RIDDLE ME THIS

48

the Room of Requirement was full of Slytherins.

Draco had found the room years ago and suggested it as a meeting place, and now every student in our house filled the space.

Tom, Matteo and i stood on a raised platform, overlooking those gathered.

"i'll get straight to the point here." Tom addressed everyone. "our Father needs more Death Eaters. he needs you."

whispers broke out and we let them talk.

"why should we help?!" someone shouted.

"yeah, what's in it for us?" another seconded.

"your lives." i told them bluntly. "if you refuse to join his army, you will die."

the whisperings ceased abruptly.

"what makes you think we want to be part of this so called army?" a nameless face yelled.

"what makes you think we wanted it?" Matteo glared at the boy.

"what you need to understand," Tom said slowly. "is that you will not always get a chance in life... and this is one of those times."

there was a long silence in which people looked at their friends, communicating silently.

"i will join you." Blaize Zabini stepped forward.

"so will i." Theo Nott came forth.

"and i." Enzo Berkshire stood by his friends.

i bowed my head in thanks to them as a cacophony of voices rose, pledging their allegiance.

"anyone who does not wish to join us," Tom silenced the cries. "come forward."

the room went still.

then from the back, a girl and a boy who i dimly recognised from the year below pushed their way forward.

"Ella and Digby O'Connor." the boy said though a thick Irish accent.

"you would rather die than join us?" Tom cocked his head.

"that's not what i'm saying-"

"it's what i'm saying." my brother corrected.

the girl—Ella—turned white as a sheet as Tom took out his wand.

i didn't know what he was doing, but i was going to have to stay silent.

"no, please!" Digby tried to shield his sister.

"you give me no choice, O'Connor." he raised his wand. "Avada K-"

"stop!" Ella cried. "we will join you!"

Tom grinned like a serpent. "now, how hard was that?"

he grabbed the sobbing Ella by her collar and pulled her onto the stage, much to Digby's protests.

i knew what he was going to do this time.

he rolled up her sleeve and pressed his wand to the inside of her wrist, whispering the Dark Lord's spell.

Ella screamed and tried to pull away and her brother jumped onto the stage, but Matteo pushed him back down onto the stone floor.

the girl's screams ended and she stumbled back, clutching her arm, but i stopped her, seizing her wrist and holding it up in the air, showing everyone the Dark Mark which now graced her forearm.

a few people gasped, but what had they expected?

"form lines in front of Lola, Pansy, Draco and i." Tom commanded.

everyone slowly sorted themselves into lines, queuing in front of me and my friends.

"you will now receive your dark marks." Tom told them all.

more whispers, but i grabbed the arm of the boy before me and pressed my wand to his wrist, watching as the mark was inked on his skin.

the stronger ones gritted their teeth and sucked up the pain—they were the ones that stood out to me, and i knew they would serve Father well.

but i knew the ones who screamed and tried to pull away, hitting out at me, wouldn't last long.

when everyone was marked, Matteo opened the doors, releasing the newly christened Death Eaters into the school they were now set to destroy.

"i've got to go back to the house." Tom said to us. "report back to Father."

"you can't go back," Matteo folded his arms. "not after what happened."

Tom only shrugged. "i have to. Father's orders and that."

there was a heavy silence.

"i need to talk to you." i stared at my brother.

he nodded. "yeah, me too."

"we'll see you back in the common room, Lo." Matteo turned away.

"unless you want us to stay..." Draco offered.

but as much as i hated to admit it, i trusted Tom.

"it's alright, i'll see you soon." i smiled at them all.

i listened to their footsteps recede and faced Tom.

"i'm sorry." he offered.

"i know."

"i don't know why i do the things i do, but i don't mean any of it."

i nodded.

he took half a step forward and folded me into his arms hesitantly, resting his cheek on my hair when i didn't push him away.

"whatever happens tomorrow," he whispered. "just know i love you. always have, always will."

"i love you too, Tommy."

"i'll look out for you tomorrow." he reached down and linked his pinky finger with mine. "promise."

"promise." i echoed.

"come on then." he kept his arm around my shoulders, leading me out of the room and heading for the common room.

Draco, who had been pacing up and down in front of the fire, saw us first.

"is everything alright?" he asked me, taking in Tom's arm around me.

"yeah," i nodded.

"good," he said.

"we've been talking..." Matteo stood. "and we might not be able to have a Christmas this year."

the realisation hit me.

he didn't mean we might not have a Christmas..he meant some of us might not survive to see it.

"oh yeah," was all i replied with.

"so i thought why not go to Hogsmeade, have some dinner and exchange gifts?"

"sounds good." Tom squeezed my shoulder. "i'm starving."

"right then, meet back down here in five?" Matteo glanced at the clock.

"five minutes?!" Pansy exclaimed. "you must be joking."

"yes, he must be." i folded my arms. "we'll meet here in fifteen minutes."

"women," Matteo rolled his eyes. "see you then."