Chapter 26: Draco and The Dark Mark

Draco Malfoy was pacing the Slytherin Common room. ' How could I have been so stupid to forget!' Draco thought. His 18th birthday was coming steadily nearer, that hadn't been the problem though the problem was was that at 18 you got the Dark Mark tattooed to your wrist. You were then one of Voldemorts lackies. 'I am not becoming some bodies man bitch no matter how bad they want me! I could never do that to Ginny either. I have to find Blaise.' Draco ran to Snapes office where he knew Blaise was getting yelled at for harrasing a student.
Once Blaise had left the room Draco ran up to him. " If there was any time for you to help me it's now Zabini!" Draco hissed
" What is it then?" Blaise turned around to face Malfoy.
" Not here you idiot! We need to find some place we can talk."
" How about the prefect Bathroom, I'm positive no one will be in there." Blaise said starting to walk down the hall. Once they were inside Malfoy started pacing again which was getting Blaise agitated.
" I don't want that stupid Dark Mark! I'm not taking it, you shouldn't either!" Draco started to scream.
" I wasn't planing on it. I'm not like my father Draco neither are you. The only---" Blaise was cut off it seemed Draco wasn't even paying attention to him.
" I'm not going to be some guy's man bitch! On call when ever he needs me. I know that you don't want that either, the only thing is how are we going to stay alive? You don't just tell Voldemort no I'm sorry you suck try again later. He's going to kill us." Draco started pacing even more.
" Yeah I know, but who can we talk to? We already know we can't talk to Snape, he's a Death Eater already!" Blaise was partially true. Snape wasn't an actual Death Eater he was undercover for the Order of the Phoenix. " And it's not like you can go telling Ginny she'd worry her head off."
" That's it!" Draco sat down in a chair.
" Bout time you did that. What's it?" Blaise looked rightfully confused.
" Dumbledore, Blaise we can get in trouble and sent to Dumbledore then it won't look so suspicious. Then we can ask him! He is the only person Voldemort fears!" Draco got up and started running trying to find the others. Once he reached the common room he pulled Goyle, Flint, Davis, and Connor towards his bedroom,Crabbe wasn't there at the time.
" What do you want Draco?" Flint asked.
" I want you to join us. Blaise and I aren't taking the Dark Mark, we're not going to be Voldemorts lackies and you shouldn't be either!" Draco looked at the others.
" What's a Dark Mark?" Connor asked he had never heard of it.
" It's the mark Voldemort tattoos on your wrist so you know when he needs you. I know you have no idea what's going on, but seeming your a Slytherin someone is going to try and bribe you into getting it." Draco said turning to him.
" Fine then I'm with you and Blaise no one's tattooing my skin!" Connor stepped over to them.
" Ok then who else, come on. Goyle I know you and Crabbe have talked about it do you know what he's doing?" Blaise asked looking at Goyle's shocked expression.
" Crabbe said he was taking the Dark Mark that he wanted to follow the Dark Lord. However I'm with you guys all the way." Goyle then step over to them. Everyone's eyes were on Flint.
" I'm in, but who do we go to? We can't trust Snape can we?" Flint asked.
" No, but we already thought about that. We're going to get into serious trouble and use that as our alibi to talk to Dumbledore about it." Draco said leading them out of the Slytherin tower and over to find Peeves.
They found him on the fifth floor. " Peeves don't hit us with those and we'll make you a deal!" Blaise called up to Peeves who was holding about a dozen water balloons.
" What's the deal?" Peeves said picking one up and aiming it at them.
" We need to get into a load of trouble so that we're sent to Dumbledore's office, do you think you can help?" Blaise said stepping back from the Peeves' aim.
" Ok then yous got yourselfs a deal!" Peeves said throwing the water balloon over their heads and hitting a second year student.
" Great, when do you want to get started?" Malfoy asked.
" Hows about now?" Peeves said pulling a string, hundreds upon hundreds of water balloons fell from the castle's ceilings bursting over everything and everyone, Peeves then hid.
" Great, flooding the school not really the prank I had in mind but ok." Blaise said running down the stairs with his wand out throwing sparks up into the air, the other's followed his lead. When they reached the third floor they ran into Professor Sprout.
" I assume you boys had something to do with this?" Professor Sprout said looking at them.
" If we did we wouldn't tell you. So move along!" Flint yelled at her.
" That's it. Your seeing Professor Dumbledore immediately!" Professor Sprout said pushing the boys unwillingly up the stairs. When they had gotten inside Professor Dumbledore's office they sat down and waited for him to return.
" What brings you here, Professor Sprout?" Dumbledore asked while entering his office.
" These boys are the one responsible for the mess. I thought you would want to see them before sending them to Professor Snape. I've already took the liberty of contacting him."
" Very well, you may leave Professor Sprout. I assure you that punishment will be handed out." Dumbledore walked Professor Sprout over to the door and opened it for her.
" Now boys, what made you cause all this mess. It is highly unlikely that six Slytherins such as yourselves would go around throwing pranks like that." Dumbledore went and sat behind his desk.
" Well Professor you're right about that. We didn't mean to do a prank like that, that was Peeves idea. See we wanted to talk to you about something with out it looking suspicious. As you're probably aware your not a favorite among Slytherins and talking to you would look a little suspicous." Draco looked into Dumbledore's eyes he didn't look mad at all.
" Yes, I am well aware of this Mr. Malfoy. What is it that you went so out of your way to tell me?" Dumbledore put his folded hands on the desk and turned to Blaise.
" Well, we've been thinking about our up coming birthdays. As you know in the following months we will all eventually be turning 18 and that's the age at which you decide to become a Death Eater. If you say no though then your killed...and erm." Blaise was at a loss for words, he couldn't think of a way to say what he was trying to say.
" And none of you want to take the Dark Mark, you also don't want to be killed is that it? I just want to say Connor that I'm sorry about having you dragged into this but they are right. I am going to have to contact your father about this also. I believe that one of these boys explained everything to you." Dumbledore saw the horror on all six of their faces when Blaise was talking.
" Yes, they did. I understand about what's going on that's why I came to see you." Connor said his smile fading from his face. Tracy then went on to answer Professor Dumbleodore's question.
" Well, yeah. We would of gone to Professor Snape about it, but we knew that he was already a Death Eater and we weren't positive if he would turn us in or not." Tracy said looking at the door. He knew that Snape would be appearing any second.
" That's quite understandable. I am more than willing to help you but there is one thing that I must ask you all to do, and that is to trust Professor Snape. When he gets here you must tell him what you have just told me. He knows what he is going and I'm positive will be more than willing to help you all." Dumbledore opened up a tin can and passed it to the boys. Inside was an assortment of cookies, " Please help yourselves. I have tins and tins of them."
Professor Snape entered the room a couple minutes later. Dumbledore pulled him aside and told him what the six of them had explained to him. Snape was shocked but when he returned to the students he didn't show it. " I understand that none of you want to take the Dark Mark. I congraulate you on your bravery and way of thinking. Not many students would of been able to pull of what you have just done. I must say that none of you are like your parents, they weren't half the people you are." The six boys looked shocked. Snape had never talked to any student like that before.
" Thanks, Professor. Sorry we didn't come to you but we weren't positive we could trust you. We knew you were a Death Eater and thought you would turn us in sooner or later." Goyle said looking at the floor.
" You were just doing what you thought was right. Yes I do have the Dark Mark but that does not mean I am a Death Eater. I am an undercover spy for a secret Order. However I am going to help you out. You are to remain at school over the holidays, since that's when two of you are turning 18. I refuse for you to go home, if your parent's don't like that Oh well." Snape said sitting down next to Dumbledore.
" But what about Summer? We can't stay at Hogwarts then, can we?" Flint asked.
" No you can't, those plans will be discussed and figured out over the vacation. Do not worry though, I'm positive we can work something out. Now for your punishment, don't think that just because you pulled a prank to talk to Dumbledore about this that you won't get out of it. If you didn't get punished people would think something is up. So you all have detention for 3 weeks, with me starting today and 6. " With that Snape went to the door, and left.
" If that's all you have to tell me, I suggest you get back to your dormitory. " Dumbledore got up and lead the way to the door.
" Thanks Professor, we don't know what we would of done with out you." Connor said leaving.