Hi, so this is my new story... I'm almost done writing it, and it should have at least 11 chapters total. BTW, there was an issue when I published this chapter (the first chapter) earlier today. This is take two... hope it works now.
I do not own Harry Potter or anything associated with it, this is just a fanfiction. Enjoy.
Stupid Draco, stupid Death Eaters, stupid Voldemort. Stupid me, for agreeing to this! Fred though, currently, he was out in the pouring rain, waiting for Draco Malfoy to show up. Fred had already cast several charms, both to shelter all of him from the rain, and when those didn't work for long, he had cast one simply to keep his clothes dry.
He was waiting for Draco, who would then bring him to the Death Eaters, and Lord Voldemort himself, where he would, if everything went right, become a Death Eater himself.
Things were going as bad as they could go for the Light. Months into the war, they had sustained heavy casualties, and people were wary of joining the Order, leaving it severely understaffed. All but one or two of the Order's spies had been discovered, and killed, their tortured bodies left for the Order to find. If they were to win the war, something needed to change.
Draco and Fred had been friends, secretly during their Hogwarts years, and after Draco joined the Death Eaters, distant until recently, but friends nonetheless before the war. They had only remained friends because Draco had explained to Fred how he was mostly an unwilling Death Eater, pressured into it by his father. Only weeks ago, Draco had, unknown by the Dark, contacted Fred, and enlisted his help.
Draco was a spy. For the Order. He passed information from within the Dark side itself to the Order, equipping them with knowledge. Very, very few people were aware that Draco was anything but a lower level Inner Circle member for the Dark.
A few weeks ago, when Draco had gotten back in touch with Fred, Draco had told Fred what he was, and had asked, on behalf of the other spies and the few aware Order members, if he would do the same. Fred had been hesitant at first, and understandably so after hearing what happened to most spies, but after Draco told him about all that he, and the other two spies, were doing and changing for the light, Fred had reconsidered. He still took some persuasion, but eventually conceded that he would be willing to do it.
Even if it meant turning his back on his family, as they couldn't know he was a spy, and to them, he would have to be only another Death Eater. At least until the war was over, hopefully having been won by the light.
And so here he was, his choice made, standing in the rain, waiting for Draco to come and get him.
It was only a few more minutes wait until Fred heard the sound of apperation, and weary, he pulled out his wand. He was relieved to see that it was Draco, looking characteristically grim. He held out his hand towards Fred, and Fred, knowing that the only way for him, not yet a Death Eater, would be able to get into the Dark's headquarters, would be for a Death Eater to side along apperate him there. Mentally steeling himself with Occlumency he had learned from Snape, he grabbed Draco's wrist, unwilling to grab his hand directly. Draco stared at Fred, and they looked at each other, eye to eye, for a few moments, before he apperated them to Malfoy Manor, the Death Eater headquarters.
Just outside the gates to the manor, Fred looked around. The grounds were large, the house itself bordering on the edge of what looked to be a large forest.
At the open gates, two other Death Eaters, with their masks on, were waiting for them. Wordlessly, Fred and Draco walked over to them and then they walked into the gates, and up the walkway before walking into the house. The house itself had a cold unfeeling aura around it, reflected in the cold marble floors. The polished shoes of the death eaters sounded sharply against the marble, which left a resounding echo to bounce against the walls.
The Death Eaters lead Fred to what he assumed was the main meeting room. The room had a long mahogany table, which was full of more masked Death Eaters. The two Death Eaters who had lead him and Draco in, joined the others at the table. From behind him, Draco, with his mask on, pointed him to a cluster of chairs over to the front of the room, and then joined the others at the table.
Fred walked over to the chairs, all but two were filled, he sat in one. Draco had already informed him that he would be, if deemed acceptable by Voldemort, initiated with them, providing that they were approved as well. After the initiation, they would be assigned to a Death Eater, probably one of the Inner Circle, who would 'guide' them in the ways of the Death Eaters, and make sure that they wouldn't do anything to embarrass the cause, only further it.
He looked at the other prospective Death Eaters, knowing that, though they were in the same situation, they were nothing like each other. There with him, unmasked, wearing the same black robes as him, he only recognised a few. Harrison Ainsley, a pureblood Slytherin in his year, and a few people that he was sure he had seen around school when he went, though they were younger than him.
They waited in a tense silence, only the few highest up Death Eaters confident enough to talk. Everyone who had broken the silence, fell silent when Lord Voldemort walked in. The Death Eaters, and the hopefuls, including Fred, bowed low.
"Welcome, my loyal Death Eaters, to another initiation, where we will hopefully swell our ranks."
Fred's mind was both calm and full of terror. Voldemort got to his feet, before moving to the teens next to Fred. There were only five other teens there, and the minutes seemed to slow down as Voldemort evaluated each of them. Three of them passed his tests, and were individually given the Dark Mark. The other two, before him, were killed. A quick Avada Kedavra and they were dead. He distantly heard a few gasps when they were killed from the table, but they were quickly quieted. Fred vaguely wondered if it was family of the now dead, having brought their child into the Death Eaters, confident they would do well, but still uncertain, and now they were dead.
It was his turn. Voldemort looked over at him, and Fred carefully made eye contact, Draco having told him that Voldemort would use Legitimacy to see the answers to the questions. Fred wouldn't even need to answer verbally, just as Voldemort would ask the questions in his mind.
Still keeping eye contact, Fred heard a voice in his head, and knew it was Voldemort.
Why do you wish to join my cause, Weasley?
Truth be told, Fred didn't, but he hid that, and brought his schooled thoughts to his mind, blocking the other parts with occlumency. Fred thought about how he had been 'forced' to live with 'filthy' blood traitors, and was 'sick' of a muggle loving father, and a smothering mother. A house to small for all his siblings. He felt a small pang of guilt, but pushed it away. None of it was true after all. All lies fixated in his head earlier that very day with Draco's help.
Evidently, Voldemort was satisfied, undoubtedly full of visions of the glory his Death Eaters would hold, and he asked another question.
What can you bring to the Death Eaters? Why should I allow you to become one of my most trusted fighters?
They trust me, Fred thought, I'll be a weakness to them. Voldemort paused for a moment, his face still blank.
He nodded, showing his approval. He spoke aloud, his eyes still trained on Fred, "Congrats, Weasley. Hold out your arm."
Fred did so, both relieved and still anxious. His left sleeve was pushed back, and Voldemort lightly pressed the tip of his pale, bone wand to the exposed flesh. He muttered a few words, and Fred felt a stinging pain in his arm.
Fred, against the burning pain, closed his eyes, not allowing tears to fall. It was over as quickly and suddenly as it had started, although it still smarted. He looked down at it, as Voldemort walked away, back to his seat at the table, and quickly looked away. The Dark Mark was there, burned into his skin. The black and green stood out livid against his skin. It was moving, side to side, as if alive.
Voldemort turned to his table again, and they looked at him expectantly, it was obviously the time where the 'mentors' would be assigned.
Fred wondered who he would get, he hoped someone ruthless, so that no one would accuse him of treason, but at the same time, he hoped for someone lower down so that he could fade away, unnoticed in the ranks. It was the difference between what was best for him, and his mortality, and what would get him the best information for the Order. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, the choice wasn't up to him, it was up to Voldemort.
"Now, for young Ainsley, Lucius, you should do fine." Malfoy and Ainsley made eye contact, and Lucius nodded stiffly.
"Nott, how about Greengrass?" A figure about halfway down the table nodded his satisfaction as Voldemort studied him.
"Daphne Greengrass, you will be trained in our ways by Rodolphus Lestrange." A figure, presumably Lestrange, nodded, turning slightly to the figure next to him, who ignored him.
Daphne and the elder Greengrass must have been related, probably even as closely as father and daughter. Fred wondered that if Daphne hadn't passed, if she had been killed, would the elder Greengrass just have been one of those muffled murmurs?
"And finally, Weasley, I saw extra potential in you, and so you will go to Bellatrix Lestrange. Do well with him Bella." The figure, almost directly to Voldemort's right nodded excitedly, and turned to the figure next to her, that if Fred remembered correctly, was Rodolphus. They were married.
"And that is all.. Oh, Wormtail, yes, clean up the bodies of the ones that weren't up to it. You can all leave, but if the new Death Eaters will stay with their Mentors."
Fred stayed where he was sitting. The majority of the figures left the room, bowing carefully before they did so. Fred wondered if it ever got boring for Voldemort, all the bowing, it must be such a time waster.
He stood up, and approached the four Death Eaters, who were talking to Voldemort, the other new Death Eaters followed him.
The four took off their masks, and handed them to their trainees, as Fred assumed was traditional. He looked at the mask in his hands, Bellatrix now standing next to him, almost proudly.
The mask, if it had been Bellatrix's then who new how many it had seen die at her hands, assuming that she hadn't had any other apprecentices. Going by her surprised look earlier, she hadn't. Bellatrix was famed to be as bloodthirsty as the Lord she served, and if she had had this mask since she herself had been given it, probably by Voldemort, as she was one of the first Death Eaters, it had been hers for years. Years, under Lord Voldemort, he assumed, would entail a lot of killing. No doubt that Bellatrix would have taken joy in it. From what he had heard of her at least.
She stood next to him, and looked at Voldemort, and Fred did the same, assuming that he would say something.
"I trust that they will be full Death Eaters in 3 months time, as is customary?" Voldemort asked the elder Death Eaters, nodding when they murmured positive.
"And Weasley, you are publically a traitor, to the Light, yes?"
Fred nodded, knowing that he would have to be a public Death Eater, and that he would have to 'turn on his family'. He had already arranged, with the few main leaders of the Order, to have a single person in the Order that he would meet with, and that he would pass information on to (when he meet with said person, he would also have to confide what he had done as a Death Eaters, so that after the war he would be pardoned for the crimes). That way he wouldn't have to go to actual Order meetings, like Snape did, because he would have no excuse to Voldemort as for why he was there.
"Very well, Bella, you will house him, at least until he is done with training."
Fred held back a grimace, he was hoping that he could simply continue to stay in his flat (he had bought one separate from his twin, when he had decided to be a Death Eater, so that a fabricated 'row' with his twin could be blamed for him leaving their shared flat and for his turn to the Dark). Looking back, he realised that he couldn't have expected this, as the Light will be, after learning of his 'betrayal' to them, hunting him down. Him spying for the Order, was to be a top secret, known only by Order leadership, and the single person that he would pass information to. No one else was to know. In the unlikely event that they all were killed, he would anonymously give them information.
Voldemort dismissed them, and Nott with Greengrass, and Ainsley with Lucius Malfoy, disapperated, separately of course.
Bella, with her hand on his shoulder, steered him over to her husband, who was talking with his trainee. Bella nodded to her husband, and he put his hand on Daphne's shoulder. Moments later, Fred felt to pull of apperation, and guessed that he had to be side along apparition into the wards, and that Bella had done just that.
Opening his closed eyes, he looked around, taking in that Rodolphus had apperated with the only new female Death Eater. She looked at him, her owlish, green eyes unblinking, and he stared back. She blinked and looked away when Rodolphus got her attention.
After a short lecture on the importance of following instructions, and making sure that your best was always shown to the public, so that you would reflect good on the Dark Lord, Fred was shown to a room, and Daphne was shown to the one opposite his. Although Daphne could have gone back to her own house, it was usually decided that new Death Eaters, like Daphne, would stay with their trainer, as a sign of independence from their parents and new change.
New change for Fred especially. Hopefully not a long one.
Bella informed him that training would start at 6:00 tomorrow morning, and to be in the dining hall, where most meals were had. He was also told that a house elf would come and get him in a few hours when dinner would be served.
Fred, finally left alone, looked around the room. It was large, bookshelves lining one wall, full of Dark Arts and magic books, and against the other a bed. Next to the door on the other wall, which upon further investigation, Fred saw lead to a bathroom, was a wardrobe. In the wardrobe, was basic clothes, including a few sets of black Death Eater robes. Fred assumed that the House Elfs had been told ahead of time to prepare the room for a trainee Death Eater, even if Bella and Rodolphus hadn't.
Moving to the bed, Fred looked at the Death Eater mask that was still in his hand, and set it on the bedside table, unsure of what to do with it. He sat on the edge of the bed, and carefully pulled up the sleeve to his robe, looking at the Dark mark.
It didn't hurt anymore, thankfully, but it was still a vibrant black and green, moving slightly, and Fred guessed that that was how it looked normally. The skin around it was still red, and the skin nearest to it was puffy and swollen. He pushed the sleeve back down, not wanting to look at it any longer.
He thought about when his family would get the news. He imagined that first he would be a missing person, someone probably caught by the Dark and tortured before systematically killed, which, of course, wasn't the case. Probably, when he had some Death Eater training under his belt, he would go an a raid, against the Light, and would reveal himself then. Or maybe, for a more dramatic reveal, Voldemort would have him wait until a more consequential battle, perhaps the battle, and reveal himself then, to weaken the Light's moral. He was part of a family that had supported the Light unfailingly in both of the wars, to have him change sides in such a public way, it would crush the Light side's moral, and will to win. Not to mention his family's.
Standing up suddenly, unable to keep thinking about it, he crossed the large room to the bookshelf. Most of the books were on Dark magic. He grabbed one of the ones on all types of charms, a subject he both enjoyed and was good at. It would do. It was hardly something he would normally read, but, with a new, hopefully temporary, life on the Dark side, it would probably be best if he had some knowledge of the darker side of magic.
He read for the next two or so hours, happy for the escape, before a house elf told him that dinner was ready and that it would lead him to the Dining Room.
Following the house elf, Fred thought about the oddness of the book he was reading. It was full of dark spells for household things, like cleaning and cooking spells, similar to the ones that his mother used. Obviously, what he had been told of the Dark was, at the very least, extremely biased, and at the worst, completely wrong.
Dinner was a pleasant, if awkward affair. He sat next to Daphne, and the often exchanged looks of disgust when Bella and Rodolphus kissed, or something similarly gross. He and Daphne talked, Fred was happy to find that she was pleasant to talk to, if dark. Bella told both of them that, since they lived in the same house and all, they would mostly be training together. Training started at 6 o'clock, and breakfast was at 5:30, a house elf would wake them both up.
With a feeling of unease, Fred went to bed, he had changed into pajamas he had found in the wardrobe.
He couldn't help but feel that it was a new beginning, for better or for worse. But he wouldn't, couldn't forget, through the pain that would come when his family discovered him, why he was here.
Please review and tell me what you thought of it. I will update this next Saturday or Friday. Cheers! :)