Chapter One
"I brought another one."
"What? Who?"
"That one Lovegood kid; Looney or Lana or something."
"What? Now we are stealing kids? God, Ollivander was one thing but if we are stealing children…the media gets personal about that!"
"Lucius, if I didn't know any better I would say you are getting soft."
"Oh, really Bella? I don't see you giving the Dark Lord your house…"
"That's it, Lucius…"
"Trixie! Please! Just…just go check on her, okay?"
"Fine." Luna quickly got back on the ground and shut her eyes. She didn't know who these people were and why she was in this basement that was crawling in those demented little Noxfurs, but she knew better than to be awake when her kidnappers came back down.
"Wake up, you little brat!" A harsh voice hissed from the darkness. It was a strangely familiar voice, although Luna couldn't tell quite where she had heard it. "I know you're awake."
"Madame Lestrange…" Mr. Olivander's voice came out hesitantly, surprising Luna. Someone else was down here with her?
"Can it, wand-boy." The wicked voice snapped and Luna felt a hand grab onto her. She jumped in surprise. "Come on, you little brat. I need to find out if you are the Lovegood kid or not."
"Are you looking for my father? He should be back at the cottage. He has an important deadline to hit so I doubt he would come down today. Perhaps if you sent him an owl…"
Luna was yanked from the darkness suddenly into a bright room that she had to blink a few times to adjust to. She looked around, taking in the beautiful kitchen before her. It was dark and dreary, but with the most expensive of dark-silver tables, high tech fireplace, and even a large, serpent fountain in the middle. "Lovely house, sirs." Luna murmured nervously. This remark was quickly greeted with a smack to the face. Luna cried out in fear.
"Hm, maybe you aren't as stupid as I thought." The woman who had smacked her cackled. Luna suddenly remembered where she had seen her before; in the Battle of Mysteries, only a few years before. The woman was licking her lips in an almost snake-like way as her long, curly black hair fell carelessly into her face. "I'm sure you know when to shut up now, right?"
Luna nodded, biting back tears. Luna had known pain before. She had even known being beaten up. Girl's, even in Ravenclaw, had a way of being cruel to anyone who was different. Luna had stored away many painful memories of having shoes stolen, being locked in bathroom stalls, insulting notes being passed between classes…oh yes. Luna knew pain. But never in her life, had she felt so helpless. Because in this moment, there were no escapes. There were no Nargles to look for on the Quidditch field, no owls to talk to, no books to read or stories to write…it was just her. Her and a floor that was becoming colder and colder.
Luna nodded, helplessly. The tears were now flowing down her face as the woman laughed.
"Good. This will make things a lot easier."