A/N: Eeee! I'm so excited! There are only three chapters left after this one! Technically two chapters and an epilogue. I can't wait to see what you all think of this one.

I know I've been gushing about her for months, but really, I cannot say enough nice things about brownlark42. This fic would be nothing without her and I am eternally grateful for all the time and hard work she has put into it.

I make a manip for every chapter, find me on Tumblr at crochetawayhpff.

"Uncle Rodolphus?" Draco asked as he walked into the small family dining room that Rodolphus seemed to prefer. It was September, which meant Hermione's birthday was coming up. It was the perfect time to ask Rodolphus for a favor.

Rodolphus paused and set down his fork full of sausages. He raised his eyebrow at Draco.

"I was wondering if you could help me with something," Draco began. He was exceedingly nervous about this, but he felt sure that Rodolphus would help. He'd helped in the past by protecting Draco's mother and keeping Aunt Bella away from him. He'd even helped when Greyback went a little crazy and tortured his Aunt Bella. He'd kept the truth of the matter from both her and the Dark Lord.

"What is it?" Rodolphus said sharply.

"It's Hermione's birthday. She'll be seventeen. I want to get her some jewelry, something traditionally given to purebloods on their seventeenth birthday. But there aren't any jewelers in Diagon Alley anymore…" Draco trailed off, trying to gauge his uncle's reaction.

"Go on," Rodolphus said impatiently and picked up his fork again, shoving the food into his mouth.

Draco took a deep breath, "So that means I have to find some family jewelry. The Malfoys and the Blacks have mostly cursed their jewelry in case it falls into Muggle hands. I don't think I'll be able to find a piece Hermione can wear."

"I see," Rodolphus nodded slowly.

"I know the Lestranges historically have been less strict about blood purity, not that you aren't strict now," Draco said quickly. "I'm just wondering if you might have pieces that aren't cursed against Muggles."

Rodolphus cocked his head at him and Draco kept his face sincere and slightly worried. He hoped his uncle bought the act.

"The Lestrange vault is one of the largest and oldest in all of Gringotts. I'm sure there are plenty of pretty trinkets you could find for your girlfriend. I'll get you the key," Rodolphus flicked his hand, dismissing Draco.

"Thank you!" Draco said brightly and quickly left the room. He headed back to the dueling court. That had gone much better than he'd expected. He thought for sure Rodolphus would either want to accompany him or grill him about it.

"Merlin's saggy balls!" Draco shouted as he helped Caleb out of the house.

It was another Muggle raid on another gone wrong. Caleb had been hit with an entrail-expelling curse. Draco knew that this was sabotage. Someone was deliberately fucking with their raids. And Draco was going to find out who.

"Back to the Manor!" he shouted to his pack as he Apparated himself and Caleb directly into the dueling court. He called for Tink as soon as he arrived.

"I need blood-replenishing potions and upgraded healing potions, now!" Draco shouted as soon as Tink had popped into existence.

Tink left immediately and Draco began repairing Caleb's abdomen. The blood smelled foul and Draco was afraid this was beyond his current skills, despite his intensive training since healing Bledig. Luckily, none of the intestines seemed to be pierced. He gathered them back into Caleb's abdomen, muttering healing spells as he went. Tink popped back into the room just as the rest of the pack began running in from the Apparition point on the grounds.

"Get over here, Seff!" Draco called his hands wrist deep in Caleb's abdomen.

"WHAT IN THE BLEEDING FUCK HAPPENED TO HIM?" Greyback roared as he stormed through the pack and toward Draco, Seff, and Caleb.

"Not now, Alpha," Draco growled as he began slowly closing the skin on Caleb. He muttered capillary and vein mending spells while Seff concentrated on healing the skin itself.

"Did you get it all back in there right?" Seff asked.

"No idea," Draco admitted. "We need to get him stable. If he doesn't improve, if the wolf's healing abilities don't take over, we get him to St. Mungo's."

Seff nodded and they soon finished healing Caleb to the best of their ability. Draco cleaned the blood from his hands and wand and grabbed the potions vials Tink had left. He began pouring them down Caleb's throat one-by-one.

"Who cast the entrail expelling curse?" Fenrir asked.

Nobody said anything.

"Nobody's going to admit to it, Alpha," Draco said tiredly. He, Rand, and Seff had been trying for months to figure out who was betraying the pack. They were lucky that so far they'd been able to keep the worst of it from the Dark Lord's ears. But Draco thought this one might leak. And what would if someone was eventually killed? He wasn't sure he and Greyback; could come up with any explanation that would satisfy the Dark Lord.

Neither of them wanted to admit that their control of the pack was tenuous at best. Greyback was slipping down a dangerous slope, and while Draco was fighting hard to keep the pack under his leadership, he knew he didn't have them all. A lot of wolves were still very loyal to Greyback.

"I'll Priori Incantatem each of their wands," Greyback threatened.

Draco sighed and left Caleb on the table in the center of the dueling court. He grabbed Greyback's arm and pulled him to the side. Draco felt sixteen pairs of eyes on him as he conferred quietly with Greyback.

"If we start checking wands, we'll lose them," Draco said quietly.

"I don't care. If we don't find out who it is, he'll end up killing someone," Greyback replied, his eyes flashing.

Draco could smell Greyback's breath. Even now he was drunk. Draco rubbed his face.

"I get that. And I'm working on it. Give me a little more time. Please?" Draco asked.

"You have a week," Greyback said. Greyback threw one last glare at the pack huddled around Caleb and stormed off to his tent. Draco sighed and scrubbed his face again, pushing his hair off his forehead. He had to find out who was sabotaging them. He was going to kill whoever it was. This was worse than disloyalty. This was outright rebellion. Draco couldn't afford to let the pack fall into chaos.

He stalked back toward Caleb and found Seff casting a diagnostic charm.

"How is he?" Draco asked. The pack began to drift away and Draco frowned as he watched them go.

"Stable enough for the moment," Seff replied. "I think…" Seff trailed off.

Draco looked at him sharply. He cast a warding charm on Caleb, to alert him when the hurt wolf awoke, and pushed Seff back toward his tent. Once inside, he cast a silencing charm.

"What do you know?" Draco asked.

"I think it was Rand."

"What?! You think or you know?" Draco asked and narrowed his eyes.

"I saw him cast a sickly orange curse. I didn't hear the words, but that's what the entrail-expelling curse looks like. We weren't using any other spells that look that way, I-I don't want it to be him… but I think it is," Seff admitted quietly.

"Fuck, Merlin's fucking... Fuck!" Draco kicked his table and it clattered across the floor. Fucking Rand. He was playing Draco. Draco didn't like to be played. He would have to be dealt with. Immediately.

"Call for a full council tonight, ten P.M.," Draco commanded.

"Yes, Beta," Seff nodded and left his tent.

Draco wished Hermione was here. He wished she could tell him what to do. Or whether what he was about to do was insane. If he called Rand out, he'd be expected to deal with him. Could he kill the other wolf? A member of his pack? That's what Fenrir would expect for a betrayal of this magnitude. And why? Why would Rand betray the pack this way? Draco couldn't make any sense of it.

"Fuck," he muttered as he left his tent in search of Arnou. He hadn't spent much time with the older wolf, but he needed his advice badly.

"Pup!" Arnou called out when Draco entered his tent. Draco cast silencing charms and sat heavily in a chair across from Arnou.

"Wha's got you in a bother?" Arnou asked.

"I've found who's sabotaging our raids," Draco told him. "I need some advice and… I don't really trust Fenrir at the moment. He's been drinking more and more, and it's to the point where I can't seem to catch him sober. Not to mention… "

Arnou nodded sagely, "Our Alpha seems to have found other priorities. Priorities that don't involve the well-bein' o' tha pack."

Draco huffed a sigh and quirked a half-smile at the older wolf, "His blood lust seems to be clouding his judgment."

"Aye, 'at's one way o' puttin' it."

Arnou held out his hand, and a bottle of firewhisky and two tumblers flew into it. "Let's have a drink while you tell me what's botherin' ya."

Draco nodded. It was a slight gamble, but he felt he could trust Arnou to be neutral and give honest advice. He might be Greyback's Sire, but he wasn't blind to his faults. And he was pretty much removed from all pack politics.

Arnou poured for them both and Draco took a pensive sip before he spoke.

"Someone has been undermining our missions all summer, you know?" Arnou nodded his agreement. "I've been trying to figure out who. We've pretty much only been attacking Muggles, so none of the missions should have caused the injuries we've seen. I thought at first that it was someone under Fenrir's direction. I thought that Fenrir was trying to consolidate his power in the pack, that he felt he was losing control. But now, I've been told that the entrail-expelling curse was fired from someone else's wand. And I don't know if Fenrir is behind it, or if this other person is acting of their own accord. But if they are, I don't know why?"

"Hmmm, I think you oughta call a full council," Arnou replied.

"I have. It's set for tonight at ten."

"Good. It'll all come out then," Arnou nodded and sipped his firewhisky.

"But what if the council votes that this person should die? You know Fenrir will vote that way," Draco asked. He drained his firewhisky and poured himself another.

"Then Fenrir will deliver Alpha's Justice," Arnou responded. "If the full council decrees that this person should be killed for their actions, then Alpha's Justice is invoked. It's Alpha's Justice for a reason. Alpha's supposed ta be the one ta do it."

"And you don't think he'll make me do it?" Draco asked.

"This is Fenrir Greyback we're talkin' abou'. Your training has nothin' to do with this. We jus' said tha' his bloodlust was gettin' outta control. If Alpha's Justice is invoked, he'll do the death blow," Arnou nodded firmly.

Draco took a deep breath. Arnou was right. Greyback wouldn't make him kill Rand. He'd do it himself. He felt a little better with that burden removed, but he was still livid that Rand would betray the pack this way.

"Get some rest, Beta. We gotta long nigh' ahead o' us," Arnou said. He clapped Draco on the shoulder and ushered him out of his tent.

"Order!" Draco shouted at the seventeen other wolves. They'd gathered in the center of the dueling court, with chairs all in a circle as he and Greyback stood at one end. Every wolf in the pack was present. Caleb was lying on a cot nearby, drifting in and out of consciousness, but Draco hadn't wanted anyone to cry foul by leaving him out. The wolves gradually settled until they were quiet and staring at their Alpha and Beta.

"You called this meeting, Beta," Greyback murmured, his whisky breath washing over Draco's face. He grimaced, wondering how it could have gotten this bad without him noticing early on. He shook himself and turned to the group.

"Thank you for coming. I called you here with some news. It appears that we have a traitor in our midst," Draco stated calmly. He wondered even as he made that statement if it would startle anyone into giving themselves away. He had to hand it to Rand, who sat staring at Draco, cool as a cucumber.

"What?" Greyback looked at him, a slightly confused expression on his face.

"Someone has been purposely wounding pack members during the raids the Dark Lord has sent us on."

"He's a dead man," Fenrir threatened. "Who is it?"

"Rand!" Draco pointed at the wolf and on queue, Udolf and Bledig grabbed his arms and brought him to the center of the circle, on his knees. Draco cast an Incarcerous curse at him, preventing any attempt at escape.

"You don't know anything, Pup!" Rand sneered at Draco.

"I know you shot the entrail-expelling curse at Caleb today. You were seen. I also know that at the time, you were ahead of Caleb in formation. Which meant you had to turn your back on the Muggles we were attacking to attack one of our own."

"You can't prove it," Rand spat.

"I don't have to. Omega!"

Seff stood, "I saw you, Rand. I saw you turn around and cast a sickly-orange curse at Caleb. The same color as the entrail-expelling curse."

"Nobody believe the Omega! He's lying!" Rand shouted.

"Shut up, traitor," Greyback growled

"Does anyone else have any information they'd like to provide? Or anything to say in defense of this wolf?" Draco asked.

"I saw something when Bledig was injured," Udolf said as he stood.

Draco waved his hand, indicating the Udolf should go on.

"At the time I was sure I saw Rand curse Bledig, but in the heat of the battle, I thought my eyes were playing a trick on me," Udolf shrugged.

"He's lying too!" Rand shouted.

"I said shut up, traitor!" Greyback screamed and aimed a kick at Rand.

Draco pulled Greyback away from Rand. They had to do this the right way.

"Anyone else?" Draco asked.

"Three raids ago," Dib stood, "I watched as Rand's spells were all weak unless he was in cross-fire with another wolf."

"What do you mean?" Draco asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Well, when he was casting at the Muggles, his spells would fizzle. Often before hitting a Muggle. But then if he was casting opposite one of the pack, his spells would miss their targets. He seemed to be aiming for pack members," Dib explained.

"And you didn't say anything, why?" Greyback barked as he stalked toward Dib.

Draco grabbed him by the elbow and pulled him back.

"I didn't recognize what I was seeing at first," Dib admitted. "But when I did realize, I wasn't sure…" Dib trailed off.

Greyback growled, "Enough. Council vote now. What should be done with the traitor?"

Shouts of Alpha's Justice went up around the circle, it was almost deafening.

"Alright! Alright!" Draco shouted above the din. "One at a time."

Draco began calling off names. Each person voted for Alpha's Justice. When it came time, he too voted for Alpha's Justice.

"That's sixteen votes for Alpha's Justice. Caleb abstains, Rand doesn't get a vote. I, too, vote for Alpha's Justice," Greyback stated.

The collected wolves started cheering and jeering, increasing the wild energy in the court. Rand's face was contorted with fury.

"Quiet!" Draco shouted once more. "Before any sentence is carried out, I want to know why. Why, Rand? Why have you done it?"

"Because you are both fools!" Rand spat, "Neither of you deserves to be Death Eaters. That honor should go to me! I want to do the Dark Lord's bidding! To follow his power, which is greater than either of yours, greater than this entire pack. I thought that by joining the Death Eater pack, I'd be in service to the Dark Lord and be able to follow his vision for a new world. But Fenrir's too focused on the pack, and you won't admit it, Pup, but you don't even like being a Death Eater. You're mated to a fucking Mudblood!"

Draco snarled at the wolf kneeling on the floor. "And what did you hope to accomplish by injuring members of your own pack?"

"I wanted the Dark Lord to see your incompetence for what it was! If he took both you and Fenrir out, then I'd be Alpha. I would be in his direct line of service; I would win his favor and become a true Death Eater. Unlike either of you," Rand grinned maniacally.

Draco turned away in disgust. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had trusted Rand. And the collective. How could the collective have suppressed this information from him or Fenrir? Was it because the pack was already divided? A divided pack was a weak pack, no longer attuned to a singular diverging personality. If everyone felt traitorous, Rand's solo inner betrayal would go unnoticed.

"Done asking questions, Beta?" Greyback asked, bringing Draco back to the present.

Draco nodded and turned back to face Rand. "Rand, by unanimous pack vote, you are hereby sentenced to Alpha's Justice. May your soul rest in peace."

Greyback stepped forward, "I'm going to enjoy ripping out your throat, traitor."

Rand's eyes narrowed and he spat in Greyback's face. Greyback roared and grabbed Rand's throat with his right hand. He squeezed and began sinking his fingers into the traitor's flesh. At the same time, he slowly transformed his hand so it was half-werewolf, half-human and ripped his arm backward, taking Rand's trachea with him. Rand's jugular and carotid arteries severed and began spurting blood. It spilled down his chest and he slumped to the floor.

Soon, Rand's eyes were staring unseeing. The blood stopped pumping and began to seep.

It had been a week since Rand was killed. Draco was sure he'd have nightmares after seeing what Greyback did to the wolf. Is that how he killed Weasley? Is that what Hermione had to endure? He didn't know, but Rand's betrayal was traumatic enough that he felt surprisingly at peace with the way he died.

That thought disturbed Draco more than anything. Was he becoming so desensitized that he couldn't feel upset about the way Rand died? Or was it the fact that Rand had betrayed the pack? And in Draco's heart, the pack came first over any individual member. He didn't know. Not for the first time, he wished he could see Hermione. He could, of course, leave the Manor and go see her at Baerston Keep, but the pack was feeling vulnerable and scared. He wanted to make his presence known, to speak with members and heal the divisions that Rand and Greyback both created. He couldn't afford to leave the pack weak and divided.

And he had another increasingly pressing task to do. He needed to get that Horcrux out of his aunt and uncle's Gringotts vault before it got moved again. Rodolphus had tracked him down yesterday and given him a key and a note sealed with Rodolphus' magic to take to Gringotts. Draco decided today was the day. It was about a week before Hermione's birthday, and it was the perfect excuse to not only leave the pack but also raid the Lestrange vault.

He was a little shocked the goblins didn't give him a harder time about getting access to the Lestrange vault. He was even more shocked that the cart didn't go through Thief's Downfall, even though he was fully planning to take something from the Lestrange vault. Maybe it was because he had permission? Draco didn't know.

Gorluk, the goblin escorting Draco, gave him a shifty look as he picked up clackers and began beating them to scare the old, white, blind dragon that guarded these vaults. The Malfoy vault was also in this area, so seeing the dragon was old news to Draco. It still made his heart twinge to see it cower. Dragons weren't supposed to cower at anything. He straightened his back as Gorluk stroked his hand on the vault door and opened it for Draco.

"How long?" Gorluk asked.

"I'm not sure," Draco replied. "I'm looking for a piece of jewelry that doesn't have any nasty Muggle baiting curses on it. It might take a while," he shrugged.

"Alright, pull the cord when you're ready to go back up," Gorluk said and he Apparated away.

Draco was shocked. He never thought in a million years that a goblin would just let him walk around someone else's vault. It didn't seem to be within the goblins' character. Draco shook his head. He had to find the cup and a piece of jewelry. Rodolphus would want to know what he took, he was sure. Jewelry first, then the cup in case he had to make a quick escape with it.

Draco sorted through box after box of jewelry until he finally came upon a simple gold chain. It was thin, but rather long and had a small wand charm on it. He checked it three times for curses and it came back clean. He'd follow up with a Probity Probe when he got home, but he thought it would be good enough to give to Hermione for her birthday. It was very pretty, and the delicate chain would look gorgeous around her neck. He suspected it was long enough that the wand would land between her breasts. He hoped so. He'd like to take her while she was wearing it, watching her breasts bounce up and down as the charm glittered between them.

He shook his head once again. He needed to concentrate. He'd spotted the cup as soon as he walked into the vault, but had ignored it. Now it was time to take it down. It rested on a high shelf and a mountainous pile of galleons stood underneath it. It looked rather suspicious. The rest of the vault was relatively neat, but this corner seemed disorganized as if it was hiding something. Better to levitate the cup down than risk trying to climb and get it.

A flick of his wand and the cup rested in a small velvet sack that he'd charmed with various shielding and muting spells. Growing up around dark magic, he wasn't dumb enough to touch it directly. He tucked it into an interior pocket of his robe and exited the vault. He pulled the chain to summon Gorluk and Draco made it out of Gringotts and back to the dueling court with no problems. He couldn't believe how easy it all was. Easier than it should have been, he suspected. He hoped that meant there wouldn't be trouble later. His hope was in vain.

Almost a week after the trip to Gringotts, Draco finally had a chance to leave the pack for longer than a few hours. The full moon had been two days ago and the pack was resting, on Fenrir's orders. Draco made excuses, claiming he had business to do on behalf of his mother and Malfoy interests.

Draco stumbled a bit when he arrived at Baerston Keep. The Apparition had felt strange as if it had lagged. It hadn't ever felt like that before and Draco didn't know if it was due to some extra wards Hermione had placed around the Keep or extra wards the Dark Lord had placed around the Manor. Regardless, he would have to investigate later. He stood in the courtyard of the Keep, looking around to be sure he was alone. The wind whistled through the battlements. It was only September, just after Hermione's birthday actually, but it was cold this far north in the Scottish highlands. When no one emerged, Draco swiftly made his way inside the Keep.

He'd just closed the large, stubborn doors when he was hit with a spell. His vision faded and everything went black.

"Get up!" someone was whispering urgently. Behind that, Draco could hear a bone-chilling scream. It was high and loud and set Draco's nerves on edge. He groaned. His head was pounding and the person shaking his shoulder wasn't helping.

"Come on, Malfoy. Get up! I need your help," the person whispered and Draco slowly opened his eyes. The screaming stopped for a blissful moment. And then immediately began again.

"The fuck…" he trailed off as his vision blurred. He thought he saw Potter in front of him, but he closed his eyes again. He couldn't get that wretched screaming out of his head. "Stop…" he groaned, trying to cover his ears.

"For fuck's sake, Malfoy! That's Hermione screaming! We have to help her!" Potter whisper-shouted at him through gritted teeth.

Draco felt as if he'd been doused in freezing cold water. Those were Hermione's screams. His eyes popped open and he made to get off the floor, but only managed to sit up before he wobbled again. Potter grabbed his shoulder to steady him.

"What happened?" Draco asked as he shook his head, trying to clear it. The screaming was louder, if at all possible, and shriller.

"Bellatrix Lestrange followed you here. I don't know how she did it. She's torturing Hermione. I need you to get up now and help me," Potter said and yanked at his arm.

Draco complied and was soon standing, although his knees felt watery and he was leaning heavily on Potter for support. He looked down at the other man blearily. When did Potter get so short?

"Why do I feel like I got hit in the head with something?" Draco mumbled as a wave of nausea ran through him. He tried to tamp it down.

"I suspect you got hit with a Stunner, and then immediately hit your head on the flagstone floor," Potter explained.

Draco nodded. The longer he stood, the better he was feeling. His head still pounded and ached, but the nausea seemed to be clearing and his vision had stopped doubling. Hermione's screaming stopped.

"Fuck," Potter muttered.

"Let's go," Draco said and he strode away from Potter in the direction the screaming had come from.

He stopped in front of the library's closed had begun screaming again. At least she was still alive and conscious.

"I-I don't have it…" she was saying.

"Where is it? How did you get in there you filthy Mudblood!?" Aunt Bella shouted.

Draco's eyes slid closed. She'd discovered that Hufflepuff's cup was missing from her vault. And now she was torturing Hermione. His Hermione. His Mate. Hermione didn't even know that Draco had the cup. It was sitting in an inner pocket of the cloak he was currently wearing.

"I'll handle Aunt Bella. You take care of Hermione," Draco told Potter, who stood at his elbow. Potter nodded and cast a Disillusionment charm on himself.

He snapped his eyes opened and blasted open the double doors.

"Aunt Bella! I've come for you!" Draco shouted in a sing-song voice, punctuated by his fierce anger.

Bellatrix whirled around. Her face was crazed. Her hair was standing on end and her eyes were wide and wild. She cast another Cruciatus curse at Hermione before sweeping toward him. Draco snapped his wand up and wordlessly put a shield in place.

"Ooo, Draky-poo. How delightful for you to join us," Bellatrix cackled. She twirled her wand in her fingers as she approached Draco. He moved to his left, circling her, forcing her to turn from the doorway where Potter was Disillusioned.

"I've been having the most wonderful chat with your little Mudblood girlfriend," Bellatrix taunted.

"Don't you fucking say that word!" Draco shouted. His rage was red-hot in his chest as he cast a stinging hex at her. She blocked it and sent a dark-violet, evil looking curse back. Draco stood for a moment, then ducked to let it sail over his head.

"Oooo, does ickle Draco not like the Mudblood word? Hmmm…. Too bad… I left you such a nice present on the Mudblood's arm," Bellatrix said.

Draco narrowed his eyes. He desperately wanted to go to Hermione, but he could see that Potter was tending her. The Disillusionment charm was up, but he could see the shimmer as Potter moved around his Mate. He had to concentrate on Bellatrix. He already knew she was not leaving here. Not today. He couldn't afford to have her telling tales to the Dark Lord. Nor could he afford to have her as a prisoner. No, she was dying today. Draco was determined.

"How'd you get here, Bella?" Draco asked as he shot another hex at her. He kept the duel almost relaxed. He wanted to know how he had failed Hermione. Again.

Bellatrix laughed, "It was too easy. A simple tracking charm paired with a side-along apparition and disillusionment charms. As soon as you left the Manor, I followed along."

She blocked his hex and sent a cutting curse at Draco. Draco wasn't quite quick enough to block it and it hit his shoulder. Blood welled up and begin dripping down his arm.

"Must have been a hell of a tracking charm," Draco grunted. His shoulder hurt, but luckily it was his left and he still had full range of motion with his wand arm.

"The Dark Lord created it," Bellatrix supplied.

"Good to know," Draco said, almost conversationally. "Now it's time to end this." He sent a flurry of hexes and jinxes her way, trying to take down her shield and keep her busy.

"You betcha," Bellatrix replied as she blocked and parried.

Draco had to admit, Aunt Bella was a skilled duelist. But she'd also been torturing someone recently, which Draco knew took a lot of focus and magic. He could see her tiring and watched a bead of sweat slip down her cheek as he bombarded her as fast and quickly as he could.

Finally, her shield exploded in shards of blue light. Draco shouted, "Sectumsempra! Sectumsempra! SECTUMSEMPRA!" He slashed his wand back and forth. Bellatrix collapsed in a heap, blood spurting and oozing out of numerous crisscrossed gashes. She had a confused, frightened look on her face. One of the gashes had sliced horizontally across her mouth, leaving it open in a horrible, garish smile. Her body twitched a few times and eventually lay still.

"Goodbye, Aunt Bella," Draco said. Then he strode out of the room to track down where Potter had taken his Mate.