When Bellatrix has a Daughter

8. Getting avenged

For the next few days, I felt all respect for The Dark Lord. When he would check my mind, I wanted to make sure he was pleased with my thoughts. I hoped he would check thoughts of how our work was going on only.

We often had meetings with The Dark Lord, and we got to know all the dirty work he was doing. A few days before school would start, we had another meeting. Snape, Crabbe, Nott, Bellatrix and all other Death Eaters were present.

“As you all know,” The Dark Lord said in a horribly cold voice, “Dumbledore is a threat to us, a threat that might prove to be a slight blunder in my later reign. I’m willing to take all the precautions necessary to make sure no one will create even that.” He smiled pleasantly at the addicting thought. All the Death Eaters’ faces were indifferent. They knew what would be coming next.

“Draco, Elvis,” he cocked his head to greet us in a pleasant tone, “I would want to know what you have been doing.” His words sent a chill along my spine. I knew it would be coming sooner or later. I was suddenly grateful that I had thought of emptying my thoughts very often and putting respect for The Dark Lord instead. I looked at Draco. It seemed he was finding it hard to suppress his excitement. I put on my indifferent face.

“We’ve been trying our best, My-” Draco stopped suddenly when The Dark Lord dismissed him with a bored wave of his hand.

“I would want to check your minds to see if you have been putting your heart and soul into this worthy mission,” he clarified his meaning. I repressed a shudder when he said ‘heart.’ 

Nagini hissed and slithered towards me, her long body slithering on the table. I stiffened. Her raised hood was merely an inch from mine. My hands were trembling and I put it inside my robes. Nagini spat out her long tongue, it didn’t touch my nose by a mille-meter as if urging me to say something.

“Draco first,” The Dark Lord said as if nothing had happened. Nagini started revolving my body; I could pay attention to nothing else, half its body was suspended in air, at least it was not touching me. The Dark Lord was taking an awful lot of time, or maybe it was me. By now, the whole of Nagini was at the heap, on the floor, and starting all over again from the foot of my hard wood chair. I sat still as ever not even daring to breathe. Accidently, I met Snape’s eyes and saw that he had been somewhat looking at me with concern. He looked away abruptly and I dismissed it as my imagination.

Finally, The Dark Lord said, “Very well, very well, you did a good job Draco.” Draco looked proud. “Elvis,” his slit like eyes found mine. I tried to stare back with no sense of fear, but it was a little difficult. What happened after that…. I don’t seem to remember. All I remember is a searing pain, coursing through me like lightning, and then, I was on the floor, clutching myself, my breathing rapid. How did I end up on the floor? Bellatrix crackled with laughter. I staggered up and with my head bent down in shame that I was so weak, took my place. “I haven’t finished yet,” The Dark Lord pointed out. I looked up to see Nagini coiled peacefully near her master on the table. I thought she had been near me?... and then into my master’s eyes; red and blue clashing, like fire and water. Once again, the process repeated, this time the pain was more defined. My hands balled into fists without me knowing and I shut my eyes to close the pain. The pain stopped immediately. “Very well, Elvis,” he said smoothly. I opened my eyes and made sure I looked down at my hands on my robes. I felt raw and exposed, like a naked person exposed to a bitter wind. I didn't know what was going on. Maybe he was doing it just to give more pain to me. But maybe... he had stripped me of all my thoughts? I inwardly shuddered. 

“Why do you panic Elvis?” Voldemort asked. He was no longer being kind. He was being grave and was that a hint of anger in his voice? “I… I don’t think I am Master,” I spluttered, my head bowed down. I was trying to subside my trembling.