Hampshire, Fawley Village.
Night fell, and moonlight shimmered silver on the river winding through the village.
A short distance upstream stood a brightly lit old castle.
A grand banquet was being held inside. Dozens of wizards chatted in the courtyard.
But only women and children were gathered here. Their partners had all assembled in the castle hall, waiting for tonight's most honored guest.
"Mr. Fawley, you're sure it's all right for the Dark Lord to Apparate straight here, aren't you?" Malfoy asked, looking across at the castle's owner, Mr. Fawley.
"It's no problem, Mr. Malfoy. The Anti-Apparition Charm has been lifted, and the Dark Lord has been here before. He'll certainly be able to Apparate here," Mr. Fawley replied.
Malfoy nodded and said nothing more, his gaze sweeping over the people gathered around the long table.
There were more than twenty of them, chatting in groups of three or five.
Some spoke loudly. Most of them belonged to Death Eater families.
They talked boastfully and proudly, treating the place as though it were their own.
Others looked worried, such as the Avery and Burke families.
For their own reasons, they had all fallen into conflict with Voldemort, and had gathered together to discuss how they should face him.
The rest were a group represented by the Fawley family.
They looked thoughtful, weighing their options for later.
No one in their families had joined the Death Eaters, and now they were facing another choice.
After watching each person for a moment, Malfoy had a good idea of what they were thinking.
The Avery and Selwyn families, for instance, had once had Death Eaters among their members, but now wanted to withdraw and protect themselves.
Then there were the Fawley and Abbott families, whose members had never joined the Death Eaters. They