Harry Potter: Glory Bows to Me

When she walked out of the school library, she felt a little complicated.

She understood Draco's uneasiness and anxiety, but she did not intend to explain it completely. After all, only in this way could Julius truly believe that his plan had worked.

The occasional sound of dripping water seemed particularly clear in the quiet air. Amanta walked through the corridor, and the soles of her shoes made a subtle echo on the stone tiles.

Just as she was about to turn into another corridor, she suddenly heard a slight noise beside her ears——

The rapid and disordered breathing was faint, revealing the uncontrollable pain.

Amanta stopped and frowned.

This voice... sounds familiar.

For some unknown reason, she held her breath and listened attentively, and a sudden sense of uneasiness surged in her heart.

——The voice came from the front.

It was very quiet, as if someone was trying hard not to make any noise.

Amanta's eyes darkened.

She approached quietly, and as she got closer, the intermittent breathing became more obvious, chaotic, rapid, and filled with pain that was being endured with great effort.

——Someone is trying hard to suppress the pain.

She couldn't have guessed wrong...

Draco?

Amanta's heart sank.

She walked quickly to the door of the utility room, which was slightly ajar. Through the crack, she saw a familiar figure leaning against the wall, half-kneeling on the ground, his body tense, his knuckles tightly clenched around his left arm.

His head was slightly lowered, his bangs covering most of his face, his platinum-colored hair glowed coldly in the moonlight, his cuffs were wrinkled, and his forehead was covered with fine beads of cold sweat.

His chest was rising and falling violently, and he couldn't suppress his low gasps. All of this was telling us that—

He was in some great pain.

Amanta's pupils shrank slightly, and she took a step forward without hesitation.

"Draco?!"

Draco jerked, as if suddenly awakened.

The next second, he suddenly raised his head, his gray-blue pupils reflected the dim candlelight, and the pain in his eyes was bottomless.

His face was terribly pale, with cold sweat dripping down his forehead. The moment he saw Amanta, panic flashed across his eyes, and then he quickly looked away, as if he was trying hard to hide it.

"What are you doing here?"

His voice was filled with a coldness that he tried hard to control.

Amanta didn't answer, but her eyes quickly swept over and landed on his left arm, which he was covering tightly.

His right hand was still tightly grasping his arm, and his cuffs were tangled, revealing a faint black mark.

Her heart suddenly tightened.

A terrible thought flashed through her mind.

Impossible...it shouldn't be...!

The Dark Mark?!

Her lips trembled slightly, but she forced herself to calm down and walked forward quickly.

"What's going on? Your hand—"

She reached out to touch him, but Draco took a step back, almost instinctively avoiding her touch.

"Do not touch me!"

There was a rare flustered tone in his voice.

Amanta was stunned, then her eyes turned cold and her brows slightly frowned: "Draco, what is that?"

Draco clenched his teeth and did not answer. His chest rose and fell slightly, and he was obviously trying hard to control his breathing.

However, Amanta clearly saw that he was trembling, his face was paler than paper, and cold sweat rolled down his face.

That was no ordinary pain.

She took a step closer, her tone more serious than ever: "Draco, tell me, what's on your arm?"

Draco's breathing quickened, as if his most vulnerable spot had been poked. His Adam's apple rolled slightly, his fingers clenched his cuffs even tighter, and he turned sideways to avoid her sight.

"It's none of your business." He gritted his teeth.

Amanta's eyes turned cold, and she quickly reached out her hand. Before he could react, she grabbed his wrist and pulled it hard.

The cuffs were yanked open, revealing the Dark Mark in the moonlight.

A black mark of skulls and snakes entangled together was firmly imprinted on Draco's pale skin.

The Dark Mark emitted a creepy red light, and like a living thing, it squirmed beneath his skin, burning and corroding his skin.

Amanta's mind went blank in an instant.

Her fingers froze in mid-air and her throat seemed to be blocked.

She could hardly believe her eyes.

Draco...

Marked with the Dark Mark?

But she knew very well that Lucius Malfoy was no longer loyal to Voldemort and might even be on the opposite side.

How could Draco be a Death Eater?

This is irrational, impossible...

Amanta's head snapped up, her voice more urgent than she had intended.

"Draco, what the hell is going on?!"

Draco stood there stiffly, staring blankly at everything.

He didn't answer.

He turned his head slightly, unwilling to look at her. His gray-blue eyes looked like a colorless glass bead under the moonlight.

Amanta did not allow him to escape, and put her hands on his shoulders, forcing him to face her.

"Tell me! Why would you...?!"

Draco's breathing quickened for a moment, and then he laughed softly, with a bitterness that was almost self-deprecating.

"Aren't you the smartest? Amanta, guess it yourself."

His voice was soft, and his fingertips were still tightly gripping his arm, as if he was fighting against some kind of pain.

Amanta's heart sank.

She looked at him, saw his pale face and dark eyes, saw his usually proud demeanor being torn apart in pain.

But he still stubbornly refused to admit it.

Her palms were placed on his shoulders, and through the fabric, she could feel the tense muscles and slight tremors in his shoulders.

"You didn't volunteer, did you?"

Draco's eyes flickered slightly.

Amanta continued to ask: "Who? Who forced you? Voldemort?"

The fire flickered and the air seemed to freeze at this moment.

Draco chuckled, his smile revealing an undisguised coldness and self-mockery.

"Force? No, Amanta, there are some things that you simply cannot choose." His eyes dimmed, "They want loyalty, and I must give it. If I don't, they will find the next Malfoy - such as my mother."

Amanta's pupils suddenly contracted.

Narcissa Malfoy.

She is not a fanatical follower of Voldemort, and may even be the most gentle and rational person in the Malfoy family. If Voldemort cannot gain loyalty through Lucius, he will definitely look for a new replacement.

And Draco was obviously the best target.

She opened her mouth, but found that the words were too difficult: "So, you are trying to protect your mother?"

Draco closed his eyes and slowly opened them after a moment.

"If it were you, Amanta, what would you choose?"

These words seemed to have taken up all his strength, and his eyes drooped, looking exhausted.