Chapter 17 Seven Stages Of Angel's Trumpet
WARNINGS!
Pain
Mild torture from poison
Hallucinations
Suffering
The cold, silky, liquid ran down his throat and it felt as if it froze his insides.
Except for the cold, Draco didn't feel anything else.
Marcus took his hand from Draco's mouth and his three kidnappers stood in front of him. They regarded him for a minute, before Daphne spoke.
"Theo, how long is it supposed to take until something happens?" she almost whined.
"Just another couple of minutes," Theo replied with a smirk.
Draco tried to appreciate that he didn't feel that bad yet, except for the cold, he really did. But he was to afraid to relax. He was still soaked from the aguamenti, and felt quite miserable.
Theo was right though. After another couple of minutes Draco's head began to feel colder. It evolved into something that felt like a horrible brain freeze. His head felt like it was being speared with thousands little ice needles, and he had a throbbing pain.
Draco whimpered and flung his head from side to side.
"See, first phase," Theo said. "You see Draco, Angel's Trumpet has seven phases. Some say eight if you count death, but anyway."
Draco tried to listen, since it both distracted him from the cold pain, and he actually wanted to know what he would have to go trough.
"First off is the cold, what you're going through now. You'll soon feel that freezing feeling throughout all of your body. It'll feel like you've been left out in the snow, with no clothes, on the coldest of winter days."
Draco felt the cool flow start to creep down his neck, and he tried to continue listening to Theo.
"Secondly," Thep continued, "is the 'Sick' phase. You'll feel nauseous and a fever will start. You won't throw up, since the position doesn't want to leave your body, but it won't feel nice.
"Third phase is the 'Mild Pain' phase. Why it's called mild is because there'll be a worse one. You'll feel pain. I don't know exactly how, but we'll find out soon enough.
"Fourth phase is the 'Warm' phase. Some say 'Hot' or 'Burning' phase because it will feel like you're on fire. It's the opposite of what you're going through now. The same cold you feel now, you'll feel but instead a deep burning. It will feel like Flooing without Floo Powder. You'll get a fever again, and it'll stay with you until the end."
By now Draco's whole body felt ice cold, so he wasn't looking forward to phase four. Well... he wasn't looking forward to any of the phases.
"Fifth phase will be fun," Theo said with a grin. "You'll first just feel confused, but after a while you'll start to hallucinate. You'll have daydreams of your worst nightmares. You won't know where you are, or who you are. Only the false memories from the poison will be reality. You'll still have the fever, and it will only get worse.
"Sixth phase, the 'Stronger Pain' phase. It'll be phase three again, but worse.
"Seventh phase, is the start of your death. You'll have trouble breathing. Your fever will be unbearable. Your lungs will burn. You will fight for another gasp of air until you, finally, can't take the last breath. And you will die."
Daphne's eyes shone at the end of Theos speech. She looked like a child on Christmas.
Marcus looked a bit less excited, but far from repulsed.
Dracos body still felt cold, but somewhat less cold. He didn't know if he should feel happy about this or not. He liked that the cold ebbed away, but that meant the start of the next phase.
"I suggest we unfreeze him and tie him up in ropes instead," Daphne said. "That way he can squirm more. It'll be more fun to watch that way."
She flicked her wand and ropes enveloped him. She flicked it again and he slumped down on the floor. He still couldn't move much because of the ropes, but at least he could decide if he wanted to sit or lie down.
Draco felt the last of the deep coldness disappear, and he immediately felt sick.
His eyes hurt, so did his body. He felt like he had a really bad stomach flu and he felt warm. The only thing Draco wished for was to curl up in his bed and sleep until he felt better. A small groan escaped his lips and he twisted a bit.
"Looks like were in phase two," Theo said.
"Not feeling so great Draco?" Daphne asked.
Marcus mostly stood still watching him suffer.
The nausea became worse and worse for a couple of minutes, until he was convinced he was going to throw up. But then... it disappeared in a flash.
It disappeared so fast that Draco almost thought that the potion had stopped working.
That was until the pain started.
It felt like the cruciatus curse. Every nerve was on fire. Every muscle cramped. He couldn't think. He only felt pain, pain and more pain.
If this was the 'Mild' pain phase, he couldn't imagine what the 'Strong' pain phase would feel like. He didn't have to imagine though. He would soon find out.
As he wimpred and twisted and moaned on the floor, trying to ease the pain, Theo, Daphne and Marcus watched with pleased smirks. The potions description had not exaggerated, and they were deeply satisfied by that.
The cut on Draco's arm hurt a thousand times more, and his clothes felt tight.
The minutes Draco was under pain, he couldn't focus on much more. Therefore, when the pain ebbed, he couldn't tell how long it had been. It could have been one minute, it could have been an hour.
The only thing keeping him from believing that it had actually been an hour, was the fact that Theo had said the poison would kill after half an hour.
When all of the pain had disappeared Draco laid panting on the floor. His muscles twisted from time to time, but otherwise he just relaxed. It felt nice for a moment, and he appreciated it.
That's until the fever started again. At first he felt just a few drops of sweat. His clothes was warm, and he breathed a bit more deeply.
It only got worse though.
His lungs started burning. His arms started burning. His legs, his neck his whole head felt like it was on fucking fire!
"Hot," Draco panted. "Hot- burning. So warm… Fire."
"Phase four," Theo said toying with his wand.
"It's quite boring just watching," Marcus mumbled.
"Boring?" Daphne asked. "He deserves it. And this is a wonderful opportunity to see a real poisons different phases."
"Yes, it's quite remarkable being able to see how it works. Not just read it from a page in some old book," Theo said.
Marcus huffed but didn't say anything more.
Draco twisted on the ground, trying to get away from the fire that liked his body. Of course there was no fire to twist away from. He couldn't escape the burning inside his body.
Once the phase, finally, ended, Draco was exhausted.
"W-water," he croaked.
Draco didn't even care anymore that with each phase that went, he came closer to death. He just wanted the torture to end.
"No, no, you won't get any water," Daphne said. "You got enough earlier."
Draco still had the fever, but the burning had stopped. He was drenched in sweat and he still felt the damage the smoke had done to his lungs. It had even gotten a bit worse after the burning stage.
Just as he felt his mind start to fog somewhat, he heard the door slam open.
He heard shouts of disarming spells and saw Snape, McGonagall and Flitwick storm into the room.
Dracos vision started to sway and blur. His mind had a hard time understanding what was going on. He saw a big black shape crouch beside him. Wasn't he supposed to know who this was? Well he didn't now.
The black figure was murmuring soft words, and for a second he relaxed.
Then he flinched. Who was this. Where was he?
There was a lot of shapes moving around him.
They were trying to kill him! He started twisting. Something surrounded him. He continued twisting and turning until it, whatever held him captured, disappeared.
Draco leapt to his feet. They wanted to kill him. He wouldn't let them.
He backed into a corner. Four of the shapes had left, but two remained. They walked after him. Trying to sneak up to him.
Draco snarled and tried to crouch down in a defensive posture.
"Draco," the green, smaller figure spoke.
What was a Draco? Something dangerous for sure! He snarled at the figures.
The black one, the one who had been beside him first, took a step closer.
Suddenly the whole room was filled with faceless figures that came closer and closer.
Draco pressed further back, trying to get away. The black one was only a few feet away, and Draco didn't like it.
He lunged forward and bit the black figures arm. Something screamed, and Draco was flung away.
He hit his head into something and suddenly he was surrounded.
Suddenly he saw Harry. Draco remembered Harry. His Harry.
But he saw Harry kissing another boy. A faceless boy.
Harry didn't love him...
Draco whimpered and curled into a little ball on the floor.
He heard people screaming how worthless he was.
"Fag!" "Death eater!" "Murderer!" "Unlovable." "Unnatural animal!" "Hideous." "Bastard!" "Nasty pureblood!"
The statements, and shouts, penetrated his mind. The words flashed in front of his eyes. Remark after remark, all of them true. Until there was only Harry.
His beautiful Harry.
He stood in a park. The wind stroking his messy black hair. Cherry Blossoms falling all around. Bird chirped in the sky.
But Harry's face didn't match the setting. It was blank. Almost bored. Non caring. Not a smile, or a twinkling eye, in sight.
"It was a mistake," Harry said. "I never loved you. I could never love you."
Harry looked away, unaffected. Looking towards something more interesting. Something worth his attention.
"It was a mistake," he whispered again. It broke Draco's heart.
Harry turned and started walking away.
Draco wanted to stop him, but he couldn't. He was stuck. He screamed at Harry to wait, to explain, to not leave. But he just continued walking away.
Draco felt tear after tear run down his cheeks. He sobbed time and time again. He tried to reach Harry but he couldn't. He heard a voice whisper "Avada Kedavra".
The green light soared from Draco's chest, towards Harry, until it hit him.
And suddenly, Harry was falling. Draco were back on the quidditch pitch. Trying, in vain, to catch up with Harry. But he couldn't. His broom was too slow. Harry was falling too fast.
Harry hit the ground. Blood splashed everywhere, but his body was still intact somehow.
Draco could finally reach him.
He checked for a pulse, but found none. Harry was dead. It was Draco's fault.
He sobbed, he cried, he screamed.
"Harry..." Draco whimpered. "Harry please come back."
And everything went black.
(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧
Draco slowly started to hear voices. Soft voices in quiet tones.
It felt soothing.
He opened his eyes and saw blurry figures, that slowly sharpened.
"W-what 'append?" his voice was raw, and his throat hurt as he spoke.
Why was he on the floor?
"Shh Draco," a soft, but dark, voice answered. "It's okay. It's over. None of it was real."
The world slowly seemed less and less foggy.
"Severus..." Draco whispered, as he recognised his more-like-a-father-than-his-real-father.
Draco turned his head a bit and saw McGonagall, in her green teaching robes.
"P'fessor M'Gonagall," he tried to say.
If he wasn't so exhausted, he would've been embarrassed of his sloppy pronunciation.
"It's alright Draco," McGonagall said, surprising Draco with using his first name. "We just have to get you to the hospital wing."
Draco nodded, but his head hurt, and he hissed.
"Draco… What potion have you ingested?" Snape asked concerned.
"Angel's Trumpet Draught," Draco whispered, closing his eyes. His head hurt again.
He heard a sharp intake.
"We have to get him to the hospital wing, now," Snape said.
"What potion is it?" Draco heard McGonagall ask.
"It's not only a potion, it's a poison," Snape hissed, "and he's in the end phases."
McGonagall gasped and Draco started to squirm. His arms were itching, his chest burning and his legs aching.
"Draco, are you in pain?" he heard Snape ask.
Draco only nodded, since the pain spread fast. Snape swore.
"He's in the second to last phase," Snape said.
"And what happens after that?" McGonagall asked.
"Let's hope we don't get to that," Snape mumbled.
Draco felt as if his stomach was being stabbed by million nails, and he groaned.
"We need a stretcher," he heard Snape say.
Seconds later he was being levitated onto a stretcher. Draco whimpered since his legs felt like they were burning again.
He opened his eyes, seeing snape and McGonagall slowly levitating the stretcher.
"Ha-rry," Draco said with a, still, very hoarse voice. "I want him he-here."
"We'll get Mr Potter, as soon as you're in the hospital wing Draco," McGonagall said.
Draco nodded satisfied, and they started levitating him towards the hospital wing. Snape and McGonagall almost ran next to him, as they rushed through corridors.
Halfway there Draco felt like all his nerves were set on fire and frozen, at the same time. He screamed out in pain.
The pain only continued, and worsened. His stomach felt like it was being stabbed thousand times over. His head being sat on, by a giant. His eyes like someone had poured acid into them. His bones broken, muscles cramped and blood boiling, the cut in his arm ripped apart by claws.
He started trashing so much that McGonagall and Snape had to stop to put a sticking charm on him.
His screams attracted much attention. Students came running to see what was going on. Some even looked out of classroom doors.
"It's Draco!" Seamus shouted into the History of Magic classroom, which he had looked out from.
A minute later Harry was by Draco's side.
McGonagall and Snape started their fast pace towards the Hospital Wing again, since Draco had been charmed stuck to the stretcher.
"What happened?" Harry asked his head of house, as he followed them. He took Draco's hand in his.
"He was attacked by Slytherins," was the short answer Harry received from McGonagall.
"He was poisoned," Snape provided.
Harry gasped. Draco fought his heavy eyelids, and looked at Harry. He looked so concerned.
"I'll be okay," Draco whispered, before another pain wave hit him. This one worse than all the others. He squeezed Harry's hand hard and shrieked.
He tried to twist, but he couldn't move that much while being stuck to the stretcher.
The pain grew and he continued screaming. It felt like someone had stipped him of all his skin, and started grinding all his bones. His blood once again felt like it was boiling. His muscles cramped. His head fogged.
He screamed until he almost lost his voice.
Draco was in so much pain. He didn't even notice when they transferred him to a hospital bed. The only thing that didn't feel absolutely horrible was Harry's hand in his.
Draco couldn't handle the pain anymore. He couldn't think. Could barely breathe. He didn't want this. He didn't want anything.
"Kill me!" Draco screamed. "Kill me! Please, please! Hurts so much. Can't take it. No, no… I don't want to… Kill me!" Draco's voice went from screaming to whispering, and back again.
"Shh it's going to be alright. They're just checking if a bezoar will heal you, or just hurt you more," Draco heard a familiar voice say. "It'll soon be over."
For some reason Draco trusted the voice. Even though he'd still rather die, than continued on with this pain. He clutched Harry's hand even harder.
After what seemed like forever, but probably only were a minute or so, he felt the pain decrease again.
Finally he could breathe. He could feel something else than pain.
Draco opened his eyes again. Tears blurring his vision. But he saw Harry, his wonderful Harry, sit by his side.
Draco relaxed his body and sighted. Harry's hand was still holding onto him.
"I'm so sorry Draco," Harry said, tears rolling down his cheeks too.
Draco tried to answer that he shouldn't be. But he had lost his voice after all the screaming. He settled on just stroking Harry's hand with a finger. Harry reached up and stroked Draco's forehead in response.
Draco had by now forgotten why he felt so bad. Why he had gone through the pain. He was only happy it was over.
Unfortunately… it wasn't.
His throat started to itch. First it didn't bother him that much. He guessed it was from all the screaming.
But the itch grew to a pressure. His breath coming in short gasps. It felt like he was breathing through a thin straw.
He tried to suck in air but he couldn't.
Harry saw his struggles and shouted for the teachers to come.
His lungs was heavy and sizzling. They burned, they stung and they felt warm. His head was exploding with pain and his whole body felt as if it was being boiled alive. But the lack of air was the worst.
Draco started clawing his throat. Trying to find some way to breathe.
Snape rushed to his side and pressed something into his mouth. After, at least three, swallowing charms, he felt something enter his throat.
His vision had black and white dots again. His mind foggy.
Then. Suddenly. He could breathe again.
He gasped and coughed. Air flowed into his lungs, and the burning sensation decreased.
The fever he still had went down somewhat, and some lingering pain eased.
Madame Pomfrey started casting various diagnosis, health, and breathing charms.
Draco noticed first now that a few other teachers had joined them in the hospital wing. Sinistra, Slughorn and Vector stood a few feet away, all giving a relieved sigh.
Snape walked up behind Pomfrey and handed her a few potions. McGonagall's voice could be heard screaming at students outside the Hospital Wing that, "the incident had been taken care of" and that they should "go back to their dormitories or classes".
Harry still sat on the chair beside his bed, stroking his hand.
Pomfrey started casting charms and pouring potions into Draco. When all the potions had been taken, he let his eyes drop and darkness take over.
Authors note:
Hope you liked this chapter!
Ofc I couldn't (and wouldn't) kill Draco. He's too cute to kill ^^
If the hallucination part was confusing, well… it's kinda supposed to be. If the rest of the chapter is confusing, then I apologise, but it's written from Draco's point of view and he's in pain and/or other suffering throughout most of the chapter, so he can't fokus that easy.
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