An Escape from Knowledge

A/N: Ok, so this is my first fanfic. I hope you really like it. I don't think this concept has ever been done before, but I have nothing to lose if it's not that good. Don't be afraid to point out the bad parts in the reviews, it even makes me a better writer. Thanks, and enjoy!

Prologue

There she was, in the most terrifying situation she had ever been.

Alana found herself in the middle of a war, and not just any common one. No, Alana found herself in a wizarding war, being quite a skilled witch herself. Until a few days ago, she had been a student in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the finest school to learn the magical arts.

But now… now she was not fighting for other people, just to save herself. Not that she had another choice- she was being forced.

Alana was in hiding, because the Death Eaters wanted her, wanted something she possessed…

She wasn't the only one who had the knowledge they wanted. Yet, being the brave girl she was, she had lied to the Dark Lord's followers. She had said she was the only one who had what they wanted, the only one who knew that little secret.

Alana wanted to at least try to escape… But if it's what's in your head they're after, where is one supposed to hide it?

So? Please review? This is going to have the first chapter in it too, but I have to wait a few more days to publish it, since it's not complete. Thanks!

Return to Top

A/N: So, here goes the first chapter. This chapter is from Voldemort's POV (point of view, for those who don't know), so you guys get to know what's gonna happen before the actual victims do! This takes place in Malfoy Manor, after the Death Eater meeting in the first chapter of the seventh book. The characters are gonna be introduced in the second chapter, from their POV.

The story might get better as I write, so please don't stop looking out for the next chapter just because you don't like the first one. Ideas are welcome! Oh, and remember I'll include you if you want.

Snape and Yaxley finally entered the room. At last, he thought.

"Yaxley. Snape. You are very nearly late," said Voldemort in his high, cold voice. The Death Eater meeting started. After an hour or so, all his servants left the room with a small pop.

Voldemort thought. He felt pleased of the information he'd received, very pleased indeed. Yet, if he could only have more. If he could just know, know a bit more, anything…. everything. The connection between his and Potter's wands, the location of the Elder Wand, the truth about that night, when the Killing Curse had rebounded on him instead of killing one-year-old Harry Potter.

Voldemort paced the hallways of Malfoy Manor, thinking. The Malfoys were talking in low voices, all in different rooms, but he was indifferent to whether he intruded or not. About a quarter of an hour had passed, when Voldemort snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of his name. He took a few steps back, until he was standing at the closed door of what he knew to be Draco Malfoy's room.

"…might be useful for the Dark Lord, Draco," whispered the voice of Narcissa Malfoy. "But you must be sure, we won't want to bother him with useless rubbish. Then he'll certainly punish us. He's awfully furious with Potter and the Ministry already, and you know we're not at our best with him either."

"No!" Draco's voice trembled as he hissed at his mother. "I'm not taking the risk, not when I can decide, year I was forced to, he'd kill me if I didn't do my job. I'm not going to tell him something I'm not sure of. What if I'm wrong? What if he tortures me or something, like he does with the others? He kills his own followers, and I'm not gonna be next—"

"Stop!" sobbed Narcissa. "Don't—don't s-say that, please!" she whispered. When Draco did not respond, Voldemort turned the knob on the door. Narcissa gasped. "Hush," she told Draco.

Voldemort slowly opened the door, and the two people came into view: Narcissa, on thefloor, tearfully leaning on her son's bed, and Draco, sitting at its edge, a scared look on his face.

"My Lord!" Narcissa said, head bent, once she realized who had entered the room. Draco just looked more scared, but bent his head as well.

"Narcissa, Draco," he started. He felt angry at the mere possibility of his servants hiding something from him. "From what I've just heard, am I to understand you are keeping something from me?" said Voldemort, not caring at all for manners.

Instantly, both mother and son's faces fell, to reflect only fright. Voldemort blank expression turned to show what he felt inside—rage. "Well?"

"No, my Lord, never!" shrieked Narcissa.

"Then what is this that might be useful to me that you are so afraid to say?" he demanded. "As for you, Draco," he continued, turning his gaze on the boy, "obey every single command I give you, and you shall be rewarded. If not—"

"Please, my Lord! We would never keep a secret from our Master!" squealed Narcissa. "We shall tell you everything you ask us, my Lord!"

"Well, then, do. I ask you what you were talking about shortly before I entered the room. Draco?" Voldemort asked.

"I—It's-it's nothing, really—just some- some, um, classmates of mine—"

"Classmates?" Voldemort repeated.

"I mean—from before!" Draco continued. "They were two Gryffindors. Mudbloods. Filthy people, both of them. Potter's gang. It's just, they sort of, well—they always, uh, knew what was gonna happen. I don't know how, exactly, but I don't think it was Divination," he said, obviously avoiding Voldemort's eyes. Voldemort slowly cornered him. He was interested, and he hoped Draco had not finished. What if this led to the many answers he had been searching for?

"Tell me, Draco, how do you know it was not the use of divination that informed your friends the future? Or perhaps, even mere coincidence?" Voldemort said. Narcissa could be heard sobbing on the other side of the room. Draco was now against the wall, speaking fast, apparently bracing himself to get cursed by his father's wand, which Voldemort had just taken out of his robes.

"It's just the way they said it. When I insulted them for being stupid or something, they'd say 'You're not one to talk, Malfoy! You can't even handle a simple hippogriff right!' And that happened about two weeks later! And they were the best at everything, even better then Granger! Not things like that only, they knew Potter had gone to get that Stone, and what it did and everything! And the Chamber of Secrets! They knew who was going to be taken to the Chamber, the beast, and about Lockhart being a fraud! Oh, and they believed Black was innocent before Potter, Granger and Weasley!"

"More, Draco, I need to know everything!" said Voldemort, hungry for yet more.

"I—no, no, please, I— don't''

"Is that it, Draco?"

"No—Oh, they knew exactly what had happened during the World Cup, the scores and everything, and they couldn't get tickets! I overheard them on the train. They seemed worried all fourth year that… as if they knew you would come back. And Sages—the girl-''

"A girl?"

"Yes, Granger's friend—she was sort of sobbing before Potter went into the maze, and the other one, Almery, the boy, he was also very concerned! And—and after that- the third task, I mean—they looked shaken, they believed Potter, they never liked Moody in the first place! They acted like they knew he was a Death Eater, I think they did! Then on—on fifth year, they knew Umbridge was coming before we got to school, they guessed what had gone on in Potter's hearing, and they we're the only ones who believed Potter about you coming back! They knew about the dementor attack, I heard Weasley asking how they knew. All year they knew Umbridge's upcoming move: every single rule, event… everything, I tell you! And they were worried about Potter, checked on him all the time… Master!" he added quickly.

Voldemort froze dead. "Tell me, Draco, did those… acquaintances of yours ever know, guess or suspect anything, perhaps, about some curious dreams Potter had been having?"

"Um…."

Narcissa shook her head violently when her son threw her a look of fear, gesturing for her to do something. He obviously wanted saving.

"Draco?" Voldemort hissed. He dived towards the boy, pressing his white hand around Draco's neck, pushing him against the wall. Voldemort dug his wand under his servant's chin.

Draco's face looked, more than doubtful, begging. His lips were closed tight, there was a line between his eyes, his head was shaking twice as much as his mother's, and his whole body trembled. He gasped for breath. The look on Draco's face begged not to be tortured for his lack of information.

"No? Well, I did not want to come to this, Draco, but if you just won't say—" he raised his wand, "—I'll just have to be a bit… persuasive."

Just when Voldemort was beginning to articulate the first syllable of the spell, Narcissa jumped from the edge of Draco's bed and bellowed,

"MY LORD, PLEASE, DON'T! NO!" A simple blasting curse pushed Narcissa back, so hitting the opposite wall. Draco gasped, but turned to his master once more, without further attention to his mother.

"I'm not sure whether they knew that he was being possessed—yes, wait, they did, Master, they did! They were so stupid to let something slip, they both looked terrified when they did. Idiots!" Draco said with a triumphant look on his face. "It was Parkinson who heard it, when she told me I started to suspect them most then. Apparently Almery said 'Harry, I know you're not going to learn Occlumency, and I'm not trying to tell you off like Hermione,'—Granger," he said with a high voice. 'I'm just saying since it's obviously been crossed off the list, you really have to be careful. If You—Know—Who's possessing you, he could make you do things you don't—' And then he stopped, Parkinson said, because Sages shook his shoulder very badly and they went away whispering, looking scared. They knew Black would die as well, they didn't take it as hard. They were there at the Department of Mysteries."

Voldemort repeated Draco's voice in his head, analyzing them as he went. These were sources he needed now, as soon as possible… Yet he was not done.

"What about last year, Draco? Did they-?"

"They definitely knew. They told Dumbledore they knew, I think. They went to his office all of the nights that year, I watched them. I think they showed Dumbledore what they knew; they knew he was going to die. I had Crabbe, Goyle, Parkinson, Blaze and Zabini eavesdrop on them. They wrote down the conversations, everything they saw. Of course, once they got to Gryffindor Tower it was impossible, one needs the pass—"

"Where are those conversations? Where did you keep them?" Voldemort spat.

"Here, in my room! There in that drawer!" Draco exclaimed, pointing at a black cabinet on his right. The little calmness he had gained, as though getting used to interrogation, had been taken away with

Voldemort's question. A single wave of Lucius Malfoy's wand in the hands of his master was enough for the papers exit the drawer and land on Draco's bed.

"I—" started Draco.

"I shall read them later. Now, I require you tell me exactly who they are," said Voldemort slowly.

"Um—Okay, first Almery. Well, he's my age, my y-year. His name's Evan Almery. He always fights physically as well as with magic, with Muggle weapons such as swords. Gryffindor, the same gang as Potter, Weasley, Granger, Longbottom, Lovegood, Weasley and Sages. Dumbledore's Army in fifth year. Very close to Black. Then the girl's pretty much the same story. Also a Gryffindor, same friends… Sort of a tomboy, really. Alana Sages. Both claim to be pure-bloods, though blood traitors of course, and disgrace the name of the wizarding world," Draco finished, a bit proud.

Voldemort took his eyes away from Draco's, but not loosening the grip on his throat. Finally, he decided on his next words: "Draco, you will help me find the two people you speak of, starting now. Should you refuse to answer my questions—"

"I swear I won't, my Lord," Draco croaked, for Voldemort had tightened his hand around Draco's neck.

"Good… You have proved yourself useful at last, Draco… Now, be gone, and do not return until you can do it again!" Voldemort commanded. He aggressively released Draco, knocking sideways into his bed. Coughing nonstop, Draco got up and, with a last glance at his mother's unconscious body, ran from the room.

Voldemort waited, and took a deep breath. "Not yet," he told the anxious Nagini, who had been waiting patiently beside Narcissa, and now threatened to sink her fangs into her victim's skin. Voldemort then grasped his snake, and with a swish of his cloak, was lost from view.