章 889: Still

The morning following the attacks the newspapers churned out headline titles one after another. "Ministry of Magic SAVED by Dumbledore!" "Are we SAFE from another giant attack!" "Horrifying Losses leads to GOBLIN ALLIANCE!" "Auror and A.P.D. offices CRIPPLED!" And countless more titles followed including a list of all the dead in the Daily Prophet.

It was a somber day for many as the Ministry of Magic that morning announced the official goblin and ministry alliance and declared war upon the giants and the dark forces that had united alongside them. Minister of Magic Jenkins publicly announced the identity of the murderer, Tom Marvolo Riddle, as the hidden mastermind and orchestrator of the attacks. Riddle's various aliases were revealed to be that of the Dark Lord and Lord Voldemort, but the Minister of Magic firmly requested that the murderous wizard only be refereed as Riddle as that was in fact the dark wizard's birth name.

To further shock the reporters and the public, Minister Jenkins revealed that Riddle's associates called themselves Death Eaters were the parties responsible for the attacks at Malfoy Manor and wedding, Tobias Snape, and that of genius Potion Master Damocles Belby, and various other murders including the death of a goblin. Even the press was utterly shocked at the announced discovery's finding it almost impossible to believe that a single organization had committed such atrocities including rousing the anger of the purebloods as several purebloods were among the recent dead.

Minister Jenkins declared that the Ministry of Magic would not negotiate with dark wizards and requested the public's aid in apprehending those who called themselves Death Eaters and fanatically followed the murderous criminal known as Tom Marvolo Riddle. Rewards were announced for any who would be able to provide valid information to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement or any information that would lead to the capture of the criminal organization.

Many of the purebloods that had sided with Reginald Prince after his assembly was proud to have the currents of power right. It had been an excellent move to side with Prince's. The families that had sided with the Dark Lord had no choice but to remain at his side. In the future, there would be fewer and fewer recruits for Lord Voldemort as none would risk the wrath of their families.

The majority of the main pureblood families had laid down the law stating that family branches may remain neutral or side with Prince, but any family that sided with the Dark Lord ran the risk of not only disinheritance but expulsion from the family. Various Death Eater's extended families had already done just that but more pulled apart from known family members as not to be seen in close association. Lord Voldemort in the future would have a hard time finding new recruits except for zealous believers to his cause and those that were truly desperate for a bid for power that they were willing to bet their future on the off chance that the Dark Lord would be victorious.

With the announcement and revelation of the identity of the dark wizard mastermind, those like Rita Skeeter perked up at the scent of a story and dug deep into the life of Tom Marvolo Riddle. All too soon by the evening's paper sordid tales on the life of Tom Marvolo Riddle began to emerge including his time at Hogwarts including the murder of Myrtle Elizabeth Warren and the pinning of the crime on an innocent, newly orphaned third-year Gryffindor student named Rubeus Hagrid that caused him to be unwittingly expelled. Yet Rubeus Hagrid did not give up on proving his innocence and remained a faithful Groundskeeper of Hogwarts. It was not until years later his wand was at last returned by the Hogwarts Board, and he was now successfully studying Care of Magical Creatures under Professor Kettleburn.

Suddenly, the Groundskeeper of Hogwarts, Rubeus Hagrid became a newfound symbol of bravery and courage. Those who had once sneered or looked down at the frumpy caretaker did everything in their power to rub shoulders with Hagrid including the reporters. Thankfully, Hagrid was off for the holidays his now newly engaged fiancé Opal or else, he'd surely been flabbergasted at all the attention. And it wouldn't end soon as life would be full of twists and turns for Rubeus Hagrid, but that is a tale for another time.

Elsewhere, in the snow-covered muggle town of Sharamourn, there is an old manor that overlooks the sleepy Christmas-decorated village down below. Up the winding snow-covered path and past the thorny dried overgrown bushes and the closed cold metal gates. Just beyond the gates there stand dead ancient trees guarding the entrance to the family graveyard that lays behind the ancient manor (and houses more recent victims such as the rotting corpse of Primus Wilkes and the traitor Empusa Snyde without her head).

Because of the bitter cold, there are no guards at the entrance of Gibbons Manor. Inside the great hall, the Death Eaters remain still and silent all quietly waiting. There were no wounded during the giant attack as their Master had refused to allow them to participate. Many Death Eaters marveled at the Dark Lord's ingenious plan to thin the ranks of the giants and bring the brutish giants Gurg, Wurfbog meekly under his firm grasp. Yet not all Death Eaters were joyous as many found themselves all but disinherited in name from their families with the threat of a permanent magical disinheritance and exile.

The sound is broken by the impatient tapping of a wizard's foot. The Death Eaters try to pointedly ignore the dark-haired wizard with broad shoulders lazily sitting in a chair drinking fine firewhiskey. Antonin Dolohov's pale arrogant face has a malicious arrogant smirk as usual.

Feeling bored, Dolohov eyes the crowd like a predator eager to spot a weak member of the herd. His eyes rove over the crowd of Death Eater's, who all pointedly avoid his gaze except for the tall, thin, dark-haired wizard that stands at the window. The wizard's cheeks are gaunt, but his ice-cold eyes burn with hidden flames. Rodolphus Lestrange squarely meets Dolohov's eyes causing Dolohov to snort, before moving on to his next prey.

Dolohov's eyes narrow upon a tall, muscular wizard with a thin black mustache, Walden Macnair. "Macnair," he aloofly said, "I must say, your friendship with Runcorn has proved absolutely worthless. Runcorn wasn't even able to halt the Minister of Magic's alliance with the Goblins. What kind of pathetic connection worsens the situation rather than aid their allies?"

The younger wizard in his mid-twenties stiffens angrily. His harsh visage darkens causing his neat black mustache on his upper lip to curl in a snarl. His eyes fill with bloodthirst and pent-up violence, but they are no match for the fierce hunger found within Dolohov's gaze. Macnair is the first to break their staring match leaving Dolohov with a smug sneer on his lips.

"Just as I thought," Dolohov murmured, "you are weak, Macnair, and the weak have no place among us." Without any warning or hesitation, his trademark spell flew from the tip of his wand a purple deadly cutting slash.

Macnair had not even had time to reach for his wand when the violet flames erupted and thrilled through his chest leaving nothing but a gaping hole. There is a stunned silence in the chambers as Macnair gasps one last time, before falling limp and dead onto the marble floor.

"Not again," Gibbons can be heard muttering under his breath. "Blood is hell on the Persian carpets," he sighed, before summoning a house elf to take away the body and clean up the mess before their master's return. The house elf quickly began to clean up the area, before preparing to apparate with the corpse away.

Many of the Death Eaters huddle together and attempt to appear unobtrusive lest Dolohov attack them next. However, Dolohov now sated leaned back in his seat to enjoy the rest of his drink. The hall becomes still and quiet, before a soft rustling is heard.

At the gliding sound Dolohov puts down his drink as every Death Eater's eyes move towards the large, slithering figure that emerged from the shadows. An enormous serpent as thick as man's thigh and over twelve feet long emerges from the gloom and shadows. The green serpent has a flat viper's head and diamond patterns across its skin. Nagini, the Dark Lord's pet had become even more quiet and secretive since the attack at the Ministry of Magic.

The poisonous and deadly serpent, Nagini had always been the Dark Lord's ears and eyes since the Dark Lord's return. And yet after the attack at the Ministry of Magic, even Dolohov had begun to feel a hint of unease at the presence of the serpent. There was an off-putting vibe from the yellow slit-pupils of the serpent that had grown distorted. The unnaturally cunning of the poisonous serpent remained, but there was a malevolent presence that had not been previously there before.

The serpent Nagini opens its mouth and snaps loudly at the cloak of a Death Eater, who almost trips in his haste to move out of the path of the deadly serpent. None dare to move in the chamber especially the utterly petrified small house elf standing next to the cooling body of Walden Macnair. The serpent hypnotically begins to circle the corpse and the petrified house elf to the horror of the Death Eaters watching.