Prosapia Aenigmatis - The Family Riddle

Quinn fell a bit before she remembered how to work the wings in order to catch the air currents. She soared around and turned north, flying away from the castle and over the grounds. Quinn tried not to think of what she was doing as it was highly irrational. She had no idea where exactly her friend would be or what would be going on. She also had no plan on how to help her friend or what to do if she came face to face with Voldemort himself.

As Quinn soared over the afternoon sky, she saw the hills of Scotland before her for miles around. Her vision was amazing! She saw rabbits hopping from miles away; she saw cities and towns in the distance. It would have been the most amazing feeling in the world, soaring over the clouds and into the sky.

All Quinn could think of however, was Aislinn. Random memories from those two winter months popped into her mind. The idea of being without her friend for any length of time was petrifying. Quinn realized once again just how much she needed Aislinn and how little she trusted anyone else in her life.

Aislinn was her best friend, she knew her as no one else did. Quinn couldn't imagine one day of her life without Aislinn in it. They were so much closer after everything that had happened in the past months.

Quinn was hoping Aislinn would be able to stay the summer. She had considered Fred's offer to stay, but then she thought of Mr. Macnair. She remembered his cold voice and the mask over his face as he pointed his wand at the Weasleys. Quinn didn't want Aislinn alone with that man for the entire summer.

Quinn had been owling her parents repeatedly about having Aislinn stay for the summer, but she hadn't heard word yet. She didn't want to bring it up in case the Macnairs didn't agree. Quinn shuddered, thinking of Aislinn's excuse for a family. Terry Boot's words, for the millionth time it seemed, came rushing back to her. "Life is so much easier when we become what we are expected to." Quinn flapped her wings harder, flying as fast as she could.

Quinn was completely exhausted by the time she reached the Scottish coastline. She had been flying for nearly four hours. The sky had turned from a bright blue to a dark velvety color. Quinn felt more fatigued with each flap of her wings; she was terrified that she would pop out of her form at any moment, unable to hold it any longer.

Still, Dunvegan was very close. Quinn could see it off in the distance. The Isle of Skye stretched out before her. Quinn remembered that the castle was located on the far side of the island, nearly impossible to reach without magic. One side was bordered by water, the other 3 by dense forest.

Quinn flapped her wings lazily, letting the wind carry her as far as possible. It was getting very dark and Quinn wondered if anyone had noticed her absence from dinner.

Quinn glanced at the castle near the horizon; it was even more beautiful at night. She almost forgot the grave circumstances that brought her there. She just coasted on the wind, overwhelmed by what a gorgeous place it was.

Out of the corner of her eye Quinn spotted a clearing in the forest below. She swooped down to a lower altitude and circled closer. Her shoulders were stiff and her body cold and tired. Quinn saw a flurry of movement in the clearing and slowly approached, following the line of trees. There were a group of men huddled together.

"There's one!" the shortest man cried, pointing straight at Quinn. Before she had a moment to react or change direction, she was hit with some sort of charm. She cried out as her wings stopped flapping and she began to spiral toward the hard ground below.

* * *

"Scotland's most famous Wizarding legend is centered on the MacLeod Clan and the ancestral home of its chiefs; Dunvegan Castle on the Isle of Skye.

The Fairy Flag, or "Bratach Sith" in Gaelic, is reputed to have special qualities, which safeguard the MacLeods against those who wish to harm them.

The Legend states that many centuries ago the MacLeod chief of the age fell in love with a beautiful fairy princess, and she with him. The princess asked her father, the King of the Fairies, for permission to marry the MacLeod chief. The king refused on grounds that he would only break her heart since all humans grow old and eventually die.

The princess was so depressed by her father's refusal that she cried for weeks. The Fairy King, taking pity on his daughter, eventually agreed the two could marry, but the marriage could only last for one year and a day, at which time the princess had to relinquish all ties with the human world forever and return to the land of the fairies.

Nine months after they were married, the princess bore a son, much to the happiness of the clan. Four months after the birth of her son, the day came that the princess had to return to the Fairy world. She was heartbroken, but she knew that if she stayed, her father would unleash a terrifying curse on the people of Skye.

Upon leaving, the princess made her husband promise that the child would never be left alone or given cause to cry, because the sound of her sons cries would reach her in the fairy world and she could not bear the thought of not being able to comfort him.

The chief kept his promise. The grief of losing his wife was too much and the entire clan soon sank into a deep depression.

The clan folk decided something must be done to raise his spirits and on his birthday threw a great Ceilidh in his honor.

The young nurse that had been assigned to look after the infant heard the noise of the party and left the nursery to watch the guests and hear the music from the top of the stairs.

She didn't hear the baby's cries over the noise below and he woke after kicking his blanket out of his bed. The pitiful sobbing was soon heard by his mother and she was instantly by his side.

She gathered the baby into her arms and soothed him by wrapping him in her silk shawl and singing him a magical song. She lay him down once he stopped crying, kissed his forehead and disappeared.

The nursemaid returned to the room to find the baby wrapped in silk and heard a hauntingly beautiful voice singing, yet no one was there. She immediately took the baby and the silk shawl straight to the chief, showing him what she found and recounting what she had heard.

Years later, when the boy was grown, he recalled his mothers late night visit. He had told his father that his mother said the cloth was a talisman to be kept safe and used only if the clan MacLeod faced mortal danger. In that event, it should be waved three times and Fairy knights would come to their aid.

The flag, it is commonly assumed, is how the MacLeod clan escaped unscathed during the terrible reign of You-Know-Who."

Aislinn closed the book and stared at it.

"Find what you were looking for?" Draco drawled while still writing furiously.

"People think the flag saved my family from...Him." Aislinn didn't believe people could be so blind; as blind as she herself had been.

"And?" Draco sneered, putting his quill down and looking up at her.

"Does anyone know the real reason?" Aislinn asked, trying to conceal the anger in her voice. "I mean, are people so dense that they don't notice my father could pass for his twin?"

"Macnair, people only believe what they want to believe. Your family is one of the oldest and well respected in the Wizarding world. People don't want to believe that anyone respected could be associated with the Dark Lord. The public will believe anything, so long as it's not founded on the truth. How do you think my family has survived for so long? My father is one of the most openly dark wizards today, yet he has never been charged with anything. Money talks Aislinn, same as power," Draco said, his voice very serious. "As long as you have the means and the power, you can do anything. I have been told this all my life, and I fully believe it. I see evidence of it everyday. My father is off doing Merlin knows what every weekend, yet he has the Minister of Magic himself eating out of the palm of his hand." Draco leaned forward, narrowing his eyes. "If it weren't for Dumbledore and his Muggle loving fools, do you realize the power we could have? This world would be ours, to do whatever we like."

"You're mad," Aislinn said without thinking. The look in his eyes was scaring her.

"You think so, do you? Well after tonight, you'll see what I mean. If all goes to plan, you will see very soon." Draco packed up his parchment and returned the quill and books to their original places and left the room. Aislinn knew that he had no idea how to get around the castle, but she didn't care. Maybe he would find a hidden dungeon and get stuck in it forever.

She got up and walked over to a bookcase across the room and began browsing the titles. Necromancy-The Rewards and Drawbacks All Aislinn could think was 'Eww.' The Necromancers Guide to Restoring the Rotted Corpse 'Merlin, aren't there any normal books in here?' she wondered. Aislinn moved to the next bookcase. Occamy Eggs and their Magical Properties 'No thank you.' Caring for Your Nundu 'How in the bloody hell do you care for something whose breath can kill you?'

Aislinn continued around the room until she found a promising section. Moste Potente Potions 'Read it.' Love Potions to Turn Your Sweeties Head Aislinn wondered if there was a potion to change the contents of someone's head. How could Draco be so...Demented? She read over a few more potion book titles, a few sounding rather familiar, before she decided she was too preoccupied to read and headed up to her room.

It was a long walk up to the third floor where her room was. She opened the door and was about to collapse onto the bed, when she noticed a set of deep purple robes laid out on it with a card next to them. Aislinn picked up the card and read:

Beltane is a time of "no time" when the veils between the two worlds are at their thinnest. "No time" is when the worlds intermingle and unite, magic abounds! It is a time when the fairies return from their winter respite, carefree and full of mischief. When the veils are thin, it is said the Queen of the fairies rides out on her white horse, casting protection on those who seek her.

The Queen of May shall be adorned in robes of purple. Purple signifies good fortune, success and tremendous power. Her head shall bear a crown of the purest gold, with a single gold leaf in the center.

Underneath the passages she recognized her father's writing:

Find Draco and meet me in the study at 8 p.m. We shall discuss your tasks then.

Father

Aislinn looked at the clock on the wall. It was seven. She decided she would go and look for Draco now, since she didn't know where he was, and it might take her the entire hour to find him.

Aislinn walked out of her room and into the hall. She looked right and then left, trying to decide which way she should go. She chose left and went down the hall and stairs toward the parlor. She reached the doors and opened them, no Draco. She then went to the library, thinking he might have decided to study again, still no Draco. For nearly half an hour Aislinn roamed the castle without the slightest glimpse of him. She made her way out into the gardens and finally found him. He was in the stables with the Granian horses her family kept. Draco was standing in front of one particularly fine male, staring at it blankly.

"What are you doing out here, Malfoy?" Aislinn asked quietly. For some reason, she felt as if she were intruding.

"I heard someone inside talking about the horses, so I decided to come have a look," Draco said, still looking at the winged horse. "We used to have granians at the Manor when I was younger. I always wanted a Thestral, but father said they were too dangerous. Didn't make sense to me then, father had never cared about dangerous things. Only later did I find out why he didn't want one around. I only get to see them twice a year you know, at the beginning and end of term."

Aislinn wanted to ask him why Lucius wouldn't want one around, but decided against it. "Come on," Aislinn said, taking his hand. She led him to the end of the stable hall and pressed lightly on an old brick in the lower corner. The wall receded into itself and revealed a magnificent gleaming black horse-like creature.

"His name is Zeus," Aislinn said softly.

Draco gasped and moved toward him. He gently brushed his mane and whispered, "He's gorgeous." He turned slowly to look at her, a confused look on his face. "You can see him?"

Aislinn sighed; she knew this would come up. "Yeah, my mother's sister died when I was six. We were at her house when she passed; I was one of the people in the room when it happened." Draco nodded and then looked back at Zeus. "When did you see someone die?"

Draco looked warily at her and then averted his gaze. "Many times actually, the latest was two summers ago."

"What happened?" she asked quietly.

"Not now Macnair, maybe another time," he replied, still stroking the dark horse's back.

Aislinn watched Draco smooth the horse's skin and lightly touch his leathery wings. Draco was looking at Zeus as if he were the most wonderful thing in the world.

"I never knew you liked animals so much," Aislinn said, walking over to him.

"Only horses," Draco replied in little more than a whisper.

"You can ride him tomorrow if we are still here. He is very gentle," she told him.

Draco removed his hand from Zeus' back. "We won't be here tomorrow," he said shortly and then turned to Aislinn. "Thank you," he said softly and kissed her lightly on the cheek.

Aislinn reeled a bit before regaining her composure. "You're welcome. I'm sorry I didn't bring you out here earlier, but I didn't know..."

"Don't apologize, you couldn't have known," Draco interrupted. He stared at her briefly.

"You were looking for me for a reason. What was it?"

"Oh, we are supposed to meet my father in the study at eight." Aislinn glanced down at her watch. "That's in seven minutes, we'll never make it."

They ran as fast as they could back to the castle and by the time they reached the study, Aislinn was near collapse. Draco opened the door and they stumbled into the room, breathing harder than Aislinn thought humanly possible. Her father and Lucius were waiting for them. Her father furrowed his brow disapprovingly at the sight of them; Lucius merely raised an eyebrow and smirked. Aislinn knew she must have looked terrible, her hair was stringing down her back and she was disgustingly sweaty. Draco's hair was mussed as well and his forehead was glistening with sweat. Aislinn was having a hard time keeping herself focused on the situation after looking at him.

"I am not going to ask why you two are so late and in the state you are in because I do not want to know. I only hope for your sake," her father glared at Draco, "it isn't what I am thinking."

Draco's eyes widened and Lucius laughed. "Walden, they are hardly children. Let them be. They are old enough to make their own choices. Why I remember when we were that age and-"

Her father shot a murderous look at Lucius and he stopped mid-sentence. Aislinn thought her father looked as if he were about to explode.

"I was just showing him Zeus, father. We lost track of time and had to run back to the castle," Aislinn said, still panting slightly.

"Zeus, what is that?" Lucius asked, curling his lip at Draco.

"Zeus is the MacLeod Thestral Magnificent creature," Walden told him.

Lucius narrowed his eyes and glared at Draco. Draco gave his father the same look and Aislinn was afraid of what was about to happen. Her father noticed the tension and cleared his throat.

"Okay, now we need to go over what you will each be doing tonight. Did you both read the cards on your beds?" he asked. They both nodded and her father continued. "Good, so you know that you, Aislinn, will be the Queen of May and you, Draco, will be representing her consort, the King. Your job will be to..."

Aislinn listened as her father explained exactly what they were supposed to do for nearly an hour and a half. It was almost ten when he finished answering their questions. Aislinn still didn't understand the entire thing, but she at least knew what she was going to be doing.

The ritual wouldn't be performed until two a.m. so Aislinn decided she would get a few hours sleep until then. She left Draco and their fathers in the study and went up to bed.

Aislinn never went to sleep, and when the alarm sounded at one, she quickly got up and showered. She put on the purple robes and golden crown and glanced in the mirror. Purple was not her color. Oh well, she thought as she opened the door.

Draco was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He was wearing robes of vibrant red that didn't suit him at all, and holding a silver crown in his hand.

"I cannot begin to tell you how much I detest the color red," Draco said with a disgusted sneer. "The card said that red represents strength and retention. I say that I feel like a bloody tomato, or worse, a Gryffindor."

Aislinn laughed and he scowled at her. "Come on," she said, "We have to be in the garden now."

* * *

Rough hands grabbed Quinn once she hit the ground. She almost lost control of her Animagus form as dull pain cascaded along her wings from the impact. She tried to struggle but hands held her wings close to her body. She looked up into unfamiliar faces. Three men were surrounding her; one was holding a wand. Quinn wondered who they were, friends of Aislinn's family perhaps.

They were wearing dark green robes and serious expressions. Quinn didn't trust them but she couldn't get away. She went still.

"We were lucky to find a female alone. Usually they don't go anywhere without their mate this time of year," one of the men said, studying Quinn's form. "Let's get her in the cage." Quinn resumed her efforts to get away as the three men held her and walked her to a large metal cage. She couldn't believe this. She had to find Aislinn and out of all the birds in the sky they had managed to catch her.

"Let's take her to Malfoy. He said he wanted to look over her before the ceremony starts," the taller of the men said, closing the cage on a struggling Quinn. Quinn tried to peck their hands through the bars of the cage but it seemed magically protected. She got a shock each time she touched it. Eventually she stood still in the middle of the cage as it was carried off toward the far side of the clearing.

They approached a man who turned to look at them and Quinn had never wanted to fly away more. Lucius Malfoy stood before her, a smirk on his face.

Lucius turned around and glanced at Quinn with a smirk. It morphed into a sneer as he brought his gaze up to the men holding her cage.

"What took you so bloody long?" he asked irritably. "I was beginning to wonder if I would have to come find you."

The man holding Quinn's cage spoke tentatively. Quinn felt the cage shake a bit. "Mr. Malfoy the White-Tailed Sea-Eagle is a very rare bird. We were very fortunate to find this female alone too, sir. The male and female Sea Eagles mate for life; once they find a partner they never-"

"Silence," Lucius snarled. The other man stopped speaking at once. "You could not possibly tell me anything about this species that I don't already know. They are the symbol of the Malfoy family." Lucius snarled and stared at the men, who eyed him with immense fear. Lucius looked down at Quinn now, smirking again. She wanted desperately to peck his eyes out. "These are very powerful and fascinating creatures, really."

Lucius withdrew his wand and aimed it right at Quinn. She felt a swell of panic inside her, but there was no way she could avoid the spell. "Vocario Otiosus." A feeling of calm and fatigue washed over Quinn. She felt strange, her mind was still sharp but her body didn't seem to be able to move much. Merely turning her head took so much energy. Was this some form of the Imperius Curse? Quinn didn't think so. She merely felt as though she had just settled into bed after a long day.

Lucius disarmed the shocking spell on the cage and gently lifted her out. Quinn shuddered slightly at his touch but she didn't fight him. He placed her on a small table at waist height and studied her closely.

"She is an extraordinary specimen of the species," he mumbled as he looked into her eyes. His own steel gray eyes narrowed as he peered deeply at hers. "Amazing," he said, mostly to himself. "I have never seen a Sea-Eagle with blue eyes. This truly is a magnificent bird."

The other two Death Eaters stood there, gaping at Lucius. He must have suddenly remembered their presence because he jerked his head up. "Is there a problem gentlemen?" he snapped.

"N-No sir," one of the men replied. Lucius smirked at the look of terror on the other man's face and continued his examination of the large bird before him. He ran a gloved finger down the length of her beak, letting it linger on the tip.

Quinn wanted desperately to bite down on the gloved hand but she still couldn't move. She stared defiantly into his eyes instead. She remembered the charm now, it was a fairly mild calming charm, but it was very difficult to remove. Quinn remembered reading that it was most often used for unruly children or mental patients at hospitals. The charm was always most powerful when in the presence of the person who cast it.

Quinn also remembered reading something about the power of the charm being most potent when skin to skin contact was made between the two. She sincerely hoped that would not happen.

Quinn should have panicked when she realized that she would be under Lucius' control for potentially a long time. Instead she tried to ignore this thought and refused to break eye contact with the smirking blonde man. Lucius raised his chin proudly. "Just like a Malfoy, sharp mouthed and proud. Yes, I will definitely keep this bird." Quinn felt a jolt inside her stomach. If Mr. Malfoy intended to keep her-she trembled at the very idea-he might never release her from the charm.

He placed a hand lightly on her back and smoothed the feathers, carefully examining each one, checking for imperfections. Lucius let his hand trail slowly down Quinn's back, all the way to the end of her tail. Her mind was overcome with anger and disgust at the feeling of his hands on her form. She felt unable to fight however, unable to fly away.

"Perfect," he mumbled under his breath. Lucius lifted her off the table and perched her carefully on his left hand. Lucius grabbed one of her wings and gently spread all four feet out before him. He ran his hand gently along the top of her wing, then the bottom, carefully tracing the line of feathers.

Lucius then moved to her other wing and did the same, studying each individual feather. He seemed to enjoy the texture of her plumage, even though he had on the terrible leather gloves. He looked back into her eyes once more and smiled. It wasn't a happy smile though, it bordered on a heartless smirk. He was apparently enraptured with her, and with the power he could control through her. Quinn felt ill at the look on his face.

Quinn summoned all her energy and furiously tried to flap her wings, to take off. Her wings barely moved an inch or so. Lucius noticed nevertheless. He seemed pleased with her pathetic attempt at disobedience.

Lucius carefully removed one of his black leather gloves and reached out his hand. He ran two fingers down her back, all the way to her white tail. Quinn felt an explosive feeling of calm and obedience sweep over her. This was the charm at its most powerful. Quinn felt a mixture of submission and rapture as he slowly caressed her feathers. She no longer felt any desire to move. Quinn briefly lost the battle within her mind and gave in to this amazing feeling of carefree adoration. She stopped moving entirely.

Lucius smiled wickedly now, obviously pleased with himself. "You will make a fine gift for Narcissa."

* * *

Quinn stood some time later in a cage off to the side of the clearing. It was a perfect circle, no more that fifty feet in diameter and was surrounded by heavy woods. The air was unusually still and there seemed to be a sense of anticipation looming over the circle. The glade was dimly lit by the moon and two large fires, whose flames were reflecting dancing shadows on the great wall of trees around them.

Quinn watched men dash about in green robes, setting up a table and other equipment. It looked like they were preparing for some sort of celebration. Quinn shuddered to think what sort of celebration Lucius Malfoy would be part of.

She wondered where Aislinn was, and if she was taking part in all of this. Maybe she-

Quinn's thoughts were interrupted by the sight of a tall figure arriving in the middle of the clearing. He turned slowly to face the men and Quinn let out an involuntary squawk.

He was hideous; tall and extremely pale with big white hands that emerged from his black robes, grasping a wand. Quinn looked at it, intrigued. It looked quite a bit like Aislinn's.

The Death Eaters immediately scurried into a circle and took turns kissing his robes. Quinn was staring at his awful face, somehow transfixed by it. He was bald and his skin so pale it seemed a lifeless gray. A horrible smirk played upon his thin-lipped mouth. His red eyes seemed to sweep the clearing like jets of ghastly red light. And his nose-Quinn had to look away. Her eagle vision made it easy to see the thin snake-like nostrils expand and contract as though he was sniffing the air for prey. Quinn started to panic.

"So it begins," he said, the awful smirk growing wider. He surveyed the clearing with something that almost resembled happiness on his repulsive face. His expression turned back into a sneer as he surveyed the men before him.

"There were some-even some here tonight-who did not think this day would arrive. They lost faith in Lord Voldemort," he stared at a tall Death Eater for a moment; the two seemed immersed in a brutal staring contest. Quinn was sure that whoever this Death Eater was, he was sweating under the mask.

"When power is restored and Lord Voldemort is, once again, the most powerful sorcerer in the world, the loyal will be rewarded." He began to pace back and forth now, playing with the wand in his hands. The Death Eaters seemed to be holding their breath.

"The traitorous, those who have been less than faithful," the Death Eaters seemed to shudder as one, "will find fierce judgment is their compensation." He paused in front of the tall Death Eater again. Quinn thought he would resume their staring contest but he spoke.

"Lord Voldemort expects much from his servants, though he provides much in return. Tonight," he surveyed them all with a fierce maniacal gleam in his eyes, "he expects perfection."

With that he turned and swept out of Quinn's line of vision. She could merely see the Death Eaters, who returned to rush about and prepare the clearing for...whatever lay ahead.

* * *

They walked through the castle and out to the rose garden where their fathers would be waiting to portkey them to the ritual site. Her father and Lucius were both dressed in deep green robes with their hoods covering their heads. Aislinn noticed that they each had the creepy mask she had seen before in their hands. Her father took a small book out of his pocket. "Are we ready then?" he asked with an exhilarated look in his eyes. They all nodded and touched the book. "3...2...1" her father said, and they were immediately swept away.

They landed in the center of a small clearing. There was a line of men dressed identically to her father and Mr. Malfoy, all with masks, at one end of the site. At the other end was a large rectangle table, draped with silver cloth. There was a huge fire on either side of the table, crackling loudly into the quiet night. Her father and Lucius, now masked like the others, walked over to the line of Death Eaters and Lucius took a large dark brown eagle out of a cage at the end of the line. The eagle spread its wings wide but didn't attempt to fly away. Aislinn noticed that its tail was completely white.

Aislinn looked back at the table. In the center was a large silver bowl that was filled with a clear liquid that could have been water. Next to the bowl was a golden goblet with a jade stand, the rim of the goblet was also a bright green. To the right of the bowl was a gold candle, and to the left a silver one. Directly behind the bowl was a large black candle that had intricate carvings on it, they looked like some sort of ancient writing but Aislinn wasn't sure.

Aislinn noticed a small cauldron on the right end of the table. It was empty and was surrounded by runic stones. Aislinn couldn't make out which rune it was from where she was standing, so she concentrated on the items at the opposite end of the table. There was a small copper scrying bowl and an athame, a ritual knife, with a silver handle in the shape of a serpent. Next to the athame was an empty glass vial.

* * *

Quinn was startled to see Aislinn arrive at the clearing with Draco. She cursed the shocking spell on her cage. More than anything, Quinn wanted to fly over to Aislinn and get the both of them out of there, and back to Hogwarts.

Lucius Malfoy caught her sight next and Quinn felt a rush of calm obedience wash over her. She tried to keep her mind sharp but her body adopted a heavy, lazy feeling. She stood completely still and merely watched.

* * *

Aislinn and Draco had been told to stand at the end of the table next to the cauldron earlier in the evening when they had talked to her father about this ritual. Voldemort would be standing behind the table, facing the line of Death Eaters. Aislinn continued surveying the clearing and noticed a crumpled figure with red hair, wearing robes of bright yellow. Aislinn's heart almost stopped beating as she leaned over to get a better look at the disheveled figure. It was Ginny Weasley.

Ginny was tied to a tree, blindfolded. She wasn't moving; Aislinn hoped that she was only stunned. She couldn't bear the thought that another Weasley had been harmed by something that she could have prevented. What would they want with Ginny Weasley though? All sorts of horrid possibilities came to mind. Suddenly she heard a loud boom and one of the Death Eaters stepped out of the line and headed to the table.

The Death Eater stopped in front of the small copper bowl and bowed to Voldemort. He picked up the bowl and Aislinn saw the creepy silver hand. What had Draco called him, Wormtail?

Wormtail took the dish and gathered ashes from each of the large fires using his silver hand. It seemed to be heat resistant; he didn't even wince. He walked over to Aislinn and Draco and bowed before them as well. Wormtail stuck his real thumb into the ashes and Aislinn flinched as the clammy skin touched her forehead. He then did the same to Draco. Wormtail made his way around the circle, smudging a vertical line of ash on everyone's head, even Ginny.

Aislinn was beginning to get frightened; the reality of the situation was slowly sinking in. She hadn't thought about it before, but she was about to aid in bringing Voldemort back to power. Voldemort, The Dark Lord, He Who Must Not Be Named, You-Know-Who, whatever anyone called him; she was about to help him unleash a new reign of terror and the thought almost made her collapse.

She reached her hand out and caught Draco's arm to steady herself. He turned his head and gave her a puzzled look, causing Aislinn to withdraw her hand. She looked back at Wormtail who was slowly making his way back up to the head table. After he smudged the last person, he returned the dish to the table, bowing once more, and took his place in line.

Aislinn knew it was their turn now to perform the duties her father had told them about. Aislinn wondered what would happen if she just stood there and let Draco do all the work, or what would happen if she ran away. Draco was staring at her, holding his hand out to her. She stared at it for a second, knowing that if she took it and completed her task, which led Voldemort to come back to power, she could never forgive herself. Yet something compelled her and she placed her hand in Draco's. What have I become? They walked to the table and bowed before Voldemort.

Aislinn noticed he was smiling his awful lipless smile and she shuddered. Aislinn saw that her hand was trembling as she picked up a small piece of wood that was next to her candle. She brought it over to the fire like she had been told to do, and lit the end of it. Draco was doing the same at the other end of the table and they met back in the center. Aislinn averted her eyes from Draco's, not wanting him to see whatever emotion was in them. She was most positive it would be fear.

They walked in unison back to the table and lit their candles. Aislinn's was silver, representing the Moon; Draco's gold, representing the Sun. With their candles lit, they took them in hand and together lit the large black candle that was behind the bowl. Aislinn sat her candle back on the table and watched as Draco grabbed the goblet and held it over the bowl of liquid.

Aislinn hesitated and then stuck her hand in the water. She sprinkled a few drops over the goblet and took a deep breath, dreading what she was about to say. She had long ago learned to detach herself from a situation, but she knew she would not be able to now. This was pressing on her too firmly to dismiss it. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Aislinn could feel Voldemort's eyes on her as they began to speak.

"In Mays first dew, this goblet we bathe,

To abide our Masters will.

The sacred purity shall enhance the contents,

And the power it will instill."

Her voice had been shaky but she no longer cared, her part was done and she knew she had condemned herself to whatever fate she came to. Draco placed the goblet back on the table and they both bowed to Voldemort again. Aislinn took Draco's arm and walked back to their place at the end of the table. She felt numb and watched one of the Death Eaters move, as if in slow motion, away from the line and toward the table.

* * *

Quinn watched in horror as Aislinn stepped forward with Draco and completed her portion of the ritual. Quinn had suspected Aislinn would have some part in the proceedings, but she hadn't anticipated her friend to look so willing.

Quinn knew, logically, that Aislinn had to play her part. She had to be convincing. On another level though, Quinn felt distinctly unsettled. She knew the mental image of Aislinn standing before Lord Voldemort would never leave her mind. Quinn's feathers trembled at the horrible feeling growing in the pit of her stomach.

* * *

The Death Eater bowed to Voldemort and picked up the ritual knife and glass vial. He began walking toward Ginny and Aislinn watched wide eyed, hoping he wouldn't stab the girl.

* * *

Quinn watched a death eater approach a bundle in yellow. Quinn turned her head, trying to get a better look. She felt a spasm of horror when she realized the bundle of yellow was Ginny Weasley. Quinn tried to move, to peck the hands holding her cage. She had to get to Ginny.

Fierce painful energy jettisoned through her body as she attempted to escape. She reeled with pain and stepped back into the middle of the cage.

* * *

Aislinn noticed she was still holding Draco's arm and felt herself squeeze as the Death Eater neared Ginny. Draco didn't even flinch at the tight hold; he too was watching the Death Eater, yet Draco was watching with an anticipatory expression. The Death Eater withdrew his wand and released the bindings and removed the blindfold. "Ennervate," the man said, and immediately after muttered "Imperio." Ginny stood there blankly staring at the man in front of her.

Aislinn was repulsed; she had never seen anyone under the Imperius Curse before. Ginny looked as if she were a mere shell of a person; there was no fire or life behind her eyes. The Death Eater handed Ginny the serpent handled knife and whispered something in her ear. Aislinn watched in horror as Ginny slowly sliced open her own hand without so much as a grimace. Ginny lowered the knife and stood perfectly still, blood running down her robes and pooling on the firm ground. Aislinn had never witnessed anything like this before. Draco looked very calm; Aislinn figured that he was probably jaded to the whole blood and gore thing by now. Either that or he was terribly sadistic.

The Death Eater whispered something else to Ginny and handed her the glass vial. Ginny held the vial under the running stream of blood and filled it to the top. Aislinn began to feel nauseous and swallowed several times to calm herself. Ginny began walking slow, perfectly spaced strides to the table. She bowed before Voldemort; her face utterly blank and he sneered at her. Ginny emptied the blood into the cauldron and stared at it without expression. She began to speak in a completely monotone voice.

"In this blood, love remains.

'Tis the truest of emotions.

Take from it the strength and energy,

Which will fortify this potion."

Ginny bowed again and walked back to the Death Eater, who still had his wand trained on her. Aislinn was sure that Ginny should have collapsed from the extreme loss of blood. The yellow robes she was wearing were soaked through, but Ginny was still standing there, a hollow shell. Aislinn wondered if Dumbledore knew Ginny had been taken. She couldn't help her disappointment in Dumbledore for not finding a way to stop this from happening.

* * *

Quinn turned away while Ginny performed her part of the ceremony, unable to watch. She quietly hoped Ginny would be all right and cursed her inability to move.

* * *

Another Death Eater was now walking toward the table. He bowed to Voldemort, who smiled proudly, and withdrew a small black pouch from his robes. He carefully removed a tiny piece of silk from the pouch and placed it carefully into the cauldron. When he began speaking, Aislinn recognized the Scottish brogue of her father.

"Ancient spells of protection and power,

Into this flag were sewn.

The magic and protective force shall

Now become the Master's own."

Her father bowed to Voldemort once more and then nodded his head to her and Draco before taking the place next to her. Aislinn looked up at her father's masked face and the feeling of disbelief flooded her again. How could her father be so kind and so gentle yet be this man too? A man who watched a fifteen year old girl slice her own hand and not try to stop it, a man who would help empower a wizard that would go on to kill families, children. Aislinn closed her eyes and realized that she was doing the same thing. Every death, every torture, it would be her fault. She could have done more to stop this; she should have fought her father!

* * *

Quinn watched Aislinn during Mr. Macnair's speech. Her face would probably seem blank to anyone else. To Quinn however, Aislinn seemed obviously appalled and very disturbed at further proof of her father's dark side. Quinn felt immediately relieved and reassured about where Aislinn's loyalties lie.

This feeling of reassurance lasted only a moment, until Quinn realized that Lucius Malfoy was approaching her cage. She saw the black leather gloves and knew it was him. Quinn tried to get away. Her right wing was shocked as she tried to avoid his hands reaching for her. As he grabbed hold of her she felt the charm go stronger and her resistance ebb away.

* * *

Another Death Eater was approaching them. He had the great brown eagle perched on his arm; it was Lucius. He was holding the bird's talons with a gloved hand, but it didn't seem to need holding. Lucius stopped in front of the table and bowed his head to Voldemort. Lucius placed the eagle on the table, still firmly clutching it's talons with one hand, and plucked a pure white tail feather from it. The bird gave a great cry, but still didn't struggle to get away.

"A single tail feather from the mighty Sea Eagle,

Is the final of the three.

All unite together to grant our Master,

Incomparable power and immortality."

Lucius dropped the feather into the cauldron and bowed to Voldemort. He put the bird back on his arm and stood next to Draco. Draco began moving away from the bird, which looked as if it wanted Draco for lunch, and stepped on Aislinn's foot. He was standing so close to her that she almost fell over onto her father. The eagle continued watching him, and Aislinn thought that something was definitely not right about this bird.

Voldemort withdrew his wand from his robes and cast it over the cauldron. The contents began to bubble violently as he spoke.

"I call the light of golden rays

I seek empowerment on this day.

For ancient forces at my side

Demons, sages, spirit guides

Or wolves who walk with cunning skill,

Come to my aid! Come at my will!

Black bird soaring light my path

So I am victim to no one's wrath!

And when my journey knows success,

All those who aid me I will bless.

I take the power in my hands

From air and fire, water and land.

Power of the Gods and divinity

Moves and pulsates, the energy in me

I build, I birth, and I bring form,

I rise with might and energy storm.

From the abundance of Hecate's dower

I shape, I build the ultimate power."

Voldemort removed a small crystal bottle from his robe pocket and uncapped it. He studied the bottle and an evil smile broke across his face as he held it over the cauldron. Aislinn heard a faint mutter from somewhere in the distance behind her and a flash of red light broke through the trees, hitting Wormtail square in the stomach. Everyone watched in startled silence as Wormtail slumped to the ground. The Death Eaters all withdrew their wands and Draco grabbed Aislinn's arm, as if to protect her. She noticed Voldemort recap the potion and slide it back into his robes. "Wait," he said in a quiet warning voice.

Voldemort threw his head back and closed his red, cat-like eyes for a moment before opening them slowly. A cold smile played on his mouth, "How wonderful of you to join us, Mr. Potter."