The Hogwarts Murders – Vol. 8

"What the Hell are you doing?" he yelled, dishevelled at the sight that awaited him around the corner. That dimwit Longbottom was standing with his back to Draco, holding his wand out in front of him, and just when Snape was about to finish the ungrateful pain-in-the-arse, Longbottom set fire to the him. Draco, just returning from one of his nightly walks around the school (Prefect duty, bloody boring at that), stopped dead in his tracks when he realised that his favourite teacher and most important ally at Hogwarts was going up in flames - literally! The scene was just too absurd to be considered at first, but then Longbottom turned around with that self-satisfied utterly annoying grin on his podgy face... Draco just could not stand it. The nerve of him!

When Longbottom realised that he was no longer alone the smile faded from his face and stiffened in a wry, demented grimace. You know what is coming for you, don't you? Draco thought darkly as his hand closed around the handle of his wand in his robes pocket. You know what your punishment is, don't you?

"Malfoy, p-please, don't," Longbottom was stuttering, but there was no use. Begging for mercy was all in vain, for Draco had no intention to spare him the pain and the suffering that he planned for his sorry nemesis. There was no-one else in the corridor; no Potter to come to his rescue. He was all Draco's now.

"Ma-Malfoy?"

"Crucius!" The curse hit Longbottom with the force of a divine sledge hammer and sent him screaming to the floor. Furthermore Draco watched him writhe and twitch and roll his eyes with pleasure greater than anything he had ever felt before. Torture was such a turn-on; better than those cheap porno magazines that Muggle boys entertained themselves with a lonely Saturday afternoon. Death and destruction had always fascinated Draco, even when he was a child, but nothing had ever caught his full attention like the screams of people in utter, excruciating pain. It was not death that was the ultimate punishment, what everyone feared - it was pain. Death did not hurt; death did not feel at all. But pain... oh, pain sure as Hell made them scream and beg for mercy! Not even the really masochistic ones wanted to be martyrs.

When the effect of the curse was starting to wear off, Longbottom drew a long, wretched breath of relief and sagged down into a formless pile on the cold marble floor. Draco walked up to him, stood towering over him, enjoying every second of his superiority and limitless power. Longbottom was his. His pain was Draco's to enjoy.

"Crucius!"

The dance of the agonisingly tormented once more rocketed Longbottom's podgy body and made Draco hard. Oh, the pain. How he loved to watch them suffer. The effect it had on him was always the same, and he simply could not get enough of it. Now, outraged at the hideous crime that Longbottom had commited by cold-heartedly and remorselessly murdering Professor Snape, the blind rage that sprung from the human fire that he had witnessed nurtured the hatred that he felt towards this boy and made his curse even more powerful than usual; it was nearly killing Longbottom only on the second go. Encouraged by this new stage of magical genius, Draco decided to go all the way this time. He would not settle with just the pain; he wanted death.

When the effect started to wear off again, it was as if Longbottom sensed what was about to happen, because he lifted his gaze and looked straight at Draco. "Malfoy, please... don't do it... don't..."

But Draco did not listen. Smiling slyly, he raised his wand and uttered the curse anew. "Crucius!" And this time the force of the curse was so strong and powerful that Longbottom stifled on a silent scream. Blood was slowly trickling out of his ears and his nostrils. Bubbles of bloody phlegm was forming in the corners of his mouth. A few seconds later his head dropped back down on the stone and he became still.

It was over.

The satisfaction that Draco felt at this murder was immense and addictive. Thrilled at the aspect of getting this rush again he wandered off to seek out new prey; maybe a Gryffindor first-year... a girl... Yes, a girl, they always screamed more. From now on it simply would not do to curse his victims a couple of times and then cast a Memory Charm to make them forget about it afterwards - from now on he would kill every time. Simply because he got off on it.

Still immensely happy with himself he decided to take the route around the library on his way back to the Slytherin common room, just to get another whiff of "fresh air" before hitting the sack.

Annoyingly enough - but not very surprising, though - there was someone else walking the corridors that night - someone that completely ruined his splendid post-murder mood.

Potter.

So... did you get it? ;P The order in which the murders occurred? Hope you enjoyed reading my ickle story, but whether you did or not... thanks anyway! X3 And psst..! McGonagall's confession is coming up! ;P /Piper