Chapter 3

Fornax: The Marking Ceremony

Summer 1973

The Dark Lord, careful not to stay in any one place for an extended period of time, moved regularly around the country touring the homes of his wealthiest Death Eaters. He was staying at the Yaxley residence when the time came for Lucius, Antonin and Doyle to receive their Marks. It was a ceremonial ritual, which Bellatrix explained to Narcissa and Lucius in advance. Each new recruit had to have a sponsor who was already marked, and Bellatrix would act as Lucius'. She briefed him that he would be blindfolded, brought into the centre of the circle of Death Eaters and pushed down onto his knees, head bowed. She would then remove his blindfold and step back to her place. Whenever they were called to their Master, the Death Eaters were expected to silently assemble in a circle, each person standing in a pre-assigned spot.

"You must not look up until the Dark Lord addresses you," Bellatrix continued. "He will question you and test you using Legilimency and the Cruciatus curse." She laughed manically. "And you mustn't resist him, if you do, he will kill you without hesitation." Lucius looked pale. "If you pass this stage, you will be asked to stand, and I will remove you from the room to await your marking. He does it himself, after all the nominees have been questioned." Here her voice shook slightly, her wild eyes unfocussed. "It makes the Cruciatus curse feel like a Tickling charm. But you will get through it, Lucius, then you will be his." A dreamy look overtook Bellatrix's face. "There is nothing like it. I have never been happier..." This did not seem to comfort Lucius. He gripped Narcissa's hand tightly, his face set. Narcissa felt sick. What if Luc doesn't survive?

"And what about Narcissa?" Lucius asked quietly.

"She will not come to the ceremony. The Dark Lord has asked her to remain here. He will pay a visit after he has finished with the marking and speak with Cissy privately. He does not usually mark women - I was an exception." Bellatrix looked proudly at the couple, tossing her tousled hair and smiling - although it looked more like a snarl to Narcissa. "He has assured me that he will not torture you - as a special favour to me - but he will use Legilimency. We will practise together, Cissy, to prepare you."

"Thank you, Bella." Narcissa tried to smile at her sister, but something was wrong. Bellatrix had seemed slightly off at Christmas, but she seemed even more manic now. Narcissa asked her sister, "And Theodosia?"

"Nott has spoken to our Master. He has earned the Dark Lord's favour, so she will not be hurt either." Bellatrix looked disappointed. "He has asked that our parents accommodate her here so he can speak to her after he's finished with you." Then Bellatrix's face brightened and she began to regale Narcissa and Lucius with tales of bloodshed, torture and pain. She sounds sadistic, Narcissa thought. What's happened to her?

"And then," Bellatrix cried gleefully, leaping to her feet. "Once you come around, Lucius, it will be time for your initiation! The Dark Lord has already appointed me to lead it!" She laughed wildly, flinging her arms out and spinning on the spot. "We'll have so much fun slaughtering the useless Muggles! They won't know what hit them! And if we manage to kill more than Crabbe and Goyle did at their initiation, the Dark Lord will reward us!"

She came to a sudden stop. "You see, Cissy, whilst you were still at school, the Dark Lord did not ask me to participate in as many missions as I would have liked... he did not want people to know my true allegiance, in case it made you a target to the other side. We are most grateful to him, Cissy. He is benevolent and kind, and we are all eternally in his debt. He was gracious when... that woman married the Mudblood. He would have had every right to kill us all, but he was merciful, Cissy. We owe him everything." Bellatrix's face was oddly blank and she seemed to have lost her train of thought. Then, she threw her head back and let out three sharp barks of laughter. "But now all will be forgiven! Now that you have graduated, Cissy, nothing will keep me from showing the world how loyal I am to the Dark Lord! He will trust me and reward me beyond the wildest dreams of all his followers! I will torture and maim and roast those filthy Muggles and Mudbloods and blood traitors until there is nothing left but the purest of blood, the most sacred, the most magical..." Her voice became incoherent as she began to shriek with delight, and started to spin on the spot again, her hair and robes flying out behind her.

Narcissa was all for blood purity and re-establishing the natural order, with pure-bloods ruling over those of lesser status, and she agreed that Muggles and their spawn needed to be put in their place, but Bellatrix's bloodthirsty tirade was making her feel rather uncomfortable. She was relieved when her sister had to leave; the Dark Lord had a job for her. Yaxley had identified another supporter of Muggle-rights at the Ministry, so Bellatrix had been asked to arrange a little 'accident' to befall the witch that evening.

The morning of Lucius' marking was the longest morning of Narcissa's life. She woke just after five o'clock and wandered aimlessly around her family home, jumping at the slightest noise, glancing at the clock every few seconds, and feeling sicker than she ever had in her life. Theodosia arrived just after ten o'clock. She, too, looked pale and worried. They retired together to Narcissa's room to get ready. Her parents had bought her new robes of dark green shot silk with silver embroidery. Although she had never wanted for anything and was used to luxury, these robes were more sumptuous than any garment she had owned before. She doubted that even her wedding dress would be as expensive as these robes. Theodosia, too, had new robes. Hers were also dark green, but made of a heavy damask patterned with serpents. Narcissa tried to control her shaking hands as she charmed make-up onto Theodosia's pale face, and arranged her hair into an elegant bun. She then sat as still as she could whilst Theodosia repaid the favour. Narcissa's parents appraised both girls' appearances before escorting them to the parlour, which they had prepared for the interviews. Narcissa and Theodosia sat in silence, unable to make conversation. Just after noon, Narcissa's mother opened the door to the parlour.

"He's here," she whispered. "Theodosia, come with me, he wishes to see Narcissa first." Theodosia rose shakily, and touched Narcissa's shoulder as she passed.

"Good luck, Cissy," she murmured. Narcissa nodded, feeling too sick to reply. Her mother and Theodosia left, and Narcissa stood before the fireplace, facing the door. As it opened once more she sank into a deep curtsey, keeping her eyes on the hearth rug, until an unfamiliar, high, cold voice said,

"Please rise, Miss Black." Narcissa slowly stood upright again, allowing her eyes to rest on Lord Voldemort. He was tall and pale, with raven-black hair and slightly bloodshot eyes. He looked oddly ageless, like a wax model. He may have been handsome at one time, Narcissa thought, then she chastised herself for having such an inane thought at such a crucial moment.

"Please sit down, my Lord," she said, gesturing to the sofa. He did not move like any other person she had seen before. He almost glided across the room, feet making no sound on the floor, robes barely moving. She sat on the sofa opposite him, careful to arrange her skirts so they lay smoothly across her legs. She wanted to keep her gaze in her lap, but forced herself to look into his odd face again. He doesn't look fully human, she realised. Out loud she asked, "Would you care for a drink?"

"No, thank you. I would prefer to get straight to business, if you do not object?" His tone was polite, but Narcissa knew it was not really a question. She answered promptly,

"Of course, my Lord. I would be very glad to begin."

He nodded. "I will not keep you in suspense, Miss Black. I can see you are very concerned about Mr Malfoy. He answered all of my questions satisfactorily and had been marked. He is recovering at home now."

Narcissa was flooded with relief, and had to make a conscious effort not to flop back into the soft cushions of the sofa. "My Lord, I am delighted to hear it."

"He will serve me faithfully as one of my Death Eaters. But how will you serve me, Miss Black? Bellatrix says you do not wish to be marked? I would not usually mark the wives of my Death Eaters, but you are not a normal witch, Miss Black. You would be an invaluable addition to my ranks. So tell me, why should I leave you unmarked?" His voice bore no sign of displeasure, but Narcissa felt a shudder run over her skin, as if an icy draught had entered the room.

"My Lord, if you wish to mark me, I will not object. But I would prefer it if you would allow me not to be. I feel that I can serve you better as I am. If I were unmarked, people would not be sure which side I was on. I could find out information for you, information which I would not be privy to should people know my true allegiance. I will be a society hostess, and therefore able to get close to the wives of those at the very top of the Ministry of Magic. I could be, if you will pardon the metaphor, your 'snake in the grass'. Also - and I beg that you will excuse my vanity - I don't like how the Mark looks, and I would prefer not to have to cover my arms for the rest of my life." Her heart was thudding as she finished speaking, but she fixed the Dark Lord with her most charming smile. There was silence for nearly a full minute, then he threw back his head and laughed. The difference this made to his demeanour was astounding; he suddenly looked and sounded human. He met her eyes and spoke, still laughing,

"Not many people have the courage to speak their mind to me, Miss Black. You have made your point well. I shall indulge your narcissism - if you will pardon the reference - you shall serve me as you are."

"Thank you, my Lord." The relief she felt was almost palpable, and she shivered slightly as she felt a cold bead of sweat snake its way down her spine.

"Your duties will be as follows; you will take over all correspondence with Ophiuchus, oversee this year's intake and direct the activities of the older students. You will host regular society events at Malfoy Manor and observe your guests. You will turn those who can be turned, spy on those who possess information worth knowing and eliminate those who pose a threat to the new order. You will sow seeds of doubt and circulate rumours to create an atmosphere of distrust and disunity. In short, you will be my eyes and ears in the parts of society I cannot openly go, and act as I instruct you."

Narcissa nodded. This was what she had been expecting, what she had been trained for by her mother and sister. "Yes, my Lord."

"You will also use your skills in Transfiguration and Charms to alter certain objects. Some will be artefacts designed to be used by and harm unsuspecting Muggles, others will be planted on the liberal-minded to damage their reputations - or to claim their lives. These objects will serve the dual purpose of blood purification and distract the Ministry from our other activities. Other objects I will expect you to disguise will be those which my Death Eaters need to hide to avoid censure from the Ministry."

This did not surprise Narcissa either. Bellatrix had directed her to take Charms and Transfiguration for N.E.W.T. She had done so, also continuing with her favourite subject, Astronomy, and had completed her formal education with Herbology and Defence against the Dark Arts. She nodded and said again, "Yes, my Lord."

"And now, I shall take a closer look at your mind. You understand that you belong to me now, Miss Black, just as much as any of my Death Eaters. Your possessions, wealth and family are mine. Any children you bear in the future are mine and will be dedicated to my service. Your thoughts and feelings are no longer your own. Your very life and soul are at my disposal. Do you understand?"

Narcissa felt a stir of unease in the pit of her stomach, but it was too late to back out; she had made her choice. "Yes, my Lord."

"Good." He faced her square on. "Then I will begin." Narcissa barely had time to register what he had said before the world went black and she knew no more.

When Narcissa came to, she was lying in her own bed. The room was dark, and she guessed it was quite late. Her head throbbed horribly, and her eyes ached as though someone had tried to push them back into her skull. She sat up slowly, eyes flitting around her quiet room. She suddenly saw a shape looming up at her out of the gloom. She yelled in fright, fumbling desperately for her wand on her bedside table. She felt the studded handle roll beneath her fingertips and snatched it up crying, "Lumos!" The light of wand fell onto Bellatrix who shrieked with laughter. "What the HELL, Bella?" Narcissa cried, lowering her wand. "Why in Merlin's name are you hiding in my room? I nearly had a seizure you little -"

But her insult was cut short as Bellatrix bounded onto the end of her bed, crying. "You did it Cissy! You did it! My only sister has been accepted by the Dark Lord! And Lucius has been marked! He was admirable, Cissy. He submitted like a lamb and our Master had no reason to be displeased with him so only tortured him for a teeny-weeny bit. And he only took an hour to come round after the marking! I have never been happier... except for when I was marked, of course," She added as an afterthought.

"Bella, please stop shouting. And don't tell Rodolphus you value two other events above your own wedding day". Narcissa put a hand to her aching forehead. "Do you have anything for a headache? Or a Sleeping Draught?"

"No..." Bellatrix looked blankly at Narcissa, as if wondering why she would ask such a question. Then, she began to bounce up and down and trilled, "But, little Cissy, I have a Dogbreath Potion if you would like it?"

"No thanks." Narcissa made a mental note to write to Severus and ask him if he knew of any effective headache draughts as she pointed her wand at her sister. With a small thud, Bellatrix fell off the bed and hit the floor as Narcissa said wearily, "Go away Bella, I need to sleep." Bellatrix leapt to her feet, still laughing, and headed for the door. "Wait!" Narcissa cried as her sister was about to step out of the room. "Is Theodosia ok? And Doyle and Ant?"

"Oh." Bellatrix snorted disdainfully and tossed her hair. "Dear little Selwyn's fine. He didn't mark her either. She went home a few hours ago. He didn't need to spend very long looking at her mind. Obviously she isn't as complex as we are, Cissy. He was with you for over an hour, and it was the same with me, too." Bellatrix smiled wildly again then continued, "Travers and Dolohov put up a fair show - they weren't as good as our Lucius, though. Travers blacked out rather quickly from the Cruciatus curse, which was quite embarrassing for Rowle - he was his sponsor - and we all mocked him afterwards -"

"Yes, yes. But was Doyle ok?" Narcissa cut over her sister urgently.

"Cissy, darling, you are rather techy this evening!" Bellatrix smiled maddeningly at her sister. Narcissa raised her wand again.

"Bella, tell me what happened to Doyle and Ant or I'll hex you!"

"Dear little Cissy! You're so easy to wind up!" Bellatrix flew back across the room and engulfed her sister a fierce hug. "They were fine. They'll take a few days to recover, but that's normal. They're men now, Cissy. You don't need to baby them." Bellatrix suddenly released her sister and skipped out of the room, slamming the door closed behind her. Narcissa flopped back onto her pillows, feeling as if a whirlwind had just passed. As she waited for sleep to claim her once more, a thought drifted lazily across her mind... I wonder what the Dark Lord saw in me...

When she awoke the next morning, Narcissa was questioned closely by her mother and sister about her interview with the Dark Lord. She answered truthfully and succinctly, eating her breakfast as quickly as she could. She was desperate to go to Lucius. The full horrors of receiving the Dark Mark were not known to her, but Bellatrix's stories only heightened her concern for her fiancé. Eventually, Narcissa was able to leave. She apparated quietly to outside the grand gates of Malfoy Manor, a landed estate in rural Wiltshire. The Manor had been in the Malfoy family since the Norman times, but had undergone extensive rebuilding and renovation over the centuries which had passed. Narcissa moved to the iron gates and raised her wand, before passing straight through. She hurried up the long sweeping drive and knocked at the grand front door. Candace Malfoy answered her knock, looking as tall, pale and immaculately dressed as ever, but her eyes were bloodshot.

"Is he -" Narcissa began, without any of her usual ceremony.

Candace nodded, tears welling and spilling down her cheeks. "He's conscious, but Narcissa... he's not in a good way. I think it's infected... He's raving... I don't know what do to, and we can't summon a Healer. The elf is useless." Candace gulped. "You'd better come in."

Narcissa rushed up three flights of stairs to Lucius' room. Outside the door, she paused. She could hear the squeaky voice of the House-elf inside as she gently pushed the door open. The stench of burnt flesh, sweat and vomit hit her nostrils, and her eyes fell on a horrific scene. Lucius was lying on top of his bed, naked except for underpants. His skin was grey and glistening and he was writing in agony. His left forearm was swollen and raw looking. A blood-red tattoo of a skull and a snake gleamed wetly in the early morning sunlight, which had forced its way into the dark room through a gap in the curtains. His bedclothes were smeared with blood, and a bowl on the floor was overflowing with vomit.

"Move!" Narcissa snarled at the elf, who bowed deeply and stood back. She crossed the room in two quick strides and fell to her knees by Lucius' bed. He needed help urgently; something to calm the swelling on his arm, combat an infection and allow him to sleep peacefully. She rounded on the elf. "You! You useless, pathetic, little runt! How could you let him get like this?" She raised her wand and vented some of her frustration by sending a Stinging hex at the creature. He howled in pain. "Shut up!" she screeched at him. "Go and get me some Dittany, a potion for Dreamless Sleep, some Burn Healing Paste and a Wound Healing Potion." The trembling elf bowed deeply once more and disappeared with a 'pop'. Narcissa turned back to Lucius, and tentatively pointed her wand at his damaged arm. "Reparifors," she whispered. It was a simple Healing spell, and vastly underpowered against such Dark magic, but the swelling surrounding the Dark Mark subsided slightly. She cast it three more times, until the skin surrounding the Mark looked less inflamed. Lucius was still twitching and groaning, odd words coming out of his mouth. She sat on his bed, stroking his hair and attempting to soothe him. He eventually grew quiet, and she conjured a goblet from thin air, catching it before filling it with water from her wand. Slipping her arm around Lucius' shoulders, she gently coaxed him into a sitting position and lifted the cup to his lips. He drank a little water, and she allowed him to lie back down again. Where is that useless elf?

She did not have to wait for long. He appeared in the room with another loud crack, and bowed before silently handing her a leather bag. She riffled through it, barking instructions at the elf. He soaked a clean rag in the Healing Potion then wrapped it around Lucius' forearm, holding it there for ten minutes. Narcissa then inspected the site. It was still a vivid red, but much calmer than it had been. She hoped the antiseptic had cleaned the wound thoroughly - the last thing she wanted to do was to close it up if it was still infected. She handed the elf the Dittany and the Burn Paste. "Apply this, then a thick layer of the paste. Then I'll bandage it." Whilst the elf worked, she conjured some bandages and soaked them in more Dittany, before wrapping Lucius' forearm, which was now covered in thick orange goo. She then created fresh bandages, cast an Impervius charm on them so they would not soak up the Dittany, and wrapped his arm up again. Hands trembling, she used her wand to un-stopper the bottle of Dreamless Sleep and gently encouraged Lucius to drink a mouthful. His body relaxed as he fell into a deep sleep. Narcissa brushed his white-blond hair off his cold, clammy brow, and growled at the elf, "I am going downstairs to speak to your masters. You will clean this room, get some fresh air in, wash Lucius and change his sheets. You will not leave his side until he has recovered. Do I make myself clear?" The elf bowed, shaking from head to foot,

"Yes, Mistress Narcissa."

"Be warned, elf - I will never forget that you let Lucius get into this state. And once I am mistress of this house, I will make your life a living hell if you ever do anything like this again. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Mistress Narcissa," the elf squeaked, twisting his large bat-like ears. Narcissa stood and flicked her wand at the elf who was shoved hard into the wall as she swept past him out of the room.

Lucius took a full ten days to recover from his marking. Antonin's and Doyle's recovery times were a few days shorter, both having received better initial care. The Malfoy elf was severely punished for his inattention; Abraxas and Candace, whilst not the most affectionate of parents, did love Lucius in their own way, and as their only child, he was their legacy and heir. The elf did not forget his mistake in a hurry - and neither did Narcissa, who regarded the creature with a deep, bitter resentment.

At last the long-awaited day of the new Death Eaters' initiation came. Bellatrix was beside herself with glee as she proudly led Lucius, Doyle and Antonin into the middle of the circle of waiting Death Eaters. Narcissa had been permitted to attend this event and was stood at the edge of the room. She watched as her fiancé, sister and two friends fell to their knees before the Dark Lord. He spoke to them quietly, reiterating the mission of all Death Eaters; to establish a new order of blood purity and force Muggles into submission. He then commanded them to rise. They did so, and the Dark Lord dismissed them. Lucius caught Narcissa's eye and winked as he walked past her - he looked excited, desperate to prove himself to his new Master. Once they were gone, the Dark Lord, too departed. Then the gambling began, as each Death Eater bet on which new recruit they believed would kill the most Muggles. Narcissa, naturally, bet on Lucius, and was joined by Crabbe and Goyle (those two had always been under Lucius' thumb). Bellatrix's husband also put in his lot with Lucius. Narcissa was surprised when Nott joined them, but he explained smilingly that Theodosia had asked him to bet on Lucius on her behalf. Rowle, the Carrows, Rabastan Lestrange and Gibbon bet on Doyle, whilst Rookwood, Macnair, Yaxley, Selwyn and Jugson bet on Antonin. Bets placed, the Death Eaters got to work; all had been instructed to create a little mayhem that night in case the Ministry had got wind of the new recruits and honed in on one of them.

"Light a lot of little fires," Nott explained, gently pulling Narcissa out of the way as the Carrows charged past, "and they won't know where to send the Aurors first!" She laughed, agreeing heartily with the sentiment. Nott then caught hold of Selwyn and Gibbon and the three departed for Yorkshire, chuckling darkly as they plotted which bridge they would collapse. Narcissa, unmarked and keen to keep her cover, apparated back to Malfoy Manor to await Lucius' return. It was several hours before he arrived, reeking of fire whisky and singing at the top of his voice. He was sent to bed by his parents, and Narcissa, realising she was more likely to get the story of the night's happenings from tomorrow's newspaper, headed home.

'Chaos and Terror as Three Dark Marks are Cast

Yesterday evening, the wizarding and Muggle worlds were once again targeted by the followers of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named as seven synchronised attacks took place across the country. Dozens of Muggles lost their lives and many more were injured as a result of this slaughter. Four of these tragic occurrences have been explained away by the Muggles as accidents, and did not result in any loss of life, but three main incidents have required experienced Aurors and Obliviators to attend to the witnesses, as the Dark Mark was cast into the sky and seen by countless Muggles. A peaceful protest in East London turned suddenly violent, as a group of Muggles (believed to have been under the influence of the Imperius curse) attacked one another, resulting in the deaths of six people. A small coastal town in Cornwall was severely damaged by a fierce storm (believed to be the result of a Weather charm) and five Muggles drowned. The greatest loss of life occurred as a result of a major traffic collision on a busy road, which claimed the lives of twelve Muggles. Minister for Magic, Eugenia Jenkins, released the following statement:

"The people responsible for this slaughter will be found and brought to justice. There is no place in our society for blood-purists and we will not negotiate with or be intimidated by terrorists. I am grief stricken for the families of those who have had loved ones snatched from their midst, and I will do everything in my power to bring the perpetrators of these heinous actions to justice. I am working with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to round up these so-called 'Death Eaters' once and for all. We can live in harmony with Muggles, in a peaceful and tolerant society. I have said so before and will say again that anyone with any information on the identities of these people must come forward; it is your civic duty, and we can offer complete protection for you and your family -'

Narcissa stopped reading and glared down at the print. Jenkins is a liberal fool! Has she forgotten the Witch Trials? Those Muggles forced us all into hiding and drowned us or burned us at the stake when they had the chance. They can hardly complain now the tables have been turned... She threw the paper aside and stretched. Fortunately, she had only bet fifty Galleons on Lucius winning the little competition. She was certain the Imperius-curse-induced-riot had been his handiwork. A Weather charm sounded right up Doyle's street, which meant Antonin had been responsible for the traffic collision. She wondered idly how he'd done it... probably an Exploding charm on one or two cars, then he could just sit back and watch the mayhem unfold. She decided to wait until early afternoon to visit Lucius; he'd be sleeping, then hungover, so not very good company. Narcissa stood and wandered up to her bedroom, suddenly at a loss of what to do. She had no school work to complete, no exams to revise for, and since the school term was now over for the younger students as well, no Ophiuchus to organise. Her mother could probably find some wedding planning for her to do, but Narcissa had no desire to discuss flowers, or cake flavours, or the pros and cons of an outdoor ceremony. She felt restless and began to pace her room, when an unbidden thought came into her head: Maybe I'll write to Andromeda. She stopped abruptly, fists clenching involuntarily. No, she corrected herself. I don't have a sister called Andromeda. Breathing heavily, she sat at her dressing table and pulled a piece of parchment towards her. I'll write to... Severus. Yes. I never asked him about headache potions... By the time she had finished her letter and sent it off with Ursa, she felt much calmer. I don't need Andromeda,' she thought to herself, as she heard her mother calling, and reluctantly headed downstairs.