Prologue
May 2, 2000
2 years into Voldemorts reign had wrought vast changes on the lives of wizards. The Dark Lord had successfully conquered the entire wizarding world with the help of his death eaters and through alliances with the pureblood families around the world. Two Death Eaters in particular were seen as Voldemorts favorites: Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange. The two Death Eaters were appointed to the highest ranks of power in The Pureblood World Order. Bellatrix was appointed as judge, jury, disciplinarian for any crimes or disagreements withing the wizarding world. Lucius was placed as overlord of the newly named Ministry of International Magic. With this position he is able to keep an eye out for any lingering resistance members, make sure the right news gets disseminated, keep track of new prophecies, and generally control any and all laws within the wizarding world.
May, 3 2000
Atticus Kent was the sole Unspeakable in charge of the Hall of Prophecies. A rather shifty looking wizard with square spectacles, frizzy brown hair, and a look in his eyes like he’d rather just run away and never look back. Despite the way he appeared he did enjoy his work because it kept him well away from anything that happened in the floors above where almost all of the other ministry workers toiled away. The upper levels were noisy and dangerous so Atticus never went up there unless he had to deliver a pertinent prophecy. Shortly after The Dark Lord had taken over the world and united the Ministries it became legal for supervisors overseeing employees preforming below standard to smarten them up with the use of the cruciatus. With the implementation of this rule, the hallways throughout the upper floors of the ministry were a symphony of agonized screams.
Atticus was working through hearing and cataloguing the pile of new prophecies that came in overnight. Prophecies were always rolling in and were usually of no consequence. Overall most prophecies were as mundane as heavy rains that spring or a prediction about a witches socks all going missing overnight causing her to be late for tea. Rarely were the new prophecies of interest or hinting to obscure threats to civilization.
No less than ten seers predicted a shower of tabby cats down in Kent last night. He tossed the lot of the prophecy spheres into a bin next to him and labeled it “Cat Storm” with the date and names of the seers associated. He archived them and laid a quick charm so if the prophecies came true the bin would zip back up into the ‘Fulfilled’ Stack at the opposite end of the hall.
Atticus was just finishing up archiving the pile of new prophecies, and looking forward to his lunch break, when a new one rolled in and landed in the bin. Atticus picked it up thinking he might as well truly make a clean slate before sitting down to eat. Setting the prophecy sphere down on the magnifier that projected the noise and any images related to the prophecy Atticus looked at who had voiced this new divination.
That cant be correct…
He took off his square spectacles and rubbed his eyes. He looked again, the name had not changed. One Sybil Trelawney had prophesized yet again, except… Sybil Trelawney was supposed to be dead, killed by none other than Draco Malfoy who the Dark Lord had charged with hunting and killing any rebels found. It was then Atticus felt a very weighty sense of foreboding. Maybe he could just kick this prophecy under the table or slide it under one of the many stacks within the Hall and just forget this sphere ever existed?
No, he had to hear it. That was his job. He listened to these prophecies, sometimes he was the only one to have heard them. He had to at least listen to this one. Maybe it was nothing, he told himself, a prediction about frogs that develop the ability to levitate or some other nonsense. What are the chances this witch, who wasn’t even supposed to be alive, would predict another significant magical event? Slim to none he told himself with a nod and waved his wand to listen.
The disembodied voice of Sybil Trelawney drifted into the air.
“With the glow of her brilliance and unexpected allies, a bright witch shall shatter the veil of evil.”
Eyes wide Atticus took an involuntary step back. He should not have listened to that prophecy. He reached out to the sphere with shaking hands and cradled it in his palms. What was he to do now? He knew protocol in this situation was to immediately walk any foretelling involving the ‘defeat of evil’ directly to the Overlord, Lucius Malfoy. See, he may work at the MIM but at home protected by a strong fidalius charm were his muggle born wife and their small child. He was constantly praying that someone would come and right the wrongs loosing the war had caused. Atticus was just inching towards the stacks to hide the prophecy under one of them when the door to the hallway beyond opened and Fianola Harrow, one of the other Unspeakables he worked alongside walked in.
“Ah, Atticus, wanted to check in and see if you’d finished the incoming prophecies Carl and I could use some help with an experiment in the time room.”
Seeing what he cradled in his hands she reached for it.
“Anything interesting today or just the usual drivel?” she glanced down at the name attached to the foretelling and her eyes widened, her jaw slackened, and her face lost all color. “no” she whispered.
“This is not possible, it has to be a mistake!” looking with wide scared eyes towards Atticus she implored. “it’s a mistake right? Tell me this is not true, she is dead, right?”
Atticus shook his head no, his eyes wide and his face bloodless too.
“We have to take this to the Overlord. If we don’t and he finds out we kept it from him and the Dark Lord we will all be killed” She grabbed the sleeve of his robes and began dragging him from the Hall of Prophecies and up through each level of the Ministry all the way to the top floor.
They both paused outside the grand door leading to Overlord Malfoy’s office. The large mahogany door had snakes writhing through the skulls of men, house elves, and other magical creatures carved into it. It was an imposing sight and both unspeakables took more than a few moments to take deep breaths and compose themselves.
Fianola knocked briskly and pushed the large door open motioning for Atticus to proceed first. Giving up any hope he had of just forgetting the prophecy ever existed he walked in with his head held high, Malfoy Sr did not like cowering and would crucio anyone who came into his office looking frightened just to amuse himself.
Lucius Malfoy was sitting at his desk made of more carved snakes. His office looked as though he had robbed the Slytherin common room of every green and silver decoration. Someone was seated in front of him in one of the plain wooden chairs for “guests”. The second person turned around at the interruption of Atticus and Fianola entering the room. It was Draco, his pale and pointed face pulled into an expression of mild disgust as he took them in.
“Well, father, if nothing else is needed from me I think I’ll leave. I have a lead on one Neville Longbottom hiding out in the French countryside.”
“No, our conversation has not ended Draco. Stay.” Draco sat back down with an even more pronounced scowl on his thin face. Looking to the new arrivals Lucius beckoned the two unspeakables forward.
“What is it? Make it quick I haven’t the time for long monologues about experiments gone awry.”
When silence followed Fianola nudged Atticus in the side to step forward and divest themselves of this situation.
“Well, Overlord, a prophecy referencing those scenarios you wanted to be informed on came up” He had deliberately not mentioned the name on the sphere in hopes that Lucius wouldn’t notice.
“hand it over. We’ll see if its something the Dark Lord should be called in for” Lucius pulled out his wand and summoned a magnifier to hear the prophecy. He did not look at the name printed on the tiny ball that contained the smoke of an unfulfilled prediction.
As the prophecy was read the room went deadly silent. Lucius sat straighter in his green wingback chair and looked… frightened? Eager?
If Atticus or Finaola had been paying attention to the other Malfoy in the room he would have seen Dracos eyes widen slightly and his body stiffen. Draco also moved his hands subtly to the pockets of his robe where it was clear to anyone looking that he clutched his wand.
But no one was looking at Draco, they were all staring at the tiny smoke filled sphere sitting upon the desk.
Lucius settled himself back into his chair and steepled his hands in front of his chest, elbows resting on the armrests of his green and silver high back chair.
“What do you all make of it?” both Atticus and Fianola shrugged, Lucius pursed his lips in displeasure and looked to his son. “Draco, do you have anything? What… no, who do you think this prophecy is in reference to?”
Draco settled back into his smaller chair a look of boredom of his face “aren’t prophecies as common as a doxies in a curtain?” looking the two unspeakables up and down with judgement in his eyes “I’m not sure why you continue to employ people who have no concept of what is and isn’t important.”
Lucius also looked to the two unspeakables except where Draco had the look of someone who had been detained by mundane frivolities far too long Lucius looked pensive. His eyebrows furrowed and his head tilted down in thought.
“A bright witch…hmmm… The veil of evil could be as simple as a mean Aunt or schoolyard enemy.” the elder Malfoy muttered to himself.
After some time his head rose and he said “File it away, remember exactly where you place it though, we may yet have need for it. We will not call the Dark Lord today”
Atticus and Fianola both excused themselves with the new prophecy back in hand. Each one went straight to their own offices once back down on the Unspeakables floor. Fianola immediately went to the drawer on her desk that contained a small bottle of Firewhiskey. Atticus shut the door and slid to the cold ground putting his head in his hands and shaking from all the nerves he had held in. He had lied to Overlord Lucius by admission, not telling him that a witch that his son supposedly murdered had possibly foretold Voldemorts downfall again.