The Marauders: Year Seven Part Two

More Than Half of Us

Chriselda hugged onto Bilius tightly.

Newt Scamander's suitcase tipped over suddenly, of its own accord, and Bilius and Chriselda both looked at it. The suitcase flipped entirely over, then shook, the lid trying to open, quavering as though being pushed very, very hard from the inside, but the chains held it fast. Bilius and Chriselda both looked at one another, then quickly got up and ran over to the case, both laying on the stones as close to the seam where the lid met the body as they could.

"Hullo? Mr. Scamander?" Bilius called.

The reply was muffled. "'lo o-out- out there?"

"Mr. Scamander, it's Bilius Weasley."

"H-have-have we tipped over, then? C-could you turn us over, p-please?"

"It's chained shut," Chriselda replied.

"Chained shut?" Tina Scamander's muffled voice joined her husband's. "What do you mean, chained shut?"

Bilius looked at Chriselda. She replied, "Mrs. Scamander, Fallengunder is... it's been taken over by... You Know Who."

There was a long silence.

"W-where's N-Ned?" Newt called out.

"Dunno," Bilius answered.

More silence. 

Chriselda reached out and took Bilius's hand. Bilius squeezed hers.

"Right, well, you need to take us to Ned," Tina's voice came finally. "Find him and --"

"Mrs. Scamander, we're in the dungeons. Locked up," Bilius interrupted her.

Silence fell again over the suitcase and Chriselda wove her fingers together with Bilius's, interlocking their fingers.

Suddenly, there was a creak and a shaft of light broke through the darkness and Bilius and Chriselda jumped up and away from the suitcase. Footsteps on the stairs echoed through the dungeon and Bilius hurried to the bars to see who it was that was coming. Rudolphus Lestrange was dragging a woman with long white hair. She snapped at him like a wild animal, her eyes flashing and her hair whipping about as she struggled against him, growling in the back of her throat, struggling. Rudolphus slammed her into the bars roughly, "Stop that, you little bitch," he snarled at her, getting right in her face, "Or I'll say to hell with the Dark Lord's orders and blast you right here and now." He thrust his wand against her belly with a hiss and she growled lowly and snapped her teeth at his face in response.

Bilius glared at Rudolphus, daring him to try to open the door.

Rudolphus aimed his wand at Chriselda. "Pugnus," he declared and her nose burst with blood as she shrieked in surprise. Bilius turned hurriedly to go and help her, and Rudolpus used the moment to open the door of the dungeon and shove the still fighting woman in, slamming the iron door. "I hope he kills you first, bitch," Rudolphus announced as the woman fell to the floor in the dungeon, still biting and growling. With that, he turned and left, stamping up the stairs.

Bilius had torn a part of his shirt for Chriselda to use as a handkerchief, and she was sitting on the bench, her head back to stop the bleeding. Bilius looked at the woman, who lay sprawled on the floor, the fight gone out of her now that Rudolphus had gone, her hair spread out so that her face was covered, though it was buried in the crook of her arm anyway, her shoulders shaking as she cried. Bilius looked at Chriselda, unsure what to do, but Chriselda was too caught up in trying at stopping the bleeding - her face already bruising about the eyes. Bilius carefully approached the newcomer, kneeling beside her and tapping her shoulder.