To Catch a Death Eater

To Catch a Death Eater

Emmeline Vance tossed her emerald green shawl and held her head a little higher and said to the figures across the table:

"So, do I make the cut?"

The shadowy faces across the way glanced at one another, nodded and one of them spoke out:

"We need to know whether or not we can depend on your complete trust. You have passed the test to check whether you are under the Imperius Curse. You are a highly proficient witch and seem to be fully qualified, but we seem to be at a loss as to why you want to belong to this anti-Dark wizard group."

"Do you need to know that?" Emmeline asked with a hint of emotion in her voice.

"Yes, Ms. Vance, I believe we do. It's all a part of the trust we build. In these dark times you never know who you can trust."

"And what if I refuse, Remus?"

He laughed a little. "I don't know, perhaps we'd feed you a little veritaserum?"

"You wouldn't really do that Remus. Nor would you, Potter. I'd like to remind the three of you that I am full thirty-six years older than you are. You wouldn't press me like this if you-"

"If we respected you?" blurted out Sirius. "Don't be ridiculous Emmeline!" he smiled suavely. "Of course we respect you!"

The others laughed appreciatively. Emmeline couldn't help smirking a bit herself.

"I'll ask you one more time then: Do I make the cut?"

They all looked at each other again.

"Sure. Welcome to the Order of the Phoenix."

"Thank you. I must be on my way. Owl me when the next meeting is, won't you Remus?"

"Sure thing, Emmeline."

And she wrapped her emerald green shawl tighter around her face and strode proudly out of the room.

Emmeline Vance sank into her chair by the fire, and stared at the flames licking the logs. She sighed, relieved that she had made it into the Order without having to explain- no; she wasn't going to think about that tonight. She got up, and made a cup of tea, then sat back down. She stared into the crumbling logs, and found herself staring at Marlene McKinnon.

"So, dearie: how'd it go?"

"If you mean, did I get in, yes I did."

"Oh! That's wonderful! Isn't it?" Marlene added seeing the look on Emmeline's face.

"Yes, just wonderful."

"Well, I've been in absolute trepidation the entire day wondering if you'd get in, and I found I just had to Floo Powder to see whether you and I would be fighting side by side. I do hope you weren't embarrassed by their questions-you see they have to know why you want to kill Death Eaters before they let you in."

"Actually, they didn't require an answer to that question."

"They didn't? Why ever not?"

"I'm sorry Marlene, I'd rather not talk about it."

"Dear Emmeline...I know! I know why you didn't want to tell them that-"

"Oh, you do Marlene? And are you going to be their informant? Just to make sure I've been hurt and embarrassed enough?"

"No, of course not Emmeline. It's just that... it was such a long time ago, and you couldn't have known..."

"No? I should have."

"But you couldn't have, I mean to say... He was the cleverest, most devious and brilliant wizard of his time! And still is for that matter..."

"Yes. Don't try to make me feel less guilty Marlene. It wouldn't work. All I have now is the Order, and I don't want to jeopardize it. Don't you see it's my only way to be free from all of that?"

"Yes, of course. I won't breathe a word. Well, I've got to be going. Keep in touch, won't you Emmeline? I'll see you at the next meeting!" And with a cheery smile, Marlene McKinnon vanished from the flames.

"I should have known..." whispered Emmeline to the dark room.

Emmeline Vance got into bed the night before her first meeting as a member of the Order of the Phoenix, ready to surrender to the past just for this one night. She let her mind drift back to the year 1942. She had just turned sixteen and was eagerly anticipating her second year as a Slytherin prefect. She remembered hugging her father before crossing the barrier at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters and climbing onto the Hogwarts Express. She proudly tossed her emerald green scarf her mother had made her the year before she died, and made her way to the front of the train to the Prefect's cabin. Everybody always said that Emmeline had a certain degree of class. Her father was wealthy, and sent her to a finishing school during the summer holidays. Her mother died of a Muggle disease when Emmeline was only in her second year. Her father who was the wizard of the family worked as school governor for years. Her family was always prestigious, refined and respected, as was Emmeline. Her chocolate brown hair fanned out behind her and her prefect's badge shone in the sunlight. She smiled at the seventh-year boys and stared condescendingly at all of the younger students. There was no harm in pride, her grandmother had always told her, especially among the Vances. She opened the prefects cabin door to see it empty except for one dark-haired boy seated by the window, reading a book. The most attractive boy in the year, the cleverest boy in the school, and the boy Emmeline was in love with.

"Ah, Emmeline. So good to see you," he said as he extended his hand in greeting, "Are you ready for another year of prefect duties?" he laughed.

"Hello Tom. I am indeed ready. Where are the other prefects?"

"Still getting settled I'd imagine. You know fifth years..." he smiled.

"Yes, I do know fifth years," she sighed with an annoyed and exhausted air.

Tom Riddle smiled at her appreciatively.

"Well, my dear, two more years in this forsaken place and we're free."

She wondered why he called Hogwarts that. She was a Slytherin and she loved Hogwarts. Maybe it was Professor Dumbledore he didn't like...

"Why don't you like Hogwarts, Tom?" she ventured.

He stopped reading his book but he didn't look at her.

"I think it's because I want to be free. To be free from the orphanages and this place and just strike out on my own. I want to experiment..."

"In what?" she asked but she never heard his answer even if he would have given it to her, because at that moment the new fifth year prefects and the sixth-years and the Head Boy and Girl stared to pour into the large compartment.

"Alright, everybody! Let's get started!" shouted Dedalus Diggle. How that Gryffindor ever became Head Boy was beyond Emmeline's imagination. She still laughed about it today.

Before the sixteen-year-old Emmeline knew it was five weeks into her sixth year. It was a cloudy night in October when it happened. The first attack. A third year Ravenclaw - Benjy Fenwick, was petrified. Everybody was mystified. What could have happened, that poor Benjy, who always looked so frightened, would become petrified? Headmaster Dippet could be seen pacing the hallways, and tension grew between houses and friends. Suspicion ruled the school for months.

That night that Benjy was attacked was the night Emmeline and Tom had hall duty. Emmeline was scared out of her wits, but didn't show it. She would never show her fear to Tom, who seemed so impervious to anything of the kind. Her palms were sweating, and she found it difficult to grasp her wand. What if the thing that petrified Benjy came back for more? She and Tom walked down hallway after hallway... Suddenly, she heard a noise from the other end of the fourth floor corridor. She jumped and grabbed Tom's hand.

"Don't be afraid, Emmeline."

"Why? Didn't you hear that? What if it was the monster, or whatever it was that got Benjy?"

"Don't be afraid. I'm right here." He gripped her hand tighter and looked into her eyes. "I'll protect you, Emmeline," said Tom, and he kissed her hand.

"Tom, I-"

"Don't worry Emmeline," he whispered close to her mouth. She could feel her heart pounding madly. He was so close. And then he kissed her, and she felt an odd surge of power run through her from him. They separated and she stared at him questioningly.

"Come on," he said very quietly. And Emmeline followed.

It was the week before the winter holidays, and there had been two more attacks. Students she didn't know. The months that followed the first attack were filled with suspenseful hall duties and stolen kisses. No one knew what was going on between the two sixth-year Slytherin prefects. They kept a cool air of respect and equality around the others. The aura of mystery they wove around themselves was fascinating to everyone. Emmeline thought it was the most thrilling time of her life.

The trouble was, as she later found out, that love blinds. She found that she wasn't afraid of the attacks anymore. Tom had convinced her absolutely with his kisses that she had nothing to fear, and she wasn't going to argue the point.

"Hey, Emmeline!" Emmeline whipped her gorgeous head around to see who called her.

"Oh, hi Marlene."

"I was just wondering...if I could talk to you?"

"Of course. Lead the way," Emmeline smiled.

Marlene led her up to a passage way on the fifth floor.

"What did you want to talk to me about Marlene?"

"Well...it's just that people are starting to talk..."

"About what, exactly?"

"About you...and Tom. They're wondering why you've been so- so calm and well, sneaky. They think that you've...you had something to do with all the attacks..."

"Marlene, that's ridiculous."

"No, it isn't. You've both been sneaking off at night, and- Emmeline; I just don't want you to get hurt. We've been friends since first year, remember? Even though you're Slytherin and I'm Hufflepuff, you've been one of my best friends."

"Ok, Marlene. I just like Tom. I like him a lot and I can promise you that we don't have anything to do with the attacks. I've been with Tom every time. We just, like each other, and that's why we feel so calm, because we know we've got each other to..."

"Ok, Emmeline. I just don't want a friend of mine to get hurt. I'll never understand how you ended up in Slytherin..."

Emmeline smiled. "Just so I could be with Tom, I guess."

The two friends walked back down two flights before Marlene collapsed with a scream. Emmeline whipped around to find her friend motionless on the floor with a frozen look of terror on her face.

"You said I would be safe, Tom!"

"You were safe, weren't you Emmeline, or else you'd be the one as stiff as a rock up in the hospital wing! Just because I wasn't there to protect you, isn't my fault. You and Marlene wandered off before I could meet you..." Emmeline noticed how he spoke Marlene's name with scorn.

"I'm not going out with you tonight, Tom."

"What? Why not?"

"I'm frightened of whatever took my friend. Wouldn't you be? Oh, I forgot, you can't feel fear can you Tom? You're immune to it. And anybody who thinks differently is weak, aren't they Tom?"

"Don't be ridiculous Emmeline. Of course I feel fear. I'm afraid that people like Marlene will rot your brain; ruin what I most value in you."

"And what's that?"

"Your purity."

"Ha! Not anymore though, eh Tom? You've taken care of that." She shivered at the remembrance of that night, of how on fire she felt. Tom looked away as if disgusted that she would talk about things like that. She laughed again.

"You're the ridiculous one, Tom." And Emmeline walked away.

Emmeline rubbed her aching head at dinner the next evening. It was then that Olive Hornby came up to her.

"You haven't seen poor Myrtle, have you Emmeline?" Olive asked.

"No, I haven't. Maybe you should give it a rest, Olive. Not even Myrtle deserves that kind of treatment."

"Of course she does! She'd be miserable even if I let her alone. What's the matter with you anyway, Emmeline? You don't seem as haughty today."

"Oh, stuff it, Olive. I think I saw her run into the bathroom on the first floor."

"Thanks Emmeline. And cheer up, here comes Tom," she winked as she ran off.

Emmeline stared at him out of tired, angry eyes.

"What do you want?"

"Nothing, nothing at all from you," he said as he walked to the other end of the table and sat down near some of his cronies. Emmeline was picking at her food when she suddenly heard a scream.

"AHHHHHHH!" it pierced every corner of the Great Hall.

Emmeline dropped her fork. Everything went very quiet. Professor Dumbledore and Headmaster Dippet immediately left the staff table and out of the Great Hall. Emmeline felt very uneasy. She looked over at Tom, who seemed much too calm for the situation. He was still eating.

Dumbledore came back into the Great Hall a few minutes later.

"Everyone, please report to their dormitories at once. The Heads of your Houses will make an announcement once the situation is under control. Prefects, please set the example by leading the way."

Emmeline rose, as did Tom. They made for the Slytherin common room. Emmeline felt like her mask of control would give way any second. She could hear the whispers behind her. "Do you think it's another attack?" "Where's Olive?" "I thought I saw her go into the bathroom..."

Once they were all safely inside the green gloom of the common room, Emmeline saw Tom disappear into the boy's dormitories. A few minutes went by and Emmeline watched the passage. A few more boys looked behind their shoulders before walking down the winding staircase. Emmeline had to know what he was doing. She crept across the near empty common room and headed for the door to the boys' dormitories. She stepped quietly down each step, listening. The sound of voices reached her ears as she got closer to the bottom of the stairs. There was a door without a label on it. This puzzled Emmeline and she bent her ear to it, to listen. The voices carried through the door, slightly muffled, but audible.

"So, what now, my Lord? Now that somebody finished off that mudblood...ha!"

The others chuckled appreciatively.

"We wait, until providence finishes the rest of them off. Hah!" That was Tom's voice!

"Without these mudbloods roaming our halls, Hogwarts will once more be a pure sanctuary for true wizards as Salazar Slytherin himself intended. Lord Voldemort promises this." His voice was getting closer to the door. Her heart was pounding. Suddenly, the door flung open. There, huddled around a circular table with the green light from a lantern were several sixth- and seventh-year boys, and staring straight at Emmeline, was Tom Riddle.

"Ah, Emmeline, my sweet. Won't you join us?" he said, his voice as smooth as silk as he pulled her into the room.

"Never," she spat.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Never again, Tom Riddle. You disgust me. You really delight in all these attacks, don't you? Getting rid of mudbloods? When were you going to get rid of me Tom, I'm half Muggle!" her voice rose in fury.

"Ah, Emmeline...you should learn never to insult Lord Voldemort. He doesn't take kindly to people who insult him." The others laughed. They were closing in on her! She broke free of Tom's grip and ran out of the room. She burst into her room and started sobbing. What could she do now? If she told anybody...he'd hurt her. She knew he would. And if not him, then one of his followers. She was sick with anger and hatred. Not Tom!

A few days later the big third-year boy...Rubeus Hagrid disappeared. They said they snapped his wand. He had been expelled. They said Hagrid was breeding the monster in one of the dungeons. Emmeline didn't wonder... that kid was always causing trouble. They said it was Tom who caught Hagrid with the monster and that Tom got Special Services to the School plaque or some award. Emmeline didn't bother listening to the rumors anymore.

Eventually, Marlene and Benjy and everyone else who was petrified was revived by a Mandrake drought of all things... And they said all they remembered was the eyes. Poor Myrtle, they found out, was dead. Poor Olive had found her there, in one of the cubicles. Olive, they said was scarred for life. No one would go in that bathroom anymore. That's where she died. A friend of theirs had died...

Emmeline sighed as she slowly got out of bed. Her old bones weren't as willing to do her bidding these days. She heard that girls still wouldn't go into that bathroom. Lily and James would have some laughs about Moaning Myrtle. Emmeline didn't laugh with them. That was her friend. She knew her when she was alive. Poor Myrtle... trapped as a child for eternity. Emmeline shuddered as she wrapped the emerald green shawl around her as she did every morning. She took a handful of Floo Powder and tossed it into the flames. She stepped into the hearth and muttered: "Godric's Hollow."

"Emmeline! So glad you could make it! Welcome to the Order of the Phoenix!" smiled Lily Potter, who was just starting to show her pregnancy. She was blooming. James came in and kissed her. Emmeline smiled at the couple, as she stepped out of their fireplace.

"We were just about to take our first group picture as the entire Order. Come on in!" said James. Emmeline followed him into a larger room at the back of the house. Everyone was congregated back there. Sirius and Remus were laughing; Aberforth and Moody were deep in conversation and Benjy Fenwick waved from a corner near the window. Lily and James went over to talk to little Peter, and she was left standing somewhere in the middle of the room.

"Hello, Emmeline," said a voice from behind her. She turned around to find Dumbledore and Dedalus Diggle, smiling warmly at her.

"Hello," she smiled back.

"So, Emmeline," began Dedalus, "What brings a Slytherin among us good wizards?" he smirked jokingly. Emmeline smiled back at him.

"Alright everyone! Gather 'round!" shouted Remus.

Emmeline stood next to her friends and said:

"I'm just here to catch a Death Eater," she smiled.

Snap. The picture was taken.