Harshing and a group of Neo Death Eaters marched through a muggle village sending great tundra's of fire all around, there were hundreds of supporters following them holding their wand's high. The smell of ash filled the air, muggles were screaming, begging, dying.

And Harshing led, in the new NDE uniform: a black uniform with a dark mark plastered on the back and cuffs of green around the wrists and ankles. They looked majestic, disciplined and perfect. Unity in a time of chaos. The fires spiraled on, now mixed with hundreds of flashing green lights.

Soon the screams died down, the village had been crushed. Harshing took his position in the village square on a huge podium. He magnified his voice.

"Brethren, look around you," he shouted over the cheers. "You can see what we have accomplished. We have saved ourselves from damnation from at least a thousand of the degenerates tonight. Comrades, imagine what we could accomplish in 1, 2 or even 30 years in power. Imagine we and a race of pure blooded Wizards, an elite ruling over the degenerate slaves. Imagine a world without war or hunger, without drought or famine. We, as Neo Death Eaters can aspire to this, we can take magic beyond the confines of this petty country and seize the world by force. And together Comrades we shall rule it."

Harshing was in tears as he spoke, such passion in what he was saying, such intelligence he spoke with. And the crowds united behind him, they hailed him and the Neo Death Eaters.

Friday Ryder stood amongst the chaos, absorbed in the final moment of the madness. He felt accomplished, but also serene. He looked around at his brothers, clothed in crisp black robes, and looked strong as a unit. Knowing this was his first act of destruction and purification, he felt an inner pride, and knew his father would feel the same way.

Ryder cheered along with his fellow brothers as the fires around them swirled and emitted mass amounts of smoke. They wouldn't stay here long; someone would notice the destruction and soon there would be an investigation. For the time being, Coldstone Harshing was leading thier group, and speaking on thier behalf, with tears in his eyes. Although Ryder had little connection to Harshing, he understood that he was deemed somewhat of a leader among the Neo Death Eaters.

When his speech concluded, Ryder smiled to himself, satisfied. He wondered how long thier group would stick around, or if people would depart immediately. He required a word Harshing, although he didn't know if he would be granted such. He parted his way through the crowd of his brothers and found him.

"Harshing. A word, if I may? Congratulations, also."

She was one of those with Harshing, wearing the new uniform, proud, but with a cold shroud of hatred for those around her. Not her fellows, but the muggles whose homes they burned. She thought that this was too kind, killing them as they had, she wished that she could have shown her flare for causing hurt, but she did as the others, until they came to a stop, when she walked forwards to stand by her father, the flames reflecting in grey eyes dangerously.

She had been about to speak when he approached and, after a minute, she recognised him. His voice, his looks, they all pointed to the same thing- Ryder. He was a professor at Hogwarts.

Gaze turned to him and smirk settled across her pale features. "Well, well, well, didn't expect to see you here."

Ryder looked at the young girl who had addressed him before Harshing could speak. He recognized the face, and realized it was Flame Harshing. Then it dawned on him- this must be Coldston'e daughter. He laughed coldly, at his own stupidity.

"Hello there. You must be Flame then, pleasure. Why are you surprised to see me here, then?" he asked.

Flame watched him coldly, for though he was quite hot she could never risk anything, especially with her father around. One wrong move on her part and everything could go wrong. She turned to face him fully, pale skin contrasting greatly to her black hair, lips painted the same colour, she had the genuine look of a killer at that point and, indeed, a killer she was.

"It is just that with the new headmaster I thought that most would be... scared... To join us, professors I mean. Of course, we already have Anima, but family ties are stronger than ties to the school in his case." Silence fell between them.

"Your blood type is?"

Ryder scoffed at Flame's attempt to scare him. He wasn't afraid of being found out, since he was very crafty indeed. Of course, there was always the chance, but Ryder was willing to take it either way, for the cause. And nothing Flame could tell him would make him think otherwise.

"I'm not scared to join you. You might find it...ahh, useful, to have more than one teacher at Hogwarts who is loyal to the cause. I'm sure Anima will think the same, although we'll be careful not to discuss it anywhere that is not private."

"As for my blood type, you should be bloody sure I'm a Pureblood, of course. How could you assume otherwise?" he asked, smiling at her. She seemed very tough, but Ryder knew that Flame could be softened if possible, by a few words. Every girl had a weakness, it was presumed.

She watchied him, determined not to soften before her father, for Ryders sake and not her own, for she had no way of knowing how her father would react to her slight crush on the professor after the last time she fell for an older man. Luckily, they had people willing to take care of that result for them.

"He's strict, Ryder, you sure you could handle the consequences if you were to get found out? I have no doubts you'd be useful, but don't want you rushing into any life-threatening decisions just yet." she told him.

Luckily she was slightly behind her father, and hopefully out of his viewline, because she bit her lip and then smirked at the professor before returning to her cold, unreacting state.

"I have to be sure, Ryder, we can't let just any scum join. We aren't the family, you know."

Ryder considered,but found it difficult to take advice from young Flame. Then again, Flame wasn't that much younger than him, only a few years if so. He wasn't sure how old exactly she was, but being only 21, the difference couldn't have been more than 4 years or so.

He watched her reaction, and she bit her lip. Ryder smirked, knowing that she was softening to his taste a bit. There was nothing wrong with buttering up the leader's daughter. He took that into consideration before he spoke.

"Thank you for your concern, Flame, however, I do believe I can handle my own. If I wasn't sure I could handle the consequences, I wouldn't have applied to be a teacher at Hogwarts. I'm looking to be as helpful as possible to the cause, as I'm sure you're aware."

"And also, I don't exactly consider myself scum, do you Flame?" she asked, chortling for a moment before looking deep into her eyes. Coldstone seemed to be ignoring them, looking in the other direction, part of a distant conversation perhaps.

((Difference is 6 years April, she's only in her fifth year))

She couldn't take eyes from him now, he'd got her good, though the pull to him would never be as strong as the one to Fox, merely because of her bad experiences with age gaps. Even as she told herself this, for she had been thinking it, reassuring herself, the world Sentinus went through her mind and she outwardly shivered, she couldn't go through that again.

"It's less concern for you than knowing that if you give them information it will cause us a lot of damage Ryder. ne slip up from youbecause you're having second thoughts, the mention of one name, and that one person is busted. You understand what I'm saying, I'm sure. Believe me, I've been deeply involved with such affairs before."

Once again Sentinus creeped through her mind- the family- the last time she's been involved with any organisatin before this. Once again she shivered, and it wasn't cold.

"Some would say I gave myself the name when I joined the family, when I became so involved and got dragged into it's complicated structure, when I bore the marks of a madman. Others would say I redeemed myself when I turned against him. So would I call myself scum, I'm not sure, would you call me scum? I wouldn't call you scum, now you assure me that your blood is pure."

Ryder's first reaction was that Flame was much more intelligient than he had assumed, but also that she talked in some what a roundabout way. Nonetheless, Ryder was attracted to her, at least her deep workings of her mind. He smirked and got closer, drawing her away from her father, who was distracted nonetheless. He walked a short ways away, still thinking.

"Well, I assure you, there will be no slips of my mind. My loyalties have not wavered ever in my life Flame, I can promise you that."

"And as for thinking you are scum, I must say I don't believe so. Though, you do talk in riddles, Harshing." She laughed. "Care to explain the situation you speak of?"

Ryder was not familiar with Flame's past, although he knew he should be, since thier were all sorts of rumors floating about the school. He, however, tended to stay away from gossip andmere theories. He was now curious, however, now that it involved someone he considered strong and part of his cause.

Flame allowed herself to be drawn away, following Ryder a short distance from her father. She had no reason to allow this, no explanation togive her father, but she had gone against her better judgement now, she would face the consequences later.

"It is good to know loyalty still exists outside the realms of my family, or at least half of my family. Many claim loyalty and know not what it means, they wander, lose confidence in the cause, and finally they change sides." she paused, thinking, watching Ryder. "But I'll believe you, for now, unless evidence were to show otherwise."

She glanced away for a second, and then back. "Riddles are their to be solved, Ryder."

"My past is long and cmplicated, Ryder, some say I am lucky, others say I am not. My parents hated each ther from the start, the other side of the family abused me greatly, I didn't even know Harshing had anything to do with me, for years I thought of him as nothing but my head of house.
I was branded last time the dark lord ever showed his face, given as much as volunteered, but that has nothing to do with the predicament of which I spoke earlier, Ryder, though I am sure you will know of it from your time within the school's walls.
Sentinus was gaining power, his group showed all the signs of ruling the world, I at the time believed the death eaters were over, found myself drawn to the power as a moth to a light, and joined the ranks under one Grand Sentinus.
I thought the world of him, gave him everything and nothing- everything he asked for and nothing he did not. But he abused my trust, pulled me in with charm like a snakes, led me to believe I was special. He marked me, though the marks have gone now, I was like a walking, talking pieve of artwork, his mark carved all over my skin, being added to and changed all the time. He chose me.
I thought being chosen would be a good thing, but it was not, he said I would share his throne, but he meant my children would, all he wanted was my power, not me.
Eventually, I turned against him, he lost the elder wand and I failed to get hold of it. Still, I caused his downfall. But will I ever cleanse myself of he who accepted those of unpure blood, and scorned those who are now my alliances- vampires, werewlves, centaurs. I will never escape the torment that I fuelled him on his quest, the nagging that, because of me, though he is dead, his rule may carry through his son." She stared at Ryder.
"I made myself scum and yet I cleaned myself of the scum, but does that mean I am still scum who has tried to blow it off?"

Ryder listened intently to Flame's explanation, and realized that not all of the rumors were true, and many were close but not just yet there. He understood now, more than anything, and tried to make something of it. It was quite a predicament to get into by somebody, but either way, Ryder was shocked yet proud of Flame.

"I, personally, am shocked to hear of your story. Howevever Flame, I do not consider you scum. You had the pride to clean yourself of the mess you put yourself in, and you did it with greatspeed. I think you have something above many people, Flame."

He paused, unsure of what to say.

"I feel as though you are untrusting towards me, and I must assure you that you have no reason to be. I'm sure you are a better judge of character now Flame. And I have no doubt you would be able to see right through me," he said confidently. He did, of course, have nothing to hide from Flame, or any of the other brothers.

She had to watch his face through every part of her story, she was hungry to know what he really thought, she actually cared what he thought. That was more than most people, usually she couldn't stand to share anything, and didn't want others to share with her but this... It was different.

"Thankyou, Ryder, it is nice to know some people have some respect for that fact," she shot a cold, malicious look in her father's direction, "Because not everyone does. But I have always said that some hide away from the facts, sticking only to their opinions."

She waited as silence fell.

"Trust is a difficult thing for me to give, Ryder, I need you to know that. In a world where trust is everywhere it is also nowhere, to push the boundaries of normality one must reach out and have true trust yet such trust must be earned. Noone who knows anything, Ryder, would trust easily if they knew what were good for them. My father is too trusting, most are too trusting, they must learn to step with caution."

"I can't comprehend why some of us cannot be forgiving. Unfortunately, it is the way of some of us." He looked in Coldston'e direction, wondering his intentions with his daughter. He would never say anything, however, knowing it was not his place.

Ryder considered what Flame said, and understood where she came from. Ryder knew a lot about trust, as he had been betrayed more than once, and had grown past his fear of it. He didn't trust many, but those that he did trust did not break it, or they would surely suffer his repercutions.

"Understandable, Flame, as trust often comes with a price. It is something that needs to be gained over time, and those who trust so easily are fools and ignorant individuals. Although, there are some, who pass by by granting large amounts of trust, and never seeing thier wrongs. But it seems, you have not been one of those people. Hopefully, I will be able to prove to you my loyalty and trust over time."

"Forgiveness, in the minds of some, is as difficult to give as trust is for me to give, it is all locked away in the pasts of the people. Though my father would never admit it, I believe he has had problems which have spiralled from forgiveness in the past, and so he struggles to forgive. I know he cares deep down but, sometimes, that care needs to be a little closer and easier to grasp, otherwise people don't know that care exists and go on believing you have to care for them, or for their future. But if their is care, the process of forgiveness has already begun, it just needs to complete it's cycle. I'll prove myself to him one day, prove I deserve to carry his name, deserve the things he gave me just before he fell, though I believe that was more so that things were not repossessed for his crimes."

She watched Ryder again, hoping for some sign of what he thought of her, though still she found none.

"The price of trust is high, Ryder. My trust, perhaps, costs more. If I trust the wrong people things strike back- my father would never forgive me then. Who can you trust when you carry such secrets, when you fear true friendship and shy from kindness? How can one explain the difficulties they face when as each new day rises more are added? I know I have made mistakes with who to trust in the past, and so I find it harder to trust now. Perhaps one day, I cannot say when, you will prove to me you deserve my trust."

Ryder listened to Flame speak entirely. His face was devoid of emotion, and he managed to keep control of his face. He didn't wish to show shock or anything to Flame, and set her off. It was clear he would have to work hard to forge her trust and honesty throughought this friendship. He knew he would see her often with the NDE, so he hoped she would somehow get over this wall between the two.

"I'll work my hardes, Flame, to understand you're reluctance to trust an outside. As for your father and forgiveness, I am positive that he will someday understand you. He is a man, and men are not always so forgiving, especially to thier children. It may be shameful to him Flame, and although it is not right, it can often be the way it is. Time will only tell."

He paused here.

"But, I can show you, in time, you may have a confidante. I put forth my best efforts to this cause of your father and our brothers, and if that means helping you through this time, so be it. And don't take offense to this. I know that you can take care of yourself. But, it doesn't hurt to share your inner pain."

He reached out, grazing her collarbone, and played with a strand of her hair momentarily before drawing away.

She listened to him, watched him, felt for him, and inside she felt weak because she knew, deep down, she wanted more than what she was allowing, she wanted physical touch, to be loved and cared for like a normal person, fr noone had ever cared. She wanted to trust him, put in his mind all her secrets and pasts, all those things none knew but her. But, most of all, she wanted him to herself, in a way her father would despise. But she knew she couldn't have that, she had to leave him alone.

"I want you to know that the process of our friendship, and therefore your way to my trust, has already begun. It will take time, though, before I can completely trust you. As I trust you more you will, perhaps, learn more of me, a me noone else sees, hidden beneath the Flame that everyone knows, there is something else. I need you to know that things will be difficult at times, I may seem reluctant to share anything, even speech, and need time alone. But most of all, I wish for you to understand that my life has made me who I am and ask you not to judge me on what you see inside school walls."

His touch shocked her, part of her wanted to withdraw but a larger part, the part that craved him, forced her to stay thee, savour the moment. Her eyes searched his, her hand drifted to his face, to touch, she was pushing the boundaries of what she could allow.

Ryder allowed the touch from Flame for merely a second before backing away, glancing furtively at her father, still only yards away. His eyes softened however, allowing a smile to crawl onto his cold features, and grabbed her hand for a second. He squeezed it gently, then dropped it.

"I do not judge others because, as I have seen, assumptions are usually incorrect. You must be sure to keep yourself in line, Flame, because those that are strong are able to do so. Command yourself in a certain respect, and people on the outside will see you as so. Do not fall out of control. It is a dangerous world, and one only for the strong, which I know you can be."

He let his words fade out, and he leaned a bit closer, whispering now.

"But if you ever need guidance, I trust you know where you can find my office."

How her doubts fed her mind, doubts that they woukd ever win, but Ryder made her want to be strong. His words warmed her, made her feel he cared, and care was something for which she longed. His skin was soft, and that one touch had fed her feelings for Ryder more, but she knew she must hold them back, with her father so close, and Ryder was right to pull away. Still, she liked the feel of her hand being in his.

"I'm lucky to still be allowed a neo death eater, I pushed it Ryder, too hard. It's just he said we'd be leaderless and look at him- he commands everything. It annoys me that he won't just admit he wants to be in charge. But pushing against him wasn't smart, he wanted me out but Lycs... yu knowLycs, right? Well he stuck up for me, he told him I need help that only he can provide. Because I can't keep control, Ryder, I try and I try, but it keeps winning. It came so suddenly I wasn't prepared, and there was noone there to help me control it, and now, at times, it controls me and not the other way around." Her breathing was heavy, because she was scared- scared that Ryder would tur his back on her now. Her and her big mouth! Why couldn't she have kept that quiet?

"I'll come and see you. Tomorrow. So we can talk away from hawk-like eyes."

Ryder listened and tried to understand. It was clear that Flame had a lot of inner conflict inside her, and she fought very hard against it. It was one thing to control power, and another to allow power to control you. And it seemed Flame currently was losing the battle. However, the tide could turn just as easily.

"Control comes through practice and patience, Flame. You must wait it out. Your still very young, and I know you don't like to hear this, but you are. Very mature... but very young. And though you may not be naive, sometimes, there are things only age will give you. Control is one of these things, Flame, and I'm sure you will achieve it. Do not let the power you fight against scare you. That is your weakness."

He stated this boldly, knowing she may get offended, but also knowing she must hear it. He would allow Flame to give up easily, and a strong character was needed.

"I'll come and see you. Tomorrow. So we can talk away from hawk-like eyes."

"And that, seems to be a great idea."

OOC: Are we going to make a post for that in my office? And if so, who makes it?

Harshing held up his hands once more and the crowd's fell silent. A path was made through the NDEs and a group of muggles/survivors were dragged into the clearing by some particularly nasty and brutal NDE members. Harshing looked at them, they were screaming, upset - some of them children. He stepped down from his podium and walked towards them.

"Brothers and sisters of the NDE here are the people that have locked us away in alleys and pockets of what is ours. They have tried to force us wizards into extinction, dared to claim 90% of Great Britain is theres. And we have allowed it for so long. Shame on us, brothers, shame on us."

He laughed and the crowd followed. "But let us now take revenge."

"You two!" He pointed to Flame and the teacher he did not know. "Show these degenerates the hospitality of the NDE." He smiled and apparated back to his podium.

She stared at her father, having not been paying attention, she just knew he was talking to her. She glanced over her shoulder at him to see a group of muggles. A cold smirk wound it's way onto her features and wand was pulled from her pocket. She wouldn't give them death, that was too kind, instead they would suffer greatly at her hands, so they would wish they were dead, but she wouldn't give it unless her father said she had to. Wand pointed directly at them and a spark came to her eye, power built and she released it upon the nearest muggle, a young child.

"Crucio." The child curled in agony, screamed, begged for mercy and Flame just kept putting more and more into causing pain, the child would break.

Harshing smiled and raised his hands. The crowd obeyed by cheering Flame on. Harshing added his own crucio to the blow and several other NDE did the same, the child literally turning white. It was sickening but Harshing was thrilled by it all - like a dog chasing its prey. He absorbed the screams and stored them, as he always did so he could use the pain to enhance his spells later on. A technique that no one else knew.

She pushed harder and harder, enjoying torturing the child. Lesser beings would say she was innocent, Flame knew better, because of the stupid, low-life muggles she and her kind had been forced to hide in shadows- it was all their fault. The child was in no way innocent.

Teeth bared and she pushed harder and harder, effort going into it great, the cheering edged her on, and she watched the child writhe. "Break little chid, break." she whispered to herself, "You should know not to mess with superior powers, you and your stupid kind."