43

Chapter 43: Falling Away

Malfoy Manor, December 19th 1997

We're being dragged forward, over the gravel, up the black stone steps, and into a dark, vast hallway, where several portraits are hung on both sides. I glance at Hermione, who has blood trickling from her temple, but her eyes are alert, giving me a look of warning.

Hermione's ordering me to stay quiet, not to reveal myself, even though the four Death Eaters manhandling us are quite certain that I am Harry Potter, and the girl next to me is Hermione Granger, regardless of our disguised looks.

They'll know for certain as soon as Narcissa is revived, as she is bound to remember what happened before she was put under the Imperius curse. I should've killed her instead of stunning her. I should've harmed her, after what she did. For what she did to Regulus.

Regulus – fuck, I can't even think about him without feeling the urge to throw up, without feeling overpowered by terror. What will happen to him? Is he even alive anymore? All the blood…I recall the way he fell to the ground, with blood bursting from his chest. How does one come back from that? My vision blurs and my chest tightens, as I think of what might have happened.

No…no, I can't think about it, I can't think about him. Not before I know for certain. Not now. Not when there is no guarantee Hermione and I will come through this alive.

"Take them to the drawing room," One of the men grunts, before turning to another hallway on the left, disappearing to the shadows.

The house – the manor – is large, its hallways wide and dark; with black marble shining under our feet, and thick, dark curtains pulled over the windows. We walk past many portraits and busts, towards a pair of doors at the end of the hallway. I wonder if Voldemort lives here? Will he be sitting on a throne on the other side of the doors? Even the thought of it sounds ridiculous. However, this must be one of his servant's home, or a headquarters at the least, as the place reeks with dark magic.

The remaining three Death Eaters shove us through the thick double doors, into a large room with dark purple walls, with chandeliers in the ceiling, with more portraits on the walls, and an excessive seating area in front of the fireplace.

A seating area, where Lucius Malfoy and his son Draco Malfoy are.

Fuck.

"What is the meaning of this?" Lucius Malfoy drawls, standing up and moving towards us. "Why is Smith held captive?" He asks sharply from the Death Eater holding me from my neck, before glancing at Hermione and narrowing his eyes at her. "And who is she?"

"This is not Smith. We found these two from Diagon Alley, causing disruption. We think this is Potter," The tall man with short hair and heavy brows grunts from behind me.

His fingers press against my neck. I wonder if he is the one who took my wand in Diagon Alley. I wonder if I could have a chance to seize it back…but even if I did, how fast would I be against two Malfoys and three Death Eaters?

Lucius stills, and then moves his blue eyes at me, watching me closely. "Potter, you say…Why would you think that?" He asks slowly, glancing at the man behind me.

"They said his name, triggered the spell, and started duelling as soon as we got there. There were two others, both men; one of them looked a lot like Roscoe, the other I didn't recognise. They got away – "

"They said the Dark Lord's name…?" Lucius interrupts quietly, his eyes moving between Hermione and me with a calculated look. He turns back to Draco, inclining his head. "Draco, is this the Mudblood? Potter's friend? Is she?" He asks urgently, as Draco slowly walks towards us.

I grit my teeth together, wanting nothing more than to smack my fist against both Malfoys' blonde faces, but I'm distracted as I see the look of hesitation, the hint of unease in Malfoy's – Draco's – eyes.

"I suppose." Draco mutters, turning back to the fireplace.

And really, anyone who's spent six years in a class with her, who's spent six years obsessively bullying her, would recognise her in an instant, even with her transfigured looks.

Lucius gives his son an exasperated look before he sneers at Hermione and me. "Where are the real Smith and Roscoe?" He asks from the Death Eater holding Hermione in a tight grip by her hair. "What happened to the two others?"

"We're still searching for them. As for the other two; they Disapparated," the wizard with gaunt features and narrow eyes says hastily. "The other one was as good as dead then, and when the other Disapparated, Travers got a hold of them, but they managed to escape. However…Travers was dropped to Grimmauld Place."

I almost gasp in shock. Ron…Regulus. They got away? And – and Grimmauld Place? The Death Eaters got access to Grimmauld Place? Was Ron alone? Where's Regulus? Fuck…I glance at Hermione, and see that she too is shaken up by the news.

There's a triumphant look in Lucius's eyes. "Grimmauld Place…that is something, I tell you that," he says with a low voice, narrowing his eyes at me. "Polyjuiced…" he mutters, and then turns to Hermione, bringing his wand against her neck. I grit my teeth together.

"Is the man next to you Potter?" He asks silkily from Hermione, his wand pressing against her skin.

Hermione lets out a whimper of pain, and I struggle against the Death Eater holding me.

Lucius's lips twitch. "I see…" he mutters. "I think…it is time to summon the Dark Lord," He says softly, a flicker of a smile on his face.

I swallow hard, knowing that this will be it. This will be our end.

Lucius pulls his sleeve up, revealing the black scull and snake tattoo, before slowly bringing fingers towards it.

The doors are slammed open.

"Do not summon him!" None other, than Bellatrix Lestrange, screeches from the doors.

Bellatrix runs to us, looking livid and…shocked. Narcissa – with her previously dishevelled appearance neatened, and all evidence of a duel now removed – follows close behind her, as well as the fourth Death Eater who brought us to this place. Bellatrix stops in front of us, her heavy-lidded eyes sweeping over me and then Hermione.

"So, it is her…The Mudblood," she says darkly, before turning to me. "And this…this one here, is either Weasley…or Potter."

Lucius eyes Bellatrix closely. "What do you mean?" He asks, his gaze moving from Bellatrix to Narcissa, who looks somewhat terrified. "…Cissa?"

I watch her pale face, how her bony jawline tightens. I want to snarl at her, to lunge towards her and severely harm her. She deserves it. She deserves to die for what she did.

Narcissa swallows before turning to look at Lucius. "Something happened," she says quietly, "I was there."

I hold my breath as Lucius gives Narcissa a bewildered look. "What do you mean 'you where there'?" He asks indignantly, his sharp eyes moving swiftly over his wife.

Narcissa purses her lips. "I went to collect a purchase from Twilfitt and Tattings this morning, accompanied by Smith and Roscoe. We were ambushed by Potter, Weasley and the Mudblood."

"Salazar!" Lucius says abruptly, grasping Narcissa by her shoulder.

"Mother?" Draco says with a tight voice, walking towards the group.

So…Narcissa 'went to collect a purchase'. How…strange. Why doesn't she tell them the real reason she came to the shop?

Bellatrix lets out a bored grunt.

"Later," Narcissa says stiffly to her son and husband. "I believe Potter and a fourth one of their group used Polyjuice potion to turn into Smith and Roscoe," She continues, glancing at me with a cold look in her eyes.

Why doesn't she mention anything about Regulus? Did she recognise him or not? Does she remember? Even though she was Imperiused?

"Who was the fourth one?" Bellatrix asks with a low voice, her piercing gaze trained at Narcissa.

Narcissa's expression doesn't change. "I couldn't say. They were Polyjuiced from the start, disguised as the shopkeeper. I was put under the Imperius Curse," she says expressionlessly.

"Cissa!" Lucius says loudly, shock filling his features. He then turns towards Hermione and me. "You…You will pay for this!" He growls, lifting up his wand.

"Control yourself, Lucius!" Bellatrix quickly shrieks, and Lucius's wand lowers only slightly. There's something close to amusement in Bellatrix's eyes as she watches Hermione and me, moving closer to us. "Well, well, well…I didn't think you had it in you, Potter. Or, perhaps it was this…mystery person doing the dirty work," she says, her voice calculative as she studies my features. "One way to find out, there is…" she says icily.

I stay still, trying not give away any reaction.

"Give me his wand." Bellatrix demands from the Death Eater holding me.

The man grunts and pulls out my wand, holding it for Bellatrix, who snatches it quickly.

"It is exactly like Ollivander described," Narcissa whispers mutedly, as the two women and Lucius take a look at it, their eyes trained at the wand for a moment.

I swallow hard, as I see Bellatrix lifting her gaze slowly at me, glee evident in her eyes. "Got you now, Potter," she whispers with a threatening voice. "Let's see what you've been up to, shall we?" She asks, cackling slightly. "Let's see if you've been using magic you ought not to…" She says menacingly.

"Prior Incantato!" Bellatrix hisses, flicking her wand at mine, and one by one, the spells I've cast erupt from the tip of it, the wand movements shown as images in front of us. After a quiet moment, during which Hermione and I exchange a tense look, Bellatrix waves her hand to clear the images. "Still the pure, precious, little boy, it appears…" she says silkily, a dangerous glint in her eyes.

Lucius clears his throat.

"Since we now have established that this truly is Potter," Lucius says with a hint of a snarl in his voice. "I will summon the Dark Lord, and tell him that it was I, who captured – "

Bellatrix hisses loudly. "You will do no such thing, you insolent man!" She roars, and narrows her eyes at Narcissa, who stares back with a flicker of anxiousness in her eyes. "If what my sister tells me is true, that – that someone forced her to go into my vault – that someone stole – " She growls, turning towards us, her eyes moving over Hermione and me.

"They went into Gringotts?" Lucius asks faintly, eyes moving between Hermione and me.

"Did you search them?" Bellatrix snaps to a man next to the one holding me, ignoring Lucius.

The Death Eater nods, pulling items from his pocket. Hermione's wand. My glasses. Two coins.

There is a tense silence.

"WHAT DID YOU TAKE?!" Bellatrix bellows at Hermione and me, looking enraged.

When neither of us answers, she pants slightly, and then narrows her eyes at me. "Very well," She hisses, "Potter can wait in the cellar until his potion runs off. I will question the Mudblood," She adds, an evil glint in her eyes as she turns to look at Hermione. "I'm sure I can help her tongue loosen up a bit…"

I struggle as I'm being pulled away, "No!" I yell, "Don't hurt her!" I growl, but Bellatrix merely sends me an amused look, and lets out a small cackle, pulling a silver dagger from the insides of her robes.

Fear grips my chest.

"Don't worry, Potty…I will save you for the Dark Lord. He's looking forward to seeing you…"

"NO!" I yell, trying to wrench myself free, but the man holding me hits me in the back of my head, and my vision swims. Everything is blurred, and I'm dragged down a set of stairs, and then some more…until – until there's a scream somewhere up.

"…Hermione…" I mumble, and then, I'm thrown face first against hard stone.

A door bangs shut behind me. Another scream.

"…H-Hermione." I whisper, blinking furiously. It is dark, and the ground is cold and moist. There are no windows, and as I pull myself on my knees, my hand hits something.

Something soft.

"Is someone here?" I ask quickly, reaching out again. I feel…a hand.

A cold hand.

"W-What?" I mumble, squinting my eyes at the darkness, while dread starts to fill me.

There's a body. I crawl closer, and let out a horrified sob as I see who it its.

Luna.

She's lying there, on the floor, her skin cold and her body lifeless.

"No!" I gasp, trying to feel her pulse, trying to shake her awake.

But she doesn't wake up.

"N-No!" I breathe, swallowing hard against the lump in my throat, trying to control my body that starts to shake uncontrollably as grief and despair try to seize it. Luna…not Luna…

Then I see Ollivander. And next to him…Dean.

"No. No, no, no…" I breathe, my throat constricting, and I stumble onward, trying to shake them awake, trying to – trying to make them conscious…because they cannot be – they cannot be…

But they are…They're dead.

I let out a strangled gasp and trip backwards, feeling how terror fills my insides, feeling how fear tightens its hold in my throat. I can't breathe. I can't move. I feel…hopeless. I'm going to die. Just like them.

Hermione screams upstairs.

I let out a shuddering sob, and feel tears against my skin, but don't have it in me to brush them away. "N-No…Hermione, n-no…"

I'm the reason we got caught. If I hadn't sent that stunner towards Narcissa, if I would've just focused on what I was supposed to, we could've gotten away with Hermione. I wouldn't have lost my wand…But then, if Hermione and I had escaped, Regulus, Ron, and…the cup probably would've not.

I let out a weary sigh, letting the despair fill my insides, take over every corner in me.

There's no way out. I haven't got a wand, and I cannot open the door, I cannot save Hermione. There's no way out. I doubt I could Disapparate even if I had a wand. They did it before – the anti-apparition wards. No one can force their way through them.

I press the heels of my palms against my eyes. There's no way out. I'm beginning to see stars in my eyes.

I wonder if Ron got away, if he managed to find someone, or go to someplace safe. I pray that Regulus is alive.

Regulus.

…Kreacher!

Kreacher was able to apparate when a wizard could not! I'm almost about to summon the elf, but then I realise that it is too dangerous – if the Death Eaters have taken Grimmauld Place…I cannot summon the elf.

I wonder if Kreacher is okay…

I chew the inside of my cheek. But – but there's still…Dobby.

Could Dobby apparate in here? I scramble up to my feet, and try to listen what happens outside the cellar. There're occasional screams and yells, and I pray to Merlin that Hermione will have the strength to endure it.

"Dobby?" I whisper, and immediately, there's a small crack echoing in the quiet cellar.

"Dobby?" I gasp, barely making the elf's figure in the darkness.

"Master Harry needs Dobby's help?" The elf asks, its voice…frightened.

I nod at it, but then, there's noise upstairs, close to the cellar. Footsteps, nearing us.

"Hide!" I whisper, and soon, the door slams open, and a burst of light flickers to the room from a tip of a wand.

From a wand, held by Peter Pettigrew.

"You," I seethe at the man, and without thinking, I lunge at him, clamping my hand against the man's mouth, to muffle the yell that soon follows. Dobby flicks its fingers, and Pettigrew's wand flies to Dobby's hand.

But then, the next moment, there's a silver hand closing around my neck, pressing, grasping, making me choke.

Dobby tries to force the hand away from me by magic, but it doesn't budge. The elf whispers in panic, "Harry Potter, no, no, no, Harry Potter!"

"I s-saved your life, Wormtail," I wheeze, glaring at the plump, rat-faced man. "You owe me your l-life!"

Pettigrew's hand slackens abruptly, and just as I have taken in a deep, gasping breath, the hand has found its way to Pettigrew's throat, strangling him.

"Shit…" I hiss, trying to pry the hand away from his throat, as the man keeps gasping and gurgling. I snatch the wand from Dobby, and try summon the hand away, but it doesn't move.

It's taking Pettigrew's life.

Horrified, I watch as the last breath leaves from Pettigrew's lungs, and then he slackens.

"Draco, go see what is keeping Wormtail," Bellatrix's snarl carries from upstairs.

I exchange a look of panic with Dobby. "Dobby. Are there any wards in here? Preventing Disapparation?" I ask quickly.

"Not anymore, Harry Potter, sir. Dobby removes them," Dobby says squeakily.

I give the elf a curt nod. "Can you take Hermione? Without getting harmed? Can you apparate there, and grab her, and Disapparate?" I ask hastily from the elf.

Dobby gives me a curt nod. "Dobby can do it, Harry Potter."

I swallow hard. "Go upstairs, take Hermione, and apparate her to – " I think quickly, feeling the effects of Polyjuice Potion wearing off. There's nowhere to go, really. Fuck. "Take her to my old home on Privet Drive. I'll meet you there," I tell the elf, shuddering, and drag Pettigrew away from the doorway, and then I move to stand behind the open door, blinking, before I realise my sight is bad again. There's a small crack close to me, indicating that Dobby has apparated upstairs.

"Wormtail?" Malfoy hisses urgently from the stairs. "Lumos."

The moment he steps into the cellar, he sees Pettigrew, dead on the floor, and the next second, Pettigrew's wand is trained at the side of Malfoy's neck.

Malfoy swallows hard as I take a step closer to him. "So, it is you, Potter," He whispers, a hint of a sneer on his voice.

There's a loud scream upstairs, and a crashing noise. "Give me your wand," I grit through my teeth, pressing the tip more securely against Malfoy's neck.

Malfoy snarls, "After what you did to my mother, Potter – "

"She gave it back as good as she got, believe me. Didn't think of your dear mother to be a coldblooded killer, but then again, it must run in the family" I growl at him, and at that, Malfoy stills.

As he turns towards me, muttering a confused "What?", I use the distraction and wrench his wand away from his grasp, taking a step back, before training both wands at him.

Malfoy and I stare at each other, both frozen in place. My vision is rubbish, and it's dark, but I think I detect a flicker of fear in his eyes, right when the noises become louder upstairs. Someone is running towards us, down the stairs. Suppressing the urge to harm him – to make him suffer, so that Narcissa Malfoy too can feel as anguished as I do – I finally wave both wands at him.

"Stupefy!" I whisper, and then, focusing with my every fibre at my old home on Privet Drive, I turn on the spot