Ice Breakers
Harry started to sag as he continued to walk after ten minutes already. Still in the long line, he felt someone behind him push him to get quicker every now and then, so he kept his eyes firmly on the back of Malfoy's head and moved his legs as fast as he could, but every time his bare feet touched that jagged, stony path, he sagged.
He soon felt small stones piercing his feet and almost stopped. But then he realised that was what they wanted. If he stopped because he was in pain, he'd merely be killed; it was an excuse for the Death Eaters that Harry was sure they would not pass up.
Suddenly, Harry walked straight into the back of Malfoy and looked up. They had reached a building that was quite large and evidently made of stone. Just as Harry was about to chance a whisper at Malfoy, asking what they were doing here, or what was inside the building, Runcorn's voice echoed down the line.
"Four hours," He said deeply, and Harry could just make out an evil smile on his face.
There was still not much movement, but Harry heard Malfoy exhale quickly and roll his eyes at Runcorn's statement.
"Four hours of what?" Harry whispered so that he could barely hear himself.
But Malfoy didn't get a chance to answer, as Runcorn called, "IN!"
There was a great shuffle of movement and all the prisoners moved inside the building without being told twice.
As everyone gathered up in a huddle, Malfoy looked over to Runcorn and then whispered to Harry, "Are you warm, Potter?"
"What?" Harry asked, confused, "No, I'm quite cold…" He answered as he realised that he'd been cold ever since he entered the prison the night before.
"Good," Malfoy said as they got closer to the door.
Harry looked at him. How was Harry being cold a good thing? He glanced over at the large Death Eater rounding up all the prisoners and turned to Malfoy to ask, "What do we do in here?"
"Make sure you never get too hot before coming in here," Malfoy replied, not answering his question, "Or it would be such a shock to your system that you'd just die…"
"Shock to my system?" Harry replied, still confused.
But then he understood.
He and Malfoy reached the doorway into the building, and as soon as Harry stepped foot inside, he was freezing. It suddenly got very dark, and it took Harry's eyes a few moments to get used to the level of brightness, and he realised that the same thing was happening to everyone since no one really walked, but all shuffled across the freezing floor.
As his eyes became accustomed, he realised that people were all going in different directions, and he began to panic.
"Where do we have to go?" He said quickly.
And then he jumped when a hand wrapped around his wrist. Shocked, Harry flicked his arm and pushed Malfoy's hand off his arm.
"Do you want to stay safe, or not?" Malfoy whispered angrily beside him.
At Harry's absent reply, Malfoy took his wrist again and pulled him the way that not many people were going. Soon he found that they had reached another doorway, and it was even colder here. Harry almost bumped into another Death Eater who was standing at the door, wearing a large coat and gloves and shoes, but Malfoy pulled him quickly towards him.
As they walked past the Death Eater silently, Harry saw that they were walking into a dimly lit room. And the sight Harry saw was bad enough to make his skin curl.
It seemed, however obvious it was, that Harry was now standing in a freezer the size of the Dursley's house. And in the freezer were a few prisoners and three giant blocks of ice that would have been almost double the size of Harry's prison cell.
Harry shivered at the sight of them, and stood literally frozen on the spot until Draco tugged him forwards. He looked around and saw the other prisoners taking what could only be described as 'ice-picks' off the wall and walking towards the blocks of frozen water. And then, as Malfoy pulled him towards the wall, he gained back his resolve, stopped and yanked his arm away from Malfoy's hand.
Malfoy turned around instantly, his face angry, "Potter, don't even try it…"
But it was too late. Harry's voice rang out loudly in the silent room as he said clearly, "What the hell is this?"
When no one replied he said, "What are we supposed to do here?" But he thought he already knew the answer.
"We're ice breakers, Potter," Malfoy said quietly, "You have to crush the ice…"
"Crush the ice?" He repeated, teeth chattering, "That's rubbish! Why can't the Death Eaters just crush it with magic?"
Harry jumped almost a mile as a snide voice spoke behind him – too close behind him…
"Because that would be too easy now, wouldn't it…" The Death Eaters hand grabbed Harry's shoulder and span him around to face him. "Oh, Harry Potter," The Death Eater sneered. "You'll soon learn not to question our ways, boy. Well you're lucky, there's no work for you today…"
Harry didn't get a chance to do anything as the Death Eaters wand came out and Harry felt invisible ropes bind him up, and then the next thing he knew, he was being pulled away from the blocks of ice, away from Malfoy and the on-looking prisoners and out of the room.
He was then being pulled through the large dark hallway, which was now clear of people, and through into another room, which no one had been walking towards before.
The door was opened and inside was one, gigantic block of ice, double the size of those in the other room. Harry had no idea what was coming, and he wasn't told; the Death Eater said nothing as he shoved Harry towards the ice. But Harry daren't say a single word, for his punishment (whatever it was) may become worse.
Then, without warning, a ladder appeared next to the ice, and the Death Eater pushed Harry towards it, saying harshly "Up."
"What?" Harry asked, still struggling against the restrains of his invisible ropes.
"Get up," The Death Eater said, pointing at the ladder.
Harry stared at it for one moment and then walked slowly towards it. It was incredibly difficult to climb, as the ropes had not been removed from around Harry's body. And then he reached the top of the ladder, and suddenly everything became clear. His punishment was to stand or sit or lie on the ice. For how long, he didn't know…
And then a rush of cold air blew over his chest and stomach and he looked down to see that his t-shirt had been removed by magic. And as he looked, his trousers, too, disappeared.
He stopped and turned back to look at the Death Eater, although how it would help was unknown to him.
The Death Eater wore a sneer that would surpass that of even Draco Malfoy in their Hogwarts years as he said slyly, "Get on, and lie down."
Harry turned back to face the ice. There was nothing for it. He had to do it. Slowly, he wiggled his toes to try and make his feet slightly warmer, took a deep breath, and stepped off the ladder onto the ice.
At first, it didn't seem that cold, but ice never did when you first touch it. He laid down quickly on his back so as to get all the shock in one, but he was ok for the moment.
"I think one hour should be enough to teach you not to cross us again, Potter," The Death Eater said from below him.
Harry said nothing, but turned and watched the dark haired man walk away.
At first, Harry thought this was a rubbish punishment, but after a few minutes, he started to feel pain like he'd never felt before – and complete terror.
Every now and then he'd try to move his arms or his hands and fingers, but they were stuck to the ice. And it was so cold that it burned him. It soon began to feel like he was lying on fire, not the opposite. After a length of time that he didn't know, he could no longer hide his pain. He knew that there was at least two Death Eaters outside the door, but he couldn't stop himself from screaming. He was sure that it would pass, and that his skin would go numb, or that his body heat would melt the ice. But the room was kept so cold that he thought even his tears would turn to ice and stick to his face, were they shedding.
He tried to move again, but he was stuck. His mind started to play tricks on him. They were going to leave him here. Leave him in this room so that his blood would surely turn to ice and he'd die. He couldn't take it anymore, he had to get up. But every time he tried to move he could almost feel bits of his skin leave him and stay with the ice. He started to hyperventilate, his chest was heaving, surely his heart would freeze at any moment… The erratic breathing made him dizzy, and the room started to spin. He screamed again and again, not knowing what words were escaping his lips...
And then, suddenly, a voice somewhere in the distance said, "Up, Potter," but Harry barely heard him over his screams.
And then something remarkable happened, the ice he was laying on turned to water. Still freezing cold, but he was no longer stuck. He laid there for a few seconds, trying to concentrate on breathing evenly.
"Get down, Potter!" Yelled the Death Eater.
Harry did as he was told and sat up, but as soon as he did a whole new pain shot through him. The burns on his back stretched and felt as though they cracked. He shouted out again but tried to gain composure as he realised that his binding invisible ropes had vanished and he looked for the ladder. It had gone.
"Get down, Potter!" The Death Eater repeated violently.
Harry slowly put his legs over the side of the ice, and attempted to lower himself onto the floor gently, but his arms had no strength in them and he fell, knees buckling, and falling on his side.
Then, he heard the deep laugh of Runcorn again. "An hour is a particularly long time, isn't it, Potter? Even for you." Harry tried to scowl up at him. "But the Dark Lord told us to find any excuses we could to punish you, and so we will do. So you'd best watch your step."
Harry's clothes all of a sudden appeared next to him on the floor, and he pulled them on with great difficulty.
"Now get up and go back to your cell. You're not fit to work for us," Another Death Eater ordered.
Harry stood up with immense difficulty, and limped out of the building. At the doorway, however, he stopped as he remembered how far they had walked just over an hour ago, and the pain he had felt on his feet.
He jumped, however, when a Death Eater spoke behind him, "What are you waiting for, Potter? Quickly, now."
Harry took another deep breath and stepped onto the gravel path he had walked on to get here. He knew the Death Eater was behind him every agonising step of the way, so he never tried to sneak onto the grass that lay either side, nor did he ever try to walk slower. And finally, when he reached the strange comfort of his cell, he stood there with dignity, his shoulders back and head up, until the door was slammed in his face, and he collapsed in a heap on his bed.
The next thing Harry knew, there was light in his room again and he saw that the door was open. People were walking past slowly, trying to get a good look at him. It was evident that the Death Eaters had done this on purpose, just to degrade him even more.
Harry watched them pass for the moment but then tried to ignore them. It was then that he realised how much the back of his entire body hurt. It was like he had gotten severe sunburn, and it burnt for anything to touch it.
He was looking at the back of his arm when he heard something behind him.
He turned around quickly and saw the girl he had recognised the day before upon entering the prison. She looked tired and pale, not to mention hungry. The thought then crossed his mind, too, did they ever eat in here?
He was brought back to the present moment, however, when the girl spoke in a shaky voice, "Are you feeling better?"
Her voice was high, and he recognised it from somewhere. And for some unexplainable reason, he thought of Ron.
"Erm, a little," Harry replied, his voice cracking from lack of use.
"I know it hurts," She said, looking pointedly at Harry's ice burns, "I've had it done to me twice. Only for half an hour each time though…"
Harry didn't really know what to say. He supposed 'who are you?' would have been good. But he didn't need to ask, for the girl walked further into his cell and said, "You recognise me, don't you?"
Harry nodded slowly, "Yes."
"I'm Maisie Cattermole," She said, and it suddenly slicked in Harry's head, "You saved my mother at the ministry nearly two years ago. You're friend was impersonating my father."
Harry nodded quickly and made a weak smile, "I remember. I told her to get her children and leave the country…"
Maisie nodded sadly, "We tried… My father suddenly turned up and told us that Harry Potter had been at the Ministry, and my mother explained that she saw you and you told us to save ourselves. You're so kind."
"Well, I wasn't going to just let your family carry on working for the ministry, not when your mum is muggle-born," Harry replied, "So… What happened? What went wrong with your escape?" He asked uneasily.
Maisie lowered her eyes, "We were just crossing the boarder to France the next day, and Voldemort himself found us. I think he was personally looking for you. My father, brother, sister and I were all taken to Azkaban, because this prison wasn't built then, but my mother… She was taken away to be a slave I think. We don't really know."
"That's awful," Harry said, and he was shocked to suddenly realise that she was sitting next to him on his bed.
"I know, but we're confident – that is, my brother, sister and I – that when you get out you can still make everything right," She smiled at him, something that was difficult to do in this place.
He didn't quite know what to say then. He wanted to tell her that he war was over, and the good side had lost, but she looked too innocent…
"How old are you?" He asked.
Her expression suddenly changed to one that reminded him of Ginny when she was younger, "Fifteen," She answered proudly.
Harry shook his head slowly at her. He didn't want to be horrible, but he had to say it…
"You're naïve to the world. The war's over… I'm in prison…"
"You mustn't think like that!" Maisie said quickly, her eyes now wide and alert. She moved suddenly closer to him, Harry backed his head away a little. "You mustn't get too caught up with bad things… You should get away…"
'Get away', he'd heard that before…
Harry had no idea what was happening, Maisie was getting ever closer and Harry was just confused. But then there was a sudden noise at the doorway to the cell and Maisie jumped back.
Harry looked around and saw Malfoy looking at her, with one eyebrow higher than the other.
"Maisie," He said curtly.
Maisie stood up, "Good afternoon, Draco."
"Not bothering Potter, are you?" Malfoy asked as he strode into the small room. "He's had a long day, he doesn't need you nagging him."
"I wasn't," She replied bitterly.
"Well then off you go," Malfoy said quickly, more like an order than a suggestion, "Your brother and sister will be worried about you."
Harry watched Maisie's expression change many times in a second, and she turned round, said "See you later, Harry," and exited their cell.
Harry turned back to look at Malfoy, who had taken his top off in a second and was resting his back against the wall.
Harry went to ask what that had been about, but Malfoy spoke first, "How are you feeling?"
Harry thought. "Burnt," He replied.
"Yes, but aren't you scared of the Death Eaters now?" Malfoy asked, sort of sarcastically.
"No," Harry replied certainly, and Malfoy gave him a sarcastic look, "I'm scared of ice," Harry finished.
Malfoy's face broke into a smirk, "Yes, that too," He said.
There was silence then. Silence that was surprisingly a lot warmer than it should have been.
"Malfoy," Harry said after a while, and Malfoy looked at him, "What were you trying to tell me this morning? And why was Maisie going on about 'getting away' as well?"
Malfoy looked at him for a moment, eyes narrowed in a considering fashion, and then he said slowly, "You're a lot younger than you actually are, Potter, did you know that?"
"What?" Harry asked, confused.
"Potter," Malfoy said, suddenly assertive and looking at him straight on, "I don't know what you and your little girlfriend Weasley do in the bedroom, but you have to put that behind you in here."
"What?" Harry exclaimed loudly.
"You're never going to last half your sentence in here if you keep yourself to yourself," Malfoy explained, "Maisie was right when she said you shouldn't get caught up with bad things. She meant that if you are 'content' with your own company and your own horrible thoughts you'll never get through this."
"Well I don't intend to go round getting to know the locals, Malfoy!" Harry snapped.
"You don't have to get to know them, but you can't think about your Weaselette any longer," Malfoy said.
Harry was slowly realising what Malfoy was trying to tell him. "There's only one way to get away…" He said slowly, and Malfoy nodded. "And I can't think about Ginny…" Malfoy nodded again. "You want me to have sex with people?" He said bluntly, neither angrily nor loudly. For that he found simply ridiculous, almost laughable.
"Well that's up to you, Potter," Malfoy said quietly, "But if you don't you'll find you go insane a lot quicker than anyone else around here."
"Malfoy, it's insane enough to go around and have sex with people I don't know…"
But Malfoy cut in, "Like I told you earlier, Potter; we're ice breakers. That's what we do. We don't only break solidified water… There's another type of ice that one can't see, but can only feel. And once you've broken through it, you'll feel freer."
Harry stared at him, slightly worried for Malfoy's sanity. But he didn't have time to voice his opinions, as a rough voice from the corridor shouted, "Shower hour!"
Malfoy stood up and suddenly completely changed his attitude. "This might hurt you today, Potter," He said.
Harry was still bemused from the things Malfoy had just said that he replied, "W-wha…"
"The showers, they'll hurt you because of your punishment you had. You won't like it."
And Malfoy was right. Ten minutes later, Harry stood in another part of the same building, watching people take their clothes off to strip down naked before getting in one huge shower. Some people walked around with no dignity, but others covered themselves up with their hands.
This was bad enough, but when the shower was turned on for the first handful of people in there, he saw the thing that Malfoy was referring to back in the cell.
It was not water pouring from the shower heads, but small, crushed, sharp bits of ice. Harry assumed this was the ice that the prisoners had been crushing all morning.
Harry swallowed and began to breathe quickly.
"Don't worry, it's not too bad," Malfoy said under his breath as he took his clothes off without a care.
Harry followed suit slowly, trying his best to cover himself as he walked closer to the shower.
But minutes after Malfoy's words, there was a scream and a woman ran out holding her eye.
"Don't look up," Malfoy advised.
"Has anyone ever died in here?" Harry asked quietly as they got ever closer.
"A few times," Malfoy answered, "But they were weak already. Old, or young, thin, nothing to keep them warm." Harry was not comforted by this.
Soon enough, Harry and Malfoy walked into the shower with others around them. Harry found it exceedingly difficult not to scream as the sharp ice pierced his blisters on his back. He noticed, however, that other people had slight blisters also, and they were not screaming, so he refrained. He didn't see how this would help to clean them, but the icicles were small enough that they did melt to water while still on their bodies, so they could at least wipe any dirt off themselves.
After the shower, the rest of the day was spent doing nothing. This surprised Harry, as he thought it was rather easy going. But then again, they only had one meal, which was rather sickly. Harry noticed that in the afternoon people seemed to wander around for a while and then disappear into each others' cells. He didn't like to think of what they were doing, and he daren't step outside of his cell since all the doors were open so he would just see it happening, in plain sight! Malfoy, however, stayed with Harry, which he begrudgingly thought was quite kind of him. To stick with him after such a terrible first day.
As Harry went to sleep that night, he thought about the things Malfoy had said to him, and about Ginny, Ron and Hermione, and about the excruciating pain on his back. His thoughts travelled to that of Voldemort and the Horcruxes that he had yet to find. And then, he understood what Malfoy meant. If Harry thought about this every night for a year, he would go insane. But just before he fell asleep, he decided that there must be another way to forget about these things, and to survive through his sentence. He would never succumb to that level.
A/N: Hope you enjoyed! What do you think of what the cellmates do every day? Do you think Harry will succumb to that level? Review! Thanks for reading :)
