Harry Potter and the Secret of the Beholder:
Chapter One: Daddy Knows Best
His body let out a shudder; he had betrayed himself in the still of the night. Perhaps it was the cold, or the nervousness of what could happen to him if his father had caught him spying. Draco Malfoy's blonde hair was sitting unkemptly, and he used one of his long hands to push it back, for he was beginning to sweat. His black pajamas kept him well hidden, in the dark and still hallway, and no light would shine through on this moonless night.
Sneaking about the Malfoy Estate was not a smart decision, though he felt what he had to gain was worth it all. Their estate creaked eerily, and the ancient foundations weren't quite as old as the ancient house elf that worked there. If Nezra, the family house elf, ever caught him out and about on a night like this, especially when his father was on such an important mission, she would surely send him off to bed for a long time, using her strange magic.
All that didn't matter now, Draco thought, as he arrived at the door. He had made it to the library, which was nearly across the whole house from his comfortable bedroom. He put his ear to the door the rough wooden door, trying to listen to what was being said. He found it hard to hear, as the voices were barely a whisper. He reached for his wand, and threw it away quickly. He had almost used magic, and everyone knew that it was against the rules. Well not the Muggles, anyway.
Perhaps if Draco were a normal boy, who attended a normal school, and wore normal clothes, and lived in a normal town, none of this would be happening. Fortunately for Draco he was not. Draco was a 15-year-old wizard and he attended the greatest magic schools in England, Hogwarts. He was the last descendent, for now, in one of the oldest wizarding family. His blood was pure, and he slept well at night knowing this. It was he who safe, no one of course knew this. With Voldemort raised, he knew he wouldn't be a casualty when Voldemort took over the entire world.
"Lucius, my dear boy." A deep, hoarse voice whispered. "You will do as I say, to prove yourself to me."
"B-But master!" Draco heard his father object. "What you ask is too much for one man to handle."
"Hush!" The voice croaked again, obviously not interested in what Lucius had to say. "Did you hear that?"
"H-h-hear what, M-master?" Lucius was able to get out, forming a sentence.
Footsteps advanced towards the door, Draco looked with horror on his face. He looked around the deserted hallway, from one corner to the next. The doorknob turned slightly, they were almost out. It was then he noticed it, the trapdoor that contained the Dark Arts item. Only his father knew about this, and he surely wouldn't let anyone, not even Voldemort see this. Without another though, Draco leaped down into the trap door, and let the door shut, just as he heard the door open and Voldemort let out a cackle.
"I must be hearing things then, right, Malfoy?" Voldemort said coldly, malice in his voice.
"I-I swear to you." Lucius said, obviously getting what Voldemort meant. "I didn't notify a soul."
"Right." Voldemort said shortly. "On to your duties. I have given you everything you will need to know, sort of. I however, do not know the holder. Only one person does, Albus Dumbledore. If, however, by the last term of Hogwarts this year, I do not have what a want-" Voldemort said being cut off by Lucius.
"You will master, you will." He said, his voice going up a few octaves than normal.
"Just remember the pledge." Voldemort said with a tone that could only mean discussion was closed.
The pledge? Draco's mind was filled with thought, as the voices had carried in from the hall. His father had made a pledge, but what did this pledge consist of. Draco didn't want to think, but he could also know it wouldn't be good. If Voldemort felt betrayed, well Draco didn't want to think. He shuddered again, only this time he knew it wasn't from the cold.
"N-not my boy." Lucius said, not taking the hint.
"There will be no more discussion. I will be off, for no one knows what Dumbledore is up to." The voice deep hissed, and in a whisper again. "Until later."
Draco's mind had been acting up again, and he could not control it this time. What about me? What about this pledge? Draco sat down, realizing what his father had done. He had risked himself and his family to gain power, to become a strong wizard. What kind of father does this? Draco knew it surely wasn't a normal family, if for only one minute he could be a normal boy, in a normal school, in a normal town. Then, he shuddered. This time it was that he actually though about being a muggle, or non-magical folk.
"Honestly!" Draco said to himself, his voice quivering. "How could he do this to me?"
Lucius was still in the library, and Draco heard walking above. He wanted to go crawl back in bed, then wake up and realize it was just a dream. That his life was not in danger, and that he could control his own fate. He tried pinching himself, but he gave up. He stood up, and then sat back down. He didn't know what to do with himself, so instead he closed his eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep. Draco awoke to his own reluctance, when he heard a loud screeching sound in his ear. There was an owl, with a copy of the Daily Prophet hanging from his beak, waiting to be paid.
"I don't have any money." He said in a deep, grouchy voice. "Ask my father."
He walked from the room, and up into the library. He decided that he needed to do some further investigation, for what he had heard the previous night had not stopped haunting him. He walked in, and surprisingly saw his father there, pouring over many books. Well he had been, but now he was just lying on top of them, snoring loudly. Draco crept, yet again, to what his father had been reading. It was something on immortality, which Draco found very odd. Then, he looked at a thick pile of papers, handwritten from an untidy hand. Draco hadn't recognized this writing as his father's, or any that he had read before. When he read the first few lines, Draco grabbed the papers and ran from the room, smiling for he knew what he needed to do. His own fate was in his hand.
~ To those actually reading, please review. I always like to see what people have to say and take your comments (positive or negative and help me write in the future. So, please give me an honest review. Thank a lot! ~
Chapter One: Daddy Knows Best
His body let out a shudder; he had betrayed himself in the still of the night. Perhaps it was the cold, or the nervousness of what could happen to him if his father had caught him spying. Draco Malfoy's blonde hair was sitting unkemptly, and he used one of his long hands to push it back, for he was beginning to sweat. His black pajamas kept him well hidden, in the dark and still hallway, and no light would shine through on this moonless night.
Sneaking about the Malfoy Estate was not a smart decision, though he felt what he had to gain was worth it all. Their estate creaked eerily, and the ancient foundations weren't quite as old as the ancient house elf that worked there. If Nezra, the family house elf, ever caught him out and about on a night like this, especially when his father was on such an important mission, she would surely send him off to bed for a long time, using her strange magic.
All that didn't matter now, Draco thought, as he arrived at the door. He had made it to the library, which was nearly across the whole house from his comfortable bedroom. He put his ear to the door the rough wooden door, trying to listen to what was being said. He found it hard to hear, as the voices were barely a whisper. He reached for his wand, and threw it away quickly. He had almost used magic, and everyone knew that it was against the rules. Well not the Muggles, anyway.
Perhaps if Draco were a normal boy, who attended a normal school, and wore normal clothes, and lived in a normal town, none of this would be happening. Fortunately for Draco he was not. Draco was a 15-year-old wizard and he attended the greatest magic schools in England, Hogwarts. He was the last descendent, for now, in one of the oldest wizarding family. His blood was pure, and he slept well at night knowing this. It was he who safe, no one of course knew this. With Voldemort raised, he knew he wouldn't be a casualty when Voldemort took over the entire world.
"Lucius, my dear boy." A deep, hoarse voice whispered. "You will do as I say, to prove yourself to me."
"B-But master!" Draco heard his father object. "What you ask is too much for one man to handle."
"Hush!" The voice croaked again, obviously not interested in what Lucius had to say. "Did you hear that?"
"H-h-hear what, M-master?" Lucius was able to get out, forming a sentence.
Footsteps advanced towards the door, Draco looked with horror on his face. He looked around the deserted hallway, from one corner to the next. The doorknob turned slightly, they were almost out. It was then he noticed it, the trapdoor that contained the Dark Arts item. Only his father knew about this, and he surely wouldn't let anyone, not even Voldemort see this. Without another though, Draco leaped down into the trap door, and let the door shut, just as he heard the door open and Voldemort let out a cackle.
"I must be hearing things then, right, Malfoy?" Voldemort said coldly, malice in his voice.
"I-I swear to you." Lucius said, obviously getting what Voldemort meant. "I didn't notify a soul."
"Right." Voldemort said shortly. "On to your duties. I have given you everything you will need to know, sort of. I however, do not know the holder. Only one person does, Albus Dumbledore. If, however, by the last term of Hogwarts this year, I do not have what a want-" Voldemort said being cut off by Lucius.
"You will master, you will." He said, his voice going up a few octaves than normal.
"Just remember the pledge." Voldemort said with a tone that could only mean discussion was closed.
The pledge? Draco's mind was filled with thought, as the voices had carried in from the hall. His father had made a pledge, but what did this pledge consist of. Draco didn't want to think, but he could also know it wouldn't be good. If Voldemort felt betrayed, well Draco didn't want to think. He shuddered again, only this time he knew it wasn't from the cold.
"N-not my boy." Lucius said, not taking the hint.
"There will be no more discussion. I will be off, for no one knows what Dumbledore is up to." The voice deep hissed, and in a whisper again. "Until later."
Draco's mind had been acting up again, and he could not control it this time. What about me? What about this pledge? Draco sat down, realizing what his father had done. He had risked himself and his family to gain power, to become a strong wizard. What kind of father does this? Draco knew it surely wasn't a normal family, if for only one minute he could be a normal boy, in a normal school, in a normal town. Then, he shuddered. This time it was that he actually though about being a muggle, or non-magical folk.
"Honestly!" Draco said to himself, his voice quivering. "How could he do this to me?"
Lucius was still in the library, and Draco heard walking above. He wanted to go crawl back in bed, then wake up and realize it was just a dream. That his life was not in danger, and that he could control his own fate. He tried pinching himself, but he gave up. He stood up, and then sat back down. He didn't know what to do with himself, so instead he closed his eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep. Draco awoke to his own reluctance, when he heard a loud screeching sound in his ear. There was an owl, with a copy of the Daily Prophet hanging from his beak, waiting to be paid.
"I don't have any money." He said in a deep, grouchy voice. "Ask my father."
He walked from the room, and up into the library. He decided that he needed to do some further investigation, for what he had heard the previous night had not stopped haunting him. He walked in, and surprisingly saw his father there, pouring over many books. Well he had been, but now he was just lying on top of them, snoring loudly. Draco crept, yet again, to what his father had been reading. It was something on immortality, which Draco found very odd. Then, he looked at a thick pile of papers, handwritten from an untidy hand. Draco hadn't recognized this writing as his father's, or any that he had read before. When he read the first few lines, Draco grabbed the papers and ran from the room, smiling for he knew what he needed to do. His own fate was in his hand.
~ To those actually reading, please review. I always like to see what people have to say and take your comments (positive or negative and help me write in the future. So, please give me an honest review. Thank a lot! ~