Dommere

On a steep hill near the cliffs sits an old gray stone fort, Dommere (Doom-ere). It had been placed strategically high on a hill to defend from attacks from the land or sea and even the sky. It had long since been abandoned but had been reoccupied over the course of recent months. There is a large stone manor heavily fortified in the center of the fort.

The smell of the salt of the sea and the roaring of the waves crashing against the cliffs can be heard even inside the fort. The sun dips below the horizon leaving a lingering sickly red ooze across the surface of the sea before plunging the world into darkness. The last of the bird cries are heard as razor bills with blackheads and similar-looking Guillemots with white rings around their eyes retreat to the safety of their nests as night falls on the shores.

On the ramparts of the fort, a dozen hooded figures wearing ghostly masks stand guard. They walk the length of the rampart while others down below guard the fort entry and the grounds of the stone manor. Inside the rock citadel, there is a large hall. Large iron-wrought candle chandeliers hang overhead lighting the room and occasionally the hiss of wax dripping down can be heard.

A deathly paled wizard with sunken cheekbones is clad in a dark robe and rests upon a great stone throne. Lord Voldemort leans forward in the light to reveal a horrifying visage of sunken crimson serpent eyes and slits for nostrils. Long pale spider-like fingers stretch and dig sharp, blue-tinged fingernails into the stone armrest. Yet barely visible is a scar on the inner right palm of his hand in the shape of a locket with a coiling letter S shape or rather that of a serpent.

With cold measured intellect, Voldemort studies the Death Eaters kneeling before him. The attack on Hogsmeade though a loss had proven throughly useful as intended. The weak among his followers had been eliminated leaving only the strong and devoted behind. There would be no further questioning of his power, authority, or motives.

A slither of scales against the stone floor causes not a single kneeling Death Eater to move so much as a muscle lest they draw attention to themselves. An enormous green serpent as thick as a man's thigh leisurely slithered between the Death Eaters. Sometimes its diamond-patterned skin would pass too close erriely tugging on robes as it passed or slithering over boots causing the Death Eater to tremble. The venomous serpent raises its pointed flat viper head flicking its tongue in the air and relishing the delicious scent of fear emitted from prey.

"Nagini," Voldemort hissed to the bloodthirsty serpent.

"Coming," the Horcrux, Nagini snickered and darted rapidly forward. A green arrow darting through the masses and across the floor in a flick of an eye. The serpent slowed to a stop and glided behind the throne peering hungrily at the Death Eaters from behind the stone throne.

"Rise," Voldemort magnanimously motioned for his followers to rise to their feet.

"Thank you, Master," the Death Eaters whispered and rose to their feet.

"Selwyn, step forth," Voldemort ordered leaning back to rest against the stone seat. "What news have you to bring me?"

"Milord," the Death Eater arose and removed the cowl of his hood to reveal the twice-widowed wizard with a wrinkled sullen face and a twisted vicious expression. The beady hollow eyes are malicious through and through bearing an almost uncanny resemblance to that of Nagini.

Villem Selwyn elegantly bowed, before straightening up again. "I have effectively planted a spy among the Order of the Phoenix."

"The Order of the Phoenix?" Voldemort arched his brow.

"A secret society established by Albus Dumbledore with the sole purpose of impeding the rise of our master to power and our glorious cause," Villem Selwyn truthfully declared.

"The Phoenix!" Nagini shrieked in visible anger. "The foul wizard prevented me from devouring my prey!" The serpent hissed and cursed revealing venomous fangs thicker than a man's finger.

Once Voldemort would have cursed in rage, but he remained cold and silent. The purpose of his Horcrux had been to absorb his madness. "You have done well, Selwyn," he complimented the elder wizard, who proudly puffed out his chest.

"Yet without my permission, you have not only revealed the location of our innermost sanctum but even brought an intruder into our midst without so much as a warning nor request," Voldemort icily said as beads of sweat became visible on Villem Selwyn's face.

"Milord, forgive this fool for his impudence," Villem Selwyn dropped down to his knees and desperately begged for his life.

Sensing an opportunity, Nagini's yellow, malicious, hungry eyes become fixated on the trembling prey. The serpent eagerly tastes the air salivating at the delicious fear and cries of the terrified prey before it. A flick of a finger is all that the serpent needs as it viciously darts forward tearing open the wizard's neck. Blood sprays the ground including various Death Eaters who loudly swallow keeping the bile at bay.

Villem Selwyn did not even have time to scream beyond a weak guggle. The serpent hungrily begins to coil around his limps and opens its gaping maws to swallow him whole. It is a source of relief as the breath of light vanishes from Villem Selwyn's eyes before being swallowed.

More than a few Death Eaters turn pale, while others turn sickly green and hastily turn away. The sound of bones being crushed is rather distinctive as it turns out. With a slurp, the tip of Villem Selwyn's expensive dragonhide boots vanishes into the gaping maws. With a snap, Nagini licks its lips as a horrific, man-sized lump is clearly visible inside of the serpent.

The Horcrux, the serpent, Nagini flicks its tongue in the air. Fear, so much fear. It was an absolute feast. With blatant malicious evil in its eyes, it slowly slithers back to the feet of Voldemort. Yet its thick body slithers slowly and heavily lugging the corpse inside. It rests at the feet of its master fully extended horizontally making the lump of a corpse much more evident.

Satisfied by the reaction of his followers, Voldemort matter-of-factly says, "Though Selwyn's misguided intentions were good, I will no longer tolerate the slightest hint of disobedience. This is a warning to all that have such qualms."

"Yes, Master," his followers whispered in fear and reverence.

"Step forth, Selwyn's uninvited guest," Voldemort gestured with the tip of his blue-tinged fingers.

The hooded finger is petite and steps forth from the crowd. "Do not remove your cowl," Voldemort sternly instructed. "You are all dismissed."

The Death Eaters gaze at each other before doing as they are told including one with dark eyes that burned like fire and ice. Several of the Death Eaters rush out of the hall and nosily hurl into the nearest receptacle. Others frantically clean the blood from their clothes and faces having been splashed by the vile serpent in the attack on Villem Selwyn.

"Nagini, go guard the entrance," Voldemort clearly instructed to the dismay of the overly full serpent.

"Fine," the Horcrux, Nagini grumbled and heavily slithered across the floor to guard the entrance of the hall. It would ensure that there were no unwanted listeners or lingering spies.

"Selwyn had said that the Dark Lord was overly suspicious, but it would appear that Selwyn vastly underestimated the subject matter," the petite hooded figure said.

"Remove, you cowl," Voldemort demanded remaining alert lest it is a trap. He subconsciously touched his stomach recalling the unexpected attack by the traitor, Bonnenne. The wound had healed yet at times, he still felt phantom pains.

Pulling back the hood of her cowl, there is a pretty witch with tank skin, warm eyes, and curly hair, Dorcas Meadows. "I have no intentions of being disobedient, milord," she drops down directly on her knees without so much as a flinch at the pain. She bows her head to touch the floor in humble supplication. 

Without so much as moving a muscle, Dorcas Meadows kneels there until her knees are numb. Yet with a purpose in mind, she doesn't move despite the uncertainty in her heart. She had no desire to betray her friends, but she had seen the deaths caused by the giants. For how long longer must wizardkind tolerate magical creatures?! She could not in good conscience turn away nor turn a blind eye to the injustice in the world. Though she did not fundamentally agree with the ideologies of the Dark Lord, she was willing to follow him until her objectives were met.