Death Eaters - Read the Harry Potter Books - Prologue (Patreon)

A tense silence hung heavy in the dilapidated drawing room of Riddle Manor. The air crackled with a mix of anticipation and apprehension. Lord Voldemort, his crimson eyes narrowed, paced before the Death Eaters assembled around the dusty fireplace. Bellatrix Lestrange, her face a mask of manic excitement, bounced on the balls of her feet. Her husband, Rodolphus, and brother-in-law, Rabastan, flanked her, their expressions grim but resolute. Lucius Malfoy, pale and drawn, sat stiffly on a cracked armchair, constantly fidgeting with his signet ring. Finally, Peter Pettigrew, a nervous twitch playing at his lips, scurried around the room, refilling goblets with a cheap, rotgut wine.

The silence was shattered by a sudden, frantic fluttering. A large, snowy owl burst through the open window, its wings brushing the cobweb-draped ceiling. It landed with a heavy thud on the rickety table in the center of the room, a rolled parchment clutched tightly in its talons. A gasp escaped Pettigrew's lips as a bulky package, seemingly tied with knotted rope, tumbled from the owl's grasp, landing squarely on his head.

"Wormtail!" Bellatrix shrieked with a deranged laugh. Pettigrew scrambled to his feet, the package falling to the floor with a dull thud. He squeaked apologies as Voldemort's serpentine gaze fell upon the owl. With a flick of his wand, the owl vanished with a soft pop.

Voldemort stalked towards the table, his black cloak billowing dramatically. He unfurled the parchment with a hiss, his pale face unreadable. The others held their breath, their eyes glued to the parchment in his hand. After a tense moment, a low growl escaped Voldemort's lips.

"This," he rasped, his voice laced with barely-contained fury, "is a message. It addresses me… directly." A collective shiver ran down the spines of the Death Eaters. A direct message to their leader was unheard of.

He unfolded the parchment further, revealing a neat, elegant script. Voldemort read aloud, his voice echoing in the cavernous room.

"'To Lord Voldemort and his loyal followers. Enclosed you will find four volumes chronicling the life of your nemesis, Harry Potter. We suggest you delve into their contents, for within them lie secrets that may prove… beneficial. Signed, A Mysterious Friend.'"

A stunned silence descended upon the room. The Death Eaters exchanged bewildered glances. A "Mysterious Friend"? Who would dare offer them information, let alone about Potter? The audacity of it all!

Bellatrix, however, was the first to break the silence. "A gift, my Lord!" she shrieked, her voice laced with macabre glee. "A chance to finally understand the Potter boy's weaknesses!"

Voldemort's eyes gleamed with a dangerous light. "Indeed, Bellatrix," he said, a cold smile twisting his lips. "Perhaps these… books… will offer us the knowledge we need to extinguish the Potter threat once and for all." He reached down and picked up the package, a thoughtful expression on his face.

As he untied the knots, a flicker of unease passed through Pettigrew. These "books," this unexpected turn of events, filled him with a dread he couldn't explain. But for now, under the scrutiny of Voldemort and the watchful eyes of the other Death Eaters, he could only wait and see what secrets these mysterious books held.