Chapter XIII

I ran as fast as I could.

After Oliver had taken the portkey, the Death Eaters had tried to separate us, successfully.

I had no idea where I was or where the others were. I just followed the dark corridor, my whole body aching from the small cuts the table had caused and from the blood loss.

I had tried to activate my portkey several times by now, but somehow it didn't work. Nothing happened.

I ran around another corner – and stopped dead in my tracks when I came face to face with a Death Eater. Even though he was wearing a mask I could tell that this definitely wasn't Blaise.

I hadn't even thought about what spell to use when the first Killing Curse already came my way. I dodged it at the last moment.

"Wait, I know you", the Death Eater suddenly said and a second later his mask vanished.

"Mulciber", I whispered, a shiver running down my spine.

"Excited to see me, are we?", he smirked, taking a step forward.

It took me all my willpower to stand my ground and not stumble away from him.

"Well, sorry to disappoint you, love", he continued, "I can't make good on my promise to make you scream – Flint would probably kill me for it. But the reward I'll get for bringing you to him ..."

"Stupefy!"

I jumped in surprise when the spell came out of nowhere and hit Mulciber straight in the chest. He seemed even more surprised than me.

"You okay?", Bill came up next to me and laid a hand on my shoulder.

"Fine", I answered, still not taking my eyes off Mulciber's stunned body, "Where are Remus and Mad-Eye?"

"Don't know", Bill sighed, "I lost them. By the way, did you try your portkey? Mine doesn't seem to activate."

"Neither does mine", I muttered darkly, "You think they blocked us somehow?"

"Could be", Bill answered, looking around nervously, "Who knows what kind of Dark Magic You-Know-Who is capable of. Anyway, we should keep moving."

He had already started to move further into the tunnel, when I grabbed his wrist.

"Where are we supposed to go?", I asked, my voice shaking, "Mad-Eye said it's like a maze down here. How are we supposed to find a way out?"

I tried to hide it as best as I could, but the truth was I was scared.

"Oi, listen to me", Bill said, grabbing my face between both his hands, "We'll find a way out, do you hear me? They won't get their hands on us. We'll go home, safe and sound. Understand?"

I nodded.

"Good", Bill said in satisfaction and stepped back, "Let's go then, shall we?"

Mad-Eye hadn't been lying. It really was a maze.

After another Death Eater attack a few corridors ago, I had lost Bill and since then was on my own again.

My clothes were soaked through with sweat and clung to my body like a second skin. My heart was beating hard and fast against my ribcage and my breathing came out in panicked gasps.

Without my portkey I was pretty sure I'd never find my way out again. I would definitely die down here.

I stopped and leaned my back against the cold stone wall. I still had no idea where the others were – or if they were still alive.

I never would have admitted it out loud, but I was scared. More than ever.

What if my friends were all dead by now? What if Blaise was dead by now?

"Well, well. If it isn't little Katie Bell."

I spun around in alarm, wand at the ready.

The Death Eater standing in front of me – literally in front of me, I hadn't even heard him approach – was a head taller than me, his voice sounded quite young though.

"Who are you?", I asked, stupidly. It was somehow the first thing that came into my mind – or maybe I just wanted to play for time. I wasn't ready to die yet.

To my surprise, the Death Eater took of his mask. I blinked a couple of times before recognizing him.

"Theo Nott?"

I shouldn't have been too surprised. His father was a Death Eater after all.

"Everyone keeps talking about you, you know", Nott grinned, "Flint has sent out headhunters for you. There's quite a price on your head – alive, of course."

"Well, he had to send them after me, since he's doing a pretty poor job catching me himself", I replied, smiling sweetly, "Looks like I'm smarter than him."

"Not smart enough, apparently, or you wouldn't be here", Nott answered and my smile faded.

"You won't take me alive", I said and before he could reply, I murmured a Stunning Spell, hitting him right in the face.

He flew across the corridor and crashed into the wall.

I turned around and started to run – when I felt something crash into my back. I stumbled forward and fell face first toward the ground. I caught myself with my hands, accompanied by a sharp crack. Horrified, I stared down at my wand, which had broken in two.

"Never turn your back on an enemy, Bell", I heard Nott behind me, slowly coming closer, "You should know better."

I tried to crawl away from him, wincing when my body started to burn all over due to the cuts from the glass earlier.

"You can't escape", Nott said, "None of you will."

And then his foot collided with my side and I screamed.

"I thought Flint wanted me alive?", I gasped, frantically trying to think of a way out of this.

"I thought you didn't want me to take you alive?", Nott responded, before his foot connected with my face. An earsplitting sound of cracking bones told me that he'd broken my nose. A moment later, hot blood ran down over my mouth and onto the dirty floor.

I felt like I was about to vomit.

My whole body ached and I noticed that I had started to shake. I just wished that Nott would kill me rather than deliver me to Flint. Death would be a kinder fate.

"Now tell me, Bell – how did you know about Gregorovitch? Who told you? No way you -"

He stopped talking in mid-sentence and a second later I heard him make a strange, gurgling sound.

I rolled onto my back and stared up at him. His eyes were wide and his hands were clutching at his throat. Blood was spilling out of his mouth.

I didn't know whether to be scared or fascinated or relieved.

Then, suddenly, his eyes got glassy and he fell to his knees, then face first to the floor.

He didn't move.

I looked to the end of the corridor, expecting Remus or Mad-Eye to be there – and nearly choked, when instead I faced another masked Death Eater.

Slowly, he came closer. Something about his movements was strangely familiar to me, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

I scrambled backward a bit, but then stopped. I wouldn't escape him anyway, since I didn't have my wand anymore.

"There's no need to fear me, stupid girl. I've just saved your life."

I knew that voice. But from where? Who the hell was he?

"W-why did you kill him?", I whispered, staring up at the Death Eater.

My head was spinning and from time to time I could see him double. Blood was still trickling out of my nose and every inch of my body hurt like hell.

"Because he was suggesting that someone told you about our operation", the voice drawled, "Which means he was presuming there to be a spy."

A spy.

"It's you", I whispered, "You're the informant."

The answer was a snort.

"Your nose is broken", he said then, "Let me help with that."

He raised his wand to my face – and a jet of red light hit him square in the chest, making him fly away from me and slumping to the ground unconsciously.

"Katie!"

A moment later, Blaise crouched down in front me.

"Holy fuck, what happened to you?", he asked in alarm, examining my face.

"Nott", I answered and nodded to the body lying next to me.

Blaise furrowed his brows.

"You killed Nott?", he said, his voice breaking, "I know he deserved it for what he did to you, but – he was my friend."

"I'm sorry, Blaise", I whispered, "But I didn't kill him. It was him" - I nodded toward the unconscious Death Eater - "He's the informant."

Blaise's eyes went wide.

"Are you sure?"

I nodded.

"Alright, I'll handle this", Blaise got back to his feet, reaching down a hand to help me up, "We need to get you outta here."

"My portkey's not working", I sighed, "Have you seen the others? Are they alive?"

"They're fine", he answered, "Already on their way out. They think you're dead."

I gasped. They left me behind?

A part of me knew that they didn't have another choice. But still, it hurt.

"I'll get you outta here – hold on to me."

I did what he asked and a moment later we disapparated.

After apparating Katie to the front door of her new apartment, Blaise Zabini came back to where he had found her earlier.

The Death Eater was still unconscious and Blaise took a moment to kneel down next to his dead friend.

"I'm sorry, Theo", he whispered, a lump forming in his throat, "Rest in peace."

Then he turned away and made his way toward the Death Eater.

"Enervate!", he said and the Death Eater woke up.

"Never thought it would be you helping the Order. Considering the history you have with them", Blaise said.

His opponent snorted. "Says the one risking everything – even his friends he considers familiy – for the girl he loves. But that's what love does, I suppose. We'd die for it, if necessary."

"Oh please, what would you know about love, Severus?"