The Lion and the Eagle |Neville Longbottom|

20. A Bad Day Gets Worse

 In hindsight, there were many things that I could've done better. So many things that I could've done different that might've shaped this path in a different direction.

Too late for that now. Luke and the group had Disapparated far from the forest onto the pathway to a huge house—more like a manor. The dark sky enhanced the creepiness of the setting. The pathway was gravel, hedges on each side, making walls. Before the manor were black iron gates that looked as if they had just been polished.

I highly doubted any of these guys actually owned this place. They probably stole it from the owner, killing them, or maybe the place was abandoned and they decided to make themselves at home. My hope was more on the second theory.

Not wanting to confront my fate just yet, I dug my heels into the gravel. Blake had to elbow me hard in my back to make me stumble forward. It wasn't the worst thing they could've done.

Luke lead the way proudly, a regal step in his gait. Adam lingered behind Blake and me in case I decided to make a dash for it.

The iron gates looked more menacing as we approached. With a flick of his wand, Luke made them creak open, making our path uninterrupted. My heart beat furiously. The awful feeling that I'd never see my parents again unnerved me.

They'll never see you again only if your Patronus doesn't make it to Ron. I needed to have some optimism. That would be the only thing that would keep me going through the unknown torture I was about to receive.

Thunder rumbled overhead, making me jump. Adam snorted a laugh.

Luke opened the black door as if it was nothing. With no choice in the matter, I was forced to walk inside the manor. The eerie lighting made the inside creepier than outside.

We looked to be in the main room. It was a wide one: a fireplace on my left, a cobwebbed chandelier creaking above, looking very unstable. Large windows were on either side of the door and along the right wall. The wood flooring looked a tad bit dusty, and it was also black.

Clearly whoever lived in this house loved being dark.

"Well, well, well," purred a soft voice that sent chills up my spine. "She's caught at last."

Coming down from a stairwell was Liam. I swallowed; my heart sprinted faster than before. Any faster and my heart would explode with fear. "I was hoping you decided to move on to another poor soul to prey on." I hated how those words tumbled out of my mouth.

"Don't act as though you're so special, we've been on the hunt for months, plucking who we can—those that people tend to not miss," Liam drawled.

"I don't know, you made it pretty convincing that you were obsessed with having me in your grasp." And now that I am, I wish I was anyplace else.

"You happened to be the luck of the draw when we were at the Three Broomsticks."

"I wouldn't consider the ambush in the alley lucky." I glanced around nervously. "What is this place?"

"What used to be Malfoy Manor."

I knew Draco's family had money, but I never thought I'd get to step foot in their infamous home. I took note of the lack of Malfoy family present. "Where are they now? Did you murder them?"

Liam chuckled. "No, we haven't...lucky for them. Malfoy's parents found another home, while Malfoy himself inherited this. Clearly, he wanted nothing to do with it, because when we came here, it was deserted, and dusty. We decided to roost and turn into whatever we wanted."