Disclaimer: No Mine.
The Youngest Death Eater
The small interrogation room was lit by one lone lamp. Its harsh yellow light seared down on the drooping head of the prisoner. The smell of water and damp pervaded the room and an air of suffocation hung in the atmosphere. Despair lurked in the corners of the cell, creeping around the circle of light, kept in check by the foreign beams of its greatest enemy. Draco Malfoy stared blankly at the dirt incrusted floor, the empty grey eyes a veil for the desperate workings of the brain behind them. He wouldn't let them see his true feelings, he could keep them out if he wanted; he just needed to stay focused.
A door swung open and two ghostly figures drifted into the room, wands lit with pinpoints of illumination. As the door sighed shut behind them, one figure cloaked completely in black, remained in the deepest shadow as the smaller, slighter man moved into the sphere of light.
"Are you ready to talk Draco?" Lupin's voice was deceptively soft, "We're ready to listen to anything you might tell us."
"I've nothing to say to you," Draco growled out, "We've gone over this day in and day out for three weeks. I refuse to speak."
"Are you certain of that, Draco?"
"Yes."
"I don't think you are," Remus crouched down till grey eyes glared into brown, "I don't think you're certain about anything anymore. You don't know if its day or night right now and you said you were here for three weeks? How do you know it's been three weeks?"
Draco said nothing but pulled his eyes away from Remus.
"You see, Draco, all certainty is slipping away from you here. And who has come to save you? You're father? Another Death Eater? No one. Consider it, Draco. All this time and we've not had no attack on us to bring you back home."
"Voldemort knows I won't break," Draco hissed, "He knows I don't need rescuing."
"So you tell yourself, but how much do you really believe that?" Remus challenged. He moved his wand to tap lightly against the Dark Mark spoiling Draco's forearm, "Do you believe that the one who gave you this really cares what happens to you?"
"I won't listen to anymore of this!" Draco's head snapped up, "You're just worried because I haven't given you anything. All this time and you haven't gotten a word out of me. Well, I have news for you, werewolf, I'm not telling you anything. If you're going to leave me here to rot, let me rot. But stop coming back here to try and convince me that I'm not one of them. I am! I chose to be one of them and so I'll bear any punishment you care to meet out!"
"Even death?" Remus all but whispered.
Draco scoffed, "I'm not afraid of death."
Remus felt the blood run cold in his veins at the young Death Eater's arrogance. There would be no more arguing with the youthful fanatic. Standing slowly to his feet, Remus stared down at the rebellious, upturned face of his former pupil. For a moment, Draco saw sympathy flash in the large brown eyes of Remus Lupin only to see it covered with hard truth and steely resolve.
Turning half toward the door, he called, "Professor Snape?"
The black figure, silent till now, advanced to the circle of yellow and halted just shy of the illuminating band. Draco sneered, his lips curling against his teeth as hatred erupted in his heart, "So you've turned tail have you, Snape? What? Changed coats when the Potter brat was born? Or were you never one of the true color?"
Wordlessly, Snape handed a bottle to Remus who accepted it so Draco could see the sheen of the fluid in the turn of the light. His defiant gaze faltered briefly before he forced a harsh laugh to his lips.
"Turned to making potions for the Mudbloods have you?" he jeered, "Do you honestly think that veritaserum is going to work on me?" His grey eyes stabbed into the darkness where Snape's face was obscured, "You taught me how to fight it remember?"
"I assure you that we are aware of your Occulmency abilities, Mr. Malfoy," Remus said his voice growing colder and address formal, "But as you yourself know, Professor Snape is able to brew potions never before used or tested on in the general public."
Draco said nothing but Remus had seen the spark of apprehension in his eyes for a spit second, "I—" he stopped and his lips formed a thin line, "Do your worst."
Remus stepped forward and removed the stopper from the crystal vial. The veritaserum gleamed under the yellow light. The familiar aroma drifted across to the Malfoy heir and it brought back memories of potions class, Hogwarts and times before there were Death Eaters and his world was filled with enemies. But then, Draco's face hardened, then Snape had been an ally.
"Draco?" Remus prompted, "I don't want to use the Imperious on you."
"Why I should be worried about your moral peace is beyond me," Draco snarled, "But it's going to happen either way so why should I care?"
He opened his mouth and Remus brought the bottle to his lips. Just as the first drop was hovering on the edge of the vial's lip, Snape's arm shot out and caught Remus's as the werewolf made to tip the fluid down Draco's throat. Seeing this, Draco suddenly rocked forward jostling the men's arms and causing the veritaserum to splash over Draco's lips, teeth and tongue, dripping down his stubble covered chin onto his ragged shirt.
Snape and Lupin fell back, each drawing their wands on Draco as the Death Eater shuddered several times. He gave a ghastly choking laugh and raised his furious gaze to theirs'.
"Almost won there, Snape," he rasped, "But I'm not about to go out as a traitor."
"What is it?" Remus demanded as the potions master stooped over Draco, examining his pupils and feeling for his pulse.
"I am not sure," Snape replied, "My guess is something that will react with the veritaserum to cause death."
"Is there an antidote?' Lupin asked quickly.
'We've no time for that now," Snape barked. Grabbing a handful of Draco's hair, he brought his face square with his, "Tell me, what is the Dark Lord planning?"
Dazed by the effects of the potion, Draco's eyes roaming aimlessly for a moment before being captured by Snape's; "The Death Eaters are looking for a Muggle. A Mudblood the Dark Lord can use for his purposes."
"What are his purposes?" Snape demanded next. Draco was rapidly slipping away there was scant minutes before he would be dead at their feet.
"He wants to—Potter—kill him—the Muggle can help," Draco's words were slurring together, "In America—spotted by accident—"
"Why does he want this American?" Snape slapped Draco hard and focused his eyes again on his own black orbs, "Why?"
"Channeler," the young Malfoy mumbled, "Sirius Black—channeled."
"Where is this muggle?" Remus cut in.
"Don't know—going to search—"
"Give us a name, Draco, what is the Muggle's name?" Remus shouted.
"Don't know."
"You're lying, "Snape said, "What is the muggle's name?"
"Is it a woman or a man?" interjected the werewolf.
For an instant Draco rallied and his defiance returned brightly, "A boy, a little boy like Harry Potter."
Then he jerked from under Snape's hands, his head lolling back as convulsions took over his body. The chair fell back as his body twitched and the two wizards could only watch in silence as the poison finished its deadly work in the young man's frame. With a choking gasp, Draco's body slumped against the ground, his eyes seeing nothing beyond and his mouth open in shock. On his arm, the Dark Mark vanished leaving behind the pale, smooth skin of his childhood. The silence was painful.
"I'm sorry," Remus said.
Snape went to the body and closed the beautiful grey eyes for the last time. He stayed crouched beside the limp form for several long moments, his chin cupped in his hand, his eyes hidden by the black curtain of his hair. Remus felt suddenly, keenly aware of the close relationship the potions master and the young Death Eater had once shared. Teacher and student, one alive, one dead.
"What a waste," Snape snarled, "What a God damn waste."
"I'm sorry, Severus," Remus repeated, "I had no idea what would happen."
"I am sure that is what the Dark Lord intended," Snape said. With a flick of his wand the chair underneath Draco transfigured into a small cot and the cords binding Draco to it were transformed into a clean white sheet that folded itself over the body.
"Was there nothing we could have done to prevent it?"
"I doubt it. The Dark Lord has not been known for being half-hearted in anything he has done. I suspect that there is no antidote for whatever potion caused Mr. Malfoy's death. That way the Death Eaters would be even more motivated to elude capture."
"We'll have to contact the Ministry immediately," Remus moved toward the door only to be stopped by a hand on his arm. Snape's eyes burned into his.
"We have to stop the intentions of the Dark Lord first," Snape said, "We must act without reservation or hesitation. The Order must be alerted and gathered even before we tell the Ministry. For all we know the Death Eaters have found this muggle and are learning how to defeat Potter. We can't risk that."
Startled by the intensity on Snape's usually impassive face, Remus nodded, "I understand. I'll contact Harry and the DA. If we're faced with finding a single child in all of America then we're going to need all the help we can get."
Snape shook his head, "No. We're not looking for a boy."
"What?"
Snape allowed his eyes to rest on the sheet covered body of Draco Malfoy, "He lied. At the very last, he lied. He didn't betray them," Snape looked at Remus, "We're not looking for another Harry Potter; we're looking for a woman."
TBC
