Estella had reacted quickly. She couldn't cast a powerful enough Disillusionment Charm in such little time, the only Charm to conceal Harry's identity would be a facial disfigurement one. She barely had time to cast the weakest of Disillusionment Charms over herself when unknown hands dragged Estella and began rummaging through her pockets, removing her wand.
"Get-off-her!" Ron shouted. There was the unmistakable sound of knuckles hitting flesh: Ron grunted in pain and Hermione screamed, "No! Leave him alone, leave him alone!"
"Your boyfriend's going to have worse than that done to him if he's on my list," said the horribly familiar, rasping voice, holding Estella tightly. She could feel him swoop down and shuddered in disgust as his face neared her head. "Delicious girl...What a treat...I do enjoy the softness of the skin..."
"Let her go!" Harry yelled. Estella could vaguely see him wrestle with his capturer before another sound of knuckles hitting flesh rang in her ears.
"Ah, two sets of couples...a double treat for me," said Fenrir, the werewolf permitted to wear Death Eater robes in return for his hired savagery.
"Search the tent!" said another voice.
She could hear footsteps and crashes; the men were pushing over chairs inside the tent as they searched.
"Now, let's see who we've got," said Greyback's gloating voice. A beam of wand light fell onto Harry's face and Greyback laughed.
"I'll be needing butterbeer to wash this one down. What happened to you, ugly?"
Harry did not answer immediately.
"I said," repeated Greyback, and Harry received a blow to the diaphragm, "what happened to you?"
She struggled in her captors hold. Even if she did wandless and nonverbal magic, she couldn't take down that many people at one time and escape with Harry, Hermione, and Ron.
"Stung," Harry muttered, his eyes finding Estella's, silently urging her to not act. "Been stung.
"Yeah, looks like it," said a second voice.
"What's your name?" snarled Greyback.
"Dudley," said Harry.
"And your first name?"
"I-Vernon. Vernon Dudley."
"Check the list, Scabior," said Greyback and Estella saw Greyback move sideways to look down at Ron. "And what about you, ginger?"
"Stan Shunpike," said Ron.
"Like 'ell you are," said the man called Scabior. "We know Stan Shunpike, 'e's put a bit of work our way."
There was another thud.
"I'b Bardy," said Ron, and Estella could tell that his mouth was full of blood. "Bardy Weadley."
"A Weasley?" rasped Greyback. "So you're related to blood traitors even if you're not a Mudblood. And you, girl..." The relish in his voice made Estella's skin crawl as he turned to Hermione.
"Easy, Greyback," said Scabior over the jeering of others.
"Oh, I'm not going to bite just yet. We'll see if she's a bit quicker at remembering her name than Barny. Who are you, girly?"
"Penelope Clearwater," said Hermione. She sounded terrified but convincing.
"What's your blood status?"
"Half-blood," said Hermione.
"Easy enough to check," said Scabior. "And you?"
His dark eyes peered down at Estella. She could faintly hear Harry struggling to get up from under the Death Eaters' foot. She knew the Disillusionment Charm would not last and most of her face was certainly recognizable under light, but concealed in the darkness of the night.
"Amber Haywood," she said, her voice sounded far stronger than she thought it would.
She'd used the name of a girl who graduated two years prior.
"Blood status?"
"Half-blood," said Estella quickly.
The Death Eater called Scabior turned. "The 'ole lot of 'em look like they could still be 'ogwarts age-"
"We'b lebt," said Ron.
"Left, 'ave you, ginger?" said Scabior. "And you decided to go camping? And you thought, just for a laugh, you'd use the Dark Lord's name?"
"Nod a laugh," said Ron. "Aggiden."
"Accident?" There was more jeering laughter.
"You know who used to like using the Dark Lord's name, Weasley?" growled Greyback. "The Order of the Phoenix. Mean anything to you?"
"Doh."
"Well, they don't show the Dark Lord proper respect, so the name's been Tabooed. A few Order members have been tracked that way. We'll see. Bind them up with the other two prisoners!"
The Death Eater holding Estella in place pulled her backward before binding her back-to-back with other people.
"Anyone still got a wand?" asked Harry. From the sound of his voice, he must've been close.
"No," said Ron, Estella, and Hermione.
"I can't take on that many and get us to safety," whispered Estella. "There's too many."
"This is my fault. I said the name, I'm sorry-"
"Harry?"
It was new but familiar and it came from the person tied to Estella's left.
"Dean?"
"It is you! If they find out they've got-! They're Snatchers, they're only looking for truants to sell for gold-"
"Not a bad little haul for one night," Greyback was saying, as a pair of hobnailed boots marched close to Estella and they heard more crashes from inside the tent. "A Mudblood, a runaway goblin, and four truants. You checked their names on the list yet, Scabior?" he roared.
"Yeah. There's no Vernon Dudley on 'ere, Greyback."
"Interesting," said Greyback. "That's interesting."
He crouched to Estella's right. Faintly she could see a face covered in matted gray hair and whiskers, with pointed brown teeth and sores at the corners of his mouth. She could smell him from three feet away and he reeked of dirt, sweat, and blood.
"So you aren't wanted, then, Vernon? Or are you on that list under a different name? What House were you in at Hogwarts?"
"Slytherin," said Harry.
"Funny 'ow they all think we wants to 'ear that," jeered Scabior out of the shadows. "But none of 'em can tell us where the common room is."
"It's in the dungeons," said Harry. "You enter through the wall. It's full of skulls and stuff and it's under the lake, so the light's all green."
There was a short pause.
"Well, well, looks like we really 'ave caught a little Slytherin," said Scabior. "Good for you, Vernon, 'cause there ain't a lot of Mudblood Slytherins. Who's your father?"
"He works at the Ministry," Harry lied. "Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes."
"You know what, Greyback," said Scabior. "I think there is a Dudley in there."
"Well, well," said Greyback, and Estella could what the tiniest note of trepidation in the callous voice, and knew that Greyback was wondering whether he had indeed just attacked and bound the son of a Ministry official. "If you're telling the truth, ugly, you've got nothing to fear from a trip to the Ministry. I expect your father'll reward us just for picking you up."
"But," said Harry, "if you just let us-"
"Hey!" came a shout from inside the tent. "Look at this, Greyback!"
A dark figure came bustling toward them, and Estella saw a glint of silver in the light of their wands. They had found the sword of Gryffindor.
"Ve-e-ry nice," said Greyback appreciatively, taking it from his companion. "Oh, very nice indeed, Looks goblin-made, that. Where did you get something like this?"
"It's my father's," Harry lied. "We borrowed it to cut firewood-"
"'ang on a minute, Greyback! Look at this, in the Prophet!"
"'Estella Dumbledore,'" Scabior was saying, "'the Seer with the ability to bring back the dead is known to be traveling with 'arry Potter and Mudblood, 'Ermione Granger..."
Her breath caught as Greyback crouched in front of her, holding an illuminated wand to her face.
His clawed finger skimmed the side of her face and her body shuddered in disgust and terror. The urge to risk the consequences and use magic was slowly becoming overwhelming.
"You know what, little girly? This picture looks a hell of a lot like you."
"Does it? Because it's not me."
Her voice was convincing but what wasn't was Hermione's terrified squeak as Greyback turned to her.
"It isn't me! It isn't!"
"'...known to be traveling with Harry Potter,'" repeated Greyback quietly.
A stillness had settled over the scene.
"Well, this changes things, doesn't it?" whispered Greyback. Nobody spoke. Estella sensed the gang of Snatchers watching, frozen, and felt Hermione's arm trembling against hers. With a lingering stare on Estella's weakly disguised face, Greyback got up and took a couple steps to where Harry sat.
"What's that on your forehead, Vernon?" he asked softly.
"Don't touch it!" Harry yelled.
"I thought you were glasses, Potter?" breathed Greyback.
"I found glasses!" yel[ed one of the Snatchers skulking in the background. "There was glasses in the tent, Greyback, wait-"
And seconds later Harry's glasses had been rammed back onto his face. The Snatchers were closing in now, peering at him.
"It is!" rasped Greyback. "We've caught Potter!"
They all took several steps backward, stunned by what they had done before Greyback dropped in front of Estella once more.
"She must be Dumbledore. They wouldn't travel without each other!" Greyback's voice had grown excited as he peered at her.
There was stunned silence.
"...to the Ministry?"
"To hell with the Ministry," growled Greyback. "They'll take the credit and we won't get a look in. I say we take him straight to You-Know-Who."
"Will you summon 'im? 'Ere?" said Scabior, sounding awed and terrified.
"No." snarled Greback, "I haven't got-they say he's using the Malfoys' place as a base. We'll take the boy and girl there."
It was almost ironic how the werewolf was permitted to wear Death Eater robes when they wanted to use him, but only Voldemort's inner circle were branded with the Dark Mark: Greyback had not been granted this highest honor.
"Completely sure it's them? Cause if it ain't, Greyback, we're dead."
"Who's in charge here?" roared Greyback, covering his moment of inadequacy. "I say that's them, and him plus his wand, that's two hundred thousand Galleons right here. Plus the girl, that's another two hundred thousand galleons. But if you're too gutless to come along, any of you, it's all for me, and with any luck, I'll get the Mudblood thrown in!"
"All right!" said Scabior. "All right, we're in! And what about the rest of 'em, Greyback, what'll we do with 'em?"
"Might as well take the lot. We've got two Mudbloods, that's another ten Galleons. Give me the sword as well. If they're rubies, that's another small fortune right there."
The prisoners were dragged to their feet. Estela could hear Hermione's breathing, fast and terrified. Estella wouldn't let them know she was terrified. She refused to show weakness. Fear itself wasn't the weakness, being controlled by it was.
"Grab hold and make it tight, I'll do Potter, Scabior you do Dumbledore!" said Greyback. Scabior did as he was told and seized Estella's arms. "On three! One-two-three-"
They Disapparated, pulling the prisoners with them. Estella struggled, trying to throw off Scabior's hand, but it was futile: Harry and Hermione were squeezed tightly against her on either side, and she couldn't reach Ron, so separating from the group was not an option she had.
The prisoners lurched into one another as they landed in a country lane. Estella saw a pair of wrought-iron gates at the foot of what looked like a long drive.
One of the Snatchers strode to the gates and shook them.
"How do we get in? They're locked, Greyback, I can't-blimey!"
He whipped his hands away in fright. The iron was contorting, twisting itself out of the abstract furls and coils into a frightening face, which spike in a clanging, echoing voice: "State your purpose!"
"We've got Potter and Dumbledore!" Greyback roared triumphantly. "We've captured Harry Potter! We've got Estella Dumbledore!"
The gates swung open.
Estella wasn't surprised.
"Come on!" said Greback to his men, and the prisoners were shunted through the gates and up the drive, between high hedges that muffled their footsteps. Estella saw a ghostly white shape above her, an albino peacock, a symbol of the Malfoys. She stumbled and was dragged while staggering and struggling along sideways, tied back to back to the five other prisoners.
Light spilled out over all of them.
"What is this?" said a woman's cold voice.
"We're here to see He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!" rasped Greyback.
"Who are you?"
"You know me!" There was resentment in the werewolf's voice. "Fenrir Greyback! We've caught Harry Potter and Estella Dumbledore!"
Scabior seized Estella and pushed her into the light, forcing the other prisoners to shuffle around too.
"She looks different but it's her and that's him! I know 'es swollen, ma'am, bit it's 'im!" piped Scabior, as Greyback shoved Harry forward and into Estella. "If you look a bit closer you'll see 'is scar. And this 'ere, see the girl? The Mudblood who's been traveling around with 'im, ma'am. There's no doubt it's 'im, and we've got 'is wand as well! 'Ere, ma'am-"
Scabior thrust the blackthorn wand at her. Narcissa Malfoy's eyes left Estella and moved to Harry, her eyebrows raised.
"Bring them in," she said.
Estella and the others were shoved and kicked up broad stone steps into a hallway lined with portraits.
"Follow me," said Narcissa, leading the way across the hall. "My son, Draco, is home for his Easter holiday. If this is Harry Potter and Estella, he will know."
The drawing room dazzled after the darkness outside. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, more portrait against the dark purple walls. Two figures rose from chairs in front of an ornate marble fireplace as the prisoners were forced into the room by the Snatchers.
"What is this?"
The dreadfully familiar, drawling voice of Lucius Malfoy fell on Estella's ears. She was close to panicking now: She could see no way out, without Harry, Hermione, Dean, or Ron having a wand they would not get out so easily.
"They say they've got Potter and Dumbledore," Narcissa said coldly. "Draco, come here."
Estella's eyes bore into him: he'd grown taller and was rising from the armchair, his face pale and more hollow than it'd been the previous year.
Greyback forced the prisoners to turn again so as to place Estella and Harry directly beneath the chandelier.
"Well, boy?" rasped the werewolf.
Her eyes met Harry's in the mirror over the fireplace. His face was huge, shiny, and pink, every feature distorted by her jinx. His black hair reached his shoulders and there was a dark shadow around his jaw. She could see how Greyback had discovered her identity. The Charm was indeed weak. Her eyes, her most telling feature, were the same grey color and her hair was the same.
"Well, Draco?" said Lucius Malfoy. He sounded avid. "Is it? Is it them?"
"I can't-I can't be sure," said Draco. He was keeping his distance from Greyback and seemed nervous to look at either of them.
"But look at them carefully, look! Come closer!"
Estella had never heard Lucius Malfoy so excited.
"Draco, if we are the ones who hand them over to the Dark Lord, everything will be forgiv-"
"Now, we won't be forgetting who actually caught them, I hope, Mr. Malfoy?" said Greyback menacingly.
"Of course not, of course not!" said Lucius impatiently. He approached Harry himself.
"What did you do to him?" Lucius asked Greyback. "How did he get into this state?"
"This wasn't us."
"Looks more like a Stinging jinx to me," said Lucius.
His eyes raked Harry's forehead.
"There's something there," he whispered, "it could be the scar, stretched tight...Draco, come here, look properly! What do you think?"
Draco had moved closer, sending an anxious glance to Estella as recognition sank in. Lucius and Draco looked extraordinary alike, except that while his father looked beside himself with excitement, Draco's expression was full of reluctance, fear.
"I don't know," he said, and he walked away toward the fireplace where his mother stood watching.
"And the girl? Did you look at her eyes?" Lucius pressed, moving back in front of her.
Draco shuddered. "She looks different."
"We had better be certain, Lucius," Narcissa called to her husband in her cold, clear voice.
Completely sure that it is them, before we summon the Dark Lord...They say that is his" - she was looking closely at the blackthorn wand - "but it does not resemble Ollivander's description...If we are mistake, if we call the Dark Lord here for nothing...Remember what he did to Rowle and Dolohov?"
"What about the Mudblood, then?" growled Greyback. Estella was thrown back as the Snatchers forced the prisoners to swivel around again, so that the light fell on Hermione instead.
"Wait," said Narcissa sharply. "Yes-yes, she was in Madam Malkin's with them! I saw her picture in the Prophet! Look, Draco isn't it the Granger girl?"
"I...maybe...yeah."
"But then, that's the Weasley boy!" shouted Lucius, striding around the bound prisoners to face Ron. "It's them, Potter's friends, the Seer-Draco, look at him, isn't it Arthur Weasley's son, what's his name-?"
"Yeah," said Draco again, his back to the prisoners. "It could be."
The drawing-room door opened behind Estella. A woman spoke, the sound of the voice sending bolts of fear throughout Estella.
"What is this? What's happened, Cissy?"
Bellatrix Lestrange walked slowly around the prisoners, and stopped on Estella's right, staring at Hermione through her heavily lidded eyes.
"But surely," she said quietly, "this is the Mudblood girl? This is Granger?"
"Yes, yes, it's Granger!" cried Lucius. "And beside her, we think, Dumbledore, look at her eyes! And Potter! Potter and his friends, caught at last!"
"Dumbledore?" shrieked Bellatrix. She moved in front of Estella with quick speed, her eyes piercing hers. "Grey eyes! It must be her! Well then, the Dark Lord must be informed at once!"
She dragged back her sleeve: Estella saw the Dark Mark burned into the flesh of her arm, and knew that she was about to touch it, to summon her beloved master.
"I was about to call him!" said Lucius, and his hand actually closed upon Bellatrix's wrist, preventing her from touching the Mark. "I shall summon him, Bella, they have been brought to my house, and it is therefore upon my authority-"
"Your authority!" she sneered, attempting to wrench her hand from his grasp. "You lost your authority when you lost your wand, Lucius! How dare you! Take your hands off me!"
"This is nothing to do with you, you did not capture the boy-"
"Begging your pardon, Mr. Malfoy," interjected Greyback, "but it's us that caught Potter and Dumbledore, and it's us that'll be claiming the gold-"
"Gold!" laughed Bellatrix, still attempting to throw off her brother-in-law, her free hand groping in her pocket for her wand. "Take your gold, filthy scavenger, what do I want with gold? I seek only the honor of his-of-"
The object of her obsession that she'd do literally anything for because Bellatrix was an obsessive and sickening degenerate.
Bellatrix stopped struggling, her dark eyes fixed upon something Estella could not see. Jubilant at her capitulation, Lucius threw her hand from him and ripped up his own sleeve.
"STOP!" shrieked Bellatrix. "Do not touch it, we shall all perish if the Dark Lord comes now!"
Lucius froze, his index finger hovering over his own Mark. Bellatrix strode out of Estella's limited line of vision.
"What is that?" she heard her say.
"Sword," grunted an out-of-sight Snatcher.
"Give it to me."
"It's not yours, missus, it's mine, I reckon I found it."
There was a bang and a flash of red light: Estella knew that the Snatcher had been Stunned. There was a roar of anger from his fellows: Scabior drew his wand.
"What d'you think you're playing at, woman?"
"Stupefy!" she screamed. "Stupefy!"
They were no match for her, even though there were four of them against one of her: she was a witch with prodigious skill and no conscience. They fell where they stood, all except Greyback, who had been forced into a kneeling position, his arms outstretched. Out of the corners of her eyes Estella saw Bellatrix bearing down upon the werewolf, the sword of Gryffindor gripped tightly in her hand, her face waxen.
"Where did you get this sword?" she whispered to Greyback as she pulled his wand out of his unresisting grip.
"How dare you?" he snarled, his mouth the only thing that could move as he was forced to gaze up at her. He bared his pointed teeth. "Release me, woman!"
"Where did you get this sword?" she repeated, brandishing it in his face. "Snape sent it to my vault in Gringotts!"
"It was in their tent," rasped Greyback. "Release me, I say!"
She waved her wand, and the werewolf sprang to his feet, but appeared too wary to approach her. He prowled behind an armchair, his filthy curved nails clutching its back.
"Draco, move this scum outside," said Bellatrix, indicating the unconscious men. "If you haven't got the guts to finish them, then leave them in the courtyard for me."
"Don't you dare speak to Draco like-" said Narcissa furiously, but Bellatrix screamed.
"Be quiet! The situation is graver than you can possibly imagine, Cissy! We have a very serious problem!"
She stood, panting slightly, looking down at the sword, examining its hilt. Then she turned to look at the silent prisoners.
"If it is indeed Potter, he cannot be harmed," she muttered, more to herself than to the others. "The Dark Lord wishes to dispose of Potter himself...but the girl, he wishes to know the extent...I must...I must..."
She turned back to her sister again.
"The prisoners must be placed in the cellar, while I think what to do!"
"This is my house, Bella, you don't give orders in my-"
"Do it! You have no idea of the danger we are in!" shrieked Bellatrix. She looked frightening, mad; a thin stream of fire issued from her wand and burned a hole in the carpet.
Narcissa hesitated for a moment, then addressed the werewolf.
"Take these prisoners down to the cellar, Greyback."
"Wait," said Bellatrix sharply. "All except...except for the Mudblood and Dumbledore."
Greyback gave a grunt of pleasure and Estella's mind went blank. Bellatrix had mentioned her abilities, finding the extent to which she could use them.
"No!" shouted Ron. "You can have me, keep me!"
"You don't need her! You have me! You can use me!" Harry yelled, struggling now harder than ever in his captor's hold.
"Worried about your girlfriend, Potter?" said Bellatrix, a twisted smile spread across her face.
"Use me!" he yelled again, his voice grew desperate as he struggled.
Harry hadn't felt true terror until now.
"Don't hurt her. If the Mudblood dies under questioning and she isn't able to bring her back, I'll take you next," Bellatrix said. "Blood traitor is next to Mudblood in my blood. Take them downstairs, Greyback, and make sure they are secure, but do nothing more to them-yet."
She threw Greyback's wand back to him, then took a short silver knife from under her robes. She cut Estella and Hermione free from the other prisoners, then dragged the pair into the middle of the room, while Greyback forced the rest of them to shuffle across to another until they were out of sight.
Hermione was shaking against her, shaking wasn't a strong enough word, she was trembling, but risking a Protection Charm wouldn't be wise; Ron and Harry could be as easily used against her just as Hermione could.
Bellatrix was no longer smiling but appeared to be buzzing with excitement.
"We're going to play a game. Draco, bring a chair for the Mudblood," cooed Bellatrix, and Draco did so, his face grim as his eyes found hers.
She forced Hermione onto the chair.
Bellatrix moved behind Estella. She could feel her warm breath and hear her ragged, anticipating breathing. She froze as the tip of Bellatrix's wand touched her side.
"The Dark Lord does not know the extent of your abilities and I'm sure he'd be pleased if I found it," she said, her wand digging deeper into her hip. She sounded as though she was reassuring herself more than she was telling Estella.
She refused to wince at the burning sensation.
Bellatrix shoved Estella to her knees in front of Hermione and moved, her wand raised, behind her.
"You will tell me how you got into my vault and you will do so honestly," she said before turning sharply. "Estella, if you do not answer honestly, the Mudblood will be subjected to fun punishments for your disobedience-Or maybe I'll just torture you-If she dies, you can bring her back and we'll start this over again. But I'm sure the Dark Lord would love to see how far you could go before you break. Then he'd know how far he could push..." she trailed off.
Estella shuddered and nodded, her eyes never left Hermione's terrified one. She wasn't going to let Hermione get hurt, but it seemed like she wouldn't have a choice.
"Where did you get the sword?" she hissed.
"We found it," said Hermione before Estella could speak.
Bellatrix's response was instantaneous.
"Crucio!"
It hit Estella faster than she could blink. Her screams echoed throughout the grand room and her head hit the floor with a harsh thud. She withered involuntarily on the ground, tears fell quickly down her face. It felt as though hot knives were piercing her skin, over and over again. The air in her lungs seemed to have left and she felt as though she was suffocating.
Hermione was struggling in her chair and tears had begun to fall from her eyes. Estella could hear Harry's shouting from wherever he had been taken.
"Estella? Estella, can you hear me? Are-are you okay?" his voice sounded in her head.
"I'm fine."
They both knew she wasn't.
Her eyes reopened. Bellatrix stood in front of Hermione, peering at the girl with furious eyes.
"You are lying, filthy Mudblood, and I know it! You have been inside my vault at Gringotts! Tell me the truth, tell me the truth!"
And she was back on the ground, withering back and forth, her body convulsing, and her head throbbing.
She couldn't hear what Hermione said next.
"What else did you take? What else have you got? Tell me the truth or, I swear, I shall run you through with this knife and we will see how filthy your blood truly is."
And then she turned the knife on Hermione.
"Stop! We didn't take anything!" cried Estella, forcing herself to a sitting position while her eyes scanned the room. Draco stood behind his mother, who looked as though she was restraining him, for his wand was in her hand.
Bellatrix ignored her.
"What else did you take, what else? ANSWER ME! CRUCIO!"
Hermione's screams echoed off the walls. She was screaming far louder than Estella had and collapsed onto the ground.
"STOP! Torture me! Use it on me," Estella bellowed. She was desperate to make Bellatrix stop and she acted before she thought. Her foot had shot out, making contact with the back of Bellatrix's black clothed leg, sending her to the floor in one swift motion.
She bounced to her feet within seconds, looking furious and downright terrifying as she rounded on Estella.
"You'll regret that," she screamed.
She thought she meant the Curse the first two times she used it on Estella, but she truly meant it now.
"Crucio! Curcio! Crucio!"
It felt worse. It was like hot coals and hot knives were piercing her skin and hitting her bones. Her lungs felt hollow and she was struggling for air. Her mind was screaming.
But Hermione wasn't. No matter the pain, her actions felt justified.
"How did you get into my vault?" she heard Bellatrix scream. "Did that dirty little goblin in the cellar help you?"
Harry was pleading both verbally and in her head. His voice was riddled with anxiety; he sounded petrified.
"We only met him tonight!" Hermione sobbed. "We've never been inside your vault. It isn't the real sword! It's a copy, just a copy! Stop hurting her!"
Her curse had lessened enough for her to catch her breath.
"A copy?" screeched Bellatrix. "Oh, a likely story?"
"But we can easily find out!" said Lucius. "Draco, fetch the goblin, he can tell us whether the sword is real or not!"
Draco seemed eager to leave. His eyes fluttered to her limp form as he left the grand room.
He had returned with the goblin within a minute.
Estella could vaguely hear the dismissal of Wormtail before the Curse was reenacted.
Bellatrix couldn't look as though she was withholding.
The agony returned. She wasn't screaming as bad, for her voice was hoarse and felt as though her throat was burning.
"Well?" Bellatrix said to Griphook. "Is it the true sword?"
"No," said Griphook. "It is a fake."
"Are you sure?" panted Bellatrix. "Quite sure?"
"Yes," said the goblin.
"Good," she said, and with a casual flick of her wand she slashed a deep but into the goblin's face, and he dropped with a yell at her feet. She kicked him aside. "And now," she said in a voice that burst with triumph, "we call the Dark Lord!"
Estella couldn't bring herself to move. She could only watch as Bellatrix pushed back her sleeve and touched her forefinger to the Dark Mark.
"And I think," said Bellatrix, "we can dispose of the Mudblood. Greyback, take her if you want."
"NOOOOOO!"
Ron had burst into the drawing-room; Bellatrix looked around, shocked; she turned her wand to face Ron.
"Expelliarmus!" Ron roared, pointing a wand at Bellatrix, and hers flew into the air, caught by Harry, who had sprinted after Ron. Lucius, Narcissa, Draco, and Greyback wheeled about; Harry yelled, "Stupefy!" and Lucius Malfoy collapsed onto the hearth. Jets of light flew from Draco's, Narcissa's, and Greyback's wands. Estella had barely summoned enough energy to use a hover charm and send a bleeding Hermione in Ron and Harry's direction before arms grabbed her, pulling her tight against them.
"STOP OR SHE DIES!"
Ron, who held Hermione and Harry, whose wand was raised froze in their place. Never had she seen Harry look more horror-stricken or panicked than he did right now. Bellatrix held Estella, supporting her, for her legs seemed to barely support her, and a short silver knife was held to her throat.
"Drop your wands," she whispered. "Drop them, or we'll see exactly how pure the Seer's blood actually is."
Harry stood rigid. He seemed to be consumed with anger, fear, and worry. He felt nothing but hatred for the despicable woman and pure terror that her fate was held in her hands.
"I said, drop them!" she screeched, pressing the blade into Estella's throat: she winced as the skin beneath the knife opened and warm droplets of blood trailed down her throat.
"All right!" Harry shouted, and he dropped the wand onto the floor, Ron followed suit. Both raised their hands to shoulder height.
"Good!" she leered. "Draco, pick them up! The Dark Lord is coming, Harry Potter! Your death approaches!"
"The Dark Lord said she's to be kept alive," said Draco, his voice wavering as he moved back to their side.
"Are you questioning me, boy?" snarled Bellatrix.
"He's not," said Narcissa quickly.
Bellatrix leered at him before her eyes traveled back to Harry.
"Now," said Bellatrix softly, "Cissy, I think we ought to tie these little heroes up again, while Greyback takes care of the Miss Mudblood. I am sure the Dark Lord will not begrudge you the girl, Greyback, after what you have done tonight."
At the last word, there was a peculiar grinding noise from above. All of them looked upward in time to see the crystal chandelier tremble; then, with a creak and an ominous jingling, it began to fall. Bellatrix was directly beneath it; she dropped Estella and threw herself aside with a scream. The chandelier crashed to the floor in an explosion of crystal and chains, falling on top of Estella and the goblin, who still clutched the sword of Gryffindor. Glittering shards of crystal threw in all directions. She gasped as she felt a shard of glass impale itself in her abdomen, the air left her lungs with the impact of the chandelier, and she could do nothing but lay helplessly under the weight of the heavy chandelier.
She felt Harry pull her out of the wreckage and she collapsed against him, her breath increasing as the shard moved. Ron took his chance: He leapt over an armchair and wrestled the four wands from Draco's grip, pointed all of them at Greyback, and yelled, "Stupefy!" The werewolf was lifted off his feet by the triple spell, flew up to the ceiling, and then smashed to the ground.
"Dobby!" she screamed, and even Bellatrix froze. Narcissa's wand pointed directly at the doorway where the elf stood. "You! You dropped the chandelier-?"
The tiny elf trotted into the room, his shaking finger pointing at his old mistress.
"You must not hurt Harry Potter," he squealed. "Hurting Estella Dumbledore hurt Harry Potter."
"Kill him, Cissy!" shrieked Bellatrix, but there was another loud crack, and Narcissa's wand too flew into the air and landed on the other side of the room.
"You dirty little monkey!" bawled Bellatrix. "How dare you take a witch's wand, how dare you defy your masters?"
"Dobby has no master!" squealed the elf. "Dobby is a free elf, and Dobby has come to save Harry Potter and his friends!"
"Ron, catch-and GO!" Harry yelled, shifting Estella to his other arm and throwing two of the wands at him; then he bent down to tug Griphook out from under the chandelier and hoisted the groaning goblin, who was still clung to the sword, over the one shoulder. Dobby had taken Estella's hand and then spun on the spot to Disapparate, every movement sent bolts of pain as the shard continued to dig deeper.
As she turned into darkness she caught one last view of the drawing-room: of the pale, frozen figures of Narcissa and Draco, of the streak of red that was Ron's hair, the pale face of Hermione, and a blur of flying silver, as Bellatrix's knife flew across the room at the place where they were vanishing.
She had disappeared into the unknown. Dobby's hand tightly gripped her own and Harry held on to her as though he was holding her for dear life.
And then they hit solid earth and smelled salty hair. Estella collapsed onto the ground, dropping Dobby's hand, and maneuvering carefully so she did not hit the shard more. Harry had settled Griphook onto the sand before moving quickly to Estella.
Harry's worried eyes were above her in an instant.
"Es, where does it hurt?" he asked frantically.
She grimaced and directed his hand to the shard in her stomach.
His eyes had darkened.
"Dobby, is this Shell Cottage?" Harry whispered, clutching the two wands in one hand and pressing the other to her wound to stop the bleeding. "Have we come to the right place? Dobby?"
She looked around. The little elf stood feet from them.
"DOBBY!"
The elf swayed slightly, stars reflected in his wide, shining eyes. Together, he, Harry, and Estella looked down at the silver hilt of the knife protruding from the elf's heaving chest.
"Dobby-no-HELP!" Harry bellowed toward the cottage. "HELP! We need help!"
Dobby's arms were outstretched to Harry with a look of supplication. Estella pushed Harry's hands from her and shoved him with the strength she could muster toward Harry.
Harry was torn between Estella and Dobby. The love of his life and the elf that'd been his friend since he was twelve, the elf that saved his life on numerous occasions.
She waved a hand at him, murmured the words, "I'm fine," though she could tell she was fading fast.
She could faintly hear the sound of thundering feet running toward them as her eyes drifted shut.
Hi guys, hope you liked the chapter. Vote and comment. I love reading the comments!
This part took a lot of energy to write ngl. Idk if I'm completely happy with it, but I'm not mad.
Anyways, hope you have a good night (for me).