The Darkness Within

Chapter Five - An Assignment

Chapter Five

James looked around the empty building. Why anyone would opt to live in an empty warehouse was beyond him. He moved silently forward before giving the signal to the other two Aurors to go check the back of the building.

They had received information that a Death Eater was hiding out here. Exactly why a Death Eater had chosen a run down, freezing warehouse for a home was a mystery. James and a team of four Aurors were sent to investigate and capture the Death Eater. James, his best friend, Sirius, a fellow Order member, Kingsley Shacklebolt and two Ministry Aurors, Liam and Nathan made up the team.

Sirius and Kingsley stayed at James' side while the other two Aurors silently crept to the back of the building. So far there was no sign of this Death Eater.

Just as James turned the corner he caught sight of a short, blond haired man, sitting at the other end of the warehouse with his back pressed up against the wall. His face was hidden behind his hands and he seemed to be shivering. Was it from the cold or fear? James couldn't tell.

James, Sirius and Kingsley drew out their wands, exchanging silent looks as they prepared to approach the man. Should they see the dark mark on the man's left arm that proved he was a Death Eater, they would proceed to arrest him.

Before they could take another step towards the man, they heard a loud noise, like a door slamming shut. The sound echoed all around them as numerous doors and windows locked themselves shut. The suspected Death Eater snapped up his head at the sound and looked wildly around the warehouse, his wand shakily held before him like a weapon. James, Sirius and Kingsley ducked from view, each man throwing himself behind a cover of some sort.

They watched as the man got to his feet, his eyes darting all over the place, his wand thrust out before him. Suddenly he stopped and turned to face a new sound. James heard it too, clear and unmistakable.

Footsteps.

Someone was walking towards them. James craned his neck to look over the wooden crate that he was hiding behind, trying to see who was approaching them. He thought it may be Liam or Nathan but the Aurors would know to be quiet and discreet. They wouldn't be walking boldly up to a suspected Death Eater. Whoever this was, he was making no effort to stay quiet.

The short, blond haired man suddenly let out a stifled noise, something like half a sob and half a cry. His panic was clear to see as he backed up against the wall, his shaky wand held before him.

The Aurors saw what the man had seen but they couldn't understand the reaction. All they saw was a boy, dressed in black, except for the silver mask which covered the whole of his face, walking towards the suspected Death Eater. The bold and confident footsteps belonged to him. The masked boy stopped a short distance from the cowering man.

“It's you!” the panicked man spoke in a fearful voice, his blue eyes fixed to the boy. “You're him! The Dark Prince!”

James caught Sirius' eye and both men shared an amused look. 'Dark Prince', that was a rather unusual name.

“Were you expecting someone else?” the masked boy asked, his voice laced with mockery.

James was taken aback. The voice gave away the fact that it was indeed a young boy behind the silver mask. But there was something else about the boy's voice that unsettled him. A strange familiarity that he couldn't place.

The Death Eater suddenly dropped to his knees, his wand slipping uselessly from his fingers.

“Please, Prince! Don't kill me! Please, have mercy!” the man cried.