Thank-you for your reviews Zayne, Saturn's Candlesticks and inu-miku-angel.

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Once again, Kim found herself in Dumbledore's office. However, this time she had someone in there with her…

"So. Why are you here?" Harry wondered, although judging by his voice he clearly wished she wasn't there at all.

"None of your business, Potter," Kim spat, feeling angry with herself. Why shouldn't' she take out her anger on Harry? "Would you tell me why you're in here?"

"It depends… why don't you tell me first?"

"I'm not here to play games, Potter. Croft sent me here to get expelled."

"Why?" She'd captured his attention for the moment.

"For reading up on the Cruciatus Curse, okay?"

He stared at her. "Why do you need to know the Cruciatus Curse?"

"I don't need to learn it, Potter, I already know it," she snapped.

He stared at her again.

"You know, it's very rude to stare," she said, irritably. What did it matter if he kicked her off the Quidditch team for being rude toward him? She highly doubted they wouldn't let her play Quidditch for Gryffindor if she were expelled…

He tore his gaze away from her and looked instead at the phoenix that was perched nearby.

"Ah, Mr. Potter... and Miss Barkley." Dumbledore's voice wafted into the room.

Harry and Kim both turned to see Dumbledore letting himself into the office. The phoenix flew over and perched on his shoulder.

"Hello, Fawkes," Dumbledore said, cheerfully. He strode over to his seat behind his desk and sat as Fawkes the phoenix flew back to his perch. "Now what can I do for you two?"

Both Harry and Kim were silent for a moment.

"Professor Croft says that you need to expel me, Professor," Kim spoke up, finally.

One of the portraits snorted on the wall, "She's outgoing, I'll give her that! Expel her if that's what she wants!"

"That will be enough, Phineas," Dumbledore told the portrait calmly, lacing his fingers together and examining them momentarily. He then turned to Kim, "Why does Professor Croft wish your expellation?"

"Because I was reading about the Cruciatus Curse." She just didn't care what happened to her anymore. She hated Voldemort at that moment with a burning passion; it wasn't fair that she should have to sacrifice everything she had for his benefit.

Dumbledore seemed to inspect her for a moment before saying anything. "Why were you reading about the Cruciatus Curse, Miss Barkley?"

"Because I need to know how to use it, Professor," she admitted without hesitation. She didn't care… she was too busy imagining Voldemort getting his head blown off…

"There are no circumstances in which the Cruciatus Curse needs to be used during your lifetime, Miss Barkley," Dumbledore said, seriously. "Why would you need to know how to use it?"

"I cannot tell you, Professor," she answered. She was now imagining using the Avada Kedavra on Voldemort. She could almost hear his high-pitched screams…

Dumbledore inspected her again. "Mr. Potter, why are you here?"

Kim raised her eyebrows, but said nothing. She was too busy relishing the imaginary screams…

"I actually wanted to talk to you about connections to Voldemort within the castle, Professor," he stated, sneaking a sideways glance at Kim.

"Ah, yes, Mr. Malfoy is already a known Death Eater," Dumbledore replied in a serious tone. "And Miss Weasley has already seen me about other possible connections." He, too, looked over at Kim.

"So? Are you going to expel me?" Kim demanded rudely. She didn't care about being disrespectful: she was imagining Nagini sinking her fangs into Voldemort's flesh and watching his writhe with pain and the poison slowly did its job and his lips turned purple, his ghastly white face taking on a pale green-ish tint. He struggled to breathe. But suddenly Voldemort turned into Kim's mother and the snake turned toward Kim…

"Would you like a cup of tea, Miss Barkley?" Dumbledore inquired, shaking Kim from the nightmare that she was constantly haunted by.

"What?"

"Would you like some tea?" he repeated.

"Er, sure, why not?" She was still shaken by the image: some nice, warm tea would be good for her.

He made a cup of tea appear out of thin air with his wand and it floated over to her. She took it gratefully and took a long draught from the soothing liquid. It seemed okay, but she put it down as a sudden thought occurred to her: Veritaserum, the Truth Potion! Suddenly a feeling of calm washed over her and she began to hear Dumbledore ask her questions.

"What is your name?"

"Kimberly Anne Pettigrew."

She could hear Harry give a tiny gasp, but she didn't care. All feeling was gone from her besides eternal bliss.

"Why are you at Hogwarts?"

"My master sent me to spy on Harry Potter."

"And your master is Voldemort?"

"Yes."

"Where did you go during the Christmas Break?"

"To the Malfoy Manor."

"What did you do while you were there?"

"I was sent to take my test to become a Death Eater. I succeeded."

"Did you want to become a Death Eater?" he asked sharply. If Kim had been in her right state of mind, she would have noticed that Dumbledore's eyes had lost their sparkle and now took on a hardened, stony look.

Kim began to ponder his question. Had she wanted to become a Death Eater? Really?

"No. It was my father's dream, however, so I did it."

"What did you need to do to become a servant of Voldemort?"

"I was sent to kill the Weasleys with Draco Malfoy."

Dumbledore frowned. "But the Weasleys are not dead. Why didn't you kill them?"

"I warned Ginny Weasley ahead of time and told her not to stay at home for Christmas Break. So when we got there, they weren't home."

"Why?" Harry spoke up. "You could easily have killed them all. Why didn't you just do it?"

"Ginny Weasley is my best friend," Kim replied simply. "I didn't see why I should waste her and her family's life to pass a test."

"So what did you do when the others found that the Weasleys weren't present?" Dumbledore inquired.

"They made us attack some Muggles."

"Did you kill any of them?" Dumbledore's eyes were blazing and like ice.

"Yes. I killed a man and his son using the Imperius Curse to throw themselves out of a window."

"Is there anything else?"

"No, Draco killed the other family members."

"I see. So the only reason you did this was because of your father?"

Kim nodded.

"Do you like Voldemort? Do you agree with his ideas?"

Kim thought about this, too. It was a very difficult question. Did she? Really deep down…

"No. I didn't see why we had to kill the Weasleys: they seem nice enough to me."

Dumbledore paused as though looking at her curiously.

"Is there anything else you'd like to ask her, Harry?"

Harry nodded: "Were you proud of yourself for getting the Dark Mark burned into your skin?"

"No. I think it's repulsive and whenever I look at it I feel sick."

"Do you hate Voldemort?"

That was an easily question: "I detest him."

"Why?" Dumbledore questioned.

"He killed my mother."

"Your mother was murdered by Lord Voldemort?" Dumbledore asked swiftly.

"Yes. My master's snake, Nagini, attacked her and bit her to death."

"Do you miss your mother?"

"Very much."

"When did this take place and why?"

"I was about 7 years old and my mother refused to hand me over to my master. So he killed her."

Dumbledore looked a bit sorry for her, but Kim didn't notice.

"Do you know how to Apparate?"

"Yes."

"Can you become an Animagus?"

"No. My father is teaching me, but I have not yet chosen a form."

"If you were given a second chance to do things over, would you have joined Voldemort's side?" Dumbledore demanded, leaning forward ever so slightly.

Kim thought about this. She knew the answer: "No."

"No? Why not?"

"I hate my master, but I can't tell him this. I've hated him since he killed my mother and made me live with my father."

"Do you think your father is a good man?"

"He is just a coward… nothing more."

"Did you know of his betrayal of Lily and James?"

Harry shot Dumbledore a look, but the Headmaster ignored him.

"Lily and James?" Kim repeated with a frown. "He has never mentioned those names to me. The Sorting Hat told me that my father was a betrayer. He never told me anything supporting this evidence."

Dumbledore frowned, but said nothing. "If you were given the chance, would you work against Voldemort?"

"Yes," Kim replied, breathlessly thinking of the torture she kept putting an imaginary Voldemort through. The Veritaserum was beginning to wear off now.

"Do you have any questions, Harry?"

Harry nodded, "Was the only reason that you were friendly to me because you were under Voldemort's orders?"

Kim opened her mouth to reply, when the effects of the potion wore off completely and her head slumped onto her shoulders and she slipped off the seat and into unconsciousness as her head hit something hard and sharp.

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