Chapter 11: Sectumsempra

Everything seemed quiet. It's too quiet in here. Ron thought to himself. He and Harry were searching an old, abandoned house somewhere in Germany. Why the Malfoys had gone to Germany to hide, Ron had no idea. The house was dark and lonely, and it reminded Ron of Number Twelve, Grimwald Place after Sirius died, and before Harry moved in. Harry and Ron decided the best way to search the house was to split up, knowing they could yell for each if needed.

Ron soon found a staircase leading upstairs and began to climb it. All that was up there was a long, dark hallway with rooms on both sides of it. Ron went into the first room and found it empty, so he continued on. Just when he was about to go into the next room, an arm wrapped around his chest, while another one covered his mouth.

"SILENCIO!" commanded a voice Ron recognized as Lucius Malfoy's. "Help me, Draco!" Lucius whispered, obviously not wanting Harry to hear him.

"Father… I – I don't think we should…" Draco said quietly, to Ron's amazement. No lights were on, but sunlight streamed through the window, and Ron could see Draco and his mother, Narcissa, hidden in the corner of the room.

"YOU COWARD!" Lucius snarled. "You've always been a coward, Draco! I am ashamed of you!"

"Lucius, don't you dare call -" Narcissa started, but her husband interrupted her.

"STAY OUT OF THIS, NARCISSA!" Lucius exclaimed. He then turned his anger on Ron. "CRUCIO!"

Ron felt a horrible pain, worse than he ever felt, but he couldn't scream because Lucius had silenced him.

"What to do to with you now." Lucius said mostly to himself. "I don't want to kill you yet. It would fun to torture you some more. But what curse should I use?"

"Ron?" shouted Harry from somewhere outside the room. "Where are you?"

Lucius cursed under his breath. Not as in spells, but as in swearing. There wasn't much time.

"Father, may I make a suggestion." Draco asked timidly. Lucius only stared at him. "There was this curse I used on Potter once. It's called sectumsempra, and it makes victims bleed, possibly to death. It's very painful, or so I've heard."

The bloody liar! Ron thought. Harry used that spell on him, not the other way around.

" Very well. " said Lucius as he pointed his wand at Ron again. "SECTUMSEMPRA!"

And then Ron fell into unconsciousness.

Author's note: Sorry for another short chapter and to leave you hanging. I'm going away for Labor Day weekend, and then school starts next Tuesday, so I don't know when I can update again. Hopefully I can on Tuesday. I know I'm being evil for leaving you hanging, but you're just going to have to live with it. Have a nice Labor Day everyone!