"Constant Vigilance!" yelled Moody in my face for the three-hundredth time. I swear, if I heard that one more time I would either kill him or leave Auror training. The man was insufferable, thinking he was the only one who could stop dark wizards. Well, I didn't have 12 NEWT's for nothing. One day I knew I'd be a much better Auror than he ever was.

Finally, the day was over and I Apparated home to the flat I shared with my two best mates from Hogwarts. We had all been in Slytherin together, but tended to stay out of the pureblood vs. muggleborn disputes. All three of us were very intellectual, and liked to call ourselves "Ravenclaw-Slytherins", preferring to study rather than play Quidditch or fight with Gryffindors.

The place was a mess. Alright, I admit that I'm a bit of a clean freak, but was I the only one with a sense of hygiene? If it wasn't Regulus throwing wild parties it was Quirinius performing strange experiments with garlic (he called it "cooking", but I knew better). Inwardly growling, I started to pick up the mess of dirty clothes, food, and general trash.

"Don't bother," said Quin, looking up from the corner where he was wedged among stacks of Defense books. "He's just going to throw another party tonight." Frustrated, I stormed out of the living room and ran into Reg, who was dressed in a somber black robe. This was strange, since he usually wore violently colorful party outfits or his white St. Mungos uniform.

"Actually, I'm going out," he told me. "Bella and I have been invited to a special meeting. Some guy is recruiting purebloods for a secret society, you know." I had heard rumors about this Voldemort character, and felt a little concerned for Reg. "Isn't he a Dark Wizard, Reg? You know how my family feels about the Dark Arts."

"Yeah, I could hardly miss your dad ranting about them every time we meet. Especially since my parents make no pretense about their interests. Come on, Bart, it's just a little information meeting. I'm mostly going because Bella insisted on it. Trust me, I'm not about to become a dark wizard."

I let him go then. I didn't see much of Reg over the next few weeks, but I was so busy with the final stages of Auror training that I didn't really notice what was going on at home. Though Moody still annoyed me without end, I was determined to get through it. The last week was devoted to magical tests, and I knew this would be the hardest week of my life. But I was always a good test taker, so I was pretty confident.

"You can't throw me out!" I yelled. "I'm Barty Crouch Junior! I have 12 NEWT's! I'm nearly done with training!"

"You used an Unforgivable Curse on another Auror," growled Moody. "You're lucky not to be sent to Azkaban, so be glad Robards thinks you're just young and rash. You'd better forget about ever becoming an Auror in this life, Crouch. I don't care who your father is, either."

I found myself wishing I still had the time turner I'd used to get to all of my classes at Hogwarts. What had possessed me to use the Imperius curse on James Potter? True, the man was an arrogant clod. He was the Auror assigned as my partner for a training drill, and I had a brilliant plan to fulfill the mission. I had been trying to communicate, but Potter just wouldn't listen and kept ignoring my ideas. Somehow my anger had gotten the better of me and I decided to make him follow my plan. I HAD to become an Auror! If I could just take that moment back...

That's why I decided to break into the Department of Mysteries. Yes, it was extremely foolish, and completely insane. To tell the truth, I felt sanity slipping further and further from my grasp while I planned my assault. How dare they keep me out of the Auror corps?

My first few attempts all failed. I visited my parents and endured their disappointment and petulant lecturing long enough to steal my father's invisibility cloak. I used it to stay in the Ministry past closing, and tried to distract the Department of Mysteries guard with various animals I conjured. He never went for it, and repelled them all effectively. I tried attacking him directly but there was some sort of shield around him. I drank polyjuice potion, tried the Confundus charm, and wore many different costumes. I tried to enlist Quin's help, but he said it was impossible and returned his nose to his book. Finally, I asked Reg to help me.

"Well, there is a way," he told me. "But I have a meeting now, so it'll have to wait."

"I cannot wait!" I yelled in desperation.

"Then come with me," he said. "Some of the stuff we're doing today might give you some ideas, and you'll make some valuable contacts."

This is how I ended up becoming a Death Eater. It was actually an eye-opening experience, and I quickly realized that the Auror lifestyle paled in comparison to the freedom offered by the Dark Lord. His philosophies seemed so reasonable to me; of course there was no good or evil; only power, and those too weak to seek it. Why had I never seen it before? I had many philosophical discussions with Bellatrix Lestrange, and she quickly became my mentor. One of the older members helped me get a desk job at the Ministry as a cover-up, and my father was mollified.

"It's not what I expected from someone with your potential," he told me snootily, "But it's something at least, and perhaps you can work your way up with time and dedication."

I think I realized the moment when Regulus began to get scared. We were both ordered to torture a muggle family, and I set to the job willingly. Something about causing pain is cathartic, and I easily forget all my worries when I use the Cruciatus curse. I could finally let go of the meticulous perfectionism that had previously been my entire existence. Living as a Death Eater was like being an artist, and I felt free to express myself as I saw fit.

I looked up from torturing the muggle woman and caught the disgusted expression on Reg's face. I ignored it for a time, but I kept seeing signs of disloyalty in my friend. He often spied on the Dark Lord and kept notes about what he found. They were charmed so that I couldn't read them, but I knew Regulus was a traitor, so I exposed him. I told the Dark Lord what I had observed, and was sent to kill my friend. My first attempt failed, and Reg hid out in his family home for a few days. Finally I cornered him, dueled him, and won. I was always the better dueler.

Notes:

I don't understand why so many people are reading this, but none of them have reviewed. Please let me know what you think!

I felt I had to tell Barty Crouch Jr.'s story. It's a little light; I didn't think I could tell it if I got too intense. In the world of my story, the three friends Barty, Regulus Black, and Quirinius Quirrell all start out as rational and moral men. All three eventually become Death Eaters, but Regulus redeems himself in part by secretly discovering and stealing the locket Horcrux. The other two are completely converted by Voldemort. They fall into insanity and are ignorant of each other's fate; Barty was too isolated to hear about Quirrell's death. I guess the moral is, look out for your friends and don't be so caught up in your own life that you can't help them with their problems.