The Footsteps of my Father

The Footsteps of my Father

Chapter Twenty

- All Alone -

He Apparated in a clearing that was surrounded by torches. A large group of hooded men stood in a semi-circle around a pedestal, all wearing the white, terrific masks of the Death Eaters.

He strode up into the semi-circle, keeping his hood down low. Lord Voldemort stood facing his Death Eaters, his red eyes scanning the crowd. They landed on him. "Come forth," the Dark Lord beckoned and he did.

"My Lord," he said, kneeling and bowing his head.

"Rise." He did. "You have served me well. You have given valuable information on her parents whereabouts, and with your knowledge, we have rid ourselves of six Aurors. You are more than worthy to receive the Dark Mark. Is that what you wish?"

"Of course, my Lord," he said, bowing his head.

The Dark Lord looked around at his Death Eaters. "All of you should be ashamed." The Death Eaters cringed slightly. "This boy," the Dark Lord said, pointing to him, "has given me more information in the past year than all of you have in twenty years!"

"I'm sorry, my Lord," the Death Eaters chorused, falling to the ground, their heads bowed.

"Get up!" the Dark Lord snapped and the Death Eaters bolted up, standing rigid. "We need all the information we can get, for our war is beginning yet again, and this time, we . . . will . . . not . . . fail." The Dark Lord turned his gaze back on him. "Come here."

He stepped forward and the Dark Lord held out his wand.

"Although you are not as old as most beginning Death Eaters, you have proven yourself quite worthy. You rid yourself of your ties to the light and your blood-line has been proved pure. Why do you seek the service of the Dark Lord?"

"Knowledge, power, and purity."

"And what is the knowledge that you seek?"

"The knowledge of the Dark Arts."

"What is the power that you seek?"

"Whatever power my Lord believes worthy of giving me," he said, bowing his head.

"And what purity do you seek?"

"The purity of the wizarding world."

Voldemort nodded. His fiery gaze penetrated him and he could feel that he was being inspected very thoroughly. He felt like his skin had disappeared and that Voldemort could see straight through him. It was not a pleasant feeling.

"Very well. I accept your service. Hold out your left arm."

He did so, rolling back his sleeve. Just bite your lip and don't cry out, or you're doomed, he thought.

Waves of fire coursed through his arm as he was branded with the Dark Mark. Searing white-hot pain gripped him and it took every ounce of will-power that he owned to not cry out.

However, when it was finished, he looked down at his arm, the pain receding, and saw the brilliant black of the Dark Mark gleaming in the torchlight. He let his sleeve drop.

He kneeled, his head bowed. "Thank you, my Lord."

"Rise, Dominic Francis Conner, and join the ranks of the Death Eaters."

Dominic stood, a small smile on his lips, and pulled the white mask down over his face, his hood coming down a bit in front. He walked backwards; his head bowed and stood in his place amongst the Death Eaters.

* * *

Swift as a fox and completely invisible, Dominic swept into Hogwarts, following a Ravenclaw to Ravenclaw Tower. The common room was nearly empty, for everyone was asleep, preparing to board the Hogwarts Express the following morning. He crept silently up to Ari's room and over to her bed, where she lay, her face stained with tears. He felt a slight twinge inside, looking down at her.

He swallowed, erasing the feeling, and pulled out a small letter from the pocket of his robe. He set it down on her bedside table, glad that her owl wasn't in the room at the time. Looking back at her pained face, he lifted his white mask. Leaning close to her, he whispered, "Please forgive me. I'm sorry. I love you," and kissed her. Then he threw back on his mask and muttering, "Evanesco" he disappeared.

* * *

A soft rustling noise awoke Sindaria and she sat up in her bed, looking around the empty room. Marissa was the only other person that was in this room with Sindaria now, but currently she was downstairs in the common room.

Sindaria touched two fingers to her lips. She could have sworn that someone else had been there, but it probably had been her imagination. Glancing at Firaxis' empty cage, she sighed. Firaxis had left two nights ago and still wasn't back. Of course, he was probably busy hunting or just stretching his wings before the long ride home the next morning.

Fresh tears trickled down her cheeks as she looked around the empty room. Liriel . . . why did you have to die? Where are you Raven? Where did they take you? It was all my fault! I should never have let you two borrow my Invisibility Cloak! If I hadn't, you would be here with me, right now. But you're not. You're gone . . . and you're never coming back . . . Why is everyone that I care about gone? Gabriel . . . . Sarah . . . . my family. She put her hands over her face, sobbing.

It had been so hard for the past month. Every class that she went to, she sat alone, for all her closest friends were gone. In the common room, she kept looking at the door, hoping, desperately hoping that Liriel would run in at the last second with a pile of books, urging Sindaria to study. Or that Raven would run in with her huge smile, telling Sindaria the latest prank that she and the Weasley twins had played, hopping up onto the table to announce something and make everyone laugh.

It was so silent now and Sindaria sat by herself at one of the tables, books piled around her, trying to shut out reality. She kept hearing Raven's laugh in her head and seeing Liriel's smiling face. And Alex . . . . he was in Azkaban. And he was innocent. Alex's face flashed before her eyes, a huge grin plastered on his face just after blowing up yet another object. And then the picture from the paper flashed before her, the haunted look on his face, the grin gone, struggling with the Dementors that held him tightly.

She had gone through the exams in a daze and didn't remember much except that she kept burying herself in her books, trying to ignore the grief that washed over her every time she saw something that reminded her of her best friends. The box that Raven had given her sat in her lap and she hugged it close; the only thing she had left. Liriel's blanket covered her knees and it was the only way she could be close to the two people that she had lost.

Sindaria opened the box and pulled out a picture of Raven, Liriel, and her in the common room. Raven was dancing around on a table top, making jokes, the entire common room laughing. Liriel was shaking her head, laughing, trying to study. She watched as Raven walked across the table where Sindaria, herself, was sitting and hauled her up onto the table. They began doing a reenactment of the day in History of Magic when Raven stalked Professor Binns. Then they collapsed onto the table, laughing hard. Liriel, by this time, had put down her book and was laughing as hard as they were. Sindaria watched as Raven rolled off the table, landing on the ground, still laughing uncontrollably. Then, Liriel grabbed pillows off of the couch and began throwing them at Raven. A huge pillow fight erupted and at the finish, the three girls threw their arms around each other, grinning into the picture.

The pain gripped her in her chest and she sobbed even more. You're all gone . . . . what am I going to do? I have no one left . . .

She rested her elbows on her upraised knees and laid her chin on top of her arms. She turned her head to the side and noticed an envelope sitting on her bedside table. That wasn't there earlier . . . at least, I don't think it was. She reached over, wiping her tears from her eyes with one hand and picking up the envelope with the other. Leaning back against her headboard, she turned the envelope over, and her eyes widened as she recognized the seal. The Conners! But then her heart fell. The envelope looked too worn to be new. It looked a few months old, and so . . . he couldn't possibly have been there. Dominic, Sindaria thought, tears springing to her eyes. Where are you?

She broke the seal with shaking fingers and pulled out the letter:

Dear Ari,

When I first saw you, I saw an angel. You radiated happiness and peace and I knew at that point, I loved you. You made me see past my inner darkness and you helped me begin to heal.

You are the best friend I should have had a long time ago. You are my guardian angel and my soul mate, Ari, and I don't know what I would do without you.

I don't know where I'll be when you are reading this. For all I know, I could be dead and I am sorry, for if I am, I have failed you. When you needed me the most, I wasn't there.

I'm deeply sorry that I haven't been there for you for the past few months and I know it's been so hard for you. We've both lost people that we cared about, and I'm so sorry that you had to bear all that pain and suffering. There were circumstances beyond my control and I fear I am lost to you.

I don't know if we will see each other again; I pray we do, but certain circumstances may not allow that. But, I urge you to stay with your father. He's all that you have left of family and, although he may be a Death Eater, that does not make him a bad man. Despite the mask that he wears, he cares about you deeply and doesn't want you to get hurt. I know he took you before the Dark Lord, but it was the only thing he could do to protect you. If the Dark Lord thought that your father was being unfaithful, you would be in grave danger, despite your extraordinary talents. Please trust him, for he is the last tie you have and the only person that you can hold onto. Please know that he will do anything to keep you safe. I trusted him and he kept me safe, even after the Death Eaters destroyed my home and murdered my parents. If not for him, I would have been killed. So please, trust him, Ari! If there is any way possible in heaven or hell, I will come back to you! I promise! Make the right choices, Ari, and don't become like me.

I love you,

Dominic

The tears flowed down her cheeks as Sindaria set down the letter. Oh, Dominic . . . please, don't be dead. I can't bear to lose you too. I'm already lost so much. Sindaria pulled her knees up to her chest, burying her head in her arms and legs, sobbing.