[Chapter Twenty-three] Breathing Fire

The Dark Lord entered the stairs. Lena's mouth had been struffed with a dirty rag hours ago. She tried to speak through it, but her words were muffled past the point of understanding, and she gave in.

This is it.

"I am disappointed, that it was you, working for the Ministry. Here I thought it was something small, like knowing the location of Regulus Black." The Dark Lord exhaled loudly. "I'm so sad that this ended this way. Less than a year ago, I was expecting you to take my side at the throne, and now..."

Lena's head dropped, unable to defend herself.

"It would be hardly noble to just kill you, and give you no chance...I challenge you to a wizard's duel."

Lena's eyes shot up in a moment of thanks. Her bonds were released, and the Dark Lord grabbed her wrist, appearating to ground level, outside of her manor. Her parents must have lowered the wards.

Lena and the Dark Lord stood in the center of the Inner Circle. Lena glanced around carefully, but she couldn't identify anybody in the dim lighting. She knew her parents and Draco both watched.

The dirty rag on her mouth suddenly burned away at a flick of the Dark Lords wand. The Dark Lord began to bow, and Lena followed suit, preparing herself for something she should have been expecting all year. Why had it not been more obvious?

Her wand rose to her face, as did the Dark Lord's.

"Good luck," he laughed, as though her chances were dismal.

It was true, she was weakened by lack of food and sleep, and torture. But she would be able to speak before she was killed.

"Know thy enemy," Lena whispered, spinning around.

"What?" she heard the Dark Lord say, but she was walking away from him. Her head counted and when it hit three, she spun around.

"Perificus Totalus!"

The Dark Lord froze.

Lena stepped forward, lowering her wand. "I am not guilty. Astoria Greengrass is guilty; I can prove it."

Her mind muttered the counter curse, praying that what she had said would be enough. The Dark Lord looked at her.

"I just may give you another chance for this display of loyalty..." The Dark Lord looked around the circle. "What do you guys think?"

Nobody answered. Time slowed down.

The Dark Lord rose his wand.

Somebody began to step toward the Dark Lord, their arm outstretching. Draco Malfoy's short blonde hair came into view.

Lena watched him as the Dark Lord spewed venom from his lips. A flash of green light.

Lena looked back to the Dark Lord; her eyes met his as everything went black.

"NO!" Draco screamed and somehow managed to catch Lena's body as her knees bent and she fell slowly toward the frozen ground. The Inner Circle began to disvaperate as the Dark Lord waved his hand in a gesture. "No!" Draco cried out again, his voice cracking in horror. He looked to the Dark Lord. He was alone with him. "How could you? You promised me that we could be together! I did everything you said!"

The Dark Lord didn't speak for a long time, as Draco shot daggers with his eyes, waiting for a justifiable response. "A traitor is still a traitor." Then the Dark Lord was gone. There was no sound, no smoke. He just disappeared out of thin air.

Draco turned back to Lena. Her eyes were still open. He clutched her head against his chest tightly as he let the tears fall.

"No, Lena, you can't be dead. We promised we'd be together forever." He couldn't breathe. His words faded into the empty cold air. "Lena..."