Draco closed his eyes, willing Voldemort's face to disappear.
'It's just an optical illusion.' He told himself, though he knew it was nothing of that sort.
"Draco." The voice said, & to him, it sounded even colder & haughtier than Slytherin's voice because he knew what it was going to ask him to do. He opened his eyes & looked at the skull-like face with wide scarlet eyes & a nose that was as flat as a snake's with slits for nostrils.
"I assume you have been given instructions on what you have to do?" Voldemort said, in a voice, which sent chills up his spine.
Draco shook his head. He knew he was getting his father into trouble by saying that he wasn't given any instructions, but he didn't care.
"What? Your father didn't tell you?"
Draco shook his head again.
"Fool!" the voice spat out in a venomous tone. Draco correctly interpreted that, that particular adjective was meant for his father.
"Well, stop wasting time & tell him what he has to do." Slytherin spoke irritably.
Draco was surprised that Slytherin took that tone with Voldemort. To him, Voldemort was always portrayed as one, against whom nobody dared raise his or her voice. But then again, Slytherin was Voldemort's ancestor.
Voldemort raised angry eyes towards Slytherin. Draco felt that if Voldemort had been looking at him with those red eyes dripping fire, he would've run as fast he could, in the other direction.
Slytherin just stood there, tapping his feet impatiently. "Continue." He said harshly.
To Draco's utter surprise, Voldemort did just that. He had expected Voldemort to snap out an angry retort, but he had meekly obeyed Slytherin. Would wonders never cease?
"Come here, boy." His voice conveyed the anger he felt towards Slytherin.
Despite himself, his legs moved towards the fireplace.
"Listen here, boy. You were transported to the past for a purpose. You are required to kill the Potter boy & his meddling friends, Granger & Weasley. It ought to be an easy task, with no Dumbledore to interfere & cause our plans to go awry. I'll teach you some of the spells- "
"No!" Draco was surprised at how strong his voice sounded. His legs were threatening to give way at the thought of being at the receiving end of Voldemort's wrath. He had heard enough tales of how Voldemort tortured recalcitrant (disobedient) Death-eaters, from his father.
"What did you say?" the voice came out as no more than a deadly hiss.
"No." Draco repeated. He congratulated himself at not trembling or stammering. "I refuse to become an accomplice in your fiendish plot of killing Harry." Draco mentally smiled at the complicated words he was using.
There was silence, which was broken by a sudden spurt of laughter from Slytherin. His laughter did not convey amusement, instead it was like the hiss of steam being released after being compressed into a very small volume.
"Brave words, lad." He said. "But it's all just bravado. You don't have enough courage to defy The Greatest Wizard of all times & his heir. Do what we say & you will also become in time, The Greatest Wizard & have the entire wizarding world bow to you."
"I have no desire to become the most hated, detested & feared wizard of all times & if that is your notion of 'Greatest Wizard', I'll have to decline the position." Draco spoke contemptuously.
The expression on Voldemort's face suggested that he would have liked to use the 'Avada kedavra' spell on Draco, but being only an apparition from the future, he was powerless to do anything. Slytherin looked as if he would like to use a less deadly spell, but he just clutched his wand tightly & spoke in clipped tones.
"Look boy, we don't have time to listen to whether you want to do it or not. You have been instructed to kill Potter & his other friends, & you have to do it. If not-" he looked at Voldemort.
"If not," said Voldemort in a virulent (murderous) voice. "you'll be the first one to die when you come back to the future."
'It's just an optical illusion.' He told himself, though he knew it was nothing of that sort.
"Draco." The voice said, & to him, it sounded even colder & haughtier than Slytherin's voice because he knew what it was going to ask him to do. He opened his eyes & looked at the skull-like face with wide scarlet eyes & a nose that was as flat as a snake's with slits for nostrils.
"I assume you have been given instructions on what you have to do?" Voldemort said, in a voice, which sent chills up his spine.
Draco shook his head. He knew he was getting his father into trouble by saying that he wasn't given any instructions, but he didn't care.
"What? Your father didn't tell you?"
Draco shook his head again.
"Fool!" the voice spat out in a venomous tone. Draco correctly interpreted that, that particular adjective was meant for his father.
"Well, stop wasting time & tell him what he has to do." Slytherin spoke irritably.
Draco was surprised that Slytherin took that tone with Voldemort. To him, Voldemort was always portrayed as one, against whom nobody dared raise his or her voice. But then again, Slytherin was Voldemort's ancestor.
Voldemort raised angry eyes towards Slytherin. Draco felt that if Voldemort had been looking at him with those red eyes dripping fire, he would've run as fast he could, in the other direction.
Slytherin just stood there, tapping his feet impatiently. "Continue." He said harshly.
To Draco's utter surprise, Voldemort did just that. He had expected Voldemort to snap out an angry retort, but he had meekly obeyed Slytherin. Would wonders never cease?
"Come here, boy." His voice conveyed the anger he felt towards Slytherin.
Despite himself, his legs moved towards the fireplace.
"Listen here, boy. You were transported to the past for a purpose. You are required to kill the Potter boy & his meddling friends, Granger & Weasley. It ought to be an easy task, with no Dumbledore to interfere & cause our plans to go awry. I'll teach you some of the spells- "
"No!" Draco was surprised at how strong his voice sounded. His legs were threatening to give way at the thought of being at the receiving end of Voldemort's wrath. He had heard enough tales of how Voldemort tortured recalcitrant (disobedient) Death-eaters, from his father.
"What did you say?" the voice came out as no more than a deadly hiss.
"No." Draco repeated. He congratulated himself at not trembling or stammering. "I refuse to become an accomplice in your fiendish plot of killing Harry." Draco mentally smiled at the complicated words he was using.
There was silence, which was broken by a sudden spurt of laughter from Slytherin. His laughter did not convey amusement, instead it was like the hiss of steam being released after being compressed into a very small volume.
"Brave words, lad." He said. "But it's all just bravado. You don't have enough courage to defy The Greatest Wizard of all times & his heir. Do what we say & you will also become in time, The Greatest Wizard & have the entire wizarding world bow to you."
"I have no desire to become the most hated, detested & feared wizard of all times & if that is your notion of 'Greatest Wizard', I'll have to decline the position." Draco spoke contemptuously.
The expression on Voldemort's face suggested that he would have liked to use the 'Avada kedavra' spell on Draco, but being only an apparition from the future, he was powerless to do anything. Slytherin looked as if he would like to use a less deadly spell, but he just clutched his wand tightly & spoke in clipped tones.
"Look boy, we don't have time to listen to whether you want to do it or not. You have been instructed to kill Potter & his other friends, & you have to do it. If not-" he looked at Voldemort.
"If not," said Voldemort in a virulent (murderous) voice. "you'll be the first one to die when you come back to the future."