Chapter Forty-Two
Disclaimer: I do own the OCs and the Guardian Program and the other things that being a Guardian entails.
Summary: After the Second Wizarding War, a Guardian was given to each child of the main families that helped in the war. They were all tasked with a simple job, protect their allocated person with their life. Somehow, Freya screwed it up in the biggest way. She fell in love.
Hi everyone, it's been a while since a published and I know I said I was on Hiatus, but I couldn't help myself. I have been working on this chapter slowly, debating whether I should upload or not, but since things are looking crappy I thought this might be a good time to start writing again.
I know that this is a scary time for everyone, so please keep safe. Follow the guidelines set out and keep inside if you can.
Enjoy!
HARRY POTTER
Harry briskly walked through the Ministry corridors with a goal in mind. Harry, Draco and Ron had all escorted Lance to a faraway cell that was impossible for him to escape. It was a cell that was hardly used and it was at the bottom the Ministry, faraway from anyone and anything. Every known protection spell was used for that cell and now Ron was standing guard, not trusting anyone else. Harry had seen what Lance had done to the last pair of guards and he didn't want to involve any more innocent people. Hermione was now having to send out condolence letters to the two Auror's families while also watching over Freya in the medical ward. Another separate issue was that Harry didn't know how far Lance's influence reached within the Ministry and it was very concerning. Harry knew that the Guardian Program mostly consisted of children, but there were some adults too – the exact number was unknown to Harry and even Freya didn't know the exact amount. But, before anything else, Harry needed to speak with a certain someone – Kingsley Shacklebolt.
Arriving at the destination, Harry knocked on the large wooden doors. Harry heard the person answer and give him permission to enter the office. Harry opened the door and saw Kingsley at his desk, filling out paperwork.
Kingsley looked up and smiled. "Harry, you're here late." He said, leaning back in his seat, paperwork forgotten.
Harry weakly smiled, "I could say the same with you. But I had to deal with an incident that couldn't be ignored," His tone became bitter towards the end, not able to hide how he was feeling in that moment. It had been a long day and it was starting to take a toll on him. Harry dearly needed Ginny by his side, she always made him feel better after a bad day.
"What happened?" Kingsley asked, looking concerned.
"I know about the Guardian Program." Harry stated plainly, ignoring Kingsley's question. He felt it was necessary to play his cards so Kingsley would do the same.
Kingsley stilled at his desk, his eyes widened as he visibly paled.
Harry walked forward and only stopped when he was at the foot of Kingsley's desk. "I know everything," Harry said, his voice low.
Kingsley gulped and took in a shaky breath, "Harry… I-"
"You kept this secret for nineteen years. You allowed this to happen!" Harry yelled out, his patience running out. Harry had to keep a cool façade around Freya but now there was nothing holding him back. Harry was furious with Lance but he was also pretty steamed with Kingsley for allowing this to happen in the first place. But most of all, Harry was disappointed in Kingsley.
Kingsley fell silent, his gaze dropped to his desk in shame.
However, this only made Harry angrier. "I can't believe you let Lance use children! He tortured children to make them obey him!" Harry had been horrified when Freya had explained Lance's treatment and ways to keeping them in line. This was one of his worst cases ever and Kingsley of all people had allowed this to happen. Hearing the full details of what Freya and the other Guardians had endured over the years wasn't going to be easily forgotten like some cases could.
At this, Kingsley looked up in alarm. "I didn't know that. If I had then I never would have allowed it," He said, looking aghast at this new bit of information. Kingsley remembered the day he agreed to that proposal and it had been on his mind for years. There was always a part of him that regretted his decision, an inkling that he had made a terrible decision that he was ashamed of. Kingsley knew that he should have sorted it out years ago, and now his mistake was catching up with him.
Harry stared at Kingsley with narrowed eyes, "You turned a blind eye to the whole thing and let Lance run amuck for years without any supervision. He has killed people and acted as though he couldn't be beaten. In my eyes, you are as bad as Lance Johnson," Harry's emerald eyes burned in fury, staring into Kingsley very being.
Kingsley visibly winced, "I know…" There was no denying what he had done and he always knew it would come to light one day. If only Kingsley had turned Lance away all those years ago then this wouldn't be happening.
"I have arrested him," Harry said, looking sombre, "One of the victims came forward and told me everything. Lance will be prosecuted." Harry said, conviction and fire in his eyes. There was no way Lance would escape justice.
Kingsley nodded his head. "And you've come to arrest me too?" He asked, standing up.
Harry stared at Kingsley, his face dropping into a deep set frown. He hadn't been expecting Kingsley to say this or to easily give in. "No, I am not." Harry said carefully, shaking his head.
"But I am as guilty as Lance," Kingsley argued, not understanding what was going on.
Harry sighed deeply and crossed his arms. "What did you, yes was bad. However, I do know that you were faced with a difficult decision at the time, which I should have been informed about." He said, his eyes glaring at Kingsley.
Kingsley frowned, "I know, you should have been informed. But you were starting your own family, your own life without the name the Boy Who Lived attached to you. I wanted you to finally have a rest," Harry had done so much for the magical community and they were all grateful to him for vanquishing Voldemort.
"What if I told you it was a lie though?" Harry asked, "That the rumour of Voldemort having a child was a lie?"
"I don't follow." Kingsley said, brows furrowed together.
Harry sighed deeply. "I have been informed that Voldemort did not have a child, it was false. Lance made it up to make you agree to setting up the Guardian Program."
Kingsley's eyes widened as his jaw dropped slightly. It had been… a lie? Kingsley couldn't believe what he was hearing. The one thing that has been keeping him going about the Guardian Program was false. Kingsley believed that some good had some out of the new department and it was tracking down Voldemort's lost spawn, but to find out it was a lie was heart wrenching. Lance had lied and used to him to get what he wanted.
"I need you to give me a warrant to search Lance's home. We believe that he is behind the kidnapping of Caitlin Finnigan and Gretchen Thomas," Harry said, moving on.
Dark eyes looked at Harry, "What?" Kingsley asked, not believing what he was hearing.
"Our informant told us that she saw both of them, alive. Lance apparently has a dungeon underneath his mansion and we need a warrant to search his home." Harry explained slowly, making sure to keep Freya's identity a secret.
Kingsley immediately sat down and grabbed a quill. He grabbed a piece of paper and began to write down scribbles, quickly but still legible to read. After a few moments, Kingsley stamped the letter with the Minister of Magic seal and handed it over to Harry. "Take this, it will give you unlimited access to Lance's home. If you need anything, just ask." Kingsley said, looking drained of all life in that moment.
Harry took the letter and nodded his head, "Thank you. I also need you to set an emergency trial for Lance Johnson. He cannot be left unpunished."
"Done, I will set up the trail for tomorrow morning." Kingsley agreed with ease.
Harry smiled slightly, "Thank you Kingsley,"
Kingsley shook his head, "It is the least I could do. I made a terrible decision and now I need to pay for it,"
Harry stared at Kingsley. In that moment, Harry saw the same man that he fought with in the Wizarding War all those years ago. This was the man that everyone voted for to become the new Minister of Magic. Harry could see how much Kingsley regretted his decision about the Guardian Program. "While I don't agree with what you did. You did what you thought was right at the time. What you need to do now is to atone for it," Harry said, walking over to Kingsley and placing a hand on the old man's shoulder.
Kingsley looked at Harry and nodded, "Is there any chance I can meet your informant?" He asked, looking curious.
Harry shook his head. "I don't think that is wise. From speaking with her, she is angry with you and I don't know what she would do." Harry hadn't known Freya long, but he had a feeling she would attack at a moment's notice. That girl had quicker reflexes than most trained Auror. If Freya ever got angry then Harry knew that she would be a force of nature.
Kingsley nodded his head in understanding. "Okay. Now, go build your case. I will work on arranging a trial,"
Harry grinned slightly, "On it, sir."
HARRY POTTER
Freya was sat in the medical bay within the Ministry – one of the safest places for her to be at the moment. She was sat on one the free beds in the ward, there wasn't another soul there other than herself and Hermione. A curtain was drawn around Freya's bed so no one could question why a child was in the Ministry's medical bay, just in case anyone did actually come in at that time. Hermione had been very vigilant in not letting anyone near Freya. A few Ministry workers had come over to enquire what was going on, but their questions were redirected by Hermione without them even realising it. It was in that moment that Freya realised how formidable Hermione was. Hermione possessed a certain charm that made people trust her and she actually made Freya feel safe, something she hadn't felt in a long time.
"How are you feeling?" Hermione asked. She was sitting next to the Guardian, writing something down on paper. Freya couldn't see what she was writing, but she had seen a few words, like 'condolences' and 'deepest regret'.
"A lot better," Freya answered truthfully. Her shoulders had been hurting and for good reason too. When Lance had grabbed her, he had managed to nearly pull her left arm from its socket. Luckily, the Healer on the ward was easily able to fix the issue and now her shoulder was a lot better. The Healer hadn't asked any questions other than to ask how she was feeling and Freya had been grateful for that. In that moment, she didn't need anyone poking their noses into her business when things were so tense at the moment.
Hermione looked up, as if to check what Freya was saying was truthful. "That's good to hear," Hermione said with a sincere smile when she didn't detect any lies.
Freya was silent for a moment as she thought to herself. "Hermione?" Freya asked, her voice smaller then before.
Hermione stopped her writing and looked up. There was something in Freya's voice that had changed that had tugged on her heart. "Yes, dear?" She asked lowly, not wanting to startle or scare Freya.
"What's going to happen now?" Freya asked, turning to look at the female Auror. Ever since Lance had been taken away, this had been on her mind. She had known that when she reported him, Lance would come for her and he did. She knew that by reporting him, he would be arrested. But she didn't know what was going to happen after all of this and it unnerved her. The not knowing and waiting was something that Freya wasn't used to and it scared her a little. Freya knew that Lance had a lot of sway in the Ministry, loads of higher up people were tied to Lance through secrets – secrets that Lance had stumbled across and was using for blackmail. For example, there was a high up worker in the Ministry that was having an affair on his wife, and Lance found this out and was lording it over that worker. If there was even a possible chance of Lance getting off then she needed to know so she could make her escape plan, or plan to kill Lance herself. But she needed to know now.
Placing her quill on the table nearby, Hermione sighed deeply. "I do not know Freya. Harry is speaking with Kingsley, hoping to set a date for a trial as soon as possible. If Kingsley has any sense of remorse, the trial will be sooner rather than later. But after that, I don't know." Hermione answered honestly, knowing that Freya didn't need to be fed lies or false promises. Freya needed the truth and it was something Hermione knew she could handle.
Freya nodded her head, noting that Hermione hadn't sugar coated anything. She never liked it when people lied or hide the truth as she found it annoying. Freya didn't know how to feel about Harry seeing Kingsley though. She hated the man with her very being, after all he had approved the Guardian Program in the first place and she did blame him to an extent. But at the same time, Kingsley had been a pawn in Lance's game. Freya was so deep in her thoughts that she didn't hear the sound of the door of the medical bay slamming open.
"Where is she?!"
Freya's head perked up when she heard the familiar voice of James. Freya looked to Hermione and found that she was smirking. "Down here, James!" Hermione called out, standing up from her chair and taking the paper with her.
There was the sound of footsteps quickly approaching the curtain. The closer the footsteps got, the faster Freya's heart beat in her chest. Within seconds, the curtains were drawn back and Freya saw him. James was stood a mere few feet away, out of breath and his face flushed. It looked as though he had run to the medical bay. The moment Freya saw his hazel eyes, her whole body relaxed and she longed to touch him.
"James…" Freya whispered lowly, feeling her heart swell in her chest. Just seeing him after everything that had happened was making her feel overwhelmed. Without realising it, Freya had flung herself from the bed and launched herself into James' arms.
James easily caught her and wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling his face into her hair and taking a deep breath. His own heart swelled in his chest when he smelt Freya's scent and it calmed him. He had been worrying out of his mind over what was happening to Freya – horrible scenarios going through his mind and nearly giving him heart failure. It didn't help that his dad had come to collect him from Hogwarts and hadn't told him a thing that had happened – only saying that Freya was in the medical bay and he needed to see her. James' arms around her waist tightened lightly as she hid her face away into the crook of his neck. Freya felt herself calm down just being near him and taking in his scent.
"You're okay?" James asked softly, stroking Freya's hair – something that was anchoring him at the moment.
Freya nodded into his neck. "He's been caught, James. They've locked him away," She muttered softly, still in disbelief herself that this day had come.
James sighed in relief, knowing that her nightmare was nearly over.
It was the clearing of a throat that interrupted their little moment. Both Freya and James looked up and saw Harry and Hermione standing near one another. Hermione had a smile on her face, something she couldn't help witnessing a sweet moment. It was Harry that had a smirk on his face, a smirk that Freya recognised – it was exact same smirk James had.
"Have you got something to say, son?" Harry asked, the smirk widening on his face.
James blinked slowly before looking down and realising that he was holding Freya in front of his father. James' face flushed red in embarrassment. "I-I can explain!" James exclaimed, his ears turning red too.
Freya smiled and chuckled, pulling away from James. However, James wouldn't let go of her completely and still had his arms around her waist. "He already knows, James." Freya answered playfully.
James turned to face her, "He does?"
"Freya." Harry sighed in disappointment, "Why did you have to ruin in?" He whined, pouting slightly. He had been waiting for the moment where he could embarrass his eldest child. He lived for those moments where he could make any of his children embarrassed – Lily and Albus were very easy to tease but James was slightly harder. Harry had made it his mission to embarrass James, one way or another in his life time and now he had found the perfect material.
Freya smirked, finding Harry to be quite amusing.
Hermione rolled her eyes and slapped Harry's arm. "Oh, leave them alone. I think its sweet," Hermione scolded lightly.
"Aunt Hermione…" James whined, hiding his face in Freya's hair by pulling her closer to him again. Freya just smiled, not minding the contact at all. She wrapped her arms around him again and nuzzled into the crook of his neck again, not caring if they had an audience.
Hermione and Harry looked at one another and laughed, finding James adorable in that moment. Hermione always had a soft spot for James – after all she was his god mother. She had been one of the first people to see James when he had been born and it was after meeting him that she decided that she wanted children of her own.
"Does that mean you're okay with us?" James asked after a few moments of silence.
Freya also looked up. She already knew Harry's answer but she was interested to know what he would say to James.
Harry smiled and nodded his head. "Of course, I am. I wasn't pleased at first when I heard about you two soul bonding, but I know it couldn't have been helped. At least I know I can rely on Freya to look after you." Harry ended with a cheeky smile, but he was being sincere about everything he was saying.
James sighed in relief as he relaxed. "Thanks dad,"
"I wouldn't relax yet, son. You've still got to tell your mother," Harry said, a smirk on his face again.
James instantly paled at the thought. "She's going to kill me." He muttered slowly, hanging his head to rest on Freya's head.
Freya patted his back, "There, there." If Freya was being truthful, that was a conversation she wasn't looking forward to either. She had heard many things of Ginny Potter's temper – from Connor, Rebecca and James but she had never experienced it herself. However, it wasn't Ginny's temper that Freya feared, it was the rejection. Freya knew that James valued family over anything and if Ginny didn't approve, Freya knew it would cause a lot of problems.
Harry laughed loudly while Hermione smiled. Suddenly, Harry stopped laughing and his face turned serious. "Okay, that's enough joking around. Freya, I have spoken with Kingsley," Harry said, turning the focus to something else.
Freya's ears perked up as she let go of James and leaned back. James took notice of the situation and let go of Freya, but made sure that he was still holding her hand and sticking close to her side.
"What did he say?" Freya asked.
"He is organising a trial for Lance, for tomorrow at the earliest he can. He also gave me a warrant to search Lance's mansion," Harry explained to the ex-Guardian.
Freya nodded her head. Hearing this made her feel happy – Lance wasn't going to get away with it and he was going to punished. "I'm going with you," Freya said, determination in her stormy grey eyes.
Hermione stepped forward. "Freya, you've done enough. We can handle this now," She said, hoping that the younger girl would rest.
"No. If I don't go with you, you'll never be able to get into the dungeons," Freya answered, shaking her head. She appreciated what Hermione was trying to do but it didn't mean Freya wasn't annoyed by it slightly.
Harry frowned, "Explain."
James' grip on Freya's hand tightened slightly, letting her know he was there for her. Freya glanced at him and smiled slightly. "That magical warrant won't work on the dungeon. It's completely separated from the rest of the mansion and it's not even on the plot documents. We need to get to Caitlin and Gretchen as soon as possible and unless you know the password you won't get in. We don't know what state they are in either and they might be waking up soon," Freya explained with a grim expression.
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, looking slightly confused.
Freya sighed. "They would have been kept in a magical coma to keep them quiet and they've been under for months. We don't know what damage has been done. When I last saw them, they didn't look great so I dread to think what they look like now,"
"How do we get in then?" Harry asked, his foot tapping impatiently. He wanted to get to Caitlin and Gretchen as soon as possible.
Freya wet her lips before speaking. "Only two people know the password and that's Lance and I. He doesn't change the password because he doesn't give it out. The only reason I know it is because I have had to collect people from the dungeon to bring to Lance," Freya's grip on James tightened as she recalled those memories.
James clenched his other first in anger. He hated how much affect Lance had on Freya and he wished bad things on the man. Even when Lance was captured, Freya was still affected by him.
"Then you could tell us the password?" Hermione suggested.
Freya shook her head. "It's not that simple. There is a curse on the dungeons and makes people get lost in there if you don't know where something is. That's why Lance doesn't lock them in their cells because he frightens them back into the dungeon. It turns people insane and makes them think the only safe place is their cell."
"Psychological warfare," Hermione hissed lowly, feeling her hatred for the man only increase.
"That's why we need to find Caitlin and Gretchen as soon as possible." Freya finished, feeling as though she expressed her point clearly enough.
Harry sighed and nodded his head, "Okay, you can come with us."
"I'm going too." James declared.
"No," Freya and Harry said at the same time. Harry and Freya looked at one another, realising what had just happened. Freya arched a brow at him and Harry looked amused.
"Oh, come on!" James yelled out in exasperation.
Freya rolled her eyes, knowing that he was going to throw a fit soon. "James, that place holds bad memories for me. I do not want you there because I don't want you to see it," She said, turning to face him. James was her safe person, he made her feel better and loved with just a single glance or the touch of the hand. Even the thought of bringing him to Lance's mansion repulsed her ways she didn't know she could feel.
"But I need to be there for you." James argued back.
Freya removed her hand from James and wrapped her arms around his sides instead. "I'll be okay. Knowing you're there when I come out will be comforting enough," She muttered lowly, her head on his shoulder.
James sighed, knowing there was no way he could win this argument. "Okay," He grumbled lowly.
"Thank you," Freya sighed softly into his shoulder.
Hermione and Harry looked at one another, Harry looking astonished. He never thought he would see the day – where James would give in. James was always stubborn and always fought with him and Ginny on everything. It was always a struggle to get James to agree with anything he didn't like. Seeing him give in so easily was honestly a miracle.
Freya pulled away – albeit reluctantly – and looked to Harry and Hermione. "So, when do we leave?" She asked.
Harry looked at his watch, it was very early morning, around three in the morning. "We plan to leave now, if that's okay." He knew that they needed to act fast. Morning trials began around eight in the morning and they also needed to make sure Caitlin and Gretchen were okay and inform their families. Harry hadn't informed Seamus or Dean of this lead just in case they weren't there – Harry trusted what Freya had told him but he didn't want to give them false hope. Harry didn't think Seamus could handle it at the moment. Seamus was the shell of the man he once was since his only daughter's disappearance – which was understandable. Harry knew that he would be exactly the same if one of his children had been kidnapped.
Freya nodded her head, "Is anyone else coming with us?"
Hermione nodded her head, "Draco will be going with you. James, I will be taking you back to Hogwarts," Hermione said, turning to her nephew and god child.
James shook his head, "I am not leaving until I know Freya is okay," He said, fire in his hazel eyes. This wasn't something was willing to negotiate with. It had been hell in Hogwarts without Freya there.
"James," Harry said warningly.
"Please, Mr Potter. I want him to be there when I get back." Freya asked, sending both Harry and Hermione and pleading look.
Hermione and Harry shared a look. "Okay," Harry sighed, giving into the teenager's request.
James and Freya looked at one another and smiled. Freya felt a sense of relief, knowing that James would be there when she got back.
HARRY POTTER
Freya, Harry and Draco arrived at Lance's mansion in a matter of moments. Due to the investigation, any protective wards around the mansion had been deactivated and allowed them full access into the home. Freya stared at the imposing mansion, a sense of dread filling her – the same feeling she felt whenever she had to come over to Lance's mansion. Freya absolutely loathed the mansion and everything it stood for. It was the main base of operations and many lives had been lost inside this mansion, all tortured and killed by Lance Johnson. Freya had spent most of her childhood in fear of coming to Lance's mansion – scared that the trip might be her last or wondering who was going to die that day. But, they weren't there for that. Freya was there to get evidence against Lance to put him away, or for him to be sentenced to death – although she was leaning more towards the death penalty.
Draco looked down to Freya, "How you coping?" He asked, concerned. He knew how hard it was to come back to a place where bad things had happened – his family mansion was the best example of it.
"Let's get this over with so we can leave," Freya said, walking forward and into the mansion. The quicker they got inside, the quicker they could leave. Freya would rather not spend any more time in this mansion than she had to.
Harry and Draco looked at one another, but quickly followed after Freya, not wanting to be left behind.
As the trio walked further into the mansion, Harry and Draco took this opportunity to look around. Harry had seen bits of the mansion from the Christmas Party, but everything was different then. Harry didn't know then what he knew now. Draco was looking around, noting how similar his mansion was to this one and it made him shiver, and feeling a chill in his bones. The mansion was cold and uninviting and it smelt like death. Both Harry and Draco had to stop walking for a moment, needing to collect themselves. This mansion had unnerved them in ways they didn't understand – not that they wanted to understand.
Freya stopped walking when she didn't hear footsteps behind her, "What's wrong?" She asked, a frown on her face.
"This place…" Harry muttered as he looked around, "feels wrong."
"It is creepy," Draco said bluntly, not able to hide his disdain for the manor at all.
Harry sent Draco a scolding look for his lack of tact. Draco returned his stare, an arched a brow, daring Harry to challenge him on this.
Freya nodded her head in agreement. "I agree, it is creepy. It's even worse when you know what's happened here." She said, turning around to walk away again, heading towards the underground prison's entrance.
Harry opened his mouth to ask, but was stopped when Draco placed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. Harry closed his mouth, getting the message. Instead, they followed after Freya, choosing not to comment on the mansion anymore. Just from Freya's words, Draco instantly understood what she meant and he realised why the house smelt like death. Draco could only imagine in his nightmares exactly how many deaths had taken place in this mansion.
After walking through the mansion, Freya stopped when she reached the living room. She stopped in front of the fireplace, one that hadn't been lit in years. Freya briefly looked around the room. The walls were painted a royal blue colour and the floor was marble. There was expensive gold interior around the house and the furniture made from the finest materials Lance could find.
It was revolting.
Freya wanted nothing more than to burn this place to the ground – something she would do when all this was over. Freya would take great delight in destroying the very foundation of this house, tearing it down brick by brick and watching as Lance's work was destroyed. She would love it even better if Lance was in the house as she burned it to a crisp. Shaking her head, Freya looked at the lifeless fireplace and placed her hand on the mantle.
"I am loyal only to the Guardians," Freya spat out the password, the words revolting on her tongue. The fact this was the password was as if to mock her and she hated it.
The back of the fireplace opened up into a corridor. The actual fire place disappeared into the ground and instead, a dark and dreary corridor opened, decorated in black marble. The door to the corridor opened up, travelling up the wall to accommodate people to enter.
Harry and Draco watched this happen, their eyes trained into the dark corridor with their wands in hand.
Freya turned to them. "Stay close to me. If you see anything, don't look directly at it. Once we find Caitlin and Gretchen, we'll need to get them out fast."
"Understood," Draco said, nodding his head.
Harry wanted to question this, wondering exactly what he would see, but again he didn't ask. He had a feeling that he didn't want to know the answer.
Satisfied, Freya turned back around and began walking into the fireplace, knowing exactly where she was going. Even in the dark, she knew where she was headed, her leg muscles remembering the way exactly. As Freya, Draco and Harry walked further into the corridor, the less light there was. Freya mentally counted her steps, something she always did in this situation. There was exactly forty-nine steps until she reached another door, and then it was thirty-three steps down a spiral staircase until they reached the actual dungeon. Overall, the journey took four minutes to complete at a normal pace, if rushed it could be done in two minutes. She could walk this route in her sleep, knowing exactly where she was.
Freya didn't stop walking as they reached the dungeon, she immediately headed towards the North wing, where she knew Caitlin and Gretchen were being kept. She didn't pay attention to the dampness or the cold, she was completely focused on not looking around. When Lance had first moved in, this dungeon was set up and fully functional. The last owner had set up the dungeons to attack people with their worst fear, like Boggarts, but in mist form. If someone didn't know the structure of the dungeons then they would get lost and would experience their worst nightmare. The worst of the attacks were in the South wing, and Lance would only place people there if he truly wanted to screw with them.
"Follow me," Freya muttered lowly, marching straight for the North wing. The only sound in the room was her footsteps, and even she was trying to walk lightly.
Harry and Draco followed her, not looking around. They kept their eyes trained a head of them, with Freya in their view. Draco shivered at the cold, hating it. Harry's grip on his wand tightened, trying to keep cool under the pressure. Out of the corner of his eyes, Harry spotted a figure in the dark and was tempted to look, but Freya's warning echoed in his head – he couldn't look at it. Swallowing thickly, Harry tried his hardest not to look.
Freya walked to the North wing and stopped at the first two cells. Inside the cells was Gretchen and Caitlin, still unconscious. Unlike last time, they were moaning in pain, more than likely from nightmares. But this time, they were completely still, unnerving still.
"Oh god," Harry rushed forward, checking on Caitlin first, who looked the worst out of the two. Draco checked on Gretchen, concerned about her. Both Caitlin and Gretchen looked gaunt and malnourished. Caitlin looked far worse, her skin paper white and bruises on her arms. Her clothes were ripped and dirty, and the smell was revolting. If it wasn't from the small rise and fall from her chest, Harry would have assumed that Caitlin was dead.
Draco looked to Freya, "I thought you said they would be alive? They're close to death." He said, concerned about how cold Gretchen was.
"This is Lance's version of alive," Freya said blandly.
Harry raised his wand and attempted to use a healing spell, but found that it didn't work. "Why isn't this working?" He asked, looking to Freya.
Freya shook her head, "Magic doesn't work down here."
Harry cursed loudly. He removed his coat and placed it around Caitlin, hoping to warm her up. Draco followed Harry, putting his coat around the young Gretchen. "We need to get out, now." Draco said, concerned about both of the girls health.
Harry picked up Caitlin in his arms carefully, "Let's go." He said, watching as Draco also picked up Gretchen, treating her like a china doll.
"This way," Freya said, walking in the direction of the exit. Her job was nearly done and then she could leave this place and never come back.
Harry and Draco walked after Freya, picking up their pace. They needed to get Gretchen and Caitlin some medical help before it was too late. Harry would feel Caitlin's shallow breathing and he was really concerned. He was also concerned with how Seamus was going to react when he saw his daughter in this state.
HARRY POTTER
Tell me what you guys think of the new chapter!
Also, as a little treat, I thought it would be good to let the viewers have their say. What shout Lance Johnson's fate be?
Do you want Lance to die by the hands of the Ministry?
Should Freya kill him?
Do you think Lance would kill himself to avoid taking the blame?
Leave a review telling me what you think should happen to Lance, either leave a review or PM me.