Eleven-Forty Five, Thursday night.
Hermione crept across the lawn toward the ominous looking tree. It was swinging it branches slightly, letting her know it was very much alive. She knew the tree couldn't possibly know she was there, for she was wearing the invisibility cloak. Yet the tree always scared her ever since her third year when it nearly pounded her into the ground. Harry had given her the cloak with out question. Well he hadn't so much given it to her as to mumbling something about the bottom drawer of his dresser when she asked for it. He had barely moved, just sat with his arms wrapped around his knees, his back to his head board on his bed.
She finally reached the tree and looked up at it through the silky fabric. It stretched its limbs as if getting ready for a good nights rest. She held her breath and quietly ran towards the hollow part that hid the passage to Hogsmeade.
Crunch.
She stepped on a twig and looked up in horror at the tree who made a sudden movement in her direction. She leaped for the hollow part, a branch slamming down where she had just stood.
After running a few feet into the passage she took out her wand. "Lumos!" the tunnel was illuminated in silvery light. It had so many side passages, more then Hermione remembered last time she was down here. She passed one that had a door with a smaller doggie style door to the side. She smiled as she realized that was most likely Professor Lupin's entrance to the Shrieking Shack, which meant that three more doors was probably Hog's Head.
She was right, as usual. She opened the door with a loud groan and she stepped into what appeared to be a supply closet. Cases of Firewhiskey and liquor littered the floor. Broken dusty bottles of Butterbeer were scattered and cobwebs hung from the ceiling. Definitely Hog's Head. She poked through the boxes and walked to the closed door that lead to the cellar. She reached for the knob and heard voices on the other side.
"You should have seen the look on that Muggle's face!"
"Well I had one try to fight me, I showed the little wench who was in charge."
"What about you, Draco? Had any Muggle's yet?"
Hermione froze. Draco? Draco Malfoy was here?
"Yes! Last weekend father and I went to London. Took out a few myself. Didn't know what hit them." He bragged.
Hermione gathered all of her nerve. In just a moment she would be walking through the door into a room of Muggle haters and murders. They might just kill her before she spoke a word about joining them. It was a chance she was willing to take. It was either face them now and join them, or live in fear until Voldemort came for her.
She slowly opened the door as all faces turned to her. She saw Draco and Lucius standing with Narcissa, Bellatrix and a few other Death Eaters. Peter Pettigrew sat at a table at the far end sipping a drink. His silver hand on his lap, he looked exhausted.
Lucius strolled over to her, a look on his face like a jackal who had just come across an injured zebra. He slowly pulled out his wand and smiled. "Why it's Hermione Granger."
Hermione looked around the room. Draco raised a blonde eyebrow. Bellatrix grinned. The Death Eaters looked confused.
"That's the girl who stunned me and had me sent to Azkaban last year." A Death Eater walked towards her. "Time for payback you stupid little.."
Lucius held up his hand. "That will do. Let us at least hear what Miss Granger is doing here, amongst known criminals."
Everyone turned their gaze back to Hermione. Nearly every thought in her head screamed at her to run back to the passage. This was a stupid idea. These people were murders. They didn't want a Gryffindor on their side. But one tiny thread of defiance flickered in her mind. The thread that said these people can be your allies, Voldemort your liberator.
"I want to join you." She finally said.
Bellatrix let out a sharp cackle and traipsed over to Hermione. "What makes you think you have what it takes to be a servant of the Dark Lord, girl?" Bella pointed her wand at Hermione's face and brushed a wavy strand from her eyes. "Or better yet, what makes you think we would even accept you?"
"She's a Mudblood." Draco said, his eyes focused on Hermione, like ice crystals. "She has no business being here."
"Ah yes, I nearly forgot Miss Granger is a Muggleborn. Well I am sorry dear, as much as Id like to believe you want to join us, there just isn't room for Mudbloods." Lucius fixed his wand on her.
Suddenly a loud crack went through the air. Hermione winced, her first thought Lucius Malfoy had hexed her. When she opened her eyes she realized the noise was the sound of someone apparating.
"Stop." The man who apparated in ordered. Hermione realized it was Professor Snape.
"Severus! Glad you could make it. She's one of your students isn't she?" Lucius smiled politely.
"Yes. What on earth is she doing here?" Snape glared down his hawk like nose at her. What was he playing at? He invited her to this place. He told her what passage to use. He told her the time.
Hermione suddenly realized that the Death Eaters couldn't know he told her. That would mean she knew he was a Death Eater.
"Professor what are YOU doing here?" she decided to play along, keeping them both safe.
"None of your business, Granger." He sneered. "Explain yourself."
"I want to be a Death Eater." She stated defiantly, shoving Lucius' wand aside and stepping forward.
"And what would the Headmaster think of such a thing?" Snape crossed his arms and walked towards her.
"It's my decision. I could care less what he thinks. Albus Dumbledore is a crazy old fool." Hermione spat. Of course she looked up to Dumbledore like he was her grandfather, but he hadn't really been playing with a full deck recently.
"She's a Mudblood. There is no place for her here. You should know that." Draco said his voice full of spite.
"Yes, a Mudblood." Snape said that word like it was something sour in his mouth and Hermione winced. "Yet I don't believe it is for us to decide her fate. She requests to serve Lord Voldemort. You know we need all the followers we can get, Malfoy." He glared at Lucius.
Lucius let out a sharp laugh. "You really think the Dark Lord would want her with us? He'll kill her as soon as he lays eyes on her."
Bellatrix spoke up for the first time in nearly ten minutes. "Yes and it would be much more fun if we were the ones to take care of Miss Granger." Her trademark evil grin smeared on her face.
"Oh Bella, I completely agree." Snape walked around Hermione, standing behind her. He wrapped his thin fingers on her shoulders and spoke close to her ear. "The things I would love to do to this one.." He whispered.
Hermione shuddered as Draco crinkled his nose.
"Never the less, we will have to bring her to him." Snape finished and walked to the opposite side of the room. "Come along, Granger. You want to see the Dark Lord, do you not?" his voice full of spite.
"Y-y-yes." Hermione followed him across the room. Everything was happening so quickly. First she had been almost killed by Lucius Malfoy and then Snape had been whispering in her ear, sending chills down her spine.
Snape stopped in front of a dusty wooden shelf scattered with old burnt down candles. He grabbed Hermione's hand and placed in on top of a dirty blue candle. Hermione felt her stomach lurch and watch the room spin around her. She recognized the feeling of being transported by Portkey. As quickly as it had started it stopped and she looked around. She was in a house. Judging by the layout it seemed she was in the living room. Before she got a good look around, Snape had grabbed her wrist and lead her upstairs.
They stopped at the door at the end of the hallway upstairs. Hermione swallowed hard. She was finally going to meet Lord Voldemort.
No turning back now.
________ _________
Ok maybe this chapter was a bit off. But I was really trying to convey what situations Hermione might find herself in if she stumbled into a Death Eater meeting. We all know it wouldn't have been like "I want to join." "Oh you do! Great! Help yourself to some free cookies." So review and tell me what you think.
Hermione crept across the lawn toward the ominous looking tree. It was swinging it branches slightly, letting her know it was very much alive. She knew the tree couldn't possibly know she was there, for she was wearing the invisibility cloak. Yet the tree always scared her ever since her third year when it nearly pounded her into the ground. Harry had given her the cloak with out question. Well he hadn't so much given it to her as to mumbling something about the bottom drawer of his dresser when she asked for it. He had barely moved, just sat with his arms wrapped around his knees, his back to his head board on his bed.
She finally reached the tree and looked up at it through the silky fabric. It stretched its limbs as if getting ready for a good nights rest. She held her breath and quietly ran towards the hollow part that hid the passage to Hogsmeade.
Crunch.
She stepped on a twig and looked up in horror at the tree who made a sudden movement in her direction. She leaped for the hollow part, a branch slamming down where she had just stood.
After running a few feet into the passage she took out her wand. "Lumos!" the tunnel was illuminated in silvery light. It had so many side passages, more then Hermione remembered last time she was down here. She passed one that had a door with a smaller doggie style door to the side. She smiled as she realized that was most likely Professor Lupin's entrance to the Shrieking Shack, which meant that three more doors was probably Hog's Head.
She was right, as usual. She opened the door with a loud groan and she stepped into what appeared to be a supply closet. Cases of Firewhiskey and liquor littered the floor. Broken dusty bottles of Butterbeer were scattered and cobwebs hung from the ceiling. Definitely Hog's Head. She poked through the boxes and walked to the closed door that lead to the cellar. She reached for the knob and heard voices on the other side.
"You should have seen the look on that Muggle's face!"
"Well I had one try to fight me, I showed the little wench who was in charge."
"What about you, Draco? Had any Muggle's yet?"
Hermione froze. Draco? Draco Malfoy was here?
"Yes! Last weekend father and I went to London. Took out a few myself. Didn't know what hit them." He bragged.
Hermione gathered all of her nerve. In just a moment she would be walking through the door into a room of Muggle haters and murders. They might just kill her before she spoke a word about joining them. It was a chance she was willing to take. It was either face them now and join them, or live in fear until Voldemort came for her.
She slowly opened the door as all faces turned to her. She saw Draco and Lucius standing with Narcissa, Bellatrix and a few other Death Eaters. Peter Pettigrew sat at a table at the far end sipping a drink. His silver hand on his lap, he looked exhausted.
Lucius strolled over to her, a look on his face like a jackal who had just come across an injured zebra. He slowly pulled out his wand and smiled. "Why it's Hermione Granger."
Hermione looked around the room. Draco raised a blonde eyebrow. Bellatrix grinned. The Death Eaters looked confused.
"That's the girl who stunned me and had me sent to Azkaban last year." A Death Eater walked towards her. "Time for payback you stupid little.."
Lucius held up his hand. "That will do. Let us at least hear what Miss Granger is doing here, amongst known criminals."
Everyone turned their gaze back to Hermione. Nearly every thought in her head screamed at her to run back to the passage. This was a stupid idea. These people were murders. They didn't want a Gryffindor on their side. But one tiny thread of defiance flickered in her mind. The thread that said these people can be your allies, Voldemort your liberator.
"I want to join you." She finally said.
Bellatrix let out a sharp cackle and traipsed over to Hermione. "What makes you think you have what it takes to be a servant of the Dark Lord, girl?" Bella pointed her wand at Hermione's face and brushed a wavy strand from her eyes. "Or better yet, what makes you think we would even accept you?"
"She's a Mudblood." Draco said, his eyes focused on Hermione, like ice crystals. "She has no business being here."
"Ah yes, I nearly forgot Miss Granger is a Muggleborn. Well I am sorry dear, as much as Id like to believe you want to join us, there just isn't room for Mudbloods." Lucius fixed his wand on her.
Suddenly a loud crack went through the air. Hermione winced, her first thought Lucius Malfoy had hexed her. When she opened her eyes she realized the noise was the sound of someone apparating.
"Stop." The man who apparated in ordered. Hermione realized it was Professor Snape.
"Severus! Glad you could make it. She's one of your students isn't she?" Lucius smiled politely.
"Yes. What on earth is she doing here?" Snape glared down his hawk like nose at her. What was he playing at? He invited her to this place. He told her what passage to use. He told her the time.
Hermione suddenly realized that the Death Eaters couldn't know he told her. That would mean she knew he was a Death Eater.
"Professor what are YOU doing here?" she decided to play along, keeping them both safe.
"None of your business, Granger." He sneered. "Explain yourself."
"I want to be a Death Eater." She stated defiantly, shoving Lucius' wand aside and stepping forward.
"And what would the Headmaster think of such a thing?" Snape crossed his arms and walked towards her.
"It's my decision. I could care less what he thinks. Albus Dumbledore is a crazy old fool." Hermione spat. Of course she looked up to Dumbledore like he was her grandfather, but he hadn't really been playing with a full deck recently.
"She's a Mudblood. There is no place for her here. You should know that." Draco said his voice full of spite.
"Yes, a Mudblood." Snape said that word like it was something sour in his mouth and Hermione winced. "Yet I don't believe it is for us to decide her fate. She requests to serve Lord Voldemort. You know we need all the followers we can get, Malfoy." He glared at Lucius.
Lucius let out a sharp laugh. "You really think the Dark Lord would want her with us? He'll kill her as soon as he lays eyes on her."
Bellatrix spoke up for the first time in nearly ten minutes. "Yes and it would be much more fun if we were the ones to take care of Miss Granger." Her trademark evil grin smeared on her face.
"Oh Bella, I completely agree." Snape walked around Hermione, standing behind her. He wrapped his thin fingers on her shoulders and spoke close to her ear. "The things I would love to do to this one.." He whispered.
Hermione shuddered as Draco crinkled his nose.
"Never the less, we will have to bring her to him." Snape finished and walked to the opposite side of the room. "Come along, Granger. You want to see the Dark Lord, do you not?" his voice full of spite.
"Y-y-yes." Hermione followed him across the room. Everything was happening so quickly. First she had been almost killed by Lucius Malfoy and then Snape had been whispering in her ear, sending chills down her spine.
Snape stopped in front of a dusty wooden shelf scattered with old burnt down candles. He grabbed Hermione's hand and placed in on top of a dirty blue candle. Hermione felt her stomach lurch and watch the room spin around her. She recognized the feeling of being transported by Portkey. As quickly as it had started it stopped and she looked around. She was in a house. Judging by the layout it seemed she was in the living room. Before she got a good look around, Snape had grabbed her wrist and lead her upstairs.
They stopped at the door at the end of the hallway upstairs. Hermione swallowed hard. She was finally going to meet Lord Voldemort.
No turning back now.
________ _________
Ok maybe this chapter was a bit off. But I was really trying to convey what situations Hermione might find herself in if she stumbled into a Death Eater meeting. We all know it wouldn't have been like "I want to join." "Oh you do! Great! Help yourself to some free cookies." So review and tell me what you think.