Disclaimer: Don't own and never will.
Tracey Davies took a deep breath and tried to stop her hands from shaking.
She knew what she had to do and it was probably one of the most stupid things that she had ever done. Or anyone would ever would do really. It was almost Gryffindor-like in her opinion. (Seriously, what the hell was she doing!?)
The air was thick with tension. Everyone was on edge. There was an uneasy sense of fear and admiration in the air for the man standing in front of them. All eyes looked at him, hopeful for approval and fearing his disdain and punishment. It was almost like a teacher and their students, Tracey thought, except that these students were not here to learn and he was not here to teach.
From the ceiling and walls, lamps illuminated the room. The curtains were drawn and the windows were nice and normal. It looked a lot like a perfectly average dining room. If it were not for a the man standing at the end and the people watching him, it could almost pass for a normal, casual family gathering.
"Greetings, my friends," Voldemort said in a low voice. "It is good to see you all standing before me." He looked at one of the masked figures. "Rockwood, how goes the purge of the Ministry?"
"Many witches and wizards have continued to work as normal. They have submitted to our will without protest." He paused and chuckled. "Several have turned in mudbloods hidden in their ranks and those who have objected are under observation."
"Good, good,"Voldemort said and Rockwood almost preened. Or would have done if he could. It was actually kind of stupid, if you asked Tracey. She placed her hand on the cold metal hidden in her robes, drawing a strange comfort from the feel of it in her hand.
"And Severus, I hear that there are a group of rebellious students against our glorious new regime. I believe that they call themselves Dumbledore's Army, do they not?"
"They do, my Lord," Snape said with a slight bow of his head. "They are misguided, clinging desperately to the hope that Potter," He spat out the name contemptuously, "Will save them. They doubt our final victory. They will fall in line, of that I am sure. The Carrows," He nodded towards Alecto and Amycus, "are applying disciplinary measures aggressively and extensively. They will fall in line, I assure you."
"I don't think that he's doing enough," Alecto said sullenly and Voldemort looked at her.
"Explain, my dear Alecto. What do you think would be better?" Voldemort asked and Alecto swallowed nervously, squirming under Voldemort's gaze.
"Well...there's a group of students...ringleaders if you like," she paused and swallowed once more. "I was...if we killed them in front of the school...made an example...the others would fall in line like."
"Snape, he's gone soft. Stops us from punishing them as much as we like. Or want," Amycus added, looking furtively at Snape, who gave a long suffering sigh.
"Amycus, I have told you this before. We do not need our students permanently damaged." He looked at Amycus, who wilted under his gaze. "And giving detention to the Gryffindor Quidditch team for winning a game against Slytherin is petty and counter-productive." He turned and faced Voldemort. "My Lord, one of those students is a clumsy dolt of a wizard, almost a squib. Anyone who has se-"
Voldemort held up his hand and Snape stopped.
"You think that would end the problems that you face?" Voldemort asked and Amycus nodded, smirking slightly at Snape. Tracey internally winced. It was a wonder that this man had even survived being in Slytherin. "And how then would they learn?"
A puzzled expression crossed Amycus's face.
"Learn...?" he asked asked as if stupified by the question. "My Lord, forgive me but I do not understand-"
"You are a teacher, are you not?" Voldemort asked and Amycus frowned.
"Yes, my Lord. But-"
"Students cannot learn if they are dead," Voldemort said, speaking to Amycus as though he was a young child. "Let us not spill good, pure magical blood needlessly."
"I-bu-h-" Amycus stuttered, as if struggling to say something. Voldemort looked at him and Amycus stopped. Tracey almost felt sorry for him. (Almost being the key word. She knew what he was like. And the way that he was towards her friend Daphne Greengrass...well under normal circumstances, it would be enough to get Amycus fired. She hoped.) She put her hand on the cold, comforting metal under her robes once more.
"My Lord, we already have a plan underway to find the real ringleaders of our troublemakers," Snape said after watching (and enjoying) Amycus squirm for a few minutes. Daphne touched the metal hidden in her robes once more. This was stupid. Insane really. She was supposed to be a Slytherin, not some idiotic Gryffindor. Why was she even doing this? Snape motioned for her to step forward.
"Miss Davies I believe," Voldemort said softly. Tracey nodded, too scared to speak. It was a wonder that she hadn't wet herself really.
"Miss Davies has managed to infiltrate the inner circle of the rebellion at Hogwarts. It is only a matter of time before she discovers the true leaders of the rebels. They will not remain hidden for much longer."
"I still think that we should go after the Longbottom boy," Amycus said sulkily. Voldemort ignored him, brushing Tracey's long brown hair aside to rest under her chin. He lifted her head slightly to look at her.
"Do you fear me?" he asked as he looked in her eyes.
"Yes my Lord," she said, not even trying to lie. Voldemort shook his head slightly.
"And why is that?" he asked and Tracey swallowed.
"You are a powerful and capable wizard my Lord," she said nervously. "Not afraid of true greatness, unlike Dumbledore." A scowl briefly crossed Voldemort's face and Tracey felt her blood turn cold. Had her plan gone wrong already? She put her hand on the comforting metal object in her pocket. It wasn't really the ideal time time. Not yet.
"Dumbledore," he said, almost wistfully. "A tragic loss to the wizarding world." He shook his head. "He could have been a powerful ally."
"Not as great as you, my Lord," Tracey said and Voldemort nodded. He knew she didn't believe that. Not entirely. And she knew that he knew, but they said nothing. "The rebels will choose the right side in the end, of that I am sure. Many are uncertain and have doubts. They have seen Harry Potter and they know that he is not an exceptional wizard such as yourself. They fear your wrath, but their leaders inspire them. And I will do what is right when the time comes."
Voldemort looked at her curiously and Tracey touched the reassuring metal object in her pocket once more.
"And what is the right side?" Voldemort asked and Tracey swallowed. Had he seen through her? She had tried to keep her statements ambiguous enough to avoid giving herself away. Several of the Death Eaters in the room were also looking at her with slightly worrying expressions. Expressions that boded poorly for her immediate future. She swallowed.
"Our side my Lord," she said as she felt her heart beat faster. "My Lord, forgive me. Have I said something wrong?"
"Your answers...are a little ambiguous, are they not?" he asked her and Tracey felt her heart beat even faster. "You are not hiding something?"
"What could I hide from you, my Lord?" she asked, hoping that her statement was true enough to avoid detection. Voldemort shook his head with an almost bemused smile.
"You seek personal power. The powers to be one of mine." He paused and shook his head. "An admirable trait for a Slytherin. Stay loyal to me and you will have the power that you desire."
"Yes my Lord," she said and she nervously touched the metal object in her robes. Was it time? No, if she kept her nerve for a little longer, she could be sure. Who knows when she'd have an opportunity like this again? Or anyone for that matter. No, she had to see this through. He turned away.
"My friends, you are wondering why I asked you all to leave your wands outside," he said, no longer paying attention to Tracey. "This is a traitor in our midst." A wave of gasps and muttering crossed the room. Tracey gripped the metal object and slid it out of her pocket. The door burst open and Bellatrix strolled in, wand held high. She was followed by Crabbe and Goyle. Voldemort looked at Tracey. "This is what happens to traitors in my ranks," he said. "Watch carefully girl." He turned to face the room.
"My Lord," Lucius began. "Who would dare-"
"Someone in this very room dares," Voldemort said, cutting him off. "That person is in this very room dares." He looked at them in disbelief. "Imagine. A person who I have welcomed like family, would betray me. It's almost...unimaginable."
Tracey felt her breathing become harder and her stomach turned. What did he know? How could he know? She had planned this out alone. Just her and nobody else. There was nothing that should or necessarily could be traced to her. She gripped the metal object in her hand, still hidden beneath her robes.
"Fortunately, I now know who it is," he said and a ripple of fear crossed the room. His back was still facing her. "The traitor in our midst is-"
Pulling the metal object out of her hand, Tracey pulled the trigger. (She was pretty sure that was how to use the item. She had spent time practicing with it in private. And it should work. She hoped.)
It was louder than she remembered and the object had one hell of a kick in her hands. She could feel the force of the object as an explosion flashed. If it had been her first time, she would almost certainly have been surprised.
But he was still standing. Blood stained his robes from where she had hit him though, so she pulled the trigger again. And again. And again. She just kept firing until she heard a clicking noise.
"Crucio!" she heard Bellatrix scream just before her world erupted in pain. She dropped the object as she writhed in pain. Suddenly the pain was lifted.
"Who are you working for?" she heard someone demand. Someone she couldn't see and didn't recognise. Or at least, their voice was a mystery. "Are you working for the Order of the Phoenix? Or Dumbledore's Army?"
Tracey laughed, even as her body screamed at her. It was Dumbledore's Army that had helped her to see the light, but they would never have approved of her plans. Merlin, she didn't approve of her plan, but it was stupid and crazy enough to work.
"Crucio!" Bellatrix screamed again, this time joined by several people. Tracey felt her body explode with pain. One cruciatus curse was painful, but several at once? It was a wonder that a human could even survive such pain.
"Who are you working for?" Bellatrix screamed. "Who sent you? Who is your master?"
Tracey let out another crazy laugh.
"I have no master!" she crowed as she looked at the assembled Death Eaters. "I did this on my own!" She fell back down to the floor laughing manically. Every part of her body felt like it was on fire and yet she just laughed. In the corner of her eye, she could see Voldemort's dead body. Or at least, she hoped that it was dead. He was dead. Whatever. She could feel her brain getting fuzzy. Maybe she would be lucky and pass out before long.
"Crucio" Bellatrix screamed again and for the next several hours, Tracey screamed and screamed and screamed. And when she was eventually killed, it was practically a mercy.