~*~HARRY POTTER AND THE SAVAGE GARDEN CONCERT~*~ ~*~Chapter Eight~*~
Daniel stood at the middle of the stage, absent-mindedly clutching his guitar...his eyes temporarily blinded by the bright lights. He didn't quite understand what was going on, but somehow he knew he was related to all this. How, he wasn't sure.
Darren, meanwhile, was trying to 'revive' a shell-shocked Hermione. She wasn't as shocked as Ron was - Ron's jaw dropped to the ground and his eyes were wide open in fear - but she was more of a statue than a human; watching straight into the skull and snake, probably thinking of its origin. Darren didn't know what the picture symbolized, but he knew it wasn't good.
"WHAT'S GOING ON?!?!?" yelled Harry in extreme pain, breaking the strong silence. His veins were pulsating with blood near his scar, and he felt like he was being branded by a thousand red-hot rakes. The pain almost made him unconscious, but Harry hung on, bearing as much of the agony as he could. "Why are the Death Eaters here?!?"
"Death Eaters?" asked Darren and Daniel in confusion.
"You-Know-Who's followers..." whispered Hermione, still staring at the lights. "The skull and snake is his symbol...presence of this symbol means presence of a Death Eater..."
"You-Know-Who?" asked Daniel, dropping his guitar and massaging his tired brain.
"That wizard...Daniel, it's that wizard I've told you about. The evillest of evil. The wizard of doom. It's him." replied Darren. He looked at Harry, delirious in pain...Ron, stuck in time...Hermione, who Darren refused to let go although she looked very calm. He then looked at Daniel, who was trying to comprehend the strangeness of it all.
"You don't mean..." pondered Daniel. "You don't mean Volde-"
"DON'T SAY HIS NAME!!!" shouted Ron all of a sudden. He had returned from his shock state but his fear never left his face, or his voice. "It's bad enough that we see the Death Eater mark, but you didn't have to mention him."
"Oh but why not?" said a feminine voice from nearby. Everyone looked around but couldn't see anyone besides themselves. "You will meet him anyway...or at least one of his loyal followers. With luck, you will be done with quickly, but hey, a fight's always fun to watch. You deserved it...especially you, Harry..."
"Who on Earth are you?!?" yelled Harry, twitching in his chair. The pain didn't leave him...instead, it intensified by the minute. "What do you want from me?"
"Why, your life, of course - I'm sick of watching you live while I die." The voice became deep and menancing, giving Harry a deja vu experience. "And I don't think any of your friends will help you now...not even the pathetic Darren or his so-called Muggle friend Daniel...finally..."
Darren couldn't handle his anger anymore. "SHOW YOURSELF!" he yelled. "Or are you too cowardly to show us your face?"
"Do not underestimate a Death Eater," sneered the voice in contempt. "Or else you will pay." There was a ruffle in the curtains, and soon a hooded figure appeared from backstage. The figure held the hood in its hands and pulled it down. Expressions of shock and anger were reflected in the Savage Garden musicians when they saw who it was.
It was their "average Savage-garden variety personal assistant", Leonie. But she was no longer average.
