The second Harry disappeared, the drawing room fell absolutely silent. Danny ventured out from behind the desk and gulped worriedly.

"I think I got him," Bellatrix whispered. Narcissa turned to her bleeding son and fussed over the large wound in his stomach.

"Got who?" Danny asked.

"That treacherous house elf," Bellatrix snarled. Danny bit his lip, trying his absolute hardest to keep his worry for the house elf to himself.

"You didn't hit Potter then? Because the Dark Lord would be furious if you killed Potter," Danny pressed. Bellatrix shook her head.

Suddenly the front door to the mansion slammed open and Lord Voldemort marched into the house.

"This had better be good!" he shouted. Danny swallowed nervously. Voldemort already seemed to be in a bad mood. And everyone in that room knew he was only going to get worse. Harry escaped capture again. But Danny also knew that Voldemort would be enraged by the ghosts outside rescuing the snatchers. Bellatrix shared a fearful glance with her sister.

"Well!" Voldemort encouraged sternly as he entered the drawing room before seeing the destruction left behind by Harry's escape.

"M-my lord," Narcissa breathed, shaking with fear. Draco pursed his lips in terror and muffled his soft whimpers of agony.

"What happened!? Bella! Explain!" Voldemort ordered. Bellatrix opened her mouth nervously.

"M-my lord. W-we caught P-Potter. B-but he escaped. Moments before you arrived," Bellatrix revealed reluctantly.

"Why didn't you stop him!?" Voldemort shouted.

"W-we tried. My lord. He-he had help. A house elf," Bellatrix informed him carefully. Voldemort's red cruel eyes seemed to glint with rage.

"Why wasn't I informed first thing?" Voldemort growled.

"We feared they had been in my vault in Gringotts. We wished to question them before we called you my lord. They had a sword in their possession but we confirmed it to be a fake," Bellatrix explained cautiously. Voldemort curled his lip furiously.

"This cannot go unpunished. Get up. All of you!" Voldemort decided. Danny gulped fearfully. He wouldn't be able to run if Voldemort decided to count him responsible for this upset. Bellatrix nodded dutifully and stood up. She made her way across the room and pulled Draco to his feet, supporting him as he threatened to topple. Narcissa waved her wand at Lucius and revived him and then did the same to Greyback.

"Line up," Voldemort hissed and pointed, using his wand, towards the wall with a wide bookcase. Obediently, they all stood against the bookcase. Voldemort paced in front of the frightened people. All six were terrified of Voldemort's wrath. Voldemort turned his wand on Danny first.

"Fenton, you are useful to me. I'll not kill you," Voldemort declared. Danny breathed a soft sigh of relief before screeching in agony.

"Crucio," Voldemort had growled. Danny collapsed to the ground and gasped for breath.

"But you must be punished. You have gotten off lightly. Remember that," Voldemort added cruelly. Danny nodded stiffly as he shook in pain from the after effects of the torture.

"Greyback-" Voldemort began.

"My lord, if I may, I brought Potter here the second I knew it was him. Myself and a band of snatchers caught the boy and his friends. It was Lestrange and the Malfoys that delayed in informing you of the boy's capture," Greyback interjected quickly. Voldemort blinked.

"Crucio!" Voldemort hissed. Greyback howled in pain and fell to his knees. Danny flinched in sympathy. Voldemort stopped and stepped directly in front of the werewolf.

"Never interrupt me Greyback. But I see that you aren't to blame," Voldemort scolded in a hushed, dangerous voice. Greyback gulped and nodded fearfully.

Voldemort turned to the Malfoys and Bellatrix. All of them were trembling in fear and their faces were drained of colour. He pointed his wand at Bellatrix.

"You have served me well over the years Bella. You have always been a loyal servant. I can tell that you would have done everything in your power to prevent Potter's escape. However, not informing me that you had the boy immediately was a dire mistake. And must be punished. Crucio," Voldemort decided and Bellatrix fell to her knees, gritting her teeth and muffling her screams. Voldemort turned to the remaining three cowering people.

"However the same cannot be said for your kin. Time and again they have failed me. First when Lucius allowed Potter and a team of children to get the prophecy and destroy it before I could hear it in its entirety," Voldemort resumed. Greyback, Bellatrix and Danny had shuffled a few feet away, hoping to escape further punishment. Danny watched Voldemort warily, hoping against hope that the wizard would spare the family, despite the fact that everyone knew that the Malfoys had fallen out of favour with Voldemort.

Voldemort flicked his gaze from Lucius's pale face to Draco's.

"Then Draco failed to kill Dumbledore. If it hadn't been for Severus intervening, the entire plan may have failed," Voldemort continued. He returned his gaze to Lucius.

"Then your wand didn't stand against Potter's. You are all failures," Voledmort concluded, he lifted his wand. Danny scrabbled to his feet. He knew what Voldemort was going to do. He was going to kill the Malfoys.

"Wait! My lord! Forgive me but perhaps you should reconsider your choice," Danny shouted quickly. Everyone froze and turned to the halfa.

"You dare interject! I have just deemed you worthy enough to keep alive," Voldemort hissed. Danny gulped nervously before squaring his shoulders, coming up with the best course of action.

"For which I'm grateful. However my lord. To kill the Malfoys, you may be making a grave mistake. Lucius and Narcissa have been your loyal servants for years. They have offered you everything you required after your return. Their services. Their home. Their wands. Even their son. Surely that much servitude should give them a second chance after this. Potter has evaded capture numerous times. He has evaded you yourself before. He is slippery my lord. To punish them in such a permanent and finite way, it may not leave you in the best position," Danny replied.

To say Bellatrix, the Malfoys and Greyback were gobsmacked, was an understatement. Voldemort was however livid, but he did seem to see the wisdom in Danny's words.

"They must be punished," Voldemort retorted and turned his wand on Draco who began to cry silently with terror.

"Draco is even more valuable!" Danny blurted out. Voldemort growled in annoyance.

"He has first-hand experience of Potter. He was the one to recognise Potter for certain. We believe the mudblood disguised Potter and it was Draco who confirmed for certain it was Potter," Danny bluffed. He didn't know if any of this was true. But he knew Hermione and that was definitely something she would have done to protect Harry and herself and Ron by extension. Danny just hoped that Greyback wouldn't correct him if he was wrong. Voldemort lowered his wand and turned to Danny.

"How would you punish them then? If you have all the answers Fenton," Voldemort ground out.

"Send Draco back to Hogwarts. It doesn't hurt to have another pair of eyes and ears there in case Potter gets in contact with those troublemaking kids. The Weasleys have a daughter there still. He'll be disgraced. As for Narcissa and Lucius. Keep them here. Disgraced and servants to anyone who stays here. Use this house as a base," Danny suggested, making sure to keep his eyes locked on Voldemort's and keeping his mind carefully monitored to keep any dangerous memories or thoughts locked away. Voldemort turned to Bellatrix.

"Where are the snatchers?" he asked angrily.

"Outside my lord. Incapacitated. I was going to kill them once I was finished with Potter and the mudblood," Bellatrix answered warily. Voldemort turned back to Danny.

"Crucio," he growled. Danny cried out in pain and was forced to his hands and knees from the agony, curling in on himself as the torture continued for at least twice as long as before.

"Never question my actions Fenton. Next time you disappoint me, I will not be so forgiving," Voldemort snarled. Danny weakly nodded.

Voldemort swept out of the drawing room. Danny stayed on the ground as he recovered.

"Thank you," Narcissa whispered. Danny gave a soft groan in recognition.

"I'll get a healer for Draco," Lucius muttered. Bellatrix nodded and helped her nephew out of the wrecked drawing room and into the living room. Narcissa edged forward and helped Danny to his feet, guiding him into the living room also.

"Danny… if you ever need anything. You saved my family's life, my son's life. We are in debt to you," Narcissa mumbled in his ear. Danny tiredly nodded and smiled at her.

"All I did was talk the Dark Lord out of a mistake. He's angry and potentially not thinking as clearly as he should when making those kinds of decisions," Danny replied.

From the living room there was a window out on to the courtyard. Narcissa and Bellatrix gasped in alarm as they saw Voldemort throwing curse after curse at Walker as he grabbed the last snatcher and disappearing into the Ghost Zone, the portal closing behind him. Danny knew that Walker would have given Voldemort his message that King Phantom sends his regards.

Wow, close one huh? But Danny pulled through.

However there will be consequences due to this in later chapters.

Let me know what you think so far.

Until the next chapter.