A/N: This is my first fanfic and I'm open to constructive criticism!
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Part One

Chapter 1: The Task

"Draco," Narcissa Malfoy called up the stairs. "Someone's here to see you."

"Heaving a great sigh, Draco closed his book and began climbing down the stairs toward his mother's voice. Now that he thought about it, she had sounded a bit scared, but Draco ignored this; Mother seemed more tense ever since his father had been arrested and sent to Azkaban, anyway.

Draco stepped off the last carpeted stair and walked into the drawing room. Severus Snape and Narcissa Malfoy were standing in front of the fireplace looking more grim than ever.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked, noticing their solemn expressions.

"He wishes to see you," Snape said simply.

"Who?"

"Him."

"Draco felt a knot grow in his throat. He swallowed. "He wants to see me? Why?"

"We shall find out soon enough," Snape said. "He is at my house right now. He wishes for you to come and see him." Snape took a pinch of Floo Powder from the ornate emerald box on the mantel. "Come." Snape threw the powder into the flames and shouted, "Spinner's End!" Then, he vanished. Draco and Narcissa followed suit.

"Spinner's End!" Draco shouted. Usually, he was never unnerved by Floo travel, but this time, the circumstances were different. Much different.

In a matter of seconds, Draco stepped out onto a ragged, moth-eaten carpet in Snape's sitting room. Snape was standing in the doorway to the kitchen. A few moments later, Narcissa stepped out of the fireplace.

"He is in the study," Snape said quietly, waving his hand in the direction of the room. Draco and Narcissa walked slowly toward and into the study.

The study was occupied by Wormtail and large, black armchair that was facing the wall. Draco assumed that the Dark Lord was sitting in this chair, and this suspicion was soon confirmed.

"Draco..." whispered a high, cold voice from the chair. "It is so nice to see you." Draco, noting that the Dark Lord had not actually seen him, said nothing. "I am sorry to hear about your father," the Dark Lord continued. "But...he did fail me." Draco still said nothing. "Now, I require something of you...well, two things. Firstly, you must become... a Death Eater."

"What for?" Draco blurted out. Seeing his mother's frightened expression, Draco abruptly stopped talking.

"The Dark Lord laughed. "Oh, Draco, because...I need you to do something for me."

"What?" Draco asked, willing himself to stop asking questions.

"I need you to find a way to let your soon-to-be-fellow Death Eaters into...Hogwarts."

"Why?" Draco asked cautiously. He could feel the hairs on his neck stand up, and he grew more wary.

"So that they can assist you with the second part of your task," the Dark Lord replied. "To...kill Albus Dumbledore."

"Draco's heart stopped. He had to kill somebody? Dumbledore? Sure, he didn't like the headmaster, but he would never have dreamed of killing him; he'd always assumed that task would fall to some other Death Eater.

Draco hesitated.

"Draco," sneered a voice in his ear. "Don't you want to help the Dark Lord? Don't you want to get rid of all the Muggle scum?" It was Bellatrix.

"Yes, but..."

"Scared, Draco?" Bellatrix sneered. "Just like your dear Uncle Sirius?"

"Draco clenched his fists. "He wasn't my uncle."

Bellatrix continued taunting. "Is Baby Drakey not ready for the big man's work?"

"Alright!" Draco exclaimed, bursting with anger and annoyance, mingled with a consuming terror. "I'll do it!" Not that I have a choice, he thought darkly.

"Good," said the Dark Lord from his chair. "Bellatrix, will you do the honors?"

"Of course, My Lord," Bellatrix gushed, pushing back Draco's left sleeve. Then, she pulled out her wand and muttered a strange incantation.

After a flash of green light, Draco looked down at his arm, upon which was now imprinted a skull and a snake crawling through it, permanently branded onto his arm in a deep black. Draco looked up at Bellatrix's proud expression and his mother's tear-stained face, panic coursing through his veins.

He was a Death Eater now.

A/N: It gets better from here, I promise! I wrote this chapter like five years ago! Please keep reading :)