A girl of about 15 snuck closer to the old mansion, her feet barely making a sound as she crept through the overgrown brush and weeds. She had long, wavy, bright red hair, which was currently pulled back into an untidy ponytail, gray-blue eyes, and a tiny bit of freckles dotting her nose and cheeks.
Closer and closer the girl crept, breathing heavily, pausing every few steps to listen. When she was sure no one was sneaking up on her, she moved on. Every tiny noise made her jump; she wished she hadn't come her in the first place.
Then why was she there? It was all because of a little thing called pride. The boys at the orphanage the girl lived in had dared her to break into the old mansion and grab something to prove she had been there. Why? She had boasted that she wasn't afraid of anyone or anything, and she wasn't about to swallow her words.
"I'll show them," she whispered. She was almost to the ivy-covered door. "Stupid little Muggle prats."
Her breathing quickened as she approached the door; she could feel some sort of tingling on her skin, making the sparse hairs on her arms stand on end. She reached out a hand for the rusty doorknob, but a loud CRACK made her stop. She had stepped on a large branch in front of the door; the noise shattered the silence around her. Shaking, the girl stood still and listened for any kind of noise that would tell her if someone was coming up behind her. She heard one: a soft pop.
Slowly, the girl turned around. A tall, cloaked figure was behind her. The tip of what looked like a wand was protruding from his right sleeve. The hood of the cloak hid the stranger's features.
"Uh-oh," the girl said, staring up into the shadowed face.
"You shouldn't be so nosy," said the hooded figure in a raspy voice. The cloak swished, and suddenly, the point of the wand was directed at the girl. She backed up into the wall, looking around. Should she run for it? She decided to take the chance. Run, she told her legs silently. Run! But her legs wouldn't move. The man said an incantation; a bright jet of red light shot out of the wand and hit the girl in the stomach. She slid down against the wall, unconscious.
A few minutes later, the same hooded figure walked into a large room with the girl slumped over his shoulder.
Even though it was daytime, torches placed around the walls were lit. They cast flickering shadows against the walls. The design of the room was strange, too. Golden serpent statues were placed around the perimeter of the room; their ruby eyes seemed to follow one everywhere. A red strip of carpet in the middle of the wooden floor led up to a huge golden throne, settled between two columns. The throne was made up of two snakes, each twining their way up the sides to twist their heads together at the top.
A man was situated in the throne. His pale face had the strangest features. He had a thing line for a mouth, an almost flat nose with slits for nostrils, and snake-like red eyes, with pupils like a cat's. They were half closed, but they surveyed the girl with evil interest.
The hooded figure stopped in front of the throne and deposited the girl on the ground. "I caught her sneaking around outside," he said roughly. "Could she be a spy?"
"Let's ask her," said the man in the throne coolly. The hooded figure nodded and pulled out his wand. He said another incantation, and when the beam hit the girl, her eyelids fluttered. Slowly, she stood up to face the man in the throne. Her eyes widened in fear and excitement.
"Lord Voldemort?" she said in disbelief. "I've heard rumors, but- they're true, aren't they?"
"Of course," Voldemort said lazily. "Is that why you were sneaking around out there? To confirm the rumors?"
"Oh, no, of course not," the girl said, thrown by the question.
"Then were you spying for a certain Muggle-lover?" spat the Dark Lord.
"No! I didn't have any idea you were even here!" the girl said defiantly.
"So you were exploring around simply for the pleasure of it?"
"No, sir," said the girl, clenching her fists. "The Muggles at the- the orphanage I live at dared me. They thought this place was abandoned."
"You live at the orphanage?" asked Voldemort, eyes flashing.
"Yes," the girl said bitterly. "I hate it there. They won't let me go to Hogwarts to be schooled; they have a witch home school me. And all the Muggles whisper about me to their friends; about how different and strange I am. No, I don't hate it there. I despise it."
"I see," said Voldemort thoughtfully. "What's your name?"
"Dawn," said the girl, still fuming. "Dawn Sundance."
"Tell me, Dawn," said Voldemort, a possible idea forming in his mind, "would you do anything to get away from the orphanage?"
Slowly, Dawn nodded. Did he mean what she thought he meant?
"Hold out you left arm," Voldemort commanded. Dawn hesitated.
"Sir, wouldn't that be the first place they would look for the Dark Mark if they suspected me?" she asked tentatively.
"Then turn around and hold your hair to the left," Voldemort said. Dawn obeyed. She felt the tip of a knife pierce the skin on her right shoulder blade and blood running down her back. Then she felt the tip of Voldemort's wand; he said an odd incantation, and there was a burning pain on Dawn's shoulder. She winced and bit her lip, but didn't show her pain to the Dark Lord. If she revealed a weakness, he might decide otherwise and letting her become a Death Eater.
The burning subsided, and Dawn released her hair. She turned to face Voldemort, her lord and master.
"Welcome to the Death Eaters, Dawn," said Voldemort, putting his wand away. The knife was no where in sight. "You have now agreed to serve me and obey my orders. You will not let your personal feelings get in the way of carrying out an order."
Dawn nodded without even hearing; she was too absorbed in her own thoughts. Finally, she'd get away from all those Muggles and the orphanage. And finally, finally she felt she'd found where she belonged. She'd wanted to just fit somewhere for as long as she could remember. She didn't want to be the one everyone pointed to and whispered to their friends about. It looked like Dawn would get what she wanted… at a price.
"Go get your things from that orphanage," Voldemort said, shaking Dawn out of her thoughts. "You live here now."
Dawn turned to go, but stopped. "Um, could you show me to the door? I was, you know, knocked out when I was brought up here." The hooded figure who had brought Dawn to Voldemort swept out in front of her. She quickened her step to follow him and didn't slow down until they reached the door.
"Thanks," mumbled Dawn as she stepped out into the yard. She ran through the overgrown mass of plants, stopping when she heard voices.
"She's got to have lost her way," said a boy.
"Maybe she's chickened out," added another boy.
Dawn fumed silently as she listened to them from behind a tree. After a few seconds, she got her temper under control and stepped out from her hiding place.
"Hullo, boys," she said cheerfully. "Talking about me?"
"As a matter of fact, we were," said the first boy. He had dirty blonde hair, a nose like a pig's, and dull brown eyes. This was Avery, the boy who'd dared her to sneak into the old mansion.
"So did you break in, our dija chicken out?" jibed the second boy. He looked identical to Avery except he had many more freckles and was much shorter. This was Avery's kid brother, Jimmy. They were Muggles, and Dawn hated them both.
"Well, I didn't break in, but I didn't chicken out," Dawn said simply.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Avery said stupidly.
"Figure it out, dung-brains," Dawn said, walking towards the orphanage. Avery and Jimmy stepped in front of her.
"You ain't going anywhere," Jimmy spat.
"Don't make me hurt you, little girl," Dawn warned.
"Don't you ever call me a girl!" Jimmy said indignantly. He charged at Dawn, but she stepped aside, letting Jimmy hit the tree behind her.
"That's it," said Avery, balling up his fists. "You asked for it!"
He swung at Dawn; she grabbed his fist and gave it a sharp twist. She pulled her other hand back and let it loose. It hit Avery in the eye, making him howl with pain and fall over.
Jimmy roared with rage and ran at Dawn, arms swinging madly. Dawn yawned and thrust her fist into his stomach. Jimmy keeled over next to Avery, clutching his stomach.
"Don't say I didn't warn you," said Dawn, dusting off her hands. Then she ran the block to the orphanage and flung the old wooden doors opened. She bounded up the stairs three at a time and thrust herself into the room she shared with five other girls, all of whom were extremely annoying.
In seconds, Dawn had opened her trunk and thrown all of her things into it; her clothes, money, quills, ink bottles, rolls of parchment, books, and drawing supplies. She shut and secured the lid and took out her wand from the top drawer of her now empty desk. Pointing it at her trunk, she said, "Wingardium leviosa!"
Her heavy trunk rose into the air and bobbed along behind her as she raced back to Voldemort's mansion. She passed Avery and Jimmy on the way; she made sure to tread on both of their stomachs as she made her way to the door of the mansion that was now her home.
When Dawn reached the door, a hooded figure was standing outside of it. He motioned for her to follow him. She did so. He led her through the door, up a flight of stairs, and turned left at the landing. He opened the third door and stood back so Dawn could enter her new room.
It was a huge room designed in the same style of the throne room. The four-poster canopy bed had snakes curling up the posts, holding up a corner of the canopy in their mouths. The large desk situated next to the bed had small snake figurines for handles on the drawers, as did the vanity, dresser, and nightstand. The main color of the room seemed to be a deep blood red; the curtains hanging over the archway to the balcony, the canopy over the bed, the sheets, pillowcases, and carpet were all red. Dawn felt in place with her bright red hair.
Turning to the Death Eater that had led her up to her room, she asked, "Does he need me to do anything before I put away my things?"
"Yes," said the Death Eater. "He wants you start on your training right away."
Dawn, quite puzzled, lowered her trunk onto the floor at the foot of the four-poster and followed the Death Eater out of the room, wand still in hand.
Closer and closer the girl crept, breathing heavily, pausing every few steps to listen. When she was sure no one was sneaking up on her, she moved on. Every tiny noise made her jump; she wished she hadn't come her in the first place.
Then why was she there? It was all because of a little thing called pride. The boys at the orphanage the girl lived in had dared her to break into the old mansion and grab something to prove she had been there. Why? She had boasted that she wasn't afraid of anyone or anything, and she wasn't about to swallow her words.
"I'll show them," she whispered. She was almost to the ivy-covered door. "Stupid little Muggle prats."
Her breathing quickened as she approached the door; she could feel some sort of tingling on her skin, making the sparse hairs on her arms stand on end. She reached out a hand for the rusty doorknob, but a loud CRACK made her stop. She had stepped on a large branch in front of the door; the noise shattered the silence around her. Shaking, the girl stood still and listened for any kind of noise that would tell her if someone was coming up behind her. She heard one: a soft pop.
Slowly, the girl turned around. A tall, cloaked figure was behind her. The tip of what looked like a wand was protruding from his right sleeve. The hood of the cloak hid the stranger's features.
"Uh-oh," the girl said, staring up into the shadowed face.
"You shouldn't be so nosy," said the hooded figure in a raspy voice. The cloak swished, and suddenly, the point of the wand was directed at the girl. She backed up into the wall, looking around. Should she run for it? She decided to take the chance. Run, she told her legs silently. Run! But her legs wouldn't move. The man said an incantation; a bright jet of red light shot out of the wand and hit the girl in the stomach. She slid down against the wall, unconscious.
A few minutes later, the same hooded figure walked into a large room with the girl slumped over his shoulder.
Even though it was daytime, torches placed around the walls were lit. They cast flickering shadows against the walls. The design of the room was strange, too. Golden serpent statues were placed around the perimeter of the room; their ruby eyes seemed to follow one everywhere. A red strip of carpet in the middle of the wooden floor led up to a huge golden throne, settled between two columns. The throne was made up of two snakes, each twining their way up the sides to twist their heads together at the top.
A man was situated in the throne. His pale face had the strangest features. He had a thing line for a mouth, an almost flat nose with slits for nostrils, and snake-like red eyes, with pupils like a cat's. They were half closed, but they surveyed the girl with evil interest.
The hooded figure stopped in front of the throne and deposited the girl on the ground. "I caught her sneaking around outside," he said roughly. "Could she be a spy?"
"Let's ask her," said the man in the throne coolly. The hooded figure nodded and pulled out his wand. He said another incantation, and when the beam hit the girl, her eyelids fluttered. Slowly, she stood up to face the man in the throne. Her eyes widened in fear and excitement.
"Lord Voldemort?" she said in disbelief. "I've heard rumors, but- they're true, aren't they?"
"Of course," Voldemort said lazily. "Is that why you were sneaking around out there? To confirm the rumors?"
"Oh, no, of course not," the girl said, thrown by the question.
"Then were you spying for a certain Muggle-lover?" spat the Dark Lord.
"No! I didn't have any idea you were even here!" the girl said defiantly.
"So you were exploring around simply for the pleasure of it?"
"No, sir," said the girl, clenching her fists. "The Muggles at the- the orphanage I live at dared me. They thought this place was abandoned."
"You live at the orphanage?" asked Voldemort, eyes flashing.
"Yes," the girl said bitterly. "I hate it there. They won't let me go to Hogwarts to be schooled; they have a witch home school me. And all the Muggles whisper about me to their friends; about how different and strange I am. No, I don't hate it there. I despise it."
"I see," said Voldemort thoughtfully. "What's your name?"
"Dawn," said the girl, still fuming. "Dawn Sundance."
"Tell me, Dawn," said Voldemort, a possible idea forming in his mind, "would you do anything to get away from the orphanage?"
Slowly, Dawn nodded. Did he mean what she thought he meant?
"Hold out you left arm," Voldemort commanded. Dawn hesitated.
"Sir, wouldn't that be the first place they would look for the Dark Mark if they suspected me?" she asked tentatively.
"Then turn around and hold your hair to the left," Voldemort said. Dawn obeyed. She felt the tip of a knife pierce the skin on her right shoulder blade and blood running down her back. Then she felt the tip of Voldemort's wand; he said an odd incantation, and there was a burning pain on Dawn's shoulder. She winced and bit her lip, but didn't show her pain to the Dark Lord. If she revealed a weakness, he might decide otherwise and letting her become a Death Eater.
The burning subsided, and Dawn released her hair. She turned to face Voldemort, her lord and master.
"Welcome to the Death Eaters, Dawn," said Voldemort, putting his wand away. The knife was no where in sight. "You have now agreed to serve me and obey my orders. You will not let your personal feelings get in the way of carrying out an order."
Dawn nodded without even hearing; she was too absorbed in her own thoughts. Finally, she'd get away from all those Muggles and the orphanage. And finally, finally she felt she'd found where she belonged. She'd wanted to just fit somewhere for as long as she could remember. She didn't want to be the one everyone pointed to and whispered to their friends about. It looked like Dawn would get what she wanted… at a price.
"Go get your things from that orphanage," Voldemort said, shaking Dawn out of her thoughts. "You live here now."
Dawn turned to go, but stopped. "Um, could you show me to the door? I was, you know, knocked out when I was brought up here." The hooded figure who had brought Dawn to Voldemort swept out in front of her. She quickened her step to follow him and didn't slow down until they reached the door.
"Thanks," mumbled Dawn as she stepped out into the yard. She ran through the overgrown mass of plants, stopping when she heard voices.
"She's got to have lost her way," said a boy.
"Maybe she's chickened out," added another boy.
Dawn fumed silently as she listened to them from behind a tree. After a few seconds, she got her temper under control and stepped out from her hiding place.
"Hullo, boys," she said cheerfully. "Talking about me?"
"As a matter of fact, we were," said the first boy. He had dirty blonde hair, a nose like a pig's, and dull brown eyes. This was Avery, the boy who'd dared her to sneak into the old mansion.
"So did you break in, our dija chicken out?" jibed the second boy. He looked identical to Avery except he had many more freckles and was much shorter. This was Avery's kid brother, Jimmy. They were Muggles, and Dawn hated them both.
"Well, I didn't break in, but I didn't chicken out," Dawn said simply.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Avery said stupidly.
"Figure it out, dung-brains," Dawn said, walking towards the orphanage. Avery and Jimmy stepped in front of her.
"You ain't going anywhere," Jimmy spat.
"Don't make me hurt you, little girl," Dawn warned.
"Don't you ever call me a girl!" Jimmy said indignantly. He charged at Dawn, but she stepped aside, letting Jimmy hit the tree behind her.
"That's it," said Avery, balling up his fists. "You asked for it!"
He swung at Dawn; she grabbed his fist and gave it a sharp twist. She pulled her other hand back and let it loose. It hit Avery in the eye, making him howl with pain and fall over.
Jimmy roared with rage and ran at Dawn, arms swinging madly. Dawn yawned and thrust her fist into his stomach. Jimmy keeled over next to Avery, clutching his stomach.
"Don't say I didn't warn you," said Dawn, dusting off her hands. Then she ran the block to the orphanage and flung the old wooden doors opened. She bounded up the stairs three at a time and thrust herself into the room she shared with five other girls, all of whom were extremely annoying.
In seconds, Dawn had opened her trunk and thrown all of her things into it; her clothes, money, quills, ink bottles, rolls of parchment, books, and drawing supplies. She shut and secured the lid and took out her wand from the top drawer of her now empty desk. Pointing it at her trunk, she said, "Wingardium leviosa!"
Her heavy trunk rose into the air and bobbed along behind her as she raced back to Voldemort's mansion. She passed Avery and Jimmy on the way; she made sure to tread on both of their stomachs as she made her way to the door of the mansion that was now her home.
When Dawn reached the door, a hooded figure was standing outside of it. He motioned for her to follow him. She did so. He led her through the door, up a flight of stairs, and turned left at the landing. He opened the third door and stood back so Dawn could enter her new room.
It was a huge room designed in the same style of the throne room. The four-poster canopy bed had snakes curling up the posts, holding up a corner of the canopy in their mouths. The large desk situated next to the bed had small snake figurines for handles on the drawers, as did the vanity, dresser, and nightstand. The main color of the room seemed to be a deep blood red; the curtains hanging over the archway to the balcony, the canopy over the bed, the sheets, pillowcases, and carpet were all red. Dawn felt in place with her bright red hair.
Turning to the Death Eater that had led her up to her room, she asked, "Does he need me to do anything before I put away my things?"
"Yes," said the Death Eater. "He wants you start on your training right away."
Dawn, quite puzzled, lowered her trunk onto the floor at the foot of the four-poster and followed the Death Eater out of the room, wand still in hand.
