Chapter 35
Disclaimer: The Harry Potter world obviously belongs to JK Rowling and not me. Obviously.
… … … …
The sound of the Snatcher's voice made Leila's blood curdle. Instinctively, she tried to back-up, but only backed right into Hermione because all three boys were surrounding them with their wands drawn. The girls also had their wands drawn, but they didn't have a very good shot at the Snatchers' with the boys standing so close to them. Leila began to panic. If only Harry hadn't been a blithering idiot and had remembered the taboo. She and Draco had mentioned something, as well as Ron, but Harry was too set in his ways of confidently saying Voldemort's name and now they were in this predicament. The teenagers joined hands together, with their free hands, to Disapparate, but something was wrong. They weren't going anywhere.
"Damn, an Anti-Disapparation Jinx," Draco muttered.
"Now what?" Leila asked worriedly.
Harry, Draco, and Ron exchanged worried glances, which Leila didn't quite understand. Then Draco, who was the closest to the Snatchers, cast a blasting spell against the ground, causing it to explode and leaves and dirt to fill the air, and giving them the briefest moment of cover to attempt an escape.
"Run!" Harry shouted.
The five teenagers took off in a sprint through the woods, but all too quickly the Snatchers were approaching on them. The Snatchers' hexes buzzed past them, some of them coming too close for comfort. In retaliation, they would attempt to take aim with their own spells as they ran; but casting spells backwards while running wasn't an easy task. The forest exploded with blasting spells and trees were wrapped with chains meant for them. As they ran, Draco remained close to Leila and slightly behind her, as if he was placing himself between her and the Snatchers. She knew he was doing this on purpose. He could easily outrun her, especially with his longer stride. The group continued to run, with Harry leading them through the fallen trees and leaves. Hermione was second behind Harry, followed quickly by Leila and Draco, with Ron brining up the rear.
"Potter, get down!" Draco shouted.
Harry ducked down to the ground as a spell barely missed his head. Hermione then reached her hand down to help Harry back up and Draco pushed him to get his momentum going again. Harry muttered his thanks as he once again took the lead in running from the Snatchers. Leila turned around and cast a blasting spell to hopefully give them another brief shield. She tried to formulate a plan of action as she ran, but her panicked brain could only focus on one thing: running. Draco cast a Stunner at Scabior before he stopped running. Leila grabbed his arm and tried to drag him forward again.
"Draco," Leila hissed.
"Where's Weasley?" Draco asked. "He was right behind us."
Leila briefly covered her eyes to use them as a binocular to help her spot Ron, but he wasn't anywhere in sight. Suddenly, Draco pointed up on the hill a distance away. Ron was lying on the forest floor bound in chains. Draco muttered an obscenity under his breath before taking off for where Ron lay on the ground. Leila began to follow after him, but he quickly noticed.
"Leila, catch up to your brother," Draco commanded.
"Draco," Leila sighed.
"Just do as I say," Draco furthered. "I'll catch up to you."
As she was about to follow Draco's directions, another set of chains came hurdling toward them and they wrapped tightly around Draco's body, causing him to fall to the ground with a loud thump. Leila stood there for a moment too shocked to even move, but she quickly ducked as another set of chains flew in her direction. She tried to physically pull the chains from Draco's body, but they wouldn't budge.
"Leila, I love you. Now go," Draco said, trying to mask the tears that were beginning to form.
Leila shook her head. She couldn't leave him, especially not like this. With her wand in hand, she aimed it at Draco who had a look of confusion on his face. He had done so much to protect her, now it was her turn to protect him. Thankfully, she had excelled at Transfiguration and if they lived through this, she would make sure to thank Professor McGonagall. She only had a few moments to spare, so she needed to work with the most noticeable feature first: his platinum blonde hair. With a flick of her wand, Draco's hair darkened to a ruddy color and lengthened. Leila looked up to see the Snatchers beginning their descent down the hill and then looked to see tiny figures that were Harry and Hermione still running in the opposite direction. She had a decision to make and quickly: run and leave Draco and Ron to the Snatchers, or one more transfiguration spell to further disguise Draco.
"Go," Draco hissed.
After inhaling deeply, Leila pointed her wand once more at Draco. She hadn't actually gotten to perform this degree of Transfiguration before, seeing as she wasn't allowed a wand during her most recent term of Transfiguration. Now was the time to see how a "practical knowledge" of the concept, according to Umbridge, actually worked. But the pressure seemed too much. What if she messed up? What if…she couldn't do it. She simply couldn't take that risk, so she lowered her wand.
"Leila," Draco hissed once more.
"Sorry," Leila muttered.
Leila closed her eyes tightly and smashed her boot onto Draco's face, hearing the cartilage crunch from the force. Draco practically screamed from the pain and the blood gushing from his nose. If the situation hadn't been so dire, she could've said it was just payback for what he had done to Harry last school year, but now wasn't the time. Leila looked down at him to see him squinting his eyes and biting his bottom lip so hard it was beginning to bleed. He was in pain, but thankfully his pointed features were no longer quite as noticeable from the crooked broken nose and bruising already beginning to form under his eyes. Suddenly, Leila herself was wrapped with chains and lying on the cold ground. She struggled for a moment before looking up to see the Snatchers pulling Ron to his feet and dragging him along with them.
"You should've listened to me," Draco coughed.
"I'm not the only one with a bounty over my head," Leila responded.
"And what good is it if we're both taken?" Draco asked.
"We're together," Leila whispered.
Draco never responded because the Scabior grabbed Draco by the scruff of his neck and pulled him to his feet. Scabior examined Draco's face as if something had him puzzled for a moment, but he must have thought better of it because he turned his attention to Leila. She tried to back away from him, which only caused him to chuckle as he squatted down so he was face to face with her.
"Well, well, looks like we have a pretty little thing here," Scabior said.
"Leave her alone," Draco hissed.
"What's a good-looking girl like her doing with a bloke like you, ugly?" Scabior asked.
"We got 'em!" Another Snatcher shouted from a distance.
Leila's heart sank: Harry and Hermione. They now were all in the hands of the Snatchers. Hopefully, the Snatchers were as dumb as Ron had said they were, so that they could soon be on their way. Scabior and Greyback dragged Leila, Draco, and Ron further into the forest where Harry and Hermione must have been caught. The three of them attempted to struggle, until Greyback growled at them and Scabior shot a few Crucios at them. The distance between them and Harry and Hermione seemed to stretch on for miles, but when they finally reached them Greyback roughly pushed Ron and Draco to the ground, but pulled Leila close to him. He smelled terribly and Leila had to keep herself from vomiting all over him because upsetting him further wasn't going to do her any favors. Her gaze moved to Harry as Scabior stripped him of his wand. Something was wrong with his face. Looks like she and Hermione had been thinking along the same lines: to protect the boys. Scabior walked over to Hermione and forcefully took her wand before running his fingers through her hair and sniffing his hand afterwards.
"Keep your hands off her," Ron growled.
Scabior snapped his fingers and Greyback lunged forward, still holding Leila close, and kicked Ron right in the stomach. Ron groaned and doubled over from the pain.
"Another one? Just my luck," Scabior said as he gripped Hermione's chin. "Your boyfriend better watch it or he'll get worse than that if he doesn't behave, lovely."
Hermione quivered with fear as he ran the tip of his finger across her face. Scabior chuckled before turning to Harry.
"Well, let's see who we've got 'ere," Scabior began. "I'll be needing a butterbeer or two to wash this sight down. What happened to you, ugly?"
Harry didn't answer, instead he felt his face.
"He asked you what happened," Greyback growled.
"Stung," Harry muttered. "Been stung."
"Yeah, looks like it," another one of the Snatchers answered.
"What's your name?" Scabior questioned.
"Dudley," Harry responded.
Leila hoped Greyback didn't notice the worried expression on her face. Of all the lies Harry had to tell, he couldn't have come up with someone better than their Muggle cousin. They were going to be goners for sure.
"And your first name?" Scabior asked.
"I—erm—Vernon. Vernon Dudley," Harry responded.
If Leila wasn't being held so close to Greyback's body she would reach out and kick her brother for his stupidity. She knew Ron said it was hard to lie on the spot, but still, couldn't he have come up with someone more a bit clever? Perhaps, someone whom the Snatchers would easily dismiss.
"Check the list," Scabior commanded the unknown Snatcher. "And what about you ginger, what's your name?"
"Stan Shunpike," Ron answered.
"Like 'ell you are," Scabior spat. "I happen to skinny Stan, e's put a bit of work our way. Try again."
Scabior snapped once more and Greyback kicked Ron in the mouth. As much as the smell made her sick, she still turned into Greyback to avoid the sight of seeing Ron's bloodied mouth. Of course, Ron had said that Snatchers were usually pretty thick, but it would be just their luck to run into the ones who actually had brains about them.
"A'ight, I'b Bardy," Ron said as blood spit from his mouth with every word. "Bardy Weadley."
"Weasley, eh? Wouldn't be related to that blood-traitor, Arthur Weasley, now would you?" Greyback hissed.
"Easy, Greyback," Scabior chided.
"Oh, I'm not going to bite just yet," Greyback retorted. "Maybe this one will be a bit quicker at remembering her name than Barny over there. So who are you girly?"
Greyback pulled Leila's head by her ponytail so that she was looking up at him. He pulled so hard, it caused her eyes to water. Thankfully, she had already thought of her alibi because there was no way she would've been able to think in that sort of pain. She inhaled deeply, preparing for what could very well be her last performance.
"A—Astoria Greengrass, pure-blood," Leila answered. "And I demand you release me."
"And what's a lady of your stature doing out here with these sort of blokes?" Scabior questioned.
"If you'd tell him to let go of his death grip, I might give a proper answer," Leila retorted trying to embody her inner Astoria, or at least what she assumed Astoria was like.
"Now, be nice, Greyback," Scabior said cynically.
The werewolf released Leila's ponytail and she adjusted herself to show confidence.
"Now, you seem like a reasonable lot…" Leila began.
"You never answered my question Miss Astoria, what're you doing here with them?" Scabior asked.
"It's really none of your concern what my sister Daphne, her boyfriend Theo, and I are doing with them," Leila retorted.
"I beg to differ," Greyback hissed roughly, grabbing Leila's arm.
"Release my arm or my mother will not be pleased that a half-breed like you laid your hands on me," Leila hissed. "It's bad enough you have me shackled like a Muggle."
"Tell us what you lot are doing out here and not at Hogwarts, then we'll take it into consideration" Scabior furthered.
"We'b lebt," Ron said from the floor.
"Left 'ave you ginger?' Scabior scoffed. "And what about his one, he's been awfully quiet."
Scabior placed his boot on Draco's cheek and pushed his face. Draco groaned at the pressure on his face.
"What 'appened to you? Lover's spat?" Scabior asked.
"Something like that," Draco responded.
"And your name?" Scabior questioned.
"She already told you, I'm Theo, Theodore Nott," Draco lied.
"I see the family resemblance," Scabior nodded. "I know your father, a bloody piece of work if you ask me."
Leila breathed a slight sigh of relief. So far, Scabior was buying her story. She hoped that Hermione's, Draco's, and her cover story would be enough to get them out of the predicament, despite Ron and Harry's blunders. Scabior continued to question them about why they had said the Dark Lord's name. Greyback then began to insult the Weasley family. Leila could tell by the flaming color on Ron's cheeks that he was ready to explode at any moment, but Scabior walked over to Hermione and sniffed her. He had some weird obsession with her, but Hermione remained silent.
"You never told me who you were," Scabior said inhaling Hermione's scent.
"Daphne Greengrass, pure-blood, like my sister already told you," Hermione said hesitantly.
"Mmm…Daphne, you smell like vanilla. I think you're going to be my favorite," Scabior said lowly.
"I'd be careful if I were you, unless you've forgotten who our mother is," Leila snarled from Greyback's arms.
"Camilla…" Scabior cringed. "Well…"
"There's no Vernon Dudley on here," the unnamed Snatcher said.
Scabior snarled and grabbed Harry by the hair on the back of his head so that they were face to face.
"You hear that ugly? The list says you're lying. How come you don't want us to know who you are? Hmm?" Scabior hissed.
"The list must be wrong then," Harry said.
"Hang on a minute, Scabior, Greyback, have a look at this!" the unnamed Snatched called.
He came running toward them with a Daily Prophet in his hands. It was flapping open to the pages of the bounties. Leila's, Draco's, Harry's, and Hermione's faces were plastered to the page. While Harry and Draco were not easily recognizable, she and Hermione were just a little dirty and sweaty, with nothing to hide them.
"Oi Greyback, the girlies we have here look a hell of a lot like the girls in the Prophet," Scabior spoke. "Hermione Granger, Leila Potter…meaning that one of these blokes is Harry Potter and another Draco Malfoy."
"Check their foreheads," Greyback growled.
Leila closed her eyes in frustration. She had been so concerned about Draco that she had completely forgotten about herself. Of course she was recognizable, she had even told Draco that she had a bounty over her head. Scabior found the faint lines from Harry's lightning bolt scar and traced it with his finger before he placed his finger on his bottom lip. He summoned Greyback over to Harry and retraced the faint scar on his head. Greyback grinned an evil grin.
"Three down, one to go," Greyback said.
"Change of plans, boys. We won't be taking this lot to the Ministry," Scabior grinned. "We're headed for Malfoy Manor."
Leila's eyes widened and focused onto Draco, who was still lying on the ground. Greyback reached for Harry and held tightly onto the Potter twins. Scabior took hold of Hermione and Ron, while the unknown Snatcher grabbed Draco. Greyback counted backward from three and then they all Disapparated. Both Harry and Leila tried to fight off Greyback, but it was useless. Greyback's strength was too much for the Potter twins and neither Hermione, Ron, nor Draco were able to fend off their captors either. Leila closed her eyes tightly until she knew her feet were once again planted on the ground. When she opened her eyes she saw an all-too-familiar dreadful large house stood before her. So many memories were inside that house. Draco vomited just outside the gate, which caused the Snatcher to smack him hard across the head, forcing him onto his knees. With Draco vomiting, the Snatcher strode to the large wrought-iron gates and shook them.
"How do we get in? They're locked! I can't-blimey!" The Snatcher began.
The iron began to contort in the shape of a face. Leila immediately recognized the voice that spoke sternly as Narcissa Malfoy's, Draco's mother.
"State your purpose."
"We've got the Potters!" Greyback shouted. "We've got Harry and Leila Potter!"
After a moment, the gates swung open and Greyback, Scabior, and the other Snatcher escorted the teenagers down the long lane. Leila stole a glance at Draco, who was unbelievably pale. Not only was he probably going to die, he was going to have to face his family for the first time since he had betrayed them for her. They were met by Narcissa and Lucius on the large veranda on the front of the house. They both stood there stiffly.
"What is this?" Narcissa asked coldly.
"We're here to see He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," Greyback snarled.
"Who are you?" Narcissa questioned.
"You know who I am!" Greyback hissed. "Fenrir Greyback and we've caught the Potter twins."
Narcissa locked eyes with Leila, who swallowed hard and quickly looked elsewhere.
"Show me proof," Narcissa said.
Greyback pushed Harry toward Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy and pulled the hair out of his face. Narcissa leaned forward a little, but it looked like she hadn't seen anything.
"I know he's swollen ma'am, but it's him," Scabior piped in.
"I don't think this is worth our time," Narcissa answered. "Let them go and return to your posts"
"You really wanna take the chance with You-Know-Who?" Scabior questioned. "I mean, if it really is them and he finds out you turned us away, you're as good as dead."
"Unless you give me substantial evidence…" Narcissa began.
"Take a closer look, you'll see his scar," Scabior said. "This one is the Mudblood companion."
Scabior took hold of Hermione and brushed through her hair with his fingers.
"Don't forget about the other Potter," Greyback growled.
Greyback pushed Leila forward until she too fell to her knees in front of the Malfoys. There was a certain déjà vu feeling in being on her knees at the mercy of the Malfoys. She felt Scabior's boot press against her back, as if he was attempting to keep her down.
"I'm sure you remember her, seeing as she was to marry your son," Scabior furthered.
"Bring them in," Lucius said gruffly.
Scabior roughly took hold of Leila's arm and dragged her up from the ground before walking through the front door. They all walked inside the Manor, a place all-too-familiar to Leila. The prison that Draco had worked so hard to release her from and now they were right back where they had started.
"Follow me," Narcissa said coldly. "Theodore Nott, a Hogwarts classmate of Harry Potter, is here with his father. If that is Harry Potter, he will know."
"Wait, did you just say, Theodore Nott?" Greyback questioned.
"Yes," Narcissa responded.
"Then who is he?" Scabior questioned.
The group stood there in the hall as Scabior pointed right at Draco. While the hair was a different color and his face was smashed, his eyes were unmistakable, especially to his parents. Lucius looked right into Draco's eyes. Pain was easily read in Draco's eyes; but Lucius wore a façade similar to the ones Draco normally put up. But Lucius' look soon turned cold and his eyes narrowed at his only son before he turned away toward the Snatchers.
"This way," Lucius grunted.
"I want to know who he is," Scabior continued. "I want to know how much I can get for 'im."
"You can get?" Greyback hissed.
"Down boy," Scabior hissed.
"We'll figure out payment details later," Lucius said.
Narcissa and Lucius led them into the room Leila had too often frequented during her stays at Malfoy Manor. Nothing about the place had changed, except for the fact the room wasn't as Death Eater-filled and was Voldemort-less. The crystal chandelier hung hauntingly from the ceiling, the fireplace gently roared, and the two chairs near it were occupied; occupied by the actual Theodore Nott and his father. Leila had never talked with Theo about his stance on the war, but seeing as he was at Malfoy Manor, one could assume what the boy thought. Leila practically jumped when Draco's deranged aunt, Bellatrix popped out of the shadows with a maniacal look on her face.
"What is this, Cissy?" Bellatrix questioned.
"They say they've got the Potter twins," Narcissa said coldly.
"Well, it's really is the boy he wants," Bellatrix sneered.
"We figured Theo could tell for sure," Narcissa added.
"Yes, my boy would be honored do such a thing," Theo's father said. "Isn't that right, son?"
"Yes, Father," Theo spoke quietly.
"Come, come then," Bellatrix commanded.
Bellatrix stalked over to where Theo sat and pulled him from his chair. Wrapping her arm around his shoulder, the crazy older woman led him to the place where Harry stood with Hermione, Ron, Draco, and Leila, who were all unarmed and carefully guarded, stood. Before examining Harry, Theo looked over to Leila and simply nodded. Theo bit his bottom lip as he looked over Harry. Leila looked at Theo with concern in her eyes. Draco's job inside the Death Eaters had fallen onto Theo's shoulders.
"Well son?" Mr. Nott asked.
"I—I can't be sure," Theo answered.
"Look closer, go on," Mr. Nott responded.
"I don't know," Theo said.
"Just think, if we were the ones who handed Potter over to the Dark Lord. Everything could be forgiven…everything could be as it was," Lucius said hopefully.
"Now listen here, Malfoy. If my boy…" Mr. Nott began.
"Hold it, hold it. We won't be forgetting who actually caught him, I hope, Mr. Malfoy," Scabior interrupted.
"How dare either of you talk to me like that in my own house!" Lucius shouted.
"Lucius," Narcissa reprimanded.
Narcissa pulled Lucius away from an altercation with either men, but he removed her hand from his arm and walked closer to Harry. Lucius carefully looked over all the prisoners, except Draco. He started with Harry before moving on to Leila. Then he moved to Hermione and lastly Ron before walking back over to Harry.
"What did you do to him?" Lucius sneered as Scabior.
"I didn't do anything," Scabior said with his hands up in defense before pointing at Greyback. "I can't make any promises about him though. You know how he gets."
"I told you I haven't done anything to them, at least not yet," Greyback growled.
"Shut it! Now, don't be shy, Theodore. Come on over…" Bellatrix said pushing Theo practically on top of Harry.
"Wait a minute, he's Theodore?" Scabior asked.
"What's it to you?" Mr. Nott hissed.
"Well, I want to get my reward right…" Scabior began.
"You keep talking like that and you'll be getting nothing," Greyback growled.
"Right, our reward…anyway, he (pointing at Draco) claims to be him (pointing at Theo) but you're telling me that he isn't really him after all because him is really him," Scabior explained.
"How could anyone possibly follow that?" Leila muttered.
"We. Don't. Know. Who. He. Is." Scabior said pointing at Draco and enunciating every word.
Greyback pushed Draco into Lucius Malfoy, but Lucius refused to look at his only son. The older man growled and sneered before pushing Draco back into Greyback. Leila looked at Draco's face and could easily read the pain of being rejected by his father. Draco had always been his father's pride and joy, but for once in his life, he was nothing to him.
"Keep that vermin away from me," Lucius hissed.
Greyback pushed Draco once more, but Lucius didn't catch him and Draco tripped over his father's feet and landed onto the floor in a heap. Greyback growled for Draco to get up and grabbed him by the collar of the sweater he had borrowed from Ron. Greyback scrutinized Draco once the teenager was back to his feet, looking between the boy and a portrait of the Malfoy family that hung nearby.
"You know, if his nose were right, I'd say he looks an awful lot like that son of yours Lucius," Greyback sneered.
Lucius looked in Draco's general direction, but never once made eye contact with his son. A scowl overtook Draco's face, which even with his broken nose and darkened hair, made his appearance as a Malfoy undeniable. Lucius turned his back on his son and looked to Greyback with a sneer on his face as if he was talking to someone far beneath him.
"He is no son of mine," Lucius hissed.
"Say it to my face!" Draco hissed back. "You owe me that much."
"I owe you nothing," Lucius growled, his back still turned to Draco.
"Look at me! I said look at me!" Draco shouted.
"I will not stand to be treated this way!" Lucius shouted.
Lucius turned his Slytherin ring to the inside of his hand and slapped Draco across the face. Draco's face stung from the slap and blood trickled from where his father's ring had scratched his cheek. Draco's hand instantly flew to his cheek where his father had marked him. Lucius kept his back turned to Draco and walked away from him.
"Such a warm welcome Father," Draco hissed.
Lucius stopped dead in his footsteps and didn't make a sound or another movement. Rather, Bellatrix took a few steps forward to get a better look at Draco. A look of glee contorted with evil overtook her face before she spoke.
"Well, well, looks like the Prodigal son has returned."