Raven (Fred x oc)

74. Escaped

At the end of the first day of the term, I threw down my bag and sat down in the common room with a weary sigh. As Fred sat down next to me, I said, "I forgot how much effort we have to put in at school."

"It's only going to get worse," Angelina said. Once the entire group sat down, we all began our work. Once I had finished about half my work, Harry appeared at my side.

"Val, can I talk to you a moment?" he asked.

"Yeah, sure," I replied, getting up with a sigh. Once we were out of earshot of everyone, I asked, "What's up?"

"It's at the Ministry, isn't it?" he said. "The weapon."

My eyes widening, I pulled him farther away from everyone and hissed, "Lower your voice, Harry. What do you mean by it, mouthing off like that?"

"So I'm right," he replied. "It is there. Thanks." Before I realized what had happened, he was gone again. I let out an irritated growl and forcefully sat back down on the couch.

"What's wrong?" Fred asked.

"Nothing," I grumbled, pulling my essay back towards me. "Don't worry about it."

......................................................................................

"Valerie!" Fred shouted the moment I came down the stairs. Brows furrowed, I took the newspaper from him. Instantly, I paled.

"Bloody hell," I whispered, staring at the pictures of the escaped Azkaban convicts. My eyes were fixed on the picture of my cousin. Looking up, I said, "Fred, she's out." Eyes wide, I looked around the room for Neville. He was almost out the door. "Neville!" I called. He turned around, searching the room to figure out who called him.

When I approached him, he asked nervously, "What's up, Valerie?"

"Neville, I just thought you'd want to see this," I said, handing over the paper. He paled, staring at the woman who tortured his parents to insanity.

"How did you-" he began before seeing that the newspaper specified what Bellatrix had done. I gave him a sympathetic smile before moving to take back the paper. "Wait," he said, scanning the paragraph. His eyes wide and shocked, he looked up at me.

"What?" I asked. He scoffed, shoving the paper into my chest and storming off. Brows furrowed, I looked at it and read it through.

MASS BREAKOUT FROM AZKABAN MINISTRY FEARS BLACK IS "RALLYING POINT" FOR OLD DEATH EATERS

The Ministry of Magic announced late last night that there has been a mass breakout from Azkaban. Speaking to reporters in his private office, Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic, confirmed that ten high-security prisoners escaped in the early hours of yesterday evening and that he has already informed the Muggle Prime Minister of the dangerous nature of these individuals.

"We find ourselves, most unfortunately, in the same position we were when the murderer Sirius Black escaped," said Fudge last night. "Nor do we think the two breakouts are unrelated. An escape of this magnitude suggests outside help, and we must remember that Black, as the first person ever to break out of Azkaban, would be ideally placed to help others follow in his footsteps. We think it likely that these individuals, who include Black's cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange, have rallied around Black as their leader. It is even possible Valerie Black, Black's eighteen-year-old daughter might have helped in the escape as well. We are, however, doing all we can to round up the criminals and beg the magical community to remain alert and cautious. On no account should any of these individuals be approached."

Just as I finished reading, the common room door opened. I looked up, spotting Dumbledore and McGonagall followed by a Ministry official. Dropping the paper, I turned and ran up the stairs to my dorm, whispering fearfully, "No, I won't go back!" I slammed shut the door and locked it before opening the window.

"Ms. Black," McGonagall called, opening the door with a flick of her wand. I looked back quickly before shifting forms and flying out the window. I flew all the way to London and didn't change back until I was down in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place.

"Dad!" I cried. Before I could say anything else, I realized that Dumbledore was in there too. I stumbled back.

"Valerie," he said quickly, standing up. "No one is trying to arrest you."

"Then why was a Ministry official coming into the common room?" I retorted heatedly.

"What?" Dad said, standing up as well.

"She escaped Dad," I said. "Bellatrix. She and about nine others and they think we had something to do with it."

"Valerie, that part of the article was derived from an offhanded remark by Fudge," Dumbledore replied. "That Ministry official just wanted to talk to you and confirm you had nothing to do with it. But your running away has made them more suspicious."

"Yeah, well, last time I got locked up in Azkaban," I snapped sarcastically. "Forgive me for running."

"Just come back to Hogwarts," Dumbledore replied.

......................................................................................

Clenching my jaw anxiously, I lowered myself into one of the seats in Dumbledore's office, facing the same Ministry official as before and Fudge. Dumbledore sat at his desk, his fingers steepled under his chin. "I was told you ran," Fudge remarked.

"Last time I was brought in by the Ministry, I got locked up without trial," I retorted. He opened his mouth to say something, but I snapped, "No, I have no idea how they got out of Azkaban and no I had nothing to do with it."

"Have you had any contact with your father?" Fudge interrogated.

"No," I lied. "I haven't seen him since I was fifteen and he was briefly at the school." When he didn't ask anything else, I asked, "Can I leave now?"

"Very well," he replied irritably.

The next morning, I came down into the common room and read...

Teachers are hereby banned from giving students any information that is not strictly related to the subjects they are paid to teach.

"What does she care?" Lee complained.

"This is going to be a problem," I muttered, glancing at Fred and George.