A/N: Okay, so originally I wrote this chapter and the next one as one giant chapter, but seeing as that would have made chapter three over 15 pages long, I decided to cut it in half. So you guys get two chapters in one day! Yay. Haha. Well, please review guys, it would mean a lot to me. I would love some postive feedback or some suggestions.
Disclaimer: I still don't own Harry Potter, just like the thousands of other people on this site(:
Chapter Three: Something Bad
Morgan stalked down the halls sluggishly, her left forearm burning more than ever. The night before, after leaving Snape's office, she had tried to go to the Room of Requirement. But for some reason, the door wouldn't reveal itself to her. She was forced to spend the night in the Gryffindor common room, only to find that her friends were not there.
Turning around a corner on her way to Defense Against the Dark Arts, Morgan ran straight into someone. Falling to the floor, she looked at the poor kid that had managed to get in her way.
"Ah, Ernie, sorry about that." She pushed herself to her feet quickly before offering the fallen seventh year a hand.
"Don't touch me Death Eater."
The words were harsh. They cut into her heart more than anything else in the past couple of days. "Hey," she backed away from the taller blond slowly, holding her hands up in a sign of surrender. "Relax. I was only trying to help."
"Well I don't need a Death Eater's help! Why don't you go running to You-Know-Who and go help him." By this time the fuming Hufflepuff had brusquely gotten to his feet.
He took a threatening step forward then, pulling his wand out and thrusting it in her face. Morgan didn't pull out her own wand, merely backed away from the confrontation. "I don't even know why you're here anymore," he spat. "Traitor!"
Morgan raised an eyebrow, "You seem to be under the impression that I voluntarily decided to become a Death Eater. That I just waltzed into the Great Hall and spent the last few days having a sleepover with Voldemort, during which we gapped about boys and painted each others toenails."
"Who knows, that could be exactly what happened."
Morgan stared, "I can see why you're not in Ravenclaw."
Ernie took another step forward, "Are you insulting my intelligence?"
"I'm not exactly sure there's intelligence to insult, really."
Suddenly, Morgan found herself pushed against the stone corridor, a wand digging into the tender flesh of her neck. She knew that Ernie had never really been fond of her, but she didn't think he would take the teasing banter so seriously.
"I should curse you straight to hell." He snarled angrily. "I'd be doing Harry a favor."
Morgan looked around at the empty halls unappreciatively: now would have been a perfect time for Flitwick to meander her way. "Look Macmillan, just take me to Neville so that I can explain to him and the rest of the D.A. members what really happened."
Ernie shook his head, "Nope, you see, it's already been decided that we're not going to have contact with you anymore."
It took a few moments for the words to process.
Morgan blinked slowly, "Then what do you call this." She gestured between Ernie and herself.
"This is me informing you of the group decision." Ernie took a step away from her now and lowered his wand. "You're out of Dumbledore's Army. No one wants you here anymore. You might as well go and live with the Malfoys."
If she had been in a better mood, Morgan might've laughed at the fact that she was being forced to go there later in the day.
Ernie backed further away from her before turning on his heel. "See you on the battlefield, Death Eater."
"It was nice speaking with you too, Macmillan."
As soon as the abrasive Hufflepuff had disappeared Morgan slowly kneaded her hands into her temple. She was the enemy now. Neville, Hannah, Seamus — they didn't want anything to do with her anymore.
The people she had come to love, the home she had come to fit into, it had all been taken from her. She had no one. She belonged nowhere.
For the first time since receiving her letter to Hogwarts, Morgan felt inexplicably lost.
---
"It's your fault! You little bitch!"
The sound of a loud slap echoed around the empty classroom.
Morgan stood stiffly, forcing her head not to move with the force of backhand she had received from Alecto.
"Because you tried to kill the Dark Lord he believes that Amycus and I have no control over the students! He's furious with us! BECAUSE OF YOU!"
Morgan almost rolled her eyes. How she had gotten into this situation baffled her. After her run-in with Macmillan, she had blustered into Defense Against the Dark Arts late, only to find that it was Alecto teaching the class this time.
The Death Eater had spent fifty minutes getting the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor students to Crucio each other as a form of 'collective group punishments'. No one in the class had sat anywhere near Morgan, choosing to glare and whisper nasty comments when they thought Alecto wasn't looking. Not that their professor would have minded.
There was also that fact that most of the students asked if they could Crucio her instead of their selected partners. Thank god Alecto refused, saying that having them torture their friends would be more effective.
And then, of course, Alecto had asked her to stay after class. And here she was, getting backhanded.
Morgan knew she wasn't that good of a witch. Only under the direst of circumstances was she usually able to muscle up acceptable spells. Whenever else she was presented with potentially harmful situations she resorted to attacking the Muggle way, something she had learned during her summers at the orphanage.
But, Morgan knew that if she tackled Alecto to the ground and made her eat the stone floor, there was sure to be some extremely unpleasant repercussions. So, instead, she merely mocked the professor.
"What gave you the impression that you have control any over anyone in this school? Are you really that thick, or have you not noticed the group of students practicing anti-Voldemort activities in the middle of the night?"
For the second time that day, Morgan found herself with a wooden wand stabbing into the tender flesh of her neck.
"What are you talking about?" Alecto hissed, putting her ugly face next to Morgan's. "Remember whose side you're on now, Caldwell, and tell me everything you know about this supposed 'rebel' group of students. Perhaps, if you do so, I'll let you go."
Morgan mulled over the possible choices she had. She could either tell Alecto everything she knew about Dumbledore's Army, — they hated her now anyways — tell her nothing and get punished severely, or, the most attractive of the three options, she could lie.
"It's a group of twenty-five students that meet from one in the morning until five in the morning deep in the Forbidden Forest. They change where they meet everyday, so you'll have to search around a lot until you might come across them. When they meet, they plan ways to incapacitate you and your brother. Not to mention ways to kill Voldemort."
Alecto eyed her suspiciously, her brown eyes searching Morgan's. "So, if we go out in the Forbidden Forest between those times, we'll find them?"
Morgan shifted away from the wand pointed at her neck. "Absolutely. Remember to search good though."
"Wait a minute," Alecto grabbed Morgan's collar roughly and pushed her back against the wall. "How do they get out of the castle without us knowing?"
"Secret passageways, dumbass, how thick could you possibly be?"
All the suspicion vanished from the other Death Eaters gaze as she backed away from Morgan. "And here I thought you had actually learned some respect."
"Give me a reason to respect you and I might." Morgan answered, forcing her voice to sound unbearably cheerful.
"Despicable little girl. No friends because you're a Death Eater and no purpose as one, so you turn your friends in, hoping to get some credit with the Dark Lord. Pathetic."
"That's exactly why I turned them in." Morgan lied effortlessly, another smile on her face. "We done here? I have some more evil deeds to do before Potions."
Alecto sneered, "I don't think so, Cruc— "
"Caldwell, come with me."
Alecto froze, almost finished completing her Unforgivable curse when Snape walked in. His black eyes were not filled with hatred like the last time Morgan had spoken with him; instead they had cooled over with polite dislike.
Morgan pushed herself away from the stone wall, "Better luck next time, Alecto." Walking past the shorter Death Eater, Morgan gave her a companionably clap to the shoulder, causing Alecto to clench her fists in hatred.
The Gryffindor witch paused before Snape, "After you, Headmaster," she bowed extravagantly.
Snape rolled his eyes and smacked the back of her head, forcing her out the door ahead of him.
---
Once inside Snape's office, Morgan couldn't help but noticing how impersonal it was. When Dumbledore had been Headmaster the walls and shelves were lined with candies and neat little trinkets. She could only remember being sent to his office once, when she had tried a new charms spell and accidentally set the floor on fire. She never did really understand how she set solid stone on fire, but it didn't matter anymore. Now the shelves around the office stood bare.
"Is this some pre-Death Eater initiation?" She asked with a cocky grin, seating herself in front of Snape's desk again.
The Headmaster frowned deeply, "For once in your life, Caldwell, shut up and listen."
Morgan blinked dumbly for a moment, "That's not very nice Head—"
"Silence," The word was enunciated clearly and filled with unimaginable amounts of displeasure.
"Well, since you asked so nicely, okay." Morgan crossed her arms sulkily and leaned back in her seat. She motioned with her hands for Snape to continue.
"Since the moment the Dark Lord tried to kill Harry Potter I've been working with and carrying out Dumbledore's orders." Snape stood in front of his desk, his hands lying on top of a thick leather-bound book.
"If you were such great mates then why the hell did you kill him?" The words were out of her mouth before she could reel them in.
"Only you, Caldwell, would find it so difficult to follow one simple request. I ask for silence, and then ten seconds later you are opening your mouth and subjecting me to the mindless thoughts you choose to make known. It's rather tedious."
Morgan's cheeks turned light pink and the hair on her head changed to a light peach color. "That was not a mindless thought!" She protested. "It was a good question!"
"SILENCE," Snape straightened his shoulders threateningly. "You would be mindful to watch your tongue before I cut it out!"
Morgan said nothing in return, merely pursed her lips angrily.
"As I was about to explain before I was so rudely interrupted—Dumbledore asked me to kill him. He knew that at the beginning of last year Draco Malfoy was assigned by the Dark Lord to murder him. Dumbledore also knew that if he was not dead by the end of the year, Draco would have been killed in his place."
"Oh what a shame," Morgan muttered under her breath lowly.
Snape ignored the second interruption. "Dumbledore was also aware that I had made the Unbreakable Vow to Draco's mother in order to keep up my Death Eater image. I swore on punishment of death that I would help Draco in his task and complete the task for him if he was unable to do so. Also—"
"It definitely makes more sense for Dumbledore to die instead of you two." Morgan snapped, her flace flushing in anger and hatred. "Because we all know how much you and Draco have benefited Harry in the fight against Voldemort. You're just making up excuses as to why you killed Dumbledore. You want to make it look like you did the right thing. You're pathetic. Absolutely bloody pathe—"
Morgan heard the slap before she actually felt it. Snape obviously had much more strength than Alecto, because her whole body was tossed to the floor upon its impact.
Snape stood towering over her, his whole form quivering in silent rage. "DON'T SPEAK OF WHAT YOU KNOW NOTHING OF!"
Morgan didn't answer. Instead she sat still on the ground, her eyes wide and glossed over with fear. They blinked, unseeing, as her hands clenched without any conscious effort.
Suddenly, she wasn't in the Headmasters office anymore.
She was in the small orphanage, sitting in the church looking for Father Miller. She had walked into his private study, only to see him with a poorly covered woman smothering him. She made a squeak of surprise. The Father pushed the woman off and leaned over her. His whole hand streaked across her face, sending her sprawling to the floor in tears. He grabbed her shirt and tossed her out, slamming the door behind him. Her cheek felt oddly numb and blood seeped out from her cracked lip. She could see Father Miller's angry black orbs and graying beard even when she closed her eyes.
"CALDWELL."
Morgan's eyes suddenly refocused and she let out a shuddering breath, one she didn't know she was holding. The Headmaster was still leaning over her, his black eyes so much like the ones she feared. He had stopped shaking in anger; instead a more calculating look appeared on his face.
"Severus, I won't stand for you hurting my students."
The calm and soothing tone of Dumbledore floated into Morgan's ears and she forced herself to stand up. Blood was pooling out of the bottom of her lip and she wiped it away wearily, her brown eyes cold.
Snape turned to Dumbledore's portrait, "I apologize, I lost control of myself for a moment." He turned back to the standing Death Eater and drew out his wand. A bruise had already begun to form on her pale skin.
Morgan stepped away quickly though. "D-don't. It's fine. Just, continue with what you were saying."
Snape studied her expression for a moment before nodding mutely. "Alright." He gestured to the chair she had previously occupied.
Morgan slowly settled herself back into it and Snape began talking again. Though, this time, her eyes weren't on him. They were locked on the desk, her head hung low. It bothered him.
"Dumbledore was already dying before the year began." He said simply. Morgan nodded her head once, to show that she was listening.
"It is true." Dumbledore spoke from his portrait.
Once again, Morgan didn't say anything.
Snape scowled and sat back in his desk, his hands once again going to the leather-bound book lying there. "Caldwell, do you know why Voldemort is still alive today? Why no one can seemingly kill him?"
Morgan sighed unhappily, her mind still mulling over past events in the orphanage. "No." She said simply. She lowered her eyes to her hands now.
Dumbledore looked at her concernedly. The Headmaster was glaring again. "Morgan," he said sternly. "I slapped you. I am…sorry." The words were hard to force out of his mouth, but the lack of response from the usually unshakeable and rowdy Gryffindor unsettled him. "But snap out of it. We have no time for petty childishness now."
Anger began building up in the pit of Morgan's stomach. Childishness? She had thought she had escaped those abusive memories. But of course Snape had to bring them back to her. She couldn't help it. His eyes were so much like the ones that had terrorized her when she was smaller. Not to mention what had transpired between her and the Headmaster was awfully reminiscent of the situation she had been in all those years ago.
"Sorry." She ground out, defiantly lifting her eyes back to Snape's, "I just thought that abusing students was Carrow's responsibility."
Snape didn't retaliate, only narrowed his eyes in annoyance and continued on. "The reason why it is so hard to kill him is because Voldemort's soul is split into seven pieces. Each piece of his soul is hidden inside an object called a Horcrux."
"Horcrux." Morgan stated simply. She wrinkled her nose, "Sounds like a brand of cereal gone wrong."
Snape relaxed slightly in his chair now that his student's attitude had been restored to its normal light-heartedness. "The only way to kill Voldemort is to destroy all the Horcruxes."
"Is that what Harry's been doing then? Looking around and trying to destroy them?"
"Yes, last year Dumbledore found one and tried to destroy it too. It was guarded by dark and powerful magic, magic that cursed him to a slow death."
"So you killed him because he was already dying. And if you hadn't then you, Draco, and Dumbledore would have died anyway?" Morgan locked her fingers together thoughtfully, her eyes wandering over to the single clock in the room. It was later than she thought, almost time for dinner.
"…Yes." Snape drawled listlessly, his eyes flickering over to Dumbledore's portrait.
"Right. And you're telling me this…why? Last time I checked Voldemort was quite the master at looking in on people's thoughts, creepy but true nonetheless. So that means, the next time I see his adorable face, he'll just pick all the information you told me right out of my unsuspecting brain."
"Because we need you to do something for us, Morgan," Dumbledore hadn't spoken for awhile and Morgan looked up in surprise. His words were innocent and light, but the undertone in his voice let her know that something was definitely up.
"Why do I get the feeling that something really bad is going to happen?"