Chapter Text
After last year’s events nothing was going to be the same in the Wizarding world. The Ministry of Magic finally accepted the return of the Dark Lord. Voldemort had already begun recruiting heavily by the beginning of their fifth year and Draco Malfoy was meant to join his army and become a deatheater like his father.
It was during the holidays before their sixth year begun. Harry, Ron and Hermione were on their way back from Weasleys Wizard Wheezes, Fred and George’s new shop which was right on the alley of Ollivanders’. They were standing just outside it when Ron happened to see Draco and his mother, Narcissa heading towards Borgin and Burkes, making sure they weren’t being followed. Harry had immediately become aware of the fact that they were up to no good. The three of them followed Draco and his mother all the way to Borgin and Burkes and managed to spy on what was going on inside.
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Pansy and Mrs. Parkinson were in the middle of a debate over the up and coming designers when Draco’s owl entered flying into their mansion. Pansy practically ripped the letter out of the owl’s beak (and forgot to feed him too!!) and shooed him away. It had been weeks since Draco had last written to her. Frankly she was getting worried for him based on the bits and pieces of information Draco had given her in his last letter. She rushed to her room as fast as her mother would allow her to run and bolted the door behind her. She opened Draco’s letter and began reading.
“Dear Pansy,
I know I haven’t written to you in weeks and I’m sorry about that. But in my defense a lot had been going on here. After father failed to bring the prophecy to the Dark Lord, he was furious but knowing my father he gave him another chance. I am going to be given the chance of making things right for my family.
The Dark Lord chose me for his next plan. I will be getting the Dark Mark before school starts and I'm going to have to find a way to breach the security in Hogwarts so that auntie Bella and some other deatheaters can enter Hogwarts. I still don’t know how I'm going to manage to sneak a couple deatheaters into school but I’ll work that out later.
I’ll write to u again soon.
Love,
Draco.”
After reading the letter Pansy sat there in shock for a couple minutes talking to herself, “I can’t believe this, Draco’s getting the Dark Mark!” “He’s been chosen by the Dark Lord!” She couldn’t contain her excitement and proceeded to burn Draco’s letter and then write back to him.
“Dear Draco,
It’s alright that you couldn’t write to me for a while. As long as I know you’re fine, I'm alright.
I'm so happy for you. You’ve been chosen by the Dark Lord. This means he thinks you’re are capable of fulfilling his wishes. You have been given the chance to make things right for your family, don’t screw it up. And don’t worry about the planning, I’ll help you there.
Lets discuss the rest of the matters in person. Write back soon.
Love
Pansy”
She sealed the letter and owled it to Draco immediately. She and Draco never revealed what they wanted to say in fear of their families intercepting their letters. She was so worried about him that she could barely eat. Over the next few days a lot had happened.
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It was a few days before school started; Draco was in his room packing his trunk. He no longer used house-elves to help him with such things because he had various things he’d rather his father stayed oblivious of. He was in the middle of trying to find his potions textbook when he heard a knock on his door. “Come in!” he said. It was Biddy, their house-elf. She meekly entered his room and said “Biddy is very sorry to disturb master but Biddy has come to inform master that your mother has asked for you. She is in the library.” Draco sighed “alright Biddy. Thank you.” She looked at him as if she were stunned; she’d never been thanked by anyone before least of all Master Malfoy. “What are you staring at? You can go.” Draco said in a slightly raised voice and Biddy quietly left. He had never really taken to treating house elves the way his father did. Although in the past few years he had to learn to talk to one just like his father after Dobby ran off. He spoke to them harshly but never went past that.
Ten minutes later Draco walked into the library. His mother was sitting on one of the many luxurious chairs near the empty fire place, clutching a scroll in her hands. “You asked for me mother?” he said. She replied “Get dressed immediately. We are leaving for headquarters. The ceremony has been preponed to today.” She spoke with fear in her eyes, only Draco could see it, she was his mother. “Yes mother.” He said to her before leaving the room.
Draco was in his room, sitting on the edge of his bed, his head in his hands. His father had been preparing him for this for as long as he could remember. “The Dark Lord can see into your mind. If he thinks of you as worthy you will be bestowed with the mark.” He had said. Draco was only a child when he was told this and had absentmindedly asked his father “But what if he thinks I'm unworthy?” His father looked at him sternly and coldly said “You will be removed from his services, for good. There is no place for weakness here Draco. When you are old enough, the Dark Lord will test you. You must be completely devoted to him or you must learn to shield your mind from him; because any weakness, any minor doubt will get you killed.” He could do this. He had been working for this his whole life. He stood up and looked at himself in the mirror. He saw the face of a scared little boy behind those grey eyes, begging him to not do this. Taking a deep breath, he thought of the first day at Hogwarts, when Potter had rejected his hand for Weasley. The memory brought anger surging through him. He opened his eyes and all he saw was a blank face of a soldier, ready for battle.
Draco met his mother back in the library in exactly 20 minutes. She was dressed in dark grey satin robes lined with fur. She never dressed in black, Draco noticed. Draco on the other hand always dressed in black. He was wearing a custom made, therefore very expensive, two-piece suit with a black tie around his neck. He wore a dark grey watch; it was a gift from his father, under the sleeve of his coat. As he walked into the library, Narcissa turned to look at him with tears in her eyes. Draco was startled by this. Narcissa Malfoy never cried. But before he could ask her any questions, she took his hands in hers and pulled him into a hug. This struck Draco as odd but given that he had just seen her cry, he said nothing. She pulled away and gave him a kiss on the cheek and they apparated to headquarters.