Disclaimer: All characters and everything related to Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling.

Recap: Lucius Malfoy brings Draco to a death eater meeting to join the death eater ranks. But the Dark Lord uses Draco as a lesson to his father and example to the other death eaters. No longer will their children escape his wrath should they fail. As Draco is held under the crucio curse, Lucius finds that he does, indeed, have a heart and feels it break as he is forced to watch his son being tortured to death. The realization that he has failed as a father to his only son and heir brings Lucius to pray that his son would somehow be spared. Severus Snape watches as his godson screams under the pain he is forced to endure. Nobody believes that Draco will last the night; the Dark Lord certainly does not mean him to. But an unsuspected hero comes to Draco's aid in the form of a kidnapped American girl with violet eyes and unbelievable power. But as she tells Draco there is nothing to fear, the avada kedavra curse is shot towards him in retaliation of the girl's words.

Chapter 3 Power and Punishment

Severus watched in horror as the green light rushed closer to his godson, and then in fascination as the curse , just like the curses shot towards the girl when she had first entered the chamber, was absorbed by the air and fizzled out right before it met its intentional victim. Shocked silence reigned in the room, and the tension mounted as the Dark Lord glared at the figures in the middle of the room. Severus followed his gaze to see Lucius looking just as horrified and shocked as he, himself, felt. Draco's entire body was shaking, eyes wide and skin as pale as death. Finally, he turned his gaze to the girl kneeling gracefully by his godson. Head held proudly, her violet eyes glaring defiantly back into blazing crimson as her and the Dark Lord stared each other down. Severus knew everyone else in the room could feel when the twos' magical auras that were pulsing around them clashed together. It was as if a war was going on right in the room. Good vs. evil, dark vs. light. The room shook with the amount of power the two showed, and by the murderous expression on the Dark Lords face, Severus knew that he was making no headway in the battle for magical dominance these two were displaying. Severus glanced back at the girl to see her mouth curl into a smirk that put even his to shame. Eyes alight with amusement as she continued to stare into the murderous face of the Dark Lord. His eyes boiling with rage, his anger now rolled off of him in waves as he caught the amusement in the girls eyes.

' The girl is fearless! '

Severus's eyes widened a fraction at the thought now filling his mind. Here this girl was, no older than his own godson, and she was holding her own against the Dark Lord in a chamber filled with death eaters. Not only that, but anyone else would have been shaking in fear, but there she was, her magic and eyes meeting his dead on as she smirked and stared at him in amusement. Severus was floored by the amount of awe and amazement he felt well up inside. Looking around, he knew he was not the only one.

As Voldemort continued to attempt to stare her down and break through her occlumency shields, she could feel his magic blast against hers in his tirade. The fact that he seemed to be using all his power against her had her eyes glinting with amusement. She could feel his anger building as he caught her amused look and smirk. She could sense his frustration as he continued to try to force his way through her shields, and force his magic to make hers bend to its will, without so much as making a dent. She could feel the way their magic clashed together, making the room shake, and she could sense the emotions of the other people in the room. Awe, amazement, wonderment, curiosity, and furious anger was rolling around the room. Voldemort hissed out in strain and frustration, and she felt his magic recede the tiniest fraction, and knew he would not last much longer. Her smirk plastered on her face and her violet eyes glowing, she gracefully returned from her kneeling position to her feet, helping the boy with her to his shaky legs as well. She held onto the boy's arm to keep him steady, but never took her eyes away from the glaring red ones in front of her. Voldemort narrowed his eyes at her, his fury growing as she only smirked back , her violet eyes laughing at him.

" I'm not even trying. " Again, her voice rang clearly around the room. Strong and steady, it held no trace of fear or tension. " But if this is the game you want to play…." And with that, she actually pushed her magic out, barely, but the effect was staggering. Her magic covered Voldemorts , and instead of trying to break through it as his tried to do hers, it melted into it. Transformed it, and suddenly the room stopped shaking. Where once his magic covered half the room, it now covered only the immediate space around him. Where his magic had been giving off dark, furious vibes it was now replaced by a light, fearless feeling. The magic washed over everyone in the room, her magic reigned supreme.

The boy let out a gasp of shock at the change, and the attention of Voldemort transferred to him. He glared through his narrowed eyes at him, but turned his attention back to the girl.

" You will stop this. NOW!" He spat out at her, murder in his eyes. His death eaters recoiled at his tone, the boy winced, but she took it unflinchingly. Her eyes narrowed though, and took on the determined and angered look they had held before.

" You started it. And how dare you attempt to contradict my words with your actions! Really. You had your… servant spying on me for months. Surly he told you I am powerful. " Her voice took on the tone of someone who was musing. " But, I guess a servant is not the same as a friend. For where a friend shares information willingly, a servant shares only what is required of them."

Voldemort's eyes became slits as she spoke to him, his anger mounted at her seemingly unconcerned and fearless tone.

" You ignorant child! " A witch nearest to Voldemort screeched at her. " You should remember you place and beg forgiveness of our Lord, you filthy little brat! How dare you intervene with deserved punishments ?" As the screaming came to a stop, the girl turned her eyes to the witch, and everyone who could see the cold,furious look in them backed slightly away, but everyone felt the dangerous flavor the magic in the room had taken, and when she spoke, her tone was that of the deadliest softness.

" And you … Bella… would do well to hold that vile, careless tongue of yours before I cut it out and shove it down your throat until you choke to death. Trust me, it would be a lot less, than you deserve for the disgusting acts you have commited." Everyone drew in a breath at the same time. Some shocked that the girl had known who Bellatrix was and what crimes she had commited. For if the girl knew that, then what else did she know? Most were shocked at the open threat. She smirked on the inside. How amusing that what was meant as a promise, they mistake as a threat. She continued to speak, her soft deadly tone turning into one of anger and disgust at the people around her. " Oh yes. I know who you are. All of you. I know what you have done. You would torture and murder , commit the most horrifying acts in the name of your …Lord…" her eyes again becoming blazing fires as she turned them to Voldemort. She was inwardly happy to sense the astonishment hanging in the air at her words. No one dared to even breathe as she continued. " You commit the most horrid crimes on the grounds that you are creating a better world. You hide behind the idea that what you do should be allowed because you are pureblood, " she spat out the last word as if it were a disease; as if she were disgusted by the very thought of it. " Because you believe you are better than half bloods and muggleborns alike. You, who would carry out these massacres ordered by him," she threw a disgusted look at Voldemort, who was currently building up his rage and glaring daggers at her as she turned her back to him, her eyes boring into the death eaters surrounding her. " And yet you are more cowardly and low than the worms in the ground that crawl over your buried ancestors bones. You say you carry out these crimes because you are building a better world, a safer world, for your fellow witches and wizards. You hide behind these alarmingly false and disgusting excuses , thinking the world cannot see how you are nothing but low, cold-blooded murderers and cowards. " She was circling the room now, her voice powerful, vicious and cutting. " You would do all that he orders because you believe as purebloods you are some sort of royalty and that everyone else is below you and should bow to you. You teach your children that nothing is more important than continuing your precious blood lines, that muggleborns and half bloods are not good enough for them because they will taint your blood lines. You preach about how important your bloodlines are, and yet you would stand by out of fear as your so called Lord would put an end to one of the most powerful and oldest bloodlines since the beginning of wizards and witches. You sit back as the cowardly beings you are and watch him and help him destroy everything you hold dear and say you're fighting for. Look! He would torture and kill your children, the future of your precious bloodlines that you care so much about, and you stand there and do nothing! Frozen out of fear of him and the fear of losing your own lives! Are your children's lives not worth more than yours? What kind of parents are you? Teaching your children the pain and destruction life could bring before they even live, encouraging them to inflict pain and damage on others or else they shall bare the wrath of you and your Lord. Forcing them to grow up in your shadows, and not allowing them to find their own light. You are cowards! You disgrace the wizarding world! You disgrace your family names that you believe makes you better than those around you, and you disgrace your ancestors, who worked to make your family all it was. You are a disgrace to the House of Salazar Slytherin. But more importantly, you disgrace your children, who will bear the name and family you have forever disgraced. Who will have no future but as a disgraced outcast to the rest of the wizarding world because of the choices you have made. No longer will your names mean power and authority. They will represent cowards and fools. Your very name is lower and filthier than the muggleborns you despise. " She paused, staring around the room that was in a stunned and horrified silence. The truth and conviction of her words cut through their hearts and shocked them into statues. No one moved, no one breathed. Even Voldemort was too stunned and furious to do anything as she continued on. " But no longer will your children suffer the wrath of your lord. No longer will they be brought forth to pay the price of your failures, your mistakes, and your choices. Along with all the students of Hogwarts, they cannot be touched or harmed by you, or your disgusting master. You cannot harm one hair on their head, and you would do well to remember that they are your only chance in the future for returning any kind of glory to your family names that you yourselves have disgraced, but if you insist on disowning them, you will find that you cannot. They are under my protection, and you will find similar things happening as they did when you attempted to curse me and Draco. From now on, you alone will bare the wrath of your choices , not your children. You will suffer the consequences of your own failures, and you alone will pay for the disgrace you have brought our world by accepting that mark. Not your children, and not anyone elses. The blood that covers your hands you shall pay for yourself, and the innocent souls you have commited heinous crimes against will lay heavy on your shoulders, and they demand punishment and retribution. You WILL pay for all you have done." She ended as she turned to Voldemort, eyes and voice full of conviction as she stated the last sentence, staring him straight in the eyes.

And for the first time in his existence, his eyes shown clearly with fear.

Draco Malfoy listened intently to the girls speech. And he was stunned by the disgust, conviction and truth in her words. He watched her as she walked around the room, fearless and proud, her magic crackling around her and her beautiful violet eyes blazing . She looked so young and innocent, yet here she was, staring down the death eaters who so many feared, and promising them all that they feared. She was incredible! Draco could not keep his eyes off of her. Her black, raven hair falling around her and voice still soft and deadly as she told the death eaters that their children were now under her protection, and out of their reach. She moved with a gracefulness he had never before seen, and pride radiated from her stature. She could put any pureblood to shame. But he did not envy that.

He envied her fearlessness. Here they were, trapped in a chamber with the Dark Lord and his death eaters, and she walked around as if they wouldn't kill her at a moments noticed. She gave no second thoughts to turning her back on the Dark Lord, or threatening him and his minions. It was as if she did not fear death, and as if she feared losing her life and all she lived for even less. This kind of fearlessness was not something that could be imitated. It was a choice. They could take everything from her, but she still did not fear them. But looking around, he couldn't help but think how they were going to get out of there. The death eaters would not let them through the door, and naturally there would be anti-potkey and apparation wards up. He watched her as she came to stand by his side. He noticed she came slightly past his shoulder. She looked at him, and her lips tuned into a sly little grin, and she looked as though she knew exactly what he was thinking. He looked back at her in confusion .

' Of course there are wards up Draco. But don't worry, I got it all under control.'

He gasped slightly as her voice rang through his head, and she stifled a giggle and turned back to the Dark Lord and spoke out loud.

" Well, I would love to stay and torment you and your faithfull followers some more, but I've got people to see, places to go, you know how it is. " Draco was amused to find she said all this as if she was speaking to an acquaintance. His amusement was gone in the next instance however, when the Dark Lords lips curled into a very frightening smirk.

" You cannot leave. " he hissed at her, his tone was uneven with rage at how she disregarded him. " You will no doubt have sensed the wards. You will not be going through the door and you cannot apparate. " He sneered at her, while her lips turned into a mocking smirk. She took Draco's hand and a whispered 'hang on' went through his head as she spoke out loud again. Smirk on her lips, and eyes dancing in laughter at the murderous glare the Dark Lord was sending her.

" Watch me." Were the words spoken before they apparated, Draco clinging to her hand and holding on for dear life as he thought about how many times she had saved him in the last hour.