Chapter 8

"I need to go to the library," Hermione blurted out and rushed out of the Great Hall before Allegra could speak. Harry and Ron were nowhere to be seen, and even Pavarti and Lavender weren't around. A metal cup slammed down next to Allegra's arm.

"You," Allegra looked up to find Alicia Spinnet glowering at her.

"Hello?"

"How do you think it's okay to string Fred along for months when you have no interest at all?"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. I've had quite enough of listening to him moaning because of you."

Allegra turned in her seat to look at Alicia. Alicia was a girl in the sixth year, she hardly ever saw her other than when she tried out for quidditch each year.

"What?"

"How can you live with yourself? Pulling him around when you're only interested in a Slytherin."

Allegra stared at her, "what?"

"Don't you get enough attention?" Alicia's eyes narrowed, "or am I forgetting that you're a whore."

Allegra stood up, the plates on the table started vibrating, and Allegra tried hard to keep everything under control.

"Who the fuck are you?"

Alicia drew her wand and before Allegra could react Alicia went flying back and hit the stone wall with a thud.

All of the students in the room gasped.

"Miss Boone!" Allegra wasn't sure which teacher had called her name, but she wasn't going to stick around to find out.

Allegra stepped over the bench and started walking away.

"It wasn't her, Miss," Dean had stood up to defend her, "I was watching, she doesn't have a wand."

Allegra didn't stop, once in the hallway she started running, she ran out of the castle and down towards the forest. This was exactly the type of thing Dumbledore had warned her about, she was going to be arrested, and expelled, and god knows what else.

The cold wind made her eyes sting and water. She stopped momentarily to wipe her face on her jumper sleeves, glad that it was the weekend and she wasn't in uniform. She saw the forest ahead of her and started running, cat leaping over mole hills and letting the gradient of the hill pull her faster.

Draco and Blaise walked along the corridor and as they did so, something caught Draco's eye.

"Blaise," he stopped to look out of the window, "is that Allegra?"

He watched the figure run as fast as they could and disappear into the tree line.

"Yes, I think it was."

"What is she doing?" Blaise shrugged, obviously unconcerned.

"If you knew her for as long as I have this wouldn't surprise you at all."

Draco lingered by the window a moment longer and then walked in the opposite direction to Blaise, back to the library. When he got inside he went to the table where he'd seen Hermione Granger sitting.

"Granger," Hermione looked up in shock.

"Hi," she frowned.

"I've just seen Allegra running into the forest. Blaise said that was normal behaviour. Is that normal behaviour?"

"Not at this time of day." An answer that still confused Draco. Hermione closed her book and stood up. "I'll see if I can find out what's happened."

Hermione started to leave.

"Hermione," Draco said, almost choking on the name, "please tell me when you know."

Hermione paused, nodded curtly, and left. Hermione quickly skipped down the steps into the entrance hall, Dean was leaving the Great Hall and started towards her when he saw her.

"Hermione, I'm not sure how it's happened, but Alicia Spinnet started having a go at Allegra and now she's gone."

"What, why?"

Dean shook his head, "I don't know. But Alicia was about to get violent when she went flying back into the wall. I was watching - I know it wasn't Allegra, she didn't have a wand, but now the teachers are trying to find out who did it."

The switch clicked in Hermione's head and she tried not to let the alarm bells show in her eyes.

"Can you help me find Harry and Ron?" she asked, "I really need them."

Dean nodded, "I'll check our dorm, the common room and the upper floors, you look down here."

Hermione nodded and started walking.

Allegra felt better once she was hidden by the trees. It was a bright day and light filtered through the canopy making patterns on the floor. Birds sang and Allegra felt none of the foreboding that the forest caused at night. She walked deeper into the forest for ten minutes or so until something caught her eye. On the tree in front of her, someone had engraved something. Allegra walked up to the trunk for a closer look. Allegra stopped when she realised what it was; the dark mark. She looked around and realised that nearly every tree nearby had the same marking. Allegra raised her hand and felt the mark with her finger tips, the edges were smooth, as though it had been branded and was almost hot to the touch. A chill went up her spine, this had been done recently. She froze as she realised that all the natural noises of the forest had disappeared, leaving nothing but silence.

"Boo," two arms wrapped around her, one hand went over her mouth and instantly she felt the familiar feeling of being squeezed and twisting; they were apparating.

Minerva got out of bed and picked up the candle on her bedside table, "I'm just coming." She went to the door.

"Professor McGonagall," Hermione said, voice wobbling. Five boys stood behind her in the dark.

"Whatever's the matter, Hermione?"

"Allegra's missing." Minerva felt her heart jump to her throat.

"You better come in," Minerva opened the door and led the students into her office, she didn't sit down but simply stood beside her desk, allowing the students to fan out in front of her. With Hermione was, as always, Harry and Ron, but they were also peculiarly accompanied by Dean Thomas, Blaise Zambini and Draco Malfoy. "Before we panic, Hermione, I think you better explain what has happened to me."

Hermione took a deep, shuddering breath to steady herself and then began.

"Allegra was eating lunch alone in the Great Hall when Alicia Spinnet came up to her and started having a go at her, we're um - not quite sure what it was about, but Dean was watching and saw Alicia pull her wand on Allegra and Alicia went flying back into the wall." Hermione started making a strange face.

"But she didn't have a wand, I was watching, she didn't do anything," Dean said. Minerva glanced at Dean and back at Hermione's odd expression.

"I see," she nodded knowingly at Hermione, and Hermione relaxed slightly.

"So Allegra went running off into the forest," Hermione said.

"Arguably normal behaviour," Blaise chipped in.

"I didn't think so," Draco said, "I saw her out of the window."

"So we went to look for her," Harry said blankly.

"Yes," Hermione breathed, "we all went, and split up, anyway - Ron and I found an area of trees where they had all been branded with the dark mark."

"And in the middle the leaves had all been kicked about," Ron said, "as though someone had been dragged or skidded."

Minerva's heart leapt once more. "Right, and do you believe that it was far into the forest enough for apparition to be possible?"

Hermione nodded, "I believe so."

"Are we absolutely sure she is not in the castle?" Minerva looked at Harry heavily, knowing he could look at his map.

"She's not, we're sure," Harry said.

"Then I must get dressed and alert the other Professors and go and search the forest for ourselves." Minerva went to the door to show them out, "go back to your houses I will send word of what we find."

"If you need someone to show you -"

"Thank you, Mister Weasley, I will call on you if it is necessary."

Allegra's eyes watered with fear. A foul tasting rag was tied tightly in Allegra's mouth and thick rope was cutting into her wrists from where they restrained her. Allegra wasn't sure of why she was there, but was focusing everything she had on not letting her ability take control. Three Death Eaters stood on either side of her, and the one that had grabbed her was leaning on the back of her chair. She had only seen his face, it was unfamiliar, and all of the other faces were hidden in darkness. The silence was broken by cackling coming from a distant corridor, and it grew louder as they seemed to be getting nearer. Finally the owner entered the room, eccentrically moving with every step, masses of dark curly hair fell over her face. Allegra's eyes went wide as the face she recognised to be Bellatrix Lestrange came close to her and grabbed her jaw with sharp fingers.

"Which one are you?" Allegra almost whimpered, but managed to keep herself under control. She had never before seen eyes so dark, she could see no distinction between the iris and pupil. "Are you Hermione Granger?" Allegra shook her head vigorously. "Allegra Boone?"

Allegra barely nodded, but it was clear that she had given an answer.

Bellatrix stood up straight, "filthy blood traitor!" Allegra felt a sudden sting and burn as Bellatrix backhanded her across her cheek, Allegra felt her control slip and the whole room vibrated like an earthquake had hit for a few seconds before Allegra got hold of it again.

"What was that?" The Death Eater behind her asked.

"Nothing!" Bellatrix screeched. She looked back down at Allegra and held her face again, "yes, pretty little thing. You'll do nicely." She looked up and over Allegra's head at the Death Eater. "I can't believe your kiddie-snatching worked, what did you do, wave a lollypop in her face?"

"Actually she came running right to me."

Bellatrix smiled sarcastically, "how convenient." Her gaze slipped down and she stared at Allegra. Allegra felt fresh fear in her veins and the ground began to tremble once more.

"There, again!"

Bellatrix seemed to take notice this time, "I don't know." She looked down her nose at Allegra, "take this one to the room, I'll see." Bellatrix disappeared into the darkness.

"Right," the ropes loosened and she was seized by the upper arm on either side. Allegra's heart was still pounding and she felt utterly sick.

The Death Eaters pulled her, stumbling and tripping down several dark, dank corridors until they came to a heavy mahogany door.

The door opened for them, revealing a plain off-yellow room. A single bed, a simple old wooden frame, sat on the left, and a door on the opposite wall on the right.

Suddenly she fell forward, landed on her knees and palms with a jolt on the wooden floor, and the door slammed shut behind her.

She breathed deeply until the pain from her knees subsided, then with shaking hands, she untied the rag from around her head.

She gasped as though she'd been unable to breathe, and wiped her mouth on her sleeve.

She stood on unsteady legs and climbed onto the bed, crawled back into the corner and buried her face in her knees.

The blanket on the bed lifted up and wrapped itself around her shoulders.

She didn't need to know how; she was still all alone.