The Mark of a Death Eater

Death Eaters in the School

The spell had barely left my lips when I knew that it worked. The cupboard door creaked open, as if it was waiting to be used, and I knew there was no going back.

A loud whooping reached my ears. I couldn't believe it; Draco was cheering. But despite my steeling myself to do this, I couldn't bring myself to be happy. At least one person was going to die tonight.

Almost at once, I heard the unmistakable sound of the room's door being opened. Someone staggered in, but I didn't bother to check who it was. Thinking quickly, I reached into my pocket and immediately pulled out Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder. I threw it as far as I could and heard someone give a scream.
I pointed my wand at the source and threw the person out of the room. The door sealed behind the person, and I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.
The powder would have caused instant darkness; the person wouldn't have seen anything.

Draco let out a breath behind me. "Quick thinking. Do you think she saw anything?"
His eyes were shining, and he looked hopeful. I wondered how he could be.

"Dumbledore's left," I said a little harshly. I had gathered as much information as I could from Madam Rosmerta. "He won't have left he school unprotected but I don't think he'll have more than the teachers on guard."
"We need Dumbledore here," Draco said.
"Obviously," I snapped. Then I composed myself and said, "Then we go with Plan B. Lure him back here. Set the Dark mark on the highest place in the school; the astronomy tower. He's most likely in Hogsmeade. He'll see it from there. Anyone will."
A question I'd been thinking surfaced. "What about the Order?"
Draco looked uncertain. "I don't know. They could be here, possibly not. Dumbledore can't have suspected us of anything or he'd have stopped us a long time ago. And in any case, they'll be outnumbered."
And there was some truth in that, so I didn't think anything more of it.

There was an uncomfortable silence, and then I voiced the question that we'd both been thinking but had never said aloud.

"Draco, who's going to kill him?" I asked.

He closed his eyes and swayed warily, as if he'd anticipated my question. But of course he had.

"Whoever gets there first," he said finally.

Another silence stretched between us, but I didn't break it.

"Are we ready?" he asked.
Everything was to be done according to plan. We had planned for months, reconstructed and rethought.

I bit the inside of my cheek so hard I tasted blood. "Yes," I lied. I had to be ready.
"Lumos," I whispered, and light flared from the end of my wand. Then we waited in silence until the person from the other end of the cabinet would say the word and be transported to us.

And we waited.

The door of the Cabinet swung open, and the light from my wand illuminated a person. She was definitely a woman, judging by her frame, and she gave her wand an idle twirl as she stepped out. 
"Evening, children," she trilled as she walked towards us.
"Alecto," I breathed.
And then it was happening fast. The door was opening and closing and more people were coming towards us.
Alecto, Amycus, Carrow, Yaxley, Gibbon, Thorfinne Rowle, more and more people. All according to plan.

Bellatrix might not have been my first choice,  for anything, given our hatred for each other, but she would have been helpful tonight, with her heartless and merciless nature. But it was decided that she couldn't take the task tonight. This was ours and ours only.

Unexpectedly, because all the people that had needed to be here were here, the door opened again, and out came Fenrir Greyback. He grinned, his disgusting pointed teeth glinting evilly in the light.
"Greyback," I hissed. "No one invited you."
"Ah, now, I couldn't resist fresh blood could I?" he sneered. He took a step towards me.
I automatically pointed my wand at his chest. "You weren't supposed to be here," I said coldly. I had come this far and it had taken it's toll on me. No one was going to spoil this.
"Just leave it, Emma." Draco looked as disgusted as I was, but he was right.
We couldn't afford distractions.

"They'll be coming after us, I'm sure."
"Who's they?" I asked.
"I don't know. Granger, the Weasley's. Potter won't have left any stone unturned, not if he's convinced of us."
"I thought no one believed him."
"Yes, well, they're still his friends," Draco replied.
Friends. If only I had people so loyal.
'Oh but you do,' a voice in my head whispered. 'But you have a gift for pushing people away.'
I shoved the thought out of the way, and shoved past Alecto Carrow in the process.

"Let's move. We're wasting time. We have a job to do." I said coldly.
"Spoken like a true death-eater," Fenrir said with a chuckle.
I glowered at him. "If you speak to me again, werewolf, I will gut you and leave your entrails for your pack."
His smirk slid off his face, but the look he gave me was pure hatred.
He sneered, and as he was about to say something else, Draco pulled my hand and started for the door.

And with a group of murderers trailing in my wake, I set out to become one of them.

Everything went wrong the moment we stepped out of the door.
There were three people waiting outside. Longbottom, Ron Weasley, and Ginny.

I was about to shout to Draco not to hurt them -I couldn't hurt Ginny Weasley, I couldn't- when he threw the same powder I'd used earlier into the air. The surroundings turned as dark as night and I heard someone shout in surprise.
"No time to curse them. Run!"

I knew Draco had the Hand of Glory, another gift from Mr Borgin. He alone would be able to see in the dark. Draco grabbed my hand and together, we ran through the hall, me nearly tripping over a body in my haste to get away.

"The Astronomy Tower!" I yelled at the others. I realized a minute too late that that might not have been the smartest thing to do. If anyone heard, and someone must've, they could easily run to any of the staff members and tell them what was happening, if Ginny, Ron and Longbottom didn't get there first.

Our footsteps echoed badly as we ran. Each step sounded in time to my pounding heart. Even after Draco left the Hand, I didn't leave his. He held onto my hand, and I onto his, and I felt an urge of gratitude to him for that moment.

And then there was a shout, and that moment was over.
I heard someone shout a curse, and the wall behind me shattered.
Someone, I didn't stop to see who, stopped moving and aimed back in the direction of the curse.
The death eaters ran, right behind me, and I could hear followers.
Writhing seconds, I full fight had began. There were flashes and screams, mingled with bangs and people were running everywhere. The fight was all around me and moving towards the tower. I didn't know where all the people came from. I caught sight of someone I was sure was Professor Lupin as I ran, and I understood. Dumbledore had not left the school unguarded. How stupid of us to think that he had.

"Emma don't stop running!" Draco and I were nearing the tower.

I saw Gibbon run past me, faster than I could.
"He's going to set off the mark. Emma, we need to run."
What did Draco think I was doing? I was running like I never had before. I already knew that Gibbon was setting off the mark, but we needed more people to stop the Order downstairs.

Spells were ricochetting off the walls. There were colours and flashes and explosions. My ears were ringing, and I couldn't see in front of me.

The dark mark should be set by now. Surely Dumbledore had seen it. Surely he should be at the tower already.

By the time we were at the foot of the tower, Gibbon was back downstairs, his wand out. I saw a flash of green light and suppressed the will to shut my eyes.

My feet were numb as I pounded up the stairs. Don't stop running, don't stop running... We were almost at the door...

I shot the door open with a spell, and almost at the same second, Draco shouted, "expelliarmus."
I watched Dumbledore's wand fall from his hand.