Hateful Love

Chapter Forty-Two

          The six of us automatically lean close and look out the window, holding onto each other as terrified yells rise up around the train. I bring my face up close to the glass, trying to spot whatever had flown by our window, but the cloudy day is making it too difficult to see much at all.

          The train jolts again, throwing us all to the side as the sound of shattering glass erupts from somewhere down the hall. As we carefully get to our feet, Katherine practically runs over to the compartment door and peers outside.

          “Is it Dementors again?” Cho asks in a shaky voice, reminding us all of third year. Four years ago, they’d come on board in search of Sirius Black; who could they possibly be looking for this time?

          Katherine doesn’t respond for half a second, setting my nerves on end. But she suddenly whips her head back inside and slams the door shut, saying quietly, “Worse.”

          Even I pick up on the terror in her voice. She’s pulling down the shade over the door window as Danny asks from the back of our compartment, “What could possibly be worse than that?”

          Katherine’s fingers find the lock and turn it, then she glances at me and whispers, “Death Eaters.”

          I take a startled step back at her words, and say somewhat sarcastically, “Do you really think a locked door will stop them?”
          “Well, get out your wand!” Katherine bites back, digging in her pocket for her own. I automatically reach for mine as another blast rocks the train, louder and closer than before.

          “Wait,” Neville asks nervously, looking around to see everyone pulling out their wands without second thoughts. “Won’t we get in trouble for attacking them?”

          “Neville, who cares—“

          Katherine’s snappy reply is cut short by a sharp knock at the door, so powerful that the windowpane shakes. Even through the thick wood and screams, we all hear a high pitched, crazed cackle.

          “Who is it?” Luna giggles softly at her own joke, though I see that her knuckles have gone white from gripping her wand so tightly as she laughs. None of us join in.

          There’s a moment of dead silence that sets my teeth on edge with anticipation, feeling closed in with the six us pressed together near the window—and I’m not even at the very back. The screams around us are getting louder, and the fear is just starting to really make my stomach churn when the door suddenly blasts off its hinges, sending all six of us diving for the floor. Smoke fills the tiny compartment quickly, and I do my best to cover my head as bits of wood from the splintered door rain down upon us.

          It’s impossible to see anything through the slowly thinning smoke, but there’s the unmistakable sound of footsteps over by the doorway, getting closer and closer. I know my wand has probably rolled off into the darkness somewhere, so I don’t even bother trying to feel for it. Blinking quickly to clear my blurred eyesight, I press my palms against the dust covered carpet and attempt to lift myself up off the ground.

          I can hear someone violently coughing just a few feet away as I get my knees under me, and I’m just trying to figure out who it could be when a boot slams into my side. Letting out a strangled cry of pain, I fly to the left and hit something soft—the smoke has dissipated enough for me to see that it’s Cho. I roll off her with a hoarse cough, clutching at my bruised ribcage. The compartment seems to spin as I attempt to focus my vision on the tall figure sweeping past me, but all I can make out is a dark cloak and a mass of messy, brown curls.

          Bellatrix.

          By the time I realize who it is, it’s far too late. I’m still blinking furiously to see through the thinned smoke as the figure bends down and drags someone up off the floor, emitting a high-pitched laugh that makes my skin crawl. Bellatrix Lestrange hauls the person past everyone and out the door, and I’m just getting unsteadily to my feet when Neville brushes past me, running after her. I pull myself up to see Danny hefting a large portion of the door off of himself, and Cho helping Katherine to her feet; my blood turns cold as I realize who’s missing, who Bellatrix dragged out the door.

          Neville’s screaming something, but the sound of it is interrupted at the sound of a loud crack outside the hallway. I stagger out the doorway to see Neville on his knees, yelling at nothing but an empty, glass-covered hallway. It’s clear that Bellatrix has Disapparated, vanishing to some unknown place.

          And she’s taken Luna with her.

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Just so we're all the same page, Luna got taken from the train in the actual series too. So I'm not just making this part up lol. Anyway, tell me what ya think! Thank you so much for reading (;