That day, Dumbledore called her to his office.

"Hello Clare"

"Greetings headmaster, what did you call me here for today?"

"Nothing too important, we just need to have a chat."

"About what, sir?"

"How are you dealing with your parents appearances of late?" His eyes pierced straight into her soul.

"I'm fine."

"Have you kept it a secret as I advised?"

"Mostly, yes."

"Understand you can tell me anything." His eyes said more than his words.

"I know sir, may I go?"

"Not quite yet"

"Yes?"

"Be honest, are you having trouble with your birth parents?" She knew that he knew. His voice and questions gave that all away.

"Yes" She decided that lying to him wouldn't get her anywhere.

"And how is that?"

Her voice went bitter. "They are two of the most notorious wizards known and I have their murderous blood in me. What do you think?" She scoffed.

Dumbledore's eyes saddened. "Anything else?"

Clare wanted to tell him everything. "I…" But her father, if he ever found out that she told him. If he ever found out that she told Dumbledore, he'd kill her or worse.

"Yes?"

"I used a forbidden curse." That was a start.

"Hmm? Which one is that?"

She looked sheepishly at him "All of them."

His face turned serious. "Clare, you're not a killer. Why did you do this?"

She knew she had to go, but it felt good to tell him. "If I tell you any more, he will punish me."

"Who?"

"You know who, Professor." At that moment Clare put her wand up to her head and pulled out a memory. All the memories of what had happened to her during that past year. "Here you go sir. I don't know how else to explain it."

Dumbledore took the memory from her and put it in the pensieve. She stood there waiting for him to be done for what felt like hours.

"You have suffered more than most people your age, and have seen pain beyond your years."

"I swear Professor. If he'd only threatened my own life, I would have gladly died. But… he threatened my family. He'll kill them if I disobey. I wish he would just kill me and get it over with, but he knows that's what I want. So he found another way to punish me. So I do what he asks, when he asks."

"Death is not the solution to your problem."

"He is determined to keep me alive to cause me suffering. He even made me make the unbreakable vow not to kill myself."

Dumbledore's face was upset. "Clare, I realize I am to blame. I make a mistake telling you who your parents are. But I advise you, do not tell anyone else of your situation. They will be quicker to condemn you for your actions. But, it is not hopeless."

Clare looked up from her hands. Her voice was filled with despair. "Yes it is. You don't know what he does like I do. He wouldn't hunt me down because he still wanted me as a death eater. No, he'd come after me just because I dared to defy him."

Dumbledore stayed patient as he explained. "We can hide you and your family."

"Just like you hid the Potters?" She knew her words were harsh, but she didn't care. Yet, Dumbledore's face didn't seem angry, he just looked like he pitied her. "I know everything he will do to get revenge. He is not a person to forget. He will risk hundreds of his followers' lives to get whatever he wants. Harry Potter is one example."

"We have ways to protect you. Ways that will make it so he can never touch you."

"How can you be so delusional that you believe that you have a chance of protecting me and my family when you can't even protect yourselves!"

"Clare, you need to come to the right side."

Hope. That's what he was giving her, a way out of this life of evil. It was too much for her to want or even pray for. But here it was, standing right in front of her. She couldn't pass it up. "Okay headmaster."

Dumbledore's face lightened. "I will immediately send for your parents to be hidden—"

Before he could finish his sentence Clare was doubled over with pain. Her mark, it was burning. Voldemort was calling her personally.

"He knows. He is going to kill them. I have to go to him headmaster."

"Don't go. We aren't done here."

"Actually sir, we are. I'm trapped further in than either of us could imagine." and Clare left the headmasters office.

When she arrived at Malfoy manor, he was waiting for her there. He was already furious from Lucius's failure at the ministry. She knew he was already tearing through her mind to see exactly what had happened. Then, the pain came. She screamed until he silenced her so he could speak.

"How many times do I have to teach you this lesson child? I guess I need a stronger incentive for you." In that moment she saw something, in a mirror there was her parent's house. She watched as her house burst into flames. She screamed again and turned her face away from the sight of it. She buried her face in the ground.

He came over to her and knelt beside her. He touched her paling skin and grabbed her chin. He forced her to look at him. His voice was quiet as he spoke so that only they could hear. "You can't let that liar, Dumbledore, get into your head."

He pushed her face away from her and stood up. "At least you had enough sense to come when I called you. Obviously you will not be going back to your family this summer. No this summer I will be conditioning you, so that none of these misunderstandings happen again. Like any child, you just need more discipline, one step out of line and you are punished. Understood?"

Clare nodded her head despite the pain. She was holding back tears.

"Good. I can't have my own child undermining my authority. Next time this happens, whoever is left of your loved ones will die. And I will have someone torture you until I decide to be merciful and end your suffering." After that he cut off the curse.

During the summer, The Dark Lord kept her busy threatening people and paying visits to old followers. He was also very careful to have someone watching her every move, to make sure nothing was out-of-line.

The next meeting at the Malfoy's house, Clare saw Draco with his family. She saw the fear evident in his eyes.

Poor kid. She thought. Family pressure is hard to escape.

Since they were both going through the same ordeal, Clare and Draco stuck like glue. They became close friends despite their previous quarrels.

The Dark Lord called them together to speak, for a private meeting and special orders.

"Since you will both be at Hogwarts, I need one of you to kill the old fool Dumbledore."

Draco's face looked fearful, but Clare had had enough practice at hiding her emotions. And even though everything screamed against it, for Draco's sake, she volunteered.

"I'll do it."

Voldemort smiled proudly at his daughter. "I like your enthusiasm child, but I think Draco should have a chance to prove himself."

"Yes my Lord." Her heart burned with pity for him. Would he have to kill someone too?

Voldemort turned to Draco.

"Draco, boy, you must kill Dumbledore this year so that we may continue on with our plans to take over the Wizarding World. Clare can help, she has experience with such things" this made Clare and Draco both shudder.

"It will be done." Draco managed to choke out.

"You're dismissed."

When they walked out the door, Clare spoke to Draco. "I'm sorry Draco."

"It's an honor." He acted like he was proud but his face gave him away.

She saw right through her cousin. "Draco you don't need to be tough right now. I know how you feel."

"I don't need you to try and mother me. I'm fine by myself."

"Draco I'm the only one you can really trust. Don't shut me out."

His façade crumbled. "I'm scared."

"Me too." She told him.

And through that, their friendship grew. When their sixth year at Hogwarts began, she sat with him on the train. They faced the pains of that year together. Draco shut himself off to anyone except Clare. Clare behaved the same.

There was a rumor they were dating, but it wasn't true of course. They were cousins, but nobody knew that.

The longer Clare spent working with and dwelling on the death eaters' plans, she found herself enjoying it. Every drop of blood coursing through her veins was evil. Yet, her heart was disgusted with what she was becoming. She was in too deep to ask for help anymore. Not even Dumbledore could help her now.

So she gave in to who she was supposed to be. The kind-hearted person she was became the façade. It went away to hide in the corners of her heart waiting to break free someday. Most people at Hogwarts didn't notice, only Draco really noticed.

The light that had once gleamed in her eyes was gone. The hope she had all that time being serving with the death eaters, that she would be free from fear, had died. Her eyes were hard and judgmental. She had lost all hope in who she was.

One person that noticed, other than Draco, was Dumbledore. He called her to his office. "Hello Clare."

"Hello professor"

"Do you know why I asked you here?"

"Like you always do, to ask me how I am doing."

"Precisely, but also to tell you that when one is trying to achieve something in life such as to save their family, they must not lose themselves in the process or it's all for not."

"Thank you for the advice." She smiled at him. Oh how she hated hypotheticals.

"And how are you?

"I'm hopeless. And next time you feel like trying to help me, don't bother." And with that, she stormed out of his office.

That month Voldemort gave her the big job. He had her go persuade some of his old followers who were being difficult. Her new heart was delighted for the task. She had to threaten them quite a bit and had no problem doing. But, they agreed.

Voldemort was very pleased, he recognized his daughter's transition.

The school year went by quickly. Draco and Clare had mastered going in and out of the school without getting noticed, especially since they now had a teacher on their side.

Snape was looking out for Draco and he pulled him aside and talked to him. But, Clare was with Draco, watching out for him. When Snape had finished talking to Draco, Clare pulled him aside.

"Can I help you McGee?"

"Whatever you say, Professor, I don't trust you. You stay away from us"

Snape's face was cold. "I have nothing to prove to you, child."

"You've betrayed the Dark Lord once, and I believe you will do it again."

He pulled back his sleeve, revealing his mark. "I was loyal to your father before you were born, girl. How dare you challenge my loyalty."

Even though she was small in stature, she looked him straight in the eye and said "As far as I'm concerned, you haven't proven yourself loyal yet. I'm just watching out for my family, they are all I have left."

Snape scowled at her and stormed off.

When Draco let the death eaters into the castle, they all were filled with blood lust. They all went to kill Dumbledore. When Dumbledore was trying to reason with Draco, Clare was hidden in the corner with an invisibility charm. She was hidden there to join the rest of the death eaters when they arrived.

As Dumbledore was speaking with Draco, he looked at her for a moment. He said "Draco… you are not a killer." He said it to Draco but he glanced at Clare, right where she was hiding.

I have more blood on my hands than any other death eater. She wasn't any more comfortable with killing Dumbledore than Draco was.

When the others came in, she cut off the spell and walked out from the shadows. Dumbledore didn't greet her by name as he did the others. All he did was nod at her with saddened eyes. Almost like he gave her permission to do what she was doing.

When Snape killed him, Clare watched him fall from the astronomy tower. When they were all rejoicing back at the mansion, she was holding back tears. It was the first time in a long time she had almost cried. She cared.

For, her goodness hiding deep inside was broken. Dumbledore had worried about her well-being till the very end and she had scoffed at him.

He was the only person who saw her for who she really was… The little girl crying in the corner waiting for an adult to come along and fix everything.

She didn't know how much Dumbledore was to her until she saw him die. He was her last hope for any kind of help. He was her last connection to healing.