The two men appeared out of nowhere, a few yards apart in the narrow, moonlit lane. For a second they stood quite still, wands directed at each other's chests; then, recognizing each other, they stowed their wands beneath their cloaks and started walking briskly in the same direction.
"Death Eaters." Sirius noted.
Everybody nodded in agreement.
"The best," replied Severus Snape.
Everyone who didn't trust Snape, mostly Remus and Sirius, growled.
"Yaxley. Snape," said a high, clear voice from the head of the table. "You are very nearly late."
Harry's scar burned, similar to how it burned during the reading of Voldemort's return and the Battle of the Department of Mysteries.
"Severus, here," said Voldemort, indicating the seat on his immediate right. "Yaxley — beside Dolohov."
All the Weasleys, Sirius, Remus, and the Order growled at the name, remembering the brutal murder of Fabian and Gideon Prewett.
"My Lord, the Order of the Phoenix intends to move Harry Potter from his current place of safety on Saturday next, at nightfall."
"Wait, how do you know that?" Sirius asked.
Severus shrugged.
"Dawlish, the Auror, let slip that Potter will not be moved until the thirtieth, the night before the boy turns seventeen."
Sirius scowled at that, remembering how Dawlish got his ass kicked by Dumbledore.
"I assure you, Yaxley, the Auror Office will play no further part in the protection of Harry Potter. The Order believes that we have infiltrated the Ministry."
Everyone looks scared at that. If Voldemort took control, the war was over.
"At the home of one of the Order," said Snape. "The place, according to the source, has been given every protection that the Order and Ministry together could provide.
The Burrow. Harry signed and they nodded.
"It makes complete sense because it's the one place no one will suspect." he whispered.
"My Lord, I have good news on that score. I have — with difficulty, and after great effort — succeeded in placing an Imperius Curse upon Pius Thicknesse."
"Oh, great, having the Head of the DLME under the Imperius Curse is great." Sirius said sarcastically.
Everyone stared incredulously at him.
"What? You know I'm speaking truth."
"As long as our friend Thicknesse is not discovered before he has converted the rest," said Voldemort. "At any rate, it remains unlikely that the Ministry will be mine before next Saturday. If we cannot touch the boy at his destination, then it must be done while he travels."
Everyone growled.
"The Order is eschewing any form of transport that is controlled or regulated by the Ministry; they mistrust everything to do with the place."
Everyone smiled. They knew that Voldemort wouldn't know how they were transporting.
"As I was saying," continued Voldemort, looking again at the tense faces of his followers, "I understand better now. I shall need, for instance, to borrow a wand from one of you before I go to kill Potter."
"Because of Priori Incantatem." Harry realized.
"No volunteers?" said Voldemort. "Let's see . . . Lucius, I see no reason for you to have a wand anymore."
Everybody gasped. They should have seen this coming. Voldemort was not happy with Lucius failing to get the prophecy, allowing Voldemort to reveal himself to the public, and getting himself and the rest of the Death Eaters there that night locked up, as well failing to keep his diary safe.
"My Lord?"
"Wow… no longer confident?" Sirius asked. He had never seen Lucius like this, even as a child.
"Well, he did fail his master. And he just got out of Azkaban, Sirius." Remus pointed out.
"Give you my wand, Lucius? My wand?"
Everyone growled. Voldemort was the worst. His closest follower other than Bellatrix and Nagini, Lucius was being treated like he always failed. Lucius rarely failed, but the two times he did fail was because Harry got involved.
"My Lord," said a dark woman halfway down the table, her voice constricted with emotion, "it is an honor to have you here, in our family's house. There can be no higher pleasure."
Everyone rolled their eyes at the psychotic bitch Bellatrix.
"No higher pleasure," repeated Voldemort, his head tilted a little to one side as he considered Bellatrix. "That means a great deal, Bellatrix, from you."
Everyone rolled their eyes, but smiled slightly at Voldemort's mocking of Bellatrix. It was clear he was disappointed that Bellatrix, his closest Death Eater, failed in the Department of Mysteries. She was more concerned with killing her "blood traitor" cousin and "stain on her family" niece.
"I'm talking about your niece, Bellatrix. And yours, Lucius and Narcissa. She has just married the werewolf, Remus Lupin. You must be so proud."
Everyone snorted at this and Remus and Tonks flushed. Sirius flushed.
"Moony and Tonks sitting in a tree…" Sirius began, before Remus playfully hit him in the arm.
"Ow, Moony!"
Remus smirked.
"We — Narcissa and I — have never set eyes on our sister since she married the
Mudblood. This brat has nothing to do with either of us, nor any beast she marries."
Everyone growled at the mention of the word 'Mudblood'.
"Do you recognize our guest, Severus?" asked Voldemort.
Everyone looked at Severus.
"But you would not have taken her classes," said Voldemort. "For those of you who do not know, we are joined here tonight by Charity Burbage who, until recently, taught at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
"What?" Professor Burbage asked.
Her colleagues and students looked at her with pity and sympathy.
The Slytherin students, except Draco, smirked, however.
"Severus . . . please . . . please . . ."
"Come on, Severus." Charity pleaded.
"Avada Kedavra."
Charity cried and all her students and former students, including Hermione, cried. All of the DA members and Order members felt pity and sympathy for her and even Draco felt sympathy for a woman who did not deserve death.
"Dinner, Nagini," said Voldemort softly, and the great snake swayed and slithered from his shoulders onto the polished wood.
Everyone growled at Voldemort's sadism and derangedness.
"Voldemort is going down." Sirius growled.
Harry smiled. We have to destroy the Horcruxes first. he thought.