Ben was nearly back to the potions classroom after his trip to the library. Being the Potion Professors assistant meant sometimes he had to postpone meals in order to properly set up for the next class. It happened that Professor Slughorn wanted Ben to teach today's class and, seeing as they were Seventh Years, he was to find a difficult potion for them to tackle. He spent the first half of lunch looking through the restricted section of the library until he found the desired book, "Moste Potente Potions", however he made sure not to pick a malicious potion. They were going to be making the Laxative Potion.
As he was just about to open the door to the potions class, Ben was tackled from behind by two small arms. Twisting around to see which sister he would be comforting today, Ben was surprised to see Charlotte. She was sobbing quite loudly, soaking right through his jumper.
"Charlotte… Why don't you come sit down with me? We can have some Milo, and talk about what's wrong." Ben's voice was calm and Charlotte's sobbing lessened to sniffles as she nodded, her face still buried into him. When Charlotte or Georgia were upset when they were younger dad used to carry them to the kitchen to have a cup of Milo and sort everything out. So that's exactly what Ben would do for his sister now.
Hoisting her up and awkwardly trying to open the door, Ben finally made it inside. He summoned Milo, milk and two mugs from his room. Mixing the ingredients together Ben used a heating charm to warm it all up. By the time Charlotte had taken a sip her sniffling had ceased and only every so often did a small tear slip out.
From then, it didn't take Ben long to sus out what had happened. Charlotte had been bullied by her fellow Hufflepuffs and why they were doing it (he would definitely be having a word with Professor Sprout about that). And how she had been skipping meals and sometimes even classes in order to avoid them. He was angry she hadn't told him about what was going on, however he was more concerned than anything else. Charlotte continued her story and told him about what had happened between Georgia and Ron today during lunch, how it was going affect her even more, as well as how Georgia's life would be terrible at school now. Well, worse than she already had it, being a Death Eater and all.
Soon after her story was finished Charlotte left to find her friends who were probably out by the lake enjoying the sunlight, even though it was freezing. He hugged her good bye and told her to make sure she looked after herself and that he'd see her at Slughorn's party tonight.
Ben had nearly finished setting up the ingredients at all the work stations for his class when Professor Snape walked in.
o0O0o
Charlotte was confused to say the least. Ben said he'd be at the party, and he hated being late, where was he? The party had started nearly an hour ago!
"Charlotte… Charlotte are you okay?" a voice filtered into her head, bringing her focus back to her 'date'.
"Yes Neville, I'm alright, just off with the fairies I s'pose." She replied, feeling oddly comfortable around the boy, considering outside of the DA, they never really spent much time together. She had decided to invite him as her plus one when she discovered he would be serving drinks otherwise. Charlotte had considered asking Hermione, only to find out from Harry that she had asked the arrogant prat, Cormac McLaggen of all people. The guy practically oozed sleaziness.
She and Neville were making their way through the crowd, he was dressed in neat black dress robes and black dress shoes, which he probably owned because he was the Longbottom heir. While Charlotte was wearing a green tartan dress which had a white collar, and long brown stockings which came up to just above her knees and converses covered in glitter. She liked to think they made a rather odd sight.
More people were constantly arriving at the party even this late into the evening, was it normal in British Wizarding Society to come an hour after the suggested time of arrival? She saw a large array of different people, students from all houses and various years, a few teachers dotted around including Professor Slughorn himself, and there was a smattering of people, who must have been at the school specifically for the party, since they appeared to be neither.
"Ah! My dear Charlotte Prewett! Please let me introduce you to…" She found herself being swept away from Neville by the Potions Professor and was introduced to many weird and wonderful people – she even got to meet a Vampire! All the people she met had really interesting jobs or lives or stories to tell. One man she met was an ex-student of Professor Slughorn's and was continuing the work of his father the Magizoologist and author, Newt Scamander, by travelling the world with his son Rolf (who graduated from Hogwarts last year) and discovering more about the magical creatures of the world and how best to preserve them.
For some time Charlotte was walked around the room meeting more and more interesting people that it became too hard to keep track, she needed a break! She managed to get away, using the excuse of needing to use the "Little Girl's Room".
Feeling her body relax, she was no longer being dragged around by a stranger to meet more strangers. There were far too many people here, she thought this club would be small for crying out loud! Charlotte looked around the room, trying to find a familiar face in the sea of unknowns. An excited smile made it's way across her face when she saw Hermione on the other side of the room, struggling her way through the crowd to say hello. However, on her way there, McLaggen had appeared behind the Gryffindor and wrapped his arms around her waist in a familiar and comforting gesture, Charlotte could only watch long enough to see Hermione turn around to face the boy behind her. Was it too much to ask, after everything she'd been through since moving to Britain, that the girl she fancied would feel the same way? Her emotions began to overwhelm her and she ran past the couple inadvertently nudging Hermione on her way out.
When she had made it outside to the empty corridor, Charlotte fell to her knees, tears flowing from her eyes and her face turning blotchy. She stayed there sobbing silently until she heard loud footsteps leaving the party.
"Let go of me, Cormac! I told you, I don't like you in that way." It was Hermione, and she sounded really mad. Charlotte slid along the floor, hiding herself in the shadows in case Hermione needed her help.
"Mmmm… but you're so hot when you're angry, I just can't help myself, look at what you do to me." Came McLaggen's husky reply, and he pushed the young woman against the wall, caging her in with his arms and legs on either side. "It's not my fault you're so beautiful." Cormac began to rub himself against Hermione as she tried to push him away telling him to let go.
"No Cormac, please don't do this. This isn't what I want." She pleaded, a single tear slipped down her cheek, the sight of it made Charlotte snap. The greasy sleazebag was violating Hermione, she wasn't going to sit around and let it happen! She stood up to confront McLaggen.
"Hey! Let her go." She shouted, firing the first few jinxes that came into her head. Forcing the large Gryffindor away from Hermione, she muttered "Incarcerous" under her breath and watched as he was tied up. "No means no, McLaggen." She said darkly and punched him in the nose, causing him to fall to the ground in an undignified shout of pain.
"Let me go you filthy Squib!" Hermione, Charlotte and McLaggen all turned to the end of the hallway when they heard the shout of a young man. Seeing Malfoy being dragged though Hogwarts behind Filch made Charlotte snigger slightly as they watch the two of them pass, seeming not to notice they were there at all.
"Can I walk you back to your common room, Mi'lady?" Charlotte asked with a bow, holding out her hand for Hermione to take.
o0O0o
Sitting at the end of a long table in an extremely fancy looking dining room, Ben waited to find out what was going on. Snape had walked into the potions class room and knocked him out with a nonverbal spell. He had no idea where he was, and he was alone. Checking his pocket, Ben found that he still had his wand. Interesting… Who takes a person captive and leaves them with their wand? Well, Snape did apparently. Why did Snape even take him here? Was it to do with his role as a double agent? Who was the one to order the kidnapping? Dumbledore, or Voldemort? Surely it had to be Voldemort, if Dumbledore wanted to talk about something he'd just summon Ben to his office. However, what if after today's events at lunch had made Dumbledore think that perhaps Ben was a liability and sent Snape to deal with him?! No, Ben reasoned with himself, surely not. Dumbledore knew him well enough to know he'd never join Voldemort's side, even if his life depended on it.
o0O0o
Harry, having left the party after Malfoy was caught sneaking around, overhead he and Snape whispering to each other as they headed back toward the dungeons.
"Maybe I did hex the Bell girl, maybe I didn't, maybe it was Georgia." Malfoy muttered in annoyance.
"Don't lie to me Draco. I know it wasn't Miss Prewett, she was in a coma." Snape hissed back.
"What's it to you?" Malfoy sneered once more. Harry heard someone being pushed into the wall, he assumed Snape was doing the pushing as he heard what came next
"I swore to the Dark Lord that I would protect her. If you start doing her task for her it will only make trouble for both of you." His voice lowering even further, straining Harry's ears in order to hear what was being said.
"She doesn't need your protection! We were chosen for this, out of all others, us! And we won't fail him, especially her."
Snape stepped back from the boy, Harry assumed to get a better look at him. "You're afraid, Draco. You try to conceal it, it's all over your face. Let me help you."
"No! This is my task, and I'll do it by myself!" Malfoy then stormed off in the direction they were headed previously.
o0O0o
The room Ben was in started to fill up. People in Death Eater masks started lining the walls, a few joining him at the table but none of them said a word to him, though the ones at the table weren't wearing masks. Ben was starting to worry, was he at some kind of Death Eater meeting? That was the only explanation he could come up with as to why they'd be gathering like this. Ben assumed the table was for Voldemort and his inner circle, but he would have to wait and see.
Soon the room was a full capacity, minus two chairs at the other end of the table. One at the head, and one just to the side of the head. Presumable these were for Voldemort and his second in charge, though Ben couldn't work out who that might be. All the people he'd have thought it could be were already at the table.
All the Death Eaters were whispering and wondering what today's meeting was about, most of them sent glances his way clearly recognising him from the time he helped Charlotte and her friends escape the Department of Mysteries. Ben had his wand held tightly in his hand in case someone tried something. Along with his sisters, Ben was quite proficient when it came to magic.
It wasn't long after this that Ben's thoughts were interrupted by the room suddenly falling silent and the big doors he could see opened. Voldemort walked in such a way that could only be described as slithering… Voldemort sat down at the head of the table, revealing a person who was standing behind him who moved to the chair on Voldemort's right.
"Georgia!" Ben's gasp was heard all through the room, each head turned to him. He sat there, eyes wide as he looked at Georgia and who looked right back at him. "What are you doing here? You should be at school, it's way past curfew."
In Georgia's response she sounded just as surprised as he felt, "I could ask you the same question, Brother."
Voldemort smiled wickedly, "My dear Grandson, I have waited so long to see you. However, I am aware of your current ties to the Order of the Phoenix. I think we might be able to persuade you after a simple talk."
Ben sneered at the man, he was disgusted by the mere presence of him. "Biologically we may be family. But I don't side with people, family or not, who don't care about me. I wouldn't join you if my life depended on it." He stated firmly, hoping against hope that he'd be let go. Though he knew it was unlikely.
Everyone in the room laughed, except Ben and Georgia. As the Dark Lord's chuckling stopped, his expression turned sadistic the words that left his mouth feigned concern. "But surely you care about your sister, and her you."
A smirk worked its way onto Voldemort's face as he continued, "Your life may not depend on your decision here today," The Dark Lord's pale clawed hand reached over to Georgia, as he gently caressed her hair, only to suddenly grip it tight and pull it towards him, as his little sister's glasses fell from her face onto the floor, "but her's does."
Shock ran rampant through Ben. He shouldn't be shocked, but he was. There was no way he could let his sister die because of his stubbornness. He grit his teeth for a moment, starring down his Grandfather.
"Fine, I'll join your side. But remember, I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing this for Georgia."