In the Melancholy Moonlight

Chapter CLXI: Show Me Where My Skin Begins

I woke up from the same dream
Falling backwards, falling backwards
'Til it turned me inside out
Now I live a waking life
Of looking backwards, looking backwards
A model citizen of doubt

Until one day I had enough
Of this exercise of trust
I leaned in and let it hurt
And let my body feel the dirt
When I break pattern, I break ground
I rebuild when I break down
I wake up more awake than I've ever been before

Still I'm pinned under the weight
Of what I believed would keep me safe
Show me where my armor ends
Show me where my skin begins
Like a final puzzle piece
It all makes perfect sense to me
The heaviness that I hold in my heart belongs to gravity
The heaviness that I hold in my heart's been crushing me

"Pluto"
Sleeping At Last

~

LUCY:

I was still half-asleep when the Daily Prophet was dropped in front of me. I passed the owl a Knut and glanced down at the paper.

I clapped my hands over my mouth in horror. NO.

"What is it?" everyone around me asked at once. I snatched the paper up and started reading as fast as my eyes would allow me.

January 9, 1996

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 of 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 two and a half years ago 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. 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."

Between the headline and the article were ten photographs of the Death Eaters. I recognized every single one, knowing their names and crimes from the stories Mum had told me as a child, but one terrified me more than the others.

Bellatrix Lestrange. She was the only witch who had escaped, and the animalistic, gleeful look in her eyes shook me to my core.

I had known for a long time that my survival in the caves was largely due to the fact that the Death Eaters that had taken me were weak. Their loyalty to Voldemort was not so strong they were willing to go to Azkaban. With these ten new Death Eaters on the loose, in the ranks, with Voldemort once again, nothing was safe. No one was safe. If I were kidnapped again, there would be no escape. No joke spells would save me.