The floor creaked under their weight. Small lights glowed at the tip of their wands. Even though they didn't need sneaking, they walked on their toes, looking around.
"Where is it hidden?" Remus asked.
They all just recovered from the boggart attack. Though it didn't really attack them, it still did them damage.
James really thought the one who lay there, lifeless, was Lily. He was as paralyzed as he was before. He couldn't shake off the image of Lily dead with their child. It may sound like a stretch but a boggart shows anyone's greatest fears. And apparently, his greatest fear was losing Lily and their child, the child Callie told him.
He was not the only one who couldn't concentrate after what happened. Sirius never took his eyes off his brother. He didn't care about looking for the Horcrux; the others could look for it instead.
Peter was more jumpy and anxious. He kept looking around, not to find the ring but to make sure there wasn't anyone to attack him.
Regulus and Callie held each other's hands. Whether unconsciously or not, they kept it that way. Regulus had to remind himself that the real Callie had always believed in him. And Callie had to remind herself that she wouldn't fail. No, she couldn't. She wouldn't lose them the second time.
Remus seemed like the least affected. But he knew he had to keep his head after the damage his friends got from that boggart.
When they entered the shack, nothing welcomed them. It was quiet. They were hoping that that was the last defence Voldemort had against anyone. They couldn't afford any more psychological torture.
"I'm not entirely sure," Callie replied to Remus' question. "But the ring's hidden in, like a drawer. I'm not sure where that drawer was but it's probably on like a table. Study table."
They searched for any possible drawer. The shack wasn't that big so they didn't have to cover much space. And to be sure, they never split up.
Until Remus found a table. Cobweb covered it and the stack of books and a candleholder acted as though towers and a fortress. He searched for a drawer below the surface. There were four, one alone, another smaller beside it and two more below the small one.
He opened the alone one first; nothing but old writing wares. He tried the one beside it. There it sat, above a stack of thin notebooks.
"Callie," he called.
His tone already told them they got something. The five hurried to look at what he was staring at.
"Is this it?"
"Definitely."
"I should add it to my ring collection."
Callie whipped her head to Sirius when he said that. "That is a Horcrux, in case you forgot." She gently but with shaking hands reached for the ring, holding it just on the tip. "When Dumbledore tried to wear the ring, his hand died. Unless you want that on you, then sure."
"I was just joking."
"Wait, is that...?" James took a closer look at the stone sitting on top of the ring.
"What is it?" Peter asked, holding his wand tighter.
"The Resurrection Stone?"
Callie nodded.
All their eyes widened.
"What?" Sirius now wanted to touch it.
"The stone was passed on to the Gaunt Family, Tom Riddle or Voldemort's—as you know him—family. He had no idea that this ring has that stone when he decided to make this a Horcrux."
"And you're just going to destroy a Deathly Hallow?" Sirius asked as if to make it clear in his head.
"We have to, Sirius. Besides, this Deathly Hallow isn't good at helping someone cope with death. It doesn't resurrect people, just their grieves." Callie opened her bag and searched for the fang. "We should do this outside."
They exited the shack. Callie placed the ring just in front of it and handed Remus the fang. He took it and knelt down, the rest stepping back. He only hoped he could get it right this time. The last time he attempted to destroy a Horcrux, it didn't end well.
He looked back up at Callie. She nodded back at him.
With pent-up courage, he raised the fang and struck the ring.
The ring jumped high, sending Remus to the ground. A high-pitched screech sent their hands pressed onto their ears. But even earmuffs were no use to such noise. It was even worse than a Mandrake's cry.
"Make it stop!" Sirius cried and groaned when the noise slipped between his fingers.
But no one could do that, of course. Not with the deafening sound of Voldemort's soul crushing their eardrums.
Fortunately, it finally stopped. And they felt as relieved as when the boggart was cast away.
"Merlin!" James swung his hands down, panting as if he had run a mile. "Couldn't warn us about that?" He looked at Callie who had her mouth wide opened, pressing a finger in her ear and looking at it to check if there was blood or any fluid.
"I didn't know." She tried her other ear. "If I did, I would've made us bring earmuffs. They didn't really make it clear what happens if the ring's destroyed. All they said Dumbledore used the sword to do it and—" Callie stopped upon a realization. "The stone."
She dove to the ground and searched for the Resurrection Stone. It didn't take her much time to find it as it was just a few feet away from the ring. Callie took and looked at the details.
The Resurrection Stone would bring back someone. Just not in the flesh and had made some people suffer. But it could bring someone back. Just like Bubbles. Bubbles, her little boy.
Callie would do so much just to have another chat with Bubbles, anything possible. And now, she had an answer in between her thumb and her forefinger. And she would keep it in her hand.
Callie opened the bag and stuffed the stone in. She stood up almost the same time as Remus and looked back.
"We're fine." She pulled a smile.
"Let's go back to the camp," said Peter.
Callie understood all the anxiety around him. Two tortures simultaneously? It was almost a miracle the six of them were still holding up. But their next mission might just be the worse of all. For that, she knew they'd need rest.
"Okay. Let's go."
They kept in a tight circle as they walked back to their camp. They made sure no boggart or dementor would come after them. They already had enough setbacks. And they had no idea how near Voldemort was to them.
"Fire?" she heard Regulus as her eyes were focused on her right side.
"What?" Sirius asked.
"Something's on fire."
"That's our camp!"
Regulus and Remus' simultaneous remarks alarmed the rest. They all looked where the two were, in front of them. And just as they said, the place where their tent stood had flames standing the size of the tall trees around it.
They did not hesitate, they ran toward it with their blood draining every step.
"Did you forget to put out the fire?" Sirius asked Peter.
"I didn't!"
"I was the last to go. The fire's dead," James defended.
A few curses here and there, courtesy of Sirius, until they reached it. They couldn't even see the tent anymore as it burst into flames.
And if it was possible to drain the blood of somebody whose blood was already drained, that was what they felt seeing black balls of mist hovering over them.
Remus swallowed and held his wand tighter. Their feet couldn't settle again.
The balls began landing on the ground and as soon as they did, wizards with masks on appeared. All except one, one who was standing in front of them, with a sinister smile that took Callie's stomach, Bellatrix Lestrange.
"Hello, cousins."
Or probably, Bellatrix already got Callie's entire internal organs. Even her drumming heart was nowhere to be felt.
"Traitor's friends." She specifically eyed the Marauders.
And then Callie. "And you. Who are you?"
Instinctively, Regulus held her hand. Bellatrix saw that slightest move in the gap between Remus and Sirius' legs. She took note of that with a wider sinister smirk.
"You've all been playing with the cat," she said in a sing-song manner, walking towards them at an unsteady pace. "It's only a matter of time before the rats are caught, don't you think?"
"What do you want?" Sirius asked with spite.
Bellatrix chuckled. "If I said I want your mudblood girl, will you give her to me?"
Regulus' hold tightened and the Marauders covered every corner where there was a Death Eater. They were outnumbered. They had to take two to three Death Eaters at once if they wanted to get away there, even if not in one piece.
The oldest Black in the room laughed like a maniac.
Callie's tears threatened to fall. She once admired her beauty a few days ago. But all she could think of now was the possible things Bellatrix could do to her. And worse, the horrible ones she couldn't think of.
"Oh, you are so protective of her, her— what's— what's your name mudblood?"
"Don't talk to her!" James warned. But Callie only held his shirt to keep him within the circle.
She had no plan if this happened. And she was beyond the threshold of fear for their lives were at stake.
"A blood traitor has no reason to talk to me. I'm asking you," she pointed her wand at Callie making her gasp and the boys point theirs back at her in a swift move. The other Death Eaters around them did the same.
They were no match for any of them. And Callie couldn't form a clear plan to get them off, by the end of the day, unscathed.
"What's your name, mudblood?" Bellatrix asked.
"Ca-Callie," she shakingly answered. She couldn't refuse. What would happen to the boys around her if she did?
"Callie." She chuckled. "You shouldn't have done what you did."
The next thing they knew, explosions and lights were everywhere. The trees shook and leaves fell to the ground. Spells were shouted but only by the Marauders. The Death Eaters did not need to utter a word that almost send a tree trunk onto Remus.
Good thing James swept him up as Sirius attacked the Death Eater responsible for that.
Bellatrix took on Callie. But that also brought Regulus with her. So when the oldest Black threw a spell at her, Regulus blocked it and attacked her back.
"Is that your way of greeting your favourite cousin, Regulus?" When she said his name, it was as though she was reminding him of who he was, of what his name is. But Regulus shook that off.
"You're not my favourite!"
"Aww, that hurts my feelings." She threw another spell at him which they both dodged. "You know whose feelings are also hurt?" Another spell. "The Dark Lord."
A hard pound in Regulus' heart before he attacked her. But Bellatrix avoided it like it was just a fly.
"He wanted you back, Regulus."
"I don't care!" He threw a spell.
"You think you don't. But we both know you do."
"I know that I don't!" Another spell.
"And why? Because of a stupid mudblood?!" She threw the spell this time. "Did you honestly think a mudblood like her is a fit for you?! The heir of the Black Family?! Our family?! Didn't you think she'd despise you for what you've done?!"
"She does not despise me!" Regulus threw a spell.
Bellatrix scoffed. "You disgust me. You're just like your brother." She threw another spell and that one sent Regulus and Callie to the ground, hitting Callie's stomach, right on the rib, with a stone that with probably just one more sharping, would stab her already.
"Blood traitors deserved to be betrayed. Not just by your friends but also your family." Bellatrix walked at them.
"I'm so sorry," Callie cried to Regulus, her next words right after she told her name to Bellatrix.
"Don't be sorry." He tried to get up only to get his head pushed to the ground with Bellatrix's wand.
"Please! Please don't!" Callie cried, attempting to get up herself but cannot thanks to her stomach.
"Shut up, mudblood!"
Callie did, keeping her lips pressed together and suppressing her cries. She didn't want to anger Bellatrix! For goodness' sake, the tip of her wand is on Regulus' head! One wish of her and his brain would be scattered.
"Look at your friends, mudblood."
"Her name is Callie— ah!"
Bellatrix pushed her wand deeper into Regulus' head, earning a cry from Callie and Sirius. Unfortunately, that only gave him a spell right on his chest, sending him to the ground.
"She is a mudblood," Bellatrix said in between pauses. "Now, look at them," she ordered specifically at Callie.
So she did. She lifted her head and looked at each and one of them. Sirius was on the ground, James with bleeding nose, Peter also had a wand on his neck, and Remus trying to protect them all at the same time. While Regulus had a wand on his head and she was on the floor with a hit stomach.
They were a lost cause, Callie knew that. There was no other option but to give up. Anything just to keep them alive.
"Please. Let them go. I'll do anything." Her vision began blurring with tears forming around her eyes. "Just please!"
"Anything?"
"Yes! Yes! Anything!"
"Even kill your friends?"
What? "N-no. No, no, I would not kill my friends! Kill me instead!"
Bellatrix laughed again. Callie wouldn't know if she'd be able to handle hearing that laugh after that. Well, assuming she'd live.
"And what benefit would you be dead?"
For one, Voldemort would have someone less of an enemy. That was a benefit.
"The Dark Lord has a message for you."
Right after those words left her mouth, a humming voice flew over Callie's ears. It was low but swift like the wind. Then a voice Callie was so familiar with but couldn't help but shiver. Before she could only hear the voice in speakers, now she could hear them in real life.
"You have done something." That was Voldemort. And he seemed to be talking directly at someone. Directly at Callie. "Something you will regret. Destroying my Horcruxes will not pass by without consequence. I am sure you know what I am capable of. Therefore, you will listen to me. You will stop your hunting. Or else, this happens."
Voldemort hadn't even stopped saying the last word when Bellatrix raised her hand and shouted, "Crucio!", sending the spell right at Remus.
"No!"
"No! No, please stop! Stop! I'll do anything just stop!"
And Bellatrix did.
Remus fell to his knees before to the ground, unconscious. Sirius and James immediately went to check on him. He was still breathing but Sirius knew very well it didn't mean the pain ends there. He looked back at his cousin and glared. He received a satisfied smirk from her. A smirk telling them she enjoyed every lasting second and would gladly do it again like a kid buying their most wanted toy.
"I'll do anything, just please, don't hurt them," Callie cried again.
"I know you will, child. You will stop hunting my Horcruxes from now on. And by sunrise, you will meet me in the Lestrange Manor, willingly."
Callie nodded one too many times. "Okay. Okay, I understand. Just— just don't harm them, okay? Then— then we have a deal."
"You are in no place to make a deal, mudblood," said Bellatrix and pointed her wand back at Regulus. "If the Dark Lord didn't see your shadow by sunrise, assure yourself your friends will get more than the Torture Curss."
The Death Eaters turned to black balls of mist again but Bellatrix's laugh resonated through the woods. The balls flew away, leaving them in defeat.
°°°
A/N: I edited this half asleep. Excuse the mistakes.
Have a good day or night!