Chapter 20: Kill the Girl
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville began to slowly creep around to Fleur.
"Fleur!" Harry hissed. She turned around and looked confused. Quickly she whirled back around as if nothing had happened.
Voldemort suddenly looked up. "Zambini! Behind you and the girl." Zambini quickly pounced on what looked like thin air. Several cries came from the spot he landed on. "It's an Invisibility Cloak," Voldemort observed, "Pull it off…"
"Hold it on everyone," Harry hissed. They all grabbed a piece of the cloak and held on to it. Zambini tried to pull it off but fell back, exhausted.
"My Lord," he wheezed, "it's not coming off!"
"Accio Invisibility Cloak!" The cloak flew of the four and landed in Voldemort's outstretched hand. "Harry Potter, how delightful to have you join us…"
Harry glanced over and could see the figures of Bellatrix and Sirius move slightly. Voldemort snapped his fingers and thins cords bound Harry and the other three to tombstones.
"Lucius…" Voldemort eyed Hermione, "The chance to redeem yourself has walked into our midst." He walked over to Hermione. "Kill the Mudblood and all will be forgiven and your son will be set free."
Lucius looked at Voldemort. Voldemort smiled, "I promise I will set him free alive and he will not suffer. You know I never break my word, Lucius. No one will ever know you killed her since all the witnesses except for your son, the Death Eaters and myself, will be dead." He cast a glance in the other three's direction. "Argus, you may kill the Weasley. Bella, you take Longbottom and I will kill you, Harry."
Neville whimpered as Bellatrix stepped up in front of him and Ron looked like he was going to be sick.
"Ah, this is a good revenge. Especially after having to put up with your brothers. Oh, yes it is." Filch muttered as he stared at Ron.
"Go ahead Lucius…" Voldemort flexed his fingers around his wand, "I am ready to set your son free…"
Lucius stepped up to Hermione and put his wand to her head. He took a deep breath, "Avada-" but he broke off in mid-spell. "I can't…" he turned away, "I can't…"
"Why not Lucius?" Voldemort said in a soothing voice, "I promised you your son would go free; is that not enough?"
"It is…" Lucius replied. He leveled his gaze with Draco.
"Than do it!" Voldemort hissed. "Maybe you just need some convincing." He pointed at Dolohov.
"Lucius, you have no idea how much I will enjoy doing this to your brat…" Dolohov pointed his wand at Draco, "CRUCIO!" A jet of red light hit Draco.
For a split second nothing happened, then Draco started twitching violently. He threw back his head and screamed louder than he had ever screamed in his life. He strained against his bonds. Dolohov laughed as Draco thrashed in agony.
Hermione screamed from where she was tied. She tried to break loose but the ropes were tied too tight. The Death Eaters nearby jumped back; startled by her.
"NO! PLEASE STOP!" Lucius cried.
"Why?" Voldemort asked, "Why should I make him stop? You didn't care when you tortured the Muggles or the Mudbloods; why care now? What's different?"
"HE'S MY SON!"
"Dolohov, stop…" Voldemort said carelessly.
"One more minute," Dolohov grinned insanely.
"No," Voldemort said sharply, "Stop now…"
Dolohov flicked his wand and Draco stopped screaming. He twitched for a few seconds and then resumed his composure.
"Very good," Voldemort said, "Pity I might have to kill you-" He walked up to where Draco was tied and looked directly at him. Draco returned the gaze. "Lucius, you have raised this boy well. Ruthless and controlled, much like you. He would've made an excellent Death Eater. I'll give you one more chance… kill the girl." He spoke the last part sharply.
Lucius walked up to Hermione and pulled out a small silver knife. Hermione flinched as he pulled it out. He slashed rapidly. She waited for the pain but it never came. She looked around; her ropes were lying on the ground. Lucius carelessly tossed the knife on the ground.
"I can't…"
"I see you have made your decision… not a wise one…but it's your choice." Voldemort walked over to Hermione, who drew back quickly. "You can go free. Lucius chose you instead of his son. You can go free…if-" he smiled a wicked smile, "you managed to get out alive. Dolohov-" he turned sharply on his heel, "Torture the boy for five minutes with a one minute interval. Do this twice."
"CRUCIO!"
Hermione stood motionless behind Lucius. Draco stayed silent longer than before; he let loose a scream. Hermione covered her ears and closed her eyes but she could still see Draco's face twisted in agony and she could still hear the screaming. Ages past and she cautiously opened her eyes and uncovered her ears. Lucius had walked over to Draco and was talking to him; trying to calm him down. Draco was gasping for air. He was frothing at the mouth and his eyes were somewhat rolled back. Hermione stared at him. Then she was suddenly roughly grabbed from behind.
"Not pretty is it?" Bellatrix said grimly. "Stay with Sirius." Bellatrix walked out into the middle near the fire. "My Lord," she said loudly, "I swear that if he dies, I die too."
"What?" Voldemort turned around.
"As soon as he dies," Bellatrix said calmly, "I'll take the knife and drive it through my heart! If you perform the curse again, he will die!"
"Bella," Lucius pleaded, "Don't! It would be too much for Narcissa!"
"Don't Bella, listen to Lucius," Voldemort said, "Once the boy is dead, he's dead. Killing yourself will not bring him back."
"Then kill me instead!" Bellatrix stared at Voldemort.
"No…" Voldemort said, "How would it punish him? Do not try to lessen his punishment. He was supposed to kill when he didn't; I decided I would kill instead. Dolohov…he has had enough rest… perform it again!"
"CRUCIO!"
A jet of red light flew from his wand and hit Bellatrix instead of Draco. Bellatrix curled up and twitched.
"Stop, you idiot, stop!" Voldemort said.
Dolohov carelessly flicked his wand. A small explosion sounded. Everyone turned around and saw Hermione standing with her wand pointed at a Death Eater on the ground.
"STUPEFY!"
Hermione slumped to the ground. Voldemort turned back and saw Draco was gone. Lucius was still standing beside him and Bellatrix lay curled on the ground.
"This is for what you did!" Voldemort turned and saw Draco raising his wand at Dolohov, "Now you pay!" An insane grin came across Draco's face. His entire body was still shaking but he looked slightly more normal. "CRUCIO!" Dolohov curled up and screamed. "How does it feel? Do you like it? Do you want more?" Draco kept his wand pointed at Dolohov. Voldemort stared on with mild amusement on his face. Dolohov tried to crawl towards Draco but the pain was too intense. Draco flicked his wand. Dolohov lay wheezing. Draco reached down and picked up Dolohov's wand. He handed it to him. "Fight me… I'm no coward."
Dolohov took it and snarled, "You may not be a coward but you are ridiculously stupid! Help me!" Several other Death Eaters came up beside Dolohov.
Hermione came up beside Draco, "You'll have to fight me, too."
"No, Hermione," a hand came down on her shoulder, "they won't." Lucius stepped in front of her, "Dolohov, you are going to die."
The Death Eaters all stepped back, leaving Dolohov standing alone.
"Draco, get your friends out of here!" Lucius yelled over his shoulder.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Lucius narrowly dodged Dolohov's jet of green light.
Draco picked up his father's knife and ran to where Harry was tied; he quickly cut the ropes. Filch stood in front of him and pointed a wand directly in his face. "Oh dear, we are in trouble aren't we?"
"Well, you are… petrificus totallus!" Harry said quickly. Filch fell forward, frozen.
"Get Ron loose!" Draco ordered, "I'll get Neville! Hurry!"
"Neville, stop moving! I'll cut you!" Draco held the knife up, "Hold still!"
"She…right there…going to die!" Neville whimpered. Draco quickly cut the remaining ropes. "Ouch!" Neville yelped. He looked down at his arm. The knife had made a small gash on his arm.
"I warned you!" Draco said. "AAAAAGH!" Draco struggled to pull the arm off his throat.
"I am not going to lose my powers because of one little wretch!" Trelawney hissed as she pulled her arm tighter. Draco whimpered and gasped. His lips and face where beginning to turn blue. Trelawney was stronger than he thought.
"ARRRRR!" Neville jumped on Trelawney; she fell to the ground still clutching Draco's neck. Neville landed on top of her and began pounding her with his fists. Draco rolled loose while Trelawney was fending off Neville. She picked up a rock and hit him over the head. Neville collapsed in a pile; she quickly shoved him off and turned around to face Draco.
"You're not going to leave here alive…" she hissed.
"Don't count on it!" Draco said rustily.
"Prepare to-" a high-pitched scream cut her off. They both whipped around and saw Hermione being pinned to the ground by Macnair.
"HERMIONE!" Draco ran towards her.
"I'm going to get the glory now!" Macnair raised the knife he was holding, "UUUUUHNNN!" Draco swiftly tackled him. Draco was about to pull out his wand when he felt himself being lifted off Macnair. Wormtail had snuck up behind him and pulled him off. He flung Draco across the circle.
"UUUUUUUGH!" Draco hit his father and knocked him to the ground. Dolohov stood over him and grinned, "Now both of you are going to die!"
"How many times have you said that today?" Draco mocked.
"Draco…" Lucius warned.
"Roll, dad!" Draco yelled. Draco and Lucius rolled out of the way just in time. Ron and Hermione tackled Dolohov simultaneously.
"Get his wand!" Hermione yelled, "We'll keep him pinned!"
"Where's You-Know-Who?" Ron asked.
"He left!" Lucius dusted himself off, "He had other business…"
"So it's just-"
