Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Harry Potter isn't mine. Percy isn't mine either. Broder is though…. But I'm not sure I want to claim him.

White. Percy blinked against the glaring white paint coming at him from all angles. The floor was white, as were the walls and ceiling. The room itself was quite large, it easily sat the thirty Death Eaters already standing around, but it was made to seem even larger by the white.

As Percy walked in the room he felt all thirty pairs of eyes shift over to him and the conversation halted. He paused self consciously before pushing ahead into the room, giving them his most self-righteous stare. The confidence was an act, he knew it, but somehow glaring at the assembled Death Eaters like they were first years caught out of bed made him feel more like himself then he had in years.

The feeling didn't last long. Percy grew warm under those stairs as he, as stoically as he could, walked to an empty space far away from the Death Eaters. The other Death Eaters, he reminded himself. Once again he was all too aware of the brand on his forearm. Fortunately, before this line of thought could go much further Belletrix Lestrange walked in.

It didn't take much, just a gesture, from Bellatrix and before he knew it all of the Death Eaters were in their chairs including, he was surprised to note, Percy himself.

Bellatrix stood in front of the room not saying anything until the very last noise had quieted down. "You're all here because you've decided to join our lord in his quest to purify the wizarding race. I am here today to test that resolve." Her eyes scanned over the crowd until they came to rest on Percy. "Percy Weasley." She announced grandly, "Come up here, now."

A flush began to creep up Percy's face again, but he quickly stifled it and walked to the front of the room.

As Percy joined Belletrix at the front of the room a door at the back opened. Two men, in Death Eater masks, walked in dragging a struggling third man between them. He looked familiar, but Percy couldn't place him. The two Death Eaters made their way up to the front and dropped the other man to the ground. Now that he was closer, Percy could see that his face was bruised and his arm was broken.

"Stand up." Bellatrix commanded the man pointing her wand at him. The man just stared down at her. Bellatrix sighed impatiently, with a wave of her wand the man was standing up rigidly. A loud snapping sound came out of her wand, ropes shot out of her wand and bound the man around the wrists and the knees before she turned to Percy.

"This man is the father of a mudblood. Kill him." Was all she said.

The man's eyes widened.

"What?" Percy was beginning to feel sick.

"Kill him, now." Bellatrix impatiently, "This is the test. If you do not kill this muggle we will kill you. We cannot have weakness among our number. Kill him."

"No… please…" the man began to plead.

He was definitely feeling sick now, "I… I can't." he stammered.

Belletrix raised her wand, "You have until the count of three to either kill him or I kill you. One…"

"Wait…" he tried desperately, raising his wand. The man gave Percy a terrified look and began to hobble away

"Two…." His mind was racing trying to figure some other way as her eyes began to narrow…

"Thr…." Fear was beginning to choke him….

"Avada Kedavera." The cry rang out, Percy had barely enough time to recognize his own voice before a flash of green light flared out of his wand and hit the man square in the chest.

Percy stared in shock as the man crumpled to the floor, eyes lifeless, his face a mask of terror. Bile rose in his throat but, very aware of the hostile eyes on him, he tried to mask his feelings.

"Good Percy." Now she was smiling, an expression that seemed even more terrifying then her narrowed eyes, "Now take your seat."

Shaking Percy managed somehow to find his seat. He watched in shock as every single Death Eater in that room went to the front and practiced killing. Next it was a curly haired woman, who also looked familiar to Percy, who cried when a young man with long dark hair killed her, then another man, but this one young, then an older man, they continued on and on until everyone in that room had had their turn.

When Belletrix finally dismissed them Percy bolted from the room and made his way outside. He walked quickly through the woods surrounding the manor. When he was finally sure he was alone, he fell to his knees and was violently sick.

Once he emptied the contents of his stomach he sat back down and tried to wipe the tears streaming from his eyes. What had he been thinking! What the bloody hell had he….

"You know most of us did that the first time too." A voice said casually, interrupting his thoughts.

Percy whirled around to see the man with long brown hair and green eyes standing behind him. He quickly stood, a million things shooting through his head, excuses, apologies, but the only thing that could come out was, "What?"

"It's actually very strange. The most fervent muggle-hater, the one who can always be heard raging against mudbloods, will still throw up after the first time they kill one." The man smiled and offered Percy a hand up, "My name's Broder."

"Percy Weasley." Percy said weakly taking the man's hand and climbing awkwardly to his feet.

"Weasley… I've heard of your family." A thoughtful look crossed his face, "What are you doing here with us?"

"It's a long story." Percy closed his eyes, and immediately regretted it. As soon as his lids closed he saw that man crumpling, eyes turning terrified then lifeless.

"Well we're going to be here a long time, my friend." Broder clapped him on the back, "Let's go back to the mansion. You probably don't feel much like eating but I'm starving." He put his hand under Percy's arm and began gently leading him back towards the mansion.

The following days passed with excruciating slowness and seemed to deaden Percy. Every night he dreamed of that man, but his days were filled with a different kind of nightmare. The afternoon after they practiced killing they split up into pairs to practice dueling, but it wasn't like the dueling club he remembered from his sixth year or practicing hexes with his roommates. This dueling was brutal. The other Death Eaters didn't practice relatively harmless hexes like the Jelly-legs or bat-bogey, but painful ones. That afternoon he was paired with a blond witch, at the first exchange he was hit with the Crucio, the next he had to duck and block quickly to keep from being demolished by the Reductor Curse. On and on it continued for hours until, finally, Percy stumbled from the room in a pain-induced haze. From what he could see none of the other Death Eaters looked much better.

The next day they spent the entire day trekking through the woods to build stamina, then the next they practiced dueling again. Bellatrix drilled them over and over on hexes and the unforgivables until he felt like he was going to drop with exhaustion. He was busy enough during the day that he didn't have time to think about what he was doing or what he had done. But at night the feeling of dread and regret ate at him.

He was lying in bed on the fifth day, he couldn't sleep. Every time he closed his eyes he saw him… he saw himself killing him. It didn't help that someone, somewhere, was shrieking in the distance. There always seemed to be someone screaming in the Death Eaters dungeons. He shuddered. He wished that he was anywhere else, back at his flat or even home in the Burrow.

It wasn't any use, he knew that. Once you joined the Dark Lord there was no leaving.

"Oh Merlin," he whispered. He was already beginning to think of him as "the Dark Lord". The brand on his arm began to tingle, what the bloody hell had he been thinking anyway! That was a question he didn't dare voice out loud, not even when he thought he was alone.

The shrieking below him continued. Percy grabbed his pillow and tried to stuff it underneath his head but it didn't do any good. Finally he decided it was no use. Wearily he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He had half a mind to go to the kitchens for some warm milk or something when the shrieking rose in pitch and grew somewhat familiar.

Percy frowned. Why did that sound familiar? He swallowed past a lump in his throat, what if it was someone that he knew? He groaned and covered his eyes with his hands. What the hell had he been thinking? Realizing he was never going to sleep, Percy stood up, grabbing the nearest robe he quickly slipped it on, and walked into the dimly lit hallway.

Not actually knowing where he was going he followed the sounds of the screaming until he reached a long corridor. The shrieking had stopped, but now laughing voices were echoing off the walls. Percy slipped into an adjoining hallway and hid in the shadows, waiting for the Death Eaters to pass him.

When they finally did Percy did a slow count to one hundred before slipping out of his hiding place and creeping, as quietly as he could down the halls. The corridor led to some winding stairs which Percy cautiously descended until he reached a heavy wrought iron door. Inside he could hear the soft sound of sobbing. Taking a deep breath Percy pushed open the door and gasped.

There, chained to the wall, was Penelope Clearwater.

"Penny!" he breathed, backing up against the door in his shock. Images cascaded though his mind, whispering secrets in the corridor, snogging in empty classrooms, her dazzling smile, her sparkling green eyes furiously glaring at him the last time he saw her, burning with tears.

It hadn't taken long for him to realize that having a muggle-born girlfriend actually hurt his chances in the Ministry more than it helped him. There were still plenty of Wizards, Fudge included, that put value on pure wizarding blood. All it had taken was one slightly disappointed look from Minister Fudge when he told him about Penny for Percy to decide to break up with her.

"Who's there!" Penny demanded, looking around sightlessly, "What have you done with my parents! Please tell me if they're okay!" She pleaded, tears beginning to well in her eyes.

Suddenly the thing that had been bothering him all night finally clicked into place. He could feel the blood drain from his face as he gasped, "Oh Merlin! Oh Merlin…." He would've used harsher words but his brain felt frozen. He shuddered, that man… he had Penny's eyes! That's why he seemed so familiar! And that woman, she had Penny's cascading red curls! Percy buried his face in his hands as he slid down the wall, his body suddenly felt cold, he murdered Penny's father…. He murdered Penny's father!

"Come back for more have you?" Penny was asking, "What else can you do to me!" she sobbed, "Where are my parents? Just tell me where they are!"

Percy didn't say anything, he just sat with his head in his hands, after a long moment he whispered "I'm so sorry, Penny."

"What? Who are you? What are you sorry about? Please tell me what's going on!" Tears were streaming down her cheeks.

Percy slowly got up, at that moment he would've given anything to be able to turn around and leave, forgetting everything. He could just go back upstairs to his cot and try to pretend this never happened. Even as he wished this he was moving towards Penny. A slow feeling of dread settled in his stomach as he pointed his wand at the shackles holding her arms to the wall. He muttered a quick spell and they sprang open, tumbling her to the floor.

"Penny? Penny are you okay?" he asked, anxiously kneeling beside her. To his great relief she began to slowly sit up. Steadying herself with her hand she looked around, still not able to see anything.

"Who are you?" she asked, "I can't see…"

Hoping that it was only a spell making her blind he lifted his wand to her face and whispered "finite incantantum" her eyes flickered shut for a moment, but soon she began to open them. She gasped as her eyes focused on his face.

"Percy." She said sounding relieved, she looked down. Her eyes widened in disbelief, "No… no… oh Percy!" She began to back away from him.

Percy stared down at his uncovered arm where the brand was burning brightly. For a moment, he had forgotten about it. "Can you stand?" he asked her gently, "I'm going to get you out of here."

"Is this some kind of a trick?" She seemed on the verge of crying again, "What are you playing at?"

"Nothing" he said quickly, "I just want to help you… I promise it isn't a trick."

"Where are my parents?" she demanded. "I won't leave without them."

Percy looked at the floor, he knew he had to tell her, but he just didn't know how. "I'm so sorry, Penny. Your parents are dead. I… I… saw them die." He finished. He just couldn't tell her everything.

Penny gasped and covered her mouth, she was looking at Percy with a horrified expression. "How?... why?"

"Penny…."

"Don't call me that!" she snapped, "You're one of them aren't you! I should've known you would join him! You were always a cold heartless b…."

"Penelope." He interrupted her as gently as he could, "I have to get you out of here, are you okay to walk?" she suddenly looked very weak.

"Yes, I'm okay." She answered swaying. Suddenly without another word she folded up and fell to the ground.

"Penny?" he whispered but she didn't answer. He ran to her side and checked her pulse, it was weak and fluttering, but it was there. Breathing a sigh of relief he picked her up and carried her toward the door.

Cautiously he stuck his head out and looked both ways down the corridor. He could hear what sounded like drunken singing far above him, but there didn't seem to be anyone nearer.

Quickly, and as quietly as he could, he carried Penny to the stairs. Sweat was rolling down his face, he didn't even want to think about what would happen if he was caught. He started going up the steps, pausing every once in awhile to listen intently for anyone coming – but he didn't hear a sound.

Finally, after what seemed like hours he made it to the front hall. The large fireplace was sitting near the end of it. His arms were numb by now from Penny's weight, gritting his teeth he forced himself to hold on to her. He had to shift her around slightly so he could grab some floo powder from the bowl above the fireplace. Getting as firm a hold on Penny as he could manage he threw the floo powder down and said the first place he thought of. "Hogwarts!"

Percy had a moment to consider the possible consequences of his action as grates and fireplaces sped by him. In that very brief moment he made a decision.

Finally he arrived at Hogwarts, he stepped out of the fireplace into the hallway outside the Great Hall. Looking around cautiously he half carried, half dragged, Penelope towards the Headmasters office. No sooner did he arrive at the phoenix then it began to spiral upwards. Shaking a bit from exhaustion and nerves he climbed up the stairs.

When he pushed open the door Dumbledore was already standing there looking at him. His normally twinkling blue eyes were unusually grave as he regarded the Death Eater before him.

Setting Penelope down gently on the floor Percy faced the Headmaster.

"Hello Professor," he said softly, "I'm here to turn myself in."

A/N: You guys have no idea how long I agonized over this chapter. Send me a review!

Xtin2000: Well thank you for the flawless comment! Actually I'm a bit of a perfectionist so everything gets read and reread many many times before I post it. That's why sometimes it takes me so long to post a chapter! So your comment meant a lot to me. As for the notes about Percy… I trust the above entry helped alieve some of your fears.

punker88: blushes thanks

Mystical Witch: Well this chapter is a little longer. It is seven pages typed instead of my usual 5.