The dark lord had definitely had his downfalls, in Lucius's opinion, but Lucius did like his tactics. By tactics, Lucius, of course, meant punishments.

Lucius was sitting in his quarters, hidden deep under the sea, thinking about his Grimshades. When there was a small, timid knock at the door.

"Enter," he called regally. The door opened, revealing Caspian Blackwood. Caspian was far from the regalness you would expect from someone called Caspian Blackwood. He was a short, timid wizard, with jet black hair and a very pale, sickly face. Half of his teeth were missing, giving him a horrific grin.

As for Caspian's hygiene, much was to be desired. Lucius would not be the first to admit it, but he didn't treat his workers that well. Except, of course, the highest of the lot. In the Grimshade Headquarters, there was a well-instilled hierarchy. The lowest of which were treated like dirt and the highest like royalty. Lucius was obviously at the very top, and Caspian was on the lower end of the scale. In this hierarchy, the lowest were more prone to punishment if they misbehaved, while the highest were more easily forgiven.

"Greetings, Caspian," Lucius walked to his desk in the corner of his room. "Sit," he ordered sharply. Caspian obeyed. "Greetings, master, I have news," Lucius inclined his head slightly, a gesture for the Grimshade to go on. Caspian looked nervous now; his eyes kept flicking around the room. Lucius had a feeling he wasn't going to like this news. If Lucius didn't like it, then Caspian definitely wouldn't. "T-the dementors, sir, five of them, they escaped. Me and Hadrian tried to control them, but they didn't listen to us," Caspian wrung his hands.

A few days ago, Lucius had called a meeting. All of his Grimshades attended, and Lucius had assigned a mission to Caspian and Hadrian. They were to capture ten dementors from the holding place in the ministry. In 2009, the minister had passed a law that sent all dementors out of Azkaban and into holding cells deep in the bowels of the Ministry of Magic.

Lucius remained calm. "And how exactly did this happen?" his voice just as cold and calm as before, but now with a dangerous undertone. Once Caspian was done explaining his stupidity, Lucius was fuming. So, raising his voice only slightly, he said, "Caspian, your arm." The Grimshade held his arm over the desk. Lucius caressed it slightly, carefully pulling up the sleeve. There on his right shoulder, beautifully jet black, sat a symbol—the mark of a Grimshade. Unlike Death Eaters, there was not just one mark; there were multiple. It was an enchanted circle, not just a tattoo but a branding, branded into the flesh. The more dots inside the circle, the more loyal the Grimshade was. Caspian had two dots; the max was ten.

Lucius thumbed a dot. Caspian gasped as the mark turned bright white for less than a second. Minutes later, another knock sounded on the door. "Enter, Hadrian," Lucius knew who it was already, after all, he had called for that particular Grimshade.

He decided this was not a private matter and thumbed two dots now. The mark glowed a bright, painful orange. Caspian let out another sharp gasp as Hadrian entered the room. Lucius stood, flicking his wrist as he did so. Caspian and Hadrian were magically forced to follow their master.

He led them to a large domed room where every Grimshade sat, waiting for their master to arrive. Lucius walked onto a stage at the back of the room, pulling his workers along with him. "Sonorus," he pointed his wand at his throat. "Hello, my dear Grimshades," he started. There was a rustle in the room as everyone turned to look at their lord.

"Today I have come to show you what happens when your loyalty waivers," he continued. "Caspian and Hadrian have kindly offered to be the subjects of this show." Everyone's attention was drawn to where the two Grimshades stood, hovering slightly, behind Lucius. He smirked.

Lucius turned and flicked his wrist, forcefully turning his captives to the side. "Let's see where your true loyalties lie," he lifted a finger, and both their sleeves were drawn up in an instant. "Caspian, two dots? Disgraceful. And Hadrian," there was a gasp in the crowd as they collectively looked at Hadrian's arm; it was an empty circle.

Lucius was enjoying this. "Hadrian, did you really think you could hide this from me?" He asked sharply. "My lord, please, I'm sorry, so sorry, please, the mark, it's lying!" Hadrian pleaded in a gravelly voice. "Silence," Lucius ordered. "You will have your chance to explain yourself, under Veritaserum." Lucius turned back to the crowd. "Christina!" He asked; a pop sounded, and a thin, lanky woman was in front of him. "Bring me two vials of Veritaserum," she nodded, then with two more pops, she left, then returned holding two vials of clear liquid. Lucius twitched his thumb, and both the Grimshades' mouths were open. He poured one small vial into each and waited a moment before proceeding.

He addressed Caspian first. "Are you loyal to me?" he asked. Caspian's eyes glazed over as he nodded, saying "yes" blankly. A few more questions were asked before he turned his attention to Hadrian. "Are you loyal to me?" he repeated the question. "No," Hadrian replied just as blankly, a gasp from the crowd. "Tell me, Hadrian, what happened on the night of your mission?" As Hadrian explained, two facts came into light:

• Hadrian had willingly set the dementors free.
• Hadrian had confounded Caspian.

The questions continued for another thirty minutes, earning collective gasps from the crowd as more and more information was discovered.

After twenty questions, he looked at Hadrian. A new coldness came in Lucius's eyes as he stared at his unfaithful servant. "Incarcerous," he said, flicking his wand at the Grimshade. Immediately, ropes began to appear and wrap themselves tightly around Hadrian, binding him. "Don't worry, Ironwood, I won't kill you," the use of his last name sent a shiver through the crowd.

Lucius smirked. "I'm simply not kind enough for that." Lucius pointed his index finger and dragged it up and down his servant's body. Ironwood's clothes disappeared. Then he flicked his wrist and lifted his arm, guiding his servant to a hook above the crowd. There, now hanging ten feet in the air above the other Grimshades, dangled Hadrian Ironwood. Lucius twisted his wrist, making Hadrian writhe in pain, his screams and shouts echoing off the walls of the dome. He sneered as he sliced his fingers through the air, creating small, thin cuts on the servant's back and front. Hadrian screamed, a horrible gut-wrenching sound.

After an hour of torturing his servant, Lucius folded his hand into a fist, sending Hadrian plummeting back to the ground. At this point, Hadrian was panting, exhausted from pain.

"Well, Ironwood, let's see if you have earned kindness once again," he gestured to the crowd to lift Hadrian's sleeve. They did so, revealing there were still no dots. Hadrian shook, and Lucius turned his fist upwards, pulling Hadrian out of the crowd and back into the air.

"P-p-please, please, my lord! Let me go! I'm sorry!" He wailed. Lucius sneered at him, pulling his arm back. Hadrian sailed back to the stage. "Kneel before me," he ordered sharply, lifting the spell on Hadrian. The Grimshade, now aware he was in control of his own body again, fell at the sudden weight of himself. Then he crawled toward Lucius, kissing the ground at his feet.

Lucius eyed him with disdain, kicking him in the head sharply. Hadrian whimpered, "You have not earned my trust back, Hadrian." Hadrian looked up at his master, silently pleading. "I shall not be so kind as to kill you," Lucius sneered at the groveling man on the floor.

"Imperio," he instructed his newly spelled servant. "Your new sleeping quarters are in mine. Go to my quarters and lie on the floor. I shall deal with you again later," he ordered. Hadrian left immediately, still wobbling slightly from the torture.

"Now, I can't help but notice that another one of my servants has defied me," there was a gasp in the crowd. "Caspian! Tell me, why have you left my side?" Immediately, a pop sounded, and Caspian had returned. He kneeled at his lord's feet. "My lord, I'm sorry. I thought you were done with me," he pleaded, kissing Lucius's shoes.

"Pathetic...Crucio!" Lucius shouted at the Grimshade. Caspian writhed with pain.

Lucius stared down at the writhing figure, a look of disgust on his face. He spat on his servant, lifting the spell on the Grimshade. He instructed him to go to the lowest Grimshade chambers. Then he addressed the crowd, "You all have now seen what happens to those who are no longer loyal to me. I sincerely hope that any of you who were considering leaving me have reconsidered. You are free to continue your duties now, except, Ophelia, Roderick, and Thaddeus."

While Ophelia looked delighted at being chosen to be at the service of her master, Roderick and Thaddeus exchanged worried glances before looking at their lord. Lucius addressed the group of Grimshades, "I am not happy with the number of Grimshades I have," he let the words hang in the air for a moment before continuing, "most of you have served me unconditionally, others not so much," they all thought of the now imperious Hadrian. "And, I need a spy. None of the Order will trust any of you, which is why we need to take one of them," he looked at Ophelia, who looked about to say something.

"My Lord, do you mean using Imperio on one of them?" She questioned. Ophelia, a tall, imposing witch, was one of the highest in the Grimshades. Her arm had ten dots. He laughed at her suggestion, "No, my dear Ophelia, not Imperio, no, no, we will have one willingly join us, and I know just the person. You will help me find them and take them."

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They arrived at Amelia Brocklehurst's house at midday, easily disarming the intrusion detection charms. They crept into the bushes, waiting to launch a surprise attack.

They waited until nightfall when they saw the door open. Lucius smirked to himself, gesturing for his Grimshades to enter the house. They would wait inside. Lucius assigned Ophelia to the bathroom, Thaddeus to the bedroom, and Roderick to the kitchen. Lucius would wait in the entry room. Oh, how stupid this order was. The anti-apparition charms around the house meant Amelia couldn't apparate away. A muffled scream came from the bathroom; it sounded like a child. Lucius grinned; perfect.

He heard the door open again, and this time he jumped out and silently stunned the short witch. She didn't even have time to react. He touched his mark; a searing pain shot through him, but a message had been sent: 'Meet in the living room; I have her.'

There was the sound of movement throughout the house as the Grimshades met in the lounge. Lucius levitated Amelia's body through the house, eventually setting her down on the coffee table. Thaddeus came in carrying a small baby, and Ophelia with a child of around nine. Thaddeus's hostage was awake with its mouth open in a silent cry, and Ophelia's was being forcefully levitated into the room, her mouth open in a similar silent scream.

Lucius silently conjured ropes and tied up the Songbird, hanging her from the ceiling. Thaddeus unceremoniously threw the baby on the coffee table, and Ophelia, always open to a bit of torture, lifted the spell on her victim, manually restraining her, pulling her long dark hair and holding her hands behind her back. All three of the unfortunate people were deathly pale. Lucius lifted the stunning spell on his one; Amelia was frozen in fear.

"Roderick, find our guest's wand, will you?" he ordered the only one without a hostage. The Grimshade nodded and left the room, returning a short while later with a beautiful birch wand in his hand.

Lucius looked up at Amelia. "So, Miss Brocklehurst, it seems you have a decision to make: either join us or suffer the consequences if you disobey. What will it be?" Amelia, finding her voice again, looked at him defiantly. "I will never join you, Malfoy," she spat the last word. Lucius sneered. "Such a shame it has to happen this way, isn't it? Oh well." Lucius took the child from his Grimshade. "How do you feel now?" he asked, pointing his wand at the small child. Amelia looked horribly anguished. "Crucio," Lucius whispered, taking pleasure in how each syllable rolled off his tongue. The child screamed a silent scream. "No!" Amelia cried out. Lucius sneered.

"Oh dear, did you not like that?" he mocked, throwing the child back at Ophelia. He took the baby from the table. "And what's this one's name?" he questioned. "D-Damien," she stuttered a reply. "Interesting... interesting. Now, how do you feel about joining us?" he asked again. She looked conflicted. He took one of Damien's little hands, twisting the fingers between his. He sneered at it, then broke one. "No!" she screamed again. "Crucio," he whispered in little Damien's ear. The baby contorted horribly.

He laughed a cold, evil laugh. "Fine! I-I'll join you, just stop hurting them." She conceeded, he smiled. "Good, you will report to Whitesands Bay at four in the morning tomorrow," he ordered. She nodded tearfully. "Oh, and if you even think of trying to tell your precious Order about our little chat, this sweetie will die a horrid painful death," he smirked, still holding Damien. She looked away. "O-ok, if I c-comply, you won't do anything to them?" she asked. He smirked, "If you don't comply, we will kill them," he said. It was not a confirmation, but it was the best she would get.

"I will take these pretties; you will get him back when we meet. If you bring anyone else, I will kill you all. Do we have a deal?" He knew he'd won. He gestured for his lackeys to come, Roderick throwing the wand on the coffee table, taking the children with them and only releasing Amelia when they were out the door.

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That morning, Lucius and a few Grimshades gathered at Whitesands Bay. They apparated there from the depths of the ocean. Once there, Lucius looked around, directing his Grimshades into various hiding places. They did not bring the children; Lucius knew that Amelia would not join if her children were there.

At last, he heard the crack of apparition in the little beach cove they had settled on. He walked towards it, kicking a sandcastle on his way. "Hello, Amelia," he called out cordially to the beach. "Malfoy," Amelia's voice replied; he could almost hear the respectful nod. "Where are they, Malfoy? Where are my children?" she asked, coming to where Lucius stood. He smirked. "Your children are at Grimshade Headquarters. You are here for a different purpose," he walked toward her, grabbing her arm, and apparating into the ocean.
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She tried to fight, but she didn't want to get splinched. She had to succumb to his magical force. They landed in a strange domed room; it looked like it was underwater. When they landed, she wrenched her arm out of Malfoy's grip, looking around frantically.

Two sets of hands grabbed her arms, restraining her. They walked her to a stage; she felt her legs and arms snap together, stiffening. She was propelled into an odd-looking machine. It had a hanging circle brace, possibly to secure her neck, two fixed circles - one sitting on the armrest of a metal chair, another dangling in the air - and lastly, two circles fixed to the legs of that strange metal chair.

The Grimshades holding her forced her into the chair. The hanging brace immediately clamped around her neck, forcing her to look forward, where about fifty Grimshades stood, looking at her. The Grimshade maneuvered the rest of her limbs into the metal braces: her right arm went into the brace on the armrest of the chair, her legs into the two fixed to the legs of the chair, and her left arm into the one hanging beside her, giving them perfect access to her inner left arm. This was when she realized, they were going to give her the Dark Mark. No, she thought, no, they can't. But yes, they can, and whatever she did could not stop them.

Suddenly, a piercing pain stung her arm, worse than any she had ever expected, worse than the Cruciatus Curse. The pain rippled through her body in excruciating waves, and her mind went numb.

She only came back to herself when her right arm was released from the brace. She jerked awake; cold, grimy hands caressed her arm - Lucius Malfoy's hands. Her neck brace was released, and the same hands touched her neck gently, beautifully caressing it. Malfoy forced her into a kneeling position. He forced her to make the Unbreakable Vow. Once the vow was made, those hands stroked her hair, caressed her chin, a grimy voice whispered centimeters from her ear. She could feel his hot breath on her neck, "You're one of us now."