Back with chapter eight.
The disclaimers are the same as always: I copy/paste entire passages from the book to include my character, Mio Weasley. Another disclaimer: there's a same-sex couple.
Also, English is not my first language!
Feel free to give me your feedback. Even though I proofread, there may still be mistakes or inconsistencies. Please don't hesitate to let me know!
Enjoy reading!
Chapter 8
Everything seemed blurry, slow, almost in slow motion. Mio and Harry jumped up and pulled out their wands. Many guests were just starting to realize that something strange had happened. Heads were still turned toward the silver feline when it vanished. Silence spread like a cold wave, originating from where the Patronus had landed. Then someone screamed. Harry turned to Mio. They exchanged a glance that lasted only a fraction of a second.
– Harry, I... Mio stammered.
– Yeah, I guess you shouldn't be seen?
– Yeah, but I can't leave you defenseless like this!
– Defenseless? Are you kidding? The Order is almost complete among the guests! Go, don't worry!
Mio hesitated. She looked around. Some guests were gathering while others fled toward the Apparition zones.
– Fine, okay. I'm going! Harry, be careful, I'll try to send word!
She took his hand and squeezed it.
– Promise, I'll come back in one piece! Harry assured her, letting his hand slip from hers.
She watched him rush toward Hermione. Suddenly, Mio realized that several people were Apparating away from the tent. This could only mean one thing: the protective charms around the Burrow had been broken. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hermione, with Harry, grab Ron's arm, whom they had joined, and Apparate. It was time for Mio to leave! She rushed out of the tent. But as she stepped outside, her gaze met that of a Death Eater: Yaxley!
– Damn, she thought, turning her head. She Apparated a fraction of a second later.
Arriving at Hogwarts, Mio ran to the castle!
– Damn, damn, damn, by Merlin, I hope he didn't recognize me! Did I still have my Disillusionment Charm on? Damn, what's going to happen to the guests still there?
Mio's thoughts were racing in all directions as she arrived at the empty Great Hall. Then another thought hit her: why hadn't she known about this attack? She knew the Ministry was corrupt, rotten from the inside, but Scrimgeour was dead now! Nothing was stopping the Death Eaters from fully enforcing their law!
With those thoughts, Mio rushed toward Snape's office. She ran through the corridors, up the stairs, and stopped short with another thought: he wasn't there, not at such a crucial moment! She had no choice now—the Malfoy Manor was her next destination if she wanted answers.
Mio pushed open the manor's large gate, walked up the long driveway under the watchful eyes of the albino peacocks, and pushed open the heavy door without knocking. No one was in the hall. She turned left toward the kitchen. She knew the manor well. If she wanted to be discreet, it was best not to take the main stairs to go upstairs. The safest solution: find the secret passages, which she had used as a child to visit her cousin. Upon entering the kitchen, the house-elves stared at her. She put a finger to her lips, and an older elf nodded, and they all went back to their work. Whew, fortunately, Mio had managed over the years to get most of the house-elves on her side. She felt around the side of the enormous kitchen fireplace until she found a small wooden button. Click! A small hatch opened. After crawling for a few minutes, Mio reached a thin grate. She stayed alert, listening for any sound. Hearing nothing, Mio tapped the grate in a rhythm. Footsteps approached her, and the same rhythm responded: it was Draco in the room! She pushed the grate and exited the passage.
– What are you doing here? he whispered.
– I'm happy to see you too, Dray!
– Yes, yes, you seem fine, that's good! But you shouldn't be here! It's chaos. They're unleashed! They killed the Minister! They've all gone somewhere, I don't know where, it doesn't smell good!
– Stop, Dray, stop. I know all that! They attacked the... well, I witnessed an attack.
Neither of them had heard the door to the room open.
– What attack? asked a clear voice.
Mio turned, panicked.
– Aunt Cissy!
– You were there, at that wedding? That's right?
Mio's silence confirmed Narcissa Malfoy's words. The older woman, perfectly upright, had a completely neutral, emotionless expression.
– No one saw me, and I didn't stay! Where is everyone else? What's really going on, Aunt Cissy?
– Come on, you must have guessed, Mio, there aren't many people for whom He would send all his men.
– Harry Potter... murmured Draco. He was pale and struggled to hide his concern.
– I'm not sure I should stay here! Mio said to Narcissa. I'm not sure what... what He wants.
– If you think you can be useful to Him, stay. You don't have many other choices.
Narcissa, having turned her back after this last sentence, was already leaving the room. Left alone, the atmosphere in the room became heavy.
– They'll end up finding him! What will they do to him? They'll torture him, kill him!
– Calm down! Stop, Draco! I saw him leave with Ron and Hermione. You don't like them, and they don't like you either, but they care about Harry! Just like you. They'll help him! And then, trust a bit in him, Draco! Damn, he's quite a wizard!
Faced with the woman's words, the young Malfoy had no reply and sat down, his head in his hands.
Mio turned on her heel and positioned herself at the entrance of the secret passage. She added before leaving:
– As usual, Dray: be careful, don't do anything stupid!
She didn't wait for a reply and slipped back to the kitchen. But while getting into the manor had been relatively easy, getting out wasn't the same. Barely out of the kitchen, a Death Eater rushed toward her.
– You, where were you? You're helping them, right? You warned them? Yaxley shouted, gripping the young woman's arm.
– What? No, I...
She didn't have time to finish her sentence before he was already dragging her up the grand stairs. Without knocking, the man entered, announcing:
– Master, I've caught a traitor!
– A traitor? What treason was committed, Yaxley? Voldemort asked calmly, his hands caressing Nagini.
– Dolohov and Rowle were attacked. They won't say anything, and they don't know where Potter is. I'm sure she's involved. She was with them, with the Order, I'm sure I saw her!
Mio was starting to understand now: Death Eaters were after Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and they had likely forgotten about them. But unable to admit defeat to teenagers, it was less dishonorable to accuse a traitor.
With these thoughts, the wooden door creaked open. Draco, pushed from behind by a Death Eater, entered the room, followed by a tall blonde man, escorted on either side by Death Eaters. The blonde man, falling to his knees at Voldemort's feet, spoke in a whining tone:
– Master, you have to believe me, we saw nothing. No one was there, I don't know how Dolohov and I...
– Silence! the Dark Lord interrupted coldly. What happened? How did two Death Eaters like you let him escape?
– Please, Master, you have to believe me, we didn't see him!
– Crucio!
The man writhed in pain, twisting and groaning on the floor. Mio, still with her arm tightly held by Yaxley, now had confirmation of her thoughts: Rowle had indeed received an Obliviate. And who else but Hermione could have had that idea! A series of Cruciatus Curses followed.
– Want more, Rowle, or should we leave it there and feed you to Nagini? I'm not sure I'll forgive this time... You came back to tell me Harry Potter escaped again? Draco, let Rowle feel once more the intensity of our displeasure...
Draco paled at this request. The Death Eater behind him pushed him, forcing him to approach. He had no desire, Death Eater or not, to torture a man.
– Go ahead, or you'll be the one to feel my anger!
Draco pulled out his wand, raised it, and weakly muttered:
– Crucio!
The blonde man screamed one last time before losing consciousness, lying on the cold floor.
– You, where were you? Voldemort asked, turning toward Mio.
– I... I was here, at the manor. In my room, and then I joined Draco.
– Draco, can you confirm?
Still stunned by his last curse, the young man answered without hesitation:
– Yes, yes, um... she was here, with my mother and me.
A heavy silence fell in the room. No one dared make a sound, each holding their breath.
– Out, out of my sight, useless!
Yaxley dragged the young woman out of the room, followed by Draco and the Death Eaters dragging the blonde's body.
– I know what I saw! He doesn't believe me, but I know you were there! You won't get away with this! Yaxley threatened, his dark gaze fixed on Mio, tightening his grip on her arm.
– Mio, Draco, come help me! Come here! a feminine voice called out.
Narcissa Malfoy stood across the hallway, waiting for the other two. Without being asked, Mio and Draco moved toward Narcissa and entered the room.
– Draco, are you okay? Narcissa asked softly as she approached her son.
Mio, still standing, massaged her sore arm from where Yaxley had gripped her and had been rough with her. She wasn't listening anymore and collapsed into an armchair.
Three days had passed. Still in the manor, Mio saw various Death Eaters come and go, usually empty-handed, enduring Voldemort's wrath. Mio stayed in the background, observing and trying to make sense of things. Scrimgeour had been tortured for information about Harry before being killed. With the minister dead, the Death Eaters now had the full power of the Ministry. They could use violent curses without fear of being identified or sent to prison. They raided every house in the country linked to members of the Order, burning, torturing, and killing for information, not even hiding their true intentions.
Mio entered one of the small sitting rooms, hoping to find Draco. The room was empty, but her gaze was drawn to a newspaper on the small table between the chairs. She picked it up and unfolded it: it was a copy of the Daily Prophet. She turned the page. A huge photo of Harry was spread across the front page. She read the headline above it:
WANTED FOR QUESTIONING IN THE MURDER OF ALBUS DUMBLEDORE.
The Death Eaters had taken control of the Daily Prophet and were using a pretext to hunt Harry down. In the wizarding world, no one noticed what was happening. The coup had happened smoothly and almost silently. The official story for Scrimgeour's death was that he had resigned. He had been replaced by Pius Thicknesse, who was under the Imperius Curse. Mio was starting to despair about the situation. Automatically, she kept flipping through the pages of the newspaper when one page made her freeze. On page two, she could read:
"Muggle-born Registry. The Ministry of Magic is conducting an investigation into those commonly known as 'Muggle-borns,' to better understand how they came to possess magical secrets. Recent research conducted by the Department of Mysteries revealed that magic can only be passed from individual to individual when wizards reproduce. Therefore, when there is no magical ancestry, it is likely that Muggle-borns acquired their powers through theft or force. The Ministry is determined to eradicate these usurpers of magical power and invites all those who fall under the Muggle-born category to present themselves for an interview with the newly appointed Muggle-born Registration Commission."
The article also explained that all young witches and wizards were now required to register at Hogwarts. To enroll, students would have to present a Blood Status – meaning that proof had been provided to the Ministry that they were from a magical lineage.
Mio's heart sank.