Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any other character, except Libby.
Showdown.
Chapter 6: Azkaban
The two men continued to drag Libby to the outside of the castle to an awaiting carriage. The three of them got in and sat on one bench, whilst Fudge occupied the other directly opposite Libby. The two Ministry workers still had not untied her hands- there was definitely no escape. It seemed that no one really cared what happened to Libby now, so she could forget all about manners and courtesy. Her tears dried faster then ever. Those she trusted most were imprisoning her. Suddenly a Deatheaters point of view was so much easier to understand...
The ride in the black carriages usually took about ten minutes, but the seconds seemed to move slowly as Fudge continued to stare at Libby through his seemingly unblinking eyes.
"Are you trying to be intimidating?" She asked him. "You're failing."
"You are in a very delicate situation, Ms Silverman. You are in grave danger of being sent to Azkaban already. If I were you- and thank heavens I'm not- I would be very careful about what I'd say."
Libby laughed coldly. "You can't send me to Azkaban. I'm underage- it's against Wizarding Law."
Fudge lent closer to her. "Laws change." He muttered.
~*~*~*~*~
The four of them got out of the carriage when they reached the train station. They waited until an old but majestic steam engine emerged out of the tunnel.
"Ooh, aren't I special?" Stated Libby sarcastically. "You booked the train to come all the way here- just for little old me."
They entered the train and each took seats. The Ministry employee was still holding Libby, and, when all had entered, Fudge locked the carriage door with a gold key he selected from his pocket.
"Right. So, are you going to untie me now?" She asked Fudge.
"So you can escape? No."
"Oh yeah. That was high on my list of priorities. Escape out a locked door, jump off a train and start a new life in the forest." She rolled her eyes, and gazed out the window.
The train stopped at the usual station, and Fudge eventually untied the robes bounding Libby's hands (he said it would look suspicious in a busy London station). Instead he tied her hand to the Ministry employee's, and then charmed the rope to become invisible.
"Can't have you escaping, can we?" Fudge said again.
It was true- given half a chance and Libby would have made a run for it. But, as it was, it seemed quite impossible at this point. They made they way out into the bustling London street, where a Ministry car was parked; no doubt to take Libby to the famous place itself. The journey in the car was just as annoying and silent as the last.
*~*~*~*~*
At the Ministry, Libby was treated like she was already a hardened criminal. She was sat in a room on her own until Fudge and another man, who he introduced as Adrian Morley, entered. Libby lent back in her chair- this wasn't going to be easy. Fudge placed something that looked like a pensieve, but with blue mist. Morley explained that it was going to record the meeting.
"So, Ms Silverman," began Cornelius Fudge. "We have had word that you have been attending 'Deatheater' meetings, and amid the company of He Who Must Not Be Named. Is this information correct?"
"No." She stated plainly.
"So it must also be untrue that you have the Dark Mark?" quizzed Morley.
Libby hesitated. "Yes, that is untrue."
"May we remind you, Ms Silverman, that there were four witnesses to verify that you do have the Dark Mark, I and your headmaster among them." Fudge replied unkindly.
"No...no...you see...it's like...a temporary...?"She tried. Fudge and Morley lent closer.
"A temporary? From where?"
Come on, thought Libby, think of something!
"Actually, it's a tattoo. You know muggles have tattoos done with ink and needles? It's one of those...it just looks like the Dark Mark?" Her voice got smaller with each word.
Fudge and Morley looked at each other incredulously.
"I think we have heard all we needed to." They concluded, before rising from their chairs.
"What does that mean??" Libby enquired.
They didn't answer, but instead Fudge called out to the man guarding the door.
"Crosse? Please escort Ms Silverman out of here."
"To where?" she said, and when no one replied, she shouted, "TO WHERE?"
"I think you know where, Silverman." Retorted Fudge, before exiting.
*~*~*~*~*
'So here I am. In a cell in Azkaban. You know, most people spend their lives trying to prevent this from happening, and here I am. I'm meant to be at school, and I'm in a bloody prison instead. I wonder if Harry, Ron or Hermione are wondering where I am? Have they even realised I'm missing? It's cold in here. There are no windows, and it's almost pitch black. The loudest thing in here is faint dripping from somewhere in the corner of the room. No wonder people go mad in here. But I'm not going to go mad- no, I wouldn't give them all the pleasure. But, what if I already am? They say tough experiences unhinge people. I've never really thought about it. They haven't even told how long I've got to stay in here! What if it's ten years? Or more? No, I'd never let it get to that. I'd rather break out, and risk dying instead of staying here. There are no Dementors at the door...at least that's a start. If Fudge was smarter, he'd realise where his precious Dementors are going- to Voldemort. Oh, that's something I haven't thought about- Voldemort. It's his fault I'm in here. His fault and Fudges fault. I swear, I'll get Fudge. I need to get back to Hogwarts...tell Dumbledore and Severus what's happened...if they want to hear that is. I need to get out of here, for the sake of so many things.
I hope they don't already know I know Wandless Magic...'
*~*~*~*~*~*
"No. I'll never accept it." Severus said determinedly.
"You have to Severus. There's not really much you or I can-" Assured Dumbledore.
"LIBBY IS NOT A DEATHEATER!" Shouted Severus.
"Please, calm down, Severus! This is the situation, and we must deal with it! I want to do a lot for Libby. You know I do. But we have a school to run right now..."
Severus put his head in his hands and sighed deeply.
"We are not giving up on Libby, Severus. Not yet." Dumbledore got up and left, leaving Snape with the flickering candle, which cast half his face in shadow.
*~*~*~*~*
Showdown.
Chapter 6: Azkaban
The two men continued to drag Libby to the outside of the castle to an awaiting carriage. The three of them got in and sat on one bench, whilst Fudge occupied the other directly opposite Libby. The two Ministry workers still had not untied her hands- there was definitely no escape. It seemed that no one really cared what happened to Libby now, so she could forget all about manners and courtesy. Her tears dried faster then ever. Those she trusted most were imprisoning her. Suddenly a Deatheaters point of view was so much easier to understand...
The ride in the black carriages usually took about ten minutes, but the seconds seemed to move slowly as Fudge continued to stare at Libby through his seemingly unblinking eyes.
"Are you trying to be intimidating?" She asked him. "You're failing."
"You are in a very delicate situation, Ms Silverman. You are in grave danger of being sent to Azkaban already. If I were you- and thank heavens I'm not- I would be very careful about what I'd say."
Libby laughed coldly. "You can't send me to Azkaban. I'm underage- it's against Wizarding Law."
Fudge lent closer to her. "Laws change." He muttered.
~*~*~*~*~
The four of them got out of the carriage when they reached the train station. They waited until an old but majestic steam engine emerged out of the tunnel.
"Ooh, aren't I special?" Stated Libby sarcastically. "You booked the train to come all the way here- just for little old me."
They entered the train and each took seats. The Ministry employee was still holding Libby, and, when all had entered, Fudge locked the carriage door with a gold key he selected from his pocket.
"Right. So, are you going to untie me now?" She asked Fudge.
"So you can escape? No."
"Oh yeah. That was high on my list of priorities. Escape out a locked door, jump off a train and start a new life in the forest." She rolled her eyes, and gazed out the window.
The train stopped at the usual station, and Fudge eventually untied the robes bounding Libby's hands (he said it would look suspicious in a busy London station). Instead he tied her hand to the Ministry employee's, and then charmed the rope to become invisible.
"Can't have you escaping, can we?" Fudge said again.
It was true- given half a chance and Libby would have made a run for it. But, as it was, it seemed quite impossible at this point. They made they way out into the bustling London street, where a Ministry car was parked; no doubt to take Libby to the famous place itself. The journey in the car was just as annoying and silent as the last.
*~*~*~*~*
At the Ministry, Libby was treated like she was already a hardened criminal. She was sat in a room on her own until Fudge and another man, who he introduced as Adrian Morley, entered. Libby lent back in her chair- this wasn't going to be easy. Fudge placed something that looked like a pensieve, but with blue mist. Morley explained that it was going to record the meeting.
"So, Ms Silverman," began Cornelius Fudge. "We have had word that you have been attending 'Deatheater' meetings, and amid the company of He Who Must Not Be Named. Is this information correct?"
"No." She stated plainly.
"So it must also be untrue that you have the Dark Mark?" quizzed Morley.
Libby hesitated. "Yes, that is untrue."
"May we remind you, Ms Silverman, that there were four witnesses to verify that you do have the Dark Mark, I and your headmaster among them." Fudge replied unkindly.
"No...no...you see...it's like...a temporary...?"She tried. Fudge and Morley lent closer.
"A temporary? From where?"
Come on, thought Libby, think of something!
"Actually, it's a tattoo. You know muggles have tattoos done with ink and needles? It's one of those...it just looks like the Dark Mark?" Her voice got smaller with each word.
Fudge and Morley looked at each other incredulously.
"I think we have heard all we needed to." They concluded, before rising from their chairs.
"What does that mean??" Libby enquired.
They didn't answer, but instead Fudge called out to the man guarding the door.
"Crosse? Please escort Ms Silverman out of here."
"To where?" she said, and when no one replied, she shouted, "TO WHERE?"
"I think you know where, Silverman." Retorted Fudge, before exiting.
*~*~*~*~*
'So here I am. In a cell in Azkaban. You know, most people spend their lives trying to prevent this from happening, and here I am. I'm meant to be at school, and I'm in a bloody prison instead. I wonder if Harry, Ron or Hermione are wondering where I am? Have they even realised I'm missing? It's cold in here. There are no windows, and it's almost pitch black. The loudest thing in here is faint dripping from somewhere in the corner of the room. No wonder people go mad in here. But I'm not going to go mad- no, I wouldn't give them all the pleasure. But, what if I already am? They say tough experiences unhinge people. I've never really thought about it. They haven't even told how long I've got to stay in here! What if it's ten years? Or more? No, I'd never let it get to that. I'd rather break out, and risk dying instead of staying here. There are no Dementors at the door...at least that's a start. If Fudge was smarter, he'd realise where his precious Dementors are going- to Voldemort. Oh, that's something I haven't thought about- Voldemort. It's his fault I'm in here. His fault and Fudges fault. I swear, I'll get Fudge. I need to get back to Hogwarts...tell Dumbledore and Severus what's happened...if they want to hear that is. I need to get out of here, for the sake of so many things.
I hope they don't already know I know Wandless Magic...'
*~*~*~*~*~*
"No. I'll never accept it." Severus said determinedly.
"You have to Severus. There's not really much you or I can-" Assured Dumbledore.
"LIBBY IS NOT A DEATHEATER!" Shouted Severus.
"Please, calm down, Severus! This is the situation, and we must deal with it! I want to do a lot for Libby. You know I do. But we have a school to run right now..."
Severus put his head in his hands and sighed deeply.
"We are not giving up on Libby, Severus. Not yet." Dumbledore got up and left, leaving Snape with the flickering candle, which cast half his face in shadow.
*~*~*~*~*