Innocence

Chapter 77

CAMILLA'S POV

"Welcome home, Camilla," he said to me. I looked at him, trying to conceal my fear. Two death eaters, wearing their masks, walked in. "Take her." Nathan said in a bored tone. They rushed towards me and grabbed my arms. One pushed my trunk to the side and the other pinned my wrists together in front of me. "Incarcerous," Nathan said. Metal chains fastened themselves around each wrist. They were cold and heavy. Then Nathan took the end of the chain and started to walk. He yanked on it and I stumbled forward, following after him. I felt like a dog on a leash. The 2 death eaters followed close behind us. Nathan led me to the drawing room. There sat my father, he just smirked.

"I can't tell if your brave or stupid." he said. "She's stupid." Nathan scoffed. I just stared at the floor and stayed quiet. "She was stupid enough to come back here." Nathan said. "I'm sure there's a story behind her decision. Isn't there, Camilla?" he asked. "No." I said quietly. Nathan scoffed. "50 sickles says Dumbledore put her up to it." Nathan said. My father just laughed. He got up and walked over to me. He towered over me and I was terrified. "Look at me, Camilla," he said darkly. I shook my head. He grabbed my chin roughly and forced me to look at him. "Why are you here?" he asked. "Because I had nowhere else to go." I lied. "Bullshit. The Weasleys-" Nathan started. "Enough Nathan. I'm speaking to your sister." my father said. Nathan shrugged and sat down. "Is that the truth, Camilla?" he asked. "Yes." I said. He drew his wand and pointed the tip to my head. "What are you-" I started. "Legilimens," he said. I felt him dig into my mind and watch my conversation with Dumbledore. I tried to stop him. I tried to make my mind blank but I couldn't. Eventually, he stopped. "I should have known," he said. "Father, I-" I started. I was interrupted by the sharp sting as he backhanded me. I fell to the floor and clutched the side of my face. "You think you can lie to me!" he roared. "No-no-I just-" I started. "You think you can be Dumbledore's little spy?" he spat. I stayed silent. "Answer me!" he yelled. "I told you I'm not going to help you! Why do you even want me? You have Nathan?" I asked. "I don't owe you any explanations. You have the dark mark. You are a death eater. You can play house with the Gryffindors and have as many picnics with Harry Potter as you want. But at the end of the day, you will serve me! I'm your father!" he yelled. I looked at him with the most intense glare. "You were never my father and I will never serve you." I said sharply. "I'm your father!" he yelled again. "No! You ruined my life!" I said. "Maybe. I needed a soldier, you wanted a father." he said. "I guess we're both disappointed then," I said. He pointed his wand at me. "Crucio!" he said. The light flashed and I felt pain. I screamed as I hit the floor. When the spell broke, I was panting for breath. My father gripped the roots of my hair and tilted my head to face him. "I've had enough of your disobedience. I will break you. I don't care if it takes every second of every day for the next 3 months. By the time you get back to Hogwarts, I will own you and you will serve me. And if you ever disobey me again, I'll get rid of you." he spat. "I'm not disposable." I whispered. "What did you say?" he snapped. I stared at him as my eyes became glassy. "I'm not disposable." I said.

With that, he slammed my head down and my temple hit the ground. I could feel the blood oozing from my skull and pooling on the floor. I laid there and watched my father storm off. Then the 2 death eaters came and swung each of my arms over their shoulders. "Where are we putting her?" they asked Nathan. "Follow me," he said. My feet dragged as they began walking. We went down the stairs to the dungeons. The cell they put me in was the same one I lived in for the longest time. It was dark and cold and lonely. They threw me in and slammed the metal gate shut. Nathan stood there with a grin as I crawled to the back corner. Blood dripped from my head to my sweater and dress. I realized my shoes were gone. They must have taken them. "Brings back memories huh?" Nathan said smugly. I looked at him with tears in my eyes. "Yes. Except in these memories, I had a different brother. One who loved me and cared about me. One who brought me food and healed me after I was hurt." I said. He scoffed and rolled his eyes. "That wasn't real," he spat. I nodded. "It was real to me." I said. He scoffed. "It was real to me. You were my real brother. The closet thing I ever had to one." I said. He didn't say anything. He just stormed off and left me there alone. I hugged my knees to my chest and tried not to cry. I didn't want to admit it but I was scared. I wanted Harry. I wanted Professor Snape. I wanted Draco. I wanted Ginny, or Hermione, or Ron, or Fred or George or anyone. I wanted to wake up at Hogwarts and realize this was all a nightmare. A terrible nightmare that I can wake up and escape from.

But it wasn't. This was real. I was trapped back in the place where it all began. And now my father has a mission. He was determined to break me. I had no idea what that meant. I knew my father would do whatever he deemed necessary to achieve this. And what if I couldn't stop it. What if after everything he does to me, what if I break? What if my mind breaks and I end up serving him? I don't want to help him. I'd rather die. I'd rather die the person I am now then live as the person he might turn me into.