Across the Quidditch Pitch

Please review! I found this chapter difficult to write, for some reason I don’t really enjoy this scene. But maybe you will!


Chapter Twelve: Temptation in the Dark Forest


Black shapes in hoods ran into the Dark forest, camouflaging into the landscape of dark foliage. Through darkening twilight, the only luminescent thing they past were Unicorns. Detecting the four wizards, the Unicorns moved rapidly away, their white bodies shining like silver blades.

The forest grew thicker and thicker, the undergrowth heavy under their feet. Soon there were too many branches to pull apart with magic, for it would take too long. Their faces got dirty and minor scratches were on their hands from the thorny branches they whipped out of the way.

“Come on!” complained Mulciber in a husky voice. “It’s taking too long….Why didn’t your Uncle tell us where the meeting place is?”

And just as Mulciber started to complain, there was a red light that shot into the sky. The red light came propelling up from the trees, and settled there, mixing with the stars.

“That must be a signal,” said Avery, hopefully. “Do you think that’s so, Snape?”

He nodded. “You’re probably right if it isn’t Venus. It looks like we’ve still got a long way to go.”

“Yes, I agree with that,” chimed in Regulus.

Snape was right. It took nearly a quarter of an hour to reach the gleaming red light. Staying in the same area, it rotated steadily, so they knew it wasn’t a planet. They could feel the silence of the deep recesses of the forest pressing in. Severus had the spooky feeling that many eyes were watching them, and his mind filled with images of monstrous, dangerous creatures.

“There they are….” muttered Snape. The three boys could see several men in the distance, all gathered around in a tight circle formation.

The boys approached apprehensively, clutching their broomsticks, each forgetting about their friends and just thinking of themselves. The circle opened up a little, and Snape, Avery, and Mulciber along with Regulus Black stepped in front.

A tall figure with gleaming red eyes and skull-white skin was standing in the center, wearing a long black cloak, his face almost shrouded by his hood.

“Welcome, boys. You shall kneel before us now in demonstration of your devotion to Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters.”

Snape, Avery, Black, and Mulciber complied almost at once, their shaking knees almost knocking into each other.

Voldemort waited a brief moment and then walked closer, until he towered above them. One by one, he would look over each boy that had found the courage to come.

First he came to Mulciber. “Tell me your name.”

“Mulciber! Maxwell Mulciber, M-My Lord.”

“Thank-you….And is Mulciber a Pureblood name?” Voldemort asked the question, even though he already knew it was not.

Mulciber’s face went red with shame. “I-I am Half-blood.”

“We can forgive this confession, Mulciber. For now at least….”

Voldemort went on to Avery next who was just as bashful. “Ah, and it was your Uncle who arranged this little meeting with me, was it not, young Avery?”

Avery was eager to obey and enthusiastic. “Yes, Master.”

“You shall do well in my service. In future…” And Voldemort, almost affectionately brushed a stray hair out of Avery’s eyes, getting a closer look at him before he moved on.

“And you are related to the Blacks. Is this not the truth?”

“Yes, My Lord,” said Regulus, his chest puffing with pride. “I came tonight for none other’s benefit than for myself and that includes my family.”

“And you shall have it,” hissed Voldemort automatically.

Lastly, was Snape kneeling there looking the most like the outsider. The boy was the thinnest and almost scrawny in appearance. “And who may you be?”

“Severus. Severus Snape, My Lord. I am son to Eileen Prince. My mother was Pure,” he added guardedly. Already, Snape was determined to prove himself.

“Yes, and what an unfortunate circumstance it is. What to be married to a Muggle when Pure of blood…”

Voldemort looked to his Death Eaters after this sardonic comment was said, and they laughed cohesively. Snape couldn’t help but wonder how the Dark Lord knew of his roots.

“This one intrigues me most of all….” Snape braced himself as Voldemort stared keenly into his black eyes. And when Voldemort looked at Snape, he did not realize it, but he saw pain behind the mask Snape wore, yet his Occlumency shielded his thoughts. Voldemort wrongly interpreted it as hatred. “Ah…I see in your eyes that I have already won you over, Severus. Good.”

Voldemort told the boys to rise and soon enough, they were conversing amongst the Death Eaters almost as equals, discovering what it was like to be one of them. They even showed them the tattoos; indelible black burns imprinted on the backs of their left forearms.

Before long, the group was having two separate conversations with the Dark Lord acting as interlocutor. Avery along with his Uncle Gustav, Regulus, and an elderly wizard, named Abraxas Malfoy were in one group.

The other was Lucius, Mulciber and Snape, sharing reminiscence or two about their pervious years at Hogwarts when they had been friends.

Mulciber felt his friendship with Lucius Malfoy had been renewed, yet Snape wasn’t so sure his had. Mulciber was so bold enough as to ask, “So Lucius….After all the hard work is done, what do you for fun? Do the Death Eaters get any women to loosen yourselves with?”

Lucius laughed delightedly, and yet his eyes remained cold, like two chips of blue ice. Voldemort looked expectantly at Lucius to answer as he saw fit; yet the Dark Lord wasn’t smiling.

Voldemort became impatient with Lucius’s good-humour. “Our friend, Mulciber has asked a question, Lucius. I expect you to give a straight answer.”

“Oh, yes. Our Master, provides us plenty of women on special occasion.”

Mulciber’s eyes gleamed ferociously, fevered. “Do you use the Imperius curse on them?”

“If need be. Otherwise…We get what we want through forcing ourselves on them without the Curse. We rather prefer to have whores begging for it at our feet…Begging for pleasure, or worse our mercy!”

Mulciber laughed a harsh guttural note. Snape was not interested, but if it had been any other day he would have been. But today, all he felt was sorry, sorry for the one and only girl who could make him feel so horrible. He regretted his failure to seduce Lily by the lake earlier.

“I could not venture near Dumbledore’s school and risk exposure. We are an ephemeral organization. But in time, shall be the centre of things. In time.” Voldemort was explaining this to Avery and Regulus and they listened, enraptured.

Moments later, the reason why Avery’s Uncle had told him and his friends to bring brooms was finally known. Voldemort was going to take them all to a place where he would perform his magic.

Swaying from side to side, Snape was on a mediocre Shooting Star. Whilst Mulciber also had a Shooting star, he was disappointed to see they were the last ones in the pack. Everyone else flew ahead on better brooms. Snape was shocked to see that Voldemort flew unaided, without anything, leading the way up through flight to the highest vantagepoint.

They got to higher and higher grounds so rapidly Snape’s stomach almost turned over and he feared he was going to retch. He hated flying, and knew he was a ruckus on a broom. The last time he’d been on one was in the Fall of his First year and he’d rather not recall all the embarrassing lessons.

Voldemort had led the Death Eaters and the boys to the highest cliff in the Dark Forest. It was a exceedingly high mountain, the highest one in sight.

Snape landed swiftly on his feet, and stowed his broom in a clump of bushes. He watched Voldemort go alone to the precipice, throw his head back, evidently basking in something. The natural world of the forest seemed to have grown silent.

Snape finally felt the awe at being in Lord Voldemort’s presence. It was all so compelling; that the very ground felt consecrated. Snape looked around, and saw Hogwarts by night. The edifice of the great structure was breathtaking with the great Black Lake shimmering at the perimeter of the castle. Briefly, Snape remembered what it was like to see Hogwarts for the very first time.

All of them stood together on the summit, a prodigious rock that was as smooth as a giant stone tablet. Far below, the trees shook, writhing like serpents, and suddenly there was bursts of fiery spells exploding in all directions. It probably woke the forest for miles.

It was Voldemort’s display of his power. Nobody understood how he had done, but all were exhilarated by it. The boys’ faces, as opposed to the Death Eater’s were especially alight with wonder.

Everything had been whirling in motion when it was put to a standstill like the eye of a storm. In a tight grip of control, Voldemort held the forest at his mercy.

He turned to face them all, and finally released his hold over the nearest surroundings. Yet they were now held in a state of being moved by his every word. He had shown them a taster of his power and glory as the greatest Dark sorcerer alive.

“Spells of such power….You cannot begin to imagine!”

They reveled some more in the moment. Snape hungered for power, as did all the others to the point that it was a terrible lust, a greed that ensnared them body and soul.

Mulciber was suddenly quite bold. He inquired, “My Lord, show us more fruits of your endeavours in the Dark Arts. Perhaps you can turn the stars off and fill us with the void of darkness!”

Voldemort reacted quickly and in anger. “What a stupid, foolish remark! You will be silent!” The Death Eaters meanwhile were muttering indistinct sneers about Mulciber.

Voldemort at once raised his wand and in a flash, Mulciber was transfigured into an ass. As this slovenly creature, he looked more idiotic than ever. “He will learn to keep his mouth shut when he has nothing sensible to say!”

After a moment, they did not look at Mulciber anymore, yet he remained in the form of an ass. They simply ignored his low neighs, pleas to be released from the indignity no doubt.

“My son shall succeed me as a School Governor,” said Abraxas, nodding to Lucius. “Yet we are in Lord Voldemort’s debt for he shall help us.”

Lucius nodded, and spoke to Voldemort. “My Lord – I do not understand it - but I know you are not keen on being Minister for Magic. Then, perhaps as your loyal Death Eater, that title will be mine one day?”

But Snape was also very excited by the promises of power. He interrupted, “And what of Hogwarts, My Lord? Will you one day claim it as yours?”

“Yes. It shall not be Dumbledore’s domain forever,” said Voldemort firmly. “And when that time comes, I shall need a new headmaster.” It seemed like this moment was foreshadowing Snape’s headmaster days, as for the first time ever, Snape could envision himself at the helm of a powerful position like headmaster and he wanted it.

“All these things I shall give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”

Voldemort came closer, away from the edge of the cliff. The trees sighed, hissing again like serpents. The Dark Lord seemed to unmask the full extent of his character onto the boys for the first time. Snape found the gall to stare into his serpent-like face. And in doing so, he saw an evil thing, a putrid being.

One by one, all except Mulciber kissed the hem of his robes.


NOTE: I don’t know if any of you noticed the biblical allusion to Jesus’ temptation. It is very similar. I used this for inspiration, but it really does fit. There are still several more interesting scenes to this story!