The Light in the Dark | Neville Longbottom

Chapter 79: The Cave

*CW: Violence, Gore, Physical & Emotional Abuse, Sexual Content, Cannibalism, & Death*

NOTHING IN THIS CHAPTER IS BOLDED

THE ENTIRE CHAPTER IS FILLED THE MATURE AND UNCOMFORTABLE CONTENT

!! PLEASE READ AT YOUR OWN RISK !!

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My eyes slowly fluttered open as I took in my surroundings and the events of what just happened. The last thing I remembered was falling through the air after I was struck with the binding curse. I was sure that somebody had saved me, but considering I was currently in some dark cave, there was a good chance that I may have died and woke up in hell.

The only emotion I felt was confusion, only because I had no idea where I was. I lifted my arm to rub my tired eyes, and it felt as though it weighed ten pounds. I faced my arm and that was when I started panicking.

My arm didn't feel like it weighed ten pounds... it actually weighed ten pounds.

My wrists were bound to chains on the wall. Panic and fear immediately filled my body as I took a better look around the cave.

Rotting bones, rusted chains, and snake skins laid everywhere.... Where the hell was I?

I remembered a shadow, a shadow had saved me. Who was that shadow? Why did they take me here? Why was I in chains?

Suddenly, I felt a stinging on my left arm. I faced what had caused the burning as my heart stopped.

A black skull.

On my arm.

"No..." I trembled as my hands shook, "No... NO... NO.... NO! NO! NO! NO!"

My entire body shook as I scooched back to the wall and screamed. I couldn't believe it, it happened. I had the dark mark, I was a deatheater. I didn't ask for this, I didn't consent to this. I just woke up with it, that shadow... they got me.

My screams got louder the more I panicked and cried. It was the only way I was able to react. I hoped that an outburst of magic would have occurred, but it never did. My lungs were tight, and I had the worst guilt-caused stomach ache. I dug my fingernails into the palms of my hands as I let my head hang between my legs.

"Look, Nagini," a voice whispered, "She's finally awake."

My head snapped towards the voice as I bit down harshly onto my tongue. The anger fueling in me only strengthened when I saw him: Voldemort.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?" I screamed, "WHY AM I HERE? WHY DO I HAVE THE MARK? DO YOU WANT TO KILL ME? AM I A THREAT TO YOU? I'D RATHER HAVE YOU KILL ME THAN BECOME ONE OF YOUR FOLLOWERS!"

A deafening silence filled the room as his snake hissed, but I could have sworn that it said words; I couldn't tell over the sound of me hyperventilating. That snake was the scariest thing I had ever seen, it was at least seven feet long. Voldemort slowly faced his snake as he nodded.

"I agree, Nagini," Voldemort scoffed, "She does talk a lot."

Two things were for sure. I was either leaving this cave a deatheater or dead; I hoped for the second option. I couldn't face my friends with this monstrosity on my arm, they'd never believe me. I didn't want to be a deatheater, I never wanted that. I've always envisioned myself fighting alongside them in the war, but all of that went out of the door with the dark mark.