So, this is probably a bit too long to be a one-shot, but it wouldn't have worked as a multi-chapter thing, so a one-shot it is. It is probably something no one wanted but I haven't written anything in a while and this just came to me so now it exists.
Enjoy :)

I stood outside the manor house. This was it. I would either leave this house a death eater or not leave at all. The events that led me to this point still shocked and confused me at points, but I understand and - on the whole - don't regret my decisions.

I started Hogwarts for first year like most other students. I was a respectable halfblood and ended up sorted into Gryffindor. I became friends with Hermione Granger and eventually Harry Potter and Ron Weasley too. First year was enjoyably uneventful in comparison to other years, although I, along with my friends, did try to save the philosopher's stone from the Dark Lord at the end of the year.

Second year was still normal. At least, as Hogwarts goes. Our Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher was the most incompetent person I have ever met and I was quite glad when I later learnt he'd list his memory. Around Halloween, students began getting petrified by a creature from the renowned Chamber of Secrets. I myself was petrified just before Christmas. The last thing I remember was seeing a pair of large yellow eyes through Nearly Headless Nick, Gryffindor's house ghost. Now I come to think about it, second year wasn't exactly great.

Third year was for the most part fine. Other than a deadly prisoner being on the loose after Harry, dementors being stationed around school and the worry of Hagrid's (the Groundskeeper's) hippogriff Buckbeak being executed, third year was decent. Up until the end of it that is. On Buckbeak's execution date, a series of events unfolded that I have never seen in a good light. We found Sirius Black - the escaped convict - in the Shrieking Shack and had a long conversation with him. It turns out, he was innocent, and it was actually Peter Pettigrew (an animagus who disguised himself as Ron's rat for twelve years) who committed the crimes he was accused of. Pettigrew of course got away, and after a bit of time travel, we freed Sirius too.

This is where things started to go wrong. Sirius was meant to receive the dementor's kiss, where they suck out the soul of the victim. Of course, Sirius got away without this punishment, but the Minister of Magic wanted to blame someone for his escape. After much heated debate by many people, including half the Wizengamot, the blame landed on me. Three days after the events of that fateful night, I was officially expelled from Hogwarts on the Ministry's orders.

My wand was snapped and my parents began searching other available magic schools. Beauxbatons Academy of Magic was the best bet, so after purchasing a new wand and supplies, I was enrolled. I hated it. I struggled to learn the language and I therefore struggled to learn anything in lessons or make friends. I managed to keep contact with my Hogwarts friends, but it was limited, slow and not the same. It didn't get much better over the following years.

In my sixth year, I decided to drop out and skip my seventh year. This brought me up to the current point, when I was stood outside Malfoy Manor. It was the start if the summer holidays between sixth and seventh year and I was about to fulfil a decision that would change my life and hopefully the course of the war.

I had written to Harry, Ron and Hermione and told them of my plan. They agreed it was good but that didn't stop my growing nervous feeling. I was hopefully about to become a death eater, despite being on the other side. I was going to be a spy and gather useful information. It was risky behaviour, but something I hoped would be beneficial overall.

I took my last few steps as a free woman, savouring every thud of my foot.

"Explain again why you want to be one of my followers."

"I know Potter. I know his friends. I know how he thinks, how he works. I have information that could be used against him," I answered the Dark Lord's question, making sure my intimidation didn't show.

"I can see how you would be valuable. As a final question, what is your blood status? If you are a mudblood then I will have to kill you now."

This was the question I had been most anticipating. I replied calmly; I had nothing to worry about. "Halfblood."

Voldemort walked forward. He took my left arm. Placing his wand on my forearm, just above my wrist, he slowly and carefully enunciated, "Sarah Sodder, welcome to the ranks of the death eaters."

A dark skull and snake symbol appeared where his wand was and I recognised it as the dark mark. A sharp hiss of pain flowed through me yet I still felt a small amount of pride. I had been brave enough to put my life on the line for the overall good of wizarding Britain.

I sat with Neville Longbottom and Ginny Weasley on the floor of the Room of Requirement. It had been nine months since I received my dark mark and eight since Harry, Ron and Hermione left for their trip. Neville, Ginny and Luna Lovegood, knew about my death eater spy status and together we strategized as to what information I should reveal and what information I wanted to try and find out.

We were talking amicably together, waiting for an opportunity to broadcast more information in Potterwatch, an illegal, secretive and unofficial radio program to spread news, mainly to members of the Order of the Phoenix. However, our conversation was cut short when Ariana (Dumbledore's dead sister) appeared in her portrait. We knew this meant that Aberforth (Dumbledore's not dead brother) wanted us for something, probably to give us more stodgy food.

"You should go, Neville," Ginny said. "You're the best with Aberforth."

"Fine, I won't be long. I'll send Ariana back if I need any help," he said, before pulling himself off the surprisingly comfortable floor.

Ginny and I continued to talk together for a while until Ariana's portrait once again opened. As a group, the outcast remains of the DA gathered around the short ladder leading up to the portrait. Behind me, I heard Seamus Finnigan mutter, "Not more of Aberforth's cooking, I hope," easily portraying the mood of our current situation.

Luckily, Neville did not return with Aberforth's questionable food. From behind him, three people I hadn't seen in years appeared. Harry, Ron and Hermione looked worse than they had four years ago when I last saw them. As other DA members such as Ginny and Luna went up to greet them, I hung back, not sure how the Golden Trio would view me after the divergence of our paths.

There wasn't much time for a reunion, however, as Harry quickly launched into an explanation of how we needed to find something that would help defeat the Dark Lord. We weren't told much else about the object, but the subsequent conversation revealed much useful information.

"Maybe it's Ravenclaw's lost diadem?" Luna suggested.

"Yes, but Luna, Ravenclaw's diadem is lost for a reason," Cho Chang, Harry's one-time girlfriend quietly explained.

"If you don't mind me asking," I intervened. "But what is this diadem thing?"

Cho was quick to respond, "It's a crown of sorts, said to be owned by Rowena Ravenclaw herself. Nobody who's alive has seen it though."

This seemed to have some importance to Harry, as he jumped on this nugget of information, "Where could it be though?"

Cho shrugged, and the conversation was unofficially ended.

The trio came over to me. I knew they wanted to talk to me about my position in the obviously imminent battle. How could I use my role in the Dark Lord's inner circle to our advantage? After a short and slightly panicked chat, it was decided I should tell Lord Voldemort about the gathering of the Order, although I shouldn't mention Harry's current whereabouts. Knowing time was of the essence, I used the death eater's ability of smoke apparition and relayed my information.

The Dark Lord was welcoming of this information and soon we were marching on the castle. I suppressed my fear, reassuring myself with the knowledge that this would all be over soon. Many death eaters charged straight away, but the attacking wave quickly halted: protective wards were already in place and anyone who ran into them would die a painful death. Luckily, we death eaters had a plan and stood impatiently waiting for the Dark Lord's command.

He shouted. As a large mass, we sent spells flying at the wards and a scene that in any other situation would have been called beautiful was created. From somewhere on my right, I heard the screams of another group of death eaters who had obviously penetrated the wards as well. I silently prayed for the safety of my friends.

As soon as we crossed the main bridge, we were instantly thrown into the fighting. Spells were flung left and right to the point where it was hard to see who you were fighting against. I tried my best to avoid the main fighting and fled to areas of the castle I knew would be quieter. If I did end up fighting somebody, no matter which side they were on, I made sure not to kill them. If they were a member of the Order or the DA then I tried to just immobilise them before whispering a quiet, "Sorry," and running off into the shadows again.

I don't know how long this cowardly yet safe cycle continued, but it felt like both hours and minutes. However, my trance of simple fighting was stalled when a ghostly voice echoed through the halls. I instantly recognised it to be the Dark Lord.

"You have fought valiantly. Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery. Yet you have sustained heavy losses. If you continue to resist me, you will all die, one by one. I do not wish that to happen. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste. Lord Voldemort is merciful. I command my forces to retreat, immediately. You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured.

"I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you. You have permitted your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest. If, at the end of that hour, you have not come to me, have not given yourself up, then battle recommences. This time, I shall enter the fray myself, Harry Potter, and I shall find you, and I shall punish every last man, woman and child who has tried to conceal you from me. One hour."

I could feel a moment of silence settle on the castle. I didn't have long to gather my thoughts though before a warm sensation prickled my left forearm. I knew Lord Voldemort was calling me and I quickly appeared to him, intending to stay in his good books.

I looked around at my new location. It took me a minute before I realised that I was in the Shrieking Shack. A minute after I arrived, Severus Snape apparated next to me. From the way he looked at me, I could tell he was expecting more people to be here so I just shrugged in reply. It definitely intrigued me that we were both spies for the light side and that it only seemed to be us who had been summoned.

Not a minute after Snape arrived, footsteps could be heard on the stairs and the Dark Lord appeared.

"Snape, Sodder, I'm so glad you could join me. There are a few things I wish to discuss with you," Lord Voldemort began. "The first of which concerns this wand in my hands. It has not been up to the standard I was expecting of it. Shall I tell you why? It is because I haven't truly won it yet. It once belonged to Dumbledore himself and I was not the one to kill him, so the wand isn't truly mine."

I knew what was coming before it was said. I didn't look at Snape, but I think he did too.

"You see, it was you, Severus, who fired the killing curse at the old buffoon. You have been a loyal servant, but if I am to win against Potter, then I must be the master of the Elder Wand. Nagini; kill."

I didn't understand the last part of Voldemort's speech as it was in Parseltongue, but Nagini was suddenly lunging at my old Potions teacher. I wanted to scream, to shout, to cry, anything, but I made sure to wipe emotion from my face. A wave of panicked emotion overcame me: if Snape had been summoned only to be killed, then what was I here for?

The Dark Lord turned on me. His initial niceties were over and the look that warped his face was one I had seen many times when he was killing muggles.

"How long did you think it would be before I worked out your little charade? Secrets cannot be kept from Lord Voldemort. For your ignorance, I shall have to kill you and die in the knowledge that every one of your friends will die too."

I didn't have time to comprehend what was happening. How had he found out? I made sure not to let him know of my true standings as a member of the Order of the Phoenix fighting for the light, but maybe Snape told him? No, Snape valued the Order too much for that.

I didn't have time to ponder my thoughts anymore, however, as Voldemort quickly muttered to his wand, "Now let's see what you can do."

A flash of bright green light was the last thing I saw before a tsunami of nothingness engulfed me.