Being an Auror meant that Alice Longbottom was rarely afraid of the missions that she was assigned, quite a few of which often involved dealing with Death Eaters.
Tonight, however, something seemed different. A fear gnawed at her, even before she had left her house. Frank noticed her discomfort and was somewhat surprised.
"What is it?" he asked with a comforting smile.
Alice shook her head. She did not want to burden him with her baseless fears. He sighed, knowing she would have already told him if she had wanted to. Instead, he gave her a small kiss on her cheek and wished her goodbye as she headed out into the dark night.
The weather itself seemed oddly ominous, with the constant rolling of thunder punctuated by occasional streaks of lightning. The wind howled in her ears as she walked to the Apparition point that would then take her to Hogwarts.
The small clearing in the jungle that marked her destination came into view, but with it came a nasty surprise. A few familiar figures were waiting for her, cloaked in their usual dark robes and silver masks.
Alice's hand went to her wand instinctively, but a flash of gold hit her before she could lift it up. She fell back from the force of the spell. Immediately, another, harsher beam of light hit her, causing her body to convulse painfully. She quickly recognised the Unforgivable, but was powerless to stop it. She could hear the maniacal laughter of her assailants even though she could not see them. Every inch of her body felt like it was being torn apart, making the few minutes of the duration of the spell seem like an eternity.
Finally, the pain abated, though the scornful cackles did not. Alice lay on the floor of the forest, heaving, unable to move a muscle. One of the Death Eaters moved closer to her, bending down to kneel beside her.
"I have waited very long, too long for this, Longbottom," said a voice from behind the mask. Alice recognised it as belonging to Bellatrix Lestrange, but she had never quite heard such a madness in it.
Alice tried to retort to her words, but all that escaped her lips was a small groan. Bella laughed again, lifting her wand. The spell bound her again. Perhaps it was the proximity of the caster or the intense hatred that seemed to radiate from Bellatrix, even from behind her mask, but the pain was much harsher this time. Alice screamed out, her voice echoing into the empty night.
By the time Bellatrix paused, Alice's throat was hoarse and blood ran from her mouth and nose. The other witch seemed content to simply watch her prey bleed out for some time.
Alice could feel her vision blurring, and black spots appearing before her eyes, obscuring her sight of the already dark forest. It wasn't long before her eyes closed of their own accord, fear growing in her heart at the last words she'd heard the Death Eater say.
"Let's take her home."
Notes: Written for the TGS Anniversay Event and the Great School Bake-Off
Baked Good: Vanilla cake soaked in espresso glaze (Pairing: FrankAlice) 2. Cream cheese frosting (Emotion: afraid) 3. Chocolate curls (Weather: lightning) 4. Cocoa powder (Action: giving someone a goodbye kiss)
Prompts: Wind, Gold, Hogwarts, Jungle