Hermione opened her eyes to the dim light of early morning, and the smell of Mrs. Weasley's bacon cooking downstairs. She surreptitiously licked her lips and sat up straight to stretch out her arms. To her right she saw a pile of blankets with a chunk of blazing red hair sticking out of the mound where Ginny was curled up and sleeping. Ginny's room was so peaceful, and quiet compared to the chaos that normally reined this home. Out the window Hermione could see the large, slightly over grown lawn of the Weasley's, the morning dew still sticking to the long, green blades of grass, and watched as a garden gnome scampered under a bush, his tiny little feet wriggling from side to side as he burrowed deeper into the soil.

Hermione walked back over to her bed, and grabbed a sweater that she slipped on over her flannel nightgown, while slipping her feet into a pair of warm, fuzzy slippers. She quietly eased the doorknob to the right and slid open the door so she wouldn't wake Ginny. As she was about to shut the door, however, a large clatter came from the kitchen downstairs, and she heard the frustrated screeches of Mrs. Weasley erupt. Ginny shot up in her bed, looking dazed and petrified at the exact same time.

"What? What's wrong? Is it that sodding Ghoul again? God, I hate that thing! Always moaning and clanking the pipes!," she mumbled as the quick string of words melded together in her tired mouth.

"Nah. Something crashed in the kitchen, and your mom sounds pretty upset. I wasn't going to wake you, but I think breakfast is ready, if you wanna come down." Hermione asked as she peaked through the crack in the door. Ginny lifted her tired eyes, slowly moved her head from left, to right, and fell back into the pile of pillows on her bed with a muffled "thump".

Hermione shrugged, and made her way down the stairs to the kitchen where five mussed up heads of fiery red hair sat looking tired and ravenous at the scrubbed kitchen table, while Mrs. Weasley stood in the corner arguing with a beautiful young woman with long, silvery blonde hair, who had a defiant look on her face. Just then Ginny ambled into the kitchen behind Hermione, rubbing her eyes.

"Hermione," she said "why didn't you wake me up for breakfast? I could have missed it!"

Hermione was about to open her mouth and protest, when another shriek reverberated through the kitchen, this time from Fleur.

"I weel take eet to 'Arry! He ees my friend, and I would like to geev him breakfast!" she groaned as she wrestled with a tray of food that Mrs. Weasley held in her shorter, and considerably chubbier arms. Every head turned, however, in surprise at Fleur's words.

"Harry's here?!" Hermione shrieked, as she bolted back up the stairs, with Ron in tow. Hermione burst through the only closed door on the landing, and looked at one of her best friends, sleeping peacefully in the tiny cot, and plunked herself down on the end of the bed. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had informed the family a couple nights ago that Harry would be arriving with Dumbledore sometime this week, and Hermione and Ron had been speculating at what Dumbledore would have Harry do.

Harry mumbled to himself as he poked and prodded his night table for his glasses.

"We didn't know you were here already!" Ron screamed as he playfully smacked Harry on the head.

"Ron, don't hit him." Hermione said reproachfully as she smiled down at her confused best friend.

Harry explained about how he and Dumbledore had gone to convince a man named Horace Slughorn to become the new Defense Against The Dark Arts professor. Ron tried unsuccessfully to hide his look of disappointment at the less than juicy gossip. For three days he'd been jabbering on to anyone who would listen of his theory that Dumbledore would be letting Harry know deep, dark secrets pertaining to the defeat of Lord Voldemort. Hermione had a different thought on her mind, however.

She studied Harry's face for any trace of sadness, or depression after his godfather Sirius had been killed last year. He had been talking animatedly to Ron about the new professor, and said something about how he resembled a walrus when he turned and saw Hermione's scrutinizing gaze. When he asked what was wrong, she quickly put a smile on her face, avoiding Harry's question.

Ginny joined them, swinging a piece of toast that she had in her hand angrily, while complaining about Fleur's being so full of herself. Harry sat confused, as Ginny referred to Fleur as Phlegm, he had no idea who they were talking about until the very object of their conversation entered the room in all her blonde glory.

After a long and very accented conversation, while an angry Mrs. Weasley stood in the doorway watching, it was revealed to Harry about Fleur and Bill's engagement, and her current address change to the Burrow.

The next few weeks of Summer passed by fairly quickly. Hermione, Ron, and Harry all received their O.W.L.'s, Hermione receiving ten Outstandings, and one Exceeds Expectations, of course. Harry and Ron faired pretty well, too. Before they knew it, the whole family was arranging their annual trip to Diagon Alley, where a surprise lay in wait for one Hermione Granger.

***

Draco Malfoy sat at his desk, staring down at his O.W.L. results. He had achieved only Passes in subjects he didn't give a damn about, like Divination, Care Of Magical Creatures, and History Of Magic, with Exceeds Expectations in Defense Against The Dark Arts, Herbology, and Astronomy. But, he had gotten an Outstanding in Charms, Transfiguration, Potions. His parents' reactions had been calm, no more excited than usual. It wasn't an achievement for a Malfoy to get good grades, it was a requirement. Lately, Draco had been finding more and more things he hated about his life at Malfoy Manor. The constant traffic of his father's dark friends, especially his absolutely crazy Aunt Bellatrix. She was the worst of them all. Her dark, heavily hooded eyes would pierce into his as if questioning his absolute loyalty to The Cause. She was right to, he mused, because he had grown less and less loyal after that day in June. He remembered it clear as day.

Draco stepped onto platform 9 ¾ and craned his neck in an effort to see past the billowing steam of the Hogwarts Express. There, standing arm in arm were Lucius and Narcissa, dressed in silky, billowing robes of black, looking haughty and important. His parents always greeted him after he arrived home from school with large smiles; well, as large as you could get with Lucius and Narcissa. But this year, Draco noticed something different. His mother held on to Lucius in as if in support, while Draco noticed her large, blue eyes were red around the rim and watering slightly. Draco never saw his mother cry, so it was disconcerting enough before he noticed the steely glare of his father. Lucius grabbed Draco's arm without so much as a "Hello." And dragged him out to a dark car in the parking lot of King's Cross Station. The car had emerald flags with a silver, curly M embossed in the center of a curving serpent.

Lucius shoved Draco into the backseat just as his mother opened the door on the opposite side so he'd be sitting in between his parents. Draco looked back from his mother, who cried silently as she looked out the window, and his father, who glared at the back of the seat in front of him. The car pulled slowly forward and drove them back to the Manor Draco loved so dearly. Inside, someone dark awaited his return.

Draco was pushed by Lucius into their front door, and down the hallway towards the dining room they used for special occasions. When he entered, he noticed that an array of hooded figures sitting at the gleaming table, with one shadowed man at the head. Draco was sent to the opposite end of the table as his parents took their seat at what seemed miles away from him.

Draco's grey eyes looked up into the gleaming red ones that bore into him, attempting to steady his trembling fingers. This all seemed so quick, he thought he had more time. Much more time. He was only turning 16 in the fall, and even though he projected a different opinion around the common room of Slytherin House, he was not exactly anticipating this day. Draco continued to look at Lord Voldemort's steady, red gaze.

"Well, well, Mr. Malfoy, is that a prickle of fear I detect in your bleached head?" Voldemort said in his cold whisper. Draco shook his head slowly from left, to right, trying his best to remember what his Aunt Bellatrix had taught him of Occlumency. She may have been a crazy bitch, but she knew a thing or two about how to survive Lord Voldemort.

"No, my Lord. I have waited for this day since before I can remember. I have dreamed of the pride I would give my family, and now that day is here." Draco lied smoothly, all the while blocking out the thoughts he had of running screaming from the evil serpent.

Lord Vodemort sat silently at the other end of the table, quietly considering Draco's answer. He must have been satisfied, for he continued on to his next announcement. His cold voice rang out in the cavernous dining room now, no longer in a menacing whisper.

"Well, Draco, you will be pleased to learn that not only will you become a soldier for your beloved Dark Lord, you will have a chance to prove your loyalty. For almost 16 years, now, I have had an agent at Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry, feeding me information on one Albus Dumbledore, and his muggle loving ways." He said, glancing at the empty seat where Severus Snape usually sat. "But," he continued "I need something….more. Severus has gained the trust of Albus Dumbledore, and when that school is finally mine, he shall be it's leader. Now, Draco, that is where you come in. Severus has far too many duties to accomplish this task, so I delegate it to you. Draco, I wish…no, I command, that you kill Albus Dumbledore, and pave the way for The Cause to finally rule the young minds of the magical community." He finished coolly, never once raising his voice above it's normal timber, yet everyone flinched as if he had screamed his words into each one of their ears.

Draco sat, stunned at what Lord Voldemort had just asked him to do. He, Draco Malfoy, was not even a full grown wizard, and was being asked to kill the only wizard the Voldemort had ever feared? He looked over to see his mother's watering eyes, and his father's impassive stare at the wall across from him. How could they let this happen? Why did his father have to be captured. He would face trial soon, and possibly go to Azkaban for what he did at the Department Of Mysteries. Draco knew that Lord Voldemort was angry with him, but he never dreamed of being the man's punishment. Suddenly he realized he had not yet answered the Dark Lord, and he looked back into his nightmare and nodded his head, yes. "I accept, my Lord." He said, the shake barely audible in his voice.

"Very good, Draco." He replied. "Now, let's make this…official." An evil grin mutilated his pale and clammy face as Draco felt two dark figures move in beside him and grab his arms. The one on the left of him forcibly lifted up his left sleeve and touched his wand to the pale, soft skin of his forearm. He felt searing pain course through his veins as the figure held his wand to his arm for what seemed like a millenia. Draco faintly saw curving, dark lines forming on his skins before everything went white, and he felt no more.

Draco snapped back into consciousness, grabbing his left forearm where the searing pain was still very real. He cursed his father, and his mother for bringing this upon him. He realized now that he wanted no part in their games. He just wanted to live a quiet life, with no more fear, no more Voldemort. Slowly, that pain calmed in his arm, and he grabbed his cloak. His mother and father were taking him to Diagon Alley today, and he needed to get going.