Jade Evans, Death Eater {Jade Book 4}

Chapter 1

Voldemort's imminent return to power was extremely bad, especially since I happened to be Jade Evans.

My existence was well-known to a fair few people, as was the fact that I was the daughter of Severus Snape.

Anja, my twin sister, had nothing to worry about. Hardly anyone knew her true identity.

Me, however?

Not so much.

And that gave me a difficult job; to learn Occlumency so that I could shield my mind from intruders who had an interest in my life.

Why?

The reason was simple: I was going to become a Death Eater.

I understood why, of course. Draco and the other children of Death Eaters would have unthinkingly blabbed to their parents about me, and then their parents in turn would go blabbing to Voldemort.

Voldemort would easily find out who my mother was and would be very angry with my father.

Father and I had come up with a simple cover story. Father would tell Voldemort that he had fallen in love with my mother under the effects of a love potion. My mother thensupposedly 'grew tired' of my father and stopped giving him the love potion, then left him and married James Potter instead.

Voldemort would hopefully believe our story and not kill me.

Assuming that I was still alive, Voldemort would not be pleased with me simply hanging around in the castle, doing nothing to help him.

I would have to become a Death Eater.

The youngest ever, I would only be 14 or 15 at the time. And, to be frank, I was terrified.

I walked into Father's office for my last Occlumency lesson before school started back.

So far, I hadn't been doing all that well – but maybe that had something to do with the fact that Father was a skilled Legilimens.

"Right," Father began, once I had sat down. "Occlumency. Now, remember, it is like taking your thoughts and locking them away in drawers or boxes."

He always said the same thing, and my response was always the same.

"Yes, Father."

I shut my eyes and tried to do the same with my mind.

Put your thoughts away...focus, Jade, for Merlin's sake!

I managed to effectively lock away my last thought just as Father marched into my head.

My thoughts immediately began floating out of their boxes. I hastily tried to grab them, but it was too late.

I had completely failed.

Again.

My memories began rushing past me.

Theodore Nott (a Slytherin boy) staring into my eyes...

My Animagus lessons with Sirius...

Alex and Anja making out...

All the memories that I considered important flooded past me, without me being able to do anything.

I opened my eyes and focused on Father. "Occlumens," I whispered, in the hope that it would do something.

Surprisingly, it did.

It rapidly built up a sort of wall in my mind, preventing any more of my thought and memories from escaping.

Unfortunately, Father had already seen a fair few of them.

I focused on keeping the wall there. Finally, I felt Father give up.

"How did I do?" I asked him, though I already knew the answer.

He shrugged. "You certainly improved, but you still need more practice."

I sighed.