Danie had woken up, but seemed sure she was in a dream. She felt she had just seen this moment before. She glanced around her room; at the closet on the right wall, the chest of possessions on the left, and the small bedside table that held her darkened lamp and several assorted items. Reaching out a hand from the warm folds of her blankets she turned on the lamp, flooding the room with yellow light. The wooden walls were revealed, the slightly dirty floor strewn with a few items of little significance. Sitting up, she listened intently. The house was silent, all the occupants sleeping. Convinced as such, Danie gave her room a last sweeping look and clicked the lamp off again. She retreated into the covers and fell asleep within the next few minutes.
The girl woke up at what seemed moments later. There was stomping of several pairs of feet jogging up the stairs and making their way across the landing. There were gruff voices, a snarling laugh. Danie's senses were on high now, and no sooner had she reached under her pillow for her wand than her door banged open. With a quick flick, there was a loud crack, and the man who stood in the doorway was thrown against the wall behind him before he could get a good glance at the room and its occupant. Danie swung her legs out of bed, her wand held aloft, and strode quickly towards the door. Another figure appeared in the doorway, spotted her. BANG! He, too, was flung backwards, to slide down the wall and sit on his companion, both now unconscious.
The girl made it to the doorway. With another flick, her wand lit itself up, to help illuminate the figures in the hallway. They each had their wand pointed towards her, looks of both triumph and fear mingled in their faces. Danie looked slowly from face to face. Most of them she recognized from very old and very recent Prophets that she had gotten. They were Death Eaters.
"And to what... do I owe this unpleasant surprise?" She was surprised to hear that her voice was soft and deadly. A couple of people suddenly seemed uncertain, though Danie only had a vague idea why.
"Danie." came a familiar voice, now most unfamiliarly kind and appealing. The girl turned her head obligingly to see blond hair come up the stairs that led onto the landing. It was Lucius Malfoy.
"Mr. Malfoy." Danie allowed surprise to show in her voice, as well as a small greeting of sorts. Her wand did not lower, however. Lucius seemed to notice this. He glanced at her hand.
"Put that down, we are not here to harm you."
Danie glanced at the two she had knocked out and put her hand down, although she kept her wand firmly grasped. She made her voice comfortable, polite.
"Mr. Malfoy, why is it that half a dozen Death Eaters are in my house?"
A couple of them glanced around. Some of them seemed gleeful at being recognized, other suspicious. Two of them she guessed were brother and sister. They had black hair and seemed to stoop, becoming shorter than all the rest. There was another woman in the group, and Danie guessed that she was the most insane of them all. Her grin was the widest, her gaze constantly intent upon Danie as if she were prey.
Danie couldn't help but feel a little indignant. Why had she been allowed a unique schedule if not to study things that were more significant than learning how to cast a spell that folded clothing? Why was it so surprising, even to Mr. Malfoy, that she knew more than most of the students in her school?
"We have been sent here by the Dark Lord. There is a young witch that lives here that he is interested in."
Danie's eyebrows rose. She was sure her bangs were hiding them in that brief moment.
"Are there any other witches living here, other than you?" continued Malfoy.
Danie paused, and then shook her head. A couple of looks were exchanged as Danie shrugged.
"Not that I know of, anyway. Then again, how much do I know?"
The room had gone suddenly still. Danie felt uncomfortably in the spotlight as Mr. Malfoy approached with the excited air of one who was near finding what he so longed for. When he stood in front of Danie, he stopped and held out his hand.
"May I see your arm, child?"
Danie looked at him. Finally, she said," Which one?"
"Your left arm." he spoke calmly, but she saw doubt flicker through his face.
Danie obliged, lifting up her left arm. Mr. Malfoy held it in his own hands and turned it so that the bottom, more soft part of the arm shone. It was not clean, white skin, as would be per usual. Branded upon Danie's skin was a skull. And from its mouth issued a snake, which curled upon itself like some twisted form of a tongue. It was the Dark Mark, a mark only given to those who were closest to Lord Voldemort. With the exception of Danie, who had been given the Mark when she was only two years old. She looked steadily into Mr. Malfoy's face. He seemed scared and enthralled at the same time as he looked at her Mark. His thumb moved over it, as if to check if it would smear. Then he looked up at what Danie hoped would be a calm face.
"You... are the daughter of the Dark Lord."
Danie was silent, her gaze searching. She had confirmed this years ago, but hearing it from someone else was strange and made her consider, for the zillionth time, whether or not this could be the truth. But was the fact that Voldemort had sent out his own Death Eaters to retrieve her not proof enough? Was the fact that she had this mark not enough to say for certain that, if she was not closely related to him, she at least had a close past with him?
There was a disturbance in a room down the hall, and Danie turned, pulling her wrist from Lucius's grip. There was a scream from the furthest right room, and Danie knew that the others would finally wake. A man who had not shaved or brushed his hair in a long time came out from the room, holding up the smallest of the orphanage children by the back of their clothes. Danie now recognized the smell of sweat, dirt, and blood. This disgusting man's feral features were grinning.
"The Dark Lord won't begrudge me a snack, will he?" He looked hungrily at the child, whose name was Jessica.
"Put her down." Her voice was quiet and deadly again. A couple of people behind her shuffled as if she were her father. Fenrir, however, did not seem to understand the danger as they did.
"Why should I, kid? I mean, she's only a snack, after all, hardly enough to call a meal." He laughed, looking at the child, who seemed to find his breath offensive and squirmed even more.
"Fenrir, this isn't just a kid-"
But Danie reacted before she knew quite what she was doing. She strode forwards, past the sibling Death Eaters, and raised her wand. Fenrir raised his own and Danie stopped. The two stared at each other, daring the other to act.
"Now let's just calm down." came Mr. Malfoy's voice from somewhere behind Danie. Her eyes were locked on Fenrir's sneering face. "Danie is very valuable to the Dark Lord, Greyback, so it would be best if you didn't curse her." Greyback lowered his wand somewhat reluctantly, still looking like he was elated at the thought of a fight. "And Danie, your father would be most disappointed in you if you harmed one of his allies."
"Father?" Danie asked in a mocking voice. She had not wanted this to come up; she knew her overall wishes would not happen if her orphanage companions got involved. Now she was forced to abandon a better choice of action. There was a flash of red light and Fenrir Greyback crumpled to the ground, the crying child falling beside him and scurrying quickly to the side of the hall, away from her captor. Danie knelt besides Jessica, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"It's alright." She crooned to the small child. Then she looked around the hall. The three remaining doors had opened, and very awake, dressed children came out of their rooms. The other wizards were not intervening, but seemed on the verge of attacking her.
"Danie, what's going on?" Said Sara, looking around, surprised, at the cloaked company in the hall.
"Sara, I need you to take everyone into John's room." instructed Danie. John, a 12 year old boy with short brown hair, looked reproachful, but she shook her head at his upcoming protest. "It'll only be for a little while."
Sara, although she looked like she, too, was about to protest, shuffled John, Jessica, and the last child into the last room to the back right and closed the door. Danie rose from her knelt position. The groans behind her told her that the two she had Stunned were waking up. She turned back around to view the wizards before her.
Lucius looked shocked. The others, however, looked enraged or confused. The newly awoken Death Eaters had both expressions upon their faces as they pointed their wands once again on Danie, but did not strike. The insane lady seemed appalled at Danie's actions- as if Danie was a star child who had just acted most incorrectly. Danie took a breath, steeling herself. When she spoke, it was more to Lucius than anyone else.
"I may be Voldemort's daughter-" they all flinched and a couple of people hissed at their master's name- "but I am not his servant. Nor do I ever intend to be. You should all label me blood traitor now, and get the arguments over with."
"The Dark Lord will be displeased, 'e will." said one of the men, looking around in a nervous fashion.
"He expects us to bring her back to him." said another smoothly.
A couple of them turned to Lucius, who seemed to have composed himself.
"Well, he wanted us to bring her regardless of her views. Perhaps being in the Dark Lord's presence will change her perspectives." crooned the insane-looking lady. Danie found herself hating the woman's voice.
There was a pause as Danie looked at the dozen or so Death Eaters. Then, as one, they raised their wands. There were loud bangs and flashes of light. Danie was lucky to dodge the first few spells that came her way, while sending a Stunning Spell at one of the siblings. As the landed was very cramped, the sibling was barely able to jostle out of the way in time, the spell hitting his sister instead. Danie had to launch herself at the other side of the hall to avoid the next barrage of spells, but one caught her on her left arm and sliced through the soft flesh. At her outcry, another bang told her that the door behind her had been opened. Danie turned just in time to see Sara running out of the room, shouting. In desperation, in painful slow motion, it seemed, Danie cast up a Shielding Charm. Instantly, it was shattered as a green light collided with it. Another green light went through the unguarded air and hit Sara, who collapsed like a puppet whose strings were cut. In the same instance, Danie felt something hit her in the middle of her back, and she collapsed with the knowledge that when she awoke, she would probably be face to face with Lord Voldemort.