"Tom?" Lucius wheedled, trying for even the slightest information.
"I know where my son is."
~~~A Light is Born~~~
Black paced in front of the cage. His mutterings caught Severus' ears as he tried to manoeuvre into a more comfortable position. It was difficult, the size of the cage had everything to do with the difficulty.
"The new moon. I can fix everything James. You won't be dead, you will have two wonderful healthy boys. Nicky and Har-Bear. My godson. My godson. one week left. Just need it back, then I will fix eerything. You'll see James. I can fix it." The mad mans ramblings did nothing for his temperament, but angering Black would be a very stupid move.
But what was Black talking about? The new moon?
"You'll see Snivillus. James will kick your greasy hide when he gets back from detention. You'll see. Ever wanted to meet a werewolf, eh?" Severus shuddered at the memories as the rose to the forefront of his mind. The man was so far gone he couldn't even remember that they were both long since out of school.
"Crucio!"
Severus woke screaming. His mind in turmoil as it relived the pain of Black's cruciatus, yet his body felt nothing.
'Where am I?' He thought blearily. 'What's the date?' Perhaps his mind was tricky again. Maybe just another moment of sleep. Severus thought groggily. His eyes already closing of their own accord.
'Just a few more secon...'
~~~A Light is Born~~~
The moon had risen. Dalen watched it with fascination. Master Black said that he would atone tonight for his monstrous presence. He needed this. He needed to be cleansed of his filthy, ugly taint. This was the only way he would ever be truly human. This was the only way he could be good. In the corner, hugging a bottle of firewhisky to his chest, Master Black giggled.
~~~A Light is Born~~~
The death eaters were confused. Never before had they been summoned so painfully as they had tonight. What was happening? What had their lord so enraged? The spoke to each other in quiet circles, each man and women finding their friends and taking to their current situation like teenaged girls at a rumour mill.
A silence fell over the crowd as Voldemort, in all his glory, entered the room.
"My friends. My... Family. Tonight is one of great personal importance and one of great urgency. Sirius Black was seen earlier today entering Potter Manor. Today, we bring an end to his madness and his rebellion. However, not only do we capture a prisoner, we rescue my son. I will not hesitate to kill anyone who gets in my way of reclaiming my son." There was a silence that was almost oppressive. Many of Voldemort's servants would claim until they died that they had never seen their master so passionate, so radiant than when he stood before them today, as a Father.
~~~A Light is Born~~~
Draco watched with jaded eyes as the death eaters disapperated from his manors entrance hall. They would return home with only one thing that was worth anything to the almost thirteen year old. And they would either return, baring a dead, mangled body or they would bring back a live, yet skittish boy. He could not let himself lose faith in the Death Eaters.
They would bring them home safely. Either his father... or Dalen.
~~~A Light is Born~~~
Sirius put the final preparations on the casting circle. It was ready. Uncaring, he dragged the recently beaten body of Dalen Riddle to the centre of the circle. The unconcious boy would wake just in time to be burned alive by his own magic as it reversed the clock.
He began to chant.
"Luceat vestra potentia. Facere horologium reverse. Reportat quod nostra fuit. Sana quod laesa. Mutare fatorum numine consilium. Save rebus amissis. Reportat quod nostra fuit."
"Luceat vestra potentia. Facere horologium reverse. Reportat quod nostra fuit. Sana quod laesa. Mutare fatorum numine consilium. Save rebus amissis. Reportat quod nostra fuit."
Luceat vestra potentia. Facere horologium reverse. Reportat quod nostra fuit. Sana quod laesa. Mutare fatorum numine consilium. Save rebus amissis. Reportat quod nostra fuit."
The smell of wild magic was in the air Sirius Black thrived on it. He could see the breathing chest of The Monster shudder and stop for a moment before resuming shakily. He continued chanting and raised the ceremonial knife his mother had used to initiate them into the family. He slashed his hand open and let the blood fall onto the boy.
He continued chanting.
"Luceat vestra potentia. Facere horologium reverse. Reportat quod nostra fuit. Sana quod laesa. Mutare fatorum numine consilium. Save rebus amissis. Reportat quod nostra fuit."
As he chanted he missed the sound of apparation. Outside the house almost seventy death eaters popped into existence, their wands drawn. Yet he continued, unaware.
"Luceat vestra potentia. Facere horologium reverse. Reportat quod nostra fuit. Sana quod laesa. Mutare fatorum numine consilium. Save rebus amissis. Reportat quod nostra fuit."
He raised the blade again.
"Luceat vestra potentia. Facere horologium reverse. Reportat quod nostra fuit. Sana quod laesa. Mutare fatorum numine consilium. Save rebus amissis. Reportat quod nostra fuit."
The front door of the house blasted open and the masked and robed men slid into the house, the wild magic prickling against their skin and dropping the temperature, causing their breath to become visible.
"Luceat vestra potentia. Facere horologium reverse. Reportat quod nostra fuit. Sana quod laesa. Mutare fatorum numine consilium. Save rebus amissis. Reportat quod nostra fuit."
The knife embedded its self into Dalen stomach. He lurched awake with a cry of pain.
"Luceat vestra potentia. Facere horologium reverse. Reportat quod nostra fuit. Sana quod laesa. Mutare fatorum numine consilium. Save rebus amissis. Reportat quod nostra fuit."
Tom descended the stairs with the speed of a man possessed. He could feel the magic becoming thicker and the feeling of wrongness seeped into his skin. The taint of Blood Magic coating his body.
"Luceat vestra potentia. Facere horologium reverse. Reportat quod nostra fuit. Sana quod laesa. Mutare fatorum nu-
The chanting stopped.
~~~A Light is Born~~~
Sirius kneeled before the crowd of ready death eaters that had encircled him. This was wrong. He should have been reunited with James. He should have seen the Freaks magic tear It apart. He should have done or seen a great many things. But he was not. He had not. He would not. With the sound of a dying beast, Sirius Back screamed in helplessness, the opportunities lost, and the overwhelming sense of madness.
~~~A Light is Born~~~
Marvolo cradled his little boy in his arms as he struggled to breathe.
TBC
A/N: Hahahahaha. Yes little ones, cry.