The Mark of a Death Eater

Just Call Me The Master Of Mardiness

On my way to the common room, I bumped into Arrianne.

"Hi," she said, slightly out of breath. "What's up?" I asked, straining around my evil overlord books to get a better look at her.
Arianne laughed nervously. "I'm trying to dodge Terry Boot. He's a Ravenclaw, in our year? It's a Hogsmeade weekend and he keeps trying to ask me out." She pulled a face and pointed to a sign on her left reminding the students of the upcoming fun. "I don't know how to let him down nicely."
"Oh," I said. "Good luck then."

She smiled and gestured to the pile of corrupt, sinister books in my arms. "Do you need help with those?" she asked.
I laid my hand over the spines so that Arianne wouldn't see them all and shook my head.
"Thanks, but that's alright," I said.
She smiled her perfect smile. "I'll see you around then," she waved.
"Bye,"" I greeted.
I carefully began putting the books in my bag (charmed only slightly to have extra space) in case I were to run into another helpful person, and carried on to the common room. The bad did not help make the load lighter and my shoulder was aching.

As luck would have it, I ended up bumping into Weasley. This evening was so full of surprises.

"Well hello Weasel. What're you doing out here?" I looked around. "Alone." I added.
He glowered at me. "Not that it's any of your business, but I'm going to the library," he said stiffly.
"For Granger? Is she out of the hospital yet?" I asked innocently.
"As a matter of fact she is," Weasley said, shifting uncomfortably.
"Aw. I'd say I'm sorry, but I am not."
I grinned wickedly at him. He glared at me.
"Ah," I said, realizing something. "But," I lifted a finger, "the library is closed now." I narrowed my eyes. "Where are you going, Weasel King?"

It happened in less than a second: an arm appeared out of nowhere and pointed a wand at my chest.
"Expelliarmus!" I yelled in automatic defense. The floating wand clattered onto the floor. "Accio!" The wand flew into my hand. On an impulse, I pointed it at the place where I saw the hand. "Petrificus totalus!" I yelled, pointing the other wand at Weasley. Weasley fell on the floor and in the same moment, so did the person under the invisibility cloak.

Harry bloody Potter.
"I'm sick of the pair of you," I snarled. I pulled the cloak off The Chosen One and kicked the two of them together. Should I do what Malfoy did that day on the train and cover them? Ah, no. I had a much better idea.

"Well, it was nice seeing you two," I said. I swung my bag more securely over my shoulder and blew a kiss to them. And carefully trampling on their fingers, I made my way to the dungeons.

"Professor?" I banged on the heavy door loud enough to wake the entire Slytherin dorm. "Professor Snape?" I banged again.

I wondered what Professor Snape did in his spare time. He must have a hobby. Unless, of course, it consisted of hating the poor students, which seemed likely.

The door flew open and I paused in mid knock, eyes wide.
"Miss Evergreen." Snapes eyes narrowed. "To what to I owe the pleasure of having you in my office? Again."
I scowled. "I have a gift for you sir." I threw the cloak and wands into his hands. "Courtesy of Potter." I gave a little bow. "You can return the favour by putting Weasley and Potter in another detention. And, if you care, sir, they're on the third floor, him and Weasley, petrified. They seem to be in a fighting mood today."
I knew I had my toe ever so slightly out of line but I honestly could not have cared less. Besides, Professor Snape hated the pair at least as much as I did.

It was as I stared at the dark wood of Professor Snape's office door that I realised something that might help. I recalled coming across it in my third year, back when I had brown hair and wasn't quite as heartless. Back when it was just a few (partially) innocent students milling around the grounds and we didn't have to worry about anyone of us getting killed by the heinous evil un-dead or being forced to join his dastardly crew.

What I was talking about, of course, was the weapon of all weapons: a book. I'd come across it during one of the Hogsmeade weekends. I was smart enough to stay behind during one of the earliest weekends we'd had, giving me the opportunity to wander around and explore the castle while it was empty. I was all alone and sitting in the far end of the library (the Restricted section to be precise, but never mind that) when I'd noticed a floorboard creak. Well, all the floorboards creak at little at Hogwarts, but this one actually caved in a little after I'd jumped on it. When I pried off the board, there it was. An enormous, heavy book with a thick silver buckle on it and the large 'S' of Salazar Slytherin imprinted onto it. It was at that precise moment that Madam Prince had decided to investigate the creaks coming from the corner so I fled before I got a proper look. I never got another chance to go back there, even after I bought my Demiguise invisibility cloak.
But You Know Who came from Slytherin, as did everything he stood for. The heir of Slytherin, the chamber of Salazar Slytherin, the snake-shaped dark mark. If there was anything that would help me find out more about him, it would be a securely hidden, big book with a snake on it. Of course.

I slipped my invisibility cloak over my shoulders and headed silently for the library. It took me ages to find the place where I'd last seen the book, since it was now covered with a dark red carpet. I breathed a sigh of relief to see that it wasn't held down with a permanent sticking charm, and that the book was still there.

Just by touching the book I could feel power radiating under it, or maybe it was the static of the fabric it was covered in after laying underground for a good few years. Probably the latter.
When I had the book securely positioned under my arm and was under no immediate threat of detection, I headed to the Slytherin dorm to drop it off (under my bed, with a cloak thrown over it for good measure), and headed for dinner. I met Daphne outside the hall and decided to sit with her for a while since I'd been abandoning my friends lately.

As Daphne loaded my plate with food, I lifted my eyes up to glance at the Gryffindor table. No Granger, no Weasel, no Prince. I looked over at the staff table. No Professor Snape either. Hmm...

I ate quickly and hurried to leave.
"Where're you going?" Daphne asked, flipping her light hair over her shoulder.
"I need to study." I lied.
Daphne rolled her eyes and shook her head exasperatedly, but she was smiling.
"Enjoy," she waved.

On my way, I passed two boys with sandy hair talking to three first years.
"No," said the first one, shaking his head. "The sorting hat gives you your houses but this test ensures that you truly belong in it."
A little boy with wide brown eyes shook his head. "My dad says there is no other test," he said.
"Well obviously he'd say that, you're forbidden to tell anyone. But you're lucky we're looking out for you," said the second boy.
Another first year with light blue eyes nervously asked: "What are we going to have to do?"
"I'm glad you asked," said the first one. "You see, we only had to battle a couples of dugbogs and silence a fwooper but you guys are lucky. You get to battle graphorns!" He grinned wickedly.
"Wh... what are - graphorns?" the third little boy asked nervously. The second guy grinned. "Well y'see, graphorns are these great fat humpbacked grey monsters with two enormous and razor-sharp horns and dragon-hide skin that repels most spells. Mountain trolls ride them as rodeo, although of course, the trolls often escape with multiple injuries."
The three boys exchanged horrified looks.
"No pressure," said the boys together, and they walked off before bursting in hysterical laughter when they disappeared from the boys sight.

I shook my head and couldn't contain my laughter. Connor and Zeke were the infamous Slytherin twins. They were always doing something bad so it really was no surprise that they were torturing little kids with lies. As a prefect, I suppose I'm expected to keep them under control but I liked them too much to do anything about them. What amazed me the most was that although they're terrible at school, they seemed to remember the names of all the beasts we learnt about the previous year. I supposed they had to have material for their jokes. I shook my head and laughed again.

I pushed into the empty dorm and hesitated in the common room doorway, debating whether to read the book in the common room where it was more comfortable and empty, or on my bed where I could hide easily. I was just about to walk away when I saw something that made me stop and vanquished my slight good mood as instantly as it had come.

A boy with pale blonde hair was gently brushing a strand of brown hair out of a girls face and murmuring something to her. A girl that I knew well, who was just two years younger than I was. She leaned forward and they were inches apart when I felt an irrational anger coiling about my chest. I didn't lose my temper often but oh, it was not one of my better days.

"Young love; how adorable," I mused from behind them. "Am I interrupting something?"