CHAPTER ONE

A/N Hey, everyone. This is my first fanfic, so suggestions and constructive criticism welcome! A lot of this chapter is basically just a chapter from HBP through a different perspective. I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Harry Potter. Unfortunately for me, the credit all goes to J.K. Rowling.

SNAP!

I whirled around as I heard the sharp sound echo through the woods.

What was it? An ominous predator swiftly approaching? An innocent nocturnal creature scurrying? The dark forest playing tricks on my mind?

The night was black, and my fear was blacker. I was drenched head to toe in a cold sweat, sprinting as fast as I possibly could through the dark woods… Itwas after me again.

I could tell it was getting closer and any moment now, it would descend upon me.

I ran aimlessly, to nowhere in particular, just knowing that I had to get away.

Away from It.

Away from my inevitable death looming over me.

I darted in a zigzag pattern through the trees, doing my best to throw it off of my trail. My eyes grew wider as I spotted a clearing lit by moonlight in the close distance. I finally had something to run to. I set off, quickly as ever; adrenaline was pumping through my veins.

Now I was climbing a steep uphill slope toward the clearing… strange, the ground seemed perfectly level a moment before. As I climbed, the task got more and more difficult. My arms were shaking and burning with effort and dirt kept falling into my eyes.

The slope seemed to get even steeper until it was as if I were ascending a harsh vertical cliff from the forest ground to the clearing. I looked down to see the ground far further than it should've been— it must've been 30 meters directly below.

Suddenly, an overwhelming wave of fatigue washed over me; my legs grew heavy, and I felt as though I were climbing through deep, thick mud. I could barely go on— my head was throbbing and my eyelids started drooping. I had just about reached the top, when out of nowhere, a massive hulking beast pounced, its teeth bared, going in for the kill! Its razor sharp claws grazed my body and I felt white hot pain shoot through me, searing from the top of my chest — right over my heart — down to my left hip.

I let go of the edge of the cliff and started to fall to the ground far below me.

I hit the ground with a loud THUD!and the wind was knocked out of me. Next thing I knew, the monster was on top of me, pinning me to the ground. It opened its enormous maw, and I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing myself for death. I could smell the beast's acrid warm breath on my face as it… spoke?

"Master Draco, it's time for breakfast!"

My eyes shot open as I registered my surroundings. The night forest and the monster were quickly fading as the dark glossy walls and silver and emerald hangings surrounding around me grew clearer— they reminded me that I was in my bedroom, on my bed, covered in silk sheets lit by the sunshine streaming through the windows. Hanging directly above my head was a grand crystal chandelier. To my left, right next to my head, was a night stand with my wand laying atop it, and hovering over my right side was my house elf, Topsy, carrying a tray with eggs, bacon, and toast.

I pushed myself into a sitting position, shaking and sweating. I could still feel the pain stretching from my chest to my hip, and my head was still pounding like a hammer.

"Is young Master Draco all right?" Topsy asked, her big blue eyes wide as saucers with concern.

"Leave," I grumbled, cradling my head in my hands.

The elf hastily set the tray next to my wand on the nightstand and with a snap of her fingers and a CRACK, I was left in the solitude of my room.

I'd been having the same nightmare for weeks. I picked up the tray and put it on my lap, silently eating as I pondered.

What did the nightmare mean? The more I tried to focus on the details of the dream, the more rapidly I disappeared. The only thing that remained vivid in my mind was the utter terror and helplessness I felt, and the unbearable pain going across my body.

I shook my head to rid myself of the dream. I had more important things to worry about.

Like the task I was about to undertake.

I knew it would be dangerous, but I was not a child. If the Dark Lord thought I could kill Dumbledore, I knew I could. I had even been branded with the Dark Mark! I was the youngest Death Eater in history. I wished my mother would stop babying me and crying all the time like I were about to die or something. Merlin, I hated seeing her like that.

Today my mother would be accompanying me to Diagon Alley for my school things. It really was quite embarrassing, shopping with my mother, especially since I had planned on taking care of some business (for the Dark Lord's task) in Knockturn Alley while I was out. But if going with me to Diagon Alley kept my mother from crying over me, I supposed I had no choice.

I was being fitted for my robes at Madam Malkin's when my mother started getting all
overprotective and weepy again. She was going on and on about how she needed to be with me and make sure I was okay. I was beginning to grow rather irritated

"I am not a child, in case you haven't noticed, Mother. I am perfectly capable of doing my shopping alone," I said, wrinkling my nose in distaste.

Madam Malkin, who was working on my robes, clucked disapprovingly at me and said, "Now, dear, your mother's quite right, none of us is supposed to go wandering around on our own anymore, it's nothing to do with being a child—"

Madam Malkin was now approaching my left arm and began to pin the sleeve, much too close to my Dark Mark than I was willing to risk.

"Watch where you're sticking that pin, will you!" I yelped, yanking my arm away.

I strode to the mirror and examined myself; at first I just saw myself in the handsome set of dark green robes glittering with pins around the hem and the edge of the sleeves. After a few moments, however, I noticed three people reflected over my shoulder, and I felt a surge of nausea come over me. It was the three people who I absolutely detested and who had been making my life at Hogwarts miserable since first year. I narrowed my eyes in contempt.

"If you're wondering what the smell is, Mother, a Mudblood just walked in," I said, smirking at Granger while Potter and Weasley tensed and pulled out their wands beside her. Two against one in the middle of a shop, to protect that filth? Pathetic.

"I don't think there's any need for language like that!" said Madam Malkin, scurrying out from behind the clothes rack holding a tape measure and a wand. I rolled my eyes. "And I don't want wands drawn in my shop either!" she added hastily, glancing toward the door and noticing the wands Potter and Weasley had pointed at me.

From across the room I heard Granger, who was standing slightly behind them, as she whispered, "No, don't, honestly, it's not worth it. "

"Yeah, like you'd dare do magic out of school," I sneered. Peering around Weasley, I noticed that Granger had a dark bruise circling her eye. At first I felt a strange lurch in my stomach at the sight of it, but I quickly dismissed the unwelcome feeling with a smirk. "Who blacked your eye, Granger? I want to send them flowers."

"That's quite enough!" said Madam Malkin sharply, looking over her shoulder for support. "Madam—please—"

Mother strolled out from behind the clothes rack. Oh, hooray. Mummy's coming to save me. For Salazar's sake, when would she learn I could take care of myself? I certainly didn't need her help when it came to Mudblood, Potty, and the Weasel.

"Put those away," she said in a cold tone to Potter and Weasley. "If you attack my son again, I shall ensure that it is the last thing you ever do."

I fought the urge to cover my face in embarrassment and tried to hold my smirk in place. Merlin, she was humiliating me.

"Really?" said Potter, taking a step forward and gazing straight into my mother's face. He was as tall as she was now. Whatever. I'm still taller. "Going to get a few Death Eater pals to do us in, are you?"

My stomach dropped as I clenched my fists. How dare he speak to my mother like that! He had no idea what my family went through for the Dark Lord! My hand went inside my robes for my wand when Madam Malkin squealed and clutched at her heart.

"Really, you shouldn't accuse... dangerous thing to say... wands away, please!"

But Potter did not lower his wand. My mother gave him a threatening smile.

"I see that being Dumbledore's favorite has given you a false sense of security, Harry Potter. But Dumbledore won't always be there to protect you."

Potter looked mockingly all around the shop. "Wow... look at that... he's not here now! So why not have a go? They might be able to find you a double cell in Azkaban with your loser of a husband!"

That was it. I felt my smirk immediately turn into a snarl of rage as my anger grew. Potter had insulted my family's honor and now he was insulting my father directly! I pulled out my wand and made an angry movement toward the specky git, but stumbled over my overlong robe. Weasley, the prick, laughed loudly.

Heat rushed to my face as a fiery anger bubbled up in the pit of my stomach. "Don't you dare talk to my mother like that, Potter!" I snarled.

"It's all right, Draco," my mother said, restraining me with her thin white fingers upon my shoulder. "I expect Potter will be reunited with dear Sirius before I am reunited with Lucius."

I smirked for a moment before Potter raised his wand higher. I was about to lunge at him when Granger intervened.

"Harry, no!" she moaned, grabbing his arm and attempting to push it down by his side. "Think... You mustn't... You'll be in such trouble..."

Ha. Yes, listen to your filthy friend, Potty. With her big brown eyes and "damsel in distress" persona…I thought, smirking. He was lucky I didn't curse him into oblivion right there and then. Madam Malkin dithered for a moment on the spot, then seemed to decide to act as though nothing was happening in the hope that it wouldn't. She bent toward me, as I continued glaring at Potter.

"I think this left sleeve could come up a little bit more, dear, let me just..."

"Ouch!" I bellowed, slapping her hand away. She was about to uncover my left arm again! Idiot witch. I was already in a bad enough mood. "Watch where you're putting your pins, woman! Mother, I don't think I want these anymore."

I pulled the robes over my head and threw them onto the floor at Madam Malkin's feet.

"You're right, Draco," Mother said, with a contemptuous glance at Granger, "Now I know the kind of scum that shops here... We'll do better at Twilfitt and Tatting's."

I followed my mother as she swept across the room and out the door, making sure to bang hard into Weasley on my way out.

I needed to plan my escape if I wanted to go to Knockturn Alley. Unfortunately, there wasn't much of a crowd in Diagon Alley, so I had no idea how I would get away from my mother.

We entered Flourish and Blotts to get my schoolbooks, and I realized that the high shelves of books filling the shop would provide me my only opportunity.

"Mother," I said carefully, plan unfolding in my mind. She glanced up at me with a questioning look.

"Yes, Draco?"

I cleared my throat. "I'm going to go look for the Level 6 Standard Book of Spells. Could you look over there for… er..." I paused for a moment to look down at my school list. "A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration? Author's name is Switch," I finished looking back up. She furrowed her brow for a moment, then nodded and went behind the shelves to the left, started toward the "S" section. I feigned going the opposite direction and waited until I was sure she was out of sight before hastily turning around and heading back through the doors.

I started swiftly up the street, due straight for Knockturn Alley. As I passed that ridiculously obnoxious Weasley joke shop, I glanced over my shoulder to make sure no one was following me. When I was sure that I was clear, I broke into a run further up the street. I took a left at the end of it and entered Knockturn Alley.

I paused for a moment to glance up and down the street, scanning the place for the shop I was looking for; I located it quickly and hurriedly walked inside the doors. Once inside the dimly lit shop of Borgin and Burkes, I looked around at most of the various dark objects with little interest. Along the shelves lay an assortment of human bones and skulls, a blood-stained pack of cards, and a milky glass eye. Masks lined the walls, staring down at me with their hollow evil eyes, and several rusty, spiked instruments hung from the ceiling. Displayed on the counter was a withered hand resting on a cushion in a glass case, and next to it, a glittering opal necklace with a sign that read "Do not touch! Cursed. Has claimed the lives of nineteen Muggle owners to date."

Hm. Perhaps that might be of some use in the old headmaster's assassination, I thought with grim satisfaction at the notion.

At last, my eyes fell upon the object I had come to discuss: a large black cabinet in the corner of the room.

"Borgin!" I called, knowing that he was probably somewhere behind the counter. Indeed, the oily man appeared behind the counter saying, "How are you, young Master Malfoy? Doing well, I pres—?"

"Skip the formalities, Borgin," I said, cutting him off. I didn't have time for this. "This cabinet here," I said, gesturing. "It's a vanishing cabinet, right? And it has a matching pair?"

"That's right," Borgin responded. "But I don't have the mate, so—"

"Never mind that," I interrupted once again, waving my hand dismissively. "I have it. But it's broken. If I told you exactly what was wrong with it, would know how to fix it?"

"Possibly," said Borgin, in a tone that suggested he was unwilling to commit himself. He seemed to become agitated with the way I kept cutting him off. I didn't care. "I'll need to see it, though. Why don't you bring it into the shop?"

"I can't," I said impatiently. I spoke slowly, as if the man were too daft to comprehend my words. I wouldn't be surprised if he was, personally. "It's got to stay put. I just need you to tell me how to do it."

Borgin licked his lips nervously.

"Well, without seeing it, I must say it will be a very difficult job, perhaps impossible. I couldn't guarantee anything."

"No?" I said, sneering. I was really becoming rather annoyed with his impertinence. "Perhaps this will make you more confident."

I moved toward Borgin and lifted my left sleeve up over my forearm, revealing the tattoo branded there. To my satisfaction, the mark had had the desired effect on Borgin, who was looking very frightened.

"Tell anyone," I breathed, leaning over him in what I thought was a very frightening and dangerous manner, "and there will be retribution. You know Fenrir Greyback? He's a family friend. He'll be dropping in from time to time to make sure you're giving the problem your full attention."

"There will be no need for-"

"I'll decide that," I cut him off, pushing my sleeve back over my Dark Mark. "Well, I'd better be off. And don't forget to keep that one safe, I'll need it," I finished, nodding toward the cabinet.

"Perhaps you'd like to take it now?"

"No, of course I wouldn't, you stupid little man, how would I look carrying that down the street? Just don't sell it." What an idiot. I'm not about to prance down Diagon Alley hauling a giant Vanishing Cabinet along with me.

"Of course not... sir."

Borgin made a deep bow, and I prepared to depart. Right before I left I remembered. No one could find out about this.

"Not a word to anyone, Borgin, and that includes my mother, understand?"

"Naturally, naturally," murmured Borgin, bowing again.

Sniveling idiot. Feeling rather pleased with myself, I walked back out the door and up the street toward Diagon Alley. I hadn't realized how much power could come from being a Death Eater.

Maybe this won't be as difficult as it seems, I thought with a grim smile.

A/N: And there you have it! My first ever fanfic chapter. Love it? Hate it? I'd love to hear any suggestions and comments! Please leave a review; it would mean the world to me. :)