Prologue: And So, It Begins

Rain crashed down in front of her.

It only seemed fitting that the clouds wept with her today, for they celebrated the ultimate loss of her innocence. No longer a child shielded from the pain of the world, today marked her transition from a child to an adult.

If only it were under better circumstances.

The accelerating droplets smashed onto the ground—a scattered ruin of a degraded path—and muddied the soil slushing around her knees. Her eyes, previously fixated at the cracked grey floor before her, lifted to meet the merciless rubies of her master.

"Today, my Lord," she whispered, "if you would allow me the honour of accepting my servitude, I wish to pledge my complete allegiance to you."

Brown eyes glistening with anticipation of what was to come, she met his gaze as he looked at her submissive, kneeling form before him.

"And, why, my dear Mudblood," he hissed, enjoying the sight before him, "should I welcome your unworthy blood into my circle of followers?"

She hesitated before answering, choosing her words with careful precision. "I believe I have proven my loyalty to your cause in the past few months, my Lord. I would like to serve you further. I wish to provide all my abilities for your disposal. I wish to help you in your battle."

There was no time for hesitation, for doubt or uncertainty. Emotions held no meaning to her as she awaited his response, knowing that any sign of humanity or trepidation would only anger her master. Anxiously, she waited for either her death or his reply. Fortunately, she was graced with the latter.

"Why has my little Mudblood overstepped her bounds tonight to make such a bold request?" he asked, his high-pitched voice cold.

It was a good question. One many would ask. Fortunately, she had the perfect answer.

"Because, my Lord, I can do what all have failed to achieve," she declared, whilst keeping her voice soft and subdued. "I can get you Harry Potter," she whispered. "And the traitor Snape. In fact, I promise to hand them to you on a silver platter."

She watched his ashen, pale face twist into a cruel, serpentine smile. With a flick of his wand, she felt her entire body rupture with the agony of a thousand knives. Refusing to scream, her teeth drew blood from her lips as her nails carved red trails into her clenched fists. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping to shield away from the angry red haze of the curse. Slowly, as if taunting her, the pain retreated, the fires receding to the inside of her left wrist.

On her previously unmarked skin, lay a living snake, black as night, coiled around her entire left forearm with a skull for its tail. Leaving a trail of her blood in its wake, it slithered down her arm to the inside of her wrist, claiming its territory. With a final hiss, it plunged its fangs into her, tearing her skin like ribbons, and replacing it with its venom.

Within moments, the reptile had vanished, as if becoming one with her skin. In its place, the feared mark of evil glowed the deep scarlet of her blood, confirming her true allegiance. On her left forearm, now lay the infamous Dark Mark.

"Do not make me regret my generosity, Mudblood," her master ordered. "Or I will make sure you beg for an end to your miserable existence."

Lifting one knee off the soaked ground, she bent her head forward in respect. Her brown hair, drenched by the downpour, fell forward limply, sticking to her neck and face in waves.

"Thank you, my Lord, for this great honour. I shall make you proud."

With a nod, the Dark Lord Apparated away from the frozen cemetery, leaving his newest Death Eater alone in the cold mist. He disappeared with a crack, lost in the lines of water that obscured his follower's vision. The uneven ground before her filled with puddles, the water stained red with her blood.

And that is how, on the 19th of September, 1997, Hermione Granger celebrated her official 18th Birthday.

AN: Hope you liked that. Please review and let me know what you think. :) ~Kay (MasterSpy)

IMPORTANT NOTE: So, I've decided that if I'm fortunate enough to reach the 100 reviews milestone, I will write a one-shot for one of my reviewers, in which they get the choice as to what they would like me to write. UPDATE: I've published this now! It's called Beautiful, and it's a Luna-centric oneshot, revolving around her conversation with Harry about Thestrals during Ootp. If you're interested, please do check this out, as I'd love to hear from you! :)

AN: Thank you to Verran, Audemed, Green Phantom Queen, SunnyStorms, thats-a-moray, Lady Paprika, DjinniFires, ReadingBlueWolf, CheddarTrek, Spellshadow98, HappeningStorm, StormyMonday, MadamGiry25, BlondieLocks, persevera, darkin520, XStrawberryDuckFeathersX (which has to be the best name I've seen), ribby97, warriorfist, GamesMaster64, starlight. moon. princess, AnneNevilleReviews, Edhla, ballofstring66, Adden, Fire The Canon, Susan M. M, Shaded Rogue, LilyEvans98 worrywart, Bloodredfirefly and Proud Blood-Traitor for their reviews! :) Thank you to everyone who favourited and followed this story!