"Wait, I think I'm getting something…" Olaf stood still, trying to remember something.
"You forgot where she is, didn't you" Kristoff said.
"No, wait, I'm trying to… I think… there was a lot of snow…"
Kristoff took a look around. "That's not hard to find"
"You know what… how about I take a look around, and try to find out where we are. You wait here." Olaf walked ahead. "I'll be back!"
"Couldn't she hide a map inside him?"Kristoff asked as they watched Olaf walk ahead.
Anna was too busy looking at the steep cliff wall in front of them to answer.
"I think we should just climb"
"It's too risky" Kristoff began going through his bag. "I've only got one rope and you don't know how to climb"
"Says who?"
Sven gave Kristoff a tap with his antlers to tell him to look up"What are you doing?"
"I'm…going…to see my sister!" Anna panted as she attempted to climb the wall.
"You're going to kill yourself" Kristoff plainly said, and spent the next few minutes watching Anna struggle while getting nowhere higher.
"How do you even know that she wants to see you?"
"I'm… I'm just blocking you out now, and trying to concentrate"
Just then, Olaf peered from around the corner. "Hey guys! Not sure if it will help you in what you're doing, but I found a staircase that will lead you exactly to where Elsa is!" he called out.
"Ha ha! Great!" Anna cried in relief. "Catch!"
Kristoff caught her as she let go from the steep wall.
"Good catch! That was a crazy trust exercise"
Elsa paced nervously. She's taking too long. What if by now they found out I'm not at the Manor? What if Anna is in trouble in the woods? Maybe Olaf didn't reach her, and she's lost! I think I should go…
She stopped pacing, and stood next to a window.
The view faced over the magnificent mountain range, that stretched for miles far and wide, facing the backside of both her ice palace (which she built with graceful movements of her arms and wand, to make her 'tutoring excuses' look more realistic and plausible when Anna shows up) and Arendelle.
What stopped Elsa was a tiny figure of black standing outside and below, which seemed to be attempting to look through the top floors of the palace's ice walls.
Elsa began to breathe hard.
Then the figure made to walk around, to the front of the palace. Its movements indicated that it's wearing some sort of cloak.
Elsa quietly but briskly went around, to the nearest window that gave a closer view to the front of the palace.
Reaching there, she saw the figure reach close to the stairs. It gave another look atop the palace.
Elsa's breathing paused.
The face of the figure glistened like metal.
"How much farther?" asked a panting Anna.
Olaf looked up. "About a hundred more steps…I think"
Kristoff panted, "A hundred… plus two hundred…!"
"Actually fifty. I counted" Anna panted in reply.
Sven remained behind for he cannot climb stairs.
They all paused for breath, in total the third time.
Kristoff almost burst in frustration. "Seriously?! She couldn't do anything better than set a world record for the longest flight of stairs?!"
Anna looked back up at the next steps. "Maybe we're going the wrong way. Maybe this was just made during one of her practices."
They looked down below the staircase, in awe once more that it is able to carry weight over deep mountain crevices, while made of ice and with no support from any sort of suspensions.
"Actually…" Olaf again racked his brains while they once again made to climb, "yeah…guys…maybe we are going the wrong way…" they all stared at him, "I don't remember this long of a staircase anywhere near Elsa."
"And to be honest…" Kristoff began.
"Look! A ledge! (laughs) Finally!" Anna pointed and cried.
They all quickly climbed and reached the mountain ledge. Except for Kristoff.
"Wait! I'm trying to say that…" He joined the others, who are gazing around the view from the ledge, facing more mountain ranges. "…I don't recognize this place. I don't think I've been here before."
Anna, who was preoccupied with the view, replied, "That's ok. Elsa's been here, so I guess it's safe."
"For magical people maybe" Kristoff insisted.
"Don't worry. With an expert like you, we'll get from here to the North Mountain in no time"
"Yeah. Maybe in another six hours, given that it's way over there" Using Anna's arm (gently), he pointed at the tallest mountain in range that stood approximately 100 kilometers from where they are standing.
Anna glanced at the mountain, at the distance in between, and at the accursed staircase. "Oh…great!"
"So we better get going soon, or…"
"Hey guys! I found a cave we can rest in!" Olaf called out, standing at the entrance of a very wide and deep cave further along the ledge.
While Anna rushed to join Olaf, Kristoff raised and dropped his arms in frustration.
"Relax! We can just take a few minute rest here. You know, to get back our energy"
Kristoff, shaking his head, later joined them to sit at the entrance.
"I wonder why would that be there, if she's not here." Olaf looked at the stairs.
After a few minutes…
"How about we explore this cave a bit" Anna got up and began entering.
"Ok, that's not something we're gonna do" Kristoff got up and tried to stop an Anna whose now taken few steps into the cave.
"Why not?"
"It may not be safe"
"Meaning?"
"It could cave in on us. Or something may be living inside it"
Olaf gave a little gasp, as if after remembering something. "Elsa may be worried sick about us! We have to get to her soon!"
Hearing her sister's name, Anna paused her sightseeing and jolted back to realizing the purpose of her venturing in the mountains, in the first place.
"You're right" she turned around. "Let's…"
"Shhh!" Kristoff suddenly said.
"What? We're going, aren't we?"
"No, really! Be quiet!"
Kristoff took another few steps into the cave, trying to listen for something.
"Wolves?" Anna asked cautiously.
Kristoff caught the sounds of another grunt.
"No. Bigger"
Another grunt, louder for all of them to hear, had the three of them slowly turn around.
The grunts were not from within the cave, but rather near the entrance…
From an equally surprised Norwegian Ridgeback that just returned home and found intruders.
Another grunt came with hot air in the faces of Anna, Kristoff and Olaf.
"Is that heat?" asked a fascinated Olaf.
The dragon snarled.
"Tell me Elsa didn't mean to…"
"Wait, let me try something" Olaf stepped forward.
"No, wait! Bad idea!" Anna quietly said, trying to prevent Olaf from what he's doing.
Olaf attempt to pet the Norwegian Ridgeback's face. "Hi there!" He said in a friendly voice. "You're a very big dragon! Cute, too. Sorry we came into your cave, but we're looking for a friend of ours. Is it ok if we can go by, please? We mean no harm"
The only replies from the dragon were bewilderment of Olaf's snowy form, and a deeper snarl.
"Maybe he had a bad day" Olaf thought aloud to himself.
"Run!" Kristoff pushed the others to run before it fried or snapped at them.
Furious, the Norwegian Ridgeback turned and started to pursue them; they managed to duck and run under it so to make their way to the stairs.
It let out a great roar that echoed throughout the mountains. Then it shot a strong gust of fire at them, melting the first few steps. Luckily that wasn't on time to prevent Anna from getting Kristoff to slide down the railings to escape (with Olaf hugging his neck from behind).
"Just keep your balance!" called out Anna, who was having a bit of fun.
The dragon took flight. Flying over them, it took aim and shot another gust of fire at the rail-riders.
"Duck!"
Kristoff pushed Anna onto the steps to prevent themselves from getting fried along with the railing. That force caused them to not only fall onto the steps but also tumble down them.
They paused their tumbling by grabbing onto the railings. Before the dragon could shoot another fiery gust, they ran down the stairs (thankfully they had reached around the last quarter of stairs to do so).
In no time they reached Sven, who had just pulled his stuck tongue off the icy railings at the site of the furious Norwegian Ridgeback.
They hopped on him and sped off into the mountain corridors, aiming for the North Mountain and anywhere safe along the way.
Olaf, while riding, attempted to pat away the ridges all over his body from rolling down the stairs.
At one point, when the corridor was wider, the dragon dived and nearly scooped them off the floor with its mouth. Thankfully Sven make a quick turn to the right.
"Hurry!" Anna cried.
"Can we throw snowballs at it?" Olaf asked.
"No time!" Kristoff replied.
Any crevice they past were either too short or not deep enough to hide all four of them.
They ran through a natural tunnel. Only to find the dragon smart enough to sit itself outside close to the end of tunnel!
Sven screeched to a halt, and attempted to quickly turn around.
But he only found that the Norwegian Ridgeback blew a fiery gust that created a cave-in in front of the tunnel, preventing them from re-entering it.
"Where are the hideouts when you need them?!" Anna said, making futile attempts to catch sight of a crevice in any nearby wall while the dragon snarled in front of them.
It readied its mouth to shoot fire and fry them for good.
Everyone huddled.
Suddenly, the Norwegian Ridgeback threw its head up in pain.
It turned itself around to see who's attacking, then threw its head to the side in pain.
They could faintly see flashes of red light, and bigger flashes of blue, hitting the Norwegian Ridgeback's face.
"Rictusempera!"
"Elsa!"
Only after a few shots did the dragon spread out its wings and retreated. Elsa stood with her wand out, watching the dragon make its complete retreat. After it was completely out of sight did she look at the four with serious yet relieved eyes.
"Anna?"
"Elsa! That was a…wow!"
"In other words, thanks for the save" Kristoff said as they got off of Sven.
"Hi, I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs!" Olaf stepped forward and waved.
Elsa smiled, "Hi Olaf."
Then she turned at Anna. "What are you doing here?"
"I…uh…wanted to…" Anna began, but stopped when, after making careful scans around, Elsa quickly said, "We'll talk later. Everyone hold onto this." She extended out a branch that was glowing blue.
"What's that?" Anna asked.
"Later" Kristoff replied.
After everyone grabbed onto it (Sven had to hold with his teeth), they vanished from the mountain ranges in a split second.
In another split second they stood in the foyer of Elsa's ice palace.
This is so to convince Anna that my 'tutoring excuses' are true, so that she can stay safely and unsuspicious at home. Elsa thought to herself.
While Anna and Olaf stood in awe at the magnificent ice structure, Kristoff and Sven attempted to not vomit.
"Sorry. First time users of the Portkey usually feel nauseated. But the sickness shouldn't last more than half an hour" Elsa said.
"Sure" Kristoff had his hand to his mouth while Sven had his hooves to his.
"And I thought you know magic"
"That doesn't mean I used it"
Elsa shot a skeptic glance at Kristoff.
"It's alright. Anyway, he helped me through the mountains, with Olaf. His name is Kristoff"
Leaning against Sven, Kristoff panted a 'Hi'.
Anna also felt a little funny because of the portkey, but she did her best to hide it.
"Are you ok?" Elsa asked.
"I'm fine, thanks" Anna replied. "Elsa, did you make that staircase? It lead us to the dragon in the first place." Anna asked.
"No" Elsa replied. Then thoughts of the figure in black came to her mind.
Kristoff then offered to give Anna and Elsa some alone time.
"Will she get into trouble?" Olaf asked as they stepped out.
Kristoff shrugged. "Can't tell?"
Olaf caught sight of the palace's entry-stairways. "Oooooh, so that's the stairs I saw!"
Sven gave a 'face-palm' with his hoof.
Meanwhile, Anna remained standing in the foyer. She later caught sight of Elsa's flowing blue dress.
"Wow, Elsa. You look… different. It's a good 'different'. And this place… It's beautiful"
"Thank you," Elsa was pleased that her sister admired her creations. "We were just practicing dress spells" She took a look at the icy walls of the ice castle she built around her. "I never knew what I was really capable of" She said that at if it finally rose from the bottom of her heart.
"Is your teacher here?" Anna looked around.
"No, she stepped out for a bit"
"I'm sorry about that argument we had" Anna stepped forward to hug Elsa.
Taking her hug, Elsa began to worry again. She's taking up too much time here. "No, it's ok" she said gently. "You should go, now."
"But I just got here" Anna replied when they let go.
"I'll meet you later, at home, Anna"
"Well… I wanted to maybe… you know… watch you do one lesson at least"
"I'll ask her if you can, some other time." Elsa quickly changed the subject. "Why did you go into the wilderness after me? You could have gotten killed."
"I really wanted to say sorry to you." Anna shuffled a bit on her feet, in embarrassment. "so I thought the best way to do so was to meet you in the mountains" Anna's eyes became a bit glassy. "I'd never think you were doing something bad or evil. That's not you, Elsa"
Elsa smiled at her little sister. Yes Anna may be loud, obnoxious and immature, but deep down, she knows the constantly blossoming loving and loyal side of Anna. Why else would she venture into the wilderness to see Elsa? If only she too were a witch, then they'd have a strong fighting chance against Voldemort.
"How did you know about the dragon?"
Anna's question now made Elsa quickly fought for the best answer. The last thing she needed to say was that she thought she saw a Deatheater walking near the palace, hinting to her that something was wrong, or that they may get caught soon.
"I heard that you went after me" she quickly said. "I didn't want you to get hurt in the wilderness"
"Oh, it was nothing. I.."
Suddenly, the place began to creak. Elsa looked around, scared.
"Is everything ok?"
"Shh!"
The creaking continued. Elsa began to quickly climb some flight of stairs, to check something.
"Elsa, what's wrong?"
"Anna, you must go! Now!"
"I'm not going to leave you in danger!" Anna continued to climb up the stairs.
Elsa, to her horror, saw streaks of flying black fly by through the icy walls.
"Anna, we have to get out of here!" Kristoff ran back into the palace.
The creaking turned into sounds of attempting to shatter through the ice. "Anna… don't worry! You have to go!"
"I'm not leaving you…" Anna continued to be in front of Kristoff and Olaf. Elsa by now was attempting to reseal the walls. In desperation and knowing that Anna won't listen, she shot a big gust of magic to push them off the stairs.
"Yes…you are"
Knowing it's no use trying to reseal the walls. Elsa went on to pushing Anna, Kristoff and Olaf with icy wind. Anna began to groan.
By the time they made it out the door, the wall behind Elsa shattered. Bellatrix appeared.
"You didn't think you'd run off without permission and get away with it, did you?" she cackled.
"No, wait! I can explain…" Elsa tried.
"Explain to the Dark Lord!"
Kristoff helped Anna out the castle and down the entry stairs. They turned to see many strips of black smoke continue to fight their way into the ice castle.
"What's happening?" Olaf asked in horror.
"We can't just leave her there!" Anna attempted to reenter. One of the strips of smoke redirected itself towards Anna and Kristoff.
"And we can't just stay here!" Kristoff forced Anna to run.
Spells shot from the smoke as the three ran. "I'll distract it. You guys go!" Olaf positioned himself to signal the smoke to himself.
A spell shot and hit Olaf, causing his upper half to detach from his lower half. "Not you guys!" his lower half ran away with the others and his upper half to sink into the snow. "This makes things a whole lot more harder"
The two continued to run. Anna paused to use a snow-covered tree to catapult snow at the smoke. It hit, and a scream came with a sight of the smoke disappearing and someone falling.
"Wait… is that a person?"
"Not sure we can find out that right now" Kristoff pulled Anna to run, until they reached a cliff.
"It must be a hundred feet!" Anna said.
"It's two hundred" Kristoff quickly made a life rope around himself and Anna, and began making a small trench in the snow to fit some of the rope in.
"What are you doing?"
"Making a snow anchor. For us to climb"
"Ok. What if we fall?"
"There's about five feet of snow at the bottom. It'll be like landing on a pillow. Hopefully"
They readied at the edge of the cliff. "On the count of three… one…two…"
Suddenly, Olaf was thrown over them. "Guys look out!"
"Olaf!" Anna cried. They both turned to see the streak of smoke once again in pursuit of them.
"Three!" Anna volunteered to say. She jumped, pulling Kristoff to follow.
The rope tightened and they were now able to safely climb down. But while climbing down…
"And don't bother again going to places you don't belong! Muggles!"
"What?"
To their horror, it was the black smoke which shouted that line. And worst, it flew right into their rope, severing it.
Anna and Kristoff screamed as they fell. Along the way Kristoff bumped his head against the cliff.
They fell and fell. Until…
"You were right! Soft as a pillow" Anna patted the snow pile she fell into. Then she heard gasps from Olaf.
"I can't feel my legs! I can't feel my legs!"
Kristoff popped up from the snow behind him. "Those are my legs"
"Oh...ok. Hey, can you do me a favor and grab my bottom?" Olaf said quickly as his lower half ran by. Kristoff grabbed it and placed Olaf's upper half onto it. "Ah! That feels much better"
Sven ran up to them, unscratched.
"Hey! Look! Sven found us! He's my cute little reindeer" Olaf began petting and hugging Sven's face again.
In the meantime, Kristoff helped pull Anna out of the snow. "Thanks," she said, smiling at him. "How's your head?"
She tried to feel Kristoff's head, only to make Kristoff say "Ow!" and take a step back. "It's ok. I have a thick skull"
"I don't have a skull" Olaf stared up at Anna and Kristoff "Or bones"
"So…now what?" Kristoff asked Anna.
Anna laughed a little. "Now what?" Then she suddenly remembered what occurred a few minutes ago "Oooooh, what am I going to do?" she began moving around in panic. "She's in trouble! This winter is growing! I didn't tell her about it! And there's your ice business…!"
"Hey, don't worry about my ice business" Kristoff said calmly. "Worry about hour hair" his voice grew in concern as he stared at her hair.
"Me? You should see yours!"
"No, yours is turning white"
"White?" She stared at a band of her hair changing from brown to white.
"It's because she struck you, isn't it?"
"Does it look bad?" Anna grew concerned.
"No"
"You hesitated." Olaf popped his head up.
Kristoff thought for a while. "I know what to do. Come with me"
"Ok! Where are we going?" Olaf asked.
"To my friends. They may know how to fix it"
"How do you know?" Anna asked.
Kristoff turned to them as they all walked. "Because I've seen them do it before".
Back at the Manor, Elsa was taken before Voldemort. The Dark Lord glared at her with murderous eyes.
"You disobeyed me, didn't you?" he hissed.
"But… sir…Anna went into the wilderness… I couldn't just…" Elsa protested.
"SILENCE!" Voldemort shot a Crucio curse at Elsa. She bent forward in pain. "Are to trying to convince me that we are wasting time with you?" he asked menacingly.
Elsa could only breathe heavily, in pain.
"If you're even considering forgiveness, then I'm afraid we have no choice but to make you watch as we inflict pain on what you hold dearer than your own life."
Elsa tried to straighten herself. Still in pain, she tried to beg Voldemort to do otherwise.
"Please… don't harm her… I beg you…"
Suddenly Voldemort's face seemed to have changed; from threatening to malevolent laughter.
"That won't be necessary, after all," he walked a bit, dragging his long black cloak behind him. "It just so happened that, someone else did"
Elsa froze, her heart almost stopping. "I only left because…"
Voldemort shook his head "My Deatheaters didn't do it" he began playing with his wand between his long fingers.
His eyes narrowed, watching her face, with a spark of evil laughter in his eyes. "Funny how protection is the very reason things perish, no matter how remarkable one's commitment is."
For a moment Elsa was confused. Then an unpleasant moment of recaps began swirling in her head.
The Deatheaters trying to break into the Ice Palace windows…
Her trying to force Anna to leave immediately…
Anna protesting…
The ice walls close to giving away…
Her trying to seal them shut while pushing Anna with magic…
The blue flash…
Anna's protests turning into small grunts of pain…
Elsa almost fell over. She slowly looked at her hands.
She must have frozen Anna's heart in the process of saving her from the Deatheaters.
"Your efforts are to be admired." Voldemort's bone-chilling voice penetrated her.
The very thing all these years she was afraid of doing, and putting up with these people to avoid her dying in the first place.
"She has limited time, though"
Elsa quickly looked up. Is there still a chance to reverse the accident and save Anna?
"As long as you don't disobey any further." Voldemort walked slowly up to her with his wand barely pointing to and touching her neck. "Or death awaits the two of you."
Somehow, Elsa knew she couldn't trust him. She has to find a way back to Anna, once and for all.
Kristoff brought Anna to a small clearing in the forest. By the time they reached there, Anna was shivering a bit. He showed her some geysers, where she can stand near to get warm. "Oh! That's nice" she placed her hands over the steam.
"About my friends," Kristoff nervously said as they continued walking. "well, they're more like family. You see, before, it was just me and Sven. Then they kind of, you know, took us in. They're nice, but they can also be, well, loud…stubborn…and…"
"Kristoff," Anna placed a hand on his shoulder, "they sound wonderful" she smiled.
He smiled back. Then he cleared his throat. "Anyway…um…here we are" he entered a shallow pit in the ground, with rocks scattered across it. Anna and Olaf just stared.
He began calling each rock, by names such as 'Rocky' and 'Boulder', as if they'd reply or move.
"They're…rocks" Anna still stared.
"He's craaaaaaaazy" Olaf whispered.
Kristoff continued to talk to the rocks, while Sven licked and affectingly rubbed his nose on some.
"I'll distract him while you run" Olaf made to talk to a rock "Hi Kristoff's family! It's nice to meet you!" Olaf then turned to Anna "because i love you, anna, i insist that you run" Then he went back to the rock. "I heard that you are very, very wonderful. anna, why aren't you running?"
"Uh… ok. I think I'll go…"
"No, wait Anna…!" Kristoff cried, as the rocks began to move and roll towards him. Then, suddenly, it's as if the rocks turned into trolls.
"Kristoff's home!" They began to cheer.
Anna gazed at the trolls, who are now embracing and jumping on Kristoff. "Trolls? They're trolls!"
The trolls suddenly hushed down. They all turned to see Anna. "He's brought a girl!" one cried out.
Before the others rushed to greet Anna, they suddenly parted to let an older troll walk through.
"I thought I heard Kristoff's voice"
"Grand Pabbie! It's good to see you" Kristoff affectingly took the old troll's hand. "Likewise, son" Grand Pabbie placed his hand on Kristoff's. He took a glance at Anna. "I see you brought a guest here" a mischievous twinkle came in the troll's eyes.
"Um, ahem, no" Kristoff brushed the comment of. "Grand Pabbie, this is urgent. Something's wrong with…"
The other troll's gasped. Anna almost fell over. Sven luckily caught her, and helped her walk closer to Grand Pabbie. Her face showed weakness.
"No. There's strange magic here" The troll's face became tense. "Bring her closer"
Kristoff held Anna as the troll took her hands. "Princess Anna, you're life is in grave danger." Grand Pabbie's voice grew grave. "There's ice in your heart. Put there by your sister. If not removed…the ice will freeze…forever"
"What…no!" Anna weakly said.
"Can you fix her?" Kristoff said.
"I'm afraid I can't. If it was her head then I could do it. Only an act of true love can save her"
"An act of true love?" Anna asked. "You mean… like a kiss?"
"Yes, that's an excellent example" cried a lady troll.
Grand Pabbie studied Anna's face. "Is there something else troubling you, Anna?"
Something was, but Anna hesitated. Kristoff volunteered. "It's about her sister"
"Princess Elsa? What about her?" Grand Pabbie softly asked. "I've heard that she went to a prestigious witchcraft school"
"She…she's been hiding something from me…" Anna struggled to say. "but when I went to see her…"
"We were attacked by flying talking black smoke" Olaf came forward and finished.
Grand Pabbie stopped to think for a minute. Suddenly, his face grew in alarm. "No…no…it can't be!"
The other trolls looked like they were ready to panic.
"What? What is it?" Kristoff asked.
"Your sister… she's been abducted…by…Lord Voldemort"
"Who?" Anna, Olaf and Kristoff asked, while another older troll tried to prevent a stampede among the trolls.
"A terrible wizard. We've heard about him when the news spread about his return. He must have found out about Elsa's powers"
"We have to save Elsa!" Anna said despite her gasping breath. So that's why she's been hiding and lying to me. She was trying to keep me out of danger.
"Before that, you must heal, Anna" Grand Pabbie said softly but firmly. "Then we can all think of a…"
"I think that's enough adventuring for one day"
Everyone turned in alarm to see a masked figure in a dark cloak. He was walking towards Kristoff and Anna. The trolls began to panic, but the figure, with a sudden clash of his wand, immobilized them with an Imobilus spell. Sven tried to charge at him, but the man hit him hard on the face, causing him to fall over.
"No! My family! What do you want?" Krsitoff demanded. Still holding Anna, he stood up. Olaf stood in front of Kristoff.
"Some cooperation" the man said in Kristoff's face. His words come out in a very slight accent, maybe Scottish. "Or we'll see these Stone Trolls crumble…and this walking snowman melt" he gave a mean kick at Olaf.
"Who are you?" Anna demanded, past gasping breaths.
"An intermediary." The man said plainly. "But what the Dark Lord wants now is more important"
"You're not taking her!"
"Actually, you're taking her" The cloaked figure pointed his wand at Kristoff's face.
Now that Anna may be dying, Voldemort completely forbade Elsa from making any return to Arendelle, until he says so. Obviously he thought that this will make her better obey him, out of desperation.
This is most certainly confirmed, by the fact that, almost immediately, Elsa is to embark on her first Deatheater rampage mission – without a choice.
Assigned with Bellatrix and Macniar, the three were dispatched to what seems to be the streets of London – more close to the remote corridors and alleyways.
"Where are we going?" Elsa asked.
"Somewhere for beginners. Don't you worry your pretty little head" Bellatrix mockingly replied while patting Elsa's shoulder.
Oh…hopefully that means retrieving an item, or something like that. Elsa thought
While Macnair wore the same cloak and metal mask, both Bellatrix and Elsa wore black hoods to hide their identities.
Looking up, she noticed that the sky had become cloudy, grey and dull more often, with unpleasant humidity hanging in the air and making it thicker to breathe. Unlike the bright, blue sky with white clouds and fresh, fragrant air she'd find in Hogwarts. How she wished that, maybe, Dumbledore or some other professor will show up today and help her get out of this.
Most likely, she thought, that won't happen. So she either has to go along and try to limit doing anything horrible, or seize any opportunity to…
"We're here!" Bellatrix signaled.
Peering from the alley, they all caught sight of what looked like an elementary school building.
Elsa, trying not to decipher what will be the events to unfold, tried to sound like she had 'higher expectations'
"Oh…I thought we were going to…maybe…Diagon Alley"
"You want to get caught, don't you?" Bellatrix childishly hissed.
"No sense of priorities" Macnair said as he and Bellatrix went ahead to approach the building. Elsa reluctantly and slowly followed.
She caught sight through the window of someone walking.
"But there are people inside!"
Bellatrix turned to her in irritation. "Wouldn't make sense if we were here when there weren't, would it?"
"Can we just…?"
Bellatrix suddenly grabbed Elsa's arm and pulled her to a more private spot, as if to discipline an impudent little child. Macnair took to watching for fun.
"You want to get things your way, don't you?" Bellatrix's hood didn't prevent her from breathing in Elsa's face again, while scolding her quietly. "Then do yourself a favour and follow! If we really didn't care for your little weaknesses then we would have taken you to a place teeming with aurors. There you'd easily have a room booked for yourself at Azkaban, and solved all our problems"
Elsa wished she could stare angrily back. Besides the hoods, she didn't want to give any further excuse to land herself and Anna into more trouble.
Bellatrix let Elsa's arm go with a harsh jerk.
"Better hurry up or the children will have already left the place" Macnair said to them.
Elsa's eyes widened in horror.
The three got to the top of the building.
"Now, watch and learn" Bellatrix said to Elsa. "The best way to set fire on Muggle structures is to ignite what's already holding heat, even the slightest. In this case…" She pointed to the building's exhaust system that's part of the flat roof.
"You have your first chance at representing the Dark Forces" Bellatrix indicated Elsa to be the one to start the ignition. "Make us proud" Bellatrix sounded encouraging.
Elsa only stared at the big square chunk of metal. She had her wand out but wasn't pointing.
A minute went by…another minute…the clouds seemed to have gotten darker…for Elsa at least.
Elsa managed to slowly get her wand to aim at the device, so lessen Bellatrix's dark stare on her.
But no word, let along an incantation, got past the big knot in her throat.
I'd never think you were doing something bad or evil, Anna's words began echoing in her head.
But what else am I supposed to do, Anna? Elsa thought to herself. I may never see you again. If a clock was nearby, every tick that past…possibly meant another and slower heartbeat…for Anna.
"What are you waiting for, mudblood? NOW!" Bellatrix yelled through her teeth. Impatience was finally getting to her, due to less than half an hour having passed with Elsa staring at the box.
"I can't!"
But before Bellatrix could lunge at her, Elsa's frustrated movement caused ice to spill.
Bellatrix and Macnair dodged it with their wands. The exhaust didn't get hit, but some other piece of machinery on the roof did. One that looked like it had a think, heavy fan in it.
Choking with ice, it (whatever it was) seemed to have stopped working.
Elsa felt dizzy for a moment. Now they'll kill Anna.
The device started to creak and flicker….with flames…
Everyone turned around to see it.
Her heart stopped, for she didn't expect that a choking it will cause it overheat. Soon, it caught fire and the flames spread, forcing the three to retreat from the roof.
In another minute, sounds of alarms and cries were heard from the building.
I'm sorry, as if her broken apology could be heard by those inside.
When the flame just began spreading down to the walls, Elsa was suddenly grabbed by Bellatrix. Into a tight hug.
"Well done! Your first attack," She kissed Elsa on the cheek, "mudblood"
Feeling sour, Elsa took advantage of the hood and began silently pouring tears down her face.
"Can we go now" her voice cracked.
Bellatrix looked at her in surprise. "Not now! We have to have a little more fun…inside."
"And make our impression to those helpless muggles" Macnair added.
Oh God, help me.
Having no choice otherwise, she reluctantly followed them into the building, by holding onto Bellatrix as they apparated.
Once inside, Elsa heard the screams, alarm and panic more clearly. At times she caught glimpse of people trying to run away from the growing fire.
The Fire grew faster than usual, given that both Macnair and Bellatrix were shooting more out of their wands. Elsa avoided noticing where the sparks would land. Bellatrix's cackling and laughing rang in her ears over the screaming of both the fire and the fleeing muggles. Some were from children. The heat and smoky fumes began to get to Elsa. Once or twice she coughed
"Don't just stand around!" Bellatrix called out to Elsa.
Pretending to go along, Elsa lifted her wand.
But taking advantage of the exploding flames and at times blinding sparks, as well as their enjoying themselves as arsonist maniacs, she slipped away from where the others were standing and hysterically shooting more fire around, into a room with fewer flames.
But inside, she found…
A child. A little girl, trembling under a class-table. It was as if she no longer had any more voice to scream. But the sight of a black hooded figure terrified her even more.
Flames from outside the room shrieked, and made to enter.
Elsa looked at the child. The girl wore a braid on each side of her head.
She couldn't find it in her heart to leave her.
That's not you, Elsa.
Finding a window nearby, Elsa quickly scooped up the little girl. She resisted, but was calmed a little by a soft "Shhh…everything will be ok" from Elsa.
Quickly, she ran to the window, and broke it with an icy gust that formed a slide running out of the hole in the wall.
"Quick. And be safe" She placed the child onto the slide. Before the girl to thank her, she was sliding out to safety, with the slide instantly vanishing behind her.
Thanks to the hood, she wasn't able to see who her rescuer was.
She peeked out of the window, trying to see if the little girl reached and ran off to safety.
"Where did you go?"
Elsa heard Bellatrix calling out for her. She tore herself from the window and carefully left the flaming room. Luckily (somehow) her cloak nor dress didn't catch any fire.
"Come now. It's time to leave, for now!"
Approaching Bellatrix to take her hand for apperating out of the building, Elsa heard a new sound.
Only from taking Muggle Studies at Hogwarts did she recognized the sounds as muggle fire-truck sirens.
They apperated in front of the Manor's entrance. Bellatrix kept her arm close around Elsa as they entered, as if to celebrate Elsa's 'first attack'.
But once they entered, they found the Manor empty of people. Only Pettigrew came forward to receive them.
"Madame Lestrange" he bowed too low.
"Where's Nissy?" Bellatrix removed her hood and handed it to Pettigrew to hang. Elsa took off hers too but kept it wrapping her hands, to try to warm her hands which became cold from the shock and stress from the recent events.
"She left with some of the men to escort young Draco to Blourish and Blots" Pettigrew explained, although having difficulty masking his fear of Bellatrix in his voice. "The others left for urgent tasks assigned by the Dark Lord"
Bellarix now became overcome (a bit) with emotion. "My very own nephew…all grown up…serving the Dark Lord…he'll be such a gem to our family name…"
Elsa paused. Now what nonsense is he sent to do…?
"What are you thinking about?" Bellatrix suddenly asked. She looked at her face in utter curiosity.
"Nothing" Elsa said plainly.
Bellatrix still remained a bit suspicious.
Just then, both Macnair and Bellatrix reached for their left arms. Elsa knew it meant their Marks were burning.
"The Dark Lord is calling us to another task" Macnair said later.
"We'll be off now" Bellatrix held Elsa's shoulders like what one does to a child. "You be a good little girl and stay here. We'll celebrate your accomplishments today later" That made Pettigrew gasp and shrink away from Elsa even more.
"Okay?" Bellatrix wanted a confirmation.
"Okay" Elsa had to respond.
"Good" Bellatrix then went away to leave. "Go read some more, to perform even better next time" she said before disapperating.
Standing alone, Elsa looked out through the open doorway, beyond the spot where Macnair and Bellatrix disapperated. Down the hedged pathway, all the way to the big Iron Gate. Pettigrew, meanwhile, took to shrinking deeper into the Manor.
Then, after hanging her hood away, Elsa went to read, as per Bellatrix's demands. While walking in further, she glanced through nearby doorways, kept her own steps quiet to hear for any sound, and peered up any stairway, all to remain alert for any chance of another person currently present in the Manor.
Wait a minute…Elsa paused to do some calculations, it's already the last few days of August? It certainly didn't feel like three months…did it feel longer or shorter? Can't really tell…September 1st must be really close…oh I wish I could go back to Hogwarts…
Elsa, after picking up a book on potions from a stack of books on the coffee-table, sat on a large draped sofa in the large and well-furnished living room to read. One that had a fireplace known to have a working floo channel in it.
'Reading' her book, Elsa waited until it is certain no one will enter the room in a long while. As for Pettigrew, he's still cowardly afraid of her and her powers, anyway. So he'd stay as far as possible from her and not even notice what she is doing.
An hour passed… another half an hour…
Elsa slowly closed her book, and rose from the couch.
Quietly, she put the book down on a side-table. Then, while taking glances at the entrance to the room, she quietly walked towards the fireplace.
She bent in front of the fireplace to open the floo channel.
While igniting the green fire, thoughts about Draco came to her mind.
She wished she could've stayed longer. He's unfairly being dragged into horrible tasks just because of his family's ties with the Dark Forces. Voldemort really finds anything to exploit in people, no matter how much it ruins their lives. Draco doesn't deserve this. Yes he…was, and still is… a brat, but still, he's not a Deatheater.
Not running away for himself when they encountered the vampires by itself was unusual. But in reality, Voldemort and the Deatheaters are far, far worse than vampires.
She hopes this war ends quickly. She'd gladly take part in helping to end it. But right now, her sister and an entire defenseless kingdom that are under her responsibility are at risk. She hopes to return, when things are safer. To see if Ginny and Luna are still alright and safe…
Over the crackling of fire, she heard hissing. Behind her.
She quickly turned. In time to dodge a strike from Nagini.
Elsa quickly leapt from in front of the fireplace. Thankfully Nagini's lunge didn't get her into the floo channel and disappear to Arendelle.
The huge snake retracted its neck, to strike again at Elsa, who was now against the side of an armchair.
Elsa quickly got up, to avoid the next lunge and to throw a gust of ice and freeze the thing.
But, strangely, frost only slid off and past its scaly skin.
Elsa tried again and again, while dodging its strikes. Aren't snakes cold-blooded and bothered by the cold?
She tried striking it with icicles, but that didn't work either. Everything kept sliding past its skin.
In all the chaos, she accidently fell backwards over a side-table.
That gave Nagini the perfect chance to wrap herself around Elsa!
Elsa struggled to free herself from the snake's tightening coils.
The snake positioned its head over hers, ready to bite her head off.
Elsa thought she saw a familiar gleam of laughter in the snake's eyes.
"That's enough!"
Glaring at the snake, she grew ice in its widening mouth.
Taken aback and struggling to spit the ice out, Nagini loosened her grip around Elsa.
Elsa quickly got up.
Furious and taking out all her anger onto the snake, Elsa's hands shot and grew a large, heavy ice disk onto Nagini, sandwiching her flat onto the floor.
Being completely trapped, Nagini struggled and wriggled to break out from under the heavy ice, while Elsa made a quick dash to the fireplace.
~TO BE CONTINUED…~
Psst…I know we just left off here at a moment like getting attacked by Voldemort's pet snake…but I found something interesting with my mom on the internet…a Let-it-go song especially customised, words changed and all, for Draco (coincidences – or not? Never done for Harry nor the other characters) on Youtube by a Potter fan group called the Deluminators. If you are interested, be sure to make sure you let your parent(s)/guardian(s) know before checking out things on the internet – this video is clean, no profanity in it; it's just that garbage can show up at the side suggestions panel. Hope you are liking this story so far J.