7.

Always be smarter than the people who hire you. –Lena Hurne

                Hermione opened her eyes as a large dark room came into view. As her eyes focused her mouth fell open in awe. The room was a library, so full of books it would put Hogwarts very own to shame.

            " Impressive, eh, Granger." Draco smirked.

            " Indeed. Malfoy, whose manor is this?"

            " This, Granger is what we like to call la stanza di conoscenza although you'll probably use this room much more than any other member, well aside from Snape of course."

            " This is open to all of us, no matter what?"

            " Yes we're all given a port key to it. Though hardly anyone comes here." He shrugged.

            " Brilliant." She smiled.

            " Come on, Granger. You have to actually be a Death Eater before you can touch anything."

            She followed him out of the library into a small sitting room. He pressed his port key into the doorframe of small door to the far left. He motioned for her to follow him through.

            Once inside the room, which was the size of the dinning hall, she noticed that like the Great hall it had a head table with five chairs on each side. The rest of the room was filled with benches facing the table. A single chair sat between the two rows of benches down center from the table. Draco told her to sit in the chair while he notified the rest that they had arrived.

            Hermione glanced around the room. There were no windows but the ceiling was filled with hovering candles that illuminated the room. The room was done in dark burgundy and black. The walls covered in draperies of the dark mark. It was remarkable; the sheer beauty of it that held so much magic.

            Two doors on each side of the table opened and a line of masked figures followed through. Each stood behind a chair at the table their left hand hovering above the back of the chair. Draco came and stood next to Hermione. Explaining as the room filled.

            " By putting their arm out its their own personal code. It lets the chair know who is who."

            She nodded dumbly. Every seat in the large room soon had a masked figure standing beside it, arm outstretched. Then at once they all sat. It was a resounding boom through the room as everyone moved together.

            " Sit down. When Lord Voldemort comes in you are to stand head hung down. DO NOT LOOK AT HIM UNTIL HE CALLS YOUR NAME, UNDERSTOOD." Draco looked at her face with deadly serious gaze.

            " Yes." She breathed as she sat.

            Another door opened and Hermione looked down, as did the rest of the room, when the Dark Lord came into the room.

            " Good evening to all assembled." His voice was strong and sturdy only a small pause as he spoke the s' in assembled.

            " Tonight, we are to evaluate a new possible member. Miss Hermione Granger will you step forward."

            Hermione brought her head up to the face of the dark lord. His face along with his whole body was elongated, unnaturally so. He stood taller than any man at his side. All the skin that shown glowed white in the darkness of the room, and his eyes burned with fire from the slits that held them. He was grotesquely beautiful, Hermione thought. He was so supernatural that she could not pull her eyes away from his stare.

            He flicked his wrist and whole room moved together as they once again sat. Hermione stood, frozen to his gaze.

            " Miss. Granger it has come to our attention that you wish to be granted into our lineage… our family. Is that so?"

            She breathed in slowly and raised her chin. " Yes, my lord."

            Voldemort smirked. " What can you offer to our family?"

            " I have discovered a potion, that will render a witch or wizard untouchable from all curses, my lord." There room seemed to breathe at once.

            " Miss. Granger, have you already made this potion?"

            " I have completed the majority of the steps, it is a month away from completion."

            Voldemort gazed at her longingly, as if reading her very soul.

            " If you are accepted will you continue researching into the dark arts for the betterment of our side?"

            " Yes, my Lord."

            He nodded.

            " Miss. Granger I am aware of your origin… You have no magical dynasty is that true?"

            " Yes, my Lord." Her voice caught as she spoke.

            " How do you feel about Muggles?"

            " They are simple-minded and naïve."

            Voldemort nodded to this.

            " Miss Granger, you are a very valuable witch. Your eagerness to learn and create is astounding, and I am very interested in this potion you have created. But your lineage is somewhat damaging your acceptance. All in favor?"

            Seven of the ten men at the head table raised their left arm. She inhaled sharply.

            " Seven to ten, Miss. Granger," He chuckled. ' Not a bad ratio, come closer."

            Hermione walked slowly to the head table and stood directly in front of the Dark Lord.

            " Miss. Granger are you loyal to me and my followers?"

" Yes, my Lord."

" Let me see your wand hand."

Hermione placed her wand hand out to him. He slid his long hand into her palm. She felt a ripple of magic surge through her body. His voice sounded through her mind.

" Miss. Granger, I believe you are a very impressive witch and if you are faithful to me I shall reward you beyond your dreams. If you are not you and everyone you hold dear shall be punished. Is that understood?"

" Yes" her mind cried out.

He let go of her hand as he nodded. He spoke aloud to the room.

" You're ability shall be rewarded. Miss Granger you have been accepted into the ring of Dark Lord. Tonight you shall receive your dark mark for the work you have done."

She nodded, as two figures came to her side.

" Miss Granger hold out your left arm."

She complied.

" Repeat after me. I Hermione Granger pledge my loyalty to Lord Voldemort."

" I Hermione Granger pledge my loyalty to Lord Voldemort." Her voice was as hard as steel as she uttered the words.

" I am bound to him in body, mind, and soul through the magic of transgression. I shall serve him with my allegiance or I shall perish by his hands."

She repeated each part perfectly. She could feel the magic surging through her body. Empowering her heart and mind.

            " Are you ready to receive the mark that you have earned?"

            She nodded as she pushed her sleeve up. The men standing next to her clamped onto her, the one on her left fastened her firmly at the elbow while the one on her right held her body tightly. Voldemort touched his wand to the skin on her forearm and a rush of blinding pain shot through her arm. She bit down hard on her tongue tasting the copper tinge in her mouth. She could barely hear his words as she fought to keep conscious.

            "Votre loyauté est mon don mon énergie est le vôtre. Nous sommes des limites comme fort un sang jusqu'à ce que la mort vous sépare de cette terre."[1]

            He pulled his wand away and the searing pain faded to a dull ache. She looked at her arm; there freshly embedded into her skin was the dark mark, burning black. It puckered up like a lesion. She reached out her finger to touch it, and smiled she could feel the power running through her arm and into her blood.

            Voldemort handed her a black cloak, silver mask, and a gold pocket watch.

 " Welcome." He said and the room echoed it as well. He sat again as Draco appeared next to her while she donned the cloak and mask stuffing the watch into her pocket.

            " Remarkable, Hermione. You're the first muggle-born to be initiated, and the first student to receive the mark before graduation. He must be very impressed with you." He spoke without any maliciousness.

            " I am honored, Draco. Truly honored." She felt powerful and appreciated like she had finally found her place.

            She took a seat next to Draco holding her arm out to the bench claiming the chair as hers. As she sat she heard a voice say in a silky baritone drawl.

            " Congratulations, Miss Granger." She knew it was her Professor as she nodded.

            " Thank you, Professor."

            Hermione focused back to the head table. Voldemort stood again.

            " Now, we only have a few items to go over tonight and then you shall all be welcomed to the other… rooms.' He smirked as he said this. " Its come to my attention that we've taken on a team of investors and are currently developing a new wand. They are small and unregistered and can be hidden easily in case you find yourself lost without your original.' The people the filled the hall seemed to be excited about this...' Next, Severus what have you to report on tonight?"

            Professor Snape stood as he spoke. " My Lord I have a list of the new wards placed on the school this term."

            " That is all?" Voldemort asked.

            " Yes, My lord."

            " Understood. But you have yet to explain your absence from the last meeting? "

            " My Lord, the old fool had detained me I could not leave his sight for sometime."

            " Severus, you understand the penalty for ignoring a summons? Do you not?"

            " Yes, My Lord." Hermione notices his voice quivered a bit.

            Voldemort took out his wand pointing it at Severus, as he muttered " Crucio"
Hermione's heart twisted painfully in her chest as her professors cry rang out through the crowd. He had fallen to the floor shivering with pain, gasping against the stone. Slowly his voice died off and he stood shakily to his feet, she could see his body still shaking.

            " Severus, I trust I'll be seeing you at next meeting."

            " Yes, My lord." Snape made his way back to seat.

            " Now that business is over, I want you to celebrate the gaining of new power, enjoy." And with a small pop he disappeared.

            Hermione looked to Draco.

            " He doesn't ever stay past the meetings." Malfoy offered.

            " So what do we do now?" She asked.

            " Granger that depends entirely on your interests. But knowing you I'm sure you're off to the Library?" He scoffed.

            Hermione laughed at him. " Well, it was impressive. But how do I get back to school once I'm through?" She asked.

            " Your pocket watch. Push you finger into the center and imagine Hogwarts. It works like aparation only using a port key instead."

            She nodded. " Thank you Draco." He smiled as he went off to small door to the right.  The room had emptied quickly, but she turned to see if Professor Snape had left yet. He hadn't, in fact he hadn't moved at all since he collapsed into his chair. She walked to him.

            " Yes, Granger?" He called before she could open her mouth to speak.

            " Just wanted to make sure, I still had a mentor to go back to, is all." She joked.

            He snorted at her.

            " Honestly, Sir are you alright?"

            "Fine I just need to get back to school, which I suggest you do as well considering the time. We do have an meeting tomorrow."

            She smiled and leaned in close to his face. " You don't really expect me to return so soon after seeing that library?" She whispered as she pointed to the door behind them.

            " Granger, I'm sure you understand the importance of being discrete now that you wear the mark. Which is why I advise you to make your visit as short as possible before someone notices the Head Girl missing." There was sadness as he said Head Girl.

            " I agree, sir. I'll see you tomorrow." She left him sitting there as she opened her pocket watch pushing her finger firmly into its center.

A/N- I realize that you might think that Draco is a little OOC but my only reasoning is that she's been accepted into the dark circle… there's not much else she can do to prove herself. But trust me when I say that he is defiantly going to show his true colors soon. Or at least that's what I'm thinking. But tell me what you think, while I go write chapter 8.



[1] Your loyalty is my gift my energy is yours. We are bound as strong as blood until death separates you from this earth. Just in case you wanted to know.