It was a dark night in the Longbottom residence. Neville was with his grandmother, as was their custom on the first Saturday of the month, so Frank and Alice were alone. Alice sat sipping a cup of tea, as Frank lay his head on her shoulder. He picked up her hand and brought it to his lips. Alice smiled at him and they continued to sit on the couch in silence. Their wands were, as always, in front of them on the table.
- In the comfortable home, they felt safe and warm, like nothing could hurt them. Of course, being trained Aurors, the Longbottoms knew this wasn't actually true. The darkness could come, the wizarding world fall, at any moment. At that moment, Dumbledore's patronus came into their home. "Voldemort has fallen. He tried to attack the Potters. Lily and James are dead. The boy survived. The death eaters are still out there, some where. Be careful."
-In shock, both aurors took up their wands and stood. They embraced. "Could it be true?" Frank said. "The dark lord has truly fallen?"
-"It must be true." Alice replied with a smile. She grew somber once more. "But they will need help rounding up the Death Eaters. I will go and help them."
-"As will I." Frank agreed. "We must split up Alice my darling. Be safe."
-Alice and Frank kissed one last time, and left. Almost immediately, Frank heard a rumor that death eaters were in Knockturn Alley, pillaging and killing. He went there first. Knockturn Alley was abandoned, empty, a ghost town. He walked a little farther down the street.
-Bang! A flash of red light whizzed past his head. Four hooded figures advanced on him as he pulled out his wand. Frank cast a shield charm but it was instantly knocked aside. He cast another. "PROTEGO!" A strong shield charm paused the advance for a moment, all four proceeded towards him. All four hooded figures raised their left arms. Four dark marks shone to the sky. Four wands aimed for Frank's heart. Hiss! A red flash hit Frank square in the chest. Everything went dark.
-He awoke in a dark room, bound with the incarcerous charm, unable to move, bloody, in pain, a metallic taste in his mouth. A hooded figure moved, almost floating over the floor.
-"Where is the Dark Lord?"
-Frank looked up into crystal blue orbs, cold as ice, evil to the very soul. This was a Death Eater. Frank said nothing.
-Where is the Dark Lord?"
-Frank looked into those blue orbs and spat. He returned to his silence. The hooded figure magically removed the spit.
-"You will pay for your insolence.. . Crucio!"
-Pain. Horrific pain. Frank remembered the Cruciatus Curse from his auror training, but nothing could prepare you for that pain. The figure lifted the curse.
-"Where is the Dark Lord?"
-Frank closed his eyes. Alice would get away, Neville would be safe, even if it was his fate to die.
-"Very well, you have chosen your fate, but that doesn't mean you won't break. Crucio!"
-Blinding pain. The taste of blood. Bones grinding against each other. A pounding headache. Blood. Blood pouring from his nose.
-"Where Is HE?" Angrier now. More violent. "Crucio!"
-Frank thought of Alice, of his baby son, of his mother, and shut his eyes.
-"Crucio!"
-The pictures in his mind began to distort. His son's face looked different. His mother faded into a distant memory. He concentrated on Alice. Alice would be safe. Alice and Neville.
-"Crucio!"
-The hooded man unmasked. Bright blue eyes, and a face that would have been handsome if they weren't so twisted. He recognized the man. Barty Crouch Junior. His smile looked feral. His eyes were bright, almost glowing.
-"Crucio!"
- The face distorted. The eyes turned black, or, perhaps Frank had shut his eyes. He struggled to remember Alice and Neville. Neville. My boy. He pictured his family again and focused on his newborn son's face. Alice was fading. NO! I have to remember Alice. My wonderful brave Alice. Alice. . .Alice. . .Alice!. . .Alice! . . . Alice!. . . Alice?
-"He's gone mad." Crouch cursed. "Bella, Rodolphus. Where's the other one? The wife."
-"I dont know, Crouch." Rodolphus answered.
-"Then find her!" he barked. "And Bella!"
-The crazed black haired woman looked up from the ground with tear stained eyes.
-"You do it this time. I'm tired."
-Alice Longbottom went immediately to Dumbledore's office, but he wasn't there. Determined to get back home and also get to Neville, and Frank, she only barely noticed a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye. All of a sudden she was choking, coughing, gasping, as someone had grabbed her around the neck, putting pressure on her throat. Everything went black.
- Alice awoke in a dark room, bond with the incarcerous charm, unable to move, the metallic taste of blood in her mouth. A crumpled pile lay in a corner. It seemed to be whimpering. She struggled against the ropes, but had no wand.
-"Well, my pet." A cold, high pitched voice sounded from the darkness. "Aren't you a pretty thing? WHERE IS MY MASTER!"
-The switch in tone startled Alice, but she said nothing. Instead she shut her eyes. A slap across the face forced them open and she screamed, finding herself staring into a pair of deranged shining black eyes.
-"WHERE IS MY MASTER! WHERE IS THE DARK LORD?"
-The heap of cloth in the corner started whimpering. Bellatrix cast the Cruciatus charm and it screamed and went silent. Bellatrix forced herself into Alice's face.
-"Where is my master? Where is he? Where is he? I know you know. Where is he? Where is Lord Voldemort?"
-Alice stayed silent. So this is what happened to Bellatrix Black. The creature in front of her seemed barely human. The creature shrieked and growled and clawed at Alice's face, blood ran down her face.
-"Fine. Have it your way. You can go the same way as your dear dear husband."
-Alice's breath caught in fear. Frank? She had Frank? Oh god, Neville, my baby, he's in so much danger. We all are. Blinding pain slammed into her head. Blood rushed in her ears and the feeling of thousands of tiny pins pushing into every inch of her body was all she felt. She tried to move, to do something, but every motion pushed the pins in harder. There was a hard slap and a snap and the sensation of warm liquid running down her nose.
- She struggled to breathe, struggled to see, blood was rushing out of her body. She felt her body fly up into the air. Bang! She collided into something hard. CRACK! CRACK! Her ribs broke under the pressure.
Alice gasped to breath, but could barely draw in air. As if from far away she could hear Bellatrix singing and humming and laughing. Cackling.
-Pain. Blinding pain, and blood. Bellatrix grabbed her by the hair and dragged her across the dirty floor, getting dust and splinters into her wounds. Bella dragged her all the way to the body in the corner. Then she grabbed Alice by the face and pushed her towards the shaking lump in the corner of the room.
-"SEEE! SEEE WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO YOUR PRECIOUS HUSBAND! CRUCIO!
-Pain. Horrific pain. Blood rushed through her ears, through her mouth. Frank. Frank lying there, whimpering in pain. Her handsome, wonderful husband, the father of her child. Lying there. Broken. His eyes met hers as a second cruciatus curse took hold of her body. There she saw something that chilled her blood. Confusion. He didn't recognize her.
-CRUCIO!
-"Frank" Alice thought. Happy memories. Frank. Neville. Frank. Neville. Frank. Neville-my beautiful baby boy. Frank...my husband. Neville? Frank. Frank. My one true love. Frank. Frank. Frank. Frank?
Three hours later, Minerva Mcgonagall and Albus Dumbledore were summoned by Arabella Figg. She led them into a bloody room. Alice lay on the ground, babbling uncontrollably. Frank lay next to her, whispering one word. Alice. Alice. Alice.
-Without a word, the trio transported them to St. Mungo's and saw them get settled into St. Mungo's long term ward.
-Figg spoke first. "They have a son."
-Dumbledore responded "Let him go to Augusta." This was agreed upon and done.
-Minerva looked at Dumbledore. "We won. Voldemort has been defeated. We won. And yet, at what a cost."
