"Oi! Crouch!" Came a voice. I recognised it almost instantly but it still caused me to shiver. I hated the sound of her voice, why on earth did she have to transfer to Hogwarts?

"Good Morning Alecto..." I seethed as she approached. I appeared the perfect gentleman though. Holding the painting to the side as she stepped through into the Slytherin home room. "...I see you've been to Herbology for once." I teased as I pulled a bit of mandrake root from her skirt.

"Don't be so intrusive Crouch!" Alecto snapped. What was worse than hearing her voice? Seeing her wink. It was disgusting. Someone should let the girl know that she's uglier than a mermaid in the Hogwarts Lake. Those things are just terrifying.

I sighed and moved away from the crowd of girls in the common room. Too many of them were talking about how 'cute' most of the boys were. Not particularly my favourite topic of conversation. Then again taking to women like these wasn't my favourite past-time either. They all followed one woman around like a pathetic lot of bees following their queen.

Cassiopeia.

How I loathed that name. She. That thing. That piece of dirt whom was not even worthy of scrubbing dirt from my Lord's shoes. She was ruining my life. Making it hell on earth, if my father hadn't already sorted to making me feel like I wasn't worth troubling over, she was worse.

I'd given up all reason for trying to be friends with the witch when she publicly humiliated me in front of our entire year with that damn article of hers. I mean how dare she do that to me?!

It doesn't matter to me that her sister is Bellatrix Black. Why should it? Bellatrix isn't even half as faithful as I. Or half as brilliant for that matter. I've even managed to trick Dumbledore into giving me one to one lessons. There is a death eater, right under his nose. And he can't even recognise it. Then again he never was the sharpest page in the book was he? He let my Lord continue to become what he is. So feared and so hated he's become the most famous wizard of all time! Long live my-

I seem to be rambling on...

I skirted my way past the girls and her until I found myself by the green fire which was not to be mistaken for a floo passageway. It was mearly a fire dye. Created by a halfblood around 50 years ago. Strange to think that halfbloods possess almost the same wizarding powers us Purebloods do. And to think that muggle-borns too have powers like our own! It is strangely astounding how the human race will adapt to rid itself of imperfections and weakness. They began stealing our magic the day our ancestors cast away their wands and turned into humans themselves. Makes me ashamed to be a wizard under those pretences.

Picking up my parchment and a quill I began to jot down various notes that came into my mind. I was edging closer to the 'muggle' matrix every single day. I was closer than ever to finding out what made muggles like Verwood and Carterson, whom were in the same year as me, seemed to possess magical ability without any direct lineage to a wizard. I'd hoped that if I made this discovery, that I would be hailed, be talked about for centuries to come.

I was a smart fellow, of course I was, I was set for astounding things. My father had wanted me to become a philosopher, like the great Nicolas Flamel. Though I had different plans entirely. My Mother of course had wanted nothing but happiness for me but saw naught but destruction in my chosen path. I'd figured as much, since her mind was beginning to melt, that she would have visions like that of that quack Trelawney. I don't doubt the Dark Lord and his decision upon this matter but if it were up to me I would just have someone kidnap the boy once he is born, then of course would I slay him. Wrench his pathetic head from his body and be done with it.

Does the Dark Lord listen to what I, a small Death Eater in training, has to say? No. He'd rather go with that deranged lunatics plan. Bellatrix doesn't know what she is talking about, and Pettigrew? I couldn't trust him as far as I could throw him. No, a plan like this will only fail with bumbling idiots like them. The Dark Lord would be much better off taking me, but such as the rules are, he can only give me my Mark once I have left this horrid school behind. Just two more months. I can bare it...just two more...

"Did you hear it? He's only gone and sworn his allegiance to you-know-who!" I heard a voice whisper as I was stirred from my sleep. As soon as I heard it my eyes were dart open. Luckily I wasn't facing them. I look back now and I recognise this as the beginning of my paranoia. Then again being paranoid doesn't exactly mean that they aren't after you.

"What, Crouch? The Minister of Magic's son? Go away with ya'!" A second voice chirped in quietly. They all hoped not to rouse me, but it was far too late. I was already awake and listening intently to their conversation.

"No seriously! Cassiopeia told me! And you know who her sister is. Apparently her sister told her. Said he was quickly going to 'rise in the ranks' if you catch my drift." I recognised the voice as that of Vincy Crabbe. He was always causing trouble. He was definitely going to be a follower one day but he'd probably just run like a coward if we were caught.

"Cassiopeia is full of crap and you know it. She's already ruined his reputation. I'll say it as a bet that she fancies him really. Just you wait and see." The other boys dismissed him and went back to their own beds. I sighed quietly to myself, allowing my tongue to flicker slightly over my upper lip. I'd always had the habit from being a child. My father hated it, and would give me such a whipping if I ever did it.

He would always tell me: "You look like a snake! It's bad enough you were placed into that house, now you're acting like one of them! No son of mine will become a mindless shallow vindictive man!"

For every time he whipped me, I counted that as two unforgivables I'd use on him. There were three, in the old magic days there were 10, but as time grew on and advances in defensive magic came about the list was shortened to but three. I promised to use all ten on him. After that I'd destroy his mind with occulmency. I was particularly fond of that type of magic and I'd reckoned it would serve me well in times to come. For now I would wait, bide my time, and then when he is least expecting it. Like a lion...I'll pounce. And he shall fall.