Malicious Meeting

In the dark and silent main room of an old mansion, a hushed and tense atmosphere enveloped those present. A long, antique wooden table occupied the center of the room, dimly lit by floating candelabras.

Around the table, several individuals dressed in dark robes and masks concealing their faces sat silently, expectantly. At the head of the table, one figure stood out with a terrifying aura.

Dressed in a simple black robe, his skin was pale, almost sickly, and his face lacked a nose, replaced by reptilian slits. His eyes, two glowing red slits, watched everyone with a mixture of contempt and cold calculation. This was Lord Voldemort, the cause of all the chaos that was happening in the British magical community.

The people seated around him were his main and most loyal followers. Standing at the end of the table, four wizards with nervous expressions waited, making sure not to make contact with Voldemort's dark eyes.

Voldemort spoke in a cold, serpentine voice that echoed in the silence of the room.

"A powerful magical artifact hidden at Hogwarts by the Japanese dark wizard Dai Ryusaki," he said, his red eyes fixed on the nervous wizards. You couldn't tell from his tone if he was interested in said artifact.

"My Lord. Your information has some validity. It is known that last year at Hogwarts two vaults were opened that unleashed two powerful curses," said the person to Voldemort's right. His tone is respectful and serious.

Voldemort stood silently in thought. He knew about this. He always kept an eye on Hogwarts, for that was where the most dangerous person to him was: Albus Dumbledore.

"How could he have trusted you? Defeated by thirteen-year-old boys..." said Voldemort with a faint cold smile full of disdain.

Of the four dark wizards two were saved by him from Azkaban in his attack a short time ago. The other two joined his ranks, but they were cannon fodder. He did not trust them to be in his inner circle.

It was obvious the intentions of these dark wizards. They wanted to curry favor with him and enter his inner circle by bringing him a powerful magical artifact.

One of the wizards, his voice trembling, stepped forward, "Dark Lord, this was the fault of our companion's incompetence," he said, looking slyly at a bald man without a hand. It was Eustace Burke.

Eustace clenched his one hand angrily but said nothing. He just made sure not to make eye contact with Voldemort. He couldn't deny his failure, losing to Hogwarts students. They weren't even the greatest students.

Thanks to the Death Eaters' attack on Azkaban, he was released very quickly. He only spent a short time in that hellish prison. He managed to follow the Death Eaters thanks to his last name, Burke. His surname belongs to a pureblood family and one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. That's why he was able to follow them despite being one-armed.

"Trust us just this once, Dark Lord. The four of us will go to the vicinity of Hogwarts and bring back the artifact as if our lives depended on it," the wizard said.

Voldemort held and watched his wand, as he thought, "Fine... I will allow you to join our inner circle, but you will not only have to bring me that magical artifact..." he said in a slow and calm tone.

"What else do you want us to do?" asked the wizard respectfully and more relieved than before.

"You must assassinate James Potter..." replied Voldemort after a few seconds, taking the Death Eaters sitting around him by surprise. Why would his Lord care about a thirteen-year-old boy?

Although with all the events surrounding James Potter, it wasn't strange that his Lord would know about him. Patronus at thirteen, new Lord Potter, defeated a dark wizard and humiliated several boys his age and older than him with no help from anyone.

Voldemort knowing James' talent through information reminded him of him or Dumbledore. The bad thing was that the boy had ideals opposite to him. His family were clear blood traitors. Best to get rid of a growing talent before it matures. He loses nothing by giving this task to these idiots.

"I'll do it, Dark Lord," Eustace said stepping forward with a look of hatred as he remembered how James cut off his hand and humiliated him before all wizards as he was defeated by a mere student.

"Oh, that's the attitude," Voldemort replied with a cold smile, followed by a serpentine laugh that echoed throughout the room.

The other dark wizards, aspiring death eater wannabes, looked on nervously but determined. They knew they had to prove their worth and absolute loyalty.

"Number fifteen," Voldemort said after he finished his laughter.

"Yes, my Lord," said a figure standing respectfully.

"Your inclusion into my inner circle was only a short time ago. You must go to Hogwarts and begin your recruitment of talented students. There are many interested in our cause," said Voldemort. Several talented students in Slytherin did not have their families in the Death Eaters. Voldemort wanted to bring them into his ranks, even if they did not become part of his inner circle. Perhaps he would discover a hidden talent with similar ideals.

"Along the way, help these aspirants. They will need information within the school..." added Voldemort. They no longer had a professor inside Hogwarts and would not be able to get in if the professors and Dumbledore were there. The best thing to do is to get information through the students.

Voldemort was curious about the Japanese wizard's artifact. Perhaps he could get a new Horrocrux.

"As you wish, my Lord," said the Death Eater, bowing respectfully.

"Thank you, Dark Lord for your benevolence!" said the wizards, including Eustace. With the help of people inside Hogwarts and a death eater, their mission would be easier.

"Remember, failure is not an option," Voldemort commanded, his eyes fixed on the aspirants.

...

September 1.

James rose shortly before dawn that day. To recite the Animagus spell, was the first time he had ever done so.

He placed the tip of his wand over his heart and began. Finished with his task, which from now on would be daily until the thunderstorm, he changed and headed for the kitchen. His mother was already awake. With the help of Puddle and Mimsy she prepared breakfast for everyone.

His father, Emily, and Toby were already there. James greeted everyone and sat at the table, awaiting the rich breakfast his mother and the house elves would prepare.

"Excited to start Hogwarts?" asked Fleamont, reading the paper and taking a sip from his coffee cup.

"Yes, we're finally going to Hogsmeade!" replied Toby excitedly.

Hogsmeade village, simply called Hogsmeade, was the only wizarding village in Britain. Students in their third year at Hogwarts and above were allowed to go on weekend excursions to the village.

"Hogsmeade is a quaint and very pleasant place," commented Fleamont with a nostalgic smile.

"James, Emily?" he asked, looking at them.

"I'm not that struck by a magical town..." replied Emily, being honest. She barely had any friends to go there, and most at home hated her because she showed herself to be pro-Muggle. Her hobbies were considered boring for people her age. She preferred to stay in her room reading rather than visit stores or food stalls.

"You sure are boring," joked James, who was reading his father's newspaper, trying to find out if there had been another death eater attack or any important news.

"Look who's talking, Mr. Training Madman," Emily said with a slight smirk.

"In my first year, I belonged to the funniest prankster group at Hogwarts," James said.

"Oh, yeah. What was the name of the group? The Smug Ones?" replied Emily, feigning confusion.

James frowned slightly, "The Marauders, Emily. That's the name. We made it quite clear in the Slytherin finals match," James said.

"Oh, yeah... I almost forgot because of their absence... Did they take a vacation or did a member of the group die?" asked Emily and started a harmless argument with James.

Toby was trying to stop them or mediate, but his tone was barely audible, Fleamont shook his head and continued reading his journal. Euphemia turned and watched the situation with a faint smile. She always wanted to have more than one child and have them make noise at the table or fight while eating breakfast, typically.

After breakfast, they headed for King's Cross station in London. Euphemia made sure several times that no one forgot anything. A week ago they went to Diagon Alley to buy all the necessary books, supplies, and uniforms. For the first time, Emily and Toby had new, custom-made uniforms.

They wheeled the trolleys past Platform 9¾, and James could see the Hogwarts Express. A steam locomotive, scarlet. The platform was slowly filling up with people.

James met his cousins: Oliver, Charlie, and Catherine. All three were starting their first year at Hogwarts, their nervous expressions could be seen, but when they saw their older cousin (James) they calmed down for some reason unknown to James.

He said goodbye to his parents, aunts, and uncles and boarded the locomotive followed by his cousins and siblings. Emily broke away. She wanted to read quietly in an undisturbed demeanor, and she knew that James' friends (especially Sirius) were very loud.

James explained a couple of things to his younger cousins and left them to their own devices. They were to fend for themselves. It was no big deal to start Hogwarts, they couldn't be stuck with him. Later, they would start their training.

With Toby, they entered a compartment and left the door open. A few minutes later Sirius, Lupin, and Peter arrived. The locomotive began its march, while they chatted about how their summer was, and especially the Animagus charm and the vault in the forbidden forest.