CHAPTER 3
PETRIFICUS TOTALUS
PANSY
Pansy, Blaise, and Luna stumbled out of the Leaky Cauldron, their laughter echoing through the empty streets of Diagon Alley. The trio had spent their evening reveling in drinks and dance, forgetting the impending war and just enjoying the solace of each other's company. Making their way down the dimly lit alley, one by one their steps grew unsteady, partially due to the alcohol flowing through their veins. Pansy leaned onto Luna for support, her vision going blurry noticing the slight smile Luna gave her.
Blaise felt the alcohol clouding his thoughts as he looked over to his wife. "Parkinson, you bloke hands off my wife" he let out a light chuckle while Pansy blew raspberries at him.
Luna was extra whimsical due to the drinks she had "Blaise my husband." She smiles looking over to her husband. "It's quite alright, Pansy is seeking support and I do not mind helping her." Blaise lets out an exaggerated WOW to his wife followed by a sigh, while Pansy's laughter grows louder at her two friends.
Pansy's infectious laughter continued as she stopped and looked at her friends. "I've never apparated drunk, are you guys sure it's okay?" Luna clung to Pansy as she nodded in her drunken haze.
"Yes it is most okay." Blaise slurred his words laughing at his wife still nodding her head. "Little love you can stop nodding your head now." This comment made the group erupt in laughter as they made their way towards the apparition point. The walk was silent for a bit until Luna let out a small sigh.
Luna halted to a stop, her pleads slurred. "Could we please talk about Nargals, I find them absolutely fascinating." Blaise and Pansy eyed each other as they broke into another spur of laughter.
"Love if we keep stopping we may never make it back home." Blaise chuckled as he grabbed his wife's hand. "I'll make you a deal let's get home then we'll talk about Nargals all night." pressing his lips to Luna's head as she nodded in agreement.
"Yes I agree Nargals can be talked about at home, I want to see Theo so let's hurry please" Pansy stumbles over embracing Luna in a hug. "Even though you talk about them every second of the day."
Blaise remained vigilant while the girls embraced one another, he had a wary feeling as something caught his eyes. "Something isn't right, we should go to the apparition point now," he urged. Suddenly, a group of death eaters slowly emerged from the darkness, converging around them. Confusion gave way and their laughter began turning to silence. Pansy clasped Luna and Blaise hands, her grip tightening, her worry growing more evident.
She looked over whispering out "Blaise" She nudged, clutching Luna's hand even tighter. "Why are they here?"
Luna looked up at the death eaters, her large eyes full of curiosity rather than fear. "Maybe they just want to dance." She suggested, her voice laced with a touch of whimsy.
Pansy's eyes began darting between Blaise and Luna, confusion filling her voice, "No, Luna, this seems serious."
"What's going on guys, what do you want?" Blaise questioned stepping forward in front of the girls, his slurs turning to tinges of worry. One of the death eaters stepped to Blaise, his voice laced with a chilling authority. "We are here for Parkinson, she must come with us." His voice sent chills down their spines while their drunken state began to dissolve. One of the death eaters grabs Pansy from behind holding her in a tight grip.
Sobs begin pouring from Luna's throat "Let her go." she cries out any remnant of her whimsical personality wiped away in a mere second. "She is a death eater too, why are you doing this?"
Pansy squirming in the death eaters grip trying to free herself. "Lord Voldemort has requested your presence, Parkinson."
Blaise's eyes widened in disbelief clinging to his wife's hand. He was baffled at this when the dark lord could just call for them something wasn't right. "But… why? Why wouldn't he just call for her?"
"Mate, you know we do not question Lord Voldemort." Watching Pansy squirming left Blaise unsure on what to do. Would he go against death eaters to save his friend and possibly risk everything. His eyes darted between his wife and Pansy. Blaise leans down to Luna leaving a kiss on her cheek whilst whispering in her ear.
"My little love, we're going to fight back." Finally breaking the kiss he looks over toward Pansy and winks to her.
As Blaise and Luna reach for their wands, Pansy flung her head back into the death eater's head causing him to release her. Picking herself back up she raised her wand. Spells began flying through the streets of Diagon Alley, The death eaters fought back with equal ferocity. Curses and Hexes clashing, filling the night with flashes of vivid colors.
"BACK DOWN ZABINI." One of the death eaters commanded. "It would be dreadful if Voldemort were to hear of your defiance."
His sly comments meant nothing to the trio, spells continued to collide, with each hex and curse as a desperate attempt to protect her. Pansy thought to herself they may have a chance at escaping, they were winning until suddenly.
"STUPEFY!" The curse hit her back, with a final gasp she crumbled to the ground, unconscious and vulnerable.
"NO! PANSY!" Luna screamed falling to the ground, eyes welled with tears. Watching the death eaters pick up her limp body brung. "Blaise they can't take her, we must help her." Blaise drained from the battle fell beside his wife giving her a heart broken look as his eyes went bloodshot. As sharp and swift cracks of the death eaters apparating echo through the air sobs begin pouring from Luna's throat.
"My little love" Blaise called out to his wife, his voice filled with heartbreak and concern as he caressed her cheek wiping away the stream of tears. "We must go home." They sat on the streets of Diagon Alley surrounded by all the chaos of the night.
"It is not safe here darling, we have to go. We need Draco and Theo." The two hurried their way to the apparition point. With a deep breath, Blaise grabbed onto Luna tight, their hearts aching at the thought of the inability to save Pansy. The world spun around them and within seconds, they apparated away from the chaos back to the Malfoy Manor.
Hours later, Pansy awoke in a dark and dank cell beneath the Red Keep. Her head throbbing with pain, confusion clouding the memories of how she ended up here. Moments later she began hearing footsteps.
"Hello? Who's there? Why am I here?" Pansy questioned as the footsteps grew closer until she finally saw him. "Flint? Did you put me here? What the hell is this?" her voice was laced with anger and disbelief.
Flint chuckled darkly looking into her eyes. "Parkinson, I'm just following orders." He whispered as he opened her cell, grabbing her by the arm forcing her out.
Fighting his grip Pansy began pleading angrily. "Let me go Flint, what the hell is wrong with you." He kept his grip tight as she fought it while he dragged her into the throne room.
Before her was Voldemort sat upon the iron throne, his eyes bore into hers sending shivers down her spine. "Pansy, Your release," he hissed his voice dripping in malevolence, "will only come from the completion of your husband's mission" Pansy eyes filled with tears of disbelief as Voldemort continued. "Your freedom is in his hands." He let out in a final hiss.
Defiance burned into Pansy's eyes as she locked her gaze onto Voldemort's. "But my lord" Pansy began to question until she was hit with pain that ripped throughout her body as she dropped to ground.
"YOU DO NOT DARE TO QUESTION ME!" Voldemort's hiss turned into a roar as he unleashed the Cruciatus curse upon her body. "TAKE HER TO HER CELL! And Flint be sure to remind Parkinson why she is to not question me." He commanded. Flint hurried to Pansy's side following the order from his master as he dragged her back to her cell, leaving her pained, broken, and alone.
Weeks passed by as Pansy was confined to a cold, dark cell under the Red Keep. With each passing day her defiance only grew stronger, the desperation for her freedom and the thoughts of her husband fueling her. As death eaters crept passed her cell, her anger would spike, screams begging for freedom leaving her throat.
"LET ME OUT! Flint I'm one of you guys! Please!" Pansy cried out her voice filled with anger and hopelessness. Her voice echoed through the stone cold walls as her words pierced the air with pleas for help. Flint along with Dolohov only found amusement in this.
Each time Dolohov would laugh. "Oh Parkinson, we're only following orders." Relishing in her torment, Flint and Dolohov seemed to enjoy taunting her. When they'd approach her cell their sadistic grins only widened as she screamed insults and begged for freedom. And with each day, their only other response was casting Crucio and watching as Pansy convulsed in pain.
"YOU SADISTIC FUCKING TWATS!" Pansy screamed after every convulsion. "THEODORE WILL KILL YOU ALL! Just let me go!" She refused to let them break her, cease her defiance. So she convulsed, taking all the pain letting her scream carry beyond the walls of her cell.
The two death eaters grew tired of her constant insults and pleads. The sound of her voice became a nuisance to them. "Parkinson, how about you just shut the hell up! Your bloke of a husband won't be here to save your damn life." Flint sighed "You'll make it easier on us if you just shut up!" His voice became laced with frustration only making Pansy's screams louder.
"Don't worry mate, I can help that." Dolohov turned towards Pansy with a sinister smirk. "SILENCIO" he mutters. Pansy's screams went silent and she was left without a voice. She had nothing but anger filled eyes without her voice. Uncontent with silence alone Flint let out a dark and sinister laugh as he aimed his wand towards Pansy.
"Petrificus Totalus!"
She laid there frozen, unable to make any movement. Locked in her body with no voice. Cruel satisfaction washed over the death eaters face as they casted crucio on her. The pain in her body was unbearable, unable to move or scream tears streamed down her face. Pansy was becoming a mere shell of her former self as the weeks passed. Hexed and tortured relentlessly, she began losing all sense of time and place. The cold, dark cell became her only reality, her safest place and slowly she began to forget the touches of Theodore, The sound of her voice, how to move around, and how the warmth of the sun felt on her body.
Seeing the amusement of his fellow death eaters Barty Crouch Jr decided to join in on torching Pansy. Watching Flint and Dolohov crucio Pansy's petrified body brought him a cruel satisfaction.
"You know what mates?" Barty sneered, "I think it's much more entertaining watching her squirm, let's lift the petrified state." giving Pansy a sinister look as she began to regain movement throughout her body. "Keep her silenced though."
Finally regaining movement Pansy pushed herself to get up with each attempt her body fell limp back onto the cold floors of her cell. Barty couldn't help but laugh as Pansy's eyes filled with hatred to the three death eaters.
"Pathetic." He sneered, aiming his wand towards her as the tip lit green a tear fell from her eyes. "Crucio." The curse fell off of his lips with ease as the three death eaters watched her writhe in agony as her body clashed against the ground.
Pansy became increasingly defenseless, her once defiant state gone, as her spirit slowly eroded by the constant torment. In her mind she was no longer Pansy Parkinson, she was just a prisoner with a body, and her body was a canvas for the death eaters' sadistic games. All she could do in these moments was lie there take each hex with silent cries, hoping for Theodore to come for her.
"Oh Parkinson." She heard the sing-song tone of Flint's voice as she looked over her shoulder and she was met with her tormentors once again.
With a cruel smile Dolohov met her gaze. "Would you like some insight on how Nott is doing on his mission?" Her eyes peaked with excitement at the thought of just an image of her husband. In the pit of her stomach she knew something wasn't right, why after all this torment would they show her the one thing she yearned for. It had to be some sick mind game. So she shook her head no.
Barty Jr. wouldn't accept that though, he grabbed her leg through the cell door forcing her face against the cold metal. "That's too bad Parkinson, I think you should see this." He grinned as he took his sadistic games to a new height and began searing images of Theodore and another woman together. Tears welled up in her eyes as Flint whispered into her ear. "No need to cry yet, he isn't done yet." More images began searing into her mind, vivid and horrifying images of her husband lying in blood, lifeless. Dolohov laughed as sadness crept upon Pansy's face. "Oh there, there Parkinson I'll help get your mind off of it. CRUCIO!"
Uncontrollable silent sobs poured from Pansy as her body thrashed against the ground. She was alone in agony with the horror filled images of her husband ingrained in her mind, she was shattered by the twisted hallucinations. Eventually, the torture became tiresome to the trio, so they left her alone to be forgotten. She hoped for her friends to come and find her but as time passed, they never did. Her mind began to erode, hope became an elusive dream, and she became an inmate to her shattered mind.
Pansy could only yearn for an end to her suffering.
HERMIONE
Hermione sat on the throne; her little dragon Seraphus perched besides her encouraging her to unlock the flames within her. "Dracarys" the words rolled off her lips like a whispered incantation. Watching a Seraphus opens her mouth with a roar yet still unable to summon the flame, she tilts her head towards Hermione. "Oh Seraphus, it's okay." She reached over giving her a small treat.
"Khaleesi, someone is here to see you," her unsullied soldier said as he entered the throne room. Peaking Hermione's interest along with confusion and worry unsure of how anyone knew how to find her.
Hermione rises from her throne with Seraphus perched on her shoulder, looking to her soldiers who are on guard. "Send them in," she says as she is met with the gaze of a tall, dark man with a long black braid and full beard. Hermione couldn't help but think how much he looked like the other Dothraki men in her ranks. The man walked towards the steps and kneeled before her as her dragon let out a little roar. "Who are you?" Hermione questioned, raising her eyebrow as she looked down towards him.
"Khaleesi, I am Rhako, from the Dothraki tribe. I come to you today to reunite with my tribe, offer my service and to fight for you. A war is coming Khaleesi, I want to fight it for you."
Hermione's eyes narrow, suspicion crawling throughout her skin. "And Rhako where have you been all this time, why were you not with the other Dothraki?"
His face remained solemn. "Khaleesi, I have been searching for you." A sense of wariness settles in Hermione's heart, her thoughts race back to the tales and experiences of her mother and the betrayals and deceit within her ranks. Was this man really a Dothraki or was he sent to infiltrate her ranks and tear down her reign? She studied his face as he knelt before her, his weathered face and his intense gaze.
"Rhako, rise and approach," Hermione commanded a tinge of hesitation in her voice as he moved closer, her eyes not leaving his face for a mere second. "Your words hold great significance, my people have suffered the pain of betrayal, do you understand?" As Rhako begins to speak, Hermione stops him. "Swear to me." Authority lacing her voice as she commands him.
Rhako straightens himself before pulling his swords out. The unsullied soldiers, always poised for battle, tense at the sight of the weapon, immediately surrounding him. Hermione gives them a soft nod as she meets Rhako's gaze. "Khaleesi," Rhako says as his face and voice tinge with sincerity and fear, he bends the knee looking up to Hermione and meeting her gaze, the weight of his words hanging in the air. "I am yours, my sword is yours, my life is yours," he lets a slight sigh escape his lips "and my heart is yours until my dying breath."
Hermione's doubt remained lingering in her mind. Her brows furrow, eyes sharp with skepticism. "Now Rhako, you are a Dothraki, swear to me in dothraki. As you must know, my valyrian and dothraki are my native languages." She challenges waiting for any sign of deception as he begins speaking.
Worry creeps on Rhako's face, his big brown eyes sharp tangled with Hermione's. "Khaleesi, anha am yours, tih sword is yours, tih atthirar is yours, ma tih zhor is yours kash tih dying breath." With an almost relieved smile, softening her gaze Hermione commands Rhako to rise. Listening to his native words roll from his tongue sent a flicker of hope igniting in her. Making her way down the steps and to the Dothraki huts, she couldn't help but notice the attentiveness of her trusted unsullied Serlyn.
"Serlyn, what do you make of this man?" Hermione questions noticing the flicker of doubt within her soldier.
His gaze wary on Rhako, "Khaleesi, I don't trust him so easily. Unsullied and the Dothraki will not trust unless Rhako proves himself." his lips dripping with concern. "He must fight Khaleesi." Reluctantly Hermione nods.
"And who should he battle Serlyn?"
"The best warrior or the king that once was." Serlyn informed her, leaving her to weigh onto her options. Hermione thought of the fate of her mother after the betrayal, she thought of her people and how she must keep them safe, and she thought of her dragons. She had to make him fight, to prove himself not only to her but them as well.
As night descends upon them, the stars witness Rhako, standing alone as the former king of Meereen was dragged into the field and left with only a sword. Hermione's eyes met his "You must prove yourself to my people Rhako, do you understand?" With nothing but a nod Rhako raised his sword.
Their blades met with a resounding clang, sending sparks into the sky. Hermione's eyes never left Rhako as she watched him move with grace and precision, his movements were like a dance of lethal elegance. The sound of their blades clashing, resonated with thunder. Their swords swept through the air sending sparks all over. Hermione watched as the former king seized an opening, executing a swift and decisive strike; she watched as the blood dripping from Rhako seemingly had no effects on him. The Dothraki tribe and The unsullied soldiers cheered for Rhako's victory. Rhako's eyes shone with ferocity as the former king grew tired leaving himself vulnerable. Hermione remained fixated on Rhako as a battle cry poured from his throat as his sword swept through the air slicing down on the former king's neck, with a loud thud the king's head toppled from his body, blood spraying in a macabre arc. The lifeless body crumpled to the ground as Rhako stood, their panting covered in blood and sweat. Leaning down he grips the king's head holding it up for everyone to see. A smile began to form on Hermione's lips until she noticed that he was hurt
Hermione's eyes tinged with awe "Rhako, you're hurt" Rhako bends the knee to her placing the head on the ground.
She noticed the fatigue in his face as the moon casted a gentle glow upon them, "Anything for you Khaleesi, I swear it." His voice went hoarse yet still filled with devotion. Hermione motioned for him to rise, her gaze shifts over to her Dothraki and Unsullied as thunderous applause erupts.
Hermione locked her gaze back towards him with the commanding authority dripping from her lips. "RHAKO STANDS MA US!"
Rhako stood there, blood dripping from his abdomen and his heart pounding out of his chest. He reaches down grabbing the head once again, holding it up to the Dothraki and Unsullied.
"JINAK IS HA KHALEESI!" He roared, holding the head up with pride as the cheers grew as they raised their weapons in salute to him, a simple sign of the respect he had just gained, he shifted his gaze back to Hermione.
"Let's get you fixed up Rhako, you're bleeding quite a bit." She offered him a warm smile, "you have earned their respect as well as mine."
"Khaleesi, I am fine what kind of warrior would I be if I got fixed up over a little cut."
All the doubts she had of him slowly began fading away in that moment as she welcomed him into her ranks. He would be a good addition wouldn't he? He seems loyal to her, he did swear everything to her so he wouldn't betray her would he? The thoughts raced through her mind leaving her disassociated from reality until she was brought back by his words.
"Khaleesi, Your respect is all I need."
