Lucious Malfoy knelt before his master. He had failed to bring Voldemort Harry Potter, and now the dark lord was very angry.
Voldemort glared down at his Death Eater. "Is what I ask of you so hard?" he bellowed.
"No, master. I'm sorry. I'll do better next time."
Voldemort's eyes narrowed. "I don't like to be disappointed, Lucious. You know that."
"Yes, master." Malfoy's hands had begun to tremble.
The dark lord pulled out his wand. "You must be taught a lesson, Lucious. You must learn not to disappoint me."
Malfoy nodded daftly.
Voldemort smiled. "Crabbe? Goyle?"
Two large, hulking hooded Death Eaters appeared out of the darkness, restraining a struggling figure between them.
Malfoy's eyes widened as his son was thrown to the ground at the bottom of Voldemort's robes.
"Draco!" He lunged forward, but at a signal from the dark lord, found himself held back by other waiting Death Eaters.
Draco's greenish eyes were tinged with fear.
Voldemort sneered, pointing his wand at Malfoy's son. "Afficio!"
Streams of blue lightening shot from Voldemort's wand, encircling Draco.
Malfoy watched helplessly as his son writhed on the ground, screaming in pain. Where the blue streaks of lightening touched Draco's skin, large gashes appeared, seeping bright red blood.
"No! Stop it! Please, master. Take me instead." Malfoy struggled against the hands that restrained him.
"Afficio!" Voldemort's smile turned more vicious. "No... I enjoy torturing you this way. It seems to have a greater affect.
Draco lifted a bleeding hand towards his father. "Dad, please help me..." he was cut off by another wave of the dark lord's curse.
When Voldemort seemed to have his fill of torment, he turned to Crabbe and Goyle once more. He motioned to Draco. "Take him back to the school, as a message to Dumbledore."
A twisted smile played over his lips when he returned his attention to Malfoy. And as for you...
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The students of Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration class sat with blank expressions as they listened to Dumbledore's announcement.
"Because of what happened to Mr. Malfoy, no one is allowed to leave campus. Everyone report back to your house common rooms, and remain there until you receive further instructions from me."
Ron leaned over to say something to Harry and Hermione, but Dumbledore stepped towards the trio. "Harry? May I speak with you for a moment?"
Harry nodded, and followed the Professor out into the hallway.
"Miss Granger?"
Hermione turned to face Professor McGonagall. "Yes ma'am?"
"Can you take these down to the hospital wing?"
Hermione nodded, taking the small bag of herbs McGonagall was handing her.
"Hermione, make sure that Madame Pomfrey gets these."
Hermione nodded again, and made her way out of the classroom.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The hospital wing seemed more quite than usual.
As Hermione stepped through the doorway, thought of what had happened to Draco kept running through her mind.
"Madame Pomfrey?"
"Yes?" The Madame peeked out from behind a near curtain. She glanced at Hermione, and bustled out into view.
"Oh thank you, Hermione. I've been waiting for these." She took the herbs and headed towards her office, leaving Hermione standing in the doorway.
Hermione watched her leave, and then glanced back over at the curtain.
"Draco?" she whispered.
She tiptoed over to the curtain, and pulled it back.
Draco looked as though he'd been mauled by some great animal, that lurked in the forbidden forest.
"Oh Draco..." Hermione reached out, letting her fingers softly graze across one of Draco's pasty white hands. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
Madame Pomfrey's footsteps sounded on the bare floor.
Hermione backed out the door, and gave Draco's lifeless form one last look before heading back to Griffindor tower.
"Ron would curse me with a thousand curses if I told him that I... I ..." Hermione shook her head and whispered the password to the Lady in the Pink Dress.
She went straight to her dorm, and sat on her bed. She had a lot to think about...
Voldemort glared down at his Death Eater. "Is what I ask of you so hard?" he bellowed.
"No, master. I'm sorry. I'll do better next time."
Voldemort's eyes narrowed. "I don't like to be disappointed, Lucious. You know that."
"Yes, master." Malfoy's hands had begun to tremble.
The dark lord pulled out his wand. "You must be taught a lesson, Lucious. You must learn not to disappoint me."
Malfoy nodded daftly.
Voldemort smiled. "Crabbe? Goyle?"
Two large, hulking hooded Death Eaters appeared out of the darkness, restraining a struggling figure between them.
Malfoy's eyes widened as his son was thrown to the ground at the bottom of Voldemort's robes.
"Draco!" He lunged forward, but at a signal from the dark lord, found himself held back by other waiting Death Eaters.
Draco's greenish eyes were tinged with fear.
Voldemort sneered, pointing his wand at Malfoy's son. "Afficio!"
Streams of blue lightening shot from Voldemort's wand, encircling Draco.
Malfoy watched helplessly as his son writhed on the ground, screaming in pain. Where the blue streaks of lightening touched Draco's skin, large gashes appeared, seeping bright red blood.
"No! Stop it! Please, master. Take me instead." Malfoy struggled against the hands that restrained him.
"Afficio!" Voldemort's smile turned more vicious. "No... I enjoy torturing you this way. It seems to have a greater affect.
Draco lifted a bleeding hand towards his father. "Dad, please help me..." he was cut off by another wave of the dark lord's curse.
When Voldemort seemed to have his fill of torment, he turned to Crabbe and Goyle once more. He motioned to Draco. "Take him back to the school, as a message to Dumbledore."
A twisted smile played over his lips when he returned his attention to Malfoy. And as for you...
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The students of Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration class sat with blank expressions as they listened to Dumbledore's announcement.
"Because of what happened to Mr. Malfoy, no one is allowed to leave campus. Everyone report back to your house common rooms, and remain there until you receive further instructions from me."
Ron leaned over to say something to Harry and Hermione, but Dumbledore stepped towards the trio. "Harry? May I speak with you for a moment?"
Harry nodded, and followed the Professor out into the hallway.
"Miss Granger?"
Hermione turned to face Professor McGonagall. "Yes ma'am?"
"Can you take these down to the hospital wing?"
Hermione nodded, taking the small bag of herbs McGonagall was handing her.
"Hermione, make sure that Madame Pomfrey gets these."
Hermione nodded again, and made her way out of the classroom.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The hospital wing seemed more quite than usual.
As Hermione stepped through the doorway, thought of what had happened to Draco kept running through her mind.
"Madame Pomfrey?"
"Yes?" The Madame peeked out from behind a near curtain. She glanced at Hermione, and bustled out into view.
"Oh thank you, Hermione. I've been waiting for these." She took the herbs and headed towards her office, leaving Hermione standing in the doorway.
Hermione watched her leave, and then glanced back over at the curtain.
"Draco?" she whispered.
She tiptoed over to the curtain, and pulled it back.
Draco looked as though he'd been mauled by some great animal, that lurked in the forbidden forest.
"Oh Draco..." Hermione reached out, letting her fingers softly graze across one of Draco's pasty white hands. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
Madame Pomfrey's footsteps sounded on the bare floor.
Hermione backed out the door, and gave Draco's lifeless form one last look before heading back to Griffindor tower.
"Ron would curse me with a thousand curses if I told him that I... I ..." Hermione shook her head and whispered the password to the Lady in the Pink Dress.
She went straight to her dorm, and sat on her bed. She had a lot to think about...