Carpe Noctvm (A Barty Crouch Jr Fanfiction)

NINETEEN - stinging jinx

"Tell us, Keira, is it, Harry Potter?" Bellatrix put her arm around her shoulders and steered her away from B and closer to Harry. He had a swollen face but to Keira, there was no mistaking that it was really him. Keira leaned closer to have a good look, Harry was shaking, Keira also looked over at Hermione and Ron who both had wide eyes. Hermione though looked reserved. She understands that I have to tell the truth.

Keira took one more look at Harry and then turned to face Bellatrix, who to her alarm had the dark mark out ready to call Voldemort. Her eyes flickered to B's who looked apprehensive. I have to tell the truth. She implored him to read her mind. Unless...

"Don't call him!" Keira said authoritatively to Bellatrix with her hand out as if to stop her. "Isn't it more likely that this is not Harry just dressed up to look like Harry? There is no doubt that this is Granger and Weasley but I think they could be traveling with someone else, so you might think you killed Harry Potter when really he would be alive." Keira finished, her delivery was clunky but she was Bellatrix thinking hard about it.

"Makes sense, think about it, if Harry Potter is really somewhere else, we would never know." B piped up, his hands in his pockets, he was determinedly not looking at Bellatrix and instead addressing Lucius, the more rational of the two.

"Bellatrix," Keira appealed. "I think I might be right." She then looked at Lucius who stepped forward to Bellatrix, before Bellatrix put the dark mark away.

Lucius whispered something to Bellatrix and they had a hushed conversation, Keira turned back to look at Harry and to her horror, saw his face becoming less swollen. She looked at B in alarm, he looked just as stressed but she saw that he was going to help. He made a discrete flick of his wand towards the few snatchers gathered and the snatcher holding the sword dropped it onto the marble floor, it made a loud clang and everyone in the room turned round to see what the noise was. All except Keira who took her opportunity and hit Harry in the face with another singing jinx, the spell she had suspected Hermione used on Harry.

It worked and Harry's face puffed up again, he left out a small moan of pain and Keira made apologetic eyes at him before turning back to Bellatrix who was now trying to get a look at the sword. Out of the corner of her eye, Keira saw Draco flick a glance at her before remaining stoic-looking.

Suddenly Bellatrix conjured ropes around Greyback's neck and stupefied some of the snatchers who fought back. She then snatched the sword up off the floor and examined it. Bellatrix's eyes turned maddened and she strode over to Hermione wrenching her head back by her hair. "Have you been in my Vault?" She demanded of Hermione who stammered a no.

Keira glanced curiously at B who was staring alarmed at Bellatrix. Does he know something I don't? Keira turned back to Bellatrix who was barking out orders. She wanted the Goblin and for the supposed Harry and Ron to be taken to the Cellar. B and Draco dragged them away leaving Keira to watch after them, helpless.

"Shall I call the dark lord?" Lucius added, helpfully. Bellatrix almost shot a spell at him.

"No! The dark lord must not come here!" She screamed at him. Bellatrix then began yelling at Hermione, dragging her about by the hair and making threats about feeding her to Greyback.

Hermione was crying but she wasn't giving in to Bellatrix so she got out a knife from within her robes and dragged it across Hermione's arm. Hermione began screaming and Keira rushed to her. "Bellatrix! No!" Keira yelled as she went in for another strike with the knife.

Bellatrix brandished her wand at Keira and yelled "Crucio!" Keira writhed on the floor in immense pain until Bellatrix released her from the spell. "Control! Your! Fiance!" She yelled at B. B scooped her off the floor and took her from the room.