OK so you've probably guessed what's going to happen in this chapter from the title. I just want to say a huge thank you to all of you for sticking with me throughout this story - it means a lot :)
Al groaned as she rolled over on the damp stone floor. The coolness soothed her where she touched it and she tried to force her eyes open. Whether she had succeeded or not, she did not know, because the room she was in was undoubtedly underground and therefore completely dark. If she waved her hand in front of her face, she would not have been able to see it.
But Al was not scared of the dark, because it was when the light came that the pain came. When the door opened, and wandlight filled the room - that was what she was scared of. She didn't know how long she'd been down here - she'd definitely missed her birthday. That was the day she'd got here. But what about Harry's birthday? Had she been here long enough to miss that? No, that would be ridiculous.
The door swung open, and three Death Eaters appeared in silhouettes, light spilling into the room. Al screwed her eyes shut and used her last remaining energy to haul herself away from the light, squirming under the malicious laughter. "Get up," the one on the right said.
Al didn't move, she just curled up against the wall, bracing herself for what was coming. "Crucio!" he said, and the spell hit her. She cried out, her throat scratching and her body feeling like it was being torn apart. She could hear them laughing even more, drowned out only by the thumping of her heart in her chest.
"Enough!" one of them said, "We should not keep the Dark Lord waiting." He stepped forward and grabbed Al's forearm, pulling her up and toward the door. She didn't have the strength to walk, so she just stumbled along, trying desperately to find her feet, while the Death Eater dragged her up a flight of stairs and through unfamiliar winding corridors.
They reached a set of double doors, which opened as they approached, and Al saw a group of Death Eaters, all in matching robes, about the same size as her advanced duelling club. What would she give to feel the pride and glee she'd felt that day when she'd won the tournament?
But Al's musing was cut short when she was thrown to the floor before the group. She peered round at them. Most of the faces were male, but some witches stood there. They were all strangers, except for one man who was the spitting image of Theo - she presumed that was his father. And near the back of the group, Al spied the sneering faces of Narcissa and Lucius.
"Alexandra," Voldemort's cool voice said from the opposite side of the room. "How nice of you to join us." Al didn't say a word, merely forced herself, trembling like a leaf in the wind, into an upright sitting position, where she remained, gasping for breath. "Avery," he said suddenly, and a Death Eater near the front of the group stepped forward. "You may do the honours."
This was it - they were going to kill her. If she'd been able to muster it, she'd have smiled with relief. It was over. She was free of this place, and of this cruel, cruel world. She lifted her chin, looking her killer dead in the eye. "Crucio!"
The beam of red light shot from his wand, and Al was forced backward into the floor, banging her head as she did so. But that was nothing compared to the wrath of the Cruciatus Curse. She would've screamed had her vocal chords not been used until they were raw and sore. And then it was over and her chest heaved for breath as the Death Eaters around her laughed at the torture of a child.
A scene flashed before her eyes. She was sat in the Great Hall, opposite Hermione and the Weasel. Black drapes hung from the walls, and the Hufflepuff table looked the most sombre. It was the leaving feast, Al knew, in memorial to Cedric Diggory and herself. She didn't know how she knew that.
Dumbledore stood at the staff table addressing all the students. "...if a time should come when you have to choose between what is right, and what is easy, remember the bravery of Cedric Diggory and Al Dursley..." but his words were drowned out as Harry's body cut him off and stopped listening.
Al glanced up the table, and saw George. Her beautiful George, sat next to Fred and looking haunted as he sobbed silently. Fred had his arm around his twin, but he too looked like he may cry. They were crying for her. They thought she was dead.
The hall stood, and Al looked over at the Slytherin table, where Theo, Draco and Daphne were stood. They all looked tired and hollow, with black rings under their eyes. Daphne was shaking with tears that echoed off the walls and Theo rubbed her back in a similar fashion to Fred. Draco was shaking, trembling as though there was an earthquake. Al wanted to call out, to tell them it was okay, she was alive, but Harry's body restricted her, and she was dragged back to Voldemort and his Death Eaters.
Al stared up into Avery's face, his brown eyes staring down at her. "She's alive," he called over his shoulder. Al spat at him, a knew strength formed from seeing the people she loved. She launched herself forward onto him, kicking and punching and scratching at his eyes. An animal viciousness overtook her, and if strong arms hadn't pulled her back off him, she knew she would've killed him.
Al pushed and squirmed against the two sets of arms, but they held her tightly. And then she screamed. She screamed as loud as she could, letting all of her rage, her fear, her love out. In a blinding flash of white, she was thrown forward through the air and she opened her eyes on her hands and knees, staring at the polished marble floor.
"Excellent, Alexandra," Voldemort's voice said. Al lifted her head and looked around. Voldemort and a few Death Eaters near him remained standing, but everyone else was climbing to their feet, expressions of shock and anger flitting across their faces. Had she done that?
Voldemort swept towards her and smiled his sick smile, "Join us, Alexandra," he said softly, "Learn to control that power. Harness it. We will be unstoppable as we fight for the greater good."
Al feared that if she hadn't just seen all the people she loved together through Harry's eyes, she would've considered accepting this offer. She was exhausted, weak and in pain, and would do almost anything to stop it. But seeing George, and her Slytherin friends, hell - even Hermione and the Weasel, gave her strength. "No," she said simply, before crying out from the Cruciatus Curse that followed her words.
Haha just kidding - we're only just getting started! :) (Thanks anyway though)