Harry looked around at the other two, now mere outlines in the darkness. He saw Hermione point her wand, set toward the outside, but into his face; there was a bang, a burst of white light, and he buckled in agony, unable to see. He could feel his face swelling rapidly under his hands as heavy footfalls surrounded him.
"Get up, vermin." Unknown hands dragged Harry roughly off the ground, before he could stop them, someone had rummaged through his pockets and removed the blackthorn wand. Harry clutched at his excruciatingly painful face. His eyes had been reduced to slits through which he could barely see, his glasses fell off as he was bundled out of the tent, all he could make out were the blurred shapes of four or five people wrestling Ron and Hermione outside too.
"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 of Fenir Greyback. "Delicious girl what a treat I do enjoy the softness of the skin"
Rory looks at Charlie who wraps his arms around her tightly.
"Search the tent!" said another voice. Harry was thrown face down onto the ground. A thud told him that Ron had been cast down beside him. They 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 from overhead, and Harry was rolled over onto his back. A beam of wand light fell onto his 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 that made him double over in pain. "what happened to you?"
"Stung." Harry muttered. "Been Stung."
"Yeah, looks like it." said a second voice.
"What's your name?" snarled Greyback.
"Dudley." Harry said.
"And your first name?"
"I Vernon. Vernon Dudley."
"Check the list, Scabior." Greyback said, and Harry heard him move sideways to look down at Ron, instead. "And what about you, ginger?"
"Stan Shunpike." Ron said.
"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," Ron said, and Harry could tell that his mouth was full of blood. "Bardy Weasley."
"A Weasley?" rasped Greyback. "So you're related to blood traitors even if you're not a Mudblood. And lastly, your pretty little friend"
"Easy, Greyback." Scabior said over the jeering of the 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." Hermione said. She sounded terrified, but convincing.
"What's your blood status?"
"Half-Blood." Hermione said.
"Easy enough to check," Scabior said. "But the 'ole lot of 'em look like they could still be 'ogwarts age"
"We'b lebt," Ron said.
"Left, 'ave you, ginger?" Scabior said. "And you decided to go camping? And you thought, just for a laugh, you'd use the Dark Lords name?"
"Nod a laugh," Ron said. "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!"
"None of the Order members would ever show that snake face respect" George says looking at Charlie and Rory who both agree with him.
Someone yanked Harry up by the hair, dragged him a short way, pushed him down into a sitting position, then started binding him back-to-back with other people. Harry was still half blind, barely able to see anything through his puffed-up eyes. When at last the man tying then had walked away, Harry whispered to the other prisoners.
"Anyone still got a wand?"
"No." Ron and Hermione said from either side of him.
"This is all my fault. I said the name. I'm sorry"
"Harry?" It was a new, but familiar voice. And it came from directly behind Harry, from the person tied to Hermione's left.
"Dean?"
"It is you! If they find out who 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 by Harry and they heard more crashes from inside the tent. "A Mudblood, a runaway goblin, and these truants. You checked their names on the list yet, Scabior?" he roared.
"Yeah. There's no Vernon Dudley un 'ere, Greyback."
"Interesting," Greyback said. "That's interesting." He crouched down beside Harry, who saw, through the infinitesimal gap left between his swollen eyelids, a face covered in matted grey hair and whiskers, with pointed brown teeth and sores in the corners of his mouth. Greyback smelled as he had done at the top of the tower where Dumbledore had died, 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," Harry said automatically.
"Funny 'ow they all thinks we wants to 'ear that." leered Scabior out of the shadows. "But none of 'em can tell us where the common room is."
"It's in the dungeons." Harry said clearly. "You enter through the wall. It's full of skulls and stuff and its 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." Scabior said. "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," Scabior said. "I think there is a Dudley in there."
"Well, well." Greyback said "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," Harry said, his mouth bone dry, "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 Harry saw a glint of silver to the light of their wands. They had found Gryffindor's sword.
"That's not good" Gideon said looking at Fabian.
"Ve–e–ery nice," Greyback said 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, hoping against hope that it was too dark for Greyback to see the name etched just below the hilt. "We borrowed it to cut firewood"
"'Ang on a minute, Greyback! Look at this, in the Prophet!" Scabior said "''ermione Granger,'" Scabior was saying, "'the Mudblood who is known to be traveling with 'arry Potter.'" He heard the creak of Greyback's boots as he crouched down, in front of Hermione.
"You know what, little girly? This picture looks a hell of a lot like you."
"It isn't! It isn't me!" Hermione's terrified squeak was as good as a confession.
"known to be traveling with Harry Potter," repeated Greyback quietly. A stillness had settled over the scene. "Well, this changed things, doesn't it?" whispered Greyback. Nobody spoke Harry sensed the gang of Snatchers watching, frozen, and felt Hermione's arm trembling against his. Greyback got up and took a couple of steps to where Harry sat, crouching down again to stare closely at his misshapen features. "What's that on your forehead, Vernon?" he asked softly, his breath foul in Harry's nostrils as he pressed a filthy finger to the taught scar.
"Don't touch it!" Harry yelled.
"I thought you wore glasses, Potter?" breathed Greyback.
"I found glasses!" yelped 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. They were discussing his fate in low voices—
"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?" Scabior said, sounding awed, terrified.
"No," snarled Greyback, "I haven't got— they say he's using the Malfoy's place as a base. We'll take the boy there."
"completely sure it's him? '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 Potter, and him plus his wand, that's two hundred thousand Galleons right there! 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 girl thrown in!"
"All right!" Scabior said. "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. Harry could hear Hermione's breathing, fast and terrified. "Grab hold and make it tight. I'll do Potter!" Greyback said, seizing a fistful of Harry's hair; Harry could feel his long yellow nails scratching his scalp. "On three! One— two— three" They Disapparated, pulling the prisoners with them. Harry struggled, trying to throw off Greyback's hand, but it was hopeless. Ron and Hermione were squeezed tightly against him on either side, he could not separate from the group, and as the breath was squeezed out of him. The prisoners lurched into one another as they landed in a country lane. Harry's eyes, still puffy, took a moment to acclimatize, then he 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 spoke in a clanging, echoing voice.
"State your purpose!"
"We've got Potter!" Greyback roared triumphantly. "We've captured Harry Potter!" The gates swung open. "Come on!" Greyback said to his men, and the prisoners were shunted through the gates and up the drive, between high hedges that muffled their footsteps. Harry stumbled and was dragged onto his feet by Greyback, now he was staggering along
sideways, tied back-to-back to the four other prisoner. Closing his puffy eyes, he allowed the pain in his scar to overcome him for a moment, wanting to know what Voldemort was doing, whether he knew yet that Harry was caught. The emaciated figure stirred beneath its thin blanket and rolled over toward him, eyes opening in a skull of a face. The frail
man sat up, great sunken eyes fixed upon him, upon Voldemort, and then he smiled. Most of his teeth were gone.
"So, you have come. I thought you would one day. But your journey was pointless. I never had it."
"You lie!" As Voldemort's anger throbbed inside him, Harry's scar threatened to burst with pain, and he wrenched his mind back to his own body, fighting to remain present as the prisoners were pushed over gravel. 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!" Greyback seized Harry and dragged him around to face the light, forcing the other prisoners to shuffle around too.
"I know 'es swollen, ma'am, but it's 'im!" piped up Scabior. "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" Through his puffy eyelids Harry saw Narcissa Malfoy scrutinizing his swollen face. Scabior thrust the blackthorn wand at her. She raised her eyebrows.
"Bring them in," she said. Harry and the others were shoved and kicked up broad stone
steps into a hallway lined with portraits. "Follow me," Narcissa said, leading the way across the hall. "My son, Draco, is home for his Easter holidays. If that is Harry Potter, he will know." The drawing room dazzled after the darkness outside, even with his eyes almost closed Harry could make out the wide proportions of the room. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, more portraits 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 Harry's ears. He was panicking now. He could see no way out, and it was easier, as his fear mounted, to block out Voldemort's thoughts, though his scar was still burning.
"They say they've got Potter," Narcissa said. "Draco, come here." Harry did not dare look directly at Draco, but saw him obliquely; a figure slightly taller than he was, rising from an armchair, his face a pale and pointed blur beneath white-blond hair. Greyback forced the prisoners to turn again so as to place Harry directly beneath the chandelier.
"Well, boy?" rasped the werewolf. He resolved not to speak, for his voice was sure to give him away, yet he still avoided eye contact with Draco as the latter approached.
"Well, Draco?" Lucius Malfoy said. He sounded avid. "Is it? Is it Harry Potter?"
"I can't I can't be sure," Draco said. He was keeping his distance from Greyback, and seemed as scared of looking at Harry as Harry was of looking at him.
"I knew it was you" Draco said looking over at Harry.
"But look at him carefully, look! Come closer!" Harry had never heard Lucius Malfoy so excited. "Draco, if we are the ones who hand Potter over to the Dark Lord, everything will be forgiv"
"Now, we won't be forgetting who actually caught him, I hope Mr. Malfoy?" Greyback said menacingly.
"Of course not, of course not!" Lucius said impatiently. He approached Harry himself, came so close that Harry could see the usually languid, pale face in sharp detail even through his swollen eyes. With his face a puffy mask, Harry felt as though he was peering out from between the bars of a cage. "What did you do to him?" Lucius asked Greyback. "How did
he get into this state?"
"That wasn't us."
"Looks more like a Stinging Jinx to me," Lucius said. His grey 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?" Harry saw Draco's face up close now, right beside his father's. They were extraordinarily alike, except that while his father looked beside himself with excitement, Draco's expression was full of reluctance, even fear.
"I don't know," he said, and he walked away toward the fireplace where his mother stood watching.
"We had better be certain, Lucius," Narcissa called to her husband in her cold, clear voice. "Completely sure that it is Potter, before we summon the Dark Lord. They say this is his" she was looking closely at the blackthorn wand "but it does not resemble Ollivander's description. If we are mistaken, if we call the Dark Lord here for nothing. Remember what he did to Rowle and Dolohov?"
"What about the Mudblood, then?" growled Greyback. Harry was nearly thrown off his feet as the Snatchers forced the prisoners to swivel around again, so that the light fell on Hermione instead.
"Wait," Narcissa said sharply. "Yes yes, she was in Madam Malkin's with Potter! 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. Draco, look at him, isn't it Arthur Weasley's son, what's his name?"
"Yeah," Draco said again, his back to the prisoners. "It could be." The drawing room door opened behind Harry. A woman spoke, and the sound of the voice wound Harry's fear to an even higher pitch.
"What is this? What's happened, Cissy?" Bellatrix Lestrange walked slowly around the prisoners, and stopped on Harry'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, Potter! Potter and his friends, caught at last!"
"Potter?" shrieked Bellatrix, and she backed away, the better to take in Harry.
Rory tensed in Charlies arms at her voice as he hugged her tighter, placing a kiss on her head.
"Are you sure? Well then, the Dark Lord must be informed at once!" She dragged back her left sleeve. Harry 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!" Lucius said, and his hand actually closed upon Bellatrix's wrist, preventing her from touching the Mark. "I shall summon him, Bella. Potter has 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 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 honour of his of" She stopped struggling, her dark eyes fixed upon something Harry 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 perishif the Dark Lord comes now!" Lucius froze, his index finger hovering over his own Mark. Bellatrix strode out of Harry's limited line of vision. "What is that?" he 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, 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 thought there were four of them against one of her. They fell where they stood, all except Greyback, who had been forced into a kneeling position, his arms outstretched. Out of the corners of his eyes Harry 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 find 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," Bellatrix said, 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" Narcissa said 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 must not be harmed," she muttered, more to herself than to the others. "The Dark Lord wishes to dispose of this Potter himself. But if he finds out. I must I must know" 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're 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," Bellatrix said sharply. "All except except for the Mudblood." Greyback gave a grunt of pleasure.
"No!" shouted Ron. "You can have me, keep me!" Bellatrix hit him across the face: the blow echoed around the room.
"If she dies under questioning, I'll take you next," she said. "Blood traitor is next to Mudblood in my book. 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 Hermione free from the other prisoners, then dragged her by the hair into the middle of the room, while Greyback forced the rest of them to shuffle across to another door, into a dark passageway, his wand held out in front of him, projecting an invisible and irresistible force.
"Reckon she'll let me have a bit of the girl when she's finished with her?" Greyback crooned as he forced them along the corridor. "I'd say I'll get a bite or two, wouldn't you, ginger?" Harry could feel Ron shaking. They were forced down a steep flight of stairs, still tied back-to-back and in danger of slipping and breaking their necks at any moment. At the bottom was a heavy door. Greyback unlocked it with a tap of his wand, then forced them into a dank and musty room and left them in total darkness.
"Wait" James said looking at the screen "Isn't Rory there"
Rory was sat beside Luna, struggling to stay conscious as they hear someone unlocking the door before forcing someone in. The echoing bang of the slammed cellar door had not died away before there was a terrible, drawn out scream from directly above.
"HERMIONE!" Ron's voice bellowed "HERMIONE!"
"Be quiet!" Harry said. "Shut up. Ron, we need to work out a way" Rory tries to get up but fails as Luna moves from beside her.
"HERMIONE! HERMIONE!" Ron yells again.
"When has yelling ever helped" Hermione says looking at Ron.
"We need a plan, stop yelling we need to get these ropes off"
"Harry?" Luna whispered through the darkness. "Ron? Is that you?" Ron stopped shouting. There was a sound of movement. "Harry? Ron?"
"Luna?"
"Yes, it's me! Oh no, I didn't want you to be caught!"
"Luna, can you help us get these ropes off?" Harry asked.
"Oh yes, I expect so. There's an old nail we use if we need to break anything. Just a moment" Hermione screamed again from overhead, and they could hear Bellatrix screaming too, but her words were inaudible, as Ron shouted again,
"HERMIONE! HERMIONE!"
"Mr. Ollivander?" Harry could hear Luna saying. "Mr. Ollivander, have you got the nail? If you just move over a little bit. I think it was beside the water jug. You'll need to stay still," she said. From upstairs they heard Bellatrix's voice.
"I'm going to ask you again! Where did you get this sword? Where?"
"We found it we found it PLEASE!" Hermione screamed again.
"Ron, please stay still!" Luna whispered. "I can't see what I'm doing"
"My pocket!" Ron said, "In my pocket, there's a Deluminator, and it's full of light!" A few seconds later, there was a click, and the luminescent spheres the Deluminator had sucked from the lamps in the tent flew into the cellar: Unable to rejoin their sources, they simply hung there, like tiny suns, flooding the underground room with light. Harry saw Luna, all eyes in her white face, before looking over to where Rory and Ollivander were curled up on the floor in the corner. Craning around, he caught sight of their fellow prisoners: Dean and Griphook the goblin, who seemed barely conscious, kept standing by the ropes that bound him to the humans.
"Rory" Harry said as his eyes met hers.
James looks at his daughter on screen, tears running down his face as the sight of her and what she had been through. Charlie kissed her head again before resting his head in her neck.
"Oh, that's much easier, thanks, Ron," said Luna, and she began hacking at their bindings again. "Hello, Dean!" From above came Bellatrix's voice.
"You're lying, filthy Mudblood, and I know it! You have been inside my vault at Gringotts! Tell the truth, tell the truth!" Another terrible scream.
"HERMIONE!"
"What else did you take? What else have you got? Tel me the truth or, I swear, I shall run you through with this knife!"
"There!" The ropes fell away as Harry ran over to Rory.
"Rory, look at me" She managed to look up at him "Rory I'm going to get us out of here, I swear" Ron was running around the cellar, looking up at the low ceiling, searching for a trapdoor. Dean, his face bruised and bloody, said
"Thanks" to Luna and stood there, shivering, but Griphook sank onto the cellar floor, looking groggy and disoriented, many welts across his swarthy face. Ron was now trying to Disapparate without a wand.
"There's no way out, Ron," said Luna, watching his fruitless efforts. "The cellar is completely escape-proof. I tried, at first. Mr. Ollivander has been here for a long time, he's tried everything and so has Rory." Ron looked over to where Harry was sat beside Rory an arm wrapped around her. Hermione was screaming again. Harry stood back up as Dean walked over and sat beside Rory.
"Hey Rory" Rory sent him a small smile before shivering "come here" he opened his arms and wrapped them around her whilst Harry started to run around the cellar, feeling the walls.
"I'm so sorry I couldn't save you Nova" Charlie whispers into her neck.
"Hey, no it wasn't your fault Charlie"
"What else did you take, what else? ANSWER ME! CRUCIO!" Rory flinched as Hermione's screams echoed off the walls upstairs, Ron was half sobbing as he pounded the walls with his fists, Rory burried her head in Deans chest as he tightened his arms around her.
"Help us!" Harry yelled at someone "We're in the cellar of Malfoy Manor, help us!" Hermione was screaming worse than ever, and Ron was bellowing,
"HERMIONE! HERMIONE!"
"How did you get into my vault?" Bellatrix screamed. "Did that dirty little goblin in the cellar help you?"
"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!"
"A copy?" screeched Bellatrix. "Oh, a likely story!"
"But we can find out easily!" came Lucius's voice. "Draco,fetch the goblin, he can tell us whether the sword is real or not!" Harry dashed across the cellar to where Griphook was huddled on the floor.
"Griphook," he whispered into the goblin's pointed ear, "you must tell them that sword's a fake, they mustn't know it's the real one, Griphook, please" They could hear someone scuttling down the cellar steps; next moment, Draco's shaking voice spoke from behind the door.
"Stand back. Line up against the back wall. Don't try anything, or I'll kill you!" All the ones still standing did as they were bidden as the lock turned, Ron clicked the Deluminator and the lights whisked back into his pocket, restoring the cellar's darkness. The door flew open; Malfoy marched inside, wand held out in front of him, pale and determined. He seized the little goblin by the arm and backed out again, dragging Griphook with him. The door slammed shut and at the same moment a loud crack echoed inside the cellar. Ron clicked the Deluminator. Three balls of light flew back into the air from his pocket, revealing Dobby the house-elf, who had just Apparated into their midst.
"DOB—!" Harry hit Ron on the arm to stop him shouting, and Ron looked terrified at his mistake. Footsteps crossed the ceiling overhead, Draco marching Griphook to Bellatrix. Dobby's enormous, tennis ball shaped eyes were wide; he was trembling from his feet to the tips of his ears. He was back in the home of his old masters, and it was clear that he was petrified.
"Harry Potter," he squeaked in the tiniest quiver of a voice, "Dobby has come to rescue you."
"But how did you?" An awful scream drowned Harry's words: Hermione was being tortured again. He cut to the essentials. "You can Disapparate out of this cellar?" he asked Dobby, who nodded, his ears flapping. "And you can take humans with you?" Dobby nodded again. "Right. Dobby, I want you to grab Rory, Luna, Dean, and Mr. Ollivander, and take them take them to"
"Bill and Fleur's," Ron said. "Shell Cottage on the outskirts of Tinworth!" The elf nodded for a third time.
"And then come back," said Harry. "Can you do that, Dobby?"
"Of course, Harry Potter," whispered the little elf. He hurried over to Mr. Ollivander, who appeared to be barely conscious. He took one of the wandmaker's hands in his own, then held out the other to Luna and Dean, neither of whom moved. Deans arms still wrapped around Rory.
"Harry, we want to help you!" Luna whispered.
"We can't leave you here," said Dean.
"Go, both of you! We'll see you at Bill and Fleur's. Dean look after my sister" Dean nodded and tightened his grip around Rory
James smiled at his son proudly.
"Go!" Harry beseeched to Luna and Dean. "Go! We'll follow, just go!" They caught hold of the elf's outstretched fingers as Rory gripped onto Dean, his arm wrapped tightly around her. There was another loud crack as they left the cellar. They landed on a beach as Dobby disappeared again.
"Who's there" Rory heard Bill's voice as he came towards them.
"Ron sent us here" Luna said as Bill got closer, his eyes landing on Rory as he took a deep breath before kneeling down in front of her and Dean.
"Rory" She looked at him but didn't say anything as he carefully took her from deans arms. "Hey look at me please Rory" She looked up at him before placing her head against his shoulder too tired to do anything else.
"Finally she's safe" Remus says looking over at Rory who sent him a small smile.
"She's been getting tortured daily" Mr Ollivander spoke "since the day she got there"
"Follow me" Bill said turning towards shell cottage.
"I'm going to wait for Harry" Dean said as Luna went to stand beside him.
"Alright" Bill headed inside with Mr Ollivander beside him. "Fleur can you help Mr Ollivander" Fleur came rushing towards them.
"Oh Rory" she said as she saw her.
"I've got her Fleur, help Mr Ollivander" Bill headed up to one of the bedroom and carefully placed her down on the bed "Rory, can I clean you up" She nodded as he headed to the bathroom to get a damp cloth. "I'm going to wipe your arms first okay" She nodded before wincing as he gently wiped the blood off "I'm sorry, I'm being as gentle as I can"
"He felt bad for hurting you" Lily says smiling sadly at Molly who sent her the same smile back.
"It's okay" She managed to say shakily. Once he had managed to get all the blood off he headed to one of the drawers and pulled out a t-shirt.
"This is one of mine, I can help you change or I can get Fleur if you feel more comfortable"
"You're fine Pillock" he smiles slightly at the name before closing his eyes to help her change.
"He smiled at the fact the old Rory was still there" Marlene smiles at Rory.
She winces as her old clothes brush over all the cuts. Bill helps her pull the t-shirt on his eyes still shut until she's covered. He noticed the tears in her eyes as he sits beside her and wraps his arms around her.
"You're okay now I promise. I'm going to get you something for the pain and some food"
"Where's Charlie"
"He's in Romania, he checks in everyday but wants to be alone" She looks down at her lap. "I'll be right back"