xxxvii. RUN AWAY
It was around January when Stella plucked up the courage of coming outside the little room she had locked herself into.
Voldemort didn't even bother to have a talk to the girl because he knew that as long as she was locked up in the room there would be less chance of her associating with Harry Potter.
Stella wandered around in the halls, looking at the family photographs hung on the wall when she heard a sob coming from beneath the stair she was standing above.
. Her eyes widened in surprise but she ignored her thinking that maybe it was just her misconception.
The Manor was almost empty which Stella found a little weird but then she realised that there was another meeting going around in the drawing room.
Stella used the time to explore the manor, entering Draco's room and checking the photographs he had hung on his walls which included one of herself, Theodore Nott and Draco himself on the day of the yule ball where Theodore was her date.
A smile spread on her lips as she adored how happy the three of them looked. Their eyes were glistening with joy.
Closing the door behind her, Stella stepped out and walked in the basement area of the manor. She heard some murmurs coming from the dark cellar.
"Who is there?" Stella gulped, taking a step forward.
The murmurs stopped but Stella didn't. She continued walking closer to the door of the cellar. She peeked inside it through the bars when she spotted three figures inside it.
"Who are you?" Came a voice, startling Stella as she stumbled and pushed herself away from the door.
"Hello?" Stella heard a female voice which was very familiar to her.
"Luna?" Stella gasped in disbelief as she quickly scampered to the door. It was indeed Luna, behind her Stella spotted Ollivander, the wand maker and a goblin which she didn't know.
"Luna how are you here?" Stella panicked, holding Luna's hand through the bars.
"They kidnapped me." Luna replied in a calm tone.
"Wait here, Imma go grab my wand." Stella quickly informed before running all her way to her room.
Grabbing her wand, Stella rushed back to the basement, a worried expression on her face.
Stella tried opening the door with the wand but it didn't open. It was a special charm which could only be opened by the one who had put it on.
"Stay back." Stella ordered, taking a step back and pointing the wand at the door's lock. She was about to chant the incantation 'bombarda' when somebody grabbed her elbow from behind.
"What do you think you were doing?" Bellatrix shouted, anger rising up in her body.
Stella's eyes widened in horror as her hand froze and all the memories of that day flooded inside her head.
Bellatrix raised her hand and gave a tight slap on Stella's delicate skin. Blood rushed through Stella's body and her cheek throbbed with pain.
"Michael!" Bellatrix screamed on the top of her lungs causing Stella to flinch under the tone. She knew that she was going to be dead.
Michael came running towards the source of the voice when his eyes fell on Stella who looked like she had just seen a ghost.
"Lock her up." Bellatrix glared, pushing Stella towards Michael. Reluctantly nodding, Michael grabbed Stella's wrist lightly and dragged her away from the basement.
"What the hell were you doing there?" Michael shrieked once he reached Stella's room.
"Helping them." Stella gulped, her body still slightly shaking.
"Are you out of your mind?" Michael scolded, pinching the bridge of his nose,"Stella, look, I've got to tell you something very important."
"Go on." Stella murmured, her mind still on Luna and the others locked in the cellar.
"You need to stop helping others and you need to follow what the dark Lord says-"
"NEVER." Stella screamed, throwing a disgusted look towards Michael,"I thought you understood me, you aren't like them but you proved me wrong."
"Stella, will you please listen to me first?" Michael begged, taking a step towards Stella.
"Explain please." Stella rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"I heard the dark Lord talking something about the prophecy with Mr.Malfoy. Do you know anything about it?" Michael questioned.
"N-No." Stella lied, shaking her head..
"If you don't stop defying his orders, he will kill you." Michael whispered the last part as Stella gasped in response,"That's what the prophecy says. Something about you being the helping hand to Harry. The main reason he came back to take you with him was to make you be on his side, be one of his most trusted supporters. Because you know that you're damn powerful. And if you don't agree to be on his side, you're useless to him and he'll kill you!"
"No." Stella whispered, holding back the tears,"I don't want to help him because I know he's wrong. Just because he's my father I won't go around killing people. I can't!"
"I understand Stella." Michael said,"That is why I planned something."
"What is it?" Stella questioned, wiping a tear which had manged to roll down.
"You need to run away and stay away from him. Hide somewhere where he can't find you."
"Michael no!" Stella denied immediately,"If he finds out he won't spare a single second in killing me."
"He won't find out." Michael assured,"I have planned everything."
"But-"
"Stella you need to save yourself." Michael exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air.
"What's the plan?" Stella gulped.
"Late night, when everybody's asleep, we'll just slip out of the Manor." Michael explained, moving his hands in the air,"And once you're out of the manor, you can apperate to somewhere safe."
Stella paced around in the room with her hand on her forehead as she debated about the matter with her subconscious mind.
"What about Luna?" Stella asked,"I can't leave her alone."
"I promise I'll do everything to free her." Michael reassured,"I'll take care of everything."
"Fine." Stella nodded, taking a deep breath.
As the sun finally went down the horizon, stars filled the sky like pale corn into freshly turned ground.
"Stella." Michael whispered, knocking softly on the door of her bedroom. The door Knob twisted as Stella opened the door and walked out before closing the door behind her.
Everything was so quiet that Stella could even hear her heartbeat.
"Come on." Michael led her downstairs as Stella slung the bag she had prepared for her run away. The surrounding was so cold that Stella could feel her blood getting freeze in her veins.
Quietly, Michael opened the large door and pushed Stella out when he heard some footsteps behind him.
Stella didn't realise that Michael had stopped following her as she kept on walking away from the manor.
"Running away?" Came the cold voice. Michael was paralyzed to the spot, the menacing aura holding him in a tightening grip. Stella stopped dead in her tracks, not daring to turn away and look at the evil sight.
"Stella run!" Michael screamed, trying to follow her when Voldemort raised his wand and pointed it directly at the boy.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Stella's breath caught in her throat as she turned around to find him dead. Michael was laying on the ground, his eyes closed while his body didn't show any response. His face was blank.
Stella felt helpless at that very moment. Tears had already made her way down but she knew that she couldn't stay back to hold him otherwise she would be killed too.
Stall saw Voldemort walking towards her and quickly stumbled back. With heavy heart, Stella started running away from the manor and apperated before getting hit by a spell.