Full Circle

Chapter 16- Darkness Falls

"Do you honesty think this is the first time I've been to Hogwarts without you knowing, my dear Narcissa?" Lucius Malfoy cooed. "Now I must admit it has been a tad difficult since it is impossible to apparate within several square kilometers of this place, but certainly not enough to slow me down."

Narcissa forced her initial fear deep below her icy façade. "I'm not interested in how you got here, Lucius. I want to know why."

"The 'why' is simple. I want my lovely wife to return home with me...where she blongs."

Ginny stared wide-eyed at the couple, though neither of them was paying any attention to her. She half debated whether she could leave the room unobserved, but part of her also worried about what would happen to Professor Malfoy if she did.

"I can't, Lucius. All of this has just gone too far. I can never return to Malfoy Manor."

Crossing the room with proud strides, Lucius stood firmly in front of his wife. "You don't seem to understand the situation here. There is no such thing as divorce in the wizarding world, Narcissa. When you agreed to marry me, you essential signed over a life of servitude to me. We were wed in the great ancestral cathedral - there is no dissolving of this union."

Narcissa turned away from him. "I'm sure the ancestors would comprehend why I am unable to return to the home of my husband. After all that you've done-"

"Silence. I will not allow you to speak to me in such a way."

"She deserves to speak to you in any way she pleases," snarled the voice of Draco Malfoy. The blond haired boy glared defiantly at his father from the doorway of the music room.

"Ah, well if it isn't my only son, my flesh and blood. I see you've received my owl."

"About ten minutes ago. I was wondering what all this nonsense was about."

"Well, I wanted you to witness your father asking his wife for forgiveness and requesting that quite this little charade and come back home."

"I hate to break this to you, Lucius, but you're wasting your time. I don't care if you bring the bloody Minister of Magic here to observe your pathetic plea. I'm not leaving Hogwarts."

"So you admit that you are willingly denying my request?"

Mrs. Malfoy did not move a muscle. "Why would any sensible human being want to go back to an environment plagued with ritualistic abuse?"

Lucius chuckled to himself. "Now, Narcissa, you're overreacting," he said, attempting to put his arm around her.

"Step away from me!" she yelled, pulling away.

"Why you sassy little bitch-" Lucius drew his wand and pointed it at his wife. Before he even got the words out, Draco grabbed his father's arm at the elbow and sending the brunt of the spell off target. Narcissa ducked to her right and the flash of green light zipped forth and exploded in Ginny's face, forcing her body to fall back roughly on the stone ground.

With no regard for what he had just done, Lucius whipped around and grabbed his son by the collar of his shirt and slammed him up against the wall.

"How dare you assume that you are the man of this family with the capability of undermining my actions?" Draco struggled under his father's tightened grip. "Who do you think you are?"

"Don't...touch...my...mother!" He gasped.

"Or what?" his father sneered.

Draco spat through gritted teeth. "Or I'll kill you, Lucius."

Narcissa checked on Ginny quickly before climbing to her feet and pulling out her own wand. "Lucius! Put him down now!"

In the moment that he turned his attention away from his son, Draco gave him a swift kick in the knee, causing his father to drop him with an exhale of pain. "Bastard!" he growled under his breath.

Draco immediately ran to his mother's side. "Are you ok, mum?"

"Yes, dear. I'm fine. What about-" She felt a sharp sudden pull on her long blond hair as her husband dragged her to the floor. Falling to her knees, she stared up at Lucius pleadingly. "Don't hurt him, please!"

With his other hand, he pointed his wand at Draco's head. "Don't you dare move, Draco. You know full well that I will not hesitate in using an 'unforgivable' if need be." For a moment Draco hesitated, just long enough for Lucius to know what he was planning. "Accio wand," he called, and Draco's wand flew out of his robe pocket and into his father's hand. Lucius snorted in contempt. "Frankly, I thought a son of mine would be a little quicker than that."

This conversation reverberated within Ginny's head as she attempted to open her eyes. Reaching out her hands to touch her face, she was startled to feel her skin torn and bloody. All she could hear was the whimpers of Mrs. Malfoy. What the hell was going on? She wanted to scream. Blindly she patted the pocket of her robes until her hands fell upon what she was looking for. The only things that Ginny was sure of at this moment were that both mother and son were unarmed and Lucius was too busy to pay any attention to the injured Weasley in the corner.

The darkness enveloped her as she crawled unevenly to her feet and steadied herself against the wall. The muscles in her body still burned from the shock of the misdirected spell. Draco glanced up at her from behind his father's shoulder and immediately realized that Ginny was the only way out of this situation.

"Father, please. Let's be reasonable. A Malfoy never lets his temper get out of hand."

"What would you know about being a Malfoy, Draco? In the highest ranks of the wizarding world, you are considered a traitor to the family name. Never have I been so ashamed of blood relative as I am of you. Fortunately, your actions have not completely tarnished my image, in fact - in a backhanded way - it lead me to my current position."

Narcissa looked at her son and then back to her husband. "What are you talking about-"

"Silencio!" Lucius replied. Her mouth continued to move, but her words were noiseless. Turning back to Draco, Lucius went on with his explanation. "When the Lord's former right hand man discovered the news about Potter's future offspring, he felt so torn with guilt about past indiscretions, that he was compelled to travel to this school to warn the mother of the impending danger. Fortunately, even here amongst the good souls at Hogwarts, traitors are not received well. And then when his position opened up, the Lord felt that he needed a more intelligent wizard to aid him on his quest..."

"Father, this has gone too far. He's using you-"

"Mutareous vespertilio!" Ginny yelled as she limped forward, pointing her wand at the sound of his voice.

The room filled with a wretched screeching as a small black creature rose above the cloud of smoke and beat its wings frantically about. "Catch him!" She screamed as her legs collapsed under her.

"Get Severus!" Narcissa commanded and Draco bolted out of the room. She immediately turned her attention to the angry bat that was now her husband.

Within minutes, the chaos Lucius Malfoy created upon his arrival had subsided. Snape was lead to the music hall to find the bat floating through the air slowly as if frozen in time. He was quick to cage the animal and return to the dungeon to lock up the trespasser until further notice. Once the situation had de-escalated, Narcissa knelt beside the injured Ginny with a solemn look on her face.

"Thank Merlin those Gryffindors react so well under pressure," she sighed. Ginny groaned as Professor Malfoy began to levitate her body to the hospital wing.

Draco stood a few feet away and observed the scene with a frown. He couldn't begin to understand all that had just occurred. Here was a girl, a Weasley no less, who had done her best to help them out of danger with little regard for her own well-being. It just didn't make any sense. Was his mother correct to assume that it was simply "red and gold" rashness and bravery that her house so frequently represented? Or was there something more to this act of heroism?

For some strange reason, Draco found himself spending the entire evening by her bedside in the medical ward. He knew that because of her situation Hermione would be unable to visit and yet he couldn't help wonder where Ginny's brother was that night. Ron supposedly went to bed shortly after dinner, despite the fact he was fully aware that his sister had been injured. Yet while Draco watched Ginny intently while she slept, the scarlet blood washed clean from her face, he was guarded and suspicious. There were only a few locations young wizards would find themselves in the middle of the night and none of them was the place for Ron Weasley.

He practically tripped on his long black robe as he made himself down a sloping pathway to an underground meeting hall deep within the Forbidden Forest. If you were unaware of the secret passageway, you would easily walk right by it without ever noticing, since a person had to crawl under prickly shrubbery just to get near it. Yet here was Ron following his brother mentor Adam Cordella down into the Knight's Lair for his much coveted induction ceremony. After six weeks of hard work and dedication, the brothers had finally agreed to make Ron the newest member of their organization.

The hall was light by torches hung along the support beams that ran the length of the room. A long red carpet was flanked on either side by several dozen identically cloaked wizards, whose faces were all hidden from Ron's view. The carpet created a walkway to the front of the chamber where a huge crimson banner hung reading the words "Faternity - Potentia - Honour", the sacred motto of the Knights of Sauron. It was one of the first things Ron had learned when he agreed to petition for admittance. Brotherhood, Power, Honor.

The room went silent upon Ron's entrance as all eyes turned on him. "Welcome!" called a hooded man from the front of the hall. "Gentleman, after several weeks of devoted training, we are pleased to induct a new member into our society. I hope all of you treat our most recent affiliate with all the respect that he has so rightfully earned and help him to adjust to his new position within the wizarding community."

Ron shivered with anticipation and nervousness as he heard these words. Finally, he was being recognized for all the strengths and talents he possessed - he had found an association where he truly belonged. Ron hesitated for a moment until Adam nudged him in the back.

"Go on, Brother. The Master of Ceremonies is expecting you." Ron took a deep breath and walked forward the fifty long footsteps that it took to arrive at the front of the room. Remembering what Adam had told him before the induction, he quickly knelt down in before the hooded man.

"Brother Ron," the man's voice echoed throughout the chamber, "There are three qualities that we expect all our Knights to possess. Can you name them?"

Sharply he barked, "A Knight should always be strong of body, strong of mind and strong of soul."

"Correct," the Master responded. "What have you done to prove to the society that you have strength of body?"

"Sir, I have played for the Gryffindor Quidditch team for three years now and have been Captain for one. I have also completed the necessary endurance triathlon of swimming across the semi-frozen Fenwick Creek, running the length of Dead Man's Quarry, and climbing to the top of Mount Laurel."

"Fabulous. Now what have you done to prove you strength of mind?"

"Sir, I have been the wizarding chess champion at Hogwarts for five years and solved the Periwinkle Riddle given to me by my brother mentor."

"Wonderful. And your strength of soul?"

"Sir, I have been a school prefect for three years and I have led my team into two victories this year alone. I will complete any task assigned to me by the society."

The Master nodded. "Well, then, Brother Ron. Please place your right hand on the altar."

Ron glanced around the room looking for confirmation from Adam before proceeding. Part of him was convinced that the induction ceremony would involve sharp object, so he was pleasantly surprised when the Master pulled a shiny golden ring from his robe pocket.

Slipping the ring onto Ron's index finger, the Master exclaimed, "Congratulations, Brother Ron and welcome to the Knights of Sauron!" At the sound of these words, the other participants cheered and clapped their hands. Suddenly long wooden tables piled high with food appeared, much like they did at the sorting ceremony at Hogwarts, and goblets were swiftly being filled with wine. Ron thanked the Master of Ceremonies while Adam patted him on the back and handed him a drink.

"Well done, Ron - or should I address you as Brother Ron from now on?" Adam laughed.

"I really couldn't have done this without you," Ron replied.

"All you really needed was a push in the right direction. The potential was there from the very beginning, it was only a matter of realizing it."

Ron sat down at an empty place at the table and smiled. "Well, thank you for helping me reach this point, Adam."

"What are friends for?" Digging into the bountiful feast and dipping into the celebratory wine, the dozens of hooded wizards partied into the wee hours of the morning. Members told jokes, relayed stories and played games, much like any Gryffindor party Ron had attended. While dishing out stats on the most recent Chudley Cannons match, a young man sat down beside him and interrupted the conversation.

"Many congratulations, Ron. I always knew you'd be worthy of great things some day, once you started associating with the right type of people." Ron glanced up, startled by the familiarity of the voice.

"Percy? What in bloody hell are you doing here?"

Pulling back his hood to reveal his identity, Percy grinned smugly. "You think you're the first Weasley to buy into this piece of the pie? I should hope not."

Ron's eyes darted around the room before he leaned over to his brother. "Does Mum and Dad know about this?"

Percy pulled away. "Of course not. Knights only reveal their identity to other knights, unless they are official recruiters, like your friend Adam over there. And frankly, I don't think our parents would approve of our current status. Too old-fashioned to be concerned about personal success. You know we have never seen eye to eye on that subject."

"What about Penelope? Shouldn't you tell her?"

"Penelope is part of the reason I've become a member of this society. I am very fortunate to have such a smart, attractive girl agree to be my wife - I should do everything possible to ensure she has the best life possible. Between my Ministry position and the special perks I gain through this - I can certainly guarantee a nice house and comfortable lifestyle for my future family."

Part of Percy's self-absorbed speech caught Ron's attention. "Special perks?" he inquired.

"Yes. You'd be amazed at what you can receive if your place your right hand on a counter top in various stores and restaurants. Once a fellow member lays their eyes on your membership ring, suddenly your dinner is free or they throw an extra item into your shopping bag. Quite nice, actually."

Ron had to admit he was impressed.

"And just think about the promotions you can receive once you enter the workforce. Look over there by that portrait - that's Roger Davies. Just a year ago he was a peon working for the Portkey Office - now he is the assistant to the Head of the Department of Magical Transportation. Success is all about who you know."

Ron nodded and began to imagine what job he could have in store for him with the right connections. Perhaps Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports would be up his alley.

"Excuse me Brother Percy, but Master Sauron would like to speak with the new Brother Ron," Adam interjected, grabbing the youngest Weasley brother by the arm and pulling him out of the room and down a long darkened corridor. "Sorry to jump in like that, but when the Master requests the presence of someone, you must obey immediately."

So finally Ron was going to meet the head of this organization - a man that he had heard so much about. Adam had rambled on numerous occasions of Sauron's greatness - his wisdom, strength and power - and now this legend wants to introduce himself to his newest member. Ron ran his fingers through his hair and straightened his robe before entering the Master's chambers.

The room was dim, lit only from the glowing embers of the fireplace. A hooded man stood with his back to Ron, his hands clasped behind his back while beside him stood a tall woman with long black hair, stirring the firewood with a thin iron poker. The two had been engaged in conversation that had fallen to an abrupt halt when Ron entered.

Without turning around, the Master said "Good Evening, Ron Weasley. What a pleasure it is to finally meet you. Adam has told me many wonderful things about our newest prospect."

"Well thank you sir," Ron replied, taking a few steps into the room.

"Now I'm sure you're curious as to why I am calling you into my office this evening. As well you should be. Well, you see - while I am always impressed with a Knight's ability to display strength of body, mind and soul - what concerns me most about truly gifted members is their ability to show dedication and loyalty to the cause at hand. Now if I remember correctly during your induction ceremony, you said that you would complete any task assigned to you by the society?"

"Yes, sir. You heard me correctly. I am devoted to the Knights of Sauron."

Staring at the fire, the Master continued. "And how important is your family to you, Mr. Weasley?"

"Well, sir. My family is very important to me, sir. They have helped make me the man I am today." Ron was growing anxious about not having a face-to-face conversation with this man and having no idea why this woman seemed to be ignoring him.

"Good, good. I appreciate a wizard who has a strong appreciation for family. Now on to the special task I have for you. Please take a seat."

Feeling honored, Ron gratefully sat down on the sofa across from the plush high backed chair the Master was now taking as his own. The woman also moved, so that she was standing behind the sofa on Ron's right hand side.

"Ron, I'm aware that you are familiar with a certain Harry Potter and Hermione Granger."

"Umm...yes, sir. But they are not aware of my membership in the Knights of Sauron. I haven't really spoken to either of them in the past few months, sir."

"That does not matter. What is important is that you are familiar with Ms. Granger's hidden location and will lead me to her bedside at the time of her child's birth. No questions asked. If you are not willing to do this task, you will have betrayed me and the associates of this order and I will be forced to send out Brothers to seek out and kill the members of your family. Have I made myself perfectly clear?"

Before Ron could even answer, the woman leaned over and grabbed his right arm, slid back the sleeve to his black robe and tapped his skin with the tip of her wand. Muttering incoherent Latin phrases, he felt a burning sensation rise up from his veins and pierce his skin like the edge of a blunt knife. Crying out in pain, she let him go and Ron fell to his knees on the floor. His hand grasped his arm as a scar began to form. Looking up, he could see more clearly into the masked face of Master Sauron - noting for the first time, his tattered flesh and glowing red eyes...