Slowly, a hand covered my mouth with a wet cloth. I tried to resist, twisting from his grasp, but failed. He was too strong. The maniacal grin stretched over his sunken face. I breathed in the horrid smell and my eyesight started to fade in and out.

Wasting no time, he cut right into my arm and whispered something unrecognizable. A sharp pain spread through my body, jerking me awake.

Sweat ran down my face as I sat up in the bed. The dark room looked familiar with the one tall window and makeshift bed. It look only moments for me to realize my wrists had been tied down to either side of the frame. Writhing between my constrains, the rope burned at my skin leaving marks. I tried tirelessly to break free.

The moonlight fell through the window, spilling its light onto the edge of the bed. My arm had been bandaged again but I could still feel the twinge of pain from the dream. Was it a dream? It seemed all too real to be a dream. Flowing beneath the bandage ran an army of black veins showing vibrantly against my pale skin. I could feel the blood pulsating through each strain. This wasn't right.

My heart started to beat, sending more of the poison through my veins. The sensation burned and rapidly spread throughout all of my body. My temperature rose steadily past the point of fever. A fierceness clouded my mind and my anger intensified. I pulled again at the constraints that held me down. Blood dripped down my fingertips as I pulled harder. My body was on fire and I couldn't control it.

Scream after scream I belted, losing control of all senses. My throat burned. My wrists burned. Finally there was a click to the door and a hooded figure came in. Death. Voldemort. Whatever it was was here to take me.

Long, delicate fingers reached out from under the robe, rapidly pulling at my constraints.

"No! You won't take me!" I yelled.

"Shhhhh! You have to calm down." Narcissa pulled the hood from her head and looked down at my arm. After releasing it from it's hold, she took my arm and examined the veins. Very gently, she ran her hand over my face. She pushed away the stray hairs and wiped the sweat with her robe.

"Breathe. It'll be ok. We need to get you out of here. How are you feeling?" Honestly? Like dying.

"I... it burns," were the only words I could spit out. Narcissa looked around the room and quickly found an empty glass. Touching the tip of the rim with her wand, the glass quickly filled.

"Drink," she demanded, offering the glass. I grabbed at the cup with my free hand and flung the liquid down my throat. Extending the empty glass towards her, I demanded more.

After a few repetitions, my body began to cool down. The fuzz cleared my brain and I started thinking coherently again. I looked out the window at the moon; the full moon. Terrified I turned to Narcissa.

She read my expression and rested her hand on mine. "Only symptoms I fear. I will send some Wolfsbane if it gets worse." Worse? How much worse could it get?

Narcissa went and removed my other wrist from the rope. She then went to the door, pressing her ear up against it. Satisfied with the silence, she came to me, speaking with a brisk pace.

"Can you walk? We have to go now before they return. Here, wrap yourself in this." Narcissa handed me a black, fur lined robe. I nodded and pulled on the cloak. The long hairs caressed my skin gently as I shifted off the bed.

Slowly she lead me down the portrait corridor and through the main entry. Voices sounded from the room across the hall, forcing us to stop in our tracks. Narcissa pulled me close against the wall. We both listened intently.

"My lord, I have come baring gifts. Mulciber's death hath been avenged."

"Show their faces." A rustling of cloth was heard followed by a slow laugh.

"How does it feel, Amycus, to have cleansed your blood? Dishonor in its deepest respect, don't you agree?"

"Yes, my lord." My heart dropped. Blood? Avenged? Surely this was not...

"Atticus? It's been so long," whispered a woman's voice. No. This could not be happening. My parents? A wave of sickness hit me, crashing over and destroying all sense of reality. The punch knocked every ounce of breath that resided in my lungs. Falling to my knees, I drowned into a sea of tears, wailing.

Narcissa dropped to the floor next to me, trying to control my outbursts. I heaved and screamed. The thought of my parents dead. My parents dead by the hand of my uncle at that! The emotions collided into each other as I sat in a fit of extreme woe and fury. Whispering the silencing charm into my ear, my mouth sealed. Narcissa held me close.

"Alecto, don't show your surprise. He has only done what you have failed to do. The question of the girl remains." A bolt of fear ran thought me. Shit, now they didn't need me anymore.

"Kill her," Alecto stated. I screamed into my restraint.

"Shhhhh..." Narcissa hissed into my ear.

"That's not necessary, Alecto."

"Amycus, she was bit. Time will only tell what sort of side effects that has caused. Her blood is no longer pure."

"Incorrect!" Amycus boasted, followed by a cackle. "She still tests pure."

"How is that possible? I saw it happen with my own two eyes brother." Amycus laughed again, the eeriness ricocheted off the stone walls.

"Transfusion my dearest sister. We are blood after all." My eyes drifted to my bandaged arm. My gut churned again. He had been pumping me with his pure blood.

"You are more mental than I imagined. Well done, Amycus. That still does not answer my question, however."

"We keep her. Another pureblood in the regime will only benefit us, my lord. She can work as an inside source within the school." There was a sickening pause.

"What makes you think she won't turn on us? Were her parents not Aurors? We cannot afford to lose any more followers. Loyalty is hard to come by these days, so it seems."

"We are her only family now. I will watch over her. At first light of any dishonor, she will surrender her life."

"Along with yours."

"Yes, my lord. Mine as well."

"Don't disappoint me. Alecto, take them outside and burn them. Their bodies may never have the honor of rebirth." A shadow appeared in the entrance of the doorway, soon followed by a floating mass. I held my breath as she passed. Straining my eyes, I tried to get a better look. My mother's head rolled out of the black cloth that held her body. Her glazed, pale eyes looked at me, haunting.

The confirmation tore at my heart. My tears choked me, restricting the air flow in my throat. Narcissa tried to pull me to my feet but my legs would not provide any type of support or structure. My world had just ended.

Suddenly another dark shadow came walking in our direction. Narcissa grabbed at the cloak I wore, and heaved me up with all of her strength. Soon I was staring into the eyes of my nemesis. I screamed at him, burrowing my eyes into his black soul.

"I caught her escaping again." Narcissa said. What? No! That is not how it happened. I couldn't believe she was just giving me up, just like that!

"Sneaky one, isn't she?" He replied. He stood tall and glared at Narcissa, trying to read her emotions. "I'll take it from here. Thank you, Narcissa." He grabbed my wrist, sending shocks of pain up my arm from the tenderness of my cuts. Narcissa let me go, leaving me in my captor's grip. I searched her face for regret but was only met with a stern look. Amycus pulled my hand, dragging me back down the hall.

I flailed and fought the entire way back to his room, giving him nothing but dead weight. With every twist, he tightened his grip on my wrists until he flung me into the room. I dropped to the cold floor and scurried to my feet. Rushing to the door, I went to attempt my last escape. The lock clicked right as my hand touched the soft bronze handle. This was it. I was done for. I placed my forehead on the door and melted back to the floor.

Amycus finally lifted the silencing charm. My throat burned from the trapped screams and acid tears. "You traitor! Filthy scum of the Earth!" The insults spilled from my lips with ease. "You are a disgrace to to this family!"

Amycus crouched down next to me. He placed his hand on the door, trapping me between his body and the wall.

"I would do anything for this family. Don't forget who just saved your life again!"

"You killed my parents. Your brother! What kind of filthy monster does that? You didn't save me." Tears started to fall down my face. Amycus looked at me in remorse for a brief second before scowling. He banged on the door with his fist ferociously before walking over to the window.

"You'll be leaving for Hogwarts tomorrow." My heart skipped for a moment at the realization of being as far away from him as possible...and alive. However, I wouldn't be able to live a normal life. I remembered his deal with Voldemort.

"I am not doing any of your dirty work, Amycus. I'd rather die than become a death eater."

He turned back at me with a grin. "Oh how daring. You will do what I ask."

"The hell I will!" Amycus's grin turned into a frown. He walked over to me again and pulled me up by my arm.

Looking at me in the eyes he said calmly, "You will not ruin this plan. You do not know what's at stake here."

"I don't care." He stared at me momentarily before coming closer. I could feel his hot breath on my cheeks, drying my tears.

"What if I told you it was all a magic trick?" I couldn't tell what sort of game he was playing. He took a bottle from his pocket and handed it over to me. I looked down at the unmarked flask, rattling its empty contents.

"What's this?"

My uncle gave me another devilish grin. "Polyjuice." He laughed. Polyjuice potion?

"Who did you use this on?"

"Who else?" My parents. But that would mean...

"They're alive?" He just smiled. My heart beat rapidly. "But..." I saw my mother's glazed dead eyes. It was all an illusion? "Where are they?"

"Don't get carried away. If you hadn't tried to find them in the first place, you wouldn't have had to even witness that."

"What do you mean?"

"We both know good and well you would not have lasted very long under Alecto's questioning. Then there would've been a big man hunt. A waste of time, if you ask me. Voldemort was infuriated at Mulciber's death."

"So you staged your revenge."

"And for this plan to work, you have to play along. I wasn't intending for it to be this way. Some people just like to butt in!"

"They're my parents...They would be mortified if I turned into a death eater. I can't..."

"You can. And you will if you want to live to see them again." I shook my head. I couldn't. Voldemort and his power was everything I was against. A world of torture and misery that was every sane person's nightmare.

"Look. The time will come when you will show your strength and true loyalty. I cannot take that away from you. Trust me, the Carrow name will be forgiven." At that, he shoved his hand in his cloak and withdrew my wand. Handing it back to me, he smiled and stepped back.

I turned my wand over in my hands. Whose side was he on? He obviously trusted me (although I was half attempted to fire curse after curse at him). He knew my parents were alive. But did he really? All of this could've been a huge lie. But why go through all of the mastermind scheming? In the end, it really all came down to one thing.

"I will not serve Voldemort," I stated boldly.

"Before you so stupidly choose your fate, consider the great disservice you are doing to your friends and your family."

"There is nothing to consider."

"Oh really? Spending time with death eaters who have gained your trust is nothing short than having access to willful information. Don't you think that would be crucial to some?" My mind automatically went to Harry. Was he hinting that I be an inside source?

"You could build that trust equally if you stay under my advice, which would serve as the ultimate protection. Not only that, but I am sure that a certain boy would greatly be able to appreciate having you on his arm. Although, Lyra, maybe someone who is not so emotional would be preferred for future reference." Draco. I frowned at the insult.

"It is this or death. Choose your fate wisely. You have until dawn. Try escaping again and you won't have a choice." He stepped towards the door and exited. The lock clicked behind him. I sat on the bed and stared at the ground. This was going to be a long night.


Author's Note: This chapter says a lot. Now we know what Amycus has planned for Lyra. In attempt to keep her safe, he has devised a plan to have her work as a mole within the school (which is what the Death Eaters and Voldemort will be led to believe). However, having inside sources from Draco will also do her well and benefit Harry. He is already suspicious that Draco is up to something and by getting closer to his nemesis, Lyra may be able to feed him information. But will she do it? For Lyra, this is completely out of her comfort zone, as would be most peoples. However, she has a very important decision to make, just as her reading with Professor Trelawney had mentioned. Continue to read to find out more :)