| Girl on Fire |

91

VERONICA MALFOY

When Draco and I got downstairs, my father was talking to Sev. He looked dreadful. Like he hadn't slept in weeks. "Hello children," he said. We both nodded. "We should go. There's much to do." he said. And just like that, we had apparated back to school. Hogwarts. It had changed. It had changed a lot. And not just the appearance or the people.
Everything was different.

There were dementors circling the grounds and it was gloomy. We went inside and Draco and I couldn't help but stop at the spot where Dumbledore's body had fallen. There was nothing there. It looked completely normal. But I can never forget the sight of his corpse. And what I did to help cause it. I may not have spoken the two words that killed Dumbledore, but I was just as guilty.

But then again, Dumbledore himself was no innocent man.

Our trunks were taken and brought to Slytherin and we went with Severus. "Hurry up, we have a meeting to get to." he said. "With who?" Draco asked as we followed him down the halls. "With the Carrows," he said. I stopped in my tracks. Amycus Carrow. Memories flooded my head.

"I can mark her too." "Hold her down" "Crucio" "Let her go!" "Have you learned your lesson?"

"Ronnie!" Draco said, shaking me. I was pulled from the memories and looked at him. Severus's eyes were full of concern. "Ronnie, what happened?" he asked. I shook my head. Sev walked over and I looked at him. "Where did you go Veronica?" he asked. "Amycus Carrow. He held me down while The Dark Lord tortured me. He was laughing." I said. Draco clenched his fists so hard they turned white. Sev sighed. "I'll handle it." he said calmly. Draco scoffed. "That's it? You'll handle it. What does that even mean?" he exclaimed. Sev turned and faced him with a blank expression. "It means I'll handle it." he snapped. "Fine. But if he even-" Draco started. "Draco-" Sev snapped. Draco sighed and nodded. "Ok." he said. Then we continued walking. We got to the headmaster's office and went inside. It was pretty much the same. Just darker. Draco and I stood to the side and Amycus and Alecto walked in. Amycus smirked at me and Draco glared at him. "Severus, we have been-" Amycus started. Sev held up his hand and he stopped talking. "Before we begin, let me make one thing crystal clear. These..." he said gesturing to Draco and I. "Are my godchildren. If you so much as lay one finger on them, or even think of using one curse, I will kill you. Do you understand me?" he asked. Amycus's face fell and he nodded. Severus walked up to him and stared him down. "I believe you owe Veronica an apology." he said. "Are you mad?-" he started. Severus drew his wand and he froze. "Ok! Ok! Ok!" he yelled. He turned and faced me. "Sorry" he shrugged. "Your apology is noted. But you owe me." I said. He scoffed. "Owe you? You're kidding? For what does he owe you?" Alecto said. I glared at her.

"For not killing him myself." I snapped. She went quiet. "My sister doesn't take revenge lightly. And she doesn't often show mercy so I would just shut up and be grateful." Draco said with a smirk. They looked down. "Good. Let's begin." Sev said. Then he told us everything. Draco and I would be reporting to him and the Carrow's about any students making trouble. The Carrow's handle discipline and teach DADA. This should be an interesting year. Finally we finished and Draco and I went to Slytherin. We hung out and talked about everything. Then we both went to bed. I stared at the ceiling but I couldn't sleep. Not with school, being The Dark Lord's spy, Mattheo, my friends, and...

My stupid, stupid, stupid plan that will probably get me killed.

But I didn't care. Like my mother always said, the most dangerous woman is a vengeful one with nothing to lose. And I was vengeful and I had nothing. So maybe this would work and maybe it wouldn't. I really didn't care. I had to try. And if I do get killed, at least I'll be free.

So I sat at my desk, with my quill and parchment and I planned. I thought it all through. I thought about my potential allies and my potential enemies. I calculated the risks. I did it all. I looked over at the clock and I had been working for 2 hours. I put all the papers together and hid them in a box under my bed under a concealment charm. Tomorrow, I put the plan in motion.

Conspiring to kill my headmaster, tricking Potter into sleeping with me to provide a distraction and helping Draco fix a broken vanishing cabinet was easier than this. And it hasn't even begun.

I'm so fucked.