RAVEN | D. M.

Phantom

The Wizarding War. Some people have experienced it as a positive thing, for others it has ruined their lives. Being born on the Dark Side I should be grateful and relieved. The Dark Side has conquered. Our beliefs can be put through. They're no longer dreams, no longer ideas to be looked upon as something peculiar. Those ideas that once started as dreams, have become reality. But I don't have that feeling of gratitude, nor relieve. In fact, there's this feeling of being trapped, of being kept in a chokehold. Continuously, I have to act the same as everyone else, I have to watch the words escaping my mouth. Or I risk being suspected of treachery. In this world that means being murdered.

Sometimes, it's hard to not think about my life before all of this happened. About my life at Hogwarts. It seemed so careless and free back then. The only thing I had to care about were the grades I would get. And to think that wasn't even enough for me. Back then I wanted to leave everything behind and never look back again. Laela talked me out of it eventually, but I was on the verge of doing it. I would want nothing more than to do what I then dreamed of. Leave this shithole of a life behind.

'Raven, please.' Atlas begs me, his gaze on me. 'It's hard, but you have to do this.' Atlas has had the honor to be the first of us to join the Dark Lord. Now, my parents expect me to do the same as he did when he was my age. They want me to join a meeting. A meeting with the Dark Lord. Something that is going to change me forever. 'Don't you care about what I want?' I shout, standing up from our dining table. 'Have you ever considered that I don't want this?' The scraping of my chair against the floor makes my mother wince.

'Raven, shut your mouth. You never know who's listening.' My father's voice reverberates through our dining room. 'Papa, I don't even fucking care.' And with that I disappoint my parents once again. It hurts that I can't be the daughter they want me to be. It hurts to know that everything is going to end up like they have planned. With me being a Death Eater, not being able to escape this world ever again. 'I'm sorry that I can't be the daughter you want me to be, but I just don't want to become that person.' I sob, trying to hold back the tears swelling in my eyes.

'Raven, don't you realise?' My mother desperately asks me, making me look up from the ground. 'You've already become that person you fear to be.' And that hits me as if a wave has just crashed onto me. I realise she's right. I've been that person since the moment I was born into this family. It was not a choice for me to make, but just a simple case of bad luck. Just a simple case of being born into the wrong family. With that realisation in mind I make my choice.

'Papa, when is the next meeting?' I ask, blinking away the tears that didn't have enough time to escape from my eyes. The surprised look he gives me, makes me feel mad. He acts like he didn't expect me to cooperate, but I'm able to look right through that facade. I've known him long enough to see when he's putting up a show. 'Don't act surprised.' I spit, irritated by his childish behaviour. My mother clears her throat, making me roll my eyes.

'Tonight there's a meeting. The Dark Lord's most trusted Death Eaters are invited.' He answers, ignoring me insulting him. 'He's always glad to welcome young and ambitious members into his circle.' Of course, the man is afraid someone's going to start a riot against his reign. Atlas let's out a subtle chuckle. 'Then Raven's the one he's looking for.' He mumbles under his breath. 'Thank you, arsehole.' I remark, giving him a harsh glance.

'What should I expect from it?' I ask, taking a sip of wine after. 'During the meeting, important things going on around the Ministry are going to be discussed. The Dark Lord is also going to hand out tasks for the upcoming month.' He answers, glancing at me. He has probably already seen the fear displayed on my face. 'Raven, you're going to be fine if you keep your mouth shut and don't catch anyone's attention.' My mother tries to comfort me, but it only makes me more scared for this meeting.

How am I supposed to keep the attention away from me when I'm the new one there? People are curious things, they dig their noses into everything that isn't for them to know. They're probably going to overload me with questions. Questions that I don't want to answer. 'Send word to the Phantom that's she's coming with us.' My father orders one of our maids named Amanda. 'Of course, Mr. Moreau.' She nods and then vanishes out of our dining room.

'Who's the Phantom?' I ask, raising my eyebrows at the peculiar name. Ghost. It has a nice ring to it. But someone who's nickname is the Phantom must not be a very nice person. 'The Phantom is the right hand man of the Dark Lord.' My father answers, folding his arms over each other. I thought right then. The  Phantom is straight up a dick. Not looking forward to meeting him.

'Does anyone know his real name?' I ask, wanting to prepare myself for what's coming tonight. Atlas lets out one of those annoying chuckles of him. 'Oh, Raven.' The urge to slap him in his face is starting to rise within me. 'Spit it out, dickhead. I'm not in the mood for your sick jokes.' I sigh, looking at my dickhead of a brother. 'Okay, fine. His name might sound familiar.' Don't let it be one of those psycho's who went to Hogwarts with me. 'The Phantom's real name is Draco Malfoy.'

Are. You. Fucking. Joking. Please, Atlas. Don't be serious. How can the biggest arsehole that ever went to Hogwarts turn out to be the Dark Lord's right hand man? I don't want to know what he had to do to become the Dark Lord's right hand man. 'Are you fucking serious?' I shout, reconsidering my choice to go with them tonight. 'What has that arsehole to give to the Dark Lord?' Atlas raises his eyebrows in surprise from my sudden outburst.

'He does the things that our to foul to let the Dark Lord do. You wouldn't want to get him mad, Raven.' Atlas says, when I see the look on his face, I know that he's being serious. 'He isn't the same person as he was four years ago.' I hope that he isn't the same. But I don't know which Draco Malfoy was worst. The ultimate Hogwarts player or the murdering bastard that he has probably turned into. 'Believe me, Raven. You would wish that he was the same person as he was before he turned into this monster.'