I uploaded the wrong version - one the one riddled with typos- before, so I apologise...
"Draco..." The hiss came from the shadows of the hallway. Draco jumped unwillingly and took a step back. He knew that voice.
"Father?"
His father stepped out from the darkness. He surveyed his son with critical eyes and wore a slight smirk. This was typical Malfoy behaviour and, although Draco was beyond used to it by now, he still did not appreciate the feeling of being scrutinised.
"Why are you here, Father?"
"It's a very big day today. And It's time, Draco. It's time for you. The Dark Lord has requested it."
"I told you-" The rest of the words didn't come. It was much easier to tell this to the fiery head of his father, Draco found. It was, after all, common knowledge that one did not argue with Lucius Malfoy.
Lucius watched him silently and, when it was blatantly clear that no more words were coming, he smirked and made a gesture for Draco to follow him.
He was supposed to be meeting Granger. If he yelled loudly enough, would she hear him from here and... and what? What use would Granger be? How embarrassing, to have to call out for her, a Mudblood's help, in a time of need? Lucius would never let him to forget it.
But to get the Dark Mark now. Draco wasn't ready. He wasn't sure he ever would be ready. Sometimes he wondered whether he even cared about the whole Blood issue. Sure, they were irritating and a waste of space but was really wiping them out the solution? Surely, more productive and less violent ways could be considered.
But not by the Dark Lord. He didn't care about political means. He wanted the blood on his hands, the stench of death in his nostrils, the agonizing screams in his ears. Draco, no matter how much he tried to convince himself, didn't think he did.
But his father was clearly unable to understand this and Draco didn't have the balls to lay it out for him that clearly. Draco followed his father sullenly.
He was led to where Umbridge had resided during her time in Hogwarts. His father said nothing while he threw the floo into the fire and Draco, with a push, after it. Draco could see his father was still smirking.
When he stumbled to the ground, a figure was standing above him. Draco knew then that it was too late, that this figure was Draco's new master, Voldemort.
Hermione waited for a long time. It was so late but she could not sleep. Somebody had been in her room, had left that mirror there, and changed her hair. It had to be Malfoy, no body else knew about her hair or her plan. But how would Malfoy get in to her bedroom in the Gryffindor tower? And how would he make the spell permanent? For, despite Hermione's attempts, her hair was still dark and straight and upsetting.
It would also be a dead give away that she was up to something. Harry and Ron would ask questions. Why would she, Hermione Granger, change her hair and why that certain style? A style that made her look so pale and too different?
Somebody was trying to upset her, and she didn't think it was Malfoy.
Who would have the mirror? Why had her room been so, so cold? Hermione wasn't aware of a spell that could change the temperature of a room so drastically. It would certainly take a large amount of power.
And it was a bit strange that she'd just awoken from that strange dream, the ones that she'd been having as of late.
What did Malfoy want, at this time of night anyway? She wouldn't have came, if not her the fact that she hadn't been able to get back to sleep. Why was he not here now? Was this some kind of stupid joke, to get her here and not turn up? Was he really that immature?
Well, he was. But she'd started thinking of him a little differently lately. How disappointing...
It wasn't cold here in the Room of Requirement. Quite comfy, really. Tiredness washed over her, and she settled herself down on the couch. She'd just have a little rest. She really didn't want to return to that freezing room again.
Draco made himself stand up. He was scared. He'd never before seen the Dark Lord face to face. Part of him was excited to. Having heard so much about him, Draco was eager to see what all the hullabaloo was about.
He found, however, that his fear had temporally dumbed him. But he couldn't be dumb in the Dark Lord's presence. He had killed people for much less.
Hastily, Draco bowed. The movement was so jerked and quick, his stomach flopped.
"Draco Malfoy..." That terrible high-pitched voice breathed. "How nice of you to join us."
Lucius appeared from the fireplace beside him and put a hand on his son's shoulder. It was not comforting; it was not meant to be.
Voldemort walked slowly around Draco, looking at him. Then someone, Wormtail maybe, pulled Draco upright and forward. His father let his hand drop. Voldemort wore a cold cruel smile on his snake-like face, and he seemed satisfied with himself.
"You understand, Draco Malfoy, that you are entering into my leadership. You are to be part of a, shall we call it, cult. You will belong to me, and will do as I wish. I will be your leader. Disobedience and foolishness will not be rewarded here and you will be punished as thus. You are to be part of my overall mission to rid the Wizarding World of the fifth which now resides in it with increasing strides. You will now be branded with my Mark, The Dark Mark, and will come when duty calls. You will be called a Death Eater. Do you understand?"
"I do, my lord," Draco answered in a mono-tone, the tone his father always used.
"Then..." Voldemort took a cold, hard grip on Draco arm, pulling his sleeve up. "Welcome..."
With Voldemort's cold mocking laugh in his ears and his finger on Draco's appearing brand, all Draco could feel was mind-numbing pain. He could not fight. He could not scream. All he could do was try not to cry...
Ginny awoke and was surprised not to hear Hermione tossing in her sleep like normal. Something is wrong, Ginny suddenly thought. Her instinct had always been good before and yet, she did doubt herself. She lifted herself out of be. She felt like she was floating, sill half asleep. Wearing only a white slip, she should have felt colder but she didn't. The floor felt smooth under her bare feet. The moon was shining into the room and that, mixed with the darkness, made the room appear almost blue.
She walked slowly and quietly into the next room, the room where Lavender, Pavarti and Hermione shared. Hermione's bed was empty.
Where would she be? Ginny's thoughts were slow.
The library?
Now that Ginny was up, she decided she might as well have a look for Hermione. With a glance at the clock, Ginny concluded that it was too late for anyone to be paroling the hall and that she had minimal risk of getting caught.
Ginny strolled through the hallway. Everything looked different at night time. She was in no rush. She didn't believe Hermione was in trouble. She enjoyed the walk, looking at everything. She hadn't been for a night stroll in such a long time, not since Second Year when she had trouble sleeping.
Then, suddenly, there was the sound of loud footsteps, running down the hallway. Ginny, not the fastest at even normal hours of the day, could do nothing but stare as Draco Malfoy ran towards her.
He looked weird. He was shaking and sweaty. His eyes were white when he surveyed her, almost feverishly. His hands were sticky on her forearms as he caught hold of her, urgently.
"Are you alright, Malfoy?" She was more bemused than afraid.
"Where's... I dunno what to do," he swallowed heavily then crumbled in on himself. Now she grew worried. He didn't react as she shook him, trying to awake him.
"I'll be right back," she told his still body and ran stealthy to the owlery.
"Hedwig," she yelled, waking the white owl. "I need you to find Hermione and lead her to the statue outside the Room Of Requirement! Keep pecking her until she comes! I'll be there!"
Owls were really amazing creatures, not including Pig. Hedwig would find Hermione, and Hermione would know what to do. She was always better dealing with Malfoy-related things than Ginny. Ginny returned to him, where he had not moved position. She only knew he was alive, because of his shaky, shuddering breath.
Hermione awoke to find Hedwig pecking her and, once awake, the owl flew the exit and squawked loudly. Afraid Hedwig was going to wake someone else up, she followed it. Once out of the Room of Requirement, she saw two pale people, one with red hair, one with grey, lying on the ground, one moving, one not.
"Ginny, what happened to him!"
"I dunno, do I? He doesn't look well. D'you think we should take him to the Hospital Wing? I couldn't carry him on my own."
Malfoy was just coming to. "Granger," he said and his voice was shaky. "I'm so tired. I just ran from them. They're coming! We have to go! We have to go NOW!"
"Go where?"
"Back into the Past! We have to fix this!"
"What's wrong, Malfoy? What happened?"
"I was just made into a Death Eater, Granger. And, and at the meeting, I just saw Dumbledore being killed! Professor Dumbledore!"
Neither of the two girls could react. They just gaped at him.
"Where's the Time Turner, Granger? Do you have it on you?"
"Yes," she replied slowly. "You Know I bring it to all our meetings. It's in the Room Of Requirement."
"Then we have to go! We have to!" He pushed himself up, and stared into her eyes. "Because they're coming, Granger. I just ran from them! They're in Hogwarts now, they can with Dumbledore's protection gone, and they're going to kill us all!"
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