The Lion and the Eagle |Neville Longbottom|

24. The Picture Widens

(Jenelle's POV)

The longer I committed to being observant, I got a few hunches.

For one, Death Eaters would randomly select people from cells and lead them somewhere else. Sometimes they returned, other times they didn't. For another, there were newcomers who got crammed in with other people. Our cell at one point became a little too crowded.

I was chosen when it got a little too tight.

Liam had come to fetch me. Most of the girls in our cell hurried to the back wall, I was one of the few that didn't fear the Death Eaters. Though I knew if I royally pissed them off they could kill me, I had to not give them the satisfaction they wanted.

As I was escorted out of the area, any eyes I met looked sad, grim even. I wasn't sure if it was because of something they knew that I didn't. I supposed, given enough time, I'd find out.

"Since you aren't gracious enough to provide us with calendars, how long have I been here?" I asked Liam. I had to raise my voice a bit, as some of the chatter still went on through the space around us.

"Nearing two weeks."

"Why wait so long to let me out?"

"We use a lottery system. If your number is chosen, congrats, you get some time away from all your roommates. Sometimes the wait is longer for others—weeks, even months."

It made me wonder just how long the Death Eaters had been at this sick plan.

"Where am I going?"

Liam wouldn't say.

The further and further we got away from the chatter, the more my heart began to race. We entered a stairwell, and rather than Disapparating within the walls of the prison, we walked. Every. Single. Step. We were heading downwards.

My legs screamed when we finally stopped the hike down. Liam opened the door and allowed me through first. The halls were quiet here. No cells. No panicked witches and wizards.

"We've got to make a stop."

After a few twists and turns, we entered a room. Under lock and key, cabinets upon cabinets held wands. Wands I knew belonged to all the prisoners. No way would the Death Eaters lock their own up.

"Number, please," said the Death Eater who monitored the wands.

I rolled up my sleeve, showing off my number. They scanned the cabinets before finding my wand. They held it out for me.

"It's not a trick, take it," the ward snapped.

Swallowing, I took my wand. I hadn't held it in so long it didn't feel like mine.

As we left, my mind spun with more questions.

More walking. More walking. We encountered another stairwell. I was going to hate stairs by the time I escaped here.

We went further down. I began to wonder if this prison was partially underground.

When we exited, I heard lots of excited murmurs, though they were muffled. A pair of doors was down at the end of the hall.

"What is this?" I asked.

"A new sport we've invented," said Liam. He ushered me onward. "As much as we love keeping the lot of you caged up, your complaints and whines grate on our ears. So, we figured out a way to entertain ourselves. I won't go with you through those doors, you'll be on your own."