Fear of a Name

Chapter Two: Property of Lord Voldemort

I was right about the extra tutoring; it was torture. Quite literally. I knew the scars it had given me would remain forever, a constant reminder to me — disobey my father and face the consequences. I pulled up the sleeve of my left arm and read, for the first time, the words that Bellatrix had carved with her knife.

Property of Lord Voldemort

I started to cry, tears falling like waterfalls down my face, but I quickly stopped and wiped my eyes when I heard footsteps, far away at first but getting closer by the second. I trembled as the door to my cell opened and Lucius Malfoy came in, sneering at my obvious terror.
"The Dark Lord wants to see you. Come. Now."
"Y-yes sir," I said quietly, hoping that whatever Father wanted to see me about wouldn't lead to more pain. I followed Lucius out of my room and up the staircase to the main room, where my father was with my tutor, waiting impatiently for me.
"That will be all, Lucius. Go now."
"Yes, My Lord."

As Lucius left the room, my father turned to me and said, "Ivory Riddle, your tutor tells me that as well as missing your lessons, you have also not been doing your work. Why is this?"
I shuddered at the coldness of his voice.
"I-I already know what he's t-teaching me, Father."
"Is that so?" My father turned to my tutor, wand in hand. "In that case, I no longer need your services. Avada kedavra!"
I tried to cover my eyes before it happened, but I was too late. I saw my tutor's lifeless body crumple and fall to the floor, and all because I couldn't keep my mouth shut, because I was selfish and wanted to save myself from more pain.

"From now on, you will be taught by Lucius. If you fail to show up to any of your lessons I will do the same to you as I did to him," he threatened, pointing to my ex-tutor's body on the ground. "Understood?"
"Yes, Father," I whispered, turning and walking to the door.

I ran down to my room and slammed the heavy iron door shut, locking it using wandless magic, before sliding down the wall to the floor and crying. I cried for what felt like hours, though it could only have been ten minutes at the most, until I heard the unmistakable sound of Lucius Malfoy coming to my cell, presumably for my lesson. I quickly and soundlessly unlocked the door using more wandless magic, before wiping my eyes on my sleeve and shrinking back into the corner of the room, just in time.

The door flew open and Lucius swept in, pointing his wand at me and saying, "Get up."
I got up, shaking, and faced him. "Please, sir, I-I—"
"Silence!"
"S-sorry, sir," I whispered, fear evident in my voice.
"During these lessons I am going to teach you curses and charms worth knowing. If—"
"But—"
"I said silence!" he shouted, sparks flying from the end of his wand, making me flinch. "As I was saying, if you fail to perform a curse or charm that I tell you to within the lesson, both non-verbally and wandlessly, the Dark Lord has given me permission to use the Cruciatus Curse on you. Any questions?"
"No, sir."
"Good. Now, perform the Patronus Charm. Wandlessly and non-verbally."

I held out my hand in front of me and tried to think of a happy memory, but no matter how hard I tried, one wouldn't come. I decided to just try to send out my Patronus without it, although I knew it wouldn't work.
Expecto patronum!
My Patronus stayed nonexistent.

"I-I can't do it, s-sir," I stammered, waiting for the pain I was sure would come; but, to my surprise, it didn't.
"Why not?" Lucius snapped.
"I-I can't think of a m-memory, sir."
"Yes, I thought that would be it," he said contemptuously. "You have one more chance before I use the Cruciatus Curse. Do it again."
"Y-yes sir."

I tried to think of a memory that would be strong enough to produce a corporeal Patronus. Suddenly, a flicker of a smile showed on my lips. Holding my hand in front of me again, I focused on the only happy memory I had: when I first received my Hogwarts letter and thought that I would be able to finally escape this place.

Expecto patronum! I shouted in my head, and then my Patronus erupted from the tips of my fingers for the first time. I looked at it carefully, trying to see what it was. Then I realised — it was a puppy! I watched, entranced, as it playfully ran around my shoulders before spinning in a circle, chasing its tail.
Suddenly, I felt Lucius' hand grasp my shoulder, quickly making my Patronus disappear, all the happiness sucked out of me.
"Your lesson is over for today," he announced, before leaving the room with a flounce.

I cried myself to sleep that night, wishing once again that I was allowed to attend Hogwarts. I was sure that if I was there, I wouldn't be forced to perform wandless, non-verbal spells that many witches and wizards can't even perform normally, but I knew that I was never going to be allowed to go. Or was I?

(A/N: I know this chapter was kinda like the last one, but some new stuff is happening in chapter 3!)