Chapter 3- Victims of the War
Everything was a blur as Blaise, Daphne, and Astoria apparated to Italy, their bodies covered with dirt and blood. What the hell had Draco been thinking?! His absurd plan had almost gotten all three of them killed and, most probably, tortured.
"Daphne", Astoria whimpered. "Daphne, are you okay?"
"I think," she whispered, "I don't think I can run; my left leg is burning…Blaise, help me" she pleaded.
"I am here", Blaise murmured, kneeling down. "I'll kill Draco myself when I meet that idiot next."
"No" Daphne hurried "It's not his fault…" she trailed off once she met this incredulous gaze.
"Not his fault?" he scoffed. "This was his plan. Not Theo's, not mine, not yours, his"
"I didn't see you disagreeing before", Astoria argued hotly, standing up for Draco. "When it went all wrong suddenly it's his fault?"
"Yeah", the other Greengrass sister stated. "Don't lie and tell me that you aren't worried about him." She finished with a glare.
Blaise went silent. It was certainly a huge lie if he told them he didn't care what Draco's outcome might be. Even though it was a good plan, they knew. They knew that they were going to escape that hell of a manor. But how? He was so certain they were going to escape with a maximum of a few scratches. Now here they were, with Daphne's leg half scorched while Astoria applied burn paste because really what else could they do?
It wasn't like Blaise or Astoria didn't have their fair share of wounds, Astoria's back covered with whip marks and Blaise's head, bleeding slightly. It had all gone wrong, Pansy suffering the most. He knew that no amount of Dreamless Sleep potions wouldn't block the howls of pain that he had heard. Just remembering them brought pure rage to his eyes, not directed at Pansy, of course, but to the death eaters. They destroyed his childhood and happiness, leaving him with only two emotions he knew; sadness and hatred. Children weren't supposed to fight, the parents were. Bloody helpful they certainly were, his own mom abandoning him to escape to North America.
He supposed she hadn't abandonedhim, giving him the choice of escaping with her or staying to fight the war. As much as she had expected him to agree immediately, he had yelled at her, angry for actually thinking he would leave his friends just to flee. The Greengrass and Parkinson parents weren't any help either, hidden in safe houses because Voldemort wanted to recruit them. Lucius Malfoy was a death eater himself, though Blaise could see the regret and sadness in his eyes. Narcissa was trapped between her son and her husband. In the end, she stayed loyal to Lucius, disagreeing to go with Draco. Theo's father was also a death eater, though he had no remorse in his eyes, unlike Lucius did.
"Blaise… we have to move quickly" Astoria stated, staring at the setting sun. "We'd be vulnerable to any types of attacks if we stayed here" she said gravely.
Blaise nodded as he helped Daphne up, supporting her weight on his body as they began to walk to the large villa sitting on top of the hill.
Suddenly the air became tense as Daphne stilled in Blaise's arms.
Blaise frowned at her "What happened, Daph? You okay?"
"The atmosphere…it changed…Blaise I think- "
"I can feel it too," Astoria whispered.
"It can't be" Daphne replied, meeting Astoria's eyes.
Reality crashed down like a tidal wave as Blaise understood their unspoken words.
They are here. Run.
"All of you, useless!" the Dark Lord screamed, his ruby eyes flashing with pure hate as he kicked at one of the death eaters he had previously tortured. The man whimpered in pain and screamed again as Voldemort continued his raging attack.
"How is it that," the Dark Lord started quietly, "my death eaters get bested by mere children? Children who don't know the dark arts and they still beat you in a duel. To make it worse, a filthy mudblood could best you in a duel."
"My Dark Lord please-" Lucius began, but was sent flying into a wall, slumping down as if he were tired of life.
"Lucius!" Narcissa screamed, rushing to help her beloved husband, tears rolling down her cheeks as she tried to comfort him.
"Tell me Lucius" Voldemort hissed, using a nonverbal spell to move Narcissa from him.
"My Lord, please", Narcissa begged as two death eaters, Nott Senior and Yaxley, pulled her away. "Torture me instead! Leave my husband"
"Shut up, you foolish woman". The Dark Lord seethed quietly "Take her away."
"No!" Narcissa sobbed, trying to claw her way out of the two older men's firm grips "Please- "
"Silence!" Voldemort yelled, turning his wand on Narcissa as he proceeded to choke her.
"You dare disobey me?" he whispered, muttering a foreign spell under his breath. Suddenly, his wand's tip began to glow as Lucius paled.
"No" he croaked, "No Narcissa". He tried to get up but ended up falling over again.
Narcissa thought that her pain couldn't get worse as she began to see stars, but clearly she was proven wrong. Something scorching touched her throat as she struggled to scream, pain pulsing through her entire body like flames. Her arms tried to reach her throat, desperate to stop the unbearable pain. Bad move. Her fingers got burned as she sobbed, just waiting and wishing for death. Which, of course, never came as the pain disappeared, her body slamming into the cold marble of the floor instantly. Everything hurt and she couldn't even think straight as she began to see darkness. Finally giving in to the pain, she let the darkness overcome her.
Lucius watched in horror as his wife slumped down. God please let her just be unconscious… if she wasn't he was going to die trying to kill the Dark Lord. He watched as Nott and Yaxley dragged her upstairs, leaving him with a room filled with the monster he hated more than ever or quiet death eaters after Narcissa's ordeal.
"That mad woman would have suffered more if I didn't need her for something…", Voldemort muttered.
"My lord please, is she dead?" Lucius asked, weakly from the wall.
His snake-like face curved into a cold smile. "She would be though I need her for something very important," he paused before turning around slowly "Or else… you could deliver information about your traitorous son about his whereabouts?"
Lucius stilled. That one question he dreaded was finally asked as the room awaited his response. Truth to be told, he had no clue where his son had apparated because he definitely hadn't apparated at the original location planned. It was simple, he wanted his son out of the war, so they made a plan to hide in Spinner's End, Snape's house. He knew Narcissa would constantly worry about Draco's health, so he informed him to give daily reports. Since none came, it was simple. Draco messed up. He was snapped out of his thoughts as a powerful 'Crucio' came his way and he screamed instantly, blood escaping his mouth.
"Lucius, you know I don't like waiting…better give me your answer. Now that I think about it, Nagini hasn't had her lunch yet and someone very important to you could be her lunch", Voldemort growled, leaving the threat hanging.
Lucius froze immediately, his heart aching at the thought of a disfigured Narcissa and Nagini coiling around her. Oh hell, no, on any condition would he let this madman feed his beloved wife to that snake. But he had to answer something believable, his brain working furiously for a solution. Finally, a plan was formulated in his brain, his lips curving into a smirk. Voldemort wanted to feed Narcissa to Nagini? Fine by him, his eyes locking with Alecto Carrow across the room. Just needed enough time to visit Severus Snape, practice his stealth and obtain his precious wife's hair…
Ginny Weasley stared longingly at the window. Five weeks. It had been five weeks since Harry, Hermione and Ron left her and went on the run. She had only received a couple of letters saying "Hi" and "How are you" though she yearned for more. Staring at the window for quite some time, she saw a lone bird flying through the grounds of Hogwarts. Well isn't that how she felt right now. Alone. Their departure had been so abrupt; they didn't even ask her if she wanted to come with them. Now she had returned to Hogwarts with Neville, Luna, Seamus and a couple more, because really what was she supposed to do? Wait for action? Ginny knew she had become a fighter since her first year at Hogwarts. It still haunted her that she used to be so naïve and was technically responsible for all the drama that year. When Harry asked her to join their mission to save Sirius Black, she jumped at the chance to fight. Hogwarts had been turned into a living hell since Professor Snape, or actually Headmaster Snape and the Carrows arrived. Amycus Carrow was their new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, though there wasn't any defense in it. He made them practice killing curses on spiders and cruciatus curses on misbehaving children. Mere children were tortured and practiced on. Even if the entire fate of Hogwarts relied on torturing and killing a young, innocent child, she knew she wouldn't do it.
"Ginny, we have Dark Arts now" Neville murmured, breaking her out of her thoughts.
"Again?" Ginny asked, frowning "We just had it before lunch and we haven't finished curing all the children."
"I know" Neville replied, gravely, "We have to still Gin… are they still on your mind?"
Ginny muttered "When are they not is the real question, Neville,"
"Ginny… don't take it personally. They need the minimum company possible- "
"I know that" Ginny snapped, "I just don't get it. Why me? Why not Hermione?"
"You know why not Hermione- "
"Don't interrupt me, Neville," Ginny bristled. "Why not Ron, why is it me? Just because I am younger?"
Neville knew that Ginny knew the reason Harry, Hermione and Ron didn't invite her to join them. It was quite obvious… it was always the three. Together. Anywhere. They didn't invite anyone else because they didn't need to. Hermione was obviously for logic; she could look past the obvious facts and work deeper. In the second year, it was her who had solved the mystery and given the two the biggest clue possible. Ron was there more like a best friend; a best friend Ginny couldn't replace.
At the end, Neville merely sighed "Let's just go to class."
"Alright", Ginny mumbled.
"Wait, where is Luna?" Neville questioned, looking around for a blond-haired girl.
"Tending to the first years", Ginny responded, grabbing Seamus's elbow and pulling him towards the door. "I'll see you later in class."
Neville quickly made his way to where the first years were sobbing and whimpering in pain as a couple of older students tended to their wounds. He found Luna treating a first year Ravenclaw who had a rather nasty wound, a cut starting at his shoulders and going all the way to the tips of his fingers. The boy was wailing loudly and grabbed his shoulder in pain as Luna used a spell to cover the start of the wound.
"It's alright" Luna whispered softly, running her fingers through his strands of inky black hair. "You are safe, okay?"
The boy nodded though he still had tears in his eyes.
"How?" Neville asked Luna.
"He was going to visit his friend who had been forced to starve as punishment and he was caught" Luna answered, averting her eyes to avoid Neville's.
"Oh Luna", Neville murmured, wrapping her in a hug. "He is okay now, don't worry."
"How can I not?" Luna croaked "It's not fair they have to suffer, it's just their first year Neville."
"I know" he replied as she cried into his shoulder. "Let's get going to Dark Arts?"
"What?" Luna cried out, abruptly "We don't have Dark Arts, we have Charms"
As Neville shook his head, she turned pale.
"Then why did you wait for me? They already tortured you yesterday, it's not healthy for you- "
Neville scoffed "They also tortured you yesterday Luna, is that healthy for you?"
"Don't worry about me" Luna muttered "Let's just go to Dark Arts now"
"Alright" Neville responded, heading for the door.
They walked in silence as they passed a few third years, their faces completely pale. Neville leaned to the corridor he saw them arriving from and heard Alecto Carrow's voice. 'Muggle Studies' Neville thought, disgusted at the fact that she basically taught why muggles as well as muggle-borns were the scum of the earth, well aware that plenty of muggle-borns were in her classes. When they finally came face to face to the Dark Arts classroom, Neville and Luna exchanged nervous glances.
"It's going to be fine" Luna assured softly.
"When is it ever fine?" he asked, meeting her silver eyes.
Luna didn't respond as he pushed open the door. Immediately the entire class fell into silence, Ginny lifting her head to acknowledge who had entered, her face losing color rapidly.
"Well look who has finally decided to join us" Amycus Carrow drawled, his lips curving into a smirk.
"Can't you see? I can tell you my name again-" Neville began but was interrupted as a foreign spell came his way, blood immediately spilling out of his mouth.
"Neville!" Luna cried out, reaching into her pocket for a handkerchief to stop the blood but was stopped.
"Miss. Lovegood, may I remind you that you are also late? That deserves punishment doesn't it now?" Amycus Carrow asked, a threatening smile taking over his smirk. "I think your punishment can be in the hands of Crabbe and Goyle?" he continued rhetorically, turning to face the two boys beside him. "What would you do if a student misbehaves?"
"Lock them away without food and water for a week" Crabbe growled.
Amycus's face turned cold. "Then that's what we will do"
"One week?!" Ginny exploded, standing up "Are you insane? She could-"
"Die, Miss. Weasley?" Amycus interrupted with a sneer "I'm well aware of the effects"
Ginny's eyes darkened. How dare he talk about murder for her best friend so freely!
"If you lock Luna up, you might as well as lock me up to" Ginny snapped boldly "I would do everything in my power to rescue her anyways"
"Well that can be arranged" Goyle replied, taking a menacing step closer to her.
"Wait" Amycus ordered "I'd like to see her pitiful attempts to break her beloved friend out"
"Then you'll see A LOT of me" Ginny answered slyly "I will bring Luna out of that prison you will be keeping her for one week"
"Then let's make it harder? After all that Gryffindor courage must be used for something shouldn't it?" Amycus smirked.
'Oh it will be' Ginny thought, fiercely.
