Lumos (Book One)

Epilogue ~ The Mark

Harry and Avery had just turned 14 when it happened. They had spent the whole week of their birthday together at the O'Reiley house, exchanging presents and enjoying each other's company.

But Avery knew what was going to happen the next week. She knew what she was going to be doing. She knew where she was going to be and why. The weight of her decision was heavy on her mind, but she enjoyed the last bit of time she would have being a normal Potter witch with her brother.

Avery pulled her hair back into a tight ponytail, adjusting her knee-length black dress.

Isolt had been against it, but the Malfoys had given Avery permission to visit in the summer. She had sent a letter to Draco telling him she agreed to become a Death Eater... to become a monster.

Avery straightened herself up. She was terrified, but she wouldn't let them know that. She had to be strong. She had to be fierce.

Draco opened the door. "Are you ready?" he asked.

"No," she gulped, "but if I don't do this, they'll kill my family."

He nodded. He knew he was going to be receiving the same honor eventually, just not when. Seeing her this scared hurt him because he knew what was coming.

"Come on," he said. "They're waiting for us downstairs. Yaxley is eager to meet you."

She took a deep breath. She was going to be getting a permanent mark on her arm, a brand that marked her as Voldemort's property... Not that the scar on her face didn't already. It was the only way to protect her family. She straightened out her dress again and took Draco's hand.

They walked down the stairs together, hand-in-hand. Yaxley was waiting in the dining hall for them.

"Ah, Miss Samantha Potter," he said. Avery cringed, but she knew she would have to get used to her name. She seriously doubted the Dark Lord would use her middle name. "We've been waiting for you. I was beginning to think you'd had second thoughts."

"Of course not, Mister Yaxley," she lied easily. "Will it hurt, sir?"

"Immensely. But it passes immediately after it's over. The Dark Lord gave you dreams, you said?"

"Yes, sir. He... He sent me visions of the consequences of my decision if I did not join his ranks to help him return. I will willingly help as long as the people I love are safe."

Yaxley raised an eyebrow. "You are confident, Miss Potter. Forthright, too. You are quite unlike your brother. He wouldn't care if not joining us got people killed."

"Let's stop the talking," I snapped. "I want to get this over with... Sir." She regretted almost losing her temper at Yaxley. He was a powerful Death Eater. He could destroy her with a wand of his wand.

"As you wish. I recommend you sit, Samantha." She did as she was told, pulling out a chair. Draco sat next to her and grabbed her right hand. "Now, this will be extremely painful. You are possibly the youngest we've had join us, being only 14, so it might hurt you more than it hurt me. Children have a lower pain threshold than adults."

He pressed the tip of his wand to Avery's skin and muttered the spell under his breath. A stinging sensation pulsed through her arm from where the wand was, quickly increasing to a stabbing pain. She clenched her teeth. She had to hold it together. She couldn't lose control right now.

The pain increased dramatically. She let out a scream, but it sounded more like a wolfish roar. Draco looked away. He didn't want to see her like this.

She fell off the chair, digging her nails so hard into her stockings that she ripped out threads and seams. The corners of her vision went black and fuzzy. Her animalistic roars and screams echoed off the walls of Malfoy Manor. Yaxley winced. He didn't like the idea of a child being a Death Eater, but if Voldemort deemed it acceptable, he must.

Then, the pain stopped. Avery fell to the floor. Her breaths came out as wolf-like growls and snarls.

She pushed herself up. Looking down at her left forearm, she saw the twists and curves of the Dark Mark now forever engraved in her skin. A tear slipped from her eye.

"You're one of us now, Samantha Potter. There's no turning back," Lucius Malfoy's cold voice drawled from across the table.

"I know," Avery said as she looked up, standing beside Draco. "I'll do what I must to help the Dark Lord return. Even if I have to defy my brother."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A/N

Oh my. Started and finished a 22 part (including prologue and epilogue) story in like a week. I'm proud of how this turned out, especially with how short of a time was between when I first posted the prologue and now.

Avery's story is only just beginning... And she still has to discover who Scarlett is!

Oh and btw, Scarlett's identity WILL be revealed in the next book! She's a huuuugggeeee part in Draco's and Avery's missions (no they don't have the same mission) in HBP.

SO

Since this is technically the fifth chapter after Chapter 15...

TWO questions of the section:

Do you think Avery will defect after a time, or do you think she will remain an active Death Eater until the end?

Who do you think Scarlett is?

I can't wait for you all to see what I have planned for Samantha Avery O'Reiley-Potter.... You're either going to fucking love me or despise my existence.

~ Don't kiss dementors they'll steal your soul... like Taylor Satan Swift (I'm kidding Taylor Satan is a reference to a youtuber)