The Half-Blood Princess

Cruciatus

On New Year's Day, Severus entered Harley's shop just as she was closing.

"Father, I thought you were back at Hogwarts to look after the students still in residence," Harley said. "Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year," he replied, but he looked anything but happy. "I thought, being so young, the Dark Lord wouldn't want you to do very much, but apparently your age is beneficial to him. He wants a report from one of his informants working at the Ministry tonight." He handed her a scrap of parchment. "That's where he will meet you once you finish closing up. Meet me at Spinner's End when you're done and we'll go to the manor together."

She nodded. "You think I'm inconspicuous? I stick out quite a bit in everyday situations."

"Not in London you won't," Severus replied. "And anyway, this is safe enough. Lord knows you can get information almost as well as I can."

She nodded. "I learned from the best." She shut her register and went for her cloak, telling her father goodbye and heading over to London via Apparition.

Harley wasn't sure she'd be as inconspicuous outside the Ministry as the Dark Lord thought. Alone if Arthur Weasley saw her, or Tonks or Moody! It could spell disaster for her and for Dumbledore's plan.

She was to meet an inside informant outside of a specific telephone booth. Unfortunately, that was the busiest booth in all of London, so her chances of being questioned went up exponentially. If she was questioned, she'd say she was looking for information on how to patent a new potion. Plausible enough.

The Dark Lord required a report from the man, and the informant couldn't be seen anywhere near Malfoy Manor. Harley was still the most inconspicuous-looking member of the Death Eaters, so she was chosen quickly. Severus was just glad that this wasn't something that could possibly get her killed. Harley just wanted to be inside: it was beginning to snow.

Finally, she saw someone approaching her secluded corner and she stood at attention, gripping her wand in her pocket just in case.

When the wizard was a few feet away from her, she realised she might need to use her wand: his eyes were wide and angry, bloodshot, and his face was set in a growly grimace that wouldn't be out of place on a rabid dog.

"Stop right there," she said. The man kept coming. She glanced around herself uneasily. If she used magic here, she ran the risk of a Muggle noticing and getting her wand snapped. "Hey, are you hard of hearing? Stop where you stand!"

He man hurried forward instead, and Harley thought that all that was missing was his foaming at the mouth to complete his look of madness.

Before she could cast any spell, the man was on her, not using magic but tearing at her with his hands and teeth. Unlike others in the Wizarding World, Harley knew a lot about Muggle self-defence, and kicked the man off of her.

She got to her feet and pulled out her wand. "Stupefy!"

The man fell back but bounded right back up, ignoring the wound in his head from hitting it against the brick wall. He came for Harley again, dodging her second spell and knocking her into the wall, tearing at and through her coat sleeve, tearing his nails down her flesh and bringing up blood.

She managed to get him off her again, freeing her now bloody wand arm. "Sectums--"

He didn't let her finish her curse as he body-slammed her against the wall, bumping her head and tearing at her face with his nails and teeth.

She let out a scream of pain, but this time completed her curse, watching as his body was immediately cut to bloody ribbons in nonlethal places. She wanted him alive so she could figure out what had happened to him.