Nightmare (Harry Potter OC Fic)

26. The Dolohovs

Being that Harry had "remedial potion lessons" with Professor Snape, Dumbledore's Army meetings were postponed until further notice. Most of the members grew annoyed with the message, complaining about missing the fun. It had been almost a month and a half since the new term began. And to Kei's great disappointment, Tiberius made no move on revealing his bloodline to Vic. But on the upside, Kei and Gina had gotten much closer.

For the new term, Kei switched with Vic in potions, allowing herself to be paired with Gina. In addition, Vic and Gina sat with Tiberius and Kei in every other class the four had together. But good went bad when Daily Prophet came out a week before Valentine's Day. Though Kei wasn't much into gossip, there was a witch near them who was. A gasp left the Hufflepuff's mouth, causing Kei to look over at her.

On the front page of the news script, ten black-and-white moving pictures filled the entire page, nine showing wizards' faces and the tenth, a witch's.

"What the—?" she gasped, leaning over to pick up the discarded paper.

Some of the people in the photographs were silently jeering; others were tapping their fingers on the frame of their pictures, looking insolent. Each picture was captioned with a name and the crime for which the person had been sent to Azkaban.

Antonin Dolohov, read the legend beneath a wizard with a long, pale, twisted face who was sneering up at Kei, convicted of the brutal murders of Gideon and Fabian Prewett.

Augustus Rookwood, said the caption beneath a pockmarked man with greasy hair who was leaning against the edge of his picture, looking bored, convicted of leaking Ministry of Magic Secrets to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

The only witch on the page looked more crazed than all the other wizards combined. She had long, dark hair that looked unkempt and straggly in the picture. She glared up at Kei through heavily lidded eyes, an arrogant, disdainful smile playing around her thin mouth. The only resemblance Kei could recognize were the cheekbones the witch had. Both of them shared that trait with their mother.

Bellatrix Lestrange, convicted of the torture and permanent incapacitation of Frank and Alice Longbottom.

In big bold black letters, the headline said:

Mass Breakout From Azkaban

Ministry Fears Black is "Rallying Point" for Old Death Eaters

"Can I?" Kei asked the girl. She nodded.

Quickly, Kei stood up and squished herself in between Tiberius and Silas, brandishing the Prophet. Tiberius turned to look at her, indignance written all over his face as Kei had interrupted their conversation.

"Have you guys seen this?" She threw the paper in front of the twins, allowing Tiberius and Silas to both see the front page.

Kei watched for a reaction from the Lestrange Twins. Their eyes widened in surprise and Kei felt herself release a breath she didn't know she had held.

"Mother's out," Gina said, a small sigh falling out of her lips.

Tiberius was frozen. Not long ago Kei had said how Antonin was in Azkaban and he'd never see him, but the papers said differently. He stared and stared, waiting for the picture to fade or Antonin to call out to him, claiming him as his son, but nothing happened.

But Kei's focus on Tiberius' reaction was interrupted as Vic scoffed, standing up and walking out of the Great Hall. Gina shot Kei an apologetic look and followed her brother. Silas was quieter than usual, just staring at the paper.