Chapter 77:

Define Enemies

Ariella was lost in thought as she wandered through the halls. It had been two and a half weeks since their return. Things had been both tense and a bit easier between her and Draco; he was trying to be mindful now of her situation, of her injuries, now that he knew about them. While she was grateful, Ariella partially wished he had never found out.

Suddenly, a voice calling out to her pulled her from her thoughts and she whirled around to face a Ravenclaw student running towards her.

"Can I help you?"

"You're Ariella, right?"

Cautiously, she nodded.

"An you're friends with Theodore Nott?"

She nodded again, a bit less tentatively. For someone to ask that particular question of her was rare, especially these days.

"Do you know if he's seeing anyone?"

"I don't. He's close with Daphne Greengrass, but I'm not sure if they're officially seeing each other or not."

"Do you think he'd been interested in me?"

"You'd have to ask him. I'm sorry, but I didn't catch your name."

"Grant Page."

"Ariella Lyons, though you knew that already," she replied, shaking his hand.

"Thanks," he said. In return, she gave him a small nod and smile before they parted their separate ways, amused by the odd encounter.

Ariella shook her head as she went to find Harry. She hadn't really seen him recently and wanted to speak with her friend. Rounding the corner, she quite literally ran into him.

"Sorry. I was just – are you okay?" she asked, changing direction as she saw his group of friends behind him and the panicked look on his face.

"Er – yeah, fine. Just in a rush."

"Can I help?"

"If you want, we could always use someone else," he replied, gesturing for her to follow him as the group picked up pace again. She nodded, adjusting her bag. However, just as she began to follow the group, her mark seared. She gasped, doubling over and Harry turned back to see her fall to the ground.

"Go. I – I'm sorry," she said. He nodded running away, knowing he couldn't help her and that she would want him to go help Sirius.

Ariella slipped her hand onto her burning mark, praying she wasn't in trouble again as she was whisked away into the night, far away from Hogwarts.

Ariella landed on a well–tiled floor. Blinking, she tried to see as her eyes adjusted to the dim light.

"Get up," Lucius Malfoy hissed, throwing a Death Eater's robe and a chipped wand – her wand – to his pathetic servant.

"You will obey my words," he reminded her. Ariella nodded, scared as she slipped on the robe, hearing a cackling laugh next to him.

"Follow me," he ordered, leading her through dark hallways in a seemingly endless room. The only light came from mysterious orbs that lay on shelves all around them.

She sensed that there were others, but they were spread out and hidden between the aisles and that made her very nervous. She didn't know where they were or what was planned, but she felt rather uneasy all the same. Any reason for Mr. Malfoy to be calling her, let alone to a dark place with other Death Eaters couldn't be good.

She tensed then as she heard hushed voices…very familiar hushed voices. A cold feeling washed over her as she heard Ron say, "Harry, have you seen this? It's – it's got your name on it."

"Harry, I don't think you should touch it," Hermione said, and Bellatrix's wand pressed sharply into her back, keeping her from moving or speaking out; from alerting them to their presence.

However, though she probably should have known better, Ariella watched from behind Mr. Malfoy as Harry picked up the orb, brushing off dust, cuing Mr. Malfoy.

"Very good, Potter. Now turn around, nice and slowly, and give that to me."

Ariella sensed more Death Eaters closing in, and by their expressions, this time, so could her classmates. Fear filled her as Harry demanded for Sirius' location and the Death Eaters, namely Mr. Malfoy and Bellatrix mocked him for his responses. But while that took place, she realized the Death Eaters were after a prophetic orb concerning Harry, yet all the orbs looked alike.

And then Harry began to taunt them, and Ariella recognized that he didn't care, not so long as his friends made it out alive. Always the hero.

However, apparently, Mr. Malfoy realized it as well, since he chose that moment to push her forward, somehow knowing Harry wouldn't curse her, not seriously anyway. "Curse your enemy."

Wand raised, Ariella looked up to face her classmates. Locking eyes with Harry, whose eyes widened a bit, she took another step forward and began mouthing a countdown, noting how Harry had already been planning something. She may not be able to curse Mr. Malfoy, but the other Death Eaters were certainly not her friends.

With a nod, Harry shouted a signal to their classmates as she whipped around, shouting the stunning spell at Bellatrix Lestrange, who easily blocked the simple spell.

Lucius hissed his disapproval, grabbing for her and missing as she ran after her classmates.

As prophetic orbs began to fall around them, she grabbed one, hiding it in her robes as she ran.

She soon lost them as Avery caught up with her, twisting her arm and dragging her back way to where her classmates were now, most of them inured. Bellatrix was torturing Neville and Mr. Malfoy was approaching Harry.

Avery threw her away from him once she was in sight of her master, choosing to back up his masked partners. Shakily, Ariella stood and, feeling for the orb, was grateful to find it in one piece.

"Wait! Mr. Malfoy, he doesn't the prophecy, I do!" she shouted, pulling the alternate orb from beneath her robes, causing everyone to freeze; her master had an odd glint in his grey eyes.

"Do you know? Well then, give it to me girl."

"Let them go."

"Oh? I hardly believe you're in a position to be giving out orders, especially given your station. Unless this isn't the prophecy?"

"I grabbed this as it fell, sir; it's a real prophecy," she said, hoping that the bond wouldn't act up, not now. She wasn't technically lying.

"Is that so?"

"Yes sir," she replied nervously, stepping up to meet him, not daring to look her friend's concerned gaze.

It might have worked if five members of the Order hadn't come bursting into the room at that moment.

Mr. Malfoy was stunned by a woman with pink hair and Ariella ran, hoping to get away on her own. At least, that was her intention until she felt her body burning with the Cruciatus; as it was released, she felt another jolt of light hit her scarred back, stunning her unconscious.

"Ha – Harry, there's something you need to know. Ariella, you know, your friend. She has the Dark Mark. I saw it when Madame Pomphrey was changing her bandages," Ron said, trying to protect Harry after what had just happened.

Slowly, Harry got up, walking to where his friend lay still beneath the covers, lifting them ever so slightly to see the gruesome mark had indeed been uncovered and was now staring up at him, also briefly noting the mark that bound her to the Malfoys. He looked only a moment longer before lowering the sheets again and looking up at his friends. "I know. I've known for a while," he said carefully, meeting their even and now shocked gazes.

"You don't care?"

"The circumstances are unique. She didn't have a choice in taking it," he replied, surprised to see Neville nod at him.

"Harry, everyone has a choice," Hermione said quietly.

"She – "

But whatever was to be said was cut off by a sudden scream. Harry whipped around to see Ariella arch away from the bed before coming back down, shaking and whimpering.

"Ariella?"

She was taking deep breaths, trying to calm, while grimacing in pain. She hurt all over and her mark was searing. Blinking rapidly, she saw Harry through a haze.

"I – I'm sorry. I – I didn't mean…" she said shakily. He nodded as she rolled over, pressing the ugly mark and vanished in front of his eyes.

"What the bloody hell?" Ron asked, gaping as did the others at the now empty bed.

Harry sighed, running a hand through his hair as he sat down on the edge of the vacant bed. She had fought beside them in the Ministry and he knew she was about to pay for it. He couldn't speak for her, but he also didn't know how long she could keep this secret.

And then he realized she had left a crumpled paper behind. I can't technically give you permission to tell them about me, I'm not allowed; but I can't stop you either.

He grinned; she had gotten to know him well.

"She didn't have a choice; I think you know what's going on, at least somewhat, right Neville?"

He nodded. "I talked with her on the train going home for the holidays; she told me that the article was partly true."

"Harry, why do you keep saying she doesn't have a choice? She - ?"

" – belongs to the Malfoys. Hermione, she's their slave."

He was met with shocked expressions and suddenly Fred looked up. "Malfoy cast the Cruciatus earlier this year – did she do that on purpose?"

Harry nodded. "She purposely goaded Malfoy into it, knowing no one could do anything about it. He didn't know about the D.A., not until he found it with Umbridge, but she did; she planned it ahead of time. She's quite literally bound to them magically and is at their mercy; has been for years."

"How – is it legal?"

"Yes. It's an ancient spell and not used often, but it's legal."

"The other mark I saw, was that – "

" – Yes; that's the physical manifestation of the bond," Harry replied to Ron's uncertain question.

"Who would have thought?" Harry heard George mutter.

Ariella landed in a heap at Draco's feet. "What happened?"

Ariella froze at Draco's tone. It was tight, cold. "Draco, I – "

" – What happened?" he repeated, pulling his servant to her feet and roughly grabbing her arms, pushed the injured witch against the wall.

"Why is my father in Azkaban, Ariella? I know you were there, with him, when it happened."

"I – your father summoned me. He – we were at the Ministry. He was – it was Death Eaters against Harry and his friends and – "

" – you protected Potter instead of my father? Have you forgotten whom your allegiance should lie with; whose hands hold your very lifeline?" Draco asked, furious as his grip tightened, pushing her harder against the wall.

"No! I – it's – I wasn't going to let them get hurt. I – I didn't disobey."

"You let my father be arrested."

"I – I'm sorry. I didn't mean for that to happen, I swear!"

"I can't forgive you. Not for this," he said in a shaky voice, and the bond mark seared in response. Ariella gasped; she felt as if she was on fire and Draco was fading in and out of her vision.

"Sir, please," she choked out.

"No. You betrayed your Master family. You fought against him. He's locked away because of you."

"I'm sorry. Pl – Sir, please," she repeated, finding it hard to breath.

All at once, Draco's eyes widened and he took a few shaky steps back, staring at his hands. Without him holding her up, Ariella crumpled to the ground.

"Where were you?"

"Ho – Hospital wing," she replied, but just barely. He nodded in shock as he actually looked at her for the first time during their encounter.

"I – I have to go," he said, hurriedly, almost running out of the room, still upset and in shock.

"I'm sorry," she whimpered as she finally surrendered to the pain and fell unconscious once more.

All the best until next time!

~Leanora