- Rating:
- PG-13
- House:
- The Dark Arts
- Ships:
- Lucius Malfoy/Narcissa Malfoy
- Characters:
- Lucius Malfoy Lord Voldemort
- Genres:
- Horror Action
- Era:
- The First War Against Voldemort (Cir. 1970-1981)
- Spoilers:
- Philosopher's Stone Chamber of Secrets Prizoner of Azkaban Goblet of Fire Order of the Phoenix Half-Blood Prince J.K. Rowling Interviews or Website
- Stats:
-
Published: 12/31/2007Updated: 01/01/2008Words: 10,001Chapters: 2Hits: 238
A Chosen Path
ForeverSirius77
- Story Summary:
- Nearing the end of his final year at Hogwarts, Lucius Malfoy, the young, aristocratic Slytherin, chooses to embark on a path his father has treaded. Sneaking out of the school under the eyes of that Mudblood-loving headmaster, Lucius goes to join Dumbledore’s enemy — the Dark Lord Voldemort. He believes he has made the right decision in following this path, but will he make it through all of the tests and obstacles that the Dark Lord demands of him? Will he receive the Dark Mark and prove himself worthy of joining the elite group of followers who call themselves the Death Eaters?
Chapter 01 - Part I
- Chapter Summary:
- Nearing the end of his final year at Hogwarts, Lucius Malfoy, the young, aristocratic Slytherin, chooses to embark on a path his father has treaded. Sneaking out of the school under the eyes of that Mudblood-loving headmaster, Lucius goes to join Dumbledore’s enemy — the Dark Lord Voldemort. He believes he has made the right decision in following this path, but will he make it through all of the tests and obstacles that the Dark Lord demands of him? Will he receive the Dark Mark and prove himself worthy of joining the elite group of followers who call themselves the Death Eaters?
- Posted:
- 12/31/2007
- Hits:
- 137
Author's Note: My third time to write Lucius, and the second time to write him as a teenager,
this Gauntlet round was probably the easiest, due mostly to the types of
obstacles present this time. There wasn't a lot of stretches I had to make in
portraying Lucius in a believable and realistic
manner. Anyway, I now present for your enjoyment, A Chosen Path.
~**~
A Chosen Path
~**~
Part
I
~**~
The long day
of classes was finally coming to an end as the bright, orange sun fell below
the horizon, bringing the warm, June day to a weary conclusion. Students in all
seven years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry were strolling
through the halls, heading either to the Great Hall for an early dinner, to the
library to start on the massive piles of homework assigned to them, or back to
their common rooms, to do who knows what.
A group of seventh-year Slytherins had made their way
to the boys' dormitory in their dungeon-type common room. They had quickly
deposited their book bags on their green, four-poster beds, and were currently
changing from their Hogwarts robes into pairs of pure, black ones as fast as
they could.
"Hurry up," said one of the oldest, his smooth, white-blond hair falling to his
shoulders in a handsomely elegant manner. "We need to be there in an hour, and
we cannot be late."
"What's the rush, Lucius?" asked Robert, a short,
black boy as he struggled with the left sleeve of his robe, which was currently
trying to strangle him.
"We need to leave while everyone is at dinner," Lucius
responded, "just to be sure that Mudblood-lover of a
headmaster doesn't know anything." Having finished putting on his robe, Lucius checked his watch. It read 6:58. Dinner would be
starting in around two minutes, at which time the school's corridors would be
mostly deserted, and the four young men could go unnoticed.
"Come on," he said, glancing around at the other three Slytherins.
Robert had finally succeeded in winning the battle with his sleeves, and all of
them were dressed in matching black robes, their heavy hoods all pulled low
over their heads, shielding their eyes.
The four Slytherins quietly left their dormitory,
checking to make sure that the common room was mostly clear before they
entered. It was, save for two sixth-year girls who were sitting over in a far
corner, whispering secretly to one another. They both looked up as the four men
entered, and Lucius was able to identify at least one
of them. The one who had glanced up first was his own girlfriend, Narcissa Black, and as her eyes met with Lucius's, they shined with knowledge. She knew where her
boyfriend and his friends were going; everyone in Slytherin
could have guessed, at least. But no one would say anything. It was a type of
code of honour in Slytherin, basically. This secret
fell under the need of being protected.
"It's okay," said Lucius, and the four of them exited
the Slytherin common room and slowly made their way
along the stone corridors and to the Entrance Hall. Luckily, they had timed
their exit perfectly; no one was present to impede their progress. They opened
the large, oak front doors and quickly exited the castle, hurrying through the
Hogwarts grounds to the outside gates, the gates that marked the edge of the
school. It was also fortunate that none of them needed to light their wands in
order to see. The night sky, with its nearly-full moon, provided just enough
light for the Slytherins to see by. Checking to make
sure no one had seen them after they left the doors, the four Disapparated away to their destination.
When they arrived at their destination, that of the edge of a
thick, dark, foreboding forest, whose trees blew slightly in a warm breeze,
they realised that they were not alone. Four other, larger, darkly-robed
figures approached Lucius and his three friends, each
new arrival taking a hold of one of the seventeen-year-old Slytherins
and leading them away from each other. The figure who seemed to be the leader
of the new group placed his hand on Lucius's shoulder
and led him in a different direction than the other Slytherin
boys.
"You were two minutes late, Lucius," the new figure
said in a low voice, his strong hand keeping a firm grip on Lucius's
arm as he steered the young man along the dark, dirt pathway, their boots not
making a sound as the pair walked on.
"I'm sorry, Father," the Slytherin said, eyeing the
man that was leading him on this journey. The older man did not respond to his
son's apology, but rather just kept walking. Eventually, the two of them
reached the end of the dirt path and the centre of the dark forest, a
destination that the other Slytherin boys and their
leaders had already arrived at.
Abraxas Malfoy finally
looked down at his son. Lucius resembled his father
very strongly. They both had the same, cold grey eyes, and their hair was a
matching colour of white-blond; Lucius's hair fell to
his shoulders, and Abraxas's hair fell just a tad
longer than his son's. Both Malfoys had pale, pointed
faces, and the only difference between the two men was their ages. Abraxas showed every single one of his years, whereas his
son still remained youthful, having not experienced the full trials that his
father had.
Lucius and his father halted upon reaching the rest
of the group, the members of which had already started to form a sort of
circle. The slight breeze that ruffled through the trees' leaves seemed to be
lacking in the circle, almost as if a sort of spell was placed to maintain the
stiff, eerie silence. Lucius had very rarely felt
fearful in his life, but there was something that was just different about this
situation.
He knew what was to happen tonight; he had known for months, and looked forward
to the event for even longer. But, no matter how strongly the young man tried,
he could not fully suppress the feeling of anxiety, a feeling some might even
call terror, that seemed to grip his soul. The feeling aggravated him. Terror, fear, regret . . . all were feelings unfit to show
in front of the Dark Lord. His father had told him as much in the past few
weeks.
Get it together, Lucius, he thought to himself
as the minutes ticked by. Tonight, everything changes. For tonight, he
would be joining the ranks of those who fought for the true Wizarding
world. Tonight, he would become a Death Eater.
Time crawled by agonizingly slowly, or at least it seemed that way to Lucius. He felt like he had been standing next to his
father in the circle of Death Eaters for hours, but after looking at his watch
(an action that made Abraxas glance down harshly at
his son), he saw that only ten minutes had passed. Finally, he could take the
silent waiting no longer.
"Father," he hissed out of the side of his mouth, and Abraxas
acknowledged his son with a slight nod of his head. "Father, what are we
waiting for, exactly?"
"The Dark Lord had other things to attend to before coming here," the elder Malfoy muttered to his son. "Now, Lucius, wait," he said.
Lucius did not have to wait much longer after the
conversation with his father for things to happen. Only a few moments had
passed before a cold sort of chill fell over him, and judging by the actions of
everyone else in the circle, they had all felt it too. A wind had started to
pick up, whereas before there had been nothing. The Death Eaters' black robes
whipped around their owners as the wind picked up, but just as suddenly as the
weather had began, it had ceased, and the forest was plunged back into the
stony, eerie silence of before. However, things were not exactly the same. The
Death Eaters were no longer alone in the forest.
For, standing imperiously in the centre of the gathered circle, was a tall,
thin figure, his own black robes falling smoothly to the ground and thick hood
pulled low over his head. He did not move at first, but he soon reached up with
two, pale, long-fingered hands and lowered his hood, revealing a face unlike
any that Lucius had ever seen. It was deathly pale,
though not sickly, and a vibrant pair of scarlet eyes gleamed out, glaring at
each of the circled Death Eaters (and the Slytherins)
in turn. Lucius did not need anyone to tell him who
this newest arrival was. Though he had never set eyes upon the Dark Lord
before, this was a wizard who needed no introduction. The Dark Lord just
released an automatic air of importance, greatness, and ultimate power. It was
obvious for the first time, just then, why this one wizard had been able to
gain a reputation as quickly as he did, for by all accounts, he had only been
known for several months.
A tug on the young Slytherin's arm jerked him from
his thoughts and down towards the forest floor, kneeling next to his father,
his blond head bowed low in imitation. Lucius felt a
shiver run the entire length of his spine, and he tried to repress the shudder.
Even though he was not looking at the Dark Lord, he felt the powerful wizard's
gaze on him, a gaze that seemed to say that with one look, he would be able to
know absolutely everything about the young Slytherin.
It was a feeling that did not please Lucius very
much. The terror that had sought to grip him earlier in the night threatened to
rise once again, gripping him to the point of paralysis, but the Slytherin shoved it down, a quick swallow the only sign
that some discomfort was even present.
That swallow, though, seemed to be enough to catch the Dark Lord's attention. Lucius, his gaze still focussed on the ground in front of
him, saw a pair of black-booted feet appear, stopping
directly in front of him. A cold voice then spoke.
"Rise," it said, and Lucius felt his heart stop for
the briefest of moments. "Rise, young Malfoy."
And so he rose, still keeping his eyes averted from those of the Dark Lord's.
It was an action that the Slytherin seventh-year
hated. He normally always glared at people in the eyes; it was a way to wear
them down; it showed just who the one in higher status was. But here, Lucius knew he had to take the deferent role. As much as
that fact irked him, no one could stand on equal footing with the Dark Lord.
"Look at me," the Dark Lord said, and this time Lucius
had no choice. He met the scarlet gaze of the powerful wizard with his own grey
eyes, and with that brief action, the fear, terror, and anxiety assaulted him
stronger than ever, seeking to swallow him whole and destroy him. Don't show
it, he thought, the words of his father and his father's friends ringing in
his ears. Show deference, but never show fear. Those words seemed a bit
pointless now, though. When the two wizards' gazes locked, Lucius
felt the overwhelming feeling of being completely exposed to the world, every
one of his secrets laid bare for viewing. Memories and thoughts -- some recent,
some much older -- flew through his mind, and he knew that the Dark Lord was
seeing everything just as he did. A part of the Slytherin
wanted desperately to put up the shields of Occlumency
that he had, but he did not want the Dark Lord to think he was hiding anything.
"Why are you here?" asked the Dark Lord, his powers still going through Lucius's mind. For a brief moment, Lucius
hesitated in his answer. What do I say? he
thought, the feeling of being exposed shutting his mind off from thought.
Finally, he just settled on a safe, all-around answer.
"To join you," he answered, and then he felt the Dark Lord break the connection
that had been created by the Legilimency.
"And do you come of your own free will?" he asked, his tone tinged with
something like wonder or curiosity.
"Of course, My Lord," replied Lucius, giving his head
a slight bow. "I have freely chosen to join your cause."
The Dark Lord grinned, and turned away from Lucius,
seemingly to address the entire group of gathered Death Eaters.
"He says that he has freely chosen to join me," said the Dark Lord, his cold
voice reverberating throughout the forest and entering the ears of every Death
Eater gathered that night. "The seventeen-year-old student speaks simply. There
are no fanciful boasts or hidden implications in his words. There is just the
simple answer."
All of the Death Eaters started mumbling to each other, but Lucius
could not catch any of the specific words said. Were they in favour of him or
not? There was really no way to tell. He risked a quick glance over to his
father, who did not show any displeasure on his face. That, at least, was a
good sign. The older Malfoy met his son's gaze and
gave a brief nod of the head, seemingly in answer to his son's thoughts -- Was that a right answer?
It was then that the Dark Lord turned back to look at Lucius,
his scarlet gaze locked on the pale face of the Slytherin.
The same feelings as before gripped their claws around the young wizard's
heart, freezing him to the spot with fear. But Lucius
knew what was to happen next; his father had already filled him in on most of
the workings of an initiation. The time had come to show confidence beyond
anything that he had this night . . . the Dark Mark would soon grace the pale
skin of his left arm, forever identifying him as a Death Eater and joining him
to the Dark Lord. Repressing the urge to swallow his fear, Lucius
just kept staring straight ahead, shoving the fear down and away, while trying
to replace it with as much confidence as he could find.
This is it, he thought as the Dark Lord halted directly in front of him,
withdrawing a wand from his robes. He held the magical instrument calmly down
at his side, almost nonchalantly. Lucius braced
himself for the marking ritual, but it did not come. Instead, the Dark Lord
leaned in closer to the young Slytherin and whispered
quietly.
"What special knowledge or service do you hope to offer the Dark Lord for
giving you the honour of being among his followers?"
The moment that the question had left the Dark Lord's mouth, Lucius realised he was in trouble. He did not have an
answer, and if he wanted to be honest, he had never even thought about it. A
small part of him wanted to glance at his father, but the notion was
immediately dismissed in the young wizard's mind. Looking at Abraxas would not be a wise decision. Lucius
was left on his own to answer.
Special service? he
thought, trying to wrap his mind around anything that he could say to impress
the Dark Lord. However, impressing him was not the only thing that had to be
done . . . the young Slytherin had to be honest. The
Dark Lord had already shown that he was vastly skilled at the powers of Legilimency. Lying to him would get Lucius
nothing but a curse from the powerful wizard.
Time ticked by as he searched for an answer to the Dark Lord's question.
Nothing came to mind, and so Lucius just went in what
he hoped was a safe direction. It was the truth, anyways.
"Political, social, and financial influence, My Lord," Lucius
responded. "As the son of one of the oldest and wealthiest families in the Wizarding World, I have the capability for far-reaching
influence in government and other forms of 'legal' power."
For a moment, everything was silent, as the Dark Lord did not give any response
to Lucius's answer right away. Rather, he just looked
at him, his scarlet eyes glaring at and searching the young wizard. Lucius felt his heart pound with the intensity of the Dark
Lord's stare and examination, though he repressed any outward motions that would
show the fear.
Several minutes passed in this manner -- no one speaking and the Dark Lord
examining Lucius. But eventually, the powerful wizard
spoke, though his words were not what Lucius had
originally expected to hear.
"Do you think so, young Malfoy?" he asked. Lucius did not have a chance to make any answer to this
next question, because the next second, the Dark Lord had pointed his wand at
the Slytherin. "Crucio,"
he muttered.
The pain that tore through Lucius caused him to
collapse to the ground, though he managed to remain on his knees. A scream
threatened to rise, but he bit in back angrily, the arrogant aristocrat in him
refusing to show such a blatant sign of weakness. Besides, this was not the
first time that the young wizard had been on the receiving end of a Cruciatus Curse, but it was, by far and with no question,
the worst. His nerves were on fire, and the pain made him want to claw out of
his skin, just to escape. But it was not held for long. The curse was lifted
only seconds after having been fired.
"Arrogance should be kept in check, Lucius," replied
the Dark Lord. "All my Death Eaters must also be able to deal with pain; the Cruciatus was simply a sample. I guarantee that the
punishment will be worse should you disappoint me."
"I understand, My Lord."
"Do you?" hissed the Dark Lord, his pale face inches in front of Lucius's. The young Slytherin was
not given a moment to respond, for, as soon as the Dark Lord had spoken, Lucius felt himself being pulled forwards, almost like he
had grasped a Portkey, and hurling along, the forest
completely disappearing around him in a blur of dark shadows, only to be
replaced by a large room.
This large room was furnished in a cheaply-elegant manner, to be honest. The
furniture was the type that tried to imitate expense and rarity, but in
actuality really was just a piece of tacky, mass-produced junk. Dark wood
panels made up the walls of the room, and the ceiling was coloured a light
blue. With just a few quick glances around, Lucius
knew where he was.
"The Ministry," he muttered, his grey eyes finding the entrance to the Atrium.
It appeared that he arrived inside one of the higher officials' private offices
-- a head of department or something. But why? he thought, his mind not finding an answer for some time,
before something clicked.
"Is it some sort of a test?" the young Slytherin
wondered aloud. As he spoke, Lucius made his way
through the office, stepping over to the wooden desk and examining the contents
that stocked the drawers and littered the top. Nothing extraordinary seemed to
be here, and he could not figure out why he had been sent here, if that was,
indeed, what had happened.
After slamming the final drawer in frustration, the young wizard shoved his
hair from his eyes and, upon hearing a voice, looked up.
"Who's there?" he asked, but no one answered. "Hello?"
The only response to his question was the flickering of the candles that
littered the office. Every single one of them flickered until, simultaneously,
they all went out, plunging the room into complete darkness.
"Damn," he hissed, and whispering, "Lumos,"
lit his wand. It was then, with only a thin beam of wand light to see by, that Lucius saw it.
In front of the young Slytherin was a large candle,
one that stood floating in mid-air and, like the others in the office, was not
alight. As he watched it, though, the wick of the candle burst into flame,
creating one of the largest flames that Lucius had
ever seen on a candle. But as soon as the vision had appeared, the candle and
its flame disappeared from sight, plunging the room into complete darkness once
more. The darkness only lasted a second, though, before the normal candles of
the room lit back up, and everything was like it had been.
Well, everything was almost like it had been. For, standing in the air
right where the giant candle had been, was a thick cloud of black smoke. It was
swirling in and out, coming closer together and then growing further apart. It
was always moving, and Lucius could do nothing but
watch it, his eyes entranced and his wand held loosely at his side.
Eventually, the black smoke ceased its swirling around uselessly, and instead
manipulated itself, forming itself into letters and words, right in the centre
of the office.
By entering here, a talent you claimed.
To test your ability, is the reason I was named.
By seeking the Dark Lord, you sought to play a game, as do I
If you succeed in what you claimed, I assure you, you
will not die.
Through these doors on the right, is your test:
A decree is up for voting, I do not jest.
You claimed to have influence in political affairs;
Show your talents, the Dark Lord dares.
The smoky words did not disappear, but rather remained floating in the air,
directly in front of Lucius. A creaking sound forced
the young wizard's gaze from the riddle-type poem and over towards his right,
where a pair of tall, wooden doors was swinging wide open, revealing a
currently-dark corridor beyond.
With a heavy sigh, Lucius glanced back up at the
words once more, reading through everything again, and set off through the
doors to meet his "test."
~*~
"Everyone in favour of the decree," shouted an older gentleman in long purple
robes. Only around six people in the currently-filled 177-people chamber raised
their hands. "All opposed?" The room was filled with raised hands at this
question.
Lucius rose from his seat near the back of the room,
a grin on his face in response to the results. It hadn't been too hard to
convince the councils that it really was in their best interests to stop the
ludicrous decree (something about Muggle rights or
other such nonsense). All it took was a few donations in the right places, a
bit of arm-twisting, so to speak, and voila! Success.
As the young Slytherin left the room, shutting the
pair of double doors behind him, he felt a tug, like he had grasped a Portkey, and with a flash of very bright white light,
disappeared from the official Ministry buildings and landed right back in the
centre of the dark forest, the Dark Lord standing in front of him and the
circle of Death Eaters surrounding the two.
"You succeeded," the Dark Lord said, the words clearly
not a question.
"I did, My Lord," responded Lucius, bowing his head
in respect. "The decree was denied."
The Dark Lord gave a slight smile before bidding Lucius
to raise his head. "Then you have proven yourself, young Malfoy,
and are now truly ready." He gave a slight nod of his head to each side, and
two large Death Eaters approached their Master, each lowering their heads as
they stood silently at the Dark wizard's side.
Lucius could tell that the other Death Eaters in the
circle were moving around, repositioning themselves or something. The sounds of
whispered voices, rustled cloaks, and heavy footfalls echoed in his ears, along
with the giant and loud pounding of his heart. He knew that now was finally the
time. He had passed the final test, and he would be receiving the Dark Mark.
He scanned his eyes quickly around the gathering of Death Eaters, searching for
his father's face, but it was to no avail. If his father was still present (and
Lucius figured that he would be), Abraxas
was not acknowledging his son.
"Lucius Malfoy," said the
Dark Lord, and Lucius's attention was immediately
brought back to the actual ceremony (if one wanted to call it such). "You came
to me of your own free will," he said. "You answered that you wanted to join
me, and have subsequently passed all tests and obstacles thrown in your path
with this initiation. Are you still prepared to take the Mark?"
"Of course, My Lord," answered Lucius, his head
bowed. "It is my wish to join you."
The Dark Lord nodded in response to Lucius's words
and motioned to the ground at his feet. Lucius took
the hint, and knelt down, keeping his head bowed. One of the Death Eaters
standing on the Dark Lord's sides walked forward, placing a thin,
black-feathered quill in Lucius's right hand. He was
followed by the other one, who stood in front of the kneeling Slytherin, a thick, leather-bound black book held in his
hands. The second Death Eater opened the book to an empty page somewhere near
the middle of the object and extended it outward, holding it right in front of Lucius.
"You have proven yourself worthy to join me, Lucius,"
said the Dark Lord. "With your vow of eternal loyalty, you sign in blood,
acknowledging all you have spoken, binding your words, and ensuring the truth
in them." The Dark Lord gave a nod to Lucius, which
the young wizard took to mean it was time to sign in the book. So, trying to
keep his right hand from shaking with fear, he lifted it to sign in the book.
The moment he wrote the first word, he felt the skin on the back of his hand
rip open and, glancing down, saw his letters on the page mirrored on his skin.
Lucius Malfoy
The moment he had completed his surname, the Death Eater slammed the book shut,
the other snatching the quill from the seventeen-year-old's
hand. Once the two wizards had their respective objects, they went back to
their places in the circle.
"Give me your arm," said the Dark Lord, and Lucius
extended his left arm. The Dark Lord grasped his long, white fingers around Lucius's wrist and placed the cool tip of his wand to the Slytherin's pale skin. He hissed and whispered in languages
that Lucius did not understand, and at a speed that
was impossible to grasp for the young man. All he was aware of was the stinging
pain that was currently shooting up his arm, going from his wrist to his
shoulder. His arm wanted to tense up and shake uncontrollably, but he would not
let it. (That, and the Dark Lord had such a firm grasp
on his wrist that Lucius doubted he would even be
able to.) Within moments, though, the pain had ended, and the Dark Lord had
released his grip.
Lucius took a second to glance down at his arm.
There, gleaming a deep black on his pale skin, stared the skull, a snake
twirling and twisting its way from the mouth of the skull and around. If one
watched the serpent long enough, they could almost have thought it actually
moved. But of course, such was just an illusion.
"Rise, Lucius," hissed the Dark Lord, and Lucius stumbled to his feet. "Join your brethren as one of
my Death Eaters."
And those words, combined with the image of the Dark Mark on his arm, made Lucius smile.
~**~
Author's Note: I decided to split this fic
into two parts, as it was quite lengthy when all put into one. I hope you
enjoyed this first part, and please, let me know what you think.
~Megan