The Boy Who Lived

Unexpected Guests at the Manor

So like Bellatrix to be overly dramatic. Draco didn't roll his eyes. Visibly at any rate.

She marched over to one of the Snatchers, her heeled boots clipping across the marble floor. 'What is that?' she demanded.

'Sword,' he grunted.

'Give it to me.'

'It's not yorn, Missus, it's mine, I reckon I found it.'

There was a bang and a flash of red light and then a roar of anger from the fellow Snatchers about their stunned colleague.

'What d'you think you're playing at, woman?'

'STUPEFY!' she screamed. 'STUPEFY!'

It didn't surprise Draco that they were no match for her but still, the whole performance was eccentric and bizarre, even for Bellatrix.

'Where did you get this sword?' she hissed to Greyback as she pulled it from his unresisting hand. He had been forced into a kneeling position; his arms outstretched.

He bared his pointed teeth. 'Release me, woman!'

'Where did you find this sword?' she repeated, brandishing it in his face. 'Snape sent it to my vault in Gringotts!'

Now Draco was intrigued. The thing was gold and bejewelled with rubies and looked totally over the top to be practical.

'It was in their tent,' rasped Greyback. 'Release me, I say!'

Greyback was released but Bellatrix was agitated and an agitated Bellatrix was a volatile Bellatrix, which meant anyone could get cursed at any moment.

Draco was ordered to take the unconscious Snatchers from the room and although his father and mother proceeded to argue with Bellatrix about who gave the orders in the Manor, Draco complied, happy to be out of the way for a moment.

He came back just in time to see that Potter and Weasley had been taken away and his Aunt was sitting astride Granger in the middle of the floor with her silver dagger hovering above Granger's exposed arm as she pinned her to the floor.

'How did you get the sword, Mudblood?' she snarled in Granger's face.

When Granger looked away, Bellatrix pressed the knife into her forearm, immediately drawing blood, and then twisted the blade.

Granger let out a terrible, drawn-out scream and Draco wanted to be sick. His mother gripped his forearm, her nails digging into his flesh to stop him fleeing.

Wear the mask...

He could hear Weasley bellowing, 'HERMIONE!' from way below them.

He would never return to this room, not without hearing Granger screaming and Weasley's voice bellowing, 'HERMIONE! HERMIONE!'

His own fingers itched at his wand. He felt shaky.

Bellatrix was shrieking in Granger's face. Granger was screaming as Bellatrix torturously carved into her skin. His mother's nails were digging into his flesh, stopping him from raising his own wand on his aunt, or puking, or fleeing, or perhaps all three.

'YOU'RE A LYING, FILTHY MUDBLOOD, AND I KNOW IT! YOU HAVE BEEN INSIDE MY VAULT AT GRINGOTTS! TELL THE TRUTH, TELL THE TRUTH!'

Granger gave another terrible scream.

'HERMIONE!' Weasley bellowed from below their feet. His distress equal to her screams of pain.

'WHAT ELSE DID YOU TAKE? WHAT ELSE HAVE YOU GOT? TELL ME THE TRUTH OR, I SWEAR, I SHALL RUN YOU THROUGH WITH THIS KNIFE!'