Chapter Seven: Repeat
Rose paced back and forth between the two sides of the Quidditch pitch. Her heart was racing, her palms were sweaty, and she felt a tad bit nauseous. Scorpius had seemed fine last night, but now he was over twenty minutes late. Her nerves had been out of control since she had woken up, but now it was much worse. She had figured it was because of the ball. She was excited to see everyone dressed up and even more excited that she was going to be going with her boyfriend. Scorpius had never been late to meet her in all the years she had known him. She couldn't think of any reason why he would be late now. It wasn't like before. They weren't hiding anything from anyone anymore.
She was about to sit down on the ground when she heard someone running towards her. She spun around, ready to face him and saw Hugo coming down from the castle instead. He was alone. She felt her stomach do a back flip. Something was wrong. As he entered the pitch, he remained silent, but when she saw his face she knew. Scorpius wasn't coming.
"We have to go to the Headmistress' office," Hugo stated, his voice very even and very quiet. "Now." Rose felt her heart drop. There was no reason for Professor McGonagell to be involved in the dealings of two teenage lovers. She glanced up at Hugo as she followed him out of the pitch. He wouldn't look at her. There was no reason, unless there was something more going on here.
When they reached the top of the hill, she noticed her cousins standing at the doorway. They all looked delicate. She hoped it was the lighting, but even James appeared rather pale. She swallowed the growing lump in her throat. "How bad is it?"
"It's bad, Rose. There was an attack in Hogsmeade this afternoon. Over a dozen people were killed. More were wounded. They took–,"
"Where is she?" Rudolph's shouting cut off Hugo before he could finish. Rose jumped as her friend slammed the door of the office shut. He spotted her and came running. Rose put the pieces together. She felt as if she had just taken a Bludger to the stomach. She closed her eyes, shaking her head and fell back against the wall.
Hugo cursed and squatted down in front of her instantly. "Rose. Listen to me," he reached out to her, grabbing her by the shoulders and forcing her to look into his eyes. "They took Scorpius. The Aurors think they are going to ask for a ransom from his father. Jasmine is missing too." The world suddenly shifted. She didn't have to ask her brother who 'they' was. She already knew. An old threat had been reborn. She was about to relive her parents' worst nightmare. The Death Eaters were back.
Inside McGonagell's office the mood was somber and defeated. The number of people who had been killed was rising, as it became apparent that Hogsmeade wasn't the only location the group had hit. Rose and her cousins listened silently as the Headmistress informed them of three similar attacks that had taken place before Hogsmeade had been hit. The first had been a Muggle community. The Ministry of magic had already dispatched aid and some Aurors to help with the cover-up story. The next target area had been the Ministry of Magic itself, but hardly anyone had been hurt there. With so many Aurors on duty at the time of the attack the threat had been neutralized within moments. The third one had erupted at the close of a Quidditch game. Dozens of spectators had been wounded and a few had died.
"In the matter of Ms. Sullivan and Mr. Malfoy, it is believed that they are both alive." Rose felt Rudolph squash her hand unintentionally as McGonagell paused to inhale. "However, we are not optimistic that this will be their fate for long. It is not in the nature of events such as these to allow compassion. I suggest you all prepare yourselves for the worst." Rose stifled a scream as Rudolph's hold tightened even further. He was going to break of her hand.
"Professor," she wretched her hand free of her friend. "Is there any reason why they took Jasmine and Scorpius and didn't-," she stopped. She couldn't bring herself to say it out loud.
"Kill them on site," James finished. McGonagell's eyes went from Rose to her cousin. She glared at James sharply before speaking again.
"Ransom is the most logical conclusion at the moment, Ms. Weasley. But as you are no doubt aware, Ms. Sullivan is Muggle-born and though her family is not a group of paupers, there finances are not worthy of such an attempt, unlike Mr. Malfoy's circumstances." Rudolph cursed loudly, slamming his fists down on the Headmistress' desk. Wood splinters shattered around him, some piercing the flesh of his hands. "Please control yourself, Mr. Lettner."
"What is being done to retrieve them?" Hugo asked, moving forward to put his hand on Rudolph's shoulder.
"A great deal of effort on the Ministry's part has been exerted on all the attacks. Aurors have been dispatched to each location. They are working with the witches and wizards in each area to return things to normal and assist all the victims and their families. They-,"
"But who is looking for Scorpius and Jasmine?" Rose interrupted with an annoyed tone in her voice.
"Ms. Weasley," McGonagell began exasperatedly, and Rose realized with pain that no one was searching for her loved ones. They had been deemed a lost cause and the Ministry was sending its resources elsewhere. "I am truly sorry."
Rose sat back in her chair as the realization sunk in. She was about to loose them. There was nothing she could do about it. Jasmine and Scorpius were gone. Her heart physically ached as she thought about not seeing either of them again. She would never get another chance to hug Jasmine, or laugh with her about boys, or eat breakfast with her in the Great Hall. She would never see the pair of eyes that made Scorpius so mysterious, or be able to kiss him, or even do something as innocent as dance with him again. She gripped the arm rests on either side of her. The room was small and warm. She felt trapped in the heat and her angst. Breathing became harder. Her throat was constricting. She didn't think she had the ability to swallow anymore. How could she wake up tomorrow with the knowledge that she no longer had her best friend? And Scorpius, without him how could she even move? The only reason she had gotten on the Quidditch team was because of his stubborn support and his constant late night practices. His ability to make her forget her problems and to show her how beautiful she was. How could she lose that? She loved it. She loved him. Her breathing stopped completely in that moment. She loved him.
Was she ever going to get the opportunity to tell him? He had to know. He had to know that he was the world to her, that he made her feel whole, that he had completed her existence. She had to tell him how he had changed her, how he had made her life better. She glanced around, witnessing the reactions of her cousins, brother, and Rudolph as McGonagell continued to address them. She had removed herself from the speech completely. There was nothing else the Headmistress could tell her - that she was interested in knowing. And with that, she stood up and walked out of the room. She wasn't surprised that no one followed her. They all assumed that she was in shock. None of them could anticipate she was planning on leaving the castle. Not one of them could stop her even if they did know. This was her only chance to break free of all - her family's name, the expectations people had of her, and her own fear. If anything had ever mattered before, it paled in comparison to the drive that she felt now. A Hungarian Horntail couldn't keep her from going.
She passed the corridor that would have led her to the Great Hall. She vaguely recalled McGonagell mentioning a vigil being held in there for the students to mourn the loss. She ran up the steps to Gryffindor tower, taking two at a time. The Common Room was completely empty. She slipped up into the Girl's Wing silently and unnoticed. Grabbing her nap-sack, she began frantically stuffing it with specific items she deemed worthy of her mission. Within minutes, she had gathered what she needed and was leaving again. She planned on going alone. This was most probably a suicide mission, however fate had it's own agenda. Rudolph was waiting for her by the archway.
"Absolutely not!" She shouted at him, before he had a chance to ask.
"Rose, I need to go. I need to be there for her." He grabbed her by her shoulders, locking her in his grip and staring her down. There was more than anger in his eyes. There was a fear, a desperation so like her own that she felt her breath hitch. Had she been so involved in her own life lately that she had missed the signs?
"You love her?"
It was more of a statement then a question at this point, because no matter what he said to her vocally, she could read the truth in his expression. "I wanted to tell her before Yule Ball. I swear I was going to, but then she came down those stairs this morning and I just couldn't find the words. Nothing seemed good enough." He sighed, taking a step back and releasing her. He ran a hand through his thick hair, closing his eyes momentarily. "Now I may never have the chance."
Rose felt her throat tighten, the first warning sign of tears that may fall. "You will," she said, putting one hand on his shoulder. He raised his eyes to look at her. "We both will."
They headed for the Quidditch Pitch. If they were going to travel without being traced, they would have to go by broom or by magical creature. Since all the creatures at the school were under protection charms and special wards for student safety, brooms were their only available option. Rudolph nearly ripped the door off its hinges when he opened it. Rose didn't bother to scold him. Her nerves were running wild as well. She had no room to judge at this point. Every decision they made from here on out would be against under-aged Wizarding laws and of course against the student code of conduct at Hogwarts, so if a door happened to be broken on their spiral downward, it was the least of her worries. They both grabbed their brooms from their respective lockers. Rudolph paused at his to grab some items and stuff them in his duffel. When they turned around to leave, Rose was met with another surprise: her family.
"I won't let you do th-," James started.
Rose raised her wand. "Either get out of my way, James, or I will make you."
Hugo jumped in between them, arms raised up. "Hey, hey! Wait!" Rose didn't lower her wand, but she did let her cousin speak.
James started to speak again, "I won't let you do this alone. We're family. We're going with you." His words nearly caused her to choke. She looked around him to find Albus and Lily already prepared with their brooms.
"What about Aunt Ginny, Uncle Harry, and Mom and Dad?" she asked Hugo.
"Sod them. Can't let the old dogs have all the fun, can we?" He grinned mischievously. "Besides, who are they to talk about breaking the rules?"
And that it seemed decided it all. The group of six marched out onto the Quidditch Pitch, brooms in hand. They mounted together, before James signaled to take off. There was only one place that she could think of to start looking. Malfoy Manor had been the main house used for operations during the last war and although Rose did not believe in Scorpius or his parents being involved in the Dark Arts, she had an intuitive feeling that there was something or someone in that house that did. She knew that his grandparents on both sides were deceased. His great-aunts were both long gone, one during the war and one afterwards. The whereabouts of his uncles were less certain, though she believed they were both dead as well. That only left cousins and as far as anyone knew the only cousin he had was a distant relative named Teddy Tonks, who was a close family friend of hers. Teddy was a black sheep in the Malfoy branch. It wasn't until recently that he had even been recognized by the family as a relative.
It didn't feel right to be suspicious of Scorpious' home, especially after how kindly she had been treated by his parents, but she couldn't drop the nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach. The closer they got to the house, the more the feeling grew. When they landed outside the gate, she nearly vomitted from the nausea. The feeling was more intense than she anticipated. She felt her hands becoming clammy and her vision blurred. Her broomstick dropped from her hand as she attempted to right herself. Rudolph steadied her with one hand, seeing her sway. "Rose?"
"I'm alright," she responded quickly. "They are here."
As if she had just spoken some password, the gates swung open. Everyone stepped back and drew their wands as a protective measure, but nothing happened. No Death Eaters appeared, no defensive measures mounted - the walk way remained unaltered. Rose pushed past the rest of her family, taking the first step through the gateway. She held her breath for a moment, waiting. Nothing happened. No trap door opened. No hounds of hell came madly barking at her. All was still. She heard James let out a sigh of relief. He nodded to the rest of them and they all moved forward. It was at the same moment, the gates slammed shut, suddenly over growing with thorns and ivy, and separating Rose from her family. Only Rudolph had already made it through. Being made partially of human blood and partially of centaur, his brute strength and speed allowed him to flip over the fence before the thorns could cut him. He landed with a heavy thud at Rose's feet. His one side was scratched in long lines of crimson, but he was otherwise unharmed.
"Rose!" Hugo shouted, moving to grab hold of the bars.
"Stay back!" she screamed, pointing her wand at the gates. Her warning didn't come soon enough and a defensive charm set Hugo flying backwards, bound by leather coils. "Hugo!" Lily was at his side with Albus in a matter of seconds, conjuring the proper unlocking spells. Rose unballed her hands at her sides, realizing how tense the moment had made her. She couldn't be tense right now. She had to keep her composure and stay fluid. If she locked up now, she would lock up in battle and that was not a luxury that she could afford when so much was on the line. She helped Rudolph to his feet, grimacing under his massive weight.
"I'm not leaving her in there," he grumbled, forcing himself to stand.
"I know. We're going to get them out of there." As if someone had heard their statements, a scream pierced the night air. Rose and Rudolph both froze, recognizing Jasmine's voice instantly.
"I'll kill them," the wizard barked, racing for the front door.
"Rudolph! Wait!" Rose darted after him, despite the desperate cries from her family on the opposite side of the gate.
The doors stayed open as they both ran inside. Rudolph had gone directly up the marble stone steps in front of them, never hesitating to look at either room on the side of the staircase. Rose looked quickly at both, but saw no movement or unnatural shadows in either. She figured anyone in the house would be centered around the main attraction, but her instincts told her to still be cautious. Another scream shot through the air. This time it was Scorpius and Rose felt her heart stop. The breath left her lungs and she felt as if she could see him in pain. She could feel the etched lines of his face contorting and the rough sensation of the torture flow through his body. She gripped hold of the banister, nearly losing her balance from the shock of it all. When the sensation subsided, she realized Rudolph was no longer in front of her.
She ran. She had no idea how she knew where she was going, but she did. She rounded a corner, hung a right, then jumped up another staircase, taking two at a time. When she reached the top, she saw her friends. She didn't recognize the person standing directly in front of Scorpius and Jasmine. The witch had her wand pointed at them, her back towards the stairs. Rudolph was lying motionless about three yards back from the woman. There was more blood on his face, but Rose could tell he was alive. He was still breathing. Off to the other side, farthest from her was a fireplace, where Mr. Malfoy was lying. He was under a charm, slowly, hypnotically walking towards the flames. Rose could smell the stench of burning flesh and noticed the charred hand of Scorpius's father. His right hand, his wand hand, was burned severly, but he didn't notice it.
"I've been expecting you, Rose," the witch turned around. Rose only knew her by reputation, a face like that was unforgettable to someone who had survived the war, and her mother and grandmother knew this woman all too well.
"Bellatrix Lestrange."
"NO!" the witch shrieked. She ran at Rose, pointing her wand into her collarbone. "She's dead because of you! Because of your family! Because of your wretched Mudblood mother!" Rose felt her pulse quicken as the tip of the wand pressed harder into her flesh.
"Who are you?" she hissed.
"Nell," the woman spat out.
"No. You're Bellatrix Lestrange. You have to be. You look just like her."
"Because she was my mother!" shrieked the witch, grabbing Rose by the arm and tossing her to the side. Rose skidded across the floor, landing aside of Jasmine. She rolled over to see her friend's arms and legs were bleeding from whipping wounds. Scorpius was injured too, though his injuries seemed less severe. Rose struggled to get on her feet, just in time for Nell to slap her and send her reeling back to the ground.
"Bellatrix never had a child," Rose said, her face against the hard marble flooring.
"Ah, but that's where you are wrong," Nell laughed. "She did. In Azkaban. No one was to know about it of course. Would look bad on the Ministry, not being able to maintain a psychopath. But," she gestured wildly as she approached Rose. "Here I am."
Rose swung her legs around, knocking into the back of Nell's knees and sending her down. Rose kicked Nell's wand from her hands, and threw herself at the witch, keeping her down on the floor. "Why did you attack those people?" she snapped, pointing her wand in Nell's face. "What good will it do now? Voldemort is dead."
"He may be dead," Nell's eyes glistened, "but his teachings live on. Your family took mine from me. It's only right that I return the favor."
"Your mother killed members of my family as well. And Voldemort wasn't a leader. He was a murderer, a cowardly, lowly, murderer."
"Lies!" Nell screamed, shoving Rose off of her. She made a reach for her wand, but Rudolph knocked into her, sending the wand dancing over towards Mr. Malfoy. Rose scrambled to her feet to get the wand, but Nell was faster, nearly knocking Mr. Malfoy into the flames to secure her weapon. Rose grabbed the back of his shirt to keep him from falling into the flames. She yanked him hard, pushing him to the ground and way from the fireplace. But her actions had cost her the safety of an unarmed opponent. Nell had retrieved her wand.
"Get them out of here!" Rose shouted at Rudolph, who was closer to Scorpius and Jasmine. "Get them out of here, now!" Rudolph didn't need to be told again. He grabbed Jasmine, tossing her over his shoulder, before helping Scorpius to his feet so he could lean on him to walk out of the house.
"Not so fast," Nell cried, raising her wand. Rose jumped on her from behind, grabbing her hair, and pulling as hard as she could. "Ah!" It wasn't as good as magic, but she needed to keep Nell occupied until her friends were out of the manor. She would not let them die her. She flicked her wand, putting a body binding spell on Nell. She checked to make sure it had worked only for a second, before returning to Mr. Malfoy's side.
"Mr. Malfoy," she tried to uncharm him, but the enchantment was too strong. "Let him go," she demanded of Nell, putting her wand over Nell's heart.
"Why? You won't kill me. You're a Weasley. You don't have the guts to kill me. You're pathetic."
Rose felt enraged. True, she would not use an Unforgivable Curse on the woman. She refused to lower herself to that level, but she was angry. She hated how this witch was abusing magic and how she was using the power to torture innocent people in the name of a man who had altered the face of the Wizarding World. She hated how scared Jasmine looked, how beaten Scorpius was, and how much blood had to be spilled over such a dividing line as lineage. Her parents had fought to keep this kind of darkness out of their world. They had lost friends and family to the war. She was not about to do the same. She turned to the back wall of the room. The windows had been covered by the shades, she moved them effortlessly with her wand, seeing the sky outside. It appeared that this was the Western side of the Manor, and as such was the side closest to the canyon. With a flick of her wrist, Rose shouted, "Expulso!" The wall instantly erupted into dozens of pieces, exploding outward into the night.
She returned to Nell's side, releasing her from her body bind. "I may not kill you by my own hand, but you can condemn yourself if you do not help me," she instructed. "Release Mr. Malfoy, now."
"No."
"Release Mr. Malfoy, Nell," Rose instructed, pushing the witch backwards and closer to the edge of the floor.
"If I fall over and I die, my blood is on your hands," Nell grinned. "Being a murderess is fun, isn't it, Weasley?"
Mr. Malfoy was up again, walking towards the fire. The fronts of his shoes had started to burn and the smell of burning leather filled the room. "One last time, Nell. Let him go."
"I'd rather fall." And with that, she stepped back and off the ledge. Rose cursed and dove for the wall, but Nell was gone. Only her maniacal laughter filled the air where she had once stood. Rose felt her options dwindling. She searching frantically around the room, trying to find something that might stun Mr. Malfoy long enough that she could break the spell or at least drag him out of the manor. She noticed an antique chair pushed off to the side of the room, right behind the door she had entered from earlier. As she moved to get it, she heard a noise. Before she could turn all the way around, Nell had jumped on her. But she wasn't alone. This time she was accompanied by two masked men and a werewolf. The men grabbed Rose, forcing her to her knees in front of Nell, while the werewolf, a disheveled looking man with a deranged look in his eyes paced behind her. "I told you that I'd rather fall."
"Can I kill her?" the one wizard on Rose's right asked. He didn't look familiar, but that didn't matter now. It was irrelevant what he looked like because she would be dead soon.
"No, this one is mine," Nell hissed. "She's caused enough trouble to earn that right." She pulled a knife out of his back robe pocket. "Do you know what this is, Rose? Hmm? It's my mother's knife, the same knife she used to carve words into your filthy Mudblood realtives, the same knife she used to kill that damned House Elf, the same knife that I'm going to kill you with now. Isn't that poetic?"
The knife went flying, landing on the floor by the fireplace, unnoticed by Mr. Malfoy. "Not really." In the opening of the wall, Rose could see Lily, James, Hugo, and Albus. Hugo's wand was at the ready, a cheeky smirk on his face. "Now I suggest you let my sister go, before we let the Aurors have you."
"I am not going back to Azkaban," Nell hissed, drawing her wand on Rose's neck and backing away from the broken wall.
"Then do as he says, or I'll kill you here," a new voice entered the conversation. Rose could feel Scorpius, could picture exactly how he would be holding his wand, even though she couldn't angle her head to see him.
"You are ruining my fun, cousin," Nell growled. "But that's ok. Uncle Draco seems to be the life of the party. Or should I say light?" Rose saw that Mr. Malfoy's legs and torso were engaged in flames. He was halfway in the fireplace. Lily quickly conjured a water charm that made it rain, while Albus conjured wind to douse the fire as well as Mr. Malfoy. Rose moved her feet, trying to get a better footing. "Pesty little pesky pests!" Nell cried, raising her wand again. Rose slammed herself backwards into Nell, causing both of them to go flying back when the witch lost her balance.
Rose had managed to free herself and this gave her family an opportunity to start attacking the others. Nell was not one to be outdone though. She had her wand back just as Rose managed to get to Scorpius. "You shouldn't have come back. I came here to save you," she snapped at him.
"That's touching, really," Nell muttered, "but predictable and dull, as most Gryffindors are." She swung her wand without hesitation, "Avada Ker-,"
"PROTEGO!" Mr. Malfoy shouted, stepping in front of them. The green light that had started coming out of Nell's wand exploding, engulfing both her and her wand. The room got very still and very silent. A large scorch mark was burned onto the marble where Nell had been standing. The fighting stopped as everyone took in the absence of the witch. "Leave my house immediately," Mr. Malfoy barked at the other three. The werewolf and the two masked wizards dropped their wands as instructed by James, Albus, and Hugo. They moved towards the door, but as they passed Mr. Malfoy, they grabbed him.
"No!"
The three dragged him back to the opening in the wall and threw him over the edge. Scorpius ran at them, and the fighting picked up again, spells flying and wands moving. Rose dodged one after the other, running to the wall. She didn't slow as she reached the end. She dove off the side. As the air ripped past her, she could barely make out Scorpius' cry after her, but she ignored him. She could see Mr. Malfoy plummeting only a few yards ahead of her.
"Accio broom!" she shouted, hoping that Scorpius still kept his old Firebolt from his summers of practice. Sure enough, a black and green Firebolt 250 came whizzing around the corner of the canyon. She grabbed hold of it, gripping the handle as tight as she could and positioning the broom into a deep nose-dive. She reached out her right arm, stretching as far forward as she could manage without tipping the broom. Mr. Malfoy saw her. He reached upwards. She almost had him when someone flew past her.
"Gotcha!" Rose barely recognized her father and Uncle Harry, as they came up on either side of Mr. Malfoy, hoisting him up. Ronald Weasley helped Mr. Malfoy get on his best friend's broom, before flying over to his daughter.
"Rose," he pulled her into a hug. "Thank Godric, you're alive."
Rose felt all the anxiety, anger, and fear from the situation deplete as her father held her against his chest. Tears welled up in her eyes. "I love you."
"I love you too."
