Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah, yeah... you know the drill. I don't own Harry Potter and this fanfic is in no way associated with JK Rowlings (who has been awesome in condoning fanfic unlike certain other authors.) or any one else who has managed to own a piece of Harry Potter.
A/N: Sorry this one took so long. Enjoy and review!
Ten minutes later Frank and his wife Apparated in the woods that surrounded Marley's field. By this time the sun had completely set and it was so dark Frank could barely see in front of him. Frank looked over at his wife and grinned at her serious expression. "Ready?" He asked her.
She nodded tersely as they began moving forward.
"Sir?" A soft voice came from behind him.
"Yes?" Frank looked over his shoulder and saw the young Auror who had interrupted the meeting earlier. Although the young man was attempting to smile, he still looked scared out of his mind. His eyes were darting about nervously and, although the night air was cold, he was sweating profusely. Frank couldn't remember ever seeing him before. "Probably fresh from the Academy." Frank thought sympathetically."What is it? Forgive me; I can't remember your name." He said in what he hoped was a reassuring voice.
"Eric, sir," He said, gripping his wand even tighter. "I thought I saw a couple of Death Eaters heading that way," Eric said pointing off to the side, "I thought you might want to go after them, you know..." he shifted nervously, "In case they're bringing reinforcements or something?"
"You're right," he looked over at his wife who grimly nodded, "let's go."
Frank, Alice, and Eric quietly left the group and headed in the direction that Eric had indicated. Frank let Eric take the lead until they were well away from the rest of the group, now advancing on the circle of Death Eaters in the middle of Marley's field.
Frank and his wife walked as quietly as they could, tripping slightly over roots and running into branches. Suddenly a clearing rose up ahead of them. Frank quickly stopped almost causing Eric and Alice to run into his back. Frank silently motioned toward a couple of Death Eaters in the field that were standing together, apparently deep in conversation. Alice and Eric came up beside Frank and nodded that they were ready.
"Freeze!" Frank yelled crashing into the clearing and running toward the masked figures. None of them moved.
"Turn around." Alice ordered coming up beside him, "You're under arrest." The figures still didn't move. Suddenly the robed figures disappeared and a quiet voice whispered "Imperio." Frank froze, his eyes glazing over and the corners of his mouth lifting up into a smile. Alice barely managed to spin around with her wand out before she was hit by the same curse.
Eric smiled tightly; never lowering his wand, he pulled a small pen out from his pocket. From a place that felt very far away Alice recognized it as the type of pen that Muggle companies gave out to their employees. Eric came forward, "Touch the pen!" he ordered. Unable to resist Frank and Alice both reached out their hands and touched it in perfect unison.
Frank felt himself jerked forward. In a swirl of wind and color he saw various bits of scenery fly by him. The motion was disconcerting. Then, almost before he managed to process that the pen was a portkey the rushing stopped. Alice slammed in behind him, causing him to move forward and pitch onto the cold stone floor.
"Get up." Eric ordered him. Obediently, Frank pulled himself up.
Somewhere in Frank's mind, under the surface feelings of happiness and confusion that were the result of the curse, Frank's mind was spinning, trying to wrap itself around what had happened. They had arrived in a dark and dank place, Frank guessed it was a dungeon like those kept under the nicer Family Manors.
Suddenly Frank began to fight the curse as hard as he could, and in the slightly tense features of his wife he saw she was doing the same. Before he had a chance to through off the curse, however, strong arms gripped him. Unable even to struggle Frank was dragged to the far wall. Cold metal snapped around his wrists finally jogging him out of the Curse. He looked over to his wife who had been dragged to the wall directly facing him. "Alice! Are you alright?" He called over to her. He could barely see her, the wall was so shadowed.
"Fine... just dandy!" she called back over to him, her voice frustrated and tense.
"Welcome, Mr. Longbottom." a low silky voice came from out of the shadows. Despite himself Frank felt his insides grow cold with fear as Belletrix Lestrange stepped into the dim light. Her face was more lined than he remembered, but her gaze hadn't lost any of its intensity. Flanking her were the two men who had dragged Frank and Alice to the walls and chained them. Eric came up right beside them, grinning malevolently at him.
"Eric?" he asked questioningly, unable to believe that a traitor had been in the ranks of the Aurors all this time.
Suddenly Eric's features started to bubble and smooth out. Eric's blue eyes turned brown, his red hair became blond. As Eric's face melted away Barty Jr's smiled at Frank.
"Hello Frank." He said, his face never losing the grin.
Frank felt dizzy all of a sudden, "No, it can't be..." he whispered, staring at him.
"Oh, but it can." Barty brought out his wand and put it in Frank's face, the grin finally leaving his face as his features hardened, "Who better? My fool of a father would never suspect his own son."
"The report..." Frank whispered as realization dawned on him.
"Was a fake." Barty finished.
"Meant to lure us here?" Alice said from the far side of the room, "Barty how could you? I've known you since you were a baby."
"Enough of this." Belletrix snapped impatiently as she stalked over to Alice, "Where is the Dark Lord?" she asked turning to Frank, "Tell me now." she said pointing her wand at Alice.
"I don't know." Frank said in what he hoped was a calm voice, "he disappeared after Harry Potter defeated him."
"Lies!" Belletrix hissed, "A baby could never defeat the Dark Lord!" Her eyes flashed as she swirled back on Alice whispering fiercely, "Crucio!!!" Alice began screaming as the curse hit her. Frank could only watch helplessly as his wife writhed in agony against her chains.
Finally Belletrix lowered her wand and Alice stopped screaming. She lay there panting, "You bitch!" she hissed at Belletrix, "We don't know where he is. You're wasting your time."
"Silence!" Barty screeched pointing his wand in her face, "Your husband was one of the first on the scene after our master disappeared, he has to know where he is!"
"Tell me." Belletrix whispered looking towards Frank from across the room.
Frank could only hopelessly shake his head. "You all are mad. The Dark Lord is dead."
Belletrix's lips tightened. "Fine." She said. Nodding to her comrades, Frank watched in horror as they pointed their wands at Alice at the same time. "CRUCIO!!!" They screamed in one voice. The curse from their wands all hit Alice in the center of the chest. Alice's eyes widened... then she started screaming.
To Frank it seemed she had screamed for hours, jerking as the curse ran through her system. Frank began screaming with her, alternately cursing Bellatrix and pleading with her to stop Alice's torment. Finally Alice stopped sagging, unconscious, in her chains.
"ALICE!!" Frank yelled struggling against his chains, "Leave her alone! She doesn't know anything!"
Belletrix turned around toward him, her eyes hard and cold. Ever so slowly she walked through the center of the room, over to where Frank was chained.
When Bellatrix was halfway across the room, Alice looked up. "Neville?" She asked, "Neville? Is that you crying?" As Frank and the others looked at her in amazement she smiled, her eyes vacant and lifeless, "Don't cry your Mummy's here." She began humming the lullaby that Frank had heard her sing every night since Neville was born.
"Alice?" Frank hardly dared to breath, "Alice?" He turned accusing eyes to Belletrix, "What have you done to her?!!!" He lunged toward Bellatrix, only to be stopped short by his chains.
With excruciatingly slow speed she crossed the room and raised her wand to right between his eyes, she smiled as she said, "Poor dear, the pain must've been to much for her."
"No," Frank said softly, looking at his wife who was still humming with her eyes closed.
"Tell me." Bellatrix's hand was steady on her wand, "Or you'll get the same."
Frank dropped his head. Despite himself tears began to form. Not for himself but for Alice and Neville. He shouldn't have let Alice come, he should've forced her to stay home. Now, in his last moment of clear thought he could only think of Neville and that because of his failure his son would never know his parents. "Goodbye son." He whispered. Calmly he lifted his head and looked Bellatrix in the eyes. "I have no idea where Voldemort is." He emphasized the Dark Lord's name, no longer feeling any fear of it.
Belletrix's eyes tightened as the three others joined her. Lifting their wands they cried out once again, "CRUCIO!!!"
Blazing white agony tore through him. Frank could do nothing but scream and writhe as the spell enveloped him. Every nerve felt like it was set on fire. As the pain coursed through his system Frank felt his mind teeter on the edge of sanity, he desperately tried to keep it from falling, but with a scream that covered his failure in protecting Alice and his misery at knowing that he would never be able to hold Neville again, he felt his sanity fall over the edge and shatter.
Every memory from his life flooded through him as the pain finally began to fade, his first trip to Hogwarts, meeting Alice, seeing Neville born, playing with blocks as a kid, Frank couldn't sort them all out. Suddenly his mother was standing in front of him.
"Mum!" Frank cried out desperately. Mrs. Longbottom regarded him sadly for a moment. Then her face twisted in anger and she began to disappear. In her place there was a giant black snake with hooded eyes that reared up, fangs bared, to attack, "Mum!" he cried again as everything faded to black.
A/N: Well there it is. Finally the torturing scene. I was really nervous about this chapter and honestly I'm still not comfortable with it. However, I'm beginning to realize that I probably never will be. I hope it lives up to everyone's expectations. Don't worry though. This fic isn't over yet. Like I said before I'm planning to go all the way through Barty and Co. trial.
I didn't get as many reviews for the last chapter as I did for chapter 1. Please Please Please review? When I get a review it makes my whole day good. So please? You'll get your name at the bottom of the next chapter like these lovely people here....
Amber Magic: I'm actually glad to here that you're getting nervous about what is coming up. It makes me feel like I'm doing my job.
Danny Barefoot: Thanks! As for Rodolphus I saw no reason to portray him the way that most fics do. Implying that he and Bellatrix's marriage was just an arranged, pure blood, no affection sort of a thing. Bellatrix strikes me as a very passionate woman.
Miss Piratess: I'm kinda glad that I made you sad. Above all I want this story to be very very sad. I like Bella and Co. I'm thinking about writing an entire fic about them. I love your story by the way. I'm about to go read your newest chapter.
The Sneeze: Thanks for the lovely compliments (preens) I really love doing the inner tourmoil thing, that's actually why I portrayed Barty this way. Makes him so much more interesting as a character. I hope this chapter lived up to your expectations. Please please please update your story soon? (looks hopeful)
We Hate Piggiears20: What was the point of this review? Honestly, if someone wants to flame or bad mouth me I'm very capable of handling it myself.