However, trying to think of something else was not the best idea because her mind settled instead on what she was going to do in “ she looked at the clock again “ a little less than half an hour. Up until now, the whole thing had seemed so unreal “ almost as if she was watching herself from above. But suddenly realization hit: She was really going to go through with this. She didn’t have a choice. The full impact of the awful truth caused a torrent of tears to spring to her eyes, and as she sank to the floor, deep, wrenching sobs wracked her body.
She could not do this; there was just no way she could do it and live with herself afterwards. Angrily, Katie bit her lip; she would rather die than become one of them. Of course, she realized, that is exactly what would happen if she didn’t join them. He would kill not only her, but her family as well if she ran from his invitation. Well, actually, that wasn’t quite true. If she ran, she would be placed under the Imperius Curse and forced to kill her own parents. She had never really learned how to throw off an Imperius “ though Heaven knows, she’d tried enough at school “ and she didn’t think she would be able to do so now, no matter what they tried to force her to do.
Shaking her head in an attempt to clear her convoluted mind, Katie stood up and resumed her pacing, wiping the salty trails of tears from her face, an occasional, gasping sob escaping her lips. But it was no use. She couldn’t help but think about the consequences if she chose to avoid going there tonight.
Somewhere in the room, a scurrying sound echoed eerily and Katie glanced up to see a rat silhouetted in the dirty window. The sight immediately reminded her of her purpose that night. Katie felt terror rising in her chest, so much so that it threatened to consume her entire being. For a moment she allowed it to. She simply sat there, crying and shaking from head to toe, letting loose all the emotions she was feeling: fear, anger, regret, and strangely, though she hated herself for admitting it, excitement. After a few moments, Katie realized she was lying on the dirty floor, and quickly got up “ a bit too quickly for it made her head swim alarmingly. She swayed for a moment, clutching her head and gathering her thoughts. Then, grabbing the moth-eaten blanket from the bed, she wiped her eyes and looked one last time at the clock: Five ‘til eleven.
Shoot! I’m going to be late!
Wiping her tearstained face, she hurriedly donned a black cloak and a mask given to her by them. It was time. By midnight, she would be one of them, and there was nothing she could do about it. Biting her lip, Katie tasted blood, yet she didn’t notice for her mind was already there, with him. Steeling herself, she turned on the spot and Disapparated, leaving the room silent but for the ominous ticking of the clock.
Katie Apparated into a clearing cut in the middle of a forest that, she realized, was nowhere near Hogwarts. Gazing around, she saw Death Eaters arranged in a circle around the edge of the clearing and her stomach flopped nervously in anticipation. In an hour, she would be one of them. A shiver ran up her spine at the thought, but she refused to show her fear. She might have to join them, but she didn’t have to like it or give the Death Eaters the satisfaction of knowing that she was frightened.
As she stood in the middle of the clearing, Katie wondered what she was to do now that she was here. No one volunteered any information, and she certainly couldn’t go ask anyone. She knew better than to join the circle of Death Eaters, but being surrounded by them wasn’t a good idea, either. For the moment, however, she decided to stay where she was.
Katie stared down at her feet, doing all she could to imagine that she was somewhere else. An eerie silence permeated the clearing, which was exceedingly strange for there were quite a few people there. It was unnatural, this quiet. Katie shivered as cold sweat trickled down her back. She jerked her head up and gazed at the soundless Death Eaters. They were all standing, silent as the grave, at attention … waiting for him.
Suddenly, Katie heard a loud crack, and Voldemort materialized before her. She remembered what the Death Eaters had told her at their first meeting and mentally corrected herself. She was to refer to him as the “Dark Lord.” But before she could congratulate herself on remembering this piece of information, Katie recalled something else. Hastily, she knelt before him, her masked nose touching the moist, peaty ground. It seemed as though she was kneeling for a lifetime. Katie’s bones began to ache from the damp cold and she fought to remain still though every part of her longed to collapse from fatigue and fright. Strangely enough, she succeeded, for at that moment, the Dark Lord chose to address her.
“Get up,” the Dark Lord commanded, his voice cool and distant.
Katie did as she was told and scrambled to her feet, leaves still clinging to her clothing and hair. She did not look at him, but waited with bated breath for him to say something … anything, really. Finally, after what seemed like hours, he spoke.
“Look at me.”
Again following his orders, she reluctantly flicked her gaze up to meet his … and immediately wished she hadn’t. The sight was horrible. Voldemort, no, the Dark Lord, looked like a snake. His eyes were merciless red slits. They were the eyes of someone who had no feelings at all. Though she wanted to look away, Katie kept her gaze steady as she felt him insidiously worming his way into her mind.
“Why do you choose to serve me?” he asked lazily. Katie tried to respond, but her fear was so great, no words reached her lips.
Without waiting for an answer, the Dark Lord continued sifting through her thoughts before leaning forward to condescendingly whisper another question in her ear. Katie fought back the urge to recoil in disgust and fear.
“Will you be faithful to our noble cause?”
Katie wanted to snort at this. “Noble cause?” Since when has killing innocent people become noble?
“Crucio!” hissed the Dark Lord, and, as if her muscles had dissolved instantaneously, Katie fell to the damp forest floor, writhing in pain, her body burning as an unearthly, demon fire coursed through her veins.
Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the pain abruptly stopped.
“Stand.”
Shakily struggling to her feet, the aftereffects of the curse blurring her vision, Katie trembled before the Dark Lord. She forced herself to face him, and to her surprise, he was laughing.
“Foolish girl, we do not kill innocent people. We only kill those who deserve to die.”
Katie wanted to retort, but she knew better than to do so. She also realized that she should have known better than to question anything he said … ever. It didn’t matter if she said her thoughts out loud or kept them in her head. After all, the Dark Lord could read her mind.
As she berated herself mentally, Katie failed to realize that the Dark Lord was staring at her intensely, and, without warning, he again penetrated her mind. Katie gasped and flinched, but knew there was no way to prevent him from doing this. She didn’t know how; she had never learned. Blocking dark magic was extraordinarily difficult.
Seconds later, Katie felt him leave her mind.
“Very good,” the Dark Lord sneered. “You are right. Occlumency is a very difficult art to learn, let alone master. Very few could protect themselves against me, and you certainly aren’t one of them.”
The Dark Lord sounded very arrogant to Katie. However, as she thought this, she gasped quietly, realizing moments after that he wasn’t in her head anymore. That thought would have certainly earned her another round of the Cruciatus. Katie almost laughed though there was nothing comical about the thought at all. Folding her trembling hands together, she stared humbly at the forest floor, hoping that the Dark Lord was finished with her. The psychological lambasting was beginning to take its toll on her already weary mind and she wanted desperately to find a bed. A bed? How could she possibly think of a bed now?
But the Dark Lord didn’t notice her preoccupation. At that moment, he turned from her in a swirl of dark robes and began to scintillate slowly around the circle of his Death Eaters, eying each of them in turn as they cowered and drew their masks from their faces, dropping to the ground and bowing.
Katie followed her new master with her eyes until he passed beyond her peripheral vision. She then stared resolutely at her feet, hoping fervently that he was done with her; he might come back. But when he didn’t return and Katie heard him hissing angrily at a Death Eater, she knew she was safe. The Dark Lord was finished with her … for now.
Katie stood, shivering violently and listening to the Dark Lord hissing rebukes at several of his unfortunate minions. With a pang of guilt, she realized she would be one of those groveling figures in only a few moments. A single tear rolled down her cheek. She was thankful for the mask covering her face, glad that none could see the betraying teardrop even if it was dark in the clearing.
Finally, the Dark Lord returned to her, leaving the cowering Death Eaters struggling to their feet in his wake. Staring her down, he spoke not a word, and Katie’s terror grew. However, when the Dark Lord eventually did speak, it was the question Katie knew had to be asked and the very one she had been dreading.
“What special knowledge or service can you offer me in exchange for giving you the honor of being among my followers?”
Katie gasped inwardly; she had absolutely no idea. Desperate thoughts raced through her mind. She was good at Quidditch… Ha! spat a bitterly amused voice in her head. Yes, that “talent” would certainly make the Dark Lord love to have you as one of his followers. He’d be sure to pick you to be on his team for the annual Death Eater Quidditch Cup.
Sniffing slightly, Katie ignored the voice and continued to think. She was in Gryffindor, so that meant she was brave. Not that she felt particularly brave at the moment, but apparently the Sorting Hat thought she was brave enough to be sorted into Gryffindor. Deciding that bravery was probably her best option as most of the other Death Eaters were not likely to be Gryffindor, and, therefore, not very brave, Katie willed her body to stop shaking and her voice not to tremble as she prepared to answer her new master.
“M-my Lord,” she began, a little unsteadily. “My Lord, I am a Gryffindor.” Her voice became stronger as she continued. “I am brave, daring, and will never back down from a fight. I epitomize Gryffindor house. I will serve you to the greatest extent of my abilities, relying on my courage to get me through whatever the other side throws into our path. I will not run, no matter what happens. I am a Gryffindor, and I will not back down.”
Heartened by her own words, Katie stood resolutely on the spot, staring into her master’s eyes, practically daring him to prove her words wrong through Legilimency.
She felt him slide into her mind once more, but she did not flinch. Her future lord and master searched her mind, but seemed unable to find any lies. Katie felt his curiosity and a touch of resentment grow as he found the words of the young Gryffindor true and loyal. However, instead of asking her to extend her arm, he simply stood there, contemplating.
What now? thought Katie, terrified that something had gone horribly wrong. The Dark Lord didn’t speak, and, after a moment, he left her and stalked towards one of his followers. The masked servant lifted his or her chin and began speaking in hushed tones with the Dark Lord.
What are they saying? Katie worried, twisting her hands together underneath the cover of night and her dark robes. What is he going to do to me?
Finally, after what seemed a lifetime, the Dark Lord returned and stood before Katie, staring down at her with his demonic red eyes. Katie met his eyes once and then ducked her head, awaiting whatever punishment or prize would surely befall her.
An evil glimmer flashed in the Dark Lord’s eyes as he extended a long pale hand towards Katie. In it lay a single silver coin. Katie stared at the object in his grasp, her eyes distrustful. What does he expect me to do? she thought.
As far as Katie could see, the coin was a normal Galleon … except for its malevolent silver luster. But as the Dark Lord waved the coin under her nose impatiently, Katie realized he was offering it to her, so she slowly reached out and took the object from him. Katie brought the coin to her face, and, squinting in the dim light of the forest, looked at it closely. Her heart dropped alarmingly to her stomach as she realized that the object she was holding was etched with the hideous design of the Dark Mark. Was this, then, how she would receive her Mark? Looking questioningly at her new Master, she glimpsed the tiniest hint of a vindictive smile flitting across his horrifying features.
That grim smile was the last thing Katie saw before she felt a tug at her navel pull her forward into the dark night.
When Katie’s feet hit the ground, she stumbled a bit from the force of her landing, but quickly regained her footing; years of Quidditch had made her quick and agile. To her surprise and trepidation, however, she discovered that she was again in a place infinitely alien to her. Apparently, the coin had been a Portkey designed to bring her to this room. But before she could do any exploring of the strange room, thick black smoke appeared in the air before her.
Katie watched, entranced, as the billowing cloud formed smoky words.
You wish to fight among the best?
And choose bravery your specialty?
Fine then, girl, now pass this test,
And prove your word and loyalty.
Katie’s stomach flopped nervously. She had no idea what was in store for her, but she feared that she would soon find out … and she did not want to.
As she glanced fearfully around the room, the acrid smoke began to twist itself into a different shape, the haze beginning to form a somewhat human-looking figure as terrifying as it was mysterious. As the smoke solidified, Katie found herself standing less than ten feet away from an enormous, looming Dementor.
Fear gripping her heart, Katie forced herself to clear her mind as she speedily recalled the classes Harry had taught them in the Room of Requirement. As a bone-chilling cold began to fill the room, Katie hurriedly dug through her memories, trying desperately to think of something happy.
The Dementor swiveled its horrid body and floated silently towards her, but Katie had found a memory that would do. Reaching for her wand, she steadied herself and weakly shouted, “Expecto Patronum!”
A wisp of silver escaped her wand, and though it forced the Dementor back several feet, the it quickly faded into the surrounding darkness. Katie discovered that she could not still her shaking body when faced with the towering Dementor, and yet she must, or this whole adventure would be over “ she’d have failed. Her determination to prove herself gave Katie rejuvenated strength, and she whipped through the maze of her mind a second time, selecting a different memory. As she raised her wand to perform the charm once more, Katie had a split-second to realize just how close the Dementor actually was. Fear was forcing its way insidiously into her mind as the creature strained towards her, every atom in its putrid rotting body thirsting for Katie’s soul. In one last attempt to clear her mind, Katie zeroed in on the joyous memory and cried, “Expecto Patronum!”
This time, the spell worked, and a beautiful being emerged from her wand. The “apparition” was not merely a dewy vapor, but as visibly solid as Katie herself.
Her Patronus, a striking peregrine falcon, glowed silver as it descended lightning-fast upon its prey. But as fate would have it, the Dementor disappeared before the bird’s talons could latch onto its hood.
Katie, though she wondered at the ease with which her task was completed, felt relief flow through her body as her Patronus flew back to her and landed proudly on her arm, tilting its head into Katie’s cheek, rubbing gently. She patted the predatory bird lovingly before it dissolved into thin air.
Unfortunately, Katie had little time to miss the comforting warmth of her bird for just then, she heard a creak of floorboards behind her. Turning slowly, she discovered a single Death Eater, crouching in a panther-like dueling position.
Instinctively backing away, Katie gripped her wand firmly. The Death Eater looked rather tough, and, well, big. Was she actually going to have to fight him?
Obviously, sighed the condescending voice in her head. Though the comment shook her resolve somewhat, Katie ignored it stalwartly, and, instead, prepared herself mentally and physically for the oncoming attack.
The man, his reflexes sharpened to that of a sword, pulled out his wand and spat, “Impedimenta!”
“Protego!” Katie countered, her own reflexes honed by extensive Quidditch practice. Perhaps this won’t be so hard after all, she thought flippantly as the man fell to the floor, immobilized by his own backfired jinx.
Seconds later, however, Katie realized this was not going to be the case. In fact, she couldn’t have been more mistaken.
The man’s body disappeared, but two more Death Eaters appeared immediately in the room, one on either side of her, grasping their wands and advancing with cat-like footsteps.
Gulping visibly, Katie fervently wished she was anywhere but there as the larger of the two men snarled, “Stupefy!”
Repeating her shielding charm, Katie saw the man fall, but barely had time to compose herself as his thin companion hissed a hex. With less than two seconds to react, Katie dove to the ground, narrowly avoiding the enemy’s spell. Before the Death Eater could attempt anything else, Katie yanked her wand from underneath her body and yelled, “Stupefy!”
Scrambling to her feet, Katie watched as the two fallen Death Eaters faded into thin air, and wondered if this was all she would have to do. Of course it wasn’t. Just as she lowered her wand, three more men appeared before her.
Denying her even a moment to think, one of the Death Eaters stepped forward, and, pointing his wand directly at Katie’s heart, boomed, “Avada Kedavra!”
Throwing herself to the side, Katie drew a quick breath and decided she was in big trouble as two curses cast by “Avada’s” companions flew over her ducked head. Quickly looking around the dark room for anything to hide behind, Katie realized that the area was stark empty, and felt a touch of her bravery evaporate as quickly as the previous Death Eaters and the Dementor had.
“Avada Kedavra!”
Reclaiming her own attention just in time, Katie rolled across the floor, moving agilely out of the green curse-stream. Adrenaline kicking in, she aimed her wand at the Death Eater who had tried to kill her (twice) and screamed, “Stupefy!” The man went down without an instant’s hesitation, and Katie felt a surge of power. She would win this fight.
Cutting her gloating short, she ducked another killing curse from one of the remaining Death Eaters, and threw a couple hexes in the direction of the masked figures. Now, however, both men were bellowing the Avada Kedavra at her, over and over, and Katie was doing her best to dodge the spells while yelling back her own ‘classroom’ jinxes. So great was her concentration, she didn’t even register that both assailants had already fallen to her torrent of jinxes until she ran out of breath, and, terrified, looked quickly around the room.
The three men had disappeared, and though she felt slightly resentful at the unfair fight, Katie prepared herself for the next attack surely to come, but nothing happened. Instead, a silver coin, much like the one the Dark Lord had given her earlier, fell to the floor in front of her, ringing eerily in the empty room. Katie felt sure it was a Portkey that would, most likely, take her back to the forest clearing in which stood the circle of Death Eaters and their master. Now that she’d experienced the Dark Lord’s nightmare training course, Katie wanted less than ever to go back to him, but she knew that if she didn’t, the Death Eaters “ his loyal servants “ would hunt her down. She might run for days, but in the end, the race for her life would be to no avail. They would kill her as surely as they’d killed their previous victims.
No, that mustn’t happen. Heaving a sigh, Katie gathered the remainder of her now-tested “courage” and grasped the coin. After a few very long nervous moments, she felt something yank at her navel and drag her forward to face her Master once again.
Stumbling slightly as her feet hit the solid floor of the forest clearing, Katie took a deep breath before looking fearfully up at the evil man standing before her. She fervently hoped she had passed his test, but what if she hadn’t? As the Dark Lord leaned closer, his leering gaze probing into hers, Katie knew that she’d find out soon enough.
The Dark Lord narrowed his snake-like eyes and cleared his throat. “It seems that you have passed the test. I have no reason to doubt the truth behind your statement of bravery and pledge of loyalty.” Several of the Death Eaters tittered at this and the Dark Lord cast a red-eyed glare over his shoulder at the crowd, silencing them immediately. “You shall receive your Mark now.”
Now? thought Katie, her terror returning afresh. Oh, God, what have I gotten myself into? But as the Dark Lord pulled his wand from his pocket, Katie steeled herself and extended her left arm shakily to her Master. Oh, well, she felt herself sigh though not a breath escaped her pale lips. This is it.
A cruel grin spread across the Dark Lord’s features. He held his wand high, a green glow shimmering from its tip, before grasping her shivering forearm.
“Hold still,” he hissed and the Death Eaters laughed again “ he did not bother to hush them. Katie, shaking violently, did her best to comply, but could not will her body to cease its trembling. The Dark Lord tightened his grip on her arm, his fingernails cutting fiercely into the soft skin. Then, with enough force to nearly pull her over, he pressed the tip of his wand firmly onto her arm.
“Morsmordre!”
Katie flinched as the spell contacted her skin, then watched, fascinated, as the Mark began to wind its way into her flesh, carving deeply, obviously, but painlessly, too. A moment passed, and the Mark finished its sojourn through her skin. Unexpectedly, with a resounding acid hiss, it flashed bright green, and in that same instant, Katie felt her arm surge with fire, and she let out a high-pitched unearthly scream.
The surrounding Death Eaters were quiet; perhaps they remembered what their initiations had felt like. But Katie could not pay attention to them for the pain in her arm was excruciating. Slowly, the minutes passed and the Mark faded to black, but the pain persisted.
As if in slow motion, the Dark Lord released her arm, his eyes sparking malevolently, and let Katie fall to the ground, tears streaming from her eyes as she nursed her arm.
So immense was her pain, Katie didn’t even notice the Dark Lord motioning distractedly to two of the surrounding Death Eaters, in fact, she barely noticed them lifting her from the ground for the throbbing in her arm was still fresh, and commanding her full attention. When she did realize that they were carrying her off to … Merlin-knows-where, Katie feebly began to struggle. What are they doing? Where are they taking me? Wherever it was, she wasn’t going without a fight.
Katie fought against her captors as fiercely as she could in her weakened state, and felt their grasp on her loosen. Ah, ha! she thought victoriously, I’m getting away… And then felt herself falling through the air.
Clearly, her struggles had not impressed the two Death Eaters, and they had promptly dropped her to the ground where she landed sprawled unceremoniously on her back. Ow, thought Katie vaguely, a dull ache throbbing through her arm, and now, her head as well.
Katie attempted to stand, pushing herself from shaking arms to wobbly legs, but one of the men stopped her slow progress, yawning lazily, “Stupefy,” and she fell back to the ground.
“Mobilicorpus,” muttered his counterpart, and the two men set off again, this time with Katie floating inert between them.
Thankfully, the journey didn’t last long; Katie’s head was beginning to swim dizzily after its unsupported ride through the air.
In less than ten minutes, the group stopped in front of a dilapidated building, but that was all Katie could see of the outside. My head hurts, she thought hazily as one man opened the door “ which creaked noisily on its rusty hinges “ and the other guided Katie’s prone figure through it. Once Katie’s immobile body had passed through the doorway, one Death Eater lifted the spells that were keeping her figure both prone and airborne, and the men left without so much as a backward glance at Katie, one lifting his wand and pointing it over his shoulder to slam the door, as Katie fell to the hard, dusty floor with a resounding “fwump.”
“Wait a minute!” Katie felt herself shout after them as she scrambled to her feet, the sound of her own voice painful to her ears in the quiet of the room.
Katie dashed to the door, her sore muscles and bruised body protesting angrily, and tried to open it, though she knew it was no use. She was locked in. What’s this about? she wondered confusedly. She waited for the Death Eaters to return, but after an hour, it was obvious they wouldn’t be back any time soon. Sighing, she resigned herself to the inevitable and slinked across the room to the far wall, slumping miserably against it. She felt like crying, but all her tears had been spent, so instead, she just sat there, contemplating what had gotten her into this mess.
Katie was on a mission for Dumbledore’s Army, which had now become a full-fledged stealth organization opposing both Voldemort and the Ministry of Magic. She was in Muggle London on her way to the Ministry to see if she could pick up any clues regarding the recent death of eight full-grown centaurs.
It was night. She was in the now-deserted street that meandered near the hidden entrance to the Ministry. As she approached the telephone box used for visitors to the Ministry, Katie felt someone grab her wrist. Spinning around, she briefly registered the clothing the man was wearing: a long dark cape frequently worn by Death Eaters. Before she could scream for help, the man had Stupefied her, and was Apparating away, Katie’s arm still clenched tightly in his grasp.
When Katie awoke, she was in a room, pitch black except for a couple of flickering candles.
“Alohomora,” someone nearby whispered, the reedy voice giving Katie as little comfort as the dying candles. A wand lit up inches from her face. By its meager light, she could almost make out the thin man stooping over her.
“You’re one of Potter’s lot, correct?” he asked quietly, the soft words throwing Katie into panic as she heard the pure evil behind them.
But she was a Gryffindor; bravery was her forte. Refusing to give anything away, Katie clamped her mouth tightly shut.
“She won’t answer you,” drawled another voice. “But I’d interpret her silence as a, ‘Yes’.” The man stepped forward and roughly grabbed Katie by the chin, his fingernails digging into her jaw painfully. “Not that it matters. We’re not exactly particular about who we kill.”
Katie’s eyes widened. She must have been too frightened and surprised earlier to think about what these men obviously had in mind “ and it was probably more than simply killing her … Yet, only now was she realizing the magnitude of the danger she was in, and the thought terrified her.
“However,” the second man continued, pretending not to notice the evident fear in Katie’s eyes, “we will offer you an ultimatum. Give us some information on Potter, and you will go free.”
“Never!” spat Katie, surprised at the contempt in her own voice.
The Death Eaters laughed.
“Feisty, aren’t we?” remarked the loud man. “All right then, you have one other option. Well, two, if you count death.”
Katie gulped.
“You can join us, and become one of the Dark Lord’s loyal followers.” Katie started to protest, but he interrupted her. “Before you condemn yourself, stupid girl, consider the suggestion for a moment. If you do choose not to join us, there will be certain consequences.” He let the words linger in the air for a moment before continuing.
“Such consequences would include, but would, most assuredly, not be limited to the death of those you love, by your own hand, the loss of your virginity, countless hours of torture, and, of course, your death, which, believe me, you will be begging for when the time comes.”
Katie’s heart was racing, thudding painfully in her chest. Out of everything the Death Eater had mentioned, only the first had really penetrated her mind. “The death of those you love, by your own hand…” No, she would do anything to prevent that.
“So, do you agree to join our noble cause?” the man asked, a knowing smirk on his face.
Barely hearing him, Katie nodded. There was nothing else she could do.
“Good. Be at the Dark Forest by eleven o’clock on the eighteenth of November.” With that, he snapped his fingers at the other Death Eater, who up until that point, had been sitting quietly in the corner. The man stood up effortlessly, his robes swishing as he floated towards his cohort, carrying what looked to be a lump of black fabric.
The second man continued his instructions, taking the fabric from the eerily quiet Death Eater and handing it to Katie. “Be sure to wear these.”
In an instant, both men spun on the spot and Disapparated.
Katie was left alone, holding what she suspected to be her new uniform. Allowing herself not even a moment to think about what had just happened, she too left the room, Apparating to her current home: a small room in the Hog’s Head.
When she arrived back at the inn, Katie collapsed wearily onto the bed, fear tearing at her heart, sobs wracking her body, as she slowly cried herself to sleep.
Tears once again rolling down her face, Katie slid her attention back to the present, and realized suddenly that the Mark on her arm no longer burned with a fiery pain, but was now lightly warm. This thought comforted her a little. At least I know I won’t have to spend the rest of my life feeling as if my arm is on fire, she thought bitterly. Too, the warmth of it gave her some comfort. The room she had been thrown roughly into was quite cold, but the heat of her Mark seemed to reduce the cool nip of the night air.
Obviously, the other Death Eaters weren’t coming back for her any time soon, and Katie’s thoughts again began to drift away, back to another day that had changed her life forever.
Katie and her friend, Leanne, had been getting a drink at the Three Broomsticks. Katie decided she needed to use the loo, so she had headed in that direction, leaving Leanne alone at their table. However, after she pushed open the door to the ladies’, Katie didn’t remember anything; she lost control of her own body. Somewhere deep in the haze of her mind, Katie knew she had been placed under the Imperius, but she‘d been unable to do anything about it.
Now, though, her brave feelings returned. She was a Death Eater, she was safe, her loved ones were safe, and she felt as if she could accomplish anything. Wiping the tears from her cheeks, Katie decided she would find the person who had used the Imperius on her and get revenge on them when no one was looking. A good Jelly-Legs Jinx would be fun … for me, anyway, she thought.
Perhaps she was cut out to be a Death Eater after all. Gryffindor she might be, but Katie knew revenge was sweet.
It was nearly an hour before Katie was finally jarred from her thoughts of (laughable) revenge. The two men who had brought her to this small building had returned.
“The Dark Lord requests your presence,” said the quiet one as the other began to pull Katie roughly to her feet. Brushing him off angrily, Katie stood and nodded to the first, who led the way out of the room and back to the clearing. Katie could sense that the other man, who was walking behind her, had his wand pointed at her back should she choose to run. Apparently they still don’t trust me, she thought, and for some reason, knowing this gave her some satisfaction.
Returning to the circle of Death Eaters, the man in front of her ushered her to continue towards the center where their Master stood waiting. Katie did as she was told, and, dropping humbly to the ground, bowed low before the Dark Lord.
“Stand,” he commanded after a moment … just long enough for Katie’s robes to get damp. “I have a simple task for you,” the Dark Lord murmured disparagingly as he handed Katie a folded-up piece of parchment and another silver coin.
Katie recognized the Portkey immediately, and wondered where he was sending her now. However, before she even had time to think about it, she felt the familiar pull behind her navel.
When Katie’s feet finally landed on firm ground, she swayed a bit and clutched the gate before her to prevent herself from falling. Gate? Looking up, Katie saw that she was standing before an ancient house left in ruins. Gasping at the sight, Katie stumbled backwards. What did her Master want her to do now? Remembering the note, she quickly tore it open and read:
~Enter the house and find the cup of Helga Hufflepuff. You will not be able to Disapparate while inside the grounds.~
The cup of Helga Hufflepuff? How on Earth am I supposed to find a cup? I don’t even know what it looks like! More importantly, why does the Dark Lord want it?
Putting aside these rapid, treacherous thoughts, Katie stepped up to the large lock on the gate, and, calling upon all of her Gryffindor courage and the bravery she had felt from the Dark Mark, pulled out her wand, tapped the lock and whispered, Alohomora. The gates screeched open, and Katie stepped inside. No sooner had she crossed the threshold, however, than they slammed shut behind her. Jumping a foot in the air and spinning around, Katie realized that she was trapped.
She began to shake, panic setting in until … Just find the cup, already, drawled the tedious little voice in her head. Deciding (for once) to listen to the voice, Katie began her way up the front path, which was quite hard for it was overgrown with tangled thorns and bushes.
Halfway up the walk, Katie glimpsed the silhouette of a woman, her long dark hair swishing around her as she moved within the house. Her curiosity getting the best of her, Katie moved quickly and soon found herself within the doorway. Hearing the sound of Katie’s footsteps, the woman froze. Katie raised her wand as the woman turned to face her. Stifling a gasp, Katie moved fractionally back. The woman’s face was skeletal and tinged with green.
“Wh-who are you?” Katie managed to choke out.
The woman studied her for a moment before replying. “I am one of the Dark Lord’s guardians. I protect this house and all that resides inside in return for his protection.”
Katie expected her to continue, but when she did not, Katie swallowed and asked, “Do you know, then, where I might find the cup of Helga Hufflepuff?”
A grin slowly spread across the woman’s frightening face. “I do.”
Again Katie waited for her to elaborate, but the woman spoke not a word. Sighing, Katie said, “My Master, the Dark Lord, has asked me to retrieve it. Please tell me where to find it.”
The grin on the woman’s face grew turning her face into little more than a pointed-toothed grin. “It is in the house.” And with that cryptic message, she walked away.
Cursing under her breath, Katie continued her stealthy steps through the musty, mildewing house. Looking around, she caught a glimpse of the woman making her way through a shadowy doorway set far back in the house. Cautiously, Katie followed…
…And found herself standing in the doorway of a putrid old study filled with decaying books. On the rotting desk, in plain sight, was an elaborate drinking vessel: the cup of Helga Hufflepuff. Though she was confused at the ease of this task, Katie cautiously approached it, edging over the cracked parquet floor. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, Katie saw a ball of green light speeding straight towards her. Without a moment to react, Katie felt the ball of light collide with her stomach, and, grunting, she flew back through the doorway before landing on the rotting floor of the hall outside, causing an enveloping shower of greenish-grey dust to rain down around her, obscuring her vision.
Coughing, Katie rubbed her eyes and quickly stood, wand at the ready, but she couldn’t see the source of the ball of light. Stepping back into the room, however, Katie spotted another ball of light come hurtling towards her. Diving to the side, she dismally thought, How ironic. Just like Quidditch, only now I’m the Seeker as well. Smiling grimly to herself, Katie threw her body away from the ball of light, and welcoming the agility of her muscles, sprinted towards the desk. Upon reaching it, she snatched up the cup and dashed towards the door, glancing over her shoulder as she did so. The woman she’d met earlier was standing in all her eerie glory, her hands clutching a ball of green light; her face was contorted with rage and the black locks of hair on her head had turned into glistening writhing adders. Katie felt her heart leap to her throat; she couldn’t scream, all she could do was run, and hope, fervently, that she got out of this house alive.
Running out of the house and away from the green-light-ball-throwing monster, Katie reached the gates. Thankfully, they again opened with a simple, “Alohomora.”
As the gates swung open, Katie jumped out, rounded the corner of the protruding stone wall, and leaned against the fence, breathing heavily. She had no idea where to go; she had no way of getting back. The Dark Lord had only given her one Portkey, and she couldn’t make another, or, for that matter, use any magic at all; if she did, Aurors would be there in an instant, searching for the source of the magic.. If only I had thought to turn the coin back into a Portkey while I was in that stupid house, thought Katie.
Therefore, the only thing left for Katie to do, then, was to walk. Looking up and down the path she stood on, Katie decided to head right “ east, judging by the placement of the sun. Sun? Had she really been up all night? Suddenly, Katie realized just how tired she was. Unfortunately, though, this was no time for sleeping. She had to find her way back to the forest clearing, or the Dark Lord would be sure to punish her. She set off in the direction of the rising sun, hoping the Forest wasn’t too far away.
Rounding a corner, Katie felt her heart race at the sight: In the distance, she could see a small village, probably Muggle. At this point, the fact that it was most likely entirely populated by Muggles didn’t bother her too much. The simple fact that there were people there urged her exhausted body onward, and suddenly, as she began to quicken her footsteps, she didn’t feel so tired.
Reaching the edge of the small town, Katie dazedly recognized some of the buildings. This wasn’t a Muggle village, it was Hogsmeade. And that house she had just been in “ that must have been the Shrieking Shack! Making sure nobody had seen her, Katie quickly and stealthily Disapparated.
Reappearing in the forest clearing, Katie headed straight to the Dark Lord. Bowing low as she held up the cup of Helga Hufflepuff to him, she murmured, “My Lord, I have completed the task you set for me.”
Her Master took the cup from her and motioned for her to stand. As she did so, Katie watched in horror as the Dark Lord let the cup fall to the ground where it shattered into a million pieces. Looking at his face, she saw that he was smirking evilly at her.
“It was a fake,” he explained. “If it had not been my plan for you to bring me this one, I would have punished you severely. But that is of no importance.”
Katie felt tears sting her eyes. Perhaps it was because she was so tired, but knowing she had been sent on a fool’s errand made her want to dissolve on the spot. She glued her eyes to the forest floor, willing the tears to go away. She didn’t even notice when her Master called two of his most trusted servants over to him; she didn’t care about them, she didn’t care about him, she just wanted to sleep. Distantly, Katie heard a slight murmuring voice in the background which was then punctuated by a sharp voice.
“Look at the Dark Lord when he is addressing you!” spat a cold, cruel, yet extremely feminine voice. Katie’s head snapped up to see Bellatrix Lestrange standing beside her Master, on the other side of whom stood Lucius Malfoy. Both were unmasked and demonic-looking. Fearfully doing as she was told, Katie quickly turned her attention to the three.
Lucius Malfoy began to speak. “Someone has deeply insulted the Dark Lord, and he has decided that they need to be punished. You are to go to their house tonight and kill them. Do not worry; we have ensured that no one will get in your way, but if they should, I would like to think you could take care of them. Now, wouldn’t you like to know who you will be visiting?”
Katie slowly nodded, even though she really didn’t want to know.
“You will be paying a visit to Leanne Gordon. I believe you are familiar with her home. You should not have a problem getting there.”
Katie tried to suppress a gasp. Leanne had been her best friend all through school, especially seventh year, and though they rarely saw each other anymore with Katie so busy working for the DA, they were still friends. However, her choice was, again, simple. These two loyal Death Eaters standing before her would have no compunctions about killing her. Best to play it safe and get out of here. So, giving a quick nod to show she had understood, Katie turned and Disapparated.
Katie reappeared in her now-familiar room at the Hog’s Head. She slowly walked to the bed and collapsed upon it. The tears that had been fighting to escape since she had seen the Dark Lord purposefully break the cup she had worked so hard to retrieve were now streaming down her face.
She had received the Dark Mark only a few hours ago, and already she was being asked to commit murder. And it was the murder of one her dearest friends! She knew her Master had probably planned it like this, and that Leanne probably hadn’t said anything against him.
I should have never gone through with this, Katie thought. If I had only had the sense to stay away from them I wouldn’t have to kill my friend today. Though she knew this was true, she also knew that she would probably have, instead, been under the Imperius curse being forced to kill her parents.
Katie was now sobbing uncontrollably into the moth-eaten pillow. She couldn’t kill Leanne, but still, the consequences if she did not complete this task would be dire.
Fifteen minutes later, when all her tears were spent, Katie sighed wearily and lifted herself from the bed. She walked to the washstand and splashed cold rancid water on her face. She looked for a towel, but seeing none, used the edge of her black robes instead. As she dried off, rubbing her running nose on the scratchy fabric, Katie decided there was only one thing to do: She would have to go to Leanne’s house. Perhaps she could think of a plan once she was there.
Taking a deep breath, Katie Disapparated.
Appearing outside a modest house in a friendly-looking neighborhood, Katie felt a pang as she walked up to the door and extended her hand to ring the bell. She’d been to this house many times before under very different circumstances. What a pity it had come to this. As she waited for someone to answer the door, Katie realized for the first time that her Death Eater’s mask had mysteriously disappeared. Just as she was about to question why this had happened, and what the consequences might be, the door opened.
There stood Leanne, looking exactly as she had during their seventh year at Hogwarts; she didn’t look any older, even though it had been quite a while since they had left school.
“Katie?” asked Leanne, apparently surprised at her friend’s sudden, distraught appearance.
Katie nodded, unable to speak, for the huge lump that had formed in her throat.
Leanne grabbed her wrist. “Come in! It’s been ages since I’ve seen you! I was… What’s wrong?” she asked, for tears were now falling fast from Katie’s eyes.
Katie shook her head and sat down on the sofa as Leanne conjured a pot of tea. As she sat down next to her friend, Leanne questioned Katie further. “We’ve been friends for a long time, Katie. You can tell me what’s wrong.”
Katie looked into Leanne’s concerned blue eyes, and somehow knew she would understand. Wiping her eyes and taking a sip of tea to try and reduce the lump in her throat, Katie began to tell Leanne about everything that had happened since they had last seen each other. She informed Leanne about the assignment given to her by the DA, about being kidnapped by Death Eaters, then being forced to join them, and she outlined all the tasks she’d been forced to complete the previous night. Leanne listened, never acting surprised or angered; never asking questions, just listening.
When Katie reached the part concerning the reason for her unexpected visit, she found that she was unable to continue. Tears began streaming from her eyes again, so Leanne hugged her tight until the flow of tears stopped.
“Tell me the rest,” said Leanne, as if she knew there was more to the story.
Katie looked at her, bewildered. “What do you mean?”
“Why did you come here?” asked Leanne. “I know it wasn’t just because you needed comforting.”
How she could possibly have known this escaped Katie. She stared at her friend for a full minute before continuing.
“I-I was sent to k-kill … someone.”
Leanne nodded. “Me.” It wasn’t a question.
“What?” responded Katie, astounded that Leanne could possibly have guessed this, and even more shocked that she didn’t seem at all alarmed.
“You’ve been sent here to kill me.”
“No “ I mean … Y-yes,” Katie faltered. To her surprise, Leanne smiled.
“You don’t have to.”
“What? What do you mean?” Why is Leanne so calm?
“Open your eyes,” replied Leanne.
“I tried! I couldn’t find a way around “”
“No Katie. Not figuratively. Literally. Open your eyes.”
“What do you mean? They are open!” Was Leanne playing some sort of game? Perhaps she was a fake, just like the cup of Helga Hufflepuff?
“Just try.” Leanne said this last so quietly, almost desperately, that Katie felt she had no choice but to give in.
Katie decided to close her eyes before attempting to open them, as that seemed the most logical way of going about it. Before her lids shut, she saw Leanne give her a warm smile and felt a friendly hand squeeze her aching shoulder.
Taking a deep breath, Katie opened her eyes. Or at least, she tried. Since when had her eyelids become so heavy? Had there been something in the tea? Had it all been a trick? Trying desperately to lift her eyelids, Katie concentrated all of her energy on the task at hand.
Suddenly “ much too quickly for Katie’s liking “ her eyes snapped open, and she was met with a bright burst of light. As her eyes painfully adjusted to the light, Katie looked around and realized that she was no longer in her friend’s sitting room. Her parents were sleeping in uncomfortable-looking chairs on her right, and she herself seemed to be lying in what appeared to be a very white, very clean hospital bed.
Katie tried desperately to recall how she’d gotten here, and then realized she had absolutely no idea. For some reason, she remembered something about being in Leanne’s sitting room, and Death Eaters, and Voldemort, but only vaguely and the shady memories were fading just as if they’d been a dream. The last thing she remembered clearly was going into the ladies’ in the Three Broomsticks. After that, it was as if nothing had happened; she’d just been asleep.
“Katie?” came a quiet whisper from her left.
“Leanne?”
“Oh, Katie, you’re awake! They told me you were mumbling things in your sleep, so Dumbledore let me come down here “ ”
“Wait a minute. Where exactly is ‘here’?” Katie asked, struggling to raise herself on shaky elbows.
“Saint Mungo’s hospital,” replied Leanne quickly. “After that cursed necklace touched you, you were brought here almost immediately“ ”
“What?” Katie exclaimed, perhaps too loudly, for her parents suddenly woke up.
“Sweetheart! You’re okay!” Her mother darted to Katie’s side, laughing and crying as she bent over Katie and gave her a huge hug, while Katie’s father, yawning and grinning simultaneously, rumpled Katie’s hair as he called for a nurse.
After the nurse had declared that she would be fine in a couple weeks, Katie’s parents had gone to the tearoom and left the two girls alone.
“So, you mean I’ve been here since that incident with the necklace?” Katie couldn’t understand it all. What about Voldemort?
“Yes,” replied Leanne, noticeably tiring of her friend’s endless questions. “The doctors did say you might have highly realistic nightmares, but you probably wouldn’t remember them. That’s probably why you feel like you’ve been doing other things. Do you remember anything?”
“Not really,” Katie replied, feeling her weariness return in full force. “I-I” she yawned widely, “I think I remember something about You-Know-Who, but that’s…” Katie’s eyelids began to droop, “that’s about it.”
Within a few minutes, Katie had fallen into a restful and dreamless sleep, her hand held in the grasp of her best friend. When she next awoke, she remembered nothing of her time as a Death Eater; her terrifying experience had been nothing more than a dream.