Voldemort's Death Eater

9) Punished

‘Why?’ The Dark Lord’s calm voice said above me.

     The tension in the room ripped through me and as I looked up, I became embarrassed at all the faces staring at me. Nagini was slithering by the Dark Lord’s feet, eyeing me darkly as if she wanted to bite me. I’d have given anything to get out of this situation.

     ‘Why did you take Harry Potter away from me?’ The Dark Lord yelled fiercely at me, kicking my side hard with his bare foot. ‘It is very unlike you, Hopkins, to take away the one thing that makes me happy. You did not act as one of my followers which is why,’ he paused, looking deep into my eyes. ‘You must be punished.’

     ‘I’m sorry, My Lord,’ I pleaded on the ground as the Dark Lord kicked me a few more times in hatred.

     ‘It is one thing,’ The Dark Lord continued, turning his back on me. I found this as an opportunity to stand up. ‘To fail at one simple request by me,’

     ‘I was doing my job right,’ I interrupted loudly. ‘My Lord. Someone cursed Draco to kill me so he wouldn’t get his hands dirty,’ Lucius and Narcissa gasped aloud to this news. ‘Someone else wanted me dead! I would have got Harry if it wasn’t for - ’

     The Dark Lord turned to me, waiting for me to continue. I sighed as his anger at me seemed to leave him.

     ‘I want nothing more than to…be your Death Eater, My Lord,’ I had trouble choking that lie out.

     ‘I believe you, Hopkins,’ he said, taking a few steps towards me as I held my side that throbbed from his kicks. ‘And I want nothing more than to see you succeed,’

     ‘My Lord,’ Lucius spoke up. ‘I know that no one in their right mind would curse Draco. He did it all by himself!’ Lucius sneered at me as The Dark Lord looked at him with an impatient look.

     ‘If Hopkins says he was cursed, then he was cursed, Lucius!’ The Dark Lord spat, gliding towards Lucius who shivered in fear.

     It was good to see something other than smug in Lucius’ face. I found myself smiling as I savored the fear in his face, eyes and stance. Then my eyes drifted to Draco who had probably been staring at me since The Dark Lord pulled me here.

     Breathing deeply and staring at the floor, I said ‘Harry loves me,’ and wanted to cry. The Dark Lord turned to face me with a moment of confusion. ‘I know he does, My Lord. He, at least, cares. A lot.’

     Nagini was still on the floor at my feet, staring up at me. I think she didn’t respect me anymore. The Dark Lord somewhat smiled at the news. ‘This is good, Hopkins, very good!’ he kind of chuckled. ‘Excellent! You have not completely failed me after all.’

     As he strode over to me, I hoped he had forgotten he was going to punish me. My muggle parents didn’t know anything about me being involved with a group of Dark Wizard that plans to kill people and take over the world. They would die if someone told them. Being in Gryffindor was enough to make them proud of me until the day they died.

     ‘I am willing to wait, Hopkins, for you to bring the boy to me,’ said The Dark Lord. ‘I know you are trying, but,’ he paused and my stomach dropped to the floor. ‘You will still be punished. Wormtail,’

     ‘What?’ I said, disbelieving.

     ‘No!’ I heard Draco call out over the laughs and cheers from the Death Eaters in the room.

     Apparently, not even the Death Eaters liked me. For a moment, I wished I had my wand with my so I could Petrificus Totalus these snickering bastards.

     ‘My Lord!’ came Narcissa’s unafraid voice, causing everyone to become silent. ‘Wouldn’t it be more…productive to release Miss Hopkins so she can start looking for the boy?’

     She was kind, especially to me, but Lucius on her side looked at her disbelievingly before sneering at me. The room became still and silent after Narcissa’s word. Even my heart stopped beating for a moment as we waited for The Dark Lord’s response. Wormtail’s heavy breathing was heard from the end of the room which sent shivers down my spine.

     The Dark Lord glanced at me, thinking hard, before looking out of the windows at the black clouded sky.

     ‘You two ladies have served me well,’ he said, the tension in the room remaining. ‘As much as I adore my favourite follower,’ he said this directly to me. ‘She must learn.’

     Wormtail hurried up to me, grabbed me and started pulling me into another room. I had never been punished by anyone; I was feeling anxious about what it was going to be like. I had seen plenty of muggle movies where people are screaming at the pain and bleeding.

     A few minutes went by as I sat right in the middle of a dark empty room, listening to the muffled voices in the other room. Holding my knees to my chest, an annoying female voice was talking over the rest and she seemed a little too happy in whatever she was saying.

     Moments later, Bellatrix walked into the room, wand in hand and a greedy smile on her pale face.