Rivals | D.M

70. Punishments

Draco's POV

I didn't really know what to expect. I hadn't let myself think about what comes after Dumbledore's death. I suppose going back to Hogwarts was out of the question. It wasn't like I necessarily needed a complete education. I didn't need a job, I had enough money to last generations. I suppose my job now was to be a Death Eater.

Death Eater's were sitting chests out, heads high around the vast dining table when I walked in. Harper was standing idly next to what looked like her father at the far end of the room. Both Death Eaters, but not high standing enough to have a seat at the Dark Lord's table. I saw my father next, sitting on the Dark Lord's right. Lord Voldemort was head and centre at the table, his red eyes glaring at me from across the room.

"Draco, please sit" his voice echoed around the room in a charming way, if I hadn't been currently occluding it's very tone would have made my body shiver with fear.

"Yes my Lord" I heard my voice say.

I walked calmly towards the seat next to my father. Many of those sitting already were the Death Eater's I had let through the Vanishing Cabinet, their eyes narrowed as I took a seat next to my father. I noticed a few chairs were empty, I deduced Snape and the Carrow's had yet to return.

"I have been informed you did not fully complete your task. Why is this?"

I felt my father still next to me, but I dared look. Instead I looked straight at the Dark Lord and readied myself for the intrusion.

Before I could even speak a word my father's words carried through the room instead.

"I apologise, my Lord. My son is still weak and young. But Dumbledore is dead, that is all we needed" My father's voice never faltered.

The Dark Lord's cackle made everyone in the room stop breathing.

I watched as his pet snake made its way towards him, he bent his thin hand to stroke the large snake's head.

"Your son is also stupid. He could not fix the cabinet by himself. Lucius, you have done a poor job at raising this child. Was he just born without a backbone?" he taunted, his eyes seemed to have turned into a shade of blood red instead of the dark scarlet they usually were.

"Even Flint could not fix this cabinet by himself and he's been working on protective enchantments since he was a young boy. If we should punish anyone it should be him" my father argued, his voice took on a whining quality.

The Dark Lord seemed to ponder my father's words for a minute, his hand still stroking Nagini's head.

"Peter, please go and fetch Mr Flint" he ordered, not bothering to look towards Peter Pettigrew, who was standing hunched in the dark corner behind him.

An uncomfortable feeling niggled in the back of my brain.

"Draco you will need to follow us closely if you are willing to learn. But I will not take this failure lightly"

I gulped.

"He will join me on our mission up North Master" My father added, his voice slightly nerving.

"No Lucius, he will be going back to Hogwarts."

I felt my father stiffen and noticed him shuffle in his seat. I kept my gaze on the dark oak table in front of me.

Suddenly, a clattering came from down the hall. Pettigrew brought through a man with dark curly hair, the roots scattered with grey. The man had a pair of glasses perched on his nose and was wearing dark blue robes. He looked flustered and down right terrified.

As he was brought forward, his eyes wandered to mine. The same exact colour as Aster's. For a brief second, my mind slipped.

"Draco, I do not think you are quite ready for this but I do want you to watch and learn." The dark Lord's voice drifted through the silent room.

No one said anything as Mr Flint was shoved to the end of the dining table, he stumbled clumsy, his glasses clattering on the ground.

"Mr Flint, although we were successful in getting the Death Eater's through to Hogwarts, it was not in the time period in which I demanded. Due to this mishap, we were met with Dumbledore's own people. This is not acceptable, don't you agree?"

"Yes my lord" Mr Flint muttered, his voice was deep and raspy.

"I was told that you understand the mechanics as well as many theories regarding protective enchantments. I was told you were the best in your field."

"Yes my lord"

"Why is it then, that even with the help of a sixteen year old, you could not mend this cabinet in the required time?"

"My apologise my lord, I had not come across the type of dark magic associated with the cabinet before"

Lord Voldemort listened to Mr Flint but the entire room kept their eyes on him.

"Now if you were not a pureblood Mr Flint, I would have already disposed of you. But in this case, I believe a just punishment is in order in the form of the cruciatus curse. Draco, please observe closely."

Lord Voldemort didn't bother rising from his chair, instead he raised his wand up level with Mr Flint who was standing tall next to the fireplace behind a few empty seats. His eyes narrowed slightly as he examined the man.

"Draco, with the cruciatus curse, you need to mean it" he said his eyes not leaving Mr Flints.

Even with my occlumency I could feel the chill of his words skim across my bones. I nodded towards him, my eyes steadily trained on his wand.

As he muttered the unforgivable curse, my whole body felt frozen, even my mind seemed to still. My eyes slowly made their way towards Mr Flint and I just stared at the withering form of the body that the girl I loved called Father.

He screamed and he screamed. He pleaded and cried.

He called out for someone called Alison.

And then he called out for Aster.

Blaise's POV

My feet hit the ground with such a harsh shudder, I took a slight tumble forward. Apparating while holding an unconscious girl in my arms was no small task.

Her dark hair had fallen from her braids, a few strands covered one half of her face. I could feel her chest move up and down gradually against my own chest. She looked impossibly young and an overwhelming wave of hesitancy washed over me.

I took a deep breath and looked up to see the townhouse I had become acquainted with over Christmas.

12 Grimmauld Place. 

A/N This is a double update - please read the epilogue straight after this chapter. 

Thank you all so much for reading! I can't believe how many people have stuck around since October. ((Hi to those from TikTok- you guys are the best)).