Eleanor Snape- Book 2

Information Can Further Decisions

"What am  I going to do, Elle?" Vincent asked as we walked out of our last choir practice before the Spring Concert on night in June. I wasn't really sure why it was called a Spring Concert when it was held in the summer, but that wasn't really my problem.

"I don't know." I said.

"I can't tell Flitwick that I'm not doing it."

"Do you want to do it?"

"...Yes..." He blushed.

"Then do it."

"But Draco and Gregory; actually, the whole Quidditch team-"

"Vincent," I abruptly stopped. He stopped walking and looked at me, confused. "Why don't you just grow a pair and be a man? Who cares what they think?"

"Should you really be preaching this to me?" He continued to walk again, a little irked. I ran to catch up to him.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sorry, but you're being hypocritical. All last year you lied about being in remedial potions, and your last name, and a bunch of other things. " Darn...he was right about that.

"Yeah,but-"

"But nothing. You don't know how Draco really is."

"Yes I do!" How could he say that? Draco was my boyfriend! I knew Draco better than anybody!...or did I?

There was a lot of things Draco didn't know about me, so maybe I didn't know him as well as I thought. For example, he didn't know that my mother was a mudblood. Did Draco have something he was hiding from me? He never told me about what he had done to Sarah Beth...My eyes widened as I realized Vincent might be right.

"Elle...are you okay?" Vince laid his hand on my shoulder as  my walking slowed.

"Y-yeah." I shook my head, trying to shake the thought out.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I just, um..." We turned a corner and to my relief saw my uncle's office door. "have potions!" Which wasn't a lie. That's where I had been heading.

"Oh, well, bye I guess..."

"Bye." I stopped in front of the door as he rounded the corner to the Common Room. I knocked on the door, only to be answered by silence. "Uncle Severus?" I tried again... nothing. "Hello?" I checked the door knob; Unlocked.

I cautiously opened the door. As assumed, the room was empty.

'Odd' I thought, walking in and closing the door behind me. Uncle Severus was rarely late for Potions. Bored, I sat down at his desk. Sitting on it was a pile of books. I read the spines out loud to myself.

Beginner's Potions, (Must have been for me) ...Wizardry Law- why in the world... Defense Against the Dark Arts, I rolled my eyes: of course. ... Dark Magic of the Wizarding War..."I trailed off, intrigued. I moved all the other books into a neat pile to the side and picked up that one. I flipped it open, engulfed with curiosity.

This book was filled with mystery, even power. I scanned the pages, letting various words catch my eye:

The Imperious Curse

The CruciatusCurse

The Killing Curse

Unforgivable

You-Know -Who

The Dark Mark

I stopped, gazing at the illustration; a long, twisting snake slithering out of a skull. I read the article beside it:

The Dark Mark became not only a symbol, but an important part in He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's plans. Not only was it used as a symbol of loyalty, but also as a way for You-Know-Who to communicate with his followers. When a Dark Mark was touched by You-Know-Who, it would burn, informing the Death Eaters that they need to go to their master's side. It also worked the other way around. If a Death Eater were to touch their mark with the wand, it would summon their leader.

The mark its self is shown above. It is a snake slithering from the mouth of Salthizar Slytherin the founder of the Slytherin House. It is located on the Death Eater's left forearm.

The rest of the page talked about the theories of how it came to be, so I stepped reading. There was something about the Dark Mark that sent a chill down my spine, but in a good way.

I wanted one, I didn't know why, but I did. The power that would have come along with one at that time would have been unimaginable!

I thought about what Lucius had told me the first time I had asked about it. "It's a sign of power" He had called it. Thinking about it, I agreed with him. When he returned, I would join him. I wanted power... I wanted my own mark.

I opened my Uncle's desk and pulled out a pot of ink and a quill. Carefully, I started to copy the illustration on my left forearm. True, it was't the real one, but this home-made Dark Mark gave me a sense of confidence It was as if I could do anything and no one would stop me because of the mark.

"Hm." There was a cough behind me that made me jump.

"Uncle Severus!" I exclaimed, surprised. I dropped the quill and tried to cover my arm with my hadn't. Uncle Severus said nothing, but leaned over my shoulder , his black, greasy hair brushing against my face. He moved my hand off my arm and held it up, getting a better look. He stayed emotionless. "I can explain-

"Shh." He quieted me. He continued to study it a while, until, finally, he spoke. "It needs a bit more shading here, but otherwise it looks pretty close." He lightly smiled, almost making me fall out of my chair. "10 points for Slytherin."