He’s Back (The man behind the mask)

Status:
  • Complete
Content Rating:
  • R
Fandom(s):
Harry Potter

Relationship(s):
None

Warning(s):
  • *No Site Warnings Apply
Genre(s):
  • Humor
Word Count:
1653

Author's Note:
A fill for the Thursday Vignette March 28th 2019. Title comes from the Alice Cooper song.

Summary:
Hermione has a question, she just needs a willing Death Eater to answer it.


‘Harry. Do you really think that Draco’s a Death Eater?’

‘Yeah, He was boasting about it on the Express.’

‘Brilliant, I have so many questions.’

‘Brilliant! How can you say that? The bloke wants you dead, you’re bloody barmy Mione.’

‘Really Ronald if you’re going to insult me I insist you use my full name. Friends don’t say things like that. But as I was saying I have questions.’

‘Mione I’m not sure that you can just walk up to Malfoy and ask him to give away secrets. The fact that he’s a Death Eater implies he’s you know committed to the Dark Wankers cause.’ Ron snorted and then went back to ignoring her.

‘Oh, I know that Harry. I wasn’t planning on asking him for classified information like troop movement and dastardly plans, although given the depth of inbreeding some of the purebloods have they may be stupid enough to answer.’

‘I’m sure the ministries tried that in the last war.’

‘You say that Harry but I’m not so sure. The ministry is after all made up of similar but slightly less genocidal purebloods. The inbreeding’s still there.’

‘That’s my dad you’re talking about.’

‘Well yes, possibly Ronald. But you can’t deny that your aunts seem to double up and appear on both sides of the family. And nobody is ever going to laud the Crabbe and Goyle as intellectual stars. In fact statistically, most of the purebloods are at the bottom of the grades table.’

‘Yeah well, at least we’re not know it all’s.’

‘Rather telling you grouped yourself in with them Ronald. Is your summer work calling to you.’ Ron went redder than the curtains stood up and stormed off up the stairs. Hermione had the distinct impression he was calling her names worse than swot.

‘Sorry about that Mione.’

‘You didn’t say anything’ He opened his mouth looking guilty. ‘No Harry that wasn’t a criticism. Ron’s been difficult all summer, worse than he was in fourth year. I’m sure that being near Fleur fries his brain, not that he’s got much of one. No wonder that he was attacked by those brain things at the ministry they obviously sensed free real estate. I’m being mean.’ She wrinkled her nose. She didn’t particularly enjoy being bitchy but sometimes it was just cathartic.

‘He’s said worse loads of times, you’re allowed a bit of a rant before you turn into somebody unpalatable like Pansy Parkinson.’

‘Good I’m glad you agree, because, I’m not going to put up with his behaviour now that we’re clear of Molly. It’s not like you had a good summer either, what with everything that happened and you haven’t turned into an overly moody git.’

‘I notice the word overly in that compliment. Anyway considering how bad I was last year anything’s likely an improvement. Sorry about that, you didn’t need my stress on top of everything else going on. I’ll make Ron apologise to you too.’

Thank you and don’t bother forcing Ron into giving an apology. It won’t count and just make things difficult between you. You’re the one sharing a room with his so I get you don’t want to cause unnecessary friction’.

‘Thank Mione. I’ll still have a word with him, he really should apologise. What was it you wanted to ask Malfoy about anyway?’

‘Masks, Death Eater ones to be exact.’

‘Those creepy things why would you want to ask about them?’

‘I’ve been thinking about them all summer. Did you notice in the ministry that all the Death Eaters had different masks?’

‘No, I managed to miss that what with everything else that was going on. Aren’t they all just continuing with that overdone snake theme?’

‘I will admit that Bellatrix’s knife was a bit much, but she is insane. But the masks were all different. We also know that they were all Death Eaters from the last war and that they were inner circle members. So I was wondering maybe the masks had some deeper symbolism or we could use them to identify the leaders in attacks and then target them and hope that it would demoralise the newer recruits.’

‘It would weaken Voldemort too if all his lieutenants are being taken out, that’s brilliant Mione.’

‘Thank you. I suggested it to Lupin and then the Headmaster but they dismissed the idea. Moody was nearby however when I suggested it and thought it was a solid plan. More knowledge is a stronger position to fight from and all that. Merlin knows how he puts up with Dumbledore’s secretive ways?’

‘Hero worship probably. That or the fact Dumbledore considers him worthy of knowing something’ from Harry’s comment Hermione had to conclude that Harry’s own hero worship had died along with Sirius.

‘Well whatever it is, it’s likely that they will be able to track certain Death Eaters by using the masks. It appears that they are unique and worn by only one Death Eater.’

‘So we know who’s doing what and how to weaken the power structure.’

‘Yes. Unfortunately, I’m too young to know what’s being found out despite it being my idea.’ Harry growled in frustration at that.

‘You’d have thought they’d learnt about not doing that.’

‘I know Harry. It’s very frustrating but without the answers, it’s led me to new questions like where are they getting the masks from and how are they designing them?’

‘And that’s what you want to ask Malfoy?’

‘Exactly.’ Harry stared at her as if he couldn’t understand why or how her mind had gotten there. She wasn’t and hundred per cent sure either but she assumed it was part of her way with dealing with the stresses of war.

‘Sorry, you want to ask the Death Eater where they get their masks from? And you want to ask Malfoy and not Snape? No scrap that I would ask Malfoy over Snape too.’ Harry’s lip curled into a sneer that would do the man in question proud at the thought of asking anything from him.

‘Malfoy’s definitely a better way to get the answer than asking Snape.’

‘So what you’re going to ask Malfoy if after their induction ceremony they all sit around a table with papier-mâché masks, sequins and pipe cleaners?’ Harry stared at her as she nodded along.

‘Wait’ Harry interrupted his own thoughts. ‘Do they do it before or after the ceremony?’ He stared at her bewildered.

‘See once you start wondering you can’t stop. Do they even make them or are they allocated a mask?’

‘Like a lucky dip. Or maybe the favourite ones get the first pick from a pre-made display.’

‘Or does You-Know-Who make them especially for each new recruit?’ Harry had been about to interrupt her and tell her to call him Voldemort, but, she wasn’t quite ready for that yet when her question sunk in.

‘Voldemort has the papier-mâché and pipe cleaners.’ Harry eyes were wide and looked like his world had tilted on its axis.

‘Do you know that for sure Harry? Did you see it in one of your visions?’

‘No. But he’s a megalomaniac. He wouldn’t designate something like that. He’s the one making all the masks. There could well be some deeper symbolism or magic in them. Like a portkey or the thing that makes them go into black smoke. I doubt many of the idiots could do it without help.’

‘Possibly Harry. We really need one to study.’

‘We could steal Snapes?’

‘Good idea but we should get as many as possible so they can be compared, different ranks and new versus old recruits. Just think of the possibilities. I’ll have to write to Moody he’s likely to get something done. If nothing else he’ll enjoy the opportunity to steal Death Eater masks.’

‘And In doing so it will weaken the dark bastards.’

‘Eventually, yes.’

‘No, immediately.’

‘Really?’

‘Yeah. He isn’t going to be happy with his minions losing their masks especially if he made them for them especially. He’ll probably crucio them and there’s no way they’ll be fit to fight for a few days after that. Plus he’ll be busy making all the replacements and not spending his time plotting.’

‘True. But Harry you make it sound like sending the monster a couple of sticker books and some tubes of glitter glue will derail his war efforts.’ Harry grinned, laughter bursting out of him.

‘Can you imagine?’ he managed around snickers. Picturing the nose less monstrosity carefully placing stickers and adding glitter glue decorations soon had her gasping for breath too.

‘We should send him some stickers.’

‘Kitten ones, claim they’re from Umbridge.’

‘Harry you’re wicked. They should be horse ones.’

‘I’m wicked? What about you Miss oh, just follow us into the forest.’ She grinned at him.

‘It worked though.’

‘It really did. Should we send him magic craft stuff or muggle?’

‘We’re really doing this?’

‘Yeah, we are. I mean Dumbledore says every little thing helps to win the war. Well, let’s count this as our contribution. It’s not like we’re being asked to do anything else.’

‘What about your classes with Dumbledore?’

‘The first one was just looking at Tom’s muggle life. He’s not going to teach me anything useful just that Tom had a shitty childhood and it was, like mine, caused by the old man.’

‘Well, then we do our part by sending Tom art supplies to keep him busy’ she said gently. ‘Definitely muggle stuff then. Maybe even an Etch a Sketch, they should work around magic.’

‘That should keep him going maybe throw in some pompoms too or a kit to make them. I’ve always wanted an Etch a Sketch, Dudley had one once didn’t last a week before he broke it.’

‘I’ll ask my parents to send two.’

‘Thanks. And who knows we might have just won the war.’

‘At the very least we’ve least bought us some more time.’

About Izzy Hound

In an attempt to escape from my academic writing I took up a hobby ... writing. Like all crafters, no matter the medium, I soon found myself getting buried under the products of my creativity. So in the time honoured practice of all crafters, I started sharing my work. Whether you want it or not, you're getting it and just be thankful you don't know me in person or else you'd be getting another handmade scarf for Christmas.

22 Comments

  1. Holy hell! I never thought about it before, but now I’ll never get it out of my head!!! Lovely!! Thank you so much for that beautiful bit of insight.

  2. Katherine Cifelli

    Oh my lord! I love this! Would you mind if I borrowed the idea of crafting supplies for a story I’m working on?

  3. Loretta Boshell

    Nice!

  4. Kenneth Wallace Warner

    That is wonderful, and just so likely to be true with the canon cast. thank you

  5. That was good

  6. That’s the funniest damn strike against moldyshorts yet.
    They’ve obviously been hanging out with the twins.

  7. I can just imagine Tom trying to figure out the deeper meaning on an etch a sketch or insidious magic of perler beads.

  8. Winning the war through art. This had me giggling.

  9. Voldemort as a craft guru… mwahahaha can’t stop laughing – brilliant!

  10. Victoria Wordeman

    Omg! I can see the glitter mess now!

  11. Is this proof that glitter is evil?

  12. Very funny story. I’d love to see Voldemort’s reaction to that delivery. 🙂

  13. Ahahaha . . . now all I can picture is Voldie and his craft projects. Awesome, thanks so much!

  14. Thank you for that!!

  15. I absolutely loved this!

    We have a TV show in Britain where celebrities compete to learn new crafts and I now have the vision of Voldemort and Dumbledore stuck in my head. Tongues between teeth, matching expressions of fierce concentration and wielding glue guns as they work on their masks surrounded by multi-coloured feathers and sequins.

    I blame you entirely for this.

  16. Enjoyed the image of Voldemort sitting around with a pot of glue and various decorations. Actually, it sounds like a lot of fun.

  17. Really funny and original, thank you

  18. Thank you! Noseless with glitter fingers…can’t stop giggling!

  19. Oh, Ghod. I just pictured Voldie as Bob Ross. “Now we’ll add some happy little CRUCIO!”

  20. Brilliant, I love the idea of Voldemort getting impatient waiting for the papier-mâché to dry and starting to make pom-poms! Give him enough wool and needles and the Death Eaters will be too busy with their knitting circle to bother anybody, but they’ll be lovely and warm come winter!

Leave a Reply to iadorespike Cancel reply

user-busy.png
--Do not ask for "more" or request information on when a story will be updated.
--Do not question an author's plot by pretending to be confused by what you've read. That sort of passive aggressive bullshit won't fly here.
--Do not guess or attempt anticipate an author's plot then complain about it.
--Do not make demands regarding future events or pairings.

In short, don't be an asshole.
 

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.