The school year was coming to an end and not everyon was ready for it to be over. This year had been so good for everyone. It looked like Gryffindor was certainly going to win the House Cup again, thanks to Zandra's excellent work in class. However, there was still one more month to go before the term was over and none of the other Houses were giving up hope of overtaking Gryffindor. But House points were the least important thing on Lucius Malfoy's mind. The Dark Lord had given him a job to do and he had not yet found one person to join him in serving Voldemort. Then, Lucius got a wonderfully awful idea. That evening, he waited outside the Great Hall for Potter's group to show up. He didn't have to wait long. James and Lily were coming down the marble staircase laughing about something. Remus and Sirius were following right behind them and Peter Pettigrew was a short way behind them. Lucius backed into the shadows as James, Lily, Remus, and Sirius passed. However, when Pettigrew neared him, Lucius reached out, grabbed Pettigrew's arm, clamped his hand over Pettigrew's mouth, and pulled him into the shadows with him. He waited as the others entered the Great Hall, not even noticing that Pettigrew was gone. "Come with me and don't make a sound," Lucius hissed in Pettigrew's ear. Then he dragged the frightened Gryffindor out of the castle and down to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, where he had spoken to Severus.
Lucius released Pettigrew's arm and said, "I need to talk to you." Pettigrew looked at him with a mixture of fear and uncertainty in his eyes. "Wh..what d..do you w..want?" Pettigrew stammered, his fear evident in his quavering voice. Lucius calmly said, "I know exactly how you feel about some situations, Peter. We all remember the time Maleficent humiliated you in Herbology. I know that you've been wanting to get even with her for a long time." Pettigrew's eyes widened and he asked, "You're going to help me get even with her?" Lucius smiled a chilling smile and said, "Perhaps. That's where you come in." Pettigrew relaxed a bit and said, "All right then, what do I have to do?"
Lucius quickly explained that if Peter joined Voldemort and the Death Eaters that he'd have the power to do anything he wanted. This really got Peter's attention, as he had always been overshadowed by the others in James's gang. Peter was really beginning to get interested in this. Lucius added, "Plus, if you join then you will have others with you who can help you, should you ever need it. But we're a very secretive organization. You can't go running around and telling everyone about it or the plans won't work out right. This goes for James and the others as well. They just wouldn't understand it. But you, Peter, are different. You understand this better than anyone else at Hogwarts." Peter really was taking in all of this. He was being told that he was wanted in a group that was more powerful than the Marauders, a group that understood how he felt! He grinned broadly and said, "I'd love to join, Lucius." Lucius grinned back, shook Peter's hand, and said, "We'd love to have you. I need you to meet me here after dinner and you will be initiated." The two went back up to the castle, both feeling better.
After dinner, both Severus and Maleficent noticed Lucius get up and leave the hall quickly. They didn't bother asking him what was going on. They guessed he'd tell them about it later. Lucius headed out to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, where a number of cloaked figures were standing. Lucius approached them and said, "I have recruited a Gryffindor by the name of Peter Pettigrew. He's the one coming here soon." One of the men turned and said, "Good work, son." He removed his hood and Lucius was looking up into the eyes of Claudius Malfoy, his father. "Father, I still have much work to do on Severus. He might need a little persuasion," Lucius added. Claudius nodded and said, "You must work extra hard on him. We'll see that something happens to catch both him and his little girlfriend soon." Lucius nodded. The sound of footsteps made all of the Death Eaters turn their heads. Pettigrew was heading towards them. Claudius pulled up his hood again and Lucius did the same. Pettigrew stopped in front of them. Lucius said somberly, "Peter Pettigrew, we welcome you tonight to the most secret of meetings. Come with us." The group of Death Eaters surrounded Pettigrew and they moved off into the forest.
After a little while, Peter could see a fire burning in a clearing ahead. As they got closer, he saw that there was a semi-circle of hooded people around the fire. They moved Pettigrew inside the circle and the men who had met him now filled in the open space of the circle. Then, Peter heard a voice. It was like no other voice he had ever heard. It was cold and cruel, but had an air of authority about it. "Welcome to my circle of Death Eaters, young Peter Pettigrew." The voice came from a man who stood in the circle. He stepped forward and the circle closed behind him. The man lowered his hood. His face was very, very pale, almost paper white. His eyes were blood red and two slits were where his nose should have been. The man spoke again. "I am Lord Voldemort. Lucius Malfoy has told me of your interest in my group and that you have agreed to serve me willingly without any questions. Is this true?" Pettigrew nodded, for his voice was frozen with fear. Yet, he continued. Voldemort nodded and said, "Then you must take the Oath of the Death Eaters." Voldemort waved his wand and a tattered bit of parchment appeared in front of Pettigrew. Pettigrew reached out and took the parchment with trembling fingers. He opened it and began to read aloud....
"I, Peter Pettigrew, do solemnly swear upon my life to serve Lord Voldemort. My allegiance will forever be true and unending. To you, Lord Voldemort, I pledge my life, forever."
The parchment disappeared and Voldemort stepped closer to Pettigrew. "Come here, boy. I shall mark you as one of my loyal supporters," he said. Peter approached Voldemort cautiously. Voldemort lifted Pettigrew's sleeve, tapped his arm with his wand, and cried, "MARCANEGRIA!" Then, Pettigrew felt a searing pain in his arm. It burned with such a force that he cried out and fell to his knees. Voldemort smiled a cruel smile. Then, the pain stopped. Wiping away tears of pain, Pettigrew stood up and lifted his sleeve. On his arm was the freshly branded Dark Mark. Voldemort put a hand on Pettigrew's shoulder and turned him around. There was a place in the circle of Death Eaters that was open. Voldemort led him to the spot and said, "This is where you will stand when we meet. Now, your job will be to assist Lucius in gaining loyal supporters at Hogwarts. Do as Lucius says and you will do well. Welcome to my elite group, Peter. You are all dismissed." The Death Eaters all separated and began to filter off through the Forest. Peter turned to ask Voldemort a question but he had gone as well. The only people left were Lucius and himself.
Lucius said, "Let's get up to the castle before we're missed. Now, don't go around telling everyone that you've joined. We can only ask certain people to join us in this group. I'll take care of that part. You just have to help work on the people I tell you about." Pettigrew nodded and asked, "But when do I get my revenge on Maleficent?" Lucius laughed evilly and replied, "Soon, Peter. Soon."
Lucius released Pettigrew's arm and said, "I need to talk to you." Pettigrew looked at him with a mixture of fear and uncertainty in his eyes. "Wh..what d..do you w..want?" Pettigrew stammered, his fear evident in his quavering voice. Lucius calmly said, "I know exactly how you feel about some situations, Peter. We all remember the time Maleficent humiliated you in Herbology. I know that you've been wanting to get even with her for a long time." Pettigrew's eyes widened and he asked, "You're going to help me get even with her?" Lucius smiled a chilling smile and said, "Perhaps. That's where you come in." Pettigrew relaxed a bit and said, "All right then, what do I have to do?"
Lucius quickly explained that if Peter joined Voldemort and the Death Eaters that he'd have the power to do anything he wanted. This really got Peter's attention, as he had always been overshadowed by the others in James's gang. Peter was really beginning to get interested in this. Lucius added, "Plus, if you join then you will have others with you who can help you, should you ever need it. But we're a very secretive organization. You can't go running around and telling everyone about it or the plans won't work out right. This goes for James and the others as well. They just wouldn't understand it. But you, Peter, are different. You understand this better than anyone else at Hogwarts." Peter really was taking in all of this. He was being told that he was wanted in a group that was more powerful than the Marauders, a group that understood how he felt! He grinned broadly and said, "I'd love to join, Lucius." Lucius grinned back, shook Peter's hand, and said, "We'd love to have you. I need you to meet me here after dinner and you will be initiated." The two went back up to the castle, both feeling better.
After dinner, both Severus and Maleficent noticed Lucius get up and leave the hall quickly. They didn't bother asking him what was going on. They guessed he'd tell them about it later. Lucius headed out to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, where a number of cloaked figures were standing. Lucius approached them and said, "I have recruited a Gryffindor by the name of Peter Pettigrew. He's the one coming here soon." One of the men turned and said, "Good work, son." He removed his hood and Lucius was looking up into the eyes of Claudius Malfoy, his father. "Father, I still have much work to do on Severus. He might need a little persuasion," Lucius added. Claudius nodded and said, "You must work extra hard on him. We'll see that something happens to catch both him and his little girlfriend soon." Lucius nodded. The sound of footsteps made all of the Death Eaters turn their heads. Pettigrew was heading towards them. Claudius pulled up his hood again and Lucius did the same. Pettigrew stopped in front of them. Lucius said somberly, "Peter Pettigrew, we welcome you tonight to the most secret of meetings. Come with us." The group of Death Eaters surrounded Pettigrew and they moved off into the forest.
After a little while, Peter could see a fire burning in a clearing ahead. As they got closer, he saw that there was a semi-circle of hooded people around the fire. They moved Pettigrew inside the circle and the men who had met him now filled in the open space of the circle. Then, Peter heard a voice. It was like no other voice he had ever heard. It was cold and cruel, but had an air of authority about it. "Welcome to my circle of Death Eaters, young Peter Pettigrew." The voice came from a man who stood in the circle. He stepped forward and the circle closed behind him. The man lowered his hood. His face was very, very pale, almost paper white. His eyes were blood red and two slits were where his nose should have been. The man spoke again. "I am Lord Voldemort. Lucius Malfoy has told me of your interest in my group and that you have agreed to serve me willingly without any questions. Is this true?" Pettigrew nodded, for his voice was frozen with fear. Yet, he continued. Voldemort nodded and said, "Then you must take the Oath of the Death Eaters." Voldemort waved his wand and a tattered bit of parchment appeared in front of Pettigrew. Pettigrew reached out and took the parchment with trembling fingers. He opened it and began to read aloud....
"I, Peter Pettigrew, do solemnly swear upon my life to serve Lord Voldemort. My allegiance will forever be true and unending. To you, Lord Voldemort, I pledge my life, forever."
The parchment disappeared and Voldemort stepped closer to Pettigrew. "Come here, boy. I shall mark you as one of my loyal supporters," he said. Peter approached Voldemort cautiously. Voldemort lifted Pettigrew's sleeve, tapped his arm with his wand, and cried, "MARCANEGRIA!" Then, Pettigrew felt a searing pain in his arm. It burned with such a force that he cried out and fell to his knees. Voldemort smiled a cruel smile. Then, the pain stopped. Wiping away tears of pain, Pettigrew stood up and lifted his sleeve. On his arm was the freshly branded Dark Mark. Voldemort put a hand on Pettigrew's shoulder and turned him around. There was a place in the circle of Death Eaters that was open. Voldemort led him to the spot and said, "This is where you will stand when we meet. Now, your job will be to assist Lucius in gaining loyal supporters at Hogwarts. Do as Lucius says and you will do well. Welcome to my elite group, Peter. You are all dismissed." The Death Eaters all separated and began to filter off through the Forest. Peter turned to ask Voldemort a question but he had gone as well. The only people left were Lucius and himself.
Lucius said, "Let's get up to the castle before we're missed. Now, don't go around telling everyone that you've joined. We can only ask certain people to join us in this group. I'll take care of that part. You just have to help work on the people I tell you about." Pettigrew nodded and asked, "But when do I get my revenge on Maleficent?" Lucius laughed evilly and replied, "Soon, Peter. Soon."