Author's Note: I had a long day today, and I really don't feel like working on anything right now. So, lucky for you guys, I've decided to edit a new chapter! Here you go.

Chapter 66

I open my eyes and take in my surroundings.

Yeah, this is a dungeon below the Manor.

My wrists and ankles are both chained to the wall behind me, and a thick steel collar around my neck limits the range of motion of my head.

Fuck, I'm doomed.

How did they find out it was me? How did they know? They must have discovered it soon after I left with Theo for Derbyshire—there wasn't an Anti-Disapparition Jinx around the Manor at that time.

Lupin.

I groan. Lupin was released. That must have been it. The traitor in the Order has some nerve, taking—or proposing—a deal like that. They get Lupin back, and I get ratted out.

Too fucking coincidental.

Voldemort's busy in Russia—he said he had something to take care of. Is it too much to hope that he'll be too busy to come back for me?

Yes, it probably is.

The Dark Lord loathes traitors. And if he had such high hopes for me… I'm sure he'll be coming right back, as soon as he hears the news.

He might even be on his way back now.

I should probably just resign myself to fate. I'm going to have hell to pay for this.

And it was all for naught. Granger doesn't even give a damn about me.

I hang my head.

Yes, my godfather and I are going to have even more in common by the time today's over. The only difference will be that he lived a longer life and suffered a less painful death.

Then the door to my cell swings open.

"Mother?" I say.

"I don't have time," she says, flicking her wand several times in quick succession to remove the shackles from my wrists, ankles and neck. "Your father and Bella—I distracted them—bickering like normal, the two of them. I have to get you out of here."

She starts moving out of the cell, and though my legs feel like noodles, I force myself to move quickly.

"I didn't have time to find your wand," she says. "There's an Anti-Disapparition Jinx all around the grounds. Most of the men at the Dark Lord's table have arrived, and they've summoned him. He'll be here in twenty minutes, at the most."

We're heading down the long corridor, and I move as swiftly as I can, trying to keep up with her. I still feel a little weak from my previous exertion.

"Mother, they'll know you released me," I say. "You can't—"

"I will not see my son die before me. I am your mother, and you will respect my wishes," she says firmly.

She pulls open the door at the end of the hall, and we come to an abrupt stop.

"Narcissa, what do you think you're doing?" Father says in a chilling voice.

"What we both should be doing," Mother replies.

Father's livid. "Do you want to get us all killed?" he hisses.

He gives Mother a hard shove, throwing her back into me, and I barely manage to keep both of us on our feet. Father steps into the corridor and seals the door behind him.

"You're not going anywhere. Try anything, and I'll kill you," he says.

Mother glares at him and takes a step forward, away from me. "Kill me?" she says, really challenging him for the first time. "After all this time, you think you'll kill me? All right, then. Kill me. If our son dies because of you, I won't want to live with you anymore, anyway."

Then there's a series of bangs on the door.

Father glances back, distracted, and Mother takes the opportunity to fire a hex at him. But Father's reflexes are too quick, and he blocks the attack just in time.

"How dare you turn your wand against me!" he roars.

They exchange a few curses, and I back farther into the dungeons as they move inward. I want to help, but it'd be too easy to hurt Mother if she accidentally moved into the way. I've never seen my parents dueling like this, and I almost can't believe my eyes.

With a wave of his wand, Father throws Mother against a wall. Her wand clatters to the ground as she grasps at her neck, and it becomes clear to me that she's suffocating.

I lunge at Father, but he tosses me back as well. I collide painfully with the stone wall, but at least Mother's been released—she slumps to the ground, clutching her neck and trying to catch her breath.

I try to throw off the hold Father has over me, but I could never beat him while I was wandless.

Then the door is blasted straight off its hinges, and an absolutely furious Aunt Bella stands in the opening. She takes in the sight of Mother, gasping for air on the ground, and me, getting back to my feet—the explosion distracted Father enough for him to release me.

"I warned you, Lucius," Aunt Bella says coldly, stepping into the hallway.

No, she wouldn't. Surely, she can't off someone who sits at the Dark Lord's table without his permission. But then again, I didn't hesitate when I had to kill Yaxley.

"Drop your wand," Aunt Bella says.

Father's wand is still pointed in my direction, and instead of loosening his grip, his hand clenches around his weapon. "If you kill me, I'm taking my boy with me."

The spell comes over me again, and I suddenly can't move.

Fuck!

Finite Incantatem.

No effect.

"You'll be dead before you can think the words, you foul man," Aunt Bella snarls.

When Father still doesn't lower his wand, I see the shift in Aunt Bella's expression, the one that means she's about to kill. Bloody…

"Avada—"

The word is cut off by Mother's loud scream, and a flash of green light blinds me momentarily.

Then silence.

I feel like all the air has been sucked out of the room.

Mother's still body lies at Father's feet.

I take a tiny step forward, away from the wall. This can't be real. This can't be happening.

Then I realize that I can move and shift my gaze upward. Father's wand is no longer pointed at me. My eyes flit to Aunt Bella's face to see a genuinely horrified expression.

But then all emotion is wiped away, and she points her wand at Father again. "This is your fault," she hisses wrathfully.

"You're the one who killed her!" Father replies, his voice shaking with fury.

"Draco, leave. Now!" Aunt Bella says.

I don't understand why she's telling me to leave—surely she doesn't truly intend to set me free. But my body seems to respond of its own accord. I move toward the exit, numb, unable to look at Mother's body. I pass by Aunt Bella and head for the door, unable to register what has just occurred.

Mother… how could you…?

Then I hear that word again, coming from Aunt Bella's mouth.

In a flash, I realize what's about to happen, realize that history is about to repeat itself. I whirl around in time to see a jet of green light erupt from the tip of Aunt Bella's wand.

No.

I lift my hand and shove my palm out toward Aunt Bella. She's lifted clear off her feet and thrown to the side, just as the curse rebounds toward her.

The strength it takes to magically lift and throw my aunt almost makes me drop to my knees.

Before I have time to recover, a Full Body Bind Curse hits me, and I collapse, stiff as a board.

Then Father's standing over me.

"Your mother is dead because of you," he says.

I can only glare up at him. It's his fault, not mine!

Then I'm levitated and placed back in the cell. He doesn't even bother to chain me up before slamming the door shut. I suppose it's because the Dark Lord will be here so soon that I won't be able to recover enough strength to free myself anyway.

I hear Aunt Bella and Father exchanging cold words outside, but I can't make them out.

And I realize that I don't care.

Mother is gone.

She's never coming back.

She'd brought me up to believe in all the wrong things. She'd stood by and sobbed silently every time Father tortured me. But she loves—loved—me. Her last wish was to get me out of here alive.

It seems like I should be feeling much worse, but there's only this strange, empty void.

I want to think about something else, anything else.

Voldemort will be here in a few minutes, and I'll be done for. It'll be over.

Everything will be over.

Suddenly, that doesn't sound like such a bad thing.

Then, I hear the cell door swing open for the second time.

The Full Body Bind Curse is lifted, and I sit up and turn to see—

"Aunt Bella."

She clenches her jaw. "I… owe you. For saving my life."

I chuckle humorlessly. "Stupid, wasn't it? You'd just killed my mother—your sister. If I'd just let you die, I could be free right now."

"And you will be," she says.

A Disillusionment Charm settles over me, and I swallow hard. Is she really about to do this? I find it impossible to believe that she would ever betray her beloved Dark Lord.

"Follow me, and do not get left behind," she instructs me. "I will not wait for you."

With that, she sweeps out of the cell. I race after her, snatching Mother's wand from the ground as I pass. I push away that empty void—I can mourn later, if I live through this.

I follow Aunt Bella upstairs rapidly, adrenaline keeping me light of foot and alert.

"What happened down there?" Mulciber asks.

"The boy is missing," Aunt Bella says. "Narcissa set him free. I already sent Lucius to look for him—he knows this Manor better than anyone else."

"We'll keep our eyes open, then," Mulciber says.

"Secure the perimeter—we can't have him escaping before the Dark Lord arrives," Macnair says.

"Crabbe! Goyle! Come with me," Aunt Bella says. "We'll cover the boundaries."

The elder Nott speaks up. "I think you should stay here, Bellatrix."

"Do you think I should care what you think, Nott?"

"You were the one who noticed the escape," Mulciber points out. "The Dark Lord will want—"

"Don't tell me what to do, Mulciber," Aunt Bella says, the murderous tone in her voice keeping the others in check. "Surely, you know better than that."

The men are silent.

"Crabbe! Goyle! We're leaving."

She exits the room swiftly, and I shadow her footsteps. The four of us exit the Manor and move through the grounds quickly.

"Split up," Aunt Bella says. "I'll go westward, and you two take the eastern side. Stay alert."

Greg and Vince's fathers hurry away without complaint.

Aunt Bella moves along the perimeter until the bulky men are out of sight, and I continue to follow her, unsure of whether or not the Anti-Disapparition Jinx extends farther past the boundaries of the Manor.

Then she stops and turns around. "Draco, before you leave—give me Cissy's wand."

I hesitate before holding the wand out to her, tapping her elbow with it, since she can't see me. She swiftly catches my wrist, takes Mother's wand, and thrusts my own wand into my hand.

I'm about to Disapparate, but I pause. I have to know.

"Aunt Bella—Dark Lord first, family second. You—"

"After tonight, you are no family of mine. You are as dead as Cissy, to me."

I blink a few times. The words hurt far more than I ever would have expected them to.

"Bye, Aunt Bella."

Her hand still lingers on my wrist and slowly slides upward, pushing my sleeve back until she reaches the spot on my forearm where she knows the Dark Mark is located. Her thumb rubs lightly over that place, and I glance up to see that her face is pained, mirroring the emotions that are welling up inside me.

"Bye, Draco," she murmurs softly.

Ever so slowly, her grip loosens, and I pull my arm back, passing my wand to my right hand. I take another look at her face and see that it's become impassive.

Then her wand's pointed in my direction.

"Sectumsempra!"

Invisible swords slash at my chest and arms. I take two steps backward to take myself outside of the boundary. Clenching my wand tightly in my fist, I focus with all my might on going home.

I get another glance at Aunt Bella's face as the constricting sensation of Apparition comes over me.

In that last moment, I could have sworn I saw a tear slip from her eye.