A/N: I'm not dead, I swear! (And neither is Ariella, for the guest who asked!) I'm so sorry for the lack of updates. I've been doing my A Levels, been on holiday and then I've also lost a family member, so things have been a little hectic for me. :/ I promised I'd finish this story and I intend to keep that promise! I'm also not very happy with this chapter, it's been bugging me and I've lost count of the times I've rewritten it! But I felt as though I owed you an update, so here you are!

I also want to thank the guests who have reminded me I still have this story to finish as well as Iris Stardust for reviewing. Finally, before I stop my rambling and let you read the chapter, I want to thank every single one of you that is still reading this! I'm honestly astonished that anyone is interested in it at all tbh, so to have over 28,000 views since I first posted it is incredible! :)

Then, just as she had given up all hope, just as she was about to give in to the darkness, the pain stopped. Ariella fell limply against her captor, gulping down deep breaths. It still took her brain a few seconds to register the fact she wasn't dead, that she was still breathing as the last few dregs of the curse caused a dull ache to spread throughout her body. In fact, she was so caught up in the relief that Bellatrix hadn't killed her that she didn't even notice as the dark witch began to drag her backwards. It was only when they reached the door did the girl realise they'd moved at all, and by then, it was too late. She felt the wand under chin and stiffened as Bellatrix spoke.

"If any of you move before I get out the door, I'll do more than use the Cruciatus curse," she warned the others, half of whom were still staring at her in shock. As Bellatrix opened the door, careful that she wasn't about to get a spell at her back, Ariella managed one last glance at Hermione before she was pulled through, the horrified look on her sister's face the last thing she saw before the door slammed shut.

The young witch was sure she heard Hermione call after her as the dark witch ran down the corridor, cackling in triumph, and she couldn't help but let her thoughts drift to the fact that could have been the last time she would ever hear her sister. That thought caused her mind to suddenly snap out of the haziness caused by the curse. What was she thinking? Why wasn't she doing something to stop this? Was she really going to let the Death Eater get away with this without doing anything to stop her? Yes, her body begged as it remembered the pain she had just suffered through. No, she told she told herself. She was a Gryffindor. Gryffindor's were supposed to be brave! Slytherins were the cowards, if Malfoy was anything to go by. And she was most definitely not a Slytherin!

"Hurry up, you little Mudblood. They'll catch us up," Bellatrix said, yanking Ariella's arm so hard that the younger witch cried out in pain.

Annoyed at herself, she gritted her teeth as Bellatrix yanked at her arm again and instead glanced behind her. On seeing Harry sprinting after them, his wand raised, she suddenly realised what Bellatrix was up to. She didn't want her, she wanted Harry! Immediately, the girl pulled back against Bellatrix's grasp, trying to slow them down so the others could catch up, but the older witch only growled in frustration and yanked her through another doorway. This one led them into the gleaming entrance hall of the Ministry. Ariella took one look at where they were headed and tried once again to stop Bellatrix. Even though she hadn't been in the wizarding world that long, she knew what the two rows of fireplaces were for, and they certainly weren't for heat.

Bellatrix pulled at her again, but they got as far as the golden fountain in the middle of the room before Harry finally managed to catch up with them. Once again, the older witch dragged Ariella in front of her, using her as some sort of human shield.

"Let her go, Lestrange!" Harry ordered, his eyes fierce and deliberately avoiding Ariella's. "Ella doesn't have to be involved with this!"

"What makes you think I want that?" Bellatrix asked, smirking slightly.

"Wouldn't you rather have me than some first year?" Harry said, undeterred by the witch's condescending tone, and making Ariella gasp as she realised his intentions.

"No, Harry! Y-you can't," she cried.

"I suppose you're yet another 'brave' Gryffindor," Bellatrix sneered into her ear before looking up at Harry. "Such a brave little Gryffindor, giving herself up for the chosen one. But, Potter, you're mistaken in thinking that I want you. I'd rather have the Mudblood." She paused, smirking. "I knew you'd come after her. It's just as my dear brother-in-law predicted. This way, I get the one I want, and my master gets the one he wants."

"How are you going to get me to your master, if he isn't even here?" Harry scorned.

"Oh, but I am here."

Ariella froze. No. It couldn't be… not him! Shakily, she turned her head to the source of the voice and found herself staring at something so hideous that she couldn't help but let out a scream. The bone white face, the slashes of deep red for eyes and the slits for his nose. It was no wonder Lord Voldemort plagued so many people's nightmares.

"Keep the girl under control, Bella," Voldemort said, casting a glance over in their direction.

"Yes, sorry master," Bellatrix apologised immediately and cast the silencio charm over Ariella. At once her scream ceased and she was left just opening and closing her mouth like a goldfish in shock, watching, terrified, as Voldemort turned to Harry.

"I've waited fifteen years for this moment," he said, his mouth twitching as he raised his wand. "That night when I killed your parents, the day you killed my follower and the day you stabbed my diary, you destroyed me. Last year, you escaped me, but not this time. This time I will destroy you!"

Ariella tried yet again to break free from Bellatrix's grasp, to help Harry in any way, but only ended up letting out a silent growl of frustration. At a flash of green in the corner of her eye, her head shot back up. No. She could only watch in horror as a beam of green light shot towards Harry.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion for a moment until Ariella came back to her senses and slammed her eyes shut, not wanting to watch what was inevitably to be Harry's end. Yet, when she didn't hear the cry of triumph from Bellatrix, she forced one eye open. A loud crackling filled the room and when she saw the source, she couldn't believe her eyes. There, connected to Voldemort's spell, was a red line, and it was coming from none other than Dumbledore himself!

"No!" Bellatrix screeched as a small flicker of hope ignited inside Ariella's mind. Dumbledore had come to save them!

However, as Voldemort spoke his next words, the growing flicker was extinguished.

"Go back, Bella!" he ordered over the crackling.

It took a moment for Ariella to register those words, but when she did her mind drew up blank in terror. No. She couldn't. She wouldn't.

"Come on then, muddy, I guess it will give you some time to… settle in before the others get back," Bellatrix told the young witch.

Ariella could still hear that smirk in her voice as she tried to force her limbs to move, to do something to save herself. However, even as they started to respond, the older witch easily overpowered her.

Still fighting as Bellatrix dragged her to one of the fireplaces, Ariella glanced back to see Harry heading towards her, wand raised. Even though she admired his bravery, she knew he was going to be too late. He was too far away to reach her. There was nothing he could do. Nothing she could do. As panic threatened to swallow her, she caught one more look at the scene surrounding her before it faded in a blur of colours.