Hello again! Here is chapter 3, this time from someone else's point of view. Don't worry, Hermione will be back in the thick of things shortly, and you'll get to find out where she's been... Thanks to everybody who has followed this story, and please keep reviewing- tell me if I've made a mistake, whether that be a grammatical error or a trivial one. The next chapter will be up next Wednesday, but for now...happy reading :)

3. Borgin and Burkes

Draco emerged from the Vanishing Cabinet, relieved to be free from the cramped space. He was now standing in the back corner of Borgin and Burkes- a dark magic shop located down Knockturn Alley. Now that he was here, the staggering sense of uneasiness he had been experiencing earlier flooded back to him as he forced himself to walk forwards. Getting here he had been feeling more confident, if anything. Once inside the Room of Requirement, he had just got on with preparing the cabinet, and that act of doing something without having to watch his back every five seconds had taken his mind off things. But now he was finally here, and he knew what was going to happen next.

As he walked up to the shop counter, he made sure he was stood tall, with his shoulders pushed back, and that he strode with confidence, although he really felt like curling in on himself and running all the way back to Hogwarts. Anywhere but Borgin and Burkes.

'Draco Malfoy,' said a voice. Draco glanced down to see a rather short, stooped man grinning menacingly at him from behind the counter. He was bald with an odd, egg shaped head, and when he smiled Draco could see he was missing a number of teeth, the rest blackened.

'Yes,' Draco replied, unsure of what else to say. He did not know this strange, little man, but obviously the man knew him. Of course, this was expected. He was expected. The man smiled again, this time letting out a gargled, wheezing laugh that made Draco cringe inwardly. He tried to keep his face expressionless as the man hobbled around the counter to face him.

'Follow me,' he cackled, beckoning Draco forwards with a long, talon-like finger. With that he turned and made his way through an archway just behind him at the back of the shop, with Draco close behind at his wake.

The man led him along a corridor lined with crooked wooden beams, and then up a flight of twisting metal stairs that wobbled precariously as they took them. He never spoke, only snorted to himself every once in a while as if he'd thought of something funny. As they walked on Draco took the opportunity to straighten out his cloak and push back his fringe- doing his best to look presentable, whilst trying, albeit in vain, to keep calm.

Eventually, his guide led him through an open door into a large room with a wooden floor, walls and ceiling, from which hung a dozen brightly lit lamps. There were windows, but all the curtains were drawn closed. At the centre of the room stood a grand fireplace, a flickering green fire blazing away in the hearth, a bucket of floo powder placed on the mantelpiece. Two long, black, plush leather sofas were placed facing each other, sideways on to the fire, and sprawled across the one that faced the door sat Draco's father, Lucius Malfoy.

Any son would usually be pleased to see their father, but not Draco. He was never pleased to see Lucius these days, although he had been, once. Whenever his father showed up, it often meant something bad, even though this meeting was supposed to be a good thing. Stood in a cluster between the two sofas was a crowd of Death Eaters- all his father's friends, and all people Draco at least new the names of. He recognised Alecto and Amycus Carrow, Thorfinn Rowle, Fenir Greyback, and then stood behind them were Yaxley and Gibbon. All were famously faithful to Voldermort. On the sofa facing away from him, Draco recognised his aunt, Bellatrix Lestrange, from her ridiculously scruffy hairdo.

As soon as he stepped into the room, Lucius spotted him. A wide smile of pride spread across his face as he flung his arms out in greeting. 'Draco,' he cried, rising to his feet. Immediately, all the other heads turned to stare at the new arrival. Lucius, still beaming, glided across the room to grasp Draco by the shoulders and lead him towards everyone else. Draco looked behind him for the man who had led him here, but found he was nowhere to be seen. That meant he had been stood alone in the doorway for however long, looking like a fool. He cursed silently.

Bellatrix turned on the sofa, bouncing up and down in excitement. 'You made it,' she exclaimed in her usual, slightly hysterical voice.

'Of course he did,' Lucius said smugly. 'I knew that-'

'The Cabinet's work,' Draco interjected, smiling with the same smug expression his father held. As he looked around, he received some rather impressed looks that actually made him feel almost as proud as his father appeared. He'd never accomplished something so important for the Death Eater's before.

His smile faded slightly as he felt his father's grip tighten on his shoulders, his nails digging painfully into his skin. 'Do not interrupt me,' Lucius hissed between his teeth, still managing to keep smiling though he was obviously not happy with the spotlight being taken off him. Like usual, already his father was beginning to get angry with him. No matter what Draco did, no matter what he said, his father would always find a way to get mad. 'This is, of course, excellent news,' he continued, still gripping Draco painfully by the shoulders as he led him to stand in front of the fireplace, where finally he let go.

Draco rolled his shoulders back in annoyance, and went to sit on the empty sofa, but found he was jerked back by Lucius' hand on his arm.

'My son has completed the first mission,' Lucius announced to the Death Eaters crowded round. Bellatrix continued to jump up and down, clapping her hands in excitement. 'Which means we know we can safely enter Hogwarts School when the time is right,' he added, slapping Draco on the back a little too hard in a supposedly congratulatory gesture, but Draco knew better. It was his father's way of telling him to keep his mouth shut.

'When will that be?' asked a gruff voice that could only belong to Fenir Greyback.

'I want to end him now,' Bellatrix growled in an impatient tone, banging her hand against the sofa top. 'How much longer do I have to wait, Lucius? The sooner he's gone the better for us.'

'Patience, Bellatrix.' It was Thorfinn who answered, the oldest of the group, who was spinning a menacing looking pointed staff between his long, bony fingers in thought. 'We have to wait for the word, you know that.'

'But he needs to die,' Bellatrix whined, pouting profusely.

Draco couldn't bear to stay silent any longer. Questions swirled around his head, making him feel dizzy. 'Who needs to die?' he blurted, earning a glare from Lucius.

'Why, Albus Dumbledore, of course,' Bellatrix grinned, cackling madly. 'Who needs to die? Honestly!' She snorted and burst into another fit of giggles. 'You should know, you're the one to kill him!'

Draco froze at that, the colour draining from his face. His brain tried to process what he had just heard, but he found that he couldn't think straight. 'What?' he whispered.

'You heard me,' Bellatrix said. Then she frowned and tilted her head until it almost rested atop her left shoulder. Her dark eyes bore into his grey ones like lasers. 'Don't tell me you didn't know,' she scoffed. At that a murmur broke out across the room. Bellatrix looked up to Lucius, then back at Draco. She laughed again. 'Oh, you didn't! Lucius didn't tell you. Oh, how funny.'

'Funny?' Draco accused. 'How is that funny? I- I've never killed anyone before.'

'It's a great honour,' Lucius said bluntly, his lips pressed in a thin line. But Draco was too confused and panicked to notice his father's anger towards his outburst.

'I can't!' Draco cried, shaking his head, and taking an automatic step backwards. Everyone was staring at him, but all he could feel was a growing horror at the prospect. Why had he been chosen to kill Dumbledore? Why him? He was the least experienced- the one who had never actually killed somebody.

'What do you mean, you can't?' Bellatrix sniggered. She continued in a plane tone; as if she were reciting a well-known fact. 'Every Death Eater can kill. What difference does it make who it is?'

'It's Dumbledore!' Draco cried desperately, his eyes wide and scared. 'Everyone will know...'

'It's a great way to prove yourself to Lord Voldemort,' Lucius snapped, eyeing Draco with a dangerous glint in his eye. 'Come now, Draco, of course you can perform this task. A lot depends on this, you know.'

'You are a Death Eater, aren't you Draco?' Thorfinn inquired from across the room, an eyebrow raised.

'I-,' Draco stammered.

'Of course he is!' Lucius replied for him, grasping Draco's left sleeve and yanking it up to reveal the Dark Mark engraved on the inner part of his forearm. It was inky black, the symbol of a snake protruding from the skull's mouth as clear as ever. He'd got the mark in the summer; his father had insisted that it was the right time, that he was ready. 'Draco will do this, you have my word,' he said gravely.

'You know what will happen if he doesn't,' Greyback said maliciously, licking his lips with a horrible slurping sound that reminded Draco of a rabid dog eying its prey.

'Severus Snape,' Lucius answered sharply, 'has agreed to finish the task should Draco fail. But I'm telling you, he shall not! I swear it.'

'Let's all hope that's true,' Alecto spoke up for the first time, his arm circled across his sister's, who in turn smiled into his shoulder with a cold sneer.

Thorfinn stepped forward, the right corner of his mouth pulled into a twisted smile as he looked at Draco with intense eyes. 'We can rely on you, can't we Draco?'

Draco was hot and cold all at the same time. He could feel sweat dripping down his back as he stood, unmoving, unsure of what to say. All eyes were upon him, and although he wasn't looking at Lucius, he could feel his father's gaze boring down on him, filled with a growing rage and strong anticipation. He was not pleased. When Draco gulped, it hurt his throat. 'Yes,' he said, as steadily as he could. 'You can rely on me, I swear. I just...I need some time...'

'Atta boy, Mr Malfoy,' Thorfinn said, as if he were speaking to a little boy. The man stepped forward and ruffled Draco's white bond hair. 'A handsome young man like you has nothing to fear. I knew you'd do it. Well, it's not like you have a choice, of course,' he added with a smirk.

'He should get back to school,' Lucius declared all of a sudden, his hand snaking towards Draco's back. 'We can continue this meeting without him.' His announcement was met with a few murmurs and nods from the other Death Eaters, whose eyes were all still lingering on Draco and his father.

'Of course,' Thorfinn agreed, voicing what the others were thinking. It was clear to Draco that they were all waiting to discuss something else that excluded him- probably something classified he wasn't even sure he wanted to know. These were some of Voldemort's most trusted followers, so it was likely to be immensely important.

'Bye, poppet,' Bellatrix said, waving as Lucius escorted Draco out the room as quickly as possible, not stopping to look back. He half dragged half guided Draco through the doorway, back along the cramped corridor and down the stairs. He was walking at such a fast pace that Draco would have found it difficult to keep up had his farther not had a hold of him. As soon as they had reached the main part of the store, Lucius flung Draco forwards with all his might.

With a cry of surprise, Draco skidded across the room and smacked into the shop counter, crumpling to his knees as soon as he made impact, his hands flying out in front of him automatically as he landed. He stayed on all fours for a few seconds, breathing hard. When he finally looked up, through a curtain of hair he could see his farther standing, feet spread apart, his wand raised above his head. The hand that held it shook with rage and his face was a livid red.

'You stupid boy,' he snarled, spit flying everywhere. Draco's eyes were wide with shock. 'You almost ruined that for me. What will the Dark Lord think when he hears that Lucius Malfoy's son is a coward? This will not sit well with our family. You've endangered me and your mother and everyone else you bloody care about! I told you not to mess this up, and look what you've gone and done. Refused to perform the task he so graciously gave you? You never refuse the Dark Lord, never. But no, little Draco was only thinking about himself, as always. Which reminds me- WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?' he finished with a roar, bringing the wand up even higher, his whole body shaking now.

'I-' Draco began, but his father wasn't listening. Instead, with a shout of anger he thrust his wand in front of him, green sparks shooting from the tip.

Draco threw himself sideways to avoid the spell, but Lucius fired again. Draco ducked, and the spell crashed into the shelf where his head had been moments before, shattering a dozen glass jars in the process. He lifted his arms above his head in defence as glass shards fell around him, leaving him in a pool of the glittering fragments. When he brought his arms back down, he saw they were covered in hundreds of little cuts, scarlet blood spilling from each wound, bright against the stark whiteness of his skin.

He glanced up just in time to see Lucius barrelling towards him, hatred for his son blazing in his eyes. Draco had never seen his father so mad, with that look on his face- but then again he had never disappointed him on a task of this scale. He only had time to blink before Lucius was upon him, lifting him up and crushing him against the rim of the counter.

Lucius brought his fist back and released it. A fiery pain flared up across Draco's face, his head snapping backwards. A bitter metallic taste filled his mouth, and he felt something sticky at his nose. He threw his hands up in surrender, leaning back as far as he could before Lucius could hit him again.

'Father, please!' he begged. 'This wasn't what I-' He was interrupted again, as Lucius yanked up his sleeve to yet again reveal Draco's Dark Mark. Draco turned his head away in disgust.

'Look at this,' Lucius spat, pressing the tip of his wand into Draco's forearm. Suddenly his arm was stinging as if he'd been stabbed with a thousand needles, forcing him to look back, to stare at the inky tattoo engraved forever upon his skin. 'This,' Lucius continued, 'binds you to the Dark Lord. This is who you are. You cannot fail him.'

Draco bit his lip, which was beginning to tremble. 'I can't do it,' he whispered, his voice sounding disgustingly pathetic to his own ears. But he couldn't help it; the words just kept spilling from his lips. 'I can't kill him, I can't!'

Instead of more anger, this confession seemed to calm Lucius. He let go of Draco, straightened his serpent green cloak, and arranged the silver broach that clasped it at the throat. He stared down at his son as if he were eyeing a cockroach. He spoke, his voice thick with disappointment. 'I always knew you were weak, Draco, but, whether you like it or not, you will kill Albus Dumbledore,' he said. 'Now, get out of my sight.' And with that he turned on his heel and stalked off without another word, his long blond hair flying out behind him, the click of his heels ringing out in the silence.

Draco was left staring after him, his knuckles white as they gripped the counter. Left in silence.