666

Chapter 17

666

I named the elves One through Twenty. One was my favorite. He was tall for an elf, with a hunched back and a coarse and harsh voice. He actually chuckled when I ordered them all to travel to Diagon Alley in London and break into 'Quality Quidditch Supplies' and steal all of the youth sized quidditch padding.

I wanted them to wear some kind of armor. I did not want a repeat of Dobby. Maybe the enchanted padding could do them some good when I made them face off with the muggle gangs in Russia, soon.

Hermione fiddled her new 'promise' ring and her new white gold necklace as she read Magik Moste Foule. The necklace was covered in rubies and and diamonds. “What are you going to do with so many house elves, Draco?” Hermione questioned as she looked up from her new ring.

I looked up from the racing broom I was taking apart twig by twig. “You remember what I said about the war thats coming?”

“The one with You-know-who?” She questioned.

“No. The one that will happen when the muggles find out about wizard kind. The war against people who will take our babies from us and put them in labs to study.”

She frowned. “How will the little beasts help with that?” After finding out most house elves were rapists and murderers, her attitude involving them had done a complete 180. Dobby was still special to her and I, because of the memories attached to him.

She hated One through Twenty with a passion, however. Not that I blamed her. She was a little girl, and still saw the world in mostly white and black. Her recent troubles with Voldemort and living in Malfoy Manor had shown her the shades of gray somewhat. I dared not tell her that I had led the Azkaban breakout, yet.

“The only option I can see to win against the muggles Hermione is two options.” I'd thought long and hard about this. “The first option is to fight all the muggles and their armies at once.” Hermione filched.

“Option number two, is to escape.” I said.

Hermione was confused bey my statement. “What do you mean, escape?”

I took her hand and pulled her up off the bed. I led her by her hand to the balcony and pointed up at the moon. “Muggles landed there thirty years ago.” I pointed to Jupiter and Mars. “Theyve landed rovers on both of those planets.”

“Wizards have archaic laws and the allow the slavery of muggles.” I said passionately. “They fight wars over basic human rights, like the right for muggleborns to live.” I paused. “These things have to change, Hermione. I don't want our children to grow up fearing for their lives from this Dark Lord or another. I don't want them running scared from the muggles.” I pointed back up at the sky. “Wizards and witches must migrate to the stars, Hermione.”

Hermione just gave me a blank look.

“Think about it. We have weightless charms to battle inertia, air freshing charms to provide fresh air. Apperation is faster than light travel. Magic carpets and broomsticks for flight. Fidelius charms for stealth from the muggles. Space expansion charms to store as many things as needed to start on a new world.” I paused again. “Think about it Hermione. We can take only the wizards that think like we do, and leave the rest behind.”

“Like You-know-who.” She whispered, lost in thought.

“He marked me last night, Hermione.” I began to pull up my sleeve. “He branded me against my will.” I showed her the black skull with a snake coming out of it's mouth. “I have to escape, Hermione. I have to escape, And I need your help.”

She stared at the tattoo in mounting horror. “What is that?” She questioned. “I've never seen it before.”

“It's the mark that the Dark Lord brands his slaves with.” I looked down, ashamed. “He tortured me and then branded me.” I whispered. “You have to help me escape.”

“I will Draco, We will leave together.” Hermione promised as she stared at the brand on my arm. I hissed in pain suddenly.

“What is it, Draco?” She asked, concerned.

“He makes the brand hurt when he is calling for me.” I moved over to my trunk. “I have to come in uniform, or he will hunt me down and kill me.” Hermione covered her mouth as tears leaked from her eyes.

I donned the death-eater robes and held the silver mask in one hand and the glass globe in the other. I faced Hermione. “I don't know what he will want me to do, but I know...” I paused. “It won't be anything good.” I grimaced. “I want you to know that I will do whatever it takes to protect you, and to come back to you, safely.” I added.

I donned the mask and drew my wand. “I love you.” I meant it. There was no one else I was closer to in the world. “I will be back later tonight or early tomorrow.” I promised.

I drew my wand and tapped the globe with it. “Malfoy Manor.”

I heard Hermione whisper through her tears. I love you too,” before the swirling colors took me away.

666

I appeared in the Voldemort's study. He sat at the desk, leaning back, with his fingers laced together over his lap. “

I fell to my knees, with my head bowed. Hopefully he wouldn't notice the hatred in my eyes.

“I have a new mission for you tonight. But it requires a certain skill.” I heard the chair creak as Voldemort leaned forwards in the chair. “You've used the learning spell before, I'll perform it, and give you a half hour to practice before your mission.”

I felt pain, comparable with the cruciatus, only localized to my head. I was getting used to intense bouts of pain. I'd felt the cruciatus far too often not to. As the spell lifted, I knew how to apperate. I knew the laws. I knew the dangers. I knew procedures to do so.

“You have a half hour to practice, then I will give you your mission.” I looked up at the Dark Lord through pained eyes as my head pounded.

“I will splinch myself in this condition, my Lord.” I spoke quietly. Every sound made my head hurt worse.

“Smoke this, young Draco.” He handed me a bong. “I find it helps with pain. If you splinch yourself before your mission, I will kill your pet mudblood.” I paled, took the bong with a bow and backed out of the room.

Taking a huge rip off the bong, I made my way to my bedroom. It had calming draught as the bong water as I'd suggested to the Dark Lord. Anything to calm his high stung ass down was a good thing.

After I put the bong down on my bedroom desk, I tried to apperate. I heard a loud bang as I reappeared on the opposite side of my bed. I practice moving back and forth across my bed for the better part of a half hour.

I had managed to get the loud banging noise down to a cracking sound, like a bull-whip. I felt my dark mark begin to sting as I approached the study door. The Dark Lord was calling me. I knocked on the door. I could not help but feel nervous. I was going to do something dangerous. And Illegal. And potentially murder some people.

I tried to stop my dick from getting hard.

“Enter Draco.” The Dark Lord called through the door. As I entered, I noticed him having a conversation with his snake.

“Tonight you are going to attack the Prewett home. It has recently been rebuilt after I destroyed it myself 13 years ago.” He hissed some more to his snake. “I've had word the Weasley family is hiding there, and I want it destroyed once more.”

“You will have four others to help you in your mission, but you are in charge of this raid. This is another test for you, and if you try any funny business, like warning the Weasleys to escape, they will kill you.”

I nodded. “Yes, my Lord.” I was filled with nervousness.

“Meet the others in the entrance hall.” The Dark Lord waved a hand in dismissal before continuing his conversation with his familiar and horcrux. “No you may not eat wormtail!” I heard him shout in indignant English before going into a slew of hissing words as I shut the door behind me.

I walked to the entrance hall where four robed and masked individuals stood in waiting. I walked up to them and studied them. I lifted my mask up. “My name is Draco Malfoy, I'm in charge here.” I looked around at the others. “”Unmask and tell me who you are, or I will make sure you die on this mission.”

“Ooooh, Ickle Draco has grown claws. Yes.” The female voice of the death-eater that stood to my right practically revealed who she was before she raised her mask. Bellatrix Lestrange. “How I missed you Ickle Dragon.” She sighed. “Do you remember when I used to bounce you on my knee?”

I pointed a wand at her. “Crucio.” She fell to the ground, clawing at her own skin. I let up on the spell after two Mississippis.

“Are you done reliving childhood memories?” I asked dryly. She shook her head, white faced. I heard her whisper to the death-eater next to her 'almost as strong as the Dark Lord's'

“Now you, Introduce yourself.” I pointed to the man next to Bellatrix. He removed his mask to show a scarred face with sunken cheeks. “Names Rudolphus Lestrange.” Was all he said.

“And you?” I pointed at the man next to Rudolpus. He pulled up his mask to show a pock-marked and thin face with rotted teeth and a big nose. “Walden Macnair.” He said before putting his mask back on.

“You?” I pointed to the last in line. He raised a shaking hand to remove his mask. The man was round, short, and balding. He had buck teeth and whiskers growing wild and unkempt out of his cheeks.”Peter, Peter Pettigrew” He stuttered.

“I heard you lived with the Weasleys for twelve years as a rat.” I stated.

He nodded. “I 'am a rat animagus.” He admitted. “I found it comfortable to be a light wizard's pet that to scrounge for food.”

I rolled my eyes. “You didn't thing of just using confundus on a muggle and living in their home, fool? You chose to live with the Weasleys? You damned idiot.”

Time to get back to business. “The Weasleys have portkeys after their close call at their last home, So we are going to have to set up anti-portkey wards quickly and quietly. Macnair I'm leaving that to you.” Macnair nodded.

“Next we have to stop them from apperating away.” I looked at Pettigrew.”You don't have to set up a full ward, just an apperation blocking barrier will do.” The barrier would allow apperation inside the barrier, but not outside it. “Don't fail, or Nagini will eat you.” I added. His face paled as he nodded.

“And you.” I pointed to my 'Auntie Bellatrix' “Will wait until the ward and barriers are up and will then blast through the front door, causing as much damage and noise as possible. Go directly for their floo connection and destroy it.”

“You,” I pointed at Rudolphus. “Will be going in through the back door as soon as Bellatrix makes her entrance. We will only use the killing spell. No stunners, no blood boiling hexes or anything of the like. We are there to kill them all as quickly as possible.”

I pitied having to kill Fred and George. They were good old fashioned coke fiends and I might actually miss them a little bit. Ron could die screaming for all I cared however.

We apperated a half mile from the Prewett property. Macnair took to the air on a broom and began laying out ward stones every few hundred meters. Pettegrew immediately fell to his knees and began to chant. I could feel an invisible barrier as I passed him on my way to the Prewett home.

I felt the tingle go down my spine as the anti-portkey ward was raised.

“Go Bellatrix.” She cackled like the mad woman she was as she ran towards the front door, shouting. “Wakey, Wakey, muggle-lovers.” A sound like a shotgun went off as she blasted the front door off it's hinges.

I apperated to the back door and cast a silent unlocking charm with a flick of my wand. I entered a kitchen with an attached dining room. There was a girl poking her head out of the pantry, looking in the direction of the insanely shouting Bellatrix.

“Avada Kadavra.” There was a flash of green and the little girl locked eyes with me for just one instant before the light left her eyes. I summoned her body and used the engorgement charm to make her a bit bigger. The best shield is a human shield, I always say.

I placed the marionette spell on the girl and had her scurrying up the servant's stairs in the kitchen. I followed closely. There was a fat woman at the top of the stairs.

“Ginny! Thank god you are-” A flash of green light took her life away. I dropped the marionette spell on 'Ginny' and used it on the fat Weasley woman. She had far more girth to hide behind. I had her open the first door in the hallway.

Percy lay shivering on top of the sheets, in his night clothes. “Mother there are-.” Another flash of green light sucked the life right out of him.

I could hear a man shouting as he dueled with Bellatrix downstairs. I could care less who won the fight between the two. I had the marionette Weasly go to the next door in the hallway, it was empty, with disheveled sheets. It was far larger than Percy's room so I took it to be the master bedroom.

I had the marionette open the next room, to find Fred and George, looking defiant and ready to fight. “Mother thank god. We though we were-.”

A loud cracking sound filled the air as both of their necks snapped at once in my telekinetic grip. I broke my own rule about only using killing curses, dammit.

I flew forwards suddenly, into the fat bulky back of the Weasley matron. “You stay away from my mum!” A familiar called out from behind me. I looked over my shoulders and snapped my fingers at the same time. The little idiot had used a knock-back jinx on me.

A roaring inferno rose under Ron Weasley's. It was a simple incendio with a air freshening charm blowing on it., But Ron knew neither the flame freezing charm or thought to conjure water. He screamed a shrill cry as his robes caught fire. Another flash of green ended his squealing suffrage.

I could still hear spells being shouted downstairs, So I moved my Molly marionette toward the mansion's spiral staircase. The marionette spell was the training spell and precursor to learning the real animation charm. It worked only when you were concentrating on it, unlike the animation spell that truly animated an object.

Molly made all the sound of a raging buffalo as I clumsily had her make her way into the battle going on down stairs.

“Molly, I told you to stay with the kids.” A red haired man shouted as He took cover behind an overturned couch. I banished the body into the man' surprised face. Her weight sent them both crashing through the table and right into Bellatrix's spell-fire. A red light struck Arthur Weasley before he began to scream in agony.

“I told you killing curses only, you rat bitch.” I screamed at the woman across the room. “Finish him off so we can get the bloody damn well away from here before the aurors start showing up!”

“Fine.” I could hear her sigh before a flash of green light ended Arthur Weasley's life.

I resized a broom from my pants pocket and blasted a hole in the wall before flying out.

“Sonorus.” I cast the loudspeaker spell on my throat.

“MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. BACK TO BASE!” I called out loudly. I soared upwards as I canceled the charm on my throat. I flew up higher and higher until I felt the tingle of passing the anti-apperation barrier.

I pointed my wand downwards at the now burning house. Ron's body must be quite the kindling.

“Morsmordre!” I called out the spell.

A giant green snake slithered through the mouth of a giant green skull in the sky above the burning home.

I apperated away.

666

“You have impressed me again, Draco.” The Dark lord hissed as I knelt at his feet. Macnair, the Lestranges, and Pettigrew Knelt next to me at the Dark Lord's feet. This killing of the Weasley seemed pointless to me.

This whole war of blood purity seemed pointless.

“It is time for your reward, Draco.” Voldemort spoke. I heard the rustling of his robes as he drew his wand from within. I braced myself for the pain. “Crucio!” Bellatrix began to shriek in agony. Voldemort held the curse a few more seconds. “Did my apprentice not tell you to only use Killing curses and you disobeyed him.?”

Bellatrix had tears in her eyes as she nodded.

“Now for your reward.” I was unprepared for the pain as another spell flashed into my mind. The wand motions and incantation of the ignis flagellum. The spell that killed Dobby. I learned it's uses and limitations in moments. It hurt far less that learning apperation or Magical Russian.

I wanted to cast it on the Dark Lord then and there, but it would be futile. He had the philosopher's stone and seven horcruxes. I could not kill him, yet.

“You may go now, Draco.”

I pulled my wand and tapped the glass globe once more. “Durmstrang.”

I disappeared in a whirl of color, bitter and disillusioned.

666

Hermione waited on my on the bed, curled up and finishing Magik Moste Foule. “How was it?” She asked. I stripped off my death-eater robes and mask and let them fall to the floor.

I gave a one word answer “Horrible.” I grinned suddenly, “I can do this now.” I apperated to the other side of the room with a loud crack.

Hermione startled at the sound. “How did you learn to apperate so fast? Can you teach me? What did You-know-who make you do?” She asked in a single breath.

I tried to answer as best I could. “The Dark Lord did that spell he used to teach us magical Russian. I can teach you how to apperate tomorrow, I am very tired, tonight, I've been up late the last two nights.” I answered her first two questions. 'The Dark lord sent me to lead a raid against a pureblood family who supported muggle rights.”

Hermione frowned. “What did you do?”

“He said that if I failed, He would kill you.” I dropped my head into my hands. “The blood war is all so useless. The muggles will find us all anyway.”

“What did you do, Draco?” She asked again.

I looked at her hesitantly. “You promise you won't hate me?” I felt myself tearing up for the first time in a long time.

Hermione wrapped her arms around me. “I promise, I'll forgive you for whatever you did.” I began to sob into her shirt as I told her the story of how I'd murdered the entire Weasley family on the Dark Lord's orders.

“I don't blame you Draco.” Hermione had tears in her own eyes. “You had no choice.”

“Yes I did.” I disagreed. “I could have let him kill you.” I knew I was hurting her feelings. “But you are more important than the Weasleys.”

Hermione burst into tears and sobbed as hard as she had when Narcissa had told her her parents had died. We climbed into bed and pulled the sheets over us as we held each-other, crying.