Death Eaters... Forever?

Defence against the Dark Arts was the first class I had, and while many people greeted me back with open arms, a few were still convinced I was a Death Eater. I couldn’t really blame them; being an ex-convict wasn’t exactly the nicest thing to have on one’s CV.

“Ah, Kyera, yes, I’ve heard that you are joining us for the remainder of the year. I’m Professor Slughorn. Now don’t worry, I will teach you the basics of this school year, since you missed it.” I smiled, more because I was amused that he thought I might need help.

After briefing the class on a simple spell called Gordia Loira, which dispelled a simple ward on certain objects, he turned to me.

“Now, what have you-?”

“I may have been in Azkaban for six months, but if I had wanted to, I would’ve taken my NEWTs last year.” He gasped. “As it is, I have created new curses and spells, which helped me in the Department of Mysteries at the end of last school year.” His large face turned pale, and he looked unable to take in what I’d just told him.

After that, he gave me the work he assigned other students, although I already knew it.

About a week later, when I was beginning to get back into routine, Slughorn asked me to come to a lunch he was hosting in his office. He seemed so insistent that I thought I might as well.

XXX
“Ah, Kyera, you’re the first one to arrive! I think you’ll know most of the students who are joining us – Blaise Zabini, Ginny Weasley, Cormac McLaggen, Hermione Granger, Melinda Bobbin and, of course, Harry Potter. Did I miss anyone? No, I don’t believe I did,” I watched the large man babble on, amused.

“Blaise! And Cormac, too! Oh, I’m so glad you could join us!” I swear that man was on something.

After everyone arrived – Harry looked resentful about having to come – we all sat down to ‘talk’.

“So, Miss Granger, tell us about yourself,” Slughorn began, sipping at his tea.

“Um… I’m Muggleborn, I love books, Ginny, Kyera, Harry, Ron and Autumn are my best friends…” She trailed off, not knowing what else to say.

“Brilliant! Well, we’ll go around the circle and introduce ourselves like Miss Granger did, shall we?” I began to have a creeping suspicion, but I’d already drunk most of my tea. “We’ll start with Mr Zabini.”

From what they told us, I managed to build up a mental image of each person’s personality.
“Now you, Miss Wilson.” I looked up, butterflies assaulting my stomach.

“I’m a half- uh, pureblood, I love Quidditch, I hate Azkaban and Fenrir Greyback, and my best friends are just like Hermione’s.” Wow that was a close call - I didn't think it was such a good idea for anyone here to know about my Elvin blood. He beamed.

“Okay, well you can tell us all about your last few years at Hogwarts and…elsewhere, can’t you?”

“I’d rather not.” His face fell. “But if I must.” I rolled my eyes as he beamed again.

“First year to third year was pretty normal – if you can call me helping Harry and the others normal – and in the fourth year I stopped the impostor Barty Jr – pretending to be Moody – from staying at Hogwarts. In fifth year, I helped to set up the DA, and I also helped in the Ministry of Magic to fight the Death Eaters. Or at least until Barty Jr Apparated away with me.”

“Tell us about how you got your silver tattoo.” It was common knowledge around the school, almost as famous as Harry’s scar, and I’d gotten used to people asking to take a look.

However, I didn’t want to say, as it might slip out how close I was to the Dark Lord; who, in fact, I missed. I found that my suspicions that the tea was laced with Veritaserum were correct when I began to talk against my will.

“The Dark Lord tried to torture me into joining him, and the second time he entered my dreams, he gave it to me to ‘Mark’ me.” Slughorn’s eyes bulged and he turned pale.

“Get out,” he hissed at me, as though I’d just personally insulted him.

XXX
After that, he stayed away from me.

The next day, Malfoy approached me for the first time in almost seven months.

“Kyera! My father wants you in his study now – although how you’re going to get out of the school grounds-” I Apparated, leaving him standing there open-mouthed. I was going to have to do something about that.

“You wished to see me?” I asked Lucius, who was in his study, poring over a piece of parchment.

“Oh, there you are. No, not me, the Dark Lord – he’s in the dungeon.” Seriously, why didn’t Tom just meet me in the living room?

I walked down into the dungeon, partly dreading the meeting after so long without his presence.

“Kyera,” Tom smiled at me, standing up from the chair he sat at to greet me.

“Hi, Tom.”

“You look great – especially considering you were in Azkaban for half a year.” I blushed at the compliment.

“Thanks, but it’s all due to my Elvin blood.” He nodded, and I realised that he already knew.

“So are you mad at me?” Tom asked. I cocked my head to the side.

“What for?”

“Leaving you in that hell hole for so long.” My face darkened. I didn’t want to think about it. “I’m sorry. I tried to get one of my Death Eaters captured from the moment you were convicted, but every time that happened, they were simply killed. I finally got one caught though. I hope you’ll forgive me.” He fell to his knees, looking up at me with guilt written all over his pretty face. I was alarmed; the Dark Lord, on the floor, for me?

“Get up; of course I bloody well forgive you!” When he didn’t move, I grabbed his silky hands and pulled him up. He looked down at me with an expression I couldn’t put a finger on, but then he smiled at me and all thoughts were wiped from my mind.

“Thank you. I’ve never felt so…guilty before.” He seemed to mean it, and I had to remember how to breathe.

“I thought you were supposed to be the merciless and unfeeling Dark Lord?” I joked, trying to act as if he wasn’t affecting me. He laughed, a twinkle in his eyes.

“So did I, so did I,” he replied jovially and Apparated from the room.

XXX
When I returned to school, I was sent to the Headmaster’s office.

“Kyera, I hope that skipping school won’t become a regular occurrence,” Dumbledore said disapprovingly. I considered telling him what happened, but I wasn’t sure he’d take my apparent infatuation with Voldemort so great. Instead, I shrugged.

“I’m sorry, it won’t happen regularly,” I replied. But it will happen, I added silently.
I hope.

He simply nodded, looking at me with his calculating gaze, as if seeing through my act. I felt uncomfortable, and was glad to leave.

When I returned to class – we had Defence against the Dark Arts – it had already begun.

“Sorry I’m late, sir,” I said to Slughorn, and took my seat next to Harry and Hermione. The teacher began to prattle on about the various illegal curses (not the Unforgivables) so I zoned out. Until, that is, he said something about the Vindicivis Curse. It was my favourite curse, and had inspired me to make my own; the victim basically thought that his friends were his enemies and vice versa. Unfortunately, it didn’t last long, and had nasty side effects. I’d considered experimenting with it, but since I usually tested on myself, I was unable to because it was a mind curse, and wouldn’t affect me.

“…it would have been one of the Unforgivable Curses, too, but because of its short life and long term side effects, it was deemed as ‘unworthy’. However, many younger witches and wizards have been victims of this curse, and it did not seem to affect them as it did older ones. It has never been known to fail, and today we will be practising a mild version of it and its counter-spell. Take out your wands and pair up.” Oh dear…

“Um, sir? I feel sick; can I go to the infirmary?” I lied skilfully, and he nodded at me, only mildly concerned. I grabbed my wand and disappeared out the door before taking a greenish sweet from my pocket.

“I love the twins,” I whispered to myself, popping the greener side in my mouth.

Immediately, the Puking Pastille took effect, and by the time I got to the infirmary, I had already thrown up multiple times, cleaning it with a cleansing spell as I went.

“Oh, darling! Are you alright?” The nurse came over to me with a hastily grabbed bowl, in which I promptly threw up.

When the nurse left me, I ate the other side of the Puking Pastille and felt better straight away, as if I hadn’t been sick to begin with.

So much for not ditching class.

XXX
“Kyera, can I talk to you for a mo?” Seamus asked with his typical Irish accent as I entered the Gryffindor common room. As usual, I wasn’t going back to my own dormitory until I absolutely had to. Draco had been rather distant lately, so I didn’t even have him there for me in Slytherin; Autumn had, predictably, gotten into Gryffindor.

Seamus was one of my friends, although he wasn’t close.

“Um, sure…” I was confused, but not for long.

“Do you like anyone? You know, really like them?” I stared at him for a moment.
“Yes,” I replied carefully, avoiding his gaze. I knew I still had feelings for Fred, but I also didn’t want him getting into trouble because he was associated with me, which I knew would happen if I went out with him again.

I also knew I had feelings for Tom Riddle, but I was trying my hardest to get over them. That would be a simply impossible relationship, even if he did feel the same.

“Who?” I decided to tell the truth – partly.

“Fred Weasley.”

“Oh.” He looked put out, and I realised why he’d asked. God am I slow on the uptake, I thought.

“I’m sorry, Seamus, but you know we’ll still be friends, right?” He smiled half-heartedly and walked back to the boys’ dorm.

XXX
That night, I couldn’t sleep. Instead, I decided to slip outside. I Apparated to Hagrid’s hut and knocked on the door politely.

“Who’s there?” Hagrid, suspicious as always, yanked the door open. When he realised it was me, he relaxed and bundled me inside.

“What’re you doin’ here at this hour?”

“I couldn’t sleep. Mind if I talk to you about something?” He sighed and nodded.

“Well, I found something in a book about the Elvin, but it didn’t say much… I was wondering if you could tell me about them. How can they be immortal? Is there anything that can kill them? Why have they disappeared? And what happens if they mate with a human?”

“Wow, that’s, er…right. Well, you know the elves are immortal, and full blood elves can’t die unless they give up their will to live.” He still had his accent, although I wasn’t particularly aware of it. “Half-bloods – what happens when they mate with a human – are much the same, although there’s only been one known half-elf in history – Ractar. He was one of the strongest wizards in the world, too. Unfortunately, after his mortal wife died, he gave up his will to live, too.

“However, those who have Elvin blood in them – for example, their great-great-great-grandfather was an elf – are susceptible to certain things. One of these is Elvin or half-Elvin blood, which renders their own useless – they need just one drop of the blood on their skin and they are able to die normally. Also, Elvin blood have the fastest healing properties, so it is valuable to humans as well.

“The reason the elves disappeared was-”

“Thanks, Hagrid, that’s all that I need to know!” I Apparated back to my dorm, leaving him standing there confused, mouth still open.