The Future Will Be Better Tomorrow

The Future Will Be Better Tomorrow: Chapter Seventeen

Harry pulled out a sword, the sword of Godric Gryffindor he had pulled out in his second year at Hogwarts, and everyone seemed to freeze and look at him.

But before anything else could happen Bellatrix ran up, snatched the Hat away, and plunged her hand into it, and pulled out this crystal phial filled with this clear liquid.

The first thought that crossed Marcus' mind was the Phial of Galadriel, but really, he should stop being so unrealistic. What was he thinking?

Then he thought, Veritaserum?

Bellatrix dropped the hat, and passed the phial to the Dark Lord, a triumphant grin on her face.

Ernie Macmillan then picked up the hat, tentatively put his hand into it, and pulled out this little wooden casket.

He opened it, to find that it contained some glittery powder. He looked around as if for guidance, but it was not as if anyone else knew what it was.

A Ravenclaw girl, by the name of Luna Lovegood, picked up the Hat and tried to fish something out of it as well, but nothing came. She passed it to Su Li, another Ravenclaw girl, who failed to get anything out of it.

Worried looks flickered across the faces of the students, especially Luna Lovegood and Su Li. Were they not truly Ravenclaws then?

A Ravenclaw boy tried and failed too, and in his desperation he put on the hat, which began to talk.

The Hat told them about how all the students had to unite and protect Hogwarts from any attack, and that a thousand years ago, each of the founders had put a gift into the hat to protect the students should an attack occur. Godric Gryffindor put in his sword, Helga Hufflepuff put in healing powder that healed any wounds, Rowena Ravenclaw had made the Hat (for Godric actually, but Godric let her use the hat as her gift to Hogwarts), and Salazar Slytherin, after much thinking, bottled a little of the 'greatest power', which could end any battle.

Then they all looked at the Dark Lord who was holding the phial. It was what they needed, wasn't it? It could end any battle. They didn't care what it was; they just wanted it because they knew that it could help them.

But it was now with the Dark Lord. All the students began chattering away, as if they were planning some strategy to obtain the phial.

The Death Eaters had triumphant looks on their faces, and some looked as if they were going to resume battling when the Dark Lord threw the phial on the ground and broke it, grinning maliciously.

The liquid seeped into the ground and disappeared before any effect could take place. The Dark Lord walked towards Harry Potter, and laughed in his usual high-pitched, mirthless way.

Harry was gripping the sword of Godric Gryffindor, and he looked very nervous. Some of the people around him began to back away.

The Dark Lord stopped in front of Harry, a sinister smile curled across his lips. He leant forward, and looked at Harry as if to challenge him.

"I killed your parents, I killed Cedric Diggory, I caused so much trouble in your life and now I just destroyed what might be your only hope to win the battle."

The smile on his face grew even wider.

"Don't you just--hate me?"

Harry tightened his grip on the sword.

"It would be so easy, wouldn't it? Go on, swing the sword."

A look of determination crossed Harry's face.

"Go on, and you can kill me once and for all."

"Harry, no! He's tricking you!" Ron called.

"Go on, wouldn't you like to avenge your parents? Sirius Black? Cedric Diggory?"

"No, Harry, no!" Hermione shouted.

"Go on, and you can end this once and for all. Your scar wouldn't bother you anymore, you'd be lauded as the greatest hero of our time, and you'd be rid of me! I know you want that. Go on."

Harry pursed his lips, trying to fight the urge to stab the Dark Lord there and then. He looked to his side, where his friends shook their heads. He inhaled deeply, as if considering the prospects, and then swung the sword and stabbed the Dark Lord in the chest.

The Dark Lord laughed and grabbed Harry's hand, which was still gripping the sword, which he had not removed from the Dark Lord yet.

"You committed your first murder, Harry Potter," he said, an insane smile across his face.

Then he laughed again, let go of Harry's hand, and he began to dissolve into a powder of some sort, which faded away.

Harry's hand was still fixed in the same position, and there were no bloodstains on the sword. He lowered it slowly to the ground, trying to comprehend what just happened.

"H--Harry, are you OK?" Hermione said, stepping forward.

"Don't touch me!" Harry yelled at her.

And before anything else could happen the doors to the Great Hall flew open and there stood Dumbledore, the members of the Order of the Phoenix and several Ministry personnel, including the Aurors.

And they stared at each other for a while, before Dumbledore spoke up and asked them to tell him what happened, one at a time.

"He--You-Know-Who came and disappeared!" Seamus began, and all the students joined in.

Dumbledore told everyone to calm down, and then suddenly there was a gasp of horror from behind Dumbledore.

"P-Percy! I-is that you?" Molly Weasley gasped.

"Yes, why? Anything wrong?" Percy replied nonchalantly.

Molly Weasley clutched her heart, wheezing, and fainted into Arthur Weasley, who looked equally stunned. Percy's elder brothers were standing around; one of them was fanning Mrs. Weasley and the other gave Percy a contemptuous look. Marcus was on the verge of speaking up for Percy, but then Snape caught his eye, and there was just something about seeing your old housemaster that was very humbling.

And suddenly it reeked of the Barty Crouch fiasco, what with Arthur as Minister and Percy as a Death Eater. Marcus felt somewhat worried, for both of them, really. Dumbledore ordered the Aurors to capture the Death Eaters, and he and the Hogwarts staff would stay behind to take care of the students, who will be sent home after Dumbledore had spoken to them.

As the Aurors and several Order members stepped forward Rodolphus raised his wand and cut Remus Lupin across the arm, then grabbed Pettigrew and stuck Pettigrew's sliver fingers and stuck them into the deep cut. Lupin twitched a little, then turned slightly green and collapsed on the ground, unconscious, poisoned by the silver.

With a manic smile on his face Rodolphus then snapped his wand in two and threw it on the ground.

Bellatrix followed suit, and soon all the Death Eaters broke their wands too.

Ernie had rushed forward with the healing powder, and told them to use it, but Lupin was too far poisoned. The powder healed the cut, but did not remove the silver in his body.

"Go join your little sweetheart," Bellatrix spat at Lupin.

Arthur Weasley gave Mad-Eye Moody some instructions, and the Death Eaters were taken off to what looked like a Muggle warehouse.

They were stuffed into it, and the door was locked.

"At least it's not Azkaban," Rabastan said in some attempt to break the silence.

He was replied with grins from everyone else, and they began to laugh.

Then Bellatrix began to cry first and some of them followed.

The warehouse was completely empty except for them and some lit gas lamps. They gathered the gas lamps in the middle and sat around them. There was a row of ventilation windows at the top of the warehouse, where the walls met the ceiling. The floor was dusty, and there was a musty smell about the place. On the side facing the door there were two doors, which they later found were toilet cubicles, and they began to groan about the conditions of the place.

For the rest of the night they sat there, some leaning on the person next to them and occasionally they talked and they would end up either laughing or crying. Despite whatever the Dark Lord said about his returning through Harry Potter they were never going to see him again, and everyone felt this immeasurable sense of loss.

*

The next day they were awoken by some knocks on the door, and then Dumbledore walked in.

Dumbledore passed them some buckets and mops and cleaning detergent. He told them that they would have the entire morning to clean the warehouse, he would return for further action. Marcus was certain he caught an amused glint in Dumbledore's eyes.

When they left the Death Eaters looked at each other, then Rodolphus whined that he shouldn't have broken his wand.

Antonin whined about having to do manual labour again, and they started work.

No one wanted to clean the toilets, and after some rounds of random choosing methods it was decided that Nott and Travers were the ones to do so.

Then they complained about the upper parts of the warehouse, because none of them could reach it without magic.

At noon Dumbledore entered again, this time with Professor McGonagall, Mad-Eye Moody and Amelia Bones. He surveyed the warehouse for a while, and then conjured up enough beds for them all, along with bedside tables and between the two toilets (for they were at a corner each) he conjured up a wardrobe.

The beds lined the sides of the warehouse, with the bedside tables in between the beds. The front part of the warehouse was partitioned off with a wall that had windows, and Marcus saw them move some sofa sets and a desk into that area.

When they were done they came back in, and they were told that the area that was partitioned off was where a security guard would be, and it was also the visiting room. In the wardrobe they would find some spare bed sheets and blankets. Their meals would be passed to them when it was mealtime, and their belongings would be brought to them soon. They would all be tried, and the first trial would start in two days.

Amelia Bones presented them with a schedule of their trials, and Dumbledore asked if they had any questions.

Avery raised his hand and asked if they could subscribe to the Daily Prophet, and Dumbledore agreed to it. Then Dumbledore asked them to make a list of personal belongings they required, which would be brought to them this evening.

The watchwizard arrived and sat at the security desk, and Professor McGonagall talked to him for a while. When they were done with their lists Dumbledore bade them farewell.

In the evening their things did arrive, and Marcus was glad to find that they let him have all his books and his records and his record player.

Soon, some of the Death Eaters were arguing over the allocated wardrobe space. Apparently some of them (Lucius Malfoy) needed lots of space, and some of them (Bellatrix) were complaining that someone else was taking up their space.

Macnair was folding a kilt neatly, waiting for the commotion to settle before putting in his clothes. His bed was on Marcus' right, and they chatted for a while. When the commotion had settled and Malfoy, the Lestranges and Antonin had returned to their beds, Marcus went over and squeezed his clothes into whatever remaining space.

Antonin's bed was opposite Marcus' and he asked Marcus if he was going to put up his Oliver Wood poster. Marcus looked at him and told him that he saw no reason to put up the poster, and it wasn't as if he asked for the poster to be brought to him anyway, upon which Antonin pretended to be very upset with him.

Nott kept complaining about the lack of privacy in this warehouse, and Lucius complained about the noise. Their only form of 'cover' was from the blankets (which were horribly thin and several had holes); if they wanted privacy they would hide themselves under it.

If they wanted to send owl post they would have to tell the watchwizard outside, by opening the glass window on the partition that separated them.

When they found out that Marcus had brought books they forced him to share his books. Marcus was very protective of them, and set up about a million rules before he lent them his books.

In the evening they had their first dinner too, and it was this horrible, cold porridge. As the time passed it became increasingly obvious how rich and pampered they all were, as they whined non-stop about the quality of the meal.

And then they began to pretend it was something else, and they started to name more appetising foods.

Not that it helped, as they grew even hungrier because of it.

After that there was such a huge furore about the use of the bathrooms. The less quarrelsome ones just sat there and waited till they were done, unfortunately by time they were, the rest of them had fallen asleep.

When they woke up a number of them jostled for the bathroom, and this led Travers to draw up a bathroom schedule, which he pasted on the wardrobe door next to the trial schedule, which was still largely blank but would fill itself later.

The Daily Prophet had arrived, and they all eagerly gathered to read what was said about them. Avery read it aloud, as he said that the subscription was his. They had a good time laughing, and Marcus felt as if this was one big pyjama party.

They found out from the article that to visit any one of them, you had to be a direct relative or be accompanied with one. And there could only be a maximum of two Death Eaters at any time in the Visiting Area. The first visitors came in the afternoon, and they were Marcus' parents.

Marcus felt so awkward, and the moment he saw his parents he began to apologise for letting them down and everything and they hugged and it was so good to have them here.

Marcus noted that all the Death Eaters were looking out of the window, and he scowled at them. His parents spotted them too, and smiled at them.

"We don't blame you, Marcus. There's no point anyway. So let's just put everything behind us and just treasure what time we have left with each other, OK?" His father asked.

Marcus wished that parents wouldn't go about making such embarrassing statements, but then he couldn't help it and began to sob. Marcus felt really stupid doing so, but the tears wouldn't stop flowing. And yes, he loved his parents, for being so accepting of him. He realised that they had never asked much from him and they never failed to support him, even when they found out he had to repeat a year. His mum and dad were telling him how proud they were that he walked out of the exam hall because the invigilators were unjust. And really, Marcus was starting to realise that he might have been so much more blessed than he thought he was.

The best thing of all was that his parents brought food for all the Death Eaters. There were so many cakes and chocolates and all the food Marcus liked to eat when he was still a child.

His parents had to leave, eventually, and Marcus cried all the more and kept begging them to stay but they had to leave and they said that they would be at the trial the next day to support him.

When Marcus went back into the room, still sniffing, several Death Eaters (Antonin, Rabastan, Adrian and Percy) hugged him and told him not to cry and he cried even more.

When he calmed down enough he showed them all the food his parents brought, and all of them were so grateful and the porridge was left untouched for that night.

They had a something akin to a mini party, and some of the more uptight Death Eaters opened up and they laughed and cried together.

And for the second time of the day Marcus realised that his life was not as bad as he thought it to be.

They ended up discussing about the whole "who do you love" issue, the one where the Dark Lord asked them about some time ago. And yes, they found out that they all did love the Dark Lord, in a way, now that he was gone, and they missed the meetings and the missions and all the times gone by.

They asked each other if they said the truth that night, and most of them did, and they asked Marcus and Macnair who they 'loved', because theirs wasn't heard the previous time.

Before Marcus could reply Antonin exclaimed that he loved Oliver Wood, and Marcus felt so embarrassed about it and he hit Antonin with his pillow and they ended up having a pillow fight.

"No, seriously, you like Oliver Wood?" Percy asked, when the fight had somewhat subsided.

Marcus refused to answer, and Percy laughed and Marcus hit him with his pillow and chased Percy all over the room.

"I know you're with Adrian!" He yelled after Percy, who then began to blush and attack Marcus with his pillow in return.

"Who's with Adrian?" Rabastan asked loudly.

All the other Death Eaters perked up when they heard that, and Adrian made some squealish noise and hid under his blanket.

"Percy. He's with Percy," Marcus said, grinning.

"Oliver Wood's obsessed with Marcus!" Percy exclaimed, to draw the attention away.

"Really?" Antonin asked. "Percy and Adrian are together?"

Marcus nodded vigorously and he was hit by Percy's pillow.

"I didn't know! Since when?" Antonin exclaimed.

Bellatrix interrupted everyone to say that she thought that there should be one toilet for the males and another for the females.

"Females? Females? I don't see any other woman," Lucius said. "And if you will excuse me, I will be going off to plan what to wear tomorrow."

At that, a few other Death Eaters got out of their beds and went to plan their outfits for the trial.

"So anyway Percy, tell us about Oliver Wood's obsession with Marcus," Rabastan asked.

Marcus gave a frown, but did not say anything.

"Oh, you know, there was this time where he managed to steal Marcus' Quidditch strategy book?"

"I knew it! I knew he stole it! Sorry, continue," Marcus exclaimed.

"Well, I've never seen him that happy. And he spies on the Slytherin Team. A lot. And he goes on about beating Slytherin and 'that Marcus Flint' all the time. I swear that notebook of yours is his most prized possession."

"It isn't even his," Marcus said, although he didn't know why. "He's just obsessed with Quidditch, you know. Obsessed with winning."

There was just something unsettling about learning that Oliver Wood was obsessed with him. Not that it wasn't obvious enough, but Marcus liked to pretend that Oliver Wood didn't like him. Maybe it was because if Oliver Wood liked him too there would always be the possibility that they could get together, but then if they got together they would have to break up in the end somehow, because Marcus knew that anything between them would not last, or really, Marcus was just in denial again.

"Well, I really pity Oliver Wood," Adrian piped up, grinning. "Imagine having to play Quidditch for so many years without his Marcus Flint."