Jade Evans, Death Eater {Jade Book 4}

Chapter 4

Hey there folks! Sorry about the long wait for the update…

Anyway, hope you like the chapter!

Challenge: A dedication goes to the first person to tell me who sang the line ‘We are living in a material world’.

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Our group had successfully found each other, so we were now sitting under the shade of a tree. Father had just gone off to talk to somebody, or something like that.

“So, Jade, you still taking all the elective subjects?” Alex asked me, drawing me out of my daydream about playing Quidditch again.

“Hmmm? Oh, no, I dropped Care of Magical Creatures. But I’m still using – I mean, I’m still taking Arithmancy, Divination, Study of Ancient Runes and Muggle Studies,” I explained hurriedly. I had been about to say that I was still using my Time-Turner, which I wasn’t allowed to say.

A distant thumping noise caught my attention.

I stood up. “What was that?”

Blaise, being the tallest, got up and peered off into the distance.

He turned back to us, white-faced.

Oh dear.

“There’s, um…” He faltered. “There’s a bunch of people in masks. Marching. Carrying torches. Burning everything. They’re Levitating some Muggles…I think the people are Death Eaters,” he added in a whisper.

Father was probably there somewhere.

He hadn’t just gone to talk to anyone, but a large group of Death Eaters.

I remembered the match, at which Lucius Malfoy had seemed slightly on edge.

I made up my mind quickly.

“I’m going to see Draco.”

“Wha –” Alex began, but I gave him no time to finish his sentence.

I dashed around a corner, ducking under a burnt tent, around another corner, until –

“Hi, Jade.”

Draco was standing there, looking completely unworried.I slowed.

“You know who’s under those masks?” I asked.

He nodded. For a moment, his façade slipped and I could see his terrified expression.

Then it was gone.

“I might have expected myself to be there,” he joked weakly.

I forced a laugh. “Yeah. D’you know why they’re doing this?”

I motioned to the fires everywhere.

Draco nodded again. “Making a show of loyalty to the Dark Lord.”

“Of course.”

That made sense. After all, Voldemort was supposed to return this year, wasn’t he?

That was why I had to do all these Occlumency lessons.

I sighed, then looked up. “Someone’s coming!”

I breathed a sigh of relief when I realised that it wasn’t a Death Eater, it was only Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter.

Hermione nodded at me in greeting, then looked at Draco in disgust, then back to me, as if to say, You’re talking to this guy?

I raised my eyebrows.

If only Hermione knew that Draco had fancied her in our 2nd year.

I turned back to Draco to see what was happening. Harry had just suggested that Draco’s father was marching around under one of those masks.

Draco shrugged unconcernedly. “I wouldn’t tell you if he was, would I?”

Harry glared back, starting to raise his wand.

“Look, Harry, just go hide,” I interrupted. “It’s dangerous around here.”

As soon as the trio had disappeared, Draco stared at me. “What was that for?”

I rolled my eyes. “Well, I don’t want you and my half-brother blowing each other to bits, do I? Well, anyway, I should probably go fi –”

Before I could finish my sentence, we both heard a treading noise.

I found a hedge near us and crouched down behind it, quickly followed by Draco.

Then I froze.

I felt like this wasn’t going to be another trio of fourth-years.

Something a little more dangerous.

Very slowly, I peered around the hedge, seeing if I could see anything – or anyone.

I could see someone.

He was a fairly tall man, with his sleeve rolled up to reveal the Dark Mark.

So, obviously, this man was a proud Death Eater, but who was he? Certainly nobody I recognised. I glanced at Draco and knew from his face that he didn’t know this person any more than I did.

The man looked around him – I was careful to hide my head again – and then raised his wand.

“Morsmordre.”

I unconsciously opened my mouth to ask what the spell did, but my question was answered.

A green snake appeared in the sky, moving its head.

A smoky and indistinct form, but unmistakeable nonetheless.

The Dark Mark.

I couldn’t keep my eyes off the Mark.

The same mark that was on this man’s arm, the same mark that was on my father’s arm, the same mark that would soon be on mine.

I couldn’t help being scared. In fact, I was absolutely terrified.

The man walked away from the site.

As soon as I was certain he was gone, I turned to Draco.

“I’m not really looking forward to school anymore.”