Disclaimer: I own nothing of Harry Potter and any related franchises. All content which the reader may recognise is not my possession.
A/N: Please read and review, I've already got nearly 200 views on this story which is amazing I love you guys all so much so here's Chapter 3. I promise the angst will end eventually and it will get a bit lighter and fluffier but not quite yet, beat with me please? Xxx
Much of Draco's Seventh Year was spent hidden in the Slytherin Common Room, yet also not there. Salazar Slytherin had built several secret ante chambers to the Common Room which could only be accessed if one was in dire need. Draco doubted that his and Slytherin's opinion on dire need was vastly different considering Draco was designing ways to leave the Dark Lord's service and take as many Death Eaters out with him. It was also an effective way to avoid the punishment duties that the Carrows and Snape had introduced. Draco may not have been a perfect person but using the Cruciatus Curse on innocent First Years was too much for him.
The Dark Lord's influence over Hogwarts was immense and obvious in every way. First, the appointment of Snape as the new Headmaster of Hogwarts and then the introduction of Death Eater twins Amycus and Alecto Carrow as the replacements for the Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor and the Muggle Studies Professor. It took less than a week before the radical changes started to occur.
There were no longer any Muggleborns in Hogwarts. Most were either on the run from the Muggleborn Registry or suffering the effects of following the procedure – removal from the wizarding world if they were under 18 or a sentence in Azkaban if they had turned 18. Defence Against the Dark Arts had gradually phased out into just Dark Arts. Students were taught how to cast Dark curses from First Year and the Unforgiveables from Fourth Year onwards. Older students were encouraged to practice them on the younger students as punishments when they had somehow misbehaved. Rules became tougher and more stringent so punishments were practically inescapable. The only teachers to enforce the rules and punishments were the Carrows and Snape – Voldemort's puppets in Hogwarts – the other teachers could be seen herding students away into their office and giving them Healing Potions that they were unable to access from the Hospital Wing. Muggle Studies became compulsory except students learnt that Muggles were inferior to wizards and the various methods that could be used to remove the so-called 'Muggle Problem'.
Students began to disappear throughout the Year. Longbottom was the first to go missing but he wasn't particularly missed. Then other followed like the Weaslette and Loony Lovegood. He ignored it for the most part assuming that they'd managed to escape to somewhere safe. It was only when the members of the younger years started to disappear that the Carrows and Snape began to suspect something was amiss. Snape gave the impression that he didn't really care.
"What's wrong with the lack of a few Blood Traitors?", he said when the Carrows brought it up.
The pattern continued. Every weekend one or two more would disappear until the Great Hall was left with only Slytherins and a small minority of students in the other houses with Death Eaters or Death Eater sympathisers for parents.
His mother had requested that he come home for Easter instead of hiding away at school as he had done at Yule. Nevertheless, he had spent most of his time locked away in his wing of the manor or the library so he could spend as little time as possible in the presence of the Dark Lord and his crazy aunt. It was just plain disturbing how Bellatrix followed the Dark Lord around like a loyal puppy.
As the end of the vacation approached, Draco was called into the Drawing Room presumably for tea with his mother, he had been ignoring her in his quest to hide from his houseguests. He certainly didn't expect to see three cloaked figures shoved violently to their knees. A rather feminine cry of pain was ripped from the person on the left as the hood they wore was yanked off and they were hit across the face. Lank, brown curls swung out in front of the girl's face and-
Hermione. There was only one girl in the world to whom those crazy curls belonged to even in their lank and unwashed state from what appeared to be months on the run judging by the state of their clothes. It had to be her. Draco was sure when she lifted her head and her familiar chocolate gaze fell upon him. The obvious fear in her eyes cut Draco to the core; she looked like a cornered animal her eyes darting to any possible exit and then back to Draco's, begging him to help them. His aunt's next words scared him most of all, more than anything the Dark Lord had said to him.
"Draco, are these Potter and his little friends? You would tell us if they were surely? Only we've fallen out of our Lord's graces and should we be the one's to bring Potter to him we would be relegated to His right hand again where we belong."
Fear permeated Draco's entire being. His aunt suspected what Draco already knew. No amount of Transfiguration could hide the fact that the boy in the centre had a rather curious lightning bolt shaped scar stretched across his forehead. Bellatrix picked up the most recent copy of the Daily Prophet from a side table and read the headline.
"Undesirable No. 1: Harry Potter believed to be travelling in the company of Blood Traitor Ronald Weasley and Muggleborn Hermione Granger.", she declared, "And I'd say that this girl looks rather a lot like Little Miss Granger, wouldn't you say Draco?"
In the corner of his eye, Draco could see that sleazy Snatcher, Scabior playing with what looked like a jewelled sword. He dropped it and it fell to the floor with a clatter causing everyone to turn in the direction of the sudden noise.
"Where did you get that?", Bellatrix shrieked, "Where did you find it? You've been in my vault?"
"Found it in their tent when we snatched them, I did. I reckons that it's mine now though, finders keepers and all that.", replied Scabior rather offhandedly.
"Wormtail, take Potter and Weasley to the cellars and tie them up like the others. Lucius, make sure he doesn't accidentally set one of them free again and see to it that he puts the wards back up correctly again.", Bellatrix ordered. "I'm going to have some fun with the Mudblood here.", crooned Bellatrix.
"No! Not Hermione! Take me instead!", shouted Weasley as he was dragged away by Pettigrew to the cellars.
"Now, what shall we do with you? Stealing from my vault, being a Mudblood, being friends with Potter; my my there's quite a list of your crimes aren't there? I rather think the Cruciatus Curse might begin to teach you what your place is.", said Bellatrix in a lilting tone. Sadistic pleasure seemed to radiate off her in waves horrifying Draco.
"CRUCIO!", Bellatrix yelled.
And then the screaming started.
