𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐚 || 𝘳.𝘢.𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

128. undercover

He hopes that this will really let the truth sink in for the order of the phoenix, he hopes that they realise just how big Lord Voldemort's army of minions really is.

"Regulus."

His eyebrows furrow as he quickly leans up off of the wall, hearing a yell from across the street yet he seems to be the only one who hears as everyone continues with their actions.

"Regulus help me!"

"Maria?!" Regulus calls out, shoving through the crowds of witches and wizards, an urgent look on his face. "Maria?! Where are you?"

"Regulus please help me!"

"Maria?!" He shouts, looking around frantically, his wand clutched in his hand.

"Maria." Maria's head whips to the side when she hears Regulus' voice. "Maria!"

"Regulus?" Maria calls out, quickly continuing down the alleyway and pushing past the older wizards outside an eerie pub. "Regulus where are you?!"

"Maria! Help!"

"Regulus?!" Maria yells, stumbling slightly over a bucket on the ground and she takes in a deep breath, realising where she'd stumbled down to in her frantic search. "Reg?" She calls, looking around her and feeling eyes on her as she continues down Knockturn Alley.

"Watch yourself love." A man cackles from where he's sat beside another man who chuckles along with him as they smoke and drink on the step of an ominous building.

What Maria doesn't realise is that all of her friends have been drawn further and further away from the alley in the same way she has. And that nobody will hear them if they cry for help anymore. They'd all been tricked, and none of them know it yet.

"Ria." Regulus mutters, hearing his shoes against the dirty ground down the unnamed alleyway. "I'm here, honey, just. . ." He frowns, seeing a group of women sat against a wall.

Maria's heels clack against the uneven ground as she ventured further, the voices of the sketchy witches and wizards becoming fainter and the alley becoming darker.

Taking out her wand, the tip of it lights up, illuminating the path before her and she holds it out. She feels liquid under her heel and she frowns, pointing the light down and she stumbles back slightly, seeing thick crimson blood splattered on the ground.

Her eyes are wide and her skin decorated with goosebumps, her ears suddenly picking up every slight sound within her proximity. Maria lifts her wand up slightly, following the blood until she sees a pool of it near the brick wall beside her.

Taking a deep breath, she slowly looks up and she can't seem to even scream at the sight. It's a man, strung up against the wall like someone was displaying his dead body as though it was a masterpiece. There were tears in the skin of his neck that seem to have been bitten by a serpent, his body torn and pale and she feels her back hit the wall behind her as she trembles.

Letting out a yelp, Maria feels something against her leg and she looks down to see around a dozen snakes at her feet, her breath trembling with terror.

"They won't hurt you unless I tell them to." A familiar voice states and Maria swallows thickly, looking to her left and seeing Tom Riddle accompanied by Bellatrix and Lucius. "I won't have to do that, will I Maria?"

"Why did you do that?" Maria whispers, looking up at the man and Tom chuckles, walking towards her and flicking his hand at Bellatrix and Lucius, gesturing for them to leave. Bellatrix hesitates, gazing at Maria Potter in fear before Lucius grabs her arm that is instantly thrashed from his grip as the duo exit the darkness of the narrow alleyway.