Draco joined the queue of Death Eaters for breakfast, while Parvati flew straight to the perches in the audience chamber, which were more comfortable, to see if there were any seeds she could snack on. She had to keep up her strength, and seeds were better than nothing. Draco had nearly fainted when she told him of her soup expedition, and forbidden her to join him. After all, the general success of the expedition depended on her not getting caught now. She hoped she would manage to get something later on. One bowl of soup wasn’t very sustaining when you were thinking of power-flying!
Draco sat down to his fried eggs, black pudding, bacon, fried tomatoes, mound of buttery mushrooms, baked beans and toast with a slightly guilty feeling. People would have noticed if he had brought his raven in with him to the table though. Nobody else had owls there “ the owls were all shivering in the draught by the door on the perches.
The sick feeling that he knew was cowardice had not left him, but it did not affect his hunger. He ate with appetite; the food was much better than it had been the night before. There was a choice between cider and heated spiced pumpkin juice, and tea and coffee. Draco was relieved. He hated pumpkin juice, and that seemed to be all they served at Hogwarts. He opted for the coffee again, although it struck him as odd that Voldemort had adopted some Muggle fashions since he was supposed to be so anti-Muggle. However, confusingly, Voldemort himself was half Muggle.
Gradually Draco began to feel slightly more human. He still felt a tremendous sense of loss, but he had relegated that to the back of his mind. Now he needed to be totally focused.
Goyle came in when he was halfway through his meal, and joined him at the table. He filled Draco in on what had happened that night. “People winking in and out all over the map. You Know Who got pretty steamed about it. Crabbe was out all night delivering messages.” Draco tried to look surprised.
“I slept right through everything. I guess I missed out on some fun! Does anyone know what made the map act up?”
Goyle shook his head. “Crabbe said he was standing in front of the Dark Lord, and he didn’t show up. You Know Who reckoned it might have something to do with you, but Crabbe went into your room and saw you asleep. Now they think it is something to do with that assistant griffin keeper that went missing. Apparently she was an auror that You Know Who was allowing to run tame around the castle.”
Draco managed to look disgruntled, inwardly he was thinking ‘Uh oh! He is suspicious of me. Not that he can pin anything on me…yet.’ He said, “Crabbe saw me asleep? Why didn’t he wake me? I would have liked to have been part of it.”
Goyle looked at him sideways. “Aren’t you scared of the Dark Lord?” he asked, wonderingly. Draco shrugged magnificently.
“As we all are, who are in our right minds, but why am I here, if not to serve him?” For a second Goyle looked as if he might answer, but he thought better of it, and managed to cram a whole roll, laden with butter, and strawberry jam into his mouth in one go, without getting any on his face. Draco didn’t know whether to be revolted, or applaud.
He turned his head away, and looked around the room. “Did you see my father at all?”
Goyle grinned, nodding, and spoke around the roll, “Heshgob losh og arningth”
Draco nodded, being able, from lengthy close association with Goyle to decipher his sentences. It was rare for Goyle not to be eating. So his father had been called to account too, yesterday. Well, Voldemort seemed very fond of browbeating his staff. He remembered something Hermione said once about house elves, and leaned forward.
“Tell me Goyle, are there good benefits here? Health plans?”
Goyle looked at Draco bug eyed over his next mouthful, which seemed to include half a small cow, and shook his head uncomprehendingly.
Draco leant back in his chair. So Voldemort controlled only by fear and anger. How, then, had he gained so many followers? You were desperate to be one, he reminded himself. Yes, he had seen himself as a gallant and dashing Death Eater, a masked hero in black, clearing away infestations of Muggles, so that Wizardry could be practiced in public, without fear of reprisals.
It was difficult really, two different peoples sharing a land, especially when one of the peoples was unaware that they were. But then how could one be wiped out? It boiled down to civil war really. Draco had come to realize that pure bloodlines were very few and far between. Even his family had a Muggle! And Lilah had chosen a man who was half Muggle. He guessed that she may even know her Muggle mother-in-law if she was still alive, which made her family. For all he knew, Lilah could be half Muggle. He hadn’t asked Parvati, but it was obvious that she too, had Muggles in the family “ she was very versed in Mugglespeak, and had been to a Muggle primary school.
Far from being a sort of superior animal, as he had always been taught, Muggles were actually people.
Now he looked around, and studied the wizards around him. Nobody laughed, nobody was chatting in the way he remembered at Hogwarts. People ate their meals and left to do their duties in the most part silently, although the food was really quite excellent. There were many young people too. He had expected most of the Death Eaters to be older, like his father. He waited for Goyle to finish his meal, and then remembered from old that it was quite hopeless, and that he would probably be at the trough for a while, so he said, “See you later!” and went into the Audience Chamber on his own.
Voldemort was still sitting in his chair at the top. He was dressed differently, but showed no fatigue. Draco knew he had been up for the whole night. He was a little confused as to etiquette now, but after he had waited a second or two, wondering which group of Death Eaters to join, Voldemort beckoned him up to the platform. Draco, bowing his head, walked up to the platform. He did not want to go. He felt such a hatred of Voldemort that he hoped it wouldn’t show in his eyes. He was also scared, and hated admitting that. He really didn’t want to be tortured again. Twice was more than enough.
He bowed low, with murder warring with fear in his heart. “My Lord.”
Voldemort held out a map to him. “Can you explain this map to me?”
Draco looked at it, seemingly puzzled. Voldemort stared into his eyes, and Draco, quaking in his shoes, called on his Occlumency skills. After a few moments, Voldemort, who obviously had underestimated him, looked away, disgusted.
“Randy adolescents “ you are all the same! Do you carry nothing worthwhile in your head? I ask you about a map and you see naked women.”
Draco did not pretend to blush, he was blushing, and he sincerely hoped Parvati had not heard Voldemort. He had not really expected Voldemort to describe his thoughts out loud.
Voldemort had not finished. “The map, from which you disappeared.”
Draco took the map doubtfully. “Perhaps there is something wrong with the map, Your Excellency?” he suggested. “I am not showing now, and I should be standing in front of you.”
Voldemort narrowed his eyes and hissed. “Don’t treat me as if I am an idiot, boy! We will see how you feel after your father has dealt with you. Don’t think I am going to protect you this time.”
Draco bowed low, cringing as best he could. In fact, he didn’t really have to pretend too much “ he was terrified Voldemort was going to use another curse on him. As he bowed, a Death Eater ran up, out of breath, and flung himself onto the floor, nose down in front of Voldemort.
“Your Excellency, we have been unable to locate Nagini, but we found two guards in the Tombs who have been killed by her poison.” He was obviously hoping that Voldemort would be satisfied with this news “ Draco could smell the fear on him from where he stayed dipped into his own bow, too wise to get up before he had been dismissed. He hoped he hadn’t tensed at all at the news.
Voldemort threw his head back into a thin laugh, which had sweat running in icy rivulets down Draco’s shoulder blades, and a shiver over his flesh.
“She is probably feasting then. Inform me when she returns.”
He turned back to Draco.
“You may go, young man, but remain within call, should I need you. This evening we have a treat planned, after which you will take your Mark.”
Draco’s voice trembled as he said, “It will be my pleasure to serve you, Master. I am not worthy of such an honor. You overwhelm me.”
He backed down the stairs and mingled with the other Death Eaters, breathing more quickly now, and feeling that he had run a particularly dangerous race. Parvati seemed to be eyeing him beadily, and he was sure she had heard the remark that Voldemort made about naked women. His problem was that he had tried to hide some things from Voldemort behind others. Having his mind completely blank would be suspicious, and Voldemort would know he was practicing Occlumency if he had hidden all his sordid, embarrassing or mortified thoughts. He had been thinking a lot about Parvati recently, so Voldemort had probably been treated to either one or some of Draco’s fantasies about what Parvati would look like without her clothes.
During the morning, he became aware of the discomfort to which Voldemort subjected his followers. There were no seats, and although he was young, it was difficult standing without anything to look at or anywhere to go to and the stench of fear in his nose. The red pile of the carpet and garish yellow of the walls became harder to bear in the glare of the lights. The Death Eaters were subdued, not wishing to draw attention their way, in case Voldemort noticed them. Draco stood with Crabbe and Goyle, and they conversed in whispers some of the time, and stood around bored the rest of it.
A few people spoke to him (it was obviously because Draco had incurred Voldemort’s favour in some way, and so they were all trying to curry his). Draco was amazed to see people that he had known in passing at Hogwarts, from the years above him. Not all of them were Slytherins. There seemed to be a fairly even mix of Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and slightly more Slytherins. It astounded him. He would have thought that the Gryffindors would all have followed Dumbledore. But then it did make sense. He remembered that the Sorting Hat had not checked allegiance as such, but various character traits.
Gryffindors were supposed to be brave, but then he supposed Voldemort needed bravery among his Death Eaters. And brave people were not always smart. Hufflepuffs were loyal, and Voldemort needed loyalty. In fact, now Draco thought about it, he was surprised that his father had not been Sorted to Hufflepuff as he was so loyal to Voldemort without any seeming reward. It did not show the famous Slytherin ambition. Ravenclaws were intellectuals, and it is very easy to trick an intellectual, if you are cunning.
They all talked to him of a free Wizarding world, and the subjugation of Muggles with fanatical determination “ all in whispers. Draco found it very much along the lines of what he had been thinking at Hogwarts. In fact, a lot of it made very good sense. The wizarding world was not free at the moment. They had to lead secret lives, and not openly display themselves. Some other magical creatures such as hags, trolls and Dementors felt the same way, with probably some right too, although Draco did not want to see them as free as they would have liked. If he had not met Peter at the right moment, and if he had not found Parvati and then been reunited with Lilah again, Draco would have been persuaded. The arguments were very compelling. He was thankful for Dumbledore’s insistence that Parvati join him.
Every time he felt himself being swayed by an impassioned argument, (some of which he agreed with, such as being able to use your magic everywhere without worrying about Muggles, being able to use flying carpets for family outings without worrying about Muggle sightings and being able to broom in daylight) he felt Parvati’s eyes boring into the back of his head.
It reminded him of all the downsides to what was going on, such as the license to kill, and maim and plunder. It would be much better to find a way that both worlds were free to mix together, although Draco could not see a way that would ever happen. But who knew? One day, perhaps, there would be more wizards than Muggles, and then perhaps the Wizards ways would rule. Draco knew from his father that the birth rate of wizarding children being born to Muggle parents had dramatically increased in the last ten years.
Draco tried to remember names and numbers, giving little flicks of his wand now and then to aid and abet his memory, in true Auror style, but found the red carpet and glaring white lights tiring. He itched to go and do something “ maybe borrow a broom and ride, but Crabbe told him that was discouraged. The more he saw the more Draco was amazed that once he had wanted this life. It was certainly not as he had imagined.
Crabbe told him in whispers that at other times it was different, but now Voldemort was angry at Lilah’s escape. Usually they were able to please themselves as they liked, so long as they stayed in the castle. There was drink and gaming for all, and food was plentiful, if not quite up to Hogwarts standards (breakfast was the best meal). There were no women as yet, but that had been promised them, when the next battles were fought. Prisoners were by now almost a weekly sport. They got to dispose of them personally, or they watched the griffins in the arena. The griffins were very popular. Hearing about the griffins made Draco glad that his mother and Peter were no longer prisoners. Avada Kedavra seemed a more humane ending.
Voldemort seemed tireless. He would call somebody up to his platform, and talk, sometimes with a secretary present, and sometimes without. The famous, or rather infamous Peter Pettigrew was in attendance today, with his silver hand. Draco saw that most of the people going up to see Voldemort were grizzled and scarred, in the manner of Professor Moody.
However battle scarred and terrible they might seem, Draco noticed that they were as terrified as any other Death Eater in the presence of Voldemort. There were also others, such as goblins and harpies. Once a Dementor glided through, which terrified all present and once a man who had a wolfish smile, and was obviously a decadent werewolf. Draco almost had to leave the room when the Dementor came. He had to cling on to his happiest thought, and found, when the Dementor left that he was sweating and felt ill “he could hardly stand upright. Luckily nobody seemed to notice “ they were all in the same state. At one point, Draco saw Parvati flap off with one of the owls, and thought she had probably gone to find water.
Occasionally Voldemort would leave the room, and return a little later, but the Death Eaters remained in the Audience Chamber until two, when they began to filter out for luncheon. Crabbe, Goyle and Draco went out, Draco noticing that Parvati was back on her perch. He stared at her, silently wishing her the best of luck, and then, reluctantly left, knowing she would not be on her perch when he returned. She would be with Lilah and the griffins. He very much hoped it would not be the last time he saw her.
**************
Lilah had asked the house-elf who came, to bring some sandwiches. When Parvati flapped into the room, she was pleasantly surprised, and relieved. Lilah was amazed at the amount she ate “ Parvati was so tiny and delicate looking. Lilah’s face showed none of the internal struggle that had taken place while Parvati and Draco had been gone. It was set and stern and she moved quietly around the room, preparing everything as Parvati told her the information she had gathered from various owls, which was crucial, and needed to get to Dumbledore as soon as possible.
As they looked around to make sure everything was as it should be, Parvati laid her wand down on the bed. It was the only thing she had to give Draco, and she would not be able to use it as a griffin.
Lilah and Parvati each took a last large dose of potion, and then knowing Draco still had some on his person, Lilah emptied a few drops of the rest into all the water urns they passed on the way to the griffin enclosure, to keep the map blinking a long as possible. Lilah dodged the many guards at the small door easily in a very experienced fashion, even in the sunlight, and set out, Parvati sitting crouched in her pocket in the form of a mouse.
However easy it had been for Lilah, Parvati noted, it would have been impossible to get Snape out that way in the condition he was in.
It was a walk across a field to reach the griffin arena, and it was calm and cool. Nobody was around, and it was strangely peaceful.
The griffins were in a pen that had been enchanted to look like a football stadium, and indeed, looked in actuality a bit like one. Where the football field would be, there was a grass perimeter, and sawdust center. The seating was tiered in the same way as a football fields, and the boards around the edge, which in a football field would hold advertising, were black and held the Dark Mark.
The top box was decorated in drapes of black, with the Dark Mark decorating the front. It was where Voldemort entertained his guests “ the various high-ranking trolls and hags that he was persuading to join them in their ‘fight for freedom’. The audience enclosure was covered with wards to prevent the griffins from carrying away the audience.
The center was nicely set out, with a rock pile in the middle with caves and overhanging crags in case of rain and a couple of small trees and branches, where the griffins could roost if they wished. However the weather was nice, and the griffins lay dozing, basking in the sun. Occasionally one would get up and walk the circumference of the pen, (which had a dirt track through the grass where they paced) before going back to lie down. A few of them lay in groups, their eagles’ beaks on each other’s backs, wings folded. They were scruffy animals, with disordered wing feathers.
Parvati and Lilah sat on the bottom tier, and rested in the sun, while observing the griffins, which were slightlydifferent to normal griffins, having been specially bred by Death Eaters.
Lilah told Parvati that on stage nights, the griffins were enticed by the smell of blood to walk through a wire passage to a nearby field that was caged in. The passageway had several doors that were locked behind them. The prisoners were then pushed into the arena. Once everything was in place, the roof of the griffins’ cage came off, and they were trained to fly back into the arena to pick up the prisoners that they knew would be waiting for them. The griffins picked up their prisoners and flew away to eat in the nearby forest.
Some of the prisoners were armed with swords, to make them feel they had a bit of a chance, and to both prolong and enliven the proceedings for the spectators. It gave them false hope, but in the end the griffins were too many, and would always win.
Sometimes the prisoners were let in slowly, a few at a time to make it last longer. After the griffins had finished off the prisoners, Voldemort used the arena to give speeches “ some he gave himself and then other invited dignitaries were asked to address the crowds. The griffins were all fitted with a homing device to prevent them leaving their home, to which they were all very attached, in the way of griffins.
Lilah and Parvati discussed flying angles. Voldemort would be sitting on the left side, in his raised chair, and Lilah would have to slide down Parvati’s flank and hang, so as not to be seen. When she was flying she would have to be very careful not to turn so that Lilah was visible to him.
Parvati’s heart dropped like a stone. She hadn’t thought of that. She would be carrying two people, and off balance. She swallowed, “That is going to make it very difficult to fly. I mean, I should be able to do it, but I will be very clumsy. It won’t look totally natural. I wish I could practice.”
Lilah looked a very worried. “I suppose I could try and ride one of the other griffins, but they aren’t very easy to direct, and none of them would know to keep me hidden from Voldemort. The other thing I could do is to hide somewhere and try and control them from where I was hidden.”
Parvati thought for a minute. “No. That won’t work. Voldemort will notice. If you are with me, griffins have a magical aura that may disguise most of what you are going to do. You wouldn’t be able to escape easily with the auditorium packed either. And I don’t fancy my chances if you leave me alone with the other griffins. They tend to gang up on outsiders, and then I would be toast. Besides, I may need help with Snape. I am not a healer. You are just going to have to be very still, and make sure I have a lot of room to take off.” She nodded toward a harness “Do you use that when you ride a griffin?”
Lilah sighed. “That was the idea. I am going to have to put it on you, so you will have to transform before the keeper comes back “ it won’t show at all, I will just pull your feathers over it. Then I will tie myself to the harness so that I have both hands free to use my wand. I will leave a lot of bloodstains where Snape was, so that it looks as if you were quite savage with him. She held up a bottle with red liquid, and Parvati shuddered. “I am not going to ask where that came from.” She noticed as Lilah’s face hardened slightly, making her look very like Draco, as Lilah nodded.
“Far better not to ask!”
Parvati got up and shook herself. She had watched the griffins enough to know what to do. Most of it was instinct anyway, once the animal part of her took over. She was ready to transform when she started suddenly. Unexpected footsteps approached the hall, and she transformed immediately into a mouse instead.
A tall Death Eater entered, his hood thrown back, and his bright, rather vicious eyes darting around the hall. He saw the bottle of blood, but not Parvati, who was crouched under the bench, or Lilah, who had flung up the hood of the invisibility cloak, and he stepped forward, taking out his wand. Parvati heard Lilah hiss under her breath, and she slowly, so as not to make a sound, rose to her feet.
The tall man called “Lilah! Lilah Drake! I know you are here!” He began to look between the griffins, one by one, stepping forward silently, like a cat, his eyes skittering from side to side in his rather handsome face and his wand held before him. Parvati could not see Lilah, but her mouse ears heard what her human ears would not have. Lilah was behind the man - she was -!
A red gash appeared over his throat at the same time as his eyes bulged and his face contorted. He did not make a sound however, but crumpled into the dust. Parvati was promptly sick. She had never seen anyone die like that before, and the Avada Kedavra curse seemed humane in comparison. She had not seen properly either, when Narcissa and Peter died “ there had been too many Death Eaters between her and them. She stood shaking, in shock, until Lilah called her.
“Parvati! I need you “ we have to hide him. I am sorry, but you have to transform and give me a hand, I don't know the locomotor charm for a dead body. The keeper is due here in another half hour, and we have to get him hidden before then!” Parvati came out from under the bench, and transformed, standing on human legs that now felt shaky and weak, a sour taste in her mouth.
Lilah said “I suppose we could feed him to the griffins, but we want them all hungry for tonight,” and then she noticed Parvati’s grey face and heaving chest. “This is Martin,” she explained grimly. “The man who betrayed my husband and brought him in to be killed. Normally I would feel more upset about it. Besides, if he had not found and killed me, Voldemort would have had him executed.”
Parvati nodded weakly. It made more sense now, and part of her horror at Lilah fled, but she had never before had to deal with a dead body. The Parvati she knew giggled about boys, movies and clothes, and worked hard at school, enjoyed dancing, and gossiped a bit. She did not hide dead bodies.
Gasping, with a sour taste in her throat and trying not to let her stomach heave too much, she pulled the man with Lilah until he lay under the tiered seating at the back in the shadows. She threw up twice more anyway. One of her nails broke off in the dead man’s cloak, and she walked on legs that were not steady, but she managed not to faint. So long as he lay hidden until that night, they were safe. They pulled his cloak over him so that he lay black in the black shadows. Lilah Vanished the spilled blood and vomit with a flick of her wand and eliminated the tracks, while Parvati transformed into a griffin.
Immediately she knew the task was going to be even more difficult than she had thought. A griffin wasn’t as bad as a dragon (or maybe it was because she was older), but she was filled with angry thoughts, and had to fight her instinct to rear up and snap as Lilah moved towards her. She also found she could see Lilah perfectly, even through the invisibility cloak. Lilah didn’t notice anything, and put the harness on her. Parvati had to fight to control herself. She hated the harness! She hated the feel, and she hated being subdued by one of these puny humans. She felt her head buzzing with barely contained rage. Lilah, she chanted to herself through the griffin. The puny human was Lilah.
Parvati focused on the ring Draco had given her. It made her feel more human, but she still shuddered as Lilah pulled the girth of the harness tight. Automatically, her hackles and crest raised and she stamped her paws, now armed with lethal claws and lashed her tail. She could smell blood! She whipped her beak around to find the source, hissing. Lilah gave her a sharp tap on the beak. “Parvati! Are you in there?” She sounded a bit frightened now.
Parvati snaked her head, in what she hoped was a “yes”.
Lilah, although still looking rather worried, opened the enclosure, and Parvati bounced in furiously, hissing defiance at the other griffins that were alarmed at the entrance of the newcomer. Lilah had to fling Impedimenta charms around quickly, or Parvati would have been severely mauled. Griffins are territorial animals, and do not like invaders. Trusting Lilah, Parvati went to lie down on her own, a griffin slightly smaller than the others, better groomed, and more slender, if you were to look closely for differences. She fought with herself, focusing on remembering Draco and the way he had given her the ring. What she really wanted was to challenge the leader (also a female) for control of the pride. It was a while before she began to feel in control, and more like herself, although her hackles rose and her eyes glinted scarlet.
When the head keeper came in, the griffins crowded around, demanding food. Parvati joined them, protected by Lilah, but as Lilah had said, he didn’t notice her. He filled up the drinking water from outside the pen, and sat watching the griffins as they raged and screamed up at him. Parvati did not let herself join in too much, as she did not want to lose her fragile sense of control, but the keeper still didn’t notice. She found herself sympathizing with the griffins enormously. The head keeper was obviously not a man who cared much for animals.
*********
Draco’s afternoon had been deadly dull until past three, when his father arrived, and they had a conference with Voldemort, Crabbe and Goyle.
Voldemort, knowing the tension between the two Malfoys enjoyed the conference greatly. He wanted another raid on the ministry, which was starting to function again, and this time he wanted Draco involved. Draco was given a larger part in the proceedings than Lucius, and it was obvious that Voldemort was enjoying Lucius’s discomfort.
Lucius did not dare to protest outright, as he remembered his disciplining from the night before, but when his eyes met Draco's, Draco could feel the fury his father felt for him.
Draco himself listened to Voldemort’s instructions, rather horrified at how brilliantly the attacks were planned, using Muggles as a distraction. It was obvious that there would be severe repercussions.
Voldemort wanted several other attacks carried out at the same time too, but easier ones that involved just Muggles. Lucius was to be in charge of this. Death Eaters would attack areas in and around London, and systematically cause as much damage and mayhem as they could before leaving.
The list Draco was handed included places like Selfridges, Victoria Station, the M25, Gatwick, quite a few pubs, The Dog and Trumpet next to Liberties and Trafalgar Square. All these places had Apparition points. Voldemort intended traffic to be brought to a halt, the Muggles left alive to be terrified. The Ministry (or what was left of it), with all the diversions going on, having to modify memories and try to hide the open magic, would be left disabled. If he had really been going to lead the expedition, Draco would have an easy time of it.
Draco’s mouth felt dry. Thank Merlin he would be out of here. He did not like the idea of just going into public places and slaughtering people. It appealed to Lucius though - the gleam in his eyes was manic.
Draco kept his face rather sternly eager, as if feeling the weight of his responsibility. Crabbe and Goyle on the other hand, were looking eager without dissembling. It was a chance for them to go and do something, Draco saw.
They must be so bored by now, of standing in the Audience Chamber, frying their eyes, and bored with walking the halls with no television available. They were being given the chance to back Draco, in a great adventure that seemed reasonably safe and had the added possibility of reflected glory. Voldemort was making it clear that the attack on the Ministry was the real objective, and the diversions just that. Draco was being given the chance to win his spurs.
If it had been “flying” Muggles as they had at the World Quidditch Cup, Draco would probably have thought it a bit of a laugh at one time. Now even the memory of that sickened him. It could have been Peter and Lilah and their daughter up there. Death Eaters did not discriminate between Muggles and Muggle-born wizards, and Lilah, on her marriage to one, would have been as vulnerable as any Muggle to attacks.
These terrorist tactics were going to make hiding the wizarding world an appalling task, and worse, give the Muggles a totally biased idea of their world. Muggles had some formidable weapons themselves, and once the war was out in the open, anything could happen. It would be all very well using a wand instead of a bomb if you could be sure your hex would hit, but Draco saw Voldemort’s tactic was to lead the Muggles to destroy magical buildings.
There were sure to be wizards who had Muggle wives, husbands or parents on the Muggle side that could figure out how to attack unplottable buildings, and show the Muggles how, or do it themselves as revenge. And the Muggles had some terrible bombs. Dumbledore would be attacked on two flanks. The Death Eaters and the Muggles.
Even if he managed to keep some of the magical world hidden, it would make witches and wizards unpopular, and a medieval state of mind would occur again, with many witches and suspected witches being put to death. And it would probably not be burnings this time “ there were too many wizards and witches connected to Muggles to tell them to use another method.
When Draco was dismissed he left knowing that he would probably never see his father again. He was not too upset. His father had chosen this life, as he would choose another. At one time he had hoped to be close to his father; now he realized it was impossible. His father would always find him wanting. Now Draco was even a rival.
Draco went back to his room to make sure the girls had left safely, and to catch a moment of peace before he joined Crabbe and Goyle again for the griffin feeding, and propaganda speeches.
As soon as he entered the room he saw the slim wand lying on his bed, and picked it up. Parvati had left it for him. Momentarily his mouth softened, and he closed his eyes remembering her face. He had told her he loved her, and he was glad. She may be giggly and flighty, but his Parvati was more than that. She was loyal and clever and brave and very honorable. Not a fit match for a Slytherin most would have thought, but very suited to him. He found her enchanting. And she liked him. In spite of everything he had done, and his cowardice (though he felt he was redeeming himself there) and his spiteful tongue.
He allowed himself to sit on the bed for a couple of minutes, daydreaming, and then he resolutely stood up, and put Parvati’s wand inside the lining of the invisibility cloak, seeing it disappear as he did so. He would keep it with him. He had his own wand, but this was something he knew Parvati loved, and so he would keep it near him as a kind of talisman. He already had his Anti-Screening Potion in another little invisible pocket that he had cut in the lining earlier. Now he was going to watch a griffin feeding. He thought black would be appropriate. All black.
He hoped he would be able to deal with the griffin feeding as he should. He was already feeling rather sick.
Goyle knocked on his door as he was fastening his sleek ponytail, which he wore with a thick black band. He checked himself in the mirror, rather surprised and not very pleased to see how like his father he looked, and then he strode out, cloak swirling around him (in a fashion unconsciously picked up from Snape) to meet Goyle.
Goyle was wearing a look of greedy anticipation that Draco found quite repulsive. He had always thought Crabbe and Goyle his friends. Now he knew that they would turn on him in an instant, like hyenas. They were ambitious, hoping to catch a ride upwards with him, as he looked likely to become one of Voldemort’s favourites “ but their friendship would not include helping him in any way should he fall out of favour.
They strode down the corridor, that, usually empty, was now full of Death Eaters, all seemingly agog with anticipation. The talk sounded almost like Hogwarts before a Quidditch match. Draco and Goyle went to knock on Crabbe’s door, and he bounced out, his whole demeanor bubbly. Draco could only look at him amazed. Crabbe had never before shown this amount of animation. He was excited with a bloodlust that Draco found repulsive.
They elbowed their way through the throng (there were far more Death Eaters than Draco had previously supposed, even though he knew some of them had Apparated in specially for the event), and Goyle led them to the front, just behind Voldemort, where they had specially reserved seats “ another sign of Voldemort’s favour.
Lucius Malfoy was sitting on Voldemort’s right, and Aunt Bella, who Draco remembered very well, was on his left. They exchanged polite smiles, but Draco saw that she already regarded him as a rival by the flash in her eye.
Dolohov and McNair were also there, and others, that Draco knew personally. Most of them turned to wave, or smile at him. Voldemort too, acknowledged him as he came to his seat, making sure Lucius was aware of the fact. Draco knew that if he stayed, Voldemort would ensure his loyalty by ranking him above his father.
Lucius was not in favour at the moment “ it was his fault that he had a wife who betrayed the "Anti-Muggle Freedom Fighters". (Voldemort was trying to increase support by adopting a name. None of the giants or Dementors or trolls or hags wanted Muggles around. If Voldemort was going to get rid of Muggles they were all for it).
Draco was well aware from seeing the figures last night that it was already a numerous army, composed of very dangerous elements. The magical world was sick of obscurity and hiding. Draco could see their point, but was getting rid of Muggles the right way to go? And what was to happen should Voldemort win and start on them? He reckoned most creatures would think they had picked the wrong side.
The only real hope Draco could see at the moment was the tremendous disorganization in the ranks. Each set of magical creatures had their own agenda.
The Dementors were content to fight for Voldemort at present, but could not really be relied upon, and could turn on his followers as easily, if they wanted. The hags and trolls (some of whom were present in the crowd) were definitely waiting to see how things went before finally committing, and the werewolves were split, most wanting a peaceful life and some wanting to spill blood with impunity. What Death Eaters Voldemort had surrounded himself with seemed badly trained.
Draco scanned the crowd, trying not to worry. Parvati and Lilah would be safe.
At last a huge cheer rose up from the entrance, and the prisoners were brought in. Snape was walking, surprisingly. He must have had a restorative draught to get him this far. He was even armed with a sword, but Draco did not worry about Parvati; Snape could hardly lift the weapon. He was led to a raised platform of rock in the middle of the arena, which was huge, and hoisted up onto the top of it. He had trouble walking that far.
People were booing and hissing; getting into the performance as if it were a huge game. Prisoners were displayed to the crowd, who booed or cheered as they pleased. Draco was reminded vividly of Professor Binns and games he had described in the Roman times. Griffins were used in the arena then too.
Other prisoners were allowed to scatter around the arena as they liked, some choosing to hide vainly in the shadows offered by the rocky platform, some standing in groups, turning white faces in hope of seeing a salvation somewhere. Two rather large men stood stolidly back-to-back, each armed with a sword, their faces implacable. People cheered them, taunting.
The head jailer, who had escorted the prisoners in with his men, now left hurriedly with them. One guard, who had been checking his prisoner’s sword, got left behind as the door to the arena was shut, and he beat on it, sobbing in fright. Spectators and jailers alike jeered and laughed at him as the man hammered on the door begging to be let out.
Draco watched all this in horror. He had been so keen to take the Dark Mark. How could he have done so? Or why was his thinking so different now? Hearing about it, it had seemed so splendid and wonderful. Now it seemed shoddy and inhuman. Voldemort was again drinking a large frothing drink that looked red. It was whispered around that it was blood mixed with snake venom, but nobody knew whether this was myth or fact.
After a short while, people began to murmur, and point, as the sharpest eyes made out the black forms that were the griffins approaching. Draco could see one man in the row a little to his left pointing them out. He looked like a vampire, which would explain how he could see that well in the dark. Draco strained his eyes, but it was a few seconds more before he could see the griffins. There was one griffin in the lead, and that was surely Parvati. Draco found it difficult to breathe.