Rise of the Death Eaters [3]

Chapter 34: Where my Loyalties Lie

There were a few things made clear the night of that secret meeting.

While the Inquisitorial Squad was explained to us in the meeting, Umbridge had plans to expand the squad to the student body who held an interest in becoming her lakies, for lack of a better word.

We would come into play as the leaders of the squad, a second tier as you will under her. Those that would join form the rest of the student body would thus be third tier.

It was quite clever how she explained the inner workings at the meeting. She had said the perfect words that anyone with an ounce of ambition and self-preservation would be tempted by. No wonder she made the room Slytherin-only. Our house were known for those traits.

It did such wonders as to make me question whether I could play a double agent with the squad and Dumbledore's Army but one word from Sam woke me from this trance.

"You can't possibly be serious," Sam demanded, dropping whatever humor she had been holding moments before. "Are you barking mad? Ava, you'd be asking for the DA to be exposed!"

"Maybe if we kept an ear on the other side we'd have a better time protecting ourselves from Umbridge," I thought out logically but Sam wasn't swayed.

"You could do that without being involved. We both know Malfoy will join and he can't not boast to save his life. He can be our warning for all I care."

I paused in front of the mirror. We were in one of the bathrooms with the door locked as we readied for bed following my return from the meeting.

I couldn't miss a moment back in the common room before Sam demanded to know where I had disappeared to.

"He's going to expect me to join," I said finally with dread. Sam gave me another look but it was less bitter than the last.

"Don't tell me you've gotten so weak as to do what he says now-"

"Of course not," I explained, setting my brush down. I stared through the mirror at her as Sam waited for me to continue.

"I'll handle it. I'll just have to tell him tomorrow. Make up an excuse or something."

"Or don't," Sam offered with a hint of trouble as she joined me by the mirror. "It's not like he needs to know everything you do at Hogwarts."

"That'll make him suspicious," I responded testily. "And that would be the last thing we need."

"What d'you mean, You're not joining? You have to, you'd be daft not to!"

"Lower your voice," I warned, before walking around Draco and the neighboring book shelf I had been browsing until this sudden bombardment of my boyfriend.

It was the following day in between four and fifth period. I had skipped out of lunch with Sam after I caught Draco trying to corner me at the table.