Chapter 10
Draco quickly sat down in one of the arm chairs. He was still clutching his left arm where the Dark Mark had been burned into his skin. Bellatrix and Narcissa hurried back into the room. Bellatrix looked even more ecstatic, whereas Narcissa looked like she was dreading something.
"Draco," began the Dark Lord. "There is a man whom I am sure you've heard of. He is the leader and founder of the Order of the Phoenix. He is also currently the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I believe that you are still attending Hogwarts, aren't you?"
"Yes," said Draco. "I'm going to be starting my sixth year in September."
"Many Death Eaters can only dream of having the honor of killing Albus Dumbledore," continued the Dark Lord. "And I have decided who will be assigned this mission. Do you know who that Death Eater is, Draco?"
Draco shook his head. The Dark Lord smiled unpleasantly. The gigantic snake on the floor slithered closer to the Dark Lord and lifted its head. The Dark Lord stroked it as if it were a dog.
"The person who has been assigned this task," said the Dark Lord. "Is you, Draco."
Narcissa gasped. Bellatrix glared at her and hissed, "Be quiet!" The Dark Lord ignored both of them.
"It does not matter how you choose to assassinate Dumbledore," continued the Dark Lord. "While at Hogwarts, you must also find a way for Death Eaters to enter the school undetected. This must all happen by the end of this school year. If you succeed, you and your family shall be rewarded. However, there have been far too many failures as far as your family is concerned and I have no use for followers who cannot serve me properly. If you fail this task, you and your family will be disposed of."
"My Lord," protested Bellatrix. "Lucius has nothing to do with me. I have always been faithful…"
"If Draco fails," said the Dark Lord. "The punishment will not concern you, Bella."
Bellatrix immediately sat back down and returned to her state of silent excitement.
"Do you understand the task that you have been assigned, Draco?" asked the Dark Lord, turning to Draco.
"Yes." murmured Draco. When Bellatrix frowned at him, he corrected himself, "Yes, my Lord."
"Good," said the Dark Lord. "None of you are to tell any of this to anyone. You and your family may go now, Draco."
Draco gulped and got up. He hastily left the room. He was even paler than usual now. He was still in a state of shock and horror, and the thought of what he was expected to do made him feel sick and frightened. He passed several other Death Eaters on the way upstairs, but he wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. He ran upstairs and locked himself in his bedroom.
Sky Lorrel's assortment of potions was still sitting on a table by the side of his bed. The bottle containing the potion that she had given him earlier that day was still there. It was labeled "Calming Draught." Draco felt like he would need to swallow the whole bottle to calm his nerves. He lay down flat on his bed and stared at the ceiling, wondering why in the world the Dark Lord would ask a teenage boy who had just become a Death Eater minutes ago to do something so challenging and so important.
There was a knock at the door. "Draco!" called Bellatrix from the other side of the door. "Unlock the door! I want to talk to you about a few things!"
Draco slowly made his way towards the door and let Bellatrix in.
"Where's my mother?" asked Draco.
Bellatrix shrugged and replied, "Somewhere downstairs." She beamed at him and Draco smiled back at her, nervously.
"We're very proud of you, Draco!" she exclaimed. "You're so young, and yet you are already starting to serve the Dark Lord. You understand what a privilege this is, don't you?"
"Yes." Draco lied.
"And despite the fact that you have only become a Death Eater today," continued Bellatrix. "You have already been assigned an extremely important mission!"
Draco said nothing. He definitely didn't feel honored by what had happened and he certainly was not thrilled about becoming a Death Eater. He wanted to be alone. He wished that Bellatrix would leave.
"Your mother and I are delighted that you are now a Death Eater," said Bellatrix, gesturing towards Draco's left arm where the Dark Mark had been branded onto his skin. "And your uncles would be as pleased about it as I am if they knew."
She sighed and laughed. Draco said nothing in response. Bellatrix stayed by his bed for a few more minutes, talking about how great of a privilege it was to serve the Dark Lord. Finally, Draco told her that he'd like to go to bed and she left.
As soon as Bellatrix closed the door, Draco locked it again and began to pace back and forth, thinking about his mission. After a while, Draco decided that there was no point in accepting the fact that he and his family were most likely doomed. He would try to device and carry out an assassination plan, even if it would be extremely difficult.
Draco did not by any means want to murder anyone, but his life and the lives of the people he loved and cared about were at risk. Draco didn't believe that his family or the Dark Lord expected him to succeed, but he would at least try to prove them wrong. It was not like Draco to simply accept failure, and that wasn't really an option anyway.