The first two months of summer passed rather slowly. I stayed home for the most part to hang out with Barney and my mother. Lily invited me over a few times, as did Christy and Beth, but otherwise I stayed home until it was time for school supply shopping.

Mother and I went on a Sunday afternoon. Diagon's streets were pretty busy since I wasn't the only student there to get supplies. As was our usual routine we grabbed the required books first, then I got more parchment and journals–skipping the quills and ink since I still just used pens. There were a few potion supplies that I needed to get and that was it. I saw no point getting a new broom because I didn't want to try out for the team this year. Being beater was nice, but the position involved hurting other people and it always caused me to feel bad.

We finished buying food for our animals, and just as mother tried to apparate us home–she couldn't. I gave her a confused look while she stared towards the sky with dawning horror. If her expression hadn't been enough to freak me out then the screams echoing throughout the Alley certainly did the job.

Mother tightened her hold on my hand and jerked me into a run. It would have been a good idea if a group of robed wizards with familiar white masks hadn't suddenly apparated in the area we were running towards.

Red and green spells immediately spring from their wands, causing even more screaming and panic. All of the chaos would be easy for somebody to get lost in, and of course I ended up being one of those somebody's. Somehow I lost my grip on mothers hand and no amount of looking helped me find her. Yelling wouldn't be heard over the screaming crowd.

I continued to get pushed and shoved by the panicking wizards and witches running by me. No doubt I'd have some bruises and frankly it irritated me. Every single one of them ran away instead of banding together to fight. The amount of Death Eaters was minimal, yet it sent people into a frenzy.

This was the second raid I've experienced first hand. The first time I had to focus on protecting Sirius and James, but right now I could focus on myself.

Like before I made myself older, but this time I refrained from giving myself exotic colored hair and eyes.

Now looking like a twenty year old Édouard Beulieu with dirty blond hair that hung messily against my shoulders, and cold grey eyes sitting above aristocratic cheekbones. The change in body type forced me to magically alter my clothes so they would fit. They were black sweatpants, a tight-fitting black tank top, and my casual robe.

My height gave me a better vantage point to try and look for my mother. I felt panicked the second I lost my hold on her hand, and I can imagine what kind of panic she's feeling right now. It was bad enough with the initial panic the Death Eaters induced, but add on losing your daughter in this crowd–I wouldn't be surprised if she had a panic attack. I certainly felt like having one.

Thinking through the panic I took out my wand. Ideas of dueling a DE were quickly discarded. I'm a third year with absolutely no experience dueling. Sure I know some hexes and a jinx or two, but those won't protect me against a man twice my age and spells I've only ever heard of.

To find mother I tried going in the direction I'd last seen her. Trying to push through a crowd that had no real direction except to "run away" was practically impossible. I only got a few feet a minute. With panic slowly creeping up on the edges of my vision it made it that much harder trying to look for mother.

I haven't said this to myself for a long, long time, but I wanted my mom.

Loud cracks of apparition signaled the arrival of even more people. Freezing in fear I looked in the direction of where the noise came from. Brandishing their wands stood a group of about a dozen witches and wizards. They definitely weren't DE's because their cloaks were bright red and the wore no masks. Whoever they were started engaging in duels with the DE's.

Thankful for the group of people not afraid of Death Eaters I continued my search for mother. I don't know how she could have gotten so far away in a crowd like this, but unfortunately she did.

My progress–minimal as it was–ended abruptly when a body suddenly fell right in front of me. I didn't have time to stop, so I ended up tripping over their head. Groaning from the impact I scrambled onto my hands and knees as quick as I could. Being on the ground was asking to get trampled on.

Turning around to see who I tripped over made me jerk back in shock. They wore a Death Eater mask and the black robes. Someone must have knocked him out. Although kicking him in the head probably helped with that.

I noticed the people running around us kept a wide berth. The idea this gave me was stupid. Utterly ridiculous. But people avoided Death Eaters like the plague, and that gives them room to walk freely. The need to find my mother and make sure she was alright brought out my inner Gryffindor.

So, stealing the mans outer robe and mask, I made my way through the crowd much easier. People practically threw themselves out of my way, and had the situation been different I might have laughed.

Trying to find one person in a panicking crowd turned out to be much harder than I thought or ever hoped for it to be. Sure I had people getting out of my way, but that didn't show me where mother was.

"Where are you going?!"A hand slapped onto my shoulder and spun me around. I whipped up my wand as if it would help me, but the guy scoffed. "Quit playing games, boy, and let's go! We got what we came for."

With his hand still on my shoulder the man, the Death Eater, apparated us away. My already panicked mind worsened. Did they know I wasn't a Death Eater? Have they kidnapped me to torture me in the dungeons?

The second we landed in what looked to be some sort of foyer my nerves, combined with the sickening feeling of apparition, made me throw up the lunch I'd eaten earlier that day.

Everybody around me sneered in disgust, and I heard one guy scoff, "Bloody hell, why do we always get stuck with the newbies?"

Another cloaked Death Eater snorted. "Why don't you ask The Dark Lord and find out?"

The first of the two waved his wand to banish the mess I made. "Let's go kiddies." The two of them began heading further into the building. The other six figures followed after them while I hung in the back. I planned on slipping into some random corridor to hide as soon as possible, but there was another figure I hadn't noticed until just now.

She had luscious brown locks that swept passed her shoulders. I could only see them because she wasn't wearing the garb of a Death Eater. She actually looked rather familiar and–it was my mother.

A whine got caught in the back of my throat. Dear God, why was she here? Merlin, how did she get here?

Any plan to escape unnoticed flew out the window. There was absolutely no way I would abandon my mother just to save myself. I would protect her with my life, just like she would do for me.

I stayed in the back of the group trying to think of a way to get the both of us out of here without detection. First step would probably be to tell her I was there, but the rest of the steps still needed to be thought of.

Our group stopped in front of a set of intricate doors. The head DE knocked three times and waited until a shiver inducing voice called. "Enter."

The doors swing open and the two lead DE's grabbed my mother by her arms and yanked her forward. More than anything I wanted to step forward and beat them off of her, but I knew that wouldn't help either of us out if this situation. All I could do was play follow the leader. When the others formed a line, I joined them. When they bowed I bowed. I was more than happy to bow though. It meant I didn't have to look at Voldemort any longer.

The two Death Eaters forced my mother into a kneeling position. "We found the girls mother, my lord."

After a heart stopping silence Voldemort finally spoke. "Her mother?"

I could feel the DE next to me shake at the sound of his voice. I didn't blame them considering I had chills going down my spine as well.

"Yes, my lord."

The DE who spoke suddenly dropped to the ground screaming in agony. My body went still as his piercing screams echoed throughout the room for at least half a minute, though it felt like an eternity.

The screaming ceased, but I couldn't revel in the silence for very long. "I told you to bring both. If that wasn't possibly then to just get the girl. Neither of which you did! You all failed!"

I could feel dark magic filling the room. It licked at my arms with malicious intent and I shuddered at the feeling.

Mothers voice was filled with nerves, yet stayed fierce. "What do you want with my family's? We've done nothing to you."

Voldemort chuckled, but it wasn't a happy sound. "Not me, no. Though I do seem to remember a story of her throwing food at the Malfoy spawn." I could see mother close her eyes in shame and I winced. "But that doesn't concern me. I had wanted her instead of you because she would be a good asset."

My eyes widened behind the stolen mask. He wants me to be a Death Eater? Was he serious? Playing beater was the most violent thing I've ever done and I decided I couldn't do it for a second time!

"You want my daughter to become one of your followers? To be no more than cattle?"

I swear to god if mom gets herself killed I will bring her back just to kill her all over again. There's no way I would sit by and do nothing. Did she not think about me while she gambled with her life? I'm only fourteen, I need my mother!

"Lady Palmer I assure you her position would give her a lot of respect." Voldemort sounded like he was on the edge of cursing her. "I've heard she is very gifted I her studies. I only wish to help her."

I wanted to laugh at that one. He really is insane.

Mother seemed to think it was funny too, and apparently didn't feel afraid to laugh like I was. "You really think she would want to join you? Or that I would let her?"

Voldemort smiled maliciously. "I'm afraid she doesn't have much of a choice. She will join me."

My mother obviously didn't like that. As proof I saw her spit in his direction. It didn't hit him, but the sentiment was there. "Then you are a fool."

He sneered down at her, and I saw the anger in his eyes reach new heights. "I can see you will prove to be a thorn in my side. I cannot have you trying to protect Miss Alex because, well, it would be very annoying."

"You will not touch my daughter!" Mother was beginning to sound desperate. The situation reminded me of the day we left father, only worse.

"You think you can tell me what to do? Who I can and cannot recruit? She would flourish here. Don't you see that?" He sighed in mock sadness. "It appears I have no other choice. Your presence will do nothing but hinder me, and I can't have that."

The tip of his wand began glowing a sickly green color. All of my panic throughout the day finally cam to a head and I lunged forward. "Wait!"

Voldemort's red eyes snapped to me. I couldn't hold his gaze for long and quickly ducked my head down. "You dare get in my way?! Crucio!"

What I could only describe as molten lava filled my body. With the added feeling of white hot knives stabbing into every pore on my body. The sensation happened once before, but I forgot all about it. Now the memory echoed throughout my head as I writhed on the floor screaming in agony.

The spell lifted and I was left as nothing more than a twitching mess. "That was quite the scream." The comment gained shaky chuckles. "I didn't know someone could produce a sound so high pitched."

I ignored Voldemort's jab at my girly scream and focused on mother. She was looking at me in confusion, and changed my eyes to their usual dark blue color to see if she would notice. I knew she saw them when her eyes flashed in recognition, only for her to pale moments later. She released a shaky breath and I saw her mouth the words "I love you" followed by "I'm sorry".

Not two seconds later a green light flared to life somewhere behind her. The light then wrapped around her and traveled across her body before she limply fell to the floor. Mothers vacant eyes stared back at me, trapping me in place.

"My lord, would it not have been better to keep the woman as leverage against the girl?"

Voldemort hummed. "I suppose you're right. Unfortunately I cannot change what has happened. Now leave, all of you." I felt somebody grab onto my arm, and in my shocked state I allowed them to pull me up from the floor. "And you," Voldemort was looking right at me, but I couldn't focus on him. "It would be wise of you to never show such disgusting chivalry again."

The words went completely over my head. I couldn't understand them. My thoughts weren't making any sense. Why is mother on the floor? She needs to get up. We have to go. I want to go home now, will she please take me home? I want my mom.

"Come on Randy." The doors swung shut behind me. Cutting off the burning sight of my mother laying out in front of Voldemort's desk. "I know we're new here, but you should be used to a little death."

At the mention of death I emitted a pained whine. Nothing was making any sense. Mom needed to come back now. We were gonna make s'mores in the fireplace tonight. She promised.

"Randy, why is this affecting you so much?" The woman's voice barely registered. "I get that what happened is messed up but life sucks like that."

Rage churned deep inside my gut. I whipped out my hand to hold her by the front of her robes and I shoved her up against the nearest wall. "That's all you have to say?" I screamed directly in front of her face. "Life sucks but oh well! Let's move on as if we haven't just killed an innocent woman! Ripping away the mother of a fourteen year old. Fourteen! What's gonna happen now?" My chest heaved with every breath I took.

"I think you need to go home. Cool down a little bit." Someone gently pulled me away from the woman and brought me down the deserted hallways. "This really affected you, huh?" I remained silent. "Can you get home from here?" Silence. The man groaned. "Look man I'm not gonna babysit you. Either apparate home, use a portkey or do something." The man turned on his heel and disapparated.

My jaw worked silently as I thought of the something to get me home. "Mandy." The hoarse whisper died away and a loud pop followed after. The looked at me with wide eyes. "Little Mistress?"

Tears made their way down my cheeks in rivers and when I opened my mouth again all I could get out was a sob. Mandy immediately grabbed me by the hand and popped me away from the foreboding place that was now tainted with the death of the only family member I had left.