/I don't own anything you recognize in this story. /
Chapter Ten
SIX YEARS LATER
Standing once more on Platform Nine and Three Quarters, I smiled to myself wistfully. This was the last time I would come to this platform, the last time I would ever board upon the Hogwarts express. It was a bittersweet remembrance, my long years of toil, sweat, and aggravation. And now, here I was in my final year, waiting impatiently for my escape and freedom.
The only thing that was different was that my mother wasn't standing next to me to see me off as I plow through my seventh year. Last winter during my sixth year, I had turned seventeen and by the time summer came, I already had a house picked out and paid for, not wanting to live with my mother and father once I became of age. Of course my mother had been quite upset with the situation, but there wasn't anything she could do about it.
Someone shoving me to the side brought me back into reality. Everybody seemed to be in a mad rush to get on the train. Looking up at the clock, I noticed that I had approximately one minute to get on the train. Gritting my teeth, I handed off all my stuff to a conductor and sprinted up the stairs and into the train.
Panting slightly, I had hurried down the corridors, looking for an empty compartment. Finally finding one at the end of the train, I sat down with a sigh and allowed my gaze to look out the window. Hearing the train blow its whistle, I felt the train lurch foreword and soon we were off towards Hogwarts.
After several moments of blessed silence, I heard the compartment door slide open. Looking up to see who it was, I smiled when I saw that it was Lucius Malfoy, one of my old friends. I was hoping that I would see him on the train.
"Lucius, my old friend," I exclaimed, standing and extending my hand for a handshake.
Lucius grabbed my hand and shook it before hugging me in a hard, clutching hug. Gasping slightly, I hugged him back and the two of us parted, grinning at each.
"It's been too long, my friend, I've missed you," Lucius stated as he sat across from me.
I sat back in my seat. "Well, you know, I've been busy with my new house. It's not much, but at least it's my own."
"You know, you were more than welcome to come and stay with me and my family," Lucius exclaimed. "At least until you could get a strong, steady job."
I smiled and shook my head. "Now, Lucius, you know I don't like taking charity from others. I would rather be on my own."
Lucius just shook his head in disbelief. "Sometimes I don't understand you, Severus."
I grinned slyly. "That's how I like it, you know."
The silence enveloped us as the Hogwarts Express speeded on. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Lucius closely. He seemed to be battling some inner battle with himself and I wondered what it was. If it had to do anything with me, I wanted to know about it. Certainly he wasn't still thinking about me getting my own house without him trying to get me to stay at his house instead. It wasn't a very good fight if there was one. Finally I couldn't bear the silence any more.
"Lucius, I see there's something on your mind. Please tell me what it is before you drive yourself crazy," I exclaimed.
Lucius looked at me and cocked his head. "How do you always know when something's on my mind, Severus? It's unnerving."
I shrugged. "I guess it's just a gift. But stop stalling and get on with it."
Lucius sighed. "Well, this summer, something very important happened to me. I was inducted into something wonderful, something that has changed me forever. I have never been the same since. I think you should look into this, Severus."
I cocked my head. "What were you inducted into, my dear friend? I can't make a decision if I don't know anything more about it."
Lucius leaned foreword. I leaned foreword, also, not wanting to miss anything that my friend had to say. Oddly enough, the scene reminded me of a time in my first year when my mother had leaned foreword to tell me about Voldemort. But unlike this time, I had a tingly feeling of anticipation about me. I wanted to be a part of whatever Lucius was a part of.
"Well, they call themselves the Death Eaters and they were formed in protest against the new contemporary witches and wizards that are popping up over everywhere," Lucius whispered.
"New contemporary witches and wizards? You don't say Mudbloods, do you?" I asked, my heart thumping. If they were purging against the unclean, this was something for me. I only too well remembered a few scenes with one particular Mudblood when she mocked me.
"The very same," Lucius agreed dryly. "The brutes don't deserve to dwell with the superior beings such as ourselves."
"Sounds like a good group," I stated thoughtfully. "How do I join?"
"Well, you have to find the head man, our lord," Lucius said. "He has to test to see if you're worthy of joining us or not."
"You're lord?" I asked stiffly. "You have a superior?"
"Yeah, why not?" Lucius asked. "He really knows what he's doing. Too bad I didn't think of it before."
Silently, I thought. This new prospect was looking sweeter by the minute. I needed to meet this man, to get to know him, see if he was worth the bother. As I sat thinking, the train slowed and finally halted. We finally arrived at Hogwarts.
As I stood up, Lucius grabbed my shoulder and pulled me close. Falling sideways onto the chair, I looked at my friend inquisitively. Now what did he want?
"Don't wait too long before you join, Severus," he said in a low voice. "Before long, we'll all have to take sides and I don't think you want to be on the wrong side. He really knows his stuff, that Dark Lord Voldemort."
Voldemort? That was the same name that my mother had told me about so long ago. But before I could say anything else, Lucius stood and swept out of the compartment without another word, leaving me to my bewildered and wondering thoughts.