Chapter 1
The Invitation

It was December 3rd when Hermione Granger sat down in the Slytherin common room, wondering what she was going to do for her winter holidays. Her muggle parents usually invited her to go back home, but after what had happened between them she wasn't surprised that no owl had arrived for her.

'I suppose I'll just stay at Hogwarts then. Could look deeper in the restricted section,' Hermione thought to herself. She didn't mind really, she loved the company of books but would be sad that she wouldn't see her friends for two weeks.

Laughter filled the cold room as Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe, and Gregory Goyle entered. Draco spotted Hermione and bounded over to her.

"So Hermione, going anywhere for the holidays?" he asked excitedly, although Hermione couldn't fathom why.

Hermione rolled her eyes and threw a green cushion at him."You know I'm not, and don't you dareantagonize me by making me guess what's got you so excited," she threatened playfully.

Draco, looking shocked, answered. "When have I ever done something so cruel to you?"

"Almost every single day," she shook her head. "What's going on?"

"How would you like to spend the holidays with me, Crabbe, and Goyle at the Malfoy Manor?" he asked, looking even more excited than before. Which made Hermione suspicious.

She furrowed her eyebrows. "What's the catch?"

"No catch. But...Guys should we tell her?" Draco asked his other friends, who had been staying quiet in fear of ruining the surprise.

"Draco I swear..."she stated as she stood up.

"Alright, alright. Well," he started, not wanting to be hit by Hermione. "You know how I told you about the Dark Lord wanting more followers at Hogwarts?" Hermione nodded. "Well he's going to be testing us to see if we have what it takes to be Death Eaters!" he finished, practically jumping up and down.

Hermione was unsure of how to react. The Dark Lord wanted to test her? Why?

"How did he decide us?" she asked.

"'Cause our parents are Death Eaters, probably," answered Goyle.

"If you haven't noticed Goyle, my parents are dead," she had been brought up by muggles but that summer she had found out that she was in fact a pure-blood witch. They had gotten into an argument with them about not being told sooner and was why she wasn't going back for the holidays. "And we're unsure of where my parents stood," she snapped. She knew it wasn't his fault, and that she shouldn't have snapped at him but sometimes it just happened.

"Er...yes well Father said for you to come too, so maybe the Dark Lord knows how exceptionally brilliant you are," Draco said awkwardly. He knew how touchy the subject of her parents was and didn't want to upset her.

Hermione giggled a bit. "Well, when you put it that way, I see no reason why I shouldn't go."

Everyone smiled, although Draco was the happiest of them all. He loved spending time with Hermione, and was hoping that he would take this opportunity to tell her how he felt.

"Through all this excitement you three haven't forgotten about your Transfiguration and Potions essays due tomorrow have you?" she inquired, knowing full well that they hadn't started.

The boys looked around sheepishly, looking guilty.

"I swear you would all lose your heads if I weren't here," she shook her head disapprovingly.

"Could you...umm," Crabbe started.

"Perhaps..." Goyle tried to finish what Crabbe had started.

"Please help us!" they all cried out in unison. Hermione sighed then laughed. She started to head towards to the portrait door.

"To the library!" she exclaimed.