January 30, 2012
Author Note: I've taken creative license with the events in Deathly Hallows, as you'll discover in this chapter. For simple convenience I created an OC who is Blaise Zabini's younger sister or cousin, sharing his surname, but she's not in Slytherin despite being pure-blooded.
I finally bought the HP book series. Yes, that's right, I've only read or listened on tape to the local library's copies. I splurged and got the Bloomsbury "signature series" instead of the domestic Scholastic Americanized version.
Why is that important to share? I'll be able to continue writing Salubrious Snape Oil, now that I can check facts. Plus, my second read-through is giving me more inspiration to write fan fiction.
Updated March 8, 2012
Chapter Two
Railway Between King's Cross and Hogwarts
September 1, 1997
Antonin Dolohov apparated aboard the Hogwarts Express. The oldest students were leaning out of their compartment doors and gawking at the Death Eaters invading their train. A dark-skinned girl with a head full of bright-yellow-beaded braids stood in front of the entrance to the next train car, shielding schoolchildren peeking out from behind her black Prefect robe. She pointed a shaking wand arm, taking aim at various opponents with jerky motions.
Lucius Malfoy removed his Death Eater mask and dropped his hood to reveal his straggly, nearly white, yet still blond hair. The girl stared at him and lowered her wand arm in distraction.
"Little Zoe Zabini made Prefect," Malfoy soothed, and he grasped her chin in his snakeskin gloves. Turning her face to appraise both sides, he began, "One can't help but admire your family's regal features. Such a waste," he admonished, dropping her chin, "disgracing your family as a squirrelly Hufflepuff. And you haven't the sense to choose the winning side."
"A bit early to declare winners," she replied, gripping her wand so tightly that her knuckles lightened to a pale shade of tan.
Malfoy sneered when he disarmed her with a silent spell and pushed her aside.
"Back into your compartments!" she ordered as she slipped to the floor. Young students quickly crammed themselves behind latched doors, leaving her defenseless.
"Hello, Father," the drawling, deepened voice of Draco Malfoy rose above the clamor. He stood at the opposite end of the car, a false look of indifference plastered over his dark-circled eyes and ashen face. "We've searched the train. He's too scared to show his face now that Snape's superseded Dumbledore as Headmaster."
Behind Draco, the Crabbe and Goyle boys smirked stupidly.
"You're Headboy!" the younger Zabini protested as she got back to her feet. "You're supposed to keep all students safe."
"Go to the Prefect compartments, Zabini. I've got this."
"I'm not going to –"
"Get the fuck out of here!" Draco shouted at her, drawing his wand.
She clamped her mouth shut as a rose color filled her face. She gave a hesitant look and then stormed through the crowd of Death Eaters to return to the front of the train.
From behind Dolohov, the stringent voice of Bellatrix reprimanded, "Don't just stand there like stupid oafs. Search the train again."
Draco's jaw clenched and a pink tinge showed on his face. "Unless he's using his invisibility cloak, you won't –"
The senior Malfoy stormed toward Draco. "Don't interfere. You've helped the Dark Lord enough."
Yaxley patted Draco's arm as the servants of Lord Voldemort filed past the sons of their compatriots.
Dolohov yanked open compartment doors and cast silent Homenum Revelio spells. He incapacitated the fools who tried to resist him and ignored the wailing cries of girls dealing with the aftermath.
At the back of the train, Bellatrix Lestrange cackled gleefully. "The little Weasley girl's in here. Potter can't be far."
Antonin strode through the group of Slytherin students dawdling in the corridor. He reached the compartment and watched Bellatrix point her wand at the throat of a gangly boy standing near the window seat. Rodolphus had his fist tangled in flowing blond hair belonging to a wispy girl with a mild, vacant expression. Malfoy deflected curses sent by a fiery red-headed girl and pushed her against the train car seat, forcing her down as he towered over her. That left Antonin to face the other blonde girl, who was standing in the corner and already had her wand pointing at his chest.
He saw a glint of determination in her eyes. She glanced at each of her defeated friends. Antonin took off his mask to show her his confident smirk. He gazed into her eyes and heard her thoughts berating herself. She'd never cast a curse in her life, at least not in a real duel. She was trying to persuade herself that she wasn't scared shitless facing a dark wizard.
"Don't touch her, you – you – you toad!" Bella's captive shouted at Dolohov, earning a "Crucio!" from the madwoman.
"No!" the red-head sobbed. "Leave Neville alone!"
Rudolphus grunted like a man holding back his moans of pleasure. "Bella, make him scream like Alice did."
The girl in front of Antonin pointed her wand at Bellatrix and shouted, "Expellia—"
Antonin silenced her and blocked the charm before he disarmed her and grabbed her oak wand as it flew to him. Her jaw slackened and she stared at Antonin with terrified eyes, the whites far out of proportion to her colored irises. He seized her arm, dragged her in front of him, and held her against his body with one arm while his wand threatened her head.
"No sudden moves," he murmured into her ear. The ends of her ponytail tickled his neck when she startled nervously. He pulled her closer as she began to hyperventilate.
"Give us Potter and I'll let you go," he whispered in her ear, causing her to shudder.
Her lips trembled as she looked at him with no hope in her wide eyes. "He's not here," she mouthed, still under his silencing spell.
Dolohov yanked her hair back and held her neck in place as he searched her doe brown eyes. He's going to kill me. Just like they killed Mum. Kill me and rape me and chop off my arms and legs and then tie me to the train rails to squeeze out every last drop of my blood.
Antonin grinned at her, impressed with her vile imagination.
And no one will give a shit. No one cares what happens to an Abbott. No one cares what happens to the daughter of an Unspeakable.
Unaware of himself, he caressed her neck with his thumb. Her racing pulse drummed on his fingers as a clammy sweat took hold of her.
"Breathe," he spoke, his beard brushing on her cheek. With a gentle tap of his wand, he placed a calming spell on her forehead. She leaned into the hand on her neck and pleaded with her eyes, Just let him do it quick and painless. The cadaver curse Professor Moody showed us – or whatever his name was – Avada Something-Something.
Snape busted open the door of the compartment. "We have quite the convention here," he muttered dryly. With a flick of his wand, he resized the compartment with an extension charm and entered, followed by the Carrow twins. "Well done, Bella. Indeed, you've found the nest of vipers, the closest friends of Potter. But he himself is not on the train."
The girl leaning on Antonin's arm shook her head violently. I'll lie. I'll say I never knew Harry. They don't know I was in Dumbledore's Army, do they?
His arm gathered her shoulders to his chest. He'd seen enough of her thoughts. He couldn't shake the feeling that he would regret having to kill her if it came to that.
Snape lectured the Carrows: "Take note of each face. These are close friends of Potter. He will return to Hogwarts for them – bleeding heart that he is. Do not harm them beyond reason. The Dark Lord wants his bait to be alive."
He pivoted to stare at the red-head who raised her eyes in defiance. "Where is your boyfriend, Miss Weasley?"
"I don't have a boyfriend."
"Imperius," he said coldly. The red-head relaxed and smiled dreamily at the menacing Headmaster.
Antonin's captive twisted and tried to go to the Weasley girl, but he held her back.
Snape signaled Malfoy to let Ginny go. The blonde wizard smirked at the girl's guileless face looking at her professor with … longing?
"Stand up. Tell me where your boyfriend is," the headmaster commanded.
She immediately slid off the seat and stood at attention. "I don't have a boyfriend, because Harry broke up with me before he went on Dumbledore's last mission."
Malfoy fingered the girl's long red hair. "Looks like Potter inherited his father's fancy for red heads," he drawled. "Tell me, Weasley, did you know that Lily Potter had hair just like yours?"
"No."
"Enough!" Snape growled. Dolohov felt a pulse of magic leave Snape, but Malfoy did not flinch. The Weasley girl had a confused grin on her face.
"What mission was that, Miss Weasley?"
"He wouldn't tell me. Harry said it was secret and that he alone could accomplish it."
"Arrogant little prat, just like his father."
The Death Eaters chuckled at Snape's remark.
"What's your excuse for why your ignoramus brother is not on the train?" Snape continued his interrogation.
"He's at home with Splattergroit. My family's already owled you about his dangerous and contagious condition." Her eyes flicked to Malfoy. "I only hope Ron didn't contaminate me with it. Those disgusting purple blotches cause permanent scars."
Malfoy shrank back from her in disgust. Snape gave a nod. "Should your brother recover, he'll be expected to report to school immediately. But your family is well informed of this fact."
He flicked his wand and uttered, "Finite incantatem."
The Weasley girl glared at him with pure hatred.
He turned away from her caustic eyes and faced Neville Longbottom. "The child born on July thirtieth," he said with a sneer.
Bellatrix cackled with delight. "He looks right like his father Frank, don't he?"
Snape gave a thoughtful nod. "It's remarkable that Potter's become friends with the only other boy who could have fulfilled the prophecy. Now, Bella, we both know that Potter won't bother to return to Hogwarts if his friend here becomes the equivalent of an empty-headed gourd. Leave the Cruciatus curse to the Carrows. They can be trusted to apply a more delicate touch. Isn't that so, Amycus?"
The pudgy man frowned in disappointment. His sister answered for him. "We'll punish the students with what they deserve, Headmaster."
Bella whined in frustration.
Snape gave her a patronizing stare. "Have you forgotten that Neville Longbottom is a pureblood, Bella? Perhaps he simply found himself putting his trust in a lost cause. But if my suspicions are correct, he'll lead Potter right to us.
The blond waif held by Rodolphus spoke up in a dreamy voice. "Harry's always with us in spirit."
Lestrange cursed her, causing burning sores to fill her mouth. Antonin watched Snape's eyes flicker in fury. "Haven't you listened to a word? Potter won't come back for damaged goods." Antonin noted that the puppet headmaster seemed to relish his role as the top authority over both his students and his cohorts.
"Now then, Alecto, you and Amycus must humor this boy's pathetic attempts to sneak around the castle. The Boy Who Lived is sure to turn up and make a grotesque attempt at rescuing him sooner or later. Save your ruthless spite for then and keep your grace in the eyes of our master.
"As for you, Miss Abbott," Snape continued, turning to the girl held by Antonin, "you've had the good sense to return to Hogwarts; however, I am sorry to inform you that there are certain issues that must be addressed regarding your tuition."
"But—" she began. Snape cut her off with a silencing charm.
Antonin carefully watched Snape's face. Too late, he realized he'd opened himself to the man's skillful Legilmency. Snape had already seen who Dolohov's captive resembled, many years ago.
The Headmaster frowned. "Miss Abbott, you will be taken by Mr. Dolohov directly to the Hog's Head Inn. I'll be there within the hour to settle your arrangements prior to the opening feast."
Rodolphus drooled over the thought of taking his aloof blond girl to the rat-infested inn. Antonin sneered at him in disgust. At least, he thought to himself, Lestrange was too much a fool to realize what Snape had already seen. Hannah Abbott looked quite like Antonin's deceased fiancée Aliz, who had died defending Voldemort in the first Wizard War.