The Dark Mark had appeared once, twice, three times—at the Quidditch World Cup, Ollivander's wand shop, and the scene of Barty Crouch's murder. Aside from the third incident, where the culprit had already been found and dealt with, the first two still had no clear explanation or evidence.
In truth, the first time was a disguised Death Eater gathering. But when young Barty Crouch witnessed it, his fanatic faith was ignited. He conjured the Dark Mark, and in doing so, became a pawn manipulated by Regulus Black. In the original tale, he had done the same, but the cause and process were different. The only similarity was the outcome.
Harry Potter's wand was subjected to lengthy scrutiny before it was finally returned to him, while Barty Crouch's house-elf, Winky, was cast out because of this event and ended up serving the Black family.
The second Dark Mark appeared at Ollivander's wand shop. This time it was very real. Voldemort himself led the attack, bringing with him Death Eaters who had just been broken out of Azkaban. They struck at Diagon Alley, and many wizards witnessed their actions firsthand. The Dark Mark was cast as if to slap the Ministry of Magic directly in the face.
If the Ministry had pursued the matter with full force, they might still have tracked down the hiding Death Eaters. But the paranoid Cornelius Fudge believed it all to be a conspiracy by the Order of the Phoenix. He turned all his energy against them, inadvertently giving the Death Eaters breathing space. They hid in the most unlikely place of all—Harry Potter's aunt's house. They still lingered there. Unless sent on missions, they amused themselves daily by tormenting Vernon and Dudley Dursley.
Lately, aside from recruiting expendable pawns, the Death Eaters had done nothing major—no grand displays of power that would reveal their strength and Voldemort's.
That was about to change. The handsome Harry Potter assigned them a mission: attack Arthur Weasley on his way home from work.
To ensure success, half the Death Eaters stationed at the Dursleys' would take part.
"Lucius! How should I express my fondness for you?"
The handsome Harry Potter sat at the head of the table, flanked on either side by twelve Death Eaters. Across from him sat Lucius Malfoy.
Not long ago, Regulus Black had approached Lucius Malfoy, asking him to serve as an inside agent among the Death Eaters.
Regulus needed his help to maintain an edge in the struggle against Voldemort's growing power.
Originally, on the night of Voldemort's resurrection, Lucius Malfoy and several other aristocratic Death Eaters were to be summoned. Their relationship with Voldemort had once been merely transactional—trades and support. But once the war chariot rolled forward, everyone was dragged along.
They failed to understand that once Voldemort launched his revolution against the wizarding world, they could no longer control him. Instead, because of their ties to him, they became parts of his war machine.
The Malfoy family was such. So too was the Black family. That was one reason they later escaped punishment. Beyond claiming they had been placed under the Imperius Curse, they could explain away their reluctant involvement.
As long as no one accused them of actively participating in atrocities, they could evade the Ministry's penalties.
But now, Regulus Black wanted Lucius Malfoy to make contact with Voldemort of his own accord. That was far more difficult to justify.
Many of the old pure-blood nobles already knew Voldemort and Harry Potter had fused into one. But none understood the specifics. After the fusion, who was this new being—Voldemort or Harry Potter? No one could say for certain.
There was, however, one man who knew: Regulus Black.
The Soul-Sealing Hexagram, such a dazzling artifact of sealing magic, had been his creation. What no one else realized was that he had also orchestrated its theft by the Dementors. Only Sirius had begun to suspect, though without a shred of proof.
Through Dolores Umbridge's punishments—dark magic inscribed into quills that etched words into Harry's skin—Voldemort had forcibly strengthened his consciousness, fixing it with a magic array. The body was now his to command. And only Regulus Black held evidence to prove it.
Lucius Malfoy agreed to help—for his son's sake. Not long ago, Draco Malfoy had suddenly transformed into a ferret at home, shocking Lucius. Even he had never dared attempt such a dangerous spell.
Later he discovered it was due to Mad-Eye Moody's prank and Regulus Black's clever guidance, which had led Draco to master Animagus transformation. Another unregistered Animagus.
For this alone, Lucius had to help. All for Draco—whatever it took!
So, under Regulus Black's arrangement, Lucius "happened" to encounter some Death Eaters outside. After a brief skirmish, they agreed to take him before Voldemort.
"I never imagined that after the fusion, it would be you who gained control of this body. My Lord, Dark Lord! If Lucius had known you would return, he would surely have pledged himself to your service."
Now, Lucius Malfoy's standing before Voldemort was the lowest of all. His seat made it plain. Those placed at the far end were either expendable guests or prisoners awaiting the Killing Curse.
But despite Lucius's lengthy explanations, Voldemort made no move to strike.
"So you mean you doubt my ability to control this body?"
The handsome Voldemort ran a hand through his hair, questioning Lucius lazily. Was he supposed to believe Lucius had randomly stumbled into his service by coincidence, by recognition, by loyalty? Did they think him a fool?
Yet seeing Lucius's cautious, trembling demeanor, Voldemort almost believed he was speaking the truth.
"Your face still reminds one more of Harry Potter. Honestly, I do not mind."
Lucius struggled to put his thoughts into words.
"I understand your plan. Attacking Arthur Weasley, a high-ranking Ministry official, to intimidate the entire Ministry—that, I approve of. Which is why I'm entrusting you with command."
The handsome Harry Potter smiled warmly, which only made Lucius more nervous.
"As for whether you can seize his position afterward—that depends on your maneuvering. That is your true purpose, isn't it?"
The handsome Harry Potter pushed up his glasses out of habit, then realized he no longer needed them. Thanks to the fusion, his eyesight was perfect.
"You are right, my esteemed master. I do have some small ambitions. But in these matters, I am willing to follow your command."
Lucius Malfoy outwardly resigned himself. Who knew how many Voldemort's supporters lurked within the Ministry, perhaps in positions fit to take Arthur Weasley's place?
The Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office was a department within the Ministry. Its chief function was preventing wizards from enchanting Muggle objects to harm Muggles, as well as reversing such incidents.
Arthur Weasley headed the office. His only colleague was Perkins. Yes—just two people: a head and a single employee. Within the Ministry, it was almost an irrelevant post.
But the problem was that every department head had the power to draft related laws. Arthur had written an entire set of regulations against the misuse of Muggle artifacts.
One loophole, for his own convenience, allowed wizards to enchant Muggle vehicles.
This hobby consumed much of the Weasley family's wealth.
If Lucius Malfoy could claim that position, he would rise from a mere Ministry attaché to a high-ranking official. A real seat of power.
"This position should be yours. After all, you know the Ministry's workings best."
The handsome Harry Potter approved of Lucius's plan. Immediately, Lucius Malfoy set out with six Death Eaters.
Arthur Weasley's life now hung by a thread.
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