Harry Potter - Fanfiction

Year 7 - Malfoy Manor

The cold still breathes through the walls of the cellar as winter starts settling in. It's only been about four or five days since I was confronted by Voldemort, and yet so much has changed that it feels like months. The Death Eaters weren't exactly excited to hear how I'll be joining their ranks; 'a filthy Mudblood in league with us', I can imagine them saying with the utmost disgust.

"I am going to test you to ensure you speak true of your word in joining our fight in this war," I recall him saying. "Should you pass, I will brand you with the Dark Mark."

Vivid images flash before my eyes of the night he took me with him. The night he tested me to see my potential and if I would hesitate on my word.

I was closely tailed by four other Death Eaters, and Voldemort held tightly onto my wrist to ensure I do not Apparate. Even though I had no plan of escaping, as being on the inside of Voldemort's circle is more beneficial to me. I would be able to immediately know when they capture my sister and them, and I would be able to do something about it to assist them in not getting killed, a helping hand from the inside, or I will know if they hot on their trail and be able to send out a word to them to help them stay hidden. I can even help disrupt Voldemort's plans as he moves forward, sabotage his war from within his inner circle.

Hermione will thank me one day for this. Everyone will.

We had entered a small little village that night where a small Muggleborn family had taken refuge. They did not turn up for the interviews at the Ministry and decided to try to flee to another country, in doing so they had actively taken down a team of Death Eaters that had crossed their path. He wanted to punish them for their actions.

We had tracked them down and caught them; he had asked me to scour their minds for any news of Harry Potter and then of how they managed to take down the Death Eaters. Thereafter, he told me I must do my worst on them and show him what I am capable of.

Once we were finished, he ordered me to burn down the whole village. None of it was the easiest of things to do, fight against my own kind and Muggles, but I needed to do what I needed to do. Their pained screams still haunt my mind.

"I see a lot of potential in you," he said admirably as we returned to the manor, "I could teach you so much."

Once in the drawing room Voldemort gripped my left wrist and pulled my arm towards him, the etched word 'Mudblood' caught his eyes.

"Courtesy of Bellatrix," I explained.

"Now you will bear a new mark," he said, placing the tip of his wand onto my forearm. 

The area began to tingle and burn as the Dark Mark slithered onto my skin becoming a permanent dark fixture in contrast to my light skin, covering most of the word 'Mudblood' that Bellatrix had inscribed into my arm, however, upon closer inspection you can still see the raised skin where the word stands.

"I think you need to be rewarded after today," he said to me, like I am some pet that did a good trick. "I will inform everyone here that you are to be allowed to roam the drawing room in the day, guarded of course, and only be placed back in the cellar in the evenings after supper. And of course, we will still take your wand, I can't trust you fully yet."

"I understand, one deed cannot prove a lifetime of trust. Thank you, my Lord," I said with a constrained smile.

"Potter and his gang would never suspect you as one of mine, and that is our greatest weapon yet," he said proudly. "I will call for you when I'm ready, I first need to handle a few things of my own."

"Why did you choose me apart from my skills I possess? Taking the risk that I won't run straight to them?" I asked curiously.

"I saw it in your memories that you have no interest in Potter or in following him, that deep down you detest him almost as badly as what I do," he answered before he pulled me close into him and whispered to me as he held my gaze, "I also saw that you offered to help Draco Malfoy with his task I handed him."