QLFC Season Round 5: A most beloved man
Main Prompt: Statue of Zeus at Olympia- Greece
Additional Prompts:
1. [spell] Aparecium
2. [object] feather
3. [spell] Appare Vestigium
4. [Trait] cautious
5. [Action] winking
Words: 2300 words
Warning: Massacre, desecration of temple, foul language (bloody, idiot, dolt)
A/N: Zeus is the Greek God of the Sky and known as the Father of all Gods and Humans. He is symbolised by the Eagle and lightning bolts.
Filius Flitwick, a part-goblin wizard, had arrived in Olympia, Greece at the dead of midnight. He had been tasked by Albus Dumbledore to retrieve the ancient Greek weapon believed to wield the power of Atmokinesis, the ability to manipulate the weather. It was believed that the legendary weapon was a golden feather that the God of Sky, Zeus, had bequeathed to ancient Greece to protect it from its enemies. Naturally, it was a mythical weapon that everyone desired. That was enough reason for Dumbledore to task the greatest Charms master he knew to personally retrieve and safeguard it.
Flitwick rubbed his face tiredly as he looked at the building looming in the distance. Even from far away, he could feel a faint strangeness bleeding out of the imposing stone structure. He disapparated and reappeared at the entrance of the edifice. The man was arguably the best Charms maestro; but even he was not arrogant enough to approach the ancient place without shields. After all, this was not a simple building. It was a building constructed by ancient Greece solely to pay homage to the Father of all the Gods. Flitwick cast a few wordless protective spells to guard himself in case he displeased the mythical forces for intruding into a place of worship.
"Appare Vestigium," he murmured as he waved his wand on the huge stone temple. As he watched the illusion cast on the edifice lifting slowly, Flitwick felt a terrible darkness rushing at him. The true sight of the temple of the God was more horrifying than he had anticipated. Someone had absolutely desecrated and ruined the temple to become a wasteland of shattered stones. Flitwick cautiously entered the building and looked around.
Immediately, sorrow, guilt and wariness seized his heart as the heavy stench of decay assaulted his nose. Even under the blanket of darkness, Flitwick could still see the thick, sticky red liquid smeared and splattered across the shattered stone pillars, walls and floor. The bright moon above him had cast just enough moonlight for him to know that he was looking at the aftermath of a senseless and unnecessarily brutal massacre. Whoever had destroyed the temple had also killed the priests and their assistants and dragged their bodies somewhere. If the murderer was still here, Flitwick knew they would not be a simple opponent. He had to be careful.
As Flitwick ventured deeper into the ruined temple, his grip on his wand grew tighter and his heart grew heavier as he began recognising the dark, terrible magic surrounding him. Although he loathed to admit it, there was only one possible name on his lips. Only one man could and would be so ruthlessly and mercilessly efficient in murdering. Flitwick hoped with all his heart that it was not him who was responsible for this carnage.
Antonin Dolohov.
"That's my name," a voice murmured lazily and softly.
Flitwick stopped walking to look up at the huge stone throne. He had recognised this as the throne that had once seated the magnificent Statue of Zeus. Yet, the top half of the statue of Zeus had been reduced to become nothing more than a huge pile of rocks. At the foot of the throne was the head of Zeus's statue. On top of it, the corpses of all the priests and their assistants were stacked. At the peak of the pile of devastation, a man with black hair sat as if he was on his throne.
"Why are you here?" Flitwick asked slowly. He should have known Antonin Dolohov would be here. Wherever Albus sent him to, Flitwick had learnt to expect that the deadly maestro who mastered all types of curses would also be sent by Voldemort to chase after the same thing. Flitwick and Antonin were two sides of the same coin. Flitwick was the natural and best counter to Antonin, just as Antonin was best suited to intercept Flitwick. This dynamic was to be expected of the pair. After all, Flitwick had been Antonin's mentor, and Antonin had been Flitwick's greatest disciple.
Flitwick sighed heavily. He had been very proud of Antonin's achievements and he had expected great things from the boy. However, Antonin's endless curiosity and lust for learning had always been the beginning of the end. That desire had made it very easy for Voldemort to steal the boy from under Flitwick's protective wings. Voldemort had promised Antonin the limitless freedom to explore and experiment with magic without fear of ethics and morality - something that Flitwick could never do for Antonin. Naturally, young Antonin's curiosity about magic and Voldemort's misguided hand led the young and impressionable wizard down the bloodiest paths of magic to become the darkest wizard feared for his merciless executions. After that, it became an unspoken rule within the Order of Phoenix that only Flitwick would be the one to chase after and stop his estranged disciple because only he knew how viciously creative the genius Dark Wizard could be.
"Hello, Professor. How are you?" Dolohov yawned widely as he opened one eye sleepily.
"Antonin," Flitwick swallowed thickly as his heart tightened. Even now, the boy was polite and respectful despite the situation. When Antonin showed him politeness and respect, Flitwick was reminded of the kind and earnest boy Antonin used to be. How could he bear to kill the boy he personally raised to be his heir? Antonin was more than just a student. Antonin was the closest thing to a son. Antonin was his boy.
"Did you kill them?" Flitwick asked softly as he looked up at the seemingly sleepy man. Flitwick knew better than to believe that Antonin was truly sleepy. Those grey eyes looked too sharp and clear. There was no doubt that Antonin had been expecting him.
"They were in the way," Antonin drawled nonchalantly as he stood up and stretched lazily. He rotated his wrist and a shining golden feather appeared floating in his palm. "I asked them very nicely for this. I even said please - so you cannot blame me for being rude - but they still said no. So…" Antonin shrugged and smiled lopsidedly as if he saw nothing wrong with his actions. It was as if he felt justified.
"You killed the priests because they were protecting a God's gift?" Flitwick yelled incredulously at the bored-looking wizard. He felt like shaking and slapping the younger wizard for his shamelessness.
"I asked nicely and they didn't listen. I don't have time to sit around, so they had to go," Antonin repeated calmly as if Flitwick had not heard him the first time.
Flitwick stared at the remorseless wizard. The audacity to say that he had no time to sit around and wait, yet, he had been sitting on his death throne… the irony was not lost on the furious part-goblin wizard. "You bloody idiot! Are you begging to be smite by the Father of all Gods?" Flitwick chastised the lazy man.
"Gods do not exist, Professor," Antonin drawled lazily as he shrugged and looked down at his short ex-mentor.
In any other situation, Flitwick's heart would waver at the way Antonin called him. There was always an unmistakable fondness and respect in Antonin's voice whenever he called Flitwick professor.
"For the love of everything holy, use your brain for once! Zeus is the Father of all Gods! He will not forgive you for the destruction you brought to his temple!" Flitwick yelled at the stubborn wizard. Beneath his rage, there was a strange care and worry for the younger wizard.
Antonin narrowed his eyes as he stared down at Flitwick. "What is a God to a disbeliever?" he challenged softly and coldly. "If Zeus truly exists and if he is as great as you make him to be, then he must be omniscient. Surely, he must know I am coming to destroy this place and spit on his temple. So, why should he smite me if he already knows the fate of his temple? He could've, should've stopped me; but the truth remains that I brought the end to this place… that means, he doesn't care for this place. If Zeus doesn't care for his temple, neither should you. "
"Then, why did you kill the priests and their assistants for something that you don't believe in?" Flitwick glared at the unruly, defiant wizard.
"Oh, it's not as if I want it. The Dark Lord wants it so I'm here," Antonin answered honestly and dryly with a lazy shrug.
"You bloody stupid dolt! Why do you want to incur the wrath of a God for the sake of that man? Why do you sin for a man who doesn't care for you?" Flitwick scolded the man.
Antonin stared silently at Flitwick for a long time. Then, he blinked slowly and asked quietly, "Why do you still care?"
"Because…" Flitwick stopped himself completing the sentence and spilling out the truth. No matter how terrible and wayward Antonin had grown, to Flitwick, Antonin would always be his most beloved person. "Because I have people to protect, and that means I have to stop you. It has nothing to do with care," Flitwick lied. It was not the main reason but it would be sufficient for now. It had to be.
Antonin looked at Flitwick and nodded slowly. "Of course, I'm the enemy." He looked at the clear night sky. "If Zeus truly exists as you claim him to be, he must be feeling very merciful. I wonder why," he chuckled softly. He turned his attention back to Flitwick. "Do you want the golden feather of the God of the Sky?" he asked softly as he tilted his head. "I will give it to you if you want it."
Flitwick stared at the young man. He should have expected this. This was not the first time that their paths crossed and certainly not the first mission where they chased after the same objective; yet Antonin would always give up the artefacts to him for reasons only known to Antonin.
"Why?"
"Because you want it," Antonin answered simply with a lazy shrug. "Take it." He blew at the feather and it floated towards Flitwick. The golden item hovered in front of Flitwick for a moment before it landed softly in his opened palm.
A ghost of a smile curled on Antonin's face and for a moment, there was a flicker of amusement in his dark grey eyes. "You're welcome," Antonin whispered. He winked and placed a finger on his lips, before he walked past Flitwick and disapparated silently.
Flitwick remained rooted as he looked at the golden feather. Admittedly, he would never understand his foolish student. It was very surprising that Zeus did not smite Antonin for his blasphemous actions. "Appare Vestigium," Flitwick whispered as he inspected the feather. There was a lingering magic charm that covered the underside of the feather like a fog. "Aparecium," he whispered another spell to unlock the message. A long series of ancient runes appeared on the underside of the feather before they rearranged themselves to reveal a message from Zeus.
Even Zeus, the Father of Gods, cannot punish a son who is most loved by his father.
"So, that explains it," Flitwick whispered as he smiled ruefully and kept the feather. "Thank you for your mercy, God of the Sky. Thank you for forgiving my foolish little one."
Far away from Greece, in a quiet cottage just a little away from Hogwarts, Dolohov was moving the floorboards in the kitchen of the home he once grew up in. He pulled out from his pocket a golden feather. No one, except he, knew that the golden feather of Zeus was actually made of two pieces.
"Aparecium," Dolohov murmured as he silently read the inscription on his feather with a heavy heart. A tear rolled down his cheek as he took a deep shuddering breath and finally cast layers of curses and charms to protect the feather. "Zeus, if you truly exist, look after my foolish old man because I cannot," he chuckled mirthlessly as he shook his head. To rely on others to protect the one most precious to him, it was Dolohov's greatest shame.
Above him, thunder roared and lightning bolts tore the night sky asunder. It was as if the God of the Sky responded to his request. After all, the inscription on Dolohov's feather had spoken about Zeus's sentiments towards fathers and sons.
Zeus, the Father of all Gods, is moved by a son who sacrifices endlessly for his father. Zeus will not abandon a father who is most loved by his son.
"It's time for me to be punished for my failure again," he sighed and rubbed his face tiredly. He would be lucky if the Dark Lord simply punished him with Crucio. Dolohov was not looking forward to wiping out another village to appease the moody Dark Lord. It was getting exhausting on his soul to kill mindlessly. After all, he had to silence his heart to kill and that was taking a toll on him. Sometimes, he felt as if he was losing grasp on reality and becoming a true killing machine. Dolohov shook his head slowly. It did not matter though, because serving the Dark Lord meant he could keep the Dark Lord away from his father and that... that was the most important thing to Dolohov.
Dolohov hardened his heart and convinced himself that the lie was the truth. He had failed to retrieve the golden feather despite destroying the temple of God because it was just a stupid legend. There was no doubt the Dark Lord would search his mind for the truth as usual; but, Dolohov had mastered the art of hiding the truth within the fog of lies. Dolohov would also silently accept whatever consequences and punishments that would be meted out by the Dark Lord for his endless failures only to convince the Dark Lord of the new truth as the only truth.
In the deepest corner of his mind, there would be a secret that Dolohov would take to his grave - he had hidden the other half of the ancient weapon of Zeus in the cottage that belonged to a part-goblin wizard named Filius.
Thank you for reading.