Light flooded the dark room as the door opened, I instantly recoiled back and pressed myself against the back wall as another one of the Death Eaters walked into the room. I shielded my eyes from the harsh light and I recognised the Death Eater. Bellatrix Lestrange.
How long has it been?
I've lost sense of time, I don't know how long I've been here now. I don't even know where the hell I am. I don't even know how old I was, have I missed my birthday? Time was nonexistent to me. I was taken from the streets of Diagon Alley by Death Eaters during my last Christmas Break. I was due to graduate from Hogwarts. Have I missed it? I don't know.
"Get up!" Bellatrix barked at me but I couldn't make my legs work, I shrunk back further. I had been summoned by The Dark Lord again, I couldn't bring myself to look into those dead cold eyes anymore. I couldn't give him what he wanted. I wouldn't give him what he wanted. "I said get up!" Bellatrix crossed the room and seized me by my hair, I hissed in pain and clapped my hands over hers to ease the pain as she yanked me up to my feet and half dragged me out of the room and up the stairs.
I was thrown roughly to the floor of another room, I tried to use my hands to break my fall but I ended up painfully landing on my side. I rolled to my knees and looked around quickly, I scrambled back quickly when I saw The Dark Lord towering above me, "Please" I whispered, "My Lord, I can't-"
"Silence!" The Dark Lord snapped and I flinched back my whole body shaking, I looked around again and there were only a few people in the room, the unmistakable white-blonde hair of Draco Malfoy stood out among the rest, he was standing in a far corner next to his mother, Narcissa. I believe Lucius Malfoy was in Azkaban, The Dark Lord often referred to Lucius when he felt like he was losing his power over his followers.
My heart went out to Draco Malfoy, despite his behaviour in school, his skin had a greyish tinge to it and his eyes were sunken and tired. "Draco is due to return to Hogwarts any day and we need answers"
"I don't have any" I muttered and cast my eyes downward, "I can't tell you what you want to know, it doesn't work like that" There was silence for a few moments and then Voldemort nodded to Bellatrix, I was hit with excruciating pain and I screamed, curling in on myself and tears stinging my eyes, just as quickly as I was hit it was gone. The Cruciatus Curse. The favoured punishment of Bellatrix Lestrange.
"Will Draco be successful?" The Dark Lord asked, I looked over to Draco quickly, he was watching me carefully, he looked almost sorry for me.
"I don't know" My voice barely above a whisper, I flinched when The Dark Lord took a step towards me. I was lying, of course, I was lying. But if I revealed what I know then Draco would die. He's only sixteen, he was just a boy. I couldn't be responsible for his death. He's just a child. Trapped just as much as I was.
"Does Dumbledore die?" The Dark Lord rephrased his question and I cast my eyes downward again.
"Yes" I replied and The Dark Lord stepped backwards again, I kept my eyes on the floor in front of me. "But how? It's unclear to me, My Lord"
"So you are useful after all, Seer" The Dark Lord turned quickly and addressed the room, "She will take the Mark" My heart stopped, no, I couldn't take the Dark Mark. That would take away any chance I have at freedom. I looked up quickly and my eyes met the tired eyes of Narcissa Malfoy, she was looking at me with slightly wide eyes. "Not yet though! She will be a valuable asset to the ranks, soon though, there is still more to be done" The Dark Lord turned to me again and I looked down again "Bella, throw her back in her hole until then. I have some business to attend to elsewhere"
Bellatrix grinned as she grabbed me by the arm, pulling me to my feet and I tried to break free from her grip. "No!" I begged to no one in particular, "Please! No!" Bellatrix pushed me back towards the stairs that led to my holding room. "Please!" I looked wildly around the room quickly, Draco was whispering in his mother's ear with his eyes on me, "Don't let him do this! Please!" I begged them and Bellatrix cackled.
"Cissy won't help you, Seer, no one is going to help you," She said harshly in my ear and I jerked my head away, "You're alone" She pushed me down the stairs, I just about managed to stop myself from falling, "You will either join us or die. There is nothing else for you" Bellatrix opened the large door and roughly threw me in, I landed on my hands and knees and then I was plunged into darkness once again.
Bellatrix wasn't wrong. I'm pretty sure everyone I've ever known thinks I'm dead by now. I am alone. I'm in the dark more than I'm in the light all because of a gift that was given to me at birth. The Inner Eye as people likes to call it. It was a gift. But it's not, not anymore at least. Now I'm forced to use my ability to aid Lord Voldemort in his attempt at taking over the Wizarding World and destroying Harry Potter. If I don't. I die.
I sometimes wish for death in my lowest moments, I don't see myself ever escaping the clutches of The Dark Lord. No Death Eater dares go against him, I'm a Prisoner and my magic is being used for Evil. How can I ever come back from that? I'm tainted. Unwanted and unloved.
The Dark Lord tasked Draco Malfoy with killing Albus Dumbledore, the current Headmaster of Hogwarts, a well respected Wizard and the only Wizard that Voldemort even remotely fears. With Dumbledore gone it'll be so much easier for Voldemort to get to Harry Potter. What The Dark Lord doesn't know is that it is not Draco Malfoy who kills Dumbledore. It is Severus Snape who does the deed, thanks to a Vow he made with Narcissa Malfoy, but of course, The Dark Lord didn't know this. Thankfully my mind was protected because of my ability, The Dark Lord was unable to get inside my head to find out what I know, my mind is all I have.
How The Dark Lord learned about my ability, I don't know. My main suspicion was that someone was feeding him information from inside the school. Was it Snape? Was it Umbridge? I don't know. All these questions and I have no answers. I don't possess the ability to see the past. Only the future, no matter how uncertain it is at the time of me seeing it.
The Dark Lord said Draco was due to return to the school, but that didn't tell me anything. Was he on break? Did he get pulled out for some reason? What year is it?
I spent my time in a dark room with nothing to sleep on, I was sometimes given a shower and just enough food and water to sustain me. My wand was taken from me upon my capture so I had no way to defend myself, I was too weak to do Wandless Magic. I was alone and I had grown used to my own company, I was slowly losing my mind being trapped in the dark, I was losing who I was.
My name is Celeste Francis, Gryffindor and I'm an Orphan, I had no family thanks to Bellatrix, she made sure to wipe out my entire bloodline in her search for me. I was safe at Hogwarts but when Christmas Break came around during my last year. That was when my freedom was ripped away from me. That was when my life changed.
My name is Celeste Francis, my name is all I have.
My name is Celeste Francis and I'm a prisoner.