Written for Defence Against Dark Arts Assignment 12 of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and for the June Event.

Depth Under the Darkness

Alecto Carrow

I looked across the classroom, the heads of the students busily bowed, no one daring enough to look up. I remembered the fight I'd put up with my parents, when I was their age. I had broken off my engagement with Rosier. I'd learnt that neither would I be allowed to study for my seventh year nor be able to work after my wedding, which was scheduled to take place just before the start of seventh year.

The papers had been attracted to the story like moths to flame. I had run away from home then, my brother trailing behind, seeking refuge with my Lord.

There had been another story going on away from the spotlight. I had deluded myself in love with a muggl-mudblood named Smith. The short time we'd been together had been perfect, but then, he'd broken it off saying his parents had already arranged his marriage with a muggle girl. I had already broken off my own engagement. And that was it.

Seeing those filth staining the house of my ancestors reminded me of what I'd been cheated of, what they'd stolen from me.

My eye caught sight of a disturbance going on near the back corner of the classroom, breaking me out of my haze. Immediately, I fired an imperious curse in that direction. And then followed with the interrogation.

I looked at the boy in front of me, applauding him mentally for his audacity.

"What did you say, boy? Look up and answer me." I shouted at him, causing the whispering to stop. Some students started backing away and the door closed with a thud. It was my brother, the useless excuse for a wizard, who'd begged me to reconsider my decision. Ha, as if! I stopped that train of thought and listened to what the boy was saying.

"...I said, how much Muggle blood have your brother and you got, for all your blood purity? I'm sure there are a few muggles and squibs hidden in your family tree."

I laughed, a dangerous cackle to those who knew me, as I turned around.

Turning around, I fired the first crucio. It seemed he was expecting that. His knees wobbled and his jaw tightened. I fired another and another. He was screaming by then. I looked with pleasure at the destruction I had done on his body. One of his teeth was loose and his nose and eyes were bleeding. It was such a pity, this pureblood boy from a good home fighting for the wrong cause.

"What are you lot looking at? Shoo"! And, with that, I turned on my heel, my cloak billowing but not quite as gracefully as I'd hoped for. Humph, another time maybe.

I looked across at the students in the Great Hall, not a sound was heard. I sneaked a glance at the wizard sitting to the left of me, who was busy playing with his food. I'd known long since he didn't eat much and skipped meals, but as the headmaster of the school it was mandatory for him to attend.

My arm burned, the pain spreading like fire, eating everything in its path. I don't think I could ever get used to that pain. It was like the cruciatus which was aimed at the whole body was concentrated on my arm only, the pain five times worse. I looked up at Snape, he hadn't even flinched, but he did look up and meet my eyes. For a moment, I was caught in his gaze, mesmerized by the never-ending blankness of his eyes, trying to look for something, anything, other than indifference.

Just as I was preparing to get up, I heard my Lord's voice in my head, "Stay where you are! It seems that fumbling excuse of a wizard is up to something. I am now heading towards Malfoy manor. Keep a lookout for Harry Potter. I want him alive, there will be dire consequences if that is not the case. Potter is MINE." The 'mine' was followed by a deafening silence. Immediately, a strict curfew was put into effect.

The whole staff is gathered here, in the headmaster's office. There was Binns, the ghost who refused to leave teaching; there was McGonagall, the head of Gryffindor, who I've gotta say was a fair teacher; Septima Vector, the Arithmancy professor who was indifferent to the war raging outside the castle walls; Pomona Sprout, meek and hiding in the corner as much as she could without drawing attention to herself, the head of crybabies, oops, I mean, Hufflepuffs. She probably thought she could be spared from my wrath if she hid.

Horace Slughorn, the current head of Slytherin house - a truer Slytherin I've never met; Argus Filch, though an ugly squib he supported the right side; Irma Pince, the stuck up librarian, who had pushed me out of the library and banned me from there when I came here as a professor; and the others were not worth a mention.

I force myself to listen to what Snape was saying, something about portraits and dungeons and windows. This meeting had been called to discuss the ways to keep a lookout for the-boy-who-was-quickly-becoming-a-pain-in-my-ass and how to keep him in the castle after luring him in, the Undesirable No. 1, for the Dark Lord.

I looked at the pampered ponce and the air-headed family huddled together at the end of the Great Hall. I, myself, was under an invisibility spell. That Lovegood girl had been fast. I had been freed from her Stunning spell just some minutes ago. I had stolen the wand of one of my fallen brethren.

I had looked at my right arm which now sported a dull grey tattoo - lifeless. The snake slithering out of the skull and hissing had stopped. Now, it was just a still image. This only meant one thing.

For a moment, I felt the urge to curse the Malfoy family with a particularly nasty one, acurse which would also affect the future generations. They deserved it, I thought, the bunch of backstabbers. But I had more respect for Salazar Slytherin, than ever I did for his heir. The Malfoys had always been, and still were, exemplary Slytherins. Just for that reason, I left them alone.

I wanted to have a look around, to see the damage that had been left behind to what was once my school. But the longer I stayed here, higher were the chances of me getting caught. I could already feel the sand underneath my feet, the soft saline breeze and the occasional sprays of water. The beach was calling me. I needed a long, long break. Someday, maybe, I will return to my land of birth. But, for now, I was going to travel. Visit all those places Smith and I had once planned to visit together. I will travel further than he ever could.

Author's note: So what do you think of this chapter? Leave a review. I Love reviews...

UPDATE: I got 19/20 for this assignment.