Ch.3 DarK MarK

The Dark Lord was smiling; his eyes were flashing an even brighter red than they were before. His eyes bore into Regulus who was once again forced to look away, but instead of looking at the ground he turned back to his Aunt Bellatrix. Bellatrix was still on the ground, her eyes were wide and glassy, and she seemed to be looking at the Dark Lord, waiting for his decision. Regulus tried to catch his aunt's eye to show a sign of apology. After failing to do so he too turned to face the Dark Lord.

"Hold out you arm" he asked, slowly.

Regulus, still on his knees, held out his left arm and pulled up his sleeve to reveal his bare forearm. He bowed his had as the Dark Lord's had clasped around his wrist. It was cold and smooth like a snake's. Regulus could feel the entire room's eyes boring into him and the Dark Lord. Then he felt a wand tip gently poke the skin of his arm. Regulus waited, he could hear the Dark Lord muttering the curse in a raspy, choking language. That's when the pain came, it burned Regulus's arm where the wand was still gently touching him. Regulus let out a small gasp when he felt the pain burning his entire forearm now; it was more painful than anything he had ever felt. His eyes were starting to sting with tears, but before they started to fall the pain had stopped. He felt his arm being dropped. He pulled up his sleeve, and saw the Dark Mark cursed onto his skin. The skull was at the top of his forearm and the snake coming from its mouth was pulled out to his wrist. He felt slightly elated and felt a smile for on his lips.

"Thank you, my Lord." he said in an oddly hoarse voice, "Thank you"

***

Regulus woke up the next morning in the room Bellatrix had lent to him for his stay. The sun was still under the horizon and the skies were still the dark blue of night. He was not to exit his room until he was told he could because there was an important meeting going on downstairs. The Death Eaters were eagerly awaiting news of some sort, and Regulus was itching to know of it. He cracked the door open and heard hushed voices coming from downstairs, but he wasn't able to understand any of it. Regulus, however, knew he will find out soon enough. If the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters wanted to get rid of him, then they would have thrown him into the fire so he could floo back home after the branding of his mark, but he was allowed to stay overnight. Regulus sat at the foot of his bed and pulled up the sleeve of his left arm. The Dark Mark was still there, black and dark as the sky outside. Regulus stared at it until he heard a knock at the door that made him jump. Shaking his sleeve back down, Regulus took two strides to the door and opened it. Outside was a slightly hunched and short man. His hands were clasped together nervously, and he we was slightly balding. His eyes were small and watery, and he oddly reminded Regulus of a rat.

"Peter" Regulus said, surprised. Peter Pettigrew is one of Sirius's best friends. Peter Pettigrew, James Potter, and Remus Lupin were always hanging out together in Hogwarts. All four are from Gryffindor.

Peter looked up to at Regulus, he was rather short.

"What are you doing here ? " Regulus asked, still surprised.

"Breakfast is served" Peter said, ignoring the question. He looked pale and unhappy.

Regulus nodded and pushed past Peter to go down to the kitchen, wondering why Peter hadn't answered. He was too excited at the moment to care anyways. The kitchen was crowded; apparently his aunt's house was being used as a Death Eater gathering. Nobody seemed to notice him enter, expect his aunt Narcissa. He smiled at her but she grabbed his army roughly and pulled him outside the kitchen as soon as she saw him smiling at her.

"What are you doing here." she asked hastily, she had a frown on her face but her eyes showed worry.

"Peter, told me to come down." Regulus answered, taken aback.

"No-I mean, you are much too young to be a Death Eater. Do you have any idea how much danger you are putting yourself into" she whispered quickly.

" I see no danger in helping to fight this cause. I know Dark Magic." Regulus whispered to her.

"The Dark Lord isn't going to use you as a fighter boy ! He'll probably set you tasks in which you are some stupid decoy ! Look at your age"

Regulus glared at the ground furiously. His aunt had no idea how much he knew of the Dark Arts, his knowledge of Dark Curses was probably more than most of Voldemort's Death Eaters.

"Go home Regulus." his aunt said in a gentle voice, "Join when you are older....."

"Are you fucking kidding me." Regulus said now, glaring at his aunt. "You have no idea- no idea what I can accomplish that none of you bastards can."

Narcissa took a step back, looking very hurt. Regulus stepped back as well, surprised at his sudden outburst.

"Regulus...."

"I don't know why I did that Aunt Narcissa." he said bowing his head in shame.

Regulus's patience had finally run out, ever since last night he was at the verge of bursting with anger. After the Dark Lord had departed, many of the Death Eaters had mocked at him, insulted him, and told him he was too young and weak. Regulus had ignored them the best he can, but his own aunt's words had made him finally lose his patience.

"Why can't you understand Regulus ? You will never live a decent life. You should have waited until you were married or at least graduated." his aunt whispered with wet eyes. The worry shown in her eyes was now replaced with a look of pleading.

Regulus kept his head bowed and realized that his aunt was trying to protect him, not mock him. She is treating me like her own son, he told himself. He gathered up the energy to look into her pleading, teary eyes and put all his thoughts about marriage and graduation into one word.

"No."

"Regulus..."

"Please try to understand, aunty. I really want to do this." he said, now pleading himself, "Please try to understand."

Narcissa looked into his eyes and her face fell. "I still think it's a bad idea..."

"I'm ready"

"If you are so sure-"

"I am"

"and there is nothing I can do to-"

"Nothing" Regulus breathed out.

Narcissa stared at him, slightly surprised by his confidence. She reached an arm out to him and pulled him into a hug. " You are making a mistake"

Regulus wrapped his arms around her. He kindly said, "You worry about your self."

They broke apart and Narcissa headed for the kitchen, Regulus tailing close behind. The Death Eaters were now in a circle, whispering things quickly and quietly as though they were being eavesdropped. Narcissa took no notice of them and quickly filled a plate of toast, eggs, and bacon for Regulus.

"Enjoy your meal", she said. Before Regulus had time to thank her, she had already gone into the whispering mass of Death Eaters.

Regulus wasn't enjoying much of the Death Eater lifestyle after lunch. The others wouldn't let him listen into their whispered conversations, and he wasn't allowed to sit at the dinner table during dinner. He had to eat at his room. A week had passed and he still didn't get any action expect Peter knocking at his door to give him meals. Regulus had finally figured out that Peter was indeed a Death Eater and that he was a double-agent for Voldemort. Peter is part of the Order of Phoniex, a secret organization started to fight the Dark Side, but he now works for Voldemort secretly too and attends the Order meetings to pass his Dark Lord some information . Peter believes the Dark Lord will reign and wipe the order out so he joined the Dark Side only survive a possible war; he really didn't care for the cause they were fighting for. Maybe that is way Peter was treated like a house-elf, Regulus had noticed. He was always cleaning, cooking, or bowing. It was all very cruel.

One day while Regulus was climbing the stairs before dinner had started; Peter had stopped him to tell him he was wanted at the table. Regulus followed Peter to the table where he was seated next to a filthy, pointy toothed Death Eater. His fingernails were longer than his fingers and he was using them to pick bits and pieces out from between his teeth. The Death Eater looked at Regulus as he sat next to him; Regulus thought his eyes looked like a predator's. They were always aware, and moving very fast as others entered the room. The Death Eater stared at him hungirly after the others had filed in, and Regulus took no time to scoot his chair away a foot. Something big was about to happen, Regulus could tell by the air of excitement that filled the dining room. Finally, the Dark Lord walked in and sat himself into the chair next to the fireplace with his huge snake draped around his shoulders. His red eyes moved from one person to another as if he were taking roll. He looked at Regulus, and Regulus looked down immediately.

"Well, well Regulus" the Dark Lord started, "you do seem to know quite a lot about the Dark Magic."

Regulus nodded, not questioning him on how he knew. For some reason, Regulus had thought Voldemort could read minds. The Dark Lord then moved his eyes away for Regulus to wolfish Death Eater that was still picking his teeth with his nails.

"I hope you are well Fenrir" Voldemort asked to him. "How much little ones did you get me last night."

"Three, my Lord." he said smiling savagely.

The Dark Lord looked at him for a second before saying, "Something tells me there should have been four children Fenrir, but I don't blame you if you can't control your blood thirst."

Regulus, who had no idea what they were talking about, looked to Voldemort again. Once again, the Dark Lord showed that he may have to ability read minds, or how would he have known about this fourth child, whoever he was.

Fenrir smiled even more widely, showing off his pointy and filthy teeth, "Sorry, won't happen again."

Voldemort's thin mouth curved into a grin before he turned to the next Death Eater sitting next to Fenrir. The process took a little over ten minutes, in which he seemed to delve into his Death Eaters' minds and announce their secrets to the rest of the table. When it was finally done, the Dark Lord began to talk.

"Of course, most of you know that we have tried to take down the Ministry multiple times, and we have failed each time." he said calmly, some of the Death Eaters started to look uncomfortable, "Each and every one of you, with a few exceptions, have failed to outduel a Ministry wizard. It is pathetic, that my Death Eaters will fall to the Ministry. Do we not know why the Ministry must be taken down." he asked, no one answered. Everyone was suddenly tense.

"Our initial cause is to get rid of the filthy blood in our society today. There are two things that stand in our way of doing that. One is the ministry and other is the Order of the Phoenix . Once we can get past the Ministry, we can take the Order easily. However, from now on we will not try to destroy the Ministry", he said. Everyone seemed to lean in closer, "From now on, we must try to take over the Ministry. Not by force, but by stealth. With control over the Ministry we can take down the Order and take over the entire Wizarding community. We will have power, we will have wealth, and overall, we will no longer have mudbloods in our world."

Regulus watched Voldemort speak, his voice hadn't risen but the power of his words at reached Regulus's head loud and clear.

"I know we can succeed friends, because this time we have something we didn't have before" he said a little louder, "we have him."

One of Voldemort's thin fingers pointed right at Regulus.