4.1 | Draconian ✓

09 | imperio

0 9

i m p e r i o

Total control over victim.

DRACO WAS THE last one to arrive at Azkaban.

He ignored the annoyance on Alecto Carrow's face and the way Bellatrix was licking someone's blood off her wand. He didn't know whose blood it belonged too and, frankly, didn't want to know either.

He studied the group in front of him. He knew that Blaise was far behind, concealed by a disillusionment charm. Theo seemed eager – night missions were his favourite; while Pansy stared up at the sky where Dementors hovered above.

"We'll split into two groups," he said at last. "Nott, Braddock, Rhodes, Parkinson, you're with Bellatrix. Start from the east wing, work your way towards the middle. Donalds, Carrow, Pritchard, you're with me. Keep your eyes peeled for Dolohov – he's the most important prisoner the Dark Lord wants freed. You know what you have to do." He caught Pansy's eye and she gave a subtle nod. "Let's begin."

Bellatrix was the first to take off and the others followed. Draco led his group to the west wing, steeling himself as he flew just below the Dementors.

"Don't fuck this up, Donalds." He steadied Maisie's broom when she swerved. She was a bundle of nerves and the last thing he wanted was the Dementors detecting their presence before they even began.

"Sorry." Maisie mumbled, taking a deep breath and focusing on flying. Draco noticed that she kept close to him thereafter, which was better than falling off her broom anyway.

"Strange," Alecto Carrow mused, when they finally landed in the west wing. Her eyes narrowed at the Dementors floating unperturbed in the sky outside. "They don't usually leave us alone. When MacNair led us the previous time, we were swamped by Dementors. What the hell did you do – "

Draco hit her with a Silencing curse. The Dementors only left them alone because of a shield he'd cast on the group prior to the start of the mission. He and Blaise had invented it sometime ago, but it was temporary. And now, he was half-tempted to remove it from Carrow and let the Dementors suck the life from her measly body.

"You didn't succeed because you couldn't shut your bloody mouth," he muttered and led them down the dark corridor. There was no need to keep their voices down. All around, the prisoners wailed and howled and made an altogether terrible noise.

When they arrived at the cells, Draco stopped. "Let's split from here. Free as many as you can." The others went their separate ways, but Draco frowned when he realised that Graham Pritchard was still standing nearby. "What?"

Graham shrugged. "I'm kind of nervous, mate. Haven't been on a mission like this before."

Draco ignored him and began to undo the locks on the nearest door. But he didn't tell Graham to leave either. After all, he recognised Graham Pritchard as a fellow Slytherin several years younger. And as much as Slytherins could be arses, they didn't turn their backs on each other.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Blaise had been shadowing Maisie Donalds for sometime now. Pansy and Theo were stuck with the other group, so he'd taken it upon himself to view her memories instead.

He tried to block out the screams from the prisoners as he followed Maisie. She finished the first row and he waited until she turned into a dark alcove before stepping towards her.

A body-binding curse hit Maisie and she went rigid. There was no one around at all and a chill raced down her spine.

"I do apologise for this," came a deep drawl, before a wand tapped her forehead. "Legilimens."