Chapter 3 - Changes
“It’s impossible,” Luna heard herself say, “My father will wonder where I am. He’ll come after me.”
Draco waved a hand of dismissal. “My men have taken care of it. He’ll be expecting the story on the ‘magical Muggle’ shortly.”
Luna stared at him calmly. “Your men?” Thinking back to the pub, Luna remembered. “Antiqus. He’s a-“
“No,” Draco interrupted sharply, saving Luna from uttering the forbidden words. “He’s only a loyal servant to my father.” He raised an eyebrow in amusement. “You really think the Ministry would’ve let him live if he was?”
Oh yes. Percy Wesley, the new Minister of Magic, was fond of the Blood Hunt, a politically sanctioned dead-or-alive manhunt targeting every Death Eater left. Of course the Minister preferred the less aggressing term Sweeping. And Luna had to admit grudgingly it was a form of cleaning...and a messy one at that. Luna remembered the decree issued a year ago. ’All individuals bearing the Dark Mark of Voldemort will be given a life sentence at Azkaban Prison.’ Luna knew it was only an attempt to gain back the power over the wizarding community after the Last Battle the year before.
Paranoia had swept all over the world. Thousands had been brought to trial, accused of being a Voldemort supporter. The Ministry, to save manpower (and Galleons), then issued the declaration. They also set about to pass laws in order to gain control of the fear that still permeated the atmosphere. “Voldemort” was the only correct name of the ‘traitor, instigator, and vile threat to all life.’ Anyone who called him by any other name to mark reverence was tried as a Death Eater.
‘Death Eater,’ too, became an unlawful term for creatures who worshiped Voldemort. Soon a different panic rocked the wizards as hundreds of thousands of individuals (most of whom were innocent) were accused of being Death Eaters. Azkaban became overcrowded, and escapes from the infamous prison became all too common.
So quietly, the Ministry began to kill any and all individuals bearing the green snake on his forearm. Many desperate Death Eaters had tried countless ways to remove the Mark, yet none were able to succeed. Soon the Daily Prophet had stopped naming the discovered Death Eaters and had moved on to more appropriate subjects, yet the deaths always hung in the air.
At the beginning, Luna and Ron had spent a good deal of their mornings scanning the names of dead Death Eaters: Snape, S., Rosier, E., Malfoy, N., Malfoy, L., Lestrange, R. The list went on and on.
Of course, the Death Eaters that went out with a bang, so to speak, were given a page of their own in the Daily Prophet. Rosier had taken out three Aurors when discovered in the streets. Lucius Malfoy, in a crazed frenzy, had attacked the Boy who Lived and his wife Hermione in their London home. His wife Narcissa had tried to use her body to shield him from the green lights shot from Auror wands. Severus Snape was found in a drunken stupor in the old Black mansion, former headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.
“I’ve tried all that I could to get rid of this…damn Mark.” Draco pulled up his robe sleeves to reveal the vile green snake burned into his pallid skin. “When the Ministry issued the order, I even tried to cut off my own arm.” Draco lifted his sleeves even more to reveal a ragged band just above his elbow. “It is only a matter of time before the frenzy reaches this side of England,” Draco dropped his sleeves abruptly, snapping Luna’s attention back on him. “And it is time we have to race against.”
Luna gazed at Draco curiously. “Do you really think any article I write would save your life? Do you believe the Ministry would listen to anything I have to say?” She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. “This is my first big article, and my father is “ sorry, was “ expecting a story on-”
“The Ministry is on a rampant mission to wipe all of us out,” Draco interrupted. His eyes dimmed with suppressed frustration. “Some of us have truly reformed. Most of us weren’t even true Death Eaters to begin with. Rodolphus always followed Bellatrix. When she died, he had taken the initiative to buy land in Sydney to run a pet store.” Draco glared at Luna. “Did you know that?”
Luna did not reply. She’d been in the journalism business too long to know that sympathy stories toward Death Eaters was an unspoken taboo.
Draco shook his head, “I’m only trying to set things right. That damned Weasley has gotten his priorities in a mess. To him, this Blood Hunt is merely revenge on all Death Eaters, on all who made his family’s life miserable. He doesn’t listen to anything anyone has got to say, blaming the chaos and fear on the fact that former Death Eaters still walk freely.” He smirked coldly at Luna. “He only listens to his brother. Ronald. If my sources were correct, he was your husband for a time, wasn’t he?”
Luna stood up, quivering with silent rage. “That’s enough, Draco. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Draco gave a short bark of laughter. “Oh Luna. You’re still the naïve little thing you were in school, aren’t you?”
“No,” the ferocity in her voice surprised both, “You’re not the only one who changed.” And with that, Luna turned on her heels and marched back to her room.
End notes: This chapter follows as closely to canon as my knowledge of the Harry Potter universe as of June 21, 2006 allows. Any information revealed to be false by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will not be changed.
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