The Ministry workers barged their way through, hoping to get the wand their looking for.
"Where's your wand, boy?" Samuel asked.
Draco gulped, and went over by the rug where his mother had dropped his wand. While he bent down to pick it up, Draco slowly peered around the room. Alanna was nowhere in sight.
Shakily, he handed it to the Ministry people. Sharon Holmes ran her hand down the base of the wand. She whispered softly, "The last spell was the Unforgiveable Curse." She glared at Draco. "Did you cast this spell?"
Draco knew that if he said yes, he might be thrown in Azkaban. But he also knew that if he denied that, they would think that he was lying. So he was silent.
Sharon Holmes's steady gaze softened a bit. "We are going to let you off easy this time. I'm going to take your wand for about a month. In time, you'll get it back.
Gerald Samuel stared at Draco. "You better believe how lucky you are for not going to Azkaban for this. One more problem…well, I'm sure you know the consequences."
Alanna, who was listening from the top of the landing, heard only part of the conversation. Even though she was only two, she had heard her mother talk about a place called Azkaban and how awful it was. She knew what she had to do.
"Wait!" she yelped as the Ministry workers turned to leave. "I held Draco's wand!"
Gerald raised his eyebrows. "Who is that?"
Narcissa and Lucius looked at each other. In the dark light of the room, you could only see part of Alanna, and you couldn't see the similarities between Bellatrix and her.
"She's…a friend of the family." Lucius improvised. "A visitor from St. Mungo's…quite sad really. Deatheaters tortured her for no good reason at all. Killed off the rest of her family."
The Ministry people looked at Alanna with sympathy, but not wanting to get any closer. After all, St. Mungo's often held some mad people.
"So it was you who cast the spell?" they inquired.
"Yes!" Alanna cried.
Sharon turned toward her co-worker. She muttered, "How can a child like this, cast an Unforgiveable Curse? After all, you have to mean it. You have to really want to harm someone."
"Who was the curse toward, child?"
Alanna pointed toward the plant. Ms. Holmes went over and inspected it. All she could see were bugs…dead bugs.
She looked curiously over to Alanna. "Step into the light," she commanded.
"NO!" Narcissa yelled. But it was too late. They had seen all of Alanna.
She stepped away from the shadows, into better light. The Ministry workers instantly recognized her black curls and her dark eyelashes framing equally dark eyes. Her sullen pout was once seen on many wanted posters for Azkaban.
Both workers stepped back, surprised and disgusted. "You! You look like Bellatrix! Is she…could it be?"
Lucius gave a fake, strained laugh. "She looks nothing like Bellatrix! There's an obvious difference!"
"Name one!" demanded Gerald, whipping out his wand and pointing it toward the girl.
Lucius began to stutter, trying to think of a difference. But it was hard, for the only real physical difference was the she was a child.
Sharon began to think out loud. "Bellatrix was a known Deatheater…and the only thing she ever really loved was serving You-Know-Who…" her voice trailed off as she came to realization.
"She's the child to Voldemort!" Gerald realized. He yelled, "CRUCIO!" toward Alanna.
Alanna yelped, and fell to the ground. She lay there, withering in pain as the Ministry workers advanced.
"She must be killed. We have defeated Voldemort, and we don't need another person to be afraid of. This child is obviously a threat to mankind, who knows what madness and evil lies beneath? " They said as they raised their wands. Draco and Narcissa ran forward, wanting to stop them.
But it was too late. One of the workers raised the wand and shouted with great hatred. "ADVADA KARDAVA!"
Alanna shrieked and went rigid.
"NO!" Narcissa and her son protested in unison. They ran to Alanna, and Narcissa cradled her in her arms.
The Ministry workers were about to leave when they heard a gasp and turned around. The Malfoy family looked on with shock.
Alanna's eyes were open. She had, somehow, survived the Killing Curse.
Well, at least this was a longer chapter! Once again, please, please review!
